The List

Alright, so I have already confessed my obsession with StumbleUpon.  But I promise not to talk about weddings today....but I can't promise they won't be mentioned.

One of my "favorites" while stumbling is something along the lines of self improvement, and recently while reading a list of ways to improve or add excitement to your life I found a really creative idea:

100 things to do this year.

I try to journal daily, so I thought I would just add to my list each night as I write.  & let me tell you it's a heck of a lot harder to come up with 100 things than it might sound.  I'm currently on #91 and have been working on it for 2 weeks.  I'll admit I have accidentally put the same things twice.

So essentially it's a Bucket List for the upcoming year, and one I'm going to try really hard to accomplish.  I thought it might be a cool idea to share some of the tasks if you will, with you.  That way maybe I can inspire someone else to take on this challenge!

You can add anything to the list, it's your year do what you want!  Some of the more broad things I have are,

#1. read the entire bible

#3. finish all 7 Harry Potter books (I'm on 3)

#7. not cut my hair

#14. help a stranger

or #57. start reading the newspaper

But I also have sections of similar things that relate to each other.  For instance, my health,

#33. ride my bike more

#53. run the Indy Mini

#49. stop ordering pop at restaurants

#67. don't gain weight at school next fall

& #73. stop texting and driving

Or school,

#51. join a new club and be passionate about it

#19. get 2 more 4.0's

#64. declare my minor in spanish

#47. plan my study abroad trip

& #68. become a role model for freshman girls that join my house

Then there are the really important things like,

#30. make a german chocolate cake

#37. learn every Taylor Swift song

#59. get asked on a date

#62. become a fan of a team

& #74. make a list of potential wedding songs

See, your list can be whatever you want, whatever makes you happy.  But what I have decided is that you shouldn't limit it to things you think you'll accomplish.  For me, I'm making a point to put some things on my list that I know will be a challenge.  Because then I will subsequently be opening my mind and broadening my horizons.

So, even if there is less of a chance for you to get asked on a date than there is for me, put it on there!  You never know what might happen in the next year, and you might be pleasantly surprised.

The year in faces and memories

5:05 today signaled the end of my freshman year of classes at Butler.  I know you probably hear this all the time, but I honestly cannot believe how fast it has gone by.  I can only hope that my next 3 years here hold just as fantastic memories as this past year has.

A couple of weeks ago I was so excited to come home for the summer, but as the end is drawing nearer I am beginning to have a change of heart.  I know next year will be a blast, living in the sorority house and whatnot, but I'm going to miss my room in Schwitz and my roommate/best friend.  So, what better way to culminate the end of a great year than with pictures from my favorite memories and of my favorite people?

Here we go, we'll start at the beginning, naturally.

One of the first weekends on campus, SGA put on a movie night on the mall.  Emily and I went out with a bunch of new friends to watch Iron Man 2.  Dang I miss that tan.

It's a Butler tradition to have your picture taken on the bulldog statue each year...we accomplished this the night before classes began.

Toogie (my dancin' fool of a neighbor) was the first of our group of friends to celebrate her birthday at BU.  A big group of us went out to Buca di Beppo and ended the night with Step Brothers and Flying Cupcake.

HALLOWEEN!  Emily, Ali, and I got all dolled up to go to SNU's Voodoo party...while we got cold waiting outside and never actually made it in, our costumes were great, right?!

Perhaps the most exciting memory I have from this year was living out my lifetime dream of going to NYC.  While I have probably blogged about this a million times, it was one memory that I couldn't leave out.

Recruitment was a week filled with laughter, tears, stress, and the most fun I have probably ever had.  They say it's the week you never want to relive, but that you'll never forget.  100% true.  The humor behind this photo is that Toogie, Micaelina and I didn't know which hand we were supposed to use for the DG salute, so we took one picture with each and deleted the wrong one at the end of the day.

Secret Crush, & my twin!  DG has a traditional formal where if you choose, an older sister picks a date for you, and on the night of the dance all the guys line up with paper bags on their heads and your date is revealed!  My date wasn't a secret, but it was still fun to get to watch the other girls be surprised.  Katie (the beautiful specimen in the purple dress) is my twin, this means we share the same big sis in the house.  I couldn't have asked for a better gal!

Spring Break was the perfect week of sun filled skies and relaxation.  Emily and I stayed with my grandparents in Naples, FL and had an amazing time!  We laid out, shopped, and even paddle boarded (which I was extremely skeptical about, but ended up loving!)  We have since began planning the rest of our spring breaks for our remaining years at Butler!

Houston we have Bulldogs.  I had the opportunity to make the voyage to Houston and watch the Dawgs represent Indiana Basketball in the Final Four tournament this spring.  What an awesome experience!  We spent the weekend traveling, game watching, and even singing along to a free Kenny Chesney concert.  Did I mention we got floor seats for the National Championship?

Little 500 was one of the most fun times I have had this year at Butler, and we weren't even on campus!  Emily, a great friend & sister Allison, and I made the trip to IU to stay with a few of their friends from home.  We attended a paint party (obviously) and spent upwards of 2 hours getting the paint out of our hair that night and the next day.  Olive oil was our best friend that day!

Our second formal of the semester was Royal Wedding themed, and took place this past Friday night in honor of....The Royal Wedding.  I had Allison find me the perfect date and we had such a great time!  How great to get to go out with a bang!

So, this year has definitely been filled with its share of tests and trials, but all in all I grew as a person, made some of the best memories of my life, and met friends that I know will be in my life forever.  

Emily

the perfect roommate, great friend, role model, and comedic relief at all hours of the night.

Ali

my newfound cousin, my other half, perfect work-out buddy, has tons of cute clothes to borrow, and always there.

Toogie

the hilarious, beautiful, dedicated, and fun-loving dancer that I get to continue to live with at DG.

Allison

one of Emily's best friends from home who is one of the nicest people I have ever met.

Katie

the most perfect, cutest, and possibly smallest twin I will ever have.

And so so so many more that I simply don't have the time to name.  I owe all of these wonderful memories, countless sleepless nights, and endless hours of laughter to you.

Thank you.

Another year wiser

This past Sunday, I visited my grandparents on Easter, and my grandma posed to me a complicated question,

"What is the most important thing you have learned in your first year of college?"

I was caught off guard.  I mean people ask me all the time, "How's school?" or "Do you like sorority life?" but never actually expecting me to answer with a developed and thought out response.

So I thought for a minute or so and responded with,

"Keep an open mind."

And there you have it.  The advice I have been giving myself this year has been to be open to new things,  to not limit myself & also to never be quick to judge.  Compared to my high school experience, college has been a complete culture shock, & it has not been an easy adjustment for me.  In high school I was your typical "Do-gooder".  I was president of 1,000 clubs, always making straight A's, and home by 12 on weekends.

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed made it through without any major fall outs, and I respect my parents for holding me to such a high standard.  But to be honest, my attitude in high school was all wrong, & I had no idea what I was missing out on.

Another disclaimer, I'm also not saying that college is all about partying and celebrating newfound freedom in irresponsible ways, but I never knew how important it was to be open and adaptable to new environments.

This especially came into play when I went through recruitment.  At the beginning of the week I never would have guessed I would end up where I did.  But I made my motto for the week to keep an open mind, which allowed me to see the girls for what they really were.

I also found it liberating to discover that I didn't have to be in every club, or the most involved girl on campus.  & to be completely honest I was tired of my extracurricular schedule in high school.  But at the same time, the amount of random organizations at my disposal was exhilarating & I found myself participating in ways I might not have back home.

In a nutshell, I am so proud of myself for taking the road less travelled and attending a college where few alum from home would be.  By radically throwing myself out of my comfort zone, I came to learn so many new things, & grow in so many different ways.

My only hope is that going home this summer and getting tossed back into the old grind doesn't clog my newfound pores, but instead allows me to share my new perspectives with those close to me back home.