packing.

I always forget how much I hate this.
annnndddd, I am currently watching my roommate/bestfriend pack as well.

SO MUCH FUN.

plans and road blocks.

we go through life expecting things.
expecting life to work out exactly as planned, and for everything to be rainbows and butterflies.
sometimes I wonder why we hold such high expectations when we know they wont ever be reached.
I am not complaining that life is bad, we just never can put our finger on exactly what will happen.


I mean who would have guessed I would move my life to tampa and after just one semester I would be compiling my entire life in my extra small mazda and going back to north carolina.
but also who would have thought that within that small amount of time I would meet a girl that changed my view of friendship for the better, fell in love with musicals and everyone involved in them, and met people that I know I will keep in contact with far beyond college.


life isn't exactly what we plan.
we can't really plan for next year,
what am I saying, we can't even plan a trip to the beach for this weekend smoothly.
but even through all the messed up plans, wrong turns, and just devastating moments..
we are alive.

and I am back.

this is the longest I have ever gone without blogging.

it has been over a month and to be honest I have been so stressed this month and I honestly think that part of it is because I have not been writing.

so I am back, thank goodness.

well you all may not be thankful, but I sure am.

in case you didnt know I am moving back to north carolina. 

yes, I know who would have thought I would end up back in the cold climate of NC.

I am going to miss tampa, and I am really going to miss my new best friend here but I am 100% positive that we will continue to be this close. 

we have to be.

we are the same person basically.

if you have not read the hunger games..

you are missing out.

I read it in one day and I am now on the second book.

you will not be dissapointed.

and I can not wait until march 23rd!

movieeeee!

okay thats all the random I have to tell you today.

missed you all.

sickly.

well my first time being sick away from home is not going so well.

I am running a 101 degree fever.
my body is aching.
one minute I am freezing the next I am sweating to death.
my throats just a bit scratchy.
and well my head feels like it may explode.

usually at this point my mom would be showering me with yellow gatorade, the cheap chicken noodle and soup (because it's the best), and redbox movies.
I would be on my couch or my parents extra large bed and I wouldn't move all day long.
if I got really hungry my mom would make me a grilled cheese to go with my soup and bring it out on this cute little "breakfast in bed tray"
of course instead of all of this I cooped up in my dorm room, infecting my roommate. and I went out and bought yellow gatorade and redbox movies for myself. still missing the soup.

the campus clinic wasn't much help either.
they told me to take motrin...
too bad I am allergic.

writers block.

I am having some serious writers block lately.

I am not sure if it is due to the fact that I am either working or at school  90 percent of the time so there is nothing really to write about or if I am just becoming less creative as I get older. 

maybe it is a combination of both, but either way here are a few updates on my life.

1. as I mentioned in a previous post I got a job. 

and I love it.

shop fossil.

2. my hair is back to it's normal blonde.

I knew I couldn't deal with the brown long.

(and people for sure treat you different with different color hair)

3. I drink chocolate milk with almost every meal here.

and I couldn't be happier.

4. my roommate is honestly the best.

she sings all the time, and wakes me up every morning by crawling into my bed and saying "time to get up auts"

(I love when she calls me auts)

5. the very loved nickname auts is beginning to pick up here in tampa...

thanks to the roomie.

6. I have a new super cute friend who happens to play minor league baseball for the yankees..

we do the most random things together.

7. my birthday is in four days, which means my dad is here in two!

we already have a brocatos date.

8. anatomy is my favorite college class.

who would have thought the hardest class would be my favorite.

my professor slightly resembles one of my teachers from high school and I am never bored in her class.

9. twitter junkie.

10. I am ready to go on a mission trip. 

I wish I could go over Christmas break.

11. speaking of Christmas, it is 66 days away.

12. I am 100% a coffee addict.
actually I am drinking it at this very moment... (it's five pm)

13. I joined a intramural basketball team...
and somehow got talked into a softball team.

14. I am seriously considering ordering myself flowers.

15. the weather here today is PERFECT.

16. I have eaten more burritos in the past two months than most people do in a lifetime...
and I am perfectly happy doing it.

17. I am done boring you people with weird details about my life.

hopefully soon I will think of some more interesting things to tell you about.

one of those.

somedays are just meant for crying.

this is one of those days.

fossil.

so I work at fossil right.
well, it's quite unfortunate because all I want to use my paycheck for is watches, clothes, handbags, and there is even one super cute pair of shoes I spotted yesterday.

the fact that I get a 50% discount does not help.

yesterday I bought a pair of shorts, and a sweater.
considering that I would have had to paid 60 for the sweater and 50 for the shorts but now I am just paying 25 for both does allow me to sleep peacefully.

I am a poor college kid, and I need to work at a store that sells clothes for 70 year old men.

happy birthdayy mg.

I have this new friend.
we are just alike.
and it's her birthday.


I already love her..

she is 100% amazing.

one down. a million to go.

I just finished my first college exam.
and wouldn't you know that I am like 99% sure I did great on it.

no big deal.
let's celebrate with a giant peanut butter milkshake.

anyway.

people are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; forgive them anyway.

if you are kind, people may cause you of being selfish, or having the wrong motives; be kind anyway.

if you are successful, you will win some false friends, and gain some real enemies; succeed anyway.

people may cheat you, be honest and frank anyway. 

what you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.

if you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway.

the good you do today, people will forget about tomorrow; do good anyway.

give the world the best you've got, and it may never be enough; but give the world the best you've got anyway.

you see, in the final analysis, it's between you and God; it's never between you and them anyway.

celery, horse flies, and pt cruisers.

I just need to get all this off my chest.

I hate air dryers in bathrooms, just put paper towels in them people.

I hate complaining, and I am very guilty of this, but I hate it. you usually have no idea what a bad life is like.

I hate when people are fake, I see it happen more than the average person… at least it feels that way.

I hate celery, it makes me want to throw up.

I hate the word t****. the opposite of thin. it makes my stomach churn also.

I hate feeling weak, or appearing to be weak.

I hate dodge challengers and pt cruisers.

I hate that I bite my nails.

I hate horse flies, those wretched little bugs.

I hate that people only text nowadays, even though my text messages usually exceed 1,000 each month.

I hate drama, and all the kings and queens that come along with it. thank goodness high school is over.

I hate speed limits, shhh don’t tell my parents.

I hate moving trucks, they give me butterflies.

I hate crowded beaches.

I hate the always fluctuating female hormones. 

vlogger.

I am very excited to inform you that rather than writing about all my new friends here in tampa...
we are going to make a video.

yes, I am going vlogger.

we will just see how that all works.
be prepared.
it's happening soon.

it really will get better.

I love college.
plain and simple.
I love tampa.
even more plain and simple.

I have no time to blog because orientation is insane.

I'll tell you all about it later.

goodbye pilot.

I am moving on to bigger things.

I don't really have a hometown.
I don't consider myself from anywhere because quite frankly... I am not from one particular place.
I didn't grow up in the same house.
I don't see my elementary best friend everyday.
and I don't have heaps of keepsakes because well.. things get lost when you move around as much as I have.

most people would think that you know after the third or fourth time you move it gets much easier.
but I am here to tell you I have done it eleven times and I think it just gets harder.
in a few days I will make my twelfth move.
and for the first time ever, I'm moving because I made the choice to.
I picked the school.
and when I did I knew the miles, hours, and money it would take to get me back home.
and although I am insanely excited, that old familiar moving feeling is ever so slightly there.
this time I will be leaving my family.
my mom, daddy, and brother.
and this time I will be leaving my best friends.
alex.
and christian.
and this time I will be leaving some fabulous friends I hope I always keep contact with.
sarah, blake, devin, seth, jordan, zack, etc.
you know who you are.


high school was a learning process, and I am not only talking about math science and history.
I grew up.
I realized there is more to life than basketball and any one boy.
I tried my very best to see the good in people, even when they were mean to me.
I relaxed. much to my mothers dismay.
I kept a confidence that I have been told is hard to find.
I saw just how much I needed God.

so as I move away from p mount.
the kinda place where the curvey roads speed limit is 55 but everyone could probably drive it with there eyes closed at around 70.
the place where if you want to go shopping you have to drive a good thirty minutes to get there.
the place where you wave to everybody, but if you didn't grow up there you might not get as many waves back.
the place that reminds you of how nice simple things are.

and I go to the big city.
I am happy and sad.
I am ready to see what is in store, but I will always look back at what I have left.



goodbye pilot.

hello tampa.
I am back.

happy 23rd birthday crystal lynn.

the type of best friend that you can go without talking to or seeing for weeks and then pick up like you hadn't been a part for a minute.

yeahh I love those.

happy birthdayy crystal.
see you soon.

love,
jerry.

happy birthday jm.

even though you ditched me...
I'm not bitter. (:

you are still one of my best friends.

and I love you.
I am here whenever you need me... and yes that includes one in the morning phone calls.
happy birthdayy jordan miller.

ps.
"it's our vegas."

honestly.

what a relief. 

well, you know.

"THE FOLDER is just cute and nifty

THE STAMPS are for you to use on your many letters to me

THE CD is for when you feel alone

THE PICTURE is for you to put in your new room

THE CARD... well... you know."

you know you have the best friend in the world when you get something like this.

love you.

you know.

happy 18th birthday best friend.

an improvised birthday song.

"blue jean baby.
LA lady.
seamstress for the band.

pretty eyed.
pirate smile.
you'll marry a music man.

ballerina.
you must of seen her.
dancin in the sand.

now she's in me.
always with me.
tiny dancer.
in my hand."



happy birthday alex.
I could go on and on forever about how wonderful you are.

but I have told you before.
and as you always say
"you already know."


I love you.

happy 18th birthday lover.

sarahelizabeth.

I love you 2300 times over.
hope today is as fabulous as you are.

hooray for being 18 and legal (:

ps. make a wish or two.

meet mrs. cathy.

there is this lady.
she is the most wonderful piano player I know.
and she is the biggest trooper the world will ever know.

her name is cathy reynolds, but because of my five years of southern upbringing I know her as mrs. cathy.

when I lived in brandon florida she was my pastors wife.
she came to church every sunday and played the piano so beautifuly it would put you to sleep.
I soon learned why she needed help up and down the stairs to and from the pew and the piano.
she had been in a terrible car accident and it had injured her severly.
she also develped lyme disease.
doctors refuse to operate due to the fact that the problem area is too close to an artery or maybe the spinal cord.. I can't remember which it is, but nevertheless they won't opperate.
she has been sick for about sixteen years now, almost as long as I have been living.
she used to come to church every sunday but because of the sickness she isn't able to come very often.
the entire church misses her.
it's a different place without her.

I was lucky enough to see her for the first time in about four years in march at her daughters wedding.
she looked as beautiful as ever and when I saw her I cried.
she hugged me and said, "it's my sweet sweet girl, oh how I have missed you and your lovely letters."
I have missed her too.
and I plan on writing her soon.
and hopefully I will be able to visit her once I am moved back down.

she is such a precious lady and I am thankful for all her prayers.


if I have learned anything from her it is that there is hope.
thats our song.
it's how we end each letter we write to each other.
I can't wait to see her again.
and she is always in my prayers.
I would appreciate if you would put her in yours as well.

happy birthday bud.

there is this boy.
he is a cutie.
and says the darndest things.

his name is gavin.
I call him gav.
he is my little brother.

and I am going to miss..
his dancing,
his beatboxing,
his magic tricks,
his hugs.. or attempts,
his loudddd laugh,
his hilarious comments,
and just him altogether.


I love you gav.
anytime you need me I will be there.

love, sissy.

blessings.

blessings.

"a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness."

have you ever sat back, looked at your life, and really considered all the blessings you have.
well this past week I did.
I spent seven days in a poor, underdeveloped, unclean country.
it is called Guyana and if you have never been there you just really can't understand.

the houses were more like what we Americans would call shacks.
animals we usually have on farms roamed the roads like nothing was the matter with it.
little kids didn't have clothes, shoes, or food.
disease is prevalent.
many of the toilets were just holes in the ground.
many of the people walked miles just to get places because they didn't have a car.

I could go on and on but I think you get the picture.

it is an experience you can't put into words.
well, I am sure someone can but I am not that talented of a writer.

all I know is, before I go to feeling sorry for myself, I will stop and remember that small south american country.
I will remember my family, country, and God.
and I will not let myself forget my blessings.

take the road less traveled.

two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.

-robert frost.


goodbye usa.
hello south america.


be back in eight days.

think about home.

thoughts on home.


this guy has it down pat.

wear red, white, and blue.

fourth of july.
it's my favorite holiday.
excluding christmas, but that is just a given.
but anyways.
FAVORITE HOLIDAY.

I love everything about it.
the patriotism.
the red white and blue everywhere you go.
the hotdogs and hamburgers.
the sweet tea.
the ice cream.
the parades.
the outdoor games.
the people you surround yourself with.
the swimming.
the sales at all the stores.
the sparklers.
the fireworks.

and of course the pictures.

thank you to all of the military men and women that have given some, or given all.
this country is so very blessed.
and it is because we were founded on Godly values and brave men and women have been willing to fight to defend them.

meet freeman.

welcome to a new blog segment I will call meet someone monday.
I have been thinking and there are so many important people in my life that I would love to tell you all about.
these people can be friends, family, or people I have only talked to once, but in some way have impacted me.
so every monday I will choose one person to introduce you to.
hopefully this will last a long while....

the first person I want to introduce you to is freeman.
well coach freeman.
or mr. freeman.
but I just call him freeman.

freeman is my all time, hands down, favorite teacher.
hopefully you all had a teacher that was as passionate about teaching as he is, and if you didn't then you missed out.
now maybe it's because I love history, guitars, and accents, but I learned more in his classes than in almost any of my other ones.
he checked on me when I was going through a tough time and told me I should go get some ice cream.
he is a christian and loves God. and sets an example for all of his students.
he has a beautiful wife and three of the cutest little boys you have ever seen, and makes it evident that he loves them to death.
he is a yankees and carolina fan... yeah thats the bad side of him.
he taught me for freshman world history, ap world, and I interned in his class my last semester of high school.
everyday of his class was interesting and we were always laughing.
he cared about all his students, even the ones that you could tell drove him crazy a lot of the time.
HE MADE ME WEAR A YANKEES JERSEY AND TAKE A PICTURE... I hated him that day.
he was the first teacher I met when I moved to pmount.
he is a baseball coach and loves the game.
he teaches because he loves it... and it shows through everyday in his classroom.

I am so glad I was able to see how a person should be when they are working, granted there were days he was upset and angry at stupid kids doing stupid things... but he always cared.
I would give him an 100 as a teacher and a person.

thanks for being such a great teacher, mentor, coach, fan, friend, etc.
I'll miss you next year.
and I will see what I can do about those yankee tickets (:

break out into song.

I have a confession.
I love musicals.
like literallly loveee them.

and high school musical two is on.
exciting I know.

let me tell you a little bit about my musical love.
me and my best friend sang and entire song "without love" at lunch one day. we entertained our entire lunch table. and we weren't half bad if I do say so myself.
it's on my bucket list to break out in song and choreographed dance in an incredibly crowded place.
and if my high school had put on musicals like east high does...
I WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY DONE IT.

so there is that.
my love for all things musical.

give a quick unexpected thank you. and get some answers.

today I had supper with this really awesome girl. 

really really incredible.

her names courtney simmons. 

but we will call her court.

she did a HUGE favor for me and took some pictures of me and three of my best friends for part of their graduation gifts. 

and I am forever thankful for that.

she did one fantastic job.

but of course she refused to tell me what I needed to pay her for her service, so I bought her a thank you/ house warming gift. (she is moving into her raleigh home in a little over a month)

I had no idea what I was going to get her until I saw it...

I was in an antique shop one day just wasting time when I saw it.

and antique coffee cup with the cutest little mustache thing built in.

it was very her.

so I got it.

and I think she liked it!!!

we went to soppers and both had some delicious pasta. 

and we just talked and talked about all our future plans.

it was so nice to just be able to be excited about everything that is happening so quickly. 

today I was able to just sit down and tell someone all about the crazy things happening in my life right now.

so side note. I have really been struggling on deciding about what I am going to do career wise..

and I had it narrowed down to two things.

medicine and something with communications and journalism.

and I have been praying that God would help me first of all know his will, and secondly spark a little bit of a fire in me for whatever it is I am going to do.

well court is majoring in biology and is studying to become a physicians assistant. 

and hearing her talked about it just made me realize how much I really wanted that. 

and how I know that there are endless possibilities for me with a career in the medical field.

when she talked about it you just knew that that was what she was meant to do...

and now that's all I can think about.

so tomorrow I am planning on calling tampa and talk to them about what I should major in with the pre-med emphasis. 

God works in mysterious ways... and even when its in a tiny restaurant in the middle of pmount talking to a friend that I don't get to see very often, you just know when He is offering the smallest bit of guidance.

so thank you court simms. 

thanks for taking the pictures.

thanks for having supper with me.

and thanks for the support you didn't even know you were providing.

this wouldn't be the first time you helped me make a major decision (:

I love you.

I can't wait to visit your raleigh home.

and I can't wait for you to visit my tampa home, and for us to make our way to naples (:

kiss the bride, for the first time ever.

one of my BEST friends got married last saturday.
and it was BEAUTIFUL.
just like her.

her name is charity and she and I met when I moved here four years ago and started going to her church.
she was the first person to talk to me and we clicked.
she is absolutely hilarious and probably the most outspoken person I know.
later I met her best friend emily.
boy do I love her.
also insanely hilarious, dry sense of humor, and the least outspoken person I know. (until you get to know her.)
so there blossomed three best friends that I couldn't live without.

but anyways this is about charity and corey(:
they met during high school and dated for a longggg time.
then last november... I think... he asked her to marry him.
and of course she said yesss!

when she called me to tell me I was so excited for her and her ring was beautiful.
at church she was telling me about the wedding party but didn't mention my name, which was okay, as long as I was invited I would be happy to share that day with her.
then two days later she called asking me to be a bridesmaid, and of course I agreed. very happily.

I took her and corey's engagement pictures which was a blast because they both make me die laughing alllll the time.

so then last saturday they got married!!

and thank goodness they did because thats all me and emily heard about haha, just kidding charity.

and it was beautiful. 

she was beautiful.

it was just perfect.

this was their first kiss by the wayyy.

charity you made a gorgeous bride.
and you and corey are perfect for each other. no questions asked.
I am so thankful to call you my friend.
and so proud to be one of yours.
I love you!

congratulations!!!!