Three.

3 years ago I was moving out of my freshman dorm. 

3 months ago I was taking the exit exam. 

3 days ago I was getting ready to take my last college exam. 

3 hours ago I was asleep. 

3 hours from now I'll be at a fitting for my MOH dress for Liz's wedding. 

3 days from now I'll be graduating from Meredith College. 

The number 3 has always been my favorite number.  I'm not sure why, maybe it is because it is a capital E backwards. Maybe it has something to do with the Holy Trinity.  Maybe it's because on the third day, God created sea and land and vegetation. And without all that where would we be? Maybe it is because three is an ODD number, and I do love those Odds.  Maybe its because I can at least count to three in all those foreign languages I learned while in school (that would be Latin, Spanish, French and Italian in case you were wondering). Who knows? All I know is that in icebreakers if you asked me what my favorite number was, I would say 3.  


Really all of that is irrelevant.  Except for the fact that in 3 days (count them: uno, due, tre - there's that Italian for you) I will be graduating from college.  I will be saying goodbye to the place that has come to be home and to the people who have come to be sisters. 


At this point, I'm not so sure I'm ready. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready.  Don't get me wrong, I could not take another test or write another paper for the rest of my life and be a happy girl. But I'm not ready to pack up my things and leave campus. Especially since I am one of the many who are unsure about what happens come May 9th. 


We are entering the real world. The world of salaries, bills, weddings, births, reunions, vacations we have to pay for, house buying and so much more.  And we may not be ready, but we don't have a choice. And yet, I bet we all still do it with as much grace and poise as we can. 


I'm sure there will be nights where we hate our jobs because they don't pay us enough so we can pay the bills.  Those will be the nights we pull out our Cornhuskin' DVDs or our Class Day pictures or we look down on our right hand and remember that everyday is a gift. And everyday ends so that a new one can begin. We will find ourselves smiling without even realizing it as we think about that very last 4 am Cornhuskin' practice. And those bills will start to not look so bad. Hopefully. 


And then in five years, heck probably in November, we will back.  To see each other again and catch up. And we will tell each other only about the good days because we won't even remember the bad ones. 


Meredith has been the perfect place for me.  I learned. I grew up. I acted goofy. I figured out who I am as a person.  As I'm getting ready to leave, I have no regrets in coming here.  This place, this Wonderland, has become home. The next three days are busy and hectic. And they will be over before I know it.  So here is to making the most of these days and enjoying every last second. 


Congratulations Class of 2011! 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

22.

This past Saturday (the 19th) I turned 22. There is a lot that comes with that age. Like graduating from college, attempting to find a job (preferably one I actually enjoy), starting to pay my own bills (unless mom and dad decide they are going to miss paying them :)), living fully on my own (which will depend on finding a job), weddings to attend, and a lot more. It's kinda crazy what the year 2011 is going to bring.  So instead of coming up with New Year's Resolutions, I decided birthday resolutions would be better.   I made a list of things I want the year to hold for me and I felt like sharing. 

1. I want to graduate from college. (and unless something major happens this will have a big check beside it come May 8th.)

2. I want to find a job, preferably a job I love, but really any job will work. 

3. I want to go somewhere exciting.  In 2010 I went to Italy, so in this year I would love to go somewhere else, or again, or at least begin planning. 

4. I want to read at least one book a month.

5. I want to make more gifts than I buy. 

6. I want to fill my very pretty recipe box with recipes I've actually tried (and liked).  With this one, I want to learn how to decorate cakes. 

7.  I want to get back into attending church on a weekly basis.  Working at a church is great, but it does limit your own church service attendance. 

8. I want to become a runner. 

9. I want to attempt to garden. My mom has said she wants a veggie garden in their yard and I want to be the one to do it for her. 

10. I want to be better at this blogging thing.  I know not many people read it, but it is nice to be able to just sit and write. 

11. I want to become less dependent on technology. (which is easier said then done in this world). 

12. I want to become more aware of the world around me - either read CNN.com everyday or subscribe to a newspaper. 

13. I want to become less aware of people.com. It is my guilty pleasure for sure, and to some degree that's fine. But sometimes it can be really distracting. 

14. I want to do something I've never done, like camping or rock climbing. 

15. I want to find my life passion. Or at least my passion for this phase of my life. 

16.  I want to finish some unfinished projects.  Mainly unfinished scrapbooks. 

17. I want to take more pictures.  Maybe do a picture-a-day photo album. I should get on that one. 

18. I want to do something that I wanted to do as a child but never did.  I think this one I'll be able to check off July 23rd when I go see New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys in concert :) (Thanks Liz!)

19. I want to keep a fish alive longer than a month. Now this may seem silly but my track record is not so hot. RIP Jerry and Stella. 

20.  I want to send more handwritten letters. 

21.  I want to do something for someone else at least once a week. 

22. Most of all, I want to be happy.  Everyone has "it's just one of those (bad/long/annoying) days" but I want my year to have more happy days than days like that. 

On another note, I have said this before and I'll probably say it again, but I have some pretty amazing people in my life.  My family made my birthday a no-fuss birthday, just the way I like it.  The day before my birthday, I found out I passed my exit exam (!!!!!!) and then that night my friends celebrated with me. Then some of them surprised me Sunday night with a Coldstone trip. I am a lucky girl.  So thank you to everyone who helped make this birthday pretty perfect. 

Thankful.

Tomorrow is a very hectic day for me. I have lots due and even a final exam.  But I do want to take a moment and share some things I am thankful for (because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday). 

So here is my list (well part of it): 

My parents. They have been my own personal lighthouse (cheesy - I know, but stay with me).  My parents have let me go out and live my life, make a few mistakes, and decide what makes me happy.  But they have ALWAYS been there for me to come back to, to share the joys and the heartache, and on occasion have had to help me (like a lighthouse helping a ship into port - get it? i'm still very aware of the cheesiness). 

My sister.  She is my best friend. Hands down.  I don't think there are enough words to explain how lucky I am to be her sister.  And how proud I will be to stand beside her when she gets married next year.  

My grandparents.  I am lucky that I have these two people in my life.  I spend most Sunday afternoons with them, and I am forever thankful for that time.  They have always been two of my favorite people and two of my biggest inspirations.  They are so in love with each other and I can only hope that I can find that one day too. 

I have some of the most amazing friends in the world.  We laugh. We cry. We text. We facebook chat sitting beside each other. We giggle. We get angry. We get over it (and that is the real gift). 

And then there are things I think we are all thankful for like a roof over my head, food to eat, air conditioning, heat, and running water.  

And today I am so thankful for my support system.  Because school is insane.  Almost over, but insane.  I am thankful for the opportunities I have had at Meredith.

Over the past few weeks, I have really learned to be thankful for who I am.  I am a loved person, and there is no reason to change myself for someone else (not that I've been trying).

So here is a delayed HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

End of a Semester.

This week was a whirlwind of papers, tests, and presentations.  It was also our last full week of classes.  Next week, we have two days of class and then the Fraziers and O'Quinns are headed to the mountains for Thanksgiving.  (Btws - the mountains in the fall is my absolute favorite.)


Then all I have left is three days of classes, senior sleepover, and three exams. 


And then before too much longer, it will be my last semester of college. Holy smokes. 


I'm not ready, but I'm not really sure if any of us are. Our time at Meredith has been a joy, an experience, and sometimes a pain.  But at the end of the day, we call Meredith home.  And as hard as it will be to say goodbye, I hope to the moon and back that our last days here are the best we can make them.  Exams will come, student teaching/internships will become tiring, papers will be hard to write, and in May we will leave.  


But we will be back, most likely for Cornhuskin'. And we will just have to remember that there is no place like home. 


We still have months till it's time to say goodbye.  And I plan on making everyday of my last semester at Meredith a wonderful memory. 


Like this one: 

Or this one: 

Or even this one of two Duke girls with a wolf: