Long Distance No Longer!

Ebiji and I were long distance for four years. That means for 4/5ths of our relationship, dates looked a whole lot like this:

We were usually pretty sleepy.

Now that we live in the same city and get to see each other almost every day (can I get an AMEN?!!), we've been doing a lot of dating. We've been exploring the city together, eating yummy food, road tripping, and engaging in all sorts of silliness.
Here's to making up for lost time!

I left for a second and came back to this. Always an adventure.

Daily life is so much brighter, sillier, and lovelier with you in it, Ebiji Anthony! I love you!

Thanks for reading!

Lazy Days and Summer Goals

Well that was a total whirlwind of a weekend in Appleton. Who would have thought you could fit SO many emotions into just four days?? I mean really. You guys bring out all my weepies.

Home sweet home!

But now I'm back to my quiet life here in Columbus and, honestly, boredom is starting to set in. I mean, how many Netflix marathons and online window shopping sprees can one girl have in two weeks? I'm pushing the upper limits, let me tell ya. So now that I've said goodbye to Appleton for the second time and my move to Columbus feels pretty permanent, I figure it's time to set some goals for a productive summer. 

1. I want to write every day. That could be anything from a journal entry to a blog post to a letter to a friend. The purpose of this is to focus on personal narratives, creative writing, and developing my own voice. 
2. I want to post on this blog three times a week. The point of blogging is to update my long-distance friends about my life -- not just the bullet points, but the funny moments and little details. To stay true to that purpose, I think blogging regularly is important. 
3. I want to find a regular sleep schedule and stick to it. No more super late nights and sleeping my mornings away. 
4. I want to work out at least three times a week. It's so hot outside. Lord help me. 
5. I want to only watch two TV episodes on Netflix a day and only right before bed. It's tempting to fill all my alone time with TV, but I want to find better, more fulfilling ways to spend that time.

So that's what I'm working on for now! I'm trying to truly think of these things as goals, not rules. It's not about being stressed or disappointed if I wake up late or can't find time to write one day, but I do think it's important to keep myself moving and to have goals to work toward. 

*****

By the way, I had the BEST time this weekend. I mean, just look at these people! I have the best friends in the world. And Kelsi, your wedding was almost as beautiful as you are. Thanks for letting us be a part of your big day! 

Thanks for the great photos, Sarah!!

Thanks for reading! Love you all to pieces.

Transitions

We've been graduated for almost a week and it still seems surreal to me. I keep going back to the pictures from that day, thinking maybe the 3 billionth time I look at them, it'll finally sink in. 

It's done. It happened. We graduated!

I always thought I was bad with change, but I've been learning that, really, it's all about transitions. My mom tells me that, in general, change isn't too bad; it can actually be easy. When you're immersed in a change, you get involved in other things, you're in a new phase of your life, and, usually, you're happy to have moved on. Change isn't hard, but transitioning from one phase of life to another, now THAT'S tricky. Transitioning is full of uncertainty, loose ends, missing, and being missed. This is where we are right now, friends. We're in transition.

My favorite picture from the day. Candid and so sweet. 

Graduation certainly ushers in a time of transition, but it marks much more than that. Graduating from college, particularly a small and mighty school like Lawrence, is the culmination of a lot of hard work and achievement. I spent four years at Lawrence. That means I was there for 12 terms, survived 12 tenth weeks, took about 30 midterms, wrote 82 papers (I actually counted), and designed and conducted a research study. I took the LSAT, applied to law schools, and was accepted to several of them. I achieved much. We all did. There was a lot to celebrate at graduation. 

But, if I'm being honest, I have not yet experienced that feeling of pride. When I am congratulated, I smile politely, I agree that much was accomplished, and I try to move on. Because truthfully, what I feel most strongly now that I've graduated from Lawrence is that I have the best, dearest friends I could have ever ask for. And, believe me, I asked. Every prayer I prayed during my lonely freshman days has been answered 100 fold in you. My Lawrence community is my family, my home, and transitioning away from that is painful. It should be. But I know that the future I have, at Ohio State, in Columbus, with Ebiji, is a change that I will (someday, eventually) be happy to embrace.

Lawrentians, I love you all. See you next week! 

(One week from today! Kels, can you STAND it?!)

Hello blogosphere. This is me.

I'm not the quietest person. In fact, I'm pretty darn loud. My mouth is gaping open in almost every candid photo taken of me. Is that a good sign? Probably not. I'm known for speaking fast, loud, and often. Oh, and my laugh can be heard from great distances. In these parts, it's infamous. 

But this is me. I am a college senior who is about to make a big leap into the world of higher higher education. In June, I move home to Columbus, Ohio and in August, I begin my first year of law school at The Ohio State University. It's a dream come true and completely terrifying at the same time. I will have more than a few words to express how this transition feels and what it means for me and the people closest to me. So I started a blog. 

I'm loud, but I'm going louder.  

The other reason (and primary condition) for the creation of this blog is that my nearest and dearest friends from undergrad are about to spread across the country. We're used to hearing from and being heard by one another, and we're going to miss it. So this is our virtual pillow talk, a new nighttime ritual. I love you, friends, and I can't wait to share in your adventures.

my dear roommates

amazing friends

This is going to be a crazy adventure, in more ways than one, but I can't wait for it to start! There will be a lot of laughs, a lot of tears, and, heaven knows, a swear or two. But that's what this next phase of life, and this blog by extension, will be about: learning to be more fully myself. So here's to a new challenge and budding adulthood. Here's to deeper relationships and personal growth. Here's to feeling strongly, loving boldly, and living loudly. Cheers.