Happy to see you, happy to say...

Lately, my life has been so hectic, I can't believe how long it has been since I've written a blog post. But being busy is most definitely better than being mopey and bored. I'm officially a sister of the Phi Chi chapter of Alpha Epsilon Phi. I can honestly say I love my sisters more than anything and they have already completely changed my college experience. My pham is literally amazing. I've been getting closer and closer with them and I am in love with both my big and gbig.

Things have been a little different than I'm used to, but I think I'm finally having a typical college experience.  Not that college wasn't fun or normal before, but things are a little different now and I'm not complaining. I am not used to being this ridiculously busy. But I love it. Minus having trouble keeping in touch with some of my best friends, I'd much rather be busy. I'm definitely expanding my horizons and getting to know quite a few new people. I love it.

Last Friday, my mommy came to visit! It was the night of airband. Airband is a greek event at Delaware where all of the sororities and fraternities have a competition similar to America's Best Dance Crew. While AEPhi didn't win, I could not have had more fun. I got to know a ton of my sisters a bit better and love them all. In typical AEPhi fashion, "They're the shit."

I have 8 days left of classes before reading day and then three days of exams. After that, It's SUMMER!!!! I'll start woking at a restaurant on the beach and I'll be going to Maryland to see Zac Brown Band. I cannot wait!!!! And right after that, Justine is coming to Wildwood with her family for her sister's dance competition. Just for a little background, Justine is my best friend. But we aren't typical friends. We've hung out for a total of two weekends. We met through a group for USNA girlfriends. Through a torturous summer away from our dearly beloved boys, trips, transfers, break ups, and more, she's become one of the most amazing friends a girl could ask for. The fact she is coming down for almost a whole week makes me beyond happy. I don't know what I'd do without this girl <3

I'm also hoping to get back into shape this summer. My health and fitness has not quite been up to par. I can give you all the excuses you want, but there is no reason I'm not working out every day or making healthy choices. My main goal this summer (aside from making money and getting tan) is to get back to where I am comfortable and happy with how I feel and look. This DOES NOT mean I want to diet or am trying to lose weight. This means I feel like a blob. My body does not like what I've been putting into it. I believe well being comes from all aspects of your life. And with my lifestyle right now, I do not feel happy and healthy as a whole. I want to run. I want to do yoga. I want to eat fruits and veggies. I want to feel healthy on the inside and out. That is my goal for the summer.

(Sidenote: I do try to eat healthy. I make conscious choices about what I eat, but dining hall food will never be healthy in my mind)

These past few weeks have led to many changes and much thinking and reflecting. I've learned to be okay on my own, and that I am completely happy with change. Sometimes you need it. And sometimes, you need to step back and take a breath. Things aren't always going to go exactly how you want or plan. It's not possible. But everything happens for a reason. God's plan is much greater than anything any of us could ever imagine. "Everything will be okay in the end. If it isn't okay, it's not the end."

Hopefully, I can get back to blogging regularly! I miss writing out my thoughts and the crazy things that happen. But, for now, my homework is beckoning.

xoxo
-B

Faith, Hope, and Love.

As you can see, I'm starting to do a little updating with my blog. I'll probably play around with it a lot in the next few weeks, so if somethings seems off, it'll be fixed in the near future.

Now, regarding my little cryptic post from last week, I got the guts to do it. Yesterday, I got a tattoo. Now, anyone who knows me, my family, or my extended family, knows this is quite a big deal. My dad has always been against us doing anything to ourselves to mess with our "natural beauty" (okay, when I say "us" I mean me. Sorry, Jimmy, no natural beauty for you!). And as far as I am aware, no one on his side of my family has ever gotten one. My grandfather was extremely against him, so everyone always kept to those standards. Guess I'm the black sheep. I don't think he will mind since I'm sure he's looking down on me and knows why I got it and it's meaning. I'm surprised how little it hurt and how quickly it was done. The girl did think I was a little boring since it is small, plain, and only one color. But it is my little constant reminder that everything is in God's hands, and to remember my favorite Bible verse: "And these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." So, say what you will, I love it and all I care about is the personal meaning.

And many of you know, this week has been a little crazy for me. A lot of stuff has been going on, nothing I would change for an instant. It has brought me closer to my old friends and even given me a few new ones. Two specifically have really helped me through this week. I can't believe how much they have put up with and still manage to talk to me. Friend number one has managed to keep a smile on my face and a positive attitude. Plus, they are one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Friend two has managed to keep me occupied and gave me the advice "Live well." This person really gets my outlook on life, and it's really helpful to have someone who has simliar views (well, most of the time) as I do. I really want to thank them, and anyone else who has helped me out this week. It means more than any of you will ever know.

Now, unfortunately, I am getting ready to head back to school tomorrow. I'm excited to see quite a few people, but hate that I will be coming back home in just 4 days! But, I'd rather be coming home than not so that isn't too much of a bummer! Have a wonderful day!!

xoxo

Risky Business

I am not a risk taker. Nor do I ever do anything spontaneous. I am a very straight edged, by the book, everything planned out a month ahead of time at least kinda girl. But I am (hopefully) planning to do something out of the ordinary, just for me very soon. I don't know if it'll happen as soon as tomorrow or in a few days, but I'm hoping it works out. And if it's a mistake, well, I don't feel like I make too many huge mistakes on a daily basis so one won't kill me. I'm not giving any hints as to what it is yet, but feel free to guess! If/when it happens, I will, if you're lucky, write an awesome post about it!!


xoxo

Boys Will Be Boys

This weekend, I finally got to see Patrick after almost 2 months (we have been truly blessed in that last semester, we saw each other about every 3 weeks, so this was the longest we had gone during the school year). I drove down Friday after my calc exam and we hung out with Patrick's sponsor family after he made some delicious pizza for dinner. We hung around until it was time for Patrick to head back to the Academy. He had practice bright and early Saturday morning. He was done his 7am practice a  little earlier than normal. We went out to breakfast at the double T diner. It was delicious!! Well, I don't know how truly good it was, but they had cannolis which gave them extra bonus points. We headed back to his sponsors to hang around until his second practice. While Patrick was on the water, I hung out with Jenn. We went to Whole Foods to get a delicious lunch, then we headed back to DTA to eat. It got a little chilly so we ate inside on the yard. We had the intentions of going shopping but we ended up just sitting and talking and lost track of time. Patrick finished up and we went out to get delicious crepes from Sofis! After that, we watched the Lady Mids (?) beat Holy Cross in the Patriot League championship basketball game! They definitely are not the lady blue hens, but the game was fun. Jenn left after the game and we went to a house that one of Patrick's friends' parents rented for the crew team for the week. They had an amazing dinner set up and the house was gorgeous! Liam's mom was absolutely amazing and I thought it was adorable that Liam, his mom, and his dad all were wearing blue and white. They matched perfectly! (sorry Liam).

The highlight of my WHOLE trip was getting to spend time with some truly important people. My readers really mean a lot to me and I know I've kept these particular readers on the edge of their seats waiting for my next post. I thought I would dedicate a section of this post to these wonderful, upstanding young fellows.

Liam, Evan, Austin, Jack, Jordan, Patrick, Conor, and Danny

These fine young gentlemen make up with Freshman lightweight 1st boat. They enjoy long walks on the yard, erging, and reading blogs. Perrier is the beverage of choice for these lovely midshipman. They will graduate in 4 years from the United States Naval Academy and have some very big plans for the future (ask Austin, he has some very well thought out plans). I don't know where my blog would be today without these 7 readers. Thank you for reading and enlightening me to some lovely dinner conversation, boys!

With that said, I have one more picture to upload, thanks to Jack!

He's always looking out for me!

I have so much more to write about but I am exhausted!

Surprise, surprise!

This weekend was the second weekend of recruitment. Friday night, I found out the 5 sororities I would get to see this weekend. I was pretty happy with the ones I got asked back to, especially because it included a few of my favorites. Recruitment is amazing because I really do believe everything happens for a reason and I'll end up where I end up because that's where I'm truly meant to be.

Saturday morning I had to be up at 10 for recruitment because I had to be at Clayton hall at 10:45. I got a good morning text from Patrick at 7:45. I responded with "It's Saturday! I can sleep more!" he responded and I asked why It was time to wake up. I was told I should be up because he was awake. To that, I said "well I will text you back when my alarm goes off at 10". At 8:26, my phone rang "Come get the door." WHAT?!?!?!?! I ran out of my room and there was Patrick, standing at the door. I wanted to cry and scream and jump on him all at once (I did not end up crying though). He was heading home for the weekend to see his brother and sister for their birthday. His mom graciously took the longer way home and let him stop by:) I was the happiest person EVER! I wasn't expecting to see him for at least three more weeks! Being completely surprised was on my bucketlist. I am not the most awake person in the morning so I didn't think how weird it was for him to be texting me that early in the morning. After I jumped on him, his mom and friend came inside. His mom checked her email while his friend called his parents. I was just in utter shock. I couldn't stop hugging him and smiling that he was actually there. While we were still standing at the door, he handed me a little gold box I hadn't noticed. Inside, it had the most beautiful bracelet!

With the background, you can't really tell, but it's beaded pink, my favorite color! Our Valentine's day was a little different than most this year, because we both truly surprised each other, but I wouldn't change anything for the world!!! I am the luckiest girl out there!

Tomorrow, I will most likely be writing another post, so I will stop here! Can't wait to see what bid night brings!

A day to Celebrate Love

I've been slacking on my posts. I've just been sooo busy lately! It is crazy! This past weekend started recruitment. It has been a whirlwind and the most amazing experience. It continues this weekend and Friday we start with up to 5 houses. I've been more outgoing, more confident, and happier than I've been in awhile. Friday, I did get extremely sick from recruitment. My head, my nose, my throat, all were ready to explode. I slept ALL day yesterday. And that is not an exaggeration. I can't wait to write my blog post about bid night and where I end up!!

Last weekend, we also go our pictures!! Megan's computer happened to die on her right after our session. If you are ever in the Annapolis area (or wherever she gets moved next!), I definitely suggest megancable.com . You will not be disappointed.

Today happens to be Valentines day. It was spent in class, waiting for class, eating, waiting to eat, nothing fun. One of my good friend's boyfriend asked me to do him a huge favor. He asked me to hand deliver a Valentines day present to her. They both really needed this and I am so happy that I can help make someone else's day. (Oh, and my mommy is coming to visit me on Friday for Valentine's day:)

I also was a part of another little surprise. My boyfriend is the most amazing guy I have ever met. Patrick is my best friend. He will do absolutely anything for anyone. I have never met anyone who can make me nearly as happy, feel nearly as special, or that I can trust with anything at all. He is the absolutely perfect person for me. I am truly blessed to say he is my boyfriend. I can't imagine ever being with anyone else. So, I figured a little V-day present might be nice. Patrick tends to be the hardest person to get a present for because he honestly wants NOTHING (its nice but not when you're the kind of person who LOVES doing things for others). So, being a boy who loves to eat, I ordered food for him. His awesome roommate, Patterson, helped me carry out my little plan. And it was carried out flawlessly (as far as I know). And I have no reason to suspect Patrick had any idea. I love doing little things (or big things) to brighten up peoples' day. It's what I live for. I only wish I was more creative and able to do more things more often!

Finally, I want to give a shout out to my most loyal readers: Austin, Jordan, Liam, Conor, Danny, and all of you other boys who can't get enough of this blog. I wouldn't be anything without you. You guys are what makes me excited for my next blog post! So thank you for reading so religiously!

Time flies...when you're having fun?

A new semester is under way and I can't believe I'm already in my second semester of college!! It's crazy. The past few weeks I've spent at home have been pretty boring. I love my family but no one else was around so I watched way too much tv and spent way too much time on facebook. The past week, I really got into a funk. I had/have no energy. It is the most unbelievable feeling to go to the store and once you get to the door, to be too exhausted to actually shop. My mom is an iron deficient anemic so there is a chance that is also my problem. I've been so wiped that I've had trouble keeping conversations with people that are normally so easy to talk to. I feel terrible barely talking but I can't even think of things to say. I hate one and two word answers more than anything, and recently I've found myself guilty of this. At least having to get ready back to go back to school gave me something to do. Of course, I waited until last minute. Shopping and packing all took place Saturday. We were supposed to leave at twelve to be back in Delaware by two, but we didn't end up leaving until two (oops). I dropped my car off and went out to dinner with my parents after we picked up my books. Then I got all moved in and finally got to see some of my friends.

I'm going to be honest,  I am homesick. As bored as I was at home, I love my family. I miss my dad. I miss my brother. I miss my dad. I miss my dog. But most of all, I miss my mom. Even if we didn't always get along perfectly, she's my mommy. I love her more than anything and she is ALWAYS there for me. This break, I think she's finally come to terms with my long term plans for my life. Pretty much, we both realized that after college, chances are I won't be coming back home. That means any time spent at home becomes even more pressure than it was before. Anyone who has come to this realization knows what a big thing it is. Yes, I get long breaks and come home for summer, but more than half of the year, I'm not home. I don't get to see her, hear her voice, eat her cooking, go shopping together, anything. Yes, I can call her, but when you're used to always having your mom, for 18 years of your life, this is huge. And it is a lot to take in.

But, one thing that is going to change my college experience (hopefully for the better) is recruitment. This weekend kicks off panhellenic recruitment and I could not be more excited. Anyone who knows me well knows that while I do like college, I am not quite "having a blast". I have a few friends but not enough that I really feel close with and barely any that I trust. Having amazing friends is something that has always been important to me. And see, here's the big thing. I'm in a relationship. Not the typical "I'm with my boyfriend every minute of the day" relationship. Not an "I see him a few times a week" or "I see him every weekend" relationship. I date a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy. I love my boyfriend and he means the world to me, but I cannot be one of those girls who makes her life revolve around her boyfriend. It is impossible in this kind of relationship. (Disclaimer: Not that I would do this if I dated someone else, I'm just trying to make a point) Having your best friend far away and with restrictions and not-so-great communication is not fun. I need a group of girls that I feel at home with. I am so so so excited to start this amazing experience and meet some wonderful women.

As everyone knows, last night was the super bowl. I am a Philadelphia girl at heart which obviously means the Eagles are my team. Since they didn't make it into the Superbowl, I had a dilemma. It is common knowledge that Eagles fans despise the Giants. Normally, I do. But this year was different. My uncle was diagnosed with brain cancer last year. He has three daughters and five grandchildren (though he is married to my mom's younger sister). This was a huge shock to my family. Recently, he hasn't been doing too well. He was unable to make it to his benefit two weekends ago. This may seem irrelevant to the Super Bowl, but what I'm getting as is that he is from north jersey. He's a giants fan. Die hard, one of the biggest fans you'll ever meet. Normally, we'd go to his house and you could feel the adrenaline rushing when a game is on. This game was huge for him. As scary as it is to say it, we don't know if he'll be around next year for the Super Bowl (or if his g-men will be in it). To have his favorite team win the Super Bowl made me so happy. I can't imagine how excited he was and I only hope he was able to see the game. He's an amazing guy and I pray he pulls through this.