Top 14 Moments of 2014

I spent the last few days looking back at 2014 and my favorite moments of 2014. It's a lot harder than you think! Here are the absolute best parts of 2014 with the best people around.

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1. Getting my pref into my sorority

People may think it is weird that my preference is a top moment of 2014 for me and not my bid. The way I got my pref is what makes it a top moment for me. I had heard my sorority at a girl down the hall’s door and than I didn’t hear them come to me. My first thought was that I wasn’t getting one and I wouldn’t be getting into the sorority. Than they knocked on my door and I was shocked and excited.

2. My birthday surprise from my roommate

My roommate from last year was the best. She surprised me with a little birthday party the last night we were at school together. I had no idea that she was doing it even though she had all our friends in on it. I made a post about it here. 

3. When everyone was at my house after my grandma passed

Although it was a sad time, it will always be a moment I never forget. My house was packed with all of my family. Before they came we ran around and cleaned like mad people. There was so much love and support in our teeny, little row home. Something I will never forget from that time is my uncle picking me up from school and my cousin taking me back. To me it was just an act of love. Family is everything to me.

4. Hiding from my RA with my roommate

This happened not too long before we left for winter break. My roommate of this year and I hid from our RA by turning off all the lights and music. Why were we hiding? Because we had Christmas lights, a tree, and a table from the lounge in our room and we’re not allowed to have them. Our RA was walking around knocking on doors. This whole ordeal lasted about 2 hours during which we took tons of snapchat videos and even said our new catch phrase, I spy some chicken.

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5. Finishing anatomy 2 and getting an B

I spent all summer going to class. I’m not being dramatic when I saw whole summer either it was 12 weeks plus an extra week at the beginning before I switched schools. For 3 out of the 6 weeks of Anatomy 2 I was failing. The class was so much harder than Anatomy 1 and I really didn’t think I was going to get a C. I ended up with a B and was so happy I cried.

6. Finding out my grades for fall semester

I worked all semester to get good grades and ended up with grades that were better than I thought I was going to receive. The pride I have for completing that semester is amazing. It made 2014 amazing.

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7. When my grandma told the nurses I was going to be a nurse one day

My grandma told nurses multiple times that I was going to be a nurse one day and she always did it with pride. Every single time I feel like quitting I think of those moments. I think of how much faith she had in me and I keep going.

8. Getting my Big Spir

Many people might think that getting my Big for my sorority was a bigger moment for me than my Spir but it wasn’t. Not that getting my Big wasn’t a huge part of my year its just that deep down I knew it was her. I wasn’t extremely surprised. Now when I got my Spir I was shocked and didn’t even have a guess as to whom it was.

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9. Going out to the outlet mall with my mom

At the beginning of the summer I was going to a community college that was an hour and a half away. It was right by the outlet malls that I had never been to. When I was switching over to a community college closer to me I had to go to my regular college and a bunch of different other places. I ended up getting to the community college really early so my mom and I had dinner and walked around the mall.

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10. Ordering my scrubs

Although it was pouring rain and I had to keep going to the ATM to get money out, the experience made me one step closer to becoming a nurse. A friend and I laughed as we tried on scrubs in the big handicap stall making fun of the way they fit.  

11. Family reunion

We had less than a month to plan for the reunion and at times it was stressful and pure chaos but I wouldn’t change that day for anything. I saw most of my mom’s side of the family. We swam, played baseball, and had a moon bounce. Everyone had an amazing time and the next weekend when we saw them again we set a date for next year.

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12. Playing football with my cousin

I’m not close with some of my cousins because of age differences but I had a really nice time throwing a football with one of my younger cousins, Cullen. I feel like we bonded a little. Him and me were the oldest there and just kept throwing a football back and forth over the pool. To my whole family’s surprise I can actually throw a football.

 

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13. Our underwear line

My friends Miranda, Erika, Jill, and I all decide while sitting in our lounge that we were going to make a underwear line and sell it. The long week and all the work were finally getting to us and I have to say we definitely lost our minds but made a memory in the moment.

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14. Watching The Hunger Games for the first time

Now it wasn’t the fact that I was watching The Hunger Games for the first time it was how I watched it. My friends Jill, Erika, Joann, Jeannie, and I all decided to watch the movie in my room. I asked a million questions and talked the whole time. It was dysfunction at its finest but than again we are always dysfunctional. It was a perfect example of how we are as a group.

xoxo,

Lauren 

Fall 2014✔️

I survived another semester of college! Honestly its hard to believe that I am already 3 semester into college and that I am halfway done my sophomore year. This semester was packed with new things and feelings and events.

Grades

I'm not one to brag about my grades. When I find out my grades I hardly tell anyone or talk about it but this semester is different. I worked extremely hard and am extremely proud of myself. The goals I set for myself where exceeded beyond explanation. 

Goals

1. Receive a 3.5 gpa: My gpa was a 3.807

2. Get no C's: I only ended up with one B

3. Possibly make Dean's list: First time on Dean's list!

Funny story about my grades: Grades were due by noon on Tuesday. I was checking and checking for days but 4 of my professor had yet to put my grades up Monday night. I went to bed knowing that when I woke they would be up and was pretty excited about it. The first thing that I thought about when I opened my eyes were my grades. I grabbed my phone and logged onto my school's website. It was a little hard with my eyes still half closed. The grades loaded and I literally jumped up and flipped over onto my belly freaking out because me grades were so much better than I thought. Sometimes I wish I had someone videotaping my life because this would have been so funny to watch back. 

Friends

All of the people I was friends with in the Spring 2014 semester I am still friends with today. There are people I grew closer with and people who have drifted apart.

My roommate from last semester has drifted away but that's because we don't live together, aren't in the same major, and are both super busy with school, work, sorority and life in general. The good news is when we do get together we can talk and talk and its as if nothing changed.

As for my roommate from this semester, we are closer than ever. I guess that's what happens when you live together and both go a little insane at night especially if you are both stressed.

New Happenings

I joined the sorority of my dreams. I should really make a nice, long post about it but I have yet to. Its been a few months since I joined and it has been one of the best decisions of my life. There are so many great things that come with being in a sorority. It's opened me up and made me be a little less shy. I gained new friends and experiences.

Sorry the post is so picture heavy. I just wanted to share a little of last semester with everyone. I am grateful for what this semester has brought me and I can't wait to see what Spring 2015 will bring.

xoxo,
Lauren

Fears and Dreams

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With every dream you have there are fears. Fears that you won’t accomplish said dream or that people wouldn’t like you so you won’t get the job or make the team. If the fears are really big they can halt your dreams right in their path.

I’ve had and still have many dreams in my life. You can never stop dreaming and making goals for yourself. Hell, I’m only in college the time of dreamed careers and lives!  One of the many dreams I currently have for myself is to join a sorority.

Back in March I talked about it on the blog and then said nothing about it again. If you were wondering where I stand on the situation I am here to tell you. I’m not only here to give you an update but to also talk about all of the fears that surround this life changing decision. 

I’m sure you have guessed by now that I am still going to join a sorority. When I made my mind up in March I knew it wasn’t going to change. If I tell you I am going to do something than I’m doing it. There was a moment in the middle of the summer when I thought about not going through with the whole sorority thing but that was just because fear tried to take over. I don’t remember the exact fear I had but I can tell you the fears I have leading up to the start of recruitment on Sunday.

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Talking to new people

I’m not a huge social butterfly. Yes I have gotten better but when it comes to large groups I panic. Little words leave my mouth and I try to stay to myself. The whole process to joining a sorority involves talking to new people and getting to know them. In the past few weeks I have been put in situations where I can choice to be outgoing and talk to people but internally freak out and stay quiet.

Letting people down

I have friends in the 3 sororities that are at my college. Only 2 of the sororities are doing fall recruitment because of unspoken reasons.  Both of my best friends are in the two sororities I am looking at and I also know a ton of people in both. I know that someone is going to be disappointed in the end because you can’t be in two sororities! They tell me al the time to pick the sorority that I feel like I belong. My best friend has told me she will still stay my best friend no matter where I end up and love me just the same. Even with all that I am still afraid and not looking forward to disappointing someone or in this case a bunch of people.

Not getting in.

There is no guarantee that I will get into a sorority or the sorority I want. I’m afraid that they won’t like me or I will do something wrong. In the past I have wanted things as much I’ve went a sorority and haven’t gotten them. I am walking into this whole thing with zero expectations and have no hopes up. 

Getting in because of the people I know.

I want to get in because of me and not the people I know. I want them to like me for who I am and pick me for those reasons. Like I said I know a lot of people in the sororities already and I have best friends in them and my biggest fear is they will just accepted me because of those girls. It is nice knowing people already and I'm not complaining. 

This whole experience is going to push me outside my comfort zone. I will have to do things I normally wouldn't. This week leading up to recruitment is going to be hard and stressful and it will fill me with fears but I won't let them stop me. I want to join a sorority more than anything and that is why I will overcome and change who I am. 

xoxo,

Lauren

What I'm Looking Forward To In September

I've been waiting for September to come for quite a while now. Until this year September was just the month that school started but this year I have a lot waiting for me. I'm actually super excited.

Sorority Recruitment Starts

I mention once before on the blog how I want to join a sorority. It was back in March that I first started to think about it and since them I have been waiting for the day I would have a chance to join. I'm so excited to start the process and act on one of my dreams. September 29 will be the day!

Online Bible Study

I signed up for an online bible study and it starts today. In the last few weeks I have started to become closer to God and I feel like the study will really help. It's an 8 week course and my hope is to complete at least 4 weeks. My overall goal is the whole 8 weeks.


I know these aren't all that exciting but they are changes I am making in my life this month. There may be an update post on these two things at the end of October or November. It really just depends on everything. And if I remember! Have a nice day/night/month!

P.S. There will be a little update on college soon!

xoxo,
Lauren

Deciding to Join a Sorority

As some of you know, my roommate joined a sorority in the spring. I also had two really good friends join sororities as well. Funny thing is they all joined different sororities. At the time I had no intentions of joining one. They really didn't interest me and I didn't see the big deal in them.

Well, my mind has changed. I have spent the last few months watching my friends go through the process and I have watched their lives change. After thinking about nothing but sororities for a few weeks I have decide that sorority life might be for me. I empathize on the might. Because sororities are so time consuming and are really a life changing thing I have and still am weighing the pros and cons. The reasons why I do and don't want to join a sorority.

Pros
You gain sisterhood: I went to an all girls high school that was extremely close. The girls in my class were and still are my sisters. Leaving LF (my high school) was extremely hard for me because I loved it so much. After coming to college I realized, well into the spring semester, I was missing something. Something in my life wasn't there. After really thinking about it, I realized it was the sisterhood. I really want that sisterhood back.

It looks good on your resume: Right now I am not involved in anything at school. I don't play sports and things like student government are not really my thing. Being in a sorority will really help that, on top of gaining amazing friends. I'm really thinking about what sororities will do for me in the long run.

The opportunity to help others: All sororities have a mission and have something they help with. My personality screams helping and that is something that I would love to do. I love, love helping people. The sorority I am actually thinking about helps children and goes to the children's hospital. It just screams me.


Cons
It can cost a lot: I am already worried about the amount of money I will have to pay just to come to college and that doesn't even include how much a sorority will cost. I am not an expert on the cost but I know there are fees to pay and then there is the crafts and gifts you buy for your sisters. Crafting is not cheap.

The process of getting in scares me: Yep I'm afraid of being hazed or being put in uncomfortable situations. Usually I am a shy girl and don't really like to be the center of attention. Although I have gotten better at being open and not so shy, I'm still afraid of having to be EXTREMELY social.



I have only told about three or four friends about all of this. My roommate doesn't know. My family does't know. I don't openly talk about it with anyone but my one friend. The reason I have talked about it with my one friend is because she is in the sorority I want to join and I don't feel like I am going against anyone when I tell her. I also haven't told my roommate because I would not want to join her sorority and I don't know how she would take it.

I still have months before I can act on my decision and my mind could change. As of right now I am all for it and just thinking about it gets me excited. I'm not going to say the names of the two sororities I am thinking about because I don't know how it will all turn out.

If you have any advice on this process let me know. All and any tips would be helpful and greatly appreciated!

xoxo,
Lauren