Well I Guess That's What They Call College

College. Always wanted to go. Had no idea what it was like. Thought it would be just fun. Never knew i would learn so much in the classroom and even so much more outside of the classroom. I think anyone can say that they can tell i have grown in so many ways this year. It is now done, my first year of college. Did i not JUST graduate high school?


12 months ago I closed a chapter of my life and had no idea what the new chapter was going to hold. That day in May I graduated blinded to the world, blinded to what was to come and what i believed. Turned shyly away from the things that I did not want to deal with. I graduated a girl of 18 who had no idea what I was getting myself into by grabbing that diploma and stepping off the stage. 

I came to Moody Bible Institute wanting to do International Ministry. And I still do! praise! Love me some Europeans. I came in not knowing my roommate and not knowing what my room would look like and if  I would be a loner of what! 

Room layout last semester and not even close to being decorated. Now its pretty and we have bookshelves, a couch and bunked-much better. 

I decided to go to Moody and little did i know i would get school in "the city" it is literally the best experience i think anyone can have. I love the city and I love being here. Peace and quiet at night...crickets..what's that?! :) 

My roommate Chesney. We talked yesterday about how it is a blessing to have such a fantastic friendship. It makes being roommate that much better. This year would have been extremely harder if we would have not hit it off right away. Ya know, hated each other and never spoke and ran in completely different circles. Glad it turned out the exact opposite...we are literally attached at the hip.

I have learned a lot this year and been through a lot of situations that made me grow or it I would have completely fallen apart. There was no way I would have gotten through this year if I sat around and did not grow in some way. 

My car died in the middle of boo-foo nowhere Michigan. We were about two-ish hours outside of where we needed to be and it just stopped in a man named Tex's yard. Tell me about it. We stayed there for maybe two hours in the dark as we waited for transportation. Then "Junti's" auto shop went and got my car and fixed it right up the day before we needed to head back to school. 

These pictures have been my life since November. Its been a long process and continues to progress each day..like today, i found out its not Lymes Disease! Its a daily battle that requires so much energy and its been interesting but my year would not have been the same with out it. 

AND.....MY FRIENDS! They have been so so incredible to me and I cannot even thank them. As Chesney always says "we are all in process and need grace" that could not be even closer to the truth for me. There is stuff in life that we all gotta work on and grace from my friends has been beyond! 

Piling in cars

PCM cars.. haha

bear hats

Class with Melis! 

Cheese at night!

Going to lunch after church!

I have spent my second semester babysitting these goons for eight hours on Wednesdays and they make and break my days. Love em but happy to not have em right now :) 

     Eli!                        

Jane!

I have learned SO much. Random and Real

I LOVE MAPS!

Floor quirks.

Living in community is HARD stuff but some of the best stuff.. ever!

Studying is better in leggings and sweaters. 

Coffee=love. Being with friends to drink coffee=even better

Chairs made in the 80's aren't so suitable for jumping off of bunk beds. 

Moody Moods is a great place. Sure we can complain about stuff. I can complain about anything I want, but it does not take away from the fact that we have carnivals in the plaza to celebrate the end of the year. We have dopey assassins games played for 3 weeks on campus. Our President sings karaoke in our coffee shop. We pour shaving cream all over men who are engaged until their woman can come save them by a kiss! But ya know what makes it so great, how we love one another. Its been the greatest experience of my life to see the love that people give to each other here because of the love Christ has so clearly given each one of us and I am so glad to be here.  

                           

Electrical fires cannot be poured on with water. 

This one deserves a story.
A girl on our floor, the one in a bulls jersey grabbing her face...well her ipod combusted..literally. So it set fire to her chords and computer and ipod and sheets and bed and journal and Bible. Smoke detector went off as we were having a wedding shower for our RA (the one with the bag). We checked and saw about foot flames coming from her bed in a circle around the electronics. Another girl on our floor put out with a towel, we pulled the fire alarm in the mean time..and fled the building! Sorry Houghton Hall for that, but hey, were safe! Its not normal to be in a real fire..not just a fire drill. P.S. that stuff you learn from fire drills is real and true and works.

This year has been insane, growing, spectacular, hard, nuts, bananas, fun, great, surreal, yet real, and over all awesome. I would not take any of it back or do anything differently. I love college, but miss high school just as much. They are stages of life and each has its time and based on this year, this stage...I think its gonna be a good one.