August - December 2018 ​

Wow. This semester has flown by. I think back to the beginning of the semester and remember how I felt. I was nervous, excited, happy, and unsure. I was nervous for the first day of classes and how those classes would go and how my grades would fare. I was nervous about making friends and having solid relationships. I was nervous to write my first college paper. I was excited to meet my roommate, excited to get accustomed to college life, excited to try new things, and excited for all the wonderful things to come. How little did I know about the opportunities and joys this semester would bring. I was unsure about my living 2,000 miles away from home, unsure about my major (I'm still unsure about this), unsure about my friendships, unsure about all the little specifics that needed to be figured out. And now it is the end. The end of my very first college semester, the end of these classes that I have been laboring over, the end of my waiting ever so impatiently to go home and see my family. I am ready to go home and see my lovely parents. Ready to see my sister who is my best friend. Ready to see my four younger sisters and give them each a big hug and kiss. Ready to see my friends too. But just for a little while.

I do absolutely love it here. The dorm life is wonderful. I've met so many amazing people and made some great friendships. Even now while I am sitting in my hall I think ahead to when I will come back and will be able to grow these relationships I have made with people. My classes have been great too! There may have been one class that wasn't necessarily my favorite (ahem, Econ) but I made it through. I have three finals left, but I am almost there! The food has been decent, even pretty good sometimes, but is nothing like my mom's cooking. ;) I have been a little lazy and haven't gotten up to get breakfast recently, which is my favorite meal probably, but sleep is more important. lol. There have also been so many amazing activities and events that I've gone to. From WOW (week of welcome), to beach days, to sunrise hikes, to sunset hikes, to freaking out about fires, to a spontaneous concert trip, to outreach week, to pazookies, to the blend, to pumpkin patch fun, to wheelbarrow rides with Julie, to Trick-or-Treat in the dorm, to Halloween and Christmas parties, to a pumpkin carving contest, to Six Flags, to Fall Fest with great friends, to funny dorm pranks on friends, to scaring my honorary RA, to endless In-N-Out trips, to going to see Christmas lights, to car rides and long chats with Dannah, to homework study parties and coffee shop study dates (not with a guy, calm down), and everything in between (there is so much more I could write about, but there is not enough time), this has been quite the semester. There have been times when I have broken down crying, missing home, and have been overwhelmed with homework and exams, and times that I have been lonely, but over all I have had the time of my life.

So many people have been an encouragement to me. They have let me talk and let out my worries when I needed to. They have let me ask way too many questions and given me a great deal of advice, and they have taught me so much from scripture and what it really means to live for Christ. I am truly grateful for my friends. If I were to give one piece of advice to any incoming freshmen it would be to make friends with your age group, but also to befriend the upperclassmen. They will tell you how it is and help you through the struggles you may be going through. You may feel as if you are going through a tough time, but darling, this is only just the beginning. (That's a note for me as well)

I have learned a great deal this semester, and not just in my classes, but for my life. And yet, I still have so much to learn. I pray that through this next semester and the rest of my college career that I would have a teachable spirit, that I would grow so much more in my faith (I have so far to go), and that these friendships I make and cultivate now would last a lifetime.