In Real Life:

So Jenni over at Absent Minded just revealed something to the blogging masses... She is coming to visit me next weekend! Yay! She'll be flying (not driving Max) to Atlanta on Thursday and staying until Sunday. I know that these four days are just going to fly by though...


Although there has been talk of us possibly making the trek to New Orleans for Mardi Gras with some friends of mine, I have a huge itinerary of places to see, eat, and drink during her visit if we opt to stay in Atlanta! It is going to be great to show her the city that I have been falling in love with over the past few months, and I cannot wait to hang out with such a lovely, caring, and outgoing gal!


It is kind of strange that we have never actually met considering how involved we are in each other's lives already... There is nothing that happens in my life that this girl doesn't hear about! I can't even begin to tell you how ecstatic I am to sit down over drinks and finally have all of these conversations face-to-face! It is going to be grand!



By the way, can we please make your famous Oreo Balls while you're here, Jenni??

Girl's Club:

Okay, so I've always been a guy's-girl. I lived with boys in college, I've always had a plethora of male friends, and never kept many girls very close to me. I have always been more comfortable making friends with guys and found the ladies to be far too catty and judgmental for my taste...

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Somewhere during my post-college transition I totally switched teams! I am finding myself gravitating towards girls more nowadays and suddenly have a surplus of gal pals... I'm not sure if it's because girls are less critical at this age, if I can finally see the benefit of female companions, or if I'm finally comfortable enough with myself to be confident around other women. Maybe it's some combination of the three.

Regardless, I've met some truly awesome ladies here in Atlanta, and I love all of my new friends!

I Get By:

You know I'd be lying if I said that this past week and a half has been easy. It has sucked. Royally. My heart still aches at the thought of all the wonderful memories I have of my whirlwind relationship with him and the love that I felt in every inch of my body... Let's just say it's definitely not a party.

The one thing that has made all the difference in the world: My plethora of amazing friends.

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It has been beyond awesome to reconnect with many of my old friends and realize that they are even more funny and great than I remembered! I honestly did not realize how many people I have to lean on... I have managed to keep myself incredibly busy thus far, and all without a job! Now that I am working, it should be even easier to remain preoccupied as well as a way to make some new friends!

In short: Things still suck. But they are improving. I have some awesome friends. And these two facts keep me optimistic...

First Roll:

Remember how I recently got a Diana Dreamer camera? Well, after having to travel to two separate photo shops (one to process the film into negatives and the other to print and digitalize them) here in St. Croix, I finally have my first roll developed! Yay!

And remember how I went camping up in Habersham, Georgia on my last weekend back in the states? I finally have the photos from that trip! Here we are loading up the trucks to head northward...


Here is Jake and I chilling out at the riverside property...


A bunch of us hanging out around the Fire Tower or "far tar" as it is called by locals...


During our ride in the Jeep the rear view mirror fell off completely. Here is my best friend, Kayla, with her hair blowing in the wind...


I thought that seeing these photos would make me homesick for Georgia and all of my friends, but they really just made me smile at all of the fun memories from that great weekend! There are more Diana photos to share from that first roll, so stay tuned!

Guilty As Charged:

This just made me laugh out loud...

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C'mon, you know that you have done it, too.

I know that outsiders find blogging about what you ate for breakfast very trivial, but they don't know the community and bonds that we have created here! If you've ever been on the receiving end of a sweet e-mail from a stranger or a surprise package from someone who resides across the country that you've gotten to know quite well, you understand.

I'm constantly inspired by the creativity and warmth that I see here in the blogging world (dare I say: universe?)... But this doesn't mean that I can't take a good joke. And again, this made me laugh.

Appreciation:

Would you like to know what has really helped me to emotionally handle my pending move and all of the change that is quickly coming my way? (Aside from my wonderful and supportive boyfriend, that is.)

Your words and kind comments.

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Although I have yet to really delve into this, I have definitely had moments where I am absolutely terrified about all of this. All of the unknown factors make me more than a little uneasy at times.

But the support that I have felt through the (albeit few) dedicated followers I have around here has really helped for me to maintain my excitement and keep in mind that I'm doing something really rad that most people only dream of.

So all I have to say is: Thanks! You really are the greatest, and I cannot wait to share my journey with you all!

Blogger Swap:

Earlier this month I participated in this wonderful blogger swap. The theme was "All the things I love..." Due to incompetent mail room employees, I did not receive my package from the ever-so-sweet Kylee until a couple of days ago, but boy was it worth the wait!


Yes, that is a message in a bottle, burnt edges and all! How cute and creative she is!

I even opted to participate in another private swap with blogger friend, Jenni. This sneaky girl actually sent two packages in order to surprise me, which was extremely thoughtful of her.


Here are just some of the great things that were included in her package to me. There were also five mix-tapes (read: CDs) of some of her all-time favorite songs, which have since been rotated consistently in my car, and some more great things from her home town of Detroit that really exposed the city's finer points!

Both of these ladies are absolutely wonderful, and I really feel as if I have made some great friends here in the blogging world... Thanks again, Kylee and Jenni!

Taggage:

The sweet Morgan from Let Me Help You Help Me commented here the other day, which of course led me to her blog as well... Little did I know that we have tons of things in common! Well, she tagged me today to complete a little task, and only because she has such wonderful taste in fashion and television will I participate. (Kidding!)

This one is rather simple: Share 10 things that my blogging buddies may not know about me.

1. I have three tattoos and cannot wait to get more.
2. I have barely spoken to my parents in the past five years. And I am completely okay with this.
3. Unlike the story that his parents believe, my boyfriend and I met at a bar. I absolutely loathe this fact, but am just happy to have met him.
4. I worked at a summer camp driving boats on the lake and teaching kids how to wakeboard, water ski, kneeboard, tube, banana boat, kayak, and canoe for two summers. I still look back fondly on those months.
5. I want nothing to do with grits, sweet tea, or black eyed peas.
6. I tend to get really passionate about something to the point that I burn myself out entirely too quickly... this goes for hobbies, restaurants, and even boys.
7. I have two older sisters and a younger brother, none of which do I see as often as I would like.
8. Scrapbooking was a true addiction for many years. I have since completely given it up with no intentions of picking it back up.
9. I have some serious issues with the idea of getting married before the age of 30.
10. I say "Tell you what..." entirely too much. It started as a satire about country (read: redneck) catchphrases but has now worked itself into my everyday dialogue.

I hope that didn't bore you to tears. I am going to go ahead and tag Kylee, because she is such a sweet girl and I'd love to get to know her even more!

More Taggage:

A new cool blogger that I just found recently, Mic over at My Dad's Happier Than Your Dad (what a hilarious name), has tagged me! I definitely enjoyed reading her answers to the survey and thus getting to know her a little bit, so I will happily oblige...


What's your current obsession? Graduating!

What's your favorite piece of jewelry you own? My Mikimoto pearl earrings. They never come off.

What are you wearing today? A J. Crew t-shirt, some navy shorts, and my Rainbows.

Why is today special? Because it is my first day of being done with classes for forever!

What would you like to learn to do? Pole vault. Random, but true.

What's for dinner today? I have no idea... I'm still so full from lunch at Uncle Otto's that I can't even think about dinner just yet!

What's the last thing you bought? Booze. Are you surprised?

What's your favorite weather? The fall. It is always such a relief after the brutal Georgia summers, and it always makes me think of tailgating on campus before football games.

What's your most challenging goal right now? Moving to St. Croix! Trying to get my stuff down there on the cheap, finding a place, getting a job... It's nothing short of a nightmare. (But hopefully it'll all pay off!)

What do you think about the person who tagged you? Mic seems super cool and I am uber jealous of her NYC life!

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be? St. Croix. Duh! Especially if that meant that I could bring Lily!

Favorite vacation spot? Well, since I'm moving to paradise, I guess I'd have to say Savannah, Georgia because it's such a cool town with so much Southern charm.

What would you like to have in your hands right now? A Nikon d40, for sure.

What would you like to get rid of? All my textbooks from this past semester!

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? I’d want to have a picnic in Nice, France.

What's your favorite thing about the city you live in? The restaurants and bars. We have so many unique places... it's so much better than the suburbs where I grew up that are so over-commercialized.

If you had $150 now what would you spend it on? A new dress.

Do you admire anyone's style? Like Mic, I admire Zooey Deschanel and definitely Naomi.

Describe your personal style. Casual prep.

What is your favorite way to spend a day off from work? Sleeping in, taking Lily to the dog park, laying in the grass, and sitting on the patio of one of the restaurants downtown with a glass of wine and a good friend.

What are three live shows that you have seen? N'SYNC, Mastodon, and Cinemechanica. All of which were absolutely wonderful.


Now the rules of this tag:

1. Respond and rework: answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your own invention.

2. Tag 7 other people you would love to learn more about.


I am going to deviate from the rule here and just tag Jen in retaliation for her previous tagging of me... but I also would love for Mic to answer the question that I added!

Meteors, Or Lack Thereof:

Wednesday night there was supposed to be a pretty visible meteor shower around midnight. My friends Kayla, Enid, and I went out to the intramural fields to watch.


First, we got booted from our original location by the cops. Then I eat it running down a hill with Lily and mess up my knee real bad. (I never claimed to be graceful...) And to top it all off, we only saw two meteors. Le sigh.

But on the bright side, it is always nice to get out and do something new with your girlfriends... And the weather is just so beautiful here in lovely Georgia as of late!

[Photo from here.]

Photo Tag - You're It:

The wonderfully sweet Jenni tagged me and wretched of an idea as it is, I'm compelled to oblige. Here is why it is ever so cruel...

The rules:
Take a picture of yourself right now.
No primping or preparing.
Just snap a picture.
Load the picture onto your blog.
Tag some people to play along.

I was at work when I saw the tag (shame on me... but Jenni did it too!)... I almost forgot when I got home, but here it is, as promised. Le sigh.

This caught me sans make-up... here's hoping that it doesn't catch you in a similar state. I'm tagging Ashley, Kayla Mae, Sofia, and Amanda. Enjoy, ladies!

Boot Lovin:

Kayla and I paired our new boots with some pretty dresses and went out on the town last night...


We were more than a little excited to show them off. I totally love them!

Beach Party:

For my friend Walker's 21st birthday a couple of weeks ago, his roommates threw him a huge beach bash. The decorations were absolutely amazing and everyone was so festive! Parties are always so much more fun when everyone participates and goes all out... which is exactly how it turned out, much to my delight.

Here was the birthday boy dressed as a captain:

My best friend Kayla and I:

There was a sand box, complete with beach chairs and inflatable beach critters:

I'm not sure that a pinata is necessarily "beach", but I brought one anyways and it was a huge hit throughout the night. There was also much hunch punch to be had:

Various outfits also included and full-on scuba outfit (flippers and all) and a male in nothing but a speedo and a wig. At one point in the night someone opted to break open glow sticks and sling the contents all over everyone... although toxic, this was insanely fun! Overall, definitely one of the best parties I have ever been to.

Roomie Lovin:

Have I mentioned how beautiful and amazing my roommate is?


No? Okay, well she totally is.

Busy Bee:

I am overwhelmed. Actually, that is an understatement. I am barely able to hang on to my sanity at this point.

Work is crazy and I can't seem to get ahead. The school work keeps piling up. Poor Lily barely gets walked anymore. My apartment is a mess. I am a mess.

I understand that this is only a temporary state that will be vastly improved the moment I graduate in 7 short weeks. Unfortunately certain individuals can't comprehend what I mean when I say: I am spread too thin right now to hang out and make lots of time for you.

It seems like suddenly a few people from my past have all simultaneously come to realize that they miss me (which is understandable since, ya know, I'm awesome) and want to consume my free time. I have told these people constantly that I am just too busy to rekindle our long lost friendships at the moment, yet they continue to make plans for me. I cannot tell you how many messages I have received saying things like "I am going to come see you this weekend!" or "Will you come see me at work tonight?" No. No, I won't. I told you the last 5 times that we spoke how overwhelmed I am, so what makes you think that suddenly I have the time to entertain you when you come in town or even make trips out to see you?

I have gotten to the point where I am just being blunt with these people. Okay, borderline rude... but it's rude of them to think that they can obligate me to spend time that I don't have with them, right? Please tell me I'm not a completely awful person here...

Jaked on Green Beers:

A quick interruption in the recapping of my Caribbean adventures to share some St. Patty's day lovin. Being a quarter Irish, I took the night off from studying to drink some green beer and spend some time with some of my best friends.

My beautiful best friend finally went to the dark side... I dyed her hair brunette this weekend! Someone even asked us if we were sisters. (Don't even ask me how my lips look so incredibly large or why I look so inebriated. It is a mystery to me as well.)

I am still unsure why I had the idea to do this, but my favorite Irish-man and I showed off some serious skills to the rest of our friends...


Okay, okay, it isn't that impressive, but we sure did enjoy it. Definitely a fun night. It'll be back to the non-stop studying starting tonight in order to actually graduate in 7 short weeks. Ugh.

(*10 arbitrary points to anyone else who loves the song of the post title.)

Leaving The Nest:

So last week I had to do something really hard... I had to say good-bye to my best friend from college. I met her while moving into the dorms freshman year. We were next door neighbors and inseparable thereafter. She is moving back home to Richmond, Virginia to compete for the title of Miss Virginia and simultaneously get the heck out of this college town! (I am ever so envious.)


Aren't my friends beautiful? Yup.

(And I am totally wearing this dress that I told y'all about. I am also wearing the hottest boots ever, but of course boys never know to include the shoes in pictures. Le sigh.)

I wish her all the best and cannot wait to reunite her up in Virginia!

Pictures Surface:

Pictures have finally surfaced from New Years Eve... Don't you hate it when that happens?


Happy March.

It's a Cruel World:

I had an epiphany this weekend... and its not a very good one.

I have been meeting tons of new people in the past month and a half of me being single. It has been really exciting and a definite change of pace from the lifestyle I was previously living. But like they say, all that glitters is not golden. As I have gotten to know some of these people, and as I have begun to be a little more choosy about the individuals I want to get closer to I have realized that about 90% of them are just... not to be cruel... trashy.

I know, I know, what should I expect from the night life-oriented lifestyle that I have been living? It has just been a little disheartening to see so many people act so casually about jumping in between the sheets with someone. I never considered myself to be even the slightest bit naive about this particular topic, but maybe I have been... I always try to see the good in people, so it is disappointing to find that so many people just think of it as a game.

Some actions of girls have disillusioned me the most... the thought that a girl would take a guy home who they know is dating someone else is just repulsive to me. I thought girls were supposed to watch each other's backs?

It's not just that, I have seen so many people continue to lead on someone who they are fully aware has genuine feelings for them. What happened to honesty and decency? Continuing to flirt excessively when you know that you have no intentions of ever dating them is just hurtful. I don't like it. I don't like it one bit.

I'm just going to stick to the friends who I know are genuine and caring people. I have a lot of respect for someone who wears their heart on their sleeve, too.

The Finale:

Okay, so now we reach the third and final installment of my Thanksgiving break adventures (sorry it took me a couple of days to wrap this up... things have been slightly crazy)! Get excited...

I flew from Manchester to Philly without a hitch Sunday morning. Unfortunately, bad weather caused my flight from Philadelphia to Atlanta to be canceled... twice. My options were: be the 7th person to be put on stand-by for the next flight, get on a flight Monday afternoon, or say "screw it" and rent a car. In the spirit of independence and adventure, I chose option 3. Yeah.

For some reason, my luggage had to go on the first flight to Atlanta, and therefore needed to be picked up at the airport. Athens is over an hour from the Atl airport and after driving for 13 hrs, I knew I wasn't going to be up for extending my trip. Luckily the person who was going to be picking me up anyways offered to go and get my bag for me. Whew. Crisis averted. (Well, not really since the flight was over 3 hours late and the poor guy had to wait until 1:30 am... Needless-to-say I felt pretty awful about him having to do this.)

So I grabbed a Garmin and got into one of these at the Philadelphia airport:

(A Pontiac G6. It was actually a very fun car... I would definitely recommend it!)

I left at approximately 6:00 pm. The rain and traffic were awful through Delaware and Maryland, but by the time I reached Virginia, it was rather smooth sailing. For some reason the Garmin thought it would be faster to take me through rural Virginia instead of keeping me on the major highways... whether or not this was, in fact, faster will most likely never be solved.

There were definitely some hiccups along the way... like when there was a huge pile-up only a few cars ahead of me while driving through Maryland or when I couldn't find an open gas station for miles and had to resort to urinating outside (for the third time in my entire life, so gross).

13 hours and almost 800 miles later I reached Athens. I had never been so relieved in all of my life. The wonderful Flippy even stayed up the entire time I was on the road to send me texts of encouragement and to hang out the minute I got back!

I opted to not sleep the day away, and instead spent the morning and afternoon hours hanging out with friends and getting my life back in relative order. I picked up my luggage and Lily that afternoon... it was so wonderful to scoop her into my arms and get my face licked ever so enthusiastically. It was the therapy I needed.

You best believe that the minute Gossip Girl was over I was in a deep, rejuvenating sleep though! (Cuddling little Lily all the while, of course!)