Summer of Firsts

School is finally here! But that also means I have been neglecting my blog all summer... my bad! I'll slowly catch up over the coming weeks with updates about my newsletter, past events, and future ones!

I'll start with all the cool stuff I did in Lawrence this summer!

I was offered my job from last summer again, and I took it instantly! All the interns lived in GSP Hall and had a great time getting to know each other. We made sure to have a lot of fun while we worked though...

Concerts

I got to see two amazing concerts this summer! The first one was The Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox 20 in Kansas City with Hadley. I had gotten us tickets for her birthday and it was finally time to use them!! What was really amazing was that a few days later, free Michael Franti and Spearhead and Train tickets were given to me free by a friend... what amazing luck! Both concerts were incredible and easily tie for first in my book.

Hadley!

Goo Goo Dolls!

Matchbox 20!

Drew!

Michael Franti!

Train!

Broadway Shows

My first Broadway show was, of course, The Little Mermaid! I went with my co-workers and it was the coolest experience ever! I was singing "Part of Your World" for days.

Old Settler's Days

I have't had the chance to return to Mulvane during Old Settler's since before I moved to KU. It was a wonderful treat that I got to visit them this time! I didn't get to see everyone I wanted, but it was a great few days home!

Brought to You By The Letter S

This is going to be a super short blog, but still, a blog!!

I've been super, super sick this week and I probably could've written, but I chose to sleep and catch up on my Avenger movies, Thor and Captain America.

My Boys <3

I have the best friends in the world... no doubt about it. Claire and Jess have been taking great care of me this week and making sure I'm sleeping and waking up and eating and getting out some nights! Last night, we went to the far side of Lawrence to look at Stars. What an adventure. We deliberately got lost on the way out there, and ended up driving by Bill Self's house!! Today, Jess and I went to the other side of L-town and ended up in Leavenworth county. I swear, I could live here the rest of my life and never be done exploring.

Bessst Frannns :) (and yes we were all on top of the car or sticking out the sunroof!)

Star gazing!

Also, I was selected to be National Communications Coordinator for AURH Tuesday night!! That means I get to be on the executive board, travel all across the United States and go to conferences. I love AURH and I'm super excited I get to move up and continue working with them.

Finally, in a little bit of irony, I submitted my Advisor, John, in a nomination for advisor of the year for a few different awards. Well, turns out, he did the same for me. I was nominated for Executive Board Member (for Mac Hall Gov) of the Month for NRHH (National Residence Hall Honorary). Thank you, John!

Best Advisor Ever!

Homecoming Squared. (:

Homecoming. It originally was focused around people going home for a reunion or such... not so much a football game or dance. However, recently, I have re-shaped my definition of homecoming...

A couple weeks ago, I missed Mulvane's Homecoming because it happened to be KU's Homecoming as well. It's mainly for the Greeks here, but it was my first college homecoming and I would be home the following weekend for fall break, I decided to stay here. It was a great day!! Juli, Vicky and I ran to Starbucks for coffee since it was such an early game and met everyone at the stadium. We lost... sadly. But it was still a fun game and Juli and I's picture ended up on the BIG screen twice!! We came back and ate dinner and just chilled the rest of the day... definitely a great homecoming. 

Erynn had her first high school homecoming at the same time! It's so weird to think I was doing the EXACT same thing she was four years ago... scary how time flies.

But we don't talk about the cymbals...

Juli (:

&& Robert (:

Under the flag!

This is the pic that was on the board!!

They gave us free flags! lol and I just love this picture! No editing!

The next week, I traveled back to the Vane for fall break!! It was so good to be home and see everyone... but it felt very out of place. Erynn and I could both feel it. We had just gotten used to my being at school, that being thrown back into Mulvane was weird for both of us. Plus, many of my friends weren't there, James was in California, and my college friends were all over the country! Juli, Jess and I are now not sure how we are going to be apart for a WHOLE MONTH for winter break when four days was difficult. I loooooooved spending time with my family, but with packing and driving and school work, it is just much easier to stay in Lawrence... which is slowly becoming home (even though it ticks everyone else off :P )

Veggin.. just like old times.

Cousins. <3

This week was short, but stressful with a midterm and presentation in English. Juli decided I needed a break and told me I was going to Footloose with her tonight. And I am so glad she did!!! It was amazing, and fun, and we were laughing and dancing in our seats the entire time. No it may not be the original, but trust me, we didn't mind. After I came home (see there I go again), I started cleaning and I popped in the soundtrack and was dancing around my room when Claire came in...

What could have been awkward turned into hilarious when she said, "Turn it up!" and we danced and sang  "Footloose" for the next hour and a half... What a great Friday!

So while I don't know where my "home" is, I do know that I have many different homes as of right now: the home with my family, the home with my friends and the home where I live... while two of those happen to be in the same building, it won't always be that way. Someday, we will all be separate again... but we all have homes with each other and our families. So moral of my story... my home is anywhere and everywhere with people I love and love to be around. Simple as that.

<3

It's all about Balance (:

Ok, so let me begin this blog by saying, "ITS BEEN A LONG TWO WEEKS!"

I feel better. (: I'm not saying it's been a BAD two weeks, just long, stressful, anxious, and tiring... lol with exciting, eventful, amazing, surprising and lets-do-that-again thrown in along the way.

So let's start with some good news.

A couple weekends ago, the girls and I decided to go to a candlelight vigil in honor of 9/11. Andrèa and I had been watching 9/11 shows and news stories all day, so we thought it would be a fitting end to go and reflect on everything we had seen that day and what we remember. Well, of course, when I make plans... they usually get shot down in some way shape or form. Not five minutes after we get there, I get my weekly-James phone call. So I stand up and run away as fast as possible (while getting weird looks along the way) and get to the campanile out of ear shot of everyone. We talked for about seven or eight minutes, which doesn't sound like much, but compared to my usual three to four, I was elated! It was a wonderful ending to my day and beginning to my week...

I got my next phone call a week later on my way back from my Bio150 test review. It was perfect timing and a great conversation because it was going to be our last "weekly" phone call!! James graduated from Basic Training on September 22, 2011 in San Antonio, Texas! He will now be sent to California for tech School... but what I'm really saying is he'll get his phone back and I can text and call him again! That's what's really important... right? :)

I stole this from his dad... He's the one shaking hands... (: I'm really proud of him. <3

Also, I took two tests this past Tuesday... yes, TWO! lol One in Bio150 and the other in Calc. I received my first ever 73% on my Bio test. And I am (now) ok with that. I was freaking out horribly because, hello, it's my major! But I realized, I am allowed to not be a perfect 4.0 student here... I can accept 3.7 ;) And what made it all better was getting that beautiful 95 on my calc test! It's all about balance. (:

Second time is the charm!

Also, I was elected into McCollum Hall's government as the Programmer! It's kind of like StuCo and Cheerleading all in one... coming up with events and marketing and planning them. Perfect. (: However, i found out on a Thursday (night..at 11...) that I had won.. and was then asked to go on a retreat with the other councils and the e-board the next night... Sure!! Robert and Jessica are the President and VP of AURH (Association of University Residence Halls.... acronyms are everywhere here!) and they went too... So what could have been a 24 hour, last minute, sucky trip... was a fun and enjoyable experience! We had a campfire and I got to meet some amazing people that I cannot wait to work with!... oh yeah, and I got some quality time with my BFF's. (:

BFF's (:

You can see the rain drops on my jacket lol

No idea what we were talking about lol

Every year, Big Mac puts on a Battle of the Bands... and yes, I drew this :) Be proud.

Random happy things: I went to my first AURH and SUA (Student Activities Association.. I should make a list and run it down the side of my blog, huh...?) meetings. I am on the Cultural Arts Committee for SUA and I will be a photographer and writer for the Hall Street Journal. I love how I'm branching out here and doing a lot of never I never could have done back home (like drawing, writing, and going to Nebraska for a AURH conference in October, and visiting the KU Med Center in December!) 

Side note: Glee and Grey's Anatomy came back this week... PLUS PLUS PLUS!!

So now for the bad (or as I like to call, interesting) things.

This morning, the busses were running late today because there was a huge power outrage and the internet was down. So I got to Chem a little later then usual. I was distracted and was following some guy.. when the next thing I know, I'm in the wrong class!! It's way smaller then Budig 120, so I didn't want to just get up and leave, plus he was talking about genetics and it was really interesting... so I stayed. I took out my notebook and pretended to take notes and it was a super interesting class.

If you aren't laughing loudly right now, you should be.

It's honestly no big deal, I can catch up on Chem this weekend, but you have to admit.. It's super funny, and totally me.

Another Taylor moment happened the other night right after my two tests (but I still had a BUNCH of work to do) and I was studying in Robert and Kenton's room in my chair... when the next thing I know... it's 5:30 am, I'm in another chair, and I had my blanket around me... I quickly put two and two together... and went right back to sleep (: lol Kenton's alarm went off at 7:30 and I went to my room to sleep for 45 more minutes. I was wiped! The next afternoon, I asked Kenton when I fell asleep and he said it was sometime during the re-run Charlie Sheen roast before Charlie had finished lol. He said he told me to go to my room, and I stood up and went to the other chair and fell back asleep... so typical. 

As I read back through my "bad" moments, I just laugh and shake my head saying "that's typical." I wouldn't trade any of the bad moments here for anything... because in hind sight.... there are no bad moments. There are interesting, comical, embarrassing, off-the-wall, and weird moments... but never bad. As long as there is a balance between the good and the "bad"... the "bad" make the good that much better.

<3

Memories in the Making...

I've always known that some of my favorite moments in life are the little ones: the ones that are seemingly useless or forgetful to others. That moment when I finally understand my Chemistry problem and I feel the lightbulb come on; that moment when I see a familiar face in a football stadium; and that moment when I realized just how amazing my college years are going to be.

This past week has been super stressful because I had my first college test on Thurs.. and of course it was for Chem 184! Two-thirds of the information I was very comfortable with, however, its always that one chapter that I don't understand that causes me to lose sleep at night. Literally. I was holed up in a library for several hours a day, then I would come back and ask Robert (he's a chemical engineering major) questions on the ones I didn't understand. This process lasted several hours after my suggested bed time. But.. It all paid off.. mostly. Out of 25 questions, I only missed three. For those of you who know me, you know I am not thrilled with that.. but everyone else says that I did extremely well... so I am trying to be proud of myself. (: I will definitely take that for my first college test! (hey, it could have been worse.)

Once the test was behind me, I realized just how stressed I had been. So we all went to eat at the Studio and catch up since I had been absent a lot that week studying. That was my moment. Sitting in a booth with some of my best friends laughing and talking.... that is what I want to walk away from this amazing place with. Not just my degree... but those memories that someday I can still recall easily and laugh about as if it happened an hour ago... (:

Friday was great because since we had our test the night before at 8, class was cancelled! I didn't have to wake up until ten to go to my 11:00 class. Then I was done for the day! I came home, showered, and got ready and went out to dinner with Juli, her parents, and Robert. After that, we watched a movie in Robert's room... and I'll be honest, I haven't felt well in a few days, but that night was awful. I curled up in a ball with a blanket in Robert's chair and went through a half a box of tissues. At one point, he walked by me, looked at me, and said, "You look awful." Gee thanks, bud. But seriously, I felt awful. But me and my desire for memories stayed up and watched everybody play ping-pong and we chilled in Juli's room, where I eventually fell asleep. It was a great end to a great day... yes, even being super sick!

GAME DAY!! I love those two little words!! It was family day (and band day) here in Lawrence and the campus was suddenly filled with parents, siblings, cousins, uniforms, trombones, etc. Andrèa and Juli's parents flew in the night before, but mine arrived a little before noon and it was great to see them! I wanted to try and show them everything about this place that I loved! Claire had to go home for the weekend, unfortunately, but she'll get to meet my parents soon! (Sidenote: I will not be coming home for Mulvane's Homecoming because it's the same weekend as KU's. We'll work it out!) They met Robert, checked out my room, and then we went out to lunch and to Target. We came back to McCollum to set up my TV and get ready for the game. We then began the rather long trek to the stadium and I tried to show them some of my favorite buildings, however, mother nature had other plans. As usual. Rain, AGAIN, seems to always find the game days here in Lawrence. But oh well! We made it to the game and had a blast watching my boys win (In a NAIL BITTER!!) and the bands from the state play at half time!

Again, it's all about the memories I make here. I am so fortunate to go to the college of my dreams and achieve all the goals I have for myself here. <3 Thank you to everyone who is helping me along the way.. and making memories with me.

Mom and Dad <3

Shae!! (:

Jayhawk Parents!

Two of my favorite girls!! (:

The Marching Jayhawks rushing the field!

KU!

Pre-game Sunflower! 

♥ 9.11.01- remember and never forget

It's Always Sunny in Lawrence!

This Labor Day weekend has been a blast! Exhausting... but a blast!

Friday: The weekend always begins for me at noon on Friday's because that's when my last class gets out. It's great! I picked up my football tickets, went to the doctors, and interviewed for SUA. I came back to my room and we all went to dinner, then a KU volleyball game! It was fantastic; there is so much school spirit here! We beat Appalachian State (really badly too!) and decided to go see a late movie. The Debt is what we decided on and I must say.. It was Amazing! It was one of those movies you would never expect to love (or even see in the first place, unless it's the only one playing at 9:40), but it was one of the most intellectually stimulating movies I've seen in a long time. After the movie, we came home to play Uno in the lobby for like four hours! It was epic... we had like eight people playing and there were alliances and cheaters and cuss words and many, many middle fingers. All in all, a great Friday night. (:

Saturday: GAME DAY!!!! My first Jayhawk football game!!! I can't even explain how excited I was! (: We left for Mass St. to go shopping for game day apparel, but ended up just coming back to the Union since Juli and I have discount cards. We got ready and immediately left to go get great seats! (Mishap: I brought the WRONG ticket and didn't want to run all the way back home... so I bought another one! lol That's why they gave me a diploma :P ) We were third row back and right behind the other team (easier to harass, of course ;) ) I took a gazillion pictures since it was my first football game ever that I wasn't cheering and/or playing the drums. Although, that also made it kinda sad: I'd watch the cheerleaders and wish I was down there, and the the band played three of my FAVORITE songs at half time... yes, I miss it. We won 42-24 and it was a great game to watch! I can't wait for next week's game with my parents!

Sunday: Aka: shopping day. We went to Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond for supplies and such. We came back and it took three college freshmen girls (and two unhelpful "coaches") to put up Claire and I's closet curtains... it was hilarious. With innuendoes flying left and right and bars falling on people and Andréa and Robert sitting on my bed yelling "Left hand higher! Right, no YOUR right!"... This place is full of laughs, all the time. (: That night, I had my second shift of work at Mrs. E's. Let me tell you, I am not cut out to work in food.. BUT I am keeping this job for the food discount and free meal I get on the days I work. At least for now. Last night I was in the dishes room and I enjoyed that WAY more then I did behind the grill. They crank up the stereo and go to town. Plus... No one sees you. Excellent set up if you ask me...

The gang (:

Roommates...or Twins?! ;) Yes, we planned this lol

Our boys ready to go!

Us.. and some weird guy... lol

They tried to get us to evacuate.. and the entire student section was chanting "Hell no, we won't go!"

Big Jay Planking! Our mascots are Hilarious!

Final score and the crowd waving the wheat!

(See the college memories panel for more pics!)

I came home and went on a walk with Robert to talk and to enjoy the WONDERFUL 70 degree weather. (I have missed fall weather horribly and I relished it yesterday. I think the summer heat just took all the fun of warmth out of me... I'm ready for breezy sweatshirt weather!) We came back and the whole gang (minus Juli, she was on a date) chilled out there. By the time I left to go down the hall to sleep... I found out something I never wanted to experience...

MY DOOR WAS LOCKED!

And no, I didn't have my keys.

Of course not.

So, I went back to Robert's room and slept in a chair for a few hours. But McCollum is freakin' out and going Arctic on everyone, so I woke up FREEZING. I was so afraid of losing fingers, that I got up (it's now 4 am) and bothered Claire until she woke up and let me in. She was still apologizing earlier.. lol I told her I was never going to let it go. ;)

It's funny now, so no harm done! Plus, how can I get mad at my favorite roommate when it's so beautiful out!? Fall is on it's way!! And so begins the Real freshmen year...

<3

Hawk Week-End.. (:

These last three days have been the epitome of "milestone" in my eyes...

Saturday was my first real day here. Claire and I woke up to a very chilly room and got around for brunch with the girls. After, we all decided to venture out into Lawrence to get supplies at Target (which was a real adventure!) We spent the better part of an hour searching for crates for me.... which we did end up finding lol. We unfortunately, forgot our Christmas lights... so we will have to get those next trip.

After stocking our dorms, we came back and chilled in Claire and I's room. Somehow, our room is the party room and everyone is always here... we even pretty much adopted Juli from the 5th floor where all she does is shower and sleep... and I believe that will eventually change. (:

Juli and I at Tradtions Night!

We lucked out and ended up with this amazing RA (who is also a Human Bio major from Wichita) and she told us to go to the Ice Cream Social before Traditions Night, where they send us all down to the Stadium to learn about and how and when to do the traditions of KU. So we go and get free t-shirts, bags, and above all else... food. It's why every freshmen gains so much weight... the free food. (I won't be gaining a THING here... too much walking.. my calves already are looking way sexy. lol) And again, after, they sent us to a free concert! There was crowd surfing and water slinging and Baby Jay Surfing... incredible! I will definitely never forget my first college concert.

Ice Cream Social... "Is this too High School?" lol

Spirit Squad!

The mascots are Hilarious! Super distracting lol

Baby Jay CROWD SURFING!

The gang!

Me afterwards in our room.. the girls thought it was funny :)

And oh yeah.. I got told hi by Bill Self... My life is COMPLETE!
Sunday was pretty similar. We had brunch and then the girls took personal class tours around campus and I went to an Honors Program thingy... yeah, show's how much I paid attention. But it was fun. I met my Honors Seminar group and professor and assistant. And of course, I got to see some old friends. (: Which I am slowly figuring out is my true calling in life: meeting people! After, we decided to go eat dinner at Oliver's dining hall where Juli had a friend. We ended up staying over there for hours playing Battle of the Sexes and Never Have I Ever with the guys from that floor. It was a blast and AGAIN, I saw an old friend from high school... (: It really is wonderful here and I already call it home... much to my family's chagrin. :P

Today was my first day of CLASSES! And if you know me, you know how much that excites me! Class is what I do best; it was the social aspects of being in a new place that worried me… and that turned out great, so I am set! I started out leaving with Juli at 7:20 for her 8 AM class. I chilled in the Union until my 9 AM Chemistry class. After that, I went to hang out in the Union again until my 11 AM English class… and then I was done. Just like that…

COOL!
I stayed near the union because I was eating lunch with the girls at 2 after Andrea’s last class. We then went to the SUA’s office to pick up our money saver cards and sign up for SUA. Then it was off to the bookstore to pick up my textbooks… which of course were in the biggest box in there! Sam, Juli’s friend, was kind enough to carry it to the bus and into my room for me. 11 (plus the one more I had to buy for English) books are heavy!

Tonight was especially funny because Hawk Week sponsored a Hypnotist at the Lied Center. I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard in my life! I was literally holding on to Juli laughing and crying at the same time. I would love to be hypnotized someday… as long as I am not in front of a crowd! I saw some very interesting things tonight…

Welcome to College! (:

PS: Tomorrow is the second half of my schedule (ha. two classes!) and a big long to-do-list with the girls... Yep! I still make To-Do-Lists!! More blogs to come.. especially since I was dubbed the Carrie of my four girls! And I am getting a surprise this week.. a REAL reason to blog!! (:

College!!

My first day at KU... What an experience!

Early this morning I was awakened to an obnoxious beeping sound... The window cleaners across the street from the hotel. Great. I woke up, threw some gel in my hair, put on my work clothes, and went to Starbucks with my mom and sister. We get to campus and I'm immediately anxious... how am I going to get all this crap in? how are we going to get it in in less then 400 trips? how am i not going to die from carrying heavy loads up two flights of stairs (even though at the same time I sent up a quick, silent thank you that I was no longer on the NINTH floor.)

We pull up to McCollum Hall at 7:45. Thankfully, there are very few cars to compete with and we easily pull up to the curb. We had twenty minutes to unload and get it all out to the curb... Ok, so this was already better then my thoughts. But it was still a lot of stuff! I was feeling self conscious. However, as the clock struck eight, not one, but TWO guys came out to help load up my stuff in carts! I learned later they weren't supposed to do that. ;) But we got everything up in mainly one trip, which was such a relief! The room felt so small at first, but once we bunked the beds, and put away all my stuff, the room was looking much, much bigger.

Claire (My Roommate!) came after mom, dad, Erynn, and I went to lunch, so she had some time to put stuff away and get to know the (very chilly) room. We both met for the first time later after she came back from lunch and we decorated! I must say, our room looks amazing. We still have some big plans for the place, some involving christmas lights and shower curtains. We plan on making a Target run tomorrow for anything else we need. (And yes, everything of mine fit! :) With plenty of room to spare!)

Claire and I took a walk to check out Daisy Hill and see some friends. I even took her to Nunemaker (my Honors Program home) and showed her around. We only came back because it was getting a little toasty outside. Later, my friends Juli and Darshan from Orientaion came over to chat and we just sat in my room and it was great! Just like I always imagined college to be! We then had a mandatory floor meeting and we got some useful info like our mailbox combination and... well that was kind of it. Lol I knew the rest of it and/or had already done it! (AlcoholEDU...) Afterwards, we went to a block party, which was fun...but SOOOOOO crowded and overstimulating. It was just way more people then I was used to. Thankfully, a small group of us broke off to find the free food (which was excellant after the twenty-five minute walk to the union from the dorm!) and sat and chatted for a while, then we made our way back to the dorms and were going to wind down... but Claire and I decided on one last adventure for the night...

We had heard opening our mailboxes was tricky, so we decided to give it a try. Ten minutes and lots of laughter later... We came back upstairs to get the instructions and double-check the numbers. Ten more minutes later...we asked for help. Thankfully, it was an incorrect number and we weren't just stupider then the lock lol.

It was an amazing first day to say the least: lots of adventure and that's exactly how I like it. We have an excellent view from our window of lights and the stars... beautiful. Claire and I were looking out our window and I said, "Claire?" and she said, "Yeah?" and I said, "I think this is a moment."

We both started laughing hysterically. Which is also exactly how I like it... (:

<3

Mom and Dad <3

McCollum Hall!

Home Sweet Home :)

Claire and I going to the Block Party!

Our beds! and us ;) And yeah.. I'm on top! lol

Claire's desk and our Twilight poster!

My desk and the fridge and microwave!

Closets... yeah those are most of my clothes lol.. some are in the blue tub.

Family <3