Hello, 2012!

1-What did you do in 2011 that you've never done before?
Hmm. I became a junior in college, I was on a live newscast, and yesterday I got contacts! I'm sure there have been others, but I can't think of them! 

2-Did anyone close to you give birth? 
Ashley did!  She had David Walker Scott, my first cutest most favorite nephew ever, on February 22nd 2011! He has brought so much joy and happiness to my family. He is so chubby, cheerful and precious. He has the sweetest little cheeks and cutest laugh and smile. I didn't realize how much I could love a baby until I met him! He makes me excited for having my own!



3-Did anyone close to you die?
Unfortunately, my Grandaddy died in March from Pancreatic cancer. His death was the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. He was such a happy man and his death was so unexpected. He didn't even live for 2 months after his diagnosis. Though it was difficult, I think it brought my family closer. We all experienced it together and learned to find joy despite our circumstances.


4-What date from 2011 will remain etched in your memory and why?
I would say March 30th because of Grandaddy and Feb. 22 because of David. 11:11 on 11/11/11 was cool too just because everyone "makes a wish at 11:11"

5-What was your biggest acheivement this year?
My biggest achievement this year would definitely be getting the position of President and EIC of Her Campus Appalachian State! I have loved having this position! It has been time consuming, but it has been so worth it. I've met so many awesome girls and it has stretched me and pushed me toward my full potential. HCxo!

6-Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Healthy and happy! 

7-What was the best thing you bought?

Me or my parents? Haha! Well my parents have continued to bless me with more than I could imagine! They bought me an iPhone over thanksgiving and I have LOVED it. It is so convenient and addictive. As far as my money goes, I don't really have much of it that I call my own and when I do, it's normally just on clothes and food! 
8-Where did most of your money go?
Food Food Food, Coffee Coffee, and the occasional movie or item of clothing. 

9-What song will always remind you of 2011?
There have been a lot of good songs from 2011! I have bought a few CD's that I've loved including Hands All Over by Maroon 5, and Science & Faith by The Script. Lady Antebellum has probably been my favorite country artist this year and I always like radio hits! But if I had to chose, the one song that will remind me of 2011 is Not Over You by Gavin DeGraw. I still can't believe that he held my hand and sang to me!  How cool is that? It's something I will never forget from 2011!

10-What do you wish you'd done more of/less of?
I wish I had done less procrastinating, overeating and I wish I had been involved in less drama. There has been A LOT of pointless, excessive drama this year and I am not going to let it happen again in 20121!  I wish I had spent more time reading my bible, exercising, updating my blog and reading books.

11-What was your favorite TV program?
My favorite TV show would definitely be Pretty Little Liars! That show is AWESOME. I love how it's suspenseful and dark but it has drama and love stories just like I enjoy! Not to mention the cutest wardrobe ever. The cast always looks so cute! Great show, I LOVE it. 

12-What's the best book you read this year?
No brainer, it was definitely the Hunger Games! I sped through the first one in about a day and a half! I love reading book series because I feel like I become friends with the characters. It had suspense, action, death, family, love, deception, fighting, everything that makes up a good novel! I can't wait for the movie to come out this year!!

13-What was your favorite movie this year?
That's a tough one because I love movies. I got Water For Elephants for Christmas, that one is definitely at the top! I had read that book and that was probably the best book to movie adaptation I've ever seen. I saw We Bought a Zoo like 2 nights ago and it was awesome! I would say that it was the best feel good movie I've seen in years. Go see it!

14-What did you do on your birthday? How old were you?
On August 24th 2011, I turned 20! Woohoo, a whole new decade! I went to P.F. Changs with my family and then when I got to school my friends came over for mexican food and we just hang out!

15-Did you travel anywhere this year?
Yes, I went on multiple trips with my family that were all really fun! We went to a family reunion and the beach and had a great time! My favorite trip by far was going to NYC with Lindy and my Mom! We shopped til we dropped, drank lots of Starbucks and had a FANTASTIC time. Those trips will always be so special to me!

16-Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Don't take your family or friends for granted. Thank God for everything you have. Learn from your mistakes. Keep old friends but make new ones too. Don't sweat the small stuff. And most of all, remember to find joy despite your circumstances! 

sorry I've been MIA

Sorry I've been so MIA lately.

But this is my LAST WEEK OF THE FALL SEMESTER!!!

Can I get an amen, hallelujah, praise the Lord?!?

I don't think I've ever wanted a year to end more. Not just the semester, but 2011 as a whole. Least favorite year of my life to date.

Anyway, sorry for the depressing comment! I just wanted to stop by and say that I apologize for my absence.

It's exam week, so I probably won't be back until those are over.

Hope you're enjoying the holiday festivities!

I can't wait until I can finally start having some fun!

1974

Preface: This is my last prose assignment. Weird! Anywho, the assignment was to write a "flash fiction story" between 500 - 750 words from the first person plural. So, that's what I attempted. 

1974 

That summer was extra hot. We had become limp at the ends, humidity getting the best of us. We’d wander into the kitchen on Sunday mornings, complaining of Mama and Daddy’s Christian habits. We’d skip out, stay home, make it a habit.

About mid-July, we got antsy. We’d drive Daddy’s Doge Dart around town all night. We’d howl at boys, our faces like wolves, lips pursed toward the moon. We’d smoke Marlboros in the evening; push our painted toes against the windshield and leave a mark.

We’d take Mama’s change, buy ourselves chocolate malts, and make fun of anyone that got strawberry.

One night we decided to go skinny-dipping in our pool.  We wished we were rebels. Our skin showed pale in the moonlight and our chests no longer resembled girls, but women. One of us ahead of the other, one of us a little less ashamed.

  It was above ground, the pool, and the Bradford pear trees between the yard and Old Mr. Schubert’s created little privacy.

We waded in deep, threw our bikinis over the edge, laid on our backs with our eyes toward the stars. We let it melt the day’s heat off our skin, copied each other’s movements, and somersaulted in the blue. We let our hair fan out behind our heads, taking our worries with it. We bobbed in the water, keeping beat with David Bowie on our Mama’s boom box.

We got bored after an hour and slipped back into our swimsuits that were strewn in the grass. We got devious, rowdy, and the idea to find our ping-pong ball and paddles and to hit Old Mr. Schubert’s window until he came lookin’. We could see the lights on in his house, the flashin’ colors of The Price is Right glaring on his TV.

We took swings, heard it hit the window with a hollow bounce and ran to retrieve it. We kept this up for nearly an hour, crossing our fingers that he’d turn his TV off in order to hear our racket.

We kept watch every 5 minutes, peering behind trees like criminals, but it was all for the thrill and nothin’ for the protection. Our figures were slim, juvenile. We swayed our hips and flung our hair. We swung, we crouched, and we ran and whispered, forgetting our parents who played cards inside.

We laughed carelessly. We snuck our Daddy’s liquor from the cabinet near the garage. We would each take a swig, fighting the impulse to gag. We’d spin in circles, fall dizzy. We kept hittin’ that ping-pong ball, making bets on who could hit it the hardest.

We were young, drunk, and dumb, unprepared for what happened.

We were screaming.

And then we were silent.

Our daddy found him in his living room that night, sitting in his burnt orange chair, glass shards a few feet away from him, near the window. The TV was still blinking in the background, but we heard no nothin’.  We watched him get rolled out. We saw the white sheet, the landscape of a man cast upon a midnight backdrop. We got woozy, threw up until our stomachs were empty.

Our Daddy said it was a good thing; Old Man Schubert had been gone for hours, according to doctors.  We hugged our parents, hard. We gave back their empty liquor bottles. We ate toast at our kitchen table and ignored their stares; the punishments we knew would come eventually.

“If that hadn’t happened,” our Mama had said, “who knows how long he could’ve sat in there.”

          We cried ourselves to sleep. We choked on guilt. We slept as close as possible. We saw the shadow of his house cast upon our floor.  We went back to church to that next Sunday. And we prayed.

And we prayed.

And oh, did we pray. 

Expectation

I’m not going to lie, when I’m asked what my biggest weakness is, I have no idea what to say. I’ve been in multiple job interviews where I’ve been asked that question and I’ve had to scramble around for my response.

“Hmmm, what is my biggest weakness? Uh… my biggest weakness is that I can’t think of my biggest weakness?”  

As cocky as it sounds, I can easily point out my strong suits. Or at least, what I believe them to be.

I’m a good listener. I’m passionate about what I do. I’m hard working and determined. I’m bold. I’m my own worst critic (that could be a bad thing.)  I’m devoted. In the words of Dumbledore, I believe myself to be a “fierce friend.”

But recently, I’ve discovered my biggest weakness. I think my biggest weakness is that I expect too much out of people.

It’s not too far-fetched of me to expect from others what I give, but I do and it lets me down.

I find myself to be a really giving person. I spend money on my friends, I spend time texting them and asking them about their day. I’m constantly planning something with them, or at least trying to.

I want them to know that I care. I want my friends to get a text from me and think “I really like the fact that Laura always wishes me good luck on a test or wishes that I have a good day.”

But what’s happening is that I’m being let down on the flipside. It’s honestly not fair to hold people to the standard that I have for myself.

Just because I prioritize letting people know that I care doesn’t mean that that’s one of their priorities. They may be caring just as much for me as I for them, they just don’t feel the need to show it like I do. I expect them to think the same way I do, which obviously will never happen.

I don’t want anyone to think that I’m calling them out, I’m not. I’m trying to apologize for the fact that I’ve been hurt and upset by giving and not getting what I wanted in return. It’s not fair to my friends for me to get upset at them when I’m comparing them to what I’d do in that situation.

My biggest weakness is expectations. I expect a lot. I expect too much from myself and from others. I let myself down because I hold myself to unusually high standards and I let myself down because I hold my friends there too.

Starting now, and especially when 2012 rolls around, I want to stop expecting. I want to appreciate what I’m getting and find joy in what I’m giving.

better late than never...

I know Thanksgiving was a week ago, but I have so many things to be thankful for that I just need to share them with the world!

1. Life in general!

I recently learned of a kid that passed away from ASU. He was in my journalism class last year. I didn't know him, but I had heard him read what he had written and it was fantastic. I can't imagine having my life taken from me so soon. Thankful that I've been given 20 years and hopefully many more to come!

2. My amazing family!

I love my family. Seriously more than anything else in the world. I have been blessed with two, awesome godly and loyal parents. 3 siblings that I consider my best friends and wonderful extended family. We love traveling together, going out to eat, having political and theological debates and just enjoying each other's company. I love them more than life!

3. My friends!

I have been blessed with a lot of friends here at ASU and at home. My neighbors, my high school friends, the friends from my floor freshman year, the church friends that I grew up with! I've met a lot of new people through Her Campus that I get along with really well, yay new friends! Thankful, thankful, thankful!


4. Contentment with Singledom

I feel so blessed by my independence and introverted tendencies, haha! I know that sounds crazy, but I feel like those are two things that really help with being single! If I thrived off being around people all the time, I'd probably feel pretty lonely. Good thing I love to be by myself! I really value my alone time and I believe myself to be extremely independent. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me. I'm ready to move to a big city and conquer the world!

5. Being a Christian.

I find so much comfort, peace, and purpose in my Christian life. God has blessed me in all aspects. I am so thankful for my family, future and every opportunity that I've been given. I'm thankful for Carmel at home and Elevation at school. Through ups and downs, broken friendships, and my Grandaddy's death, he's held me through it all. I can't imagine a life without God to comfort me. So thankful for his death and resurrection and the promise of a future in heaven!

And the little things...

6. Addicting TV shows
7. chocolate
8. fuzzy socks
9. candles
10. coffee (starbucks)
11. boots
12. New York City
13. sunshine
14. good music
15. car rides with the windows down
16. apples and peanut butter
17. perfect fitting jeans
18. naps
19. swimming pools
20. colors
21. hugs
22. pets that curl up in your knees
23. good books
24. fresh snow
25. makeup

THANKFUL!