Nose Crinkle

Despite the constant reading assignments, current event quizzes and chapter meetings, this semester has been one for the books.  And as stressed out and overworked as I make myself, I've noticed how much happier I am.  

I'm working hard for things I want.  I'm interviewing for positions I'd never considered before.  I'm getting to know my sisters and making a commitment to be a better friend.  

It's a lot of work and a lot of stress, but I smile so much more.  I'm passionate about so much more.  

My nose crinkles so much more. 

Find what makes your nose crinkle and hold on loveys.  Hold on tight. 

Good moments with good people

xox

Char

Slow down

It's as though it was just yesterday.  I was ten years old and talking on the phone to my best friend.  She lived across the street and we thought we were so cool and mature talking on the phone.  Then I was overcome with sadness, a sadness I didn't know existed at the time. My best friend, my other half, the girl I had seen every day since I was three was telling me she was moving. To London. England. Not another state, another city, but another country.

Yes, I know. A tad dramatic on my part, but I can honestly say that phone call changed my life.  That was eight years ago and I can tell you the weather and where I was sitting and every single detail surrounding that moment.

In the following weeks, we packed up her toys, her room, her sisters stolen stuff.  Then the boxes came and left, the dogs were taken for their immunizations, the house was rented out.  It was all a blur past that point, I can't even describe the goodbye, just the tears afterwards.

Little did our parents know, but they were in for a rude awakening.  We were not the type of girls to just give up on each other, not after seven years of friendship.  Almost yearly, I flew to London, she returned to Atlanta, we skyped, we called, we made it.

Now, as I sit in my childhood bedroom, reminiscing over my first semester of college, I find myself texting her.  As always, just being us, being completely one hundred percent honest, silly, weird, normal us. It's so odd to me how so much time has passed and one person has been here for so long.  I am eighteen years old and she has been there for me for fifteen years.  That is exactly five sixths of my life.

Now to the point, because I feel like there should be one, don't treat people like a chapter in your life. Yes, people come and go, we all know boys are not forever, but don't just give up on people.  Overcome those circumstances and try, if you can say you tried and failed, that's fine. But don't just let someone go, when they could be such an important part of your story.

Love you tons Kelcey, I'd be lost without you. (insert kissy face emoji here)

xox
Char

Written in the Stars

I've never really been the superstitious type.

  Sure, I make a wish at 11:11 when I happen to notice it, but I don’t believe in ghosts or fortune tellers or that nonsense.  The only thing I really do the could be considered superstitious or ritual-y of any sort, would be how I religiously read my horoscope daily.  I find everyway it applies to my life, right down to me breaking a nail.

I think it has something to do with the stars. 

I’ve always loved a clear night, laying on the dock at the lake and just looking at the stars.  Or sitting at the playground I grew up on because there are no street lights to ruin the sky.  There’s just something about the stars that calms me. 

When visiting New Zealand about a year ago, there was a fire alarm at like, 3 in the morning, or something and I remember being so cold and wishing I was asleep and then I looked out over the bay in Paihia and just being thankful.  I stopped thinking about what was going wrong and started appreciating what was going right.  For heaven’s sake, I was in New Zealand. I was seeing the world, with my family, in a way that many people can only dream of. 

I once told a friend, “Look at the stars. Ill let you in on a secret. Stars are always there. No matter where you are in the world, Atlanta, New Zealand, Israel. The stars are always there. No matter how you're feeling or who you're with, take a second and just look at the giant sky and remember everything will work out.”

Just remember, everything will work out.

xox

Char

p.s. You can't imagine my excitement when I got into my bed the first night of college and realized the person before me had left glow in the dark stars all over my half of the ceiling.  It's like it was meant to be.

Just Say Yes

my current motto, because what's better than being able to say yes?

I'm quite the OCD control freak, so saying yes and just going with the flow is a very difficult task for me.  But I'm working on it, step by step, and I'm so happy I'm allowing the college experience to take me for ride!

Things that worked out because I said yes:

Roommate invited me to dinner? met a group of people I love

Professor wouldn't let me drop a class? learned I actually can speak french if I try

Said yes to try being friends with my ex?  realized I can take care of myself (I don't need no man)

Accepted a bid to a sorority? found a group of women that aren't petty, mean girls

Applied for freshmen council? asked back for the second round interview (fingers crossed!)

Invited on a spontaneous beach trip? spent the day with a siberian husky puppy

Everything is working out in its own way, even if it's not how I planned it.  I've honestly been so blessed with new people and new experiences in the past two weeks, I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has planned for me.

SO, all in all, just say yes. Try new things. Be spontaneous.
Put the OCD control freak away.

 || Brianne and I at a soccer game ||

 || Amazing new sisters on Bid day ||

  || Fellow new members, baby turtles ||

 || First frat party with my girls ||

 || Athena, aka the cutest husky puppy I've ever seen ||

What have you said yes to lately?

xox
Char

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Happy Birthday Juleigh Jeanette!

So yesterday was this little angels birthday

Juleigh is only four years old, but she's so much more than a four year old to those of us who spend time with her.

a year ago on her third birthday || insta ||

It's truly incredibly how much children can affect adults.  I've always loved working with children, playing, teaching, babysitting, all of it, but never in my life did a child have this affect on me.  

I was 14 when my neighbor and second mother, Joni, told me she was pregnant. I thought she was playing a mean joke on me, in all honesty.  Joni already had a 17 year old, 14 year old, and a 7 year old, so I really didn't think it could be possible that she was pregnant again.  But what a blessing in disguise Juleigh Jeanette turned out to be. 

|| What Juleigh has taught me in four years ||

1. Cherish innocence.  So often we spend too much time wanting to grow up, but then you realize you're an adult and have responsibility.
2. Learn to say no.  Saying no to a cute kid is quite possibly the hardest thing you could do, but it teaches you how to say no in life.
3. Take pictures. Every moment, the good, the bad, and the ugly, all should be remembered.

xox
Char

Embrace your downfalls

So today was my first day of college classes! (ahhhhhhh) It's still so unreal to me, I feel like I'm at summer camp.  I barely have time to think, much less miss home at this rate. 

Anyways...

College is all about finding yourself and all that stuff they tell you but it's also about opening yourself up to new things.  There are so many people from all over the country, the world here at USC and I'm loving meeting all of them! I was so excited to get out of the bubble I lived in back home, so I say hi to every person I see.  I tend to be kind of talkative and very eager when it comes to school.  Today I met the first person I was not a fan of here at University.  Playing the name game comes with every first day of school, from kindergarden to grad school, but no matter how many times I'm told someone's name, I'll probably ask ten more times.  I thought I'd write down names today to try to commit them to memory in my visual arts computing class, and the girl next to me just looked at me and told me I looked like a freshmen.  Well, guess what, I AM A FRESHMEN.  

and I'm a-okay with being a freshmen. 

I may be eager and over talkative, but I'm embracing it. 

No upperclassmen can get me down. 

Okay, my rant is over.

Courtney and I embracing our 8:30 class

Just remember to be yourself, and love who you are, because there is no one else out there that can be a better you.

xox

Char

All of a Sudden

This quote is all to real to me this past week.  Saying goodbye to my friends who left in early August seemed like no big deal, then it came my turn to leave home. Be a big girl, I told myself.  All of a sudden, I was saying goodbye to the most important people in my life and road tripping to South Carolina.  How is this even real?! Now I'm getting emails from professors, rushing in Greek Village, and walking everywhere, and I mean e v e r y w h e r e.  My feet are not happy with me after only one day of rush!

I can't believe I'm in college! This is just too weird. 

Any freshmen advice?!

xox

Char