My Minivan: Introduction

It's summer which means that I am home and that my sister and I are sharing a car again (the one that she's had all school year).  Sharing a car is tricky, so my parents really wanted one of us to drive our old minivan.

My mom made me drive it one day and was trying to get me on board with driving it all summer (what college kid really wants to drive a minivan???).  She said something to the effect of, "You could make it your own and have fun and drive your friends around."  And I responded jokingly, "Yep, me and my six closest friends, driving around in a minivan."  But then ideas started brewing...what if my six closest friends could be celebrities???

I'm a huge Jimmy Fallon fan, so of course he was going to be on board.  Then I had a vision of Trump in the middle of Bernie and Hillary stuck in the backseat of a minivan, and that literally cracked me up.  Me and my siblings stuffed in the backseat is bad enough...put three presidential candidates back there and chaos will ensue.  Then it came together.  Because someone/the internet started this "Fallon Timberlake for president" movement.  So, naturally, Timberlake was the final piece of the puzzle.

The thought of me driving a minivan with random heads in the back was cracking me up (and my mom and dad and siblings), so that settled it.  I would drive the minivan when absolutely necessary, but only as a chauffeur for potential future presidents.

Then I took to social media.  Keep following my blog and social media posts, because the minivan and its passengers are going to go on some fun(ny) adventures this summer, and those will be documented and shared, in hopes that they bring laughter to y'all too! (For example, I think Bernie needs to hit up Graeters again like he did when he was in Lex a few weeks ago!)

I was only half-kidding about meeting Fallon and Timberlake and being an intern at the Tonight Show.  On my bucket list is meeting Jimmy Fallon (Justin Timberlake, I'd be happy to meet you too...maybe even you people in the back...but I'm not sure about that...), and one of my college/career dreams is interning with the Tonight Show, particularly in social media (because the Fallon Tonight bloggers are STELLAR at what they do).  As an Arts Administration major with minors in Theatre and Media Arts...what could be a cooler internship????

If you want to help me out, feel free to share my original Facebook post, retweet my original tweet, follow @presidentialpassengers on instagram, share this blog, or just keep following my adventures with the squad this summer!

Stay tuned, my friends...

The 10 Best Things About College Summers

1.  No more homework!

Because let's face it--no one wants to be inside writing papers and working on presentations.

2. Lots of time to sleep.

Sleeping in until noon is completely acceptable in summer.  It's also completely necessary (you've gotta catch up on all the sleep you lost during the year somehow, right???).

3. Home-cooked food.

You ate your weight in crappy campus pizza and salad this year.  Food from home is everything.

4. Your own bed.

You may have gotten used to your bed at school, but there's something about being in your own bed that's just the best.

5. Summer adventures.

Outdoor adventures are just 100x better when it's summertime.

6. Campfires.

Because who doesn't love sitting around a campfire with friends?

7. Being back with your obnoxious younger siblings.

Yeah, they may drive you crazy...but let's be real--you know you missed them.

8. Watching way too much TV.

What else are you supposed to do with all this extra time???

9. Not having to walk outside every time you want to go somewhere.

Yeah, walking across campus to class burned calories, but dealing with the rain and snow and hot was not fun.

10. Basically everything.

Summer is a time of fun and freedom from school.  Enjoy it.

Challenge of Summer

As the cool, early summer air falls about me, I sit here, thinking about where life is right now.

Life is strange.  It's as if I spent the last eight and a half months of my life at a summer camp...only without the summer.  I spent nights in a dorm with a stranger who became a dear friend.  I spent evenings stargazing with friends, having deep conversations.  I spent hours upon hours at a campus ministry, learning how to grow and walk with Jesus, embrace community, and worship the King.

In the past, summer was the time of mountaintop experiences.  Those trips to summer camp or big youth conferences.  You know the ones.  Those experiences that leave you on fire for Jesus.  Sometimes the fire fizzles out when you get back.  Well, this whole year felt like that.  This whole year was a mountaintop experience of having such a passion for Jesus and the Kingdom.  This whole year was one surrounded by incredible Christian community.  And that is something to be so so thankful for.  But now, it's like coming back.  But God's address is not on my university's campus, and now is not the time for the fire to fizzle out.

I developed such good habits of spending time with Jesus--reading the Bible and pouring out my heart.  And I know that so many others did too.  Maybe you are at this point too.  Now is not the time to let those habits die.  It's hard because friends that we spent days talking about what the Lord was doing in our lives have moved away for the summer, but that doesn't mean the conversations have to stop.

So here's my challenge--for you, but first for myself (because I know I need to hold myself accountable): Have a summer filled with adventure.

We talk about taking adventures in summer all the time, and usually we mean going out and hiking and swimming and exploring and whatever else.  And I am all for having those adventures.  Go explore and enjoy creation, but explore and enjoy the Creator too.  I want to have a summer adventure with Jesus.  I want to be taken to heights and depths far greater than I could imagine.

So, I challenge you...This summer, live a life of adventure with Jesus.  Spend time in the Word.  Spend time in prayer--prayer journaling even.  Spend time in worship.  Spend time in community.  And spend time on the mission field--wherever that may be.

My schedule isn't totally jam-packed in summer.  This summer, let's take our free time and make it His.  Let's journey together.  Let's hold each other accountable.  Let's not neglect those relationships we built all year, but let's not neglect the people around us either.  Build friendships, strengthen friendships, and not forget about the most important friendship--our friendship with Jesus.

I'm choosing to believe that if I trust God with the summer--He'll give me a greater adventure than I can ever imagine.

"You make known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Psalm 16:11

Dear Freshman Year

Dear Freshman Year,

Thank you.

It seems like just yesterday I was moving into my dorm.  It seems like just yesterday that I left life as I knew it and adventured onto campus, unsure of what was ahead.  It seems like just yesterday that I didn't know where my classes were, let alone where I would fit in or find friends.  It seems like just yesterday it all began.

Yet here I am, finished.  As I sit in my dorm room, all packed into boxes, I can't help but reflect on all the things this year has taught me and how different life is.  That's something that people tell you--"Your life is going to be drastically different in college.  You will change more than you can imagine."  And of course, senior year me thought, "LOL cool.  College is going to be really different and, sure, I'll probably grow up more, but how much can life really change?"  And then it does.  Looking back to where I was this time last year, I feel like I'm in a different world.

I changed.  I became me.
"But you were you last year..."

Sure.  I was me.  But college teaches you to evaluate your life and decide what you believe, who you are, and where you're supposed to be going.  Freshman year teaches you to begin that process, but it's an ongoing thing.

I found friendship.
"But you had friends last year..."

I absolutely did, and I value those friendships a lot.  But here's the thing--in college, friendships take on a whole new level.  You have to make an effort to see each other, but the effort is more than worth it.  Suddenly you find that you are with your friends 24/7, but rarely get tired of being around them.  You find yourself sitting under the stars with them, pondering life and having deep conversations about life.  Friendships become something much more than the people you spend your lunch break with or go hang out with on the weekends.  They become the people you share your dreams with, share your hardships with, and share your life with.  They become the people who you text when you get a free cup of coffee by the library and when you just have to share about the crazy, wonderful thing that Jesus did in your life.  From the tiniest things to the biggest victories or failures--they are your people.  And you can't express your thankfulness for them.

I realized what was important.
"But you knew what was important last year..."

Well, kind of.  But I also was convinced that my GPA and extracurricular involvement was super important (hint: it really isn't that crucial to the rest of your life).  In college you learn that the only things that really matter are the people in your life and the Creator who made them.  I've learned that it's important to get good grades and build your future career, but it's more important to care about and love every single person around you.  Everyone.

I learned.
"But you learned last year..."

I sure did.  I learned a lot last year, but not like I learned this year.  This year I learned that most professors aren't horrible (but there are always a few character builders out there...), we can disagree and still have wonderful friendships, there are people who are just as passionate as I am about totally different things...and so much more.  College teaches you a lot in the classroom, but more of the learning happens in those moments right before class starts, right after class ends, or in those moments when you are far from the classroom buildings.

I broke out of my shell.
"But you...well, okay, you were a pretty shy and quiet person..."

I was.  And I still am.  I'm an introvert, and I'm learning to embrace that.  However, I've learned that people aren't actually that terrifying to talk to.  Yeah, it may be awkward for five minutes, but you could also end up with a new great friend.

I rediscovered Jesus.
"But you knew Jesus last year..."

Yeah, but not like this year.  Growing with Jesus is an ongoing process, and it becomes a whole new ballpark when it's you alone.  That's why I am so thankful that I found community that has encouraged me to spend time with my Savior each and every day and continue to learn from Him and discover His plan for my life.  I have people praying for me and with me about the places the Lord is calling me to go.  I have friends who are holding me accountable and challenging me.  I have a place where I feel like I am a part of a family--where God is our Father and we are the sons and daughters.  We are the world-changers.  The Lord has renewed my love for people--all people--and showed me what He is all about.

So much has changed.  I am not who I was last year, thankfully.  High school was a beautiful season, but I'm in a new place and it is one that I am embracing with open arms.

Freshman year, thanks for all the memories.  I don't want to leave you, but it's time to greet summer and sophomore year.  It's time to keep growing.  It's time to hold this year dear to my heart and take it with me, continuing to grow.  Loving every moment.

I love you, freshman year.

Love,
Finished Freshman Me.

Standby Tickets for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

I was in New York City on spring break last week.  That is fun in and of itself, but if you know me then you probably know that I have a serious obsession with The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.  (For good reason, as I explain here.)  So, naturally, I was determined to catch a taping of the show while in the city.  However, I didn't know far enough ahead of time that I would be going on this trip to get tickets online (which you can and it's less of a hassle...check it out here), so if I was going to go, I would need to get tickets standby.

I ended up in the standby line twice during the week, if that tells you anything about how it went the first time.

BUT.  While I didn't get tickets to Fallon the first time, I ended up getting into Seth Meyers, so I'll talk about that too.  Double the fun.

Here's the deal--there is one standby line for both Fallon and Meyers.  The NBC Pages hand out tickets at 9 AM (though the line starts WAY earlier), and it is only at that point that they ask people in line for Seth to come to the front, and they hand out those tickets first, since 95% of the people are only there for Fallon.  Here's a rundown of how my days went.

MONDAY
I was in NYC with a large group, and some of them were going to see Coldplay Monday morning, so me and two friends, left with them at 4 AM so we didn't have to navigate the subway by ourselves in the middle of the night.
4 AM: Left the place we are staying at in Brooklyn.
5:10 AM: Arrived at 30 Rock.  There were about 40 people ahead of us in line.

It was cold, rainy, and we were questioning our life decisions.

9 AM: A page came out and made announcements ("these tickets do not guarantee you entrance" etc etc), then announced that if we were in line for Seth Meyers to step out and come to the front.  Since there were 40 people in front of us, we knew we wouldn't get into Fallon, so decided to do Seth instead.  We were numbers 3, 4, and 5.

5 PM: We went to check in at the NBC Store.  They checked us in and told us to come back in 20 minutes or so to get in line.  When we came back they lined us up in order.  There were two girls whose tickets had had issues who actually ended up at the front of the line, so our numbers ended up being 5, 6, and 7.  They came down and told us that they couldn't see taking more than 15 (the entire ticketed audience had showed up).  Everyone after number 15 was told to leave.  Then they came back and told us that they could take the first 5 (which was me...YAY!  But not my friends...BOO!).  They took us up to the studio (and we got to pass studio 8H where SNL is filmed, which was super cool!).  The six people after me in the standby line ended up being able to come in (so 11 total), and the staff was super accommodating and let my friends sit with me, and the entire experience was totally worth it.  Seth was funny, the staff were fantastic, and the guests were awesome (we even got an extra...Superman came to film his section that was going to air like two weeks later!).

That was a long day.  But it was NOTHING compared to Friday.

My two friends who went to Seth were done with the standby line after that day, but I wasn't ready to give up.  Friday, John Krasinski was going to be on the show, and there were two other girls on the trip who loved him and Jimmy Fallon enough to want to do standby, so the three of us went.  We were determined to get in...determined enough to get there at a ridiculous hour.

FRIDAY
2:30 AM: Leave Brooklyn.
3:30 AM: Arrive at 30 Rock.  We thought we were the only ones crazy enough to get there that early, but a mom and daughter pair were in front of us that had gotten there about 15 minutes before us.

In case you were wondering what the NBC Studios sign looks like at 3:30 AM.

3:30-9 AM:  Try to sleep, make some friends with all the crazy people around you, eat some food, take turns going to the bathroom, talk to NBC employees (ranging from security guards to SNL staff) who will ask who's on the show and if it (the standby line) is really worth it, watch the city wake up, and respond to passerby question, "What are you all in line for?" with the answer, "JIMMY FALLON!"

The view from laying on the sidewalk trying to sleep as NYC and 30 Rock awakens.

9 AM: Get your standby ticket from the page.  We were numbers 3, 4, and 5 again, but this time for Fallon!!!  Good luck?

3:30 PM: (12 hours later) Arrive back at 30 Rock in the NBC Store.  They will check you in and line you up in the order of your tickets from the morning line.  Then a lady will come down and say, "We can't see taking anymore than _____(on this day, it was 60)."  Anyone after number 60 had to leave.  Then the lady came back and said, "We can't see taking anymore than 35."  Anyone after number 35 had to leave.  Then she finally came back and said that they could take the first 20!  WE WERE IN!!!!!  I don't know if they ended up taking anyone after that, but 20 was a pretty large number of standby to get in...especially for a Friday.

5:00 PM: HAVE. THE. TIME. OF. YOUR. LIFE.   The taping is so much fun.  Jimmy is super down-to-earth, the guests are high-energy, and the Roots are awesome!

All this to say, the standby line is a major time commitment, but 110% worth it.  Also, it is good to note that the lines may have been longer since we went on days by the weekend.  I've heard that the middle of the week and/or when the guests aren't as popular are the best times to go.  That being said, they took a lot of people in on standby, so I guess we might have been lucky.  Regardless, even if you have to go at 3 in the morning, it is worth it.  Sleep between the hours of 9 and 3:30 and you'll be fine and have the absolute time of your life!  Best of luck!

Succeed, Don't Settle ["Whatever you are..."]

I just came from a small honors class, made up of ten students, that we are all required to take for a scholarship.  Today's discussion was on the book "Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life" by William Deresiewicz (which is an extremely interesting read, FYI).  Our discussion was all about the pressures our generation faces, starting as early as middle school or elementary school, to go on this "fast track" to be successful in college...because success in college obviously equates to success in life.  There is this obscene pressure to jump through all the hoops to get to college and then to be sure you are majoring in something "worthwhile"--something that will equate to a great career with great money.  We all are stuck in this perpetual cycle of having to perform well on exams, do all the right extracurriculars, get a 4.0 GPA, and jam-pack our schedules with whatever college admissions, or grad school admissions, or potential employers want to see.  We do what we have to do...to do what the system wants us to.  We are stuck in this mode where going to college, getting a degree that's "worthwhile," and getting a "good" job is all that matters.

Well, I say no.

I am a product of this system.  I did the "advanced" program in high school, filled my days with extracurriculars (some of which I actually enjoyed), and spent many nights suffering away at homework so that I could maintain as perfect of a GPA as possible.  I got no sleep, had no free time, and had mental breakdowns on a daily basis.  Yet, by doing all of that, I was classified as a "smart" student--one of the ones that would succeed in college and life.  I was getting what I thought I wanted.  I was performing well academically.  I was doing what was expected.  I was doing what was "right."

Honestly, I had to jump through the hoops to get into, and be able to afford, a college where I could study what I loved.  So that was blah, and I'm not totally sure what the solution to that is.  But I got there.  Then, I took a "wrong turn."  I decided to major in Arts Administration.  That's always an awkward conversation.  "Oh!" the person says, realizing that they don't know how to respond to my statement of what I major in, except with the good old follow-up question of, "...what are you going to do with that?"  My outward response varies day by day, because, to be honest, I'm not sure what I want to do with it...there are lots of options.  Specifically, what I want to do with it changes on a day to day basis sometimes.  I have some ideas, but I'm not totally sure what I want (please, I'm 19).  But, inwardly, I know what I'm "doing with that"...I'm doing what I want to be doing...I'm doing what I love.

To some people, I'm no longer "succeeding."  To some people, I'm "settling" for a career that won't bring in all the money.  I'm "settling" for something that I love, when I could be doing something much more academic and prestigious, and making so much more money.  I had that "potential."  Now, most people won't tell me that to my face because they are polite, but I can sense it.  It's awkward.  I was a very academically inclined student in high school.  Sure I loved the arts, but that was a hobby...not so much a career.

Well, here's what's up.  I'm doing what I love, and I'm planning to make a career out of it (although, honestly, making a life is more important than making a career in my opinion, so that's my real goal).  I'm not settling instead of succeeding, I'm succeeding instead of settling.  I'm doing what matters to me.

Also, here's the other thing about college.  I'm just as busy, if not busier.  I'm taking 18 hours of classes, involved in two choirs and an a cappella group (aka a lot of rehearsals and concerts/gigs happen), have a (small) part-time job, and go to Christian Student Fellowship and church.  I don't really have time to breathe half the time (HA!).  Sometimes I get stressed out, but I'm mostly excited.  My days are jam-packed like they were in high school--but they are now jam-packed with things I love.  I enjoy my classes for the most part, I'm interested in what I'm learning about, and my future is no longer full of hoops to jump through.  Instead, my future is full of adventures that I look forward to taking.  It's not about pleasing society and doing what I'm "supposed" to do.  It's about doing what I'm called to do.

So, this is me saying, "I quit."  I quit doing things that I don't want to do.  I quit accepting that there is only one or two paths to "success."  I quit the thinking that what I'm doing is less valid or important than what anyone else is doing.  I quit caring about what others think.

The only people who had a say in what I did with my life became me and, because I am a Jesus follower, God.  I listened to Him and His calling for my life that was evident in what I was passionate about.  Then I did that.  And worked hard to stop jumping through hoops, which is an ever-present learning experience.

The education system and the people we meet are all sending us so many messages about who we should be and what we should do, but only you can know what's best for you.  So, I challenge you to challenge the system.  When given a narrow path to walk, say "NO" and write your own story.  Use what you know to make a good decision (aka don't go do stupid things), but make it your decision.  Not society's.  Not anyone else's.  Go be the engineer, doctor, lawyer, artist, journalist, meteorologist, biologist, policeman, social worker, teacher, or whatever else that you are.

Whatever you are, be a good one.

-Abraham Lincoln

15 Things I Learned My First Semester of College

1. Do what you love.
I know that's a stupid saying that is becoming very cliche, but as I see my high school friends and meet people on campus, it is so easy to tell who is doing what they love--or, better said, what they are passionate about.  The people who are majoring in something because it is what the "smart" kids do, or because of the anticipated large salary that comes along with it, are miserable.  You can see it in their face.  There are people who really love biology...they light up when they talk about it.  There are people who really love marketing, music, engineering, and so on.  But you can tell when they don't.  They are turning themselves into passive creatures that are apathetic towards their studies and futures, and that is honestly scary.  If you get into your major and realize that it isn't for you, change it.  Don't be stupid.  Be smart.  Find the major that fits your passions.

2. You can grow in your faith.

I thought I was in a good spot in my faith going into college.  And I was.  But I didn't see this kind of growth coming.  It has been unreal.  Don't underestimate the power of community who believes what you do.  For me, I found that community at Christian Student Fellowship with my small group...other people find it elsewhere.  Here's the thing though...you're either growing or falling away.  I have yet to meet a person who is stagnate in their faith since coming to college.  You're growing or falling away.  As with the major, it's not too late to change.  You're growing as a person or you're falling away from your beliefs...odds are you aren't staying the same.  I think beliefs definitely evolve, but you are changing.  Make sure it's for the better.

3. It's not too late to change.
I think I explained this one above sufficiently, and it applies to the stuff below.  Basically, if you don't like what you're doing/who you're becoming...it's not too late to change that.  You're the one living your life.

4. Put yourself out there and opportunities find you.

My lovely a cappella group singing the national anthem at Rupp Arena

Go do things that you want to do and don't care if other people care...because usually they don't.  When you do this, opportunities start to find you.  I've heard all the stuff about how it's important to "seek out opportunities" and "create your own opportunities" and that's true.  Those things are what I'm talking about when I say to put yourself out there.  But once you start to do these things, opportunities just start showing up.  For example, I wrote this blog, and I am now working on another project because of it.  I auditioned for one a cappella group, didn't get in, but had the opportunity to audition for another one that I am now in.  I wouldn't change that for the world.  I applied for a job in the fall, didn't get it for the fall semester, but they are hiring me for the spring because of my fall interview.  Those are just a few examples.  Put yourself out there and try things, even if you don't know how they'll turn out.  No one is judging you and you never know what other opportunities might come from it.  Then seize those opportunities and make the most of them.  And even if something seems to "go wrong," remember...it's amazing how the wrong things don't work out so that the right ones do.

5. Usually the "big" issues are just little issues blown way out of proportion.
I try to stay out of drama, but I observe it from afar (at least as far away as I can get), and I have discovered this fun fact--usually the "huge" issues that people have are things that started as a minute issue and have spiraled out of control and blown WAY out of proportion.  Solution: Solve the easy, little issues and half the time it prevents any difficult, big issues from happening.  Easier said than done, I know.  But it's worth saying.

6. If your friends go to different schools, it's not the end of the world.
Now, I say that from a different perspective, because almost all of my close high school friends went to the same college as me.  But I almost wish we hadn't.  Because, the truth is, you're going to drift, no matter where you go...and that's okay.  But when you're all on the same campus, drifting means that you don't get together on breaks and that you've just...drifted.  The friend groups from my high school who all split up have great little reunions on breaks, and I've had that with some friends from my church and some theatre friends, but, trust me, if you go to different schools, it's not the be all end all.  That being said, I have stayed super close with a couple high school friends who are at college with me, so it just depends on the situation!

7. You will make friends, and they will be incredible.

My small group from Christian Student Fellowship

College friends are crazy awesome.  During welcome week, get to know tons of people and be friendly, but I will caution you--don't settle.  I didn't find my best friends through welcome week activities.  I found them when I started to get involved in things I cared about.  And that's the great thing about college friends--you often share a lot of the same passions and interests, yet are still all crazy different in the best of ways.  Like I said, I didn't have super close best friends after a week...honestly, it was towards the end of the semester that we really started to get close.  But you WILL make friends.  Go and do things that you care about.  Everyone else is thinking they are going to be lonely creatures.  And the first bit might be lonely.  The first few days I was pretty lonely, but you just have to let the friendships grow.  They will.  And when you let friendships develop over time, they become crazy beautiful.  Also, you're basically living, going to school, and going to all the extracurricular with your friends, so that helps.  It is so cool.

Choir babies!

8. Don't forget where you're from.

Stay in touch with your family...do the group texts, go visit, send them pictures, call your mom, find out what's happening in your sister's life--do whatever.  Independence is cool, but so is your fam, however weird they might be.  But,  #8 here is also a shout out to high school.  So many people think they've "grown up and moved on to bigger and better things."  And you have.  But you would never have made it to those bigger and better things without your past.  And those younger students who you were in all your extracurriculars with in high school?  Yeah, they're still there.  And they still love and look up to you.  Let me tell you, I have become my high school choir and drama club's biggest fan.  I am the proud mom at everything, I go back and visit, and I frequently see all of their posts on social media and my heart swells with pride.  Some might say I'm being sentimental and holding on to the past, but I'm not.  I've completely moved on, but not in the way that I'm going to forget all the people and places that got me here.  They are a part of me.  Don't blow it off.  Staying somewhat connected to my high school has been the best.  And if you've gone far away to college, social media is the way to go.

9. Stop the comparisons and live your life.
I struggle with this one sometimes, because it always seems like something is doing something cooler or better than what I'm doing.  And, hey, newsflash--someone always is.  I've discovered this song called "Love Life" by Natalie Taylor and she sings, "When you love life--your life--it's beautiful."  Truth.  You just have to embrace what you are doing and stop looking around.  Runners are told to only look ahead and not to the left or the right to run better.  So run better.  Focus on what you're doing.  Support others in all of their cool endeavors, but don't compare yourself.  Everyone's journey is different.

10. Take time for yourself.
It's really hard to have alone time at college, at least for me.  I feel like I am constantly surrounded by people, and, as an introvert, that's the struggle.  I spent a lot of time stressing over homework and surrounded by people in high school, and it took some time for me to learn that I had to take time to take care of myself mentally.  I personally like to read my Bible and write about life, and before I go to bed I watch The Tonight Show because it lets me end my day with a smile regardless of how it went.  Find your happy space and go there, because you need to take time to take care of yourself.  It is important.

11. Friendship has no boundaries.

When I was younger, I always wanted a little girl who was my age to move in on my street.  There were (and still are) a bunch of boys around my age, but I wanted a friend who was a girl.  Well, fifteen years later, all those boys are still some of my best friends.  More importantly, however, fifteen years later, I have learned that friendship is something that is not restricted by anything.  I have friends from every walk of life, and it is a beautiful thing.  I've learned this just being in theatre, but college kind of reinforced that idea.  Because, even in high school, people are mainly friends with people in their grade.  In college, what year you are really doesn't matter.  Making friends of all ages over the past few years (including before college) has been the best.

12. Saying "Thank You!!!" is important.
I mentioned this in my earlier post for seniors, Dear 2016 Seniors, but it's relevant in college too.  Probably because it is basically just a good rule for life.  Tell everyone "THANK YOU!!!" because we all need each other, and it's nice to be thanked for what you do.

13. Smiling is also important.
Smile at people (even people you don't know) around campus.  Smile to the lady serving you lunch.  Smile to the person working the front desk of your residence hall.  Smile to everyone.  Maybe it'll make their day, you never know.

On, on, U of K!

14. Take advantage of all the cool things your campus has to offer.
Go to events on campus.  Accumulate lots of free t-shirts.  Go to sporting events for free (or for really cheap...if you're a UK student, spend the $5 for a basketball ticket because it's 100% worth it).  Go to band concerts.  Go to slam poetry events.  Spend time at the library.  Your school has a lot to offer you--take advantage of it (you're paying enough...)

15. Make sure to take it all in.
This semester has been a whirlwind of wonderful things, but it FLEW.  Sometimes I just took a moment to look around and breathe and think, "This moment is beautiful.  I want to remember this."  Consciously taking time to just take everything in and live in the moment is so important.

Thanks for a great first semester, college...here's to the next 7 (give or take a few) more!!!

The Follower of God who Happens to Really Love Theatre

I started doing theatre in middle school, but I had been forcing my cousins and siblings to put on performances with me and daydreaming about performing for years.  It was in middle school that I started doing "real shows" though, and I never looked back.  Except I did.  I looked back a lot, because I was constantly being "warned" about the people in theatre and the arts.  Many well-meaning Christian friends and mentors told me all about how there weren't many Christians in the industry, and how there were a lot of "lost people."  Well, newsflash, there are a lot of "lost people" in every industry.  That being said, I continued to do theatre, and as I got deeper and deeper into this hobby of mine, I found a passion for the arts and arts education and a deep love for the people involved in them.

I loved God, but my life was becoming rooted in the arts.  I was sick and tired of people judging me for my passions and telling me not to pursue them in college.  My plan was to go to school and major in Arts Administration.  I got a lot of strange stares, a lot of kind words about how that industry needed lights for Jesus there, and a lot of "you're wasting your time and talent for a degree that won't get you anywhere."  People didn't get it.

What they didn't know was my story.  That in middle school, I cried every morning because I hated school.  I cried every time my family visited a new church because I felt so alone everywhere we went and just wanted to go to my home church with my friends, now lost.  I felt so alone.  Then God stuck theatre in my life, and I found a community who loved me.  I believe 100% that God uses non-believers to work his plan, because there is no doubt in my mind that theatre and music were put in my life by Him to impact me and allow me an outlet to express my joy and love for Him...and rediscover that in the process.  The arts were my passion, and I was being told that they were this super dark, scary place where God was not.

So, I went into college, chasing my dreams of working in the arts, but unsure of how my faith fit.  No one wanted to shed any light on that.  Probably because no one knew how to.  But this semester, God has come in and redefined what I'm doing and taught me some things about where my passions fit His plans.  Because here's the thing--I don't think God would give me a passion that's outside of  His will.  I've really grown in my faith over the last few months and fixed something.  I no longer love God but have a life rooted in the arts...I love the arts and my life is rooted in God.

Many well-meaning people had made it seem that working in the arts and living for Jesus were two things that didn't fit together, making theatre out to be this dark, dark world where there was no hope.  Well, Jesus is hope, and He is with me, even in theatre...even in the other arts...even if I decide to go into more TV/media/entertainment.  I will admit, I see and recognize that many people in my career field don't have the same morals and beliefs as me and sometimes that is difficult, but I have the greatest amount of love and respect for these people.  Theatre people are extremely respectful towards me and my beliefs, because I am the same towards them...I have never felt attacked or pressured to believe anything differently, and  I love people in the arts.  I love people who love Jesus too.

So many Christians seems to fear the field I have surrounded myself with.  People seem to want to run the opposite direction.  But I have a passion for the arts and a heart full of love for the people in the arts.  I don't have any reason to believe that was a coincidence.  I 100% believe that if "there are very few Christians in the lost world that your field is" that is all the more reason for me to be there.  Who is reaching those people?  Who is being Jesus?  I'm not here to shove things down anyone's throat, but I am here to love like Jesus while doing what I love.  And I am totally on board with that plan, and I'm really thankful that God has started to show me what that looks like.

So, to all the people who warned me against doing what I'm doing (whether it be because of the jobs I will get/money I will make or the lack of Christians in the field)...thank you for your concern, because I truly know you say what you say because you care.  But also, this is me telling you that God is going to use my passions for His glory and to change the world for Him, just as He uses yours.  And I can't wait to see what He does, and I hope you feel the same way.

Love,

The follower of God who happens to really love theatre

Change in the Air

I was walking back to my residence hall the other night.  The weather was warm, but a cool breeze was in the air, moving around the yellow and red leaves and swirling them around.  I turned to my friend and said, "There is change in the air" and followed that statement up with, "I need to go write."  Because that's how I operate.  I'm a little odd, but sometimes I am touched with inspiration and there's nothing I can do but go write about life.  So here I am.

I hate change.  Hate it, hate it, hate it.  Ask anyone who knows me well.  I am a sentimental person anyways, but change just derails me.  Change can start an emotional roller coaster that I only want to get off of, and I hate it.  I'm anxiety-prone.  I am a worrier.  I like to have things planned out for days, weeks, and months in advance, and change makes things uncertain.  Even the seasons unnerve me.  I sit outside on gorgeous fall and spring days and there is just this uncertainty in the pit of my stomach from the knowledge that things are changing that is unsettling.  Call me crazy.  Because I probably am.

Seemingly unrelated to the fact that I hate change is another fun fact about me...I love nature.  Particularly the sky.  Once again, anyone who knows me well or follows me on social media probably knows this thanks to my excessive pictures of the sky.  I am constantly looking up at the trees, at the mountains, at the sky, in wonder.

But those aren't unrelated facts.

Because here's what I've realized over the last year or so--God uses the world he created to reveal himself and His plans.  See, here's the funny thing.  The most beautiful things in nature are things that are in a season of change.  My very favorite things are fall leaves, and sunrises and sunsets.

The leaves, so vibrant in color, so alive...are dying.  Those gorgeous trees are about to go into a dark season, but there is beauty in that change.  And the trees aren't worried.  Matthew 6:25-27 talks about not worrying and speaks about how the birds don't worry...God provides.  The trees don't worry either.  God always brings back their beauty in the spring.  So, why on earth wouldn't we trust Him?  Change is natural.  It's a part of a cycle of beauty.

And then my favorite...the sky.  I am the type of person who literally stops what they are doing to go sit outside and just watch the sunset.  I did this all the time senior year.  And if I'm awake when the sun is rising, I'm watching it too.  Those sunrises and sunsets are beautiful because they are changing.  And you know what's even more intriguing???  Those sunsets and sunrises are even more beautiful  when there are clouds...those dark things in life. Change is beautiful. Life is beautiful.


A year ago I was overwhelmed with life and started staring at the sky as a way to remind myself of God's overwhelming peace. And then references to sunrises and sunsets starting popping up everywhere in my life. That was no coincidence. It was a reminder that if God can make something as vast as the sky that beautiful, then certainly he can do the same with my overwhelmed life. And He does make my life beautiful. Every day. Every way.

"Do What You Love"

"Do what you love."

So cliche, right?  Everyone says to "do what you love"--until that means that someone who loves the arts wants to go into them or someone who wants to be a teacher in some small country across the earth follows that dream.  We are quick to place so many judgments in the academic world, and I am just as guilty as the next person.  This blog post isn't about how much the arts matter and how those degrees are just as valid as math and science--though they are.  It is about how yesterday when I was sitting in one of my honors courses, I totally understood what passion was.

I never understood how anyone could major in something math-y or science-y unless it was for money purposes.  "How could anyone actually love doing that kind of awful stuff?" thought my arts inclined brain.  In class yesterday we were discussing what it means for my university to be a "Research-1 University," so of course, I was prepared for a discussion completely irrelevant for me--the one fine arts major in a room full of "normal" honors students--math and science majors.  And, to some extent, it was pretty irrelevant.  Odds are, I won't do much, if any, undergraduate research--it doesn't help me get to where I want to go.  However, one of my professors was talking about her neuroscience research and she was telling a story:  One night, she and another lady were doing research at one in the morning, and the lady turned to her and exclaimed, "I CAN'T BELIEVE I GET PAID TO DO THIS!!!!!!!"  That hit me.  That's how people in the arts feel.  That's how I hope to feel.

In that moment, it clicked.  People are just as passionate about biology and chemistry and political science as I am about the arts.  Now, there are people who go into that kind of stuff because it is "the smart thing to do" or because the jobs pay well.  However, my professor's eyes lit up with that light that is only present when someone is really passionate about what they are talking about.  Neuroscience research sets a fire within her, just like the arts do for me.

Maybe I didn't learn anything relevant to my major, career, or time at college.  But I did learn something about life.  We all have different passions, and maybe your passions make me want to bang my head against a wall, but the passion it sets within our hearts is the same.  It helps us grow and serve the world.  That is crazy cool.  So, HEY YOU...DO WHAT YOU LOVE!

P.S. My next post is going to be a "hey the arts matter a lot" post, but relating to academic life and what we as a society value as "intelligence" because me and my roommate talk about it all the time, and I love our conversations!

College Move-In, First Days, and Dorm Decoration

Two days ago, I moved into my dorm, so I thought I'd make a post about it.  I don't have a ton to say.  Move-in day was pretty seamless for me because I was moving in early because I am in a Fine Arts Living Learning Community, so I was already moving in early.  Not only that, but about half my floor had already moved in even a few days earlier because many of them are in marching band or were rushing.  We pulled up and unloaded everything into a shopping cart that they had available to use.  It took about two trips, but we got everything up to my room and then I started unpacking.  The most organizing you'll have to do is with clothing items and bathroom/sink stuff.  Once you get everything unloaded, then comes the fun part...making the space your own.  I'll just post some pictures and caption with what I did.

Bed space!  Bring stuffed animals if you want...lots of people do and no one cares one way or the other.  Pick a fun comforter.  And then personalize it.  I have artsy friends so I had some canvases to hang (with command strips!!!), but then I also hung some twine with command hooks and used clothespins to put up lots of fun pictures, which you can see here.

Desk.  My desk had drawers, so I put most of my school stuff in there so I could decorate.  I put up lots of pictures again, as you can see, and I used fun mugs like my Tonight Show mug and a New York cup to hold pencils.  I also decorated it with lots of knickknacks which made it feel more like home.  My desk lamp and alarm clock are top left. 

This is the side of my desk which I use as an example of how you can really personalize everything.  I used dorm tape (made by the "mavalous" brand) to attach pictures here, and while I don't have a picture of my wardrobe or the drawers under my bed, I plan to eventually put some pictures there too.

Picture that shows most of the room.

The first few days have been interesting, because there haven't been a ton of activities planned.  The first day was kind of rough because after my parents left, I just sat in my dorm and finished putting pictures up and read some of my summer reading.  I met a few of the girls on my hall, but, like I said, many of them are rushing or in marching band so there weren't a ton of people around, which was hard.  I have a couple of friends from high school that I've met up with.  We agree it's kind of hard to make friends.  But there was an ice cream social the first night where I really got to meet some people, and we had another event where we painted canvases last night.  Each day gets easier.  There was a group of five of us that ordered pizza and then we grabbed a couple other girls and went to a movie night on campus, so yesterday was a lot less lonely.  I don't have too much advice yet, except that it is a transition, which obviously I am still in the middle of.  But having lots of pictures and things from home decorating your new home definitely helps make things feel more comfortable and less unknown.

Dear 2016 Seniors

Dear 2016 Seniors,

A year ago, I was in your shoes, about to start my senior year.  I was posting all my "Last First Day" posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and scrolling through the posts of my friends who had done the same.  I was excited to be at the top of the school, flying through one last year of high school before adventuring out into the world of college.  I was already stressing over college applications and scholarships and decisions that truly wouldn't be made for almost nine more months.  I was being told not to "wish senior year away" and blah blah blah.  Now, a year later, I am sitting on my front porch on the first "school night" that my underclassmen friends are dreading.  I have seen the sad posts about summer ending, the "wow I can't believe I am already a senior" posts.  I've seen all the high school schedules floating around online.  And yet here I am, sitting in the warm summer night air, still in disbelief that I am graduated, that tomorrow I won't be walking through the front doors of my high school, that all of my friends are starting to scatter across the country to move on to bigger and better things.  I learned a lot during my high school years, especially senior year, but to be honest, these were the most important:

Reflect
Senior year is so weird because you're constantly looking ahead to what's next, whether that be college or the workforce or the military or even just ahead to the next test or school event.  Yet at the same time, you are looking back at all the years of school--of life--that you've gone through.  Something about senior year, especially those late nights, makes you really look at life, as a whole.  That is good.  Evaluate your life.  Find out where you came from, where you are, and where you're going.  But know that today is most important.  Live in today.  Don't miss today.

Love
As I looked at my life, I realized that what I remembered--what my memories were really made of--were the people in my life.  People are so important, and whether you love the people in your grade or think you hate them, you will miss many of them when you graduate.  When they walk across the stage and are handed that prized diploma, you will realize that when some of them walk out of that graduation, they will walk out of your life.  Love them.  Love them all.  I don't care who said what about that girl or that boy--love them.  Don't get caught up in the drama, because there will be some.  People get weird senior year.  Remember that you're all in a state of mixed emotions, and just love people.

Say "Thank You"
You didn't get to senior year by yourself, no matter what you think.  Thank your teachers, your parents, your friends, your counselors, your custodians, EVERYONE.  Senior year can get a lot about "me"--my college, my scholarships, my awards, my graduation.  The attention will be on you a lot.  When it is, use that attention to shine a light on what other people did to get you to where you are.  Tell them thank you.  THANK YOUR TEACHERS.  Whether you love them or hate them, they put up with you and got you to graduation.  Thank them.

Encourage and Support
This also requires taking the focus off yourself.  Everyone, and I do mean everyone, you meet is doing something super cool.  You just have to find out what it is.  Talk to people.  And then go support them.  Go watch the soccer team.  Go see plays.  Read the newspaper that your friend writes.  Support people.  And when they go off to college or to do whatever they may do, support them.

Prioritize
Remember...people are most important.  School and grades matter--a lot.  College applications will teach you that in a hurry.  However, people will be what you remember.  My math teacher junior year said, "Make school work around your life, not your life work around school."  That will always stick with me.

Don't be a Slacker
That being said, don't totally neglect school.  Make memories with your friends and take time for yourself, but remember, you've gotten through kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, freshman through junior year--don't stop second semester of senior year!  Finish strong.  You'll be happy you did when those IB/AP scores come back and you get out of a bunch of general classes in college...believe me, I'm thankful already.

Take Lots of Pictures
Take first day of school pictures with your friends...and last day of school pictures.  Take selfies at graduation practice.  Take pictures in the theatre on random days.  Take pictures of your math class or your Spanish class or your history class. Get pictures at banquets and at lunch.  Get pictures with everyone.  Once again, you'll be happy you did.  I am in the process of picking out pictures to hang in my dorm, and I'm going to have like hundreds from senior year alone...I am 100% ok with that.  You'll have lots of reminders to keep close to you.

Branch Out
I got to be good friends with a ton of people in the IB program my senior year--I felt pretty close to everyone.  And I am so thankful I expanded my friend group in that way.  But even then, I got to senior trip in April and met a bunch of people who I'd smile at in the hallway but never really talked to.  Once again, everyone is doing something cool.  Don't get to spring and realize that you didn't really meet as many people as you could have.  Trust me, you'll regret it.  Senior trip made me bond in a new way with the whole senior class, and I truly wish I had gotten closer to so many people.

Don't Wish It Away
"Oh, I won't!" you tell me, as I told many people.  But you will.  You'll wish it away when homework overloads you.  You'll wish it away as college plans become real and very exciting.  You'll wish it away when your teachers don't seem to get that "senioritis" is a very real thing.  You'll wish it away when the underclassmen are acting stupid (the same way you did three years ago).  You'll wish it away when you're having an awful day (and I had a lot of those...they happen...maybe a lot).  But in those moments, look around at your school, your classmates, your teachers, your sports team, your choir, your theatre group, your club...and remember that you only have a limited number of days with them.  Because all of a sudden you'll be sitting outside on the summer night that is "the first school night" for everyone else and realize that you blinked.  You looked ahead to college and all of a sudden it wasn't a year away, it is a week away.  Many of your classmates are headed away, your teachers are headed back where you aren't, your choir or sports team or theatre group is continuing on...and you aren't there.  I'm sure it'll only get realer for me from here, but it's very weird.  I am SO SO SO excited for college and everything that is ahead, but I do wish I had savored the moments that are now only memories.  I'm leaving it behind, carrying it in my heart, and I can't wait to come back and see how my school has thrived...how my underclassmen have thrived.  But don't wish it away.  I promise, the time will pass...you'll get to graduation faster than you can even fathom.  Enjoy today.  Enjoy it.  Enjoy it.  Enjoy it.

Love,
Erin, Creek Class of '15

TC IB Class of 2015

Honor Roll

I graduated almost two months ago from high school--seventh in my class, member of every academic society my school offered, highly involved in clubs, and a recipient of the International Baccalaureate Diploma.  I was involved and motivated, with a high GPA and ACT.  Yet, here I am sitting at a laptop, a month away from going off to college with a great scholarship, feeling ill-prepared for life ahead--feeling as though the public education system has failed me.

I'll be honest, I am probably more prepared than most, because the International Baccalaureate Program did provide me with ample writing skills and presentation/people skills for life, and I am very grateful for that because I think that is more than most have available to them.  That being said, I am sitting here, applying for an on-campus job, clueless as to how to write a cover letter.  I don't know how to do that, pay taxes--heck, I was never even taught how to write a check.  Now, I am fortunate to have parents who are more than willing to help me, but I realize that this isn't the case for everyone.

I feel as though the education system failed me.

I had wonderful teachers who really wanted to help students become the best humans that we could become.  My school has a policy in place to try to make its students "college and career ready," but these goals have been made impossible by the focus on testing and rankings.  Students become defined by numbers, and while these numbers may test the ability of a school to relay information to students, they do not give a full picture to the educational success of the students, that hinges not only on the academic success, but also on the emotional success and team-building skills that students gain.

Going out into the world is a scary thing--well prepared or not.  I only hope that students, teachers, and school officials can work together to find a happy medium for gauging and creating success.  Because it is only when the emphasis is put on overall success for individual young people in life as a whole that growth happens that affects not only standardized testing scores, but all-around growth as humans.

Stories and Songs

Hi, all!  I don't know if it was senior year that got me all sentimental or if it is just my naturally reflective self, but I have spent a lot of time in the last few months thinking...about everything.  I have always loved writing, so I have decided to start this blog, entitled "Your Story, Your Song," for that is what my life (and yours too!) is made of.  At the end of each day, no matter how good or bad, you and I have a unique story to tell the world, a unique song to sing.  And that is a very beautiful thing.

This blog will reflect on many things.  I will be headed off to college in the fall, so college life will probably be a big topic, as will the arts, as my intended major is Arts Administration.  I will discuss music, theatre, friends, faith, and more as I journey through this next stage of life.  Because this next stage is a new chapter in my story and a new verse in my song.  Perhaps by sharing my own voice, I can inspire others to share theirs.  Because YOU have a story..a story worth telling.  YOU have a song...a song worth singing.  

Welcome to this story, this song.