This summer has been nothing but crazy! Work has me bogged down, moving to a new town and getting ready for the ultimate adventure; university. Not to mention that T is back. I'm sure if you follow my Instagram you would already figured that out. I figured we could take this time to catch up on what you've all missed out on. So how are you? How's summer treatin' ya'?
At the end of May my old city apartment was full of boxes and a one way ticket out of town. I was ready to take on the next chapter of my life in Conway; single, ambitious and a little anxious. I had to work the weekend of Mother's Day so I didn't have a chance to go visit my mom, but I was also not expecting to wake up to "Hey Stranger?" My guards were high and my blood was boiling and my responses wasn't exactly inviting. What my mom was not expecting on Mother's day was a call at 8 in the morning with me freaking out and admitting that I was still in love with the guy on the other end of that text. I was also a little dumb founded in that realization.
It took a good week for me to realize that this is in fact the right thing to do. Take him back. I now realize that it was the best thing I could have ever done. We have both grown as people, relationally and mentally. I am not here to speak for him, but I do believe that he would agree with all of this. The one thing we both lacked the first time around was communication. Whoever said communication is key was no liar. We are still working on this, but I feel that we are doing a fantastic job at it thus far!
Meredith and I are finally getting settled in to our new home. I am still driving an hour in to work every day which is bound to change soon we all hope. This past week I celebrated my 23rd birthday with a couple of my close friends, family and T, of course! It was nice and laid back which I have very much so learned to love. In less than a month I will step foot back on a college campus and every bit of me is excited about this!
I guess the moral of this story is that its okay to give things in life a second chance. They may come back to bite you, or they may be the best thing that has ever happed. Either way trust your own gut. Don't let others try to steer you away from what you feel is right for you. It may surprise you in the end.
Happy Sunday ya'll! Sorry for the lack of interaction this past week, sometimes ya just need to check out and spend a little time for yourself. Just because I've been a loner this week doesn't mean I didn't do anything exciting to share with all of you guys!
I went home for the weekend to meet up with a dear friend, Chloe from Chloe Mae's Cottage, and visited our local state park for an afternoon full of some adorable pictures and some crisp spring air. If you didn't know where my original stomping grounds are Hope, Arkansas; pretty much the extreme southwest corner of the state. About 15 miles down the road is the national state park of Old Washington. If you wish to know more about this gorgeous relic of the past feel free to visit their website! I'll try to give you a little tid bit about the buildings that each of the pictures where taken just for fun!
{Welcome to the 1847 Hempstead County Courthouse, active from 1847 to 1939. It now acts as the visitor's center and gift shop.}
{The Morrison Tavern resembles that of a 1830 bed and breakfast. The wood aesthetic was possibly my favorite.}
{Enjoy this fun pic from Chloe's snapchat! The park is known for its beautiful jonquils' and a festival is held every spring to admire their beauty.}
{Arkansas isn't called the natural state for no reason! This may seem like a normal tree, I promise it's not. I'm not sure if the world's largest magnolia tree, but it's sure up there!}
{This has got to be my most favorite picture of the day and it was completely unplanned. By this point I couldn't find matching shoes, we were cold, and the sun was setting fast. I had just finished up the last of Chloe's pictures in front of the Royston Log Cabbin and was just taking a breather on the back porch. Possibly the best picture of the day.}
If you are ever down in this direction take a few minutes to check out the park and all of it's beauty, it won't disappoint! Hope you all are having a good Sunday and good luck on the week ahead!
As I sit here preparing to tell you this story, and watching Grav3yard Girl videos, I realize that I'm back to reality. {Boo} Last Friday most of our wonderful state was covered in a nice blanket of snow, but me being a party pooper hated it. I generally love winter, but this was the weekend I had waited for, for my entire life! Yes, my ENTIRE life! After a long cold day at work I headed south for the night so I could have less of a drive Saturday morning.
Friday night was extremely restless in anticipation for the days to come! Scarfing down a couple of doughnuts before hugging my mother goodbye and pacing the floor before Hannah gets there so we can head south for the weekend! As we took off discussion strikes up of old memories and excitement of our favorite band, whom we will soon get to see! After a stop at a sketchy gas station in somewhere, TX we needed to find lunch in this massive state. Thank goodness we had a phone a friend to tell us where the good food is in Dallas, off to La Hacienda Ranch where the brown salsa was smokey {and nose dripping hot} and the brisket tacos are good enough to please any hombre.
{the cow print table cloths and the "moosle toe" were a real selling point for this girl}
We finally make it to our home for the weekend in downtown Dallas, it was time to refresh and head to the mall, but not just any mall, the Galleria Dallas. The biggest mall that we have ever stepped foot in! I was here on a mission for the most extravagant bath bombs in the world, LUSH Cosmetics! Finally locating it on the second floor my little heart was satisfied. There had to be at least 30 people in this store and anxiety and a migraine took over. The smell of Ling Ling oil flowed outward in to the hall and so did the people. I grabbed a couple of bath bombs and got the heck out of dodge!
{LUSH Cosmetics}
As we tuck ourselves in bed for the night we remember our parking meter runs out at 3:00 in the morning! Really, Dallas? How does 10 hours constitute for one day in this city? This is just a rant for a rainy day, back to the story at hand. None the less in about 17 hours the day that we have been waiting for will finally be here! We managed to waste enough time around downtown, and eat some fantastic burgers at Chop House Burgers that the concert was only a few hours away!
{Downtown Dallas}
As we meet up with some friends, catch up on some past episodes of NCIS, and book the Uber its time to go! This was the first time for many of us in a Uber, and it was obvious that our driver was not up to par. We told him that the concert was at the American Airline Center, literally 8 minutes away from our hotel. He instead takes us to a post office, claiming he was taking a "short cut." Sure, none of us were buying this. Finally after driving around downtown Dallas for about 15 minutes we had arrived! The grounds were flooded with thousands of people wearing Red Hot Chilli Pepper shirts just like ours. The arena was packed, it was truly a sold out show, and you could hear our hearts racing as the time crept on. People young and old were here, many of which {including us}, would be the first time seeing the Chilli Peppers live!
{obviously this video is a little older, but you get the point}
Finally, they take the stage as Flea and Josh Klinghoffer rock out kneeling in front of Chad Smith and everyone in the arena was anticipating the arrival of Anthony Kiedis. After what felt like a century the one and only Anthony runs on to the stage in true rock star style! As they play "Can't Stop" the crowd breaks out in funky dance moves and sings every single word. The second song really made my life, it could possibly be the happiest moment other than when I get married, it was that big. "Dani California" has not been on any of their set list and I wasn't going to get my hopes up for my favorite song, but there it was, my favorite song! I screamed every word, every guitar rift and drum solo to my hearts desire. Of course songs like "Californication", "Give it Away", and "Dark Necessities" really got the crowd going. As the night was closing, and the crowd was going there separate ways, there hangs the symbol that united us all for one night, RHCP. All of this may be short lived, but the memories will always remain.
To be honest, my first date with T was one for the books, but the second date really took the cake. Ya know how I said I had family north of what is now my hometown; well T lives 45 min away from that. So there's this cute guy who is actually willing to drive an hour and a half to see me? Keeper!
As I have mentioned previously T was different, as in different I mean he didn't fit the criteria of any of my past lovers. Standing about 5 foot 10, dusty brown hair, glass shattering blue eyes and camo? Yes, camo. This adventure loving city girl just managed to snag herself a country boy. Honestly, that part scared me a bit. What if he owns a cow? I'm terrified of cows. What if he wants me to go "backroading"? I don't really want to get dirty. Even better, what if he wants me to two step? I have two left feet, he's just going to have to let that dream go.
After a long day at the pharmacy I get a call from T saying put on your best country attire, we're going out. My heart pounded in my chest so hard that you could hear every beat. It seemed to be that I worried him since I couldn't muster up anything to say back. "You okay Stephie Lynn?' "Umm, yea fine. What time do I need to be ready?" "9. My friend, Everest, and I just left my house in Pleasant Plains, see you soon!" "Wait, what are we doing?" "You'll see."
Oh my lanta was I in trouble or what? I turned to Pintrest to attempt to find "country attire" and the only thing I find are boots. Well I own booties, floral spring booties, definitely not country style. I knew better than to wear a dress when I had no idea what we were doin' so jeans it was. Now for a top, as most of my clothes were still at my mom's house, nearly 2 hours south of here, my choices were limited. It was between an old tee that had a deer skull on the back, the same shirt I wore on our first date, or a floral kimono. The kimono it was, it was kinda country, it had fringe.
T has a terrible since of time so they didn't actually show up until 9:30. Nerves were high as I was waiting in my car at the bar. The bar scene had never really been my thing growing up in a dry county. This bar was big! Finally I see that familiar white Chevy pull up and a sense of relief rushed over me. He hops out of the truck looking like a true cowboy; hat, boots, wrangler, the whole package. He looks at me and lets out a small laugh. "Well, you tried." Rude! I put plenty of work into this outfit. {okay well maybe I didn't look country, but i was pretty cute}
We walk in and meet Everest, who had already lied to his date about what time they were leaving, this tall blonde girl in short shorts who already looked like she had, had a few drinks, and a bar full of people. T hands me a hurricane and I suddenly found a new love for a beverage. T, Everest and the blonde take the dance floor as I opted to be the drink watcher at the table. The amount of people there caused quite a bit of anxiety and fear. After about an hour the slow songs start, we all know where this is going. T grabs my hand and literally drags me on to the dance floor as "From the Ground Up" by Dan + Shay, Arkie natives, plays my legs are shaking. I stepd on his boots about a million times until finally it clicks {or I had enough alcohol in my system that I felt like I was the best dancer out there}
After a few dances I didn't want to leave the floor, or the moment. Finally I felt like a princess with a cowboy as a prince, oddly enough I loved it! It was all new and different and this city girl was slowly turning into a country girl. We spun around for what seemed like centuries until it was finally time to go home. Even the best nights of your life has to end at some point. I was learning his ways and seeing a side of the world I had yet to discover.
{This story has yet to reach its climax, but you will have to wait a little longer to find out more about T and where this story is taking us.}
As many new couples ask at the beginning of a new relationship, out of everyone in the world why did you choose me? T asked me this for a good 2 months with my response always being, "I don't know. Just 'cause I guess." Nearly 6 months in, I think I can finally answer it. I guess ya'll need a little back story first. Well here goes nothing!
Just a couple of months prior to moving, so we'll just say April-ish, I got a huge dose of reality. People I had known for years were no longer around. I was outgrowing my sleepy little town and thought I was made for the city life. Boy, was I wrong! {yet ironically I still live in the city...} With 2 associate degrees in hand I knew I had to move on. I had been living on my own for about a year at this point, well with a roommate, but that's a story for another time.
I took the plunge to move to the city on June 8th, 2016, knowing absolutely no one, I made frequent trips to a smaller town north of what was now my home. I had plenty of family that lived there so I wasn't so alone. {This part will make more sense later on, promise} I slowly started to make friends with people that lived closer to me which helped a little.
I have had a few crumby relationships in the past and had sworn off boys before the move. I promised myself that it would just be me and Meredith; my cat. I was going to be the grumpy 20 something year old that walks out in her nightgown and yells at the neighbor kids. Those darn kids! {Fun tid bit, those kids actually started a fire my second night in the apartment. I for a brief moment was the lady on the stairs in a robe holding her cat. Oh and I was in the shower when they knocked... what fun memories}
I had only lived in the city for about 3 weeks when I did what all single 20 somethings do, I redownloaded Tinder. So cringey, I know, I know. Its like a catalog of boys. You pick out which ones you like, ya know. Oh my, I'm making this sound so worse! Honestly, I had only really picked fun at this app prior. I was scrolling through crude and degrading comments/ propositions and the generic "Hey (: What's up?" As I was ready to delete the app for good I see one messaged that I had seemed to miss. It read:
"Hey how are you this afternoon?
My name is "T" and would love to get to know you better"
It was different than a lot of messages that I had received. HE WAS A REAL BOY! I was honestly surprised that his stranger actually responded to me since he had sent this message over a month before this... oops!
This first conversation lasted nearly 6 hours, and I'm not talking like just texting, I'm talking about a face to face video call. We talked about our interest, past relationships, family, ya know all the good stuff. But how could some one I met on a dating app be trustworthy, you ask? After having my trust trampled on I could still somehow see it in his eyes. Our first meeting I will save for a later date; can't spoil all the good parts!
Back to the question at hand. Why, T? He was a breath of fresh air that I desperately needed at the time. He was patient. He let me work things out on my own before I committed to anything. He is kindhearted and strong willed. He is loving yet has a playful side. He is sweet and sensitive. He admits to when he needs help. He is everything I could have asked for in a best friend and boyfriend. But mostly I still continue to choose you, because you choose me.
