The Wonders of College

Welcome back, guys! Sorry for the long lost blog that is Taste of the Tumbleweed. There is quite a few things that I have learned going back to college after taking a bit of time off. Let me enlighten you!

1. You are older than most of your classmates and can not stay up past 10 pm. Do not attempt  this or the consequences will bite you in the butt in the morning. 

2. Meredith is a TERRIBLE study buddy! I don't know how many papers that she has chewed holes in, or the amount of time she spends distracting me from completing an assignment. 

3. There are such things as "cheese-its" in each class. There is always that one person in the group that will message you the night before asking for an assignment. Don't feed into their cheesiness. Instead smash them in the carpet. 

4. AMAZON PRIME IS YOUR BEST FRIEND!

5. Don't buy a refurbished IPad. It will be too old for what your professor wants and you will be out of pocket an extra $250. 

6. When working at the preschool for your field observation smell the playdoh before you touch it because it might just contain cinnamon, and your hands will be swollen for the remainder of the day.

7. ALWAYS type your notecard for your test in 6 point font!!!

8. When doing a group field trip project for Earth Science don't offer to drive you and your lab partners off of a cliff for an Earthcache. (It was worth the bonus points though!)

9. The Bite Squad app is the best thing when you are tired of pizza and don't want to leave your house!

10. Its really helpful to have a boyfriend who is already a teacher and understands the struggle when you tell him your picking playdoh and glue out of you hair.

11. Children are perfect little angels with the power to make you cry. 

12. You will have that one professor that is a grammar nazi that will give you a 99% on a paper because you missed that one comma!!!

13. TAKE A LOT OF NAPS!

14. Children's books are more entertaining than chapter books!

15. Impress your classmates with your poster that you used your Cricut to make! They will be envious and you will feel like a true #LADYBOSS!

16. Flair pens are truly the best for color coding and decorating your notes.

17. You will find yourself jamming out to Taylor Swift a little too often. (That one might just be me...)

18. You will truly find some of the sweetest people along the way!

19. Your professors are people too! Imagine that! Guess what? They may actually care about you as a person!

20. Don't over stress! Its okay to spend a little time for your self and listen to the advice that you are given!

Happy finals week!

Stephanie

Moving On Isn't so Bad

Like the title said moving on isn't as bad as I expected. I've had a great support system over the past few weeks; well really month. And this is the last time I will mention this pity party, promise. Since moving on I've tried to focus on my relationship with friends whom I neglected and my relationship with Christ, who was almost non-existent.

I still haven't found a church in Little Rock that I'm crazy about, but this last week I picked up an old devotional book that was absolutely covered in dust. The book is "Stress Point" by Sarah Francis Martin. As you work through the "journals" each day topics such as body image, dating, friends and family, and careers are put into a religious stand point. It's funny reading my old journals knowing that at the time I started this I was a freshman in college and all I wanted to do is make it into nursing school. My, how things have changed!

Flipping through the pages the one thing stuck out was; "The key isn't to check 'prayer' off of your to-do-list and move on with our day. It's to reconnect with the Lord and wait in patient expectation before His throne." Wowza! This is exactly what I need to hear right now. I will continue to pray about the future, not only relationship wise, but with college, friends and the general future. 

-Stephanie

  

Cowboy, Take Me Away

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.}

-Stephanie