PURSE

The purse problem has been solved!! After much looking I found the perfect thing. It is compact yet spacious and adorable...hmm that sounds kind of familiar...

         

MY NEW PURSE IS THE PURSE EQUIVALENT OF GUIDO.

Homeward Bound

       Friday was my last day at Sewanee, and what a day it was! I woke up at 7 to do a little last minute studying for my exam at 9. It was a lot of material and I had originally underestimated how much time I would need to study--but no worries, I was as prepared as I could have been come test time! Alex, Noor and I ran to the dining hall for a carefully planned breakfast for help the brain (peanut butter and eggs are both good, so I had both...)
       The test wasn't too bad and I was out by 11. Alex and I hurriedly gathered up our last minute things, tucked Aram in among her belongings in the backseat (her suitcase is twice as big as she is and she'd asked to drive back to Memphis with us) and were off by 11:30!

       The driving was very smooth and easy, and somehow Alex ended up driving more than me! I promise it wasn't on purpose, that was just how it worked out! She bore it very patiently and drove really well. Before we knew it we were dropping Aram at her house just outside of Memphis and I was guiding us into the city. It felt so nice to be there among those familiar sights. It really felt like a brief but welcome homecoming. We tried to stop by Muddys but the line was so long it was to the door and wrapped back around! It was crazy so we gave up and headed over to meet our friends at Hueys for our impromtu going away party!
      There were twelve of us there and I was so happy I could hardly eat. Lauren, Molly, Kyleigh and Caroline all came with surprise guest appearances from Alex's Afam including Kelsey Young, and Summer Preg! It was absolutely wonderful and I didn't really know whether to laugh hysterically or bawl because I was so glad to see them. Mostly we laughed. It's really going to be hard to be without them for a whole semester, with their Rhodes lives going along and me not being in them. I will certainly be thinking of them while I am across the water, and I hope they won't completely forget me before I come back! Lauren and I snagged a pic but otherwise the rather momentous going away party was undocumented. Each goodbye was special and felt very personal--miraculously, I didn't feel sad exactly,  but really just happy to have that moment with people I dearly care for.

       Before we knew it, Alex and I were back on the road--the road home! We stopped by Rhodes for a quick drive thru, then on the way out, rolled down the windows and yellowed "BYE RHODES" as loud as we could. The last goodbye of the evening. It was 10:30 before we got back to the LR. It had been 11 hours on the road, and we were definitely feeling it as we drove across the Arkansas River into Little Rock.
       Alex flew home to Dallas the next morning, and since then I've had two days here at home. I've already seen so many of my loved ones, including Ayana, Kyra, Uncle Larry, Uncle D and Grandmama, got my hair trimmed, and begun the process of preparing for my long time away.

I fly out on Thursday on the adventure of a lifetime.

Last Day of Class!!

        Whelp, today was the very last day of school here at Sewanee! All that's left is our final exam tomorrow before we hot-tail it home. We're planning to stop and see a few friends on the way through Memphis and then five days at home! One week to go until we get on that plane and head off on our great adventure! Dr Streete gave out cute little prizes for the best paper today and brought moon pies for everyone, while Dr. Ridyard spent half the class showing us parts of Europe she was excited about us visiting. I got to sell back William Marshal for $2 which I thought was pretty awesome since I only paid $1 for it on Amazon. Stevens cancelled the archi-lecture this afternoon so we have just been taking it easy and getting started with packing. I'll study some for the exam this evening too! 

Tour!

Well I'm back to my day job--here is a tour of dorm life up here on the Mountain!

Fellowship of the Raft

         It has been one week since I arrived at Sewanee! I can't believe that... One week ago, Alex and I stumbled over the threshold, cold, confused, damp with the humidity that is our room, into the vast unknown of this experience. This week has been busy, and chock full of new adventures!
        After a week, I can honestly say that I absolutely love class. I am so excited to start a new week of learning tomorrow. This material is right in my interest area, so I feel very comfortable in the classroom and really enjoy learning more about something I have already cared about and studied in the past. Popes, emperors, churches, relics, Charlemagne, Anglo-Saxons? Tell me more! On the less fun side of class, I need to get some more work done on the research paper I am writing on San Vitale (6-8 pages due Friday.) I am not worried about it--that is plenty of time and the paper isn't asking for much--but it is never fun to have a project hanging over you. Not to mention our mid-term on Tuesday! To brighten the mood, however, our dear friend ANDREA DAVIES is driving up for a visit on Wednesday! And then next week I will drive down to Nashville to see my aunt and uncle as well as my parents! Yay! So lots to look forward to--and prepare for, work-wise--next week.
        Now to the meat and potatoes of this entry: Today was our big ES white water rafting trip on the Ocoee River! I had never done anything quite like this before (kayaking is much different, I now know) and it was such an experience. After hearing a terrifying briefing about foot entrapment (don't ask) and falling out, our group of seven rafters dubbed ourselves the Fellowship of the Raft. Our leader, Tweedle (umm...gesundheit?) was a little grumpy and slightly discouraging, yelling at us to paddle better and eventually informing us that we are "clearly not built for surfing). Despite this discovery of having some sort of inherent flaw, according to Tweedle, that prevented us from ever being good at rafting--the fact that we were basically total rookies with a mumbly leader and no direction having nothing to do with it--we refused to be  brought down and had a wonderful, if slightly harrying, time anyway! Since we had an extra person in our raft, for the first half I was actually perched, a bit precariously, on the back with Tweedle, before I moved to the front at the end.

        One of the most exciting things that happened while we were on the rapids (in addition to being flung around and splashed in the face with water) was that we saw a real live black bear! He wasn't very big and right on the bank beside us! Several of our raft leaders flailed around in panic, but the ever-stoic Tweedle kept his cool. 

       On the way back from rafting, hair frazzled and still drying, I saw another rainbow! It had been raining on and off all day and cloudy, which was really nice for rafting and produced this extra little gift at the end of a spectacular day:

      I had an amazing time today getting to know more of the people who I am taking this journey with. Through this week I have already been forming friendships that I cherish and look forward to deepening! And then there are also so many people I have spoken to briefly but haven't gotten to know well yet--how exciting to have the potential of even more friendships on the horizon! 

                                           

Into the Wild

       Well I have officially been at Sewanee for a full day--it has been a lot to take in, but exciting! I've gradually been meeting many of the people I'll soon be having an enormous adventure with and am looking forward to getting know them better and meet the rest! Many of them I've attended Rhodes with for two years but have not known before, which is strange but at the same time a great opportunity to make some new friends!
      Alex and I have a nice room and are all unpacked. I also really enjoyed our class this morning. It goes from 9:30-11:45, with a religion section taught the first hour by one professor and a history section taught the next by another, with a fifteen minute break. I found it very engaging, though the material is mostly review. I'm looking forward to going again tomorrow!
     The humidity is high on The Mountain, but the weather is very nice. We've already had two rainstorms and I saw a COMPLETE rainbow with a smaller double which was beautiful.

It is beautiful here. It really makes me think of Rhodes, but it has a tinge of wildness that is a foreign country to the manicured lawns and urban sounds of my own college. I'm coming to the unfortunate conclusion that McGlurgh is better than the Rat--I've actually liked everything I've tried there. The sandwich lady was so friendly as she handed me my chicken salad I felt a million miles from the Lair.
     In one hour I will be twenty years old. It feels strange to have a birthday away from home, but I don't i'll think about it too much tomorrow with class and everything going on. I'll have some of my birthday cake, though :)

BIRTHDAAAY

          Well, today is not my birthday BUT I will not be at home on July 9th this year, so we are celebrating early!! There has been cake:

  

        My mommy designed this cake for me and community bakery did a beautiful job! Very appropriate with my upcoming trip, non? And it is DELICIOUS. I love birthday cake heehee...

And Presents!! Uncle Larry came over for cake and to watch me open them: 

Birthday Presents from Mama and Daddy!

       When I opened them up, they contained two VERY USEFUL items for my trip! The first is a Kodak pocket camcorder so I can make videos of my adventures and post them on this blog! I've already made one thrilling video of my parents and Uncle Larry talking around the table---with more to come! I suspect Alex and I shall make one when she flies in tonight at 5:50! 

       The other thing is something I've desperately needed and wanted and that is my NEW RAINCOAT! It is a Northface waterproof trench coat in a khaki color. It is fitted, adorable, and when I  put it under the sink it came out completely dry! It is really spiffy and I only wish it would RAIN so I could test it! 

        In other news, we had a truly FAB time in Mountain home with our family! We watched fireworks out on Bull Shoals Lake, ate two delicious breakfasts, had a fish fry out at my cousin's cabin the Ridge, chilled by the pool, and they had even gotten me a birthday cake! They sang and Aunt Karen gave me a new charm for my Pandora bracelet :) I would say it pretty much perfectly illustrates my personality: it is a pink cupcake with a minnie mouse bow! My bracelet is getting full! 

                                                 

       







          The BEST thing that happened in Mountain Home was God's birthday gift to me: through providence alone He provided a PUG PUPPY for me to play with! June's brother Don's wife Stephenie had brought her sweet puppy Buster to visit and she was very generous about letting me hang on to him nonstop on the 4th of July. Pug's just happen to be my favorite creatures in the universe so it was really a miracle. Too bad I had to give him back, but kidnapping is not classy. And I couldn't have done that to Stephenie--she is sweet and so is her pug! 

Me and my pug baby

         Last night when we got home from Mountain Home, the BFF Ayana and I exchanged the pillows (see SHENANIGANS post), had birthday cake and went to see a late night showing of Despicable Me 2. Who knew that 3D movies are actually way cooler with contacts in? ]
        My Big Kyleigh-my-best-bud-Naughton was also thinking of me because she sent me a super-useful and special birthday package that was waiting for me upon my return from Mountain Home. She is waaaay too good to her Little and sent me a new makeup case with a WONDERFUL makeup starter kit that she chose herself with me in mind! Not to mention a very sweet card:

Thank you Big!!!!

         And Alex is coming tonight for us to begin our trek to Sewanee EARLY tomorrow morning! BEST EARLY BIRTHDAY EVERRRR

IT BEGINS

        I have officially gotten my suitcase out of the closet, opened it in the middle of my room, and placed things inside it! It's a big moment. We are about to spend the 4th of July in Mountain Home with our family, so I am getting a head start on Sewanee packing so it won't loom over me when I get back.

       We'll see how long I stay with it, but I really want to try and look nice for class everyday while I'm at Sewanee (not too nice, but about as nice as I would for class at Rhodes). So I'm bringing some summer dresses and my summer blouses. A pair of my favorite shorts are missing... I hope I find them but I feel like I haven't seen them in some time so who knows! 

        I'm also, of course, bringing my school books, backpack, pens and a new notebook for class, as well as my own bedding (they say they provide blankets but I'm bringing my car anyway and I'd really just rather have my own.) Also a swimsuit because they have a pool! yay! 

        Usually I'm skeptical of packing for things before the night before (I have a similar philosophy on studying), but for some reason I really wanted to get some things in early this time, maybe just to get my thoughts straight. My packing list helped with that too though--thank you handy dandy packing list! 

The Usual Shenanigans

       Ayana and I stayed up ALL NIGHT doing the pillows last night! That is, every summer we make pillows for each other out of pants documenting our summer and the spring semester. We needed to go ahead and make them since I'm headed to Sewanee in less than a week. We haven't stuffed or exchanged them yet, but I will post a picture of mine once Ayana gives it to me! I'm pretty excited about the one I made.

UPDATE 7/6/13 : Here they are! The completed Pillows side by side! I think they are the best ones ever!!

(The one I made for Ayana is on the bottom in these pictures, and the one she made for me is on the top! This are front and back pics, but I'm sure exactly which side is the front and which is the back?)

 

      No contacts today. My eyes were too tired. I think today has been good practice for dealing with jetlag once I make it to Europe. Few new developments on that front today, just planning to pack and feeling more and more excited!