2015

2015 has been a whirlwind of a year. So many wonderful things happened and I want to take some time to revisit them and share some things I’ve learned over the past year!

The beginning of 2015 was really nothing special.  A lot of internal struggle for me as I tried to decide where in the world I would attend college the next fall. I gave myself a lot of anxiety over this decision that was completely unnecessary. I ended up deciding to join AmeriCorps instead of attending college in the fall; I am positive that it was the right decision.

Most of the exciting things of 2015 happened from May-December so I guess I will skip to May!

May 17: I graduated high school! What a huge milestone! Senior year went way faster then I ever though it would and I had a wonderful time! Now I feel old!

May 30: Fowler girls track and field take 2^nd place at the state meet! Although my season didn’t end the way I wanted it to, I couldn’t be more proud of our team and the way we ended our season!

June 28: My last Steubenville youth conference. Steubenville will always hold a special place in my heart because it has really helped me grow in my relationship with God, especially the week long LEAD retreat! And this year I got to share the experience with Marisa!

July 10: Fall Out Boy Concert with Em! One of the best nights of my life! I am still obsessed with Fall Out Boy and they put on an amazing concert. I am pretty sure there is nothing better in life then rocking out at your favorite bands concert with your best friend by your side! J

July 14: My first trip abroad! Sometimes I still can’t believe this even happened. I had been dreaming of this trip since I was about 5 years old. It took me a while to decide where I wanted to go but then I remembered 5 year old me watching The Rugrats go to Paris and telling my mom I couldn’t decide if I wanted to go to Paris or France (LOL). She told me she would take me to both. I thought that was the best news ever. When I remembered that I knew I HAD to go to Paris!

This was the trip of a lifetime. I am SO incredibly blessed to have a mom who would take me to Paris and Germany! We had such an amazing time and managed to spend 2 weeks together without killing each other which is quite impressive! We got lost in more countries then we can even count, ate amazing food, and disgusting food- cold fish and goat cheese crepe- we got on a ferry when we had no idea where we were or where the ferry was going. That is probably my favorite story from our whole trip to be honest.  Like mom always says “How can you be lost if you don’t know where you are?”

This trip has also given me a pretty bad case of wanderlust (a strong desire to travel.) I have so many travel destination boards on Pinterest. I want to go everywhere! The world just amazes me and I want to see as much of it as I can

August 1: Saying Goodbye

This was one of the hardest days of my life! Telling everyone goodbye was 10000x harder than I ever thought it would be. I can remember driving out to Heather and Rooney’s house where all the Silliman’s were for the Silliman campout. I was crying driving out there just thinking about having to say goodbye to everyone. I was a mess when I actually had to start saying bye to everyone.

It was very difficult but really made me realize how lucky I am to have such an awesome family that I will miss so dearly! But thanks to Skype I get to see them- especially Braylee- a whole lot! J

Saying goodbye to my friends was no easy task either. I think I hugged Em for a solid 5 minutes before I had to leave :(

August 2: The move to Missouri for AmeriCorps.

Dad and I left for Missouri around 6 am with the van full of almost all of my possessions. But this was not without one last cry as I said goodbye to mom. It was a long drive but we made it better by rocking out to some classic rock. Huge shout out to dad for driving my mangy butt all the way to MO and for helping me get all set up! I appreciate it more than you will ever know!

As we got close and closer to Missouri I remember getting very nervous and scared. I would be living with 2 girls who I really didn’t know well except for a few Facebook messages…… What if they didn’t like me? What if I didn’t like them? What if I don’t like Missouri? But it was too late to turn back now!

Everything turned out fine! I have been so blessed to live with Martha and Alyssa. They are AWESOME! I couldn’t have picked better roommates. We get along really well and have a lot of fun together!

Moving 600+ miles away from everyone I know was such a huge step for me. I’m usually not one to step out of my comfort zone (especially by 600 miles!) but moving to Missouri has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I have learned to cook for myself, pay my bills, and be an adult (most of the time). None of this would be possible without many texts and calls to my mother dearest though!

August 18: My first day as a preschool tutor!

First day of school pic on the porch!

I’m not sure who was more nervous, the kids or me! I had no idea what I was getting myself into. When I came to Missouri, I had no idea what my “job” would be during my year of service. All I knew was that I would be tutoring at a school with younger kids since I had just graduated I knew they wouldn’t put me in the high school. Other than that I really had no idea! Preschool is such a perfect fit for me! I love watching the kids grow and learn! My favorite part of the day is lunch and recess when I get to talk to the kids and they get to tell me all kinds of stories about their dog and hear all of their knock-knock jokes. I came to Missouri to make a difference in their lives, but little did I know how much happiness they would bring to mine!

August 21: Visitors for my Birthday!

Even after only being away for a couple weeks it was still nice to see some familiar faces. Mom, Marisa, Sally, and Kendra came all the way to MO to visit for my birthday! We had a great time and I even got to go parasailing with Marisa! It was a great weekend but very short!

November 25: Home for Thanksgiving!

After another long 10 hour drive I was finally home for a few days for Thanksgiving break! I even had a welcome committee! J

The weekend sure went fast, but I was so glad I got to come home!

December 19: Home for Christmas Break!

I survived my first flight all by myself! Break sure is going fast, but I’m trying to make the most of my last couple days home!

December 28: COLLEGE DECISION!

I have finally made my college decision! I have been accepted into SVSU’s Foundation Scholars Program so I will be attending Saginaw Valley State University in the fall of 2016! GO CARDS! I am very excited to start this next chapter in my life! As of right now, I have no picked a major, although I think it will be something in business/finance!

I hope you enjoyed my year recap! Sorry it was a bit long! What a great year! I am looking forward to whatever 2016 has to offer! J Happy New Year!