known for.

Over the past few weeks, I've had the same conversation with various groups of people. That means I think it's an important topic of discussion, want to know everyone's thoughts, and want to share mine.

Questions is: What do you want to be known for? 

Takes some thought to process, doesn't it? My immediate reaction to say something cute and fluffy like "love everybody." Or "be really nice."

All really great things. I want to be a nice person who loves everyone.

But, I finally came up with this.

I want to be known as someone who is different. 

To strangers and acquaintances, I want to be seen as someone who doesn't live her life like everyone else. I don't follow the crowd. I don't always take the way that is easiest. People see me and know that I don't put all my hope in this world. 

To my friends and family, I want to be seen as someone who lives creatively, always seeking a new adventure and new experience. I don't do what has been done before. I want to be known as someone who tries to be a leader, but not because I have to. Because I just am. I just do it. 

Is that my final answer? Yes.

Also, here's a fun little video that I found while perusing through my Social Psychology textbook.

What do you want to be known for? 

i miss dogs

The more I'm away at college, the more I realize that I really, really, REALLY love dogs. Not like in a a creepy, dog lady way. More normal than that.

But, I'm definitely in a place where I could snuggle with any and all dogs that I see. And miss my dog the most out of any member of my family.

Good thing that one of my sorority sisters is illegally keeping a puppy in her apartment on campus. Four months old. Named Jaz. You don't even need a picture to know how cute that is.

Also, good thing that I go to a school where a dog is the mascot. Walking down to turn in some paperwork yesterday afternoon, I casually came upon our two Butler bulldogs. Just playing in their sectioned-off hallway. And by playing, I mean fighting. I had to stop & show them some love.

Blue II and Blue III (also known as Trip) are Butler's pride and joy.

showing up

Have you heard about the book, Love Does, by Bob Goff?

It's one of those life-changing books that makes you stop after each chapter and be amazed by how these words are changing how you see a lot of things in the world. And highlight and underline and dog-ear pages. And then once the last page is turned, it's back to the beginning to start again.

The best message of the book is that we can all say that we love Jesus and we love what He did. But, what does that mean in my life? How does that affect the way I wake up in the morning and how I choose to spend my time? How does it affect my views of my relationships with not only my best friends, but also strangers?

We have to get to the DO part of faith.

"That's because love is never stationary. In the end, love doesn't just keep thinking about it or keep planning for it. Simply put: love does." 

I'm trying to live a life where showing up and being present is commonplace and is what I do. I'm trying to embrace spontaniety and saying yes. I don't want to be known as a person who is all talk and just sits around. I feel different when I make it a priority and I hope that other people see the same.

I don't know if I'll ever regret saying yes to love and to doing. It's always worth it.

gotta do what you've gotta do

I hate school. I really do. I know that no one really likes school, but I think I fall on the more dislike-ful  side of the spectrum. I'm not a huge fan of sitting in classes, listening. I'm not a huge fan of reading books about psychology experiments or how social problems affect our society. I don't really enjoy writing papers or studying for tests.

But, it's something that I've got to do. Don't get me wrong, I do really love learning. I love learning about people and what makes them tick. I love museums and new experiences and trying something different. I'm all about learning.

Because the school part of college is something that I've got to do and get done, I think that this year, my focus is going to be making it fun. I don't really know how that's going to work out practically. I do know that if I set myself up as best as I can to be enjoying myself, then I will maybe enjoying studying a teensy tiny bit more.

So, today, I'm being the hipster study-er. I'm at my favorite local coffee shop, drinking a pot of Lilli's Blend hot tea, with my warm flannel worn over my white v-neck, listening to a folksy/instrumental/indie playlist, all while the hurricane rains pour outside the window.

See, look at how much fun I'm having while studying!

the best part of a day.

Adjusting is hard. It's strange getting used to being back in Indianapolis: the room, the weather, the people. It's all a good amount of strange, not enough to make me feel any less than myself. I'm still embracing it, with a skip in my step and some good happy yelling.

But, it's still weird. I'm not seeing the people I spent my summer with. I miss porch sitting at 641 Remington with Manda. I miss precious time with Katie & Ellen. I miss enjoying the Colorado outdoors with my mom & dad.

The most confusing transition, though, is watching my baby bro head off to his freshmen year of college. Wasn't I just in that same boat??? It sure feels like it. And, as much as college really rocks, there are also lots of times where it's really really hard. And, so like any big sister would, I worry and hope and pray that he is having the time of his life off at School of Mines...(emphasis on the MINES, not MINDS....or MIMES, like 80% of people think I say. There really isn't a school for becoming a professional mime. There might be, but Jared is not planning on being one of them.)

And I know he is. Because we finally got to chat & see each other's rooms & ask good questions about what the first two weeks of school were like. Because he is studying hard...lots of Calculus & Physics (we're very different in that way.) Because he's making friends, but also because he's being himself & not trying to be someone that other people want him to be. My little Jar-Bear, growing up.

It was the best part of my last two weeks.

Also, in other unrelated news...one of my best friends from home, Miss Taryn Marie Hunt, has started her very own blog. It's great! And I'm proud of her for taking this step, even if it's just so I can read about her life & thoughts. Still worth it, Taryn!

hello again.

Summer is a beautiful thing. For me, it's a time when I feel the most alive. Because I have freedom & choice & opportunities for extra fun & most importantly, no school.

This past summer, I was more aware than ever that there could be an end to summer as I know it. I'm a junior in college, I don't know if the job I'll do after graduation will end up casually giving me a couple months off to enjoy the bright sunshine, no questions asked. It's the real world. Ew.

So, I lived it up. I spent my days around the country, nay the world. (Who knows if that's a correct statement, but I really wanted to use the word nay...) I lived adventures. And I didn't blog. Whoops. Not sorry.

I'm a fan of doing things differently every once and awhile, just to change up how I see things and how I live my life. In summer, I don't need to stick to a schedule and continuously have a planner as my third limb. And this summer, I didn't feel the need to document every fun thing I did.

Oh, the fun happened. Don't worry. You may have heard about it, you may have not. But, either way, I'm freeing myself of the guilt and obligation to try to blog about every single bit of awesome that was my summer. New year, new blog posts...new me???

A little secret though: I'm pretty sure the real reason I blog is not because I want my family to know what's going on or because I love writing. Both true. It's because I just looooooove to procrastinate.

So, who knows? Maybe one long Thursday down the road, I'll be sitting at my desk, asking myself, "To read or not to read?"

And I'll pick blogging.

"mom, mama, mommy, mother, LOOORII!"

This is what happens when three best friends get together after six months of absence. Most proud moment of my summer.