the plan...

about four years ago, i graduated from high school. life was planned. go to this university. get this degree. live this life. i had everything mapped out perfectly. everything was in order and made sense.

had i stuck with the plan, i would have graduated from college today.

but sometimes, life throws you curveballs, and the plan...well...it goes to hell. but you know what? the me that sits here tonight writing this, thinks that's okay.

2500 miles and a few years separate the girl that had everything planned, and me. that girl stuck with what she knew. she was smart and funny, and beautiful...but she needed to escape...to explore something different. she was scared, but sometimes, you just have to close your eyes and jump in with both feet.

the journey has been strange. funny. hard. and a million other adjectives. and even the "plan" for the journey has taken detour upon detour.

today, i could have been standing with the class of 2010, receiving my degree. crying bittersweet tears, my mom snapping too many pictures, my family cheering me on. instead, i spent it sweating at a music festival. lyrics and guitars filling my ears. that concert smell wafting all around me. people pressing in from all sides, drinking and dancing, dying to be that much closer to the stage, to hear just that one song. and it hit me. today, i wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.

sometimes you have to forge new ground. experience life...good. bad. easy. hard. you have to make choices, and live with them.

tonight, i stood in one of the biggest crowds i'd ever been in, eddie vedder singing better man. half a million people listening to what i listened to. and i knew i was right where i was supposed to be. it may not be the typical path, but it's leading to the perfect destination.

four years ago, i had a plan to stick to. going through the motions to get to the end. today, i've learned to let go a little. i've found what makes me tick. it's not glamorous or easy or typical. but it's my life. and i wouldn't change a thing.

mom and dad, i promise i'll get there. <3>

one weekend. one thousand miles.

there's absolutely nothing like a long roadtrip to clear your head and just...take a breather.
one weekend. 1000 miles. 30,000 songs. 1 girl. one dog.
i feel like some adventures are about to be had...

theres nothing i'd rather spend a birthday weekend doing.
KC, here we come.

laughter.

just so you know...

laughter really is the best medicine.
:)

introducing...

the last few months have been...well...a little crazy. crazy roommate situations, crazy schedule. just plain crazy. my fall semester finished off really well. i did great in all of my classes and made some awesome new friends. for the spring semester, i loaded up on classes (22 credits! yikes!) so that summer and fall (fall 2010...my very last semester of undergrad...so exciting!) will be a little lighter. i'm working downtown whenever i'm not in class, and of course, love that too.

and on top of all of that, i added a new little guy to the mix. for the last few months i've been tossing around the idea of getting a dog...more security, and company. so i visited the animal shelter after telling myself time and time again that i was JUST looking. needless to say, i came home with the cutest little scruffy ex-street rat of a dog. not that an 8 pound mutt provides much more security, but he was just too adorable to leave there.

so...i proudly introduce to you, bear.

100 days. 100 new beginnings.

a mixtape for the season...

can i stay ... ray lamontagne
strangers in the night ... cake
coney island ... good old war
summersong ... the decemberists
something great ... haley bonar
another travelin' song ... bright eyes
orange sky ... alexi murdoch
blowin' in the wind ... bob dylan
here comes your man ... meaghan smith
all is love ... karen o and the kids
lover ... devendra banhart
such great hights ... iron & wine
new slang ... the shins

who dat!

new orleans is a city like no other...diverse in every possible way. working downtown, it's easy to see the many faces, cultures, values, and attitudes of the city i love. but it's not hard to pick up on one of the biggest uniting factors. especially on a day like today. sunday. game day. the city buzzes with team spirit, black and gold more prevalent than any other color. names like brees, sharper, bush and shockey stretch across thousands of shoulders. as usual, our boys keep things interesting, taking the outcome of the game down to the very last wire. the city holds its breath. people surround tvs wherever they can find them...bars, shopping malls, nail salons, because at that moment, nothing else matters. they talk to strangers about bad calls, missed chances. they groan together and cheer together. and for that last play, those last few seconds, it's silent. eyes are glued to the screen. silent prayers are whispered. and just then, like the trumpet riff after the dirge, the city erupts with joy, with cheers, with smiles. because this is our year. our boys have done it again. 12-0.

a city so diverse. with a common love. black. white. young. old. men. women. rich. poor. grown ups. kids. you just can't help but feel the excitement flowing through the who dat nation.

kansas is cold... :)

i got to spend fall break with my sister in kansas. brrrr! this is me...freezing my buns off...

thanks for a fun break, sis!