As The Table Turns

This week has been quite the step. Another step into my adult life that I just did not realize would come so dang soon. Today, the words, “I bought a coffee table,” came out of my mouth. What the hell?

Last week I was doing homework on my bed, blinked and ended up with a tea kettle on a stove with slipper sandals on my feet. I mean seriously, when did my life catIMG_0501ch up to the “When I grow up…” part? It’s flying, but I am trying to love every single minute.

Yes, my coffee table has a new home, and apparently so do I. I signed my first dotted line on Tuesday to live in an apartment next year. My dotted line was fabulous. Fabulous, in that it was my signature, but not necessarily my money. Mom and Dad’s dime seems to pull through yet again (and, hopefully, will not stop anytime soon).

Over the past few months, I have been struggling to make one of my most difficult decisions I’ve made so far. Should I transfer? No, I should stay here. Should I step outside my comfort zone? No, this is satisfying. Can I really do this? Yes, yes Lindsey, you can.

I suddenly had the feeling that Journalism was calling my name. It is pulling me to the dark side with this intriguing life of writing. Oh yes, you guessed it. My apartment is in gosh darn Columbia, MO- home of Mizzou’s J-School and now home to me.

Even though I have finally come to the conclusion that this spin of the table seems to be in the perfect direction, my family and I have spent many hours on many worries of the big “T” word (Transfer, in case you didn’t catch my drift). I am headed into sophomore year as a first year newb all over again. It will take time and there is no guarantee it will progress as smoothly as I imagine; but I am prepared for my huge leap of faith. Hopefully, with endless nights in the library, new friends and connections, and even study sessions in my new living room, I will be prepared for the career of my dreams.

This coffee table was $25 in an antique store (I know, go me!). I would like to say it’s pretty beat up and useless, but my Mom had to explain that “college houses” are not top notch. In fact, college houses are the foundation of “Remember that one night?” stories, and under no circumstances need Pottery Barn’s best seller. The table in my trunk right now, just like me, has no idea what’s in store. We are both moving into a new place, in a new town at a new school. I don’t know many people, just as the coffee table does not know who will surround it, play games on it, or who’s feet it will support. We have so many memories to make together.

My new slab of wood with four legs and lots of scratches has brought me to a turning point that I did not know would come so soon. Each scratch it already has is a memory of its last home, and I am eager, anxious and beyond excited to put more scratches on MY new coffee table. This life is crazy and this life is fast, but oh man, this life is so so fab!

Sunday Thoughts

It’s Sunday. Sunday, February 12th. Today my Sunday is straight from the heart and all in all, the truth. What’s the point if I’m not completely honest, right?

I absolutely love Sundays. They are the perfect day to regroup for a fresh week of routine and focus. This morning, my wonderful Sunday started off with class at Barre3 with my favorite person (mom) followed by breakfast with the whole family. After breakfast, my mom and I grocery store hopped to purchase all of our best finds for our day of cooking.

Now, you may be wondering why I am home, and honestly I’m wondering the same thing. I should 100% still be at school, but I have been missing home way too much. Sometimes you just need extra hugs to fill the heart. I wish that I could say I am crazy happy at school with a fabulous group of friends, but honestly I am not. My heart has been quite empty lately, as I am having a hard time this semester. A whole month home over Christmas break reminded me just how much I love {and MISS} my people and my place.

It is so hard to be studying at school while they are home and living life. The life I have lived at home has always been so independent, so I was not dying for the freedom or liberating feeling that college comes with. For me, I am much more intrigued by the life after college without frat parties and stupid nonsense. Trust me, I get it. It’s fun, but fun for like uhhh 3 quick minutes.

Right now, my prayers to God are for happiness within myself. I’m confident that after I feel good, I will be able to find a fun friend group that loves me for, well, me. The constant state of worry has overcome me for this perfect life that I am not living right now. This picture I had in my head of what everything would be like meeting the not-pictured reality is hard to accept. How do I be the best possible me? How can I show others that I truly do put them first? Am I actually giving back to God enough? Where is He taking me?

This life is the most fabulous gift we could honestly ever ask for, and I am forever grateful. There are one million and two things to be thankful for and just not enough time in the day to name each and every one of them. I understand this beautiful side of life, but at this very moment, I’m trying to find that silver lining. Of course it is there, but it is my job to go find it.

Amazing people are always put into your life at just the perfect times. Reflecting on previous experiences, these are the parts of life that God pulls through the most! My lifelong friends were hand placed in front of me all at different stages of life, but with impeccable timing. I’m trusting that these cycles that have led me here will only repeat itself for the rest of my life.

Through prayers and a positive attitude, my smile is shining bright. Today is Sunday. Sunday, February 12th. It sounds to me like the perfect day to end the weekend at home with an overflowing heart and one too many cookies at dessert.  I know that school is calling my name, and I’m ready to return with a focused attitude and acceptance that this is just life right now. But even when life is hard, there’s a way to make it fabulous.

A day in the life.

Let me tell you about this little thing called college life. I think I’m obsessed.

Now I know my blog is supposed to be about a healthy lifestyle and you are wondering when I am going to tell you about workouts and the healthy food I am eating. Which, yes, eventually that will come, but right now I am living a different healthy lifestyle. One in that I am managing my stress, making new friends, and having fun. Oh, and learning! (Almost forgot that one.) It is true that I have always been a family girl, so this new change for me was not expected to go so smoothly. Like seriously no one would have guessed this. BUT thankfully, everything has fallen into place and my adjustment to independence has been nothing but perfect.

The past few weeks have been insane. Insanely busy. Insanely stressful. Insanely fabulous.

First, Rush. Truman does not rush until after Labor Day, so I honestly had not met that many people yet. On the first day of recruitment, I met so many new girls, and had a smile on my face the entire time. Of course, I loved all of the sororities, but followed my heart right to the Alphas. It has been brought to my attention that Alpha Sigma Alpha is the best damn sorority on campus, and I cannot help but agree. I fell in love with these girls and everything about this fabulous organization. In one day, I went from having four friends on campus to over 100. After bid day, I walked down the street smiling at my new people, thinking omg I’m one of them now. Needless to say,  I am ecstatic and cannot wait to embrace every minute of this.

Okay so I’m in a sorority now, but I promise I do other things. I study. I workout. I  study. I study. No, but seriously I am always doing something. These “naps” that other college humans speak of have not found their way to Lindsey yet. I will walk in my door with my roommate in the exact same place that I left her like “Uhh ..yeah. Hey, do you even go to class?” My classes are not that hard, which I am unbelievably grateful for because the time management thing is tricky to get a handle on.

Fortunately, I have made time in my busy schedule to workout almost every single day. I found a few classes that I really like, and make it a priority to fit them in. Being active and sweating helps me to reset for a focused evening of homework. At first, I could not find the treadmills, but don’t worry I found them. They were behind all of the guys in the weight room checking themselves out every second they can. {eye roll}.

On a different note, I have worn a uniform the last 13 years of my life, so I am being dead serious when I say one of the hardest things is waking up and picking out an outfit. I need my plaid back. When I cam back from Labor day, a major extension was added to the closet that cannot take anymore extensions. The best part? It all smelled like home. I’m sorry, that’s a lie- the best part is that it’s all cute, really cute. So laundry. You want to know if I do it? HA!! Yes, every once in a while I walk to the room next to me filled with huge machines known for cleaning one’s clothes. Well, they are liars. They do not work. Now, I am not sure if it is because I did not put five of those pod things in or the fact that I was two minutes late to my finished dryer and some impatient animal living among me had thrown all of them on the floor. I mean seriously, two minutes!!!

Lastly, my people back at home (and one in Alabama).  Did you honestly think I would finish a blog post without mentioning them? Yes, I miss them, but I get a care package in the mail every two days and eat dinner with them almost every night. Through FaceTime, that is. These things get me through. Also, their spontaneous visits to Kirksville- those get me through too. We figured out that Kirksville is actually the most boring town in all the land, but we enjoyed all the minutes. Every single one. (As for the one in Alabama- He and I are currently running on FaceTime dates until 4am and the exchange of surprise Jimmy Johns deliveries).

To give you a visual of how much I love college, I am in the library listening to my favorite “feel good” songs, writing about how much I love college. Who does that? Even if my laundry is on the floor, I am grateful to have this routine down, enjoy friends, and fit a workout in every day. Fabulously Fit takes work, so that is exactly what I am doing. I am working. Working on my life.