There and Back Again: A College Tale

I finished my last summer class this morning, and my senior year of college begins next Wednesday. How is it possible that I'm already a senior? Granted, I will be finishing my undergraduate career in 3 years and will have spent only 5 semesters at a school where most students spend 8. In just a year I'll be beginning pharmacy school, hopefully, and that just seems impossible to me! It seems like just yesterday my parents were moving me into my freshman dorm, which is what they'll be doing later this week for my sister Julie.  Since that day, so much in my life has changed. I studied abroad, did some (but not enough) traveling, made new friends, got engaged, took the PCAT, and got married in a rush of three amazing years. The last of that list has definitely been the most exciting and the most wonderful. Married life really is incredible! Ben and I spent the majority of our dating years in a long-distance relationship, and I truly believe that that has given us so much...

I have some big news to share, but it comes with quite the backstory... December 14th, 2013 Ben and I went on our first date! We went on a double-date with our good friends Hannah and Tom. (In September of this year, Ben and I were actually in their wedding together, which was a lot of fun.  Those sneaky Smiths played matchmaker. And it worked very well!) The night of our date was a chilly Saturday night, and they picked me up at my house in Hannah's blue Mustang. We ate at Olive Garden first, though not for any particular reason. We couldn't decide where to eat, so Hannah and I finally just said to go there. While we ate, I think I talked to Hannah and Tom more than I talked to Ben. Although, I would like to point out that that's not my fault. He'll even admit that he was very quiet that night. Afterwards, we went to Nashville to go ice skating, which was so much fun! (Ben and I have actually been ice skating a couple of times since then because we like it so mu...

Palmerston North, NZ On Monday, I packed up my dorm room into my two pink suitcases. Everything fit just perfectly, even though I’ve accumulated quite a collection of T-shirts, Salvation Army finds, and other souvenirs. I actually left three pairs of shoes behind, which gave me some extra room in my bags: New Zealand wears your shoes out! Since Sunday night, the international students have been slowly leaving Massey University, and I was able to say goodbye to most of my friends before I left. Some are travelling for a few weeks before they head home, others are going home soon. I’m the first American to head home, and I’ve really gotten some tough comments from some of the more adventurous (and quite possibly wealthy) Americans about being so excited to leave. (“Why are you so excited to leave this beautiful country?” “You should travel more before you leave! Live a little!”) These comments usually come from people who don’t have a boyfriend/girlfriend back home, aren’t particularl...

I’ve discovered that for me the most difficult thing about studying abroad is finding balance. Here are some tips for students who are studying abroad or want to study abroad in the future! Balance between being present and communicating with the people you love back home. Keeping in touch with your family, significant other, and friends is vital when you’re away from home, especially when you're gone for months at a time. It provides a link between your life in your new environment and the life you left behind (and will get back to soon!). Every email, text, and Skype call is so wonderful, and it will help you feel connected to everything going with the home folks, even when you’re thousands of miles away. Still, it’s a sacrifice. And I don’t mean just for you. Sure, you may be taking time out of your day that you could be using to study, see the world, or hang out with your new friends in order to communicate with your old friends. But, your loved ones back h...

Happy 20th birthday to me! It's my second birthday being away from home, and it does feel pretty strange not being with family and friends on this special day. Thank you all for the birthday wishes! They mean so much, especially from all the way across the Pacific! Dear 19, Being with you has been fun. It's been a lot of fun, actually. I've learned so much from you about life, love, people, and God. While you were still around, I experienced my freshman year of college, made tons of new friends, and travelled the world, among other things.  No offense, but I'm actually a little excited to leave you behind. We both know it's for the best; we can't be together forever. Not that being with you hasn't been great, because it has! But, the time has come to move on. What I'm trying to say is, it's not you; it's me. I've got to let go and move on to bigger and better things. I mean, come on, 20 is in a completely different decade! You un...

This weekend, some friends and I went on a bus trip to the Manawatu Gorge. It was kinda rainy and cold, but since we only paid $4 NZD to go, we really didn't mind. Even with the dreary weather, the scenery was beautiful, and we had a great time! The Manawatu River. Although I've heard a few different translations, "Manawatu"means "heart standing still" because Hau, the Māori explorer who discovered this region, was afraid that he wouldn't be able to cross the great river. Landslides happen fairly often here, and you can see the aftermath of the last one in this picture. This lookout was called "The Big Slip." The Manawatu rapids from above. On a clear day, you can see for miles from this point. Even though it was foggy, the green landscape was gorgeous. At the end of our trip, we visited the Te Apiti wind farm on the hills outside Palmerston North. Combining the fog and the windmills made for some pretty aweso...