sweet weekend.

a few things that made yesterday SWEET:

1. having a brother floor (my first in my three years at taylor!) and hanging out with them.
2. putt-putting.
3. chipotle.
4. seeing hootie and the blowfish in indy.
5. knowing the next day (today) would be school-less.
6. realizing that the cards SWEPT cincinnati and are now .504.

it's been a pretty stellar weekend.

good old taylor.

so i'm working the olson hall front desk tonight when three women walk in. they're taylor alums visiting from chicago. (i'd guess they were in their mid 30's.) they were going into marion with their friend (our new hall director), and while they were waiting for her, we got to talking. one of the women is a former first norther (which, although i'm not living there this year, will always be a place dear to me). they kept talking about how many memories are wrapped up in this campus/area for them. they said when they were juniors here, mi pueblo opened and became "THE place" to go. "so much has changed," one of them said, "and yet... it's still taylor." they said they had to laugh when they pulled off highway 69 and saw a starbucks in gas city. "NO WAY!" they laughed.

this got me thinking. what's taylor going to be like in 10 years? 20? i know it will change, but i'm sure it will still be taylor. you know what's funny? i spent 5 minutes talking to these women (i don't even remember their names), but we had a common bond. it was unspoken, but it was so real. i heard it in their laughter and i saw it in their eyes as they reminisced. though separated by years, we were all taylor family. i love that. no matter what changes in the next few decades, i'm confident that taylor will always be "home."

junior year, whaaaat??

it's a strange thing being an upperclassmen. as a freshman, i adored the juniors. they were so familiar with the whole "college thing." they seemed so comfortable and confident with who they were. they knew so many people. they shared their grille food with me. but now? they've all graduated. and I'M a freaking junior. and it's awesome and it's scary and it's bittersweet. (mostly, i don't feel cool enough to be "an upperclassmen" yet. but don't tell any of the freshman...)

back in the cornfields.

i moved back to taylor today. aaand i love my life. :) there is something about this school... something so beautiful and powerful, i can't even begin to explain... i just know that as i pulled into the taylor entrance this morning, giddy with excitement and anticipation, i was coming home. i know that sounds terribly cliche, but... it's true. taylor's not my "home away from home." taylor is my home... just as much as st. louis is my home. (my family's just bigger here.) :) i am so blessed. pretty sure this is going to be an amazing year.

oh the memories.

so yesterday, in preparation of painting my room, i cleaned out every drawer, shelf, box, and crevice in my room. basically. and you would not believe how much junk i threw away! but what i couldn't believe is how many memories i rediscovered. every card, note, picture, piece of paper, ticket stub, and letter... they're all tied to very specific memories... some which i was ok parting with... some which i will never throw away. would you believe that i actually teared up a few times while cleaning up my room?? i found my acceptance letter to taylor, my acceptance letter to ireland, my old roommate information cards, a packing-for-college list for freshmen, a bazillion handwritten notes from dear friends... i'm so thankful i kept these tangible reminders of good friends and great experiences. yesterday, i was reminded of how blessed i am.

oh, life.

i am unemployed! hoooray! as of last friday, my internship is completed, and i am a FREE WOMAN! (for a couple weeks, anyway... but i'm SO thankful for those weeks.)

last weekend was amazing. i think these pictures sum it up...

yummy food.
much laughter.
soap fight at the car wash.

right now, i sit at kaldi's in a booth by myself, sipping coffee, and trying to focus long enough to write my final internship paper. but i can't focus. you know why? because this just hit me: I MOVE BACK TO THE CORNFIELDS IN 2 WEEKS. but... i think what's more shocking than the fact that summer's almost over is that I AM HALF-WAY THROUGH COLLEGE. it's funny how things finally decide to hit you like that. i've been halfway through college for about 4 months now and it finally hit me today: only 2 more years. (and they will probably fly by.) that kind of scares me.

excitement.

so tomorrow's my last day being an intern. i've loved my time at efree, but believe me i am more than ready to have three weeks unemployed. :) i'm leaving right after work tomorrow for a weekend in CHI-TOWN! i can't even put into words my excitement. the first couple days, i'm hanging out with some wingmates (three of whom have already GRADUATED!). then, the next couple days, i'm hanging out with another taylor friend and rachel, my IRISH friend! oh. my. gosh. it's going to be uhmaaazing.

after a weekend of wonderful friends, i don't have much planned other than redoing my room. (which, believe me, is exciting.) ellie and i are going to repaint our walls and make curtains and get a new comforter and whatnot... you know, be artsy and domestic and all. i'm so excited. my room has been white with little pink stenciled flowers since... i was born. ha. so we figured it was time. i'll post pictures when the transformation happens. (hopefully it will be as amazing in real life as it is in my head right now.)

i am getting more excited about taylor by the day. (not an exaggeration.)