Song of The Day: You Make Me Brave by Amanda Cook & Bethel Music [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hi-VMxT6fc]
***Since it is my 18th Birthday, I thought I would share an adorable picture of me!***
The fact that you are in college really hits hard when for the first time in your entire life you cannot spend your birthday with your family. Today is my eighteenth birthday, and truthfully, all I want to do is spend it with my family. Yes, it is super nice having phenomenal friends here at college who shower you with gifts and love, but nothing amounts to being in the presence of the ones who have spent this very special day with you since birth. It just feels weird to me. I have not been home since July, and the best I get it is a phone call or a Facetime date. Do not get me wrong, getting those calls are the best part of my day, but nothing amounts to the really thing. For the first time, I feel a little homesick. The other I was having a really shitty day, and whenever I feel bad or feel like whining (venting), I call my mom. I know that sounds pathetic, but it is how I deal. I called my mom, and I could sense something in her voice. I do not know what it was, but her voice was just screaming I wish you were here without saying the actual words. I was sitting outside of Pritchard on the phone talking, and all of a sudden, my eyes began to water. I tried to hold it in. I really did…until I talked to my little sister. She is my absolute favorite person, and just talking to her made me want to rush home immediately. I am torn between wanting to have the most amazing experience of my life and wanting to be with my family. I know this is totally natural, at least I hope it is. I know for sure that I am not the only person feeling this way. When I spoke to my mom and told her that I was trying not to stress myself out over my classes, she told me over and over that in the end, all of this will be worth it. I hoped she was right, and somehow, someway, I know she is. Whenever I feel like giving up, I think of my family. They are my motivation. I do not want to let them down, and most importantly, I do not want to let MYSELF down. I have worked way too hard to be where I am, and I am more than sure that I am not going to throw all of this away because I am homesick. I will persevere, and I will do what I need to do.
In life, all you need is a little bit of optimism, and I believe you will be perfectly fine.
--Summer Elease Lawrence
Song of The Day: Dear Future Husband by Meghan Trainor [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp7qWfDANrU]
I am blessed. I am blessed beyond measure. I never knew that by going to Virginia Tech I would be so blessed. I do not know what I have done to deserve such a beautiful life, but whatever it is, I am so thankful I did it. I have never been so happy and felt so loved in my life. SO many amazing things have been happening in life, and I just cannot fit all of my emotions into this single post. When I try to describe my life at this single moment, I become speechless and just smile. I am happy. For the first time in my life, I am genuinely happy with my life, my friends, my school, and most importantly, myself. That, right there, is the single most amazing feeling in the world. Knowing that you are in a place for a reason is filling. I am full with happiness and love. I can say that in my eighteen years of living (as of 9/21), the greatest choice that I have made is going to Virginia Tech. I just love it here. I love it SO damn much that I just cannot stop saying it. Thinking back to the time that it was not even on my list of schools to apply to makes me scared. I cannot help but think what if. What if did not get wait listed at my first choice? What if I had never applied to Tech? Where would I be right now? What kind of life would I be living? Would my family be proud of me? Would I be this happy and blessed with amazing friends? Isn't it terrifying to think about the fact that if you did not make a certain decision, your life could be completely different? Although I think those questions constantly, I do not want to find out. I cannot imagine a life without being here at Virginia Tech. I know that by now I sound like a crazy fanatic, but God, I just cannot help it. Things are happening in life that I would have NEVER thought would happen. I have found friends that care about my well-being and that make me feel special and wanted. I know that I have friends at home that are like this, too, but I thought it was going to be particularly difficult for me to find that here. I have found my "group." I have found my group of friends that I can go to for anything, and I know that they will be there for me, supporting me all the way. I am also about to make a ton of more friends because I got a bid!
Yup, I said it. I got a freaking bid. I did not tell anyone that I was rushing a sorority because I did not want their negativity, not like it would make me change my decision anyway. A lot of people, when they found out, were like, "why didn't wait until the spring to rush?" I have my reasons. Trust me, I just do not do things on a whim. Whatever I do, I promise you that I have went over it numerous times in my head before I make a decision. The reason I rushed is because I wanted a different experience. Most people, when they talk about sororities, talk about them in such negative ways. I wanted to experience this for myself. I wanted to see how it was, and GDS was nothing like what people said sororities were like. The first day I went to the interest meeting, I knew this was for me. At the meeting, one of the sisters said something that made my decision to rush even easier. She said, when comparing non-PanHellenic sororities to PanHellenic sororities, that it was better to be a big part of something small than to be a very small, invisible piece to something huge. Those words made my decision. I did not want to join a huge sorority because I personally believe that in smaller groups, you become closer and make deeper connections, and that is what I want. I want to create friendships with these girls and have a memorable college experience. Yes, I probably could have had a fantastic college experience in a huge PanHellenic sorority and made a few good friends, but I fell in love with GDS instantly. Plus, I was not into ending my Christmas break early and paying money for formal recruitment. Rush week was not as intimidating as people made it out to be. The girls were SO nice and fun, and that is what I need in my life. I want to branch out, make new friends, and discover a whole entire different world than what I am used to. I wanted to take a chance, take a step out of my comfort zone and just do something different. I never expected to want to join a sorority. I always thought and was told that sorority girls are the definition of the "basic bitch." Well, I will be as basic as I want, because their opinions do not matter. As long as I am happy, I will continue to do what I do. My pledge class is great, too. The girls and I instantly clicked, and I really feel like we are going to be super close. People were right when they say that in college you will discover SO many things about yourself.
My advice for anyone out here in this world that is just coming into college would be to take a leap. I took a leap of faith, and in return, I was rewarded. I was rewarded with happiness, friends, and an amazing life. Take a chance. Do something out of your comfort zone and do not listen to what others have to say about it. If they want to talk, let them. Let them talk, because all their words can do is stop you, and if you let their irrelevant words stop you, then you need to rise up. Rise up and take charge of your life. Do what makes YOU happy. That is all that matters. If you are not happy, then everything you have will amount to nothing.
Be happy, smile, and never forget to be optimistic.
--Summer Elease Lawrence
