Hey that's my best friend

A few years ago, I was proudly able to stand in student section at football games and point to the sidelines at one the dance team members and say "hey that's my best friend". I've had many opportunities to do this with two of my very best friends, whether it was while one was featured in a Irish magazine or the other was graduating summa cumlaude from Duke. I am one happy best friend and love to celebrate all of their achievements with them. I am so ecstatic to be able to say that this fall I can point at the sidelines of the Carolina Panthers field and say "hey that's my best friend." My best friend Macey decided that her dancing career wasn't over and tried out for the top cats. I got the call yesterday and I feel as thought the news was just exciting for me! I'm so excited for her as she begins this new journey. I can't begin to describe how excited I am for her. I can't wait for football season so I can cheer on my best friend as she cheers on the panthers. 

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I just bought my cap and gown. Insert shocked emoji. I can't believe that my time as an undergraduate has come to an end. I can't believe that in two short months I will be on a plane heading to Spain! It truly is a bittersweet time! College has really shaped who I am as a person and who I will be for the rest of my life. I have created so many memories and forged so many friendships that will last me a lifetime. It's hard to even fathom that I almost chose not to come here to App State. I had a full ride to Elon University and I turned it down. In the beginning my parents couldn't fathom my thinking behind that decision but in the end they saw that I definitely made the right one. And now, in two short weeks, I will proudly walk across that stage for the last time as an undergraduate. So thankful to have been a part of the Appalachian Family. Really and truly that's what this experience has been. 

Real Life Twister

We had an absolute blast in Savannah and were so not ready to leave. About twenty minutes out the radio began beeping and the rain started falling. We were in a tornado warning for about two hours. My roommate is already anxious and was freaking out the whole time. She was practically in tears thinking a tornado was going to wipe out my car. I however found it a little thrilling at the thought that we may actually get to see a tornado. I already had a plan figured out if such a thing were to happen. Grab one of the 40 blankets from the backseat and run to the closest ditch. Thankfully none of this happened and we made it through the warning. Unfortunately the rain followed us all the way back to Boone. Traffic and weather delayed us so much that a 5 1/2 hour trip soon turned to 7 hours. It was probably one of the toughest drives I'd ever done. We believed that it was fate telling us we should have stayed in Savannah. 

Fabulous and Fit

It's bachelorette weekend number 1 in Savannah. Of course we're going all out and wearing our best wedges. Not such a fabulous idea when the streets of Savannah are cobblestone and uneven as heck. Of course there's hours of sipping on vodka cranberries and dancing in the rooftop bar where there is absolutley no air circulation. Most of my friends are 6 feet minimum with heels on and then there's me, way down there stuck at 5'2" in my highest heels breathing all their leftover hot air. I had a blast no doubt, but I woke up the morning and my feet were burning. On fire. I felt like I was walking on fire. Still do. Then as everyone is gathered around reliving the night through snapchat, you find that you actually ran the .75 mile back to the house about 15 blocks away. In your wedges. I enjoy running and I enjoy wearing heels and going out. However, under no circumstances should the two be paired together. None. Nada. Zip. On the plus side, maybe it'll help me on my quest for those killer calves I've been dying for. 

Rain Rain Go Away

Hey Boone,  how about we go back to the days of sunshine and warmth? If there was ever a bipolar city, it would be Boone. Seriously one day I'm hiking up grandfather mountain in shorts and chacos and the next I'm climbing up the stairs to the attic to get my north face and bean boots. I have less than a month remaining here in Boone and I want every single day to be sunny and 75. Is that too much to ask?? Apparently so. So until Mother Nature decides to give me what I want, I suppose I'll keep my winter clothes boxes in the hallway for the time being.

Back At It

I grew up in a very health conscience family. My mom is a nurse practitioner and also has a masters in nutrition. She is very into fitness and got us engaged in it at a very young age. (As punishment we had to do push-ups, no joke). I am very grateful for it too and have carried my habits that I learned long ago with me throughout my college years. However, I was recently injured or rather told that I had a condition that would prevent me from heavy lifting (or lifting anything over five pounds). Let me tell you people, costochondritis is no joke. I felt like I was dying if I breathed too hard or even turned my steering wheel. I don't recommend. However I was cleared to be back on the floor today and couldn't have been more excited! I was only out for two weeks but I felt so tense and stressed without my workout. It's like my own personal high with all the endorphins that I release. It's such a routine that my life feels incomplete without it and I'm thankful my injury wasn't more serious. 

Whoa, life is actually happening

I suppose that I have locked myself into a college bubble acting like I'm so young and that life isn't really happening. Marriage, kids, big kid jobs are still far away. Except they're not. This week I've received 4 save the dates, 2 bridal shower invites, a bachelorette weekend what-to-bring list and a baby shower invite...all from people who are my age. And then I hear about my friends who are moving to Sacramento, Cinncinnati, and Baltimore for their new job. I guess it's all taking me by surprise but it's kinda exciting. I still have a little gap before it all hits me since I'm taking a year off before grad school and then at least two more years of school before my big kid job begins but I'm excited to see where life takes all my friends and celebrate these milestones with them. 

Weekend of Peace... I Mean Pee

So I was so excited to be able to go home this weekend and get some peace and quiet. However I arrive home to a house of chaos. My brother had arrived with his newborn baby and his wife's two shih tzus. Add that to my house where we already have 4 pups. However I cherished the time I had with my brother and new niece. And the mutts too. It was the part where I woke up to an empty house that wasn't so grand on Saturday. Empty meaning no humans, the dogs were alive and well. As I walked around the house I noticed that every corner of every piece of furniture had a small dribble of something. Take a guess as to what it might be. I was less than thrilled. Way less than thrilled. Our dogs have been house trained since they have lived with us.. However they're like children and when their routine isn interrupted (such as sharing their space with two new doggies) they tend to act out. So my Saturday consisted of chasing my cairn terrier around with a fly swat in hopes of deterring any more dribbles on the funrniture. Luckily the dogs had made friends by Sunday and they were content with simply chasing one another up and down the stairs and through the various rooms. 

Is it really over?

I can't believe Spring break 2015 has come to an end. I would love to say that I relaxed for on white beach with crystal blue waters and fruity drink in hand. However, I found myself in the middle of sin city fighting for the right to walk down the street without having pictures of strippers thrown at me like baseball cards. Viva Las Vegas, right? I'll admit, it was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. My friend and I scored a great deal on rooms at the Bellagio (thank goodness for parents and their former college friends) and were right in the middle of the strip. By day I spent my day sipping mojitos and being waited on hand and foot by the cabana boys, and by night I attempted to avoid the masses. To be honest, it was really fun but three days of Vegas is morre than plenty.. And we were there for five. By the end, I needed a vacation from my vacation. I am thankful for the days off and am refreshed and ready to get through this last half! Two more months until graduation! 

Oops...I lied.

So about last week, when I said that I loved my roommates puppy. I retract that statement. I've never met a more misbehaved puppy. Waking at 7 to puppy kisses might be cute. If said puppy didn't have a mouth full of Kittylitter and poo... That's how my morning began and I was none too pleased. Then I walk downstairs and find she had managed to get into the half bath down stairs and tore up alllll the toilet paper. Perhaps what makes it worse is when you tell the owner she laughs and acts like its the cutest thing ever. And it's not. Maybe I'll cool off today and like her tonight. Maybe not. 

And It Goes On

One of the hardest things about getting older is all of the changes that life brings. I don't want to graduate, I don't want to move to another continent, I don't want my friends to move to different states, I don't want my parents to retire and move to Montana. But that's the way it is. And like it or not I have to like it. Or at least deal with it. Change is hard. But I know that with change comes growth. I know that a caterpillar will never reach its full potential if it remains the same. And I know that any time I've faced a major change in my life, it's always worked out for the best. Coming to college was hard. Experiencing a breakup freshman year was hard. Getting sick junior year was hard. Making life changing decisions is hard. And yet, every single one of those events has impacted my life in a spectacular way. I've become more confident in who I am, I've created friendships that will last a lifetime, and I've seen just how far I can be pushed and how much I can take and still come out on top. Change is hard, yes, but I'm realizing that stagnation is even harder. 

Blessed in Denver

I should be on a flight heading to Dallas right now. However I'm in Denver International Airport sitting in the food court. I spent the weekend in Boulder and was looking forward to finally getting home (even though Boulder is absolutely phenomenal). Due to winter storms, Dallas is shut down leaving me to wait for the 4:00 flight to Charlotte. However this delay did not end being a total disaster. As I sat here waiting for my mom to return with Panda Express, I felt something touch my arm. I looked to the left and was shocked by the sight. It was a little girl around the age of 4. Her hair was cut in a short bob and her face was covered in red splotches all over. She wore bandages on her arms and hands. She asked me my name and I told her and began looking around for her parents. When I looked around i noticed there were three other kids of various ages who had the same bandages and splotches. At that time I heard someone calling for an Alexis. I waved my hand to indicate that she was with me. When the older lady approached us, she began telling me sorry for the intrusion in an embarrassed way. I told her not to worry about it and introduced myself. She told me the story of the kids and how they had been left to die in a burning house by her heroin addicted niece. They were just released yesterday from the hospital and she was taking them to her home to Seattle to raise. My heart was shattered and my moms eyes filled with tears as she had joined us. Stories such as these affect me in a personal way as I too had a drug addicted mother who abandoned me. I am grateful for people like my mother and like Johanna who reach out and take in those children. As I watch Johanna push one child in a wheelchair while herding the rest towards their gate, I can't help but notice the look in her eye. It is not a look of exasperation that one would expect from a lady who took on 4 children who were not her own. I saw a look of love and compassion and strength. And I knew that I shouldn't worry about what would become of those children. With that combination and her determination, I knew that, like myself, they would be just fine. 

Puppies and Snow

Two of my favorite things in the world: puppies and snow. My roommate got my her fiancé a husky puppy for Christmas. Unfortunately he lives in Raleigh so we only get to see Kona every now and the . Luckily this weekend Hinson will be heading to Nashville for his bachelor weekend and we're on dog duty for two weeks. :) She is in that very hyper stage and when I was walking her this morning it was all I could do to keep her mind focused. She wanted to chase every single flake in the air. It was her first experience with snow and she absolutely loved it. When I took her back in she stood at the back door and barked until someone let her out on the deck. We bought her a little sweater and going to attempt to take her sledding. Happy snow day to all!! 

No Greater Bond

I was adopted when i was three years and I was blessed enought to be able to remain with my biological sister and brother. My baby sister was only six months and ever since we were tots we've been inseparable. I used to hold her and feed her bottles, I saved all the best barbies and baby dolls for her. When she didn't like carrots and mom still made her eat them, I took the hit and ate both of our servings (I hated them too). I can't imagine growing up without her. We're as different as night and day yet somehow we make it work. She was the cheerleader/dancer diva type, I was the soccer/nature tomboy type. But I was at every single football/basketball game and competition and she was there on the front bleacher at every single soccer game. When I left for college four years ago, I left a piece of my heart back home. I called home every day just to talk to her. She always always knows what to say and I am thankful that I was able to go home this weekend and spend it with her. We spent all day Saturday shopping and eating sushi. I think I have a six pack from laughing so much at our childhood memories. A sister is really and truly the greatest gift this life has to offer. 

Heart Snow Full

I find myself writing this blog post with a full heart. Over the weekend I was able to spend some time with a former youth minister and his lovely wife, Lena who is from South Africa. Her sister and children came and visited for a few weeks and I was blessed with opportunity to meet them last night and today. I came back into Boone yesterday after a girls trip to Greensboro to see Jason Aldean and received a call asking if I was free that evening to babysit. I love kids and was thrilled to help a family that I love dearly. I drove to banner elk to meet them just in time for the snow to begin to fall. Having lived in South Africa their whole lives, the kiddos had never seen snow! I quickly scrambled around the house scraping up every piece of clothing that might possibly fit them and bundled them up and hurried them out to view this spectacle. Seeing the joy on their little faces was worth hanging out in the freezing temps. I finally coaxed them into bed around midnight only to find them hovered around the couch at 7am ready to go again. By that time there was still enough snow to sled and play so we headed back into the arctic. We played for a few hours while the snow was melting but they had a blast. When you're surrounded by happiness it's hard not to find yourself filled with it as well. I got so much pleasure just watching their little faces marvel at the beauty of it all. I feel lucky to have shared in this incredible memory of their first snow. 

Family Matters

I woke up to the sweetest thing this morning. Actually i was quite irritated. I heard incessant knocking and ringing of the doorbell at the lovely hour of 7:30. Both of my roommates were already gone for the day so I had no choice but to drag myself from my tomb of covers. I thought it was one of my neighbors playing a prank and was already preparing my angry tirade. However to my great surprise it was my mom and grandmother! They came up early this morning and decided to come visit me before heading to a conference at noon. It was the best surprise especially since I'm just now getting over the flu. I know I don't see them enough and don't want to ever take them for granted. I'm so grateful for the short time that I got to spend with them this morning. 

Positive Post It

I'm sure if you were on campus your eyes were treated to a a beautiful sight. All around campus people posted messages of encouragement on post it notes. They were left on library tables, treadmills, bathroom sinks, stairwells, anywhere and everywhere. My heart was overwhelmed with joy. I am in complete awe of how wonderful our fellow classmates are. In this time when we have lost so many, it's nice to know that we can band together for a greater purpose. It's one of the many reasons j chose to be a part of the Appalachian family. We are not merely a student body, we are truly a family. I applaud each and every person who took part in this movement and hope that you were as touched as I was. 

It's a Beautiful Day!

I woke up this morning to a big fluffy face staring at me. It was my best friends Golden Doodle Darla begging me to take her outside. As I walked outside, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was almost 40 degrees at 8:00am. In Boone, that's practically summer! I ran inside and woke my roommate up and begged her to go hiking with me. After living here for four years, we've pretty much covered all the most popular hiking spots. However the one that somehow never made our list was the fire tower out by Moses Cone. So today we decided to complete the tower hike. It was the perfect hike and the view was absolutely spectacular. When we finished we stopped by Canyons in Blowing Rock and then went to the greenway. Everywhere we went, app state students were flooding the area. I guess we were all getting a little stir crazy. Days like today rarely happen in Febraury and rest assured that we  mountaineers did not take it for granted. 

My New Mom

I just received a Skype call from my future host mom, Elena. I am so thrilled to finally hear from her and I am excited to learn more about her and her family. She is an event planner and owns her own business. She lives with her husband and their two small girls, Chloe and Ella. She is originally from the Netherlands but moved to Spain after she met her husband David. They have hosted two other students, one from Australia and one from Germany and she says the girls are excited to have a "sister" from America. Seeing it all come together so smoothly reassures me that what I'm doing is the right thing for me at this time.    

SNOW MUCH FUN!!!

When we got the first big snow in Boone over Halloween weekend I was out of town for a wedding and missed it! I was so upset! Last night after the big win ( Go Pats!) I went to bed and as I was falling asleep, I wished for a blizzard! I was so excited to wake up this morning! I heard the wind howling like it was going to blow my little house in Vilas away! However, I'm an early riser and can never sleep past 7:00 am and when I opened the window, there wasn't a flake in sight. I was sad but I began my day anyway. I went downstairs and did yoga with my roommate and then showered and began getting ready for work. By the time I looked out my window again, it was snowing!! I was elated! I love love love love fresh snow! And sometimes ya have to accept the fact that it will blow horizontally and the wind will knock you over. But hey, snow is snow.

Intro To Me

Hi! I'm Victoria. I was born and raised here in NC. At age 3 I was adopted (along with my 5 year old brother, Dylan, and my 6 month old sister, Rachel) by two of the most wonderful parents. I am a senior, graduating in May. The spring semester of my junior year, I found out I had some medical issues that would cause to me miss several classes a week so I took classes that wouldn’t really be affected too badly by my absences. It put me a little off the CSD track but everything has panned out perfectly. I am a little anxious about the new adventures that await after graduation. I will not be heading to grad school in the Fall, rather I will be heading to Arevalo, Spain to work in a school with special needs children. I never imagined being able to feel so extremely nervous and excited at the same time! Special needs children will forever hold a special place in my heart. I babysat a little boy (who is now 12 and 6’3”) from the time I was 15 each summer. It was taking him to his speech therapy sessions twice a week that sparked my interest in this field. I went to Haiti in 2009 (before the earthquake) and worked in an orphanage that was overwhelmed with children who had been given up because of their disabilities and then last spring break I was able to go to Puerto Rico and work with special needs children there as well. I’m sure throughout the semester I will give you more details about my anxiety and excitement but that’s all I have for now!