I can almost taste it

One week from today I will be sitting in a packed up home, probably tearfully waiting on the arrival of my family from Texas to see me receive my Nursing School pin, address my class of forty-something peers as "class representative" at the pinning ceremony, have my last brunch amongst sixty-something of my closest sorority sisters at the most beloved address in Fayetteville (502 W. Maple, duh), and then walk across the stage as one of thousands in Barnhill arena. I'll go out to eat somewhere delightful, sleep one last time a few blocks distance from Old Main, and then pull away from Fayetteville for an undetermined length of time. OK, really? Could I have made that sound any more horrific? Probably not.

Here's the thing: Per usual, I'm feeling nostalgic. Sans normal, I'm a little emotional. The last 4 years have been... such a mixture of the normal college experience and the most atypical collegiate daily life liven that I can possibly dream up. I am a member of probably the most incredible sorority, chapter, and pledge class to ever live. Not biased either. We regularly win everything ever given to anyone. I never go a day without feeling super loved, supported, and encouraged by both these women, my family, my peers, and my super hot fiance.

About those peers... I am in nursing school. Soon I will say "I was in nursing school." This is the part of the past 4 years that I have been dying to escape. I try not to complain about my curriculum path, I chose it, I could've chose differently. Here's my opportunity to let it all out... Remember when you were partying on Dickson multiple times a week for the past 2 years? I wasn't, I was completing reading assignments in medical terminology that I still cannot understand at increments by the thousand pages. Remember when you stayed up watching every episode from every season of Friends, Sex & the City, & One Tree Hill? Well when you were going to bed, I was waking up at 5 AM multiple times a week, every week, to go be an indentured slave at a crappy area hospital or nursing homes or some other horrible place. Remember when you were crying because you couldn't stop laughing? I was crying because I was horrified at the bodily fluids I was cleaning up at age 19, regretting every career decision I had ever made, hating my life as a permanent resident of Mullins Library, and a servant of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing. Remember when you were picking out cute outfits to wear to school or getting to roll out of bed and wear whatever your little college heart desired? Must be nice, I wore a starched, white potato sack of a button down that I have plans to incinerate this week in my driveway. Remember when your advisors gently steered you in the right direction, gave you advice and choices? No. I don't. I remember being sassed, bossed, and pushed around; made to come to classes that would never appear on my transcript, kicked out of clinical for not completing a TB test I was never told about... yep. WELCOME TO NURSING SCHOOL, LADIEZZZZZ. BYEEEEEEEEEEEEE GOOOOOOOD RIDDANCEEEEEE SEE YOU NEVERRRRRRRRR

About that fiance: the most hunkiest thing I have ever laid eyes on that I cannot wait to marry in approximately 114 days, greet home from Iraq in about a month, walk into our 1st home with soon after that, and thank for the rest of my life for just being the greatest thing as we jointly suffered through long distance, ever pressing toward the goal we are now staring in the face. Encouraging in studies, always incessantly complimenting, God-fearing and serving, I am so excited that the end of school means beginning something so new and great with him.

Those women- those Pi Phi women that I will miss more than I have yet to realize, those blonde bombshell of roommates that I laugh and live with, those nursing school comrades that I have been through the fire with.

Can't wait to post pictures, stories, and fun times from the week to come. Tonight is Pi Phi Senior Farewell, next Monday is my last test, Friday pinning, and Saturday graduation. I promise, ok maybe not promise, to have a minimal number of nostalgic-centered posts for the next month.

Praising the Lord for packing the next week full of shenanigans to go out with laughter, a summer full of reunions with weddings of friends & trips to Arkansas!

gone

I've lost the will to be educated.

Green

Crazy, posting again so soon? I know, I know, must have so much time on my hands! In an effort to soak up my last few weeks in Fayetteville, I'm trying to post as much as I can about this awesome town so the time is ripe for a story and a memory... I have mentioned before how much I love where I live this year in Fayetteville. The location couldn't be better. I have a view of Old Main from my bedroom window, I'm 3ish blocks from Pi Phi (I've never really used "blocks" as a means of measurement before... never been to NYC, what can I say, I wanted to try it out!), am walking distance to the square, AND am a stones throw away from Marvin's IGA. Now, I always thought that real value in property locale was found in proximity to your local grand super center (aka WalMart), I recently have had a change of heart.

Growing up, I lived super close to a Food Lion. Now, I don't really remember much about Food Lion, mostly that I just liked living close to it. Then it changed to an IGA, it was even better. Needless to say, moving into this house has allowed me to flashback to the beauty of living close to a truly local grocery store. Yes, the prices are higher, the selection is slightly more limited, and the generics are less generic, BUT, let me tell you how much it SUCKS to drive to WalMart for a loaf of bread (OK thats a lie, I have never done that)... by loaf of bread I mean can of Pringles and frozen dinner.

Now, back to Marvin's on Lafayette & College... I like it because of previously mentioned reasons but there are a few things about it that aren't that great. For instance: I get judged when I go there. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before on my blog but Fayetteville is two-faced. 50% of Fayettevillians have one or more of the following characteristics: barbie/makeup/greek/collegians/alumni/athletes/nike shorts/tanorexic (I guess this is where I fall in). The other 50% of Fayettevillians are hippy/dreadlock/deodorant hating/Devils den loving/Toyata Prius driving/bumper sticker mania/birkenstockers. The latter 50% own and operate Marvin's. You get the picture. Therefore, when I shop at Marvin's I feel eyes burning holes in my back as I make my way down the frozen pizza section in my Pi Phi shirt and Nike shorts, as I buy paper towels and harsh cleaning products in UGGS, and (dare I say it), the one time I answered "plastic" at the checkout. Ever since then I have felt nonverbal pressure to go green in weird ways... today when asked, "would you like a bag?" I could've just answered, "Yes, paper please, I love recycling!" Instead I answered, fumbling for words, "NO!" and ran out the door with my waffles and butter. Wow. Not one of my finer moments.

Ignorance is Bliss. And Bliss is Bliss too.

photo blisscupcakecafe.com

Well, I'm still on the emotional roller-coaster called life. Obviously (I'm not dead). Right now I'm on a high; no, not a drug high. A wedding high. And by wedding high, I mean I'm completely, 100%, fully ignoring every aspect of my wedding. I'm not joking, ask my mom. When I was home for Easter I had a meeting with a potential wedding planner scheduled. I broke down in tears just thinking about it, so we cancelled it. Thus we have ignorance. Tah Dah! It's really working for me right now!

Onto other news... Bliss. I haven't yet reviewed the no longer "new" Bliss Cupcake Cafe here in Fayetteville. While others are onto "bigger and better" things, aka Orange Mango, I'm sticking to what I know as the true dessert haven here in northwest Arkansas. That being said, allow me to give you a few descriptive words of what I have come to know and love as Bliss, also the employer of one of my best friends, Susanna. Bliss is the most quaint, modern/antique/chic little establishment on the square. It's utterly unique flavor combinations artfully baked into moist perfection are the perfect endings to any kind of day. So saddle up partners and head on over to Bliss. Forget this Orange Mango biznasty, it's a poor excuse for dessert and will leave your sweet tooth wanting more. You want my flavor recommendation? Well you don't have to ask me twice! I recommend Strawberry or Key Lime Pie. P.S... I'll let you all know when I convince the owner to incorporate BACON into one of her confectionary delights... my dream come true.

PS: I'll be excited to post after my soon-to-come BEST WEEKEND EVER!!! My WHOLE family is coming for the weekend! It's Mom's Day for Pi Phi (aka one of my favorite functions EVERRRR), my first bridal shower (YAYYYYYY), Maddie's 19th birthday (Sunday, WOO HOO), and just a great weekend to be in Fayetteville!

May you all be blessed with Bliss this week and may none of you ask me about the wedding that I'm ignoring.

The face of a poet

This is the face of a blossoming poet. See post below.

absence

I apologize for my extended leave of absence. I have several things to catch up on in the blogging world. I will keep this brief, as I am home for Easter and my time is rather occupied...

Here is a Limerick I threw together as an outlet regarding my feelings toward wedding planning...

There is currently a bride planning a monstrosity of a wedding.
Whose ideas are brilliant but nobody gets them.
She is miserable,
And wants to elope,
But is 6 feet under and not coming up for air anytime soon woof on weddings.

don't critique me.

Hope you enjoyed that. Mrs. Strayhorn from 5th grade would be proud. I, on the other hand, am floundering, fighting back tears, and literally caught up in chaos, out of control planning, excessive ideas, and a monstrosity of a wedding. Feel free to bail a sister out and fly Karl and I to Vegas.

Bridezilla