Year Two in Austin

My second year of college was crazy fun, insanely intense, and the best ever.

I pulled 18 hours both semesters and worked as an Information Specialist (fancy title for secretary) for one of the greatest bosses ever at Concordia.

I had the best roommates ever and had immediately clicked with one of them, who is my best friend and twin sister. We've been tight for four years now...from August 2003 to present...going on five years this coming August 2008.

This was the year I shared my feelings for my guy best friend with him and discovered a friendship that has lasted for five years and is still going strong. Said guy friend is now married and has been blessed with his first baby today. His wife is one of my favorite people and a great friend. Both have been an amazing blessing and I am so excited at their new addition to their family...this baby boy is one lucky ducky!

This is also the year that I lost my grandfather, the one strong father figure in my life. It was a hard time for me because I didn't have the opportunity to go home and be with my family during this time. Instead, I discovered the amazing support of so many on campus. This was a time when Concordia became my home, my family, a place that will always be in my heart. I still remember all the people that helped me out during this time, that made so many things easier, one of them being Donna, my boss, who contacted the campus pastor to let him know what was going on.

Thank you so much for that Donna. You are an amazing woman and one of my favorite mentors and friends. I miss hanging out with you. Someday, I just may take a trip to North Carolina just so we can go out to lunch like we used to.

This year was also my last year in Harms, the co-ed dorm. This was the year when I realized that being used by God will not always feel great...sometimes it feels lousy...sort of like a used kleenex that has served its purpose and has been tossed aside. I don't regret it though, because I know that God had His reasons for using my enthusiasm and such to push Becca into going to London. God had His reasons, which some are very clear and others aren't.

This was my first year as a DCE major and it was strange for me because everyone else already knew each other from previous classes and such. Most of the time, I felt left out but it didn't bug me that much because I had close friends of my own...my Becca and my Erin. It was great getting to hang out with them and do fun stuff, such as two hour photo shoots in Erin's room or putting together our Lord of the Rings collage wall....Still remember how much paper and ink we wasted on that one.

This was definitely a fun year. The year of flushable J-ELLO, of weekly snacks, of pictures and videos. The year room 411 needed the Navy because we were drowning...the waterfall over the microwave...the river by C-D bathroom...the year of the broken mayonnaise bottle that I could still smell three weeks later even though Becca cleaned it up. This was the year of the women of the tomb, the year that I let all my stress out during the second semester by being absolutely silly during rehearsals. "When you're dead you're dead!"

This was the year that got a scrapbook...the only scrapbook from all five years of college. This was the best year of all my five years in college. Hope y'all enjoyed my reminiscing.