Panda Express, Plans To FSU, & Class

College. Is. The. Best. Place. EVER! Why didn't anyone tell me?! Oh, wait... :)

A few things have changed since I first got here. Jen and I re-arranged our beds, so now we have more room! It's so nice not being right on top of each other now. The room is still the size of a closet, but it feels homey. My bed is lifted, and Jen's is underneath. I'm so thankful to have a wonderful roommate!

The last week has been awesome. I'm getting to know locations on campus a lot better! I still get lost when I'm driving, but if I'm walking I'm usually okay. I have adjusted to the community showers, and I can now quickly and skillfully shower in the morning. The bathrooms/showers get cleaned every day, but the girls on my hall aren't gross or anything so that's a plus. I did, however, have a lizard that wanted to be friends with me when I was trying to shower before class the other day. Gag. I also met a girl that apparently likes to pretend she's a "black rapper" when she's in the shower. Yes, she actually told me that. Whatever floats her boat, no judgement here. Okay.. maybe just a little. :) In other news, I have spent too much time at the Panda Express they recently put in the Union, but I've also become good friends with the Sanderson Center because that's where the gym is. I'm a friendly person and all, but this girl refuses to be friends with the freshman 15. STAYAWAYFROMME. Speaking of friends, I have REALLY great ones. I'm super blessed. I've also met a few people in particular that are really wonderful and I already know they're going to be really important people in my life. Oh, and I'm getting even closer to some of the really awesome girls on my hall! They make me happy. :)

Parties are fun, people are fun.. but waking up in the morning is NOT fun. I think I've had more new experiences this past week than I've ever had during the last 18 years of my life. I know I have family reading this and my mom's heart rate is probably picking up speed right about now, but no worries. I'm smart and safe.. except on the weekends.

I'm kidding, mom and dad. You can breathe. :)

Don't worry, I'm not throwing away the education that already has me $10,000 in debt. I've been going to class and plan on getting a 4.0 this semester. Fingers crossed. I really like my classes already. I only have one 8 am class, which is physical science (and in MS State East Jesus..yay), but my teacher is cute and he's really good at teaching, so it's totally worth it. My Honors Comp 2 teacher is AUSTRALIAN! Gotta love those accents. That class doesn't even feel like a class. There's only about 15 of us and we sit around a table. Geography, Algebra, and Psychology aren't bad. I have really good teachers, so I'm thankful for that.

I also checked out the church here. I absolutely love it! The priest is really funny, I have a lot of friends that go there, and it feels very welcoming and wonderful. I'm really going to like it there! So don't worry, I'm keeping my faith, brain, and sanity in check. It is only the first week though. Who knows what I'll be like at Christmas time in a few months.

Juuuuuust kidding. :) Love to all my family! I miss you guys, but college is amazing. I'm already having the time of my life!

PS- FSU does not stand for Florida State University, in case you were confused. That is all. :)

I'm A Big Girl Now!

I'm at big girl school! So.. I'm a big girl now, obviously.

They should change move-in day to something more appropriate.. like THE WORST DAY OF YOUR ENTIRE COLLEGE LIFE. Getting up at 3 am, driving 4 hours, moving lots of stuff in hot weather, and not getting to eat much makes for a cranky Alexa. Not to mention I had to say bye to my family. They were all pretty sad because they secretly love me A LOT. I cried like a baby, and then called my older brother and cried like a baby some more before my family was even completely off campus. Not that few tears kind of crying. NOPE. I was melting down like a popsicle in July, forreal. And don't you know that while I was sitting outside crying to my brother on the phone, 5 super cute boys walked by. And waved. And asked if I was okay. I mean.. REALLY?! Can you please talk to me when I'm cuter? Thanks.

But talking to JT made me feel better, because he's just good like that I guess. He said I had to give it more than five minutes.. and you know what? College was much more awesome a few hours later! Here is what I discovered: I get to do WHATEVER I WANT. Don't get me wrong, my parents weren't the psycho, sheltering, made-me-come-home-at-10 pm kind of parents. I had lots of freedom at home, but college is a whole new world! I got back to my dorm a little before 3 last night, and no one was waiting up for me. So weird. And if I feel like going somewhere at 3am, I totally can. How cool/weird is that? Okay, stop laughing at me.

My dorm is the size of a closet. I promise I'm not kidding. But it's really not bad, I'm already used to it. Although if Jen is at her desk and I need to get to my closet, I have to jump over her bed. And if I'm at my desk and she needs to get to the fridge or sink, she has to jump over my bed. But we just think of it as a game, and that makes it all better! The girls on my hall are so sweet, and people here are just nice in general! And seriously.. the boys are cute. REALLY CUTE. It just makes me happy. My friends that have already been here a few years have been really awesome. I went to dinner with some CSA (catholic student association) people on Thursday night, and I got to eat real food (instead of noodles and apple slices) tonight thanks to the wonderful Brittany Steer! Her and Dianna are the best. Did I mention I got REAL, FREE FOOD?! It's the little things, people. :)

I miss my parents, I REALLY miss my sister, and I miss my bed/shower even more than them. But college is awesome. I'm having so much fun! I feel like I've been here forever though. I'm so ready for classes to start! I need to stop eating and get into a class and gym routine, but I'm loving this free time I have! New friends are awesome, Jen is a wonderful roomie, and I still have money in my bank account! I'm liking this college thing already. :)

Oh, and some of my classes are in MississippiStateEastJesus and on opposite ends of campus. This campus has lots of hills. I have 10-15 minutes between each class. So, I'll either be sprinting to class, or investing in a bike and trying not to run people over. This is what happens when you throw me into a big girl school! Pray for me.. and everyone else on this campus. :) Oh, and if I didn't already mention this, I FREAKING LOVE COLLEGE.

Yankees vs Red Sox

My feelings on the Red Sox. Clearly, the Yankees are the better choice. PS- Do not judge my iPaint skills. That is all. :)

Closing Time

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

Oh, Semisonic, I just love you. Partially because your song, Closing Time, now reminds me of Justin Timberlake thanks to the movie Friends With Benefits, but also because you throw lines like that at me at appropriate times! My new beginning is almost here! I move up to Starkville August 10th. Next Wednesday. Yep, the Wednesday that is only A WEEK AWAY. I'm insanely excited, but I don't think my tiny brain can wrap itself around the whole college concept. My mom and I had the following conversation during one of my college panic attacks:

Me: MOM. I don't know how I'm supposed to think of this whole college thing! Is it like moving out for good, or more like a realllllly long sleepover?!
Mom: More like a really long sleepover. Or like an extended sleep-away camp!
Me: Oh yeah, because sleep-away camps always worked out SO well for me.

I've only been to one sleep-away camp. I was in 6th grade, it was only for like four nights, and I cried almost every day. BUT, for two summers in a row now, I have been to a summer Catholic convention that was held at Notre Dame and I was fine. So I should be fine for at least a week!

I don't really care about leaving Ocean Springs, and I truly don't care if I never see most of the people I went to high school with again. What I DO care about is leaving the awesome friends I've made through my church activities. All of the many hilarious, exhausting weekends we spent together cutting endless amounts of leaves, working on convention decorations, spirit mover skits, and balloon bash games. The game nights, the parties at the Krause House, and the 18 hour bus ride to ND that turned into a 24 hour bus ride. I'll definitely miss that. I can't wait to do it all again as an adult with my own cyo!

And I really, really, REALLY care about leaving my huge, crazy, amazing family. Why did I have to grow up with such a wonderful, close extended family?! I know I'm only going 4 hours away and can pretty much come home whenever I want, but still. I'm going to miss having midnight cereal dates with my little sister, and making her let me sleep in her room when I watch something scary. I'll miss staying at my Aunt Charlene's just because. Or the random nights when Uncle Dennis, Aunt Rosemary, Andy, Tiffany, and sweet Isabella stop by and we just sit in the living room and talk. Or driving over to see Kellie and baby Layla simply because they only live 10 minutes away. It's the little things, people!

It's not just the little things though, it's also the little-things-that-are-actually-big-things too. Like the fact that I ALWAYS know when Zoe enters/leaves her room because her door sticks and makes a loud noise. Or the fact that I always know when my dad is coming in the door from work because I recognize the sound of his shoes, and what it sounds like when he hangs up his keys. Or the same right-before-bed conversation my mom and I have been having for as long as I can remember. "Good night, Mom." "Good night, babe. Love you." "Love you too."

Now I'm going off to big girl school where things are going to be super different. Super fun, but still different. I know I'll be perfectly fine once I get up there and realize just how much fun it's going to be! Since I'm a Cacibauda, I hate when things change. This is going to be a really awesome, fun change.. but I'm still nervous! Although I'm uncertain about the next 4 years of my life, there are a few things I'm completely certain about; things that I know will never change. For example:

Zoe will always have her mouth open in the majority of our pictures.

When I started pre-school, I thought my brother was the best person in the whole world. Now I've ended high school, and I still secretly think the same thing.

I will always admire my mom more than anyone in the whole world. She can draw, paint, make costumes, sell houses, and pretty much do anything and everything.. but she's always been the best at being a mom. I want to be just like her when I grow up.

My dad will always call me Peas, because he's said I'm his "sweet pea" since I was little. I'm 18, and have to catch myself from turning my head anytime someone says the word peas. ...I'm not a huge fan of the vegetable.

It will always take my mom forever to get a decent Christmas picture.

And I will ALWAYS remember that I was given the best childhood ever.
Time for a new adventure :) Mississippi State, here I come!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11