Moving On: A reflection on the past 4 years

Last month I graduated college from Texas A&M. The last 4 years of my life were spent there, and I am not the same person I was when I left High School because of my experiences and friends. While I am excited to be moving on to the next phase of my life, it's always fun to reminisce and remember the memories that were created during my time spent in College Station. Here is a look into my life the last four years:

Freshman Year:

Went to every Aggie Football Game (and basketball and soccer and baseball...). I was no 2%er that year.


Got involved in Upstream (which changed my life)


Became a counselor for Impact


Turned 19 :)


Sophomore Year:

Went to Impact, had some great girls in my group, learned a lot, and had a great time with friends :)


Became an Upstream leader (and met the best friends I've ever had)


Went to China for the 1st time (another life changing experience!)


Turned 20 (complete with pinata)


Went to China again


Junior Year:

Celebrated E-Walk and took a picture with an elephant


Lived with some of the best roommates ever (well, maybe with the exception of Chelsea...lol. Only joking I promise =] )


Celebrated my best friend's 22nd birthday (the age I am now...weird)


Went to a Celine Dion concert. Life goal accomplished!


Got my Aggie Ring!!!!!!!!!!!! (12 exclamation points, because I'm an Aggie)


Turned 21


Went to China a 3rd time


Senior Year (a very busy one I might add...):

Dyed my hair for the 1st time ever (and discovered Martini Street - a great place to dance)


Went to my last football games as a student.


Brushed up on my Chinese food making skills.


Spiced up peoples' lives for Halloween (and added another awesome roommate to the house)


Celebrated Elephant Walk


Went to Las Vegas with the Fam over the Christmas Break.


Toured the Dallas Cowboy Stadium.


My roommate got a dog and it snowed!


Ran a marathon.


Went to Mexico.


Met some great new people.


Turned 22.


Graduated from college.


Then I packed up the house I lived in for the last 2 years and moved back home for a month to prepare to move overseas for a year. Change is tough, but I'm excited about what's coming next. The Lord has blessed me immensely through the past 4 years, and I'm excited to see what this next year has in store.

My Bucket List

When I went to Mexico, somehow we all got inspired to write out a bucket list. I don't know if it was fear of impending death on those Mexican streets (from the driving I mean not the drug gangs...) but somehow it started with a few people

...and spread to a few more people...

and then we all got together to read aloud the list we had come up with and were almost backed over by a van. Oh how ironic it would have been for us to all die during the time we were discussing all the things we wanted to do before we died. Luckily, however, we all made it out alive and now after sharing my list with them, I will share it with you. This list is not complete (I'm sure I will continue to add to it throughout my lifetime) but here is what I came up with while riding in a loud, crowded van on a bumpy highway in Mexico.

1. Be fluent in Chinese
2. Be fluent in Spanish
3. Own an international coffee shop/bakery (gotta dream big :) )
4. Backpack through Europe
5. Go hot air ballooning
6. Visit the Greek Isles
7. See penguins in South Africa
8. Crush grapes (I Love Lucy style) at a winery
9. Go on a cruise to Alaska
10. Visit Monticello (I know I'm a nerd but I'm a big Thomas Jefferson fan...seriously)
11. Do something for someone without expecting anything in return
12. Scuba dive off the Great Barrier Reef
13. Run a marathon (already done)
14. Read the whole Chronicle of Narnia series
15. Learn to make legit tamales (inspired by being in Mexico)
16. East scorpions on a stick at Wang Fu Jin
17. Go to a Dallas Cowboys game
18. Go skiing in the alps
19. Live overseas
20. Go to the original Starbucks
21. Roast coffee beans in Thailand and/or Cambodia
22. Learn ancient Greek
23. Learn to play the guitar
24. Learn to play the violin
25. Learn to play the cello
26. Adopt a child
27. Ride a camel
28. Ride the Orient Express (if you're an Agatha Christie fan you know what I'm talking about)
29. Learn curling (or in the words of Michael Scott...curdling)
30. Get a Master's degree
31. Learn to Tango
32. Visit the Harry Potter theme park (I know, I know...don't judge me)
33. Eat gelato in Italy
34. Go on a Lord of the Rings tour of New Zealand
35. Finish my bucket list (in other words, more to come another day)...