Just for a Little While

I get to see Phillip this afternoon, but only for a small amount of time. He is going down to Katy (with Josh) for a UTA basketball tournament. Luckily they get to drive themselves, so they’re making a pit-stop in College Station to see me and eat some delicious Laynes chicken strips.

I was excited when Phillip told me this might be a possibility last week. However, my hopes were crushed after a meeting he had in which they told him (much to his dismay) that he would be riding on the bus with the team and that Josh would have to stay in Arlington to cover other sporting events. But alas, plans changed again yesterday and they’re both able to go – and see me on the way!

Phillip’s job is perfect for him and I’m excited for him about the prospects of his future career. He’s getting to do now what he wants to do for the rest of his life. Getting to travel with a team and stay in nice hotels (all expenses, including food, paid) is awesome! He’ll take pictures and write stories at the game of course, but lots of down time will let him have fun and hang around.

I think he chose the right career path, and I also believe 100% that he is doing exactly what he needs to be doing right now. Working for UTA’s athletic department is the opportunity of a lifetime. Not only does he get to “try out” the profession before going out in the real world, but he also is working for someone that can give excellent recommendations and is in a position that has potential to eventually become full-time. It’s almost a guaranteed job after graduation! Perfect!

I’m so proud of him for doing what he loves and already putting a foot in the door. :)

Time to Myself

Over the past few days, I’ve had quite a bit of time to myself. I must say that I’ve enjoyed being lazy, laying in bed while watching TV, and having time for some introspection. I’m not really the philosophical type, but I’ve certainly liked keeping to myself and doing exactly what I want to do when I want to do it. Being lazy without having to do anything has been pretty relaxing too. I feel rejuvenated and ready to face this terrible week ahead and then SPRING BREAK!!

The Extraordinary Adventures of Ashley

So tonight has been quite the night – with most events unfolding in the last hour and a half. So I lay out all of the wedding stuff I have so far (clippings, the ballpark contract, timelines, etc.) to combine into a nice sized binder. Surprisingly, I did a pretty good and through job. Everything is categorized, neat, and won’t have to be shuffled through when talking to friends and vendors about the vision.

But I digress. So I have it all spread out on the kitchen table and start putting in the finishing touches, when my roommate walks in the door and I’m suddenly reminded that all of her freshmen are coming over to spend the whole evening at the apartment. Therefore, I quickly pack up my laptop and school bag to abandon my dwellings for the time being.

First stop was the Kroger parking lot. Why that particular choice for a place to gather my initial thoughts and set a game plan, I have no idea. It was just down the street and I needed to get my bearings before heading in any specific direction. I contemplate places to go and finally decide that McDonalds would be a good idea since it’s not on campus, has wireless internet, and provides food (Did I mention I hadn’t eaten yet and knew I wouldn’t have access to my kitchen this evening so I resorted to spending a little on dinner – to be removed from my $40 allocation for lent?). So I venture into the “study” area that we have instead of a play place, only to find that my computer would not connect to the internet advertised on the sign along with a frapaccino. So I grabbed the cheapest dinner possible and drove to campus (the only surefire place to have wireless internet compatible with my unimpressive lack of computer skills).

Once to campus, I parked in my usual parking lot and walked over to Rudder Tower. This building hosts the visitor center for prospective students, but has recently captured the attention of current students all across campus since our student center shut down for construction. So I probe the area looking for the ideal space to set-up shop with my laptop and a place to plug it in. A pseudo-comfy couch was it (although, in the grand scheme of things, the pea-green, conservatively stuffed, sorry excuse for a sofa really wasn’t that comfortable).

So I’m lounging on the “couch” minding my own business and I can’t help but notice this busy-body older lady watching me out of the corner of my eye. She was in one of those cubicle-looking offices that happen to have an entire wall of glass to oversee the hall wanderers. So anyway, as annoyed as I am with this lady, I go about my business because I don’t want to move. Then all of a sudden this “bird” flies right by my head. It kind of scared me and put me on edge, but I was still determined not to move. Then crazy lady comes out, walks over to me, and then turns around and returns to her fishbowl cubicle. And just as I settled back in to my relaxation mode, the “bird” flies back over my head and I realize IT’S NOT A BIRD, BUT A BAT!!!! IN THE BUILDING!!! AROUND MY HEAD!!

I packed up faster than I ever have in my life and left right away. And now I’m sitting in the building across the street (another one that has gained more attention due to our MIA student center). I will stay here (despite the mosquito-eater that seems to think that I myself am a mosquito) until my friend Grace is finished with her Wednesday evening adventures. I’m then going to tag along with her as she shops at walmart. At least it gives me something to do!

Well, that’s a lot of adventure for one evening, and I thought I’d fill you in on all of the drama.

“Don’t Wish Away 6 Months of Your Life”

I’m ready to leave here and graduate.

I’ve had that feeling a lot lately. I don’t want to leave my friends by any means, but I’m ready to be finished with college and move back home. I miss my family. I miss Phillip. I miss Bedford. I get homesick a lot more now and I’m just ready to be done.

It feels like my life is at a different point than everyone else here. I hear people so uncertain about their futures. Some don’t know where they’re going to be living after graduation, some don’t even know what to major in. It’s crazy to see such uncertainty in others when I know exactly where my life is heading. Don’t worry, I still have things I don’t understand and don’t know about, but they aren’t the big things. I love where my life is heading and don’t want to change it a bit, but I can’t help but feel like I’m at such a different place in life than my peers. Girls in my class talk about the next big party and wondering how they’ll ever graduate in time. Meanwhile, I’m graduating early and ready to begin the next chapter in my life.

A friend told me not to wish away 6 months of my life (hence the title of this entry) because I told her that once September gets here, things will really start shaping up. I’ll be so close to graduating, find out the official date of the wedding, have a birthday, be done with applications to grad school and nursing school, and get my aggie ring. There’s no doubt that September is going to be a great month and a huge stepping stone in the right direction of my future. But my friend was right. I need to enjoy the next 6 months because I won’t be able to get it back.

What do you do when you have one foot in the future and the other in the present?

Happy March

Well it looks like yet another month has gone by in this wonderful life of mine. It’s interesting how the days seem to drag on, but then whole chunks of days seem gone in the blink of an eye. Looking back, time has passes so quickly, but looking forward, it’s not going fast enough.

Phillip left about an hour ago and I hate the way I feel now. When we have to say goodbye yet again, I feel like new wounds are opened up again and the hurt from him leaving is just terrible. It was great while he’s here, and it’s good to get back into the crazy school life, but I can’t help but think how wonderful it would be if he could just stay here and not drive back. Every day would be a little brighter and Sundays/Mondays wouldn’t be regarded as the worst days ever (the days we have to part ways again). Hmph.

Now I suppose I’ll spend my boring afternoon on the couch watching TV with a blanket or perhaps I’ll clean up after Hurricane Phillip some before my roommate gets home from class. I’ll venture out to class around 2:30, but until then, I have some downtime to relax and possibly take a nap. Everything is so boring here and that probably won’t change all too much for the remainder of the week since I have no assignments or tests. I’m lulling myself into a false sense of security since next week is going to be the worst week of tests/projects/papers in all of my college career. Ah, well, I better enjoy my freedom now.