Organized chaos... or maybe just chaos.

Organized chaos... or maybe just chaos., a photo by Lindsey B's Fotos on Flickr.

If you would like to see more photos of my freshman year I currently have ten posted on Flickr. Click on the link above ^^ labeled "Lindsey B's Fotos" to see them.

Uncharted.

My current music obsession is Sara Bareilles, and specifically her song "Uncharted." It reminds me of my all-time favorite poem The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost. The common concept between the two pieces is the excitement that comes from looking forward to an unknown future.

College is completely new territory. It's scary, it's exciting.... it's college.

But when during this time of metamorphosis do we stop thinking about ourselves and start considering others? Seriously, like, all the organizations I chose to joined only benefit me. Even the one hour a week I volunteer at the middle school was to add a spark of volunteerism on my resume. So, my question of the week has been: how can I truly make a difference?

I firmly believe that our lives are based on one goal, and that is to serve God. You may or may not agree with me on that point, but you probably will follow me on this: the relationships we make with others define who we are as people. Life is not about making money or having an impressive job: it's about the way we treat one another. I consider myself lucky that I have realized this concept fairly early in my life, and that I am able to remind myself to appreciate my family and friends.

With the drastic differences that the college life offers, it's hard not to get wrapped up in ourselves. We sometimes forget that rough times are apart of life and that THOUSANDS of college kids have felt the exact same way we are. This week I took a moment and chuckled to myself. I finally stopped to realize how silly the amount of time I spent thinking about myself and my "problems" every single day. And yes, I know this is a time in our lives when we need to be a bit selfish and concentrate on ourselves. It's a necessity to figure out who we want to be. However, we should not have to lose sight of the balance in our lives and what our purpose is. In the next four years we will be making some MAJOR decisions that are life-directing, not to mention quite expensive. Therefore we must continuously keep asking God, "Is this the plan you have for me?"

In the everlasting words of J.Biebs in his song "Pray":

But I know there's sunshine behind the rain

I know there's good times behind the pain

Hey, can you tell me how I can make a change?

I close my eyes and I can see a brighter day

I close my eyes and pray.

I will think of these words tonight as I read my devotionals before bed. Hopefully I will have the faith I need to give God my "plans" so that He can use me to actually make a real difference instead of being just another student attending the biggest party school in America.

...and on a separate note I want to give a shout-out to my mom who's coming to Athens for parents weekend! May we endure the hills and bask in the glory of the dining halls all weekend long! :)

A Blank Canvas

When people told me "you won't be the same person when you come back for Christmas break," I thought they were crazy. I knew who I was and what I wanted - or at least I thought I did.

In and outside the classroom I have been stressed, inspired, nervous, overly friendly, freaked out and even hit a streak of loneliness. So how did this begin to sculpt me as a person?

I've been challenged in every way possible: mentally, physically and spiritually. So many changes and opinions stretching me in so many directions takes a toll on a person.

My question for the week was: "Why is everyone hooking up?!"

Why does the ENTIRE freshman class feel the need to be in a relationship all of the sudden? For goodness sakes people WE JUST GOT HERE. Slow the hell down a bit. What ever happened to just being friends?

The one thing that I know for certain is that I don't know who I am. I have been blessed with this fresh beginning and am trying to be outgoing every chance I get to reinvent myself. I've tried so many new things like Jitterbug Club and I even slept in a cardboard box tonight! The Habitat for Humanity program sponsored a "Cardboard City" night where Brittany, Kiley and I constructed our mansion which was eventually torn down by envious bystanders. In all honesty though, the creativity and compassion that is produced by the students and community of Athens sometimes literally astounds me. Who else creates a city of cardboard to raise awareness for the homeless? (Well actually there are other places but it's still truly unique!)

Oh and here's a little secret no one tells you about college: everyone gets lonely. You just have to keep in mind that you're in a totally new place, studying new things, meeting new people every single day. Take a deep breath, realize that we're all going through the same thing and stop freaking out.

Now the next question on my mind... what in the world shall I be for halloween?! :D

13 Days Later

Here I am, exactly 13 days after my parents dropped me off at Ohio University. Classes have begun, I've gotten into a routine and am beginning to simmer down. The excitement and freshness of living in a new county is somewhat gone... so now what?

I suppose I'll go home for the World's Fair. I was faced with a dilemma though - should I rush instead? You heard me. Rush weekend is this weekend. Ultimately I've decided against it though, and here is my short pro and cons list why:

PROS

-I would meet new girls

-It would be entertaining

CONS

-I could just do it next quarter

-I would waste a perfectly good weekend at the Bellville Street Fair

So I guess the cons won that one.

It's weird how everyone is so drastically different here. Different beliefs, interests and opinions make for excellent conversation. But, I somewhat miss the regularity of my old life. The comfort in knowing everyone and their past was a nice feature of a small town. I especially miss the support of my good friends. I have not made connections like that yet, but I guess it's only been two weeks.

You know what I really miss? Don't take this creepily but.... small children. I never ever see them! All there is on campus is college kids and professors; I just miss how refreshing it is to see a cute kid!

Anyway, I should stop procrastination and do my German homework. Auf Wiedersehen.