My Life Has A Mind Of It's Own

During a routine cleaning last May, my dentist informed me that I had a cavity and that he couldn't fill it until I got my wisdom teeth out. He didn't seem like he was in any hurry to fill that bad boy and I certainly wasn't in any hurry to deal with that. Especially since I never really had any issues with them. Fast forward to exactly three weeks ago from today. My wisdom teeth had started hurting some and I knew that I had put off getting them out and getting that cavity filled for long enough, plus I had high hopes that one of the thirty jobs I applied for would call me soon and I didn't want the surgery to interfere with any possible job opportunities. So, I made an appointment with the oral surgeon. 

The consultation went great. He explained everything so well and really calmed all the jitters I had previously. He said that everything looked normal and that it would be a pretty easy surgery for him. I happily made my appointment to have all four teeth removed for the first week of February and started planning. 

I have this overwhelming, crazy need for everything in my life to be planned. It brings me a great deal of comfort and joy when I plan. So, of course, to ease my post-appointment nerves, I started planning for when I'd be recovering. My boyfriend was going to lend me his xbox (such a sweet soul!), so that I would be able to watch Netflix on my tv and use my iPad for pinterest and farmville and online shopping. My mom and I had planned on going to the grocery store the weekend before and stocking up on all things soft for me to eat. I was planning on spoiling myself on payday with some new yogas or jammie pants to live in post-surgery. I had even gone as far as to write in my planner when I should start my antibiotic and mouth rinse pre-surgery to achieve the best results after. 

On Thursday, exactly one week after my consultation, my mouth started hurting again. But this was a pain not even my BFF tylenol could handle. I spent the next five days in the worst pain of my life, throwing up, sleeping for hours, and wondering why my left jaw was starting to swell. My mom called the oral surgeon's office on Tuesday after the holiday and explained my symptoms. They scheduled me for an emergency wisdom teeth extraction the next morning at 7:45. 

I spent the rest of the day running around filling prescriptions, washing my old yogas and every oversized comfy shirt that would fit over my chipmunk cheeks, cleaning my room, and trying to get any sort of nutrient to stay in my stomach. When I got to the surgeon's office the next morning, he told me that I had a bad infection in my wisdom tooth and he was pretty amazed that it had popped up so intensely and so quickly. 

The surgery went perfect! I didn't feel a thing when they were doing the procedure and he applauded me on being such a calm and relaxed patient (shocking!). I only embarrassed myself slightly while I was drugged up when I couldn't think of his name, so I said "Thank you for such a well-done job, Dr. Harry Potter." Oh, and there was him warning me that the alcohol wipe on my arm might be chilly and me responding by saying "The cold never bothered me anyway." And then me explaining to the nurse that Frozen is my absolute favorite movie, which... it is... but at 23, I don't need to be bragging about that. 

I had an excellent recovery. Seriously so painless and so easy! If I would have known that it would have been this easy, I wouldn't have waited so long. Monday night as I did my nightly routine of loving on my doggy and saying my prayers, I kind of had an epiphany. What if God gave me that infection so that I would have to move my appointment up and be available the first week of February  to start a new job or at least have an interview? I mentally high-fived God and told him "good looking out". 

The next day, I got a call asking me to come in on Friday for an interview for my dream job. 

I love the way life just works out sometimes. Whether you believe that God is always working for us or if you believe in fate or that everything happens for a reason, I think we can all agree that life is a pretty extraordinary thing. No matter how much planning and preparing we can do, we'll never be prepared for the curve balls ahead. But it's a pretty great feeling when we knock those balls out of the ballpark. 

xx

People That Count.

My friend, Lauren Conrad, said it best "As people grow up they realize it's less important to have more friends and more important to have real friends." I'd say over the past year that this has certainly been my biggest life lesson. I started 2014 with, dare I say, 10-15 people that I considered my best friends. One by one, I found out people's true colors, I made choices people didn't agree with, I had friends turn their back on me, and I had friends use me. Certain friendships were harder to lose and it took me a long time to get over that. But it's just that. I got over it. I realized as I started "cleaning house" on my friendships that I had just reached a point in my life where I grew up and sadly, a lot of people around me hadn't.

That being said, I am so extremely grateful for the people I have in my life now. The past two days have been spent celebrating some of my favorite people and some huge events in our lives over yummy food, even yummier drinks, and lots of laughs.

Sunday was my sweet boyfriend's birthday. Birthdays are one of my favorite things in the entire world because I love spoiling and celebrating people. I had already given him his presents earlier (because he was with me when I found some amazing deals AND because I'm bad at keeping surprises....) so, I really wanted to do the most I could to make the day special for him. We started the day by going to lunch at this awesome restaurant just over the border in North Carolina that sells THE BEST country cookin'. He had never been and he absolutely loved it! After we ate until we couldn't eat anymore, we walked over to the general store in the next building over, got ice cream (there's always room for ice cream!), and looked at all the crazy things they sell. Before we left, we picked up a couple cigars, one for him and one for my daddy, and headed back home. We took the long, windy, country roads back instead of the interstate and he smoked his cigar. We talked and laughed and never turned on the radio once. Moments like that, I know, are the memories I'm going to cling to forever. When we got back to my house, my family greeted him with his favorite carrot cake, presents, and football on TV. As if the day couldn't get better, we headed out to an italian feast with his family that night. The day was so special and so full of love and I know that this was one of his best birthdays in years.

Yesterday, I met up with a couple of my sorority sisters who also have made the jump into alumni life. We had been planning to meet up for months and I'm so glad it finally happened. We shared stories and dreams of the future over margs and cheese dip. We toasted to my graduation last month, one of their weddings next month, and the other for starting grad school this week. After three and a half hours of chatter later, we parted ways and I spent my ride home (50 minutes in the pouring rain at rush hour... remind me to not apply to any jobs at the ocean front!) thinking how lucky I am.

I have the support of an incredible family, the love of the most incredible man, and the friends I've only ever dreamed of having. My life is so very different January 2015 from January 2014, but my life is so great right now. I am so thankful for the friends that have stuck by my side the past year and for our beautiful friendships that have only gotten stronger. I am so thankful for my wonderful boyfriend who makes me the happiest girl on the planet every single day and for both of our families who love us like their own. I couldn't imagine a better group to surround myself with than these people.

xx 

New Year, New.... Life?

As far back as I can remember, I've always loved New Year's Eve. Something about all of the glamorous clothes, champagne, and people's sudden drive to better themselves just really makes my heart happy. Of course, I fit into that group, too. I often make resolutions and try really hard to keep up with them and mostly fail by January 3rd. My focus is usually shifted to seeing those gal pals one last time before we all head back to school or running a million errands with my mom and I simply forget to do my 100 squats a day or that I'm not supposed to be eating anything from the center of the grocery store. But this year is different. As all my college friends start gearing up for the spring semester, I'm just sitting here. I keep getting the urgent panic thinking "oh, shoot! I need to order my textbooks!" or  "ugh! Only 10 more days of break." Then it hits me. This isn't winter break. This is life. 

I haven't quite decided if I envy those friends of mine or pity them. I know soon I'll get a call for an interview and land the job of my dreams and I'll have a new routine and college will be so irrelevant to me. But right now, it's hitting me that I am officially a grown up and that is scary.  But no matter what situation I'm in, I always find the silver lining and this time the silver lining is me. 

As I graduated college, I finished a chapter to my book. Now I get to decide what my next pages say. I have the opportunity to revamp my life and better myself into the person I want to be. And how lucky am I to have the rest of my life start with a new year. I know that this year will be a huge year for me. Something in my soul just is telling me that 2015 is my year. Who knows what that will actually mean but I am excited to see what's in store for me these next 12 months. 

Just like every year past, I came up with a list of resolutions. This year, though, I'm trying to focus on experiences rather than things. 

1. Join a gym. 

2. Organize more. 

3. Save up for and take a vacation. 

4. Run a 5k. 

5. Spend more time with family & friends.

6. Take more pictures. 

7. Live healthy and happy. 

8. Strengthen my relationship with God. 

My resolutions aren't huge, life changing goals, but I think that these things will help me in bettering my life all around and starting this next chapter off on the right foot. I hope you'll join me on my journey and stick around to see what alumni life has in store for me in 2015. Wishing you and yours a happy and safe new year!

xx