Saturday, May 30, 2009

bye bye south

i love the south. it's all i've ever known, so i would have it no other way. sweet tea, y'all, grits, yes ma'am, bbq, talking slow... it's all part of my "religion." however, tomorrow at 11:30 am i am going to begin the journey from the familiar south into the unknown north. as most of you know by this point, i will be spending the remainder of the summer in vermont. ahhhhhhhh.

so far, i have had a wonderful summer break. i have squeezed a lot into these past three weeks. i spent my first week being a bum and recovering from exam week. but yes it is true, i finished freshman year with grades i can be proud of. yet i still have plenty of room for improvement next semester. not a bad place to be... ha. the second week of summer was spent in a jefferson state community college classroom knocking out history 101 in a week. was this worth it, you might ask. yes, yes it was. 

let me lay it out for you. my teacher not only consistently let us out of class early, he showed a numerous pointless movies, gave bonus points out like they were candy, and gave us one test complete with only 50 multiple choice questions. besides the class being a complete joke, i got to experience it with dan young. dan lived with me and my family for the week, and he had quite an adventure, i am afraid. he was included in every family meal, referred to as the son, and even taken on the wal-mart shopping trip. needless to say, bill and leila are big fans of dan. he was a very good sport though, and we are both happy to announce that we got A's in the class. success? success. 

oh... and now dan's a movie star. i don't want to steal his thunder, so call him up and ask him about it. key word: sandra bullock 

third week of summer was spent laying on the beach in destin, florida. every year, my mom's parents take our entire family, cousins, aunts, uncles, the whole nine yards, to the beach. there are 16 of us, so they rent us a big, beautiful house right on the water. this year, like all the others, was a gorgeous week to be with family and relax. however, it didn't go without some excitement of its own. there were concussions, sting rays, sunburns, bathing suit malfunctions, putt putt tragedies... and last but not least, jon and kate plus 8. 

as wonderful as this past week was, i feel very unsure about what i am getting into tomorrow. i'm excited, but scared... confident, but nervous... happy, but sad. basically every emotion. i know it is going to be a wonderful summer; i just need to get there. 

and if you think of me, please write me: 
Green Mountain Summer- Katie Brazeal
Box 18
85 S. Prospect St.
Burlington, Vermont 05405

more to come as the summer progresses. i can't wait to relay the way god is working in me... and all the funny stories that are bound to result from this little venture. 

goodbye to those i didn't get to see one last time,
b

p.s. a belated happy birthday to kyle ogard! he's always wanted a shout out on the blog. i miss you, ky.  

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

raindrops keep falling on my head

"anyone who thinks sunshine is happiness has never danced in the rain." -unknown

i love the rain. i live for days that are overcast, the heavens threatening to open up at any moment. rainboots and umbrellas make me happy. i also love stormy nights. the rhythmic beating of the raindrops against my window lull me to sleep. rain makes sleeping more relaxing, movie watching more romantic, and driving more adventurous. life without rain would be much too bright and induce too many headaches. therefore, i plan to move to seattle. 

everyone should love the rain.   

Monday, May 18, 2009

ease my troubles, that's what you do.

writing this post makes me feel like i am being reacquainted with an old friend. i have not purposefully been ignoring the blog as of late, although it may appear that way; i have just been at a lost of what to write. there is just too much.

our initially plan in the making of this blog was to create an outlet for our funny stories/embarrassing moments. we figured that everyone might as well get a good laugh out of our lives... cause we sure do. and yes, the blog has in some ways served that very purpose. however, it has also been a place for us to release emotions and attempt to capture the feelings that we hope to remember months even years down the road. we are storing our college experience on this here website. oh technology!

over the course of these past few weeks, there have been many nights that i have opened up the trusty ole blog in hopes of putting my feelings into words. sadly, i have been most unsuccessful. there has been too much swimming around in my head, and i have been unable to organize it all. i think, though, that i am slowly becoming far enough removed from some situations that i can wrap my head around them a little more. 

moving home from tuscaloosa after freshman year ending was one of the weirdest experiences. my last blog post was written on my last night in ttown. although, i knew it was my last night, there was simply no way to prepare for what was to come the following day. i've told katie k this numerous times, but for me, things in high school moved at a snails pace. i lived my life always waiting for the next big thing: christmas, birthdays, summer, senior year, graduation, etc. i was never fully happy with where i was, and it was not that i was ok with that; it was just the way it was. i used to get mad at myself all the time for "wishing away high school." i had a couple of hard things happen to me during my junior year, and from that point on, i was just done. i had a hard time truly enjoying the rest of my days as a high schooler because mentally i had already moved on. 

i hated that position that i had found myself in and made a point for college not to be a repeat of the past. this year at alabama was so vastly different from anything i experienced in high school. something new and exciting was always going on, so there was no reason to be living for the next break or holiday. i felt like christmas snuck up on me. all of the sudden, fall semester was over, and it was onto spring semester. spring break came and went in a flash, and now summer is upon us. not once did i stop and wish it were not the day that it was. ok, that might be a lie, but hopefully you are catching my drift...

while i was overwhelmingly thankful that i had such an amazing time this past year, it posed a very interesting situation on may 6th. may 5th was just like any other day. i took an exam, got a good nap in, and camped out in a variety of libraries that night to study. may 6th even started out fairly normal. i took my last exam, ran some errands, and ending crashing in my bed. may 6th did not end like a normal day though. over the course of about 4 hours, my warm and cozy dorm room that housed every memory from the past two semesters was packed into boxes and loaded up in a sequoia and an xterra. there was absolutely nothing fun or poetic about it. i turned my room keys over to r.a. david and was schlotzsky's bound to grab dinner with mom and dad. everything was happening incredibly fast; nothing was processing. all i knew was that i had been on the verge of tears for hours at this point, and it wasn't going to be held back much longer. 

my drive home was one filled with dave matthews, many tears, and some pretty unforgivable driving. as i was driving that hour alone with my parents in the car behind me, i was hauntingly reminded of a similar day a mere nine months before. a few factors were different: the type of vehicle, the time of day, and the direction we were driving. but the big things were the same: a big life change was happening accompanied by a lot of tears. as i drove to tuscaloosa back in august, i was one scared high school graduate. i had no idea what i was getting into and would have given anything to turn my little car around and get the heck back to birmingham. obviously, i did not get my way. i moved into riverside that day. now a year of college later, i had shed the old riverside suite and was, much to my dismay, headed in the direction of birmingham. and as i drove, i came to the realization that yes i was sad this chapter of my life was over. i will never be a freshman again, but because of how much i have loved my life these past months, it must mean that the tears i was crying were tears of joy! 

the lord answered my prayers. i was allowed to cry, but i could be nothing but thankful. 

so this blog post turned into a short novel. if you have made it to this point, i applaud you! i have all the sudden become very self-conscious of  what i just wrote because i doubt many if any of you had similar experiences. you are all probably thinking that i will be back in the fall, so i should just get over myself. and yes, you are probably right. however, i embrace the emotion that i show these days as much as possible because i have not always been an emotional gal. there was a time in my life that i was physically incapable of tears. since i overcame that, i have become immensely grateful for those little drops of water streaming down my face. they are few and far between, so consider yourself lucky if you ever get to witness them!

i am going to close with that rather odd thought. i promise to follow this blog post up with some very "fluffy" ones. i owe it to the blog. i've got plenty of good stories racking up. just you wait...

excited that the bachelorette premiers tomorrow night, 
b

p.s. the blog will never die. don't listen to the blasphemous words of my roommate. 

Friday, May 15, 2009

Blog by popular demand

I have a deep fear that this thing is going to die over the summer. Thankfully, I have people like Kendall and Graham to keep me accountable.

Summer so far has been everything I hoped it would be. I have slept an unbelievable amount, gotten together with friends, and been an all-around bum. I finally finished High Fidelity after starting it over Christmas Break. I really enjoyed it. I liked how the ending was different from the movie because it made it fresh and interesting for me. 

Yesterday was a surprisingly eventful day. I got up early to trek back to Tuscy for tours. The campus was post-rapture dead. It was weird. The sidewalks that are usually packed with students were empty, and it was silent where you would normally hear friends conversing on the way to class. I ate a sad Chick-fil-a lunch in the deserted Ferg, but I got to catch up with Marge on the phone! After my tours, I drove back to Birmingham where Sarah paid a visit to the Kallam house! We caught up, facebook stalked, and ate spaghetti. Then, I introduced her to Doodles.

Now, for you non-Birminghamians (?) Doodles is a small trailer that sells delicious Italian ice. (Similar to Summer Snow for you Tuscaloosa kids). There is a big open field where you eat your frozen treat and there were a lot of families with little kids there last night. Sarah and I immediately tried to gather rapport with the children. There was one red-headed boy in particular that was rather annoying. He bounced around the field like a frog, loudly emitting the noise, "Whap! Whap! Whap!" Sarah and I began to recall our childhoods and how Sarah was often told as a child, "Don't make noise, just to make noise." Oh, the days of making noise, just because you liked the sound of it. I regret that we never made dandelion crowns. 

After Doodles, we watched Twilight. It was both of our third time, but we had allowed the proper amount of time to pass so that it was perfect. I remembered just why I love Edward Cullen as much as I do. It was also my first time to watch it since completing the book series. So I had newly gained perspective on the movie.

Tonight was the perfect night. I had the house to myself, ordered Asian Wok, and watched the LOST finale. (WHICH BLEW MY MIND BY THE WAY. I mean, I cried.) I leave for Haiti on Tuesday. It sure has sneaked up on me. But I'm still so excited to see what happens.

I miss so many of my friends! 

I realize this is a pretty boring post, but these are the most exciting things that have been happening in my life recently. I'm craving a cupcake. Someone bring me one, plz.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

i murdered the dance floor. call the cops!

i realize that katie k just wrote a similar-ish blog post, but it's the end of the year... it's called for...

it is my final night in tuscaloosa. i am sitting in gorgas pulling my last all nighter of freshman year, and i find it ironically appropriate. i have come to love these long nights alone, just me and my computer. while i am not a senior and having to jump into the real world after graduation on saturday, i am allowing myself to be upset that my freshman year has come to an end. no one can take that away from me! 1/4th of my college experience is behind me... 1/5th if plan B has to be put into action. i have been talking about my state of depression for about a week now, but it hit me for real tonight. this is it. tomorrow night i'll be asleep in my bed in birmingham. 

these past 9 months have been the best months of my life to date... i have loved every minute of them. i could write a book full of the stories that have accumulated over the course of the school year. i have so many wonderful memories. the friendships i have made, i know will last a lifetime. i have found people that care about me and want the best for me. i thank god as often as i think of it for blessing me with such an amazing freshman experience at alabama. roll tide. 

here i have compiled a list of the year's highlights (at least those i could think of off the top of my head). they might make sense to you, but maybe not. enjoy decoding... 
tri kappa chi
b-stud
riverwood presbyterian church
the riverwalk
band parties. swing dancing. 
chicago marathon
rose towers
sigma chi rave swap
xo homecoming dance competition
alabama dominated auburn
old bryce
xo tacky christmas
double bird strike
how i met your mother
chi omega initiation... finally (coffin and all)
epic weekend at mallie's mountain house
13th street
game night... specifically taboo
brett dennen/erin mccarley concert
myers-briggs personality test
ato formal in nola
pulling all nighters... gorgas to rodgers to panera 
i'm on a boat
vero beach, florida
navigators
climbing the silo
adam naylor and i have to same birthday!!
discovering dave matthews... and my first dave concert
sitting on the front steps of gorgas
... and many, many more!

in closing, there are two people i would like to specifically shout out. there are so many people who have made an impact on my life this year and have been there for me through the good and the bad. but tonight katie kallam and elizabeth price are the lucky recipients of a blog shout out. 

katie k and i have known each other since elementary school. we have always had a special bond because we share the greatest name ever, but this year katie has become my best friend. she really is my other half; we balance each other out. we have lived together all year, and yet i can't think of one fight we have had. she loves me, listens to me, knows everything about me, and most importantly puts up with me. i can't wait for round 2 next year! what am i going to do all summer without her? i love you, katie.

lizzy, on the other hand, i met for the first time on pref night during rush in the chi omega house. she is by far the best thing chi o has done for me! i feel like i have known her forever, and i know that she genuinely cares about me. we talk about anything and everything, and i love that. even more importantly, she has been an incredible example to me of what a christian is. she has become irreplaceable in my life. oh and we have become convinced over the course of the year that we are actually sisters. can't you see the resemblance? thank you for everything, liz. i love you and cannot wait to spend the summer with you in vermont!

yours... for the last time as a freshman,
b

p.s. the title of this blog post is a quote from my new favorite website... textsfromlastnight.com... read it. love it. 

Monday, May 4, 2009

Before we're changing like the seasons in our dreams..

Ok, around finals time, I'm always looking for new means of procrastination. One of my favorite methods of avoiding work is reading other people's blogs. I find myself frustrated when no one seems to be updating, but then I realized that I hadn't yet blogged this week. So, for all of you out there looking to procrastinate, this one's for you.

Summer this year is a paradox for me. Let's look at this from both sides. On the one hand, it cannot get here fast enough. I'm so sick of classes, schedule, and work. I yearn for my front porch with a good book and a rockin' summer playlist. I want to sleep until I wake up and then catch up on Top Chef in the bonus room. I want to go to the pool and read Entertainment Weekly. I want to go to the beach with my family and play Monopoly and eat M&Ms. I want to get thrown out of my comfort zone to minister to the people of Haiti. I want to catch up with old friends and sit outside the Starbucks by Fresh Market on a humid night. I'm three finals and four days away from this bliss.

Then again, there are things I don't want summer to bring with it. I don't want summer to take Katie to Vermont and Margaret to California and Sarah to Africa. I don't want to move out of my dorm room in Riverside and the memories it holds. I feel like I'm just getting moved in. I don't want to admit to myself that my freshman year of college is over, and I'm three years away from the terrifying precipice of real life. I don't want to be separated from the people that I see everyday. I don't want my friends who are juniors to become my friends who are seniors and then go off and leave me. I don't want to experience withdraws from Jimmy John's, Pita Pit, and Bento. I'll miss watching shows on a Monday night at 13th Street. I'll actually miss not planning every hour of my day and working towards a goal.

But then there's next year. The summer will end, and I'll be sad to see it go. The fall will come and it will be exciting and familiar and busy. I'll be ready for schedule and something to keep me busy, but until then I'm left feeling nostalgic and sentimental and antsy as I should be studying.

So there you have it. A paradox within my personality. What else is new, though? I am a self-proclaimed walking contradiction. Here's to summer and an awesome freshman year. 

That was cathartic.

Happy Studying,
Katie K.