Closing Time

With graduation vastly approaching, all I can think of is everything that I have been through while at SFA. I have made some AMAZING memories from meeting some of my best friends to falling in love; not just with the town and the people but the memories that will live forever.

From performing with the band in front of a sold-out crowd at Homer Bryce Stadium to coaching soccer for the CrazyLegs. Every single moment was a life lesson and through it all I've learned how to hold my head high and be the best I can be; and through it all there was always a light at the end of the tunnel.

I have two people to thank for bringing me to SFA; my aunt, Caryn and her mom, Jerry. I do not know how they knew I would fall in love with SFA, but somehow they knew and their assumptions were correct.

I stepped onto the campus in 2006 and there was an instant connection. High school, looking back, was more of a stomping ground for my future. I didn't cry at my high school graduation because by the time graduation rolled around I was so fed up with all the falseness that I didn't care because I knew I wasn't going to ever see any of these people again.

College. That is a whole different story. I built my life in this town and want to continue to be a part of this town for many years to come. I have found myself part of something worth fighting for. I know that sounds weird but the first two years at SFA I really didn't care. I was still in that mode from high school where I just didn't care. 

It wasn't until about 2008, when I came back from Disney, that I really started to focus on what I really wanted out of life and SFA. Disney really helped me realize that I needed to find my purpose and focus on my degree and graduate.

So I finally found a major that spoke to me and I buckled down got to work! Now it's 2011 and I am literally 5 days away from walking across the stage at the Coliseum  and my career at SFA coming to a close. It's a very sad ending, but it's really not the end because I am staying in Nacogdoches, hopefully for a very long time.

A part of my heart will always belong to SFA and Saturday will be a momentous occasion. It's been long over due but part of me doesn't want to walk across that stage because that really closes the SFA chapter in my book...

But to every end there is a new beginning right?

Thanks, SFA, for the best 5.5 years I could have ever asked for! 

When You Lose

I'm not talking about a sporting event.
I'm not talking about money.
I'm not talking about your car keys, or wallet, or phone.
I'm talking about a friend.

When you lose a friend it's hard, but when you and your best friend fall apart and don't speak for over three years, that's something that's really hard to swallow.

Taylor, was one of my best friends while I was at Disney World. We lived right next door to each other, we worked together and if that wasn't enough he basically became my big brother, oh yeah... and I had a minor crush on him for about a month.

Now, my roommates might say otherwise and that I crushed on him for like the 8 months I was there but that is wrong because here is the evidence to prove it: 

January 28, 2008: I had my first meet-and-greet with Disney people and my CP (college program) began

January 29, 2008: We, my roommates and I, decided to have a looksy and investigate who our neighbors were. This is when I initially met Taylor and started to crush.

February 28, 2008: My 20th birthday... The ABSOLUTE WORST birthday I've ever had. I won't go into details but this is basically when my hatred for another cast member started and my crush became more of a heartbreak than anything else.

So there you have it. One month, almost to the day...
Anyways, that's not what I was getting at. 

I was on Facebook this evening and noticed an update from Taylor and that said he had changed his profile picture. Being nosy, I looked. Well, he now has a girlfriend and seems really happy.

I am beyond happy that he has found someone and so excited for whatever he has planned in his life, I just wish I was still part of it.

Even a text, once every blue moon, would make me feel as if my friendship meant something and I didn't waste my time or my heart on some one who was just going to throw me away.

I have tried to keep in contact, but he seems to want no part in my life. Which is fine, I just wish there were verbal actions rather than ignoring messages.

Taylor, was seriously one of the best friends I have ever had and I am so mad that I let our friendship dwindle into nothing. I really wish I had gone to his brothers wedding and to Taylor's graduation. I really wish I had tried harder.

Before Taylor left on May 16, 2008 (yes, I still remember the last time I saw him) I wrote him a five page note, front and back, telling him everything I felt in my heart and everything I've ever felt for him. Some of it might have been on the romantic side but most of it was to thank him for being there whenever I needed him and always having my back even if that meant standing up for something he didn't believe in.

I don't expect him to read this, and I really don't expect much, but I just had to put these thoughts some where and why not here.

But Taylor, if you do read this please know that I will always love you. You were like my big brother at Disney and always looked after me. You shaped me and my ability to handle certain situations and never once gave up on me. Yes, we had our moments were we stopped talking to each other but we always seemed to forget about 3 days later and go back to being crazy old us. I miss FUPA hunting, I miss the random trips to the shopping outlet, Walmart, the parks. I miss your laugh and how funny it was to see you drunk. You really made a lasting impression on me and I really hope you are happy. I want you to know that I never once gave up on our friendship, but I may have let it go a little to long without a hello of some sort. You were one of the best friends I've ever had and I could not be more thankful for you. I hope to one day reconnect, but if not I am honored to have gotten to be you BFF for those 3 months, that ended up feeling like a lifetime.

I don't really know what to write about.

I have so much going on in my life right now, some of which I want to keep private, but other stuff I want to scream it from the top of Mount Everest!

I'll start with this: I am super nervous about my first day at State Farm on Tuesday. I feel like I am going to fit in very well there and do just fine but I feel like maybe I rushed this. I mean, I'm only 23 and I just feel really young. I mean I feel old because I am the oldest amongst my friends, but I just really hope I am ready for everything this job is wanting. I mean I get to have my own office. None of my other friends have their own office. I get my own name plate and everything. It's a HUGE step toward something great and I am so blessed, beyond blessed, to have even gotten this opportunity and hopefully I'll be able to live up to the big hype that has been created! I have no doubt I'll go in there and ROCK IT! But it's going to be WAY different than any other job I have ever had, so you know what I am going to walk in with my head held high and give it everything I've got! Be the best I can be and give it 150% like I always do!

 

  

Next, is the boy. I know it's been a while since I've even mentioned RTJ, but things are going very well! I am so glad to have him in my life and glad God blessed me with such a great guy. It took a lot of heartbreaks and pain but truly when you least expect it, God blesses you with what you thought you never needed :)

Roommates: my roommates are just beyond awesome! Today they even dresses similar. The other day they were in here rolling around in living room laughing their BUTTS off! I love my roommates and they are seriously some of my best friends! Could not imagine my life without either of them!!

Well tomorrow is my last day at Smoothie King and it's bitter sweet. I honestly could have seen myself owning that store and living in Nacogdoches, but sometimes this funny thing called life comes up from behind you and brings changes that will either be for the best or help you learn and grow! So here is to life and love :)

Sometimes life (just) happens...

I Do

not for a while! lol so don't get any ideas that I am planning a wedding or anything like that! BUT it is always fun to attend weddings or use stumbleupon as a source for creative ideas I might one day use...

Which, you guessed it, is exactly what I am doing. I'm just in a romantic kind of mood and I love seeing happy endings and such like that. It's always cool to see peoples colors and dresses and I love the designs of weddings.

I already know my colors, I mean if you know me you know my main color is purple. But not SFA purple more like a deep satin purple. I basically have a lot planned out but AGAIN it is all in my head and I am YEARS AWAY from planning a wedding.

Even though I am years away and I have no reason to look at things related to weddings, it's always fun to feel the magic.

Getting My Groove Back

For the past two weeks I have seriously been exhausted. Going from one strenuous job to overloading my brain at the next really takes a toll on you! I haven't really had time to myself to do anything like workout or anything like that. All I have done is sleep, go to work and sleep. I've done some cleaning in between naps and working but most of the time I can't keep my eyes open. Any time I lye down my eyes are pulled shut.

Yvette and Abby have been doing P90X and I really want to do it with them but I just haven't had the energy so I watch them. I feel like the biggest bum in the world just watching them. So we went to Chilly's today and I was watching everyone that walked in and I just felt fat. I mean I felt like my stomach was growing by the second. 

So I called up Scott, my trainer, and asked if he could meet me at the stadium for a workout. Well, we scheduled one for tomorrow morning at 8AM and hopefully this will kick start my enthusiasm for working out again. But even though Scott didn't meet me tonight, I still went up to the stadium and ran my butt off!

I ran up the concourse hill 10 times, I did some sprints, I did some abs, I did lunges from the goal line to the 50 yardline, and also did some push-ups. Oh, and I threw up my dinner. My legs were shaking, my arms were shaking, I was surprised I was able to drive home...

I don't think I've worked out that hard since the last time I worked out with Scott, nearly two weeks ago. I'm not going to slip. I can't cascade to 220 pounds again. I'm no where near that or no where near 200 pounds either but the thought of weighing more than 180 scares me. 

I know the scale means nothing, because I have only 20% body fat, but I go on how I feel. I base everything, weight wise, off of the way I feel and lately I've felt nothing but fat. I don't know what it is but I've got to find that nitch to get me back on track!

To You

One of my favorite pictures :)

Another great photo

Sharon's wedding. She was gorgeous!

Good-byes are always the hardest

On October 1, 2008, began a journey and an adventure I could never forget. 

I had just gotten back from Disney in August and was running low on money, so I took it upon myself to get out there and find myself a job. I applied to one place, and one place only: Smoothie King. There was a Smoothie King back in my hometown and I had applied there several times and never heard anything from them so I took a shot in the dark and applied at the one in Nacogdoches. I knew this meant going back home for the breaks was going to be harder because if I got the job I didn't want to press my luck with asking for a TON of days off because I was still living in the dorms.

Well, lucky for me, the manager at the time Linsey was awesome! She completely understood and on the day of my interview  I was so nervous. I had been in there several times to check on my application, and I had been in there before so I knew she was the manager, but she always told me, "the manager will call you if they want to interview you." And you know what... I got that call. She called me the next day and offered me the job and of course I took it.

I wanted so bad to impress everyone working there I gave 120% every single time I worked. I hardly ever gave up a shift because of school, I took people's shifts and I even overloaded myself with a few doubles because I wanted to prove that  I was worth Linsey hiring me. My day to prove myself came on March 18, 2009. I had been working there for about 5 months and was just trained on the cash register and so Linsey thought it would be best to just leave the store with me there, by myself, working the register... for the first time.

I literally remember that day because I was SLAMMED! I mean, I'm talking like 20 or more people were waiting for their smoothies. Linsey was very crafty at how she managed the store. She had several people, that she knew, come in and see how I was doing. I honestly thought I had lost my job that day. I went back to my dorm after work and literally cried for like an hour because I thought I had done so poorly that my job was on the line.

Linsey called me around 9PM and told me that she was very impressed with my efforts today and that she made the right choice in hiring me and that she trusted in me. Those words ring in my head still to this day. Nearly three years later I am still working at Smoothie King and I love it. Three years later and I still live up to Linsey expectations and anytime I do something I always, always have Linsey in my mind.

In May of 2010, I was promoted to co-manager with Anna. The first couple of months were rather hard because I had never been in any type of authoritative position, so it was hard for me to be bossy. That's what my sister is good at, love her to death, but she got those genes and I was dealt more of the passive type, but I had the guts to be mean whenever I really felt the need to.

Around August of 2010, Anna dropped down to one shift a week and I stepped up and took the full load. Maybe this was better for the store, but only time would tell. It was hard at first, and to be honest it still is. With all the reports and watching labor and trying to make the schedule and everything else that came with it. I still struggle, to this day, but it has all been worth it.

I came up with the SmoothieKing Nacogdoches Facebook page, created the Smoothie King 470 email list, I even brought the retail percentage back up to nearly 20%. I've given my heart and soul into this store and it's going to be so hard to turn my back and walk away.

July 3, 2011, is going to be a day full of tears and fear of the unknown. I interviewed at State Farm and got the job. I start off at part-time and they are working around my schedule while I am still in school and once I graduate in August they want to put me on as a full-time employee. State Farm wants me to start on July 1st, but I told them that out of respect to Smoothie King, and myself, I would need a little extra time to hire and train someone to take my place.

For the past three years I have worked with some and for some amazing people. Matt and Allison are some of the best bosses a person could ever had and I am honored and blessed to have created such a great relationship with them. God has blessed me with great employees and great bosses, that I honestly could not have asked for more.

It is going to be such a shock when I have to wake up and put on dressy clothes and drive past Smoothie King. It's going to be a different pace of life but it is going to be well embraced. It was time for a change and I think this is going to be a great opportunity for me, and for the store. I hope I have trained my employees well and I hope and wish the best for Smoothie King 470.


For three years, I gave it my all, and will continue to give it my all and everything I have left for the next 19-20 days. I cannot say I will not miss it because that would be one of the biggest lies I have ever told to not only myself but to anyone reading this. 


So here are to the stress filled days, days off and the best days of my life. Thank you Smoothie King for creating memories I could never forget.


From the bottom of my heart, I truly thank you for every moment.