Well, my sophomore year of college is almost over. I cannot believe how fast it has gone by. This time next week I’ll only have one more final to go, but there is still plenty to do before then, including “Fun Week”.

Fun Week is the finals week of Fontbonne where my roommate and I incorporate something fun to do each day. We’re pretty busy with finals and projects and other school work, but we’re still going to fit some fun things in! We’re planning on checking out a lot of retail places we’ve never been before. Soft Surroundings, CLR MSTR, ReFresh, and The Limited are on the list. We even have coupons for a couple places. A little retail therapy between tests will be nice! We’re also planning on going to a burger place downtown called Bailey’s Range for dinner. It was highly recommended by a friend. There’s a fashion exhibition in the Loop we’re going to look at one day. For an afternoon snack we’re taking a trip to Trader Joe’s. I’ve never been. There’s lots of fun happening during fun week!

On a side note, last Friday’s Springfest concert was a great time. Fontbonne isn’t as boring as you might think on the weekend!

Thanks for reading..

I love it when the sun is shining, faces are smiling, and good vibes are all around.

Here are some events/activities that happened recently that fulfilled those requirements:

I explored Creve Coeur Park with these lovely people (Iris, Carlos, Ben, and Bryar who isn't pictured).

Fontbonne Current Students and Alumni got together to volunteer at City Seeds Urban Farm with Gateway Greening.

I got to visit Grant's Farm for the first time with a group of Students and Residence Hall Association.

We even got to feed baby goats at Grant's Farm!

Enjoying a spur of the moment picnic at Oak Knoll Park!

Having some picture-taking fun in Medaille Meadow on campus.

Peace, Love, & Beautiful Weather.

Mar 24, do you think it is spring? Probably not for the St. Louis area this year.

Last Sunday (Mar24) we got a heavy storm snow in the St. Louis area, and the depth of snow was 10 inches. My friend and I tried to drive to church to join the service, however, it was so hard to control the car and we saw many serious car accidents after we drove just 10 minutes. We decided to go back home after we tried to drive 10 minutes, since safety will be the first priority. At least, we tried.

It was my first time to see snow at the end of March. Isn’t it supposed to be Spring?

According to the National Weather Service in St. Louis, we got 12.7 inches of snowfall Sunday at Lambert International Airport, MO.  Moreover, this late season snow event broke records. The last time it snowed this much in March was over 100 years ago. 12.1 inches of snowfall on March 24^th, 1912.

Should kids say “let it snow, let it snow, let it snow?” Apparently not for March this year.

Have I mentioned my favorite restaurant ever in the whole entire world is right here in St. Louis? I haven’t? Well, consider it mentioned. PuraVegan is indeed my favorite restaurant ever, and if you know me at all you won’t be surprised that they serve mostly raw, 100% vegan, über-healthy food.

But before you stop reading and head to McDonald’s, hold up a second. It’s actually tasty food, too! And I’ve brought several friends and family members (even my carnivore father) along for a meal and they hold up my opinion. I’m personally a fan of the stellar raw noodles they make from zucchini, yellow squash, and sweet potatoes, but they also have great raw deserts, wraps, salads – even burgers.

So if you’d like to dabble in raw/vegan food with limited effort on your part, head on down to PuraVegan! I think you’ll be glad you did.

Their website: http://www.puravegan.com

I’ve got another neighborhood highlight for ya this week: Dogtown.  Traditionally an Irish neighborhood, it’s home of the most authentic St. Patrick’s Day parade in the STL – put on by the Ancient Order of Hibernians. I’m not certain exactly what that means, but it sure does sound authentic, right?

I’m pleased to report that I went to the parade for the first time this Sunday and it was just wonderful! I’ll admit it was rather cold, but the fun and festivities helped keep it enjoyable. I saw lots of floats, got a bunch of beads, and pretended I was Irish for the day.  And isn’t that what St. Patrick’s Day is all about?

During the school year, I never really have a ton of time to engage in the purely-American tradition of watching primetime TV. And, honestly, I really don’t like TV all that much to begin with. But, even so, I do enjoy watching a few shows; namely, “The Big Bang Theory,” “Jeopardy!” (for which I’ll be taking the online test in March in hopes of being on the college tournament – wish me luck!), “Emily Owens M.D.” (which was cancelled, much to my dismay), and “The Amazing Race.”

Tomorrow night, the next season of “The Amazing Race” will begin. I’ve always loved this show because it allows me to travel the world and experience various cultures while sitting in my spot on the couch. (I openly admit that, like Sheldon Cooper on “The Big Bang Theory,” I do have my special spot on the couch around which my entire universe revolves.) I’ve loved that show since the very beginning, and I think it would be awesome to be a contestant on it one day.

But as I think about watching this and other reality shows, I realize that my reality is much different. Instead of asking the question to the given answer or scarfing down a huge bowl of cheese while sitting on a Ferris wheel in a faraway country, I’ll be studying for the four tests that I have to take next week. I’ll be reviewing the evolutionary relationships among the central nervous systems of various species, the differences among the different types of biochemical reactions, and the equations related to electric fields. Is this as fun as backpacking on a race around the world? Arguably not. But, eventually, I’ll get somewhere special because of all of this studying, even if that special somewhere is a lab in the middle of the city of St. Louis.

And for those of you who need a quick pick-me-up break from studying, enjoy one of my very favorite guilty-pleasure clips from – you guessed it – “The Amazing Race.”

I missed the first day of my freshman year of high school.

I missed my first half-time dance as a Varsity cheerleader.

In a two week time span, I missed what I thought were going to be the most monumental moments of my life. Luckily, I was wrong.

If I close my eyes and go back to my freshman year of high school, I remember my biggest worries were whether or not my jeans fit perfectly, if my off-the-rack Rue 21 shirt hugged my newfound curves the right way, and if my quarterback boyfriend was going to lead the Montgomery County Wildcats to victory at the upcoming Friday night game. These thoughts consumed most of my time and energy—I kept lists of my outfits because I was afraid that I might repeat an outfit too quickly; I made cookies before the games thinking it was just the extra encouragement the football team needed. My world started and ended under Friday Night Lights.

Those Friday Night Lights no longer illuminate my world. My world is now lit by something much more monumental than a 60 yard pass…

On February 19th, 2010, my little brother was born, and let me tell you, his brown eyes shine way brighter than any football field. And in those big, bright eyes, I saw there was more to life than Friday Night Football. In his eyes I saw a boy who could do anything in the world, and a burning desire to help him accomplish whatever he set his mind to. But how could I do that if my biggest worry had always been high school football? I HAD to experience more for him.

Now I’m in St. Louis—learning, exploring, and growing (and loving every minute of it). I didn’t realize how much growing I had done until I went home for Thanksgiving break. It was there I realized that my life was exponentially different than it was my freshman year of high school. During this realization, I impulse-posted on Facebook how thankful I was to be out of Montgomery County, and it offended a lot of people…

This is my explanation: I saw a boy I wanted to give the world to. I knew I couldn’t give him the world if I stayed in Montgomery County. After spending a few much needed hours with him on Thanksgiving, I was able to recognize how thankful I was for the opportunity to expand my horizons, so I can one day let him know the world doesn’t start and end at the 50 yard line. His options are unlimited.

“It felt like I’d been living underground, and for a moment, I’d been given this glimpse of the sky. Once you’ve seen that, how can you go back where you came from?”
― Jodi Picoult, Handle With Care

As you may know, or may not know, this is my last semester as a college student. I have been looking forward to graduating a semester early from the beginning, but now that it is here, I want to rewind/take-it-back/say re-do. I want another semester to explore, another semester after that to have fun and another one after that… just because. I have learned so much about myself as a person, as a friend, as a girlfriend, as an ex, as a daughter, and as a student just in the last 3 months. It is crazzyy. I feel like I am just beginning, not ending this chapter in my life. . . Everything seems so backwards and I am not a fan.

I find myself quite unsure of things that were so concrete  in my life. How did those tangible ideas literally crumble? Don’t ask me, I would love to know the answer if you can find it.

I thought I wanted to go back home and enjoy life in Kentucky, with friends in Kentucky, but I am just so unsure. I want to stay another semester with the friends I love and the people I adore. I made the decision to graduate early in hopes of pushing fast-forward on life. I was over school, over the distance, over this Fontbonne life. I don’t think I could have been more wrong. One thing I have learned; nothing is certain, no matter how adamant you are or how permanent something feels. I love this Fontbonne life, I love this city.

So, what to do? Think. Think about myself. Be selfish. This is MY life after all, I am in control here. Not my prospective job, not my vision of my “perfect life,” not the “what if’s.” I will not restrict myself. I owe that to myself, and to be honest, that is exciting for me.

Ok, enough with the negative. I am excited to experience an actual “big girl job.” I hope I get that opportunity sooner rather than later, but I am not too concerned. Taking it one day at a time.

I have learned to:

Replace yes with no

Work hard and enjoy the results

Let people help me

Think of myself

Take a rest day, or 20…

Stay up late, and I mean late. It is always an adventure even if you stay in your room

Appreciate friends and to tell them they are loved

Make my own wooden frames

Balance fun with work

Be assertive

Be a free spirit

&

To trust yet always be unconvinced

__________

Side Note:

Usually when I arrive to St.Louis and I see the arch, I cry. I get sad, I get angry. The arch is a sign that I am leaving family, friends, a love, for an extended amount of time. This last time, driving back from thanksgiving break, I saw the arch and I smiled. I got butterflies, I was excited I was happy. I am ready to be present in my st. louis life, with no regrets. A great feeling to have. Even if I only have a week left.

Thanks for reading!

Kelia

I love St. Louis for many reasons. This week I am loving that it is a big enough city to host the performance from a Beatle. That’s right. I was a lucky one at the Paul McCartney concert this past Sunday! An evening spent with one of the most legendary musicians in history makes for an unforgettable night, to say the least. Even though The Beatles’ British invasion occurred way before my time, their music has still impacted my life greatly. Thanks to my parents, I grew up with such fun, beautiful, and inspirational music.

Throughout the night, there were multiple songs to get emotional about, especially when Paul sang “Blackbird.” Written during the Civil Rights Movement, it is about keeping faith and hope, even during a dark time in life. When I hear this, I tell myself to never give up, no matter how tough a situation may seem. Everything WILL be alright. It was amazing to hear this live. What songs make you emotional? Surely there are some that really resonate with you.

The overall lesson to learn here is: come to St. Louis. There are ALWAYS exciting events going on. (Although, it may be tough to beat Sir Paul McCartney. Just saying.)

Going to college in St. Louis, you should be well aware that the weather changes quite frequently! The past couple of days the weather has been fairly bipolar. This weekend was absolutely gorgeous outside! I loved driving with my windows rolled down, and my music blaring, and being able to wear my shorts again! It was a nice break from the fall temperatures. But within the matter of hours it went from sunny and hot to raining and freezing! Then today, it was a shocking cold! I wore my Bear Paws (Knock off Uggs) yoga pants, a hoodie, and a scarf! It was too cold! If you choose any school in Missouri, be prepared for any season’s weather, not during it’s own season! Don’t be afraid of this either, cause it allows you to mix up your outfits a lot more frequently! You can have clear, blue skies one day, and snow the next and I wouldn’t change it for a thing! I love St. Louis’ bipolar weather!