Sixteen Things

Want to learn more about me, or at least learn about some of the things I learned in 2016? Then keep reading!!

1. Family is the greatest gift in life… I am so thankful for all of the things my parents have allowed me to do. The memories I have made with my family are ones I will cherish FOREVER!! If you are reading this {which honestly I feel like only my family does go on my blog at times}, THANK YOU and I love y’all… forever and always.

1. People are constantly changing… Even people who you once believed you were closest to, and thats okie!! You learn who your real friends are through experience, trial and error, and just through living life the way YOU want to, rather than catering your life to them. Although people change, do NOT let them change you. I love the people I have met throughout this crazy and bumpy year, the friends I have managed to keep {and new ones I have managed to make}, and my family who continuously supports me.

1. There is STILL so much to learn... I don't know how to fill out tax forms. I have yet to get a job or an internship and I am already 21 {BUT I have an internship in Barcelona this summer!!} I don't know how to budget money {too well} because shopping just so happens to be a hobby of mine. I feel as though there is so much to learn and experience in life, and so many people are in such a rush to grow up...

2. It takes time, patience, and effort to rent a house... Yes, I said RENT A HOUSE!! I finally have my house selected for my senior year of college and I can't wait to move in!! Although I don't want to rush through the rest of my junior year, considering I have SOOO much ahead of my, I learned you actually have to read contracts {even if they are 18 pages}, because you need to know what you're getting yourself into... ALSO your dad may test you on the things that are listed in the contract thinking you weren't going to read it {Were you impressed dad?} Can't wait to decorate our living area, and have a room and bathroom ALL TO MYSELF!! No more shower shoes. No more broken oven. Bigger refrigerator. AND a whole third floor to myself with a king bed baby!! Can't wait to move into the BABE CAVE with mah gals!!

1. Heartbreak is a part of life… No I “technically” did not have a boyfriend in 2016 {honestly only have had one boyfriend and it was my sophomore year of high school}, but yes it is possible to have your heart broken by somebody who is just a friend. We thought of each other as more, we FaceTimed weekly, we texted daily, and we saw each other when we could. Ultimately the whole “long distance” thing couldn't work for who knows what reason BUT it broke my heart. To this day we remain friends, and we talk sometimes; however, I don't think it will or can ever be the same. Who knows what’s to come in 2017 though!!

2. Home is where my heart will forever and always be... Although Texas has been my home away from home for the past 2.5 years {up to date}, and I will be attending TCU for at least one extra semester after senior year, I know for a fact that I will be coming home. Even though it may not be in Los Angeles {cause I have ALWAYS wanted to live in San Diego or Laguna}, California has my heart. California has my childhood memories, my friends {not all of them of course... but a lot} that mean so much to me, the majority of my family, etc... BUT for now, it's time to say ADIOS CALIFORNIA cause Spain is going to be my home starting in nine days!!

1. You don't have to always end up drinking and // or going out to have fun… Honestly, coming into college, I had a WHOLE other idea of what it was actually going to be like. Everybody told me how fun college was. Movies always portrayed college as the “party” years… Freshman year, I would catch myself going out Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and // or Saturday, and looking back on that I have ABSOLUTELY no idea how I did that. Junior year {thus far}, I have felt so much like a grandma {not making fun of you Nana or Nanie if you're reading this… I swear}!! I’m not going to lie and say I didn't drink before I was 21, but now that I am of age and not drinking as much, I have found so many other things to occupy and fill my life up with. The nights I do go out and drink, are not always as fun as they work themselves up to be… I PROMISE YOU. {Side note: if you are to drink, Titos and HEB sparkling lime water is a good go to!!}

1. Dogs make life so much better... Honestly pets are the cure to anything and everything!! Broken heart? Go pet a puppy. Rough bio-mechanical engineering exam? Go pet a puppy. Death? Foster a puppy for a week or two {It really helps... even when you sneak it in the sorority house where no animals are allowed}. One of the BEST parts of arriving home after being at school for months at a time is being greeted at the door with love and kisses from my pups!! Who needs boys when you have dogs? Who needs to go out and party when you have a dog to cuddle and Netflix with?

1. Sometimes a lil spontaneous adventure is all you need… When you need to clear your mind, if you want to spend time with friends you love, or just for the fun of it… I mean why wouldn't you?! Go to the pumpkin patch. Go to the movies. Drive around the town you thought you knew. Go look at Christmas lights. Blast your music and sing along to it as though nobody is watching… Honestly you may make the person’s day you're driving next to. I was driving, singing, AND dancing {I know… multitasking that much is impressive}, and the old man next to me started laughing and dancing along to my music in bumper to bumper traffic.

1. TWENTY ONE is not always fun… But life is a roller coaster!! It is so insane looking back on everything that has happened this year… Seeing all of the pictures I have taken in all of the places I have visited… Looking back on the adventures I have been on… Seeing all the people I have had different relations with!! So much happens in just a year: school, exams, friends, death, new life, travel, etc… Life is supposed to be full of celebration. Just look how far you have come!! Life is an amazing thing that we are all blessed with and we can’t take advantage of it because you never know how and // or when it will come to an end. I had SOOO much fun in Austin celebrating my birthday with my friends and the memories I have made this year will last a lifetime.

1. Sleep is ALWAYS a good thing… Honestly, sleep or food are my go to options these days. Both have the ability to replenish you and refuel you so that you feel like you can take on the world. Nap after a long day of class, sleep in until noon, try new foods, or try going to different restaurants!! Although, to this day, I claim that I will never try fish or sushi, my friends have introduced me to both Thai food and Pho… SO YUMMYYYYYY!!

1. Football games are fun… Yes, even when you are not tipsy and have alcohol in your system!! Freshman year I would always go HAM at tailgates, yet this year I did not tailgate once and I had a BLAST at every game I attended. Whether it was TCU {supporting my school… GO FROGS} or whether it was USC {supporting my could've been school}. Although I wish I could actually understand the game A LOT more than I do at this point in my life, sports games are so much fun when you get to spend time with friends and // or family… Nana, if you are reading this, I would still LOVE for you to explain the game to me.

1. Death is something that is extremely hard when faced with… BUT as my dad once told me, “Don’t take life too seriously… no one’s made it out alive yet.” It is heartbreaking when we are faced with death, especially if it is a death of someone super close to us, someone who meant something to us. We have to understand that death is a way of life and we have to put our trust into God. Although I will never understand why so many things happen, there is a little bit of hope that remains inside of me that everything happens for a reason. It was mind blowing that just after the death of my friend, Robby, I attended church the next weekend, and we got into scripture that discussed death and why God chooses certain people to enter the golden gates of heaven. I literally bawled my eyes out and got the chills all over during that service.

1. You canNOT use parchment paper if you are planning on using the broil setting for the oven… Having lived in the sorority house my second year in a row, broil is the ONLY setting that worked and I had to figure out what I could and couldn’t make and // or bake with a quality oven. I would consistently make my own food cause I LOVE cooking, so when my cooking went bad, I could always count on my mama to pick up the phone {or FaceTime} to help me out.

1. Sometimes you gotta pamper yourself… Put on a face mask, light some candles, use some Mr. Bubbles, and throw a bath bomb into the mix, and have a day and // or night to yourself!! Sometimes you just gotta have some alone time. Reflect on all the life changing experiences you have had. Journal what your heart is actually feeling and write about the things you cant tell anybody… the things you have had bottled up and want to let go. Put on a face of make up, get dressed up, and treat yo self cause NOBODY is you, and you are perfect even when you think you aren’t!!

1. Traveling is AH-MAZING for the mind, soul, and body… Whenever you are given the opportunity to travel, take advantage of it!! By traveling you are indulging yourself into new cultures, new experiences, and enabling yourself to learn a lot about yourself and the world you live in. Take advantage of the cities, states, and even countries around you. I have been so blessed with the travel-bug, and I am so lucky to even have friends and families in other cities and states. In 2016, I have traveled throughout the majority of Texas {College Station, Houston, Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth}, and I have been to Hawaii, Texas, Chicago, Boston, California, and New York all within a span of just twelve months!! As I make my way into 2017, I am now about to embark on a journey of a lifetime… about 8 {or more} months in EUROPE!! HOW FREAKIN CRAZY!!