Moving Forward and Leaving Behind

This has been my whole day.

This is my official last night in my apartment at College Station—this is the last post I'll write here in my cute little apartment. Yes, even with bare walls and boxes stacked on boxes, when I look around I still see my cute little apartment.

It's funny, it takes so long to make a place feel like your own. Then, in a matter of hours, it's all stripped bare again like you were never there.

It's bittersweet, moving out of this place. It's been a fantastic place to live while going to school down here. Bright, cheerful, and just the right size for a girl and her dog. But now that I've graduated, it's time to move on. Even though I know it's time to go, I'm still not happy about it. I've always had a hard time with change—even small changes make me anxious. Honestly, even positive changes make me uncomfortable, at least for a little while. I'm such a creature of habit, which I'm sure is the reason. But, at any rate, all this change has been hard for me.

My life, in boxes.

It's not just leaving this apartment—I've been so busy lately making a lot of changes, I'm kind of on overload. My inner self wants to curl up in a familiar place with familiar people and familiar things and rest, but that hasn't been in the cards lately.

Don't get me wrong, it's not all bad. In fact, actually, it's basically all good! The only "not good" would be my ability to handle change.


Still, it's all been positive. I'm the stick in the mud letting my mind linger on things, wallow in nostalgia, and wish that things could stay the same.

Art, off the wall.

It's funny how moving forward goes hand in hand with leaving behind. You can't really move forward without leaving something behind, and you definitely can't leave something behind unless you're moving forward. I guess it's all in how you look at life, and the things it throws your way. Me, I have a tendency to dwell on the Leaving Behind part. It's easier for me, because I already know about all that. That is, I know exactly what I'm leaving behind, whereas the "what's ahead" is such a mystery. What will it be like? Will I like it?

But I'm really trying to focus on the Moving Forward, and the excitement and anticipation of what comes next.

I have so much still ahead, and so many experiences on the horizon that are worth looking forward to. And no matter how scary the changes are, what kind of a life do you have if you sit stagnating because you're too afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and embrace life's possibilities?

My view right this second,
but with a trendy Instagram filter.

I know from experience that when you let yourself get too comfortable—no matter how easy it is—one day you wake up and realize you're stuck in a rut, unhappy, and wondering how life managed to slip by so fast.

So, to sum up this random introspective post—Goodbye, College Station! You've been good to me, Texas A&M has been great to me, and I'll miss you. But this is only the start, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Even if I am nervous about what "next" might be.

Oh, hello there, 2012.

I don't know about you guys, but I simply cannot believe 2011 is over! It was a pretty good year for me, so I'm sad to see it go. Accomplished a lot, had a lot of good times.

I have pretty high hopes for 2012, and I'm starting it off right—with a trip to Atlanta! I am so unbelievably excited. I'm tagging along with my Dad, who's going for a job. It's a vacation I really need, plus a chance to visit a very good friend of mine who moved to Georgia recently! The best part is, I'll be there for practically two weeks.

Like I said, I simply can't wait.

2011 ended in a bit of a whirlwind for me! Between graduation, Christmas, and New Year, it was over before I knew what had happened. Eventually (hopefully soon) I'll borrow Mom's camera and download the pictures she took of my ceremony.

It wasn't near as bad as I'd feared—I was really paranoid I was going to trip. I had also envisioned there being millions of people there. There weren't. It was big, for sure. We had a few thousand students graduating, so once we filed in and got seated, I felt like I'd be there forever. The walk across the stage went by in a flash—My parents said I booked it, but I didn't notice. I was just thinking something along the lines of, "Don't trip, don't trip, don't trip. Take the diploma. Shake his hand. Smile. Don't trip. Don't fall down the steps. Don't trip. Oh, it's over."

It was such a relief, and so gratifying to actually hold my diploma in my hands—that's something A&M does that I really love. You actually DO get handed your for-real diploma when you walk. So as soon as I took the maroon tube and shook President Loftin's hand, I had my diploma.

Then I came back home and realized...it was only a week until Christmas! I feel like I missed out on the whole countdown-to-Christmas build up. I was so focused on graduation that I didn't even realize how close Christmas was. My Christmas was great—I got a million and one things, and everything that I wanted. I have pictures of Christmas morning to go through, too, and I still may write up a separate post for Christmas. Because really, it deserves it's own post!

Our tree! Overflowing with gifts! <3

New Year snuck up on me, too. But I spent it quietly at home with my parents watching movies, which was lovely.

I should probably start writing down my resolutions—I have some, but so far they're just ideas, and not yet on paper. I'd intended to write up a post about that, too. I suppose I still could, I'd just have to nix "Not procrastinate" off of the resolution list. You know, for posterity's sake.

At any rate, I really have to wrap up this post now. As usual, I've managed to put things off to the last minute so now what I need to be doing is packing my suitcase—I'm actually headed to the airport tomorrow for that Atlanta trip I just mentioned.

I can tell you that one of my resolutions is to stop going so long between posts, so keep an eye out! And, as always, thanks so much for reading!

Oh! And I got new glasses. :D

An Almost Alumni

By this time next week, I will officially be a Texas A&M University graduate.

Guys, holy cow.

I...don't even know what to do with myself. I'm this crazy mix of emotions. Predominately happy and sad. Happy because, well, it's about freaking time! Sad because I've enjoyed my time at A&M and in some ways I'm not exactly ready for it to end. And then there's the nervousness. Because in a few hours less than a week, I will be walking across the stage in front of thousands of people. And I'm really terrified that I'm going to trip.

So there's that.

But I'd say I'm mostly excited. I graduate at 9 a.m. December 17th, so I'll be getting up pretty early that day. That's okay, though—I have big, fantastic plans to drop by Starbucks before I go, so I should be caffeined-up and ready to rock the cap and gown.

And since I can't mail you, my lovely followers, my graduation announcement, I thought I'd post a picture of it.

The front!

The inside!

Ordering announcements was an adventure in and of itself. Way too many options for me to process, and way too many extras to add. And way too much money to spend. I managed to keep it right at $100, but still. Good grief. That's a lot of money for just 30 announcements. Even including the envelopes, seals, return address labels, and such. Fortunately I won't have to do this again. Unless I go to grad school. But I am choosing not to think about that yet.

All that's really left to do is order the diploma frame. And, you know, do the whole walking thing. Then I can finally stop stressing about it.

Yep, then I can just start stressing about the whole rest of my life.

But I've got plenty of time for that.

I've been spending a lot of my time thinking about graduation day, worrying about it, mulling it over. In the end, I've decided that instead of completely freaking out about the ominous "What's Next?", I'm instead going to take some time to just enjoy being done. Just being proud of what I accomplished.

Plus, Christmas is coming up. And Christmas is my favorite holiday. So I'm really intending to focus on fun, family, and happiness.

I should have a couple of new things coming up for you guys—I'll be posting some more of my writing. I've had a couple of people express interest in reading what I wrote for the Gross Out assignment in my workshop. I also plan to post what I wrote for my final, which is basically a parody of a final. So that should be fun.

Stay tuned, and as always, thanks so much for following my blog, guys!

Aggie Ring Day!

If you've been keeping up with my blog, then you undoubtedly have heard me mention that I'd be getting my Aggie ring soon (It finally happened!) and you've probably heard it mentioned on more than one occasion.

I've been meaning to type up this post for awhile now. I did, after all, get my ring on September 16th. I know, I'm a tad behind schedule. A lot of this is my fault. I've been so lazy. It's shameful. But, on the other hand, I did leave for a week long trip to Colorado shortly after Ring Day (But that's a post for another time. Honest!) so things did get a bit hectic for awhile there.

Anyway, I've finally got my pictures sorted through, and I'm super excited to share them with you guys!

So, without further ado, my Ring Day!

My parents drove down the morning of, and it was really exciting when they showed up! I wanted to be over to the Alumni Center early, so we headed over shortly after they arrived. And, true to form, the first placed I stopped on the way was Starbucks. Because I don't like to start my day when I'm absent my coffee.

Me and Dad at Starbucks.
Mom's behind the camera. :)

That was our only stop on the way—after Starbucks, we headed straight to the Alumni Center. Well. Straight to the parking garage. Then we walked a few blocks. THEN we were at the Alumni Center. But it was a nice walk; the way was pleasant. Not too hot, which was a miracle—the past several days down here in College Station had been in the upper 90s. And it was fun to walk with my parents on campus. I got to point out some of the places I see all the time.

Like this!

Our usual bookstore is getting a remodel.
So it's taken up residence here in the Coliseum.

Since I managed to score a spot in the first round of ring pick-ups, it wasn't very busy when we got there. We even managed to get a spot indoors, in the air conditioning. Winning! Inside was much more crowded than outside. Full of anxious Aggies eager to finally slip that Aggie Ring on their finger.

Our Yell Leaders (we don't have cheerleaders) up on the balcony.
We had a quick Yell Practice about five minutes before the first pick up!

Pick up areas were split off into three sections, by alphabet. My line happened to be right by the door we walked in. So convenient! We took our place in line—well, I did. And my parents stood with me!—and counted down the minutes. We were only about half an hour early. Just early enough to get a good spot in line without a super long wait.

Right under that maroon and white balloon arch.
That's where my Aggie Ring is. :)

Once they called the first pick up time (2:00, if you were curious!), things actually went surprisingly fast. Props to A&M for figuring out a way to organize such a huge event. Over 3,500 Aggies got their rings on that day, and pick up times were in 15 minute increments; from 2:00 to 7:00. I walked under the arch, and in the room we were again split up by alphabet. I stood in line behind a group of people, not quite sure which line they were in, and then Dad figured out that they were in the line next to where I needed to be—no one was in my line! So I stepped right up, presented my student I.D. and driver's license, and my Ring Day ticket, then signed my name and TA-DA!

I'm presented with my Aggie Ring! WHOOP!

Putting it on for the first time! :D

After finally getting my ring (isn't it GORGEOUS!) we headed outside. I had a coupon for one free professional photograph at my choice of a few 'landmarks' around the Alumni Center. I chose one of my favorite statues; two replica Aggie Rings.

This is the picture Mom took of me getting my picture taken. :)

And that was that! I had my Aggie Ring! FINALLY. And it was so awesome to get to have my parents down, even though they could only stay for one night. We went to dinner at Ninfa's to celebrate. Because their enchiladas are to die for, and they have fantastic margaritas, too!

The professional photo has reached my house—I haven't seen it yet. I haven't had a chance to go home yet! But Mom says it looks good. So here's hopin'!

And I'm already developing a tan-line where I wear my ring. Because I wear it pretty much all the time. I just take it off to sleep. :)

It feels really great to finally have what's come to be, to me at least, a symbol of all I've accomplished. Just looking at it reminds me of all the hard work I've done, and all the hours I've put in, and the effort I've put forth. It's all worth it. So worth it. And I'm so proud! I'm glad I finally got to share this experience with you guys. :)

Rut Vs. Groove

Have you ever wondered what exactly the difference is between a rut and a groove? I have. I figure, a groove is something comfortable, familiar, positive even—a habit or schedule you're happy with. A rut can be comfortable, definitely familiar, but the way I see it, people aren't always happy to be stuck in a rut. They've much rather get in a groove.

Or maybe that's just me.

At any rate, the past couple of weeks have found me struggling to get back in my groove and not stuck in a rut. It isn't exactly working out so far. Basically I've been reliving the day where I'm going to get the groove thing going. Only it's turning out to be more of a rut. I've been spending my days being generally unproductive, and each day I think, 'Tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day I'll get out of the rut and into the groove.'

As you may have guessed, I'm definitely in more of a rut than a groove.

But at least I'm working on it, right?

I've got some free time on my hands this semester, which makes it really easy to get sucked in to kicking back on the couch and doing absolutely nothing. (Or playing video games*, if you must know.) So the challenge for me is to use my time wisely instead of wasting it. So I've been really trying to focus on writing. I want to make a real habit of it, a daily thing. And not just a sentence or to. Typing out emails and text messages just don't cut it. They aren't making me a better writer. The things that will better my writing? Writing, of course. And reading.

And honestly, I can think of way worse ways to spend my off time. I mean, I love writing. And I love reading. So really, I'm not sure what this rut I'm in is all about. Expect maybe a general laziness on my part.

But anyway.

September. How is it already September? That December graduation date is sneaking up on me—It'll be here before you know it. I'm not sure how I feel about that. But at least September is a good month. For a couple of reasons.

In just a little over a week, I'll finally be getting my Aggie Ring! (WHOOP!)

I'm super stoked for this, you guys. I mean, I'm really freaking excited. And happy. And my parents are coming, and we're all going to be excited and happy together. So there's that.

And toward the end of this month, I'll be taking a trip to Colorado with my parents. My cousin is getting married. Well, she's getting married in Hawaii. But they live in Colorado, and that's where they're having their reception. The best part? I mean, besides the visiting Colorado part? Since I only have one class this semester, I'll be able to be gone for like a week and still only miss one class day.

Excellent.

No 100s! No 100s!!!

But perhaps the most exciting development in my life right now is that Texas has finally decided to calm down on the heat wave. Why, just the other day I took a trip to Starbucks and sipped my coffee outside. OUTSIDE. A miracle. The forecast for the week down here may be full of 90s, but that's much better than the triple digit misery we'd been having!

I may be a bit premature, but I don't even care—Fall is in the air, you guys. I can feel it.

I love Fall.



*specifically, one video game. Dead Island. Which I recently acquired. And boy, I do love killing zombies... What? No, I'm not ridiculous... Okay, maybe a little ridiculous...

A For Effort

Hey guys! I've read a million times that when one has failed to post a blog in awhile, one shouldn't apologize for it and/or point out one's absence. But rules were made to be broken, right? So. I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile! I'd say it's because I've been busy, but that's not totally true. I have, in fact, been busy enjoying not doing much of anything. If that makes sense. But I am finally taking a moment to sit myself down and write up a little something for you all.

Proof that I don't always suck at Math!

First of all, some excellent news! I'm officially finished with that pesky Business Math class! And guess what? I made an A! A freakin' A!!! This is cause for celebration. That's what I think. Because despite the fact that I did much better than I'd anticipated, going to class and wrapping my brain around equations and numbers even just long enough to apply it on test day was like pulling teeth. So I'm very proud to say that Math is behind me.

So there's that.

I've also begun the countdown to the start of the Fall semester. I go back and forth on how I feel about that. In some ways, I'm excited for school to start again. Especially because, honestly, I'm just taking one class. And it's a writing class. So I'll get to really focus on that and that alone, which is awesome. But thanks to Math, this summer seems so short. Like it's flying by and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm not ready to start being responsible again. (Yes, I've basically shirked all of my responsibilities this summer. It's been great!) And I'm not ready to leave my friends back home. But the good news is, only 38 more days until I get my Aggie Ring! That's practically less than one month! Yes, I'm super excited.

I've already commanded my parents to make sure they aren't working when Aggie Ring Day rolls around. Because I expect them to drive down and celebrate with me. (Ring Day is a HUGE deal down in College Station. I mean, a really big freaking deal. You will get a glimpse of just how big a deal it is when mine rolls around and I blog about it.) I keep telling them, "Don't you want to be there to see what all that money paid for?" I also keep telling them, "Be glad I am not a boy. Because boy's rings are basically twice as much as the girl one." I'm not sure that's making them feel any better about the cost. But—I admit it—I don't care! Not that I don't care how much in the sense that I don't appreciate what they did for me, but I look at it this way. I will wear my Aggie Ring for the rest of my life. So if you divide the cost of the ring by the projected amount of years I am statistically likely to have left, it's really not that much.

But anyway. More things that I am excited about.

I have a new computer! It is an absolute beauty.

My temporary set up.

If it looks like it's set up on a table...in my kitchen... Well, that's because it is. But that's only temporary! Being home for the summer means struggling to find extra space for new things I acquire. In the case of this computer, there's simply no room in Dad's office. We already have something of a Mac Museum happening in there. But I have plans to relocate it to my desk at my apartment when Fall rolls around. The best part? It's so big, I think I'm actually going to have to rearrange my desk. Probably I will need to move the shelf thing off of it. I don't mind. I've been using a laptop since I started college. Don't get me wrong, I love my laptop! But there's something very pleasant about using a desktop computer. I had almost forgotten how much I love it. Especially for writing. Which is basically all I'll be doing next semester. So I'm pretty thrilled. Isn't it beautiful!?

Also. I started working again, sort of. Picking up odd jobs and doing a little work from home for my old boss. It's nice to be getting paid again, even if it's just a little spending money. That's about it for what's going on in my life at the moment. Besides the unbearable heat going on in my neck of the woods right now. So many days over 100º. And no rain. I would throw a party if we could just get one really good thunderstorm. I'm just sayin'.

I hope everyone else's summer is going wonderfully!

Summer Makes Me Lazy

I know, I know—It's breaking some cardinal rule of blogging to acknowledge and apologize for my extended absence. But rules were made to be broken, right? I know it's been some time since my last post, and though it's really not important enough to go on and on about, I feel bad. I keep sitting down to work on posts, particularly my Kindle review, but I've officially caught the Summer Lazies. I just haven't had the gumption to do anything.

But I want to catch you guys up on what's been going on with me. Not so much as an excuse—not like, "See? Look what I've been doing! THIS is why I've been MIA." No. Rather, consider this the internet equivalent of sitting down to chat over a cup of coffee—we've just got some catching up to do.

Here we go. I'm going to make a list. I thought it sounded fun.

10 Things That Have Happened Since My Last Update

1. I got my car back! Yes, I was starting to think the time would never come. But the repairs were finally finished. Mostly. I still have one thing that needs fixing, but the part is on national backorder. So one of these days I'll have to take it back in. Whenever they get the part. Fortunately I've been told it will only take one day. I plan to hold them to that.

Good as new!

2. I took a road-trip to Austin! I was down in College Station, quite restless, and so I decided to embark on a mini-road-trip. I visited this great book store, Book People, that I'd been told I needed to check out. It was awesome! I picked up two new books. A classic; As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner. The other I chose simply because the title caught my eye. "I Was Told There'd Be Cake". It's a collection of essays. It's actually really funny. At least the ones I've read.

Hello, Austin!

Book People.

My purchases.

3. My car mileage, uh...spelled out? my birth date! I thought it was neat.

4. I added another coffee mug to my collection. This one came from a great little coffee house in College Station called Sweet Eugene's. You probably can't tell from the picture, but it's a rather hefty mug. I have a thing for mugs. And when I saw this one, I knew I had to have it. And now I do.

5. I rescued two baby bunnies! My dogs scared them out of their little hiding place under some bushes. Heroically, I herded the canines back into the house and saw that the little rabbits made it to safety. Under a different bush. Adorable.

I totally didn't even use zoom to take this.

6. I have been whole-heartedly cheering on the Dallas Mavs in the playoffs. I picked up some Finals gear—the place I went had TONS to choose from. Sadly, I could only afford three shirts. But they're good shirts. And I've worn one every game since. (Side-note: We totally kicked butt tonight. I'm so excited. I literally just finished watching the game and then retreated to my room to write up this post for you guys!)

Mavs gear galore!

7. I have officially ordered my Aggie Ring! Since I've been back home and not in College Station for most of the summer, I had to order it via mail. I sent off the form a few days ago, and have now begun counting down to my Aggie Ring Day. Which, if you care to know, is September 16th. I can't wait!

Stamped and ready to be sent!

8. I bought True Grit. The day it came out. This may not seem like a big deal, but I've been desperate for it to make it to DVD since I saw it in theaters. In fact, I plan on watching it. Tonight. Right after I finish this post. I love it.

Seriously, I love this movie.

9. I started my one and only summer class. Business Math. If you'll recall, Business Math and I had a run-in a couple of semesters ago. Unfortunately, I didn't fare well in this run-in. But I'm back, and ready to take this class on again. My first class was today, actually. And it went really well. Surprisingly, I know someone in class with me. And the professor seems nice. He's awkward, but funny, which is something I appreciate.

My parking permit makes it official.

10. I have seen my parents off at the air-port. Which is a first for me. It's their anniversary this month, and they took a trip to California to celebrate. Leaving me to watch the house and the dogs. It's been kind of fun, really. The house-sitting, I mean. I've had a really laid back week, although I have some serious cleaning to do before they come back. But that can be our little secret, right?

Dad sent me this. The view from one of the places they stayed.
Yeah, I'm jealous, too.

So there you have it. Ten things. Summer has definitely gotten off to a busy start! And I'm already counting down to the end of my Math class. It's still the beginning of June, and already so much is going on. I just know I'll have more to catch you guys up on next time! Until then...keep your eyes peeled for my Kindle review. It's coming soon!

How is everyone else's summer going?

Bathiti

I have a blog to share with you guys. I thought you might find it interesting! It came about in my Senior Seminar class—we were all split up into groups to work on a final project of sorts, and this blog is one particular group's project.

I give you, "Bathiti".

Bathroom Graffiti, if you will.

"I'm writing on the wall. TAKE THAT SOCIETY!"

The purpose of Bathiti is to expose those aspects of Texas A&M's campus culture that are rarely addressed in the open.

Since I'm suggesting you guys take a look at it, I feel it's only fair to give a disclaimer. There is definitely some 'inappropriate' material. So if you're easily offended...well, view at your own risk. But I promise, not everything is wildly inappropriate. Yes, a lot of the pictures are admittedly a bit shocking—especially if you know anything about Texas A&M—but there are some straight up funny pictures, too.

Like this, for example.

"To Mordor"

It would be awesome if you guys could check out their blog, and of course any feedback is welcome! These photos are pretty darn interesting, if I do say so myself. And I do.

It's kind of wild what people say when they have the freedom to remain anonymous.

So go on! Run over and check out Bathiti! And you Facebookers, you can even 'like' their Facebook page!

What are you waiting for? :)

A Road Trip Getaway

Sometimes you just need to get away.

And sometimes you just want to. A think a little combination of the two is what I had been experiencing for quite some time now.

Solution?

Plan a getaway!

This is precisely what myself and my friend Megan did this past weekend. We planned it about a month in advance. I started saving up. And, of course, getting excited. (I mean, really excited.)

Our original plan had been to drive to Austin and just hang out. Grab a bite, see the sights, do some shopping. But then my life took a few turns, I started looking into graduate school, researching good programs. I turned up a good creative writing program at Texas State University in San Marcos.

San Marcos isn't a whole heck of a lot farther away than Austin and I was itching to check out the campus (I'd initially looked into Texas State when I was trying to decide where to transfer to after getting my Associate's) so I suggested that we add San Marcos to our road trip itinerary.

Lucky for me, Megan was all for it! Then the plan became a drive down to San Marcos, a look around the school, then driving back up and stopping through Austin for shopping and general fun on our way back to College Station.

Then I realized something. San Marcos has an outlet mall. A really great outlet mall. We're talkin' Pottery Barn, Neiman Marcus, Juicy Couture, Gucci, Fendi, Coach, Puma, Lacoste, Lucky, Ed Hardy, Calvin Klein, BCBGirls, Guess... Basically, I flipped out.

Since Megan was also up for shopping, our plan changed again. Austin got nixed completely.

Don't worry, Austin. We'll come back to you soon. 

Because you have a California Pizza Kitchen...It's only a matter of time.

New plan? Get an early start, drive down to San Marcos and check out the campus, then head over to the outlets to shop our little hearts out.

Saturday could not come fast enough.

When it did, I was up at six and ready to go at seven forty-five. I picked up Megan at eight, and after a pit stop to fill up the gas tank, we dropped by Starbucks for a morning pick-me-up. Then we were on the road.

The drive was really pleasant. It didn't seem too long, and it only rained on us a bit. By the time we made it to San Marcos, the sun was out and there was a great chill in the air. The perfect day.

We actually spent much more time checking out the campus than I thought we would. Megan was just as curious as I was, and spending two or so hours there gave me plenty of time to get a great first impression of the school. And take a lot of pictures. I mean, a lot.

And here they are! Apologies in advance; there's a ton of 'em.

This is the first building we saw. It's lovely!

Old Main again. We climbed a lot of steps on this campus!

I believe this is the back side of Old Main.

Welcome to Texas State University!

I don't know if it's easy to tell, but it just keeps going down!

Lots of steps and lots of trees!

This is the library, which we did go inside. It's lovely!
And on the 7th floor, they have some exhibits. Very fun!

Arial view of campus from the library!

The Bobcat. Texas State's mascot.

The Stallions. Just beautiful!

One more angle on The Stallions, because I love them!

LBJ.

One of my favorite buildings. Love the architecture style!

View #2 of the building I love!

My favorite huge tree!

I. Love. Trees.

Um, HOW cute are these little guys?

I seriously love this campus.

Look at this little guy! The only one who didn't flop into the water when I approached.

THIS is their theater! For plays and such! In the middle of the pond! Awesome.

So, again, obviously I went a little camera happy. And honestly, that's not even half the pictures. But I've already flooded you guys with plenty.

All in all, I really loved this campus. It's gorgeous, lots of trees, lots of shade. And very hilly! (My TOMS held up amazingly well, and we seriously did a ton of walking!)

We went on a Saturday, which is why there aren't any people in my pictures. It was really nice to be able to get a feel for the campus without being overrun. But I'm already planning on dragging my parents down to look again, and get more information, so I look forward to seeing how the place feels during the week when classes are going on.

After we finished checking out the campus, we were positively famished. We'd passed this adorable Saltgrass Steakhouse on the way in, so we decided to run back out to that. It's such a cool building! Apparently it used to be an old mill. And the view is great—you can see the river! I didn't get a great picture inside, but I got one of the outside.

When we left here, we were stuffed. Delicious!

Historical marker, hoorah!

We really enjoyed the break from walking, and the food was fantastic. We really took our time and enjoyed ourselves.

And after eating, we were more than ready to hit up the shops!

I only got a couple of pictures at the outlet mall. I'd intended to get more, but I got a little carried away with the whole shopping thing. But we walked all around the shopping center—it's outdoors, and the weather was lovely. It was absolutely a blast.

Our first stop. I was in hog heaven!

We went in to a ton of the stores, but mostly window shopped. It was just really fun to see what all they had. Though I won't lie, I found several things I want. I may be making a trip back soon!

After we finished shopping, we stopped by the Starbucks in the outlet mall to grab something to drink before the drive back home. I didn't get too many pictures because we were in a hurry to get back—we both had pups waiting at home for us!

Starbucks. A constant in my life. Delicious all over the world.

The drive back felt longer than the drive there. Probably because there's way more excitement involved in actually driving toward the destination as opposed to away from it. Still, it wasn't bad. And it wasn't too long.

And I slept like a baby.

It was a fantastic trip. A great way to let go of some stress, take some time to just enjoy ourselves. The perfect day-trip getaway. I can't wait to start planning the next one! Austin? Houston? San Antonio? Who knows!