Enlightened

Well I made it to church Sunday for the first time in a long, long while. My mom would not be impressed. And neither was I. Dating back to last spring, I became lackluster in my drive to wake up just a few hours earlier on Sunday mornings to go to church for a few hours. The party did get the best of me.

Since turning 21 my life spiraled out of control a little in regards to not only drinking but socially (especially with women) and monetarily. It was unfulfilling.

Now I’m not saying it will be a complete 180. I wish it was that easy. I just have to balance my school work, faith, and fun better. I can’t be so succumbed to peer pressure. Now that I’m 21, I really have no excuse to use not to go out, but there is always something more productive to do. I need to limit my nights out.

I’m also going to start a new blog of places I want to visit. Maybe I’ll want a job there, have family there, or just plan want to visit. Be on the lookout for it!

Transfer

It’s finally built up and hit me like an 18-wheeler. Tallahassee has hit my last nerve. I always liked FSU and dealt with the city it is located because of my friends and fun here. Recently though I’ve had a change of heart. Maybe it’s the fact I’ve been to several other schools in the southeast on roadtrips to football games this fall but I’ve realized how awful FSU is. The people here are terrible. Mean and terrible. I went to University of Tennessee-Knoxville last weekend for the Georgia-Tennessee game with my fraternity twin. I knew no one there but was taken by my twin’s friends from home like I had known them all my life. Maybe it would wear off but I am ready to get out of this place.

At first it was a joke but it’s slowly becoming a reality. I want to transfer. I know, I’m a junior but I think it can be done. I want to go to UGA, USC, UT, or Clemson. That’s the short list at least. Get me to a real school. I’ve already examined all the transfer applications for the respective schools. I need a good girl, impossible to find at FSU. However, being my position in the Public Relations major at FSU, I’m not sure I can just leave. I’m between a rock and a terrible place, that being Tallahassee. Maybe I just need an extended break away. Or just need to graduate faster. People are driving me crazy. Maybe I’m just crazy.

Survival

Well there is no surprise that I haven’t written on here in a month or so. I don’t know if it’s just that I’m really THAT busy or I just never think about writing a blog post and instead watch reruns of Seinfeld all afternoon.

My third year at FSU has gotten off to a blazing start. Being that we started so late, football season was on top of us when we returned. While it was nice to not have to suffer through a few weeks of anticipation around campus it made for a lot of work in the Boosters office upon my return. I did survive the three consecutive home game weekends though, including playing #1 Oklahoma this past Saturday.

Speaking of surviving, we already held rush. We took 39 pretty solid kids. I was happy about it, but not as happy as I was when rush week was over. Just the fact that I was hoarse by Tuesday night didn’t help the situation.

I’ve also survived my first stint of sickness of junior year. The combination of late hours doing homework, rush, and yelling at football games caught up to me last week. Luckily some napping, Nyquil, and no drinking helped me kick it rather quickly.

Sickness and survival. How could I forget my 21st birthday when both of those words were essential to that 24 hour period of hell. Being that I turned 21 at midnight of a Monday night in which we didn’t have school (Labor Day), I had gotten all my homework done to celebrate. But who goes out on a Monday night when we have class the next day. Apparently me and three good friends do. And they tried to kill me. The bartender, who is know a friend, made it 5 of us in the bar the whole night. Quite a rager. She recounted the next night when I saw her again that I had done approximately 30 shots in an hour. Needless to say, I threw up multiple times that night and the next day. It was the most miserable actual 21st birthday I could have imagined. I even tried going to class after lunch but made it about 15 minutes before I had to leave for fear of throwing up all over my binder and desk. Embarassing.

Well, I’m up this late writing a PR assignment. That class will be the death of me but luckily I have several friends in there and am the only male.

Formal cruise to the Bahamas is less than a week and a half away. I’ll be sure to post some stories from what ought to be nothing short of an epic weekend for the ages.

Summer of Change

Well I find myself in the same situation time and time again. Not having posted in months. I still have yet to come up with a decent excuse but I’ll blame this on the fact that I’m working myself silly in Georgia for my grandparents and with only one computer and no wireless it’s hard to find a lot of time on the computer at night.

This summer has been much of the same of the last two summers yet more change than I’ve gone through since going to FSU. I started off at my Dad’s in Merritt Island, where we’ve lived for over 10 years and in Brevard County my whole life. I tried getting a summer job there but that proved fruitless after a few weeks of applying and never hearing anything back. However, it comes to be that Dad would lose his job at Kennedy Space Center with the ending of the Space Shuttle program. After a month of uncertainty he was able to secure a job in Summerville, SC at the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner plant. With talks of relocating to Seattle, Houston, and other non-appetizing locations Summerville didn’t sound so bad. While it was sad to be leaving our family, all close by in the county, this place has a lot more offer. While it doesn’t affect me directly being settled at Florida State heading into my junior year I will have a little longer drive home (7 hours vs. 5 previously). With my brother beginning his college career at University of North Florida, we will be the closest family now.

After the move, I went back to my previous summer stay of the past two years in Perry, Georgia to work for my grandparents. It is a win-win situation to be able to spend time with them since I don’t see them much during the year and also do some work for them and they pay me! While an internship did not work out for me this summer, I am confident that building on my network I will be able to land a great one next summer!

Just a week now until I head back to school for the fall. We start later than any other school I have heard of which is nice now but we’ll go later into December and we are thrust right into the busyness with a home football game the first weekend back, not to mention classes, meetings, and more. It’s going to be a big year. I turn 21 a week into the semester, FSU is ranked in the top 5 in football again with College Gameday coming to town for the Oklahoma game (Sept. 23rd, 8pm EST), fraternity formal cruise to the Bahamas, and much much more. I’ll try to do better at keeping in touch so it’s not so much all at once every few months. Go ‘Noles!

A Lot has Happened Since..

Long time, no talk. I have been terrible at this whole blogging thing, I can’t seem to remember to find time. I haven’t written on this in over a year and so much has happened I will never fit it all in here.

Life is good. I’m currently sitting in my Dad’s house in Merritt Island enjoying my second week of summer break. This time last year I was in Perry, Georgia living with my grandparents and working for them. I did that two summers in a row and really enjoy it because I never get to see them during the year. Mom has moved permanently to California and living with David. I like visiting out there, it’s great. I could see myself living out there one day, it’s just very expensive and a little different lifestyle than I grew up around.

Sophomore year at Florida State was a good one. I did so much. The biggest thing is that I pledged a fraternity in the fall and now a brother of Kappa Sigma. It was the best decision I have ever made. My scope of friends has expanded so much and I have become involved on campus in many other great ways. I am on the Seminole Student Boosters executive board with some other really awesome people who are involved in other organizations on campus too. Despite doing all this I have maintained my Dean’s List good grades.

This does not even begin to get in depth with the great friends, stories, and other experiences I had throughout the past year and 6 months I haven’t written on here. However, I need to go find a job so that I can enjoy these fun things I participate in.

Revival

Well it’s been a little while since I’ve written on here and I am not wanting to go to sleep yet, even though it’s 2:38am and I will regret this decision when it comes time to wake up at 8:30 for my class. I have had a great day of classes, easy and not stressful, and just finished a game of Mario Party with my friends on their Nintendo 64, classic. Life is still just going so awesome and I could not be happier. My classes are doing well and I’m getting all A’s and B’s in my classes and feel like I’m pretty much staying on top of my studies and balancing having a good time too. I have been hanging out with my BCM friends a lot lately, nothing too new though. I am in the routine of hitting the gym to lift weights everyday now with my friend Caleb as we work a different pair of muscle groups every day. It has been great to bulk up some and it just feels good too. It’s nice to have a good friend there to push you too.

This past weekend I was able to go to the Florida BCM State Conference in Jacksonville where all the BCMs from colleges across Florida gathered for a weekend of worship and sessions with the theme “Communicate”. It was very inspiring and I think I’m on a “spiritual high” right now. I have had this feeling before coming home from camps in middle and high school but I really hope that I can stick with this. It’s so hard with all that life demands in college and all the temptations that come with it. Still, it was just a great weekend of fellowship, fun, and learning. We played basketball in the church gym we stayed at until 3am, got 4 hours of sleep then hit Bojangles fro breakfast (which was a highlight of the trip) and then the bus ride there and back was full of laughs. The friendships I’ve formed in the BCM are those I hope are more than just friends but brothers and sisters in Christ and will last a long, long time.

Back on campus I was able to catch the final game of the opening home weekend of baseball as we swept Georgia State and won 12-2 on Sunday. I am so excited for baseball season and am really beginning to miss playing. Luckily I’m on a BCM Co-Rec softball team in the intramural league. Our game tonight was cancelled due to the rain today but it should be a fun season. Our basketball team had a game last night and lost a pretty close one but the other team was a bunch of jerks and made it no fun. It took several of us all our self-control not to pop one of ‘em real good. Speaking of that, I saw one of my first legit fights on Saturday night, after we got home from the retreat. I was at McDonald’s on Tennessee St. at about midnight and two guys started going at it. A crowd had gathered and the police showed up and everything. It was pretty crazy.

Lastly, I have lately been struggling with the idea of going out to the clubs here in Tallahassee. I went a couple times first semester and really liked it but always went with a group of friends. I went Saturday night and it was a little different and I was just challenged by how lost people are here. I mean I hear talk of hook-ups, drunk stories and more just walking across campus and sitting in class but the fact that you are dancing with this girl and might not even know her name or see her face is just weird. That should feel wrong, right? I don’t know, I’m praying for some guidance on it because I think it is a lot of fun to go out. But I’ve been hanging out with some people from my dorm lately and trying to be a good example to them but it’s been a lot of fun and I wish I had done it earlier in the year.

We’re still trying to figure out what to do for housing next year. I really want a townhouse or house personally. So we’ll see..

Life Is Good

Well second semester is well underway and I have been way overwhelmed lately. Last week I had four tests and a paper due, so something major in all my classes. Besides that I’ve been busy keeping up with all the reading I have had to do for my classes and other homework. In between all that I have been able to balance time at the BCM for events like Encounter worship on Tuesday nights and Edge Cafe, lunch for $1 on Thursday-the best deal in town. I really enjoy college because this is where my friends are now. I would have never thought that at this time last year. Heck, at this time last year I still had no idea where I would be going to college.

I have been able to go home to see my mom and lady twice already this semester and that has been refreshing and awesome. The 9-hour drive has become nothing now. My back and butt are still pretty sore when I do it but the time flies and the trip is always worth it the minute I get there and see them. When I went home a couple weeks ago it was for my high school homecoming and I got to see my mom get recognized since she is leaving the school to move to San Diego at the end of the year for my step dad’s job. She has had a huge impact on that school from just her working in the office and as the gym teacher for almost 10 years to her heading up the boosters program and coaching volleyball. I was also able to crown this year’s homecoming king since I was last year’s. That was quite an honor and I loved that. It was great seeing all my old teachers and friends. I was able to make that trip up and back with my friend from FSU so that was a little more of an enjoyable drive even though I like driving alone so I can sing loud and bad and also think about life in the quiet. Then when I went home last weekend I was able to take my lady to the Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan concert for her birthday which was just incredible. Even though it was a short trip for me, it was one full of memories. Now I’m just looking forward to her visiting me at school sometime soon.

It was hard choosing to come so far away, 9 hours or over 600 miles depending on how you look at it, but I knew God had a plan for me and I believe he is still working in me on that to make an impact on this campus in some way. Originally I never wanted to get attracted to a girl from back home because I knew long distance would be hard and that it had never really worked for me in the past just being gone in the summers. He has really been good to me this year though and I am encourage at how well things are going. Also, I have gotten really involved in the BCM like I’ve written about before and now attending The Well church on Sundays. I have also found some of the best friends of my life here already and am looking to live with a couple of them next year off campus. We’re going through the painful and long process of looking at apartment complexes, comparing prices and floor plans and whatnot to that of renting a house. It has been quite time consuming. I have enjoyed basketball season, the most I have gotten into college basketball in my life. I really can’t wait for baseball to start up in just over a week. I already miss playing so that will not help but it will be nice to have it to be around again.

Lastly, Valentine’s Day is coming up and I’m going home to see my family which will be nice. Some of them are going to the Daytona 500 which I wish I was going to but it just didn’t work out for various reasons. I can’t wait to see them, it’s been since Christmas. I’ll even be surprising my aunt and uncle who will be in town from New York which will be exciting. It will just be a little difficult being away from my girl, but she’ll be out of town anyway so it all works out. I can’t wait for spring break though and going to San Diego! It’s crazy to think there are only about 12 weeks left in my freshman year. Man time flies! I am still looking at possible job opportunities this summer and am really excited for that.

The Reemergence of Board Games

Well the past two nights I have rediscovered something that I believe has been lost in today’s culture, especially with young people. Board Games. With 500 TV channels, DVD players, Facebook, Hulu, and all the game systems out these days that are no doubt incredible and great to just chill with, the stimulation of your brain in a board game is forgotten. Instead of worrying about searching your radar and finding a good sniping spot on Call of Duty, rack your brain in the strategy of moving armies in Risk or another good game. Both Saturday and Sunday night I have enjoyed doing this. And I have found that playing these games with friends is just a great time to kick back and laugh and just hang out with each other. Now I am really hooked on playing board games in my free time. It is like a tear I’m on. Most people in college, especially at the “party school” FSU is known for, everyone is out in the clubs and stuff on the weekends, heck even the weekdays. But I enjoyed staying in and just playing board games. I don’t think there is anything wrong with playing video games, watching TV, or anything of those activities. I spend much of my time doing this too but now I think I’ll choose to take up some other activities in my free time.

Long Time, No Talk

Well I guess I can say with confidence and honesty that my “New Year’s Resolution” from last year (2009) was a failure. I did what most people do and keep it up for, oh, about 3 or 4 months then slowly drift off and back to your old habits. However, I wasn’t asking myself to stop smoking (I don’t smoke anyway) or anything drastic but just to spend a little time trying this whole “blogging” thing. I mean, I like to write and like to think I’m pretty good at it. After all, that is what I’m majoring in. Oh, that reminds me, there’s a lot to catch up on since I last wrote..

Well since the end of March 2009 a lot, and I mean A LOT has happened. I decided to attend The Florida State University after a trip to a “preview” tour session here in April. I fell in love with the campus, the people, and caught up in the “Unconquered” spirit of the Seminoles. Slowly but surely my wardrobe changed from a lot of red and black for University of Georgia to garnet and gold for Florida State. Even though I knew absolutely no one else coming here I felt content with my choice. Baseball season ended without a win last year but being a senior and leader on the team was great. I had a lot of fun as usual playing in my element and made lots of memories with the guys. I was honored to go to two proms in early May, my senior prom at GRACE accompanied by a friend from church and the Panther Creek prom. Graduation finally creeped in late May. My family from Florida flew in and grandparents from Georgia came for the big event. It was a great ceremony and I was salutatorian and had to make a speech. Over the summer I indulged in a Dierks Bentley/Brad Paisley concert with some friends from school and then I was gone working in Georgia for my grandfather for the rest of the summer. I also attended FSU orientation which was a little crazy but really got me excited about coming to school and solidified that I made the right choice. I really enjoyed my time spent there earning some money and with them. After about 6 weeks there I headed back to North Carolina to pack up my room to get ready to come to school. I had a “going-away” party at the Bojangles my friends and I frequented nearly daily throughout high school and that was just so incredible. I made the 10 hour trek from North Carolina to my Dad’s house in Florida with my truck loaded down with all my stuff for college and of course it had to rain the whole time down I-95. Soon it was off to move-in day and that was just certifiably insane. I got lucky with an awesome room that’s made for 3 people but it’s just me and my roommate. My roommate is a real chill guy too. We watch movies in the room and go eat together and stuff. The best thing about fall semester though was getting involved in the Baptist Collegiate Ministry here on campus. I met so many friends and joined a “fish school” (freshman bible study) which helped me form great friendships from the start and now I’m super involved in there and love it. The semester flew past. I went to every home football game, in the rain, hot sunshine, and crushing last minute losses to Miami the first game of the season and to Georgia Tech on parent’s weekend. I even road tripped home to North Carolina for the Thursday night football game up there and took my friend I went to prom with. I was also able to see my best friends from high school with the NC State Fair in town, that’s my favorite thing every year. I look forward to it more than my birthday and Christmas combined. I even went up to the Clemson-FSU in South Carolina with a bunch of friends from the BCM and that was tons of fun too. I really didn’t go home at all this past semester with retreats, camp outs, football games, and other stuff on campus to keep me busy. I did get swine flu though and that was horrible. I thought I was going to die. But I ended the semester well and earned all A’s and made the Dean’s List. Christmas was great, I got the girl I have always wanted and enjoyed spending a lot of time with family. With my step-dad already in San Diego with his new company and my mom heading out there as soon as the house sells it was of utmost importance to spend quality time with them. I was able to see Bobby Bowden’s final game as the coach in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville in which we won over West Virginia and I’m thankful I was here for at least one season of his reign. It’s back to school now though for my second semester as a freshman and classes start tomorrow. I’ve waited in line for my books today and am ready to roll. April 30th is the last day of the semester, bring it on.

Facebook vs. Twitter

Well it’s been a long time since my last post and a lot has happened. First off, I can’t believe how much it has been raining here in Raleigh, I thought it only rained for two weeks straight in Seattle. About the only good thing with the steady rain is that I have been able to use the 4WD on my truck off-road. But besides the weather cancelling all our baseball games, I have finally arrived at the deadline that I figured would consume my thoughts for months of waiting. I got accepted to Florida State University abotu a week ago but wait listed/denied from Carolina, Elon, and University of Georgia. I knew that Carolina and even Elon would be a big stretch for my mediocre SAT score but decent grades and extracurriculars. I was pretty upset about not getting into Georgia though because ever since I started thinking about college and stuff in middle school or ninth grade I wanted to go to Georgia. I’ve always been a Georgia football fan since I was barely able to walk so it’s a little strange now. I am still pleased that I was accepted to such a prestigous university as Florida State with all its tradition.

Now for the main event, I have had a Facebook for a long long time now, I’d say about 3 years or more. Before that I kept up a MySpace with all it’s background, pictures, music, etc. I still have a MySpace, but only to communicate with my half-brother and sister who live in Florida with my Dad and don’t use Facebook or Twitter. Facebook has changed layouts like three or four times which is kind of annoying and the new one is a lot like Twitter, focused on status updates and everything. I still use Facebook like crazy though, everyday, keeping up with friends and family. Today I signed up for a Twitter though, and it is different but I like it. Not too many of my friends have a Twitter right now but I’m sure everyone will have one before long, just like Facebook-I was one of the first at my school to get one and now EVERYONE and their mother has one, literally.

My Dad was here last weekend to hang out with me since I hadn’t seen him since Christmas and that was really cool. We watched NCAA tournament basketball and he even got to see me play baseball on Saturday and I hit a triple! Besides all this I’m just focused on getting through to the end of May.