When All Else Fails...

Life is hard, friends. It's hard for every person, at every stage of life, and for many, many different reasons. However, there are so many good things about life that allow people like me to "just keep swimming."

I am five days away from being able to go back to Texas and attend Austin City Limits Music Festival for the fourth time along with my sister, cousin, and father. BUT before I am set free, I have to struggle my way through what might be one of the more difficult weeks of my life. I have three tests (one Wednesday, two Friday), and several other homework assignments (such as programming work and reading about half a book en français). What keeps me from losing my mind, you ask? Well, as I am sitting in the library at 11:39 pm on Monday, September 29 typing this blog post, my answer has to be the future. Future adventures I might have, future friendships that might spring, future excitement that is to come is what gets me through this week from H-E-double hockey sticks. Knowing that after completing a French test, a Humanities midterm, and a Computer Science exam, I can jump on a plane and be with my family is making everything seem just a little bit brighter.

So, knowing that this week would be absolutely insane, I took it easy yesterday and decided to go on a solo hike and complete my homework and reading assignments in nature (so Sewanee, right?). I pulled on my fancy Chaco's (aka car seats for my feet), hopped on my bike, and STARTED SOMEWHERE.

Also, gang, when I logged onto Blogger tonight I saw that my blog is at exactly 10,000 views. I know that might not be much for having this blog for almost 3 years, but I am incredibly thankful and happy that people have taken the time to actually read what I write!

So, to whoever is reading this, THANK YOU. 

Pedals & Petals

I invested in a very old, used bike to ride around on campus, and it has been quite the enjoyable experience. My bike, although a little rickety, gets me from my dorm to main campus in about 5 minutes, which is much better than the time it takes to walk it. Yesterday, I went on a bike ride to a beautiful lookout spot on campus called Green's View along with my pals Lynn and Kate.

Transition Time

Did you know...

The first day of fall is THIS Monday, September 22?

Fall is a great season, especially in Tennessee. The leaves turn vivid shades of red and orange as sweaters are being pulled out from the back of students' closets. *magical*

I was inspired by today's beautiful weather (66 degrees and sunny) to write about some of my favorite transition-time pieces for the period of change between late summer into early fall, before it gets too chilly. 

1. The Boyfriend Jean

This wonderful, comfortable, laid-back jean is perfect for early fall temps. Paired with a relaxed tee or slouchy sweater, this look is perfect for running around campus comfortably. 

My favorite boyfriend jean finds: 

| Free People |

| Gap |

| Madewell |

2. The T-Shirt Dress
Talk about ultimate comfort (and extreme versatility)! T-shirt dresses look great in a plethora of ways. My personal favorite, throwing an oversized sweater over one with tights and ankle booties, creates a quick and easy look that radiates chic-ness. T-shirt dresses even look good with jeans and a half-tuck.

My favorite t-shirt dress finds:
| Asos |
| Splendid |
| Topshop |

3. Accessory time!
Jewelry: Delicate golden rings and bracelets are my favorite, and they pair perfectly with any outfit.
Shoes: Slip-on sneakers are my current obsession! They are so comfortable and jazz up your look.
Sunnies: Circle shades! Yes! They provide a certain edginess to any ensemble.

My favorite accessory finds:
| gorjana |
| Steve Madden |
| Wildfox |

Happy fall! 

*note: I do not own any of these images (found on Pinterest)*

Eat, Sleep, Study, Repeat

Just when I thought all the struggles of college have passed and I finally got in a groove, sophomore year hit me like a ton of bricks. By the end of freshman year I had a good handle on life; I could balance my classes, friends, dorm life, sorority, and extracurriculars pretty dang well. I came back to school thinking that sophomore year was going to be just as wonderful, exciting, and as manageable as last year. But boy....was I wrong!

I am just one month into my sophomore year, and saying that I am overwhelmed is an understatement. My classes are harder, my dorm is dingier, and my friends are busier. I find myself spending way more time in the library than in my dorm, and even though my friends and I all live under the same crumbling roof, I find myself not knowing a large amount of what is going on in their lives. I am taking Humanities, French 300, Discrete Mathematical Structures, and Computer Organization, which have all proven to be extremely difficult. I am a computer science major so I am required to take many hard math classes (such as Discrete Mathematics), and my computer science courses are no walk in the park either. 

I find myself barely having any time to do what I want to do, such as ride my bike around campus with my camera and capture the beauty that surrounds me here, or take time to sit down and watch something funny on Netflix (Bojack Horseman is my favorite right now), or even do my laundry (it's a three hour process including 8 flights of stairs to the basement so I'm kind of putting this one off)! Needless to say, this year has been one long, sleep-deprived journey, and although I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of schoolwork, I need to take the time to be thankful for all that I am offered at this school. 

After a weekend of unfortunate events, such as my car getting towed out of a ditch, missing the first football game, and someone stealing my favorite poster (of Snoop and Tupac) off of my door, I have decided to focus this week on all the positives in my life (this blog being one of them). When I feel like I just can't deal with all the junk going on in my life, I feel as if it's important to put struggles into perspective. Everything could be WAY worse, and I am so thankful to go to a school that I love and consider a second home. 

I found this graphic while wasting time on Pinterest the other day, and it came at just the right time. Although it seems like a little silly message, it is so true and applicable to my life right now (please pardon the language). 

Sophomore Year Snaps

Ah yes, another year on the mountain has begun. It's time again for long nights in the library, dorm life, sorority events, friends, and most importantly, being surrounded by my beautiful second home of Sewanee, TN. The outstanding nature and academic buildings that give such life and personality to this campus are a constant photo op for me. It's hard to resist having my camera out at all times!