Next Chapter of Allison's Life Begins...

It really did feel strange today driving away from Lafayette. It's been a great place to live and grow in. I've made friends that I'll never forget and had some pretty great times. I was alright last night when I said goodbye to all of my friends. But today, after Alex and I packed away all of my things into my car, we went to go see Lauren at her work. I seriously started tearing up when I saw her. Alex calls it the "graduation effect". I'm really going to miss the crap out of that girl! We've been friends for 11 years now. She better skype me about random boys and other things all the time or I'll be VERY upset! :-P

Final stages...

So I'm in the final stage of writing my thesis. I've finished the results section. Tonight I am writing the discussion, limitations, and suggestions for future research sections. Everything has become so final lately. I'm sorting through and packing up my apartment this week. I still have a few pieces of furniture I'd like to sell. If I don't sell them, I'm donating them to Habitat for Humanity Re-store (not putting them on the curb, Dad). I'm almost finished with a baby blanket that I'm making for my little nephew Mason. Hope he likes it... although he's only two months old. So, let me rephrase it, I hope Melissa likes it! :-) Everybody keeps asking me if I'm going to miss Louisiana. And it's hard to say. I'm sure there are certain aspects about living here that I'll miss and several that I won't miss. More than anything, I'm going to miss my family. I won't be living two hours away from them anymore. Everyone needs to get Skype a.s.a.p.!

So... there's a week full of sorting, cleaning and packing my apartment as well as editing my thesis! The ride is a bit bumpy but I'm strapped in with a safety belt and good thoughts! ;-)

You Can't Make Everyone Happy All The Time...

This is a lesson I've learned quite well lately. I tend to always want to be the nice person and not step on any toes. There are just some situations in life where you've got to look out for yourself rather than make everyone else happy while you screw yourself over on something. It's a tough lesson, but it has been learned for sure.

I'm in deep thesis hibernation mode this weekend.

Marketing 555

My last college exam ever is tonight. It's for my Marketing 555 class, it's 100 questions, it covers 5 chapters, and I'm ready for it to be over. :-) After tonight, all I have to worry about, school wise, is working on my thesis.

Yay for semesters ending!

The Countdown Begins...

I have three days of physically having to be at school for working in the computer lab. Thursday night is my final exam in my Marketing 555 class which is my last exam at ULL ever!

Next week, I'll be sorting through everything in my house. I'll be tossing out things I don't need, packing things I do need, and shipping books to Alex's parent's house. It's all "happening" slowly but surely and yet it doesn't really feel like I'm moving away from Louisiana. Perhaps I'll feel differently when I've been up there for a few weeks and haven't come back to Louisiana like Linda said. Maybe that's when it will hit me. I am super excited though. I can't wait until Alex and I find our own apartment and have decent jobs.

I'm still writing my thesis. Dr. Dinu said that I should have it finished and edited by May 13 and that I'll defend it on May 20. These next few weeks are going to be... shall we say a bit hectic?

The Pursuit of Happiness...

Okay, so Oprah's rerun today has inspired this post. She has Goldie Hawn, Jenny McCarthy, and a legitimate researcher/doctor on discussing what factors into people's happiness. The Pursuit of Happiness is promised to us in the Declaration of Independence. I whole heartedly agree with Will Smith's character in the movie "Pursuit of Happiness" that happiness is not a guarantee. Happiness will not automatically fall into your lap. It is not something that can be seen or solved with the snap of your fingers. Happiness, I believe, results from the actions you take day to day. Your active participation in your choices in life is what determines your happiness. You can choose to be negative and down or you can choose to be positive and upbeat. The way that people respond to a situation factors into their happiness as well. You have to be directly involved with your happiness. You can't depend on other people to fulfill your every whim when it comes to happiness because they are concerned with their own happiness. Each experience should not be a "woe is me" scenario if it doesn't go your way. I want to take all future experiences, whether they be positive or negative, and turn them into a learning experience. Looking at situations that do not go my way as a learning experience rather than letting it get me down, I believe will be a much better use of my energy than letting the negativity overwhelm my outlook.

Love.

I am completely and utterly in love with Alex. He makes me feel so good whenever I am near him. I'm not sure where this will go. But... I'd like to definitely see him grow old. :-)