Wow! Okay, I haven't been very faithful in updating my blog, but I've got some time on my hands right now and so here I go! I'm done with my first semester of college, and I SURVIVED! I'm very thankful for Christmas break though!
The first few weeks of college were extremely overwhelming. I had work to do, and a deadline to finish it and I had to remember how to get from class to class and I didn't really know anybody too well. I mean, I made friends pretty quickly, but they weren't my friends. Just classmates and accquaintances. People who's faces I knew, but not names. But I am SO grateful to one particular person, who helped me out imensely during my first few weeks. Ashley Brown. She answered questions, encouraged me, explained where to go for class, and so many other little details that just made me feel better about this whole new experience called college. And I'll admit, at first, I hated it. No matter how much everybody assured me that it got better, I hated it. I made a couple friends at the BCM, but they all already had friendships and groups and I didn't quite feel like I was fitting in with them.
But alot of changes have happened since then. Now, I've really made some friends! There are some other Theatre majors that are fun and friendly that I like alot. But I haven't gotten too extremely close to any of them. However...I have made some incredible friends at the BCM. I finally started to connect with the people there when we went to Ignite a collegiate conference in Shreveport. Besides finally making friends, it was an amazing weekend that I spent praising and worshipping God and learning more about Him. One of the afternoons we went to the riverwalk and just had some free time until supper. I ended up walking around with 2 people that I did not know very well at all. Wiley Kersh, who works at the BCM and Ashley Hill.
Me and Ashley started talking while we were walking around and we just talked and talked and talked. When we went and met up with the rest of the BCM people to eat supper at Buffalo Wild Wings we sat next to each other and talked and talked some more! We got to know all kinds of things about each other and our families and we just had a connection right away. She's 22, which is 4 years older than me, but it didn't matter! I finally had a friend! I also made friends with Kaleb and Victoria and Matt and Kyle. We played "Extreme" Alphabet game anytime we were driving anywhere. I got to know Scott, who is the BCM director. It was a great weekend!
Soon after that I met 2 more girls. Just about every Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday, they were at the BCM at lunch time. "T-Plus" and "T-Minus" is what I first heard them calling each other. Their names are actually Caitlin and Kaelyn. I got to know them better during our fall break though. A few of us spent a few nights at the BCM and painted a house for a lady in town for a service/outreach type of thing. Me and Ashley and Caitlin and Kaelyn all did that. And soon I became friends with both of them, too! Also, during that time we met Ershad and Jamal. They are 2 guys from Iran. Neither of them are Christians, but they were very interested and asked lots of questions. We were all excited to get to share our faith with them.
Since then, I've grown increasingly closer to all these people. Me, Ashley, Caitlin, and Kaelyn all have a bond that's so strong. They're all like older sisters to me. They are so supportive and loving and have taught me so much about my relationship with Christ. Plus, we have so much fun when we're all together!
As for my classes, they all went great. Math was very difficult, but a guy from church, Johnny Carriere helped me through the first few weeks over facebook and the phone. Then, as me and Caitlin got closer, she started helping me. If it weren't for those 2, I'm afraid that Math 105 would not have been so much of a success! I got a B in Math and English and A's in all my theatre classes. So, I had a very good first semester of college! Here are some pictures of some of the high points of the semester:
My first UL football Game:
That's me and Kaelyn (T-Minus) and Brittany waiting for the game to start.
Me, Kaelyn, and Jamal (one of the Iranian guys)
Wiley, Ershad (the other Iranian guy), Ashley, and me. It was very cold at this game, so me and Ashley were huddled up together in her blanket!
Apparently it's a tradition to go to Sonic after the game, so that's all of us at Sonic!
This is one night when I was supposed to be doing math homework...
Me and Ershad at the BCM one night.
A few of us got together to play cards and hang out. We also crunched Life Savers in the dark and when you chew it, it makes a spark! And we opened Band-Aids in the dark and they have a little glow...it was so fun...
Me and Kaelyn cleaning the kitchen because our team lost Cranium...
Me and Caitlin :-)
Natalie Sibille also came and hung out with us that night :-) That's me and her and Ashley
Caitlin, Natalie, Me, Jamal, Ashley, Kaelyn, Ershad, and Emad
I'm glad to be on break now, but honestly, I'm missing seeing everybody everyday!
The finished project! 
