Liv Laugh Love

When I went through recruitment over one year ago, I distinctly remember a member of Sigma Kappa mentioning the words “Greek family.” Back then, I had no idea what those words meant. Even once she explained to me that a Greek family was comprised of your big sister and little sister, I still did not understand the entire concept. One year later, I am so incredibly thankful for the girls who I call my Greek fam. This post is dedicated to the beautiful ladies of my own Greek family: Big : You and I are kind of unlikely friends. We met within the first week of becoming sisters. We bonded over our love for monograms, writing, and mozzarella sticks, and for some reason or another, we just clicked. I have you to thank for introducing me to some of my very first friends in Sigma Kappa. You always support me in whatever I do, and you give great advice. The night of big/little reveal just one year ago was one of the best and most exciting of my life! You are my role model for fashi...

At a gathering on New Year’s Eve, I was asked to reflect on something good from my year in 2015, and to look ahead towards something I am looking forward to for 2016. As we went around the table sharing our answers, I found it very difficult to narrow it down to just one event for each. It was in this moment, as I came closer and closer to being the next person to speak, that I realized this is not such a terrible problem to have. I am extremely blessed with the people in my life, as well as the many opportunities I was presented in 2015. In 2015, I embraced leadership positions in my sorority, Sigma Kappa, as well as expanded relationships with my sisters. Panhellenic Delegate  →  following our elections in November of 2014, I was set to be a part of the programming board for my second semester of freshman year. However, in January of 2015, the position of Panhellenic Delegate opened up and I was nominated by another leader in our chapter to fill the position. After ...

After Thanksgiving is over, our society seems to make a straight shot to Christmas, although there is nearly a month in between the two holidays. I’m not complaining though, because as cliché as it sounds, this is my favorite time of year. The month of December has always enchanted me. Usually, December marks the first snowfall, the beginning of winter, and I can finally get excited for the holiday season. The sensations associated with the wintertime are so appealing…from cuddling up in blankets and sipping hot chocolate while you watch “Love Actually,” to decorating your room with twinkly lights and watching the snow fall outside. Celebrating the holiday season can be difficult when you’re away from home, but it’s definitely possible! To get into the spirit of the season, last week I went to the Enchanted Luminaria Walk in Minnetrista, a beautiful park right next to Ball State. I have found other little ways to celebrate, like going on a roomie date to IHOP to get se...

In just a few days I will go home for Fall Break. Most days I feel like each passing week goes by quicker and quicker. I remember this time last year thinking that Fall Break came sooner than I expected. This year, I sometimes feel like the school year is dragging on. In some ways this break is a welcomed hiatus from my crazy academic schedule, many extracurricular activities, and stress which I have already experienced during my second year of college. People often refer to the second year of college as the “sophomore slump.” While I in no way feel like I am in a “slump,” I definitely have had a harder time adjusting to school this year than last year. As a freshman, I immediately embraced my quasi-independence, dorm life, and all the new people I met. As a sophomore, many of these things are to be expected. Since everything is not quite as shiny and new, sometimes it’s easy to get discouraged. With that being said, I have certainly found ways to try to make this year just as m...

When I first came home for the summer, I was absolutely terrified to slip back into my home routine. Okay…maybe “terrified” is too strong of a word, but I was definitely very apprehensive. My first year at college was full of unforgettable experiences, and I was nervous that coming home would mean an end to that sense of adventure. But luckily for me, I could not have been more wrong. Here are a few things about summer that I've always known to be true, but really experienced this summer. Summer is for spending time with family. While I didn’t do as much traveling this summer as my sister, I did go on a few adventures! My mom, sister, and I traveled a couple of times to Cincinnati to visit family. The Cincinnati skyline. I have always loved visiting Cincy because of all the family we have there, and recently I have really fallen in love with the city itself! The downtown area is not an area I had ever really explored, but on one trip this summer I spent an entire ...

In the midst of school years ending across the country, the saying “it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later,” has sprinkled my timeline for the past week or so. Although it’s incredibly cliché, I can’t help but resonate with this saying. Although I was incredibly sad to leave my friends at school, I’ve realized that the friendships I’ve made this year are strong enough to last a short three months of summer. Mary, Sterling, and me on our last night at school. I’ve known for a while that for me, the hardest part about the end of the year would be leaving my friends. I  couldn't  have ever imagined that I would form the strongest friendships with people from Bloomington, Fishers, Fort Wayne, Geist, Kalamazoo, Louisville, South Bend, and Southport. Sterling, Noah, Mary, and me on our last night. Throughout the week, I met up with friends to say our goodbyes. It was very strange thinking that any time I saw someone it could be the last time I saw them until ...

I’ve never quite experienced anything like looking at my calendar and realizing I have less than two short weeks left in my first year of college before I return home for a whole summer! Some days I feel like I’ve only been at college for a couple of weeks, and like I’m still adjusting to college life. My friends and I always joke that we are still at a summer camp, and now it’s time to go home! As I prepare to go home, I have to prepare for final exams, projects, and papers which will take place over the course of the next two weeks. While finals in high school meant taking a test for each class and blissful early release, finals week in college is any combination of group projects, speaking presentations, course papers, and yes, even a tedious multiple-choice test for my gym class. The end of the year brings about a lot of stress from everything that must be done in such a short amount of time. For me personally, the majority of my stress about the end of the year stems from...