Charleston, I think I love you.

I've been to charleston before; however, I never really got to explore the city. This weekend we went to Greenville (also the cutest city ever) and then Charleston for architecture class.  I love it. love love love it. Definitely one of my favorite places I've been. So thankful for the opportunities I've been given. I guess even architecture has it's ups..

let the games begin

this semester is going to be an uphill battle...

Here comes (supposedly) the hardest semester of my life. the most challenging lies ahead and dearest readers, I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't a little apprehensive. 

so here's to another semester, I truly believe the best is yet to come!

peace vs. comfort

I was recently thinking about peace and comfort. Both physically feel the same, but spout from very different circumstances. Peace is knowing that everything is settled, exactly how it is supposed to be. The whole world is at ease and it seems as though everything is just right. Comfort feels settling simply because it is known, familiar. Like peace, you are at ease in comfort, but comfort chokes our ability to grow, learn, and ultimately reach the true inner peace that comes with acknowledging and completing God's will. 

all my friends (and really anyone that talks to me) must really hate me right now. All I've been thinking about, talking about, and obsessing over is architecture. It's causing me to worry so much and causing me to ask myself so many questions. Do I want to be an architect? Why the heck did I choose this major? Is all of this work worth it? I'm absolutely sure many people have stumbled across these same questions. let's face it, architecture is a lot harder than I could have anticipated. And it's only the beginning of my sophomore year. 

I realize that I have a choice here, stay in architecture and suck it up, or change out and be a quitter. I find myself asking countless people if I should stay in architecture, just hoping they'd tell me that it was ok to change majors, that it wasn't quitting. I guess that's just what I'm looking for from God, my family, friends, anyone. It'd be so much easier if someone just told me "no kat, you aren't meant to make 25 models of folded paper until 3 in the morning." But it's not that easy. It's never that easy. And maybe that's why I need to stay in architecture, because it's not easy for a reason.

I don't think I'm strong enough to make it through this architecture education and honestly I've never seen myself as an architect. But then again, countless people before me made it out alright I guess. And shouldn't I trust that God put me here for a reason? Is even considering changing majors wrong? I should quiet the little monster that is screaming in my ear telling me that all this hard work will lead to unhappiness... But is that little monster screaming because the hard work isn't worth it, or because he's suddenly uncomfortable in this difficult environment? And that dear readers, takes time and discernment. 

So now I'm off to think and pray more, to search for that inner peace that comes from knowing that I'm really doing Gods will. but for the present moment I have a few models to do for tomorrow. 

I just don't have any motivation to do it. 

I literally can't bring myself to it.

laziness? or unhappiness?

whatever the case, I still have a ton of work to do.

ohhhh lordy.

tiger town bound in the morning

This summer has been just what I needed, and while leaving home is surprisingly just as bittersweet as leaving clemson, I'm so thankful that I am fortunate to live in two places that are both hard to leave. 

Leaving my family is almost harder this time around since we've grown so close, but I'm excited to be back at Clemson for this next exciting semester.

Until we meet again Baton Rouge, this summer has been real. 

time to get back to clemson! 

one week left? no...

I'm going to miss seeing lake hartwell this summer. it's only a few months I know... 

Somehow I don't seem to grasp the urgency needed in regards to preparation for upcoming exams, a paper, and a final portfolio. I've tried multiple times, but after spending an insanely inhuman amount of time in the studio last week, I'm burnt out. I'm done. I can't concentrate, and consequently, I can't study worth a lick. Dearest readers, what will I do!? I'm lacking all motivation and all I want to do is stalk myself on facebook just so I can reminisce on this past year. How did it fly by so quickly!? I'm pretty sure all of my friends are tired of me getting all emotional talking about our last week of freshman year, but I just can't help it. This year has been the best of my entire life, and I'm so grateful for the opportunities and friends God has placed in my life. God sure knew what He was doing when He lead me to randomly apply to Clemson (of course He did... I always forget to trust and realize that His plan is 100% perfect). As I was riding in the bed of my friends truck today, I just looked up at the sky and let the wind blow through my hair. I felt completely intoxicated by life and it's grandness. It's crazy the blinders we place on ourselves sometimes. Then you stop to look at the big picture or even the small beautiful things like wind in your hair and just realize how narrowly focused we've been on something so insignificant. At the end of the day, we ultimately know in our souls that life is good, no matter where it has lead us. 

So goodbye freshman year, you've been awfully fun. You've given me many good things like good friends, independence, and a new defined work ethic (thank you studio). You've also given me a few not so good things like a few extra pounds, distance from my family, and a new found sense of partying. But ultimately, life is very very good. I will look back on you very fondly always. Thanks for continuing my journey of self-discovery but still helping me prepare myself for the future,  for giving me self-reliance but still teaching me the importance of trusting God and others, and for teaching me the importance of getting an education but not just a degree. It's been a hell of a run, and I wouldn't trade these memories for the world. 

So here's to changes.

because my life is so much better all because of one big change, the best decision of my life. and even though it's been hard at times, it's definitely been worth it. 

found some adventure!

I'd venture to say

that this made my day

when I stepped on the bank 

of Hartwell, the lake

thank goodness for my kayaking class. There's nothing quite as relaxing as paddling on the lake after a hard week of classes. While it might take me a bit to convince myself that this class is worth the time, I definitely don't regret it once I'm on the water. 

I'm so grateful that my parents let me explore this interest as an adventurous 4th grader. I know kayaking will be a hobby I'll have for life.

tuesday night dinners

hello thereeeee readers!

mmmm those beautiful clemson sunsets

Today is a beautiful day in Clemson, SC. However, I've managed to sleep for 4 hours today (missed 2 classes...yikes). Considering that's how much I sleep on an average night, I'd say I'm ahead of the game! I got yet another night sleep just by napping today. holllllllaaaaa

so today is tuesday, which means one thing: Catholic Dinner.

Tuesday night dinner is a parishioner-provided-home-cooked-dinner with all the college kids from my parish in the basement of my church. It's become quite the tradition among my friends and I, and I haven't missed one yet this semester. I look forward to it so much simply because I love that sense of belonging, and crave the home cooked food (sometimes the dining hall just doesnt cut it). The people there are pretty interesting as well. Let me introduce you to a few:

1. the grumpy old priest: this guy is the man. he pretends to be a real grouch and his famous line is "have a nice day...if you want to". He'll occasionally even tell people to have a terrible day. He is loved by all and really has a sense of humor that appeals to college students. He's a spectacular people person, often remembering everyone's name and making really personable conversations. Underneath that tough facade is a loving heart and guiding spirit perfect for his position as parish priest.

2. the newbie: Every Catholic dinner you can bet there's a newbie. this person just looks uncomfortable and is disoriented at first but will soon become acquainted with the at home atmosphere of these habitual dinners. Everyone was once a newbie, so most people try to make other's first catholic dinner experience a good one. I still remember my first catholic dinner when my friend Mike and I decided to venture out and give it a try. Even though it was a bit awkward and felt like we just stepped back into the 90s, I'd say it was most definitely worth it.

3. the non-catholic friends: These people can be seen from a mile away. when asked if they attend St. Andrew's, they'll often reply with "umm, I'm still looking for a church now." Their Catholic friends try to make them feel at home and comfortable, yet they still feel a bit awkward when the youth minister brings around a sign up form for the weekly newsletter. They especially feel strange when someone at the table speaks of vocations or other catholic traditions that seem so foreign to those that weren't raised Catholic. I may or may not be responsible for supplying many of these attendees. While a lot of my friends aren't catholic, I still invite them weekly and they manage to show up. I mean, who wouldn't turn down free food?

4. the "I just want free food" guy: this guy sticks out like a sore thumb. usually the first in line and the first to leave, he's just in it for the free food. and you can bet that if the food is sub par, he's bouncing out. I don't blame him, the dining hall can get old sometimes.

5. the graduate: these guys are in a very in-between period of their lives. while they might have just graduated, they still hang around campus like it's their job, which they wouldn't do if they had one. We love these people but are sometimes left wondering...how old are you?

6. the Catholic dinner veteran: this person  knows the ins and outs of catholic dinner like the back of their hand. They often bring in the newbies and Fr. Jack knows them by name. I'd like to think that I'd be considered a veteran at this point after being acquainted with most of the regulars at tuesday dinners and also bringing anyone and everyone out that might want to join us for dinner. these veterans call st. andrews home and help make everyone else want to do the same.

the note that my friend mike left at my desk

So, happy tuesday my friends! Hope it's been spectacular

.

A drop in the ocean..

this song came on last night in the studio and made me feel like climbing a mountain. Props to my little sis, annie for getting me hooked on it.

Well, as shown by my lack of posts recently, this semester has already been one filled to the brim with lots of things. I've been so busy with architecture during the week and then even busier with homework and trying to balance a social life during the weekends. I can't believe I'm already on my second semester... what whatttttttt!?

Today it is 70 degrees and absolutely beautiful outside. Days like today make me LOVE clemson even more than I do (I know, hard to imagine). It seems like Clemson is either the most beautiful place in the world or it is terrible/cloudy/rainy. There seems to be no in between. But I think I'll take those rainy days in exchange for days like today. It makes me want to run down bowman field in a long skirt singing "the hills are alive" like Fraulein Maria from The Sound of Music. ahhhhh so beautiful.

Studio has been slowly killing me, and I'm only in my first semester of it! this is no good my friends, I need to toughen up or something! Hopefully, I'll get into the groove of things soon. I spent somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 hours in the studio yesterday...ridiculous! Right now, we are working on a project where we have to draft an object that has movement. Naturally, I chose a difficult object: a drawing compass. So now I'm left puzzled by this project and wondering if the whole semester is going to be like this... we shall see I suppose! 

In better news, Harcombe dining hall has stepped up their game. The meals have significantly improved this semester. The only complaint I have is the music. The emo-punk-rock-I'm-in-7th-grade-and-I'm-uncomfortable-with-myself  genre of music has got to go. I went to request something a tad lighter and pleasing to a larger crowd; however, the manager was busy talking with the sandwich ladies. So considering he was most likely giving them more pointers to make even more improvements, I quietly left the scene without speaking to him. no worries, I'll make my music request promptly if it doesn't change soon. I think he'll listen to me...I'm a valued customer. Actually, I think the dining hall might lose money on people like me because i'm there so much.......

I'm so excited right now. I have little to no homework this weekend (for the first time this semester), I'm listening to good music, I just got out of my last class for the day, and I have the whole weekend ahead of me.  Praise Jesus, life is so so so good. Now I'm off to pick out my outfit for tonight's festivities. Theme: 80s. Should be fun fun fun!

have a spectacular weekend, friends! 

I wish you all the happiness and adventures in the world!

“Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more. Be happy now and if you show through your actions that you love others, including those who are poorer than you, you’ll give them happiness, too. It doesn’t take much –it can be just giving a smile. The world would be a much better place if everyone smiled more. So smile, be cheerful, be joyous that God loves you.” -Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

where's waldo.

Sometimes it's so simple that we miss it completely.

 

School is starting. I oh no my classes are so hard. SAWdo I really have to go to studio.THE I'm getting fat. DEEP I eat too much. HOLE Do I have to buy all of these books.I  I just want to hang out and not go to classes. WAS Where is all of my money going.BURYING who will I invite to formal. MYSELFI don't think anyone likes me. IN why do I exist.

And immediately I knew that I had to quickly create an evacuation plan. 

As shown by my lack of posts lately, I went through a bit of a glum time. All of this negativity swarmed my life and all I could think about were my own problems and how I felt so different, so joyless. I tried to jump out of the hole by questioning my sadness and trying as hard as I could to find joy. You see, dearest readers, I focused so much on my problems (lack of joy) that I completely neglected to find the actual joy in my life. 

Finally when I couldn't reach the light at the end of the tunnel, I gave in and felt so hopeless. My mind tricked me into thinking that my life sucked and that I would never like clemson the same again along with other awful lies. I worried and felt insecure about every move I made. Anxiety filled my entire being until it hit me like a ton of bricks. BAM. I'd forgotten the order of things. 

I was so focused on all the bad things (that actually weren't that bad...just me being a drama mamma) that I consumed myself with these negative thoughts. I was holding on so tight to all of this negativity that I couldn't let any joy in. It was such a selfish thing. I was putting myself and my pointless problems first over all others in my life. All this sadness simply stemmed from me being so darn selfish. 

Joy is about putting others first

Jesus Others Yourself

so I set myself up to a challenge. I began praying even though it brought me little comfort. Then I began putting others before me simply by thinking about them. cheesy as it sounds, it actually worked. in no time I was back to loving life and loving clemson. (wow I'm such a cheeseball! hahaha) 

so dearest readers, I'd just like to share that tip with you today! Focus on Jesus and Others and You will automatically feel more satisfied and happier. Don't let the little monster bring you down in your own selfishness. conquer the monster and free your insides from it's captivity.

have a stellar rest of the week! 

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP BOUND!

“He’s exactly right. They ain’t Alabama, they ain’t LSU and they’re certainly not Clemson,” Swinney said. “And that’s why Carolina is in Chapel Hill and USC’s in California and the university in this state always has been, always will be Clemson.

last minute road trippin'

a previously booked weekend suddenly cleared up and we spontaneously decided to go home with my friend back to Georgia. a road trip and super chill weekend with some of my Clemson best friends...it just doesn't get better than that! 

tigers

I'm loving that both of my tigers are winning right now. There's nothing more exciting than a college football game. The tailgating, the food, the friends, and the fuuuuuuuuuuuuun. I have oodles and oodles of good memories such as watching grown men play "little sally walker", observing over-served individuals, eating way too much food, dancing like nobody's watching at a tailgate, visiting with friends (or meeting new friends!), and singing along to both the tiger bands play "eye of the tiger". it's just an all around good thing that I've enjoyed for the majority of my life. And now with Clemson as #7 and LSU as #1, I couldn't be happier. needless to say, today is going to be an exciting day with LSU playing Auburn and Clemson playing UNC. 

When I was back home last weekend and we were awaiting the BCS rankings, I kept confusing people because I would refer to both LSU and Clemson as "we". For example, I would say, "So do you think we will be ranked number 1!?" and they would respond, "no you won't be that high up, probably around 7 or 8"

gosh. so confusing.

regardless,

 go {or geaux} tigers

dancing when the stars go blue

Shagging is a popular dance here at Clemson. It's basically like a type of swing dance. Like any guy-girl dance, the guy leads while the girl follows along. The girl has to give up control, go with the flow, and follow the guy's lead. While Clemson taught me to physically dance the shag (kind of...), Clemson has also taught me to dance through life in general. Jumping out of my comfort zone and coming to Clemson gave me the opportunity to begin to discover myself. I thought that I would come here and have more control over my life for the most part since I was calling the shots for myself. It isn't that way at all. Rather, it's taught me to let go, lose control, and follow God's lead. I've learned to go with the flow even more and enjoy the ride of life.

So thank you Clemson, for teaching me to dance. 

the roomie

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing the one, the only, LJ COOL J! only the coolest roommate around. Whether it be listening to Dolly or educating me on the latest goals of the republican party, Lauren is definitely a unique human and I am fortunate to call her my roommate. Leaving her for this fall break has shown me how much I really do miss her! While we definitely are two completely different people, we couldn't be getting along any better. I'm so fortunate to have lucked out like I have. Our differences compliment each other and make life that much more interesting. There is literally too much awesome in that dorm... hahaha oh man...but for real, LJ is so smart, so pretty, and one of the nicest people ever. She jokingly picks at me for being so strange, but hey I do the same to her! (come on, she wears christmas socks... but then again, I wear joverall jresses around the dorm..) 

yeah, it seems to be working out just perfectly for both of us.

plus she loves Christmas. You know someone is a good person when they love Christmas.

She loves Christmas and me so much that she started a blog about us. 

(she's my stalker now...HELP.)

just kidding my friends, I am flattered that she wants to write about me. 

You can check it out here:

www.christmaswithkrazykat.blogspot.com

hope you all had a wonderful weekend and wonderful people in your life! 

if only they gave an award for that...

Lo Jo's christmas socks.

If they gave an award for thinking up creative ways to procrastinate your time away, I would have a shelf's worth of trophies to display. You see, I've literally spent half the afternoon (or all of the afternoon) chillaxin' on the futon and doing random things. Surprisingly, none of this included playing guitar because I accidentally broke it... but no worries I'll have it replaced in no time at all! But seriously, is it really this late in the day?? I thought I just got out of class...Where did all the time go!? 

on the other hand, if they gave awards for the individual with the most Christmas paraphernalia or even with the most Christmas spirit, my roommate LJcoolJ would definitely have that in the bag. We already have christmas signs on our door, she occasionally plays dolly parton christmas music, and is currently wearing Christmas socks. I mean...hey, it's the most wonderful time of the year, right? I can't wait to see what our dorm looks like when Christmas season actually rolls around! (shh don't tell her that I don't consider October 11 to be during Christmas season)

So my adventures tonight include studying oodles and oodles for upcoming tests, but more importantly,  "Catholic dinner" at my church. It's only the third time I've been, but still I am super pumped! I'm hoping to get really involved there. I'm just loving church and my new church friends. and loving life in general. whoohooo hey holla!

Have a stellar evening my friends! 

Why I've been MIA

For the past week I've been plugging and chugging to get all of my school work done. You see, dear readers, I had my first architecture project due this week. A very daunting task, it took me half of forever to get this thing done. The final rough draft was due today, so I'll add a few touch ups and turn it in for real on Monday! We had to map campus and record our experience. Here's a few pictures for your fancy.

My daily sleeping schedule is so out of wack right now. I usually go to bed somewhere north of 1:00 AM and wake up at 6:50...unless I crash on the futon and oversleep. When I wake up, I take a leap of faith from my lofted bed onto the futon every morning. As of late, that's where I've remained for a while until I can muster up the strength to combat my exhaustion and jump in the shower. I didn't do that one day this week however, I slept straight through my physics class. I swear if anything can bring me down in college, the futon will definitely be my downfall.

exploration

I'm just jumping in for a flash to tell of our adventures of late. The next collection of photos are compiled from accidental adventures that we stumbled upon on the verge of exploration around Clemson. you never know what any day will bring!

updates my friends

I am sitting in the library.. on a friday afternoon...just trying to get some homework done before the weekend. While this seems like the least interesting thing about my life, I just want you all to know that I am absolutely loving clemson. I miss my family and friends so much, but these new horizons are just invigorating (especially when they have a few mountains dotted on them). 

And dear readers, if you were wondering, the school part of school is going pretty swell too. I actually had my first real architecture project. Granted, we were just instructed to construct a 2in x 2in x 2in box out of matte board. Regardless, I set up camp in the hallway, blasted music, and worked away on my little project. This was a great opportunity to meet new friends (or scare them off..) and wake the first floor of my dorm up for once. I even played my guitar up and down the halls to invite people to cookie break. Needless to say, it was ineffective. Seriously, the first floor is just not happening 97% of the time. maybe it's just an honors dorm thing....

Also, I reaallllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyy love meeting all of these new people. Especially in the beginning like this, everything is an open possibility. Really, anything could happen. Lots and Lots and Lots of new and awesome people. It's awesome. I've even made friends with the dining hall workers. I guess that's what happens when you spend more time in the cafeteria than you do the library. maybe I should make friends with the library workers..

A few of my new friends make fun of me for knowing so many people already. I know, it might be a little creepy when I just go up to random folks and barge in with "Hi I'm Kat, I'm from Louisiana. Want to be friends?" but it seems to be working out just fine. Well, most of the time. There are a few people that stare at me like I'm literally insane (I might be just a little), but people are generally welcoming for the most part. Actually, Clemson was voted #2 happiest students. and believe me, I can attest to this fact. I'm happier than ever and already bleeding orange. Go tigers! (both of them!)

Speaking of meeting people, I've met quite a few characters. You know those people that just add interesting spice to life?! Well since I've met a ton of people, I've also met my fair share of these gems. While the stories are too many to reiterate now, I will tell you that I met a nerd that told me I was beautiful and I had toned legs. Creepy? absofrickinlutely. 

regardless, I am flattered.

There are a few downfalls to college, but I can only think of one right now. That one downfall would be my sleeping schedule. There is always something to do and someone to hang out with! I just never sleep anymore. I just like to think that I don't sleep that much so I can take advantage of all the opportunities that Clemson University has afforded me. whoop whoop yeah!

I hate to be so scatterbrained, but yet another fun thing about life  is how many people that know how to play the guitar in college. Jam sessions until 3 am are the best. Hey you have a 9 am class? who cares! see previous paragraph about not sleeping. once again, the college experience > sleep. alwayz. 

well dear readers, that is everything that you should want to hear about my present life. lots of things are happening and it is all such a whirlwind. I truly am thankful for these abundant opportunities and the many graces God has placed in my life. Life rocks!

seek adventure my friends.

right now...

I'm sitting in my dorm, all moved in.

wow.

I don't know what to think. This is so exciting/scary!

Last night I fell asleep deathly afraid that I would sleep talk or walk. I've been known to do such things, so it was a legitimate worry. The worst part about it, I never remember doing it so I could have potentially annoyed the bonkers out of my roommate! hope not...fingers crossed...

and now off to find the church! pray for me...hahahaha

goodbye LA, hello Clemson

10 hour drive here we go