Better late than never, I guess I have to say since we are now 11 days into 2013! Once again it's the end of the year and I am reflecting on everything that went on the past 12 months! My goals for this year was to take life one day at a time and live each day to the fullest! I feel like I have kept this mantra for the year but there are definitely times when I could have pushed myself harder. So, here is the recap of the year and how I want to improve in 2013!
January started off my sixth semester in college! And I went in with my new attitude about living life to the fullest. The major event of the month was the Leonard Retreat! It was probably the most rewarding weekend of my life. I forced myself to be honest with this group of 29 people who have become some of the most important people in my life. I also challenged myself to the high ropes course which was a new and sometimes terrifying experience for me! This weekend made me realize that life is full of rewarding experiences and I just need to make sure that I take full advantage of them.
In February, I planned the annual Sisterhood Retreat for our chapter! It was filled with goal setting and defining ourselves as well as a ton of bonding activities. I realized that planning events is a lot harder than it seems and even after a full year of it as vp: programming, I probably still need to work on it as a skill when I get into a real job. Even though there were some struggles, this event was meaningful for our chapter and I always look forward to it. We also got an extra day in February which just reinforced the idea that I need to live each day to the fullest.
In March, I spent spring break at home just focusing on rejuvenating. I got to spend a few days with my best friend in Savannah and it made me realize that I need to start focusing on me. I have heard that advice for the past few years but I never processed it until now. I also went to my first Delta Gamma Formal and had a great night with my sisters and all of our dates. It made me realize the importance to getting to know people while in college and taking advantage of these opportunities to have a good time.
In April, I found out that I was going to be spending my summer in a little place called Port Hudson, Louisiana. It is the location of a consumer products plant for Georgia Pacific and it was my assignment for my summer internship. I was so excited about this opportunity and it really helped to push me through the end of the semester. We also had Josh Gracin come play for us as our Spring Philanthropy event. It was cool getting to meet a former American Idol contestant and pretty popular country singer these days.
In May, I finished my finals and headed to the beach with one of my Leonard friends. We had a blast catching up on some much needed relaxation and getting burned to a crisp. I spent about a week at home attending some accounting recruiting events and trying to decide how I was going to move myself to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I decided to make the drive all by myself which was not as bad as I was expecting.
The whole summer was definitely a crash course in adult life. I lived in a one bedroom apartment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was responsible for getting myself to work each day and making friends since I didn't know anyone when I moved down there. I loved being able to immerse myself in the culture of Baton Rouge and visit all of the historical plantations. I also got to spend two weekends in New Orleans and really see what it's like to live in a port city. The whole summer was about growth and I spent a lot of time by myself so I had an opportunity to think about me, my life and my surroundings. I learned that I would not be opposed to going other places to work and that being challenged in my job is probably one of my top priorities.
We had our final presentations in Atlanta the last week of July and it was great getting to hang out with all of the interns who I hadn't seen all summer. I started to understand what a work environment is going to be like and how your co-workers will become your good friends. It was a great way to end the summer but it was also a busy time getting ready to come back to Athens for recruitment.
The first two weeks of August were filled with recruitment and it felt completely different being a senior this year. I know what I love about Delta Gamma and I am much better equipped to sell my experience to new girls walking through our doors. It was a great time to bond with my sisters and it will probably be one of the experiences that I miss when I leave. I started my last fall semester as an undergrad and it still feels weird to think that my college experience is coming to an end.
In September, it was back to the routine of going to class, studying, keeping up with commitments and trying to remember that there are still a lot of things that I want to do with my time in Athens. I met a group of guys who would come to define my semester as I spent most of DG's date nights with them and almost every home game. Once again, I added a new member to my DG family with a shared little. This month was truly about relationships and getting to know people.
October is always a sprint. I went to my last Greek Grind as an undergrad. I had numerous accounting recruiting events and office visits as it came down to the wire to decide where I wanted to spend my summer. I went on DG's Hayride as well as run my first 5K for Habitat for Humanity. It was my last Low Country Boil as an undergrad and the whole family came to visit as well as help cook! And to end the month, we went to Jacksonville and kicked some Gator butt in a weekend to remember!
November started with DG's Semiformal which ended up probably being my favorite date night of the semester. My birthday was the next week and my family surprised me with a party in Athens. I was sick the whole week of my birthday but grateful that I have wonderful parents. My best friend from high school came to town for the Georgia Southern game and we had a great time partying in Athens! My little sister also found out that she will be spending the next four years of her life in Athens as a Bulldawg and I couldn't be prouder of her. I went to my first Georgia Tech game of my collegiate career and ended my two year run as an officer in Delta Gamma. November was definitely one of those months that pushed me to get everything done but I enjoyed it because I always felt like I had something going on.
December was filled with lots of relaxing. I made it through all of the holiday parties and finals! I was really excited to see my grades at the end of the semester as well. I was happy to be home and spend the holidays with my family. I got caught up on lots of new movies and just took some time to think about me and the year that I had.
I realize reflecting on this year that I am so glad I made such an effort to remember everything that happened. Yes, some of this stuff is probably just everyday things but I think it's so important to focus on all of the wonderful memories I have been making. Yeah, I probably could of learned a little bit more in school or my position in DG but in the end I am going to remember all of the stuff that is in this post and reflect on it in the future. I can't wait to continue this trend in 2013 because I know this year is going to be even more hectic and fun filled than 2012.
I achieved my goal! I lived life to the fullest and took way less days for granted! And I am so thankful that I have opened my eyes to all of the opportunities that 24 hours has to offer.
