Happy birthday, Jonathan!

In honor of #tbt, here's an oldie but a goodie from our senior prom.
Jonathan hated this hat, but I thought maybe it could be his birthday hat in this case? Haha.

Jonathan's birthday was yesterday, but of course we were too busy celebrating for me to get a post up to commemorate the occasion. (What was the celebration, you ask? Frozen food from the grocery store, homemade guacamole and a Criminal Minds marathon finished off with the new episode of SVU. Man, we are old. Oh—and we had to pack, because I'm hurriedly typing this as we get ready to head to Tennessee! More on that later.)

In honor of his 24th year, I wanted to share this video for those of you unfortunate souls who haven't been graced with its hilarity before. I typically don't share videos on the blog (I'll admit it—I almost never watch videos in my blog feed. Sorry! It's just not always convenient to load a video), but this one is just too good to pass up. Enjoy!

International Badge Day 2013

Happy International Badge Day, sorority women! Each year, the National Panhellenic Conference designates a day for all sorority women—both collegians and alumnae—to wear their sorority badge with pride. Today I'm linking up with Whitney and Autumn to share a few memories of my collegiate sorority experience in honor of this special day.

Design and photos by Megan. Wallpaper by Wallope.

By the Numbers: 2012

A year ago today, I posted a numerical summation of 2011. I decided to do the same thing for 2012, with a few different categories, and I also added a "most popular" section at the bottom. Enjoy!

Miles traveled by plane (everything else is too hard to count!): 56,615*
> 6,155 miles before I became a Leadership Consultant
> 36,542 miles as a Leadership Consultant
> 13,918 miles over Christmas vacation
Countries visited (not counting layovers, of course): 4
Austria | Hungary | Switzerland | France
States visited: 11
New Mexico | Missouri | California | Georgia | South Dakota
Arizona | Washington | Idaho | Illinois | Virginia | North Carolina
*Thanks, TripIt, for making it so easy for me to count my miles!

Travel Tuesday: Week 12

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Travel Tuesday! This week's topic is a throwback: What’s the best school field trip you ever went on as a kid? As always, you are free to write about anything travel-related; don't feel obligated to answer my prompt. And, of course, don't forget to link up below!

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As I've mentioned before in this link-up, my central California hometown was within day-trip distance of some pretty cool places. Hence, I got to go on some pretty neat field trips. The best, however, was when I was in sixth grade: My class went to The Tech Museum in San Jose, and it was awesome. (Granted, I couldn't remember the name of the museum and had to post a plea for help on Facebook. Ah, the beauty of crowd-sourced information. Big shout-out to Jessica for identifying it!)

Playlist: Childhood Alternative

Source: Uploaded by user via Tori on Pinterest

Remember those posts I start and then never finish? This is one of them. I've been meaning to share with you my ultimate 90s rock-alternative playlist since I posted my first playlist back in January, but just hadn't gotten around to doing it. Finally, two things happened that convinced me to finally sit my butt down and finish this post: 1) I found this playlist on Spotify, which Thought Catalog called "The Best 90s Playlist Ever, Ever," and 2) I won an iTunes gift card from a giveaway at The Lovely Mist! Well, I did a little analysis of the 317 songs on the Spotify playlist, and this is what I determined:

Travel Tuesday: Week 9

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Travel Tuesday! Today's suggested topic: What are some great day trips that you've taken? What has been your favorite domestic travel experience? Do you think domestic traveling is really traveling? As always, you are free to write about anything travel-related; don't feel obligated to answer my prompt. And, of course, don't forget to link up below!

<a href="http://megancstroup.blogspot.com/search/label/Travel%20Tuesdays"><img src="http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w399/mcszr3/TravelTuesday3.jpg" alt="BWS tips button" width="500" height="338" /></a>

It's no secret that I never really cared for my California hometown. I mean, I did move 2,000 miles away for school, and I didn't even apply to any California schools. I just wanted to get out of there! But as much as there was to dislike about where I grew up, we did have this really nice little travel radius around us that was jam-packed with day trip options. I could drive two hours in pretty much any direction and be in San Francisco or in Sacramento, at the beach or in the snow, hiking in Yosemite National Park or riding roller coasters at Six Flags or wine-tasting in Napa—you name it, I could probably get there quickly. Today I will mostly share pictures from these day trips, but I'll add links for good places to eat or fun things to do in each area, as well.

Cheapskate Tooth Fairy

Source: flickr.com via Betsy on Pinterest

I found this article a few weeks ago and found it quite amusing. Apparently, the average compensation for a tooth from the tooth fairy last year was only $2.10, which is a 17 percent decrease from 2010. The article was accompanied by a picture of a sobbing little girl, and I thought, "Girl, please!" I remember the time my sister got three pennies from the tooth fairy. (Literally. Why even bother, Mom Miss Fairy?) I remember going to school and my friends bragging about the coloring books and marker sets they found under their pillows the morning after losing a particularly big tooth. Really?! Talk about playground jealousy.

So tell me, what were the tooth fairy traditions in your house? How much moolah did your little incisors get? Or, if you're a parent, what do you do for your children's lost teeth?

P.S. — My theme for Travel Tuesday this week will be: Where did you feel the most unsafe when traveling? What did you do about it? (And starting this Tuesday, I'll start posting next week's question with the Travel Tuesday post, so you can plan ahead of time!) Thanks to everyone who participated last week!

Happy birthday to me!

Source: weheartit.com via Soraya on Pinterest

In honor of my 22nd birthday, I was going to share with you 22 fabulous things that have happened to me in the past year (inspired by the lovely Jessica at Lovely Undergrad). Then I realized I already shared most of them (and more!) with you last October when I posted about my favorite college memories. So instead, I'm going to share 22 random things about me that you might not already know:

30-Day Book Challenge: Day 2

Day 2 – A book I’ve read more than three times

Image via Google Images

I don't typically re-read books, but there were definitely times I would re-read the Harry Potter books while waiting for the next book or movie to be released. As I've bragged so obnoxiously about before, I was very fortunate to have my mother discover Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in an airport shortly after its U.S. release in 1998, before all the hype started. (Did you know it took until the fourth book for the U.S. and U.K. release dates to be the same? Those bloody British children....) Therefore, my family bought every subsequent book beginning with the Chamber of Secrets immediately when it was released, and I devoured each one within two or three days. As you can imagine, there was a lot (but not alot) of Hogwarts-lusting time between release dates to fill by re-reading the trio's old adventures, which I happily did.

On My Own: Live

Finally, I'm fulfilling my promise to show you some pictures of my new apartment! I've decided to start this series with "live" because I figure it's the least interesting. I could have started with the most interesting to suck you in, but I'd rather start you off with low expectations so you're not disappointed later. (It's a terrible strategy for life, but I think it will work here.)

So, today you get to see the less-glamorous parts of my studio life, including my dresser/closet area and bathroom. Enjoy!

In the top right image above, I wanted to focus on some of the wonderful graduation gifts I received from my friends at Mizzou. The black Mizzou frame in the top left is from my good friend and sorority sister Kiki, and the picture inside is from our Diamond Sister banquet after initiation. (Kiki is also my Diamond Sister, or what some chapters call "pledge mom.") Directly below that frame are two matching picture blocks that say "MIZ" and "ZOU" respectively, created by my beautiful friend Michelle! The MIZ picture is from our freshman year at the Big 12 Championship football game, and the ZOU picture is from my 21st birthday. We've been friends for a while. :) Finally, that wonderful bicycle helmet on the right is from Kaleigh, another good friend who I've been lucky to have in my life since freshman year. She made this helmet for "when things get tough" after graduation. Thanks so much for the gifts, girls! I love them!

 

Stay tuned for the next installment of the "On My Own" series!

Series title borrowed from Les Mis, naturally.

By the Numbers: 2011

I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions, normally. I figure if I want to do something, I'll set a goal and do it; I don't need it to be January 1st to feel motivated. However, reading all my lovely fellow bloggers New Year's Resolutions posts has gotten me in the mood to set a few goals for myself. Before I do that, though, I think it's important to see what I've accomplished in the past year. So here's a rundown of 2011, by the numbers.

That's why it's called the present.

One of my favorite sayings/puns is: "Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." Well, Christmas Day is definitely a gift all on its own, but it also comes with lots of cool presents!

Source: prettystuff.tumblr.com via Jolene on Pinterest

My family traditionally opens all our presents on Christmas Eve, and then Santa Claus comes overnight so we have stockings to demolish on Christmas morning before Mass. Even though I know Christmas isn't really about the presents (remember that guy named Jesus?), I'm excited to unwrap my goodies tonight! (And see if everyone else likes the presents I got them, of course.)

What are your gift traditions for the holidays?

The best four years of your life.

If you read my blog post from yesterday, you know I'm a little sad about graduating from college and leaving Columbia (and all my friends) behind. While writing that post, I was reminded of my commencement speech from high school.

Yes, this is actually a picture of me, not a Pinterest picture. Shocker!

I really didn't want to speak at my graduation at first; I really didn't think I had anything to say that the audience hadn't already heard at each of their previous children's graduation ceremonies. I definitely knew I didn't want to give the typical recap speech of high school: highlighting the best moments, listing my class' athletic and academic accomplishments, and telling inside jokes that the majority of my 139 classmates would have understood.

Instead, I wanted to do something different. I'm from a fairly small town, where most of my classmates had gone to school together since kindergarten, you knew pretty much everyone's name, and many of my friends had the same teachers their parents had had years ago. I wanted to remind everyone that regardless of whether they had enjoyed high school or not, there is always something better waiting up ahead. To steal a line from the romantic comedy Just Friends, I don't think anyone should be "the girl [or boy] who peaked in high school." So this is the speech I gave, and I hope I accomplished my goal:

The end of an era.

Time's up! 

Source: browndresswithwhitedots.tumblr.com via Traci on Pinterest

I've had plenty of time this semester to think about graduation (and what comes after). I've remembered the good times, written countless cover letters during my job search, finally figured out my plan for next year and spent as much time as possible with friends. I had a countdown to graduation on my phone, a Facebook album titled "The End of an Era" for this semester's pictures (hence the post title), and my cap and gown has been sitting in my room since October 5.

But it didn't really hit me until it was too late to change my mind.

I've known for a while that I was on track to graduate a semester early. In fact, I started taking the minimum number of credits per semester when I realized I could have graduated a year early if I wanted. (I didn't.)

My friends (especially my younger ones) constantly asked me why I wasn't staying until May. I always told them it just wouldn't work; I already had two majors and, like I said, I was already taking the minimum course load. I guess I could have picked up a minor along the way, but by the time I realized how much I would really miss Mizzou, I felt it was too late. Everyone was expecting me to graduate in December, and I thought I was ready to leave.

11.11.11

I've been grading International Exams for over an hour straight now (it's an ADPi thing), and I needed a little break. So naturally, I visited Facebook to help distract me, and I found this:

I'm pretty sure I've been "attending" this event since about 2008, so it's weird to think it's actually happening next week. (Also, why is it happening at 11:10? Does Facebook not allow events to start on odd minutes? Hmm....)

I'm a little bit of an 11:11 nut, I'll admit it. My boyfriend and I frequently text each other smiley faces at 11:11 (which is especially fun because we're in different time zones), and any time I see a clock at 11:11, I'm that girl who stops and yells out, "It's 11:11! Everyone make a wish!"

So let's just say I'll be making some pretty epic wishes next Friday. Happy early 11.11.11, everyone! :)

Remembering Rwanda.

When I studied abroad in Rwanda this past summer, my program created a Facebook group that included all the Mizzou students, as well as our colleagues from Nigeria, Burundi and Rwanda. Since the program ended in late July, many students have used the group to share interesting articles, videos or upcoming events that pertain to our study of the genocide. Today, someone posted a link to "Singing Praises of Rwanda," a short essay on the current state of Rwanda written by a resident of Kampala, Uganda.

Although the entire piece offers compelling praise for the major economic and social strides Rwanda has made since the genocide, this part in particular inspired a wave of nostalgia:

"The drive to the border town of Gisenyi through Ruhengeri is an experience every visitor to Rwanda needs, if only to dispel the notion that all these good things are just limited to Kigali. The road is excellent and with specially paved pedestrian sidewalks, the towns are clean and Gisenyi is undergoing great transformation with old building being brought down and a new town plan being implemented. The peace and quiet at the Serena Lake Kivu is incomparable to any get-away for a tired mind."

In case you forgot (or weren't around for the early stages of my blog), here's a little reminder of how gorgeous Gisenyi and Lake Kivu were:

Sunset at Lake Kivu. We stayed at a small convent right on the shore of this gorgeous lake.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is right across the water. 

More sunset.

 The next morning.

Attracting a crowd of local boys at a public beach.

How did I get so lucky?

It only happens once in 100 years.

This past weekend, Mizzou celebrated its Centennial Homecoming. Although the term "first homecoming" is debatable, the University of Missouri is widely recognized as the founder of homecoming, dating back to when the athletic director invited alumni home to Mizzou for the Missouri-Kansas football game in 1911. Without getting too scholarly here, I will acknowledge the opposing faction that claims Mizzou was not the first. An Associated Press story published last month said, in part:

Tigers faithful have spent decades claiming former Missouri football coach and athletic director Chester Brewer's invitation for graduates to “come home” was the start of the tradition. School leaders know better — and are now more vocal in dispelling a well-worn myth whose adherents included Brewer himself.

“We try to be a little more careful about it,” said Missouri Alumni Association executive director Todd McCubbin, whose organization used to promote the school's homecoming as “the first and finest.”

The Oct. 15 game vs. Iowa State, preceded by a week's worth of activities, is now simply the school's centennial celebration.

“Certainly, our graduates feel like we're the first,” he said. “Sometimes perception is reality.”

So basically, what I'm saying is I'll still claim Mizzou as the originator of Homecoming. And we're still recognized as the largest student-run homecoming in the nation!

This is what Greektown looks like the night before Homecoming! (Right outside the ADPi house.)

Go Tigers! Moving on ...

Happy Birthday, Kiki!

Yup, it's midnight, which means my Diamond Sister, Kiki, is turning 22! (Wow, she's getting old! Ha.) As a birthday gift, I wanted to dedicate a special blog to her. I know Kiki loves my blog, so hopefully she'll love this post the most. :)

A Diamond Sister is a "pledge mom/daughter" in Alpha Delta Pi. Kiki became my Diamond Sister after I joined ADPi my sophomore year, and she has been the best "mom" a girl could ever ask for! She's beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, funny and ambitious - what more could a daughter ask for in a role model? So happy birthday, Mama Kiki! I hope your 22nd birthday is your best yet!

Here's a quick look at our friendship over the years:

Back to the beginning....

On the "Sweet Tarts" Dance Marathon team together our freshman year at Mizzou!

Wittle babies!

 At my initiation brunch sophomore year,

after Kiki helped initiate me into Alpha Delta Pi!

 We got to celebrate Tap Day together our junior year.

(With the columns in the background, of course.)

 Celebrating Preference Day during our senior year of formal recruitment!

It's been an unforgettable college experience with her.

Happy Birthday, Kiki! 

72 Days at Mizzou.

Photo via Pinterest

1. It's been a while since I've written a post about my
impending graduation and subsequent limited time at Mizzou.

2. I bought my cap and gown for graduation today. Eek!

3. With only 72 days left, I don't anticipate I'll accomplish

much more during my undergraduate experience.

Due to these three items, I decided it was time to write a nostalgic piece about my time at the University of Missouri. I don't know if you can be nostalgic about something that isn't actually over yet, but I'm going to do it. So there. This will be mostly photos that represent my most memorable and/or proudest moments here at Mizzou. Enjoy!

You are more than you have become.

Last night, I saw The Lion King in 3D. I went with four of my female classmates, and we were all amused to notice every person in the theater seemed to be at least 18 years old.

Source: google.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Watching the classic Disney film as a 21-year-old university student was an eye-opening experience. I hold The Lion King close to my heart, as my sorority's mascot is a lion. In fact, it's a running joke among my close sisters that I like to quote inspirational sayings from the movie in my everyday life. My personal favorite is from a leadership conference I attended with Alpha Delta Pi in the summer of 2010. During one workshop, we watched the scene where Simba sees his dad's image in the stars. Mufasa tells his grown-up son (in his deep, oh-so-sexy cartoon voice):

"Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become." (Hence my post title.)

So of course, when we discovered the movie was being re-released in 3D, we had to go. I'm proud to say that I contained myself quite well (unlike my embarrassing Harry Potter episode). I stayed dry-eyed through Mufasa's death and Simba's discovery of his body, even when Simba tugged on Mufasa's ear to wake him up. My willpower ran out, however, when Simba began crying and running across the gorge, begging for help from "somebody ... anybody!" Then I cried.

Source: google.de via A on Pinterest