My Freshman ROOMMATE Story (welcome to the hut)

HI YA!

Well, eep! I just finished my freshman year of college and I am about to begin my sophomore year. Sharing a space with someone you absolutely do not know can be challenging, but it also can be incredibly rewarding.

As you all may know from previous posts, I attend an in-state school, which is a huge advantage for me because of the reduced expenses, and the knowledge of knowing the area pretty well.

WELL… my freshman roommate was not from in state. In fact, her hometown was approximately 2,333 miles away in the glorious state of Utah. Before meeting her, I had never met anyone from the state of Utah. And in return, she had never seen so many trees before.

Blog… Meet Sav. 🙂 

Sav and I originally connected through the Facebook page that was created for our graduating class. Finding a roommate was comparable to a dating process. I would ask a series of interview questions, look through their pictures, try to get an idea of the type of the person they were through their social media. After talking 50+ girls and a month of searching, I found Sav. Some of the questions I asked her and I would encourage people to ask potential roommates would be:

1. Are you a messy/clean person? How often do you clean? How would you like the room to look? 

2. Do you smoke/drink? If so, how often do you typically go out? 

3. How do you feel about overnight guests? How long can they stay? 

4. What do you want to share? What don’t you want to share? 

5. What is your class schedule going to be like? 

6. What time do you go to sleep? What time do you wake up? 

7. Do you like to study with music on in the room? Do you like silence? 

8. Can you sleep with a light on? 

Her and I instantly connected from the get go. We both share the same major, Communications, with an interest in Journalism. We both had the same work ethic mentality, intentions to join a sorority, and we were both incredibly social people.

And this is where it all began. 

I could not have asked for a better roommate for my freshman year in college honestly, we had so much fun. From going through recruitment together, to having each other to come home to every night, her and I became each other’s family. Which is when we decided that the word “dorm” was not good or fitting enough for us.

This is when our dorm room became known as “the hut”. 

It had always been our joke to call it the hut because it was ridiculously small. We actually ended up receiving one of the SMALLEST double rooms on campus and so it was pretty tight. Throughout the course of the year, we rearranged our room multiple times to try to get the maximum space we could achieve.

Sav and I went through a lot over the course of two semesters. We grew to be so incredibly close that I considered to be like a sister to me. I told her absolutely everything, and she shared absolutely everything with me. We had an awesome relationship. Often times, people would comment on they thought we knew each other prior to college based on how well we got along.

She is incredible. She is very determined, smart, motivated, and incredibly hardworking individual with so much success all around her. I loved having a roommate that encouraged me and allowed me to encourage her and push her to be the best she could be.

As I always said to her, “We do not accept anything but A’s in the hut”. 

This really stuck with Sav. She would always get really excited if she received a phenomenal grade on an assignment in a class that was especially difficult for her. Same goes for me. We celebrated and acknowledge each other’s successes throughout the year. However, we were always there for each other to help through the downsides/hardships that came as well.

We both always took school very seriously, but we also acknowledged the fact that having “me time” and getting off campus or going to do something fun was always really important as well. We both made sure that the other person was always balanced, and we were always honest. We always made sure to tell the other person if something was wrong, or happening that might be upsetting.

ALWAYS be honest if anything is bothering you. It makes solving problems SO MUCH easier. 

A fantastic year grew into a wonderful, beautiful friendship between the two of us. The last day in the hut came sooner than either of us expected, move out day. It was incredibly difficult to leave, knowing how many memories were shared in those four walls.

Sav will now be living off campus for the upcoming year and I will be staying on campus, so we will not be living together again this year. But, I know that we will continue to maintain our friendship that was created. And as I always said to her, “Long live the Hut”.

Comment below any of your roommate experiences or questions you may have! I would love to hear them!

-Ash

The Journey of Finding my BIG Sister

HI BEAUTIES!

Last October I experienced the rush of emotions brought to me by Big & Little “Clue Week”. For those of you who are not aware, Clue Week is an entire week where you are given a series of gifts that contain clues to try and help you guess who your big sister might be. Some of my clues included several painted canvases, wooden Chi Omega letters, and anything and everything with owls!

HOOTIE HOO! 

I mean, who wouldn’t love running around campus collecting clues and given all of the suspense of not knowing who it could be? I mean, I sure did. However, little did I know that becoming a little and gaining a big was much much much more impactful on my life than I could have ever imagine it being.

For starters, my big sister, Hannah, is by far my biggest fan in life. She is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS encouraging me and motivating me to be the best version of myself. She has become truly, my role model throughout everything. Hannah is perfect. Truly, if you ever met someone who just knew everything and anything on life it would be her. She knows exactly how to approach and handle any given situation that may come across her way.

A big and little relationship is so special. You will never experience anything like it that is comparable. A big sister is there to be a guide. You can believe it that she will be the best tour guide you’ve ever received. She is meant to help you, encourage you, support you, protect you (Hannah is VERY good at this one), and show you the ropes as you begin your sorority experience as a new member.

However, the relationship is definitely a two way street. At least, mine sure is. I’m there for Hannah exactly and equally as much as she is here for me. It is a special two way bond.

You will begin to create COUNTLESS memories with your big. The relationship you create with her is going to be unlike any other relationship you have with any of your other sorority sisters.

-Ash

HOLD ON HOLD ON (this is what best friends are made for)

HI LOOK AT MY PERSON!

Yes, she has ultimately become MY person. After my addiction of watching all 11 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy this summer with her, she is by far my Christina Yang. She’s the person I fall back on when ever I need anything absolutely in the world. I am so blessed I have found her.

Growing up, I never truly had that ONE best friend that you hold on to forever throughout the years. I grew in and out of cliques, different friend groups, and most of all I explored just meeting a bunch of different people to fulfill my social butterfly personality. However, I have finally found my college best friend that I will hold on to for a lifetime.

Life happens unbelievably quick, it really does flash before your eyes. Being able to create unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime with my best friend throughout these next “prime” years of our lives is going to be wonderful.

So, blog. Meet Laura! 🙂 

Laura has been one of my biggest supporters and motivators throughout anything in my life that I try to accomplish. She is always cheering me on and encouraging me to fulfill my dreams to the fullest.

To be completely honest though, Laura and I have some significant similarities, in a sense, that makes us almost the same type of person. Starting with the fact that we both are incredibly focused when it comes to our studies, with that being said, we both are always pushing each other to the next best level. Laura is by far one of the most intelligent people I have ever met, I know she is going to have a very bright future and career ahead of her as she continues on her journey to medical school.

She is also one of my pledge sisters in our sorority, Chi Omega. We were able to experience going through Recruitment last year together as we made our journey to find our “home”. We went into Recruitment just as friends since we originally met at our college orientation the month before. Unknowingly, we ended up joining the same sorority and that in itself completely strengthened our friendship and made it grow beautifully.

I’m confident that I will have many more stories to come about Laura and I’s friendship on this blog. Just wanted to introduce one of the most important people to me early on here.

🙂

Can’t wait to be back on campus with my person again!

-Ash

Second chances… with your EX-BFF? 

HI LOVES!

Second chances.

Not the type of chances that you give out to an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend or past lover, but more to your past friends.
Usually to the end of a friendship there is a type of difference that erupts. It can randomly appear from a slew of reasons. From time to time it can be a disagreement, argument, or simply just time that slowly fades away.
Most people can recall the time they met a friend that they thought would be there forever. However, the truth is that friends are constantly coming in and out of your lifestyle at different moments in time in order to impact your life in a significant way.

This impact can teach you a lesson or shape you into being a better version of yourself. From every person that crosses your path, there is always something valuable you can learn. So, seize the moment and take advantage of that.
Time can make two friends grow apart. The way you were when you first met simply might not be the same as when you are now. People change, grow independent, find out new discoveries on their own path & before you know it your friendship has faded.
Can a second chance at a friendship ever be as successful as the first? 

Sometimes certain friends are not worth going back for and fighting through the countless drama upon end. Sometimes you are better left on your own.
However, there are cases in which the universe may turn forward in your favor and a second chance at a friendship can completely alter your life.
Living a lifestyle with no regrets and a sense of forgiveness is a way that opens your soul up to the unthinkable. Find a way to push pass the potential heart ache or finding a fix to the grudge the friendship ending might of cause and remember that this person came into your life for a reason. Now they are waiting and have openly found the courage to want to try and make things better. Move forward with knowing both sides to the story, not just yours.
Don’t fall straight towards forgetting, lean towards forgiving.
-Ash