What I'm Going to Miss.

Being the first born of a family has it's pros and cons; just like everything else in life does. There are always positives and negatives but you just have to focus on the right reasons and keep your chin up.

I've always loved being the oldest in my family. And now I'm heading to college in a couple days and it's a whole new experience. I'm the first one to leave the house and go to college. First generation headed to a 4 yr university. I know it's going to be such a fun experience and I'm going to learn so much but I'm also going to miss a lot from home.

My family first and foremost.

My dad whistling in the kitchen as he cooks. Or coming up with ridiculous jokes to make my boyfriend laugh. Or him tickling my feet because he knows it drives me crazy.

My momma. Buying me clothes. Doing my laundry. Listening to her praying with my little siblings - how she's raised them just the same as me. Feeding me truth and wisdom. Singing country songs together in the car.

My best friend, my sister Erin. We've shared a room since she was born. We make up our own words and jokes and laugh about it for years. Or talking about boys in the dark before we go to bed. How we can hate the same thing or love completely different things.

My little siblings too. How they look up to me. How my youngest brother pronounces my name wrong. My littlest sister wanting to be just like me.

Driving down the backroads with the windows down and the music blaring. (I won't get to bring my car on campus as a freshman) Going for late night junk food runs with my sister. Missing my job and my coworkers for how hard they work.

Things are going to change but it's going to be a good experience. One I'm getting very excited for and very nervous for. Hoping these last few days go a lot slower than the rest of my summer. Soaking in every last detail.

xoxo,
~Michlyn

Preparing

The countdown has begun. Only 12 more days until I'm moving onto my college campus. TWELVE.

Nerves are kicking in. Excitement is rising. Dorm checklist is getting smaller. Time is getting shorter.

I'm preparing myself for the unexpected. I've never done this college thing before. I know I'm going to love it. I know it's going to be different. I just don't know what to expect. My friends and I are all going different ways. An hour away from home. Taking a year off. A couple are moving east and a couple are moving west. My best friend found her dream college 5 hours away from me. We're all just preparing ourselves for change.

We've done it before. When your childhood best friend and her family moved across the country. Or when your parents got divorced. You had your "goodbye dance" after middle school and prepared yourself for freshman year of high school. Now it's a little different though. We won't all have our parents to pay for our groceries and car insurance. We'll have to schedule our own appointments and buy our own clothes for a job interview. It's all changing.

But it's a good change. Growing up is intimidating and thrilling. We'll all do it individually and life will get busier and more exciting. We'll meet new people and call them our soul mates. We'll forget those girls in high school that only strived for beauty and popularity; not intellect and originality.

Life is a journey and nobody travels it exactly the same way. So I'm just preparing myself - my mind, my heart, to strive for my dreams and pray that God will always be by my side.

And every little (or big) thing is gonna be alright.

xoxo,
~Michlyn

College Packing List

As I've been preparing for my move into my college dorm, I've done a lot of searching for the best things to buy. College dorms are usually very small (depending on where you go to college and how many people it is supposed to accommodate) and so you have to be aware of how much stuff you bring otherwise you'll run out of space.

I've been shopping a couple times already for dorm materials and I've realized that it's much easier to make a couple trips instead of just one. This way you don't have to come up with a ton of money to go on a mega shopping trip. Just make your grand list and then every other week just make a smaller shopping list and start crossing things off as you gather the things you need.

Another tip is (if you have them) to meet with your roommates prior to move in day. Connect with each other or meet for lunch and get to know each other. Make a list together of what everyone already has and what you still need to buy. This way you won't buy doubles of certain items and you also won't forget anything.

So here's a college packing list of things you'll need for your dorm

Room:
Bedding/Sheets/Pillows
Mattress cover
Alarm clock
Lamp
Side Table (for a TV stand or for by your bed)
Futon/Bean Bags/Lounge Chairs (whatever fits best)
TV/DVD Player
Decor (optional - think of the space)
Movies
Clothing/Shoes
Storage dressers/drawers
Totes
Shoe Shelf
Hangers
Desk lamp
Computer
School/Office supplies
Board games/Cards
Curtains
Area rug
Full length mirror
Bulletin board (great for keeping track of schedules)
Laundry baskets

Kitchen:
Towels
Wash rags
Pots/Pans
Dishes
Silverware
Utensils
Chip Clips
Measuring cups
Can Opener
Microwave
Mini Fridge
Oven Mits/Hot Pads
First aid kit

Bathroom:
Shower caddy/bag
Bath towels
Washcloths
Toiletries
Hairbrush
Cotton balls/Q-tips
Toilet Paper
Shower curtain & Liner
Bath mat
Small mirror
Soaps/Lotions/Shampoo & Conditioner

Misc:
Command strips
Cleaning supplies (i.e. clorox wipes, windex, magic erasers, etc)
Extension chords
Fan
Power strip
Plastic bags
Reusable/Tote bags
Radio/Bluetooth speaker
Kleenex
Paper towels
Shelves for food & snack storage
Hand held vacuum

Good luck to all my fellow freshman and good luck on move in day!

xoxo,
~Michlyn

Moments That Make Me Smile

When my family is all together and gets to eat endless amounts of food, jump in the lake, and sit by a fire at night.

Laying in the sun while my nanny girls splash in the pool with their friends and talk about Taylor Swift.

Hearing my favorite song on the radio and turning it all the way up with my windows down.

When I fall asleep and he kisses my cheek and lays quietly next to me.

Working at the store really late but my awesome coworkers and I all go out to eat afterwards.

Getting packages in the mail.

Meeting future roommates at a coffee shop and getting to know each other before move in day.

Spending the day with extended family that I love so much but don't get to see often enough and eating our way through the conversations.

Planning ideas and necessities for dorm life.

Shopping.

Going for a bike ride around the neighborhood, looking back and seeing him smile back at me.

Beach days with my best friends and gossiping about our lives and forgetting about reality on the other side of the sand.

Painting my toes and wearing new shoes to show them off.

Telling him how nervous I am for the future, and then he kisses me to forget about it for just a moment.

Senior Summer

I live a crazy, beautiful life. Soaking up the sunshine. Working hard. Seeing friends & family. Enjoying my post senior year summer.

starbucks for lunch after a 5am shift.

baseball game with Megan.

sunset on the way home from work.

moments like this.

 fourth of july.

road trips.

You can follow along with my busy life at smalltowngirl_michlyn.

xoxo,
~Michlyn

Change

Hey everyone! 

Phew it's been quite a while since I've been able to sit down and actually get my fingers to type words. I meant to get a couple posts out weeks ago, but you know how life is and priorities get straightened out. So blogging unfortunately is at the bottom of my to-do list these days leaving this blog empty.

I can't tell you guys how much it means to me that people take the time out of their day to read about my crazy life, deep life moments, and the fun I have along the way. This time in my life has shown me how incredibly grateful I am for everyone and everything around me. For the people that came to my grad party, for my family who has helped me get closer to my dreams and supported me, my best friends for making me laugh on days when I most need it, for blogger friends that encourage me from thousands of miles away, and my Jesus that oversees my life and knows what's coming next even when I don't.

Lately, I've been struggling with a great deal of nerves and anxiousness about the changes in my life. In exactly one month I'll move onto my college campus - living away from my family (longer than a few days) for the first time. I've been so so excited throughout the past year to be going to my dream school and getting to pursue teaching - something I've wanted to do since I was 9 yrs old. But just as the countdown gets lower and lower, my heart starts beating faster and faster. Don't get me wrong, I'm still very excited but I just think expecting the unexpected is a little hard right now.

The day after I move out, I'll also be trying out for UNW's varsity volleyball team. Whether it means I make the team or it's not for me - it will be ok. I know that I'd like to give it a shot and try my best instead of not trying at all. But I think those 48 hours of complete change will be very hard but also very rewarding and I can't wait to see what God has in store for my future as an Eagle.

Otherwise, if you're wondering how my summer has been going so far - it's been wonderful! I've been trying to see my friends as much as possible, before we go our different ways and enjoying each day. Trying to help my family juggle our busy schedules and also soaking in the time with them before I leave. I'm working 2 jobs this summer to try and save a little money for college expenses in the fall but also to have a little fun too.

As you can see, I haven't really had the words (or time) to say what's on my mind but I hope this post finds all my followers well and enjoying the summer. If you're in my boat - just know you're not alone! Being nervous about college is normal but also stay excited - you never know what the future will hold.

xoxo,

~Michlyn

Heartstrings.

              {one year ago}

They had grown close. He had undeniable charm and her smile took it all in. A 5 month friendship that grew to something a little more. They were complete opposites. He drank on the weekends and she went to church every Sunday. Somehow they interchangeably became an important part of each others' lives. A drunk kid on the phone with the girl he liked for 4 hours turned into sober heart to heart conversations. Soon enough he took her very first kiss on his couch. This fascination with each others' minds and lives and the advice they gave each other. They thought it was love. It was risky and passionate. She thought sneaking away to see him would make it more fun instead of creating boundaries.

She's screaming. Her mom won't stop telling her to stay away from him. He's not good news. His reputation is bad and he doesn't care about you. She's crying. Trying to explain how she feels without contradicting her words. Her heart is throbbing in her chest, almost as much as her throat is from screaming. Trying to deny that he was toxic for her. But inside she knew him and his past. He just kept drawing her back in.

His name popped up on her phone. 

"Are we okay? I feel like I messed up."

"What do you mean you messed up?"

"It was just one night when I was upset. I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you."

"Whatever. I thought you were different now."

Heartbroken. Her mom was always right. She couldn't deny it any longer. The passion, happiness, what they thought was love...was not. Tears stained her pillow night after night until she realized it wasn't worth it. She wrote him letters that never got sent. Her mind raced with memories and her heartstrings ached. How was she going to move past this. Someone she thought made her feel so special, so alive. She moved on and kept going. Life didn't stop and month after month went by with an emptiness still inside her. Eventually, strength and independence coursed through her. She would know what happiness felt like again. It wasn't because of a person or a moment...it was because she was living her life and doing things for herself. But she couldn't help but think it was because of the heartstrings he pulled, that actually made her realize how strong she could actually be.