.... hi

 hi, it's been awhile. 

(approximately 1.5 years)

a lot has changed! i graduated from college (it still feels surreal to say that). i got a job. i've been enjoying my last summer before i officially go corporate in october. currently studying for the cpa exams, and it's killing me. 

i've seen barbie twice in the past 24 hours. so that's how well i'm doing :). 

life's been good. 

different, but good. 

struggling with the idea that i'm no longer a college student, that i won't be going back to campus next week. it's devastating. the past four years have truly been the best (and hardest) of my life. i met wonderful, lifelong friends who i miss dearly. it's hard not to wake up every morning and see my roommate. i miss our brooklyn 99 dinners and knitting marathons so much. 

but i'm trying to look on the bright side. i do not miss finals or exams or busy work. i love being more present with my family (and my little sister is so excited i'm home longer, which makes me emotional). i'm beyond excited to see my best friend from home more (especially since she just got married!). it's a sweet state of life we're in now. 

here's some random funny moments/quotes from the past year. (at least, i find them funny :).

"do you want to be alone with an undertaker?" - mom (while playing apples to apples)

"i want to honeymoon on pea island." - brother 2

"if you meet a man named doug, run for the hills." - friend 1

"those two melons are kissing." - friend 2

"if a boy makes you bread, he's a...good boy." - friend 2

"let jesus drive that struggle bus." - cru leader

"i like my men cold and dead." - me (context: we were discussing twilight)

"rock a bye baby...that's what i sing to my dead body every night." - friend 1

that night when we watched 'sense & sensibility', and my roommate taught me and my friend jacob's ladder and cat's cradle, using crochet yarn. 'twas a good night. 

"i'm googling peanuts in the wild." - me

binging obx season 3 with friend 2 and my best friend from home. ordering pizza and screaming at the tv when our ship finally became official. 

"real friends hand you your pants when you wake up." - best friend from home

"why would i pay extra for a top knot and uneven skin?" - friend 1 (context: trader joe's sumo oranges)

"sometimes i have a top knot and uneven skin. but i'm still worthy." - friend 2

many many senior traditions during the last few weeks. brought back all the memories and nostalgia. 

"i'm so far in denial that i see the pyramids." - me

"i'd take route 5 to beantown!" - friend 2

"what's the first thing you think of when i say captain america?" - brother 1

"HOT" - me

😑 - brother 1

----

anyway, that's just a little sneak peek of what's been going on over here. lots and lots of studying, reading (emily henry books are destroying me), watching stuff (have i mentioned how much i love barbie?), and crying (my best friend got married on saturday, and i'm still processing it). 

i don't know when i'll be back. maybe i'll just pop in with more quotes (i think my college friends are hysterical, and it's fun to relive memories). 

ramblings of a college student [ volume 2 ] - hi i'm back???

hey, it's been a hot minute. (a year and a half?? what is time.)

anyway, just decided to pop in and say hi. i've been seeing a lot of bloggers announcing they're leaving, which is sad but i get it.  and then i realized i just disappeared after my last post (in 2020! wow does anyone still read this tiny ridiculous blog?)

college is going really really well. i'm somehow halfway thru my second semester of junior year (shhh i'm in denial). if you follow me on instagram, you know what i've been up to. lots of gilmore girls and lost nights (no spoilers PLEASE for lost - we just finished season 5 and are SHOOK). lots of walks and laughter and polaroid pictures. 

anyway, here's some random quotes / stories that i've collected since i've last posted.

- - -

2020: my roommate + i randomly decided to watch twilight. the first one was atrocious. the second one...was actually not a complete dumpster fire? actually enjoyed it. third one was surprisingly dark + violent, but still ok. honestly, if you ignore all the romance subplots + attempts at a love triangle, it's actually decent. we stan carlisle and charlie, just sayin'. who cares about team edward or team jacob? carlisle and charlie are the only interesting and relatable characters. (although we joked about a reality show called keeping up with the cullens which would actually be hysterical). 

some quotes from our twilight phase:

why is he always shirtless? - me
all the wolves look the same. why??? it's like someone hit copy & paste on taylor lautner and made a few edits. - roommate 1
honestly, why do all the guys like bella? she's a piece of cardboard. - me
'he's filling a hole in my heart.' it's called friendship, sweetie. - rm 1

spring 2021 update: we finished the twilight saga. um the last movie wasn't awful? except for the ending. my roommate & i were screaming at the end. literally one of the WORST endings of a franchise that i've ever seen. very hysterical.

2022 update: well twilight has officially become part of our lives now lol. what started as a random midnight decision on halloween as now spiraled into a glorious tradition of watching one twilight movie on halloween and another on valentine's day. but purely for roasting purposes > there's nothing as gloriously fun than making commentary during those movies.

kayaking! also we saw so many turtles!!

2020: the night that my roommate was craving a baguette (specifically the one in the red, white, and blue paper) so we randomly ordered panera mac + cheese (just so she could have the bread). it was great. then we played our game, bullfish. and yes, we created our own card game. it's called bullfish, bc it's a combination of b.s. and go fish. basically, it's go fish but you can lie! highly recommend playing. we've been playing nearly every night, and it's so fun. 

2022: wow, 2020 me. throwback to sophomore year where we couldn't go anywhere (thanks covid) so we spent an exorbitant amount of time in our suite. we watched so many movies and tv shows and painted and made up card games (don't ask about scrabbledash).

fyi: slapjack can get extremely competitive. 

ya know what sums us up right now? that part in the office when andy is in that acappella audition and says 'i can sit here and just cry all day.' - roommate 1

2021: my roommates & i started watching LOST! no spoilers please - we're just on season 2 lol. and thoroughly enjoying it. we have so many theories. jack's my favorite character! tho i love everyone (except analucia. we don't like her -_-)

^ 2022 update: well, it's been a year since we've started watching this insanely wonderful show, and we're still obsessed. we watch two episodes per week and it's incredible. still love jack. also, we like sawyer now?? just finished season 5 and are emotional. can't believe we only have one more season!

i went on a run and ran into a tree. so now i'm covered in mud. - rm 2

something smells weird in here. - rm 1

it's the soap. it smells like man. - me

OH MY GOSH IT DOES. - rm 1

"i'm talking about pans and I'M ENJOYING IT. what's going on??" - rm 1

"nothing says valentine's day like a fine pewter dish." - me

intense discussions about fonts. 

"my accounting professor's powerpoint was all in comic sans." - me

"oh that's a MAJOR red flag." - rm 3

wordle. so much wordle and octordle discussions.

"wait, what sea creature sleeps in the water?" - rm 1

"um, all of them??" 

"ok i'm going to do a plank until i have to leave." - rm 1

"i'm going to do a reverse plank." - me (continues to lie on couch)

one of my roommates turned 21, so we made cocktails and watched Lemonade Mouth. 'twas a wonderful night.

"in my medieval lit class today, one of the guys spoke in an old english accent. that's a major red flag." - me

"CURSE YOU PERRY THE PLATYPUS - ooh the marauder's map!" - rm 4

playing harry potter clue and speaking in british accents and listening to the high school musical soundtrack. 

"i'm not directionally challenged. sometimes i just walk into trees." - rm 1

saturday mornings spent walking to the only decent bagel shop in town and having picnics outside on warm days. on cold days, taking our food home and watching gilmore girls. (i'm sorry, the fourth season finale? I'M UPSET)

- - - 

anyway, just wanted to pop in + say that i'm still alive. hope you all are doing well! cannot promise when i'll be back. probably will do another update in a few months, with more random, out of context quotes from college. 

xo

allison

p. s. has anyone seen moon knight??

ramblings of a college student [2020]

hello! it's been a few months since i've been on here. sorry about that. i do keep up with reading other blogs - but just haven't had the time to write a post. so i decided to compile a bunch of little anecdotes about my college life so far. 

dear freshman me, why on earth did you sign up for an 8am statistics lecture? you may have been overzealous in that first year (y'all i used to wake up at 6am to prep for my 8am chem lectures), but as a sophomore... i'm a morning person, but still. 

psa: hot cheetos are the bomb. coming from someone who despises cheetos...they're actually really really good. 

triple checking to make sure video & microphone are turned off during live lectures < that zoom life. 

surviving off pasta + chicken, cuz those are the only foods the dining hall can actually make ok. (besides breakfast. their breakfast is surprisingly amazing). 

tater tot day is the best day.

my suitemate + i have a new tradition on how to spend our non-homework nights - eat pita chips, play scrabble, and * occasionally * watch love island. we're grandmas. also i hate how i've only seen two love island episodes, and i'm already so invested in that stupid stupid show. (update: i haven't seen anymore episodes + i'm proud of myself, lol.)

surprisingly, the chicken alfredo @ the dining hall is flat-out amazing. which is huge coming from me, as i  do not like cheese. lol. 

also been going thru sherlock with a friend thru netflix party, and apparently i'm absorbing it too much cuz now i've started talking like a british person. 

left my room w/o a face mask, realized halfway down the hall, sprinted back to my room while pulling my sweatshirt over my face. ah, how i love 2020. 

watched harry potter + the order of the phoenix and ate pretzels with my suitemates. it was a good night. 

my suitemates + i have been going to the farmer's market every saturday morning. it's one of the highlights of week. the other day i bought a bouquet of flowers, and now i have mason jars full of yellow and pink flowers all over my room (and i stuffed some in a water bottle < college life).

ordered pizza + watched the lion king 1 1/2. 

lots and lots of calling my mom + dad. and facetime calls with my best friends at other universities. 

went to the local library + picked up the raven boys + blue lily, lily blue! i love reading that series during autumn. we'll see how far along i can read....so far i'm halfway thru the raven boys! and i've forgotten just how incredible this series is. update: wrote this three weeks ago. haven't been able to read any more, lol. 

also suddenly this week, we got fall weather? and i'm so excited + i really hope it lasts. i've been in leggings + sweatshirts for the past five days, and i'm thriving.

put jeans on for the first time on wednesday. and sent a selfie to my mom. she was shocked lol.

also apparently there are psych books? like legit mysteries with Shawn + Gus! my dad got me one as a surprise on move-in day, and i'm loving it. the guy who wrote them actually wrote a couple episodes, so he's totally got Shawn + Gus's voices + personalities. 

picnics are so much fun. especially in nice weather. 

even tho ants love to climb all over me.

apparently wednesdays are jean days now. 

quizlet is queen.

ordered panera + watched pride & prejudice (2005) w/ my suite mate. i love the bbc version, but i really enjoyed the keira knightley version too. :)

introduced my suite mate to a very potter musical (*cough* due to lots of content, cannot recommend. but it's hysterical. it's on youtube if you're curious ;) ). and now she'll randomly run into my room + shout "DID SOMEONE SAY DRACO MALFOY?!" and it's the best thing ever, lol.

also i discovered the x-files + now i'm obsessed. it's the perfect blend of creepy (but not horror) + murder mystery, especially for sPookY sEasOn. 

anyway,  hope y'all are doing well!

can't believe it's already october.

xx,

a.r.

i will never be a teenage author

photo by me

i'm turning twenty this summer. and i'm scared.

i hate change. i hate the idea of getting older. of losing my childhood and entering the scary phase of adulthood. of growing up. the possibility of outgrowing or losing touch with old friends.

i'm sitting here, thinking of all the things that i will never accomplish as a teenager.

- i will never publish a book as a teenager. 

- i will never date as a teenager.

- i will never travel to another country as a teenager.

and the list could go on and on.

photo by me

and i know it's silly. there's so many exciting things ahead of me, and i shouldn't be upset that i won't be a teenager anymore. 

but it's ok.

it's ok to feel sad and regretful. 

i've thought about this a lot. 

it's ok that i won't ever be a teenage author. because, you know, i'm not ready. i could publish a story now, but it would be awful. 

and it's ok. 

i may not publish a book until i'm twenty five or thirty or even later. 

and that's ok.

i will eventually publish a story. it may be a story that i wrote as a teenager. a book that i spent the summer of '18 writing - and falling in love with storytelling. 

now, i'm not trying to say that people shouldn't publish books as teenagers. i've read many amazing books written + published by teenagers, and i have so much respect for them. 

but, i don't want to do something just to do something. i don't want to publish a crappy book just to say, hey look at me. i'm a teenage author. 

i may never be a teenage author, but i was once a teenage writer.

photo by me

instead of thinking of all the things i will never accomplish or do as a teenager, i started thinking about what i have done as a teenager. 

- i wrote two novels as a teenager. 

- i edited one as a teenager. 

- i wrote countless short stories and started dozens more as a teenager. the tattered pieces of notebook paper, covered in my childish scrawl, live in an overflowing file box under my desk. they're a testament to how much i've grown as a writer, even in the last year.

as a teenager, i became a voracious reader. i fell in love with harry potter and sherlock holmes and agatha christie, and found books that have changed my life in countless ways. as a teenager, i discovered the incredible power that words hold. 

as a teenager, i became serious about my faith and strove to make it my own. as a teenager, i pursued many interests and applied to colleges. as a teenager, i stepped out of my comfort zone when i moved away to college. as a teenager, i discovered that i didn't want to major in chemistry or science - and  decided to pursue a career that i never considered before. 

as a teenager, i learned how to drive and overcame my crippling fear of driving. now, i enjoy driving. something that i never thought possible. 

as a teenager, i realized how much i love writing and decided that no matter what i major in, i would always be a writer. 

and you know, i still have a lot to learn about writing. 

one of the books that i wrote as a teenager has no plot. it's a rambling, sun-filled book about two best friends who write a book together. that's it. there's a whole lot of work to be done.

the other book that i completed as a teenager has a lot of drafts ahead of it. the dialogue needs to be written. the characters need more development. themes have to be incorporated earlier. but ya know? i had so much fun writing that book. i'm really enjoying editing it right now. 

all in all, it's ok that i haven't published anything as a teenager. eventually, i will publish a story. whether traditional or indie, i don't know yet. 

it's ok that i will never do certain things as a teenager. 

all i know is that there are exciting adventures ahead, and i trust that God knows what He's doing in my life. 

- - - -

so this post is just me spewing thoughts

that have been on my mind lately.

i hope it all makes sense.

love, 

a l l i s o n