Advice To My Younger Self

Dear 18 year old Mel,

When you arrive at UT, don't be afraid to sit by yourself in Presidential Court to eat. It's best to go early in the morning for breakfast when no one is there so that you won't feel awkward.

Trust your own judgement when meeting new people. Don't forget that fraternity guys make fun friends, but horrible boyfriends.

Stop wearing your baby phat jeans just because they're stretchy. Go to the mall and buy a pair of actual jeans or else people will begin to think you have Asperger's disease becuase you hate the feeling of stiff pants.

Go ahead and drop Math 119 because you end up failing it. 

Please try to take more than 12 hours after this first semester because eventually you'll have to catch up by taking summer classes and that wasn't fun.

Dont ignore your gut instincts about people and situations. When little red flags come up, each one counts.

Find a church and start going to a Bible Study NOW because you'll really need that support later.

Love,

Mel

Emotion Evoking Spring Break Story- Still in progress

For spring break I stayed at home in Chattanooga where I contracted a stomach virus and spent at least four days being nursed back to health by my mom. Although my illness was miserable, I was greatfull for the opportunity to spend child-like time with my mom. Before spring break, I could not tell you the last time I let my mom take care of me. Although this was spring break of my senior year, I felt 8 years old again as I sat in  bed and yelled  "Mooommmmmm!!! Mooommmm!!!".

Biggest Fear

My biggest fear is any harm coming to my family or loved ones. Who I am is made up of my family and those whom I love. I am a fretful, anxious, concerned person by nature so I try not to dwell on subjects of this matter because it is very upsetting.

My First Love

For Blog #5 I am obligated to combine two of our topic choices. This is because my pet was my first love.
Agustus McCrae McGraw became my first love and best friend when I was 4 years old. He was an American Yellow Lab, American Kennel Club approved and the most loyal, loving creature that lived. The day Gus passed away was the worst day of my life. It was January 20th 2009. I was a senior in high school. A lot people think it’s dumb to get this attached to an animal. They do not understand how a pet can mean so much to someone, but the day that Gus died, a part of me died too. In my 21 short years on this earth I still have yet to encounter a living thing so loving, forgiving, caring, faithful, and loyal as Gus. We named him after my parents' favorite movie, Lonesome Dove.  My obsession with yellow labs began that day we brought him home.

Gus became the focal point of all my drawings, games, made up stories, my life.
We were always together, outside or inside, and when I wasn’t with Gus all I thought about was Gus. He loved cheese and would run into the kitchen at the sound of the refrigerator door opening. I even shared my popsicles with him. Every day when people came home from work or school, Gus acted like he hadn’t seen us in years and was overjoyed. Every walk was the best walk ever to Gus. Every meal was the best meal ever to Gus.

When I had bad dreams or couldn’t fall asleep (which was always), I would tip toe downstairs to the kitchen and curl up with Gus on his bed. Every morning my Dad would ask Gus to get the paper and Gus would run down to the end of the drive way, pick the paper up in his mouth and bring it back up to the back door in exchange for a treat. Gus didn’t like the Sunday paper because it was too heavy and he would end up leaving a trail of flyers, magazines, and other ads along the driveway. Gus hated it when people were sad or mad and whenever he saw me crying he would slowly walk over, lick my tears off my face and bury his head in my lap. He would get jealous and bark when anyone hugged each other.

When my Granddad had to have open heart surgery, he wasn’t able lie down in a bed and was confined to the recliner in the living room. During his weeks of recovery, Gus lay at the side of the recliner, next to the lever, and only got up to eat or go outside to use the bathroom. Gus meant so much to my family and I. I am so blessed to have had Gus for the time that I did. He taught me more about how to live and love than any guy ever has. Those were the best 14 years of my life.

Pet Peeves

Some of my biggest pet peeves include; loud noises, pungent smells, and ignorance. I also hate being too hot or too cold but if I had to choose one, I would always rather be cold than hot. I try to keep my apartment as a sanctuary, free from as many pet peeves as possible.
In my apartment, the bathroom is off the side of my bedroom and so the bathroom door must be shut at all times to prevent toilet germs from nesting on my bed or even worse, my baby blanket.
When I walk barefoot through the kitchen, or on any hard surface, I despise the feeling of crumbs or other morsels sticking to the bottoms of my feet. If the trashcan is filled with any kind of solid food, it must be taken to the dumpster in a timely manner to avoid the risk of bugs or insects entering my apartment.
Concerning others, picky eaters and complainers are not my favorite. I hate it when people do not use their turn signals while driving, swearing in public and any other kind of social incompetence.

I would say I am a particular person. Others would describe me as borderline OCD but I maintain that I simply have a certain way I prefer to do things. I recognize that I'm not the easiest person to be around. I'm still astounded that I have such wonderful friends who put up with me, despite all my extreme preferences.

An Outrageous Goal

 I've always had a fascination with writing in short hand. These days technology has become so advanced that we are able to take notes or send a message simply by speaking into a cell phone. Because of this, short hand has become a dying breed of written communication. It is an outrageous goal of mine to be able to write in short hand. To be able to write in an official code that has long been forgotten.
I discovered short hand from my Grandma who learned it while she was working as a secretary
She used short hand for other useful tasks even as a mother. She kept a diary during the period she was not teaching school, when her children were small. She would write entries, all in short hand, of the daily activities and occurrences of her life as a young mother. When making Christmas lists for her three children, she would write "Steve": ( and then the rest in short hand). This drove my dad and his brothers and sister crazy. I love for her to show me her diaries when I am visiting her and my Grandad.

Life As a UT Student

My years at the University of Tennessee have been far from easy. As a senior, I look back on my time in college and name time management as one of the most important lessons learned. At UT, there are several other obstacles that pose as challanges for students, besides the regular course load. UT is notrious for having a horrible parking system, and making their students the last priority in virtually every scenerio. Whether it be building design, tuition payment options, course registration, commuting to campus, or residing on campus, UT has given it's students a run for their money. Needless to say, nothing at UT is easy to do.
I am greatful to be graduating in the Spring. This is not only because I will have earned a college degree, but also because I will be free to move to another city. I am excited to graduate and go out into the world. I am an old-spirited person and feel as though I will thrive in an enviornment that contains a more diversified age group.The characteristics about living in Knoxville and attending UT that I will miss consist mostly of the frustrating, bitter-sweet memories that I've learned to laugh about. I am blessed to have educated parents that have helped me through college, every step of the way. I believe that without the support from my family, I would have never gotten through my first semester.