Things that I love...

Those of you that know me best know that I am a lover of many things. I decided to write down those "things" and contemplate what makes up my personality.

**NOTE: I don't take the word "love" lightly. I really, truly, LOVE these things.**

1. a cappella music.

While at Elon, I was introduced to the big, addictive world of collegiate a cappella. Appropriately labeled an "acapalloser," I lived and breathed a cappella for four years. Before going to sleep at night I would go over my song parts in my head and make sure I remembered my choreography. Every song that I heard on the radio became a specimen that I dissected in my mind...attempting to discern whether or not it would be a suitable choice for Sweet Signatures. Too often I find myself YouTubing various a cappella groups and listening for hours. The new show on FOX, "Glee" has been bittersweet. One one hand, I sit on the edge of the couch and grin obnoxiously for the full hour...it's just that good. On the other hand though, it makes me miss singing with my girls so much that I go in to a minor depression for the following 48 hours. i.love.a cappella.

2. fans.

Growing up, I don't remember taking big notice of the fan in my room. What I do remember though was the fan in my parent's bedroom. When I was scared after having a bad dream, I can remember climbing in between my parents and getting under layers of heavy blankets while the air was being twisted in to a vortex. I always slept the best under these conditions. Not until my freshman year in college did I realize the necessity of using a fan while sleeping.

It was my first night in our closet of a dorm room and I swear I could hear the breathing of the girl two rooms down. It was hard enough realizing that my life was about to change forever...I could have done without the supersonic hearing through paper-thin walls. That's when my older brother came to the rescue and brought me The Blizzard...later lovingly named, "Bliz." Bliz gave me countless hours of delightful sleep. What loud party? Someone was knocking on our window? Bliz drowned out the most distracting noises. And for that, he earned my love.

It must be stated that just because you get a good night's sleep with a fan, it doesn't mean that your roommate does. If I had an 8 am class and Kimmy was still in bed, it was not uncommon for the fan to be off when I returned from the shower. Sorry Kim...you were a trooper!

3. italy.

This past May, I was given the opportunity to travel in Europe with my best friend Lauren for 3 weeks. Cinque Terre to Sorrento to Capri to Positano to Ravello to Amalfi Town to Prague to Krakow to Berlin to Paris to Normandy to Pisa to Florence. It was a whirlwind adventure to say the least!

My favorite country, by far, was Italy. Namely the towns along the Amalfi Coast. Lauren and I were big fans of the "Rick Steves" Italy travel book. After being easily coerced by Rick to make a stop in Capri, we started researching the best/least expensive ways to get there. We were staying right outside of Sorrento in the most charming hostel/hotel ever..."Mami Camilla's." On the bulliten board in the main lobby we found a posting informing us that they take a group of people to Capri every day. Normally, tourists ride large ferries filled with other Americans in order to get to the sacred island. We, on the other hand, traveled in style.

Navigated by Augustino...our flirtatious Italian boat captain, we hopped aboard a private boat along with 9 other tourists all around our age. The weather could not have been more perfect nor the surroundings more magical. The hostel provided us with delicious caprese sandwiches and cold beer and water. After dropping us off at the island, we meandered for about three hours and then returned to the boat. From there, Augustino took us on adventures swimming through grottos, cliff jumping, and cave wandering. Despite being stung twice by a jelly fish, this day was by far, the best day of my life.


4. nuts and chocolate.

Doesn't really matter what kind of nut, but it definitely needs to be milk chocolate. I'm pretty traditional when it comes to that kind of stuff. I consider peanut butter to be in the nut family as well. Without fail, when I go to the movies, I will buy a box of "Goobers." Within the first ten minutes of the flick, I'm shaking the box, getting the last little, forgotten about remnants...wishing there was more.

5. planning parties.

In the past couple of years, I've realized how introverted I really am. I used to think that having fairly good people skills meant I was extroverted. These days, when I find myself in a big group of people, I usually stand back and watch. I love watching my friends having a good time together. I guess that's why I like throwing parties. I love getting the opportunity to serve my friends and be creative with themes, decorations, music, food, costumes...Who doesn't love a good costume party? I've realized that I love doing the behind-the-scenes planning and preparation for get-togethers. Especially when the guests have a good time!

Some recent parties:

admittedly not my best look...

to be continued...