A Little Look at Laura

I love making these posts and getting to look back at the fun moments of the week. Last week, I stepped out of my comfort zone and went to an exercise class with some friends. I watched some pretty cool things on TV--the college national championship (an Alabama loss is never a bad day), Obama's farewell address and the latest episode of The Bachelor. I also got addicted to Arrested Development on Netflix!

I participated in my last recruitment event as an active--I enjoyed waffles with sisters and got to see my successor throw the cutest Chi O & Co. themed party!

Stafford and I went to dinner and a basketball game, a swim meet, and to the Symphony to hear the music of Journey.

KThis year, I didn't feel like taking down the tree until after New Year's, and when I did, I was appalled at how naked the apartment looked. To combat the missing tree, I went all over town with a friend looking for Mardi Gras decorations, but ended up not really liking anything. I later ended up ordering some feather boas to put around the living area, some festive lights, and a wreath that was under $5!

One thing I did to start the new year off  was update my phone and computer. It hadn't been updated since 2015, so it was much needed. I also went through all the old pictures in my phone and deleted any bad shots or screenshots I didn't want anymore. It was a very therapeutic experience, and I definitely got caught up laughing at memories and sending people funny things I found.

I really enjoyed my first week of classes, and it's always nice when things start very slowly. I had time to repaint my chipped nails, go eyebrow pencil shopping at Ulta, and even got to go to the Downtown Artwalk. I've been trying to go to the Artwalk since October, but it never works out. This time, we made it, got some Mardi Gras beads and the schedule, then ended up just grabbing some drinks and burgers. We didn't have time to do anything else, but I feel like now that we made a point of going, we are more likely to go again!

I find myself looking forward to Christmas around July of each year. Such anticipation allows for great disappointment when Christmas ends. This year, I decided to look forward to the new year and all the great things to come rather than the holiday season passing.

In my opinion, the good love stories are the least predictable ones.  They're the painful ones that have heartbreak and decisions and time people spend on their own trying to figure things out.  Some of the best love stories end happily, but some don't.  The best stories to me are the most complicated because they are the most realistic and raw.  Unfortunately, they're not realistic enough and still leave most of us confused whenever we find ourselves in similar real life situations and things don't go at all like we want them or expect them to.
The problem is that things aren't black and white.  They're much messier.  More people are involved.  More feelings are at risk.  In movies, people are oblivious to what they want, but in real life they want different things equally in different ways.  Decisions aren't just difficult but almost impossible.  In the real world, Allie can't just ditch Lon because her feelings for Noah are so strong because she loves Lon too, just like how Lon can't just let Allie go be with Noah with a smile because it's a love story and that's how its supposed to work out.
We are socialized to believe in the fairy tales and the bliss and the ignorance that everything we know about love tells us is true.  We are taught that when there's love and passion, there's enough to make things work.  But in the real world, it's not all about intangibles.  Simply loving someone is not enough to make a relationship work.  In a movie I recently watched, the girl made one insanely ignorant decision after another, then when her life was in shambles, her man took her back because he was just sitting there waiting on her because they were meant to be together.  Not only is that totally unrealistic but I believe that's undesirable as well.  No one wants someone who is that uninterested in building their own happiness, and no one wants to feel like someone else's last option.
There is a positive side to love not being what we thought it was cracked up to be.  We do get to find our own happiness.  We write our own stories and endings and can be our own Prince Charming.  We can have other relationships and life experiences and dreams and goals that we can accomplish and celebrate that don't have anything to do with love and relationships, and those things should be equally valued.  So even though everything is complicated and dark, there's still that bright side, and in my opinion, that's something great to celebrate.  

I spent the day with my grandmother, helping her pack for a trip to New Orleans and talking about our travels.  I realized that I never posted anything about my trip to NYC.  It was filled with sightseeing, shopping, and eating, and I am so glad that I got to spend time with my lifelong friend Mary Kathryn and our mothers.  It was an amazing senior trip that I will never forget.  Here are some pictures of some of the things we did and saw.

Still full of wanderlust,
Laura

I have been the driver of an old Ford Explorer since I've had my license, and today I got the keys to this beautiful machine. 

Today I decided to take the plunge and start my own blog.  I realize that few, if any, people want "a little look at Laura," so this blog is more for me than anyone.  I enjoy reading about the humdrum goings-on of other people's lives through their blogs, so I've decided to record mine, if for nothing else, then something to look back on someday.  So today, July 6, fourteen days before my own, is the birth date of my blog.  It will be happy to accept gifts ("A Little Look at Laura" has a special fondness for online shopping, so gift cards would be much appreciated. (: ) and it looks forward to being a place to share my random life experiences.

I pledge as my Mid-Year resolution to keep up with this blog and post as often as I feel so inspired.  If anyone is reading this, feel free to follow my blog and I on this journey.  We'd be happy to have the company.

Ta ta for now,
Laura