I Was Warned

It's nights like this that I wish we were still roommates..I'm sad and have no one to talk to : (          

This was the text message I sent to my college roommate, Michelle, last night. Two minutes later we were on the phone with each other and had an hour-long conversation.

We were both missing good friends.

I had been warned about this, and it is just starting to hit me.

I was told that is one of the hardest parts about graduating - not being as connected to all of your friends. I don't see them in class every day. I don't have coffee and lunch dates on a regular basis. I don't make my friends dinner or host game nights at my townhouse. I don't talk to Michelle late at night about whatever is on our minds.

Sure, I've called my friends, and we share pictures on Facebook, but it's not the same. It's even hard to get together with my friends that are still in Binghamton as we are all on different schedules - school is no longer a common bond with me and my friends, and I miss that.

I have met a group of friends at church, but it takes time to really form meaningful relationships. I felt this same when when I started at Roberts, and it took three years for me to really form solid relationships. Three years! Prayerfully, I will make connections in Binghamton sooner than that.

I was warned, but that hasn't made it any easier.

Two of my Favorite Things

My friend, Jillian (she has a blog too!), gave me the coolest gift this weekend - a card organizer! Yes, two of my favorite things combined into one - cards and organization!

Now, this picture does not do this fabulous organizer justice. The cute cover is only the beginning! It opens up to several pockets to hold cards, organized by occasion. There are pockets for birthdays, weddings and anniversaries, new babies, encouragement, friendship, and many more! Each pocket has fitting Bible verses and ideas for what to write inside a card. There is also a place to record birthdays.

I recently moved back home and was stuck as to where to store my collection of cards. See, when I find a card I like, I buy multiples! I had five of the same wedding card at one point, and I've had a stock of the same birthday card for a year and a half now! When I like a card, I want to send it to as many people as I can, but I have to wait for the right occasion. I ended up just tossing all my cards haphazardly in my desk drawer. Not any more! They are now very well organized, waiting to bring a smile to someone's day!

The verse on the front of the organizer reads, "I will bless you...and you will be a blessing to others." How fitting for my blog and a reason I love to send cards - to be a blessing to others!

Thanks, Jillian, for this awesome gift - I love it!

Friends Across the Miles

I spent the weekend in Rochester. I am exhausted. There were so many people that I wanted to see and things I wanted to do, and I did it all!

I left Binghamton early Friday morning to make it to campus by 11am. I visited with staff members who had been my work supervisors throughout my time at Roberts, whom I now consider friends and mentors. I was able to grab lunch with Honna and hear about her latest adventures. A friend of mine had a BBQ that night, so I saw some friends from church and chatted with new friends. It was nice to be back in Rochester.

I met my cousin for a long run on Saturday morning. After running right into a large gate at the start of our run, we both survived and had a good time catching up. I met a roommate for lunch and grabbed ice cream with a professor. Then I joined Lindsey and Honna for dinner at the diner and heard more about their trip to India. We hung out at Lindsey's for a game night, and more friends stopped by. It was great to catch up with everyone, and the new game we played kept us laughing!

After church on Sunday, I joined some friends for a trip to Niagara Falls. We ventured over to the Canadian side and grabbed lunch at Tim Hortons. All my years in Rochester, and I never made it to the falls! The last time I was there was during my senior year of high school. We had a fun day exploring. To finish my visit to Rochester, I headed to Jillian's place for dinner. It was nice to hear the latest news in her life, and she gave me a sweet card organizer! (My friends know me too well!) I was exhausted from my full 3 days in Rochester, but I headed out for the drive home.

The picture above is from my drive back to Binghamton. There's many miles between the two places, but both still feel like home!

Time for a Visit

Laundry? Check.
Cleaning? Check.
Bags packed? Check.
Itinerary? Check.
Games? Check.
Alarm set for 6:30am? Check.
Rain coat? Check.

I am ready! For a fun weekend in Rochester!

I have been living and working in Binghamton for a month now, so it's time for a trip to Rochester to visit friends!

I'm heading out early in the morning (Did I mention, I have Fridays off? I love it!) and have a full weekend planned with friends from church and school. It will be fun to catch up and hear what everyone has been up to since graduation.

This is just the beginning of many travel adventures planned for this summer!

Laura's Favorites

My roommate, Michelle, got me a crock-pot cookbook for graduation. I was so excited and went through the book marking the recipes that I wanted to try. Of course, about half the book is marked up! My family and I have slowly been trying new recipes and have been pleased with the results.

I began cooking in the crock-pot after I got my own for Christmas this past year. I used it once a week at school to make meals for friends at my townhouse - I loved it! I tried new recipes and enjoyed some classics that I liked growing up.

My roommate enjoyed the meals that came from my crock-pot and knew I would be thrilled about a whole cookbook devoted to the crock-pot!

Recently, some friends have asked me for my favorite recipes. I ended up making a document with a handful of my favorites! Main dishes, an appetizer, a sweet bread, and a dessert - you can do a lot in the crock-pot!

I'm willing to share if you want to try some of my favorite recipes - let me know your e-mail address, and I'll send it to you!

Life After June 4th

Back in the spring, I had nothing on my calendar past June 4th. I had no clue what my life would look like with a new job and living back in Binghamton. My friend was getting married on June 4th. I would go to her wedding, and the rest was up in the air!

Well, it didn't take long to fill in that calendar! Since June 4th I have gotten involved with the young adult group at church, gone out for dinner, gone out for ice cream, stayed up until 2am talking with a friend, gone running and rollerblading, played mini golf, written to friends back in Rochester, played volleyball, watched the Stanley Cup, found out what a duck race really is, and planned a few trips!

I now have important dates on my calendar leading up to October - a trip to Rochester, a weekend in Maryland, a day trip to visit Pam (the June 4th bride) and her new home, a cross-country trip to Arizona with my sister, and another wedding - with more plans to come, I'm sure!

I love when my calendar fills up because it means I have so much to look forward to!

An Active Friendship

Hannah and I went rollerblading together today. Thinking about it more, we've done quite a few active activities together over the years. We played soccer together and did cheerleading. We have gone on long runs together and completed our first half marathon together! We sent each other pictures from our Turkey Trots and have played a ton of volleyball! I can remember riding bikes with Hannah on the railtrail, and we recently went mini golfing. She joined my team for a couple of kickball games in Rochester, and all those years of playing in gym class paid off!

It's always fun to find a friend that enjoys being active!