Let the good times roll :)

Happy day!
   

    Let's not even pretend like Laura can post on the right days of the week anymore...it's like I've started my college life and I don't move in for four days. What the what. So overrated.
    I shouldn't technically be posting at all, actually. Not on Sunday or Monday or even-

  

    -because tomorrow, we -the Foursome- are reuniting at our dear friend from THP, Jonathan's birthday party. But I wanted to squeeze in one last post before freshman move-in day, because I'm overemotional and busy saying goodbyes and I can't let things go.
    BUT ALL OF YOUR POSTS FROM LAST WEEK WERE FANTASTIC.
    Mercy- that JarPad GIF is back by popular demand. And by popular demand I mean I want to see it. And I'm pretty popular, so:

    Also, I hope you're doing better. If you want to talk about whatever it is that's upsetting you, I'm here for you. I know I'm almost a week late, but my offer still stands.
    Rose- I miss the Cape. I miss wearing my cute new bathing suit and laughing nonstop through Miranda Hart's book and eating donuts from the Chatham Bakery and diving into the ocean at Nauset beach and staying in the freezing water, even though our legs got so cold they felt warm. Let's go back tomorrow.
    Grace- your posts never, ever fail to disappoint. Your brilliance is an incandescent light in which I am delighted to bask. I am so proud of what you did this summer, and what God is going to do for and through you this fall. And I'm listening to that Ben Rector song like you told me to, and it is certainly helping in my current situation.

 ***

   I'm trying to let the good times roll. The Cape was fun, full of family and food and awkward sunburn. I won't have a job this coming semester (I quit), which is actually a Godsend- one less thing to stress about.
    But...tonight I had to say goodbye to Siobhany, who is hopping on a plane to California tomorrow morning to move her brother into Pepperdine. Also tomorrow morning, Miss Megan and I are good-byeing, going on one final haunt at the Trumbull Starbucks before we depart for our first semesters of college later this week. And then, we go to Jonathan's, and that means several more goodbyes, to you gurls and Johnny and a few of our THP people if they come. And there's a boy I'm leaving behind completely, and I feel totally justified in not letting him be a part of this next phase of my life, but sensitive little me is still hurting, stinging with anger and sadness and disappointment, all caused by him and on his behalf.
    And yet...I'm so ready to go. I know not all of these goodbyes are forever. Things will be different- I'll make new friends, learn new things, and who knows? Maybe I'll make a few bad choices. Maybe I'll go to a party or two, fall in love, get my nose pierced. But I'm not afraid. Not scared one single bit. One thing I've learned from taking on the adult world is that I'm stronger than I know. I'm cooperative and passionate, and if I get into what I love I know God will take me places.
    2.6 miles. That's how far Sacred Heart University is from home. one-tenth of a marathon. I could run that, it's less than a 5K- heck, I could go home, use the bathroom, run back- in between a psychology lecture and choir practice.
    But for my inner, isolated homeschooler, 2.6 miles might as well be a thousand. I know I'll cry as soon as my parents leave on move-in day. How do you make friends with people you haven't known for your entire life? How do you tell if a cute boy's intentions are pure? (because one thing I've learned lately, is that I'm not always the best at discerning that). How do you learn in a classroom full of kids who aren't your siblings, from a teacher who isn't your mom?
    Lord willing, I'll learn as I go.
    Gurls, there will be Labor Day. And maybe I'll make it up to Lymans with y'all in October. I'm going back up to Cape Cod with my family for my cousin's wedding reception in just four weeks. There's Columbus Day and Family Weekend and Thanksgiving break. I'm trying to tell myself I'm not leaving at all, but I am, because although I'll bring friends home for weekday dinners and loads of laundry on weekends, I'll change. My normal will change. I'll grow up. I'll stop being so nice, I'll start speaking louder, being more aggressive, maybe even swearing. I'm just praying that God continues to protect me. He has led me to this place, so surely He can lead me through it. Right?

***

   Right. Now, stop over-discussing this. Go to bed and rise and sing My praises in the morning.

***

    Now I lay me down to sleep

I pray the Lord my soul to keep

If I should die before I wake

I pray the Lord my soul to take

***

    Jesus, where would I be without You?

    I'm so thankful for Our Thoughts Are Stars. It's been almost a year- isn't that insane? I thought we would never last this long. Our anniversary is coming up and I cannot wait to celebrate it in true Foursome fashion, with a special post and hilarious text messages and maybe a phonecall. I can't wait to document my school experience here- my trials and triumphs, all the dating and drama, nutty professors and cute Division I athletes and late-night adventures. Oh, and my education too, I guess.

    May God lead me through this bright future He has led me to.

    --Laura :)

***

(I'm waiting til midnight to post this- I have 13 minutes. So technically I did end up posting on my assigned day).

for Rose obviously.