A Walk in the Woods

I have found myself very busy this semester. It seems like I have been buried in 'to-do' lists for the past few weeks. While I enjoy my commitments, this past weekend I was ready for something new. It was time to get off campus and do something fun. I have always enjoyed getting out and going for a hike, so I looked in to places in the Columbia area to have such an adventure. After not much research I found Congaree National Park. Last Saturday morning, Emily, Genelle, Pat, Sally, and I loaded into my car and drove down to the park. It was a beautiful day to be outside (which is ironic as it snowed 8 inches the weekend before). We spent 2 and a half hours enjoying the parks trails and boardwalks, and by hiked about four and a half miles. The park is only about a 25 minute drive from campus, so we were even able to make it back to Russell House for lunch. All in all it was a nice break. I look forward to going back more this spring.

Congaree National Park

Multiple Once in a Lifetime Experiences

It has been an exciting past couple of weeks here in Columbia. Starting on Tuesday of last week, I had the opportunity to experience a few once in a lifetime events. The Men's basketball team faced off against Kentucky, the #1 team and the country, and gave them their first loss of the season. This is the kind of thing I watched on television, maybe three or four times in my life, and wished I could have been there to experience it. Well, this time around I had the chance and I took advantage of it. I joined the mob of fans on the court and celebrated the victory with my fellow classmates. 

If that wasn't enough, I found out on Monday afternoon of the next week that John Mayer was practicing for his upcoming tour, at the Coliseum. Even though I'm not a huge fan, this was still something to get pretty excited for. The excitement only grew when I found out the next day that he was giving a free concert for a small group of students. I wasn't able to get one of the 150 tickets, but I waited with a few friends and about two hundred strangers for about an hour and twenty minutes until the security guards finally let us in. The concert was a very cool experience and something that not many people get to see. 

Although these events were awesome and unexpected, there is one event coming up this Saturday that I have been preparing for, for almost a year. On Saturday, February 6, at 8:30 in the morning, on the campus of NC State, I will be participating in the famous Krispy Kreme Challenge. I love to run and I love to eat, so why not combine the two. My task will be to run two miles to the KK, eat a dozen classic glazed doughnuts, and run the two miles back without seeing the doughnuts again and do it in under an hour. Hopefully all goes according to plan. 

Second Semester

It's already February and second semester is going great. With tougher classes, an internship opportunity, and student organizations, I believe that I am more involved this semester. Although there is a lot more work and a tad bit more stress, I think it's all worth it. These experiences will teach me to work better under pressure later on in life. I'm also learning how to multitask this semester. I really should have acquired that skill before I got to college, but better late than never! Aside from academic and extracurricular activities, my social life is fantastic. All of us on the floor still go out together like the big family we are and I absolutely love it!!