Life Just Flies By!

So, I finally have a moment to sit here and think about the past few weeks of my life and how so much has just happened. Life has just been crazy but amazing all at the same time. 

For one, I graduated. May 5th, 2013 will be one of the proudest days of my life. I walked across that stage and completed one of the last promises that I ever made my mother. I remember when I was young, I promised her that I would graduate college and she would be there to see me. Now, sadly she wasn't there in person to see it happen, but I know somewhere in the universe, she was smiling her huge smile as I walked across that stage in front of those couple thousand people, shook the hands of the heads of the University and received my diploma cover. In a few weeks, I'll receive my diploma in the mail and the package will be complete. I am so happy, and will be able to look back on my 5 years at UM-Flint as years of great learning, great growth and amazing memories. 

Later that day, unknown to me, Kevin planned me a graduation party. Though now that I know, I could see where he got really close to letting go the surprise of the whole thing. But he didn't. When I pulled into his driveway that evening, I was welcomed by 30 or so of my closest family and friends who were there to celebrate me. It was one of the best gifts I could be given by anyone (and another thing crossed off the bucket list). I got to visit with people I hadn't seen in a long time and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Yup, he got me!

The week after that was moving week. I had just signed papers on a 2 bedroom/2 bath home in a lovely neighborhood in Flint. My friend Hoffa moved in with me so we could split the rent and the bills. That week was full of friends help (thank you guys sooooo much!), a frenzy of boxes, much cleaning and saying goodbye to Riverfront where I had called home for 3 years. 

I got in and settled a bit before I started my new job at Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy. Yup, I got the official job offer and start date in the middle of my packing and started training on the 13th. Now that I have had 2 weeks of training, I am very excited to start in my department and very excited to be working for this company. I can wholeheartedly say that they care for their employees and it is going to be an amazing place to work, if for only a few years or the rest of my working life. Who knows? The sky is the limit currently and there are MANY chances for advancement within the company.

Lastly, last night was my first official party of the new home. 25+ friends of mine came out to celebrate and hang at my new home. We played games, laughed and just had a lot of fun. It truly was an amazing time and I am so happy they all joined me. It was also Brittney's birthday, which we also celebrated :)

For now, life is pretty good. I can't complain too much! I am so thankful for all my friends and family who have helped me get to where I am now. Of life!

End of College Life

So these past few weeks have found me trying to enjoy the last of what I have while taking all the craziness that life has to offer along the way.

Last Monday night, we had the power go out which ended up in one interesting night. First, it was one of our fellow RA's 21st birthdays, so those of us who weren't "working" at the time left the building and walked to a local bar. We celebrated his birthday...and I even had the bartender make a drink up AND it is part of their recipe book. SO, if you are ever at the Torch in Flint, order "That One Drink..." if you want something sweet and refreshing. Warning, it does have dairy, but it's still good.

We came back at 2 am...and the power was still out. So a bunch of us hung out in the lobby and played some board games until early in the morning. Liz went out to get some ice cream in the middle and since we had no power, everyone in the lobby shared the gallon (there WERE quite a few of us btw).

 The next day, I woke up and it was still out. We had a board game day so we played some more games (woo!) and in the middle, emergency power went out. Lets say, 4 RAs, 1 RD, 3 cell phones on low battery and no lights in the stairways makes for one interesting adventure. We had to make sure the lights were out on all floors...not my idea.

Later in the afternoon (17 hours after going out), the lights came back on and life was all good. Lately we have all been just trying to spend as much time together. Several of us, including me, are graduating in just over a week and we realize how much we will miss everyone. To that regard, almost nightly game nights have happened.

Friday was another one. We played some games. Then every semester, UM-Flint hosts a midnight breakfast where students can have breakfast at midnight for free before finals. A group of is crammed in nick's car and headed over there where we took up a large table and had a bunch of fun.

But it wasn't over then. We came back and played more games until Travis got off the front desk. Then we went to the beach.

At the beach in Port Huron

Yup, you read that right. A group of us drove at 5 am to Port Huron in order to see the sunrise. It wasn't too miraculous because of the clouds but we did have some fun, and it was just something random that we could say we did. We grabbed some warm food before heading back to Flint...and I could barely keep awake. I literally slept all day Saturday after returning, not waking up until 2 am on Sunday.

I'm gonna miss this girl (and Nick in the back!)

Yesterday morning, I finished the last assignments of my undergraduate degree. Now I wait for grades from professors, pack and get ready to move and graduate. Where I am moving to is up in the air still.

And I got a job offer from Diplomat Pharmacy this morning. I am floored. I was so excited that I cried afterwards. Finally, things are starting to be put into place.

And it feels good.

Onto my next chapter...

Grad Photo taken by Shelley at Shelley's Photography

How I Fell Into A Job Upon Graduation.

This morning, I got an amazing call. I was given an offer for a full time position at a local company with great benefits. I haven't even graduated college yet.

Yup, I am one of those students who secures employment that will start right out of college. And you wonder how did I do it?

Many students wish they were in my place. Many wish, once they have that bachelor's degree under their wing, that they can go straight into full time employment. No more part-time, customer service jobs that seem to be all everyone works in college. You want to get into those adult positions, you yearn for a normal schedule, 40  hours a week, a constant and nice cash flow.

But you wait til you are done with college. You think, it'll look better if you wait. That way I for sure have my degree. Or you say you don't have time to submit applications, hone your resume, go on interviews and you don't want to pressure of waiting. Then when you walk across that stage, you stand there asking yourself, "now what?" You put all your time into finding a full time job, many people are not making any money as they are no longer working at all, and some move home even when they don't want to. (I'm not saying that it is a bad thing to move home, some people just feel guilty or stuck when they do).

It's not too late to apply for jobs. I will say this, 3 months ago, I hadn't really applied for anything full time. I knew at the end of May I was going to lose my current job because I can't be an RA after I graduate. I was going to lose my apartment too. I also knew that I wouldn't be able to work the front desk after the 1st of September unless I signed a lease to stay in my current complex.

It really didn't hit me until I was annoyed with everyone who was asking me, "What are you going to do after graduation?" All I could say was get a job. They'd ask if I had looked. All I could say was no.

When Spring Break hit, I knew I was getting close and there was now all this uncertainty that was going to drive me crazy. So I looked around and started applying for just about anything that I would be qualified for and many that I was "overqualified" for. The job market is bleak and it is frustrating out there, I can tell you this.

But I had one thing in my back pocket, all the people I have met. You have no idea what all the professionals that came into your life in college can do for you. Over your years at university, you have met people, made friends, expanded yourself. I was just like this.

We have a pizza place on campus. My second year here, it was taken over by a nice couple who had moved back to Michigan. The husband was a graduate of my university. I got to know them, quite well even. At the end of my second to last year, the wife left the business as she had found better employment. When I saw her around one night, she told me all about the company that she worked for, and I thought it was something that I would be interested in pursuing after graduation. So I thought, why not? So I applied. It was one of many places I had applied to in a fury of filling out applications, uploading resumes and hoping for the best.

A week later I got a call back. It was her assistant. This woman I had gotten to know through the campus pizza place was one of the HR people for the company. Her assistant put me through a phone interview and I hoped for the best.

A week later, I got a call asking me to come in for an interview. A week later I did that. I dressed to the nine's and walked in with a confidence that I have never had in an interview. Because I knew this woman (who I am not naming just in case), I had to interview with someone else with the company. The two ladies who interviewed me made me feel very comfortable and I felt like I made all the right answers and they even gave me a nice rundown about the job and the benefits that it included if I were to get it. They told me I would know in a week.

A week came...and went. I heard nothing. I called the HR assistant and got his voicemail just to check in on the status. Nothing. So I started to give up hope and realize that I probably won't get the job.

So I applied more places. I even applied places I didn't expect to apply. But I did it anyway because I needed to find a job this summer.

Then this morning, this glorious morning, about an hour after I turned in my last assignments of my undergrad, I got a call. And it was a good call. I got the offer for the position with the company. Pending background and drug testing, I will be a full time employee starting in the middle of May.

And that is exciting.

So, you can find a job. Take the time to apply everywhere online. Look at the people you know and the companies they work for. If you aren't quite to graduation, start getting to know more people on campus. There are a plethora of people who could be your ticket to full time employment.

Get yourself out there. Graduation doesn't have to be the big unknown. You can get all your ducks in a row and set yourself up to succeed!

Oh A Change Is A Comin'

Today I am in officially 26 days until graduation. As for classes, I only have about 2 weeks. Eek! It is all coming so fast and though I am pretty excited for most of it, I am also nervous.

With graduation, my job as an RA comes to a close. As I think back on this past year, I leave with both happiness and sadness. The job itself was a challenge and frustrating at times...but I still loved it very much. I will miss it once I leave.

But I am on to bigger and better things. Last week I had a job interview with Diplomat Pharmacy and I feel that it went pretty well. I should know hopefully today if I got the job. I am rather ancy to get that phone call, tell you what! But we will see. All my fingers, toes, eyes, legs, etc are crossed that it is a positive phone call later today!

I am also working on getting an apartment. My friend Hoffa from Lapeer is coming to live with me, so we have been on the hunt for a two bedroom apartment or townhouse and haven't had the best of luck. The current one, the one that I want to live in, has been making me run around and get a bunch of information. It has been frustrating. If everything falls into place right, hopefully an offer letter from Diplomat will be the last thing I need. *once again, crosses everything*

That has been my life the past couple weeks, just trying to get all that in line. I am also working on finishing the last of my class work so that I can graduate. I completed my exit exam last week also, which was interesting for sure but I am glad that it is done.

Now I'm on the homestretch and waiting. Waiting sucks because well...you just want to know NOW! But I have hope that it will all turn out like it needs to and don't you worry, I'm not going to let any of this pass me by. I am doing everything to keep it in motion as much as I possibly can. I'm sure I have annoyed the ladies at Grand Oaks over the past few weeks with all the status checking I have done.

Other than that, life is life. It is going along. I can't complain too much.

Have a wonderful day :)\

Blast from the past! My brother, mom and I at a concert when DTE was actually Pine Knob (It always will be for me anyway!) My Aunt Jane took this picture :)

Happy Spring!

Spring is here, but Mother Nature hasn't figured out how to turn the AC off. I am so ready to be able to just not wear my coat anymore (it needs a good cleaning but I don't have a back up coat at the moment so I can send it off to get cleaned), so I wait for the warmth. 

Life is going just as crazy as normal. I have begun my psych research so lately I have spent many hours in the psychology lab at UM-Flint. Its not too bad, just another thing to add on top of the heap. I am ready for this semester to be over and to finally graduate. I have been actively fighting senioritis for several weeks now and I won't let it win. I MUST finish strong.

It's been awhile since I have been on here so I'll give you some pictures of what I have been up to lately:

Riverfront had a Valentine's dance in February. Kevin and I were looking sharp ;)

I went to a leadership conference at the end of February and literally took one of my favorite pictures of myself!

I finished my month of letters strong and had a lot of fun. I also sent some letters that just needed to be sent.

I spent some nights with friends that I may have lost some sleep but had some amazing moments and made some amazing memories.

Spring Break was the beginning of March and Kevin and I went to Chicago. Nick and his boyfriend Matt also went and our trip overlapped so we travelled the city together a couple days.

It was really a fun trip and one that I am so glad that we made! We stayed in the city (Sheraton Hotel and Towers...so beautiful) and we could see Navy Pier from our window! On Monday we got some pizza, checked in, went to Navy Pier, ate at Ed Debevic's and visited the Hancock Observatory. On Tuesday it snowed, so we spent most of the day at The Field Museum and then ate up in Andersonville at Hamburger Mary's before seeing an Improv Show at The Annoyance Theater in Uptown. Wednesday we went to Millenium Park, got some yummy sushi, visited a Comic shop, Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and had a chill night back at the hotel. Thursday we headed to the Aquarium and then went to the Art Museum after lunch. We grabbed some cheap dinner and then went back to the hotel for some swimming. Friday was our last day and after checking out we went to The Cheesecake Factory, visited the Skydeck in the Willis Tower and headed home.

The day after we got back, I went to see my friends David and Helen who I hadn't seen in a long time. It was a wonderful visit (but NOT LONG ENOUGH!)

Now I am looking towards the future. I graduate in less than 45 days. I will be moving out of Riverfront at that same time. I just had an interview with one of the companies I applied to yesterday, here's to hoping something comes from that. It's all changing, so so fast. But I am so ready for the change. I am ready to open the next chapter of my life!

Graduation

This weighed heavy on my mind last night. As I was trying to bust out a term paper for my Crisis Intervention class, I sat there and remembered why I was staying up until 4am to finish it for.

Because in under 6 months time, I'll be a college graduate. I'll have culminated the last 5 years of my life in a ceremony where I can finally say, "I did it!"

But last night, I found myself laughing because I have spent the last 5 years of my life...for a piece of paper. This paper shows that I paid out the nose to get education. But I laughed, because I have spent the last five years for a paper.

But what does this paper mean to me? It's interesting, looking back, at the changes that I have gone through in the past 5 years. I am 100% not the same Amelia who graduated from Lapeer East High School on June 6, 2008.

This was on my last of high school, I'm with my friends Katrina, Courtney and Sarah.

In the past 5 years, I have moved 6 times. By the time I graduate in May, I'll be working on my 7th move (and hopefully the last one for a little while). When I turned 18, I moved out of home and into an apartment in Charter Oaks. That year was a year of big change. Some of my friends left me, others stayed and I even met some new ones.

Fall 2008 brought about new experiences in life. For once, I had control over what I wanted to do for most of the day. I drove myself to and from school and could do what I want when I was there. I could go out to eat where I wanted to. I could try new things. But I didn't try too much because I was well...scared! Everything was so big to me then. I had the ability try many things. But I didn't.

Fall 2009

Zach, Shannon and I in fall 2009.

Staying in Charter Oaks for another year, this was the year I also lost someone that I loved dearly. This was the year that I realized that Music Education was just not for me. I didn't go back for performance classes but changed last minute to nursing classes. I remember struggling through Anatomy and Physiology among other classes. Life was difficult.

But this was the year that I really got close to a couple of the friends that I spend so much time with not, Abijah and Tanisha. These two lovely ladies came into my life at the beginning of Freshman year, but it wasn't until my 2nd year at the university that I actually got to know them. I am so glad I did, as I love these two dearly!

Tanisha and Abijah in 2010

The summer after this year was the summer I began working at The Fowler Center for Outdoor Education. This eye opening summer brought new experiences with campers that I would have never met anywhere else. Cabin 4, the pirate cabin, was the best of course, and it was just an amazing summer. I made some amazing friends that summer.

Fall 2010

Fall 2010, from the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 premiere

This was when a change needed to happen. Charter Oaks was always rough for me. For one, it had many memories. I lost some good friends while living there, and I spent a lot of time to myself in that apartment. It was time to move out of the walls that held so many memories. So, I moved to campus. Okay, maybe not on campus but close to it. In Fall 2010, I moved to Riverfront Residence Hall, my current residence. Who knew that living here would open up so many opportunities for me and shape me into a better person? Tanisha also joined me as we moved into 1104, our first apartment. It was a 3 bedroom and we didn't meet the last roommate until a few days after we moved in. Mindu would come to be one of our favorite people!

Mindu and Abijah :)

1104 will always hold wonderful memories of amazing nights with friends and laughter. That was also the year that I decided that I just wasn't going to make it in Nursing and officially switched my major to Psychology, my final major. I learned that if I took one class, I would have a minor in medicine...so I took it, but that was the last "science" class I would step into. (I have the ""'s because some would argue, like me, that psychology is a science, just in a different way.) I was finding my niche in the world and it felt amazing. 

2011 began with a bang, while I joined some friends in Luna's basement for some fun times. Earlier in that year, I learned about the death of my father, a week of my life that would show me just how strong I was dealing with certain situations. I also got my first tattoo (and currently only one) with my cousin that year. In summer 2011, I went back to TFC for almost the whole entire summer, but ended it with some time with friends in Saginaw.

Fall 2011

Welcome Back Picnic 2011

Fall 2011, and my 4th year at UM-Flint came and I was excited to be moving back to Riverfront and to see my "Flint friends" again. In August, I began work at Riverfront at the front desk. I got to meet so many more people who live in the building through my work at the desk. Some would stop by and have a chat every so often and it was a lot of fun.

Tanisha, Mindu and I were now living in 512 which was exciting because it was a much larger apartment. In October, I turned 21 and held a wonderful party full of friends (and family because Molly was there). THAT was a fun night! This was really the year that I stretched the bounds of my freedom. Sometimes you have the ability to do things, but you don't really do them. In my 4th year, I finally realized just how much I could do and how much I could really enjoy life. So I would take trips out to see Molly in Lansing almost once a month, I went out on the town on Thursday nights, I met new people, I tried new things. I embraced the life that I was given and learned to enjoy every second of it.

And it was an enlightening experience. Because of my new lease on life in 2011, I got to know one special guy that I had known for awhile, but never really got to know. Kevin. Kevin and I met in fall 2010. We had a Nursing class together...back when I WAS a nursing major. We were actually in the same group for our big project because our last names were close (and the teacher assigned them by last name). Through that time, I never really got to know him, but he was there. Abijah knew him through ITS so we invited him to parties and he always made me laugh. He was invited to my birthday party and came to bring some major entertainment. Later in 2011 for my Christmas party, we finally sealed the deal and began dating. This upcoming Monday will be our one year of being together. I ended my 2011 with a new relationship and some amazing memories.

Fun times with friends old and new :)

I started 2012 with new ideas with how I wanted to run my life. I faced some demons that I had been haunting me for years. I basically pushed some people out of my life that I sometimes regret pushing, but it happened. But I also welcomed the renewing of relationships some old and some that I never thought would be possible. I added another set of people to my friend group through the addition of Zac Sanborn, someone who opened my eyes up to many new things. 

The summer after this year, I gained a new job experience that I have had much enjoyment out of these past few months. I became an RA! Sara was in need of someone, and I had applied before, so after the interview process, I was hired. In June, I began my work as a mentor and friend to many different students all over the building.

Fall 2012

Molly and I on Shopping day!

Fall 2012 has been an interesting experience, one that has dealt with the balance of life. At the beginning of my college experience, I felt like I did nothing. Because I didn't do anything. I spent a lot of time at home, just sitting. Looking back on that time now, it was so much easier. These past few months I have had to schedule anything. There have been days that I would have loved to actually just sit at home and be lazy, but I just don't have the time! Between working 2 jobs, as an RA and front desk worker, full time at school (which has been difficult because I am taking harder classes in order to graduate) and time with friends, my life has been chaotic lately. But I love it, all of it.

As I look forward, in the next week I will finish exams for fall 2012 and begin another year here in a couple weeks. This next year brings graduation in May, a date that I am anticipating and scared of at the same time. May 5th, 2013 will release me from the chapter of my life that I have been safely in for 5 years. I will be out there to the world and well...all of it's unknown ways. That piece of paper they hand me on this day will include all that I have talked about and remembered. It will show that I have worked my butt off for a small slip of paper that will take me farther than I could ever imagine.

It's interesting what life does to people. It's interesting how my journey to get to May 5th has had many twists and turns along the way and how much work it would take to get there. The journey of life is a beautiful thing, and has so many lessons ans triumphs along the way. But it's here...and that is just crazy to me.

Enjoy some of my favorite moments from the past few years: