Courage!

This semester I have been trying to be more bold in living my life! I started pretty small: being more honest, not being afraid to ask questions at my new job, and finding inspiration to be courageous in everyday things.

Then I got a little bigger, and decided that when the Avett Brothers come to do a show in Lincoln in April, I'm going to try to get the article that the Daily Nebraskan will do so I can interview them (even though phone interviews scare me, and phone interviews with fantastic musicians scare me even more).

And then I got even bigger by turning in my study abroad papers even though three of my closest friends would be studying abroad the semester after I do, meaning I wouldn't see them for an entire year. It's kind of intimidating, and it's a lot scary, but I'm excited for what the rest of the year holds!

Here's some of the latest inspiration I've acquired: 

In case you can't read it: "Today is never too late to be brand new."

"Sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage, and I promise you: something great will come out of it." 

Rachel and I posted this quote on the chalkboard we pasted to our door. It's supposed to remind us to do great things!

If the President of the United States (who is pretty much my hero) can stand up in front of the world and sing an Al Greene song at the podium, I think I can muster up a little courage to do the boring, every day things. 

Hope everyone is having a great week! 

A.

Happy New Year!

I've been pretty grateful for my friends and family this week! Here's some pictures from what's been going on. 

On New Year's Eve, I spent the night at Sarah's new house. Here's some of the group, though there were a ton more! From back to front: Beau, Steve, Sam, Sarah, Travis, me, Alli, and Wanufi. (This is Wanufi's idea. She would want credit for this photo if she knew this blog existed - she really wanted to recreate The Sound of Music). 

Me and Bailey!

Here we are standing in Sarah's kitchen - Steve and Sarah's sister Becca are in the background photo-bombing as usual :) From left to right: Daley, Kim, Bailey, me, and Wanufi.

Our beautiful hostess! Sarah, me, Sam, Bailey, and Kim. 

Sarah's house is in the neighborhood where I lived when I was growing up, and a lot of the houses are pretty old. Her basement looks like ours did before we finished it. We all call it the 'frat basement' and have vowed to throw frat parties as often as we can (and by frat parties, I mean small gatherings of nice people). Here I am with The Posse! Me, Sarah, Alli, and Wanufi. 

We had such a great time! The party was hopping, and we ended up staying up really late talking and laughing and finally fell asleep sometime around 5:30. Sarah had a great, comfortable bed where she, Wanufi, Alli, and I all collapsed and fell asleep almost instantly. 

Then, yesterday Wanufi invited The Posse over for dinner at her house. 

She made baked ziti and bruschetta and topped it off with some sparkling grape juice. Such a classy hostess! Her family was adorable too.

Alli got a new camera for Christmas, so Sarah and I have been having a grand time taking funny pictures and leaving them for her to find.

She also has a feature of the camera that takes a series of pictures at a really fast pace so when you look through them, it's like you're looking through a flip book. It makes a little movie! (But by pushing still frames together.) So Sarah and Alli and I danced while Wanufi filmed. This was only one of many funny shots we got out of it.

I am so grateful for my friends and family! I've had such a great break so far, and I'm looking forward to a fabulous last week!

Hope the New Year started off right for everyone! <3