One of the many perks of being home for summer is being delivered yummy organic smoothies in the mornings.. and for that I thank my most wonderful older brother Chris. Chris has been vegan for about.. 5 years now? He’s very into yoga, organic produce, and peace making. Anyways, I get really excited when Chris comes in carrying that purple smoothie in a mason jar. He loves jars. They never go to waste in this house.. reuse reduce recycle, right? Today he used a jar of Once Again Raw Creamy Almond Butter. On the back of the label, there is an explanation of why Once Again Nut Butter has a raccoon on their logo. Four baby raccoons grew up on the factory grounds. Apparently orphaned, they really enjoyed their nut butters. So in turn, they adopted them and created their company logo in their honor. The Once Again family helped the raccoons in their early months, an then released them into the forest. Their by-products are donated to area farms or to nature lovers who often use them as animal and bird foods. They mascot, Rocky, has become a symbol of their wholesome nature, their closeness and responsibility to the earth and the nature of our product. Wonderful.

It’s wild to think I’m done with one year of college. Absolutely wild! At first, I wasn’t sure Boulder was the best place for me. Over the past 9 months, I have met so many great people with whom I share great memories. Having Thomas up at school with me was never planned.. I didn’t choose CU because of our relationship and neither did he. Going into college with a serious boyfriend is usually looked down upon by many. I’ve always kind of thought that way too.. but I listened to my heart and did what it told me. Staying with Thomas was the best decision I could have made.. I am so happy I shared that experience with him. Although our relationship was rocky at times, mainly first semester, we managed to work everything out and it has only made us closer. We learned so much about each other and ourselves. Thomas and I are still together and I am planning on having a wonderful summer with him :)

As for my girlfriends, I missed them a great deal this past school year. Although a few of them would come up to Boulder every now and then for a night on the weekend, it was nothing like spending every day with them here in Highlands Ranch. It was tough and I wasn’t very good at staying in touch with them. But going through that made me realize how important it is to keep a close relationship with the people closest to you.. There were times when I felt I had nobody to turn to and had only myself to blame. I will never take them for granted again but I know that in the end, they will always be there for me. And thats how you know they’re true friends. I am so thankful for each and every one of them.. they know who they are. 

I LOVE MY NEW FRIENDS! Although I met many new people, I became very close with two especially - Nikki and Claire, two girls that lived just a few doors down on the second floor of Willard Hall. We became so close and went through a lot together.. whether it dealt with relationships, school, or family problems. Together we drove down to Lake Havasu, Arizona for Spring Break and I could not have asked for better friends to spend that with! We will be living together next year in a cute little asian looking house super close to campus. Caitlin, one of my best friends from elementary school will also be living with us. Caitlin and I have grown apart over the past year but we always have a good time when we are together. Anyways, yes. I love them and cannot wait to make even more memories with such wonderful people :)

Boulder is a great place to live.. I am excited to be more outside this year. If you’re living in Boulder and don’t like to hike, its just a bummer. I didn’t take advantage of the beautiful flatirons but plan on spending a lot of time there next year. My last week at school, I drove up to this lookout spot near Chataqua with the girls I am living with next year to watch the sunset. It was rainy, muddy, and I was wearing flip flops. I can’t remember if it was just planned very last minute or if I was just extremely unprepared (it wouldn’t be the first time). My feet got a little dirty and the bottom of my pants had to be rung out before I could get back into the car.. but that aside, it was such a beautiful thing. When you’re up there, you feel like you’re on top of the world. I felt like I was overlooking the past 9 months of my life.. All the new friends I made and how I have changed as a person. It was renewing. And to spend that moment with such wonderful friends made it an evening to remember. I’m excited to return to that beautiful place this fall but for now, I’m focusing on working and enjoying what may be my last full summer at home. :)