My favorite moments of 2013....

It should not strike you as a surprise that Americans love lists. I can't remember where exactly I read this (seemingly obvious) statistic, but I remember that it was shortly after my "21 things I learned the hard way" post, which made me giggle.

Anyway, as the year wraps up, I come to y'all with yet another list! This one is more personal than the ones you'll see on Buzzfeed - it's my personal ten favorite moments of the year (in no particular order).

I believe that it's been a fantastic year, so here's a snapshot of ten of the moments, people, and places that made this year a highlight in my mind:

1. September - Beta Lake Day
   Sincerely one of the most wonderful weekends of my college experience. My guy's fraternity hosted a social event at a lake about an hour's drive from our campus. Though the bus ride was lengthier than it should have been (I think our bus driver ended up getting lost...), I got to spend the entire afternoon with my guy, my favorite fraternity (which actually has a good amount of my closest guy friends in it), and a handful of my sorority sisters, who got invited by other Betas.
2. September - Labor Day
   For Labor Day this year, three of my best friends and I (Herschell not pictured because he was playing photographer for this image) hopped into Kylie's car, and drove to her parents' house, where we took their boat out for a wonderful afternoon on the lake. It felt so lovely to be on the water with some of the absolute loveliest people in my life, and I even got to try my hand at waterskiing!!!
3. May - July - My summer "family"
   This summer was another one full of work... However, it's hard to call it work when you work with such amazing people. These beautiful ladies became my "family" this summer, as I spent every day (Tuesday - Friday from 10 - 6) with them, laughing, chatting, and doing what I loved - photography.
4. August - All night long
   This day will forever stand out as one of the most wonderful nights of my college experience. Going against a particularly strong hermit instinct on this night was the best idea I'd ever had. I left my apartment at 11 PM and spent the next seven hours with some of the most awesome people I know. We party-hopped, ran around campus in the middle of the night, sang, danced, and had a night full of incredible memories. And what makes this night even more special? It was the first time I really got to meet and spend time with the guy who would later become my wonderful boyfriend. :)
5. March - Zoo day
   When my roommate Lydia's best friend Alana came to town, Lydia decided that Alana needed to see the Fort Worth Zoo. So along with Trevor, one of my brilliant theatre friends (who has his own YouTube channel here), we headed to the zoo. When we got there, we spent a great few hours observing the animals, taking tons of photos (me), and filming a fun video (Trevor). It was definitely an afternoon well-spent.
6. March - Spring break in NOLA
   My best friend Elizabeth lives in New Orleans. This past spring break, my mother just happened to have a conference in New Orleans, so I jumped at the chance to get to go to the Big Easy with her and to spend some time with Liz! The city definitely stole my heart - it was absolutely brilliant and I immediately realized why locals are so proud to be from NOLA. Not only that, it was a great excuse to spend some one-on-one time with Liz, and her local perspective gave me great insight into the beautiful city.
7. April - Best friends become "sisters"
   My two best friends - Liz and Kylie - became official initiated sisters of Alpha Omicron Pi, which made the three of us "sisters for life." Words cannot express how incredibly happy - and lucky - I am to be able to call these two women not only my best friends, but also my sisters!
8. September - My guy
   After that incredible all-nighter in August, Lakota and I started talking... And we haven't stopped since. He asked me to be his girlfriend in early September, and I am so thankful to have him in my life. In both my highest and lowest moments, he helps keep a smile on my face. I don't know how he does it, but I sure hope he never stops.
9. October - Halloween
   Halloween night this year was a fantastic affair. Liz made our brilliant costumes (which we couldn't stop getting compliments on!), and we attended a fun house party as Gruu and his minions. It was a great way to spend time with my best friends, and the photos we took dressed up all together are some of my favorites from the year.
10. June - Seattle
    Seattle stole my heart all over again this summer when my parents and I went back to the Emerald City. The mid-60 degree weather was a welcome change from Tulsa's sweltering heat, and one of my favorite memories of the trip was our whale-watching tour, which was a great success and a brilliant experience!

2013, you sure have been great to me... Here's to hoping that 2014 is just as great - if not better!

What were your personal favorite highlights of 2013? Let me know!

xx
ola