Guess who's going to graduate in May!

{The trees on campus are so pretty right now! I'm going to miss this place a tiny bit.}

Tonight I applied for graduation! I can't believe I'm finally going to get out of here! (I kind of didn't really think it was ever going to happen.) It's such an exciting, scary, unsure and overwhelming feeling. It's terrifying to think about moving on and leaving behind the routine that's become my life. It's even more terrifying to think that I probably won't be in this town a year from now; who knows where I'll be? But I know good things are going to happen.

It amazes me how quickly my college years have passed by. Four years ago, I was a freshman at Missouri State University in Springfield. It was a campus where I knew no one, a town that I knew very little about, and it was 12 hours from my home in Auburn, Alabama. The two years I spent in Springfield were incredibly full of ups and downs. It was thrilling! It changed me so, so much. It's where I fell in love for the first time, got my heart broken for the first time, lived away from my parents for the first time, made friends with people I'll never forget and experienced my first taste of true freedom.

By the end of my sophomore year, I knew I didn't belong in Springfield anymore, so I transferred to the University of Arkansas, which was only 30 minutes away from my family's new home. I love it here - it's where my family is and where I met the love of my life, after all - but I've never felt like I belong here. It's been a great place to study journalism and spend my early 20's, and I'm thankful for the time I've had here. But I'm ready to move on to the next stage of my life, with this wonderful man by my side.

So yeah, I applied for graduation tonight. I guess it hasn't really hit me yet that I'll be out of here in May. The next few months are going to be a wild ride, but I'm so ready!

(Also, look at my pretty new blog design! Camilla over at Champagne Bubbles made it for me, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. She was such a joy to work with! I'd recommend her to anyone who wants a pretty blog makeover. :)

I love Fayetteville!

Today I'm over on Bucket List Nation, a blog about wanderlust and travel and Kalyn's really beautiful bucket list, talking about just a handful of the things I love about Fayetteville. You should read it, and all the other posts on BLN. It's one of the most inspiring blogs I've ever come across.

Happy birthday, Arkansas!

It's no secret that I love Arkansas. I've traveled all over the country and in a few other countries, too, and nothing compares to this place I call home. No, I don't believe Arkansas is the prettiest place in the world (although parts of it are absolutely gorgeous), and I know it's not the most exciting. But it's my home state, and no matter where I go, my heart will always be with the people and places I love so much here.

Today is this beautiful state's 175th birthday, and to celebrate, the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism released a list of the top ten places to visit here. I read this list, and while I agreed with part of it, I decided to make my own list.

Here are my top 11 (I couldn't narrow it down to just ten!) favorite sites in the state:

My very favorite: Sunset Point on Mount Nebo in Dardanelle. Two of our best friends live at the base of this mountain, so we're able to go there a lot. And that makes me really happy. Sunset Point makes me happier than just about anywhere else on this earth.

Downtown Eureka Springs. There's nowhere in the world like it. I especially love the Flat Iron Building.

Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs. Most of the bathhouses are no longer used, but it's so fun to think of how packed this place was in the early 1900s when people believed the springs had magical healing powers!

Mount Magazine in Paris. It's the tallest mountain in the state, and it's my favorite place for long drives in the fall.

Walton's Five and Dime. Aka the original Walmart! This is in Bentonville, where I live. This place is so cute and old fashioned. Living in the same town as the Walmart Home Office means lots of opportunities to meet all the celebrities who are always in town. That's my favorite thing about living here!

Twin Falls in Jasper. There are just no words for the beauty of it.

Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs. I adore this place! It's so peaceful and gorgeous.

Arkansas-Texas state line in Texarkana. Taking a picture in front of that sign never gets old.

Petit Jean State Park in Morrilton. The history of Petit Jean is so rich, and the views from the mountain are breathtaking.

Haw Creek Falls in Fort Douglas. I have so many wonderful memories of picnics with my Nanna and Poppa here. It is lovely.

The State Capitol Building in Little Rock. Oh, it's pretty!

And here is one to grow on (that makes 12, oops!):

The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Old Main is my favorite (and the most famous) building on campus. And there's nothing like Razorback football!

What state or country do you live in? Have you ever been to Arkansas? If so, what did you think of it?

*Photo credits: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

I like where I live.

I love it here. I love sitting on top of the mountain with Richard, drinking coffee and planning our future together. And that last picture? That's the view of our favorite mountain from the other side of the river. We think it's beautiful.

Oh, and I love fresh flowers, too.

*Even though we got a fancy camera last month, I still love taking photos with my iPhone. ♥

update.

i have kind of fallen in love with my state this autumn. especially the mountains- the views here are so beautiful. and the trees! i have never seen such beautiful reds, golds, oranges, and yellows on fall trees like the ones we've seen this year.

thanksgiving is so soon. i'm so excited to eat fried turkey (yesss, fried) and sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes and casserole and all of grandmother's cooking and pumpkin desserts.... i make myself so hungry sometimes.

i have exactly 14 classes left until the end of the semester. bring on the winter and snow and christmas (and good grades, please)!

i'm happy that i have friends who will play apples to apples with me all day & night, watch youtube until 3am, and wander around walmart looking at baby clothes & kitchen gadgets. yes.

i love taco john's queso and churros. the end.