Friday, June 25

Victory!

So, usually I get a little upset when my school misspells my name,


in fact, I technically didn't even go to high school since I was registered as "Victoria Petery" instead of Victoria Petry,


but I have to say this mistake is pretty awesome:



I'm taking this as a sign.



love, rudi

Finally Home!

Are you ready for a huge post? Here it comes! I hope you have 10 minutes!



As with many of you, most of my summer vacation thus far has been spent away from home. I've been living with my grandmother sine early June, with no computer (eek!) and barely any air conditioning (double eek!). It's been nice, though, almost entirely disconnecting myself from the outside world. It's sort of like Stephens' Vespers, except it's a month long instead of 15 minutes and I'm making a quilt instead of simply not chatting on my phone.


Oh yes, I said making a quilt. I am so ready for my costume class.


But I am at Granny's no longer! I was whisked away after a family reunion (I love our potlucks!) to one of my favorite towns ever-


( release the confetti!) Columbia, Missouri! (cheering crowds everywhere!)



Let me start off by saying I love, love, love Columbia. I've traveled around a considerable amount, and visited many great towns and cities- but Columbia just completely lights me up with happiness! Maybe it's just because know I'll be living here, and every place I see becomes a possible place where something significant will happen to me, or a place where I'll be. As you can tell, I visualize my coming semesters with a certain dream like quality.

Which, in my opinion, is the absolute best thing to do.

Our trip was so much fun! Every time I visit (even though I've only been twice) has been an adventure in itself.


I'm gonna make this easy and list everything off. People don't read blogs to, well, read. They want pictures! I shall deliver!


1) My family (my three year old sister, step-father Ben, and mother) arrived at ten thirty P.M. after a 10 hour drive. We all felt like mud, but Ben and I decided it was necessary to get lost in the maze of off-ramps of Columbia while searching for a Chinese restaurant that was still open and willing to grill hibachi for us. We found one. Which was unreal. And delicious. Point One for Columbia.


I don't have a picture of the restaurant, but I do have a picture of this awesome dragon.



This is from Cool Stuff in downtown Columbia. I kind of want one for my dorm, even though it's the size of a goat and it's ferocious teeth would most likely give me nightmares.


2) I registered for my classes early in the morning, and I got my student ID!


Whaddya think? Is it me? Is it not me? Hmmm...


3) I met with the blog people! The blog people being Sarah and Sara, two lovely ladies in body and mind on the Stephens staff, and one of my favorite people of late (and the man with all the answers) Xander. We talked and talked about none other than the blog you're currently reading! It's about to have a major makeover- I am so excited! I've always wanted to design a blog to be just how I want it to be, and now is my chance! I can't wait to see how pretty this thing turns out to be. Blogging here is something I'm seriously looking forward to. After chatting with the Sara(h)'s and Xander about the possibilities and plans, I've been fishing the internet for ideas and inspiration from other blogs. It's awful that I'm spending my summer on the computer so much- but duty calls!


4) I got the chance to show my step-dad around the campus- probably the only time he'll be able to see it until I graduate again thanks to his work schedule. He was impressed! He works in the prison system, so he was super happy about the great security at Stephens. He kept talking about it- and was doubly excited when he found out that the security center was located in the basement of my dorm! Point One for Stephens.


Speaking of my dorm- I totally love this picture of the outside of my building (my building!! AHH I'm so excited!). It captures some of the school's cuteness.



And here's a statue on campus outside the admissions building. I'm not sure what the story is, though... I'll have to find someone who knows what this lady is all about.


She looks like Pocahontas, which I'm totally digging. Point Two for Stephens.



5) After getting all my business at the school wrapped up and buying my required summer reading book (which is totally interesting, by the way. It's called "When Everything Changed" by Gail Collins), I played a game similar to speed-dating with the other soon-to-be freshmen so we could try to find a roommate. It was so much fun! I'm always so amazed at how interesting Stephens girls are. I haven't met a single person related to Stephens in some way that I haven't enjoyed talking to. Point Three for Stephens.


5) After my speed-meeting with the girls, the family and I explored downtown a little. We had some excellent Thai  (can you tell we love Asian food?) and then enjoyed a hot box of custom made cookies from, naturally, HotBox Cookies.



I, and everyone else who's eaten there, highly recommend this place. I can't wait to waste all my food money on cookies.


Well you know the rest- I was sad to leave and sad to drive 10 hours back home. I was sad to arrive home at 6:30 in the morning, and after 16 hours of catching up on sleep, I was sad to not be in Columbia anymore....


But I am happy to tell you about my trip. :)


love, rudi

Monday, June 7

Stephens Sunday

Whoa! I almost let this Sunday escape me!


I actually spent my day in Knoxville, Tennessee. My boyfriend's been in Paris for a while, and I surprised  him at the airport! I picked some flowers for him on the way there.



I also ate some raspberry gelato- the best stuff in the world! Do you like my new beret? I felt awesome in it.



But in more important news:


STEPHENS SUNDAY!


1) I am officially one step closer to being at Stephens!!!



I TOTALLY graduated on Friday! It was fun times, and my entire family was there to see me!! I graduated Distinguished with High Honors- BUh-BAYUM!


My mom had this sign up in the yard when I came home. She lured me out there reluctantly to see it, "Rudi, honey, I need you to do some math for me..."



Tricky tricky momma!


2) Remember that beret I had on earlier? I'm going to be able to wear my beret during class and I won't feel silly wearing it in town in Columbia. This should count as two reasons I love Stephens...I always feel so limited with what I wear at school and in Corbin. Around all those girls, especially since Stephens has a pretty awesome fashion department,and therefore fashion majors, 3) I'll be able to wear cute outfits to class and around campus without feeling completely out of place. I always want to wear heels around Corbin, but I feel snotty when everyone else is in pajama pants and flip flops.


4) A fresh start. At graduation I wasn't that sad (I told you I was worried about not crying! I had to force out a few drops...). I realized it's because I was never really connected to the people I went to high school with. Around here, there's not very many new kids- and I hadn't grown up here like everyone else. Not to mention I'm a theater girl in a football town. Not a perfect match, just in case you were wondering.


But at Stephens, everyone will be starting new, and I can feel it in my bones that college life will be what most Corbin people think of high school: The best four years of my life!


5) I don't know what spring in Missouri looks like, but I have seen photos of campus when it's warm, and it looks pretty. Of course later on, when I'm actually there to enjoy it, I'll take pictures of everything for you guys, but we'll have to wait a while until that day comes. Driving through the mountains today made me really excited about nature. I hope Missouri has something to compensate for my beautiful mountains...I'm going to miss them terribly.



I'd love to stay and chat, but it's way past my bedtime!


I'm going to forewarn you that I'm spending a month and my grandma's house, and I don't think she has internet in her new house yet...


I will try my best, however, to update when I get the chance to! I'll miss you all!


love, rudi


 

Graduation!

So...well. Tomorrow is it. Tomorrow I graduate and high school will be gone (hopefully) forever.


It's weird,  but I'm not sad at all. I think I may be the only girl in my school who isn't really upset about the good-byes and change and moving away from mommy. I don't feel as though I'm leaving something important, I only feel like I'm getting closer to arriving somewhere. I'm assuming that somewhere is Stephens, of course.


I've been trying my best to find some, but there are ZERO 'end of year' pictures of me. I'll get some tomorrow and post them, though. I promise.


If any of you all are graduating tomorrow,


Good luck. May your tears (if you have any- I'm starting to worry that I'm completely inhuman for not shedding a single one so far) be joyful as much as full of sadness.


Because, just think! In, like, three months me and you will be buddies! And that sounds like the awesomest thing ever!



( I didn't take this picture. This person did.)


love, rudi

Stephens Sunday!

First let me apologize for not posting very often.


It's so frustrating, because I either have nothing to do, and therefore nothing to write about,


OR I have a billion things to do and no time to write about them! Maybe one day I'll find my happy medium :)



Wow! I am suddenly thinking of Five Reasons I LOVE Stephens!


Let's list them, shall we?


1) A few days ago I visited a friend I hadn't seen in a while, and when we started talking about college I could not shut up. I felt like a new mother or something, the way I fawned over the college and mentioned every single thing I loved about it. I couldn't stop smiling! My eyes felt shiny and glittery- basically, I love Stephens because it's so easy to be passionate about it.It's so easy to fall in love with it.


2) I love Columbia. Can that be a reason for loving the school? My mom, baby sister, friend Mel and I visited Stephens in February (maybe late January? Was it March? AH!) and it was the cutest town. I always mention how there are two vintage clothing shops basically across the street from each other when I talk about Columbia. It's a little town with it's own cookie bakery and a costume store- how much more can the world offer?



I'm especially fond of the rooster head. This picture may be on the verge of nightmare material, but it's equal parts a dream come true. It's also my new priority to come up with an excuse to rent/buy one of these costumes. It'll take some pretty abstract thinking...


3) These past few weeks have been a big struggle for me when it comes to math class. I'm always running around like a chicken with my head cut off (or rooster, as it were.  See bodiless man-chicken above) trying to squeeze in extra points here and there at the end of the year. I know I'm required to take gen. ed. classes at Stephens, and even though I'm completely intimidated by the math and science, I feel confident that I'll have plenty of help. I'll be in the honors program, and from what I observed during my night stay with this year's freshmen honor's girls, honor's girls are pretty tight.  I just hope at least one girl will have the patience to answer all my stupid questions.


4) The T-Shirts I saw were awesome. On the front, "If you're a Stephens girl raise your hand." and on the back, "If you're not a Stephen's girl, raise your standards." (Or something like that). I tried finding a photo of one, but apparently they're super secret to outsiders. My day will come!


I love me some smack talkin'! That's usually my main job when I'm on a team of some sort. Like, for instance, a basketball team at the student faculty games (see my last post). I'm actually pretty surprised I didn't get written up for telling the basketball coach he was about to eat my squeaky basketball court dust.


5) I heard the water fountains in the dorms are filtered water. That's just really great.



That was five reasons I love Stephens!!



I also love Strawberries, which I have about a gallon and a half of in my fridge right now. My friends Colette and George took me strawberry picking today, and it was UH'MAZIN'. It's totally time for me to go eat some of those right now. Maybe I'll make a smoothie! :)


No, change that to "Definitely making a smoothie!"


love, rudi


What a long week this has been!


Usually I find that when I'm busy time goes by faster, but this week completely ignored that rule. Every minute is a minute I have to be doing something- that end-of-year loose end tying is really wearing on me this time.


But only a week left!!


Maybe this week has been dragging by so terribly slow because we originally were planned to graduate last Friday. My body knows it shouldn't be sitting in a classroom anymore.


But I've made the day better with some of the finer things in life:


That's right. Hot cocoa and my Turtle shirt.



Monday was a pretty eventful day. As I mentioned in the last post, our senior awards ceremony took up most of the day, and it was so nice to see my friends and classmates walk up on stage to receive scholarships and awards and things- I felt like a proud mother.


But I think the most memorable event of the day was the faculty-student games, where seniors are picked into teams to play against teachers.


For some reason my classmates wanted to see me play basketball. It's hilarious, because I think before I ran onto the court in my costume was the first time I've even touched a basketball. I'm a theater kid for a reason. I didn't score any goals, but I definitely had the gym laughing.That's all that really matters, right?



Yes, as a matter of fact, that is a smiley face on my tube sock.



I'm a bit sad, though. Today my best friend Patrick, who I've spent this entire year with in math class every day (he's kind of my safety blanket when battling trig functions), flew off to Great Britain for two weeks. He wasn't at school, and there was an odd emptiness wherever I went.


Patrick leaving might be the first time I've realized I'm graduating. I hadn't felt even a little sad or nostalgic until we realized we'd had our last class ever together.


I got a little teary, even.


But I hope he's having fun! He only thinks he's got the better deal spending two weeks in London while I continue to sit in our cement high school alone-


he doesn't know we're having an ice cream party tomorrow. Ba-ha! I totally win.



But right now only one thing is important:


wish me luck tonight as I finish my English research paper.


love, rudi

Stephens Sunday!

I don't need to tell you how amazing God's gift to students


(more commonly known as The Weekend) is...


I've decided to use all my extra time this Sunday to begin a new tradition:



Here are five reasons I love Stephens RIGHT NOW!


1) On Friday I used a Stephens pencil to do my math test. I'm feeling moderately positive about the outcome, which is much improved from my usual feeling of dread and panic. I fully blame the Stephens pencil.



Note the lack of eraser.



2) Stephens is 9 hours away from where I live here in Corbin, and I love being one of the few people in my graduating class not going to college down the street. It makes me feel exotic. I am literally "movin' on up".


3) I've spent most of this weekend with one of my best friends Collette, who is forty-something and scrap-books and cooks and all that great stuff. We've been talking about decorations and paint and all kinds of homey things lately, and I'm so excited about decorating my dorm room. Stephens has really comfortable, unique dorm rooms, and I'm WAY excited to combine forces with whoever my roommate is and create a mini-home. (by the way, I'm a complete design/decorating/wallpaper/dishes nerd. You'll probably hear me talk/typing about that sort of stuff a lot.) I have several vintage picture frames ready to be painted blue. I'm making chalk boards like the one you see below.




[caption id="attachment_174" align="aligncenter" width="381" caption="photo from design sponge, my all time favorite blog"][/caption]

 


4) My admissions counselor Xander. He's probably 30% of the reason I chose Stephens anyway, and he's 100% why I started considering Stephens as a realistic college choice. Tomorrow is my school's senior awards day, when we spend several hours in the gym while the counselors hand out awards and scholarships. Most other students who are going to college in state have representatives from their college there, and even though I know Xander won't be there, I feel that he is probably one of the few school reps. who would want to be there.


Yay Stephens College for hiring Xander!


5) Today I'm craving the library. It's a little random, but I've been scouring the libraries around my town for sources for a giant english paper and our libraries have been slightly more than useless. Also it's usually too loud in my house (yay baby sister!) to study very well.  It'll be nice to have Stephen's useful library as well as a quiet place to go.



There's five reasons I love Stephens college this week. I guarantee I'll think of twenty more by the time next Sunday rolls around!


Have a great week everybody!! I'm hoping to still get in some dragon kite time. It's my new favorite hobby.




love, rudi



 


Since this blog is centered around my transition from high school to college, I think it's appropriate to talk about one of my closest and most hated friends who's followed my throughout my senior year:


Stress.


Today is simply one of those days, you know? My school has two weeks left before graduation, and my teachers are the worst procrastinators I know. I've suddenly got a research paper, two more math tests (they make my soul cry), powerpoints galore, blah, blah, blah.


You all know what it's like- there's just so much stuff to do.


I'm slowly turning on my Turbo-Rudi super powers and kicking myself into high gear. If I just get up and do what I'm supposed to, it'll all magically get done. Right?



My daily sighs of relief come from these four things:


1) Sitting in my warm car for half a minute before driving home from school


2) Making myself four cups of hot tea when I get home


3) Ritualistically crossing off entries on my To Do list


4) My little sister's always present greeting "HAY FAFA!" (Fafa is her name for me), perfectly paired with a 'toofy' grin when I get home.



I'd like to add long hot showers and painting my toenails to my list, but these days I don't have time for those luxuries...


Dude. I am so ready for college.


love, rudi