College years

Last Friday at Kellys Korner she had a show us your life regarding which college her readers went to.  Although I saw a couple UF graduates on there I did not see one Rollins College or USF reader other than myself. 

It is amazing how different undergrad and grad school were.  I can still remember the day my parents dropped me off at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL.  We had spent the night before at the Disney Yacht & Beach Resort and I was so excited to finally be a grown up!  I was so anxious for my parents to unpack my entire van load of crap stuff and be on their way.  But when they left I cried.  Suddenly I was overwhelmed.  Luckily, a guy I had gone to school with since middle school and I ended up living in the same small house on campus (the only 2 freshmen chosen for a special interest house called Pinehurst) and we quickly bonded as freshmen from the same hometown will often do.  The same was true for my friend Christy.  We were in marching band together in high school, were not friends in high school, and yet she became one of my lil sisters in Kappa Delta and I'm the Godmother of her daughter. 

College was a 4 years of some studying, lots of drinking, and making good friends (in other words a blur).  Outside of Kappa Delta I didn't really socialize with many Rollins students.  One of my best friends went to nearby UCF and they had better fraternity parties over there so I spent a lot of time at UCF.  Plus I worked at the Winter Park YMCA and my coworkers quickly became my closest friends and preferred weekend companions. 

I am immensely proud of the fact that I went to Rollins though.  It is a beautiful campus and a great school.  Although I am way too poor to contribute to them financially as an alumni (I think the money my parents spent to send me there was enough) I have the best memories of my time there. 

Grad school at the University of South Florida was a different story.  No partying, occasional drinking with my girl Breun, lots of good contacts, and different types of memories.  We were in a cohort so we had the same people in each class (Tues & Thur plus 1 Saturday a month) for 3 years aka 9 semesters.  Even though we were all different ages and came from all different backgrounds you become surprisingly close with people who you spend so much time with.  Without grad school, and Breun, I wouldn't have met my husband aka the love of my life aka my baby daddy (well, he will be if she's ever born!).  Plus my grades rocked in grad school (minus 1 class with Professor Bastard, not his real name, who gave me my only B).

Paul, Breun, and I on our wedding day

I am also a proud USF alum made even more proud by the fact that my younger sister also has a degree from USF (and UCF--my parents have said no more graduation ceremonies haha....luckily the professional certificate I want from FSU will not have a graduation ceremony).  Yup, my sister and I love us some education.

Me & my sis at the 3 Day

And Kappa Delta...still a huge part of my life!  Having moved so much, and still moving, I can always count on KD for meeting other alumnae.  I've gotten jobs through my involvement in KD.  I met my good friend Mimi through the Sarasota alumnae chapter and she later married me and my husband.  I met my good friend Emily through a Valdosta KD event and we are already planning for a future wedding between her son and my daughter.  And I mentioned being the Godmother for my good friend Christy's daughter.  Where we are currently living not only am I on the executive board for the alumnae chapter, but also on the chapter advisory board for a new collegiate chapter.  Not to mention all the great KD women I went to Rollins with (our Zeta Xi reunions are always so much fun).  Yes, I love me some KD!  

KD sisters--Emily, me, Mimi, Christy