GRADUATION!!!!!!!!!!! (And one of the BEST weekends of my life)

WARNING: This one may be a bit of a long one!

So even though I don't finish class until August, I walked in the Terry College of Business's Graduation Convocation at The University of Georgia last Friday, May 9, 2014 in Athens, Georgia.  It was by far one of the happiest days of my life and overall one of the greatest weekends in my 29+ years of living!!!

To put things in perspective of how EXCITED I was last Friday, I woke up before my alarm clock went off.  Which was scheduled for 730 AM.  I could hardly contain myself.  While I didn't immediately get out of bed, I was still overjoyed with the fact that after almost 2 years of blood, sweat and tears (well maybe not the blood part... unless you consider paper cuts), I was finally going to walk across the stage and accept my diploma holder from The University of Georgia.  I was up so early (poor Will - I woke him up with my excitement) because I wanted to make my family take pictures at the Arch before my ceremony.  UGA tradition to walk under the Arch and into the next phase of your life.  While technically you are supposed to wait until after you receive your diploma, I knew I wouldn't be back in Athens for awhile so I wanted to make sure I was able to partake in such an honored tradition.

Under the Arch on a gorgeous Spring day in Athens, GA

Will and Me Under the Arch - He was a VERY proud boyfriend that day

The two of us with my parents

After fulfilling my long awaited (and much-wanted) Arch tradition, I got to attend the ceremony and finally hear my name called as I walked across the stage.  It was very surreal as some days, it felt like that day in particular would never come, that school would never end and there was no light at the end of the tunnel.  Graduation day took a the equivalent of a 10 lb sledgehammer to that notion - that light grew huge and I knew the end of grad school was near!  Hopes of having a social life again and the ability to do whatever I want on a weekend without taking school books now became a reality.  The end was in sight but still not giving up on these last few classes.

Proud and happy couple!

Super proud parents!

My family!

It's been a long journey since I began my MBA program and that road will close at the end of the summer.  Assuming I do not have finals for my last quarter, I will be done with class on August 28, 2014.  I have had multiple breakdowns and Will and my parents have been there every step of the way and have gotten me through them.  Without the love, support, encouragement and care from my family (I consider Will part of my family now) and friends, I wouldn't have been able to stay as positive and motivated as I've been.  Grad school is hard on a full-time employee, especially in an accelerated program like mine.  While I knew a lot about myself, I never truly tested my own limits until I started grad school.  Waking up at 5/530 AM to go to the gym then work a full day then go to class in the evenings and sometimes stay late to talk to my group or professor wouldn't put me home until 930 PM on a given day, sometimes later - only to repeat the same pattern the next day.  I grew as a person and the past few years have taught me a lot about myself.  Despite being told this throughout my life, I really can do anything I put my mind to.  I always knew I'd finish my MBA over the past few years, that I wouldn't let anything stop me, but there were days when I had serious doubts about the hell I was going to get everything done.  You make the necessary changes and you make a lot of sacrifices.  I am very fortunate that I have a boyfriend whom I love dearly and family and friends that have understood these past few years that when I said I had to study, they knew I meant business, that I wanted to be there to join in whatever fun festivities were going on, but that I had to study and do schoolwork.  So for any of you reading this, thank you for understanding.  I'm sure I will have something even mushier come August/September - be on the lookout!

Now let's fast-forward to the rest of my fabulous weekend!  So after my graduation ceremony, I hosted a dinner.  Well I kind of hosted a dinner.  I put it all together but Will's mama hosted it at the clubhouse to which they belong and did a lot of the legwork in getting everything set up.  But this dinner was more than just a celebratory dinner for my graduation - this was the dinner where Will and my's parents would meet.  My mom met Will's mama and stepdaddy in March when she flew out to help me move but that was the extent of family meetings.  This was  BIG night for the two of us and ya know what?!  All the parents got along swimmingly!  Each of them relayed to us how much they enjoyed the company of the other's and we could not have asked for a better dinner!  We catered in Heirloom BBQ (the JAM - I'd never eaten it and after multiple "YOU HAVE TO's", this is what we chose), had everything set up in a very casual setting, and before we knew it, it was time to leave.  A HUGE thanks to Will's mama for all of her help with the dinner - I could not have done it so seamlessly without her.  And again, Will and I could not have asked for a better Meeting of the Parents.  I am truly blessed to have not only Will in my life, but his parents as well - they are wonderful people and I look forward to having many more gatherings with them!

Will and Me

The Original McElroy's

Will, his Daddy and Me (his stepmom couldn't make it unfortunately

Will and Me with his Mama and Stepdaddy

The Whole Clan

So dinner was a great success which meant going back to the hotel with my parents to enjoy the rest of the weekend!  After all, it was only Friday night.  After getting back, Will and I put on some more comfortable clothes and decided to have a few drinks in the hotel lobby which led to a conversation about our future together.  I am not going to go into the details as that is something between us, but I will say that it was a very positive conversation, we are growing closer and more serious and we look forward to our future together.  I will let you now use your imaginations....

Saturday morning, mom wanted to go to brunch at Gladys Knight's Chicken & Waffles for her Mother's Day Brunch.  Mama wanted some soul food and soul food she got!  I'd never been there but to follow the tradition of the name, I ordered some fried chicken, some veggies and a blueberry waffle!  While the waffle wasn't my fave, I enjoyed everything else immensely as did everyone else (to the best of my knowledge).  Needless to say, I felt like I needed a wheelbarrow to roll me out of there!

Of course I got a family photo!

 After brunch, my parents took Will and me to the Georgia Aquarium as none of us had ever been.  Brian and Colleen unfortunately couldn't join us the rest of the day as they had prior plans.  Even though we didn't get to see the Dolphin Show, going to the Aquarium (which just so happens to be the largest in North America) was SO entertaining!  I didn't appreciate the Tennessee Aquarium as a kid but REALLY enjoyed this trip to the Georgia Aquarium.  There were a lot of very neat exhibits and I would go back in a heartbeat!

Just hangin' out with the fishies!

3 of my faves!

After the Georgia Aquarium, my mom and I freshened up (I had to recurl my hair - duh), Will and Daddy cleaned up and we headed to the hotel's Manager's Hour and enjoyed a few libations before going to dinner at the Sun Dial.  Will nor I had ever been to the Sun Dial and were SO very fortunate my parents wanted us to join them.  Aside from delicious food and wine, it was one of the best dinners of my life.  The views were spectacular - watching a Southern thunderstorm roll in 723 feet above the city (73 stories) and pass through on top of the Atlanta Skyline is an experience in and of itself.  The company was fantastic!  And our server made the experience all the better (thank you, Billy, you were by far one of the best servers I have ever had in all of my dining adventures).  It was a perfect date night!  Most kids wouldn't want to double with their parents but they are one of the couples I will always double with.  The love and respect my parents share for each other is admirable and I am in awe of their marriage.  It was a spectacular meal and I would not have wanted to share it with anyone else than the 3 people I love the most!

Our cloudy view before the storm rolled in

My oh-so-handsome date and me!

A fave of me and the boy -
SUCH a great backdrop!

After dinner, we got back to the hotel and while Mama and Daddy went to bed, Will and I opted to go back to the lobby with a few adult beverages and entertain ourselves by watching the Forest Park High School Prom...  It was very entertaining to say the least.  In doing so, we met 2 gentleman with whom we hope to remain friends - Tom from Denmark and Carl from Germany.  They were in Atlanta on business and after talking for HOURS, they invited us to Europe, we invited them to Alabama and the men exchanged contact information!  All in all, it was a great day, great evening.  On Sunday, Will and I went to one of our favorite restaurants, a little hidden gem called The Crawfish Shack (if you like crawfish, GO!  Hands down, BEST crawfish I've ever eaten - and they have other delicious menu items as well).

Take me to your leader!

As the title of this post indicates, this really was one of the best weekends in my 29+ years of living.  I could not have asked for a better graduation celebration or a meeting of the parents. I look forward to many more family functions together!  I hope y'all have enjoyed this ridiculously long post but there was absolutely no way to keep it short and sweet.  SO much happened that I wanted to share and I didn't want to limit myself.  Hope y'all are well and we'll see if I make it back here before I finally finish classes!!!

xoxo,

Britt!

Rappelling in Action!!

SO I got to do another FIRST this weekend - rappelled down a rock face!!  I never thought in a million years that it would be something I'd want to do, but let me tell you, it was exhilarating!!!  I was at the Lake visiting Will this weekend and I'd already scoped out the weather sometime early last week to get an idea as to whether we'd be able to go hiking again.  The weather was supposed to be GORGEOUS so we decided that yes, we'd spend either Saturday or Sunday outdoors again.

So Sunday rolls around and we almost decided to have a Lazy Sunday and just enjoy the day for what it was before I had to leave to come back to Atlanta.  Then our friend Shane called Will and asked if we still wanted to go hiking, that he was ready, and would come over.  Looks like we didn't have much of a choice.  We got our gear together, packed a lunch, got the animals ready and were ready to go!  Then Shane said he thought about bringing his rappelling ropes and asked if we'd want to go....  I became almost instantly terrified because the edge of a high structure scares the BEJESUS out of me!  Will pretty much all but volunteered me, said "Sure!  Go get the ropes!  You want to go rappelling, right Britt?"  Well...  I guess I did....  Off to Smith Mountain we went!!

I was harnessed up and ready to go... And thought to myself, "what the eff am I about to do?...."

Rappelling down the rock face!  It was probably 35 ft tall - seems small but it's not when you're at the top dangling over the edge!

Made it to the bottom unscathed!!!  After my heart stopped pounding and I was able to catch my breath, I said, "Let's go again!!"  

So after my first rappelling trip, Will and I decided it may be something we want to do more often.  Unfortunately, Will couldn't go down the rock face because we didn't have a harness that would fit him.  So we're going to begin our research (and by "we are" I really mean "I am") and see what we can find!  I have a feeling though it's going to become like every other outdoor hobby we have - EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!!!!  BUT.  Totally worth it!!  Can't wait to go over more rock faces!!!  Baby steps though.  Not graduating to super high heights anytime soon!

Happy Monday!!

Let the Outdoors Season Begin!!!

I cannot be MORE thrilled that the colder weather is finally going away.  Yes, we still have a few cold days ahead but the worst is OVER!  After two winter storms and being snowed/iced in for days at a time, I'm ready for warm months!  Hiking, backpacking, outdoors season in general, is right around the corner!  We have been recently blessed with a few warm weekends though, allowing me (and Will) to start getting back into backpacking shape.  Yes, I'm in great cardio shape with all the running and gym-going I do but hiking with 40 pounds of gear on your back is a different story.  I can't WAIT for our first backpacking trip of the year, but wanted to share some of God's beauty with y'all.

A few weeks ago, Will and I went hiking up Smith Mountain which is on Lake Martin in Alabama.  There's an old fire tower at the top of mountain that allows you to see for miles.  I'm looking forward to going back after everything is in full bloom but even in the middle of winter with low water levels, it was still a great view of Lake Martin and its surroundings!

At the Top of Smith Mountain

In the Fire Tower

My boys hiking lakeshore

A dilapidated shelter close to the top of Smith Mountain

View from the Top!

Different angle from the fire tower

More from the top

Again from the top

From the top of Smith Mountain at the base of the Fire Tower

If you are EVER around Smith Mountain and Lake Martin and enjoy hiking and the outdoors, please do yourself a favor and go to the Smith Mountain Fire Tower.  Even though Will and I turned our hike into 6+ miles, the hike from the parking lot to the top is maaaaaaaaaaaybe a mile.  It's absolutely doable for anyone who just wants to enjoy God's country without overexerting oneself.  Trust me, you'll love it.  These pictures really don't even do the view much justice.

So after that adventure came this past weekend's trip to Red Top Mountain in Cartersville, GA.  One of my best friends and another girlfriend joined me in hiking the 5.5 mile Homestead Trail. With moderate elevation changes but some good flat lands as well, this was a very enjoyable hike.  Just don't do like I did and run 7 miles before you hike.  Your legs will be SHOT after that much work.  Believe me.  I was SORE on Sunday, but a good sore.  Anyhow!  The views of Lake Allatoona were gorgeous, but again, just as with Lake Martin and Smith Mountain, looking forward to making this hike at full bloom!

Hillary, Shenell, and me on the Homestead Trail

Panoramic of Lake Allatoona

Docked sailboat enjoying the beautiful day

A little chunk of Lake Allatoona shoreline

Olliedog was having a blast in the lake!

Words cannot describe how happy I get knowing that shoulder season is right around the corner!  I am looking forward to more hiking and hopefully some really stellar backpacking trips this warm season!  If you know of any awesome trails that you've hiked, PLEASE share!  I'm hoping to get up to Amicalola this year as it's been a long time since I've hiked there as well as back up to Panther Creek.  I also want to venture to Raven Cliff Falls and some of the other areas in Northeast Georgia!  Would LOVE to hear about your fave places for hiking (and camping/backpacking)!

Thanks for reading!  Happy Thursday!

-Britt!

2013 Wrap-Up

Alright, so I know I said I'd TRY my hardest NOT to wait months and months and months to add another post but I was SO incredibly busy the last quarter of 2013 that I almost considered pulling out tufts of hair on an almost daily basis.  School was VERY demanding last quarter, the most intense yet (and unfortunately I have a feeling it isn't going to be much better this quarter).  Thank you everyone for your patience and understanding.

So a fair amount has happened in my life since my last post.  I guess I'll just go on a month-to-month breakdown for 4Q2013.  Aside from school and group meetings, I didn't have much going on in October.  Mama came to visit which was awesome, as always!  I miss her dearly and wish I could see her anytime I wanted, but unfortunately living on opposite sides of the country makes that extremely difficult.  Will and I decided to throw a little Halloween shindig at his house in Alabama.  Had a few friends over for a fun night.  Everyone wore costumes and while very low-key, we had a super fun time!

The Boys were Batdog and Robin for Halloween!

We opted for Charlie and Maverick from Top Gun

November.  Half Marathon time!  I headed out West to run the Santa Barbara International Half Marathon.  I didn't beat my goal but that's okay.  I can say yes, I should've trained harder, yes, I should've run more, yes, I should've done this or that or whatever.  Coulda, woulda, shoulda.  I trained to the best of my ability and all that matters is I crossed the finish line.  I didn't have to be hauled off by a medic (although I did come home with really terrible blisters and finished with a very painful foot cramp but it is what it is - I'm an athlete and athletes push through to the end).  The course was beautiful and very peaceful.  It rolled through different parts of Santa Barbara, CA that I'd have never been able to see otherwise and it finished with an ocean view.  Doesn't get any better than that!  PLUS I got to see my mom, my best friend out there, and her mom.  My running buddy also joined but he was a monster and ran the FULL marathon.  Maybe one day I'll get that fire to run 26.2 miles but right now, I'll keep my maximum race distance at 13.1.  Will I fly out for it again?  Probably not.  But it was really fun to do a destination race!  After the footrace came food (In-N-Out Burger, you always have and always will hold a very special place in my heart) and shower in preparation for hitting the Santa Barbara Wine Trail.  We all thought it was a GREAT idea to just go wine tasting without resting properly.  I'm not sure how mom, Ashley (best friend), and Beth (Ashley's mom) felt since they walked the half marathon (Ashley's very first half marathon so we were all very proud of her for this accomplishment!), but Ryan (running buddy) and I were DYING the next day.  No, we weren't hungover by any means, but our legs were VERY sore (mine especially as I barely sat down once we finished dinner - Ryan at least got in a nap while he waited on 4 grown women to get ready).  It took days for me to be able to stand up without cringing.  DAYS.  But it was totally worth it!  The long weekend in Santa Barbara was a blast!  

At the Santa Barbara Pier for some absolutely fabulous and VERY fresh seafood!

First stop on the Santa Barbara Wine Trail.  Yes, we wore our medals.  We were proud.

WE FINISHED!!!

After getting back to Atlanta, school continued and FINALLY Thanksgiving break came (although not much of a break considering I did schoolwork the majority of the time and one of my professors gave additional reading assignments over our "break").  I did however get to spend it with Will and his family since I couldn't be with mine.  It was lovely to experience Thanksgiving traditions with him.  His mom and stepdad were there as well as his grandmother, stepbrothers, aunt and uncle. I truly enjoyed myself and I am looking forward to many more holidays with his family.

VERY cool (and old) mill and dam we drove past on our way back to Will's

December.  December was nuts.  I had final projects and papers due, schoolwork and reading out the wazoo.  I was very stressed and overwhelmed with grad school for the first half of December.  And I didn't even procrastinate as much as I have in the past - it was just a very demanding quarter.  However, I got A's in both classes so couldn't really complain too much.  I finished my 5th quarter of grad school (only 3 left including the one I started this week) and have 8 A's and 2 B's in my program, 3.8 cumulative GPA so even though I have a few mental breakdowns every now and then, I'm more than pleased with my hard work and efforts!  Let's just hope it pays off in August when I'm done, ha!  Aside from schoolwork, I went with Will to his dad's side of the family's Christmas party.  I was a little anxious and overwhelmed at first as it's been a VERY long time since I've met a significant other's family and I obviously wanted their approval.  Funny how one small gesture gave me all the gold stars I would have needed - I simply offered to help clean up and do the dishes.  They cooked an elaborate meal for me so it was the very least I could do.  We got to relax and hang out with his family and watch football all day.  Perfect Saturday afternoon.

Fast forward to Christmas.  My parents unfortunately couldn't fly out for the holidays as my grandma had another stroke this past November but I was still able to spend the holidays in good spirits with Will and his family.  They've been so wonderful to me since Will and I started dating and have welcomed me with open arms.  Will drove up to join me for McElroy Sibling Christmas, where we spent a few hours relaxing and hanging out with my brother and sister-in-law.  We went to his daddy's for Christmas Eve brunch and spent Christmas day with his mom, stepdad, grandma, aunt and uncle.  Even though I couldn't spend Christmas Day with my parents and family, I very much enjoyed spending it with his.  The Saturday after Christmas, Will and I left Alabama for a few days to go to Clearwater Beach, FL with his mom and stepdad's side of the family.  We went to the nicest shooting range I've ever seen in Tampa, went deep sea fishing off the coast of Clearwater Beach (we caught 14 gray snappers as a group and I caught 3 individually - not too shabby for my first time), enjoyed fabulous seafood, went to the Hard Rock Casino for New Years Eve day, went out to experience the Clearwater Beach night life to ring in the New Year.  Will's stepbrother turned 21 on New Years Eve so celebrating with him was an absolute blast!  His stepbrother told me earlier in the month that I wasn't allowed to steal his thunder on NYE and my response: 29 is not a milestone.  If I didn't have to age, it'd be wonderful but this birthday celebration is all about you.  We had an absolute blast and hopefully we'll have many more shared birthday celebrations!

Brian and me at McElroy Sibling Christmas

Will and me at McElroy Sibling Christmas

Our first Christmas Day together at his aunt and uncle's house

Tacky Sweater Love!

Right after I caught my first fishie!

This pretty much sums up the end of 2013.  I know this is a long post, but as I said, the last 3 months of the year were a bit crazy yet refreshing at the same time.  I look forward to what 2014 has to offer.  Sure there were bumps in the road last year but 28 was one of the best years of my life.  I learned a lot and grew as a person and I welcome 2014 with open arms.  I am truly the happiest I've been in years even with all the stress of grad school.  I will finish my MBA this August and the plan after that is to move to Alabama so Will and I no longer have to do the long distance relationship.  Right now though, my focus will remain on finishing these next 3 quarters with As and hopefully graduating Suma Cum Laude from The University of Georgia!  I will do my best to not go another 3 months without posting but I can't make any promises....  Until next time, y'all be good!  And try to stay warm in this frigid weather (to say I'm looking forward to Spring is an understatement)!

xoxo,

Britt!