Nostalgia Sets In...

There's this weird thing about life. The thing is...it always keeps moving and changing. Here I am, on April 13th, 2010. I'm a college student. I live in College Station, in an apartment that we've made a home. When I sent in my taxes a few days ago it was just me on the form.

But in May I become a college graduate. And I move to Houston.
And in July I become a married woman, I start writing "Mrs" in front of my name, and my last name becomes significantly easier to spell.
And next time I file taxes it'll be with Jeff on the same set of forms.

Yep. Change.

Yesterday I was driving home from campus and I was being all emotional and all of the sudden I just started to appreciate (and therefore take pictures of) all the things that I overlook everyday. You know, the things that have been my life for the last few years. This post isn't wedding-related, but it's about those things. The things I'll miss when I move on to the next stage of my life...the little things that make my life as wonderful as it is now. These things:

Hello St. Mary's. Thanks for being a place that truly feels like home to me. You've watched me make lifelong friends, grow in leadership, and most importantly - grow in faith. It's going to take me quite some time to love another church like I love you.

Hello water tower. Every time I drive past you, you say to me "Welcome to Aggieland" and I just feel at home.  How is it that a water tower can be friendly? This one just is.

Hello bell tower. I remember hearing you chime back when I lived in the dorms. I remember hearing you chime at Silver Taps. I love that your Roman numeral for 4 is "IIII" and not "IV." Thanks for being a pretty part of my drive home each day.

Hello Kyle Field. Thanks for the Yell Practices and the football games. I love the fact that your clock has been 4-5 minutes behind real-life time for the past few years, and no one's bothered to fix it. Thanks for making me feel like I'm on time even when I'm running late.

Hello hole beneath the fence. When I come home after dark I catch little bunnies running in and out of you, and they make my day. Thanks for being one of the few positive things about having an apartment in the very back of the complex.

Hello fancy new A/C unit. Sometimes I hear you humming outside of my window when I'm falling asleep. I had to go through weeks of awful maintenance guys and dealing with the awful old A/C unit (during the summer!) before I finally got you. You represent a time when I learned to really take care of myself and my home. You taught me to appreciate things that I take for granted, you know...things like cool air.

Hello doormat. Thanks for welcoming us all home every day. You're all faded and dirty now, but I think it just proves how much living, laughing, and loving we've done since we bought you. I can't take you with me when I move because my new apartment has inside hallways, but I promise I'll try my best to find you a happy home.

Sigh. Change. So many wonderful things are happening in the next year of my life, but a teensy tiny part of me is just a little sad to leave these ones behind. I'll miss you, little brighteners of my days.