Christmas Eve

"What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

Today when I woke up I went to the Uptown Kitchen with my family. When we got there, we ran into the Jankowski family. It was wonderful to see them. We made plans to have dinner with them on Tuesday night and I can't wait to catch up on their lives. They have been such wonderful friends to us ever since I can remember and we are so blessed to know them.

After breakfast (french toast stuffed with chocolate and cream cheese), I went on a run. Then, I got ready to go to mass with my family. I saw a boy named Brian who has Downs Syndrome and who used to swim at Adams. I reintroduced myself to his mom and told them Merry Christmas. It was really great to see them as well.

 

After mass, we all came back to the house and sat in the living room until dinner was ready. We had a traditional Christmas Eve meal at our house and we were lucky enough to be joined by my grandma. There was ham, corn pudding, mashed potatoes, jello, rolls, and green beans. We all drank some wine and listened to Christmas music. It was nice to spend more time with my family.

 

My dad did an especially great job with the lights this year. Santa will be able to find our house tonight without any trouble at all. Speaking of Santa, one of my favorite things to do on Christmas Eve is to have Santa call my friends and family through G-Mail. Today, I had him call my mom, dad, sister, and boyfriend. I may get more enjoyment from it than they do, but I think its hilarious because he says such ridiculous things on the phone like calling my dad "Dude" or telling Jess and Jason that they're good dragon slayers.

 

On Christmas Eve in my family we also open presents from my grandma and give her presents. Tonight was a very special night for me and my sister because we got the last gift that my grandpa left for us before he passed away. He would always give us half dollars and two dollar bills when he was alive and he saved some so that we would have a Christmas present for him even after we passed away. It was really nice to get those things, and I don't think I'll ever spend them. We also got tool boxes and tools, gifts my grandpa would have loved seeing us get because he was so handy.

This time of year is the time of year that I realize how special the people in my life are and how blessed I am to have them. It's also a time when I can't help but think about the people that have made such a huge impact on my life that have passed away. Today was a special day to celebrate and remember Jeff and my grandpa, two of the greatest men that I have ever met.

God Bless and Merry Christmas Everyone.

Home for Christmas

Friday was my last day in Bloomington until the fall. I spent some of the morning studying and had a breakfast and dance party with Christina and Mary Ellen when I was done. Mary Ellen made pineapple pancakes, Christina made french toast, and I was the DJ. It was one of the best parts of the entire semester and definitely a great way to end the year.

I took two finals that day, and I just found out that I got a B- in finite. I've never been this happy about a B-. I literally cried. I'm so glad that the semester is over and that I never have to worry about finite again. 

On Saturday morning, I woke up, packed all of my stuff, and headed home. Okay, maybe it wasn't that easy. My apartment complex constantly sends us annoying e-mails, and I've gotten in the habit of not reading them. Unfortunately, one of the e-mails that I ignored said that we had to be out at 10:00 on Saturday. I had to go to the center building and ask them for more move out time. When I was almost ready to go, I used my car key to unlock my trunk to put my last thing in the car. As if the morning weren't crazy enough already, I accidentally closed my keys in the trunk and had to call a locksmith.

I finally started driving home at 12:30. I always text Marie when I get to Carmel, and this time she invited me to come over. I hadn't seen her or her family since summer, so I decided to stop by for a few minutes. Marie's dogs, Sally, is one of my favorite dogs in the entire world. She is always so happy and excited for life.

Marie's mom took pictures of Marie, Martha and me by the tree. It was so great to see her wonderful family. They always make me laugh when I go visit. Marie is going to be in Florence when I'm in Barcelona, and I'm really hoping to go see her. 

When I got home last night, I watched some basketball with my parents and had a pretty relaxing evening. I had my first homemade meal in quite awhile. My mom made my favorite: porcupines (meatballs with rice), mashed potatoes, and rolls. It was great to finally be home with my parents.

My sister, Jessica, got home from Washington D.C. tonight at about 6:00. My parents and I all went to the air port to pick her up. There was a pretty tree at the airport, so I took a picture of my parents together next to it.

We were all so happy to see my sister when she got off of the plane. My family has started a new tradition of picking my sister up at the airport and heading to Hacienda for dinner. Jess and I took a picture by the tree before we headed to the restaurant.

Finally, all of the hungry Mailanders arrived at the restaurant to meet my grandma and enjoy a delicious Mexican meal. My family can be a little unorthodox at times, but it was great for all of us to be together.

"No llores porque ya se terminó... sonríe, porque sucedió."

Even though they used different languages, both Dr. Seuss and Gabriel Garcia Marquez said "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." This has been one of the best semesters of my life, and even though I get to spend the spring exploring Europe and growing in so many ways, I know that I will miss Bloomington.

I had the time of my life this semester, and I can't help but smile when I think about all of the wonderful people I spent time with and all of the exciting things that I did. My roommates, the IU swim club, my wonderful boyfriend, and many others have made this semester such a blessing. Going to football games, going to swim practices and social events, and spending lazy days on the couch with my roommates were the absolute best parts of my semester. The funny thing is that no matter how stressed I actually was this semester, I can only really remember the good times. I guess the lesson is to not worry about the small things because in the end everything always turns out alright.

Emily went back home today. She was such a wonderful roommate, and I will miss her incredibly when I am away. I am grateful that she put up with my messiness and that she was always willing to give me a quick ride to anywhere I needed to go. One of my favorite things about Emily is her creative side. She decorated both the wall behind us and the Christmas tree. I also truly admire how much she enjoys life. Every holiday she would spend time with one of her best friends, Jessica, making some sort of craft. On Halloween, I got to decorate pumpkins with them. They also made a ginger bread house for Christmas. I just really like how they go out of their way to celebrate because it shows that they can take the time to appreciate the little joys in the world.

I put my Indiana Basketball Sticker on my car today. I love it so much. Basketball is definitely something that I will miss when I'm abroad, but I am also excited to become a huge soccer fan. I can't wait to go to games and experience the thrilling sports atmosphere.

Jason and I studied together at the Herman B. Wells Library for the last time this year. He's supported me so much this year both with going through difficult classes here at IU and as I prepare to go abroad. I really am so lucky that he treats me as well as he does. I can't wait to see him over break and am so glad that we are keeping in touch next semester. (He looks sad because he was making his studying face."

 

Tonight at practice, we did fun relays. We swam backwards in the first relay. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of that one. It was funny to see everyone trying to come up with the best technique because people were going in all sorts of directions, moving their arms and legs in a bunch of ridiculous ways. The next relay was a kick board relay. We had to sit on our kick boards and move our arms to move. It was a really good work out for the arms, and it was funny because people kept falling off and there were boards flying everywhere.

The next relay was also very interesting. One person would swim a 25, and when they were done, they would grab onto the next person's feet. The next person would then pull while the person behind them tried to push their body forward. It was a really fun night and a great way to end the semester.

When I got home, Mary Ellen could tell that I was a little upset, so we went to get ice cream and then watched Beauty and the Beast. She's a great roommate, and I love her so much.

Clearly, this has been such a great semester. I love IU and my life here, but I know that there are incredible adventures waiting for me in Barcelona. In the words of Dr. Seuss:

You're off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

Waffles and Water Polo

My favorite thing about starting a blog so far is that I have become more intentional about realizing, celebrating, and sharing the little joys in life. Even in the most stressful week of the semester, I am surrounded with blessings. It would be so easy for me to go through a week like finals without taking the time to appreciate the good stuff, but in the long run a test won't matter. The people I surround myself with and the memories I make in college are far more important.

One particular blessing in my week is the Indiana University Swim Club. Tonight was the second night of IUSC Christmas, and we got Indiana Basketball Bumper Stickers to celebrate the win against Kentucky on Saturday. The Hoosiers are ranked twentieth, marking the first time they have been ranked since I have been a student.

I am really glad that I got to see Emily today at practice. She is such a sweet girl and I loved getting to know her better throughout the semester. Please keep her brother in your prayers as he continues to recover from being ill.

Tonight we had a lot of people at practice and decided to spend the evening playing a friendly game of Water Polo.

It was a nice change from swimming laps, and I enjoyed it because I haven't been able to come to any Water Polo Wednesdays this semester.

There is a rule that you have to pass the ball three times and that one of the passes has to be to a girl before you can try to score a point. I like this rule a lot because it allows everyone a chance to contribute to the team.

Everyone played an awesome game tonight. It was really cool to see people getting involved and cheering on their teammates. Justina scored the game winning shot, making her the Christian Watford of IUSC Water Polo.

After practice, Mary Ellen and I went to go get waffles and ice cream at the center building of the Union Street Center Apartments. Ice cream is always something to celebrate, but ice cream and waffles together is absolutely divine. There were three choices of waffles: Belgian, strawberry, and blueberry. I went with half Belgian and have strawberry.

Mary Ellen ordered strawberry and blueberry. We decided that it was the ultimate American waffle. (The left side was more blue than purple when it was done baking).

I am extremely grateful for my roommates this semester. Since I didn't know them before we all came down in August, I was extremely nervous to see whether or not we would get along. Now, at the end of the semester, I can honestly say that they are the best roommates I have ever had. I am so grateful that we got placed together this semester. Mary Ellen and I have spent countless hours studying and watching movies in the living room. I love her sense of humor and the conversations we share about our lives. I cannot wait to move into the house with her and Christina next year.

After dinner with Mary Ellen, I went to the Union to "study". I ended up mostly watching the boys play the Wikipedia game. Studying with friends was a good reminder that even though finals are difficult, there are always people who understand the stress and are there to support me. 

Indiana University Swim Club

We got snowmen headbands! During finals week, the Indiana University Swim Club gives away Christmas gifts to everyone who comes to practice. It is so much fun to spend time with this group of people. Joining this club and meeting them has been one of the best things I’ve done at IU.

Before coming back to IU this fall, I made goals to stay in shape and to get more involved. I’m so glad that the swim club has been such a big part of achieving both of those goals. 

One of my favorite things that we did as a club was running the Jill Behrman 5K. I had never done one before, but I had always wanted to. I love the club because it’s not just about going to practice. There is a lot of fun to be had even outside of the pool. 

Another great thing we did as a club was going to Carly’s cabin for the weekend. That was probably my favorite weekend of the entire year. It was so great to get away, spend time with friends, eat delicious food, and explore “The Grand Canyon of Southern Indiana.”

I will really miss being a part of the IU Swim Club next semester. I can’t wait for the fun to start back up next year and become even closer with everyone on the team.

Indiana Basketball

One good thing about starting a blog is that it forces you to take a lot of pictures. Today is the first day of my blog, and I took a lot more pictures than I usually do. The first one is of me and Jason. He wore my favorite sweater, and we stood next to the very decorative Christmas Tree in my apartment.

After we took the picture, I took Jason, Willie, Tanner, and Tim to Subway to get lunch. Willie kept saying “Hey Jay, if you want to go to Jimmy John’s I’ll go with you,” but in the end we all decided that Subway was the better choice. I had a gift card that I forgot to use, but my meatball sub was delicious anyway. We listened to country music in the car and the boys pretended like they lived in the south. It was funny to see how much they appreciate Toby Keith.

When I dropped them off, I went home and tried to study before the Indiana vs. Kentucky basketball game. I was too nervous to actually get any work done. Indiana has had a streak of unsuccessful seasons, and everyone was excited to see whether or not the Hoosiers could pull it off. Austin came all the way from Lexington, wearing blue to proudly support the Wildcats.

Unfortunately, Austin was outnumbered by a room full of hopeful Hoosier fans. Mary Ellen and Christina huddled together on the floor, looking forward to the first IU victory against a number one team since 2002.

Jessica and Emily helped me look for Jason on the TV screen because he had seats right by the basket. We didn’t see him, but there were several instances where we thought we saw Jase dressed as Santa.

Tonight’s game was incredible. Indiana played better basketball than I have seen them play in my two and a half years as a student. My main hope was for them to stay close with Kentucky and to maybe win against the number one ranked team. When Watford made the three-pointer with less than five seconds to go, I couldn’t believe it. The Hoosiers had won the game with a final score of 73-72. I couldn’t even smile to take a picture because I was too shocked and excited. I am always proud to be a Hoosier, but tonight was special. I was so happy that we beat such a good team and ended a cycle of unsuccessful seasons.