maintaining friendships.

I love my friends so much!! I think it's so so soo important to surround yourself with a caring community, but it's important to put effort into your friendships too!! My friends are all lovely and wonderful people, and sometimes I really neglect them, by holing myself away and not bothering to see anyone. I mean, school is important, but so are the people around you.

These past few weeks I've been putting a conscious effort into meeting up with my friends to eat, bake, eat, listen to sermons, eat, watch tv, eat... Yeah, lots of eating, haha. But seriously, you not only have fun with your friends, but you strengthen your relationship, and you often get so much insight into life! I've also found that I've been having more and more meaningful conversations with people. About life, inequities in life, decisions, challenges, etc. You realize that nobody is living a perfect life, though we all try. It's ridiculous, you'd never really know anything about anyone unless you put in the effort to get to know them.

I know I'm not alone in this. It seems, the more I talk to people, the more I realize that they feel the same way!!!! We're all living in this strangely lonely world. But I think it's time for us to snap out of it, and make these connections.

Often I'm too ashamed to ask someone for help, or sometimes even too shy to ask someone out for coffee (even if they are a good friend, embarrassing, I know). But honestly, what do you have to lose? You weren't going to do it in the first place, so just kick yourself in the behind, and go for it. That's what I try to tell myself at least.

Most recently, a few nights ago I wasn't going to go a hangout with my small group of girls from fellowship (we call them DGs - discipleship groups), but instead I was going to stay at home and work on my Econ assignment (which was in dire need of completing). But guess what! I went, and even found a group to work on my Econ assignment with. These assignments are allowed to be done in groups, but I have always worked alone. Why? Because I am too scared to ask. It was the last assignment, and I can't believe we never worked together before.. but it never would have happened if I decided to rely on myself.

We can gain so much from helping each other thrive. Let's share more, deal?

I went to Starbucks for their BOGO sale on holiday drinks with my friend, and I got really excited because they wrote my name on my cup!! This has never happened before! Despite the fact that Starbucks does it all the time, this was seriously the first time it had happened. I feel uber special. This is why Starbucks is successful: warm fuzzy feelings all around!