Well goodness! I don't want to be the one to blame for any crises, existential or otherwise, so I guess I'll just jump right into the post.
Goodbye November, hello December! Aka, the last month of the year and the last month of college classes before student teaching. There have been a lot of 'lasts' recently, hence the title of the post. Breathe easy, my friends. Now you know.
This was expected, of course. I've known since I started at Purdue that this would be my last official semester as a student, but I certainly didn't realize just how difficult it was going to be. So, here are the latest happenings, including all the 'lasts.'
Hanging with da Prez
Because I applied for the Fulbright scholarship, I got to chill with the Purdue prez, Mitch Daniels. Apparently, he has a bunch of professors come to Westwood, the Purdue president mansion, every now and then to listen to a speaker and network. So, national/international scholarship applicants got to come too! Let's just say, it was way out of my comfort zone. We're talking dressing nice (tried on about 9 outfits), eating fancy little appetizers (how do you eat meatballs in a fancy way?), drinking wine (do you hold the glass by the stem when you're tryna be fancy?), and schmoozing (bye). I went with my friend Kelsey, so at least I knew someone, but it was awk. So awk, in fact, that Mitch walked by and said hello and come to find out my name tag had been stuck in my hair. Cute. But we did get to talk to him a little (no, we didn't ask him about his recent run-in with the cops for speeding) and we even got a picture of ourselves in his coat closet, so all-in-all, I'd dub it a win.
In Mitch Daniels' coat closet, hehe
All the Single Ladies, but not Jess Anymore
Yep, Jess got married! Gahhh! On November 4, we all got dressed up and headed to the courthouse. Jess's parents, grandparents, and aunt all drove down too, plus Michael's sister and her husband. I was somehow in charge of all the important things, aka the rings and the marriage licenses (I'm surprised the trusted me with them). It was a very nice ceremony and the judge was really cool. Jess looked so beautiful and Michael was very handsome. We went out for a drink right after, then went to dinner at Bistro 501, which was delicious! It was a very good night and I'm so happy for the two of them!
Congratulations!
Hanging with Lush
I got to spend the weekend with Yashas a few weeks ago, and it was great! Except for the 5 solid hours we spent sitting on our butts doing homework, but hey, it was worth it. We went to a Diwali show with Yashas' friend, put on by the Indian Student Association at U of I, and it was really cool!
The Last Dining Court Thanksgiving
Every year on the Thursday before the week of Thanksgiving break, Purdue dining courts has a Thanksgiving dinner, and they go all out. I'm talking turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, pie, and all sorts of other delicious foods. So, Elaine and I said, "YOLO," dropped $12 (RIP meal swipes from freshman year), and stuffed our faces to the point where we got home and couldn't move. It was delish.
The Last PSEA Meeting
I've been part of PSEA since my first semester freshman year, but this era came to a close in November when we had our final meeting of the semester and inducted new officers. Wow. Yeah, it was stressful sometimes (a lot of the time), but I have a lot of good memories from being involved in it and it helped me grow as a leader. It was sad to have to give up my position to someone else, but I'm excited to see where they will take the club.
The Last Ambassadors Meeting
The night after the last PSEA meeting was the last ambassadors meeting at Bruno's. We stuffed our faces with pizza and Bruno dough (read: artery clogging deliciousness) and then we had to say goodbye to Karen, the adviser who has been in charge of the ambassadors for the past several years. She will be moving at the end of the semester (back to her hometown of...Normal!), so this was actually her last semester of ambassadors as well. We got her flowers and a gift card and a book of letters from all of us to thank her for everything, and she cried when we gave it to her. We love her, and I will miss her and the ambassadors!
Thanksgiving Break
Wednesday: I worked from 7:00 am-1:00 pm, then drove to pick up Lush, then headed home. We went to the Pub II with Katie and Natalie (so good to see them!) and then also to Maggie Miley's where it was basically a high school reunion.
Thursday: We headed to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving lunch, and it was delicious! So much good food. It was great to see the family (shoutout to Aunt Cathy for hosting!), but we had to leave pretty early so we could go work. We got to Mrs. Fields around 4:45 to prepare for the crazy Black Friday shoppers that would arrive at 6. We worked until midnight, and despite the fact that we couldn't have a relaxing Thanksgiving, it was still fun and we had a good time as a family.
Friday: This was a pretty chill and lazy day. We didn't do much, but I did get to see Katie and Natalie again, and also Caileigh, so that was fantastic!
Saturday: Kourt, Lush, and I visited our grandma and grandpa in the morning, and then: Hannah O'Neil's wedding! She was a beautiful bride and the ceremony was perfect. But the reception...all I can say is "wow." It was incredible. Hannah's mom had been preparing since that Wednesday with all the flowers and decorations. It looked like a winter wonderland!! There were evergreen tree branches in the ceiling and lights and candles, and it was gorgeous. I had a good time with Lush, Katie, Chloe (who looked phenomenal in her maid of honor dress), and Chloe's cousins Jack and Brittany eating and dancing.
Sunday: Back to Purdue I go.
The Last Day of Work
Wow. What an emotional day. When I started at Dayspring back in March, I knew it would be short-lived considering I'd be student teaching the following year and wouldn't be able to have a job during that time. Little did I know that it would be so difficult to say goodbye! The past 9 months working there have been the absolute best! My coworkers were phenomenal and it was such a positive environment to work in. Plus, my kiddos, especially those in my Kindergarten Readiness class, were amazing! I couldn't have asked for a better class. On my last day, I cried way too many times. Each time a parent came to pick up his/her kid, I started tearing up. It got to the point where a parent would come and the kids would ask, "Miss Kasey, are you going to start crying again?" Yes kids, yes I am. One boy even said, "Can you not cry anymore? It's annoying." I have some great memories from that place and will miss it a lot!
Flo' Fo' Ho Reunion Dinner
Last night, a bunch of girls who lived on the fourth floor in Shreve freshman year got together for a reunion dinner! It was incredible getting to see these ladies again. Even our RA, Leigh, got to come, despite being in med school. They were the best floor family EVER.
Bonus Pics:
Garfield the Pilgrim
Buddy, our Elf on the Shelf, has been causing a ruckus in our apartment
Shoutout Corner:
Tyler and Kyleigh: Congrats on playing in the NCAA tourney! You girls rock and I'm so proud of you!
Syd: We made it! No more work until we get our real jobs!
Annie: Thanks for making our apartment jingle bell ROCK for the holidays.
Buddy the elf: Shout out to you for the holiday cheer you bring each day!
