5...4...3...2...1....Continue Your Christmas Lists!

Dear Josh,

You know how you are counting down until Christmas and it is coming up SO SOON? Well, I have fantastic news. You SHOULD be counting down the days until I get home because THAT is even sooner J Just five more days (not counting today) until I am done with all of this school stuff, just five more days until I can relax for an entire month, and just five more days until I am officially one eighth of the way through my college career. I am almost done with my first college semester, and, OH LORDY, did it go by fast. 

Though that is exciting news that is NOT what I was going to talk about during this letter. Contrary to popular belief (It isn’t really popular belief…I just wanted to use that phrase) this blog is going to cover Thanksgiving fantasticalness, and though it is past Thanksgiving I believe it is still considered the time of the year to be EXTRA thankful about how blessed we are. So, I have been compiling a list of things I have become extra thankful for since I’ve moved to Murray (you should be appreciating these things all you can while you are home).

List Item #1: I am putting this first because it is the most noticeable. Dishwashers. I am SOOO VERY THANKFUL for dishwashers. It is not like I have moved to college and taken on a dishwashing fetish, nor would I like to own more than one dishwasher (although the picture of me sitting in a room filled with shining dishwashers is quite a humorous one…just picture it—you’re a dirty dish if you don’t laugh a little). Through college dorm rooms, however, I have decided that I HATE washing dishes by hand. That means that sometimes I would rather just throw away a cup than scrub it with soap. Lazy? I know. So, dishwashers are a blessing.

List Item #2: This is the typical “college student answer” when I say laundry machines. Trust me, there have been several times when I haven’t worn socks because, well, clean socks are hard to come by. And I can say without blushing that I have driven home in my very last pair of underwear after three weeks of classes just to do laundry. I mean, to see YOU of course. J J J Anyway, laundry machines across the hall from my room that cost exactly zero dollars? THOSE are the blessing, or maybe the fact that I have enough underwear to last three weeks.

List Item #3: While I’m giving “college student answers”, I should go ahead and highlight how great momma cooked food is! Winslow dining hall serves a wide variety of good food, but I’ve been craving pasta fazooil and rosemary bread and puppy chow. Also, in this home-type category I would like to list fireplaces (it has gotten very cold here at MSU and we do not have a fireplace), hugs from my brothers—you included (Please enter the phrase “contrary to popular belief” here, too), life chats with the parentals, and a nice church that has second Sunday breakfast.

List Item #4: Full sized beds. Sleeping on a twin? Not fun. Rolling over in a twin? Not possible.

List Item #5: Being around kids. Seriously! I forgot that going to college would mean that I was around people that were generally the same age as me all the time. There is practically ZERO variety. I like to hold a baby whenever I get a chance; however, it is frowned upon to ask strangers if you can hold their baby.

List Item #6: Close long-time friends. It’s amazing how much you can come to miss someone in such a short amount of time. Since you are a theater kid, as well, you should know what it is like to quote a play, a musical, a random kids forensics piece, or some other tidbit, and have people around you laugh. Murray State Kids just don’t get my Boys Next Door, 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Musical lyrics, and other random references. I know you’ve got to branch out sometime for friends, but I wish they came preloaded with knowledge of your goofy references. Brian Regan quotes anyone? GRAPE!

Although that is not the complete and full list of items that I am thankful of this holiday season, it sort of gives you an idea of the things to start appreciating. That means you should hop up right now, run to load the dishwasher and laundry machine, ask mom to make soup and bread for dinner, drag your full-sized bed in front of the fireplace, grab Max and Nick and anyone who can quote your latest forensics piece, and everyone take a nap! You may have to ask everyone else to sleep on the floor to get the full effect of the full-sized bed, but it’s your call!

Happy Holidays,

Moving Back Home for a Month Maddie

Ramblin' College Girl

Dear Josh,

Alright, do you remember when we were younger and used to play that karaoke game on the ps2? There was one song that went on and on forever, it was completely pointless, and we could never get any points on it because you would have me laughing so hard that I couldn’t sing any of the notes. Well, it was that rambling song. It was seriously called something like that, rambling guy or something, so the title really fit the song. That is why I named my post “Ramblin’ College Girl”, I figure THAT way the title of the post will really fit the post. It’s like your warning that this post is going to be about nothing. So, since I warned you there will be no tolerance for complaining at the end. With that said, let’s begin!

Let me tell you about the best feeling in the world that I am having today. Okay, here is the formula. Have GINORMOUS test in Social Sciences on a Tuesday + Finish the test and all of your Social Sciences homework for the week + Wake up early on Wednesday and finish your homework for your other classes + Stand up to get ready for your 9:30 class just as you get an email + The email says CLASS IS CANCELED FOR TODAY, WEDNESDAY + Lounge around the rest of the morning = BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD.

Basically I just wanted to write and tell you how lovely it is when class is canceled. This is the first time that has actually happened to me. Once or twice I have canceled it for just myself, but everyone else still goes to class. I think that is called skipping though, not canceled class; therefore, it does not go under the best feeling in the world category.

Here is what you can get done when class is canceled:

1.      Watch random videos
2.      Play around with music and finding the perfect “best feeling ever” song
3.      Put away all of your laundry
4.      Fix fish tank with filter because it was kind of pee-colored. 
5.      Clean all of your random dishes (Yay! I have clean cups now!)
6.      Take out the trash, sweep the floor, windex the mirrors and windows, clean the sink, organize the closet, and other clean-like tasks.
7.      Watch more random videos
8.      Surf Facebook
9.      Begin reading boring book for the paper that is due in Social Sciences in two weeks
10.      Write really boring, pointless blog!! 

All of this and it isn’t even noon yet!  I have also spent this time observing my fish to see what they like to do when I am typically in math class. (I know, I have such an interesting not-in-class life). Well, I would like to report that they act just like they do when I am not in math class. I really think my fish are kind of nuts. They swim like they are being attacked all of the time. Personally, I think they are searching for the disappearing fish. I mentioned that I have five fish before? Well, one of them likes to leave and come back whenever it pleases. I’m not sure how because there really is nowhere to hide in my tank.

Dad said that he misses knowing simple things about like what I am doing  and just that kind of thing. I miss that, too. I always want to know what you are having for dinner and stuff like that. Today I am going to probably have what I usually have for lunch—a chicken wrap on jalapeno tortilla J It’s pretty good. Yesterday they had TUNA MELT J J J Mmm…that is one of my favorite lunch days, along with nacho day! I wonder what today will be! I will probably just eat a wrap anyway.

            I don’t have much to tell you since I came home this weekend, so I guess I will stop rambling on and on. I know that you are probably thinking you wish I was as witty and exciting as usual ( Don’t even pretend, I know you think that every day. Oh! My sister, Maddie, she is SO cool and SO funny and SO nice and I SHOULD GIVE HER ALL OF MY HALLOWEEN CANDY) , but this will have to do for now. In fact, this may be the last post for a while! My FYL (Freshmen Year Leader—Megan, she is awesome) told me that the next couple of weeks are crazy. Especially the week after Thanksgiving, that week is called “dead week” technically because professors aren’t supposed to give you assignments due that week or something. Megan said that it really is called “dead week” because you wish you were dead because they assign you so much. I think that is funnier, but I will let you know which one it is!

I love you so much dear brother,

Your Tuna-Melt-Loving-Sister

P.S. I made the post this lovely pinkish color, so that it would be more interesting :) MARKETING!

Time to "Cache" Up and Other Things

Dear Josh,

            I just looked at my last post to see where I placed the cliffhanger on my blog, and I CANNOT believe that over a month has passed already. I’m serious. Time absolutely FLIES when you’re in this world. Only about three weeks until I get to stuff my face with turkey, two weeks of school after that (one of those weeks is Finals week), and then this semester is OVER. Unbelievable. Remember that when you are in college for me, will you? Don’t let the days swallow you up. Anyway, that is not I even what I wanted to write about really—I wanted to tell you about something new!

You will never believe it. I am mastering the art of two new talents! Okay, talent number one? Accumulating a stack of homework SO high that I could call it “The Leaning Tower of Pizzo” (Note: Dr. Pizzo is my social sciences professor, he is great, but needless to say the homework load is knocking my head off my socks). Talent number two? Spontaneous weekend fun-having. I think both of those talents are necessary for every Mucci that goes to college, so I am going to give you a heads up on acquiring them.

            As for talent number one, that stack of homework is the central reason why you haven’t heard from me in quite some time. I’ve had tests, projects, quizzes, worksheets, and various other things to do for the school part. Plus, volunteering with the lovely forensics team at a local high school here in good ole’ Murray, attending two campus ministries regularly, going to meetings for my scholarship, keeping my fish alive, and trying to occasionally straighten up my room—to name a few things. This probably does not make college sound like the most exciting thing in the world, but mom sent me a text that said to “build in some crazy fun breaks”, so that is what I have been doing—especially on the weekends.

            And that brings me to talent number two! (Did you see how I transitioned there? Pretty good, eh? Can you tell I’ve been writing lots of papers?) The weekends here in Murray can be completely relaxing, boring, and chill. The weekends here in Murray can be crazy, fun, and packed. The weekends here in Murray can even qualify as crazy, fun, and relaxing! Personally, I have been picking door number three for the past couple of weekends; however, these are not simply weekends I plan. No, these are weekends that occur SPONTANEOUSLY, and spontaneity is the best part.

Freshly sliced strawberries, puff pastries,
milk chocolate chips, and marshmallow
cream. Can you say heaven? 

 Two weekends ago, my break started with a visit from mom for lunch, shopping, Footloose watching, dancing in empty theaters, and much-needed-chatting. From there Jonathan and I did the college kid thing and had a cheap date night--a night in. We played music, we brought frozen pizza, we borrowed the lovely Wesley campus ministry's kitchen, and we made THE MOST AMAZING DELICIOUS DESSERT EVER (without a recipe of course—we’re just THAT good). On Saturday, I woke up and helped judge a mock speech tournament and then went to help the group from the Wesley Foundation campus ministry prepare the lunch they were serving at a church the next morning. As soon as that wrapped up I ditched any inkling of an afternoon plan and headed to Paducah with my friends Tori, Jonathan, Meagan, and Craig.

Stuff it all together and a
mouthwatering, sticky dessert makes
date night a success! 

        To understand the next sentence completely and fully you must stop reading here, close your eyes, and imagine a world completely void of Chik-fil-a. Are you hyperventilating yet? Now, with Paducah housing the closest delicious chicken haven we had to make a beeline for the place as soon as we hit the city. From there we shopped around until these signs drew our attention. We should have just kept walking, but we stopped. These giant, monster-filled signs in the center of the mall called everyone to speed over to a place called Talon Falls for a good time. With the reactions from nervous (Tori and I) to pumped (Craig) the plans were made to brave the haunted property right after we looked for Halloween costumes.

"Find a Happy Place, Find a
Happy Place, Find a Happy Place...
THIS IS NOT A HAPPY PLACE"

            Obviously one twist in the day just wasn’t enough because that day was a day to make marks on the ever-growing bucket list. With only EIGHT of these currently around, we were in for such a treat. Get ready for it…prepare yourself…WE ENCOUNTERED THE…………WIENERMOBILE!! Ridiculous, huh? So, with that experience fresh under our belts we headed to the haunted house. For the sake of teaching you something, I will now quickly share how the haunted house went even though I have tried to remove it from my memory permanently. I was excited through all of the lines—not getting myself too worked up. The group chose the five-star house (one being the least scary—five being the worst) and I continued to try and relax. We finally got into the house, entered an elevator, and my nerves went through the roof. Let’s just say that if you thought you were crying at the thought of no chick-fil-a, well, this was worse. Ripping one hand off of Tori, one off of Jonathan, and the ears off of anyone within a ten-mile radius. Tori (who was walking in front of me) even started threatening the “scary people” and telling them to “please don’t scare her”. Jonathan talked in my right ear saying “It’s alright, you’re going to be fine, we’re almost done, we’re almost done, you’re going to be fine, ect”, and whichever mean killer guy we were passing would growl in my left ear “you’re not fine, you’re going to die, you’re not almost done, you’re not getting out of here, ect”. Thank GOODNESS Jonathan was the shoulder with the angel on it and we made it out of the haunted house alive (note that I am not saying safe and sound). If you ever see me step in a city with a haunted house, kindly send me in the opposite direction.

We SEE you...our first "cache"! :) 

It was camouflage,  good thing we
practiced seeing things that blend in!

            Although that was a traumatizing experience, I managed to make it all the way to “halloweekend” and have had yet another “door number three” time. I went to two Halloween parties on Friday dressed as a nerd (I know, I know. “Maddie, you’re supposed to DRESS UP for Halloween—NOT go as yourself” hardeee-har-harr). One of them was for the Honors Program and one was with the Wesley group. From there I watched the Cardinals win the World Series (YES J) and then went to Applebees to watch a Wesley friend turn 23. The next day Jonathan and I decided to take on Geocaching together. We are going to find every single one in the Murray area before this blog is over. You just wait. Anyway, we took a Subway Buffalo Chicken sandwich to a park in Cadiz near Murray and after Jonathan shoved his half of the sandwich in and then proceeded to impatiently push me to finish my half we began the search. The weather was absolutely perfect, and I was hoping to get a ton of great pictures but they won't all fit on the blog. We searched for three different caches just to get our feet wet, I can tell we're gonna have to work at the "gotta catch 'em all" thing. It It was SUCH a beautiful day and I found a good Sonic to top off the loveliness. After a long, long nap, I went to a scary movie marathon (I survived without damaging any eardrums) and managed to sleep through the night.

    Unfortunately we only found two out
    of three of the "caches". We did what
any college student would do, we
pouted. 

            There you have it! Talent numbers one and two. Are you impressed? You should be. If THAT doesn’t impress you then pay close attention to my final thought before I have to get back to pounding the books. After I last wrote, one of my fish died and not wanting my sole-surviving fish to go crazy from being alone, I rushed to Walmart and picked up three more fish. The next day I had five fish. Woah! Hold up, WHAT? You had FIVE fish? One of your two fish died, so you had one fish. You went and bought three fish. You have five fish. One plus three equals five now? It’s pretty crazy—I ended up with five fish and I have no idea how! I am a fish breeder, a fish lover, a fish magician, a fish loser, a ghost-fish see-er, or maybe even a friend to imaginary fish. I am not sure which title I deserve, but I do know that I remember to feed them whether or not they are real.

Much Love,

Talented Maddie 

Meet my....Fish?

Josh-Josh-Josh-J-J-J-Joshhhhh (it’s a song),

            You may have already heard this directly from the source, but I am going to tell you anyway because I am EXCITED J J J Guess what? I got FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, it is now officially a party on the eighth floor! If you didn’t know, mom got me a fish tank for my birthday. The rule in Regents is NO PETS except fish; therefore, I immediately wanted one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.

So, here is what we did! We went to Walmart (for the twenty eighth time that week) and bought a tank that has a changing colors light, some pink and blue rocks, some plants, an awesome/creepy/flirtatiously-winking starfish, a fish net, and some tropical fish flakes (they smell bad, don’t try to eat ‘em). I had to wait two whole days for the tank to be ready before I could go buy the fish, but when it was time I was EXTREMELY excited. After waiting for an incredibly long time, this tall, skinny guy who had never caught a fish in his life came over and I told him EXACTLY which tiny fish in the tank of 37 fish that I wanted. 45 fish-chasing minutes later, I left Walmart with three neon fish (pink=girl, orange=boy) and another bigger tetra fish. I gave them the Murray tour and let them loose into their brand new home.

Top to Bottom: Sam, Wythe, Unfortunate 1, Unfortunate 2

I named one of the neon orange fish “Sam” because it had a red face, so it looked kind of embarrassed. In Spanish, sometimes people accidentally use the word “embarazada” when trying to say they are embarrassed, but really it means pregnant. Sam is pregnant, so my fish was named “Sam”. It makes sense, I promise.

I named the larger tetra “Wythe” after George Wythe, Thomas Jefferson’s mentor. He was an incredibly intelligent man that mentored two presidents and a bunch of senators and famous people. We studied him in the Presidential Fellows meetings. I named the fish “Wythe” because he was bigger, therefore older and, obviously, wiser. Well, let’s just say, DON’T JUDGE A FISH BY THEIR WISENESS!

Poor Sam. This was the only good
picture I got before he was
swallowed!! Notice the rosy face.

I didn’t even get a chance to name the other two lovelies because Sam died! Just stopped moving! He was floating at the top of the tank with that awful dead fish look in less time than it takes to read the Sparknotes for Pride and Prejudice! So, I went to take out the trash, and when I came back? Sam was gone! Completely gone! And wise ‘ole Wythe was looking quite a bit chunkier.

NOT. COOL.

See? Pure evil. 

Well, with quite a bit of disbelief and shock that Wythe would do such a thing, I thought maybe Sam had just zapped away, but the next day? My other orange, nameless fish was gone, too! And that one had been alive!! So, I snatched Wythe out of the tank and took him back to Walmart. I told the lady that Wythe was a PESCETARIAN (she looked at me like I was nuts), and got two new fish in exchange for that hater. It all turned out alright though because the two new fish really got along with my other fish. They were three musketeers right off the bat.

Survivors! They did NOT get swallowed/
voted off the island. 

I am proud to say that two (ish) weeks later, I am the proud owner of two little glow neon fish. I feed them almost every day. I smile at them a lot. I trained them to follow my finger, and I think they really like me. We may have lost one or two or three or four fish in the process, but I think two fish is the perfect number for me!

Fish-lovingly yours,

Maddie 





P.S. Do you have any suggestions for names? My two little survivors are still nameless, and I don't think they appreciate it. 

Maya Speaks... (Kind of like Martha Speaks on PBS, but better!)

Hi-ya brother,

            Okay. So, everyone tells you college is filled with new opportunities and you have to embrace the opportunities and blah blah blah blah blah. Right? Well, if they haven’t told you yet—they will your senior year of college. I know you’re similar to me, so you will probably just nod your head and agree as you store the information in the useless side of your brain, BUT if you are going to choose to listen to only one person say that? I hope you will choose to listen to me say it because I am sitting here in Regents commons area thinking about just how true that is right this very second. This past week I had the opportunity of a lifetime. Cheesy, but true. (And if you’re already rolling your eyes and calling me a cheese-ball you better prepare yourself because this particular blog is practically Winslow grilled cheese material. Have I mentioned that in Winslow grilled cheeses have a 3 cheese-slice minimum?)

So, as I was saying, this past week I had the opportunity of a lifetime. I mean, how many people get the chance to hear from a poet/writer with 80 doctorates? How many people get the chance to hear an 83-year-old woman say “hey! YO!”?  How many people get the chance to see Maya Angelou speak FOR FREE?

          Do you want to know the answer? Not many. THAT is the answer, not many people get that opportunity, but I did. And that is why you should listen when I say that college has some of the coolest opportunities.

We were stoked to see her!

            First, the facts: Wednesday night (a couple of weeks back—my blog posting is a bit slow because of school work) Maya Angelou came to the CFSB center at 8 o’ clock to speak to basically whoever wanted to come. She spoke for about thirty-five minutes, and then rushed right back onto her ginormous RV. She could barely walk onto the stage without help, but her voice dominated the basketball center (Arena? Court? Field? Rink? Track?)

My Maya-Seeing Buddies :)

            Maya came out and sat in this rocking chair by a table filled with books that she had written, and the ENTIRE gym fell completely silent. Barely anyone let out so much as a sigh as the room filled with a thick layer of respect. That alone was enough to tell you what kind of woman we were dealing with, but when that lady opened her mouth, I think even the most prepared people were blown away.  Okay, Okay. I am not going to ooze about how phenomenal she was because I know you will skim my letter (I’m onto you, Josh :P). However, I would like to tell you a little bit of what she said that I really liked. You SHOULD find this this interesting, I mean, she DID say hey-yo…not typical of an 83-year-old.

A list of things that Maya said/did that made me laugh/smile:

---“You’re in this institution so you can ‘bloop’ drop this tote bag of ignorance” (She was talking about Murray State, and why we are here. She actually motioned chucking a bag on the ground and made funny sound effects. A natural HI-er. I laughed :P)

My photography skills were definitely lacking on Maya night,
but I tried my best....I swear, it's Maya! 

---“I don’t care if they’re serious or not, they’re boring as hell”

---“ I know A LOT, but I don’t have to know everything”

            Maya kept emphasizing the impact that we could make on those around us by saying, “Hope that you’re able to grow up and say ‘I am a rainbow in someone’s cloud’”.  Her whole speech was about that concept of putting rainbows in other people’s clouds, and it made me think of that thing Max always says about how he is filling up my bucket when he gives me a hug. She said, “Here you are to change the world, to make it a better place for those that are yet to come, “ and I thought that was SO awesome. She really emphasized that we need to pay attention to the world around us and refuse to be ignorant. She was awesome.  College opportunities > Black Ops.

Love J

Maddie “wanttobemaya” Mucci

How to Celebrate Your Birthday in College

Dear Josh,

            Okay, so I realize you will never be in this situation considering your birthday is in the summer break range. However, I was thinking that if I told you the perfect way to celebrate your birthday weekend in college you could help out some of your friends. You know, the friends that don’t have a sister as cool as me writing them a tip-blog! Good idea, right? So, let the tip giving begin!

            I was a TON nervous about my birthday this year, Josh. I know it is kind of dumb to be nervous about your birthday, but I just knew it was going to suck. I don’t have family here, I have barely had time to make any friends, I’m in the middle of nowhere Kentucky, and lots of other things darkened the prospects of my birthday weekend. So, when the twenty-fifth came I was avoiding excitement. Let me tell you, I should have been pumping up my excitement quite a bit more. My 18th birthday weekend FAR exceeded my expectations. So, now I know how to make a birthday wonderful in college, and I can kindly share with you and your soon-to-be-college-buddies.

Step one: Wake up with your door decorated by three of your newest friends. Trust me, if the door has popcorn bags, signs about all the things you can do at age 18, and colored cardboard attached to it? Your day is off to a WONDERFUL start.

Step two: Give your wonderful grandparents a tour of all the best college spots to hang before going to lunch with Jonathan, Grandma Carol, and Grandpa John. Get an extra-complicated meal because it’s your birthday, laugh so hard, and talk until your voice is fleeting. Seeing family a few weeks into college adds an extra jolt to any day. 

Step three: Purchase a fish with your loving mother, well, don’t purchase the fish yet. Purchase an empty tank and hope to get a live fish in there shortly. While your at it you should train the entire tank of neon fish to follow your finger. If you can train them in less than a minute? They are worthy of that empty fish tank. 

The cake the softball team got for me and my birthday buddy!

Step four: Play Softball. Okay, so this could actually be taken out for most extra special birthdays, but just remember that on your birthday you are guaranteed to make at least one run! GO TEAM J

Step five: Go out to dinner with some goofy buddies and eat until you explode. (It's a bonus if they can't get the Applebee's people to sing to you). Then piece yourself back together for an intense movie night. You can stay up until 3 am, after all, it IS college.

            I also added an extra special date step to my birthday, but I’m not sure you could handle that step and I am therefore excluding it from the official steps. However, a trip to Patti’s Settlement with Jonathan did add that extra bit of smile (and full tummy) to my birthday weekend. And there you have it! How to get the perfect college birthday in 5 simple steps! There wasn’t any sex, drugs, or rock-n-roll, but we DID stay up until 3 am J J

This meal was delicious. Yes, there is bread...in a flower pot?

This is the first time we filled up on gas since we've been here. Can I get a woop woop?

Our reservation wasn't until 9 pm, so naturally we had to stop at a hick grocery store to grab some wings. Naturally.

Love,

Maddie the Birthday Girl

P.S. You also get a ton of awesome mail on your birthday! In college? Mail is awesome! 

Doesn't Smell, Look, or Act Like a Blog, but It's a Blog

Dear Josh,

            So, mom is making me write a blog, you know how that is, but I don’t know how to write a blog. I DO, however, know how to write a letter, and since you’re preparing to head this way in a few years I figure I can prep you. For one, I wish I had been prepped. I had ABSOLUTELY no idea that THIS is how the first week in college would be. No one tells you the sucky stuff, ya know? So, since I am SUCH A GREAT SISTER (J J J J J) I am going to go ahead and give you the heads up.

Sucky thing number one: The rooms are small. And gross feeling.  And have tiny beds that less coordinated people could possibly fall off of and bump their heads in the middle of the first night. And on top of that, you have to share with someone else. It’s quite the experience.

Sucky thing number two: You miss your family. And I’m not just talking think of them every once in awhile when you have to do your own laundry or go buy your own school supplies. I’m not kidding—I miss the “fam” ALL the time.

Sucky thing number three: EVERYTHING CHANGES. I know, I know. I should have known this going in, but you don’t understand! It’s true! Barely anything is the same! And, boy, is that scary!

Sucky thing number four: Making BEST friends is a lot of work. Note that it’s only the BEST part highlighted, because I have for sure met a lot of sweet and nice and funny people this week. I just happened to forget that it takes a while to develop that comfort that comes with BEST friends. I’m working on that though J

Alright, Alright. Did I freak you out yet? Well, I can’t say goodbye without telling you a few of the many good things, too. I arrived eleven days ago, and there have been quite a few highlights since I’ve been here. First of all, did you know that everywhere you go in college the first week there is FREE stuff!? It’s great! I’m talking free food, water bottles, coupons, ice cream (a separate category from food---it’s dessert), bags, flying discs, and more! I even won a 20 dollar gift card to one restaurant I’ve never been to, A 20 dollar gift card to culvers, and a 25 dollar gift card to the coffee shop on campus. It’s been awesome.

Also, the activities available---are endless! I’ve been to a different campus ministry event every night and all of them are amazing and enlightening. Campus ministries are like youth group, but EVERY SINGLE DAY THEY HAVE SOMETHING GOING ON J It’s great fun. Also, I’ve joined the intramural SOFTBALL TEAM!! Yes, they let girls like me on. I get to play second base, even though I didn’t catch any of the pop-fly balls thrown to me at practice. I did catch a few grounders though, be proud J One night they had a hypnotist come to campus which was SO SO SO funny. I highly recommend you finding some hypnotist show sometime because I laughed so hard the guy beside me had to stop and check that I was doing okay. Tomorrow Maya Angelou is even coming to speak! It will be awesome.

Another great thing is the schedule. I can basically do whatever I want to do, whenever I want to do it. I can go to the 24-hour Kroger and Walmart at 1 am on a school night, do homework right after class or right before class, or hang with friends watching movies till 3 am on the weekends. I do get A TON of homework, but mostly my classes are done by 1 on Tuesday and Thursdays and by 10 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Plus, I don’t even have to get up to head to class until 9! Ohhh Josh. You will love that part. I’m even up writing this at 1 am because I can’t sleep.

So, this first week at college has been a series of ups and downs, and it continues to be difficult. However, there are parts that I love, and I know God will get me through the couple of rough weeks before the good weeks start. I love you so much, Josh, and I hope you are doing well. I hope to hear from you on my birthday. It’s on Friday J

Love,

Maddie Mucci

7121 Regents College

Murray, KY 42071