michele

Hi friends! I'm sure you've forgotten who I am by now, so my name is Amy and I own this little neglected blog. Instead of providing the typical welcome-back-post you've all heard before, such as "sorry it's been so long!" or "phew, life has been crazy!" or "I took the time off to soul-search," I'm just going to jump right back in.

Next up on my list of besties is....

MICHELE!

Michele V. is by far my favorite person that I met at ASU. We met the fall semester of my junior year when I pledged the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi, and it's been fun times ever since!

We had a few classes together, and some of my very favorite memories at ASU are the times we spent "studying" for tests and working on projects. Marketing 101 with Michele and our friend Brett is probably the most fun I've had in a class (and also least I've learned).

One thing that you must know about Michele is that she is a die-hard pug lover, and rightfully so! We like to go on fun photo shoots with her boy, Diego (model extraordinaire), and she is also quite the beautiful model herself! She has been super supportive of my photography, and I'm always grateful for the advice and help she gives me.

Michele is also the nicest fashionista you will ever meet, and she is so generous and fun! I just know she is going to go on to great things because of her effortless grace and go-getter attitude, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for her. I'm serious guys, she has an impeccable taste for fashion and great eye for design, so if you want to check out her blog where she talks about all of those things, go here.

I just love Michele, and I'm SO glad we became friends!!

Bestie post: Lauren edition

The next bestie that I will feature is....drumroll please....(yes I know I already revealed her name in the title but just go with it....).....

LAUREN!

Lauren and I met as camp counselors at Camp Pontiac in New York the summer of '09. Holy crap, I just checked my dates, and apparently it was summer of '08. Geez, I'm old. Anyway, we met on the bus ride from the airport to camp and it was way awkward. One of our conversations was about the weather, no lie. We somehow overcame this though, and we've been besties ever since.

We've never lived in the same place, but every time we're together it's as though we've never been apart. She gets me to do crazy things that I would never imagine doing on my own, things that make me love and appreciate life more than I ever have.

For example, last winter she came to visit and really wanted to hike the Grand Canyon. I agreed, thinking it can't get that cold in the end of November in one of the most northern parts of the state. Then, in order to get ourselves a little more in shape before the big hike, we took a boot camp class at the gym two days before. Lemme tell you, never before in my life had I ever been as sore as I was from that class. I would've given anything to back out on going on that blasted hike, but I knew Lauren was set on it, so I sucked it up and we drove to the Grand Canyon. We slept in the car the night before (below freezing temperatures), left for the trail at 5:30am, hiked with legs so sore I couldn't even run if I tried to, and hiked the e-n-t-i-r-e canyon, all the while I was freaking out internally about all of the possible options for death. I don't think I've ever been physically and mentally challenged as much as I was that day, but I would never trade that experience for the world.

this is what the sweet taste of victory looks like, my friends.

Lauren teaches me how to fully live and enjoy life.

I feel like this small little post can do no justice in capturing the depth of our friendship or even come close to covering the adventures we've had together, but just to give you a little glimpse, here are all of the places we've been together:

-Copake, New York (location of said camp)

-Connecticut

-Boston

-New York City

-Coney Island

-All over Colorado

-Wyoming

-Mount Rushmore

-Rapid City, South Dakota

-San Diego

-Los Angeles

-Sedona

-Italy

-England

-Wales

-Germany

-Scotland

-Ireland

-Morocco (you know, in Africa)

-France

-The Grand Canyon

-And much more to come

Notice how for the most part I'm on the right and she's on the left? We even have complimentary "good sides," which is crucial considering the amount of pictures we take together.

We know how to stretch a dollar while traveling, and we sleep on airport floors, wash our hair in train bathrooms, walk for miles to find cheap hostels, and go without meals if we have to. Who do you know who's humble and adventurous enough to do that? Not many people I know. There is no one I'd rather have crazy travel adventures  all over the world with than Lauren, and even though we drive each other crazy at times, we've become so much closer through it all.

Lauren, thank you for being such a great friend, and I'm so grateful you came into my life.

Here's to more bus rides, Catskills, Supermans, Coney Islands, haunted hotels, jumping pictures, free hugs, sleeping in random places, near death experiences in foreign countries, nights we can never speak of again, "free or two dollars"s, Milan train stations, new yearses, free factory tours, road trips, sandstorms, camels, creepy Paris men (wait, we can do without those), pound McFlurrys, orange juice men, nights talking for hours on the phone, couples honeymoon trips, competitions in.....extracurricular activities, and 50,000 more pictures. I love you oh so much! Thank you for three years of epic proportions.

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"You'll always be my best friend, you know too much."

-Me to Lauren and Lauren to Me

gradumacation

Yesterday I became an official big kid, and I graduated from college. Well, I actually graduated from University, but let's not get technical.

I graduated from the W.P. Carey School of Business with degrees in Finance and Accountancy, and lemme tell you, I am sooooo relieved to be done!! This last year was just straight up painful.

I was going to circle myself in the above picture, but even after I did that you still couldn't see me. So....ya. Graduates are mass produced here at ASU.

If you look real close you can see me after I received my fancy (fake) diploma.

My sister, her husband and her two little boys came to visit for my graduation, and I was so happy they could come! Melanie was incredibly helpful when it came to helping me plan for graduation, and I was happy to have her help! I was also happy that my mom was able to get off work and my sister was able to take the day off school to come too! Thanks guys!!!

My mom has also been incredibly helpful, especially with supporting my hopeful photography career, and I've been super grateful for all of her help too!!

I had a party that night with family and a few friends to celebrate my freedom. Melanie and I made treats the night before, and she found this graduation cap treat thingy recipe. SOO cute, right!? Loves.

And just for funsies, here are the cutest boys that you wish you could steal.

I miss them already!! Anyway, I'm DONE and while it's a relief it really doesn't feel like that big of a deal. I mean, it's not like it's that hard to graduate from ASU. And...now I feel insanely old. Like, I remember looking at pictures of my mom and dad at their ASU graduations and thinking how old they were then. And that's me. Sigh.

Thank you everyone who came out to celebrate with me and to my mom, Melanie, Cassie, Dad, and everyone who helped me with graduation/parties/etc!!!!

Go class of 2011!

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"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."

-Henry David Thoreau