Freshman Year

Summer before Freshman year, I had crazy cold feet about leaving home. I was having extreme anxiety for no reason and I second-guessed going to school.

Although I was put on medicine to calm me down, I think it was the environment at Lasell that changed me so much for the better.

Once I got to school, it was like everything I had ever worried or stressed about had vanished. I immediately felt right at home, and I got along great with everyone.

The year since then has completely flown by. I didn't even know it was possible to be as happy as I have been this year. I have met the most incredible people and had the time of my life.

I never thought I would have a group of friends that I am as close and comfortable with as I am with mine. My whole floor was like a huge family all year, and I felt like I had such a great support group no matter what I went through.

Never did I think college would bring me to find my true group friends. I am so blessed that I chose Lasell, and I cannot wait to make a million more incredible memories with the best people I know. Thank you guys so much for the best year I could have possibly asked for. You all have impacted my life like crazy, and you have no idea how much better I have been since I've met you.

Chloe, Gab, and Lex - You girls are the best friends I've always wanted. I have never fit in with a group of girls the way I do with you three. We all have the exact same humor and do the same ridiculous things. There really isn't a time when we aren't hysterically laughing together. I feel like each one of us brings something different to the 4 of us. We give each other the greatest advice, and when I'm upset about something, the first thing I want to do is see you guys. I've never felt so lucky to have such great friends. I hope you guys know that I would do absolutely anything for you all, and I am so grateful for all of you. Thank you so much. You have helped me in ways that you will never understand. A group of friends this great means a lot to a girl like me. I can't wait to spend the next 3 years with you. I love you.

Mark - I can't believe Freshman year of college has brought me to find the love of my life. I imagined going crazy and making a million memories, but never did I imagine getting into a relationship. Especially one that is as incredible as this one. I've never in my life felt so cared about. We really do take care of one another and balance each other out perfectly. I'm the crazy motivated perfectionist, and you are easy-going, care-free, and relaxed. You calm me down when I need it (which is always), and I motivate you when you need it (also always). I have never felt more blessed in my entire life. You really do fix me, and I appreciate you more than you know. You are my best friend in the world, and I am constantly having a blast when I'm with you. You are the sweetest, most caring person in my life, and I could not ask to be treated any better. Thanks for putting up with me, and loving me more than I ever knew someone could. I fall more and more in love with you every day, and I can't wait to see where time takes us. I love you.



Sorry for my excessive corny-ness :)
Thanks for reading,
Love always,
Morgan

Say I love you, every day

Marathon Monday is like Christmas at Lasell. It's a day full of drinking, partying, awesome music and great people. The school really feels like a family on this day. Everyone wakes up early and starts drinking first thing in the morning. 

My friends and I spent a while planning out our Marathon Day. It was something we were all really excited for. 

We woke up that morning and started drinking champagne. Although we are too young to legally drink, we wanted to at least have the opportunity to celebrate the day with the rest of our school. The whole morning was awesome. I think I saw just about all of my acquaintances. Everyone was so happy and excited, and on top of that, it was a beautiful day. There was music and food and everyone was having a great time. 

Mark and I were starting to get tired from waking up so early, so we decided to go back to the room and nap. While I was sleeping, I kept hearing my phone ring, and people were banging on my door, but I figured it was just my friends. Everyone was really hyped up and they had been calling me all morning, so I ignored the calls and kept sleeping. I figured they were just trying to get into my room because maybe they left something in there, so I slept through it. 

I finally gave in and got out of bed when it sounded like my friends were about to physically break down my door. The first thing I did was checked my phone. I had 28 missed calls, 6 voicemails, 19 text messages, and messages on Facebook.  I opened my bedroom door to find my best friend standing there in complete hysterics. Everyone in the hallway was yelling, and a girl on my floor came up to me saying, "Your cousin Sierra is looking for you." 

I went into immediate panic mode. I had absolutely no idea what was happening, and so many different scenarios played through my head in a matter of seconds. I had missed calls from distant family members who I hadn't heard from in months. The first thing I thought was that something had happened to one of my grandparents. I woke up Mark and he knew immediately that something was really wrong. I called my mom in tears and the first thing I said was, "Mom, what is going on?!" I had no idea what all of the panic was about, and I was terrified. 

"Turn on the news, Morgan," she said. Mark tried to calm me down as we watched the terror on TV. I was still receiving insane amounts of text messages from random people. It was so overwhelming. It took me a long time to collect myself, call my family members and friends, and inform everyone that I was okay.

It almost felt like all of the panic coming from the people I love, hit me at once. So many people were worried sick that I wasn't okay, because they knew I went to the Marathon, and I wasn't answering my phone. Just knowing that all of these people were worried that I was dead, was a CRAZY feeling that I have never felt before. I didn't know how to handle it.

Mark calmed me down. He kept telling me that everything was okay, and that he was there for me. I don't know if I would have been able to handle myself if he wasn't with me. People were coming into my room and hugging me, and things finally started to slow down.

I started thinking about the future, and how terrified I am that something like this will happen to my children. It is a mother's worst nightmare to go through a tragedy like this, and I am so petrified that it will happen to me.

I wish we didn't have to worry. I don't want to be afraid every time I send my children off to school. It baffles me that the world has to be like this. It makes no sense to me. I am afraid ALL the time. Every time I walk into a store, every time I walk into a classroom. I'm anxious 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, that tragedy is going to strike. You never know when something crazy like this is going to happen, and it is definitely happening more and more frequently lately.

I spent my whole night thinking about this. Trying to find some positive in all of the negativity and heartache. I couldn't go to bed thinking so negatively about people and about the world. I found a quote online that got me to think in a different perspective.

"No. Our world is great. For every one person that plants a bomb, you have hundreds more running a marathon. For every one person that makes a joke about the dead and dying, you have thousands more donating blood, offering prayers, and volunteering their time. Things like this are the fault of single individuals who make violet, loud statements. We just have to make sure that the statements of the good are louder."

I decided to re-watch the news clippings, and instead of looking at the few fallen people, I looked at all of the people risking their lives to help them. They didn't know if there were more bombs to come, but they did everything they could to help people. 

Later I found out that a girl  I had briefly known when I was younger, and her parents, had all been injured in the bombing. It broke my heart to hear stories of loved ones that had been hurt. I decided to call my family members again, and tell them how much I love them.

Instead of being afraid every day of my life, I am going to start to be thankful that nothing tragic has happened to myself or my loved ones. It is stupid to spend my entire life worrying about what might happen. Instead, I am going to tell my family and friends that I love them, every day. This way, if something does happen (God forbid), I will at least know that everyone knows that I love them.

When something like this happens, it is important to find the positives. Instead of looking at the blood and the pain, look at the heroes. We should all be proud that so many people want to help and fight for us. I know I am. 

To everyone that reached out to me yesterday, and was genuinely worried about my safety, I love you. I'm so sorry I made you worry. My family and friends mean the world to me, and I thank God every day that I have these people in my life.

If you love someone, tell them. Tell them every day, every chance you can. Tell them how much they mean to you, and be thankful for every day you and your loved ones are alive.

I'm so sorry to anyone who was affected by this awful tragedy. I am praying for you all. 

Thanks for reading,

Love always,

Morgan

Switching it up

This blog was originally created for an assignment in one of my classes. I continued working on it although I wasn't required to. Now that it has been graded, I am going to change it a little bit.

Instead of writing general things about maintaining a positive lifestyle, I am going to take it to a more personal level. I will hopefully write on a week-to-week basis (more frequently if possible), and I will write about things that personally made my week happy. After all, it is all about the little things!

Since one of the biggest ways to realize how lucky your life is, is to reflect, I feel like a personal reflection blog is a great way to put things into perspective for myself. It is more for myself than for others, but of course it makes me happy when I have readers :)

This entry is simply a shout out - To one of the best friends I have ever had.
Chloe Fimlaid
I am very good at reading people - I am able to tell if they are genuine, or if they truly care about others. It was easy for me to tell right off the bat that Chloe was an extremely good person.

Chloe has been a sweetheart since I first met her. When people would bring up her name in conversation, it was always all positive things. She has always been very friendly and kind to everyone.

Chloe and I became really close at the beginning of second semester. She has always been able to make me feel like I really have a friend who cares about me. She gives the BEST advice, and she always knows what to say. When I am upset and I go to her, I can tell she genuinely listens and cares that I am upset. She has such a great head on her shoulders, and she is so unique.

I can't wait to live with you next year, Chlo! You really are such a great person. Thank you for always being there.

Thanks for reading,

Love always,

Morgan

Keep waiting, don't settle

"Unless it is mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it is a waste of time.
There are too many mediocre things in life. Love should not be one of them."

Girls in college are going through a strange age. Many of my friends have told me that they feel like they are too old to live at home, but too young to live on their own. They feel eager to start their lives. I've heard many of my friends say things like, "I want to get married" or "I want to have kids now!" It seems like we are all loosing the patience to start our independent lives away from our parents. We are right in between childhood and adulthood, and it is an irritating feeling.

I've seen so many girls (and guys) jump into relationships with the wrong person, just because they are tired of waiting and they want to feel like they are starting their lives. They feel like a serious relationship is the first step to moving away from your parents, and thinking about your future.

College students need to remember - this is the most crucial 4 years of your life. You are given so many opportunities, and have a chance to gain incredible experience in your work field. I am afraid that my friends will jump into the wrong relationships, and loose themselves. I've seen so many girls give up opportunities and miss great things because they are too focused on a significant other.

I guess what I am trying to get at here is - don't loose yourself. Don't sacrifice your dreams for someone. If they really love you, they will want you to pursue your dreams, and they will stand by your side through it all. Don't loose yourself while trying to hold on to someone who doesn't care about loosing you. 

Although I am young, I have had plenty of experience with the wrong relationships. Instead of holding on to them and trying to make something out of nothing, I let go. So many girls allow themselves to be an option to their boyfriend, while their boyfriend is their main priority. I am proud to say that I have a better head on my shoulders to ever let myself be second best to someone. Life is so short, and there are so many opportunities out there. It is crucial not to waste time or give things up for the wrong people.

The current relationship I am in is the first one that I do not plan on giving up. It is the first time I have felt like a priority. I feel like for the first time, someone cares about me the same amount as I care about them. Mark treats me like a princess. I never have to question anything about our relationship. He is my best friend, and I love absolutely every single little detail about him. We balance each other out so well. He motivates me and makes me feel incredible about myself. 

He has made me so sure that I have made the right decisions about my past relationships. He walked into my life, and made me realize why it never worked out with anyone else. He tells me "I am the girl of his dreams, and that nobody on the face of this planet will ever love me more than he does." He is everything I have ever wanted in a partner, and he makes me excited for life. I wake up every morning feeling loved and happy, and that is how I want all of my friends to feel.

I want the world for Mark. I would never act like a selfish or jealous girlfriend. I want him to do great things, because I know he can. I want him to feel free, and love his life. He is the most incredible person I've ever met, and I want him to be the happiest he possibly can be. 

If you truly love someone, and know that they truly love you, their happiness is your happiness. Mark's happiness is my happiness.

It is hard when trying to give friends advice, to use my own personal relationship. I want to make sure that instead of talking about my love, that I am solely helping them with theirs. But I know that Mark would never let me miss out on an opportunity for him. He pushes me to be successful and offers to help whenever he can. I know that if I were to travel or explore opportunities for my future, he would be right there waiting for me with flowers when I returned. That is what a boyfriend should do. If we stay how we are, and end up together one day, my success will turn into our success, so it is important that he pushes me to be successful, and I motivate him as well.

I hope my friends stop settling. I want them to find someone who wants them to pursue their dreams. I want them to find someone who supports and motivates them. Someone who they trust and will be there for them through everything. I want them to wake up every morning and feel how I feel about Mark. 

We settle for so many things in life. Jobs, homes, schooling. Love is something that you can NEVER settle for. "We accept the love we think we deserve." Understand that you are an incredible person, and you deserve someone who makes you shine like the star you are. You deserve someone who will make you feel like you are on top of the world. Don't settle for anyone who makes you feel any less than that. 

I love you Mark Christopher, thank you for being my inspiration.

Thanks for reading,

Love always,

Morgan

It's all about the little things

When you think of happiness, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

The stepping stones in the path to a happy life are the little individual things that put a smile on a person's face. But how can these stepping stones be possible without finding what specifically will brighten your day?

Think about it. Make a list. Find the little things that make the difference. The things that bring joy to your day. The next time you are feeling down, think of these things. Even when you are feeling great, surround yourself with these things. There are so many things to be happy about in life. Find the things that mean something to you, and embrace them.

The top three things that are known to make people happy are 1. family and relationships, 2. meaningful work, and 3. positive thinking. Use these as a guideline to find your own happiness.

On top of surrounding yourself with the happy things, make sure to rid your life of the negative things. Anything that prevents you from happiness should be kept far, far away from you. Don't let anything get in the way of your success, your happiness. It is your life and you have complete control over it. Use this to your advantage. 

Do what makes you happy. Live positively. Allow yourself to love and to be loved. And always, through the hardest days, remember to breathe. It will always get better. 

FTC Disclaimer : All rights go to the rightful owners, no copyright is intended.

Special thanks to Lizz for her incredible video editing, and all my colleagues that participated!

Thanks for reading,

Love always,

Morgan

Suppress your stress, exercise

We all know that exercising releases endorphins and burns away chemicals that cause stress, but doesn't all that scientific stuff seem so far away from actually increasing our happiness? Like as we are working out we are physically waiting to feel like something is happening? Sometimes it seems like in my head I am saying, "alright endorphins, release yourselves already, make me happy." But it is important to think of the bigger picture and the ways working out really can make for a happier life.

Not only does a workout distract you from daily worries, it gives you a reason to breath and loosens up your muscles.

Aside from its direct stress-relieving benefits, exercise increases your overall health and well-being. Exercise increases self confidence, and decreases the symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. 

It definitely isn't something a patient wants to hear, when seeking a doctor for anxiety or a depression-related illnesses. "You should do some yoga, or start running." It really just seems impossible that it will do anything to help anytime soon. 

College students spend hours of their time studying, writing papers, and doing homework. All of this involves sitting down and burning mental energy. Without the physical energy that exercising produces, the mind has a hard time functioning at its best ability. With the mind working at its highest performance level, a students grades are likely to be exceptional. Good grades make a student happy, right?

A healthy workout routine is also a key element for a great night of sleep. Obviously, if you burn more calories during the day, you will be more tired at night. But working out also keeps the body more awake during the day, preventing naps. This provides a student with more time to get things done, and also promotes a greater night of sleep. 

It is so simple to work out as a college student. Most schools have more than one free gym right on campus. There are millions of sports and active clubs that a student can join that will allow them to be active.

Working out daily will make a student look better, feel healthier, sleep better, and academically perform better. It helps to manage stress, and prevent long term health risks. 

So why not? It's spring, go run outside. Put on some happy tunes, breathe in the spring air, and run. Make yourself healthier, make yourself happier.

Thanks for reading,

Love always,

Morgan