it's been a while,

how's everyone doing? I'm just peachy. :D and in a really weird mood!

School started on Monday, and i think this is going to be a good semester. I mean, it can't be THAT bad, can it? I got the best schedule i could, and everyone is telling me I'm lucky i got such a good schedule at late registration. so, here's my classes:

College Algebra with Dr. David Roth at 11 am on MWF

English 1101 with Dr. Jason Mosser at 12 pm on MW

Psychology with Dr. Thomas Hancock at 1:30 pm on MW

History I with Dr. Orgill at 12 pm on F

I leave school around 3 every day. So, i guess it's pretty good. The only complaint i have is that my Algebra professor's voice is going to put me to sleep most days.. but maybe i will sit next to someone who will keep me awake! ;) just kidding, i have another complaint, THE COST OF BOOKS IS RIDICULOUS!!!! my algebra book alone is $155. and i can't find that anywhere online for cheaper with the right MyMathLab code that i need to be able to get his homework assignments and the book online, and everything else he said in class on Monday, when i wasn't really paying attention. ugh, i need a job so bad. i feel bad that my parents are paying for everything. My mom says we are gonna try to get through all 4 years without any loans. I wish they could of had a work study program i could have gotten into, but NO my parent's "make enough money". well, i guess they do, but i still feel bad! :/ with everything else they have to pay for, they get to pay $2,000+ on me IN ONE WEEK! The other thing that makes me mad is that i registered on Saturday, and then they wanted the WHOLE balance on MONDAY! i was like "are you serious?" haha. but i have until midnight wednesday without having to pay late fees, and then if it's not paid by friday they drop all my classes! oh my goodness! the pressure is ON!

OH, and why don't all my professors use the school website? My Psychology professor is the only one that has anything up there! i think i'm gonna really like his class. He reminds me a lot of my dad and he tries to make jokes in class and we laugh cause they aren't really funny. haha. it's gonna be great!!

but enough about school, FRIENDS is the next subject i want to ramble about... (:

there are gonna be people who walk in and out of your life, but the people who walk out then walk back in are the ones that you get the closest to. Ashleyy (with two "Y"'s) and I are getting closer and closer, and i LOVE her. i LOVED her before, but it's like she's a whole new person and we just get each other, i can tell her anything and KNOW she wont tell anyone, where it didn't use to be like that! i LOVE every minute, day, weekend (or week) we are together. (: it's always a good time when she's here, weather we are sleeping all day and partying all night or just hanging out and going to bed early! haha.

I miss Sarah, but she's a senior this year and busy with school and basketball and her senior friends. and i don't blame her tho. the phone works both ways and i really haven't made an effort to talk to her that much. but i will always love her and wish her the best in everything she does. i will always be here for her to talk to or anything she needs! All the crazy fun times we had are always running through my head and i will always remember them! but hopefully there will be more crazy fun times ahead in our friendship! (: I love you, Sarah Ann Reis!

Eddie is going back to school on saturday and he is in Florida this week making some money. but we did hang out a bit while he was home and he's always fun to be around. i guess i made a new friend over winter break, Eddies friend Tim who i kinda knew of before hung out with us a lot too. He's a cool guy and fun to hang out with, too bad he is at the same school as Eddie in Virginia or else we could hang out more! (and party!!)

and of course there's that guy... you know. ;)

but anyways... i think it's time to say goodnight. (:

home sweet home!

well, i just realized that i haven' t given anyone an update since i got home!

It feels GREAT to be home! I can talk to people, and hang out with family and friends. i'm overall happier here at home. i can drive around and KNOW where i'm going, at least when it's not raining and dad doesn't have my car. haha

i filled out college applications the week after i got home. and yesterday (october 14, 2009) i got accepted to Georgia Gwinnett College. Now i have to send in my transcripts and immunization records and enroll! (:

I also got a PUPPY!! she is a siberian husky, and has bright blue eyes. I first picked the name Stormy Sky because her fur is dark like a storm but her eyes are sky blue... but it got confusing because our friends have a dog named Chey (pronounced "shy") and so i kept calling my puppy shy... so i renamed her Zoe and now i have my two favorite "z"s in the world... Zack and Zoe. (:

i think thats it for now.. (:

happiness...

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence” --Aristotle

Well, i know some people read my last blog entry and were worried about me. I appreciate all the love and support i have had from people back home. Thank you for your prayers and uplifting spirits, when we talk! In the three weeks i have been here i have learned things about myself that I am not sure i would have known without moving here. One of them being that, I am a "home-body", you see, when i was little i used to think i would meet my "prince charming" get married and get the heck out of Georgia i couldn't stand being in Georgia, i've never known why but i think i just needed a chance to get out before i could realize that the only place i really want to be is near my family and the ones i love. There is no where else i'd rather be, which brings me to my next point: Happiness, which is the title of this blog, as the quote by Aristotle says "Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life.." and i honestly believe that. Being happy is what makes you, you. If you aren't happy with what you're doing or where you're at, then nothing will ever feel "in place". You will always feel "lost" or "lonely" nothing will ever be good enough, no matter how hard you try. So, that being said, i am not happy, and do not think that i can achieve happiness here in Germany. My next point would be, BE YOURSELF, be yourself in everything you do, if you don't feel like you can be yourself because you are afraid of what people will think, then you aren't in the right place in your life. While here in Germany, i have become a quite, reserved, shy girl, and for those of you who honestly KNOW me that's not me at all. I cannot be "TAYLOR" here and i need to be somewhere where "TAYLOR" can come out and i need to be around people who wont have a problem with that. I have realized that i have let some friends slide through fingers, and it's time that change. It's not everyday you can find people who will love you, for you and appreciate you, for you.

Some may say "you didn't give it enough time" or "you gave up", i don't feel like these statements are true, i have tried to find some sense of "home" here. The famous saying says "Home is where you hang your heart", well my "heart" is in Georgia with my family and friends, i don't believe i can make this my home anymore than a horse can live in a dog house. I am glad that i could have this experience and i wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. But it's time to come home, and start being myself again. I don't know my plans for the future, i do know that i will be looking for a job, pulling my own weight around the house and be thankful and gracious for everything my parents have done, are doing, and will do for me. They are the reason for my existence, (as much as none of us want to think about that) and for that we have to give them credit.

thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you, again, for all your support.

good days & bad days

I'm settling in very nicely. The first few days were the hardest because the second day i was here they had a break-in, and the thief stole 3 laptops in the office i was supposed to use. I also didn't have any locks on my doors yet and it just made me miss home and feel unprotected. We recently bought me a new lock for my door, and today (Wed, september 9, 09) i got an internet hook-up in my room. I was feeling very uncomfortable having to go upstairs into the office area where there had been a break-in to get on my computer and talk to my parents and friends. But now it will be much better! i can sit on my couch and be comfortable!

so far we have just been around town and we went to the world's largest cuckoo clock! It was very cool! but the cuckoo was a little disappointing for such a big bird/ clock the cuckoo was not very loud. lol and i am learning new words everyday! My class starts on the 21st of september, and hopefully i will be able to speak some German before mom and dad come so i can show them around, as long as i know where i am going. lol

there are good days and bad days, when it comes to missing

home. but i am looking forward to the good days to come. Next week i will be able to go to the stables and ride a horse, of course i will have to learn how to ride english instead of western, but it will be okay! The stable belong to Britta's friend and she gives lessons to some girls my age and hopefully they will speak english so i can make some friends! And there is an International Horse Show next week Thursday-Sunday and Britta says we will try to go to it, because Henry LOVES animals he will also enjoy it just as much as me!

well, that's it for now. Love you and miss you all very much!

arrived, safe and sound.

well, it's September 1st and i arrived in Zurich today at 11:30. it was a crazy night on the plane then an hour lay over in Paris, where is was raining like crazy. We still took off right on time, with lots of turbulance that scared the crap out of me. it feels like no one speak English, even tho i know Britta does it's just crazy because she talks to Henry in German and i have no clue what they are saying. I miss home, and everyone at home. But i know this will take some time to get used to. I don't have wifi in my room so i have to sit in the office and have a direct hook-up thing. it's kinda annoying because i want to go lay on my bed and watch a movie. but oh well, maybe i will talk to Britta about getting a hook-up in my room. so i don't have to walk up the stairs to get to the office. She let me call my mom today on the work phone, and gave me some special number so it doesn't cost alot. we talked for a while and it made me sad, and i also called daddy. He is trying to get me to put on a "happy" face. i'm happy to be here and to have this experience but i miss home already. Hopefully it will get better and i will meet some people who speak english. My language class doesn't start until the 21st of September and that feels like forever away! I hope i meet people my age in the class! Well, it's 10 pm here and 4 pm at home, mom and dad should both be getting off work and hopefully mom will get on the computer so i can talk to her. i think i'm done for now. there will be more later when there is more to talk about..

goodnight.

3 weeks exactly...

well, just like the title says, it's 3 weeks to the day until i leave for Germany and people are already planning their visits. but that's alright with me. i just hope they come at good times.

i'm getting nervous about the class i have to take. what if i can't pick up the language? I'll have to leave after 90 days and everything i've been looking forward to for 5 months! i pray that everything works out and i make it there okay, and that they like me and i like them. and that everyone who wants to visit can visit and will have a place to stay. there are so many things running through my head that i can't type them all out.

i'm sad about leaving my family, friends and especially Sarah. I cried for the FIRST time this week about leaving and it was when me and sarah were getting ready to go out and see a movie, she started doing my make-up and i was thinking that that will probably be the last time that happens for a whole year and i couldn't even let her finish my eyeshadow! it was crazy. and yesterday she stayed the night after a 4 hour bowling extravaganza and this morning when we woke up she looked at me and said i'm really gonna miss you, and she started crying which in return made me cry. ugh! it was insane!

well, that's all i have to say for now. not much has really gone on, just shopping. we found a winter coat and lots of sweaters and stuff! so that's good! (: My parents gave me my birthday present already, we are going to "The Hike Inn" i'm super excited, mom, dad, tiffany, chris and sarah get to go with me! it will be a rough hike up there tho!

okay, goodnight.

MacBook

So, I'm sitting at home, on the couch... Why do all my blogs start out like this? Why am i always sitting? Why can't i stand and type? ha. anyyyyways.. 

I'm watching TV with my dad, i know i should be doing something productive, like going to the gym or just going for a walk (it's a gorgeous night!) or starting to clean out my room so it's easier to pack when the time comes..

When the time comes, and that time would be August 31st at 6:15 pm, thats right, i've got a plane ticket to Germany. My plane leaves at the time i stated before, and i'll wake up in Paris, have an hour to get to my new plane and get in my seat, then fly off to Zurich! I'll arrive in Zurich, Germany at 11:30 am on September 1st. Then, on September 7th i'll start my language class. everything is sinking in and I'm getting more and more excited/nervous about everything! 

i love my family and my friends, and will miss them so much! but I'm looking forward to the adventures i will have in Europe. I can't wait to meet Britta, George, and Henry! I found out she will be having a girl in October! I'm also excited about meeting new people in my language class, and hopefully i can learn German, so i can stay the whole year! (: 

:]

a week and a half ago i got my wisdom teeth out and they are healing perfectly fine, i also got a tattoo less than a week ago which is healing nicely. 

Sarah left today for Teen Camp, with her church, she'll be gone until next sunday. But i guess that's alright since i'll be leaving on Wednesday night to go to IL and spend time with the Laxton's, see my cousin Michael pitch in a Burlington Bee's minor league game, then we are off to see my Dad's family in Indiana. Jeremy and Kayla are coming down a week from thursday! I can't wait to see all of them, it will be the last time i see any of my dad's family for a whole year!! it will be exciting and sad at the same time! 

I got a new MacBook && iPod Touch. (: I'm not spoiled, just privileged to have parents that love me SO much! 

thats all for now, love you!