Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Oh my! Its December already! You know what that means, CHRISTMAS IS IN 25 DAYS! I love the winter season, its so beautiful and full of traditions and fun. The hard thing to believe is that we have entered the last month before the year on the calendar matches my graduation year (which is super scary, tbh).

I know I haven't posted anything since September, mainly because I've been super busy. School's in full swing, and being a dual enrollment student in three college courses call for a busy life. By December 11th, I will have my first semester of "college" finished.

One thing about my junior/senior year I love the most is the opportunity to travel. (College visits, conferences, etc.) Back in late September my family and I traveled down to visit colleges ending in Atlanta. On that trip, Atlanta seemed a bit intimidating, maybe to big for this small-town girl. But as I'm sitting at the Atlanta International Airport right now typing this blog post, I learned that Atlanta really isn't as bad as I thought it was. I'm (hopefully) about to fly home from Atlanta for the second time. (Idk, my flight has been delayed twice already).

This photo's on my instagram!

I was visiting Atlanta again for the National 4-H Congress, and it was really a highlight in my life and my 4-H career. I got to interact with many people across the nation, as well as rekindling previous friendships with people I met at National 4-H conference and National 4-H Dairy Conference. It was wonderful for all of us to come together. The second go round of Atlanta seemed much more beautiful and enjoyable. I got to volunteer at a local elementary school, and try over 100 flavors of coca-cola products.

Just the architecture of Atlanta is outstanding. I got to learn about a guy named John C. Portman, Jr., who is an architect based out of Atlanta. He had a vision about easy accessibility around the city, connecting buildings with tunnels and underground centers, so that people could walk from place to place easier. He has designed beautiful structures in the city, like the Westin, the Hyatt Regency, where I stayed these past couple days, as well as other conference centers and buildings throughout the country. His design of flow for the city was evolutionary. This was hung in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta -->

He is truly an inspiration, and I'm glad I got to see his work and learn about him in Atlanta. It was another spark of interest that's driven me to study architecture in college. I'm certainly glad I gave Atlanta another chance.

This photo's on my instagram!

Another trip I had the privilege to participate in was the National FFA Convention. I got to travel with my FFA chapter, and competed in the Poultry Judging Career Development Event in late October. Blue Jackets filled Louisville, Kentucky, and I got to meet with so many interesting FFA members, and with college representatives. My brother, JT, attends the University of Northwestern Ohio and is the president of his collegiate chapter. It was great to see him and enjoy my first, and his last convention together.

Like I said before, I love the opportunity to travel, and if you ever get the chance to go anywhere, take advantage of it! It will certainly open your eyes to new experiences and cultures, like it has opened mine. Go outside your comfort zone, and see what the world has to offer. I'm sure that you won't regret it. :)

-mb.