See ya Later Alligator

This is my last week living in Florida. I'm kind of freaking out...
(Deep breaths)

I've been reminiscing a whole lot about Central Florida and the little things that have truly made it my home for the past 24 years. I decided to make a list of a few places that have housed some great memories for me here. This is also going to be filled with pictures... and know that I cried multiple times while writing this.

* I've attached a link to all the places so you can look them up!

SEU

Where to even begin. Southeastern not only granted me a degree in Broadcasting, but it also cultivated life long friendships. I was able to do what I loved from my very first year and was blessed with countless opportunities to use my talents in real world settings. My professors and mentors always saw the potential in me I couldn't see myself. They became some of my greatest allies and friends. I will forever be grateful for them.

Disney Marathon
2019

My first full time job was with the admissions department back in 2017 and I gained the craziest bunch of family members that day. These people are the reason I ever lost my sanity and ran that marathon. Yet, they have helped keep me sane throughout the the last 2 years. They have celebrated my wins and comforted me in my losses. They say “It’s not about what you do, it’s who you do it with.” Well, they’re right... Whoever they are. It never mattered that data entry was the most mundane and tedious job. The people I was surrounded by were the reason I came in. I have so many specific examples of all the things I'm going to miss, but for the sake of my emotions I'll hurry this up.

(Pause for the two minute cry break I just took)

Anyway, Southeastern University is filled with the most genuinely fun, kind, and good-hearted people. It is truly a diamond in the rough of Lakeland.

Grace City

Speaking of Southeastern, the campus pastor while I was there opened up a church that soon became my church home. Grace City is where I stretched my gifts and comfort zones. I was able to show others the importance of media in a church setting and work through my social anxiety by being on a stage in front of hundreds. I even had the opportunity to help lead a two week trip to Tanzania!

They have city groups that meet during the week for either Bible study or an affiliate group. They are run by individuals in the church that have a heart towards a specific area. Some include running, doggy dates, or even weekly Disney trips. The Songwriting group in particular and the people in it are the reason Paul and I are together. For an entire semester all the guys did their best to sit me next him and try to get me to talk to him. The hardest part was getting Paul to talk to me, though. Apparently I'm intimidating?... Yeah I laughed too.
In the end, it all obviously worked out and now he’s talked me into moving to Indiana. The people in the songwriting group took us in and helped us in every way possible. I know that no matter where life takes us, we will always have a family at Grace City. (Cry)

Born and Bread

This little locally owned bakery quickly turned into my family's favorite Saturday trend. Past the long line it gives us the gift of deliciously sweet, mouth-watering cruffins from Heaven itself. You can’t just walk in there without buying two little yummies for yourself and one for everyone you go home to... or at least shove them down before you get home. (I found this one out the hard way) We have been a huge fan of the cruffins and get at least one every time we go. My favorite thing on the menu is actually the vegan banana muffin, though! It's soft and delicate banana bread, filled with a sweet coconut cream. I have absolutely no idea what it's made out of, but I will eat it any day of the week! Do yourself a favor and go get some life changing breakfast!

Concord Coffee

Right down the street from Born and Bread is Concord. I like to get breakfast, then walk down to Concord for coffee and a less crowded eating space. If I'm being completely honest, Concord has always been a little pricey in my book. However, I've never had a drink I didn't like from there, so it's worth the price if you care about quality. The seating and atmosphere are great for gatherings, studying, or all those aesthetic Instagram pictures you love to take. This also just so happens to be where Paul and I had our first date. They have an entire wall made of windows, so he sat right by the entrance to make sure he saw me walk up. After getting our drinks, we sat at the cute tables outside and talked for what seemed like only minutes. This was in November and it was a bit chilly outside, so we eventually made our way inside. We sat inside until they kicked us out and we realized it had been 4 hours already! Concord is where I started falling for Paul, so it will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Parkesdale Market

Paul took me here for the first time right after he got my car stuck in mud. That crazy day is one of my favorites, though. We just got done dragging our cars out of some mud and he just HAD to take me to the best strawberry shortcake he's ever had. I'm so happy he did, too! It was the perfect amount of shortcake, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream. We also got a strawberry shake because why not?! After we ate, they had a little market we walked through full of gorgeous plants and succulents available to purchase for cheap. (As if the strawberries didn't already have my heart!) Not to mention this lovely photo area with props that Paul insisted I use haha. Afterwards, we simply sat on a bench and watched the sunset before we had to go our separate ways.
Pulling my car out of the mud actually ruined my struts and I had to go fix my car afterwards... But, that only made the day more memorable.

Disney World 

(I think you know what I'm talking about here)

I saved the best for last. I tried to calculate how many times I've been to Disney in my life, and well..that's impossible. I'm going to guesstimate somewhere around 1000 times - give or take a few hundred. Disney is a HUGE part of my life. My dad has worked there my entire life so I've been blessed to get to go too many times. One goal on my bucket list is to go to all the Disney Parks in the world. So far, I've been able to go to Disney Orlando, California, and Paris... which still blows my mind.

In college I worked at Blizzard Beach, so I could go to the parks after work every day in the Summer. There have been numerous times where I've gone to Disney strictly to buy perfume from Norway, tea from London, or even Dole Whip from Magic Kingdom and then left; It’s basically my shopping mall. I've had a plethora of birthday parties there and have taken too many awful photoshoots. My weekends growing up involved my friends and I going to work with my dad and strolling around the parks like we owned the place.

Exhibit A.
Epcot, 2009

With all this unlimited access, one would think that we are tired of it. Never. (Excluding my dad. He’s a grinch towards the Parks.) I believe going so often has only made my love for Disney grow. Also, one of our favorite things is to take our friends with us. Experiencing the "first time joys" of Disney vicariously through them keeps our child-like sprits high when we go.

Disneyland, Paris
2012

Disneyland, California
2015

My memories of Disney are endless and I love it just as much now as I did when I was a kid. It truly is the happiest place on Earth and I'm going to miss living so close!

Granny's 94th Birthday
2011

There are so many other incredible places around me that I couldn’t fit on this list and so many more that I’ll have to try when I come back!

This isn't a goodbye to Florida. It's simply a "See ya later".

Plus, my family lives in Florida and would have a cow if I didn't come visit.