Lessons Learned In St. Cloud

1. It's ok to stay in your pjs until 6:30pm, especially if it is New Year's Day.
2. Don't drink bleach.
3. Make parodies of songs.
4. Find long-lost family members at parties.
5. Maryland is a female name.
6. In Tangled, Rapunzel hides the crown in a tree stump.
7. Bambi really isn't that great of a movie.
8. Grammar hard at 3am.
9. Things get warm when you boil them.
10. Drive slow on ice.
11. Brush your teeth before biting someone (it's the courteous things to do).
12. Be careful when going down stairs.
13. Stomachs don't have ears.
14. St. Cloud, FL isn't the same as St. Cloud, MN.
15. The sun is bright.
16. It's possible to have a laughing hangover (those are the best kind).
17. Seeing people smack their heads is funny.
18. Denmark is the first country people think of.
19. Kitty!
20. Driving to St. Cloud is boring.
21. Bring sweatpants on trips.
22. It will be purple eventually.
23. Be aware of hatchet murderers.
24. Hound dogs running are hilarious.
25. 6 blankets > a fireplace.
26. Formality? Haha, no.
27. If a vampire bites a zombie, will the zombie turn into a vampire? Or will the vampire turn into a zombie? Or both? ZOMBIE VAMPIRES!
28. Being a surrogate mother is scary (especially in dreams).
29. Don't sleep in contacts.
30. Everyone loves carrots.
31. Watching the ball fall in Nashville is a lot less exciting than watching it fall in New York.
32. Beware the monologue.
33. Ojo bonojo is the best card game ever invented.
34. Learn to play 500.
35. Ancient Aliens is a ridiculous tv show.
36. Laugh and learn.

Sorry for such a long list of lessons (if you can even call them that). I am currently sitting in Megan's kitchen, watching her cut up potatoes for dinner tonight. I've been here since Friday afternoon and as you can tell from the long list of jokes and lessons, it has been a blast being here. New Years Eve, Megan took me to a party with her friends. I met her friends from high school (who I've heard so much about) and I taught them the best card game ever, ojo bonojo (if you want to learn how to play, just ask me). The night turned out to be a success. I ended up talking more with Megan and Melissa's friends than I did with Megan or Melissa themselves. Megan and I stayed in our pjs all of yesterday and today we are preparing for dinner with Megan's aunt Lori. Then on Wednesday, I head back home.

My time in St. Cloud has been an adventure to say the least. The timing of this trip has been perfect: I missed seeing Megan and Melissa and being home for a long period of time is weird and slightly annoying. If I could take one thing away from my time here is that friends make all the difference. Before I came here, both Megan and I were feeling down and bit off. Although being with my mom and family has been a blessing, my friends have become such an intricate part of my life and not having them around has been weird. Sometimes all we need is time with friend to laugh and learn ridiculous things.

Peace!

-Nicole