For the last week and a half, I have been in SPAIN!  I have been to several different countries in the past, but this is my first time in Europe!  I will definitely be visiting again.  I’m with my best friend, Rachel, and her parents.  We spent about four days in Barcelona, and four in the country’s capital of Madrid.  We have been doing all kinds of fun things like eating, going to parks, sightseeing, going to museums, SHOPPING, having adventures on the subway, visiting palaces and other historical places, SHOPPING, going to the beach, the zoo and aquarium, etc.  Did I mention the beach here is the Mediterranean Sea??? Ahhhh so pretty and blue.

Aside from all the other fun we have been having, Rachel and I have this fun thing we started where we take pictures of people who are involved in PDA.  (public displays of affection)  These Europeans have no shame embracing and kissing in public.  We are making a collage of all the awkward couples we have seen.  We have been caught a few times, and gotten some weird looks, but overall us and our cameras go unnoticed! We are stealthy.  We also have taken pictures of people that were making funny poses while someone was taking pictures of them.  We like when people do peace signs, duck faces, put both their arms out, etc.  They do wayyyy more than our typical hand on the hip picture, a pose that is laughable itself.

Did I mention that I got stuck in a subway door?!?  Rachel’s dad saw that our subway train was about to leave, so he told us to hurry, but we were too late!  The subway doors closed on me, and Rachel and her mom almost didn’t make it on the train with us!  My arm was a little sore, but we were laughing our heads off!  It was definitely something we will never forget.  We have gotten on the wrong subway more times than I can count, but it is all part of making memories!

The food here is definitely interesting.  This may be ignorant of me, but I was expecting Spanish food to be something similar to Mexican food.  BUT IT IS NOTTTTT!  Y’all have heard of Spanish rice, right?  Well they do not actually have that in Spain. They eat lots of eggs, pork (which I don’t eat), paella (rice with clams, whole shrimp, and ewww), pizza, kebabs (not like the kind we are used to), and lastly, hamburguesa…. Obviously, that is a hamburger.  But I am pretty sure they don’t use beef, even though it advertises 100% beef. EWWW.  They do have a lot of pastas on the menus, though, so that was pretty good.  However, my favorite place to eat was McDonald’s.  Isn’t that sad??! We ate there two nights, and I gobbled down that cheeseburger, fries, and Coke like I hadn’t eaten in a month.  Our greasy fast-food restaurants have spread as far as Madrid and Barcelona!

More than all this fun stuff, though, I have LOVED spending all this time with my best friend.  Rachel plays volleyball at Mississippi College in Clinton, MS, and so since we graduated high school, I only see her on breaks.  And then it is rare that we are ever in town at the same time!  So it has been a great time of catching up – about school, work, new friends, old friends, laughing about high school boyfriends, and reminiscing about the good old days.  I am so glad that I got the opportunity to come on vacation with her and her family, but I am ready to be back home in good ole Nashville!  I miss fried chicken, vegetables, and sweet tea!  It’s good to be a Southerner!

Here are some fun pictures from our fun trip!

No big surprises here. I’m still basking in the glory of summertime. Today I got my suntanning on for the first time. That’s something to celebrate! We have officially sold our house and have put an offer on a new one. That, too, is exciting, but I’m definitely not looking forward to all of the cleaning and packing in my near future. My summer job at the Whirlpool factory is in full swing. GROSS!!! I’m sore and tired. No one should have to get up at 5 am over summer vacation, but I can’t complain about being done at 2:30 pm. I still have a whole day to spend once I’m off!

My Bible devotions this week focused on living in the moment. Being thankful for right NOW. So, I’ve been trying to be intentional with my conversations at work—a lot of which are with non-Christians. I’ve been trying to not complain about having to work in a freaky, smelly factory, but instead be thankful that I have a good-paying job. “Do everything you do for the glory of the One who you made.”

This picture of Pooh and Piglet sum is up perfectly…

Do I even need to point out the glory of summer right now? Or is it just one of those unspoken joys that we’re all fully aware of? I think it is. : )

Needless to say, I am thankful that summer took its rightful place and provided some much needed transition. For me, summer always becomes a dreamy, sensational time-warp that enables me to seemingly float for three months as I consider the year that just happened and the year that is to come. Maybe it’s due to the shock of not having a seven page to-do list. Or maybe it’s an over-dose of Vitamin D. ; ) It makes me seriously wonder what I’ll do once I graduate college, when my life no longer revolves around a school schedule. What will I do when I don’t have a period of time to spend my days as I wish, without constraints? Let’s stop imagining that. Bad thoughts, guys. Bad thoughts.

I actually have gotten a taste of what summer is like with remaining responsibility, though. I’m continuing my job as a student worker in the marketing department at Trevecca this summer – the only difference is I’m working full time. That’s right, folks – full time: Monday through Friday, eight to five. Some of you are already discrediting what I said about summer, aren’t you? Interestingly enough, though, I don’t feel like I’ve lost my freedom. In fact, my summer has been enhanced. Beyond the fact that this job is a huge opportunity (that I’d be crazy to turn down), or the fact that I love the people I work for, or the fact that I’m learning legitimate marketing skills…I’m really enjoying the structure its providing. Yes, I still have to get up early, but I have all of my evenings and weekends to do all of the summer-venturing that I’d normally do. And most of my friends are either working as well, or if they aren’t, they’re basically still asleep till I get off work anyway. Not to mention the bonus of not being jolted when it’s time to wake up early all the time for next semester. I’m really finding the structure to be way more of a blessing than a burden.

 
Outside of work, I have tons of wonderful plans for this summer that I’m hoping I actually go through with (and maybe publishing my thoughts will help me stick to them). I want to learn photography and piano. I wanna take voice lessons. I want to help my dad with his garden. I want to read books like it’s nobody’s business (or like it’s my business). I want to learn to cook good food. I want to actually stick with my workout plan. I want to go camping. And the list goes on. Mostly, I want to relish and soak up this summer to the extreme.

I can’t wait to look back in August and see how much life transpired. Stay tuned.

Happy Summer, TreveccaLive! I’ve been home since Monday, relaxing and catching up with my family and friends. Home is such a great place to be, although I don’t think my brain fully realizes that school is out. I think it thinks that I’ll have to go back to school super soon—luckily, that’s not the case.

I’ve spent this first week of vacation following my little brothers around to their tennis matches. I played in high school and it makes me so happy to see them love the sport too. Of course, I could destroy them both on the courts, but Eli and Jake are doing awesome. It’s so fun to watch! Proud big sis right here!

My Grandma, Mom, and little sister Ava had a girls’ weekend. We hiked through Mammoth Cave and shopped ‘til we dropped. My favorite part was listening to my Mom and Grandma tell stories about their childhoods. Those talks are priceless.

In honor of Mother’s Day this Sunday, I took over all cooking duties this week. Mom deserves a break. Well, I’ve never been a cook. One time I was babysitting and the kids had to drink the mashed potatoes I made from a cup because they were so runny…

Thankfully, Pinterest is my best friend and provided me with simple and fun recipes that I was mostly able to master. I made bean burgers, scrambled eggs in a plastic bag, spinach pancakes (can’t taste the spinach!!), and banana chips. I promise that the pictures don’t do the food justice! It really was pretty good :p Tonight, I’m going to attempt Cauliflower Pizza Bites. Yum yummmm!

The rest of my day will consist of working out, my brothers tennis tournament, then Iron Man 3 with my boy. Summer > School. Enjoy your weekend, TreveccaLive!!

This is a “throwback” blog dedicated to my second year at Trevecca.  This fall, I will start my senior year of college!  And one year from right now, I will be graduating.  Wow, does time fly!!!!

This blog is mostly made up on pictures, but I wanted to take a little time and talk about what a great year this was.  It was definitely stressful academically, and I got some grades that I wish could have been better. I should have studied more, and slept more, eaten less, gone to Walmart less, etc.  But this blog is not about what I should have done better this year; it’s about what I’m glad went RIGHT this year.

God has insanely blessed me with the privilege to be able to go to Trevecca, a place that really is a small community, as opposed to just a university or school.  We have the most caring professors and faculty and administrators, who work hard to see that we succeed and develop not only academically, but more importantly, spiritually.  Another thing I love about TNU is that it is a small and tight-knit place, where everyone knows everyone.  That definitely has its negative sides, but overall, I think it’s a good thing, because I love having so many friends!

Speaking of friends, I have some REALLY great ones.  I was very busy this year with peer mentoring, blogging, working two jobs, on top of taking a full load of classes, but I always have to make time for these guys and girls. God has truly blessed me and looked out for me in that area.  Even though my MBTI score says I’m a 29/30 extravert, and don’t really meet a stranger, I was still nervous about coming to college and making friends.  But I have a group of girls that I know I will be friends with for a lifetime.  God is SO faithful!

So here are pictures from on-campus events, concerts, dance parties, eating out, birthday celebrations, painting classes, bonfires, pretty pictures of Nashville, Johnson Hall formal, movie nights, Trevecca’s trip to Six Flags, and other fun fun stuff!

SO thankful for such a supportive and loving family, and the best friends I could ever ask for, who I never get tired of seeing day after day.  They see me at my best, and love me through my worst, and that is a quality that is hard to find in a friend.  And also, I am beyond grateful for an incredible institution such as Trevecca Nazarene University that truly cares for its students, and wants to make sure that we grow up to be leaders and servants, mirroring our Savior and His time on the earth.  Our mission statement at Trevecca is simple and shows that we do exactly that:  “Trevecca Nazarene University is a Christian community dedicated to providing education for leadership and service.”  I could not be happier that I get to be apart of that community, everyday.

Here are some pictures of our beautiful campus, during all seasons of the year!

It was sad as my roommate and I were packing up to move out this morning.  It’s bittersweet, cause I am so ready for a break!  I very much need summer, but I will miss my friends, professors, girls from my dorm, and hey, even the Caf food!… Well, some of it  

It hasn’t really hit me yet that I am DONE with my first two years at Trevecca, and because I am taking extra classes and had credit from high school, I will be able to graduate a year early.  This sort of depresses me that I only have one more year.  I am so ready for it to start!  I was not really ready to leave school today, BUT good news!  Only 113 days til we start school in the fall

HAPPY SUMMER!

As my second year at Trevecca comes to a close, I’m hit with a million emotions. Of course I’m beyond excited to go home, and not at all upset that I won’t have to study for FOUR whole months, but I am a little sad to say goodbye to this place that I love so much. I won’t have 500 bottles of nail polish in a 100 feet radius of my room; I won’t be able to con my roommate into skipping her nap to curl my hair; and, it will be so hard to get all dolled up without having 30 closets to choose from! Oooh, I love Johnson Hall.

At Trevecca, so many of us are far away from the families that we love so much, but the community here is more than enough to fill that void. I have a boss at work who organized a “going away lunch” for me—she does more for her student workers than make sure we are getting enough hours. She makes sure I am getting enough sleep and listens to my frustrations and goals. What a rare, but beautiful blessing!! And, the even cooler thing is, that that is just one example of the huge family that is Trevecca Nazarene University.

You’ll hear it a thousand times, but Trevecca is more than a school. It’s not just about a degree. It’s about growing and evolving into who God intended you to be. It’s about finding your niche in His Kingdom, and in that journey, we have all found lifelong friends who can never be replaced.

This year I experienced life as an RA. I was blessed with a floor of about 30 freshmen girls who I watched blossom from timid newcomers, to confident college students. Countless late night conversations and impromptu dinner dates with my pretty 3^rd floor ladies took place, and I’m so thankful that they did.

Friendships from my freshmen year continued. Taylor and I went to concert, after concert, after concert… Luke Bryan, Hunter Hayes, and Adam Levine allllll in one night!!! We painted the Nashville skyline at “Sips n’ Strokes” and even went a Broadway musical.

My best friends from home visited and I got to show off my city to them. I took them to a Rascal Flatts/Eli Young Band concert, shopping at Opry Mills Mall, and we took plenty of pretty pictures by the Nashville skyline. Then, a few weeks later my boyfriend Ethan got to visit me too!

Heather, Amberlin, and I competed in a Warrior Dash—a 5k race through muddy obstacles. Super fun! We celebrated happy days together and cried together during the sad ones. Through losses and victories, I know my Trevecca family loves me unconditionally. These girls know me inside and out and choose to love me anyway.

This is a time of major reflection for me. What have I learned this year? Did I grow, change, mature? Am I a better picture of Christ’s will for my life today than I was 9 months ago when this journey began?

I can confidently say that YES. I have grown and matured. I was challenged and spread thin, but I have a deeper love for and greater understanding of my God today than I did back in August. This is because of the beautiful mentors in my life, the selfless friendships I have been given, and the guidance of the One who made it all. Time will never slow down like we all sometimes wish it would and because of that, every moment must be cherished and used for good. Conversations need to be meaningful and sincere; Love and forgiveness should be shown always.

The school year can get stressful, but summer time is HERE! Like one of my favorite professors always says, “We are human beings, not human doings!” So, I hope that you all get some time this summer to just BE. Stop the glorification of “busy,” and just rest in the Glory and promise of Him.

So as of late, I have written a lot of posts about not being sure about the future. I have expressed my fears about not being sure what the future is going to hold. I still have times of anxiety about it but I have had moments of peace about it too. I have taken some action and have some type of idea as to what I am g0ing to do once the summer finally comes. Between the time that I wrote the last blog and now, I have done a few things that will determine how the summer/fall will go. I have auditioned for my mentor, Alvin Moore Jr’s, inspirational stage plays. That audition went pretty well! I also signed up for Tennessee Rep auditions ! Maybe you guys will see me do some professional theatre soon! I am also still considering grad school depending on how casting for the plays go, getting a new job, and doing some writing. Over the past few weeks, I have felt a desire to tell stories due to prayer and watching a very good but violent tv show called “Dexter”. I have been praying about being a story teller. Movie ideas are coming to my mind more and I am noticing a trend in Hollywood that I could potentially take advantage of if it is the Lord’s will. There are a few things that have contributed to my moments of peace. Thinking about the scripture Philippians 3:12-14  “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” I feel like with this scripture, this is a reminder that I have to press forward and not dwell on the past. I have to look forward to the future. Also, I looked at a video that was showed to me in my theories of communication class about change. Some of you may have read the book or saw the short film, “Who Moved My Cheese?” In case you haven’t seen it, here it is!

When you embrace change and move forward, you can succeed! Thanks for reading the blogs you guys!

With Love,

Angelo Tate aka Gelo

My life has some direction! God answers prayers! Ohmygoodness I’m graduating in a week! I get to see my parents in 6 days! I got a job! I’m staying in Nashville! Ok, watch the video for all the details.

And I just want to be vain and say that YouTube picks the most unflattering thumbnails.