Every time I start over I feel it is good to look back and reflect on the things I have learned. My time in Tyler has most definitely been a learning experience. I decided to attend UT Tyler because Liz Clark told me I should come try it out, after I met her cheering against each other at an UT Tyler etbu basketball game. I wanted to know if I could survive outside of a small environment and I was outgrowing Marshall. I knew that if I was going to grow I needed to leave. After a great deal of praying and consulting with the family, I applied to UT Tyler and I was accepted. The rest is history. I now have a degree from UT Tyler and I have made another change to grow: Houston.

When I first came here to look at the law school, I was a little disappointed; however, the city is growing on me. I have finally got my place together. I will post some pics tomorrow evening after I have ran some errands and finished up the final touches. Being on the 3^rd floor is quite a workout, but the view and ceilings make up for it.

Ok back on topic, what I was writing about. My whole time in Tyler I couldn’t wait to get way. My last 3 weeks there were some of the best times in my life. I experienced things I had never done before, got to know people on a different level, saw who were my real friends, and basically lived life. I felt an array of emotions. When it was time to go I didn’t want to leave. It was so hard letting go of the things and people I love. Seeing my little apartment so empty again made me sad, but I knew that it was time to go and there was no looking back.

Today I was sitting on my couch and I realized that it is okay to hurt, to feel. I have learned to feel each emotion, embrace it, and experience it fully. I am glad I let someone into my life and I am glad I was hurt. Pain makes you realize how much more valuable the good times are. Slowly the walls to my heart are being eroded, but not completely. I am going to be a lawyer, so I do need some sense of being a hard ass in me, which I have been told I do quite well lol.

So lessons have been learned, stories have been told, lives have been changed. I thank each and every one of you for making an impression on my life: from the leaves, the branches, and especially my roots. I will miss you all, but well only be a phone call, Myspace/text/facebook message, or IM away. Also it’s only a 3-4 hour drive, depending who you are, so well see each other. I plan to return to East Texas in December to visit, once I am finished with my 1^st semester of law school. Keep in touch and thank you………………