I lost a brother tonight, I do not know how.
I lost a brother tonight, I do not know why.
I lost a brother tonight, Could you tell?

I lost my brother tonight, I'm crumbling inside.


   Emotions aren't easy for me to show. I don't know how to handle them and I don't know how to react to sad situations. Today I found out I lost one of my brothers. Blood? No. But none the less my brother.

  He was my brother's best friend, brother, and future best man. He has lived with us off and on and just like my brother, he teased the mess out me. I don't understand why and never in a million years would I have thought this would have happened. I am in such a state of shock still. While at work tonight everyone asked if I was alright. I wasn't! I want to be home to grieve with y family. I don't how they are going to take it every time a piece of mail for him lands in our mailbox or when they funeral comes around and we travel to which ever state to hear the gun shots for the proper military funeral.

I lost my brother tonight.

20 Things From My Life

  Today in my LAS class we had to write down 20 things we remember from our past 19 years (or however old you were). They couldn't be personal, but more generic. For Example, You would put Instant Messaging, or Myspace. Something that has happen in your life that was some what new or big. My list looked a lot like this...

1. That So Raven
2. Easy Bake Oven
3. Nintendo 64
4. Game Boy Color
5. Pokemon
6. Dragon Ball Z
7. Hannah Montana
8. Bop It
9. Hurricane Katrina
10. Michael Jackson Died
11. Clinton Scandal
12. 9/11
13. Out-Of-The-Box
14. Operation Iraqi Freedom
15. Junie B. Jones Books
16. Computer games
17. Razor Scooters
18. Heelies
19. Bratz
20. BP Oil Spill

  The fact that #3-#6 are boy stuff makes me laugh. I obviously grew up with an older brother who wished he had a younger brother and not a younger sister...  

This list kinda makes me sad.. Like I look back at this stuff and realize most kids dont have Heelies now or have Brat dolls. This little girl in my gymnastic class the other day didn't even know who Hannah Montana is (maybe a good thing?) or even heard of Camp Rock. How depressing right?

Growing up sure does suck sometimes.

What would Yall's list look like??

xox

-Aut

Lets be honest here...

   I can't keep a gypsy blog when all I do is school...in the same city.... Hopefully one day I will be able to travel the world and see new places! For right now, I'm just going to keep a college average girl blog. Sound good? Maybe a few gypsy life post here and there, but come on... who wants to hear my coffee shops stories over and over and over again? NOT ME! So! Here is to a new beginning and a new writing path! If any of you fellow bloggers have any ideas, let me know!

O H I O yall!

Though I am originally from Slidell, La., Ohio is where my family is. Being a military a military brat has sent me all over, but for some unknown reason they decided to settle in Dayton, Ohio.... for now...

So, early Tuesday morning me and my little cousin got in the car for a nice long 12 hour to the good ol' 937.. Oh and was it stressful! The last time I drove up it was stressful because I wasnt sure how to get home, but the way down was the easiest drive ever! BUT! the whole way up I drove in a constant rainy mist. It wasnt really rain but not yet a drizzle. IT WAS A W F U L !! Every car in America was on the road for the Holidays and though I only got stuck in traffic in Nashville, I went a constant 70 the whole way to Ohio -__-

The most stressful part was the drive from Nashville to Louisville... I seriously contemplated turning around and renting a hotel... it was a little too much.

My favorite part though was stopping in Bowling Green, Ky (Home of Fruit of the Looms and the National Corvette Museum) to my great friend Hanna! I love getting to see her!! Even if it was just a couple of minutes...

What I Love the most is being home. No matter how stressful the drive was...

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!

Throw Back Thursday: Pisa!

Sorry guys, you're going to have to bare with me... being a college student can be rough sometimes and I am trying to do a TBT post every week... even if I end up posting it at 3:00 am Friday morning....

This week, we will be throwing back to the wonderful, small, noting but a leaning tower of a town called Pisa! And yes I will re iterate... S M A L L and NOTHING BUT A LEANING TOWER of a town.....

An Original Picture by yours truly.

Hopefully you didn't blink too fast! What you see in this picture, is what you get!! No lie... 

  The leaning tower of Pisa is in this little Walled in town... like most of italian villages... and there is absolutely nothing there! There are tons of shopping vendors... like most villages and then the tower. I have gone multiple times and yes I would love to go back, but at most it will take you a hour to explore all that it offers! 

 I have done everything from scavenger hunts to just site seeing! No, I did not climb the tower... for 80 euros I did not find it worth it. Plus, it was shut down 3 out of the 4 times I have gone. I would not be surprised if it was still shut down... Italians take FOREVER on construction! 

The church behind this Duomo was very interesting, but once you've seen it and heard it's history... going three more times makes it loose its wow factor... 

 For a quick/brief historical description of Pisa, I stole a paragraph written by freelance writer, Michael Figueiredo's blog, http://struxtravel.com ! Go check it out!!

"The Italian city of Pisa is known the world over for its famous “Leaning Tower.” In fact, it’s probably one of the most recognizable structures anywhere.  What many people don’t realize is that it’s actually only part of a larger complex that includes three other beautiful and interesting sights. Set in the park-like Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles), the Torre Pendente is the freestanding bell tower for the city’s cathedral, known as the Duomo. Construction on the spectacular white and gray marble Duomo was begun in 1064, over a century before the tower was even started. Unfortunately, due to poor foundations, the infamous tower began leaning to the side within five years of construction. Engineers tried to compensate for the tilt by building the upper levels with one side taller than the other. Because of this, the tower is actually slightly curved. On the opposite side of the Duomois the Baptistery, the largest in all of Italy, with architectural elements of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Finally, adjacent to these buildings is the Camposanto, a cemetery where the nobility of Pisa were buried centuries ago. Interestingly, the earth used in the Camposanto was brought over from the Holy Land by the shipload during the Crusades. The entire Campo dei Miracoli (also known as Piazza del Duomo) is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its beauty and historical value." - Micheal Figueiredo 

College.. Yada Yada...Stress... Blah Blah...

    Writing a blog really excited me at first... and yes it still does, but this past week has definitely kept me discouraged... Almost everyday I've come up with really good ideas, but just never  sat day and wrote them. Its pretty safe to say, procrastination is my best skill. I finally decided, that I just need to go away from the campus and the thoughts of studying and write down a blog plan and start my new post! I ran away to this cute little coffee shop! CARPE DIEM!!  and Yes, though I'm seizing the day by actually starting stuff, the coffee place is actually called Carpe Diem. Its this cute little coffee place in Mobile on Old Shell road. Right across from Spring Hill College! I've been told its where all the future doctors hang out, so girls I would head over here and make it your new favorite place! (; Though I haven't met any guys yet, its still a calm/fun atmosphere to studying in. There are tons of tables and all together its just a chill atmosphere. While you're here, buy one of their delicious drinks! My favorite are the Caramel Macchiatos and the Jumpy Monkey Mocha! Both sugary,but soooo good! Also while you're here, browse their tiny gift shop for some coffee accessories or coffee beans! 

MoTown: Carpe Diem!

Acceptance.

Growing up a military brat has taught me a lot of things when it comes to acceptance. Just because of your skin color, language, or customs does not mean I will not accept you.

Diversity has been something so ingrained in my life that anything different would just be bizarre. Things being the same is so foreign to me, that I look for stuff new and unaccustomed. My only constant  my whole life has been God and my family. Friends come and go. Even the greatest person in your life will fade away and become a stranger.

I've learned through my nineteen years of life that you have to make friends and talk to people no matter the situation. I've had black best friends, Hispanic, and white. When people say they don't  like said races, I get really confused. Yeah maybe their ways of doing things maybe different, but the way my family might act is probably way different then the white family down the road.

Living in Italy really opened me up to different cultures and people. I went to an American school that was pretty much international and I played sports with locals. Everyone is different. My family, is a Christian family who didn't curse or drink, but the family next door that did we got along fine with. Just because you're different, doesn't mean you can't be someones friend.

Being a military brat has talk me diversity is perfect. Why would you want a whole base full of families just like yours? When you move around a lot, you make friends with whoever, whenever. If you worry about color or type, it will be time to move again and then what? What would you get out of not accepting different people? Nothing.

I have been blessed to be raised to accept everyone and everything.