StayGoldie

Before I start defending myself, let’s get something straight: I am inherently lazy. Who else would start a blog, see it hit a couple thousand views and then just abandon it for almost six months? Consider this our coffee date to catch up. This summer, I worked two jobs and stayed perpetually exhausted. I would detail the events that led me to ditch the blog and delete my social media apps from my phone, but I hope to make an entire post about the summer of 2018 and how the lessons I learned can help you. For right now, let’s keep it simple and say it sucked. That’s the most poetic term I can think to use. In July, my family and I took on the beaches of South Carolina and for two weekends in a row in October, I visited my sister in Indianapolis. During one of these Indy adventures, I was lucky enough to meet my idols, a few of the guys from Whose Line is it Anyway?, for the third time. The beach has kept my skin sun-kissed while the trips to Indy have kept my momentum alive to f...

Before the summer started, I went into a panic. My mind realized I would be graduating from East Tennessee State University in exactly two years. This much was fine. However, my thoughts quickly spiraled out of control. I’d have to get a dead-end job nearby. I’d be there for years. I’d marry an accountant and we would buy a house we couldn’t afford in a town we didn’t want to live in. Would we have  children ? Like most 20-somethings going through a crisis, I started planning expensive trips to countries that only looked impressive through Instagram likes. Of course, I couldn’t afford to eat strawberries on the beaches of Guam or ride bikes through the cobblestone streets of Italy. And I think deep down, I wanted something more than that. With a quick Google search for “ETSU study abroad” and a phone call, I had an appointment to be at Yoakley Hall at 1:30. I arrived far too early but was ushered into an office anyway. I took the seat offered to me and wondered if my sweat...

My family has added another stocking to the fireplace this holiday season, but we can’t keep the owner out of the tree. Allow me to introduce Gatsby. Mother’s Day weekend, my mom and I took to Asheville for adventure and shopping. We spent our day exploring the beautiful downtown of the city and putting miles in on the road. For a perfect end, we stopped at Waffle House around 1 AM for some chocolate smothered waffles and a cup of coffee. I am open to sharing my love for Waffle House with whoever desires. I know my Northern or non-American readers may be unfamiliar with the southern staple. Therefore, I will do my best to place you in a syrup covered booth. Waffle House is not food; it’s an experience. I am a frequent customer, yet I can count the times I have visited during normal hours on one hand. If you ever find yourself in rural southern America, chances are that you will have an illuminated yellow beacon to guide your journey and fill your stomach. You do not visit ...