The Appalachian State: Blue Ridge Mountains

First week of school was the usual, not a whole lot going on. Along with that track hasn't officially started (although we have been working out) so that leaves enough free time to go on adventures that I never had a chance to go on last year with track and school. Our first of many I'm sure, led us to the a spot called Rough Ridge in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was quite the view and we managed to see it during a sunset and incoming storm.  Here's a few artsy pictures of my roommate and best friend Miika and of course a few fun ones just to add to the story.

City of Dreams

Summer already passed and I'm back at school. I convinced my parents to road trip through Nashville so I could maybe play guitar there. I've been doing a few shows back in WI this summer and wanted to give the city of dreams a shot. Funny thing is a new friend that I recently met started talking about it and  had connections to the owners of bars downtown Nashville. The night before we left I got a phone number and gave the bar owner a call and he said he could hook me up as he had bands playing all day long. We rolled into Nashville just as the sun was setting when I was able to get this beautiful picture of the skyline. We got to our hotel just after 7, enough time to get dressed up and warm up a few songs. We made it downtown by 9 pm. The town was hoppin' for sure. Every single bar and restaurant you walked by had live music. I made it to my place of performance, The Swinging Doors Saloon. A really great duo band was playing at the time. I played during their time slot to give them a break for a bit. Let me tell you the crowd down there was great. Very upbeat, friendly crowd. I wasn't signed to a record deal that night but don't worry Nashville, I'll be back...

Summer Adventures

My summer is on a strong roll forward with lots going on all the time. I am loving all of the adventures I've gone on, not to mention some really exciting ones coming up soon but I'll leave y'all hanging and save it for another post. The latest adventure was out at Wildcat Mound on a photo shoot. We had a few spare hours but not enough to go anywhere more civilized than our little small town, WI. I had just finished my track workout for the day and quickly got ready, I was actually surprised how nice these turned out with the little preparation time I had. I switched off with Jade as photographer and "model" so to say. These were so fun to work on, I tried a few new editing tools & effects here. I think I love it!

Freshman Fun

"selfies" galore. My freshman year at AppState has come to an end. Heading back to the North Woods tomorrow morning. Its been such a wonderful experience here in NC over the past 10 months. I can't believe I am actually going home. I think I might want to live at the ocean one day though. That was definitely a highlight trip of the year. 

Track came to an end about 3 weeks ago. I ended up 14th in the SoCon for 400m dash. Next year we move to the SunBelt Conference and hopefully an improve my 400 along with running the 200, 400 hurdles, javelin and maybe the 4x4. Best decision I made was to be a college athlete. Wouldn't trade it for anything!

The last one, just a casual "selfie" again while bored in the dorm room. 

Jacob Doc Allen

My new baby cousin and godson, Jake. I got to meet him while I made my visit to WI. I've noticed the pictures do not look right when I post them here, they almost lose quality. Not sure how to fix it, just ignore the splotchyness.

College in the Moutains

Another homework distraction yet again. Here I sit at college looking through my pictures thinking, hey I should share some of these! College is college, homework, boxed foods, showers with shoes, sharing a room with a stranger, all the fun stuff. My favorite part of college is most definitely track. I compete with App State a NCAA D1 which the thought of that at first made me pretty nervous, but now its become my life and I love it! Coach takes us running all over the area and we often go to a trail called Greenway to run. I really like it here but its good to stop home every once in a while when I get the chance. Nobody knows what a cheese curd is here and I have yet to find a place that sells a brick of cheese or cheese curds. I have tried many of the southern foods here. My favorite would have to be grits or cornbread. Both very yummy, some better than others depending on who makes it! I do have a countdown til Im back in WI though, only 7 weeks!!

Greenway, where we often run, this is the entrance, we don't run on concrete hardly ever if ever.

Twisted/Compression Falls in Tennessee, about 20 minutes away from Boone

On top of Howard's Knob after practice.

My cowgirl friend

Every summer me and my cowgirl friend take pictures together. And yes, just me and her. We thank the tripod and remote shutter release for the photos of both of us! The past two years we have done "country" or "cowgirl" themes so this year we tried to change it up a little and do "fancier country" if thats possible. Its always gotta include "country" cause thats what Wisconsin is. And now that I'm in North Carolina I gotta show everyone what Wisco is all about! 

Summer photo shoots

I am here at college...well actually Boone, NC. The three- I mean two hours I have been here I have come to like this town. Its not huge, its not tiny, its medium. I'll move in tomorrow and then get really really busy so I figured before I get really really busy I better post these pictures that I took recently. Some kid pictures, some senior pictures.