During the summer of 2002, I was accepted to the Arkansas School for Mathematics and Sciences. I had applied the year before (skeptically) and gone through the interview, et cetera, and been told that I was an alternate. Over the summer I received a letter saying that there was room available for me and that I could move in during the middle of August. My roomate was to be Jackie McClanahan, a girl who went to my homeschool and whom I had known for years yet never really given the chance with to become friends. Whenever we moved in together we instantly bonded. I was so grateful to have her there and I knew we would become very close friends. School started a week after we moved in, and I met other students. I went to classes and started having the biggest--and hardest-- loads of homework that I had ever had in my entire life! My grades were ok -- mostly Cs and Bs. (Although I suffered in PreCalculus and barely received a 70% for the first semester.) I loved ASMS and hated it at the same time. Living away from home, making my own rules, (for the most part at least) staying up into the wee hours of the morning... I hated the homework and the way teachers presented classwork. Every teacher seemed to think that their class was the only one you were in. Along with having at least 2 1/2 hours of homework nearly every night, I also had to get out of the dorm room and try to live a normal teenage life. I missed my family and friends at home, I wanted to be able to drive my car after school and go out to eat... I went home every weekend for 21 weeks. The drive was over an hour and a half every Friday and Sunday. After driving on Friday and knowing that I would have to drive back on Sunday, I never wanted to go out of town shopping on Saturdays, even though I wanted to go to the mall and buy new clothes or treat myself to a slice of pizza from Geno's. I wanted to go home miserably, yet felt a sense of responsibility to stay at ASMS. I promised myself I would give it at least a semester, as everybody said it was the most rough. I decided during Christmas break to return. Over the next 2 weeks I realized that this semester would be just as busy, if not MORE busy, than the semester before. The choice was so incredibly hard, but during a 3-day break for MLK Day I decided to return home to Mena. I cried as my mom and I packed and loaded my belongings. Leaving Jackie and my other friends was incredibly hard. Jackie, *Daniel*, Alan, Robbie, Jen, Jessica, Charity, Shelby, Rebekah, (and everybody else)... you guys are so great. I'm so very thankful for each of you. I hated leaving all of you and I miss you SO MUCH!!! Mena is going ok. I don't have as much homework and I am most certainly not stressed. I will be back to see you every now and then. =) Ya'll are going to make it through that crazy place and I will be at your graduation!!
Love you much!!

Here's me and my girl Jack... she's by far my best friend in the whole world.