Collegiate Chickadee: My Blog-iversery!

One Year Blog-iversery!

Well, it's been one year since I've started Collegiate Chickadee! I am so excited with the progress this has made and I'm even more excited to see Collegiate Chickadee grow further. You have probably noticed the new layout of Collegiate Chickadee. I figured since it looked the a certain way for a year, it was time for a change. I hope everyone likes it!

Since this is my one-year I'd like to dedicate this post to my Alpha Xi Delta Epsilon Sisters. Grab a tissue, my friends...or I should grab a tissue.

When I first joined Alpha Xi Delta, I was completely unaware at how much change was going to go on in my life in the next 4 years. As a freshman, I was completely taken off guard. When it came to formal recruitment, I was not planning on attending. I hadn't really been exposed to much Greek Life, outside of the movie Animal House, therefore my idea of sorority life was pretty skewed. From the moment I walked into Alpha Xi Delta, something clicked. To this day, I couldn't tell you what it was but something just felt right. After going through formal recruitment, I was given a bid card to Alpha Xi Delta and I remember running back to the house, chanting, and being excited beyond belief. When I met all my sisters, we took pictures and bonded. Freshman year as an Alpha Xi Delta was beyond amazing and little did I know, it was just the beginning.

Sophomore year was a little rough. I moved into the Alpha Xi Delta house where I went from having no roommate to 45 plus roommates. Also at this time, I was going through some very big personal problems in my life that were all too confusing and dramatic. We'll just say I was at the lowest of lows. My big sister (in Alpha Xi Delta), Sarah, became my number one fan. She cheered me up when I didn't think anyone could and she turned into someone I looked up to and I aspired to be just amazing of a big as she was. Without my big, I don't think I would have stayed. Without my big, I would still be lost, confused, and broken. Shortly after her, more sisters started to support me. They picked my broken pieces up off the floor and put me back together. During this whole process, not one sister made me feel like I was a burden. They had more patience with me, than I had with myself. They gave me love, support, a home, and the feeling that I was worth something to them. To me, that is true sisterhood.

And now here I am. I'm a senior in college, ready to graduate, and leave my home and sisters behind. Am I nervous? A little. Am I scared? Quite a bit. Am I prepared to say my goodbyes to Alpha Xi Delta? Not at all. I could sit here and talk all day about these women and how proud I am of them. Not only did we build a house up to become an amazing chapter, but we grew into a family. The sad thing is that sometimes we loose sight of that. Was my years in Alpha Xi Delta drama-free? HEAVEN'S NO! I had my fair share of tiffs with sisters. However, I grew from those moments. I admitted my wrongs, made my apologies, mended those relationships, and moved on. The one thing I learned is that every dramatic happening is not an end. It's merely a roadblock and patience is the only way you can overcome it. Every sister in Alpha Xi Delta is here for a reason, every sister in Alpha Xi Delta is a blessing, every sister in Alpha Xi Delta adds to our success as a chapter and every sister in Alpha Xi Delta is worth the world and more. We need to remember that "without bitterness or defeat, we may encounter misfortune and with humility meet success".

I can't put into words how much this house changed me. Through Alpha Xi Delta, I grew into a courageous, graceful, and peaceful woman. I learned more about myself and my sisters than I thought possible. So, it is in the next two months that I bid my adieu to the place that I've called home for the past four years. I say goodbye to all the memories of Strollers weekend, Willings, formals, date parties, movie marathons, nail parties, pillow talks, bunk beds, second-floor and basement lounges, the chapter room, Killarney, Picadilly, Sunshine, Betxiville, monday night meetings, initiations, pledging ceremonies, programs, and sisterhood events. I say goodbye (which will be the hardest one) to my Guidette Family, to my littles Ashley and Amber, my grand littles Aubrey and Jasmine, and my great grand littles Heather and (...I will meet you soon and shower you with love). I will never forget Alpha Xi Delta and all she's done for me. Also, I will never forget my sisters and the relationships I made here. Through Alpha Xi Delta, I found so much love and I found the woman I was destined to be. Along the way, I found my family.

Until next time, my lovely Alpha Xi. It was quite the journey! Stay ClassXi.