New Places, New Faces

As I think about starting college in the fall, I couldn't be more excited. College means the opportunity to explore an entire new city with new people that I've never met. Yeah, that might sound weird to you, but I am beyond thrilled at the chance. These people won't know anything about me. They won't know what I did in high school or what I didn't. They won't know all my embarrassing habits during grade school. They won't know my likes and dislikes. They won't know the preconceived judgments everyone in my hometown has of me.  
College is the chance for me to show people the real me. The one who is a total klutz, but has a wicked love for sports. The one who loves staying up late, maybe going ghost hunting, but will be the first one to study and make sure I am getting good grades. The one who is completely insecure around boys because all the ones I've ever dealt with are douche bags. The one who hopes to end up with the unrealistic, magical fairy tale love story. The one who loves children. The one who wants to spend their life spreading the word of God to the most unreachable places. The one who just wants to be accepted for who I am.

Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville is giving me these opportunities. The opportunity to find new loves, to explore new places, to make new friends, to try weird foods, and to stay healthy and fit. Those are just a few of the chances I am getting. Wherever you end up going to school, know that you are starting with a new slate. You are being given the chance to make something of yourself, to be the person you truly want to be. Grab onto the reigns as tight as you can and enjoy the ride. Have fun. Go to that party, but don't forget to study, also. College should be a fun experience, but one you take seriously. 

1 Timothy 4:12 says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity."
Go do great things, leave your mark on this world, and most importantly, continue to follow God. 
-Kaelyn 

P.S. if you don't know the man upstairs, God, shoot me an email or drop a comment below. I'd be glad to tell you all about the man who loves you unconditionally and can change your life. 

Honestly,  I doubt anyone even reads this blog, but if you do I've got a story for you. When I titled my blog Gone Girl, I wasn't really sure why I did; it just seemed right. As I start to think about it though, it describes me. I plan to leave home and never turn back. My small town community doesn't have the opportunities I want or need. The name for kids leaving small farming communities like mine is called the rural brain drain.
The rural brain drain is something of an epidemic. I'm going to attach a link onto the end from a local newspaper telling you all about it. I was interviewed for this article and that's how I got onto the topic of my title of my blog, Gone Girl. In the article, the writer title my section "Kaelyn Watson: Gone Girl." Which I found to be quite funny.
Anyways, enough about my dumb antics. Here's the link. Go check it out.
http://thesouthern.com/news/local/rural-brain-drain/the-gone-generation-the-rural-brain-drain-and-the-future/article_c616d149-94cd-56f8-b1bb-ed3dbbf77137.html

Freshman Year Antics

So, I got to thinking today about how fast time has gone. I never realized how fast four years could go by until I looked back and realized I am about to graduate high school and leave home. It doesn't seem possible. I can still vividly remember walking through the red double doors for my first day of high school wearing a gray, Under Armour shirt with jean capris and black flip flops. I had short hair then too. The difference was I wasn't scared like most kids on their first day of high school. I go to a small school where everybody knows everybody. So small, the student body is about 130 kids. I wasn't afraid of the big, bad seniors because I was bigger than most of them. I walked in my first day of school standing at 5 foot 8 weighing about 160 pounds. By no means was I a baby freshman; I was bigger than most of the seniors. Freshman year had to be one of the best years of high school. I had 9th hour P.E. with all the senior boys and it was AHHH-MAZZZING! Not only as a freshman was my P.E. filled with cute boys, but it was competitive. I love competition and it seemed that was all P.E. was...one big competition. We played anything from dodgeball to soccer to football. I'm an athlete by nature and those senior boys did not like it. I could keep up with them and put up a fight in anything we played, especially dodgeball. It's my favorite, what can I say? I chose a target switching to a different senior boy every game and let me tell you, they got out. I usually picked on Josh because well, why not? It was funny to see him mad because I could hit him 9 times out of 10. Plus, my friends Sydney, Liz and I were beast at soccer. We had played when we were little and had a one-up on everyone in the class. I could be hallucinating, but I'm pretty sure we were first pick every time. Syd is a great mid-fielder, Liz a defender, and me a goalie. I hated playing it, but ended up in front of the net every time. I learned how to catch a football that year. Three or four of the boys played high school football and learned pretty quick that was one sport I sucked at. I just don't have good hand-eye coordination. Those boys took the time and taught me though. I can still catch pretty well, too! I wouldn't have survived that segment of P.E. without their help. Freshman year wasn't too eventful other than that. Schoolwork wasn't bad and neither were the teachers. Our softball team won another regional championship, nothing new. We lost the sectional championship, though. Funny story, I went to that game with my hand wrapped and taped because I had dropped the iron on it like 2 days beforehand ironing a pair of shorts. I'd recommend not doing that. Freshman year is where I got the title for my blog. I used to be a quiet, shy kid who let people walk all over me. My freshman year gone went that girl replaced by one who didn't handle people's bull and told them what I thought. I can proudly say that girl hasn't gone anywhere.

God Bless,
Kaelyn
John 3:16, Philippians 4:13

I'm New to This

Hey, guys!

My name is Kaelyn and I am currently a senior in High School. After high school, I plan on majoring in nursing and getting my Master's to become a Pediatric or Family Nurse Practitioner. I love God and mission work. If you don't know my God, hit me up and I'll tell you all about his amazing love for you(: Although I have never been to Africa, they have my heart. I feel the Lord is leading me to mission work somewhere there, so that I may be able to help their healthcare system. Missions are my passion and I love serving others!

Another passion of mine is sports. I have played softball, basketball, and volleyball throughout high school. Volleyball has my heart. I love to play and take every opportunity I can to play. Last year, my high school team won regionals for the first time in school history and it was something I will never forget. The feeling of being on the court is something I can't describe. Doing what I love and giving glory to God is indescribable.

I basically started this blog because I realized how fast time has gone. Today, one of the freshmen from my school had tweeted that she was already talking about college and that she didn't want to grow up. I graduate in 4 months. How's that for a reality check?! But anyway, I realized that I felt like I hadn't made an impact greatly in anyone's life during my 4 years roaming the halls of Galatia High School. Luke 10:02 says, "He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Basically, God's command is to go out and harvest people, so to speak. He wants us to share his word to all believers and non-believers. That's what I'm here to do, hopefully, make an impact on your life. Now, I'm not here to shove God down your throat. Trust me, I know nobody likes that, but I want to share a little bit of what he's done for me. Mostly, I'll be sharing my life problems hoping you might relate and telling funny stories.

For example, as I am typing this blog, my boxer crawls up onto the couch then proceeds to lay her head on my laptop/hands as I'm typing. She's still lying there now, not fazed at all by my typing! Anyway, I feel like I'm rambling so I'll sign off for today.
God Bless,
Kaelyn