#15 Participate in as many philanthropic events as possible

I love to dance, and most people who know me are quite aware of that. I also think it's important to give back/help organizations that are devoted to issues that I care about. So, signing up for Dance Marathon and Relay for Life was a no-brainer for me.

These events were back to back weekends in March this year, and although it was hard not getting to catch up on sleep like I usually do every weekend, participating in both of them was extremely rewarding and worth the lack of rest.

Dance Marathon, for those that don't know, is an event that has become very popular on numerous college campuses across the country. At Mizzou, it lasts 13.1 hours and the money raised by everyone involved goes towards the Children's Miracle Network Hospital on campus. Basically, it's a huge dance party from noon-1:06 in the morning, and it's all FTK-"For the Kids".

Ever since I heard about Mizzou's DM from my summer welcome leader this past July, I knew I wanted to be involved. My cousin who graduated from Indiana University danced at IU's DM while she was there and I remember  thinking it sounded so hard to have to stand for that long, but my cousin was cool and older than me and thus I naturally wanted to be like her and do it once I was old enough.

Yes, standing for 13.1 hours was hard. I wasn't actually that worried about it until about hour six, when you realize you're not quite halfway and everyone's initial adrenaline rush seems to wear off a bit, but the DM Steering Committee planned plenty of activities-and meals!-to keep me going.

While I loved the Zumba lesson, dance crew performances and especially the free Andy's custard, I have to say that seeing the kids that we were helping out there on the dance floor really made the experience worthwhile. Even though one girl was confined to a wheelchair, you could tell she was still feeling the music as she sat and gazed at all the people dancing in her honor with one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen.

DM participants sign "the board" pledging to stay the full 13.1 hours

Two friends and I in front of our team banner

My sorority sisters and I showing off on the dance floor 

Relay for Life was no exception.

The following weekend, which happened to be St. Patrick's Day, I pulled an all-nighter (from 6pm-6am) for the American Cancer Society, and it's the only time I can ever say that getting zero sleep has paid off.

My Nana passed away from cancer in 2005, and ever since I have been a big supporter of the American Cancer Society. When a close friend of mine lost her grandpa not long after I lost Nana, we got a big group of girls together and went door-to-door singing Christmas carols and carrying a box for donations. We gave all the money that we received to ACS and donated it in our lost grandparents' names.

It's one thing to spend a couple hours caroling, but it's another to spend a whole night walking a track and fighting the urge to close your eyes. I knew that participating in the event would be hard for me, and I was a little bummed that I wouldn't get to celebrate St. Patty's Day with my friends, but Relay for Life had been on my bucket list for eight years and I knew that I would regret not doing it.

I'm really glad that I listened to that little voice in my head urging me to participate. Watching all the names of the people that relay participants had lost to cancer flash across the screen was indescribibly emotional, and listening to a few survivors speak about their fight with this terrible disease was equally inspirational.

So, I know that I'm always going on and on about "getting involved" and I'm starting to sound like more of a school counselor or administrator with every blog entry, but it's true: giving back is extremely important, and there are a million ways to do it in college.

I guess the point is the same. Take advantage of all the philanthropic opportunities you have at school because giving up a couple Saturdays a year is going to make a much larger impact than you could ever imagine.

Me selling some pizzas to fundraise for ACS

Luminaries set out to honor those who have battled cancer

#14 Surprise someone

I know not everyone likes being surprised, but come on. It's so fun.

Last year a bunch of my friends surprised me after dance practice on my birthday. They were holding balloons and popped out when I turned the corner, about to walk out to what I thought was my Mom's car waiting for me in the parking lot. Instead, they took me out to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. It was simple yet meant so much to me. It took a decent amount of planning, and it showed how great of friends they truly are.

As a way of repaying my friends Leslie and Lauren for being two of the girls involved in that surprise, I decided to visit them at school without telling them beforehand.

Now, I can't go any further into this story without giving major props to my friend Madison. When I heard back in December that she had friends that go to school in Iowa a lightbulb went off in my head. Madison has friends in Iowa...she has a car...and likes to take road trips...hmm... I got a little excited. Thankfully, she is a pretty amazing friend and was more than willing to take the four hour trip north to help me put my plan into action.

Again, I have to stop and acknowledge another friend. My good friend Shannon also goes to school with Lauren and Leslie, and I couldn't have pulled this off without her. I needed at least one person to know I was going to be there so I could figure out the logistics (where we would stay, how we would meet up with the girls, etc.) and she was more than willing to help (and give us a place to sleep). She rocks.

Leslie and I right after I showed up at her door

So here's how it all went down. Madison, her roommate and I drove up to Iowa two weekends ago and dropped all of our stuff off at Shannon's dorm. Thankfully Leslie lives just a few floors above her, so Shannon knocked on her door and there I was, standing in front of Leslie with a bow on the top of my head (I was her belated birthday present).

I won't bore you with any more details, but what I want you to know is that seeing the expression on my dear friends' faces when they saw me made me the happiest I've been in months. Actually, I can't remember the last time I was that happy. It was incredible. Leslie hugged me for a solid minute and a half, looked at me, touched my face to check that I was real, and hugged me again. The same happened when I surprised Lauren, except there were screamed swear words involved and she jumped on top of me in a koala-type hug. Leslie cried. Lauren freaked. It was fantastic.

When you really care about people, it's really hard to be away from them. As obvious as this seems, I never realized the significance of this statement until I got to college. At school, I don't have any of the people I spent everyday with for eighteen years by my side. I don't get to smile and wave at them in the hallway, or sit with them at lunch. I don't get to run up to their locker and share the most recent piece of high school nonsense with them. I don't get to walk home with them and vent about all the things that are stressing me out.

I miss that. I missed my best friends, and although I spend a lot of time blogging about how important it is that out of state kids don't dwell on how far they are from their friends and family, sometimes you just have to admit that you're struggling with it. Sometimes the best cure is a hug from your best friend, and it means so much more when you know that they weren't expecting it. 

So, if you ever get the chance, plan a surprise visit to your friends' school. You may think they don't miss you as much as you miss them, but you have no idea how rewarding it is to realize that the feeling is 100% mutual the second they're back in your arms.

Leslie, Lauren, Shannon and I after the big surprise

Leslie, Shannon and I with our guy friends that I also surprised