Christmas Eve & NYC

I've covered a lot of ground these past four days.

On Sunday I left my dad's house in upstate (basically Canada) New York and headed to the Big Apple with my aunt. It was a great way to break up my 11 day trip and an even better change of scenery. Seeing NYC in the winter was completely different than my visit over the summer. The city had me enjoying the cold, woah.

Sunday was a simple day because of the long drive. However, Monday we saw a lot of the city. My aunt and I took my cousins to a circus in Lincoln Center, walked 5th Avenue and saw the famous Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. 

I couldn't stop thinking of Elf quotes while looking at the tree. 

Aunt Katie and I outside of the Lincoln Center Theater

After seeing the tree we all went to dinner in Chinatown. We ended up meeting up with some of my aunt's friends, Chris and Ginny, at dinner. They were in the city for the weekend and when Ginny left the table Chris told us he was going to propose to her in front of the Rockefeller tree after we were done with our meal. My heart melted. I love when people are in love. 

Tuesday was the best ending to my city trip. My cousin, Emilia, was getting sick so I went off into NYC by myself. If you've ever been with me in a car it doesn't take long to conclude that I'm extremely directionally challenged. I use GPS to go everywhere and can barely get around my own hometown. As Katie was drawing out directions for me I tried to act calm and collected, but the second I left the safety of her apartment I panicked. There I was, headed to explore one of the biggest cities in the world...alone. 

However, thanks to the lovely map she drew me and the "Embark NYC" App, I made it to 34th Street and back to Brooklyn in one piece.

 I got back to my dad's this afternoon so I could spend Christmas Eve with them. We delivered homemade cookies to friends, had a nice dinner and went to a perfect candlelight church service to celebrate our Savior.

I wish I could put into words how great this trip has been. Thankful doesn't even begin to cover it.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays, 

Lex

Catching Up

OK, so this semester was a little more hectic than planned.

I wish I had posted on here more than twice over these past 4 months. However, if you really just love my writing, I was assigned to do a weekly blog post for my electronic communications class. You can view that blog here. We were given three article each week and had to write a short post about one of them, which is why some of the topics are a little out there. 

Fast forward to right here, right now.

I am currently at my dad's house in upstate New York. Yesterday was Karina's 6th birthday, so I flew in to surprise her. She wasn't as amused as I'd hoped she'd be about me spontaneously showing up across the country, but it was great to be able to spend the day with her.

Doesn't she seem thrilled?

On Sunday I'll be headed to NYC with my aunt for a few days, so I'll be sure to post about that. I'm beyond excited to see the city during Christmas time. Maybe I'll watch Elf before I go to really get into the NYC spirit. 

Hooray for the holiday season and being back on the blog!

With love, 

Lex

I'm Finally a Big!

Last night was Gamma Phi's big-little reveal, and it couldn't have been better!

After almost a month of knowing, I can finally say Annie and Courtney are officially mine.

Annie (left) and Courtney (right)

Keeping it a secret that I was getting both of them as my littles was almost impossible.

I kind of blew it in the beginning. Annie saw big-little stuff on my bed one night and I had to stop myself from calling them "little" whenever I saw them. Not to mention I am the WORST liar. So basically the entire ordeal was pretty stressful for me, but it was all worth it in the end! (even the hours I spent slaving over the few crafts I made myself)

Annie was so excited she didn't put on her big-little clothes.

Sadly I can't take credit for all of these.

Big-little has always been something I've looked forward to. When I officially became Mikki and Lauren's little it was like Christmas in October. Welcoming Courtney and Annie into the fam last night was even better. I have been awaiting the day for me to become a big since summer. I started painting canvases and pinning gift ideas for them before I even knew their names, before they were even Gamma Phis. I even wrote a post about it a few months ago, which you can view here.

It was just one year ago that I got my bigs, and now I am one. I am so thankful to have a Gamma Phi Beta family that makes college so indescribably fun. I love ya'll more than you know.

 Welcome to the sassiest and most fun-loving family in the GPhiB, little ones! There isn't anyone who could fit into this dysfunctional fam better than you guys do. Ya'll are the perfect littles for me and I can't wait to create more memories with you two by my side.

To the moon and back,
Lex

Oh, happy day!

GAMMA PHI BETA'S NEW PLEDGE CLASS IS FINALLY HERE!

Since July 26th my Gamma Phi chapter has been working countless hours in order to get the best pledge class possible...

... and it was worth every second!

Yesterday we welcomed home 60 kind, beautiful, and outgoing women as our new sisters. 

My pledge class waiting for the arrival of our future littles!

It was, hands down, the best possible way I could have spent my 19th birthday.

Each member of my pledge class picked a new member to be our "bid day buddy", meaning we held their sign as they ran home and hung out with them all of bid day.

I met my buddy, Dylan, during the first round of recruitment and I am so happy I can now share this year's experiences in Gamma Phi with this sweet girl!

I was also extremely excited to be reunited with Lauren. She was my bid day buddy when I ran home to Gamma Phi last year.

From bid day buddies to big/little 

A huge shoutout to Kelsi Hildreth and Hannah Kissick for being awesome recruitment chairs. Without ya'll none of this would have even been possible. I am so thankful for your hard work and dedication to this chapter. Love ya to the moon!

~Photo creds to Kelsi's Instagram~

PC 14', I am so incredibly happy for you guys! Welcome to the strongest sisterhood at Oklahoma State, pretty ladies!

Peace, love, sisterhood,

Lex

¡Hola Amigos!

I am officially done traveling for the summer!

July 6th marked my first time out of the continental US; and will hopefully represent the beginning of more international trips to come.
Mexico was a blast.
We stayed at a huge resort in Riviera Maya called the Grand Palladium, which was one of a kind to say the least. There was tons of wildlife present and it felt like many parts of the area were still untouched despite being in the midst of a massive hotel group.

There were hundreds of these little guys running around the resort. They loved company and would stand on their hind legs to beg for food.

I spent the majority of my week being a beach bum or laying by the pool with my mom and her friend's daughters. We only left the resort for one day, and it was to go to Xel-Ha (pronounced "Shell-Ha"). Xel-Ha is a park in Riviera Maya where a freshwater river meets the ocean and, in turn, creates an incredible wildlife habitat for visitors to snorkel and tube through. The float down this river was only an hour long, but incredibly enjoyable since we spent the first half of our day exploring some nearby Mayan ruins.

The Mayans definitely knew how to pick a good location

The heat and humidity are borderline unbearable when you're this close to the Equator so getting to spend the remainder of our afternoon in a river was total bliss.

I couldn't think of 9 better people to share my first international experience with and am so thankful for the opportunities I had to travel to new places this summer. Stillwater, I'll see you in 4 days!

These next couple weeks are about to be extremely hectic, but I will try and keep this updated as much as I can.

Also, a huge thank you to Phil-C for the photos from this trip. You rock.

Until next time,
Lex

Lex in the City

What an incredible past several days it’s been!

Last Saturday I left Texas to meet up with my dad, step mom, sister, and 2 stepbrothers for this year’s family vacation. We try to do something fun together every summer and this year we have two destinations: New Jersey and NYC

I flew into New Jersey, where we stayed Saturday-Wednesday. This half of our week long adventure was focused mostly on the kiddos. With my brothers being 9 and 10, my sister being 5, and being 18 myself, it can be difficult to find vacation spots where we can all enjoy ourselves. We spent  a majority of our time at the New Jersey Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor parks. I would be lying if I said it was only enjoyable for the younger ones. I got to feed GIRAFFES (a dream come true!) and nothing makes me happier than wave pools and lazy rivers. Basically, despite it being a kid-orientated couple of days, I couldn’t have enjoyed myself anymore. Sometimes it’s great to just enjoy some Swedish Fish flavored Italian ice and sweat it out at an amusement park for three days. Although by the end of Day 3 I was absolutely exhausted...

We ended up becoming great pals.

In the middle of our New Jersey portion of the trip we took a break from the rides and chaos to have a relaxing day at Belmar beach. The boys got some private surf lessons while I napped in the sand and made my skin a bright shade of crimson just in time for our trip to Hurricane Harbor the following day.  The beach day was definitely my favorite part.  We ate 3 Brothers Pizza, enjoyed the sand, and went to the boardwalk to finish off our day away from Six Flags.

I sadly did not take any pictures at the boardwalk, but it was beautiful!

Wednesday eventually rolled around and, after I ate my body weight in fried food, we headed to the Big Apple. Before crossing the NJ-NY border we took a ferry ride to Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty. My sister, Karina, was so stinkin’ cute. When the kids found out we were going to Ellis Island via boat ride she exclaimed “Because we are fishing for liberty, right???” Absolutely precious.

Our hotel in NYC couldn’t have been better. We stayed at the Double Tree, which was right in the middle of Times Square. I have been to upstate New York countless times, but this was my first time actually seeing New York City. Even with the constant flash flood warnings it was breathtaking. I don’t think you could ever run out of things to do there. For the three days we were there we were constantly on the go, and it still felt like there was so much more to see and do. This is definitely a place I will need to return to in the future. Despite several changes of plans due to the rain, my first experience in the Big Apple was one for the books. 

If you're ever in NYC be sure to check out Ella's Stardust Diner. It's a really unique dining experience you could not get anywhere else. So much fun!

The pictures were limited on this trip because my iPhone can only do so much. I didn't have quite enough room for my camera this time around, but hopefully I will make up for the lack of pictures in my next post!

See ya'll in a week. It's 2am and I have to head to the airport at 5:15, but I couldn't just leave the country without posting first. Mexico, here I come!

Be back soon, 

Lex

And We're Back

Yesterday I came back from Stillwater and today: back in Dallas!

My pledge sister, Aidan, and I ventured back out into the wonderful city, but this time we explored Deep Ellum. What's great about this area is that it has a completely different vibe than the rest of the city. It makes you feel like you're in an Urban Outiftters ad. There's beautiful murals painted all over the buildings and everything has a really artistic feel that I can't really describe. The buildings of Deep Ellum have tons of personality and there's a lot to look at. I loved walking around, taking pictures, and appreciating the artsy vibe (until it got too hot to be outside any longer). I want to go back a lot earlier in the day sometime so my visit isn't cut short again. We headed to Dallas a little before 10am, but that didn't give us enough time to explore before the Texas heat began to take over. However, before we retreated to an air-conditioned lunch we managed to get some cool pictures. 

Aidan has taken a photography class before and showed me how to use some of the settings on my camera. I've had my Canon for a while, but I primarily used it to film segments for my high school's television show. I've never really played with it in a photography setting until recently. I don't ever aim to be a professional photographer, but it would be nice to know how to capture something beautiful without relying on the "full auto" setting. We have talked about going to other locations just to play around with our cameras and take pictures. I hope these little sessions help me improve over time, but I guess we will have to wait and see!

I can't wait to go back and explore some more. Hopefully next time I will finally get to eat ice cream from a food truck at Klyde Warren Park.

Thanks for stopping by, 

Lex

Hello, hello, hello!

Don't worry. I haven't gone anywhere!

It felt weird not having anything to write about over this past week, but I couldn't stand leaving the Lexpedition unattended any longer.

So what exactly have I been up to?

For starters, I have been taking the time to reflect on and appreciate all the positive feedback I received about my post "Here Come the Brides...". Whenever I originally decided to start blogging I planned on this site being strictly about my life. I wanted it to be like an online scrapbook where anyone who was interested could see what I was up to. However, once I began blogging, ideas for opinion pieces and column style posts began swirling in my head. I did not plan for my blog to take that route whatsoever. In fact, I was completely blown away by the appreciation of my last post. It alone got over 1300 views and was read in over 10 countries...the support I received was incredible and totally unexpected. The success with that piece was jaw-dropping, but it also made me nervous to post again. I knew that not everything I wrote would spread internationally like that. Thankfully, I got over that and instead used the positive feedback to inspire me to come up with more ideas.

I want nothing more than to keep people interested in reading my posts. That's why I have also been investing some brain power in coming up with new ideas for the future. I set goals for the blog, began thinking about changes for the layout, and created some drafts for the future. It really sucked not having anything to post over these past several days and I want to avoid running into this problem again. I figured if I start some posts now I can always go back and finish them up when I'm not doing anything exciting. Hopefully some of these concepts keep ya'll excited to keep up with me.

I've also been working...kind of. I watch 3 kids 2 days a week and drive a family friend to drivers ed so the time commitment is not too heavy. However, some of my days start at 6am and I like my sleep. Just trying to keep busy and get a little pocket change.

Finally, I've been overcoming the weight I gained throughout freshmen year. This is a challenge I have been taking on since summer started, but I've recently hit a roadblock and have pushed my efforts into overdrive. Once I reach my goal (aiming to do this before I move back to Stillwater at the end of July) I will be posting about my weight loss journey and what a challenge it's been to get healthier and deal with my 28 pound weight gain. There's been a lot of green smoothies and shakes happening in the Natale household, but it'll be worth it in the end. It's been an exciting change and I cannot wait to reach my goal. If I stay focused I should reach my first milestone really soon. I'm excited to talk about this experience with ya'll!

There is so much coming up that I am looking forward to sharing on here. This weekend I will be headed back to Stillwater to see some friends and possibly go on a float trip. The day after I return home I will be adventuring back to Dallas to explore some more, and the following weekend I leave for back to back trips to NYC and Mexico. I have so much going on, but I promise I won't leave ya'll hanging! This blog has become a huge priority to me and soon I will have some cool things to share.

Stay tuned!

Lex

Here Come the Brides...

If you use any form of social media it is no surprise that wedding season has arrived (and engagement season, too).

Instagrams are flooded with pictures of beautiful rings and weddings that look like living Pinterest boards. Friends and relatives flock to congratulate engagements and newlyweds. Wedding season is like Valentine's Day on steroids. Which makes it really great, but also incredibly overwhelming. I mean seriously; who doesn't love gawking at the beautiful rings and adorable pictures and videos of proposals? It is this time of year that I pick up a temporary hobby of creeping through weddings; imagining the day that it'll be my turn... Which is as equally terrifying as it is exciting. I am nowhere remotely close to reaching that next chapter of my life. I'm 18, single as can be, and still not mature in the ways necessary to be a wife. Or even a girlfriend, for that matter. There have been times that I have lied to myself about this fact. I'm technically an adult so I should be trying to find true love, right? But the thing is...

I have never been so happily single in my entire life.

Sometimes I feel like I am not supposed to feel this way. There is a constant pressure to meet new people and search for a partner. Many of my sorority sisters have gotten engaged during their junior and senior years of college. This means that I would have to meet the man of my dreams, fall in love, and get engaged before 2017 to keep up with them. It used to be a really stressful thought for me to try and comprehend, until I learned to love being single and developed a better sense of independence. I hardly ever used to do things for myself. I always wanted to do things solely to make other people happy and I would put my own bliss on the back burner. Don't get me wrong. I am not some huge relationship scrooge. Love is one of my favorite things in the world and I cannot help but smile at the fact that there is a man in this world who is absolutely perfect for me. It's exciting in every sense of the word, but I know it's just not my time to meet him.

AND THAT'S OKAY.

Learn to love the cards you've been dealt, have fun with the life you live, and make yourself happy.

I feel like a lot of young adults often believe like they need a significant other in their life in order to be happy and feel "complete", but that is not the case. Getting married is not a race. You do not get a trophy for getting engaged before you're old enough to drink a beer. People, it's okay to be single and its just as okay to be in a relationship. Do whatever makes you feel best, just know that you are the one who's ultimately in charge of your own happiness. Being a young adult is awesome. This is the most fun and free part of our lives. This is the time for us to find ourselves, have a great time, be selfish, and make mistakes. Take advantage of this time because these years are all about you. Do what YOU want and what makes YOU happy. There aren't guidelines to growing up. Everybody's life stories are completely unique. Some of your chapters are going to be longer than others, some shorter. You may have extra chapters your peers don't. It's all okay and it's what makes life so exciting to live. There will never be another you and no one's story will ever replicate yours. So do what you can to make your life the best it can be; it will never be repeated. Plus, if we were all getting married at the same time we would all be too busy planning our own weddings to celebrate at anyone else's. You gotta think about these things.

So lets go out there and cheer each other on to our own finish lines, no matter how long some of us take. If you want to sprint, sprint. If you want to walk, skip, or somersault your way to the end that's fine, too. Just be happy, enjoy the ride, and be happy for other people being happy. It's so simple.

All the power to those who have already found love and have all the qualities necessary to be in a relationship. I have trouble figuring out what I want for dinner every night, let alone finding someone I'd want to be in a committed relationship with. Relationships and marriage are beautiful things. I watch wedding and proposal videos on Pinterest like it's my job. Being single is a wonderful thing, too. Being a young adult in general just rocks, no matter what path you're on. 

So happy wedding season to all the brides/grooms-to-be, and cheers to the single kids taking as many breaks as they want along the way before reaching their finish line. We are all awesome; live it up however you please.

Love always, 

Lex

A Day In Dallas: My Personal Crystal Ball

If you stick with me, and this blog, you'll probably see "Dallas Days" become a relatively common occurrence. 

Those of you who live in Dallas, or any of the surrounding suburbs, I highly encourage you to not wait until you're 18 to start exploring this beautiful city like I did. I never realized how much Dallas truly has to offer. I had always taken the city for granted, but today completely sealed the deal of wanting to move into a cozy apartment in the city once I graduate college. I can already see myself walking the urban scenery with my golden retriever puppy, doing my weekly shopping at the Dallas Farmers' Market, and enjoying lunch with my girlfriends at Breadwinners or the Klyde Warren Park food trucks. Today was so simple yet so indescribably enjoyable. I got the most perfect glimpse of what I want my 20s life to be like. My day pretty much went just as I had described above (minus the uptown apartment and puppy).

Two of my pledge sisters and I started off our day with a delicious and perfectly portioned lunch at Breadwinners. I absolutely love little cafe style restaurants. This one is even better because on Sundays you get a free dessert with the purchase of a dinner entree if you go in after 5pm! (Perfect for a date. You're welcome, boys)

So. Dang. Delicious.

Afterwards we drove around and explored. I was determined to finally get a picture with one of the Dallas B&G signs. (Pictured below)

Throwin' what we know in D-Town

There are a handful of these letters scattered throughout the city. Locations include Klyde Warren Park (the one I'm pictured by), Victory Park, and Main Street Garden, among others. Sadly, we did not make any food truck purchases. I'll save that for next time.

We concluded our day trip with a visit to the Dallas Farmers' Market. 

My evening snack of fruit I bought today.

See you soon, Dallas! I'll be spending a day in Deep Ellum soon.

Until Next Time

Weekend Festivities

As mentioned in my previous post, I was extremely excited for this weekend to come. Now that it's already over, lets begin with Friday.

Friday night marked more than just celebrating one of my best friend's birthdays. It was also the first time I had been able to go out with my hometown friends to places where you had to be 18+ up. Due to my incredibly late birthday, it was impossible for me to accompany my friends on their legal adult endeavors. I was not of age until AFTER we all left for college (my 18th birthday was August 11th, 2013). That being said, I was obviously excited to celebrate Julie's 19th birthday; however,  it was also nice to actually go out in Dallas for my first time. Maddie's birthday celebrations were also supposed to be this weekend, but her and I are postponing the shenanigans until a later day (and it will most likely involve a trip to Sprinkles).

iPhone photo quality was seriously a let down. I hate forgetting my camera when it comes to things like this.

 I also took some time this weekend to go outside and appreciate the suburbian outdoors I am surrounded by...

[Hang Loose, ya know]

...and discovered that I share space with some very adorable guests.

Then of course, I GOT A JOB! I am so excited to start Thursday and finally have a set schedule along with a regular source of income. Now I can finally be a little more self sufficient. *Cue the song "Miss Independent"*

Stay tuned for more adventures to come and have a great first week of June, ya'll!