So, recently my sister heard a loud, persistent meowing and assumed it was one of the two cats in my house. It turned out it was neither of our cats, but instead another cat was singing outside her window. The skinny little black-and-white cat obviously wanted something, so I decided to give him a little bit of our cat’s food to sate him and see if I could figure out if it had a owner.

The cat was very sweet and didn’t really seem like a feral stray. I would later figure out that the cat is indeed a boy (not neutered) and that my neighbors have been feeding him in the past. I decided to call him “Cow,” because of his black-and-white color, and I didn’t want to call him “The Cat” or “Oreo.” Though the neighbor was calling him “Smitten,” I like “Cow” better.

Currently, we’re look for his owner in hopes that he has one. We can’t take in any more animals in my house. So for now, Cow is my outdoor cat. The neighbors are planning on taking him into a vet to see if he has a microchip. If he doesn’t have a home, I don’t know what exactly to do with him. He needs to get neutered at some point but for now he’s just kind of chilling outside. I made a box up if he needs to sleep somewhere, and evidently he’s getting double fed by the neighbor and I. He’s really sweet though and likes to be stroked (a lot). We estimate that he’s still really young. Hey, if anyone out there wants a cat, look me up!

I would like to recommend to anyone who is coming to college to make certain that they maintain or create a healthy lifestyle. Before I came to Texas A&M, I ate healthy food, as my grandmother would always prepare a good dinner, but I was never a physically active individual. I did not participate in sports or attend a gym all through high school. But, once I got to college that changed.

I took a required kinesiology class and was only able to get into aerobic running. At first I was disappointed. I never ran and was convinced I would not be good at it. I never was the fastest, but I wasn’t the slowest either runner either. After a while I was able to run for the entire route, usually three miles. Eventually, I found that I actually really enjoyed it. Even after the class was over, I continued to run in the mornings.

Remarkably, instead of gaining weight (as they call it the Freshman 15), I lost weight once I was living alone. I preferred to walk on campus if I had time between classes instead of taking the bus. I brought my bike to travel between West and Main campus when I did not have enough time to walk or take the bus between the classes. I am still amazed how simple it was to get into the routine.

Nowadays I am disappointed if I am forced to miss my morning run. My eating habits, for a while, became trapped in a trend of microwavable meals due to time constraints, but when I do make and effort to include fruits and vegetable, I find I feel a lot better.  What they say about being healthy making you feel better is absolutely true. I have to encourage people to do whatever they can within their schedules to be physically active and eat well.  As difficult as it seem to start, you will be thankful for it later on down the road. This is the start to our adult lives, and it is best to get started on a path that will lead to a long, healthy life.

With Thanksgiving coming up, I must tell what I am most thankful for. My family is the most important group of people to me, and they are who I am most thankful for. I had my Ring Day this past Friday and knew my mother and grandparents would be coming. But, I was surprised when my mom arrived with my sister and brother as well. They didn’t tell me they were all coming, so it was a wonderful surprise to have them there when I got my ring.  Getting my Aggie Ring has been an amazing experience. It’s a sort of proof that all my hard work is being recognized, and it is also a promise to continue until I graduate.

Finals will begin soon now. This semester has really flown by so fast. It’s hard to believe I’ve gotten so far already. It won’t be long until I apply to veterinary school.  It’s startling to think that I’m so close. I know I still need more veterinary experience, and I may stay in College Station for the winter break in order to intern for a veterinarian. But, I’m really excited about the possibility that I could be in veterinary school in a little over a year. But for now, my family is here for Thanksgiving, and I’ll have a little bit of a break before finals. Things are pretty good right now.