Beer Goggles & Blurred Vision: What We Actually Miss About College

Looking back, college was a blur—sometimes literally. This week, we’re taking a trip down memory lane to reflect on the "good ole days," but with a reality check. We’re talking about the things we wish we had put at the top of our syllabus back then: fitness, faith, and mental health. Grab a drink (water counts!) and join us as we unpack what we learned, what we regretted, and how we finally found our footing.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

And it was like, if you haven't been moved or changed, you know religion, not Christ. And I truly feel that like deep in my soul, like I am a different human being because of the relationship I have with God.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

So Brady, I have a question for you. What's it like when the corn is high but the chaos is higher?

SPEAKER_02 0:20

It's a lot of things, but it's never boring. This is the Farm Wi-Fi's life between the rows. Welcome to another episode.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

Yay.

SPEAKER_02 0:33

I thought I was just getting yelled at because I took a drink of my protein shake and Addy was like, I'm gonna wait till you finish. I thought she wanted me to chug the whole thing.

SPEAKER_00 0:41

And I was like, No, I don't care. I mean I do care, but I don't care. And then you just looked at me.

SPEAKER_02 0:49

Like Which chugging kind of goes on to what we're gonna talk about. It it is.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

I wasn't chugging anything in college, but I beg to differ.

SPEAKER_02 1:00

Were you?

SPEAKER_00 1:02

I I mean you.

SPEAKER_02 1:03

I was chugging alcohol?

SPEAKER_00 1:05

I can see you. Chugging alcohol.

SPEAKER_02 1:08

Like you think so in your brain, or like you actually remember seeing me?

SPEAKER_00 1:11

I did remember seeing you one time.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:14

I don't remember most of it.

SPEAKER_02 1:16

You can tell me.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

It was the party bus. I mean, I was I was a I was a mess. No, that was not college.

SPEAKER_02 1:24

But anyway, we were on and you was there for a night, and there's a party bus.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

It's not even the night, it was the day.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

Yeah, whatever the party bus. You can let a little bit of a crazy side come out.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

And you just said that, and we were having a conversation before we push records. Oh, I'm itching for you know something. And you know what? I just want to go to the winery.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

I haven't been there since the storm.

SPEAKER_02 1:50

Yeah, we we've only been there once, but it was short-lived, but it was still yeah. They just have honestly, like I love the wine part, but the food too is just fire. Such good food.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

They do. Anywho.

SPEAKER_02 2:01

Yeah, anyway. Um, so to preface a little bit, we just started talking about chugging alcohol. But no, we're gonna chat about things that we do now as adults that we've implemented into our life that we wish we would have been smart enough to do when we were like living our college days or our younger days.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

I also think so. I'm gonna talk about when I was 19 or even 18 or something. I just felt so invincible.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

Did you?

SPEAKER_00 2:31

I did. I mean, I knew I had to be smart because I was on college scholarships and all of this stuff, but I was completely living off of caffeine and dry shampoo.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

And washing my face with water.

SPEAKER_02 2:44

I don't think I own dry shampoo then. I don't think I knew what it was.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Dry shampoo for days. I use dry shampoo a lot because of like I would do volleyball, but I might not have had time to like do a full shower like before class, so I would have to like you were in line collegiate sports. Yeah, like hardcore collegiate sports and even then sports before that.

SPEAKER_02 3:08

So anyway, like I'm dry shampoo and cafe, and mine was like bush light and uh taco salads from the cafe or the um the calf. The cafeteria.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

The calf was so good, they're corn nuggets.

SPEAKER_02 3:23

Dude, I do miss that. Like just being able to walk down there and or they had a like a little mini restaurant in the school too, and that's where they had like taco salads and um cheeseburgers, and yeah, it was just so nice to think it was cheap. Yeah, we could do it off points because I had fast food. Oh yeah. So I was like living off of that for the semester.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 3:46

You know, there's like a beauty and also just like a cringiness to college. There is as a mom, like like Tyler and I were just talking about this when because I had texted him the other day when I was just feeling really lonely and just really in the thick of it with the kids. And I said, It was like 9 30. I said, I'm gonna go bark hopping. He said, What? I was like, Yeah, I don't know, just sounds fun. And then when I went to ride with him later on, he's like, Yeah, I'd go back to college. And I said, Yeah, I would go back for like a long weekend. He's like, I'd go back for a year. No, Tyler.

SPEAKER_00 4:21

No, we're not allowing you to go back for a year.

SPEAKER_02 4:25

No, he's crazy in college.

SPEAKER_00 4:28

That would be like a fun little like mom's or like parents' night out for our friend group or something. Like at like college. I'll go back.

SPEAKER_02 4:36

I would need like 47 days to regret.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

I know, I know. It's not over like not the alcohol that I'm talking about because uh everyone that knows me knows that I'm not a big drinker anyway. But it's the staying up and like doing things, like socially doing things.

SPEAKER_02 4:55

It's staying up like three hours of the night.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

I know, like three o'clock in the morning, and it's like, oh, I got 8 a.m. class, maybe I'll show up for it.

SPEAKER_02 5:02

I was in an equine practicum class and that ha I had to like either go take care of the indoor arena, like sweep or do whatever in there, or I'd have to go feed the outside horses and like give 'em hay and feed them grain and muck out their stalls and stuff. And that was at five in the morning. Oh gosh. Do you know how many times I went or like I would wake up and you know, normally you wake up with a hangover? No, you wake up and you're still intoxicating.

SPEAKER_00 5:30

Well, not only that, but are you waking up or are you just muscling through it?

SPEAKER_02 5:35

Like, how did I do that? I don't know how I did that.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

Again, living off of caffeine and dry shampoo.

SPEAKER_02 5:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:43

And washing my face with just water. It's just wild that is wild how my life has changed. Our lives have changed for it.

SPEAKER_02 5:51

Yeah, because now I'm so like, I mean, it's just nuts. I can't imagine like my friends that were really close with me in college, if they knew me now, see me as a mom, and like, or like that TikTok turn that went around that says it's like, okay, yeah, I can come, but my kid has to have a baba at this time, be in bed at this time, and then I have to be back by this time, and it's a picture of them their college days, and it says, What? Yeah, like that's literally my life. Yeah, like what are you talking about? Talon has to go to bed at 7:30, and Branson needs to have a feeding session and rocking, and then put down at 6 30.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Well, and then times it by three because you know that he's gonna come right back up and ten minutes later. Yeah, it's just it's so funny because although I'm not like in the mix of like motherhood, but it's like I was going from living off of pure I'll just sleep when I'm dead mentality to now I need seven hours of uninterrupted sleep, or I'm not my best self and no one should be around me. It's just wild that things have changed in that.

SPEAKER_02 7:00

Okay, well, I want to know if you don't mind sharing. Yeah. What did your college life look like?

SPEAKER_00 7:05

Computer chaos. As far as like partying or because I feel like I've heard a little story that how you and Cody met is because you were the DD all the time, driving them around or picking them up or so Cody and I met just because it was actually a mutual friend that set us up on a uh we it wasn't a blind date, but we knew that we were going on a date with each other.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

Oh really? That's how that's how we met is and it was just a it was one of my friends know each other until you went on a date.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

Um, we knew uh so he knew of me because I worked basketball intramurals. Oh, okay. And so I was refing or making sure that the bracket was all filled out, all of that stuff. He obviously is very tall and he loved to break rules and all of that stuff. So he knew me and I did not like him because of that because we had a no-dunking rule, like you couldn't dunk the basketball. And of course, when you're that tall and trying to show off, uh you're gonna dunk. So he knew me, I didn't like him that way. He knew me, I didn't like him. And then one of my friends who is also on the volleyball team, she was just like, Hey, Luke and I, her name's Madison, but Luke and I are gonna go on a date. He's bringing Cody, you should come. And so that's we just went on a date, and then he paid for me, and then he came back to the my dorm, and we just kind of talked, and Madison lived in the dorm right next to us anyway. So she and Luke were over, and Luke and Cody were really good friends and still really good friends. Okay. And then Cody went on his way, and then he uh texted me the next morning or something like that, and came over, and so that it kind of just went from there. But day to day college-wise, like I wasn't looking for a relationship when I met Cody, and I was mainly just fo like at that point before I met Cody, I was planning on going on and playing at a four-year, like I decided on a two-year, I had college offers other places, and Alabama was one that I was actually more leaning towards before I wanted to stay home closer to my mom and my brother just because I needed to for them. Plus, my best friend was gonna go play down there. So I was more like head down, like, don't get in a relationship because you this isn't gonna be forever. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so then when Cody and I actually got serious, I like really was like, okay, can my body really take another two years of collegiate your knees and yeah, my knees, my back, my my mental health, like it just being a college athlete is tough.

SPEAKER_01 9:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

And then that's also when I found the love for nursing, and so I wanted to go into nursing school and finding a D1 school to let me do nursing was not gonna Oh, really, not gonna really work unless you go to like Creighton and I I knew I didn't want that. And so so there was always that, but it was I filled my schedule with busyness and I didn't really put Cody as a priority, and then Cody m became a priority in my life, and that's how we ended up together. But yeah. So my college life was not super party central because of the college athletics side of things. Like we had rules that we had to follow on the team, but then alcohol in my life has never been a positive thing for me, and I've never really looked at alcohol as a positive thing, so I never really like felt the fun in doing it, and so um when Cody would go do it, or anyone, and I was the RA on um duty that night, or just like a friend, like I never want people to drive drunk, and so I would always be like, Call me, yeah, I will come get you, I will do whatever. Well, there was one night that Cody called me, and this is the one that you're probably thinking of. He calls me, he's like, Hey, come pick us up, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I was just like, Okay, it's at the dairy. That's what we used to call it. Okay. So I drive to the dairy and I don't know if I get out, and no one, I I mean, you could hear it, they're all in the garage partying away. And I get in the garage and I like and like, where is Cody? I'm trying to call him, he's not answering. Like, I'm like, he ran away. Are you dating at this time? Yes. Okay. I'm like, he he ran away. Like, I, you know, whatever. And so I'm just standing in the corner. And if anyone can see on camera, I am standing in the corner like this, arms crossed.

SPEAKER_02 11:28

Because everybody there is like six seats to the wind, and you're like dead sober.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

I am dead sober. I just was asked to come pick people up.

SPEAKER_02 11:36

It's probably what, two in the morning?

SPEAKER_00 11:38

It's yeah, it's closer to one at this point. And I'm like, the person that asked me for a ride is not even answering. I can see him across the room, uh, not declining phone calls, like has no idea that his phone is ringing. And so I and then finally he locks eyes. Yeah, he locks eyes with me and he knew. He was just like, oh no. So he comes over, he's like, What are you doing here? And I was just like, Are you kidding me? I said, get in my car, we're going. And so here we he piled in the car, and like seven other grown men are piled in my car, and there was not seven seats, and I was just like, I don't care what's happening, we are making it back to campus. And so, and then I whenever the song plays on, it's red, white, and blue.

unknown 12:25

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

And they are screaming that in the back. And so I just like that.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

Any of the other seven, anyone I know?

SPEAKER_00 12:33

Branson. In your wedding, not I was gonna say Branson was one of them, not your child, Branson. Yes, um, I don't think you would know anyone else.

SPEAKER_02 12:44

Okay, well, I just should know from your wedding and I saw a lot of SEC people there.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

We did, and so yeah, they are just hammered. And I'm just like, okay.

SPEAKER_02 12:55

And I've only been around Branson once when he was drunk at your guys' wedding, and then I obviously know Cody how he is intoxicated, so I can only imagine what you were doing.

SPEAKER_00 13:04

He is a hootin' and hollerin' type person, let me tell you that. And yeah, so I got them all back, and that was the most of my I mean, I I never really partied. And but again, I that was my choice. It wasn't like anyone was forcing me not to party. I just had different priorities in life, and I was fine with that. And I don't necessarily I I if I would go back in time, I I I would make the same decision.

SPEAKER_02 13:28

Well, and you're not the type of that's a buzzkill. No, you're still gonna have a good time and like enjoy your time if you don't need to be drawn to it.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

There was one time that a guy slapped me in my face, and that's when I became a buzzkill. Like I was sober. I was with Kelly and Carly, and we were on a party bus, and this guy reached across the bus and slapped me in my face, and I lost. I'm no, not like hard. Like he thought it was funny, but it was not funny, and so then I went crazy on him, and his wife is sitting right there, and I was just like, sorry girl, uh cross the line, but you don't you don't mess with this, and so yeah, there is I'm not a buzzkill. I like to think I'm not a buzzkill, but when you do cross that line and you or not necessarily with me, but with anyone that I care about, I'm gonna be mama bear and I'm going to myself, yeah, but like Tyler, like I'm real protective of my Tyler, yeah, because Tyler is very like nonchalant and thinks everybody's like the best person ever, like nobody's gonna hurt Tyler, nobody's out together.

SPEAKER_02 14:32

It's like and then here I am. Yeah, you can raise your voice even like a tiny bit to Tyler, and I am not a nice person.

SPEAKER_00 14:40

Unless you're me, and then I can raise my voice.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Strangers.

SPEAKER_00 14:48

Yeah, so my my college days were obviously a little bit different.

SPEAKER_02 14:52

I just so what did you because I know we've had a couple times that you've like allowed yourself to like let loose and like hashtag pasture golfing and um party bus.

SPEAKER_00 15:04

Yeah. So did you ever have that in college or no, not really, because I had so much anxiety about like losing a scholarship. But it also came down to who I was around. I mean, we've had that conversation even now. Like I I would rather stay sober and not drink around certain people. But if I am around people that I trust and that I care about and I know that they would stick up for me if I was put in a bad situation, then I I can let loose a little bit. But there's some times where I just don't feel that way.

SPEAKER_02 15:37

And if there's one person, right?

SPEAKER_00 15:40

If there's just that one person in that group, I'm not going to. Like I really need to surround myself in a spot where I know that someone's gonna stay sober, yeah, and that's gonna watch the group, and yeah. So there's always that. So I in college, no, in high school, really not either. Like there there were days. Yeah, what there were days that I would get away with a lot of stuff in high school that I probably should not have. Um, did I learn a lot from it? Did I make a lot of memories? Yes, was I safe and I was I responsible in how I made those decisions? Yes. I wasn't drinking and driving in high school, I wasn't out at uh, you know, a middle of a lake. Like some of I mean, was I uh at a lake and people were drinking alcohol? Yes, was I sober? Yes, like you know, like it's just that type of stuff. So I'm glad I made those decisions as my younger self.

SPEAKER_02 16:39

But yeah, good for you.

SPEAKER_00 16:41

And I wouldn't change it. There's some things I would change. No, there's a lot of stories that you've told me. Yeah, you're like not great.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

My what is the word like self-awareness? Yeah, I just think was pretty chugged out through college and maybe even some of high school. But now it's just funny because as bad a postpartum anxiety as I had with Talon, I looked back and I'm like, I was so worried about somebody like breathing on her or looking at her wrong that she was gonna get sick and die. And here I was at parties, like drinking jungle juice that some like nasty kids made. And mixed by hand, probably, yeah. And here I am just indulging.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 17:25

Like having a great job. Like, this is great, yeah, or it was mixed in a bathtub, like literally here I am now, 26 years old, like the biggest germal film ever. I know what doesn't make any sense, but good times, good times.

SPEAKER_00 17:40

What are some of the things that you feel like you would change if you did go back? Or would you change anything from your college days?

SPEAKER_01 17:50

I don't know. I had a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

Yeah, I I think it's okay to say that you wouldn't change anything.

SPEAKER_02 17:56

The amount of anxiety I feel about things now, maybe it was nice that I let loose and just didn't care at all. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:02

And I don't know if Tyler would be with me if I it was the same like or you didn't have the anxiety now if you still were party grady.

SPEAKER_02 18:15

Yeah. No, no, like if how how should I word this? Like, I don't know if Tyler would have chosen to be with me if I I don't want to think I'm like Debbie Downer. Like, I think I'm fun. Oh, I think you're funny. Like say fun. Well, I think it's a little anxious about stuff now. Well back then, yeah, we did not give a flying.

SPEAKER_00 18:32

Yes, we could fill in the word there.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

Literally did not care about anything.

SPEAKER_00 18:37

I think with the fun, everyone's definition of fun is so different. And so, like, my definition of fun was still fun to me. And I it might may not have been like someone that's listening right now, like, oh, how did you not drink in college? It's not that I didn't drink in college, I chose not to drink in college a large majority of the time. And so, were there times that I did drink? Yes, absolutely. Did I have fun doing it? Maybe, yeah, maybe not, but even the times that I wasn't drinking, yeah, I still had fun. And that's the thing is like everyone's definition of fun is different, and I feel like we just have to respect that sometimes.

SPEAKER_02 19:21

Well, and everybody like yeah, I mean, and everybody has an opinion. Like my little brother, he's literally 18 years old, and every once in a while he'll be like, Oh, are you gonna be fun and drink? And I'm like, shut up. You're 18. Like you can still have fun and not drink. Like he's just in that stage right now where it's like anything fun is alcohol related.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

And it's like, why as a society do we do that?

SPEAKER_02 19:45

Because do you know how much money is made off of like liquor a year? And that's I that's what I wish. And also alcoholism. I know how many zombies are made from alcohol.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

Again, that's kind of why like growing up I saw alcohol as not a positive thing. And that's why I chose not to drink, and that's why I I still choose not to drink. Is it's not that I I don't want to drink because I'm scared that I'm gonna become an alcoholic. No, I don't want to drink because I saw the things that it did to certain people, right? Whether they're in my family or not, and that's why I choose not to do it because I don't want to put anyone else in that situation. And I that's why I may Yeah, I relate to that 100%.

SPEAKER_02 20:29

And also I think um, like just from my from my life, I enjoy to drink, but I don't like to be drunk. Right. I mean, before kids, when I was drinking more often, I would get to a certain point and I would just be so upset because I'm like, I do not want to be drunk. I hate this feeling, this is the worst feeling in the world. Like, I like the bubbly, light, funny laugh about everything feeling right before you get drunk, and then you know you have like one more drink and then you're drunk and then you can't get out of it. Yeah. I don't like that.

SPEAKER_00 21:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:04

So um now it's just like having kids and I mean also just like life changes and your priorities change too. Yep. But I don't mind having a drink, like, but I don't the drunkness is not something I I feel the need to reach. Now, don't get me wrong, every once in a while where we have events or we have something, most of the time it's like I prepare myself or I prep myself for an evening of intoxication, but that's very far and few between.

SPEAKER_00 21:34

Yeah. Well, and I think with prepping for that, you're still a mom.

SPEAKER_02 21:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:39

So like your prepping isn't like, oh, I'm gonna drink, and I know I have a slower morning the next morning, so I'm okay if I wake up hungover. It's like no.

SPEAKER_02 21:49

Well, no, literally, that's what I was telling you right before this podcast. I had two beers last night, which I just had a baby, so my tolerance is like zero thing. I mean, it really isn't a lot anyway, but anyway. Had two beers last night and I was going to bed. I'm like, I think I'm kind of tipsy and I was so anxious. I'm like, I don't want to wake up hungover. Like, I cannot have a hangover with two kids. Right. I was really fearful, but I didn't. It was fine. Yeah. That was anxiety.

SPEAKER_00 22:13

But those are the things where it's like you just have different like things you have to think about. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 22:21

Who cares? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:24

Crazy to yeah. And I guess it's crazy for me because you have to have like A's and B's in healthcare to go on. Like you have to have a certain GPA in order to be accepted into a nursing program or even a master's program.

SPEAKER_02 22:38

I remember Yeah, there's a reason I didn't go into something like that. Yeah. Would not have made it.

SPEAKER_00 22:43

Yeah, I enrolled myself into a doctorate program. No, you didn't. Yeah, I'm kidding. I didn't.

SPEAKER_02 22:49

Oh my god. Cody's gonna kill you. Yeah, I wouldn't that's I wasn't surprised, but I was like, no way that you're gonna.

SPEAKER_00 22:56

That's the thing, is like I've You want to. Um, yeah. Right now, no, but there's been thoughts. Yeah, or even just getting a second master's, there's been thoughts. But it's this is why I have to stay busy. Because if I you get a little bit bored, or I can do this. Like, I literally I have seven college degrees. Seven. And one of them, I didn't even tell Cody or my mom that I got. I just I got I said, Hey, yeah, I graduated and I sent them this thing, and they were like, excuse me, what? My mom was just like, What did Cody say? Cody's like, I knew you were a little bit more bitchy and I'm like, Well, yeah, I I went back to school and literally no one knew. But it was like for free because I had scholarships, so it's not like I was paying like money for anything. Right. They couldn't see it in like an account. So yeah, I just I'll do that. I didn't tell Cody that I was in a master's program for like six months. I just did it. Finally I had to tell him.

SPEAKER_02 24:03

What is he is he just like used to it by now? Like, okay.

SPEAKER_00 24:07

Like, or is it Well, I th like when I told him about the master's program, I even think I didn't even tell my mom that too. Really, I don't think I told anyone in my family until like six months into it. But it was just like, why are you doing this to yourself? And it's just like, I don't know why I'm doing it, but I'm doing it. And so just support me. Like, and it wasn't like they weren't supportive, but I think they were just so confused where it's like, why are you doing this to yourself? You're so busy, but you enjoy it.

SPEAKER_02 24:39

So what's your like point of is it you get a little bored so you do it and then you get busy again? You're like, oh my gosh, why did I do this?

SPEAKER_00 24:47

or I seek academic validation in my life. Oh, I always have seeked academic validation.

SPEAKER_02 24:53

I have never cared about that.

SPEAKER_00 24:55

Yeah, and like, and it it's not that I need all these awards because like please do not praise me in public. Send me an email, call it a day. Yeah, don't care. Do not praise me in public. And so there's there's that, but when it comes to academic validation, I'm like, I am less of a human if I'm not educated. That's that is what's ingrained to my head. Why it's ingrained to my head.

SPEAKER_02 25:17

I know I don't know why you think that like I have no idea. Do your parents have really high degrees?

SPEAKER_00 25:22

My mom has a master's, my dad just had a bachelor's, but we're both very successful in their careers. Right. And so it wasn't it wasn't that. Like my my parents said, like, you will go to college, and that's why when my dad passed, he put money aside for my brother and I to go to college because that was important to him. Where I went to college, I got a degree, and then I ended up with six other degrees. But and so like I just sought that academic validation and I don't know why, but I I did, and I still kind of do, but I think that's the beauty of nursing too, because you can get certifications. Yes. And so, like, I'm certified in different things in nursing. And so you don't have to do a whole like school, but you're still I can get certified in things, and I have different certifications, whether that's nursing related or not. I just have professional certs. And there's times where I get bored and I'll do that again.

SPEAKER_02 26:21

Yeah, there you go. And at least it um like fuels you a little bit, but it's not a whole it definitely fills my bucket.

SPEAKER_00 26:28

Yes. But I can do it much more shorter term, like three months versus a year.

SPEAKER_02 26:33

Yeah, exactly. Well, I'm glad that you found that for yourself and you're not putting yourself through school again.

SPEAKER_00 26:38

Yeah, for now.

SPEAKER_02 26:40

My college, yeah, I just don't know. I didn't care. I think I was just ready to get out of my hometown and leave my family. And also just, I mean, you know how it is, you get to college and it's just like free rain. Oh man, I can be out till two in the morning and I'll have to answer to anybody. Mm-hmm. So that like I just took that and ran.

SPEAKER_00 27:01

Did Curtis have like full dorm rooms where like but were they apartment style or were they dorms?

SPEAKER_02 27:08

So the ones I lived in, you walked in and it was like a living room and then a bathroom, and then there was a room for two people and then another room for two people. So was there a kitchen? It was like in the main area. Okay. And then so when you walked into the dorms, there was the guys' dorm downstairs and then the women were upstairs.

SPEAKER_00 27:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 27:32

So yeah, it's just I don't know, it was odd. And I met Tyler because I think our families think that he was my math tutor, which he kind of was because I was awful at vet tech, vet or was it vet science or something? I don't remember.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:46

And so he did actually help me with that, but how we actually met was um my one of our friends, Corey, asked if we wanted to go to a party, and it was like two o'clock in the afternoon. I think it was two o'clock.

SPEAKER_00 28:01

That's wild.

SPEAKER_02 28:02

It was a really random time. Yep. We're like, yeah, sure, we'll go. I don't they call those darties? Yeah, it'll be a Darty. Yeah, not a party, a Darty. And so I said, Okay, I've gotta go get beer out of my car, and then I'll meet whoever's picking you up. So I walked down because so where we lived, our dorms were like up on a hill, and then the parking was a little bit down further down the hill. So walk down is a whole ordeal. So I walked down and here pulls up this tricked out truck, like a light bar on top, chromed out mirrors and handles and chromed rims and tinted windows. And I'm I literally said to myself, I'm like, whose mommy and daddy paid for this truck? Like, like, what the heck? And so uh get in the back seat, and Tom, he was in the passenger seat, and he leans back, hi, how are you? And the guy in the front, like didn't say anything. So I lean up, put like both my arms on the console, and I'm like, Hi, I'm Brady, who are you? And he's like, I'm Tyler. Just so like, is you know how Tyler is. Yeah, and um, we went to a party, he left from the party, and then he added me on Snapchat like two hours later. And that was that was then you guys started talking on Snapchat. Yeah, yeah. And he doesn't have that truck anymore. Yeah, no, now my brother has that truck. I know. Yeah, so but it was Curtis, so it was like so small. I mean, you couldn't go to a party and we weren't gonna bump into each other. Right. You knew everybody there almost. And then Yeah, I was just having fun, and I met friends and like-minded people, and I went to class, like I showed up, but I didn't really care. But I've never been good at grades or testing or anything. Yeah. Like I've always honestly been like a B minus C average student. But then once I got through Curtis and got like my partying phase down and matured a little bit, then I went to SCC and was more serious and like actually was like, okay, I it's a goal for me to get my to get a degree. And so I like hammered down and and did that.

SPEAKER_00 30:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:12

But I still like I wouldn't go back. Curtis was still like a really shaping, forming time for me. And I really found myself there and maybe I didn't love all the decisions I make, and I still cringe about some of the drunken nights I had out there, but hey, I am who I am today because Sure, sure.

SPEAKER_00 30:29

Do you feel like whether it's college related or not, you would you like look back at your younger self and you would change something that you did today? Do you wish that you would prioritize or do things differently that you were like, why did I not do that sooner?

SPEAKER_02 30:45

By my health.

SPEAKER_00 30:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 30:47

Because like now it's just so important for me to like how I wake up early and you know, I go work out and like I'm fueling my body with protein and like just thinking back to like college days, how easy it would have been for me to prioritize that. Like now it's really hard with kids and everything, but like to really eat well and exercise and like you know, make myself fit, that was so much more attainable when I was in college, but I just didn't care. So yeah, I don't know. I wish I would have had like more of a fitness journey in college because it just would have been way, way more attainable.

SPEAKER_00 31:20

Yeah. I did not want to do any more working out than I had to.

SPEAKER_02 31:24

Yeah, right. I yeah. But and Curtis had a gym and stuff, and I just didn't and they don't have college sports.

SPEAKER_00 31:30

I mean, they have college sports now that it's more like rodeo, but they didn't have like volleyball or like no actual college athletics.

SPEAKER_02 31:38

No ranch horse. I did ranch horse for like a little bit. Don't they have a shooting? Do they have trap? Yeah, Tyler did trap out there. Yeah. He was on scholarship for trap shooting. I don't know what else they have. And then they have like the intramurals, you know, like but I don't know, it's pretty laid back. It's so small. Yeah. But yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:59

I don't know, what about you? I wish that I would do a few things differently. One of them I'm gonna save for last because I know we talked about before we pushed record, but I think I wish I would have taken care of my mental health just a little bit better. Like just being a college athlete has its own mental health issue things that you just have to deal with.

SPEAKER_02 32:22

Well, it's just a lot, I think.

SPEAKER_00 32:23

It is. There's a lot of pressure, and I feel like I would I'm at the point now where I have been able to gain skills and been able to like cope and know how to cope. But like I would be the type of person where it's like mental health is I didn't want to say like non-existent. Yeah, like I knew it was a thing and I I would recognize that it was a thing, but it was not a priority to me. And so I wish that I would put it as a priority because I was always a yes sir, yes ma'am type person. Because I know with saying no, I I would be letting somebody down.

SPEAKER_02 32:58

But you still struggle with that.

SPEAKER_00 33:00

I do, and I feel like I'm much better at that. So I wish that I would I feel like I would be a much farther along in my today life.

SPEAKER_02 33:09

How do you set more boundaries then?

SPEAKER_00 33:11

Have yeah, in that I started learning that process earlier than what I intended to learn it. So there's always that that I would wish. I wish that I would this sounds so weird, but like writing things down more.

SPEAKER_02 33:24

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:25

Just like it's not journaling, because I've I enjoy writing about things, but I don't journal. Like I just write these like letters about what I'm feeling in that certain moment, but it's like only when I need to just like brain dump. Yeah, like it's not like a let me sit down and write something. But I wish that I would write down things more because I look back and like, how did I truly feel? How did I really cope with this, or how did I really get through this? Or even just understanding it, it could even go to a schedule, like writing down a schedule, which could be very unhealthy because I don't I want to live more in the moment and more like fluid and all of that stuff. So, like putting yourself as the type A person where you have your whole hours planned out sometimes can be a very unhealthy habit. Did I need it at certain points? Yes, absolutely. So there's that that I would maybe change. But the last thing I wanted to talk about was the spiritual. Yes, like I wish that I'm proud of where I am in my spiritual like journey right now. Is there still room to grow? Absolutely. I don't think that you'll ever not have room to grow in a spiritual journey, but I wish that I would have like put my spirit journey or my spiritual journey, my that a little bit more of a priority and actually devoted time to do it.

SPEAKER_02 34:56

I wish I just would have known like the relationship I could have with Christ.

SPEAKER_00 35:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 35:01

Because growing up Catholic, like it just didn't feel like like it felt like I had a religion. I was religious and I knew church, but I never thought that I could have an actual meaningful relationship with God. And I saw a TikTok about it, that really, really made sense. And it was like, if you haven't been moved or changed, you know religion, not Christ. And I truly feel that like deep in my soul, like I am a different human being because of the relationship I have with God. And that's not going to church, that's not devotionals, that stuff's all extra. Leaning into his word and and growing in my faith and you know, learning the word on a daily basis, that helps me to know him. That grows my my spiritual maturity. Going to church that brings me fellowship and also more learning of Christ. But like just that relationship with him, that he's always here with me. Like, I I don't know how to you can't explain it unless you have it, I guess. But I wish I had that because I probably could have used it then.

SPEAKER_00 36:08

Yeah, I always struggled growing up because I was in so many like things in life that I felt like because I didn't go to church on Sunday when I haven't been to church in a month now, that I'm less loved by God or I'm less loved by Jesus because I'm not at church. And it's like now it's like I still have a busy life. Do I prioritize going to church differently than what I did in the past? Yes. I also like need to remind myself like some of the things that I couldn't necessarily prioritize. I had a game. I I did have a choice to go to that game. I'm not discrediting that, but there's just some things where you just or I'm out of town or XYZ. Like I just couldn't go to church every day. But you don't also have to go to a building that is meant for worship to have God in your life. And I feel I wish that I would have like made that connection as my younger self because I did feel that guiltiness. That conviction of doing it's like, okay, maybe God doesn't love me. Like I never felt felt that. And so, like, when you say you know religion, you don't know Christ. There's so many things, whatever, whatever religion that you do believe in. Like certain religions believe in certain things and they're very passionate about certain things. And so when we are in that process where we're like, I have to go because of XYZ, I have to do this, I have to do that. I wish I would have learned that a little bit sooner. Cause it's like, I don't want me to be in the mindset of like, I have to go to church on Palm Sunday because it's Palm Sunday. No, I I want to go to church because it's a normal Sunday. I want to go to church because it is Palm Sunday.

SPEAKER_02 37:57

It took us a long time after Tyler and I got married to find a church that we really loved, and then we found Christ's community in Beatrice, and like just genuinely like that's our place. We'll be there forever. But say, like, you know, we had to go back for Easter, and my family was like, well, just stay the night, you know, and you can come to the extended families on Sunday. And I'm like, I don't want to miss Easter service. No. Like, I I I want to be there at my church dressed up with my family for Easter service. That's important to me, and I don't want to miss it. And so prioritizing that, like, that was just a really that was just something different from yours previous. That, you know, I know I I won't have necessarily been upset to miss a service if I was back home. But like to intentionally set aside to be like, no, we're not staying the night because I want to be home for this, like that was a good feeling. Yeah. And then also I think just having children now, we want it to be like that we want it so it's like church is not an option, it's not something that you get to pick and choose. Not that we want it to be like you have to go to church to have a relationship with Christ. That's not it. But I feel like what we make as an option is their parents, they that kind of for them is like oh well mom doesn't need an option. So like just with the difference in like generations, right? Like, oh, if this generation before us, it was an option to go to church or not. But now, as our generations, it's like, well, that's what they did. So really if we don't go, it's fine.

SPEAKER_00 39:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:26

Well what I mean. I feel like that's how you slowly get out of something, yes, or get into something, you know, whatever the case may be. But also just like with the faith that I am now, and you know, I said you don't necessarily need like all that to add on as far as like the fellowship and more education of the Bible and learning of Christ. It's also just like the love for your church. Like I love our church, I love the people at our church.

SPEAKER_00 39:50

Yeah. I always struggled with yeah, growing up, I had the time to go to church and all of that type of stuff. But like when it came to devotions, for example, I looked at devotions as a chore. And I don't knew what that was. Yeah, and like there was was a point in my life.

SPEAKER_02 40:09

My whole life I never opened a Bible. Yeah, not even kidding.

SPEAKER_00 40:12

Well, we had the conversation where you were like, I never owned a Bible until Renee. Yeah, your mother-in-law.

SPEAKER_02 40:18

I never had a Bible until my mother-in-law got me one the first Christmas I knew her. Yeah, and so it was like maybe it was the second, it might have been the second.

SPEAKER_00 40:25

Well, but anyway, and even then I was like, this is completely side note, but I was just like, I want this Bible, but I want it to like have and we were like, Let's make one.

SPEAKER_02 40:35

Yeah, so stay tuned. Maybe I told Addy I said, Stop putting ideas in my head.

SPEAKER_00 40:40

I knew my iron's in the fire. Because we we both want a certain Bible, uh, not the word, but like how it's formatted.

SPEAKER_02 40:48

We want like binder rings so you can flip it over and like hold it and write in it.

SPEAKER_00 40:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:53

But like I want room by scripture so I can write little notes, but then I also want like a bigger note section.

SPEAKER_00 40:59

Yeah. So it's like we just need a design one.

SPEAKER_02 41:02

Yeah, but I also want like kind of a learning Bible so I can like go down and see, oh, this is this definition or right. Yeah, well, okay, I think we'll figure something out. But here I am. The whip Tyler, you gotta stop having all these ideas because you you get overwhelmed and you don't have time.

SPEAKER_00 41:18

Here I am. I know. I know anyway. I was but I did look at devotions as like a chore, and I struggled with that.

SPEAKER_02 41:26

So how are you with it now?

SPEAKER_00 41:27

Oh, I love it.

SPEAKER_02 41:28

It's an enjoyment, it's something you look at.

SPEAKER_00 41:30

It it's something do I feel guilty some days where I'm like, oh, I did not open my devotion book or I haven't opened it in a few days. Yeah, I'm I feel like I always kind of have that guilt, but then I like have to remind myself, I'm like, no, there's other things that I can bring Christ into my day. Right. And I really do enjoy devotions, and I when I actually devote time and I truly like think about it and like honestly comprehend what it's being said. And I think you have to have some sort of give in, let God like to understand some of those um devotions, but uh, it's not about how long I read.

SPEAKER_02 42:14

Oh no, right.

SPEAKER_00 42:15

And it's it's not about it's yeah, it's not about like how long I read, it's about just waking up, starting the day with God.

SPEAKER_02 42:23

Yes. And well, I genuinely like there are days where I'm just like, oh, I'd rather get out of the workout and just like sit on my butt and scroll TikTok. Right. Like I don't want to get my Bible out and go through my devotional and write stuff down and yada yada. But I know when I do a devotional, I'm a better mom. Right. I am more equipped to handle my day when I start it with God. Ooh, that should be on a t-shirt. Um also here we are adding things to our blame. Yeah, it is a you know, and I've had some conversations where they don't just outright come out and be like, Well, how do you believe in God? Like, how do you seriously think? I mean, it's kind of leaning that way, but nobody's ever looked at me and been like, Why do you believe in God? But never in my life have I received more like just that you know, when you get on church, that feeling, right? That immediate feeling of like, what is it gratitude? Yeah, I or just joy, same with a devotional, yeah. It just like how can something fake give you that feeling?

SPEAKER_00 43:33

That's yes, 100%. Do you see what I'm trying to say there? Yes. It's like I don't want to say like bucket filling.

SPEAKER_02 43:40

No, I think it is just like instant gratitude.

SPEAKER_00 43:42

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:44

But it just yeah, I I don't know. And I also think that I also think people get nervous about sharing the word of God or sharing their journey because it's like and this is something I myself have even struggled with is maybe I don't want to share. Because I don't feel that I'm necessarily as far along in my spiritual journey as I would like to be. Yes. But still, why is that stopping me? Yes. It doesn't the Bible doesn't tell me you need to be this much educated in my word to be able to share my name. Like he just wants us to share his word with anybody.

SPEAKER_00 44:17

I know me personally, like as in my younger self, and then I'll finish this and we can wrap it up, but it's just you learn from somebody that knows so much. Like you hear the word be taught to you through a pastor or you hear it from a priest. Whatever whatever I mean, like and they are so knowledgeable and you trust them and all of this stuff. And so I know that I felt like I'm like, I don't know that much.

SPEAKER_02 44:44

So I like a little intimidated.

SPEAKER_00 44:46

Yeah, I don't want to share it because I don't want to misspeak. And that I sh I struggled with that. And I still struggle with that. But I now that I've built my relationship with Christ, I'm like, okay, if I miss say something, I miss say something. Yeah. I know I'm not in trouble and God's not gonna love me less for miss saying something that's in the Bible.

SPEAKER_02 45:03

Oh, right. Even sitting here on the platform that we have right now, I mean a year ago, I wouldn't have been caught dead talking about, you know, reading verses or or quoting scripture on here. Right. But now if I say something on a term, I'm sorry. Like I'm not a perfect person, but at the end of the day, like I want to share what I can with those who maybe are believers or aren't believers, because if even I can turn one person, one person to turn around and they get to go to heaven, then that's a win for me.

SPEAKER_00 45:34

Yeah, yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_02 45:36

And also, I just there I'll let you continue after I share this thought. I saw it years ago, but it's just a picture, and it was somebody who wasn't a believer, like standing out reaching to somebody who was a believer at the gates of heaven. And they were like, Why didn't you tell me? Like, why didn't you tell me that this was what was in store for me? Like if I just believed, had you told me that he died for our sins and I could have known more and you know had a relationship with God. Like, so I think about that. Like, how many people just maybe they don't want you to bring it up, but you feel awkward or you don't want to be like feel quote unquote Bible thumpy thumper to people. So you're like, oh, I just won't say anything because I don't know their views on it. But then at the end of the day, it's like they didn't know God because nobody No one led them to Him.

SPEAKER_00 46:25

So we have started implementing or trying to implement some Bible verses in here, and there was a Bible verse that really resonated with both of us, and it's we literally read the first sentence and we were like, that's it. I didn't even finish reading the sentence, and you were like, Nope, you don't have to read anymore. This is what it is. And so I I asked for some creative things, and it did give me just a little devotion, and it's gonna feel very scripted, but I do want to read it because I thought it was good. It really did resonate with me. And then if you want to add anything from your point of view, yeah, that's fine. But so this whole episode, we talked about spending so much time looking back on our younger selves, high school, college, and sometimes we just cringe and we're like, man, I wish I knew that today. So there's a verse in Romans 15, 4 that changes the way that we look in the past. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. So through the endurance taught in the scriptures, in the encouragement they provide, we might have hope. So Paul was talking about that in the Bible, and that is such a powerful lens in our own lives, too. Think about it. Every oops moment from your college days, every time you skipped your skincare, every time you felt overwhelmed that you didn't have a routine, every time you struggled to find time for God, it wasn't a waste of time. It was a chapter written to teach you. The younger, chaotic version of yourself was actually gathering the data that you needed to become the person you are today. You learned what doesn't work, you learned how to survive the stress of finals and life shifts. Because you survived that version of yourself, you now have the hope and the wisdom to build a better, more peaceful life today. So if you're looking back at your younger self today, don't just cringe. Give the version of yourself a little grace. You were learning, you were preparing, and all of that past was just the school that led you to the today you are currently building. I loved that.

SPEAKER_02 48:19

Yeah. Yeah, I really liked off mine too. I have on here that this verse is just a quiet reminder that the Bible isn't just history, that it's meant to carry us, it's meant to build us and shape us. But I think too that I mean, we've talked about this in when we did the last um episode and had the verse that the beauty in reading a verse and then just people being able to take it however they want to take it. So I I mean that we could have listeners on here that just have a totally different thought of than how we do. But I don't know. I just thought it was extremely fitting for what we talked about today. Yeah, I love it. So I'm not gonna cringe anymore about my my late nights or my college days. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:00

Because it was just meant to be yeah, yep, 100%.

SPEAKER_02 49:04

Okay, well, we better wrap it up because we are way over time. But have a great day and we will see you next week.

SPEAKER_00 49:09

See you next week.

SPEAKER_02 49:14

They say a farmer's work is never done. Well, neither is ours. Come back next week for a new episode of Life Between the Rows.