This weekend was the first official TAP Road Trip! In MSC FISH, we are divided into “schools” and as I have mentioned before… I am a part of Toates Angsty Platypi. We’ve had a slower start than most schools; however, this semester we stepped it up big time! The majority of our school spent the weekend at Luke Hillin’s grandparents’ house in Lake Conroe. We left College Station Friday afternoon and arrived at their house around sunset. We walked into their GORGEOUS house situated perfectly on the lake and the golf course. The entire back wall of their house was made of glass, so we could all watch the sun setting across the way. The house looked like it was stripped straight from a chic magazine. They moved in almost two years ago and custom designed the house from start to finish. All members of TAP stood in awe for a solid 30 minutes and were excessively complimentary of their home. We explored the many rooms, situated our luggage, and headed out to the lake. We took a few pictures with the setting sun and instantly knew this would be an unforgettable weekend. Friday night, we went out to dinner as a school at a local restaurant called Mackenzie’s BBQ. It was super tasty and the cheeseburgers hit the spot. The rest of the night was spent playing games, bonding over jokes, eating homemade chocolate cake, hanging out in the media room, and playing poker. Saturday morning, we woke up to a gourmet breakfast prepared by Mrs. Hillin. She laid out homemade coffee cake, kolaches, cereal, yogurt-covered fruit salad, and much more. It was a college kid’s dream and tasted absolutely perfect. We got ready for the day and headed to Incredible Pizza Company for Go-Kart Races. Despite a little controversy with the entrance workers, our girl-in-training, Serena, hooked us up and we headed to the races. The boys raced against each other and, despite Christian’s initial lead, Luke Hillin brought home the victory. The girls raced against each other as well and it was a highly competitive 10 laps. With a rush of adrenaline, I ended up in first place and the Go-Kart Races were a complete success!! We loaded up into the cars and headed to the Woodlands Mall. We ate a late lunch outside, explored a few of the cute shops, and laughed the entire time. TAP was already on a roll for this weekend. Around 4 pm, we drove back to Lake Conroe in order to take school pictures with the sunsetting at the lake. I made everyone coordinate outfits for the pictures, so we ended up in plaid shirts, jeans, and boots. TAP took a zillion pictures that evening and I am OBSESSED with every single one of them. It is crazy how happy pictures can make me. That night I sang karaoke (and danced)… by myself. (A) It wasn’t really karaoke and (B) I can’t believe no one wanted to dance with me. At least it was entertainment for the rest of the school to watch, right? That night we sat out on their patio next to the warm fire and truly bonded on a whole new level. We were bundled up in our blankets while shivering from head-to-toe, but somehow perfectly content. We all chose to come to Texas A&M for a reason. We were all accepted into MSC FISH and placed into TAP. This wasn't a coincidence. In fact, it was all a part of a bigger plan. Our school is corky and sometimes awkward. We do weird things and we don’t always understand each other. We say whatever we want and it usually doesn’t make sense. We’re not always the most involved, the most popular, or the most likely to win an award. We each have our own stories and come from completly different backgrounds. These things are what makes our school unique. They are what makes TAP perfect. I was able to get to know each of the other TAPsters on a much deeper level this weekend and bond with them in a special way. I really wish the four missing members of our school could have spent the weekend with us at the lake, but I am thankful for everyone that was able to be there. Luke’s grandparents made this weekend amazing for our school, provided us with a beautiful home, and showed remarkable hospitality. We talked way late into the night on Saturday and woke up to a breakfast buffet at the local country club. I believe TAP had one of the BEST Road Trips MSC FISH has ever seen and I am forever thankful to be a part of such a unique school that fits together perfectly.
