My Story... Kendra McCartney

This is what I wrote 2-22-2011.

What's my story? Who am I? I don't think I could sum it up to a few pages, but here it goes.  My name is Kendra Ann McCartney, I'm 25 years old and currently living in Lubbock, Texas.  I spent my childhood ready to leave Canyon, TX and didn't think I would ever look back.  I ran 5 hours south to San Angelo to start college at ASU, met some of my best friends, became a Sigma Kappa, broke some hearts, and had some fun.  At 19 I moved to Orlando, FL to work as a lifeguard for Walt Disney's College Program.  I have always loved Disney, but now I had a place to love instead of just movies.  I would go to Epcot with my camera & sketch book and just sit for hours.  I saw the firework show so many times I could sing the music and even now I crave a Dole pineapple float from Magic Kingdom.  I met some great friends in Florida and fell in love with a yankee from Conneticut.

Life after Florida got crazy.  I went back to San Angelo, the yankee moved to Texas, and I was going to school full time, always busy with Sigma Kappa, changed my major to art and was working two p/t jobs.  I went through way too many roommates back then, bought a cat, pissed off my parents, and got my heart broken.  I moved in with the best friends I could ever live with and started seeing my high school sweetheart Brandon again.  Moved home, then to lubbock, which I never thought I would do.  That was 2008, life was sunny. I had my own apt for the first time, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, balcony that overlooked the pool and got hired at a job in like 2 weeks of moving.  Then in September I got a phone call from one of my good friends that his little sister had been killed in a car crash going to class.  It was terrible, my whole family hurt and was affected.  Two weeks later, I got a phone call that my best friend had committed suicide.  I cried for a year and was like a zombie.  I don't remember much, it was a blur. 

Then my body finally said enough and I relapsed with mono.  I spent 2010 being weak, sick, running hospital test and blood work, turning back to God and reading my Bible.  I hated Lubbock, like my life would have been fine if I never would have moved here.  And Brandon barely even had a full year of dating me before I fell apart.  Thankfully he stood by my side and I love him for that.  I'm not 100% over the mono, but bits and parts of my old self are coming back.  I actually laughed until I cried which felt like a small miracle.  I spent alot of time with God last year and my faith began to show in my artwork. 

This is me... a small town girl, a Christian, an artist, a dreamer, a dancer, a Disney junkie, a sucker for swing music and anything vintage, I play in the mud (clay), an art instructor, a big sister, a girlfriend, a friend, I think my parents are cool and talk to my mom almost everyday, I love list, journals, reading, Friends the tv show, and I don't have cable.  I still own a VHSs and  watch them, interior decorating, cooking, hosting parties, sewing, I'm getting hooked on running a website and blogging.  This is me and part of my story.... What's Your Story?

xoxo Kendra McCartney

*In the margins I wrote...
My cat Ziggy thinks he is a person... so I am writing children's stories about him! Meow
Phillippians 4:6-7
I look at the stars and still think of you
My sister is my roomate and becoming one of my best friends
I'm going to marry my H.S. sweetheart