DM Farewell

Well, dear readers, the time has come. This is my last column.
Even as I write that, it seems like it can't be true because it feels like yesterday when I awoke with a start, experiencing the birth of an idea that would become this well-loved, more well-hated and certainly infamous column you read every week.
Whether or not I knew it at the time, my idea would become a reality, which served to define my senior year.
I was no longer Meghan Blalock, journalism student, DM managing editor and all-around fun-loving gal. I became Hautey Toddy - with a little help from my friends.
I was recognized in public. I was called funny, witty and hilarious. I was called a stupid bitch, the worst Ole Miss has to offer and a mega-beast.
When I first started writing, I was shocked by the responses I got. I was shocked that one person could be so hated. I was shocked that people cared so much.
But of course there were days that I loved being Hautey Toddy.
One time a girl e-mailed me asking for advice because she had just lost a lot of weight and wasn't sure how to dress her new body. People have asked me how to dress for interviews, what appropriate attire is if you work in a hospital and how guys should dress in general.
I gave them my opinions. And don't fear! I am leaving Ole Miss, the state of Mississippi and even the Deep South, but I will never be far from the wonderful world of the Internet.
I will maintain my blog, and if you have any questions you want to ask, feel free. Hautey Toddy is so much of who I am now that I feel leaving it behind would be all too tragic.
So, thank you. All of you. If you love me, I thank you. Keep reading my blog, and keep letting me know you enjoy my writing. If you hate me, I thank you. You are a significant part of the reason that HT became one of the most well-read columns in DM history. Thanks, and hate on haters.
My Ole Miss experience simply would not have been the same without my experience as Hautey Toddy. What's bizarre about being well-known in any environment is mostly you don't really think about it. At least I didn't. I still went to class, went to work and went out at night as a normal college student, as a real person. I didn't change who I am. The column changed me, and it certainly changed how people saw me - for the best or for the worst - but I'm a real, normal person. I think.
It's been fun. A lot of fun. Writing the column every week just became part of my life, and it was a great way to procrastinate doing "real" work. I didn't say that. Even as we speak, I have a paper to write. But this is much more fun. Shrug.
This has been a year of fun. The year of Hautey Toddy. The year of lol-speak and talking in abbreviations. I can has good English now? Lolz. Obvs. I love bad English. But you have to know the rules before you can break them.
I'm not going to critique anyone in this column. I'm sure you've all had enough of that for a while. In just a little over a month I will be living in NYC. There will be plenty to critique and plenty for you to read. Trust.
For now, I leave you with a final thought, and I hope I have conveyed this thought throughout the year. Fashion is fun. I started out the year explaining why fashion matters. I am going to conclude by saying that it does matter, but it is also something that should enrich your life. A good pair of shoes is a religious experience for me. Hopefully you feel the same.
And to those of you who got the joke, kudos. I'm signing off. Until New York, majorly yours.