Men and Women Can be Friends

What a joke.... but my face is now on YouTube... in a lime-green coat.

Halloween

A little bit of advice...

Don't try and substitute a paper clip for a bobby pin. I can guarantee your hair won't like it.

Recent Lessons

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to fly to Dallas for an internship interview with Southwest Airlines. They flew me out, put me in a hotel, and provided transportation from the airport, to the interview, and back to the airport. It was neat! I interviewed for two positions and I already found out that I did not get one of them, so now I just get to sit back and wait a week to hear about the other one. They have 60 positions to fill and they received over 7,000 resumes, being flown out for an interview was such an honor and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity.

I learned some valuable lessons from the experience:

1) I can do anything. I had never flown by myself or stayed at a hotel by myself. I was in a big city all by myself and it was pretty liberating. I had to rely on myself and not be afraid to get out there and do something. I have always considered myself to be independent but this experience really showed me that I am strong and can do anything that I set my mind to.

2) Perseverance pays off. I have applied for this internship every semester for the past year and have never gotten an interview. It was my current internship that led the recruiter to look at my resume, but if I hadn't applied this semester I wouldn't have gotten the interview.

3) There will be too many "No's" before you get a "Yes." I hate this point, but it is the way life goes. I am learning to take each opportunity as experience and be OK with the outcome. I want this internship more than anything right now, but if it doesn't work out, I was able to practice my interview skills and get valuable feedback. Eventually something great will work out, but it is going to take some time and rejection to get there.

4) Preparation shows. I put together a small portfolio of my work for IT and I think it really helped me stand out. It led most of the interview discussion and I was able to physically show what I have done and how it can be applied to work for them. I also looked up interview questions and thought of answers the night before and it helped me organize my thoughts. I felt so calm and composed during the interview and it was my preparation that helped me get to that point.

Thank you Southwest, this opportunity was amazing and I am truly grateful for the chance you gave me to improve my skills and grow.

I think I will fly to Dallas for the night...

Interview!

A year ago I applied for an internship and was politely rejected. I have since applied for the same set of internships three different times, all with the same outcome. Saturday I applied for a fourth time. Yesterday, I got a call and Thursday I have a phone interview. I'm not getting my hopes up because it is a very competitive program, but it made me so happy that I finally got through the first round! I realize that I have learned so much this past year and am more qualified now than I was last year. I hope my interview goes well and they are impressed with me. I know that I would an excellent job, I just hope that they see that as well. Whatever happens will be for the best, right?

Happy Birthday to Me!

I am now the big 22! It was such a great day!

The roomies and I started out at the farmer's market. I got a Brazilian churro and free vegetables from Rosine.

Kaela and I went to listen to Mike's band and then we met up with a bunch of friends for lunch.

We ended the day with the football game and pizza.

Kimmi made me an awesome cake.

I am so blessed to have such good friends and family around me!

The End

This is my last semester here at USU and I don't know how I feel about it. I love two of my classes, but the other two just don't interest me at all. This semester is going to be long and I wish I was all done, but growing up terrifies me. I am still working on my Taiwan application and I have been looking at a few other grad school programs, but honestly I just don't want to think that far ahead yet! I have decided not to retake the GRE and just apply, I am hoping my letters and personal statement will make up for my lack of an awesome verbal score. I don't have the time to study for it again right now and I really don't want to stress myself out anymore. It isn't worth it to me. I am working through this semester as best as I can, and I hope to rock it!

Laundry

So I am sitting at a laundromat, for the first time in my life, and I have decided that I miss having a washer and dryer. It was nice having it upstairs when I lived in Bullen, in my apartment when I lived in Glenwood, and at the end of the building at Brooklane. Living in a house is super fun....but I miss being able to do laundry. Kate's parents supposedly have a washer for us, but I think it will be awhile before we get it. Laundromats are just kind of weird. I don't think I like them very much.

Summer

School is here and summer is gone.

Here is to:

• The Real game and seeing the boys from home.
• Rafting in Jackson.
• Fireworks in Logan.
• Fireworks in Lewiston.
• Fireworks in North Logan.
• And more fireworks in Logan. :)
• Floating the Oneida Narrows.
• Trisha's wedding.
• Rocking the math on the GRE.
• Moving into a house.
• BBQ's at the Needham's.
• Parties at the Needham cabin.
• Bonfires and burning the Love-O-Meter.
• Hanging with McKayla for a week.
• Scrabble matches.
• Drive-In Movie.
• Fishing.
• Bear Lake.
• Boating.
• Harry Potter.
• Making new friends.
• Geo-Caching.
• Washington for Kimmi's graduation.
• Shopping and Temple Square with the fam.
• Willow Park Zoo.
• Night Hikes and exploring Logan Canyon.
• Sunday walks.
• IKEA.
• Mountain Man Rendezvous.

Summer 2011 was good to me.

I am sad that it is now gone.

New Stuff

I am writing this post from my new best friend.

Yes. That is right.

I finally bought a new computer.

It is a Macbook Pro and I love it.

A lot.

The End of My Childhood

I have grown up with Harry Potter.

I remember reading the first book when I was in fifth grade and I loved it.
The books have always had a special place in my heart and I think it sometimes makes the movies a little frustrating for me.
But I have to admit, this last one was great.
They did such an excellent job tying everything up; it was fulfilling.
My eyes were closed for at least a third of it, dang Nagini! That snake gave me the chills.

We went down to Ogden because we didn't want to have to sit and wait all day.
Oh the joys of assigned seats.
And our seats rocked!

Brent. Brooke. Me. and Our girl Andi.

Andi and Lord Voldemort.

Our awesome costumes. Thank you Dumb for thinking of Pooh and Tigger. And thank you Needham family for letting us borrow them.
(In case you are super confused, the Winnie the Pooh movie came out this weekend as well and we were too cheap to make HP costumes.)

So long Harry Potter, thanks for making the last 10 years of my life amazing!

Gotta Love the River!

So here I am on a Saturday night, blogging instead of doing something crazy... but I think I need a break from crazy. Especially after today.

Up past Preston there is a river called the Oneida Narrows that is very popular to float down on tubes. I did it two summers ago and it was really fun. So today, Kaela, Karen, Alyssa and I decided to go floating. We got up there, put on our sunscreen, and were ready for some fun!

It is about a two hour float if you start from the very top and even though there are little rapids along the way, for the most part, it is a pretty relaxing ride.

So we are going down the river and we come to a fork. Kaela and I go left, Alyssa and Karen go right. Once we get to the end where the two reconnect, Kaela and I keep going and the other two are nowhere in sight. I guess the shallow water and bottom caused the little air openings to come undone and she had to stop to re-inflate her tube. They eventually caught up to us and at one part Alyssa even flipped out of her tube, but was able to get back on.

Now here is the fun part (yes, that is total sarcasm). We were coming up a long set of rapids and all of a sudden I realized my tube was going flat, and fast. I didn't have time to get over to the side, so I hung on to what was left of my tube and took the rapids with my body.

It hurt. Really bad.

I tried to find the bottom so I could stop myself by standing, but it was too deep. Then I would hit another rock and fumble around trying to find something to stop myself and then it would be too deep again.

I was so scared! But surprisingly calm. I am a confident swimmer and I knew that panicking would only cause me to drown. I figured as long as I kept my head up and didn't hit it, I would be fine.

I caught up to Karen and tried to get on her tube with her but didn't have the strength or footing to pull myself up. So the next rapid came and once again I bounced from rock to rock. Karen ended up falling out too and for a minute I thought we were both in trouble.

She was able to get back on and by this time, the rapids were pretty much done so I was able to swim over to Kaela and Alyssa and we got out on the side. A very nice family was fishing right where we got out and they drove me down to get my car.

The whole mess really happened in less than five minutes, but it felt like forever. I now have really nice scrapes all up my legs and on my feet, as well as my arm and my behind. I am sore, but I am alive and happy. My tube has a huge gash in it. I guess I feel better knowing that it really did pop, rather than going through all of that just because it came undone and let the air out. But I really don't ever want to do that again. I like floating the river, but next time I am getting a higher quality tube, I think it might be worth the extra $10.

Trying New Things

Last week Kaili and Alyssa decided to try out Latin dancing and came home raving about it. There is a community center that gives lessons for an hour and then has open dancing. So Kaela and I decided that we were going to try it out this week.

Tuesday came along and I was debating whether or not I actually wanted to try it. Organized dancing isn't really my thing. I love dancing when I am in control and can do whatever I want. I am not very coordinated so I struggle with footwork and spinning and everything else. So I decided I was not going to go and then of course I ended up there.

It wasn't bad. I thought it was interesting. But I didn't like it. There is one thing to check off my list. I have attempted Latin dancing.

Now on to country dancing.

I have three different stories.

1) My freshman year I had a good friend named Nat who invited me to go country dancing with her. I went twice and both times were train-wrecks. She was chasing a boy named Jord (who she ended up marrying) and because I was shy and didn't know anyone else, I got preyed upon by the creepers. I was terrible at dancing and didn't have fun. I vowed I would never go again.

2) Last winter Andi and I promised Bill that we would go country dancing with him and his buddies. I wasn't too excited but Bill is one of my really good friends and I knew that he would make it fun. The night comes for us to go...and I bail. I couldn't do it and his begging couldn't even change my mind.

3) Monday night Kaela and I drove out to Lewiston to watch the fireworks. We met up with Bill and some other people and Kaela brings up Latin dancing for Tuesday night. Bill says he wants to try it out and then brings up the instance last winter when I dogged country dancing. So once again I was committed to going with him and this time I couldn't bail.

That was last night.

And yes, I will admit that I actually had fun.

Today I Miss My Favorite Friend.

It has been one year since the amazing South American adventure and I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. Most of the people I went with are now graduated and moving on with their lives. Nat is living at home in Midway and is going to Taiwan in January (hopefully I will be with her!) and Andi is preaching the gospel to the Marshall Islands. I loved being with those girls, they really made the trip so much fun and it was nice that we were all able to stay close once we got back. Nat and I had classes together and Andi really became my favorite friend. (We decided that we were favorite friends because we all have a lot of people that we call our best friends and we wanted to be the one and only favorite friend, super cheesy, I know.)

So here is to our adventures....
...and here is to missionary Andi. Love ya tons girl, 18 months are going to fly by!

Happy 4th!

This is from the 4th of July last year. Lil' Steve and I watched the fireworks in a field and took funny pictures.

So this year, a bunch of us went to Freedom Fire at the stadium for the fireworks show and Kaela and I decided to keep up the funny pictures.

Enjoy!

Real and the Boys

I went to my first Real Salt Lake soccer game this last weekend and it was so much fun! Aaron, Ben, and Michael were in Salt Lake for a wedding so they came to the game too. I hadn't seen Aaron and Michael since before their missions so it was so nice to see them again! Love them!

Kimmi's Graduation

I am a little behind on my blogging... but earlier this month I went home for my sister's graduation! It was a short trip, but still really nice. I love visiting my family.


I got to watch my little bro dominate his baseball game!

And we fed the geese!

My New Theme

Love it!

For Jules:

I saw Meg's blog today and figured I better shout out to my girl Jules too! Today she became a married woman and I am so happy for her! We had some great times in the 'hood, good times indeed. This boy had better treat her like a queen!

This was our farewell pic before we moved out. Love ya Jules!

Fears

Back in January, I had some car issues and my friend Bill helped me out one day.
We were driving back from the tire store and he asked me
what my New Year's resolutions were.
I hadn't really thought about it at that point so I turned the question back to him.
He said, "This year I am going to work on overcoming my fears."

It hit me so hard!
We talked about different fears that we have about life in general
and I made it one of my goals for the year too.

My biggest fear is failure.
I think everyone has this fear to an extent.
But I'm pretty sure that I have it to an extreme.

Sometimes I am too afraid to attempt things simply because I can't handle failure.
I like trying new things and I am open to new ideas and adventures,
but when it comes down to it, if there is a possibility of failure, I freak out.

I saw this poster and really liked it.
I need to stop running from my fears and start chasing my dreams.
Stop focusing on what could go wrong and work for what could be great.

Happy Friday

One more group paper.
And that is it.

I am so happy!

Big news of the day.
I just got a text from my girl Trisha,
and she is engaged!!!!
I am so excited for her!

Two nights ago my roommate Rick got engaged too!
(He isn't really my roommate. He lives in the apartment below us
but is over as much as a roommate would be. We love him.)

This week's top five:
1) Rocking presentations (thank you, Rick!)
2) Seeing the sun
3) Costa Vida...twice this week
4) Laughing so hard that I start to cry
5) The feeling of relief. No more stress.

Here is some more exciting news.
I was stressing over my internship the other day because I needed to get a slide up on the TV monitors but couldn't figure out who could train me.
A guy that works at the library came over and helped
me and I was super grateful.
I was walking through Old Main last night and I stopped at
one of the monitors to see if my slide worked.
It did.
And it looked awesome!
Made my day, for sure!

My thoughts on group projects...

This might turn into a rant.
But before it gets to that point I will say that this semester I have worked with some of the best groups members so far in my college career.

Example 1: Market Research
We all get along, do our work, and have fun (or spell fun as we like to say). There isn't much more to say, it's been a great group.

Example 2: Global Marketing Strategy
We set one night a week for the entire semester to meet and we have stayed on track. This project was pretty intense but it is turning out to be an awesome project. Three of us girls are super planners and are very organized. We get along, assign things out, get them done, and then help out each other. The boy is very intellectual and gets a kick out of us, but he also does all of his work. Then there is WWIII. But really, this group member has been causing a major scene and dragging our professor into the drama. Our paper is roughly 55 pages long and she has contributed to maybe 2 1/2 of them. She doesn't come to meetings, doesn't get her sections done on time, and doesn't try to get along with us. She has been so difficult to work with. Her excuse is that she had to pick up a second job and doesn't have time to meet with us. Hello! If you would have told us, I don't know, 10 weeks ago....we would have worked around it. And seriously, do I not work two jobs as well? We all have busy lives. If you can't make time for school work, then you don't deserve a decent grade. I love peer evaluations.

Example 3: PR Research
All semester long we have had to write short group memos. I start the doc, write out our main ideas, then the other group members edit and add a little. They are super short so it hasn't been a big deal. There was one group member that rarely did anything and that was super frustrating. So now it is time for this group to compile the class papers into a report. This lazy group member is supposed to start a draft before our meeting on Monday. He sends us an email Monday afternoon, " So I just realized my add/drop slip never went through and I'm not really in the class." Wow. Finals are two weeks away, can you say idiot?

I like to call the marketing major the "group projects major." That's what it is. I don't mind the projects, I kind of find joy in doing research and then coming up with creative solutions. I mean, it is what I want to do with my life. But I am just tired of the group dynamics around here. Most of my group members are graduating and I guess some of them are lacking motivation. But I still have a semester left, and I care about my grades.

A Success

Last night was my last time registering for classes of my undergraduate career. And for the first time in my 3 1/2 years, I got in to all of my class on the first try! I was on and registered in less than seven minutes and I didn't have a meltdown. It was a huge deal!

However, I am not looking forward to my classes at all. This semester I loved every one of my classes and next semester will be the one with all of the classes I've put off. Oh joy!

The 90's

I am a child of the 90's.

I was born in '89, so I still claim 3 1/2 months of the 80's.
But I really did love growing up in the 90's.

Friday night we had a 90's dance party at the Alumni House and it was so much fun!
We were really nervous at first because there wasn't a huge crowd, but by the end of the night there were so many people dancing and singing along.
It really was fun to relive the days of *NSYNC and the Spice Girls.

I wore a pair of overall shorts.
It was a pretty special occasion.
I had not worn overalls since the fiasco of the overall straps
in the toilet back in Kindergarten.
It was traumatic.
But I can honestly say that I am over it, nothing bad happened this time.
I just might bring overalls back in style.

Monday

This semester is almost over!
I get so excited every time I think about it.

We have had snow the past two weekends and today it finally feels like spring.
I interviewed for an internship today.
I got caught up on a lot of homework.
I have real food waiting in my fridge for dinner tonight.

Today is a good Monday.

What I Believe

My cousin made a post about simple things that she believes and I really liked the idea. It is nice to take the time and write out them out, it helps you appreciate the simple things in life that we often overlook.

I believe:

• That a hot fudge sundae will always make you feel better.
• Every person that comes into our lives is there for a reason, I don't believe in coincidences.
• You have to take risks to go anywhere in life.
• All boys have a little bit of "tool" in them.
• Sometimes change is necessary.
• A smile goes a long way.
• Families are forever.
• If it is meant to be, it will work out.
• Life should be lived to its fullest.
• It is impossible not to be happy when you are wearing a tie dye shirt.
• I can do whatever I set my mind to. I am stubborn and that helps.
• A genuine compliment means so much more and people can tell when you are sincere.
• Face to face conversations are the only way to go.
• You have to go through the crappy days to get to the good stuff, it's just the way life goes.
  

Facebook

A couple of weeks ago, I watched The Social Network.

I thought it was a great movie and the story behind Facebook just blew my mind.

It was crazy!

After watching the movie, I did a little self-evaluation and realized I spend way too much time on Facebook. So I am taking a break and won't be back on until after finals are done, the first week of May.

I need to focus on school and I don't need that distraction.

Wish me luck!

My Favorite Day of the Semester

Every semester I look forward to the day that the university posts the class schedule for the next semester. I am a planner and I love having everything figured out. Literally, within 15 minutes I have it all worked out. This fall is going to be a crazy Tuesday/Thursday schedule again but it will be my last. It was kind of bittersweet, I will never have one of these days again. I guess I need to find a new favorite day to look forward to.

This week's five:
1) Concerts
2) My friend Alicia ( aka the cutest little pregnant girl ever!)
3) 60 degree weather
4) Crazy Core Skittles
5) Raisin Bran Crunch

Hare Krishna!

I love the Festival of Colors.

This was my third year down there and by far the most fun.
Caitlyn, Eric, Jake, Mike, and I rode down together.
We met up with Jeff and his two buddies and we ran into Marci and Stormie.
It was such a blast!

After the festival we went to Caitlyn's parents' house to shower and clean up.
We wanted to go to a Salt Lake Real game, but it was sold out.
We ate at Asian Buffet with Caitlyn's sister and I got to sit next to her adorable nephew.
I felt like such a mom, it kinda freaked me out, but I loved it.
Dex and I are besties. :)

Then we stopped by Banks's Birthday Bash in SLC, met up with Scott, Porter, and Greg, visited Caitlyn's cousin, and stopped at Jake's house in North Ogden before heading home.
It was a packed day, but such a good one.
I loved it all.

Another Fab Five

1) BYU losing. Love it!
2) Tropical Mango Gatorade.
3) The Social Network.
4) Puff Vests.
5) Basketball Shaped Goldfish.

I Can't Breathe!

It finally happened.

I overloaded myself and I crashed.

I think I may have been crazy when I decided that working almost full time and going to school was a smart combination.

It is tough!

I had the flu earlier this week and I'm having a difficult time recovering.

I have slept more over the past three days then I do in a week.

It's been a nice break from class, but I'm starting to fall behind.

Lesson learned:

I can't do everything. I need to work on prioritizing.

A Good Thursday

I usually go on about how long Thursdays are and the fact that it is my least favorite day of the week. But today is a good Thursday, a really good Thursday.

First of all, the madness has begun! There were four "first-round" games Tuesday and Wednesday, but today is the beginning of the top 64 and I have my brackets all ready to go! March Madness is my favorite time of the year (I would argue that I almost love it more than the Christmas holiday season). I do have to work all day, but I have access to game scores until 5 and then I will have to wait until I get off at 9 to get my other updates. Ah, I am so excited! Tomorrow I plan on sitting on my friend's couch and not moving, at all. I have all of the dates and times of each game written in my planner and I am planning a party for the championship game. I feel like a nerd, but what's better than a basketball nerd?

Second, my best friend comes home today. He has been in Brazil, serving a mission for the past two years and I am so excited that he is back! It is crazy how fast the time has gone by, so crazy, but I am happy to have best friend back. I've missed that kid.

Finally, it is St. Patrick's Day. Enough said.

Spring Break 2011!

This is Mazzy the Mazda.
I feel so grown up.

So the Friday that Spring break began,
my good friend Jeff made pizza

and then we made yummy mango salsa.

Then I drew Kaela and Gram an awesome map of how to get to Richland.
I went home for three days and hung out with my twin.
We played a lot of Just Dance 2.

I came back to Logan and made Ph'zookies with Jeff and Garrett.
Kaela and I took Mazzy to a car wash.
Then we ate dinner together. It was so good!
This is post spring break...but I tried on a pair of Rick's really expensive and ridiculous jeans.
I am smaller than he is.
And then we practiced photo-bombing with Priscilla the Purple Patronus, or the fetus, as we like to call her.

Ready for Spring

This Week's Fab Five:

1. Rain Boots
   
2. Making the Ticket to Ride Hall of Fame
3. A Clean Apartment
4. Feeling Loved
5. Checking Things out from the Library
   

Ouch

Two big things happened this week:

1) I slipped and ate it hard. My hand is still bruised and hurts. This was the first and hopefully last fall of the semester, I was so mad that I didn't catch myself!

2) For the first time, I woke up at 7:15 and realized that I was supposed to be to work at 7. I think my alarm is broken, oh joy! I made it to work by 7:35 and I must say that I am impressed with my skills, but I am still mad that it happened.

But here is the exciting news:

Spring break is practically here! Saturday I head home to register my car and then I will be spending the rest of the week here in Logan. I am super sad I am not going on the cruise with my friends, but I think I will survive. Get ready Logan, I'm going to make this next week rock!

Bored

I am at work right now, and I am bored.

So I decided to look up random facts about me. Here it goes.

Shana means God is Gracious in Hebrew and Beautiful in Yiddish.

I share a birthday with Ryan Phillipe. Super cool.

According to "This Day in History," the first ever drunk driving arrest happened on my birthday. That is also super cool.

My horoscope for the day goes as follows:

You need to get some serious feedback — not just criticism, but creative inspiration. Your good energy means you can seek out the right people and get them to give you honest, positive advice.

There is one tried and true rule that applies to all sports, so why not apply it to your life? Keep your eye on the ball. In a work context, if you focus on the action, you will automatically be a part of it. In a romantic context, keeping your eye on the ball means focusing on the right thing — your relationship. This is not a time for claiming your territory and fighting to maintain power. This is a time to compromise and accept that everything might not always go your way.

Happy Saturday!

Honesty

Why can't we all just be honest and say what we mean?

Why is it so hard to tell someone they have upset you
or you don't feel like they care?

Why is it so hard to share our feelings but so easy to rant behind peoples backs?

I've been struggling with this concept lately and I am guilty from both ends.

It is so easy just to brush things off and act like they aren't problems,
when really they are festering up inside and you know when you explode,
it's going to be a real disaster.

This weekend I kind of exploded.
But I think everything is going to be OK.

I've made some really great new friends, and I got one back that I had lost for a little bit.

It's all about balance and being considerate of others, communicating and not letting little things bug you.

That is what I will be working on this next week.

Letting people know how I feel and not holding it in.
Respecting others feelings and talking directly to them, not sharing with the rest of the world first.

I think it's a pretty good goal.

Another Five...

Here is my list from this week!

1. Purple Lifesavers... I believe they are raspberry flavored.
2. Clear Roads
3. Good People
4. Making Dinner with Kaela
5. Acing Midterms
   

Catch Up Time

This weekend was definitely my favorite of the semester, thus far. Seriously. Last week was pretty grand in general and this week is playing off of that.

• My bestie Andi got her mission call! She is going to the Marshall Islands and leaves on June 1. It's so crazy and I am going to miss that girl a ton!
• I made the first real, grown-up, big purchase of my life. I bought a car! I get to pick it up on Saturday and I am so excited; pics to come!
• This last weekend was party at the Needham historical mansion. Friday we went to the BANFF Film Festival and I left wanting to learn how to surf and fly fish. It was super cool! Then we sat around Scott's house and I got a tour of the mansion. It is really creepy, but I kind of love it. Saturday was Scott's B-day bash and we had a dance party. We had an insane snow storm and Kaela and I almost slid off the road on our way over, so we turned back. About an hour later, Stormie picked me up and the roads were fine. I hate Logan's weather. Sunday night we had a lockdown. No one was allowed to leave the house once they got there. It was such a fun night! Definitely a night of bonding, I love my friends!
  

I am a happy girl. That is all.

Good Day

Here are my five things from this week:

1. Thinking it's Wednesday and realizing it is actually Friday

2. Receiving compliments

3. Bonding with co-workers

4. Sugar cookies from home

5. Payday

Feeling Better

This week has definitely gotten better.

I'm almost caught up on all of my group work.

I found out I rocked my test from Monday.

I got paid for one job today and I get paid for the other tomorrow.

There is a cheese party tomorrow night.

I bought chicken and juice at the grocery store yesterday

(I hadn't bought chicken to cook since last spring....I was pretty excited.)

I also got Toy Story Cheeze-Its.

I had oreos delivered to my apt.

Someone finally picked up two of my shifts that I really needed covered.

Duke beat UNC last night.

I wore tie dye today.

I recieved many compliments on my yellow scarf yesterday. (Thanks Stacey! :)

It's Mardi Gras time!

Dark Blue

Sometimes I just have those days that I feel down. I used to be an emotional person and would cry over anything; now, I can't even make myself cry when I want to. It amazes me how life works. We all have our trials and experiences, but they are very individual and personal. I struggle to let people in to understand how I feel. Some things I am very open about, and others, I don't tell anyone. I think we all are this way to an extent, but lately, I just feel a little off. The weather definitely isn't helping much. I am ready for spring.

I keep hearing Jack's Mannequin and even though Dark Blue is semi-depressing, it puts a smile on my face.

So when I do feel down, I find that it helps to list out things that make me happy. A year ago, I made a list of 100 things so I decided today that I would make a list of 50. It was fun comparing my two lists, I only had four or five that were the same. These are things that have made me happy this semester.

1. McDonald's Sundaes
2. Empanadas
3. Jeggings
4. Hugs
5. Jamba Juice
6. Braided Bangs
7. 500 Days of Summer
8. The Hunger Games
9. Dirty 30
10. Taco Tuesdays
11. Cuddling
12. Gray Nail Polish
13. Brownies
14. Ticket to Ride
15. Cabin Sleepovers
16. Monopoly Deal
17. Libraries
18. Bow-Tie Pasta
19. Paper Mache
20. Whipping My Hair Back and Forth
21. My Planner
22. Money
23. Glee
24. Peace Signs
25. French Fries
26. Towels Fresh Out of the Dryer
27. Goldfish Crackers
28. Free Pens
29. Hand Sanitizer
30. The Candy Drawer at Work
31. Holiday Packages From Home
32. Tie Dye
33. My Institiute Class
34. Making Signs for Rec. League BBall Games
35. Superbowl Commercials
36. Working
37. My Roomies
38. Old Ladies Half-Time Show
39. Seeing Friends at the Library
40. String Cheese
41. Seeing Signs of Spring
42. Going on Drives
43. Making New Friends
44. Growing Up
45. Watching My Sibs Grow Up
46. Heart to Heart Chats
47. Oreos
48. Fake Fighting with the Roomies
49. Setting Goals
50. Overcoming Fears

Today is blue day, but hopefully this week will shape up.

On My Mind

I am a planner.
There is no questioning of that fact.

I like to have a plan and know exactly what is going on and what will be happening for months to come. Things happen, plans change, but I still like to have some sort of idea.

So here is my latest life plan.

I met with my adviser yesterday and I will be graduating in December! She told me I could apply for graduation anytime between now and August. I am excited!

After graduation I want to go to Taiwan and teach English to children. Nat showed me the program and I am trying to convince her to wait and go in December when I can go, instead of this summer.
I think it would be the most challenging/rewarding/amazing experience.

Then I want to go to grad school.

I have decided that I want to get a master's in advertising.
I was thinking of either an MBA, or a master's in marketing or HR,
but the more I think about it, the more I realize that I love public relations.
Advertising programs are run through communications
schools and connected to PR.
I am tired of finance and accounting classes so I don't think a
business program is the right fit for me.

I know this is what I want to do and I know that it is
insanely hard to break into the field,
so I think a master's can help set me apart and make sure
I am truly ready to jump into the world of advertising.

I am looking at Michigan State, University of Texas, University of Illinois, and Syracuse (and a few others). It is so intense!
I will be taking the GRE in May or June so I can start applying in the fall.

Let's be honest.
This plan will probably drastically change.
But I like it for now.
It makes me happy.

Flowers

I am still a slacker, nothing has really changed.
So here is the update on my life.

I was one of the winners of my friend Melissa's giveaway on her blog flowerinyourhair.blogspot.com
She makes these adorable headbands and flower pins.
You should definitely check it out.


They are so cute!
(I stole this pic from her.)
I highly recommend that you go to her blog and buy one, or two, or four.
Just sayin'.

I am fighting a cold. My head feels huge, my nose won't stop running,
and all I want to do is sleep.
Bring it on!

Tomorrow is my roomie Alyssa's birthday.
She will be the big 22!
I am so excited for her!