As the year comes to an end, I can't help but get excited for all of the exciting opportunities I have lying ahead of me in the new year. If I had to come up with one word to describe 2013 it would have to be growth. I don't think that a single year has ever allowed/caused me to grow as 2013 did and I'm incredibly grateful for the adventures it has taken me on. If you know me, I'm not one for trying new things very often or stepping out of their comfort zone but that's exactly what 2013 caused me to do. I tried sushi which was gross but it was at a sketchy Chinese buffet which may have something to do with it, watched Christmas Vacation which may be one of the top Christmas movies ever, met some incredible people and caught up with friends I haven't seen in years, stepped out of my comfort zone in ways I never would have dreamed, became more independent, got a job on campus that I absolutely love, applied to the Education program making my dream of being a teacher that much more real, sent in an application for a position I'm incredibly excited about applying for, organized for and met Dr. Brad Buck on campus, took a picture with Senator Ted Cruz which was awesome even though I disagree with a solid 97% of his opinions, also met Senator Chuck Grassley who offered me an internship with his office, and attended two different fancy dinners which I loved, the list goes on and on but overall I learned and grew so much this year. I even got to watch (on TV sadly) my Grand View Viking football team take home the National championship! With so much greatness contained in one calendar year, I can only imagine what 2014 will bring.
I'm not one of those "New Year, New Me" types of people because let's be honest, I'm not going to do any of the stuff I say I'm going to, so why set myself up for disappointment? That's dumb. I get the idea of setting goals, but a new year isn't going to magically make your goals happen. It doesn't take a new year for you to make goals. If you want to change something do it. Don't wait for a new year to make it happen. You are the one in control of your life. Not the calendar. Come on people. Go out and make great stuff happen all year! Not just in January!
Although I'm not setting New Year's goals, I am looking forward to many things about 2014. I've got some great opportunities coming my way and I just can't wait for everything in the new year to get started. January kicks it off and from there the opportunities keep coming. It's so exciting! I'm ready to make 2014 as great or better than 2013 has been!
Happy New Year
Go out and do great things!
Hayley :)
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Where does power come from?
I've been thinking a lot about where power comes from and what gives someone the right to have power over someone else lately. I think a lot of this has been stirred from a class I'm taking where we've been talking about the role of the state, but this is a question I've grappled with for a couple of years now.
Who was the first person to take charge as a leader, and why did the other people submit to them? Was it the best hunter or was it someone with natural leadership ability? Did gorillas that eventually evolved into humans have leaders? Why did one gorilla just suddenly become leader? Why? Why? Why? Is there such thing as a natural leadership ability? Is leadership really natural? Why does someone else have the ability to tell me what to do? I don't remember signing anything that says anyone else has power over me. I just don't understand and I don't think I'll ever fully understand.
What gives someone else power over me? They're just a person like I'm just a person. We are all just people, nobody better than the other. In a classless society, nobody would be born with more power than another. If we had no society back before society was even a thing, nobody was just born powerful (I mean, strength, yes, but power over others, no.) Where then, did power come from? What makes people submit to the authority of others? I just don't understand where that authority came from. A policeman is just another person, but they have authority over what we can and can't do. Who got to decide what we can and can't do? And why did they get to decide and not me? The problem I'm grappling with at the moment is that we're all just humans. Nothing really distinguishes each from the other in a state of pure nature, so what makes someone so much more powerful than I am. Why should a congressman have the power to tell someone whether or not they can get married? What is it that gave them that power? The constitution. Who gave men of the constitutional convention the power to create the constitution? When the settlers came to America, what made some leaders and others just normal, every day people? I just don't get it. Did someone just decide they were going to be King one day and BAM! they ruled over everyone?
Voltaire said "To figure out who rules you, figure out who you can't criticize." That is so true to an extent. You aren't going to openly, blatantly criticize the person who rules over you because of fear of punishment. What gives that person the power to punish you other than their own authority. In that case, why can't you punish them? If you criticize someone of power, there is a high probability of backlash so Voltaire was right. I do criticize Voltaire in the respect that if I were to criticize the President, who rules over me, it's possible to do so with little to no repercussions because others would agree. Granted, in earlier times, it was much harder to criticize the ruler, but the principle still stands. In Nazi Germany, those who criticized Hitler were far and few between because of terror of being punished. In other countries, it is a crime to speak against the leader, but in modern-day USA, I could write a blog about how much I hate President Obama and nothing would happen. I would get some backlash from friends of mine, but other than that it would be relatively painless (except for how much I support the president...it would pain me to have to write that :) ).
What kind of ruler rules through fear? I have a strong feeling that leaders through history have gained a lot of their power through inflicting fear of pain or punishment onto those they rule over. People wouldn't question the ruler because they didn't want to get killed or tortured. I think that in the beginning of time when people began taking control of each other they did so through fear. It's like a big bully who takes your lunch money. If you want to live here, you have to submit to my power otherwise I'll kill your family because I can. I think that would cause me to submit to someone else's power too. Not cool.
Another thought I've been pondering lately has to do with how anyone has any right to land. Adam and Eve didn't own land. Archaic peoples didn't own land. Maybe if you decided that you wanted to live somewhere and made your own area that was cool, but who ever associated a monetary value with it. I get selling a house, but I don't feel like anyone has more right to land than anyone else. It's another power thing.
I don't think I'll ever know the answer to these questions. I don't even know if this post makes any sense to anyone else but me, but I'll continue to think about these big ideas and try to figure out what I think and where power actually comes from. :)
Who was the first person to take charge as a leader, and why did the other people submit to them? Was it the best hunter or was it someone with natural leadership ability? Did gorillas that eventually evolved into humans have leaders? Why did one gorilla just suddenly become leader? Why? Why? Why? Is there such thing as a natural leadership ability? Is leadership really natural? Why does someone else have the ability to tell me what to do? I don't remember signing anything that says anyone else has power over me. I just don't understand and I don't think I'll ever fully understand.
What gives someone else power over me? They're just a person like I'm just a person. We are all just people, nobody better than the other. In a classless society, nobody would be born with more power than another. If we had no society back before society was even a thing, nobody was just born powerful (I mean, strength, yes, but power over others, no.) Where then, did power come from? What makes people submit to the authority of others? I just don't understand where that authority came from. A policeman is just another person, but they have authority over what we can and can't do. Who got to decide what we can and can't do? And why did they get to decide and not me? The problem I'm grappling with at the moment is that we're all just humans. Nothing really distinguishes each from the other in a state of pure nature, so what makes someone so much more powerful than I am. Why should a congressman have the power to tell someone whether or not they can get married? What is it that gave them that power? The constitution. Who gave men of the constitutional convention the power to create the constitution? When the settlers came to America, what made some leaders and others just normal, every day people? I just don't get it. Did someone just decide they were going to be King one day and BAM! they ruled over everyone?
Voltaire said "To figure out who rules you, figure out who you can't criticize." That is so true to an extent. You aren't going to openly, blatantly criticize the person who rules over you because of fear of punishment. What gives that person the power to punish you other than their own authority. In that case, why can't you punish them? If you criticize someone of power, there is a high probability of backlash so Voltaire was right. I do criticize Voltaire in the respect that if I were to criticize the President, who rules over me, it's possible to do so with little to no repercussions because others would agree. Granted, in earlier times, it was much harder to criticize the ruler, but the principle still stands. In Nazi Germany, those who criticized Hitler were far and few between because of terror of being punished. In other countries, it is a crime to speak against the leader, but in modern-day USA, I could write a blog about how much I hate President Obama and nothing would happen. I would get some backlash from friends of mine, but other than that it would be relatively painless (except for how much I support the president...it would pain me to have to write that :) ).
What kind of ruler rules through fear? I have a strong feeling that leaders through history have gained a lot of their power through inflicting fear of pain or punishment onto those they rule over. People wouldn't question the ruler because they didn't want to get killed or tortured. I think that in the beginning of time when people began taking control of each other they did so through fear. It's like a big bully who takes your lunch money. If you want to live here, you have to submit to my power otherwise I'll kill your family because I can. I think that would cause me to submit to someone else's power too. Not cool.
Another thought I've been pondering lately has to do with how anyone has any right to land. Adam and Eve didn't own land. Archaic peoples didn't own land. Maybe if you decided that you wanted to live somewhere and made your own area that was cool, but who ever associated a monetary value with it. I get selling a house, but I don't feel like anyone has more right to land than anyone else. It's another power thing.
I don't think I'll ever know the answer to these questions. I don't even know if this post makes any sense to anyone else but me, but I'll continue to think about these big ideas and try to figure out what I think and where power actually comes from. :)
Friday, September 20, 2013
Words of the Wise
I've been reading a lot of really interesting philosophical type books lately, both for class and my own personal enjoyment and I've learned a lot. (I'm also taking a political science class...so I've been thinking politically again...) From my post yesterday about Socrates being wise because he knew that he did not know, to what I've been reading this morning, John Stuart Mill's On Liberty which was talking about toleration of others I've been thinking a lot about some interesting topics. I haven't really thought about what Mill was saying for sure (I read it about an hour ago), but it got me thinking nonetheless.
This debate about tolerance has been going on for CENTURIES, and for someone who was writing in the 1800s to talk about toleration blew my mind, especially how strongly he was pushing religious toleration. He said "Yet so natural to mankind is intolerance in whatever they really care about, that religious freedom has hardly anywhere been practically realized..." The United States like to pride itself on being tolerant and accepting of all types of people, and freedom of religion was a MAJOR component of the founding of the United States, but do we really have religious freedom here? Yes, you're free to practice your own religion, or to not have one, but are you treated in the same way as others?
Christianity is so deeply ingrained in our culture that it's hard to be anything but. I get that we were founded on a strong christian base of various practices and denominations, but when the first amendment says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." I think we need to take it seriously. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, it would have been much less of a deal to set a national religion, but today there is SO much religious diversity within our country, trying to push Christianity in everything is a bit ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I consider myself a Christian and I have absolutely nothing against Christianity as a religion, but I think we take it too far in our politics.
So many of the political arguments that divide our country center around religious problems, gay marriage, abortion, etc...and I think that we have to be able to remove religion from those problems and look at them as what they are without the Christian lens getting in the way.
Gay marriage- two people that want to get married of the same sex. How absolutely terrible is that? It's not. Don't get your panties in a twist because of someone else's decisions. You don't get to CHOOSE your own sexuality, so why should someone else CHOOSE whether or not you get married? I just don't get it. Come on now people. The bible says this or the bible says that; just because the BIBLE says it, doesn't mean that you HAVE to be against it. The bible also says that slavery is a natural condition...so do you believe in slavery because the Bible says it? Probably not. You have the capacity to decide for yourself whether or not you believe in gay marriage, but from a standpoint NOT involving religion, why would you have a problem with it?
Abortion- I'm not saying that I support abortion, but I don't see why someone else should decide what happens to someone else's body. There are SO many circumstances surrounding why a woman would get an abortion that I just don't feel like it is right for a law to say what you can and can't do to your body. That being said, I don't think that people should be able to have abortions past a certain point and I think there has to be a valid reason as to why someone does it, but I don't think that the limits should be so short that the woman doesn't have time to make a rational, well thought out decision. If you believe that life begins at conception, good for you. I feel like there are SO many complications that are natural that could end the life between conception and birth that it isn't as big of a deal as some people make it out to be. (I am not endorsing abortions in any way, shape or form, just giving my views here.)
If our CONSTITUTION/ Bill of Rights SAYS that we won't have a national religion, I really think we need to take religion and our politics and not put religious dogmas into our laws. We have to take a step back and look at the WHOLE picture and consider both sides of the argument. Mill talked at length about looking at both sides of an opinion before deciding which one you truly support and I really think that a lot of people need to be able to sit back and LISTEN to others' opinions before being so strong-headed themselves. Why can't we just support each other without tearing others apart because of their beliefs or opinions? I understand why people believe the opposite of me, I don't believe that they are always correct, but I support those opinions and would never HATE someone because of what they believe. My roommate and I are on the TOTAL opposite end of the spectrum on our opinions and some of our beliefs, but we embrace that. We support each other's opinions and we have GREAT discussions about this kind of stuff because we are able to see where the other comes from. Why can't everybody do that? I guess I'll never understand.
BTW- you can check out my roommate's blog at heathercarpe.blogspot.com :) It's REALLY good!
This debate about tolerance has been going on for CENTURIES, and for someone who was writing in the 1800s to talk about toleration blew my mind, especially how strongly he was pushing religious toleration. He said "Yet so natural to mankind is intolerance in whatever they really care about, that religious freedom has hardly anywhere been practically realized..." The United States like to pride itself on being tolerant and accepting of all types of people, and freedom of religion was a MAJOR component of the founding of the United States, but do we really have religious freedom here? Yes, you're free to practice your own religion, or to not have one, but are you treated in the same way as others?
Christianity is so deeply ingrained in our culture that it's hard to be anything but. I get that we were founded on a strong christian base of various practices and denominations, but when the first amendment says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." I think we need to take it seriously. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, it would have been much less of a deal to set a national religion, but today there is SO much religious diversity within our country, trying to push Christianity in everything is a bit ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I consider myself a Christian and I have absolutely nothing against Christianity as a religion, but I think we take it too far in our politics.
So many of the political arguments that divide our country center around religious problems, gay marriage, abortion, etc...and I think that we have to be able to remove religion from those problems and look at them as what they are without the Christian lens getting in the way.
Gay marriage- two people that want to get married of the same sex. How absolutely terrible is that? It's not. Don't get your panties in a twist because of someone else's decisions. You don't get to CHOOSE your own sexuality, so why should someone else CHOOSE whether or not you get married? I just don't get it. Come on now people. The bible says this or the bible says that; just because the BIBLE says it, doesn't mean that you HAVE to be against it. The bible also says that slavery is a natural condition...so do you believe in slavery because the Bible says it? Probably not. You have the capacity to decide for yourself whether or not you believe in gay marriage, but from a standpoint NOT involving religion, why would you have a problem with it?
Abortion- I'm not saying that I support abortion, but I don't see why someone else should decide what happens to someone else's body. There are SO many circumstances surrounding why a woman would get an abortion that I just don't feel like it is right for a law to say what you can and can't do to your body. That being said, I don't think that people should be able to have abortions past a certain point and I think there has to be a valid reason as to why someone does it, but I don't think that the limits should be so short that the woman doesn't have time to make a rational, well thought out decision. If you believe that life begins at conception, good for you. I feel like there are SO many complications that are natural that could end the life between conception and birth that it isn't as big of a deal as some people make it out to be. (I am not endorsing abortions in any way, shape or form, just giving my views here.)
If our CONSTITUTION/ Bill of Rights SAYS that we won't have a national religion, I really think we need to take religion and our politics and not put religious dogmas into our laws. We have to take a step back and look at the WHOLE picture and consider both sides of the argument. Mill talked at length about looking at both sides of an opinion before deciding which one you truly support and I really think that a lot of people need to be able to sit back and LISTEN to others' opinions before being so strong-headed themselves. Why can't we just support each other without tearing others apart because of their beliefs or opinions? I understand why people believe the opposite of me, I don't believe that they are always correct, but I support those opinions and would never HATE someone because of what they believe. My roommate and I are on the TOTAL opposite end of the spectrum on our opinions and some of our beliefs, but we embrace that. We support each other's opinions and we have GREAT discussions about this kind of stuff because we are able to see where the other comes from. Why can't everybody do that? I guess I'll never understand.
BTW- you can check out my roommate's blog at heathercarpe.blogspot.com :) It's REALLY good!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Wise is She who Knows that She Does Not Know
I've heard this idea everywhere lately and I absolutely love it. This idea began when I was reading the Death and Trial of Socrates: The Four Dialogues by Plato in my honors class. When we discussed it, I fell in love with the idea because I completely agree and I loved the way he worded it "As for me, all I know is that I know nothing." Socrates was told by the Oracle at Delphi that he was the wisest man in Athens, and I believe that he was wise because he understood that he didn't even begin to know everything that there is to know. You can't be wise if you think that you know everything, and you can't be wise if you think you know nothing. If you know that you know some things, but don't know even a portion of all that there is to know, you are wise. I also saw this quote in Sophie's World, a book I've started to read about the history of philosophy. It was talking about Socrates being wise in a really down to earth way and I really enjoyed it. I laughed when I caught the reference to the quote from the other book I had read about two days before.
I believe that there is so much to learn that it is impossible to learn it all. You have to understand that to be able to open yourself up to wisdom. Your life experiences, combined with the knowledge you have makes you wise but also the knowledge that you don't know all there is to know plays a major part. If someone knows that they are wise because they think they are, they're not wise. If someone else sees the wisdom in someone and that person doesn't believe that they are wise, then the person is truly wise.
I understand that I don't know all that there is to know and I accept that. I will work to learn all that I can though because I believe that knowledge is the key to a successful life, a happy life, and is the key to moving society forward. People have to be knowledgeable and educated for anything worthwhile to get done. If we don't know what we're doing and aren't educated about what is going on, we won't advance our society in any sense of the word. Education is the key.
I believe that there is so much to learn that it is impossible to learn it all. You have to understand that to be able to open yourself up to wisdom. Your life experiences, combined with the knowledge you have makes you wise but also the knowledge that you don't know all there is to know plays a major part. If someone knows that they are wise because they think they are, they're not wise. If someone else sees the wisdom in someone and that person doesn't believe that they are wise, then the person is truly wise.
I understand that I don't know all that there is to know and I accept that. I will work to learn all that I can though because I believe that knowledge is the key to a successful life, a happy life, and is the key to moving society forward. People have to be knowledgeable and educated for anything worthwhile to get done. If we don't know what we're doing and aren't educated about what is going on, we won't advance our society in any sense of the word. Education is the key.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Whew.
I finally have a free moment. Thank goodness. Things have been a whirlwind lately and I can't even begin to describe how wonderful it has been to do absolutely nothing for a change. I moved back to Des Moines on August 13th and since then I have been constantly going and doing things but I loved every minute of it. Going from our fall leadership retreat, to leadership week, new student days and the first week of class was insane, but I learned and grew so much in the last month and I'm so thankful that I had such incredible opportunities. Sometimes I have to take a moment to think of how wonderful my life is and how lucky I am to attend such a fantastic college that I love so much and just enjoy everything. Thinking back to last year's homesickness, I can't even begin to understand the growth that occurred in the last year. I didn't even go home for labor day this year because I wanted to stay with my friends and relax! (I do have to go home in a couple of weeks though so that may have had something to do with that decision...) I didn't feel like I really got a real summer break and at first that bothered me, but now I'm okay with it. I loved my summer classes (minus my May term History class) and I enjoyed my time at home in July as life changing as it was. July was absolutely insane when it comes to a relaxing summer. I never would have guessed everything that happened. I experienced grief I've never felt before and I spent a lot of my own time in and out of the doctor's office...so much for a relaxing break! New Student Days was a success and I loved meeting all of the new students and getting to know them. You also can't beat a weekend with the View Crew! I love those guys! Sure it was a stressful and busy weekend but I wouldn't give it up for anything. Now that school is starting I'm about to have zero free time. Great. I love being busy but this year is going to push me to see how much I can handle. 18 credits. A leadership position and two jobs on campus. I can handle it, but we'll see how the stress-o-meter handles it. I'm looking forward to a fantastic school year nonetheless and I'm super excited to see what the future brings, even with the stress that comes with it!
Friday, July 5, 2013
I Like (to Visit) Ike
I've been spending the last few days visiting my family in Manhattan, Kansas celebrating the Fourth of July and hanging out. Today, I had the chance to drive to Abilene, Kansas the boyhood home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It's incredible how much the world changed during Ike's life. He was born in 1890 and died in 1969, living through World Wars I and II and the beginning of the Cold War. He lived through the Great Depression and by the time he was in office, color television had been invented! I've had the chance to visit the Presidential Center before, but I didn't really know what I was looking at or who President Eisenhower was in the first place so it was really interesting to see everything with an understanding of what was going on in the world at the time.
Overall, I had an awesome time vising the Eisenhower Presidential Center. It's a beautiful campus to check out if you're interested! There's also the Presidential Library for research related to President Eisenhower's papers from his presidency. I would love to look through them some day!
I had the chance to tour President Eisenhower's childhood home which was a really interesting thing to tour. Ike only lived there for a few years, but his mom lived there until she died. It's a tiny house for 6 boys and their parents. With only 4 bedrooms, I three boys shared one room, two another and the third tiny bedroom was reserved for Ike's oldest brother. I can't seem to wrap my head around how small houses were back during the late 1800s compared with houses today. Running water wasn't even installed in the house until Ike was 18 years old! How crazy is that?
The Eisenhower Museum was also an interesting experience. There is a really cool exhibit going on from 2013-2016 that is about World War II which I found to be fascinating. I've always found WWII to be one of the most interesting parts of history to study so this exhibit spoke right to me. The best thing that I got to experience from this special exhibit was that there was a man who had really served in WWII and had actually met President Eisenhower when he was in command of the Allied troops in Europe that was touring the museum. He was telling stories to those of us that were around him and it was a really cool experience to hear some of it right from someone who lived it. I also had the chance to interact with with a man who had friends that had fought in WWII and was telling me stories that his friends had told him about liberating Death Camps. I loved this experience.
There was also a wall that talked about Japanese Internment Camps in the United States during WWII which I thought was a really interesting read.
Something I found to be interesting about Ike during WWII was that he had prepared a statement for if the D-Day invasion were to have failed. I hadn't given any thought to the chance that the invasion could have been a huge disaster. By no means was it an extraordinary victory, but the fact that General Eisenhower wrote a statement taking full responsibility for the failure brought a new light to the D-Day invasion.
There was a section of the museum about the election of President Eisenhower. My brother actually enjoyed looking through the various election materials and the I LIKE IKE buttons.
I even got to visit President Eisenhower's final resting place. He's buried in what is called the Place of Meditation. It's like a small church, where Dwight, Mamie and their first son Doud are buried. There's a small fountain and it's a really peaceful place.
Overall, I had an awesome time vising the Eisenhower Presidential Center. It's a beautiful campus to check out if you're interested! There's also the Presidential Library for research related to President Eisenhower's papers from his presidency. I would love to look through them some day!
Thursday, July 4, 2013
4th of July
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Pet Peeves
Like everyone else in the world I have a list of probably 50 pet peeves. I feel the need to vent a few of them because some people could really use some common sense.
1. Grammar
If you're over 18 and can't properly construct a sentence...we have a problem. I understand that not everyone has strengths in English, but when every single word is misspelled, someone went wrong somewhere along the line. If you're over 30, we have a major problem. Facebook has probably worsened this situation because that's where the majority of my pet peeves come from. If you are going to post a Facebook status, take the time to spell out the words. It's really not much more work. I don't want to see "u" or "r" it's "you" and "are." You're not cool if you spell "phone" as "fone" either. Stop. A final pet peeve in this category is: If you're going to curse online, at least spell it right. I get that I don't follow all grammar rules by any means, but I write intelligently (the majority of the time) and I don't spell every single word wrong. (Let's be honest, my biggest grammar error is pronoun-antecedent disagreement and if I'm thinking about it, I avoid using it).
2. Facebook statuses about OTHER PEOPLE
I hate reading the drama of Facebook oh so much. I've tweeted about people before, but there's a difference, I'm not trying to stir up drama or anything, I just need somewhere to say it and it's not Facebook worthy. Don't post about others knowing that they will see it just to start drama. It's pointless. It's not worth my time to glance over your post, or anyone else's time as well. I get positive statuses about others, they're cool, but when people post negative things about others, that's when we have a problem. If you're over 30 and trying to start drama on Facebook, I really question the direction of your life. If you have nothing better to do than start drama with younger people on Facebook, you really need to reevaluate your life.
3. The numbers 1, 4, 7, 8, 11, 13, 17, and many more.
4. When someone calls you and you call them back within 2 minutes and they don't answer.
If you're going to call me, be waiting for my call back, especially within the first 10 minutes after you call me. I don't always answer my phone (It's usually on silence) and when I call someone back, I expect them to answer. If I call you back within 2 minutes, don't answer and say you're busy. How much busier can you be now than you were 2 minutes ago? I don't buy it.
5. People who text in class
I've texted in class before and it's only for important things and I don't make a habit of it. I don't sit with my phone during class, I put it in my backpack and don't look at it unless there's a break or I need it for some part of class. You're in class for a reason; to learn. You have all kinds of time to be on your phone, so put it away. You're taking away from my educational experience and yours and we're both paying for the experience, so...let's not do that.
Monday, April 22, 2013
How to not write a paper
Hello Finals Week! I have not had a week with so little to do at all this semester and I'm loving it, but it's fairly pointless. I have one paper and 2 finals standing between me and a week of glorious summer break and I can't wait. I've been working on writing a paper for my honors class for the last few days and it hasn't been getting anywhere, so I think I'm a pretty good source for information on how to not write a paper if I do say so myself. Here are key steps to not writing a paper:
1. Get on Facebook. It's vital that you have a facebook tab open while writing a paper. It's a great distraction.
2. Get on Twitter. If you follow many people, you will have a pretty steady stream of tweets coming your way. It's a great way to learn new, important information and a great distraction.
3. Get together with friends that are writing the same paper. You will gain vital ideas and get little to nothing done.
4. Watch a movie. Movies are great ways to get distracted which is absolutely important when trying to write a paper.
5. Find something that's going on around campus and go. For example, today I went to the Acting Class' final performances. It was great! Being involved on campus is a big deal so this will definitely help out in the long-run and its free entertainment!
6. Go out to eat. Who needs to write a paper when you have Village Inn and pie? No one, that's who.
7. Have a jam session. Belting out songs terribly is way more fun than writing a paper.
8. If all else, fails, write a blog about how to not write a paper.
9. Final step: Freak out because your final paper is due tomorrow and if you don't get a B you won't get an A in the class.
1. Get on Facebook. It's vital that you have a facebook tab open while writing a paper. It's a great distraction.
2. Get on Twitter. If you follow many people, you will have a pretty steady stream of tweets coming your way. It's a great way to learn new, important information and a great distraction.
3. Get together with friends that are writing the same paper. You will gain vital ideas and get little to nothing done.
4. Watch a movie. Movies are great ways to get distracted which is absolutely important when trying to write a paper.
5. Find something that's going on around campus and go. For example, today I went to the Acting Class' final performances. It was great! Being involved on campus is a big deal so this will definitely help out in the long-run and its free entertainment!
6. Go out to eat. Who needs to write a paper when you have Village Inn and pie? No one, that's who.
7. Have a jam session. Belting out songs terribly is way more fun than writing a paper.
8. If all else, fails, write a blog about how to not write a paper.
9. Final step: Freak out because your final paper is due tomorrow and if you don't get a B you won't get an A in the class.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Things I've learned this year
With only finals week left in this semester, I've decided to make a list of the things I think I've learned in this last year. Many life lessons were learned and you would think I would have had the common knowledge ahead of time to know this stuff. Apparently not.
1. In the city, the left lane isn't the fast lane when on a normal street.
2. Don't let dishes pile up. They smell.
3. Do laundry before it gets excessive.
4. Laundry is expensive.
5. If you're going to buy food, actually eat it otherwise it will go bad and get gross.
6. Cool words like pedagogy, modality, and dropter. (...way more cool words I can't think of...)
7. The Big Bang Theory is the best show to ever grace us with it's presence on Television.
8. Starbucks comes straight from God himself.
9. Sometimes you have to talk to strangers.
10. Twitter is the best way to get through those boring classes.
11. Professors say the strangest/funniest things.
-Don't marry a compulsive gambler.
12. Don't text and walk down the stairs. It doesn't end well.
13. Be yourself.
14. Don't let change get stuck in your printer. It makes death noises.
15. Sometimes the only thing you need are your grandma's cookies. :)
16. Sparknotes can be your best friend at times and your worst friend at times.
17. I've read some really cool books that I loved and some that I abhorred.
18. It is possible to miss your exit on the Interstate, even when you know exactly where you are going.
19. Sometimes you have to get creative with your lunch.
20. I can lose at Harry Potter Scene It...not even sure how that happened.
21. I have met some of the coolest people. Ever.
22. Intelligent conversation is one of my new favorite things.
23. Chipotle is the best place ever.
24. I've learned many inappropriate sayings/terms that I didn't know before...
25. I've watched some of the weirdest movies of my life.
26. I've watched too many movies to count.
27. I've discovered my passions and found what I'm really interested in.
28. As much as you don't want to go to class....you probably should.
29. It is possible to hate your favorite class.
30. I've learned that you have to just cherish every moment and make life fun. :)
Saturday, April 6, 2013
End of the Semester
I seriously think that professors email each other and coordinate deadlines for assignments. That's the only way this could work so perfectly. How is it possible that all semester I have had very little homework, but when I do, each class assigns it for the same time. I would much rather have a steady supply of homework than have sudden bursts of assignments. Come on, professors! Get it together. I'm so confused as to how some of my classes are going to finish all of the assignments on the syllabus before the end of the semester because time-wise it's nearly impossible. I have 4 class periods left of Tuesday/Thursday classes and one of them still expects another lesson plan that we are supposed to teach or something like that? How does that work? I don't believe it does. I just don't see how my classes are even close to being done but they are. Last semester didn't seem so weird like this one does. Maybe it's because I'm staying here through May and June to take more classes...weird stuff.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Toleration
When the good ole United States was initially settled, it was a place that countries would send people for religious toleration. They would say, we aren't going to tolerate your religion here, but if you go there, we will tolerate you. Now we don't have anywhere to send people that we don't want to tolerate (this is said in a joking tone) and we need to "buck up" accept others. This is probably going to be another "controversial" post but I feel like getting these ideas out there is a good thing.
One thing I think that people have a hard time understanding is that the United States is NOT a Theocracy. For those of you that don't know what that is, the dictionary defines it as "government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided" Does this sound like the United States? I don't think so. Think of a divine right monarchy of the 17th or 18th centuries. Not everyone in the United States has to be christian, we don't have a head of government that is thought to be sent from God, acting on his behalf do we? Did some people not get that memo? What about separation of church and state? I don't like how on certain issues people always bring up the issue of religious morals or rules in relation to Christianity. Not everyone is Christian (I am, but I don't like those who find it to be the only religion. It's not.).
Just because I believe something doesn't mean that it is the only thing to believe. I understand that statement is a bit contrary to what this entire post is about in a way, but it's true. I understand where people get their ideas from, and although I don't accept it I still entertain the thought in an Aristotelian sense. All I want people to do is be accepting of one another. How hard is that? I don't think that we should all push religion on each other, especially when others don't believe the same religion. I just don't think we should try to push our beliefs to others when it comes to religion. If I was Muslim, you wouldn't see me trying to force others into my beliefs so why do Christians seem to do it so strongly?
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Academic Advising
Today I was in my meeting with my good ole academic advisor to go over classes for next semester (I can't believe how fast this year has gone!) and boy was it an interesting time! I already registered without his help so the meeting was basically pointless, but I enjoy meeting with the guy any way the majority of the time although I swear he is crazy. I thought that some of the things he said or topics we discussed were so ridiculous that they were blog worthy so here they are.
1. He read me a poem about a dog, which I really enjoyed actually. One moment we're talking about Paradise Lost, then it's Walt Whitman and then we're on a dog poem from Martha Speaks.
2. You can't fix stupid. Some people are just dumb as a door and you can't teach them. Not everyone can learn. (His views, not mine) Education is full of ridiculous jargon (as I apparently will learn.)
-On this topic, I do believe that all students can learn, just some learn in different ways. I also agree that you can't fix stupid. There's a difference.
3. Paradise Lost is NOT the Bible. (When I said this he said that I was a genius so I thought I would include it)
4. His mother is like a cat. Stubborn and won't give up on her position. If the world ended, she would be the last person alive yet is the nicest person he has ever met. (I feel like our conversations always go back to his mother...awkward...)
5. Dogs DO love. Although his girlfriend would tend to disagree with him. We then discussed different animals and how their personalities are reflective. He says that dolphins have reflective personalities...not even 100% sure what that means so I just smiled and nodded.
6. I'm a genius. (My absolute favorite part about my advisor is that he constantly tells me that I'm a genius and one of the brightest people he's met. He also tells me that I'm going far and all that fun stuff. I pretty much enjoy it.)
7. He was apparently in a LOGOS-esque class when he was in college and enjoyed it.
8. "How are you?" I'm good... "No. Really, how are you?" I'm pretty good actually...haha
9. Relationships and how when one ends/life gets confusing your mind mentally goes back to it's last set-point in which everything was fine... (fascinating stuff actually)
10. He printed out an 8 page article he said he thinks I will enjoy reading which discusses Rene Descartes, Plato and Aristotle and animals. I haven't read it yet...might not...it seems somewhat interesting, but 8 pages?
11. If he wasn't a psychologist what he would have decided to become in order: Psychology, Economics, History, Physics and what he would not become: Math or Chemistry. It was interesting to hear his reasons behind these.
All of these things took place in a span of about 20 minutes. It was quite the interesting meeting...I have to say I'm going to miss him as my advisor next year!
1. He read me a poem about a dog, which I really enjoyed actually. One moment we're talking about Paradise Lost, then it's Walt Whitman and then we're on a dog poem from Martha Speaks.
2. You can't fix stupid. Some people are just dumb as a door and you can't teach them. Not everyone can learn. (His views, not mine) Education is full of ridiculous jargon (as I apparently will learn.)
-On this topic, I do believe that all students can learn, just some learn in different ways. I also agree that you can't fix stupid. There's a difference.
3. Paradise Lost is NOT the Bible. (When I said this he said that I was a genius so I thought I would include it)
4. His mother is like a cat. Stubborn and won't give up on her position. If the world ended, she would be the last person alive yet is the nicest person he has ever met. (I feel like our conversations always go back to his mother...awkward...)
5. Dogs DO love. Although his girlfriend would tend to disagree with him. We then discussed different animals and how their personalities are reflective. He says that dolphins have reflective personalities...not even 100% sure what that means so I just smiled and nodded.
6. I'm a genius. (My absolute favorite part about my advisor is that he constantly tells me that I'm a genius and one of the brightest people he's met. He also tells me that I'm going far and all that fun stuff. I pretty much enjoy it.)
7. He was apparently in a LOGOS-esque class when he was in college and enjoyed it.
8. "How are you?" I'm good... "No. Really, how are you?" I'm pretty good actually...haha
9. Relationships and how when one ends/life gets confusing your mind mentally goes back to it's last set-point in which everything was fine... (fascinating stuff actually)
10. He printed out an 8 page article he said he thinks I will enjoy reading which discusses Rene Descartes, Plato and Aristotle and animals. I haven't read it yet...might not...it seems somewhat interesting, but 8 pages?
11. If he wasn't a psychologist what he would have decided to become in order: Psychology, Economics, History, Physics and what he would not become: Math or Chemistry. It was interesting to hear his reasons behind these.
All of these things took place in a span of about 20 minutes. It was quite the interesting meeting...I have to say I'm going to miss him as my advisor next year!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
How is this even an issue?
Unless you live under a rock I'm sure you have noticed all of the = signs all over the internet/social media promoting equal marriage rights. This is going to be my little spiel about gay marriage because frankly I'm tired of it being an issue and I feel like this just needs to be out there.
Here we go!
So. To begin with, how is this even an issue? Really. America wasn't built to force others to conform to the religion of the majority, many of the first settlers/immigrants actually came here to practice their own religion because it wasn't tolerated in Europe. If the first settlers were trying to get toleration of their OWN RELIGION, why can't we just accept that homosexual people just want toleration too? Seriously. People seem to think that this is a new idea or something. It's not.
People also seem to think that being gay is something new. It didn't just happen overnight you know. In fact, in Ancient Greece, homosexual relationships were actually CELEBRATED and ENCOURAGED among young men and older men. I'm not going to go all Plato on you here, but these relationships were incredibly vital in ancient Greek society. If they were good enough for the Greeks, why aren't they good enough for us? Why do we condemn these relationships that the Greeks thought so highly of. I mean, of course there were different contexts in relation to the historical periods, but regardless they are still comparable.
Another issue I have with this idea of "anti gay marriage" is that people say that if gay people get married, they will produce gay children. Are. You. Freaking. Kidding. Me. Obviously, straight parents ONLY produce STRAIGHT children, right? This point really bothers me. I mean really, come on let's get real here.
Some people say that allowing gay people to get married will discredit the sanctity of marriage, but come on now, how great is marriage in the first place when we have people like Brittney Spears and Kim Kardashian getting married? People compare gay marriage to marrying their dog but that's just terrible. A person is a person no matter regardless of their sexuality. Don't compare them to dogs. How would you like me to compare you to a dog? I don't think so.
My final problem with this whole issue is that people bring up "well, haven't you read the bible? Marriage is between a man and a woman." but bringing religion into this whole fiasco isn't solving anything. I know some perfectly christian gay people and you know what, they are no different from the rest of us. The bible may say that, but when the government got involved in marriage, they should have left religion out of it completely. Isn't that supposed to be separation of church and state? If two people love each other, there is no reason that they shouldn't be married. Who are they hurting, me, you? No. It is their life, their choice, not yours. I don't see why other people feel the need to intrude in other's lives. Some people believe that gay marriage is a sin, why others feel like cursing is a sin. Why don't we have debates whether cursing should be allowed in public? It's just as menial of an issue in the scheme of things.
In 50 years, those who oppose gay marriage are going to be looked on just as we look on those who supported segregation. Our country needs to accept the fact that this group of people who have been suppressed, as the Blacks were, are not stepping up to fight for their rights. Yes, it might be against your religion, but you know what? It comes down to the fact that it really doesn't impact you.
Yes. I am a Christian who supports gay marriage. I understand that God said that marriage is between a man and a woman, but I also strongly believe that the Bible was written thousands of years ago and by now it is somewhat out-dated. The ideas and stories hold true, but our society has evolved so much from the time that the book was written that a lot of it can be thought of as silly today. I feel like a lot of the ideas of the Bible are great but some of the things that it talks about become irrelevant in today's day and age. Jesus died for our sins and if you think that gay marriage is a sin, then great. That's a sin that Jesus died for. God loves you no matter what, it's an unconditional love and I believe that that love translates regardless of sexual orientation.
Well. There's my rant. Hope you enjoyed it! These are just my opinions and by no means are they 100% correct nor am I trying to change someone else's opinions, I just thought that I would throw mine out there. :)
Here we go!
So. To begin with, how is this even an issue? Really. America wasn't built to force others to conform to the religion of the majority, many of the first settlers/immigrants actually came here to practice their own religion because it wasn't tolerated in Europe. If the first settlers were trying to get toleration of their OWN RELIGION, why can't we just accept that homosexual people just want toleration too? Seriously. People seem to think that this is a new idea or something. It's not.
People also seem to think that being gay is something new. It didn't just happen overnight you know. In fact, in Ancient Greece, homosexual relationships were actually CELEBRATED and ENCOURAGED among young men and older men. I'm not going to go all Plato on you here, but these relationships were incredibly vital in ancient Greek society. If they were good enough for the Greeks, why aren't they good enough for us? Why do we condemn these relationships that the Greeks thought so highly of. I mean, of course there were different contexts in relation to the historical periods, but regardless they are still comparable.
Another issue I have with this idea of "anti gay marriage" is that people say that if gay people get married, they will produce gay children. Are. You. Freaking. Kidding. Me. Obviously, straight parents ONLY produce STRAIGHT children, right? This point really bothers me. I mean really, come on let's get real here.
Some people say that allowing gay people to get married will discredit the sanctity of marriage, but come on now, how great is marriage in the first place when we have people like Brittney Spears and Kim Kardashian getting married? People compare gay marriage to marrying their dog but that's just terrible. A person is a person no matter regardless of their sexuality. Don't compare them to dogs. How would you like me to compare you to a dog? I don't think so.
My final problem with this whole issue is that people bring up "well, haven't you read the bible? Marriage is between a man and a woman." but bringing religion into this whole fiasco isn't solving anything. I know some perfectly christian gay people and you know what, they are no different from the rest of us. The bible may say that, but when the government got involved in marriage, they should have left religion out of it completely. Isn't that supposed to be separation of church and state? If two people love each other, there is no reason that they shouldn't be married. Who are they hurting, me, you? No. It is their life, their choice, not yours. I don't see why other people feel the need to intrude in other's lives. Some people believe that gay marriage is a sin, why others feel like cursing is a sin. Why don't we have debates whether cursing should be allowed in public? It's just as menial of an issue in the scheme of things.
In 50 years, those who oppose gay marriage are going to be looked on just as we look on those who supported segregation. Our country needs to accept the fact that this group of people who have been suppressed, as the Blacks were, are not stepping up to fight for their rights. Yes, it might be against your religion, but you know what? It comes down to the fact that it really doesn't impact you.
Yes. I am a Christian who supports gay marriage. I understand that God said that marriage is between a man and a woman, but I also strongly believe that the Bible was written thousands of years ago and by now it is somewhat out-dated. The ideas and stories hold true, but our society has evolved so much from the time that the book was written that a lot of it can be thought of as silly today. I feel like a lot of the ideas of the Bible are great but some of the things that it talks about become irrelevant in today's day and age. Jesus died for our sins and if you think that gay marriage is a sin, then great. That's a sin that Jesus died for. God loves you no matter what, it's an unconditional love and I believe that that love translates regardless of sexual orientation.
Well. There's my rant. Hope you enjoyed it! These are just my opinions and by no means are they 100% correct nor am I trying to change someone else's opinions, I just thought that I would throw mine out there. :)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Here We Go Again...
As I get ready to head back to the great city of Des Moines tomorrow I can't help but think of the fact that this same weekend last year was when it all ended, yet I can't help but think "here we go again..." as I get ready. I should clarify, last year I was heading to my last duty as an Iowa FCCLA State Officer. It was one of the most exciting things that happened last year. Now, as I pack to head back after a great, relaxing spring break I'm packing for yet another State Leadership Conference. It's crazy how everything seems to come full circle, isn't it? I remember attending my first SLC and being incredibly excited and wanting that red jacket (#redjacketswag!) and eventually running for office. Now, I'm heading back as a volunteer and it's crazy how much different it all seems. Who knew a couple of years would change everything? I think the hardest part of this entire conference is going to be the fact that I made the decision to change my education endorsement from Family and Consumer Science to Social Studies and as FCCLA is co-curricular with FCS it's going to be a tad awkward. Trying to figure out what to wear is also a difficulty. Do I wear my polo like the members? Do I even wear red at all? I want to distinguish myself from the members in that I am merely a freshman in college and chances are, there are going to be members that are Seniors in high school that are older than me. Crazy stuff, let me tell you. I can't help but worry about choosing the right outfit to wear...although I know I shouldn't worry about it. I'm SO excited to be able to meet back up with some of my best friends and help inspire members to become better leaders in their family, careers and communities but I'm also a bit nervous. Going from STAR event participant to First VP who deals with the logistics of STAR events and being a tallier to now a judge it's like my entire journey has come full circle and it's fantastic.
I'm also rather excited at the prospect of a 2-day school week. Being at the conference on Monday and Tuesday and only having class then on Wednesday and Thursday! I love the fact that I'll be back home again in just 4 days! It makes packing much easier in relation to the fact that I don't have to take everything back with me since I'll be home again so soon! Talk about convenient!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The Decision
Well. Here we are, I've made my decision. I've decided what I really want to do with the rest of my life. It's rather exciting actually. What is that decision you may ask? I've decided that I am officially going to be a Social Studies teacher and also major in History. It's going to take an incredible amount of work to accomplish all of the things I need to so that I can get to where I want to be. The All Social Studies endorsement alone is 55 credits. Then you add the Secondary Education and History majors you've got yourself an adventure! I'm really excited for where I think this course will take me and the opportunities it will afford me in the future even with all of the work it is going to take. It amazes me that I would have even considered changing my endorsement from FCS to Social Studies but after changing it I feel like I've gotten really comfortable with what I want to do. :)
The first month of second semester of my freshman year is now over. It's crazy how fast the time goes, but it befuddles me how slowly the days can seem at times. I can't believe how fast the first month seems to have gone looking it it now, but the days seemed so long at times. The homework load of this semester is over the top ridiculous and I can't believe how hard it has been at times to get everything done on time. I'm not the best when it comes to managing my time and I seriously need to work on it. I get incredibly stressed out but I choose to procrastinate way to often. I need to get my priorities straight and get things done.
It amazes me how my classes don't seem to have gotten more challenging yet I feel much more overwhelmed this semester. My honors class is pushing me way harder than it did last semester although it isn't much more difficult, there is just more work to it. I have a love-hate relationship with the class the majority of the time. I love the material and the deep discussions and big ideas but I absolutely hate the amount of work it takes for me to even begin to understand some of the ideas. It bothers me the amount of effort I have put into the class so far this semester compared to last. I've probably put 3-4 times the amount of work into the class this semester ALREADY that I put into the entire last semester and yet my grades are lower. Coincidence? I'm not quite sure.
I love college overall. It's such an incredible experience and I couldn't think of my life without coming here. I'm seriously so excited to see how my life is going to turn out that sometimes I wish I could just fast forward through the next five years to see where I land.
The first month of second semester of my freshman year is now over. It's crazy how fast the time goes, but it befuddles me how slowly the days can seem at times. I can't believe how fast the first month seems to have gone looking it it now, but the days seemed so long at times. The homework load of this semester is over the top ridiculous and I can't believe how hard it has been at times to get everything done on time. I'm not the best when it comes to managing my time and I seriously need to work on it. I get incredibly stressed out but I choose to procrastinate way to often. I need to get my priorities straight and get things done.
It amazes me how my classes don't seem to have gotten more challenging yet I feel much more overwhelmed this semester. My honors class is pushing me way harder than it did last semester although it isn't much more difficult, there is just more work to it. I have a love-hate relationship with the class the majority of the time. I love the material and the deep discussions and big ideas but I absolutely hate the amount of work it takes for me to even begin to understand some of the ideas. It bothers me the amount of effort I have put into the class so far this semester compared to last. I've probably put 3-4 times the amount of work into the class this semester ALREADY that I put into the entire last semester and yet my grades are lower. Coincidence? I'm not quite sure.
I love college overall. It's such an incredible experience and I couldn't think of my life without coming here. I'm seriously so excited to see how my life is going to turn out that sometimes I wish I could just fast forward through the next five years to see where I land.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
New Year
Well, 2012 has come to a close. It seems like just yesterday I was ringing in 2012 at Yuletide with new friends, yet so much has changed in the last year it seems like it drug on. I thought I would take this opportunity to review 2012 to see what has or hasn't changed or what events took place in the last year.
Let's start with last January- I brought in the new year in a new place with new friends. I think that was a precursor for the year to come. I celebrated 2012 at Guthrie Grove for the Yuletide Senior High Church Retreat, somewhere I had never been. I only knew three or four other people so it was an experience to make new friends. That set the tone for the majority of the year and made me look at my faith in a different light.
February- If I remember right, February wasn't all that significant of a month for me. According to my calendar, literally nothing happened and I'm okay with that. The months following February went in a fast succession that they're mostly a blur so I'm so glad to remember the break I had in February. February included a lot of preparation for State Leadership Conference which was in March so it's a good thing I had this break.
March- Oh March. One of my favorite months of the past year. The conclusion of my term on the Iowa FCCLA State Executive Council came at the end of March. I still feel like it was yesterday that we were elected so to think that so long ago we gave up our positions is beyond me. This experience is one of my favorite of 2012 because I got to spend three-four days with seven of the greatest people I know. Many of us haven't seen each other since, but I can't wait for a reunion (hopefully soon!)
April- April was crazy. My last full month of high school, my first part-time job, my eighteenth birthday (my mom's 40th!). This was a long month of waiting and stress. I remember being so excited for graduation come May, but being completely freaked out about graduating and not wanting it to come so fast. Some of my favorite high school memories with my class come from this last month and the week before graduation. My first job was kind of a big deal. I still work there on occasional breaks but its not something I would ever want to do for the rest of my life. My birthday was somewhat exciting, but really wasn't a big deal because what can you do when you turn 18? There is nothing special about it. Just another birthday.
May- May was such a bittersweet month. Bitter because it marked the end of my high school career. Sweet because it marked the beginning of the rest of my life. Graduation was such a ridiculous time that I don't even remember a lot of it and it's a shame. I wish those days would have gone by slower so that I could remember more of them. A highlight of the month prior to graduation was a class bonfire we had where we reminisced about high school and had a great time. That bonfire was one of my favorite high school memories.
June- June was the first time in my life that I didn't have anything to do. I worked and prepared for a conference I attended in July, but I was completely on my own to decide what to do and when to do it. It was glorious. I helped teach at the Ecumenical Bible School that my hometown puts on each year which I really enjoyed.
July- My favorite part of July was attending the FCCLA National Leadership Conference. I had the opportunity to present a workshop on Positivity and I got to meet so many great leaders and watch some of my best friends become National Officers. A great experience overall. Plus, I got to go to Harry Potter World and nothing can really beat such an experience. Buying a wand at Olivander's, drinking Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, etc...was incredible.
August- This marked the beginning of my college career. I didn't like August when it was among us. I actually despised most of it. The beginning was terrible because my friends from high school were going to college and yet mine didn't start until the end of the month so the wait was terrible. When I got to college I was incredibly homesick until I was able to meet people and I didn't know many people in August. It was a hard month, but I'm glad I got through it as strongly as I did.
September- This is when college really got started. I met so many great people and had such a great time. Overall, an uneventful month, but was necessary obviously to get to where I am today...
October- In October I spent a week at home while my mom had surgery. During that time I was able to attend the District 13-South FCCLA Conference in my hometown which was great. It was also homecoming week which was an interesting experience in college versus high school.
November- November flew by. I spent the beginning of November incredibly ill, but as the month progressed it was a great month. A stressful month towards the end with the realization of only a few weeks left in the semester, but I loved November. I really got into my groove.
December- Well here we are. Ending 2012. The last two weeks of first semester were fantastic. I rocked my finals and overall it was just a great month. I'm so grateful for my first semester being as wonderful as it was. I absolutely loved each and every class and I learned much more than I ever would have expected. Christmas break has been incredible. I don't think I have ever needed a break as badly as I needed this one.
Overall 2012 was a roller coaster. I had a blast and I can't wait to see what 2013 brings. I learned a lot about myself over the course of the last year and I don't think I would change a thing about the year.
Happy 2013!
Let's start with last January- I brought in the new year in a new place with new friends. I think that was a precursor for the year to come. I celebrated 2012 at Guthrie Grove for the Yuletide Senior High Church Retreat, somewhere I had never been. I only knew three or four other people so it was an experience to make new friends. That set the tone for the majority of the year and made me look at my faith in a different light.
February- If I remember right, February wasn't all that significant of a month for me. According to my calendar, literally nothing happened and I'm okay with that. The months following February went in a fast succession that they're mostly a blur so I'm so glad to remember the break I had in February. February included a lot of preparation for State Leadership Conference which was in March so it's a good thing I had this break.
March- Oh March. One of my favorite months of the past year. The conclusion of my term on the Iowa FCCLA State Executive Council came at the end of March. I still feel like it was yesterday that we were elected so to think that so long ago we gave up our positions is beyond me. This experience is one of my favorite of 2012 because I got to spend three-four days with seven of the greatest people I know. Many of us haven't seen each other since, but I can't wait for a reunion (hopefully soon!)
April- April was crazy. My last full month of high school, my first part-time job, my eighteenth birthday (my mom's 40th!). This was a long month of waiting and stress. I remember being so excited for graduation come May, but being completely freaked out about graduating and not wanting it to come so fast. Some of my favorite high school memories with my class come from this last month and the week before graduation. My first job was kind of a big deal. I still work there on occasional breaks but its not something I would ever want to do for the rest of my life. My birthday was somewhat exciting, but really wasn't a big deal because what can you do when you turn 18? There is nothing special about it. Just another birthday.
May- May was such a bittersweet month. Bitter because it marked the end of my high school career. Sweet because it marked the beginning of the rest of my life. Graduation was such a ridiculous time that I don't even remember a lot of it and it's a shame. I wish those days would have gone by slower so that I could remember more of them. A highlight of the month prior to graduation was a class bonfire we had where we reminisced about high school and had a great time. That bonfire was one of my favorite high school memories.
June- June was the first time in my life that I didn't have anything to do. I worked and prepared for a conference I attended in July, but I was completely on my own to decide what to do and when to do it. It was glorious. I helped teach at the Ecumenical Bible School that my hometown puts on each year which I really enjoyed.
July- My favorite part of July was attending the FCCLA National Leadership Conference. I had the opportunity to present a workshop on Positivity and I got to meet so many great leaders and watch some of my best friends become National Officers. A great experience overall. Plus, I got to go to Harry Potter World and nothing can really beat such an experience. Buying a wand at Olivander's, drinking Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, etc...was incredible.
August- This marked the beginning of my college career. I didn't like August when it was among us. I actually despised most of it. The beginning was terrible because my friends from high school were going to college and yet mine didn't start until the end of the month so the wait was terrible. When I got to college I was incredibly homesick until I was able to meet people and I didn't know many people in August. It was a hard month, but I'm glad I got through it as strongly as I did.
September- This is when college really got started. I met so many great people and had such a great time. Overall, an uneventful month, but was necessary obviously to get to where I am today...
October- In October I spent a week at home while my mom had surgery. During that time I was able to attend the District 13-South FCCLA Conference in my hometown which was great. It was also homecoming week which was an interesting experience in college versus high school.
November- November flew by. I spent the beginning of November incredibly ill, but as the month progressed it was a great month. A stressful month towards the end with the realization of only a few weeks left in the semester, but I loved November. I really got into my groove.
December- Well here we are. Ending 2012. The last two weeks of first semester were fantastic. I rocked my finals and overall it was just a great month. I'm so grateful for my first semester being as wonderful as it was. I absolutely loved each and every class and I learned much more than I ever would have expected. Christmas break has been incredible. I don't think I have ever needed a break as badly as I needed this one.
Overall 2012 was a roller coaster. I had a blast and I can't wait to see what 2013 brings. I learned a lot about myself over the course of the last year and I don't think I would change a thing about the year.
Happy 2013!
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