I was on Pinterest today and saw these quotes that kind of explain how I'm feeling right now.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Week 3ish
I've been at GV for nearly a month now and its crazy how much everything has changed and I'm loving all of it. At first I was so incredibly nervous and scared and sad but now I'm feeling so comfortable here and the city of Des Moines is absolutely fantastic...why didn't I move here sooner?! College is challenging me in ways I never imagined. Challenging me to think about the meaning of my life and what my purpose is. Its making me think about whether I believe in universal truths or how relationships occur and how they shape people into who they become. I'm reading Walt Whitman, Renae Descartes and Martin Buber and thinking about what they say about the world. I never believed I would be going through so much deep thought so soon. I expected to have to think about these things but I didn't plan on delving right into it. I'm also exploring the stores I like to shop at or the music I like to listen to. These didn't really change much, but as I explore I learn more and more that I do and don't like. For example, McDonalds used to be my absolute favorite place to eat (in Shenandoah, there weren't many options) but now that I'm here in DSM and I have thousands of options to choose from I ate there the other day and frankly I felt incredibly sick after eating there. Its crazy how your tastes change as you go through life. I find myself listening to more and more Michael Buble and Frank Sinatra as I do my homework and study and its kind of out of place here with all of the rap I'm surrounded by.
Des Moines is a crazy town to me. There are times where I feel at home but there are times I feel completely out of place. There are sirens all the time which is new to me, because back home sirens were a pretty rare thing and to hear them so often is weird. Its also really loud. I blame that on the fact that I live in a College Dormitory but still, its something I'm getting adjusted to. I love the city though and all of the opportunities it affords me. Des Moines is so full of promise and potential. There are help wanted signs up in most places I've visited, and its just incredible how much opportunity is here. It really is a fantastic, growing city and I love being around so much opportunity.
Des Moines is a crazy town to me. There are times where I feel at home but there are times I feel completely out of place. There are sirens all the time which is new to me, because back home sirens were a pretty rare thing and to hear them so often is weird. Its also really loud. I blame that on the fact that I live in a College Dormitory but still, its something I'm getting adjusted to. I love the city though and all of the opportunities it affords me. Des Moines is so full of promise and potential. There are help wanted signs up in most places I've visited, and its just incredible how much opportunity is here. It really is a fantastic, growing city and I love being around so much opportunity.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Election 2012 (Politics)
This Presidential election between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney has been all I seem to talk about with people lately, and I find it to be one of the most important elections in recent history (not just because I didn't follow politics until recently!).
The American People are split, on one hand we have a President who has promised the world and hasn't been able to deliver on a few of those promises (which, by the way I don't find to be his fault) but has visibly tried his best. Its seriously a tough job, think about it. You're accountable to billions of people, how would you like everyone blaming you for their problems? I don't think it would be that enjoyable.
On the other hand we have Mr. Romney who only wants to cater to the wealthy. Well, Mr. Romney I don't think that's going to work out. The population of our GREAT country is vastly middle class and if you want to take away programs like food stamps and agencies such as the Department of Education, you are going to be taking away the future of our country (not literally obviously, but taking away opportunities for our young people like me). Without the Department of Education there's less accountability with our schools, not that I think we need a ton of federal intervention, but I do believe that there needs to be someone guaranteeing that ALL students get a quality education no matter where they live. A student in Iowa should have just as good of an education as a student from Florida. Its that simple. And without the Department of Education at the federal level there is no way to guarantee that these students all receive the education that they deserve. The states won't hold themselves accountable without this being federally mandated. It just won't happen. Another problem with Mr. Romney is that he wants to get rid of programs like Obamacare and food stamps which is all fine and dandy IF he can create ENOUGH jobs that EVERY American citizen can afford to buy their food and health insurance. Seriously. Times are tough. You aren't going to be able to grow our country if we don't have a solid middle class. Like I said earlier, the majority of the population of our country is considered in the Middle Class and taking away these programs isn't going to help at all. Sure it'll cut down of the deficit but that's it. Sure the deficit is a big deal and we need to cut spending but we don't need to do it all at once. Yes our govt. is big, but cutting it down to be minuscule isn't the way to move our country into the 21st century. Sorry Mr. Romney.
President Obama has done a fantastic job in my books. Yeah, I give him the benefit of the doubt because he truly inherited a messed up situation. He's been working to bring our troops home. Its not something that can happen in a day like so many people think. We can't just leave those countries that we're in and be done. We have to SLOWLY withdraw. Just think about it. If we pull out of the Middle East completely we are opening ourselves up for disaster. As soon as we leave some of those countries, they'll be engulfed in chaos and will be open for those terrorists (who, by the way, don't like us!) to take over and gain power. So many people think it would be just so easy to pull our armed forces out of those countries and they obviously haven't thought about the logistics of it all. Who was able to capture Bin Laden? President Obama. Way to go! Looking back on this presidency I think that was definitely one of the biggest accomplishments. I really don't think that the American people realize all that President Obama has been able to get done regardless of what he said he would get done.
Congress during these last 4 years has been impossible. All we heard on the news was about gridlock in congress. They can't agree on this, or they can't agree on that. Its sickening. We elected (well, not me since I wasn't old enough) but the American people elected those congressmen to get stuff done. Not to sit there and argue like children. Yes there has to be compromise. That's what the job of being in congress is about. How long did it take to extend the current rate on student loans because of Republicans wanting to double the rate? Too long. (I don't remember how long but I was freaking out for quite awhile) Like I said earlier, YOUTH are the future of our nation, and raising the interest rate on student loans is not helping our young people in any way, shape or form.
I was watching President Obama speak in Council Bluffs today on television since I wasn't able to get to Council Bluffs to get a ticket on Saturday (talk about MAJOR disappointment!) and I realized that he has worked his tail off to make our country great and for that I strongly commend him. We as a people need to pull together and figure out how WE want our country to be run. For Mitt Romney (and many Americans) to come in and say that Obamacare is so terrible is crazy. Did anyone happen to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics where Great Britain CELEBRATED the fact that they have Universal Healthcare? Hello there America. This sounds like a good idea to me.
Finally what is the problem with gay marriage? This totally blows me away. Our country was founded on the ideas of freedom and individuality (or so I thought) and religious freedom. To say that we shouldn't allow gay marriage just because it is't "traditional" according to the bible is in my belief unconstitutional. We shouldn't be telling people that they can't get married. Think about it. What if someone told you that you couldn't get married to the person you love. That's what outlawing gay marriage is doing. In ancient times, homosexual relationships were actually celebrated so why do we have to make a big deal of them now. Although I am not a huge proponent of marriage whether homosexual or heterosexual (human and dog, cat and fish whatever relationship you please) I don't see why the government should be able to decide whether or not someone can marry someone. It just blows my mind. Marriage isn't about what type of relationship you are in, its about the love you feel for each other. It all comes down to treating every American citizen equally and making sure that everyone has the same opportunities as others. The government doesn't need to make these decisions, although they do. Why don't we just make marriage universal. You can marry whatever or whoever you want. Say I find my stuffed purple dinosaur to be rather attractive (we've been together for about 17 years now) so I want to marry him. What difference does it make to the government? Yeah it'd be a bit weird for me to marry a stuffed animal but why the heck not. I just don't see why we find the need to make this such a big debate. I don't think it is any of our business who someone decides to marry so why do we get involved? I definitely support the President when it comes to his views on gay marriage. I know some fantastic gay people and they should be able to be as free to do whatever they please just as I am.
If you've made it to the bottom of this post I commend you...great job. I hope I didn't irritate, anger or bore you too badly!
On a final note I would like to announce my candidacy for the first democratic campaign I am able to run for. (I need to do some more research on this topic) Maybe I'll run for mayor. Who knows....
Hayley
The American People are split, on one hand we have a President who has promised the world and hasn't been able to deliver on a few of those promises (which, by the way I don't find to be his fault) but has visibly tried his best. Its seriously a tough job, think about it. You're accountable to billions of people, how would you like everyone blaming you for their problems? I don't think it would be that enjoyable.
On the other hand we have Mr. Romney who only wants to cater to the wealthy. Well, Mr. Romney I don't think that's going to work out. The population of our GREAT country is vastly middle class and if you want to take away programs like food stamps and agencies such as the Department of Education, you are going to be taking away the future of our country (not literally obviously, but taking away opportunities for our young people like me). Without the Department of Education there's less accountability with our schools, not that I think we need a ton of federal intervention, but I do believe that there needs to be someone guaranteeing that ALL students get a quality education no matter where they live. A student in Iowa should have just as good of an education as a student from Florida. Its that simple. And without the Department of Education at the federal level there is no way to guarantee that these students all receive the education that they deserve. The states won't hold themselves accountable without this being federally mandated. It just won't happen. Another problem with Mr. Romney is that he wants to get rid of programs like Obamacare and food stamps which is all fine and dandy IF he can create ENOUGH jobs that EVERY American citizen can afford to buy their food and health insurance. Seriously. Times are tough. You aren't going to be able to grow our country if we don't have a solid middle class. Like I said earlier, the majority of the population of our country is considered in the Middle Class and taking away these programs isn't going to help at all. Sure it'll cut down of the deficit but that's it. Sure the deficit is a big deal and we need to cut spending but we don't need to do it all at once. Yes our govt. is big, but cutting it down to be minuscule isn't the way to move our country into the 21st century. Sorry Mr. Romney.
President Obama has done a fantastic job in my books. Yeah, I give him the benefit of the doubt because he truly inherited a messed up situation. He's been working to bring our troops home. Its not something that can happen in a day like so many people think. We can't just leave those countries that we're in and be done. We have to SLOWLY withdraw. Just think about it. If we pull out of the Middle East completely we are opening ourselves up for disaster. As soon as we leave some of those countries, they'll be engulfed in chaos and will be open for those terrorists (who, by the way, don't like us!) to take over and gain power. So many people think it would be just so easy to pull our armed forces out of those countries and they obviously haven't thought about the logistics of it all. Who was able to capture Bin Laden? President Obama. Way to go! Looking back on this presidency I think that was definitely one of the biggest accomplishments. I really don't think that the American people realize all that President Obama has been able to get done regardless of what he said he would get done.
Congress during these last 4 years has been impossible. All we heard on the news was about gridlock in congress. They can't agree on this, or they can't agree on that. Its sickening. We elected (well, not me since I wasn't old enough) but the American people elected those congressmen to get stuff done. Not to sit there and argue like children. Yes there has to be compromise. That's what the job of being in congress is about. How long did it take to extend the current rate on student loans because of Republicans wanting to double the rate? Too long. (I don't remember how long but I was freaking out for quite awhile) Like I said earlier, YOUTH are the future of our nation, and raising the interest rate on student loans is not helping our young people in any way, shape or form.
I was watching President Obama speak in Council Bluffs today on television since I wasn't able to get to Council Bluffs to get a ticket on Saturday (talk about MAJOR disappointment!) and I realized that he has worked his tail off to make our country great and for that I strongly commend him. We as a people need to pull together and figure out how WE want our country to be run. For Mitt Romney (and many Americans) to come in and say that Obamacare is so terrible is crazy. Did anyone happen to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics where Great Britain CELEBRATED the fact that they have Universal Healthcare? Hello there America. This sounds like a good idea to me.
Finally what is the problem with gay marriage? This totally blows me away. Our country was founded on the ideas of freedom and individuality (or so I thought) and religious freedom. To say that we shouldn't allow gay marriage just because it is't "traditional" according to the bible is in my belief unconstitutional. We shouldn't be telling people that they can't get married. Think about it. What if someone told you that you couldn't get married to the person you love. That's what outlawing gay marriage is doing. In ancient times, homosexual relationships were actually celebrated so why do we have to make a big deal of them now. Although I am not a huge proponent of marriage whether homosexual or heterosexual (human and dog, cat and fish whatever relationship you please) I don't see why the government should be able to decide whether or not someone can marry someone. It just blows my mind. Marriage isn't about what type of relationship you are in, its about the love you feel for each other. It all comes down to treating every American citizen equally and making sure that everyone has the same opportunities as others. The government doesn't need to make these decisions, although they do. Why don't we just make marriage universal. You can marry whatever or whoever you want. Say I find my stuffed purple dinosaur to be rather attractive (we've been together for about 17 years now) so I want to marry him. What difference does it make to the government? Yeah it'd be a bit weird for me to marry a stuffed animal but why the heck not. I just don't see why we find the need to make this such a big debate. I don't think it is any of our business who someone decides to marry so why do we get involved? I definitely support the President when it comes to his views on gay marriage. I know some fantastic gay people and they should be able to be as free to do whatever they please just as I am.
If you've made it to the bottom of this post I commend you...great job. I hope I didn't irritate, anger or bore you too badly!
On a final note I would like to announce my candidacy for the first democratic campaign I am able to run for. (I need to do some more research on this topic) Maybe I'll run for mayor. Who knows....
Hayley
Monday, July 23, 2012
A few short weeks...
In just a few short weeks life as I know it will be changing completely. In just 31 days I'll be moving to Des Moines. I can't believe how fast this summer has really flown! Its completely ridiculous. Realizing how soon college is coming is both incredibly exciting and yet super nerve wracking. I love buying things for my dorm and I love the excitement that is the change coming, yet I'm really not sure about leaving the comforts of home for the unknown. All I ever talk about is how excited I am for college yet deep down I'm also afraid. I'm afraid my roommate won't like me, I'm scared about moving to such a big town (compared to my hometown) and I'm nervous about my classes. I've taken college classes before, but none have challenged me in any way, shape or form whatsoever. I really want good grades and in high school I didn't have to try really at all except on the occasional paper which I usually made up as I went. It always seems like kids in college know how everything works and are always confident and such, but I have no idea how anything works at this moment in time. I may sound really apprehensive but overall I'm really excited. I can't wait to meet my roommate, explore Des Moines and take challenging classes for once in my life. I'm just not so thrilled with leaving home and going 3 hours away.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
NLC #realitycheck
I had such an incredible time this last week getting a #realitycheck at the 2012 FCCLA NLC! I had so much fun touring Orlando, meeting new people and seeing old friends. I had a fantastic time at Sea World for the first time! I never had a desire to go, but it was SO much fun! I was also able to go to Disney's Magic Kingdom and Epcot! Two of my favorite Disney parks! I rode the Space Mountain ride at Magic Kingdom for the first time. Oh. My. Goodness. It was the ride of a lifetime! So much fun! At Epcot I love the countries! I love hearing different accents :P such as English or Italian! I loved that there was a family from the UK in the UK part of Epcot! It was interesting to listen to them! The conference part of the trip was quite the success! The theme #realitycheck is probably one of my favorite themes FCCLA has ever had! It was so much fun to see some of my friends up on stage as part of the NEC (National Executive Council)! One of my favorite parts of the week though was seeing a few of my best friends make the 2012-2013 National Executive Council! I'm so proud of all of them and have confidence that they will be incredible national officers! My workshop 'The Power of Positivity' was a success, and I had a great time getting to know members that attended! All three workshops combined, I saw around 300 members which was great! Finally, the highlight of my trip was the FCCLA block party at Universal Studios! I got to go to Harry Potter World. It was the highlight of my trip, but of my life. I was able to live through a part of my childhood again! Drinking butterbeer at the Three Broom Sticks, buying a Wand from Olivanders and getting candy from Honeydukes, was so crazy! It was just incredible! My goodness was it great!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
National Leadership Conference
This week I will be attending the 2012 National FCCLA National Leadership Conference: #realitycheck. My flight landed yesterday in beautiful Orlando, Florida! After a crazy ride to the hotel at 1 am I finally got to my room around 2am! How crazy? I ended up waiting for one of this year's Iowa State Officers to find her way to the correct hotel until about 2:30am! After approx. 2 hours of sleep, I was up and ready for the day! It was a fantastic day at Sea World! I am so excited to be going to Disney's Magic Kingdom tomorrow! Although today has had its ups and downs, I'm so glad that I am here experiencing this #realitycheck. I'll be honest, I didn't know how I would feel, knowing I would be rooming with the very girls who took over for me as a state officer in March. Would I be jealous, would I judge them, would I come off as mean? I was too nervous for something that I really had no reason to be nervous for. I have loved getting to know this team of leaders even just today. As bittersweet as this is, I have loved getting to know them more than I ever imagined. They're such a strong group, and for that I commend them. Its a tough job being a state officer and so far what I've seen as a team has been exemplary. I don't think we could have had a better team to replace mine. I was a bit nervous at first, leaving the organization that I am incredibly passionate about into the hands of kids I didn't know...but those feelings have changed substantially. Its kind of fun being a has been with all of that experience under my belt! I've helped them overcome some nerves about state meetings and the conference, and its so incredible to see their confidence shine through! Like I said, this is incredibly bittersweet but its a really cool experience. I miss my team dearly and I really wish they were all here to experience The Ultimate Leadership Experience with me here in Orlando, but I'm excited to see the couple that did make it down! Although I miss my team, I am looking forward to what this week will have in store!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Hospitals
You know, its been awhile since I've been to the doctor. To be honest, I hate going to the doctor. Any doctor really: eye doctor, orthodontist, dentist, family doctor, etc...they all just terrify me. What if they tell me I'm going to die. What if they think I'm crazy. What if...that's the question that runs through my head. I have problems explaining my symptoms and everything, and I can't stand it. Its totally embarrassing 98% of the time too. Even if I just go in for a routine check up, I get super nervous, my blood pressure rises, and I freak out. I don't know what it is about doctors that make you feel so insecure? Its even more embarrassing when you live in a small town and the doctor could potentially know you, the nurse could be a friend's mom or you could run into them wherever you go. Its just a weird deal.
Today, I tried to call my doctor to get in for an appt. this week, preferably today or tomorrow. I didn't even care if I saw my specific doctor, I knew I needed to get in. The lady that answered the phone at the clinic was grouchy, and flat out said I can't get in until late next week. Isn't the point of a doctor's office to be able to get in when you need them? I needed them today. Not next week. That's just plain ridiculous. My specific doctor wouldn't even be able to get me in for OVER A MONTH. I found this totally unacceptable. I mean really. I'm not going to gross you out with the details of why I needed a doctor, but I'm pretty sure I waited long enough, and I wasn't waiting another week or even a month. I wanted in today. So guess who got to spend the afternoon in the wonderful Emergency Room since nobody else could see them! Me. Woohoo. It always seems like I go to the ER whenever I don't think its worth it. I always think you need a stick sticking out of your eyeball or a broken limb to go in, but apparently I never go in for any weird reason. I go because I feel like crap and no other doctor can fit me in. I once went because I was sickly and gross. They told me I was crazy and to just go home. No tests at all. Just "you're fine, go home." Thanks crazy doctor with two different colored glasses. I really appreciate it. Especially since I had to sit there for three hours that time.
What is it with ERs taking SO long? I don't know many people who get in and out in an acceptable amount of time. My mom was in for 5 hours BEFORE they even saw her. Its crazy.
I was actually surprised by my experience today though. I was in and out in about an hour and a half, and it went pretty smoothly, although I didn't learn anything as to what's wrong with me. I'm supposed to get in to see a doctor that I TRIED TO GET IN TO SEE, this week according to the ER. Umm...HELLO?! I told you I tried to get in and I can't get in until next week.
I just don't understand hospitals. Its like they TRY to mess you up. After so long I'm just sick of what's making me sick and all I want are answers. I don't want a "there are about 30 different things that could be wrong with you and we don't have time to go through all of them" I want a definitive "you are lactose intolerant" type of thing. Not just an "avoid dairy at all costs and see if you feel better." like I got today.
Today, I tried to call my doctor to get in for an appt. this week, preferably today or tomorrow. I didn't even care if I saw my specific doctor, I knew I needed to get in. The lady that answered the phone at the clinic was grouchy, and flat out said I can't get in until late next week. Isn't the point of a doctor's office to be able to get in when you need them? I needed them today. Not next week. That's just plain ridiculous. My specific doctor wouldn't even be able to get me in for OVER A MONTH. I found this totally unacceptable. I mean really. I'm not going to gross you out with the details of why I needed a doctor, but I'm pretty sure I waited long enough, and I wasn't waiting another week or even a month. I wanted in today. So guess who got to spend the afternoon in the wonderful Emergency Room since nobody else could see them! Me. Woohoo. It always seems like I go to the ER whenever I don't think its worth it. I always think you need a stick sticking out of your eyeball or a broken limb to go in, but apparently I never go in for any weird reason. I go because I feel like crap and no other doctor can fit me in. I once went because I was sickly and gross. They told me I was crazy and to just go home. No tests at all. Just "you're fine, go home." Thanks crazy doctor with two different colored glasses. I really appreciate it. Especially since I had to sit there for three hours that time.
What is it with ERs taking SO long? I don't know many people who get in and out in an acceptable amount of time. My mom was in for 5 hours BEFORE they even saw her. Its crazy.
I was actually surprised by my experience today though. I was in and out in about an hour and a half, and it went pretty smoothly, although I didn't learn anything as to what's wrong with me. I'm supposed to get in to see a doctor that I TRIED TO GET IN TO SEE, this week according to the ER. Umm...HELLO?! I told you I tried to get in and I can't get in until next week.
I just don't understand hospitals. Its like they TRY to mess you up. After so long I'm just sick of what's making me sick and all I want are answers. I don't want a "there are about 30 different things that could be wrong with you and we don't have time to go through all of them" I want a definitive "you are lactose intolerant" type of thing. Not just an "avoid dairy at all costs and see if you feel better." like I got today.
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