I Never Want To Fall Apart

So using this blog as my usual procrastination tool, here I am.  I know I still have a fair amount of work left to do today since I got nothing done yesterday due to other engagements but I just keep having moments where I sit here and think, "I should tell more people about this moment."  Right now, I am a little annoyed because I am in the serious library in the quiet section where everyone who does not want silence has headphones in but the place should be silent otherwise.  However, there are two people talking, lacking all hushed tones necessary to not get the evil looks from EVERYONE else.  Someone also left their cellphone on ring, a big faux pax in the library but to make it worse rather then immediately silencing it and taking it outside to take the call, she proceeds to take the call inside.  I don't know if this would bother me so much except that it is the weekend before finals when getting a seat in the library is an ordeal in itself due to demand and everyone is here to get work done, not just have a quiet place to see friends as is sometimes the case during other weeks.  

If I tell you all my plan for the rest of the day, the likelihood of achieving it is greater since then I feel like I am being held accountable to someone besides myself.  I have to finish my section of the group deliverables for project management then I am going to finish my question set for 306 then work on my study guide for global studies.  I can finish the study guide and work on the paper tomorrow but I want to get as far ahead as possible so I can get some more sleep tonight since even the guy at Johnnys told me I was looking tired.  That is never a good sign since he sees me maybe twice a week.

I need to have dinner at home since I am trying to finish eating everything I have in the freezer at the moment, I am currently down to some frozen pizza, pirogues, waffles and cake.  I think I may have one other lean cuisine type thing.  

At the moment I miss three things about the Georgetown library, one is coffee, two is the company and three is the lack of windows.  Their coffee place was conveniently located near the table that our group took over and open almost the entire time I was there with good snacks and fantastic coffee options.  I miss Ashley and the others and our (almost) 24 hour study table as all of us tried to finish our research papers, issue papers and finals.  They all provided a much needed break every once in a while and constant security which was necessary for food runs.  Finally, it is a beautiful day outside right now and all of the windows in this library are just showing me what I am missing out on.  Sitting in Georgetown's library meant getting a glimpse of the outside world but no real constant taunting like I am getting right now.  I just want to be past all of these things being due so I can enjoy the sun and go do fun stuff.

I do get to look forward to a little time in DC next week to help Liz and see Reagan for his birthday.  Very excited since that should also be the end of my college career by then.

Smiled and said 'yes I think we've met before'

So I shall start by saying that I have a test in two hours that I am thoroughly unprepared for but something just happened that I feel would be good to comment on here especially since I have been having writer's block lately when it comes to this blog.

So I just saw a kid look at me for a minute, then smile finally figuring out where he knew me from.  We all experience those out of context sightings but college is different since in the back of our minds, we know that everyone else is a student to some extent, we see them in plain clothes most of the time but we all vary on what our attire is on a day to day basis meaning, for example, my laundry days are generally over the weekend so I will opt for sweats as opposed to the other people who go to class each day in sweats.  

It is still strange to see someone you know from a club where they have power in a place like the library where they are working in a group or in class where they are no longer the ones in charge but rather have to listen to a higher power than themselves.

A few more quick things before I ensure that I get some studying done before this test (since that is the reason I woke up early, I was not ready for my alarm this morning).  Had a really great weekend, spending time time with my sister, the Hirabayashi family, Meagan, Sean and seeing what the Annapolis social life was like.  The last part was probably up there with the most interesting because it was so different from Lehigh's but I guess that is the fun with knowing people at other colleges, you get to see and experience different things by just going to visit and keeping up with old friends.

Okay, now I really have to study.

It's a Brand New Day

School starts again tomorrow.  I got to spend a week in glorious weather to come back to cloudy blah.  It was shockingly rocky on the boat which was different than what I was expecting.  I am not one to get super motion sick but even I thought it was bad.  The weather was fantastic minus the first day and the last day but the worst weather was the first day so it just got better.  A whole day at sea down south meant everyone spent the whole day at the pool which was great.

Spring break was nice to hang out with friends, some I see a bunch and others who I haven't seen in ages but also meet some new people.  There were a ton of other spring break kids on the boat so it was a lot of fun since there were a ton of other college kids around rather than only a ton of families.

Second semester is rough when we only have the one week off but it was glorious to have the time to relax We spent multiple days doing nothing but laying in the sun and reading.  I love to read so I actually got a chance to kick back and read for fun.  It was a chance I haven't gotten very often with other breaks because there were places to go and people to see.  I didn't have to worry about anything this week other than sunscreen, there were a lot of very sunburned people on this cruise and it looked very painful.  I currently have to catch up on a lot of TV shows from this week.  Of course all my shows were on a mini hiatus the week before spring break and then I missed them all while I was gone.  I have some work to do but it's not as much as past breaks.

I should apologize now for the spelling mistakes and other mistakes because I am still exhausted.  The time change today was also a little rough knowing how much stuff I had to get done today but so far, I got some food, went grocery shopping and then started getting work done.  There are so many things to do!

With that, I have to get some real homework done now.

Keep on moving through all this hustle

Today I fell in love with a new album.  It is Katie Costello's Lamplight and although I am a little behind on the times, her EP Cityscape.  There are very few albums I can listen to from beginning to end without skipping any tracks partway through even on the first listen but hers has been the perfect soundtrack to my day from start to finish.  I haven't flipped past a song yet which is mostly due to the amazing music and partly due to the desire to protect my hands from the freezing temperatures outside.  I have heard Katie perform in person at a benefit my sister put on when Katie was a Junior in high school at my alma mater.   It's hard to find artists these day who sound just as good in person as they do in their recorded music but she is one of those hard to find artists.  From Facebook, it's obvious that her growing fame has not caused her to forget who she is as an artist and a person and she has kept her friends close even though she splits her time between two very distant cities.  While I cannot claim to be a friend by any means, it's still pretty cool that we went to the same high school and I did have the pleasure of passing her in the halls during the two years we overlapped.

On to my life.  I am finished with classes until after Spring Break which would normally be a liberating feeling but I have soooo much laundry to do (I have been pushing it off for a while...) that I won't have a chance to enjoy the freedom until all that and the packing gets done.  Along with what seems to be half the school, my best friend and I are headed off on a cruise to get some sun.  The dilemma with second semester is that we only get spring break meaning that we have to wait through seven weeks of class to get a break which is not a natural break in the semester to then come back and go back to full steam ahead for the next seven weeks before finals.  I am convinced that this is a good portion of the reason second semester drags far more than first semester.  The other reason is of course the weather but I will get to that in a minute.  First semester, we get pacing break at the beginning of October and Thanksgiving at the end of November which splits the semester into three roughly equal parts which works with the testing system most teachers utilize.  I got lucky and had no tests this week and none the week we get back so I sort of get away with not doing anything over the break.  I will admit to having some classwork to finish but the likelihood of it getting done while I am on the boat is minimal.

Spring break seems to split students into two groups, the ones who head south with friends for what they hope to be a crazy week and the other who head home or to a friends with the intent of re-cooperating and refreshing for the rest of the semester, some of the latter group tries to get ahead or catch up on more independent work.  I am happy to say that I think I fall in between the groups, I am going to get some sun but also get some rest.

Okay back to the weather.  It has been a very tricky thing of late.  Today, it was freezing, last week it was nice and sunny.  I would like it to sort itself out.  Almost all of the snow and ice has melted from the warmth of last week but it's time for winter to be over and for spring to come.  It would be nice not to have to pile on a million layers to walk to class.  I have shorts that I would really like to wear when I get back from spring break.

I think I have made up for the lag in posts with this monster post.  Be back after spring break!

I'm still the same

The last few weeks have been insane with all of the things that needed to be accomplished for this week. Last week we had a snow day, that NEVER happens here where the whole university is closed. Teachers will cancel classes if there is bad weather but this is one of the only times the school made the choice. Lucky for me it was because there was a 3/4 inch of ice outside instead of snow. It was only lucky because I had been a little under the weather so if it was snow I would have gone out to play but since ice is no fun, I stayed inside, did a little work, hung out with my roommates and slept. I felt far better the next day as a result. I am still not back to 100% but far closer than I would have been if it had not been for the snow day.

This week is V-week, the week I have been working towards since last April. We have events scheduled everyday so I tried to get a lot of my work out of the way this weekend but I only mildly succeeded, there were more interesting things to be doing and people to be seeing. I did alleviate a little bit of the extra stress of this week though and am super excited to see my family this weekend.

Classes are still going. I don't have one class that I love like I usually do because it's hard taking classes which you are not ready for. By not ready for, I don't mean unprepared but rather I don't have the skills to make the class interesting or relevant. For example, GS is interesting but as a senior, I have kind of passed the level that is being taught to just through random other classes like Economic Development or my freshman English class.

Well, I should get going because I do have homework to get done before my speakers start today.

2AM and she calls me

I know it has been forever since I have written anything but to be honest, nothing substantial has happened lately. I turned 22 on Tuesday, and it was a good day. I got to spend time with a number of my favorite people.

This has been the most exhausting first week of classes ever. The weather has not been my best friend lately. There is so much snow and ice! It is not fun to slip up the street but campus has been pretty easy to navigate which has been really nice.

I am still working at Academic Outreach which is a lot of fun and despite the insane scheduling issues I seem to be having, I refuse to give up any of my time in that office.

I know it's really late but I have been trying to get some work done since I hung out with friends last night, had all sorts of welcome back retreats this morning and have a full day of VM things tomorrow. We are about to start our hardcore fund-raising efforts for the cause soon. We are starting t-shirt sales and tickets and it's all coming together, now we just need money :)

My parents are coming in less than a month although my mother will also be on the east coast next weekend to hang out with Reagan and Campbell, (I am soooo jealous)but I am starting to plan all of the places that we are going to eat while they are here.

I am very all over the place right now because I am exhausted but I hope that I can update later on more of life.

So here we are, fall semester finals again. Hard to believe that I started writing this two years ago.

Well, the weather is a little cold, snow has been coming on and off but nothing stuck yet so I feel like we are probably in for a bad winter when I get back in January through sometime around Spring Break. I am just hoping that the weather holds long enough for me to get home without too many delays.

This might be the least stressful finals period I have ever had in my life. I only have a paper and one test spread out over a week. Despite finals being a week later than they used to be, I get to get home before too much of the Christmas travel hits. My last test is Friday night and the paper I am supposed to be working on right now (I have been surprisingly productive today) is due tomorrow so they are nicely spaced.

Linderman is incredibly crowded right now but I have my coffee and a comfy chair so I should be good to go for another few hours of work before dinner with a friend and video games. That's not true... I will probably take an extended break soon and finish this paper between dinner and video games. I only have two pages to go. Remember when that used to be long paper? I also remember when all my teachers told me that I would always write papers that were at least 10 pages long plus citations in college. Truth: I can count the number of papers I have written solo of that length or longer on one hand. No teacher wants to grade a full classroom's worth of really long papers. The only type of paper I have worked on that was consistently longer than ten pages would be group papers because there was maybe only four to eight groups in the class. I love all of the strange things that teachers tell you about the next school you get to ie when you learn cursive, the teachers tell you that you will always use it but in fact it's nice to know but it is rarely used.

Okay enough distraction. Back to work.

Happy Holidays!

Yesterday it started to flurry. This brings out very mixed feelings because as much as I like the snow, it means that it will keep getting colder which I am not a fan of. The good thing about fall semester though is that the cold keeps me inside which means that I am slightly more productive during finals time because it was far more comfortable to be curled up in the library with some hot chocolate or other warm drink and a book or laptop than in the spring when it is so much nicer to be sprawled outside getting tan and then trying to get work done.

This is the start of the last week of classes which is probably the most difficult week of the semester because while some classes end in finals, others end in projects or papers which are almost always due at the end of the semester. This coming week, I have a group paper, an individual paper and two group presentations which is really hard because as a result of all the groups, that means that we have meetings on top of everything else. The nice thing is that after Friday, I have a fairly chill week in comparison since I just have a final paper and a final.

I am looking forward to having a break from school to recharge and spend some time with my family and friends from home. I get to be here for just under two more weeks before it is back to the slightly warmer weather. I have all sorts of sweaters to look forward to using.

The first four weeks of next semester are going to be really rough but I can look forward to spending my final undergraduate semester with my friends and having a very chill second half of the semester, which will be a nice departure from right now. Well, back to work on my paper!

I Wanna Jump in the Cold Water

I have not been good about updating this and for that, I apologize but I have had a lot going on and no real time to sit down and write about it. This might also have been the most literal title I have ever used. So, things I have to say about life right now:
1. This weather is insane. It goes from pouring rain to really hot within hours. I don't want it to be fall yet because then it gets too close to the real cold but this heat is a little ridiculous. It's back to be being too hot to sleep! Maybe that's just me though... Also, my room tends to be warmer than the rest of my house and we can't really figure out why.

2. I now live in the Women's Center. I really wish I had discovered it earlier! Today I got to make buttons, like turn them from paper circles into full pins. It's surprisingly awesome despite how lame it sounds. The people who work there (because you don't have to be a woman to work in the Women's Center) are fantastic. They are funny and silly and just great people to be around.

3.I feel like I might be falling behind on Vagina Monologues things but I don't know what I could be doing differently. We got our scripts this week and started pushing people to sign up for auditions and getting forms which is all super exciting. We are really looking for support and ways to get people to donates something! Whether that something is time or items or monetary support, we just know that we have a lot of options to help us fund-raise. Our goal seems reachable but it's still daunting.

4. I love my roommates. Or I guess housemates would be a better term for them since that is what they are. We have been hanging out playing video games, watching TV together (especially crazy wedding shows) and then just getting "stuck" downstairs. By stuck I mean going downstairs on a mission and then taking forever to make it back upstairs because we get distracted by spending time with each other.

5. Classes are going pretty well, they are not that different from other semesters. I don't have one class that I am in love with like I usually do that but I don't know if that is because I am lacking classes that I truly dislike also so on a relative basis, they are all good.

I guess that is all I really have to say tonight. The heat is making me distracted because all I want to do is jump in the shower and then try to get some sleep before I overheat again. Well, for tonight, I shall be going.

A Moment, A Laugh

I actually have time to sit and write something! I know it's been a while since I have written an actual update as to what has been going on but the truth is that there has been a lot. I am co-producing Lehigh's production of The Vagina Monologues this year and while the show might now be until February, there is a lot to be done before we can even work on getting together a cast. Being producer was never something I thought was a possibility but so far, it's been pretty amazing and I know it's going to be even more work than it has been already but it will also get even better as we get more people involved with all the new ideas that my co-producer and I hope to incorporate into our show.

Other things, classes have started. Senioritus exists already but nowhere near as badly as it did in high school. Maybe because I don't have a job yet or maybe because I am more engaged with my classes now than I was in high school. It's going to be a good year academically. The new STEPS building is awesome. I am a little sad that I don't have a class in there. I might have to schedule an elective there just for fun next semester.

It's been really nice being back, seeing people I haven't seen in six months, meeting people from all the organizations that I am rejoining as time has passed. This is shaping up to be a really great semester. Stay tuned for how things shape up to be.

But beyond where we should have gone?

So I am sitting here, in Linderman Library,trying to imagine what college would be like without all of the technology that runs my life. Today, I woke up to the alarm on my phone, and then checked my facebook before putting on my iPod to walk to class. I know other people who use their computers to take notes but I am still committed to being the one to hand write all of my notes since it actually helps me retain all of the things that I am writing. My next class requires not one but two calculators to make sure that I can actual do the work without it taking what I deem to be forever. All of this and I have checked my phone for e-mail, texts and time updates probably about a dozen times.

Without the technology that we have today, I would not have been able to have done all of my work for the first half of the week by Monday night without seeing my group members since it was all done via e-mail not to mention that I am available constantly by phone. I know and remember a time when cell phones were not anywhere near as popular as they are today but now, it seems pretty near impossible to function without one.

I guess I was thinking about this to really ponder if education has gotten any better as a result of all of this technology. I mean, for the most part, we still have classes where we meet face to face with a professor. The professor might be easier to get a hold of but when we have problems, we still want to schedule time to work out to see them in person. I guess what I am trying to say is that sometimes all of this technology is overwhelming (and the "Ten Things I Hate About You" quote comes to mind whenever I say that word) but I still have to look for moments when I know that humanity will win out and technology won't win. Video chatting is great and all but it's not as good as seeing someone.

Okay, so I think I lost my point a little in there but I have to go give a tour now and then the rest of the day is a little insane but good bye for now.

The Dawn is Breaking

Today is the start of all sorts of things. Today is bid day. Today is the first day of classes of my fourth semester at Lehigh.

Today being bid day is bittersweet. We have some really great girls joining our house but at the same time, we know that others were disappointed. My pledge class is no longer the "newbies" or the babies as the older girls used to call us. I will no longer be the youngest in my family. Our pledge class really realized how far we have come in the last year this week. With recruitment, everyone was in the house working on putting together the various rounds so our house spent a lot of time together. We realized how different we were now both individually and as a collective pledge class from when we joined a year ago. I realized that the Greek system, specifically my house, has altered me in ways that I know I can never truly understand or appreciate. When I started at Lehigh, I felt like a very small part of a very very big place. Campus doesn't feel so big anymore when I always see girls from my house everywhere and am only without them in one of my five classes (and no I did not intentionally plan my schedule to be with them :)) Some of my best friends have come from this last year in the house. I have no idea if these girls have any concept of what they will realize that they are missing. I know I didn't. I didn't have any clue how many fantastic friendships and other opportunities I was missing until I realized this week that I had them already.

On the other hand, today was also the first day of classes. This is the last semester in my first half of college. Scary thought. It's going by so quickly. This semester's classes offer new challenges, the question is, can I meet them? Some are going to be less interesting but unfortunately completely necessary while others are more for fun and maybe filling a random requirement. It will be an interesting semester to say the least.

Now I have to go do my homework that is due for the second day of classes.