Life is an Adventure

Little Boxes

2011-03-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

In my history of Pop music class I learned about Pete Seeger. I wish I had heard of him before. I blame my lack of popular culture on my ethnicity. Also it makes me really want to learn how to play the banjo.

But anyway, my favorite song is "little boxes" because its so true. It makes me sad that this perfectly describes where I grew up.

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.
And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

Laughing with God

2010-04-22T23:28:00.000-07:00

No one laughs at God in a hospital

No one laughs at God in a war

No one’s laughing at God

When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God

When the doctor calls after some routine tests

No one’s laughing at God

When it’s gotten real late

And their kid’s not back from the party yet

No one laughs at God

When their airplane start to uncontrollably shake

No one’s laughing at God

When they see the one they love, hand in hand with someone else

And they hope that they’re mistaken

No one laughs at God

When the cops knock on their door

And they say we got some bad news, sir

No one’s laughing at God

When there’s a famine or fire or flood

But God can be funny

At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or

Or when the crazies say He hates us

And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke

God can be funny,

When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way

And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini

Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious

Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital

No one laughs at God in a war

No one’s laughing at God

When they’ve lost all they’ve got

And they don’t know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize

That the last sight they’ll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes

No one’s laughing at God when they’re saying their goodbyes

But God can be funny

At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or

Or when the crazies say He hates us

And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke

God can be funny,

When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way

And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini

Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious

No one’s laughing at God

We’re all laughing with God

TMI

2009-07-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

I need to write down my summer adventures before I forget (and in case anyone was interested in knowing):

So far this summer, I have been to Ireland, Scotland, England, and France. Newark Airport. Washington, DC. Rock Eagle. And Athens (twice).

I wished that I could go to Spain, Africa, Italy, Australia, China, California, Michigan, Arizona, Alaska, Maine, Mt. Rushmore, the moon/outer space.

I've been to the pool zero times. and twice to the lake (once on a boat). My terrible tan line still needs to be fixed.

I've seen He's Just not that Into you, Made of Honor, the Proposal, Away we Go, and When Harry Met Sally.

I am working at the soccer office answering phones, entering data, handling people's money, and above all, making people feel at ease about spending money on their kids.

I am 99% sure that I'm going to buy a car.

I bought a Wii fit and only used it for 5 days :( I still swear it was the best purchase I ever made.

I'm currently working on overhauling my room. It still needs a lot of work. By overhauling I mean getting rid of junk and dusting.

My sister painted the bathroom and I hate it.

I'm super excited about my living arrangement next year. I bought some super awesome stuff at Walmart. I can't wait.

I failed at keeping theYkid updated even though I'm getting a ton of comments from it.

I am addicted to farmtown, farmville, bejeweled, and my guilty pleasure: sorority life

I recently found some girls of facebook that I went to school with when I was in Nicaragua for a month. Its the craziest feeling to find someone you thought was lost for good.

I still don't like to cook

Relay For Life

2009-04-03T23:09:00.000-07:00

Today I had one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. For some strange reason I felt compelled to participate in Relay for Life even though I've never felt like cancer has directly affected me. But while I was there tonight, I thought about all the people I knew that have had cancer or were affected by it. Cancer is a pretty big deal. Cancer doesn't discriminate; I am not immune. And as I walked the silent lap, I thought about how I will probably get cancer sooner or later. But then I also thought... it doesn't have to be that way... that's why we are all here isn't it?

I also thought about how lucky I am to have the people that I have in my life. That I shouldn't take them for granted and that I should live every day to the fullest. Seeing the survivors in the Survivor Lap really touched me... these people are strong and have so much courage. They have been through so much and beat the odds. What challenges have I faced? Have I battled them 100% the way they battled cancer?

This is for all of the people that I don't say "I love you" enough to. You are important in my life and I thank you for being there for me. This semester has certainly been a ride, but things are finally going right. I can't forget what it's like to be at the bottom and take the good times for granted.

If you ever need someone to talk to... I don't care who you are. Please call me and talk to me: 7704909328

A New Year

2008-12-31T16:22:00.000-08:00

365 days ago I was in Nicaragua listening to the mass chaos that's new years there. We were upset last year that it didn't quite feel like the holidays, but this year wasn't much different lol. Not in a bad way though, I've really enjoyed celebrating Christmas and New Years from a different perspective.
This year was about as hot as last lol. But at least we also had our cold; it flipped flopped from extremes. It was nice being able to enjoy Christmas mass, spending time with friends, and seeing all of the decorations.
Being at college makes the Holidays come up unexpectedly and the economic slump didn't help either. I felt like I didn't have money to spend on gifts. Most people don't know, but my dad has been without a job since last spring. Even though we're doing fine, and my mom has a great new job, we've still had to cut back. Luckily even with little, we're good at making a lot. We bought a great new car for my mom since she crashed the Camery. My family bonded over the Wii, and my mom did a great scavenger hunt for us on Christmas morning to make opening presents more fun since we had picked everything out.
And now I'm spending New Years with my friends and can't wait for what's in store in 2009. I survived a rough year which gives me confidence that I can make it through next year.
I hope everyone ends this year a little more wiser and starts off the new year on the right foot :)

Life @ Nov. 25

2008-11-25T18:35:00.000-08:00

In the month of November I:

Voted
Made good grades on my tests
Went on a Saturday getaway to North Georgia with the girls
Turned 20
Made a kick ass powerpoint
Got closer to God
Knit something other than a scarf
Got my first caricature made
Rubbed elbows with the agriculture elite
Hiked 5 miles (and survived)
Woke up at 6am so I could go to work with mom
Applied for a credit card
Applied for a loan

So I guess you could say I'm moving up in the world haha. I can't wait to study abroad and I am itching to get an internship. I'm getting close to publishing my first website/blog (more to come later). I'm trying to stay afloat in English with a poetry collection and portfolio due next week, so I wrote a terrible poem today:

"Apples"
My tree has a sturdy trunk
With two thick branches,
Loaded with sweet red apples.
Half taste Nicaraguan, half Puerto Rican.

Tree always growing, apples keep coming:
8 big apples 13 medium apples 2 little apples
7 big apples 15 medium apples 9 little apples
More than plenty for apple pie.

My apple family of 5 is tiny in these branches,
But it is just the right size.
It joins two families together
Creating this one big tree.

When we all come together,
Don't expect a normal family gathering.
It’s a party, an overwhelming celebration
With food, laughter, and dancing!

My poetry collection is on family trees and she said it would be good to have a poem you wrote yourself so why not. I hate myself for writing corny poetry...

Thanksgiving is coming up and then November is over and then 2008 is over. Where does the time go?

San Francisco

2008-11-15T21:48:00.001-08:00

I was thinking today about the trip I took to San Francisco last month and really it was like celebrating 2 centuries of being alive.
I was actually born in San Francisco (well really Santa Clara if we're going to get specific) 20 years ago and moved away after the earthquake in '89. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to go back and see what this place was like. This was such a big dream for me that I couldn't say no when the opportunity came up.
Unfortunately I built high expectations for myself. Its not really that great of a place other than to say you've been there. I wouldn't want to live there. While I was there I didn't really enjoy it. But looking back on it, it was a great trip. I think what really made it worth it was seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. I got chills.
So after being gone for 20 years, I went back and saw the places my parent's talked about. And I did it all on my own... well mostly. It was my first big adventure without adults really (although the Savannah trip comes pretty close). Even though it sucked having to pay for it on my own, the trip was that much more mine.
So giving myself a 400$ birthday present to see the state I was born in on my 20th anniversary of being alive was totally worth it.

As a side not I learned the most crazy thing today. Monkeys open their bananas from the opposite end then us. Its actually quite effective. View the instructional video for more details!

3 things I learned about Arizona in San Francisco

2008-10-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

1. Arizona has Agriculture

Who would have thought stuff (other than cactus) would grow in the desert? Turns out Arizona isn't all rock and sand... some parts even have forests. It has the perfect climate for growing cotton and citrus. I have a feeling this has a terrible impact on whatever river they are irrigating from.

2. Road Runners Exist

The Arizona gal couldn't believe our amazement at such an animal being real. What she failed to tell us is that they don't look like the cartoon. They are short fat birds that run across the road really fast. She says you barely ever find them as road kill. Also, contrary to belief... these birds do not go BEEP BEEP!

3. Scorpions are Everywhere

While Scorpions and Arizona go hand and hand in my mind, I didn't realize how invasive they were. Apparently Scorpions just LOVE making homes out of piles of clothes you left on the floor. I feel that I would have a big scorpion problem seeing as I leave clothes on the floor 90% of the time. I guess I would just have to get really good at shaking them out. Supposedly you can get more than one to hide out in there. And they're also pretty good about hiding out in your shoes so check those before putting them on too.

My Hat, It has 3 Corners

2008-10-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

I was recently in need of a hat, but I didn't have one with me at college and didn't want to buy one. Therefore, I came up with THE GREAT NEWSPAPER HAT INITIATIVE and made one myself out of newspaper.
As Alyssa can attest, this made my side of the room look like a newspaper bomb had exploded. Overall it was WAY fun. Much more fun than doing homework too. Not only did I learn how to make the traditional 3 corner type, but several other less known types as well. So if you ever need a hat made out of newspapers, you know who to call! Because trust me, I'm a pro :P

Penises

2008-09-07T18:12:00.001-07:00

What would the world be like if men didn't have penises? In my bird class that I'm taking this semester we learned that only 4% of birds have penises. For most birds all sex requires is a quick touch of the butt. The only way to really justify carrying around the extra weight of a penis is for water birds who would need to get sperm further in so it wouldn't wash off in the water. Other birds that have penises are ratites which include larger birds like ostriches, emus and rheas.
Since birds don't have penises, the female is the one that gets to wear the pants in the relationship. If a male wants to produce offspring, he has to put 100% into attracting a female. He can't just walk up and "rape." If a female doesn't want her offspring to have a certain male's dna, she doesn't have to mate with him. Some birds can even reject unwanted sperm. But if a penis was used, she'd be stuck with the sperm.
Interestingly enough, ostriches, which have penises, have male dominance unlike these other birds. Even though the male still has to court the females, the relationship is much more of the patriarchal variety. So I have to wonder... is this why most human societies are dominated by males? Because they wear the penis? What would life be like if guys didn't have penises? I mean other than what sex would be like lol.
This article I found while writing this post goes much more into detail about bird sex and penises. Its based around the idea of why Zeus chose to be a swan to rape Leda. I would highly recommend checking it out.

Bottom line: Penises are dangerous.

Things That Were Cool When I was a Kid

2008-09-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

Okay granted, that wasn't that long ago. I haven't ridden a bicycle in oh... probably 8 years, but walking around campus today and seeing all the bikes, I suddenly had nostalgia of being a kid and riding my bike around the street. Riding your bike around was like "the cool thing to do." And not just because it was the environmentally friendly thing to do. So today I want to look at things that made bikes, or in particular my bike, cool.

The Kickstand

Why were kickstands so cool? I don't know. Maybe it was because of the cool way it folded/swiveled up or down at a moments notice. Maybe it was because of the way it got your bike to stand up all by itself. All I know is that whomever invented the kickstand is a genius! I was sad to notice today that not many people have kickstands on their bicycles because kickstands=kickass!
Sidenote: I actually looked up to see who invented the kickstand and it is a certain "Gunter Baron." Tragically, he does not have a wikipedia page. Did you know that kickstands were patented in 1983?

Pedaling Your Bike Upsidedown

I don't know if anyone else used to do this, but it was a big thing on my street to turn our bikes over and "play mechanic." All it really involved was turning the pedals and watching the wheels go around and maybe pretend you were 'fixing' your bike. Some times we would race to see how fast we could make our wheels go. It was such a cool concept to me that you could flip a bike so that its wheels were in the air, that I wished there was more you could do like play fort or pretend it was "an exercise" machine. Here is a better picture that illustrates what I mean by this.

Spoke Beads

I wish I could remember what I called these as a kid, but I never would have thought to call them spoke beads. I just know my neighbor had some on her bike, and I had to get me some! I loved the colors, but even more than that, I loved the sound. A light, tinkling musical sound that gives you the same shivers as listening to a rain stick. This was another reason to pedal your bike upside down... just so you could listen to these babies. I haven't seen them on a bike in ages, but I'm pretty sure you can still buy them.

Noise Makers

I think I went through at least two of these, but they were plastic (and colorful) of course. I feel that they didn't last very long due to bike and ground contact. Plus I feel like I wasn't very good at steering and honking at the same time. I also had at least one bell, with which I faced similar problems with (I think it involves more skill to push the lever than to squeeze):

So I hope you have enjoyed reminiscing with me over the "bike riding days." If I ever get a bicycle, now that I'm older, this is one accessory I would definitely love to have:

What are you favorite bicycle parts-- past, present, future?

If I was a super crafter...

2008-07-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

I would definitely make this:
cute tote here

I think I would use a less busy pattern for the inside but I LOVVVVVVE the internal organization which is key for me in any purse. This bag is so well made! I really hope she puts a tutorial up that way I can get someone to make it for me haha.

Greenwashing

2008-07-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, Americans are suddenly becoming "Eco-conscious." A couple weeks ago, Audrey and I were shopping at Heritage 1981, and she asked me how I felt about this green/organic movement. Even though I am glad that people are being more excited to save Mother Earth, its a bit ridiculous how much of a fad it is. For example, this particular store (and if you go to the website you can see) sells an overwhelming amount of merchandise that has sayings like "save the whales!" "conserve water!" "recycle" at too high a price (in my opinion). First of all... unless these shirts are made from "organic cotton" or whatever, I'm not convinced. For all we know, some kid in a sweatshop made that shirt. Second, instead of paying $20 for a t-shirt... shouldn't you be donating that money to an organization that represents your cause? wouldn't that be more proactive? Because if not I feel like you have to have money to be green, and I just don't think the hippies would approve. Even though I'm not vegetarian, there was one shirt though that I liked: "I was a vegetarian before it was cool."
It makes me feel a little queasy when people are so into organic stuff. I feel like people are kind of snobbish about it. It's not necessarily healthier... its going to have the same nutritional value, and you'd have to be extra careful to wash it, more so than with pesticides. I have a hard time believing that people will pay more for "organic" things when non-organic is just as good. $3 for organic spaghetti? no thanks. There really is no definition for "natural", so even if it says it is... it may not be as natural as you think. I did see the practicality of this health tip however: buy organic produce that is normally heavilly sprayed with pesticides such as peaches or strawberries. I realize that pesticides ruin the environment and have a huge affect on pollinators such as bees. So shouldn't we be pushing for more environmentally safe practices? Believe it or not, farmers are great environmentalists, but they do the best they can with what they have, so we can't blame them... pesticide use is the consumer's fault.
But back to the title of this post... I was randomly watching this thing on youtube and it mentioned this article about Barbie and Mattel "going green." It made a good point... how can Barbie be so green, when she's SO plastic?! I grew up on Barbies and hate to admit that Mattel is completely raping the consumer here. This comment sums it up best: The lengths companies will go to in order to try and dupe the general public. Seriously, the only ones buying this are the same people buying the earth day walmart shirts that say “Save the People”. Wait, that is probably a lot of people. I guess this is sad then? Now I am angry!
Well basically it used a word I had never heard before-- GREENWASHING. Naturally there is a whole wikipedia article on it and here is how it is defined:

Greenwash (a portmanteau of green and whitewash) is a term that is used to describe the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

I love that there is even a word for this! The things companies will do to try to appear "green" for the sake of attracting consumers is outrageous. 100 years from now students in high school US History will have this in their "terminology to know from the early 21st century." Or I hope so anyway cause that would be cool. To have a word like "greenwash" up there with yellow journalism or McCarthyism? Its just another thing to make us more conscientious of what (and who) to really believe. To never accept anything as truth.
Audrey agreed that this greenism was a fad, but she also suggested that maybe it was a fad that would stick around and some good might actually come out of it. I sure hope so... because when people are doing things just because everyone else is doing it, i am secretly compelled to do the opposite. If I had more faith in the consumer not believing everything they are told, maybe I wouldn't be so anti green.
So the next time you feel the urge to "save the environment", stop and think. Are there better ways to be proactive? Am I being greenwashed? How organic is organic? Am I only being green in one part of my life or in all? (Not because you should do all or nothing, but because you should brainstorm on what else you can do) There are a lot more ways to get involved than buying a bag that says "I love the earth."

Revelations

2008-04-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

I have had so much to think about and not enough time to blog. I can't wait until this summer when I will actually have time to put my thoughts into words. For the first time in my life, I am challenging and questioning things. Opening myself up to the world and all of its problems. Sure its bringing me to a lot of depression and uncertainty, but it's also making me more self aware and letting me try my hand at facing the world instead of running away from it or leaving it for someone else to take care of. College truly makes one more liberal.
State Convention is this week and while at first I thought it would be a terrible idea to miss a Thursday, I am really excited about getting to go and compete. I realize that I need to have goals in my life. I need something to add meaning and give me a purpose. Have something to work towards. Not that I don't have goals... they're just so far off in the future that it's hard to put them into perspective sometimes.
I love this feeling. it truly feels like being alive. i guess its the things worth living for in life that give it meaning.
and the weather has been so good. it really makes a difference.
i am ready for class to be over. and summer. and new opportunities. and freedom.

College?

2008-04-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

I have not made a new post in forever. college is taking over my life and not in a good way. This semester is not what I ever expected college to be like nor what I want it to be. Never in my life have I studied so hard but done so poorly. What the heck? Don't I get a break? Isn't it a good thing that I chose to go into higher education? Am I really paying $14,000 a year to be miserable? If I was worried about keeping Hope last semester I am 100% more worried about it this semester. Taking 16 hours was a terrible idea. I want to be involved and successful and make differences in the world, not feel discouraged and overwhelmed and questioning my motives and purpose. I'm starting to feel like one in a million... lost in a swamp of swampiness. Is this what it's going to feel like in the real world? Like I can't accomplish anything?
How is it that people know so many people here? and that when they say hey to each other its because they're good friends not awkward acquaintances? Do I need to start getting drunk? I feel like I don't smile anymore and that people (especially on my hall) don't really want to get to know me because I'm probably a bitch. I don't really have time to be there friend anyway. I feel like I don't have time to do anything.
I don't know if it's because last semester was so good, but this has been the worst semester ever. I only hope to end it on a high note. I am a successful person at a prestigious university with goals and aspirations. Why am I getting so down on myself? Why can't I be the optimist? Everyone has at least one rough semester, right? And as long as I have above a 3.0, who cares about my gpa? Why be worried about the future when I could be having fun RIGHT now?
urgh I hate college.

Question

2008-03-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

If you had to pick 10 other people to live with you on the moon, who would they be?

Luna Gaia

What is Hunger?

2008-02-06T21:48:00.000-08:00

A strong desire or need for food.
I experienced "hunger" today. I fasted for the first time ever... even though I guess I should have fasted last year (oops). I do admit that I had a cracker here and there, but in my defense I did not want to pass out. Even then though, to think back and say "I only ate a couple crackers? in 24 hours? and that was it?" is super crazy to think about. How do you go from eating 3 meals a day and still being hungry to practically not eating anything at all?
The funny thing about fasting is that you choose to be hungry. you have access to an unlimited supply of food and you just say no to it. Instead of saying "this is so stupid why don't I just eat already" you just kept doing it. and then after a while you can't just call it off because you've come so far. I know the idea of fasting is so that you think about other things instead of stuff like food, but when you can't have it... thats allllll you think about. Maybe next time I'll be better at it. There's always that dull ache in your stomach thats usually the signal to eat but instead of saying "oh I'll just eat" you have to remind yourself that you can't. There's always that voice saying eatEatEAT! but then you challenge yourself to question if you really are hungry.
A problem I definitely ran into was the fact that not eating made me sleepy. And I couldn't sleep because I gave up napping for Lent (yeah we'll see how that goes). Talk about poor decisions. Sleeping really could have helped pass the time.
I also really got to think about what the ashes of Ash Wednesday mean. Its to remind you that somethings that you get overly swamped in, don't really matter because eventually all they will become is ashes.
It was also really fun to go to the BREAK-fast. not only were we eating breakfast, but we were breaking our fast. The last hour before getting to eat was the worst. It was really nice to be in a room full of people though who were going through the same thing you were, who were just as hungry as you and just as ready to eat. When midnight finally came I put so many amazing things on my plate I didn't think I was going to be able to eat it all, but somehow I did and it was all super amazing. Flavor was suddenly intensified and nothing tasted bad. It was an amazing feeling to be able to put food in your mouth. To not have to stop yourself.
But to think that some people are hungry every day and don't have a choice in it. to know that midnight will come and there still won't be food. that when they do get food, every bite is savored. to have to live with telling your stomach "oh I don't really feel that hungry" even when the ache is there. How do they do that? And even when you do have a choice how do you make it for so long? I mean Gandhi was hardcore... I read an article in Glamour about this guy who tried to be anorexic to understand his wife-- it really does take a lot of will power to go against the natural instinct of your body.
This is just a start in the journey of Lent. 40 more days to go. I can only pray to God that I will be strong and not be led into temptation.

I miss you baby

2008-01-29T17:43:00.001-08:00

Awwww Freddie! I wish I still had her :(
yeah not the best pic of me lol

Words can't Describe

2008-01-27T20:59:00.000-08:00

Life After People makes Life Feel Meaningless

2008-01-21T20:20:00.000-08:00

So tonight we watched the History Channel's "Life After People." To sum it up, humans mysteriously disappear and then they show what would become of the world after we're gone. After 10,000 years, there will barely be any evidence we were here. All of our history and culture will seem like it never even happened because there won't be a record of it. The Earth will continue to live on without us and not even miss our presence. Depressing? oh yes.
But then the show goes on to essentially say that there probably won't even be an intelligent enough life form to discuss or wonder the few things that do remain.
So after watching this two hour long program one begins to wonder what the point is. What is the point of achievement if 200 years after we're gone it won't even matter anymore? What is the point of storing information electronically or on paper if stone is really the only thing that will last? But should we be concerned in leaving a trace of our existence if no one will care anyway?
It's interesting to see what drives civilization and how one day none of it will even matter.

Home

2008-01-19T11:58:00.000-08:00

Being in Nicaragua really made me miss home. I constantly had this uncomfortable feeling in my stomach that made me wish I was not there. Even though I was in a house with all of my family, something was still missing.
Seeing Georgia from the sky was almost magical. You could see all of the cities with their lights sparkling in the dark. And when we landed in Atlanta it felt so good. It just felt like home. I realized how much I love Georgia.
It's been kind of a weird year because I mean what is home? Woodstock? Athens? When I'm in Athens I miss Woodstock and when I'm in Woodstock I miss Athens. Is there no happy medium? Maybe home really is where the heart is.
I went to an amazing Wind Ensemble concert by UGA last night and it was probably one of the best performances I had heard in a long time. And sitting there listening, I felt at home. It was like embracing a friend I hadn't seen in awhile and hadn't realize how much I actually missed them.
Since I've been back, I've had this feeling of missing someone but I can't figure out who it is. I feel like I miss someone I haven't even met yet. How is that even possible?
And as strange as it may seem... It feels good to sleep in my loft again- I missed it.

¡Feliz Años Neuvo!

2008-01-01T10:36:00.000-08:00

2007 is officially over. It was the craziest New Yars Eve I have ever had. They had bought a pig, killed it, and roasted it for a New Years Eve feast and it was pretty good. Cooking it was an adventure because it rained and they had to run to get it covered. then they tried hooking it up to an engine so it would turn by itself but it would go waaaay to fast. the pig was flopping everywhere apparently. So then they just would turn it on and off really fast so that it would turn little by little.

I went on adventure around the farm to take pictures. It was good to be by myself. I finished all the books I brought so now all I have left to do is knitting. I didn´t think I´d be running out of stuff to do! We ended up going to Managua to go to the market there. We stuffed 11 people in one car. My 2 uncles sat in the front and then my mom sat on a cushion in between them. Then my aunt, my cousin, and my cousin´s mother in law sat in the back seat. Then my 2 cousins, my cousin´s friend, my cousin´s wife, and me all sat in the trunk. When we got there it was closing in 30 minutes so we had to shop kind of fast but I wasn´t looking for much. There was this little kid who kept following us around asking for money and when you´d give him money hoping he´d go away, he just clung on even more. Trying to leave was terrible. On the way back we decided to stop on the side of the road a couple of times to buy fireworks.... the last time they turned the car off and when they got back in to turn it on it wouldn´t start. So the guys got out and started pushing the car and trying to turn it on as they went but they just ended up causing a huge traffic jam. We weren´t to far away from the house but it was too far to walk. By some stroke of luck they finall got the car started, we all hopped back in all smushed, and then made it home lol.

At night, the party really began. It´s a Nicaraguan tradition or something to get dressed up so it´s sort of like Halloween. Everyone had wigs or masks... my Uncle was Frankenstein and my Aunt was Charlie Chaplin lol. Then we had a crazy dance party. And I got Melisa to do the Soulja Boy dance with me which I was surprised that no one else knew it. Then we decided to do fireworks which was a bad idea because two of my littlest boy cousins are too crazy and it was scary to be around them. Even putting a sparkler into their hands was risking your life... or at least your eye. The adults had bigger fireworks but they kept doing them wrong so that they would explode in the ground instead of the air which was essentially creating a bomb. They had really loud fire crackers too. No where outside was safe because in front of you there were bombs and behind you there were flying fire things. I wanted to go inside but they had some more globos to do so I wanted to see that. We counted down to 12 midnight eastern time (according to my watch). It was weird not watching any sort of ball drop. And then it was annoying to realize we still had one more hour to go. Everyone was ready to go to sleep too. And then finally it was OUR midnight but the way we celebrated it felt so unofficial. Like which clock are you supposed to go by if the you don´t have the tv to tell you? Most of the clocks still had 4 minutes to go and we were like whaaat? but once everyone started wishing eachother a happy new year, there was no stopping. Then just like for Christmas the torrential sound of fireworks began. And then it was over. 2008. I never wanted 2007 to end. I guess it was only right to end an eventful year in an eventful way.

And as far as a New Year´s resolution... I´ve never been one to make them because they seem pointless. But this time I resolve to hate boys. And be suspicious towards every single one. Its not permanant, but its a good idea for now. I´ve found that making eye contact can be dangerous. And I realize that it´s silly to try to get others to like you... you should make them work for it.

My aunt left and instantly there was war on my room. It makes me so angry that everyone feels like they can treat my room like the living room just because it has the tv and the computer. We went to my uncle´s house in Managua and practically spent the whole day there. We had really good soup and shared lots of stories. I got a lot of knitting done but I´m running out of yarn so I won´t be able to finish until I get back.

I´m going home tomorrow and I´m so excited. I´m not sure how we´re all getting to the airport because pretty much everyone is leaving, but I can´t wait to be on an airplane back to my own room, my own computer, and even yes-- cold weather. Dad says that when we get back we are SO going out for a good dinner at a restaurant. The only thing I´m sad about is the fact that I don´t have much of a break left. I´m excited about the reunion party and getting to see everyone and hopefully getting to Matthew sometime this week too.

The UGA game is going down today and I am pumped. At 7:30 you better bet the tv is going to be on trying to find which channel the game is on. I´m wearing my favorite UGA shirt today in honor of the occassion. I just have to find myself something to do until then lol.

Payaso Pipo, Pachangas, and Felizidades

2007-12-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

Wow 6 extra people makes a huge difference in noise. As the Nicaraguans say "Que alboroto." They don't go back to the house they're staying at until late and come again early. I'm so ready to go home. I've been really out of it too. I feel like I have mono now more than ever :P
My uncle Chris ended up getting sick because he broke the golden rule of no ice and no salad at the Rosti Pollos. My stomach hasn´t been feeling so good as it is but I´m glad I don´t have what he has.
On Thursday my aunt wanted to celebrate my littlest cousin's 1st birthday so she got this restaurant to cater and a clown. We ate crapes and sat outside in the little rancho that's in my grandparent's backyard. The clown, Payaso Pipo, arrived in a car you would expect a clown to arrive in... a convertable punch buggy. He was amazing. Really funny, interacted really well, did magic, played games, made things out of balloons... everything a clown should be. But after 3 hours I was ready for something different. After he left we broke 2 piñatas, a birthday tradition. Even I got a turn lol. I think its funny how I get included in all the kids stuff even though some of the others are only 2 years older than me and they count as adults.
Friday we went to the Artisania which is the Market in Masaya. My mom and I spent at least $70. I tried to use my best spanish... I´m really getting into it now... but my terrible accent made it obvious that I deserved the ¨Gringo Price¨ so mom ended up doing all the talking. But they would take one look at me and charge us more anyway so I might as well have just spoken English the whole time. Luckily my mom is a good haggler. She doesn´t have much of a voice left though. It went somewhere and so whenever she´s trying to get people´s attentions it doesn´t work.
Friday night my mom´s cousin invited us over for dinner. It was a great party. Both the husband and the wife are doctors and have+- a lovely house. The party was in the backyard and the food was all really good. They had a marimba player and some of my mom´s relatives... I guess they were cousins... perfermormed folkloric Nicaraguan dances. And they were all dressed up and stuff. It was very cool. They also had fireworks and they did this thing I´ve never seen before and probably will never see again. It was this ¨bull¨ or a wooden frame that looked like one. and they put fireworks/firecrackers/sparklers on it. and then they lit it. and then this guy held up the wooden frame and ran around with it and there was smoke and sparks and it was amazing and funny and crazy all at the same time. I met 2 girls who were about my age and they were my mom´s cousin´s daughters so technically we were my cousin´s too. The younger one is studying political science and international relations at a college here where the classes are all in English. I liked talking to her because I could speak to her in English. My mom kept getting angry at me for not speaking in Spanish. She left though so I ended up talking to the other one who didn´t know that much English. She was about a year older than me and was studying architecture. I actually spoke to her in Spanish but my mom wouldn´t believe that I wasn´t speaking in English because she kept coming at the wrong time. I really liked talking to both of them.
And then last night is where things went completely wrong. I was going through the pictures I had taken and then I was just messing around with my camera when I stupidly erased all 510 pictures we´ve taken. and it wasn´t just an erase all it was like wipe the card clean. Hopefully we´ll be able to undo this stupidity. that thought is the only thing keeping me sane. I mean I bought the camera to take pictures of Nicaragua and now half of my trip no longer exists. I think enough people took pictures of the same things that its not completely lost but it still won´t be the same. In any case, I´ve been trying to make up for lost time.
Today was the reason we even came to Nicaragua in the first place. We celebrated my grandpa´s 80th birthday. It was exactly what I would want my wedding to look like. It was all very pretty but not over done--simple. We rented the bus again and drove to the hotel it was at in Managua. The food was SO good. It was half inside and half outside... outside was hot and inside was loud lol. There was a pool, but I had spent so much time getting ready I didn´t think I was going to want to swim so I didn´t bring my bathing suit. I sort of regretted it because it was so hot in Managua, but I ended up taking a nap in the shade... it was nice. The water was apparently really cold anyway which is surprising. The music was loud but good. You can´t have a party without some good latin music and dancing. I danced with my dad and my grandpa, it was a lot of fun but really wears you out if you aren´t used to it. The party was mostly boring but like I said the food was good. I really wanted to read but felt that my mom wouldn´t approve so thats why I ended up taking a nap instead lol.
I´m not sure what the plans for the next couple of days are. I know we´re going to kill and cook a pig so that should be fun. They got the pig today and it reminded me of Michelle´s show pigs. I want to go to the Chocoyero and to visit Mary, but I´m not sure how plausible these things are. It´s so hard to plan anything. My aunt is leaving tomorrow though and while that means I´ll have the bed to myself, the task of keeping the privacy of my room falls to me. I´m not quite sure how that´s going to work.
I just wish I could get rid of this feeling inside of me that wants to go home.

A Twelve Hour Tour

2007-12-26T19:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone. My uncle´s house was beautiful. If I ever lived in Nicaragua I would want my house to look like that. We ended up doing the talent show there. My mom told me I didn´t have to worry about having a talent but I jokingly suggested that we should do the soulja boy dance. Well turned out EVERYONE had a talent to share and there was no way I was going to make a fool of myself dancing soulja boy without even having the music to go along with it. But my mom kept pestering for me to do it. It just put me in a bad mood and made me feel like a failure for not having a talent to share. I mean... I consider myself talented, but they´re all rather boring talents. And if I knew ahead of time that I was going to be that pressured maybe I would have prepared something impressive. My grandma got sick. and we ate dominoes pizza... which tasted sadly nothing like it should have. Overall we had a good time as a family though.
Just my luck I got a bug bite on my face during the night. lame. The other ones are doing MUCH better. still itchy but not as massive. My nose has been giving me a lot of problems but I think if I was at home it would be much worse. Like stay in bed nasty gross worse.
So today was definitely and adventure. We rented this van/bus thing (for 12 hours) and went to Mombotombo! A volcano about an hour away near the city of Granada. It was a lot of fun going in the van thing. The driver basically had to drive like a drunk to try to miss as many of the holes in the road as possible. I think we took the worst possible route. It would have been better to not have driven on the road at all.
We went up to the top of the volcano first which is way way way up high. And you go on this crazy bus drive where at some points you could swear you were going vertical. It felt like if you didn´t keep driving we would fall backwards. We walked around and saw the view. They have like a hike around the crater (its dormant). It beat Bell Mountain by 10. I wanted to see more wildlife but all you could really see were the plants and these nasty black bug things that kept sticking to our clothes. It was pretty cold up there but once you were in the forest it wasn´t bad at all. The view was insanely beautiful.
And for all those who are strong supporters of organic, they certainly had the right idea about making the most out of a bathroom trip. They called them ¨Latrinos Organicos¨ and they were little shacks that were a good way off the ground. Basically they would use your waste to make organic fertilizer. Delicious. Needless to say it was so gross I couldn´t use it.
There was sort of a little town there... they grew and harvested lots and lots of coffee. It was cool to see where they dried it out. After an hour or so of walking around I was done with that and gladly welcomed the bus ride back down. We only went part way down and got off at the ¨Canopy¨ which is like zip lining from tree to tree hundreds of feet in the air (literally in the canopy.) Mostly just the kids went but my mom went too. The tour guide man took great pictures for us but because of that I didn´t get to take as many pictures from up high as I wanted to. It was scary and thrilling all at the same time. Even for my third time doing it, I still got that freaked out feeling. The guides are so used to being up there they make it seem so easy. After that was over we drove back down to the very bottom, and I was over joyed at getting to use a bathroom, which by that time, seemed heavenly. It had lights that worked, a lock that locked, the toilet flushed, there was toilet paper, and I wasn´t deathly afraid of catching some strange disease.
We drove to Granada which is a very cute town. Unfortunately it was already getting dark so I couldn´t really take pictures. The buildings all look very colonial and very very old. There are a bunch of enormous churches and the buildings are all beautiful colors.
We ate at this place called RostiPollos and I must say, it was better than chick-fil-a. It was a fast food type restaurant but sit down style if you wanted. It was very nice for fast food haha. The thing about eating out though is that you have to be careful with the whole water situation. You can´t just be like like ¨oh, well I just won´t drink the water.¨ you have to ask about the ice too. And then you can´t really get salad because they probablly wash it with water and then they don´t cook it so you can´t get rid of the bacteria.
By this point I was very much ready to come home. About 6 more people came today and I haven´t even seen them. The shower tonight felt amazing even though without a drought, I still have to shower like a marine lol. My back is pretty sore from the crazy roads we took but if my dad can survive, so can I. So far I´ve taken 400 something pictures :x
Well best be getting some sleep. Who knows what´s going on tomorrow.

So this is Christmas

2007-12-25T13:52:00.000-08:00

¡Feliz Navidad!
December 25th. It´s Christmas. Really? that´s how i´ve been feeling and it kind of makes me sad. I didn´t really get that many presents but thats ok. I´ve felt hotter today than any other day. And all I did today was sleep.
Apparently I´m sick with some sort of sinus thing. Its so weird having a stuffy nose in 80 degree weather. It´s hard to tell yourself that yes, you´re sick; about as hard as trying to convince yourself it´s Christmas.
We ended up having delicious tacos for lunch yesterday and then we went to church. For some reason, I have a hard time understanding spanish when it´s at church. When we got back my gradma really wanted to go see this nativity set in Managua. So we piled into 3 cars, drove a good 20 or 30 minutes looked around for 10 minutes or so and left haha. It was very nicely done but it didn´t take long to look at. So we came back and did the Christmas play. That was interesting because my mom was narrating the story in spanish and the kids were acting in it... and 95% of them didn´t understand spanish. It went pretty good though... everyone was dressed up in costume. I was a cow lol-- just wait for the pictures. The best part about being in the play was that you could see everyone´s emotions and expressions up close and most of it was rather hillarious. We did it outside so it was kind of dark and hard to see from the audience.
The adults for some reason decided they wanted to eat at midnight but this was rediculous so we ate around 11 instead. It was a delicious turkey with gravy! yum. Then the kids exchanged gifts.... I had no idea what I had gotten my cousin Briana because my mom had bought it and wrapped it lol so that was fun being like ¨so... what did I get you?¨ She got me this adorably cute dog that was pink and white and super soft with an Itunes gift card. I loved it. And luckily she LOVED her littlest pet shop thing. Then we watched the adults play the white elephant game which was pretty funny. There was a battle over these hammocks.
Finally we ended the night with ¨globos¨ which are like hot air balloons made out of tissue paper. they were so pretty. and if you ever tried to do them in the US it would be illegal-- huge fire hazzard lol. Oh and one thing I forgot to mention. like 10 minutes before midnight it started... firework after firework. It seriously sounded like someone was making popcorn thats how many there were going off. and it lasted a good 30 minutes. When we went outside to do the globos we thought we were looking at clouds when we realized it was the smoke from the fireworks.
Since we did all that on Christmas Eve-- Noche Buena-- we didn´t do anything today. Its almost like we didn´t celebrate Christmas at all. And I kind of like it. It´s nice not having to make a big fuss and be all wrapped up in the presents and ¨holiday spirit.¨ I wonder what I would be doing if we hadn´t come to Nicaragua for Christmas.
I´ve had a lot of time to do nothing while I´ve been here... everyone is either too little or too old to hang out with. My cousin brought his wife and friend and they´re all in there 20s but after last night I found out how annoying they all are when together. His friend used the experession ¨so phat.¨ come again? who says that? Ok ok I´m being overly judgemental.
The amount of clothes I wear here at night is rediculous but it gets kind of cold and I don´t want to be eaten alive by mosquitos. The end result has been giant welt like bites on my wrists and hands where they decided to get me anyway. I just hope I don´t get any on my face.
Tonight we´re going to my uncle´s house for dinner and I think he lives pretty close to Managua. After tomorrow I have one more week to go but it feels like so much less. There´s so much I want to make sure I do. Its hard to get anything done with so many people though. It´s weird to think I´ve only been here for 3 days. I haven´t even gone exploring the whole farm.
Oh and some good news: I might actually get to see the Dawgs play at the sugar bowl! My uncle here has a satellite with Fox Sports and my dad thinks they´ll show the BCS bowls so awesomeness.
I think more family is getting here tomorrow. :x oh boy.

¡Que Plaito!

2007-12-24T09:24:00.000-08:00

Plaito rymes with Plato... the great philosopher. And the phrase means WHAT A FIGHT! And thats basically what these last 24 hours have been lol. People are having a hard time getting a long. And its not the kids-- its the adults. At least we´ve had electricity for longer than 24 hours.
Last night we had a bon fire and roasted marshmellows. We went to the market yesterday too but we ended up not buying anything. I hate speaking at the market because if I speak in English I feel super out of place. And I just hate speaking in Spanish. Que Problema
It´s hotter today which really makes it weird when you remember it´s Christmas Eve. No white Christmas here lol. So we set up the ``Christmas tree`` today. Remember Charlie Brown´s Christmas tree? yeah it was like that but much taller. Putting the lights on was an adventure. I think they´re putting on the ornaments now. We had to put it in a bucket with rocks to get it to stand up and when ever a breeze would come it would fall over. I think they finally figured it out though. I´m documenting it with my camera because it´s hillarious. Unfortunately I´m not really sure how to upload pictures here so those might have to wait until I get home. I´ve taken about 60 pictures so far :X
The alarm went off again last night. It sucks when you´re peacefully dreaming and then all of a sudden JK! It´s SO loud.
I think they´re making my favorite for Lunch: Arroz con Gandoles (pigeon peas and rice). I haven´t been eating much just because it doesn´t really appeal to me. Plus the eating schedule is weird. The main meal is supposed to be lunch and thats usually something gross. Last night for dinner I had a bowl of Lucky charms, a bowl of honey bunches of oats and a tortilla with beans and cheese lol. and 3 smores. At least I´m not alone on the whole not liking the food thing.
Tonight there´s supposed to be a play... something about going to church too. Nobody really knows the plans lol.

I made it!

2007-12-23T07:40:00.000-08:00

So the adventure begins. It´s weird to be here... talk about it being too hot for December. Well sometimes I feel hot and sometimes I feel cold. No happy medium really. It`s a lot hotter than I expected though. It´s funny to see the Christmas decorations up. They look so out of place.
We got to the airport around 7 yesterday (I had only gotten about 4 hours of sleep) with NINE suitcases to check in. Talk about adventure. There were so so many lines but we made pretty good timing. It was almost like being in Disney World. The funny thing about airports is that you feel like you`re going to see someone you know. At one point it hit me, air ports are a scarey-- very susceptible to attack. But at the same time so safe-- so much security.
The plane ride was fun though as always. They showed Stardust which was reallly out there. The whole time you´re so confused as to what´s going on and then everyone ends up living happily ever after.
I ended up not sleeping at all so when I got to the house I crashed. But not before eating some tortillas and beans!
Apparently we have DSL so I´ll have more access to the internet than I was planning on.The computer is crazy hard to use though. Everything is in spanish and the keyboard is messed up. and by messed up I mean hard to use.
From what I´ve seen, Nicaragua is looking pretty good. Much better than I ever remember. We went to church in Town today and all the houses were looking nice and there was a road! can´t go wrong with that lol.
I´m kind of ready to go home though. The outside is already getting to me. I feel itchy. I can´t talk to mom because she throws a fit about me not speaking spanish. It gets kind of boring from time to time and we´re an hour behind so it feels like time goes by super slow. But I know that Matthew would love to be here in my place so I better enjoy it haha. And I´m sure I won´t be bored for long.
So my grandparents got this alarm system because people keep coming and taking whatever they find. Well it goes off at least twice every night. It sounds like a police alarm. Not fun at all.
Well time to go to the market!

So this is Goodbye

2007-12-21T20:40:00.000-08:00

Wow. I'm leaving. tomorrow morning. and when I come back, it won't be 2007 anymore. I mean this has been the year I've been looking forward to for the past 5 or so year. And it was well worth it. This will be a sad goodbye...
Nicaragua promises to be an adventure. I'm not allowed to bring my computer, but I'm hoping to have internet access to update this and to check Facebook lol. And that all depends on whether or not we have electricity. I'll keep a hard copy journal and transfer it here whenever I get the chance. Ten days. Christmas AND New Years. Its our first time ever taking a direct flight and I'm SUPER excited. There might be a movie... and lunch! It's only supposed to take about 3 hours... leaving at 10 getting there around 1. But of course we have to leave the house by 6. The airport will be a mess and we have a lot of suitcases.
We got to open one present today. I actually opened two because I already knew what one was. But this one was like Chelsea's duck key chain flashlight. Except mine is a cow that moos very very loudly when you turn it on. I might just have found a better alternative to using my cell phone to see in the dark.
This week went by so fast. For 2 or 3 days I didn't even really get dressed. Got to hang out with some friends. Got see Coach Wall and Ms. Smith. Slept a lot. Ate out a lot lol. On Wednesday I went to Theresa's grandpa's funeral which was very beautifully done. I really wish I could have known him, he seemed like an amazing person. The priest said:

When you close the eyes of the dead, you open the eyes of those still living

And thats really how I feel about the whole funeral/death thing. My thoughts are extremely provoked at funerals. The only funerals I've ever been too, the people didn't become alive to me until after they were dead. I mean I knew of them, I knew they existed. But I had never met them, never seen them; I had no idea what they were like until I heard their loved ones talk about them. And when that happens you start wondering if you've lived a good enough life to have people talk about you like that.
And it really makes me think about all the times I wish I could just die. And how if I had died at that moment, all the things I would have missed out on. I do not fear death; I think the people who have died are very lucky. But I certainly do appreciate life. Well I appreciate the idea, but now I realize... I don't think I appreciate life to its fullest extent. I've wasted a lot of my life. There are things that I haven't done that I should have and I'm wondering what I'm waiting for. Why don't I have dreams and goals to get the most out of life? I need to stop being here for the ride and not be afraid to be outside the box, to sing out of key, or to question things. Maybe that's why I haven't died yet. I haven't done anything worthwhile.
So as a New Year's resolution, I will be more about life. All forward motion counts.

Death cannot be seen as the easy way out; life is the most exciting challenge to take on.

On the Way to Nicaragua in 2005

My Grandparents' House

LOL @ how short my brother is!

Climbing a giant tree to go "Canopying"

A Successful Start

2007-12-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

I can officially say that I survived my first semester of UGA. I really am proud to go there and I love it. Finals week was a HUGE success... I ended up with an A in all of my classes; even Plant Biology, Food Science, and Pre Calc. I'm glad to put the semester behind me, but am not looking forward to what I have on my plate for next year.
I wasn't quite ready to go home Friday so I spent the weekend with Katie. I learned so much about cows and dairy work! I had a blast. Despite the cold and waking up before 7 every morning, it really was like being on vacation. I went to my first Methodist service, found out how amazing Carhartts are, bottle fed a baby calf, hung out with Katie's family, and got to enjoy the beauty of Morgan County. I really missed the cows once I left. Cows are fun.
And now for some highlights from this semester... because some of them are worth remembering. Alyssa was a great roommate :) we had so much fun wasting time, watching tv, staying up late, and enjoying college. From going to football games to saving her plant from mealy bugs, I wouldn't trade her for anyone.
Joining Sigma Alpha was one of the best things I did. It really expanded my "friend group" and I love all of the girls I pledged with. I also wouldn't trade Sigma Alpha for anything. It feels good to belong to something so amazing.
Georgia Football was 100 times better than I ever would have imagined. I was lucky enough to go to every home game except one. I'm really going to miss it during the spring. It really was like the 4th of July every weekend. Sure there was a lot of drunkenness... but that was half the fun. The Blackout was AWESOME. One of the best games ever. I'm so glad I was lucky enough to experience it. I only wish we were playing in the National Championships... maybe next year ;]
Being 19 hasn't hit me yet. I don't feel like I had a birthday is the problem. It makes me feel old so I pretend I'm still 18. It's not like I gained any special privileges from being 19 anyway.
It was a bit disappointing getting here and realizing that nothing could compare to how magical GHP was, but there were some moments that were close enough. Doing laundry of course was one of them. Going to a strings recital and Mr. Freshman were definitely comparable. I loved getting to hang out with Katie all the time. Tate theater was a close resemblance. And visiting Demostheneon hall was unforgettable. The food was MUCH better as was the freedom. And I wouldn't trade our RA, Mary Catherine, for anyone.
I even got to experience some of the Athens night life. It was really cool getting to see Patrick play, and I can't wait to see him again. I had the chance to "find" new artists like Allison Weiss and Modern Skirt. Downtown Athens at night is always an interesting experience even if you just go for coffee. I mean downtown during the day is interesting enough lol.
I got a job with Mr. Marable that seems to be working out alright. I mean... I actually enjoy working :O. Hopefully this way I can get my American Degree and keep money in my bank account.
I'm really enjoying the Catholic Center.... almost more than Transfig :X I enjoy being a lector almost too much haha. The Holiday party was great and I can't wait to do more stuff with CSA. I really want to start going to TNT.
I'm glad I was still able to keep in touch with people and see them every once and awhile when I came home. Taking a road trip to Young Harris was SO much fun, but nowhere near as crazy as my adventure to Marietta Square.Thanks to Emily,Clayton, Chris, and Kristen who came to visit :D I can't wait to see everyone at Lindsey's party.
I made a lot of great friends that I'm going to miss over the break: Whitney, Libby, Gena, Mark, Sarah, Grace and Anna. It makes it hard really because then you have people at home AND at college to miss. You all have opened me up to new things and share a lot of awesome memories with me. I'm so glad I met you guys!
I'm excited about everyone thats coming up next year. Then my life will practically be complete lol. Congrats to everyone who got accepted early to UGA and good luck to those who are still trying; don't give up! It's worth it, I promise.
Everyday was a new adventure and I can't wait to see what surprises await for me next semester. I just have to be patient and not get frustrated when things aren't going right :P