Post-grad adventure #3: The ability to be lazy.
Today was such a beautiful day. It was sunny but breezy, warm but not humid. It was nearly perfect weather. What did I do? Slept in till 10, made waffles for breakfast, and did a little grocery shopping. Then, after lunch, I took a nap for a couple hours. Now, before I get annoyed with myself for "wasting" a beautiful day, I had to think, "How often do I have a day free where I have absolutely nothing scheduled?" The truth is, not that often. It was nice just to relax and enjoy summer without anything hanging over my head. That's the beauty of summer: The whole day seems to stretch before me with so many options and I get to choose exactly what I want to do. Not what I need to do based on my obligations, but whatever spontaneous or meaningless thing I choose to do. It's wonderful.
Of course, the reason that today was so carefree is because I'd already taken care of some things that I needed to get done beforehand. Earlier this week, I bought my books for my summer class and sent in a check to pay for the class. I set up some of the last volunteer hours I'll need. And I got some last details taken care of for my new apartment. I should be all set to move in and start classes! So today, I took a day off and enjoyed the bliss that is summer.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tennis
Ah, the bliss of being done with college! The only problem now is that boredom has a tendency to set in. I've been pretty lazy the past couple of days- staying up late, sleeping in til noon, and sitting on the couch watching movies and TV. However, I've also gotten the chance to be outside almost every day, and it is glorious to be able to enjoy the outdoors again rather than having to sit in a classroom!
Post-grad adventure #2: Re-discovering tennis
Yesterday and today I got to play tennis with Leslie and Tristan. I have always liked tennis, but hadn't played in quite awhile. I'd forgotten how much fun it is! It's such a good workout, but it doesn't feel like exercise. Today we practiced forehands, backhands, volleys, and a little bit of serving. We basically just hit it back and forth for fun because none of us are good enough to play a real game, but it's still a blast. I love that I'm getting the chance to play again, and I'm hoping that with a little practice I'll get a lot better!
Post-grad adventure #2: Re-discovering tennis
Yesterday and today I got to play tennis with Leslie and Tristan. I have always liked tennis, but hadn't played in quite awhile. I'd forgotten how much fun it is! It's such a good workout, but it doesn't feel like exercise. Today we practiced forehands, backhands, volleys, and a little bit of serving. We basically just hit it back and forth for fun because none of us are good enough to play a real game, but it's still a blast. I love that I'm getting the chance to play again, and I'm hoping that with a little practice I'll get a lot better!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Post-grad
After 5 years, I am finally a college graduate! It feels so nice to have all the stress of tests, papers, huge projects, and homework assignments behind me. However, I start grad school in a month, so this freedom will be short-lived. So I plan to make the most of my time off and cram a whole summer's worth of fun into 4 weeks.
One of my goals for the next few weeks is to see as many of my friends as possible. I have a feeling I won't have a lot of time off in the next three years to visit my friends, especially those who live farther away. This past weekend was great in that I got to spend time with several friends that I haven't seen in awhile. My "soulmate" Tristan came to visit me after I was done with my finals and she's staying with me for a week. I got to go to a game night with some of my Liberty friends. And I got to see my "big sister" (and old roommate) Robin.
Post-grad adventure #1: Hiking and Camping
On Thursday, my sister Leslie, Robin, Tristan and I went hiking in Shenandoah National Park. We had planned to do an all-day hike and then Leslie, Tristan, and I were going to camp out in the park. We arrived at the lodge inside the park and were all set to go when I realized I had locked my keys in my car. We called AAA, but it was going to be 2-3 hours before they could get there, so we decided to try to break into my own car. I found a metal sign in the garden and we bought a skewer. After trying for about 45 minutes, we were able to pry the door open a crack, stick the long metal piece inside and pop the lock! It was NOT easy, but I guess they make it hard to break into a car for a reason.
Finally, an hour after our planned departure time, we started off on our hike. It felt so great to be outside! The weather was foggy, misty, and a little on the cold side, but it was perfect for hiking. We hiked a mile and a half down to a waterfall. The water was freezing, but we went in anyway. We even climbed up on some rocks and got some cute waterfall pictures.
Camping that night was an adventure. We bought firewood, but couldn't get the fire to start, so we had to buy fire starter too. That finally got the fire going, but the burgers weren't cooking fast enough on the grill, so we wrapped them in tinfoil and threw them right on the fire. They turned out to be so yummy, probably because we were so hungry!
We set up the tent and rolled out our sleeping bags. Then we played Catch Phrase and talked until it got dark. I went to bed early and woke up really early. The night seems so much longer when you're camping out! We had a lot of fun, but it was a lot of work for one night. We all decided it will be awhile before we go camping again.
One of my goals for the next few weeks is to see as many of my friends as possible. I have a feeling I won't have a lot of time off in the next three years to visit my friends, especially those who live farther away. This past weekend was great in that I got to spend time with several friends that I haven't seen in awhile. My "soulmate" Tristan came to visit me after I was done with my finals and she's staying with me for a week. I got to go to a game night with some of my Liberty friends. And I got to see my "big sister" (and old roommate) Robin.
Post-grad adventure #1: Hiking and Camping
On Thursday, my sister Leslie, Robin, Tristan and I went hiking in Shenandoah National Park. We had planned to do an all-day hike and then Leslie, Tristan, and I were going to camp out in the park. We arrived at the lodge inside the park and were all set to go when I realized I had locked my keys in my car. We called AAA, but it was going to be 2-3 hours before they could get there, so we decided to try to break into my own car. I found a metal sign in the garden and we bought a skewer. After trying for about 45 minutes, we were able to pry the door open a crack, stick the long metal piece inside and pop the lock! It was NOT easy, but I guess they make it hard to break into a car for a reason.
Finally, an hour after our planned departure time, we started off on our hike. It felt so great to be outside! The weather was foggy, misty, and a little on the cold side, but it was perfect for hiking. We hiked a mile and a half down to a waterfall. The water was freezing, but we went in anyway. We even climbed up on some rocks and got some cute waterfall pictures.
Camping that night was an adventure. We bought firewood, but couldn't get the fire to start, so we had to buy fire starter too. That finally got the fire going, but the burgers weren't cooking fast enough on the grill, so we wrapped them in tinfoil and threw them right on the fire. They turned out to be so yummy, probably because we were so hungry!We set up the tent and rolled out our sleeping bags. Then we played Catch Phrase and talked until it got dark. I went to bed early and woke up really early. The night seems so much longer when you're camping out! We had a lot of fun, but it was a lot of work for one night. We all decided it will be awhile before we go camping again.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Things I'll miss about Liberty
As finals week comes to a close (only one more exam to go!) I've been reminiscing about my college experience at Liberty. Yesterday I took a study break at the outdoor pool and had a sudden realization: I'm going to miss this place. Liberty University is a unique place that's far from the "typical college experience". Here are some of the things I'll miss.
1. Knowing lots of people who really care about you. This is due in part to LU being a smaller school (although it's growing quickly, and isn't as small as it once was), but it's also because the administration, RA's, SLD*'s and prayer leaders make an effort to get to know all the girls in their dorm. The class sizes are generally small too so it's easy to get to know people. In general, Liberty is a community that's so close and connected. I think it's due to the fact that so many students share the same values and beliefs. That's going to be hard to find elsewhere. (*SLD= spiritual life director. They are second in command to RA's and are involved in encouraging unity and group activities on the hall.)
2. Conversations about God. I've had so many great discussions with people and learned a lot about myself and what I believe. There are a lot of students at LU with so much knowledge about the Bible, different religions, and different church denominations. Before I came to LU, I was pretty clueless about a lot of theological topics. Since I've been here, I've been challenged, confused, and encouraged, and through it all I've grown quite a bit spiritually. I'm going to miss those candid and open conversations about God- it feels so natural at LU, but a lot of people seem to get uncomfortable with those types of conversations.
3. Conservatism. It's kind of nice when the majority of people share the same conservative values. Where most people are pro-life, Republican, etc. I grew up in Massachusetts, so I also know what it's like to be around many people who don't share the same values- it's not that I can't be friends with those people, it's just that sometimes it gets very lonely being the one who's different. Conservatism is about more than political views, though. It's also about the way you dress, the language you use, and the way you treat other people. I've enjoyed being around people who value modesty and who try to respect themselves and others. Liberalism might be the biggest culture shock I'll have to deal with when I emerge from the "Liberty bubble".
It's been a great 5 years LU! I'll miss you.
1. Knowing lots of people who really care about you. This is due in part to LU being a smaller school (although it's growing quickly, and isn't as small as it once was), but it's also because the administration, RA's, SLD*'s and prayer leaders make an effort to get to know all the girls in their dorm. The class sizes are generally small too so it's easy to get to know people. In general, Liberty is a community that's so close and connected. I think it's due to the fact that so many students share the same values and beliefs. That's going to be hard to find elsewhere. (*SLD= spiritual life director. They are second in command to RA's and are involved in encouraging unity and group activities on the hall.)
2. Conversations about God. I've had so many great discussions with people and learned a lot about myself and what I believe. There are a lot of students at LU with so much knowledge about the Bible, different religions, and different church denominations. Before I came to LU, I was pretty clueless about a lot of theological topics. Since I've been here, I've been challenged, confused, and encouraged, and through it all I've grown quite a bit spiritually. I'm going to miss those candid and open conversations about God- it feels so natural at LU, but a lot of people seem to get uncomfortable with those types of conversations.
3. Conservatism. It's kind of nice when the majority of people share the same conservative values. Where most people are pro-life, Republican, etc. I grew up in Massachusetts, so I also know what it's like to be around many people who don't share the same values- it's not that I can't be friends with those people, it's just that sometimes it gets very lonely being the one who's different. Conservatism is about more than political views, though. It's also about the way you dress, the language you use, and the way you treat other people. I've enjoyed being around people who value modesty and who try to respect themselves and others. Liberalism might be the biggest culture shock I'll have to deal with when I emerge from the "Liberty bubble".
It's been a great 5 years LU! I'll miss you.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Luau and other events
I had a luau party at my house on Thursday evening, which was a reading day (no classes). I made shish kabobs and we grilled burgers for dinner. We also had tons of fruit- pineapples, strawberries, mango, and cantaloupe. I found a great shish kabob marinade online that I loved!
The murder mystery wasn't as good as some of the other ones I've played, just because there wasn't as much suspicion on everyone, but it was still fun to dress up as our characters and try to figure out who committed the crime. Two of the guests ended up guessing correctly, although I didn't figure it out.
After the party, we all played Quelf, a board game I got for my birthday back in March. It is the most random, ridiculous game, but it can be SO funny if you play with people who are willing to be a little ridiculous. During the course of the game, Justin had to get down on one knee and sing a love song (He picked "A Whole New World"), there was a vicious thumb war, and we had to come up with things that would be found inside a volcano.
Other than that, on Friday I got a LOT of studying done, on Saturday I went to JMU to go to my friends' graduation party (Congrats Tristan and Emily!), and today I'm going to get a lot more studying done. My finals start tomorrow!
The murder mystery wasn't as good as some of the other ones I've played, just because there wasn't as much suspicion on everyone, but it was still fun to dress up as our characters and try to figure out who committed the crime. Two of the guests ended up guessing correctly, although I didn't figure it out.
After the party, we all played Quelf, a board game I got for my birthday back in March. It is the most random, ridiculous game, but it can be SO funny if you play with people who are willing to be a little ridiculous. During the course of the game, Justin had to get down on one knee and sing a love song (He picked "A Whole New World"), there was a vicious thumb war, and we had to come up with things that would be found inside a volcano.
Other than that, on Friday I got a LOT of studying done, on Saturday I went to JMU to go to my friends' graduation party (Congrats Tristan and Emily!), and today I'm going to get a lot more studying done. My finals start tomorrow!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Productivity
I was pretty productive today. I woke up at 8am even though I hadn't set an alarm! That allowed me to get a lot done in the morning. I'm having a murder mystery dinner party at my house tomorrow night, so I had to get ready for it. I cleaned all the bathrooms, did all the dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and put up some decorations for the party. Then I went to class. After class, I discovered that the yearbook staff was giving away free popcorn, cotton candy, and pizza in front of DeMoss- so I got lunch for free!
In the afternoon, I went to look at bridesmaid dresses with De and Niki (for De's wedding). I picked out the dress I wanted, but I'm waiting to buy it until I've saved up some money. David's Bridal has amazing dresses! All five of the bridesmaids are getting different styles of dresses, but the same color. Niki and I both picked out the styles we liked, so it was a very productive trip!
When I got back to my house, Leslie had put up more decorations and done the rest of the cleaning (vacuuming and dusting). Thank God for an amazing sister! Leslie had also bought some craft supplies to make graduation cards for our friends at JMU. So I made a card for my friends Tristan and Emily. I grabbed a sandwich for dinner, then Leslie and I did the shopping for the party food. We're having shish kabobs, burgers, virgin coladas, fruit punch, and lots of fruit. I can't wait for the party tomorrow night! The theme is "Lethal Luau".
In the afternoon, I went to look at bridesmaid dresses with De and Niki (for De's wedding). I picked out the dress I wanted, but I'm waiting to buy it until I've saved up some money. David's Bridal has amazing dresses! All five of the bridesmaids are getting different styles of dresses, but the same color. Niki and I both picked out the styles we liked, so it was a very productive trip!
When I got back to my house, Leslie had put up more decorations and done the rest of the cleaning (vacuuming and dusting). Thank God for an amazing sister! Leslie had also bought some craft supplies to make graduation cards for our friends at JMU. So I made a card for my friends Tristan and Emily. I grabbed a sandwich for dinner, then Leslie and I did the shopping for the party food. We're having shish kabobs, burgers, virgin coladas, fruit punch, and lots of fruit. I can't wait for the party tomorrow night! The theme is "Lethal Luau".
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Music videos
Today while dinner was cooking, I decided to browse youtube for a while and watch some music videos. Here are my observations:
Lady GaGa
“Telephone” is one of the weirdest and worst videos I’ve ever seen. First of all, it’s over 9 minutes long (much longer than the actual song). Besides that, it doesn’t make any sense. In the first several minutes of the video, Lady Gaga is thrown into prison and stripped of all her clothes. Throughout the video, she’s in prison; in a car, and in a diner. Yet in the actual song, she’s talking about not having enough time to talk on the phone because she’s at a club with a drink in her hand. The lyrics and the visuals just don’t match up. Then there are stupid parts like Lady Gaga’s sunglasses being made out of cigarettes and dialogue like this: “once you kill a cow, you’ve got to make a burger”.
I watched a couple of Lady Gaga’s other videos just to compare them. “Bad Romance” is one of the most annoying songs in the world to me, but the video for it was slightly better. I still don’t understand the need for the ridiculous outfits and semi-nudity though. It’s gross. I also watched the video for “Just Dance” which was the best of the three, but that’s probably because it was released way before the other two. I think Lady Gaga is progressively getting worse.
Kelly Clarkson
On a positive note, I also discovered that Kelly Clarkson had some new videos out that I hadn’t seen yet. I watched “Already Gone”, “My life would suck without you”, and “I do not hook up”. I think the thing I like most about Kelly is that she seems so normal and down-to-earth. I like the fact that she has a normal body rather than being super skinny. She looks gorgeous in her videos, but she also looks like an average American girl. Her videos range from fun to amusing to poignant, but they’re always real, and I think that’s why I liked them so much.
Lady GaGa
“Telephone” is one of the weirdest and worst videos I’ve ever seen. First of all, it’s over 9 minutes long (much longer than the actual song). Besides that, it doesn’t make any sense. In the first several minutes of the video, Lady Gaga is thrown into prison and stripped of all her clothes. Throughout the video, she’s in prison; in a car, and in a diner. Yet in the actual song, she’s talking about not having enough time to talk on the phone because she’s at a club with a drink in her hand. The lyrics and the visuals just don’t match up. Then there are stupid parts like Lady Gaga’s sunglasses being made out of cigarettes and dialogue like this: “once you kill a cow, you’ve got to make a burger”.
I watched a couple of Lady Gaga’s other videos just to compare them. “Bad Romance” is one of the most annoying songs in the world to me, but the video for it was slightly better. I still don’t understand the need for the ridiculous outfits and semi-nudity though. It’s gross. I also watched the video for “Just Dance” which was the best of the three, but that’s probably because it was released way before the other two. I think Lady Gaga is progressively getting worse.
Kelly Clarkson
On a positive note, I also discovered that Kelly Clarkson had some new videos out that I hadn’t seen yet. I watched “Already Gone”, “My life would suck without you”, and “I do not hook up”. I think the thing I like most about Kelly is that she seems so normal and down-to-earth. I like the fact that she has a normal body rather than being super skinny. She looks gorgeous in her videos, but she also looks like an average American girl. Her videos range from fun to amusing to poignant, but they’re always real, and I think that’s why I liked them so much.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Tying up loose ends
Since yesterday was the beginning of a new month, I decided to tie up some loose ends and get some stuff done that I’d been putting off for awhile.
First on the agenda was laundry. I did about 3 loads of my own clothes, 2 of my brother’s (yes, I still do his laundry), and a load of towels. I did a lot of other cleaning and re-organizing in between the loads of laundry too.
The other item on my agenda was putting up pictures from my friend Niki’s birthday party. Her birthday was April 8th, and I still hadn’t put the pictures online yet. We had done an America’s Next Top Model theme for her party, so there were lots of pictures! I came up with the idea for an ANTM party one year and it was such a hit that we’ve used the theme two more times. For Niki’s party, we had 4 photo shoots- high school stereotypes, sugar and spice, vampires, and crime scene photos.
As I was putting the photos online, I started thinking about what other people would think when they saw these pictures. I mean, who has a birthday party where they dress up, pour blood over themselves, and take creepy pictures of it?!? (I’m referring to the crime scene photos). It’s kind of hilarious that we actually did that for a party- but it was a ton of fun, and the pictures turned out really cool, I think.
High school stereotypes: Preppy, nerd, goth, athlete
Crime scene: stabbed to death
First on the agenda was laundry. I did about 3 loads of my own clothes, 2 of my brother’s (yes, I still do his laundry), and a load of towels. I did a lot of other cleaning and re-organizing in between the loads of laundry too.
The other item on my agenda was putting up pictures from my friend Niki’s birthday party. Her birthday was April 8th, and I still hadn’t put the pictures online yet. We had done an America’s Next Top Model theme for her party, so there were lots of pictures! I came up with the idea for an ANTM party one year and it was such a hit that we’ve used the theme two more times. For Niki’s party, we had 4 photo shoots- high school stereotypes, sugar and spice, vampires, and crime scene photos.
As I was putting the photos online, I started thinking about what other people would think when they saw these pictures. I mean, who has a birthday party where they dress up, pour blood over themselves, and take creepy pictures of it?!? (I’m referring to the crime scene photos). It’s kind of hilarious that we actually did that for a party- but it was a ton of fun, and the pictures turned out really cool, I think.
High school stereotypes: Preppy, nerd, goth, athlete
Crime scene: stabbed to death
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