I hadn't realized how long it's been since I blogged until I went to look at something on my blog today. I think the biggest reason is just because nothing has really been happening. I had to take this semester off and for the last few months my life has mostly consisted of watching Netflix and reading lots of book...and then sleeping. Lots of sleeping. And in between all of that going to doctors and getting icky tests done.
Lots of changes are going to be happening over the next month. For one, I'm permanently moving back home. Well, sort of. I'm moving home, but moving into my own place, which I'm SO EXCITED ABOUT. In fact, I started picking out furniture today. Now this of course started out fun, but ended with my mom and I screaming at each other. I get the feeling that's going to be happening a lot over the next month. We just don't think the same way and therefore we both have very different ideas of how we need to get everything I need for my apartment.
I'm transferring schools and changing majors. That's a big change. But I'm actually really excited about that too. I love being an English major, but I realized that it's not going to help me with what I want to do, since that recently changed as well. So, since the career goal has changed, the major must change too.
Most importantly, I have to change my lifestyle a little bit, which is why I chose to move back home. My body doesn't handle stress well. I've always known that. But I guess over the last couple of years I've chosen to ignore that. I took on way too much and though I loved every minute of it, it wasn't healthy. So I'm taking a step back and trying to focus on the really important things and also trying to be more careful about taking care of myself. That's why i decided to move back home. Starting fresh gives me the opportunity to re-evaluate everything and focus only on the important stuff.
I've also started making YouTube videos. So far, they all kind of suck but that's okay. It's something I've always had an interest in and now seemed like a good opportunity to give it a go. Right now I'm only making videos once a week and once I go back to school who knows if I'll be able to stick to that. But I'm going to try. Which means I probably won't be blogging as much. However, if the YouTube thing becomes too time consuming, I will definitely be coming back to blogging. Besides, just because I'm no longer an English major, doesn't mean that I have to stop writing. Writing is my thing and sometimes it's just easier to write it all out rather than talk to a camera. In fact, I'm quite horrible at talking to a camera.
If you're interested in checking out my videos, my channel is: www.youtube.com/bshrib72
I'm looking forward to this new year with lots of new changes and goals. Hope you are too!
Happy 2012! :)
December 28, 2011
October 14, 2011
A Blog...That's Very Bloggy
So I'm listening to these two new cds that I bought today and the music is so calming. And I started to think...what I could I do while listening to this awesome music? And the answer was blog. So here I am...doing that.
I want to say ahead of time, that this post is not going to that great. It's probably going to have a lot of complaining and it's probably going to be mostly negative. But sometimes you just have to write about the crappy things in life, so that's what I'm going to do.
You've been warned.
Here we go.
I've had to take a Leave of Absence from school. I'm having health issues that I could no longer deal with along with my school work and other activities. So two weeks ago, I came home. I'm feeling a few different emotions. One is fear. I know that whatever is going on isn't life threatening, so I'm not like afraid for me life or anything...at least not in that way. But I am afraid of testing. I'm afraid that the doctors are not going to find anything. So far, that' been the case. I've been told over and over again that my blood work came back normal, that my chest x-ray came back normal, and that I just have a viral infection. Given the amount of time I've been sick, I'm pretty sure that isn't true. Yesterday I had a biopsy taken of a rash that I have on my feet. I'm almost positive that if they find something in that biopsy, I'm going to have figured out what the problem is. But what I'm really afraid of is that they aren't going to find anything. That's what's worse in a way. Just not knowing.
I also have to have a very icky procedure done in a couple of weeks. Now, I won't go into details, because really it's just gross. But I have to clean out my system in preparation for this procedure (you can probably figure out what that means) and then for the actual procedure I have to be put out. And that's just a whole other level of scary. I hate that feeling of going under. It's freaky and not natural and just gahh. Hate it.
Anyway, besides the fear, there's something else. I feel lonely. I feel bored. I've basically sat in the house by myself for the last two weeks because the few friends that I have at home are too busy to come visit. And I don't blame them. They have their own lives. I wish I had one too. And I understand how busy they are, because two weeks ago I was that busy (if not more) than they are. But still, it's lonely.
And mostly, I miss my life. I had to give up a lot of amazing opportunities because I had to come home. I'm missing what was supposed to be my first Comic-Con tomorrow. I also applied to be a delegate at a leadership conference in November, and I got 2nd Alternate. But I was going to get to go. I worked my ass off on my application and was SO EXCITED for this opportunity. And I lost it. Just gone. Poof. What a waste of work. I had to move out of the place I've called home for a year and am likely not going to get back into my amazing, wonderful building when I am able to return to school. I lost my awesome roommate, who I couldn't wait to share a room with this year.
I'm missing out on some of my friends' Senior Year. My amazing RA and friend is graduating in December. I will probably never see her again. And of course, I've had to take a break from the amazing organizations that make my life crazy and amazing. NRHH, Hall Government, RHSA, and my baby...Dumbledore's Army. And last but not least, I'm no longer surrounded by friends. It's already hard enough because I live so far away, so I miss out during Winter and Summer Break. But now I'm missing a semester. So much happens in one semester.
I had to give up the wonderful classes that I was excited to take this semester. Thankfully, I will be able to re-take most of them, though with different professors. In every single aspect of my life, I've lost a lot over the last few weeks. It's just really hard and I don't think I'm handling it all that well.
With that being said, I kind of came to my senses yesterday. I don't want to sit in my room until they figure out what's wrong with me. I've been reading a lot which I have been enjoying, but I can't spend the next three months just sitting in my room with a book (though I would probably make a huge dent in my list for once). But I need social interaction. I need to do something with my life. So my plans have changed. That's okay, and I've already kind of figured out a plan for myself once I go back to school as far as my academics go. So I won't graduate on time...that's not a big deal. A lot of people aren't able to graduate in 4 years anymore anyway. But I wanted to figure out a way to spend my time at home, both while I wait to find out what's going on, and hopefully once I'm all nice and better. I realize that some days I'm going to have to just lay in bed and do something. Not every day is going to be a good day. I'm prepared for that.
For starters, I've decided that I'm going to walk around my neighborhood every morning. Getting outside and doing some sort of exercise, without straining myself, is probably going to help me a ton so I don't go completely stir crazy. And on days where I'm doing really good (like the last two days) I'm going to do something fun. Like tomorrow, I'm going to hang out with my sister on her college campus and help her re-do her dorm room a bit. And Monday I'm going to take a drive out to visit my dad's grave. A nice long drive will probably do me good anyway...and it's a good 45 minute drive from my house.
So that's my plan. I know how easily I could fall into a depression by sitting here in my house doing nothing all the time. And despite all the shit that is happening in my life right now, I'm still overall a happy person. In general, I'm content with my life and I'm excited for my future. So I just have to remind myself of that and do something to get my spirit up when I'm feeling down, and hopefully everything will be okay.
I want to say ahead of time, that this post is not going to that great. It's probably going to have a lot of complaining and it's probably going to be mostly negative. But sometimes you just have to write about the crappy things in life, so that's what I'm going to do.
You've been warned.
Here we go.
I've had to take a Leave of Absence from school. I'm having health issues that I could no longer deal with along with my school work and other activities. So two weeks ago, I came home. I'm feeling a few different emotions. One is fear. I know that whatever is going on isn't life threatening, so I'm not like afraid for me life or anything...at least not in that way. But I am afraid of testing. I'm afraid that the doctors are not going to find anything. So far, that' been the case. I've been told over and over again that my blood work came back normal, that my chest x-ray came back normal, and that I just have a viral infection. Given the amount of time I've been sick, I'm pretty sure that isn't true. Yesterday I had a biopsy taken of a rash that I have on my feet. I'm almost positive that if they find something in that biopsy, I'm going to have figured out what the problem is. But what I'm really afraid of is that they aren't going to find anything. That's what's worse in a way. Just not knowing.
I also have to have a very icky procedure done in a couple of weeks. Now, I won't go into details, because really it's just gross. But I have to clean out my system in preparation for this procedure (you can probably figure out what that means) and then for the actual procedure I have to be put out. And that's just a whole other level of scary. I hate that feeling of going under. It's freaky and not natural and just gahh. Hate it.
Anyway, besides the fear, there's something else. I feel lonely. I feel bored. I've basically sat in the house by myself for the last two weeks because the few friends that I have at home are too busy to come visit. And I don't blame them. They have their own lives. I wish I had one too. And I understand how busy they are, because two weeks ago I was that busy (if not more) than they are. But still, it's lonely.
And mostly, I miss my life. I had to give up a lot of amazing opportunities because I had to come home. I'm missing what was supposed to be my first Comic-Con tomorrow. I also applied to be a delegate at a leadership conference in November, and I got 2nd Alternate. But I was going to get to go. I worked my ass off on my application and was SO EXCITED for this opportunity. And I lost it. Just gone. Poof. What a waste of work. I had to move out of the place I've called home for a year and am likely not going to get back into my amazing, wonderful building when I am able to return to school. I lost my awesome roommate, who I couldn't wait to share a room with this year.
I'm missing out on some of my friends' Senior Year. My amazing RA and friend is graduating in December. I will probably never see her again. And of course, I've had to take a break from the amazing organizations that make my life crazy and amazing. NRHH, Hall Government, RHSA, and my baby...Dumbledore's Army. And last but not least, I'm no longer surrounded by friends. It's already hard enough because I live so far away, so I miss out during Winter and Summer Break. But now I'm missing a semester. So much happens in one semester.
I had to give up the wonderful classes that I was excited to take this semester. Thankfully, I will be able to re-take most of them, though with different professors. In every single aspect of my life, I've lost a lot over the last few weeks. It's just really hard and I don't think I'm handling it all that well.
With that being said, I kind of came to my senses yesterday. I don't want to sit in my room until they figure out what's wrong with me. I've been reading a lot which I have been enjoying, but I can't spend the next three months just sitting in my room with a book (though I would probably make a huge dent in my list for once). But I need social interaction. I need to do something with my life. So my plans have changed. That's okay, and I've already kind of figured out a plan for myself once I go back to school as far as my academics go. So I won't graduate on time...that's not a big deal. A lot of people aren't able to graduate in 4 years anymore anyway. But I wanted to figure out a way to spend my time at home, both while I wait to find out what's going on, and hopefully once I'm all nice and better. I realize that some days I'm going to have to just lay in bed and do something. Not every day is going to be a good day. I'm prepared for that.
For starters, I've decided that I'm going to walk around my neighborhood every morning. Getting outside and doing some sort of exercise, without straining myself, is probably going to help me a ton so I don't go completely stir crazy. And on days where I'm doing really good (like the last two days) I'm going to do something fun. Like tomorrow, I'm going to hang out with my sister on her college campus and help her re-do her dorm room a bit. And Monday I'm going to take a drive out to visit my dad's grave. A nice long drive will probably do me good anyway...and it's a good 45 minute drive from my house.
So that's my plan. I know how easily I could fall into a depression by sitting here in my house doing nothing all the time. And despite all the shit that is happening in my life right now, I'm still overall a happy person. In general, I'm content with my life and I'm excited for my future. So I just have to remind myself of that and do something to get my spirit up when I'm feeling down, and hopefully everything will be okay.
September 9, 2011
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (DAC Review)
Starcrossed is about a girl named Helen Hamilton, who seems to be a little bit strange compared to everyone else. She is freakishly tall, fast, and strong. And when the Delos family moves to town, she has an overbearing desire to murder one of the teenagers; she is determined to kill Lucas Delos.
We learn very quickly that Helen and the Delos family are not normal people...in fact, they aren't actually human. They're demi-gods, stuck in the aftermath of one of the biggest wars on Earth, an ancient Greek war between the Gods.
I have to admit that it took me quite a while to get into this book. I had a couple of problems with it. The beginning reminded me a lot of a book that I read earlier in the year; Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (which I LOVED). And in some respects, this book was a lot like that one. A female character in high school who is clearly different from everyone else and there is that one guy who catches her eye, who also happens to be different...but he's just like her.
I think one of the reasons I felt this way for about the first 100 pages is because Angelini doesn't really give us a lot of information about what Helen really is. The reader has no idea until Helen finds out...which takes a while. At first, this really made me frustrated because I felt a little lost, but as I got more and more into the book I liked the fact that the I got to make my own theories about things before I was given the whole story.
I ended up reading this book at a really interesting time. I found the subject of Greek Gods popping up all over my life. I'm taking an Ancient Greek Philosophy course this semester and of course the first readings we had for the class were all about the Greek Gods. I ended up doing those readings and finishing Starcrossed the weekend Hurricane Irene hit and I felt like my entire life was completely focused on that subject. It's funny how things work out like that sometimes.
My favorite part was definitely learning some of the myths about the Gods. I'm kind of a mythology freak as it is and while this book clearly did not give the whole story, I felt like it explained the war between the Gods really nicely. It was easy to understand and I could actually see this book being read for fun as part of a Greek Mythology class. The cliffhanger at the end was definitely infuriating and exciting all at the same time. While I love books that tease me and leave me hanging, it sucks to know that I have to wait A WHOLE YEAR before I get to find out what happens next.
:)
We learn very quickly that Helen and the Delos family are not normal people...in fact, they aren't actually human. They're demi-gods, stuck in the aftermath of one of the biggest wars on Earth, an ancient Greek war between the Gods.
I have to admit that it took me quite a while to get into this book. I had a couple of problems with it. The beginning reminded me a lot of a book that I read earlier in the year; Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (which I LOVED). And in some respects, this book was a lot like that one. A female character in high school who is clearly different from everyone else and there is that one guy who catches her eye, who also happens to be different...but he's just like her.
I think one of the reasons I felt this way for about the first 100 pages is because Angelini doesn't really give us a lot of information about what Helen really is. The reader has no idea until Helen finds out...which takes a while. At first, this really made me frustrated because I felt a little lost, but as I got more and more into the book I liked the fact that the I got to make my own theories about things before I was given the whole story.
I ended up reading this book at a really interesting time. I found the subject of Greek Gods popping up all over my life. I'm taking an Ancient Greek Philosophy course this semester and of course the first readings we had for the class were all about the Greek Gods. I ended up doing those readings and finishing Starcrossed the weekend Hurricane Irene hit and I felt like my entire life was completely focused on that subject. It's funny how things work out like that sometimes.
My favorite part was definitely learning some of the myths about the Gods. I'm kind of a mythology freak as it is and while this book clearly did not give the whole story, I felt like it explained the war between the Gods really nicely. It was easy to understand and I could actually see this book being read for fun as part of a Greek Mythology class. The cliffhanger at the end was definitely infuriating and exciting all at the same time. While I love books that tease me and leave me hanging, it sucks to know that I have to wait A WHOLE YEAR before I get to find out what happens next.
:)
August 24, 2011
My Dear Mr. Potter Letter
Ok, so I recently finished reading Dear Mr. Potter and it was absolutely amazing. It got me thinking about my own story and how Harry has affected my life. I wrote this letter about a month ago and haven't touched it since. It probably doesn't totally make sense, nor is it edited at all, but I felt like I should share it. So here it is. I hope you enjoy my story :)
Dear Mr. Potter,
I am a part of the Potter Generation. I found Harry in 3rd grade. The year was 1999 and Prisoner of Azkaban had just been published, although I didn’t know that. I picked up a copy of Sorcerer’s Stone during class, when I had finished all my work and had nothing to do. I don’t think I even finished the first chapter before I got bored and put it down. Now, that was a very unusual moment for me, given that at that age I was already an avid reader and would read almost anything. But, it just didn’t grab my attention.
If I had actually looked at the back of the book and knew what it was about, I probably would have had a very different opinion. But I didn’t. I was just looking for something to pass the time.
Fast forward to June of 2000, right before Goblet of Fire. My grandma got me the second book for my birthday, and to be nice, I figured I would give the series another go. I fell in love. I finished the first book in a week, which was pretty good for my 9 year-old self. I devoured books two and three just in time for the release of Goblet of Fire. I begged my mom to buy a copy for me at the bookstore, but she said it was too much money and I would have to wait for the paperback copy to come out. HOW UNFAIR, I thought to myself.
It was a Saturday morning and I was about to play a game with my sister when my dad came home with a copy of Goblet of Fire in HARDCOVER for me. I was thrilled. I quickly ditched my sister and sat on the couch all day reading. Even now, she still teases me about how I chose a book over hanging out with her. But I truly believe that was the moment I got hooked. Although I loved the first three books, I didn’t understand that feeling of craving to find out what happens next until the fourth book, when I wanted it so bad, but couldn’t have it.
I didn’t go to the midnight release for Order of the Phoenix, mostly because I was still a bit too young and my parents weren’t willing to stay up that late with me to get a book. But I did buy it the very next day and I remember I spent most of our family vacation that summer in our condo reading. I told my parents it could be their birthday gift to me; letting me sit inside and read in peace.
Half-Blood Prince came out the summer before I started high school. By then I was old enough to attend the midnight release and I was so excited. Unfortunately, I got pneumonia the week before. I really shouldn’t have been out that night, let alone awake at midnight to get a book, but I somehow convinced my mom to let me go anyway. We had an agreement though. I could go to the midnight release and stay up and read the first chapter, but then I had to go to bed. I did just that, and when I woke up Saturday morning, I sat in bed resting (and reading) all day long.
In November 2005, I met my best friend. We had been in health class together all semester, but one day, a couple of weeks before Goblet of Fire came out in theaters, I noticed she was wearing a Harry Potter pin. The fact that we had been in a class together for 3 months and didn’t know seemed crazy. We became instant friends, and we still are. In fact, we just attended LeakyCon 2011 together. Six years later, Harry is still bringing us together even though we are 3000 miles apart.
The rest moves pretty rapidly. I discovered The Leaky Cauldron not long after Karina and I became friends and I was instantly sucked into the online fandom. I attended my first con in 2006; it was Lumos in Las Vegas, NV. Somewhere in between that and Deathly Hallows, I attended my first wizard rock shows. Then Karina and I went together to get Deathly Hallows at midnight and we sat up all night reading and eating brownies in my living room. And then it was over.
Except that it wasn’t. In January of 2010, I came across The Harry Potter Alliance, though not for the first time. They were doing a campaign called Helping Haiti Heal, and it touched my heart. My dad had just been diagnosed with stage four melanoma and I was looking for a way to do something good because I wanted to help people. I became very involved in the campaign and that March I started an HPA chapter on my campus.
The point of this really long letter is that Harry Potter has changed my life, as it has for so many people. It’s a series that has been with me through the good and the bad. And it led to something amazing, something that I never would have seen myself doing, although I know now that I have the heart for it; advocacy work. I believe in standing up for what is right and I believe that it is our duty to help those in need, whether it’s people in our local communities or people across the world.
That is something I don’t think I would have figured out if it weren’t for Harry.
So thank you JKR, for writing books that have changed my life, allowed me to meet amazing friends, and allowed me to go crazy at THREE Harry Potter cons. Without those experiences, I would not be who I am today. I cannot wait to share these same experiences with my children someday. I hope you will do for them what you have done for me.
With Love Always,
Beverly
Dear Mr. Potter,
I am a part of the Potter Generation. I found Harry in 3rd grade. The year was 1999 and Prisoner of Azkaban had just been published, although I didn’t know that. I picked up a copy of Sorcerer’s Stone during class, when I had finished all my work and had nothing to do. I don’t think I even finished the first chapter before I got bored and put it down. Now, that was a very unusual moment for me, given that at that age I was already an avid reader and would read almost anything. But, it just didn’t grab my attention.
If I had actually looked at the back of the book and knew what it was about, I probably would have had a very different opinion. But I didn’t. I was just looking for something to pass the time.
Fast forward to June of 2000, right before Goblet of Fire. My grandma got me the second book for my birthday, and to be nice, I figured I would give the series another go. I fell in love. I finished the first book in a week, which was pretty good for my 9 year-old self. I devoured books two and three just in time for the release of Goblet of Fire. I begged my mom to buy a copy for me at the bookstore, but she said it was too much money and I would have to wait for the paperback copy to come out. HOW UNFAIR, I thought to myself.
It was a Saturday morning and I was about to play a game with my sister when my dad came home with a copy of Goblet of Fire in HARDCOVER for me. I was thrilled. I quickly ditched my sister and sat on the couch all day reading. Even now, she still teases me about how I chose a book over hanging out with her. But I truly believe that was the moment I got hooked. Although I loved the first three books, I didn’t understand that feeling of craving to find out what happens next until the fourth book, when I wanted it so bad, but couldn’t have it.
I didn’t go to the midnight release for Order of the Phoenix, mostly because I was still a bit too young and my parents weren’t willing to stay up that late with me to get a book. But I did buy it the very next day and I remember I spent most of our family vacation that summer in our condo reading. I told my parents it could be their birthday gift to me; letting me sit inside and read in peace.
Half-Blood Prince came out the summer before I started high school. By then I was old enough to attend the midnight release and I was so excited. Unfortunately, I got pneumonia the week before. I really shouldn’t have been out that night, let alone awake at midnight to get a book, but I somehow convinced my mom to let me go anyway. We had an agreement though. I could go to the midnight release and stay up and read the first chapter, but then I had to go to bed. I did just that, and when I woke up Saturday morning, I sat in bed resting (and reading) all day long.
In November 2005, I met my best friend. We had been in health class together all semester, but one day, a couple of weeks before Goblet of Fire came out in theaters, I noticed she was wearing a Harry Potter pin. The fact that we had been in a class together for 3 months and didn’t know seemed crazy. We became instant friends, and we still are. In fact, we just attended LeakyCon 2011 together. Six years later, Harry is still bringing us together even though we are 3000 miles apart.
The rest moves pretty rapidly. I discovered The Leaky Cauldron not long after Karina and I became friends and I was instantly sucked into the online fandom. I attended my first con in 2006; it was Lumos in Las Vegas, NV. Somewhere in between that and Deathly Hallows, I attended my first wizard rock shows. Then Karina and I went together to get Deathly Hallows at midnight and we sat up all night reading and eating brownies in my living room. And then it was over.
Except that it wasn’t. In January of 2010, I came across The Harry Potter Alliance, though not for the first time. They were doing a campaign called Helping Haiti Heal, and it touched my heart. My dad had just been diagnosed with stage four melanoma and I was looking for a way to do something good because I wanted to help people. I became very involved in the campaign and that March I started an HPA chapter on my campus.
The point of this really long letter is that Harry Potter has changed my life, as it has for so many people. It’s a series that has been with me through the good and the bad. And it led to something amazing, something that I never would have seen myself doing, although I know now that I have the heart for it; advocacy work. I believe in standing up for what is right and I believe that it is our duty to help those in need, whether it’s people in our local communities or people across the world.
That is something I don’t think I would have figured out if it weren’t for Harry.
So thank you JKR, for writing books that have changed my life, allowed me to meet amazing friends, and allowed me to go crazy at THREE Harry Potter cons. Without those experiences, I would not be who I am today. I cannot wait to share these same experiences with my children someday. I hope you will do for them what you have done for me.
With Love Always,
Beverly
July 24, 2011
LeakyCon. Woah. Days 1 and 2 :)
I don’t even know how to begin to describe LeakyCon to you. It was the most amazing, different, and exciting experience I’ve ever had. Now I know that I’m not exactly a con newbie, but this con was totally different. It was intense. Now maybe it's because there were 3400 crazy Harry Potter fans there and maybe it's because of all the hype for the movie coming out, but without a doubt it was a magical weekend.
Tuesday morning we started off bright and early on a lovely flight to Orlando. Karina and I got lucky enough to sit next to a girl named Ashley, who also happened to be attending LeakyCon. We also noticed about 4 other people on the plane who were on their way to Hogwarts too. After settling in to the hotel and grabbing some dinner with my lovely roommates, we got a text hinting that registration was going to open that night, so we ventured down to the conference area to find a huge group of people sitting in a giant circle playing games. We stayed down there for about four hours and they did open registration, but that is where the problems began. Things were missing and only certain letters were done and of course mine wasn't one of them. So we went back upstairs to catch a few hours of sleep before waking up at 6am to get back in line for registration.
Now, I'm not going to lie. Wednesday morning sucked. We got downstairs around 6:30am and even though we were pretty much first in line, we were about to go through complete and total chaos. We went from the regular registration line to the Lit Day registration line. Then I got a Lit Day pass, but my regular registration was missing. So I went back to the regular registration line. Found Karen from the HPA. Asked her what to do. She couldn't find my registration and said she would call me when it turned up. In the meantime, it was getting close to 9am and the beginning of Lit Day. Meanwhile, Karina had found out she had been deregistered and was standing in the conflict resolution line, which was slowly but surely getting very very long. I went and stood with her and we met this really awesome couple who we basically ended up seeing everywhere we went (more on that later) and finally around 8:30am we got our registration all nice and fixed. We rushed upstairs to shower and get ready only to find out that Lit Day was being pushed back an hour. By the time we got downstairs, the conflict resolution line was taking over the entire conference area. It was intense. We also met our good friend Adam from Australia that morning. He put us in his video on YouTube:
We're the ones with the awesome socks fyi :)
I know up to this point there has been a lot of detail and if it's boring you, I'm sorry. But now I promise I'm going to get to the fun stuff. Which does not include as much detail.
Let me sum up Lit Day for you. I met a bunch of awesome editors and I learned a lot about publishing. Now for me that was a little odd, because I wasn't expecting to come away with as much as I did. I went in to Lit Day thinking that I would listen to editors talk about their jobs and fantasize about how one day, hopefully one day soon (well after college of course) that that would be me. But I genuinely learned a lot from the panels. I took a ton of notes (which my internship adviser will love I'm sure) and I got to speak to the editor who really stated it all for me, Cheryl Klein. I think I probably scared her a little bit when I went up to her and told her that a conversation with her right before Lumos in 2006 was the moment I realized I wanted to be an editor, but I hope she understood how much that one little conversation meant to me. Hopefully she saw it as flattering instead of creepy. The one thing I will take away the most from those panels was a relationship between an agent and an editor. I never really considered the agent-editor relationship. In my head, it was always about publishing the book. But I realized that it isn't just about the editing and designing and selling. An agent plays a huge role. It was really insightful to listen to agents as well as the editors speaking.
The coolest part of Lit Day was definitely meeting Libba Bray. While she was in the middle of signing my book, I mentioned my friend Nicole from www.wordforteens.com, to which she gleefully replied, "OMG you know Nicole?!?! I love her! How do you know her?" which then proceeded to start a lovely conversation about how we were part of the HPA together and how she went to my school and was one of my closest friends. It was pretty exciting.
Oh yes, I also saw John Green and Maureen Johnson. I love them both.
Wednesday night began the opening festivities, which you've now caught a glimpse of if you watched the video above. There was a video yearbook as well as live performances by Hank Green, Team Starkid, and of course, Harry and the Potters. The Great Hall looked fantastic. It actually felt like Hogwarts.
After the opening festivities, we all headed over to the park for the Open at the Close event. Karina and I didn't end up going on any rides, but we did walk around Hogsmeade and we made the walk through Hogwarts. The coolest part of the night was when we were in line to get on the boat back to the hotel. Chris Rankin and his girlfriend were let on the boat before us and when we got on we ended up sitting next to John Green and Maureen Johnson. Maureen looked exhausted and was just kind of sitting there staring off into space, but I took the opportunity to say hello to John and ask him for a picture. It was the perfect ending for our first night at Hogwarts!
**More to come soon. It's just way too much to talk about in one post.**
Until next time! :)
Tuesday morning we started off bright and early on a lovely flight to Orlando. Karina and I got lucky enough to sit next to a girl named Ashley, who also happened to be attending LeakyCon. We also noticed about 4 other people on the plane who were on their way to Hogwarts too. After settling in to the hotel and grabbing some dinner with my lovely roommates, we got a text hinting that registration was going to open that night, so we ventured down to the conference area to find a huge group of people sitting in a giant circle playing games. We stayed down there for about four hours and they did open registration, but that is where the problems began. Things were missing and only certain letters were done and of course mine wasn't one of them. So we went back upstairs to catch a few hours of sleep before waking up at 6am to get back in line for registration.
Now, I'm not going to lie. Wednesday morning sucked. We got downstairs around 6:30am and even though we were pretty much first in line, we were about to go through complete and total chaos. We went from the regular registration line to the Lit Day registration line. Then I got a Lit Day pass, but my regular registration was missing. So I went back to the regular registration line. Found Karen from the HPA. Asked her what to do. She couldn't find my registration and said she would call me when it turned up. In the meantime, it was getting close to 9am and the beginning of Lit Day. Meanwhile, Karina had found out she had been deregistered and was standing in the conflict resolution line, which was slowly but surely getting very very long. I went and stood with her and we met this really awesome couple who we basically ended up seeing everywhere we went (more on that later) and finally around 8:30am we got our registration all nice and fixed. We rushed upstairs to shower and get ready only to find out that Lit Day was being pushed back an hour. By the time we got downstairs, the conflict resolution line was taking over the entire conference area. It was intense. We also met our good friend Adam from Australia that morning. He put us in his video on YouTube:
We're the ones with the awesome socks fyi :)
I know up to this point there has been a lot of detail and if it's boring you, I'm sorry. But now I promise I'm going to get to the fun stuff. Which does not include as much detail.
Let me sum up Lit Day for you. I met a bunch of awesome editors and I learned a lot about publishing. Now for me that was a little odd, because I wasn't expecting to come away with as much as I did. I went in to Lit Day thinking that I would listen to editors talk about their jobs and fantasize about how one day, hopefully one day soon (well after college of course) that that would be me. But I genuinely learned a lot from the panels. I took a ton of notes (which my internship adviser will love I'm sure) and I got to speak to the editor who really stated it all for me, Cheryl Klein. I think I probably scared her a little bit when I went up to her and told her that a conversation with her right before Lumos in 2006 was the moment I realized I wanted to be an editor, but I hope she understood how much that one little conversation meant to me. Hopefully she saw it as flattering instead of creepy. The one thing I will take away the most from those panels was a relationship between an agent and an editor. I never really considered the agent-editor relationship. In my head, it was always about publishing the book. But I realized that it isn't just about the editing and designing and selling. An agent plays a huge role. It was really insightful to listen to agents as well as the editors speaking.
The coolest part of Lit Day was definitely meeting Libba Bray. While she was in the middle of signing my book, I mentioned my friend Nicole from www.wordforteens.com, to which she gleefully replied, "OMG you know Nicole?!?! I love her! How do you know her?" which then proceeded to start a lovely conversation about how we were part of the HPA together and how she went to my school and was one of my closest friends. It was pretty exciting.
Oh yes, I also saw John Green and Maureen Johnson. I love them both.
Wednesday night began the opening festivities, which you've now caught a glimpse of if you watched the video above. There was a video yearbook as well as live performances by Hank Green, Team Starkid, and of course, Harry and the Potters. The Great Hall looked fantastic. It actually felt like Hogwarts.
After the opening festivities, we all headed over to the park for the Open at the Close event. Karina and I didn't end up going on any rides, but we did walk around Hogsmeade and we made the walk through Hogwarts. The coolest part of the night was when we were in line to get on the boat back to the hotel. Chris Rankin and his girlfriend were let on the boat before us and when we got on we ended up sitting next to John Green and Maureen Johnson. Maureen looked exhausted and was just kind of sitting there staring off into space, but I took the opportunity to say hello to John and ask him for a picture. It was the perfect ending for our first night at Hogwarts!
**More to come soon. It's just way too much to talk about in one post.**
Until next time! :)
June 27, 2011
My Family Vacation
Originally I was going to cheerily blog about each portion of my vacation and all the cool things that we've gotten to do. But instead I've figured out something very important that I want to talk about. It may seem like I'm complaining, but I'm not. It's more like I've come to this realization and am now calmly waiting out the ride, so to speak.
First off, family vacations are a big thing in my family. When I was about five years old, we inherited a timeshare from my great aunt and our family began using it every summer for our vacation. The first two summers we visited Lake Tahoe. Our timeshare includes a super nice condo, usually in places that have a ton of fun activities for families to do throughout their week stay. When we were younger, there were always a bunch of kids running around the place and we usually ended up making some good friends for the week.
Over the years, using our condo for a week every summer became a tradition for us. We got it down to a system. We would arrive and unpack everything into all the drawers. It used to feel like we were trying out a new home for a week and we had a lot of fun with it. Next, we would be off to the local supermarket to stock up on food for the week, including always buying something that we could BBQ because of course the condos come fully equipped with a kitchen, grill, and lovely patio. Then it would be dinnertime and after dinner was planning time.
This was my favorite part. My dad and I shared the fact that we were both planners. We would sit down at the table with a bunch of brochures about the area and activities and my dad would plan out the week...with my help of course. It was our thing. Each day we did something unique and exciting and we truly had a ton of fun.
This year, family vacation was different, to say the least. First off, and most importantly, it's the first vacation we've taken since my dad died. We had originally planned to go on a small trip together last summer, but I got really sick and we ended up cancelling the trip. So needless to say, it was hard. A huge part of my memories of these trips is being with my dad and having a wonderful time. And this year, he wasn't here. So tradition was already broken.
Secondly, and this is partly my own fault, is that my sister's boyfriend came along on this trip. Back in like, March, my mom asked me if I'd be okay with him coming on our family vacation. At the time, I didn't think anything of it. Alex is already a big part of our family and I thought it would be fun, so I said yes. But it really hasn't been fun at all. The truth is, since my life is at school in New Paltz, my mom, my sister, and her bf have formed a different kind of relationship. Yes, I'm still a part of the family, but the three of them are always together and they have their own, new way of living, which doesn't include me. Now of course that is fine. That's the way it's supposed to be. But I've been home for over a month now and they haven't been able to adjust to include me in the family. And frankly, I feel left out and completely alone.
See the three of them are very much alike and they get along really well. And it's great. I'm actually thrilled that it's like that. But I don't fit in and lately I feel like they gang up on me all the time. So the majority of this vacation I have spent either actually by myself, or feeling completely alone because they don't include me in their conversations. Like Harry at the Dursleys, I sort of just take up space.
Now comes the realization. I don't actually care that they aren't including me, although at times it's been hard (like the ganging up on me thing) because the truth is I don't want to be here.
I want to be in New Paltz.
It's amazing how prior to Spring Break, I wasn't sure I would ever be okay on my own, and after, I realized that I had a great life there and was completely ready to be on my own. My life is in New Paltz. My friends are there, my school is there, and the organizations that make college so great are all there. My entire life is there. And I'm stuck here. It's hard to be your life on pause, especially when it's just getting started, which is how I feel. My life really started to come together this last April and I began accomplishing things that I was really proud of and excited about. I finally feel like I have a solid group of friends and I'm a part of something that I've worked really hard to become a part of. And right as all that started coming together, school ended and I had to come home. And now, my life is on hold until August 19th.
It's extremely difficult. And I've come to realize it even more so on this vacation, with a bunch of people who are family by blood, but not really a part of my life anymore...at least not the way they used to be. Family is still important, but they are no longer the priority in my life. In a sense, my mom has done her job. She's raised me and guided me through some rough things, but now her job is over and it's time for me to take control of my own life and start pursuing what I want. And most importantly, it's time for me to stop coming home. That part of my life is over and I'm looking onward to the next part, where I really get to become an adult.
So with this realization, I sit in this condo, holding out for two more days until this vacation is over. I'm counting down the days until LeakyCon, which includes something that has completely changed my college career (The HPA) and counting the days until I can return home, to my life in New Paltz, which is where I truly belong.
First off, family vacations are a big thing in my family. When I was about five years old, we inherited a timeshare from my great aunt and our family began using it every summer for our vacation. The first two summers we visited Lake Tahoe. Our timeshare includes a super nice condo, usually in places that have a ton of fun activities for families to do throughout their week stay. When we were younger, there were always a bunch of kids running around the place and we usually ended up making some good friends for the week.
Over the years, using our condo for a week every summer became a tradition for us. We got it down to a system. We would arrive and unpack everything into all the drawers. It used to feel like we were trying out a new home for a week and we had a lot of fun with it. Next, we would be off to the local supermarket to stock up on food for the week, including always buying something that we could BBQ because of course the condos come fully equipped with a kitchen, grill, and lovely patio. Then it would be dinnertime and after dinner was planning time.
This was my favorite part. My dad and I shared the fact that we were both planners. We would sit down at the table with a bunch of brochures about the area and activities and my dad would plan out the week...with my help of course. It was our thing. Each day we did something unique and exciting and we truly had a ton of fun.
This year, family vacation was different, to say the least. First off, and most importantly, it's the first vacation we've taken since my dad died. We had originally planned to go on a small trip together last summer, but I got really sick and we ended up cancelling the trip. So needless to say, it was hard. A huge part of my memories of these trips is being with my dad and having a wonderful time. And this year, he wasn't here. So tradition was already broken.
Secondly, and this is partly my own fault, is that my sister's boyfriend came along on this trip. Back in like, March, my mom asked me if I'd be okay with him coming on our family vacation. At the time, I didn't think anything of it. Alex is already a big part of our family and I thought it would be fun, so I said yes. But it really hasn't been fun at all. The truth is, since my life is at school in New Paltz, my mom, my sister, and her bf have formed a different kind of relationship. Yes, I'm still a part of the family, but the three of them are always together and they have their own, new way of living, which doesn't include me. Now of course that is fine. That's the way it's supposed to be. But I've been home for over a month now and they haven't been able to adjust to include me in the family. And frankly, I feel left out and completely alone.
See the three of them are very much alike and they get along really well. And it's great. I'm actually thrilled that it's like that. But I don't fit in and lately I feel like they gang up on me all the time. So the majority of this vacation I have spent either actually by myself, or feeling completely alone because they don't include me in their conversations. Like Harry at the Dursleys, I sort of just take up space.
Now comes the realization. I don't actually care that they aren't including me, although at times it's been hard (like the ganging up on me thing) because the truth is I don't want to be here.
I want to be in New Paltz.
It's amazing how prior to Spring Break, I wasn't sure I would ever be okay on my own, and after, I realized that I had a great life there and was completely ready to be on my own. My life is in New Paltz. My friends are there, my school is there, and the organizations that make college so great are all there. My entire life is there. And I'm stuck here. It's hard to be your life on pause, especially when it's just getting started, which is how I feel. My life really started to come together this last April and I began accomplishing things that I was really proud of and excited about. I finally feel like I have a solid group of friends and I'm a part of something that I've worked really hard to become a part of. And right as all that started coming together, school ended and I had to come home. And now, my life is on hold until August 19th.
It's extremely difficult. And I've come to realize it even more so on this vacation, with a bunch of people who are family by blood, but not really a part of my life anymore...at least not the way they used to be. Family is still important, but they are no longer the priority in my life. In a sense, my mom has done her job. She's raised me and guided me through some rough things, but now her job is over and it's time for me to take control of my own life and start pursuing what I want. And most importantly, it's time for me to stop coming home. That part of my life is over and I'm looking onward to the next part, where I really get to become an adult.
So with this realization, I sit in this condo, holding out for two more days until this vacation is over. I'm counting down the days until LeakyCon, which includes something that has completely changed my college career (The HPA) and counting the days until I can return home, to my life in New Paltz, which is where I truly belong.
June 21, 2011
RIP Paul Seay
Yesterday, a good friend of mine passed away. I met Paul when I was a junior in high school. It was the night of the MORP dance and both Ashli and Karina had dates, and I, well, didn't. About halfway through the dance, I was feeling so alone and left out that I left. I called Mace, who happened to be at Lalina's, and decided to meet him over there until the dance was over because I had to still had to go back for clean-up.
I wasn't at Lalina's very long, but for the 20 or so minutes I was there, it was quite obvious that Paul was a crazy, interesting guy. Plus, I thought he was really cute. I probably had a crush on him for over a year, though of course nothing ever happened. But then again, I never really tried.
I really got to know Paul when I got really involved with BBYO my senior year of high school. I also started dating one of his friends and for about 3 months I swear that group was together every night. Paul was always doing or saying something ridiculous. The thing I remember the most was when he bought his hookah. I can't remember what he named her, but she was his most prized possession. He treated her like she was his baby.
I also remember one night where there were about 7 too many people trying to cram into his little mustang (which, by the way, is the best car I have ever seen/been in in my entire life). I'm pretty sure everyone was drunk except for me, so for some reason they all decided I should drive the car with NINE PEOPLE in it. I actually was really excited to drive that car because Paul never let anyone drive it, but then it started to rain and I panicked and I think Igal ending up driving the car.
It makes me sad to think that I haven't really hung out with him since last summer. As I start to build more of a life in New Paltz, my life from Vegas is fading away and I've lost touch with a ton of people who made high school an amazing experience. Hearing the news last night that this person I used to be close to was gone was really difficult, especially because my family has seen a lot of death in the last year.
I don't know if I believe in heaven or not, but I hope that wherever he is, it's a better place. Knowing Paul, he's probably having a great time, because no matter what, that's what he always did when he was here. He had a way of looking at life that most people don't and was just happy to be alive and enjoying whatever came along. That is something I will continue to admire about him for a very long time to come.
RIP Paul <3
I wasn't at Lalina's very long, but for the 20 or so minutes I was there, it was quite obvious that Paul was a crazy, interesting guy. Plus, I thought he was really cute. I probably had a crush on him for over a year, though of course nothing ever happened. But then again, I never really tried.
I really got to know Paul when I got really involved with BBYO my senior year of high school. I also started dating one of his friends and for about 3 months I swear that group was together every night. Paul was always doing or saying something ridiculous. The thing I remember the most was when he bought his hookah. I can't remember what he named her, but she was his most prized possession. He treated her like she was his baby.
I also remember one night where there were about 7 too many people trying to cram into his little mustang (which, by the way, is the best car I have ever seen/been in in my entire life). I'm pretty sure everyone was drunk except for me, so for some reason they all decided I should drive the car with NINE PEOPLE in it. I actually was really excited to drive that car because Paul never let anyone drive it, but then it started to rain and I panicked and I think Igal ending up driving the car.
It makes me sad to think that I haven't really hung out with him since last summer. As I start to build more of a life in New Paltz, my life from Vegas is fading away and I've lost touch with a ton of people who made high school an amazing experience. Hearing the news last night that this person I used to be close to was gone was really difficult, especially because my family has seen a lot of death in the last year.
I don't know if I believe in heaven or not, but I hope that wherever he is, it's a better place. Knowing Paul, he's probably having a great time, because no matter what, that's what he always did when he was here. He had a way of looking at life that most people don't and was just happy to be alive and enjoying whatever came along. That is something I will continue to admire about him for a very long time to come.
RIP Paul <3
June 20, 2011
Guys...There are a lot of Owls
So by now I'm sure we all know about the owls gathering and pottermore.com. If not, then I don't where you've been, but I suggest you get caught up with the world. Honestly, last Wednesday was completely exciting. For one, it was my birthday, and when I saw that JK Rowling was throwing clues about something around the internet, I got really excited and thought it was the best birthday present in the world.
I have to admit, I was a fan of the #morepotter instead of #pottermore, but that's okay. There was something that made me really angry about 3 or 4 coordinates into the game. Someone posted a spoiler on Twitter, ruining the entire experience for fans. And it wasn't even a *HINT, THIS IS A SPOILER* kind of message. It flat out said, "Oh hey guys, so basically it says Pottermore" AND DONE. I mean yes, it wasn't the most complicated of messages to figure out, but as someone who has never before been a part of deciphering JK Rowling's clues, I wanted the experience and I wanted to figure it out for myself.
Anyway, there is of course a ton of speculation about what Pottermore is going to be. A lot of my friends are saying it's going to be like a message board type thing, but I feel like that is
1)slightly anti-climatic
and
2)not really necessary because there are a ton of forums about Harry Potter all over the internet
However, I have absolutely no idea what I think it is. I was discussing it with my mom the other day and she came up with the idea that maybe it is some sort of Advocacy Project that JK Rowling is working on. That sounds kind of cool, so for now, that's my sort of theory.
Anyway, have you guys seen all the owls on the YouTube...there's like 19 or something. I counted them this morning. Only 2 more days 18 hours, and 4 minutes left until the big announcement!
What do you think it is? :)
If you have not seen the owls, I suggest you go:
www.pottermore.com
www.youtube.com/jkrowlingannounces
IMMEDIATELY!
I have to admit, I was a fan of the #morepotter instead of #pottermore, but that's okay. There was something that made me really angry about 3 or 4 coordinates into the game. Someone posted a spoiler on Twitter, ruining the entire experience for fans. And it wasn't even a *HINT, THIS IS A SPOILER* kind of message. It flat out said, "Oh hey guys, so basically it says Pottermore" AND DONE. I mean yes, it wasn't the most complicated of messages to figure out, but as someone who has never before been a part of deciphering JK Rowling's clues, I wanted the experience and I wanted to figure it out for myself.
Anyway, there is of course a ton of speculation about what Pottermore is going to be. A lot of my friends are saying it's going to be like a message board type thing, but I feel like that is
1)slightly anti-climatic
and
2)not really necessary because there are a ton of forums about Harry Potter all over the internet
However, I have absolutely no idea what I think it is. I was discussing it with my mom the other day and she came up with the idea that maybe it is some sort of Advocacy Project that JK Rowling is working on. That sounds kind of cool, so for now, that's my sort of theory.
Anyway, have you guys seen all the owls on the YouTube...there's like 19 or something. I counted them this morning. Only 2 more days 18 hours, and 4 minutes left until the big announcement!
What do you think it is? :)
If you have not seen the owls, I suggest you go:
www.pottermore.com
www.youtube.com/jkrowlingannounces
IMMEDIATELY!
June 7, 2011
A Real Blog Post: Who Knew
It's been quite a long time since I posted a real blog. I guess I will briefly discuss what's been going on since I so abruptly stopped writing during BEDA. In the middle of April, my sister became very ill and although there was a not a lot I could do from across the country, blogging every single day became way too much of a hassle added to all my schoolwork, clubs, and worrying about my family.
However, now that I've been home a couple of weeks and have gotten to see for myself what's been going on, I feel like I have the time to begin blogging again. Plus, I really miss it and just wanted to get back into it.
Today's blog is therefore coming to you in TWO PARTS:
PART 1:This Thing Called DOCTOR WHO
Last summer at Infinitus, I was semi introduced to this show called Doctor Who by my crazy roommates Lindsey and Bri. I really had no idea what they were talking about and I honestly had no interest whatsoever, so it got pushed to the back of my mind. Fast forward to sometime in during the Fall Semester, where a number of new Dumbledore's Army Members are obsessing about this show. Of course I had heard of it talked about by some of my favorite vloggers, but I realized it was time to take the plunge and start watching. Truth be told I did not really get into it until the beginning of April.
Since I've been home from school, I've tried desperately to catch up so that I could actually watch a new episode the day it came out. I believe when I left school in May I was somewhere in the middle of the fourth season (though I could be wrong...I don't exactly remember). Unfortunately, I didn't make it. I watched the newest episode on Tuesday, 3 days after it came out. But hey, I was close.
And now for spoilers.
CAN WE TALK ABOUT RIVER SONG PLEASE??!?!?
Since River has been introduced to the show, she instantly became my favorite character. Like I had this thing where if I saw River was going to be in the next episode I would stay up and watch it even though that meant being really tired to go into work the next morning. But seriously, River is amazing. I kind of want to be her.
I love how she banters with The Doctor, and knows him better than he knows himself. I love how you can totally tell that they are meant for each other (because clearly they are meant for each other). What I'm not so sure about is how I feel about who she really is. Also, I have lots of questions, theories, and ideas rolling around in my head about her because even though we now know who she is, there is still so much we really have no idea about.
I think it's awesome that River is part Time Lord, and clearly we see that she regenerates in the episode where she is in New York as a child and she dies. But that made me wonder two things. If she is part Time Lord, why didn't she just regenerate in The Library when she was killed? I don't exactly remember the details of her death, but I'm pretty sure she would have been able to regenerate. Yet she dies.
Here's the thing that gets me the most: When we see The Doctor die in the first episode this season, is River the one in the suit that kills him? If so, then she would be standing on the shore watching herself kill The Doctor and I feel like she would have remembered. Now my friend Nicole pointed out that because of The Silence she may not have remembered, which I guess is true. But oh my gosh, the River theories that will ensue.
And now, on to Part 2:
I just finished reading Harry, A History. Now the last few months I've been so caught up with school and work and all my other responsibilities, that I have kind of backed off in the HP world, which isn't especially good since I run an HPA Chapter. Reading Melissa's book reminded me of why I love this fandom and what it has meant to me over the years. I saw there reading about these different moments and I kept remembering how I felt at those moments in The Harry Potter phenomenon and how it's changed me and made me grow.
It got me really excited to be a part of something amazing, even four years after the books are over. Unfortunately, in July, we are going to reach another point where it really feels like Harry is ending because the last movie will be coming out. Of course, the end of the books was a much bigger moment, but still it's another, more solid ending to something that has been a part of my life for 11 years. I feel lucky that I'll be celebrating it with the most dedicated and awesome people in the world at LeakyCon 2011. It's truly the best way to end something so amazing.
I've also been re-inspired by The HPA and everything that they've allowed me to help with over the last year. I can't wait to get involved in the final Horcrux of The Deathly Hallows campaign, and I'm hoping to really dedicate myself to this organization over the next few years because I believe we are going to accomplish some wonderful things. After all, we already are. Sometimes, all it takes are a few simple words to rekindle your passion for something, and this book definitely helped me do just that.
:)
However, now that I've been home a couple of weeks and have gotten to see for myself what's been going on, I feel like I have the time to begin blogging again. Plus, I really miss it and just wanted to get back into it.
Today's blog is therefore coming to you in TWO PARTS:
PART 1:This Thing Called DOCTOR WHO
Last summer at Infinitus, I was semi introduced to this show called Doctor Who by my crazy roommates Lindsey and Bri. I really had no idea what they were talking about and I honestly had no interest whatsoever, so it got pushed to the back of my mind. Fast forward to sometime in during the Fall Semester, where a number of new Dumbledore's Army Members are obsessing about this show. Of course I had heard of it talked about by some of my favorite vloggers, but I realized it was time to take the plunge and start watching. Truth be told I did not really get into it until the beginning of April.
Since I've been home from school, I've tried desperately to catch up so that I could actually watch a new episode the day it came out. I believe when I left school in May I was somewhere in the middle of the fourth season (though I could be wrong...I don't exactly remember). Unfortunately, I didn't make it. I watched the newest episode on Tuesday, 3 days after it came out. But hey, I was close.
And now for spoilers.
CAN WE TALK ABOUT RIVER SONG PLEASE??!?!?
Since River has been introduced to the show, she instantly became my favorite character. Like I had this thing where if I saw River was going to be in the next episode I would stay up and watch it even though that meant being really tired to go into work the next morning. But seriously, River is amazing. I kind of want to be her.
I love how she banters with The Doctor, and knows him better than he knows himself. I love how you can totally tell that they are meant for each other (because clearly they are meant for each other). What I'm not so sure about is how I feel about who she really is. Also, I have lots of questions, theories, and ideas rolling around in my head about her because even though we now know who she is, there is still so much we really have no idea about.
I think it's awesome that River is part Time Lord, and clearly we see that she regenerates in the episode where she is in New York as a child and she dies. But that made me wonder two things. If she is part Time Lord, why didn't she just regenerate in The Library when she was killed? I don't exactly remember the details of her death, but I'm pretty sure she would have been able to regenerate. Yet she dies.
Here's the thing that gets me the most: When we see The Doctor die in the first episode this season, is River the one in the suit that kills him? If so, then she would be standing on the shore watching herself kill The Doctor and I feel like she would have remembered. Now my friend Nicole pointed out that because of The Silence she may not have remembered, which I guess is true. But oh my gosh, the River theories that will ensue.
And now, on to Part 2:
I just finished reading Harry, A History. Now the last few months I've been so caught up with school and work and all my other responsibilities, that I have kind of backed off in the HP world, which isn't especially good since I run an HPA Chapter. Reading Melissa's book reminded me of why I love this fandom and what it has meant to me over the years. I saw there reading about these different moments and I kept remembering how I felt at those moments in The Harry Potter phenomenon and how it's changed me and made me grow.
It got me really excited to be a part of something amazing, even four years after the books are over. Unfortunately, in July, we are going to reach another point where it really feels like Harry is ending because the last movie will be coming out. Of course, the end of the books was a much bigger moment, but still it's another, more solid ending to something that has been a part of my life for 11 years. I feel lucky that I'll be celebrating it with the most dedicated and awesome people in the world at LeakyCon 2011. It's truly the best way to end something so amazing.
I've also been re-inspired by The HPA and everything that they've allowed me to help with over the last year. I can't wait to get involved in the final Horcrux of The Deathly Hallows campaign, and I'm hoping to really dedicate myself to this organization over the next few years because I believe we are going to accomplish some wonderful things. After all, we already are. Sometimes, all it takes are a few simple words to rekindle your passion for something, and this book definitely helped me do just that.
:)
May 23, 2011
The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher (Review fo 2011 DAC)
The Water Wars is a futuristic novel where the world has almost run out of water. At least, that's what the people are told. Vera meets Kai, a mysterious boy who seems to have a knack for finding water. When he disappears, Vera and her brother Will go on an adventure to rescue him.
I have to admit, it took me a while to get into this book. It's not that it wasn't interesting, but it moved a little slow for me. However, once Vera and Will are off to their rescue mission, the story became very exciting.
While the novel had a good storyline, the thing that I liked most about it was that it made me think about our world today and how we are depleting our resources. Right now we are concerned about oil, but it seems very possible that water could be next. Stracher tells a good story while also making the reader visualize a world that we may not be so far from. I continued to think about the book long after I put it down.
I have to admit, it took me a while to get into this book. It's not that it wasn't interesting, but it moved a little slow for me. However, once Vera and Will are off to their rescue mission, the story became very exciting.
While the novel had a good storyline, the thing that I liked most about it was that it made me think about our world today and how we are depleting our resources. Right now we are concerned about oil, but it seems very possible that water could be next. Stracher tells a good story while also making the reader visualize a world that we may not be so far from. I continued to think about the book long after I put it down.
April 12, 2011
BEDA Day #12: Where in the World is Hugo?
Welcome to Day 12 of BEDA! YAY!
Today's post features the amazing event that I participated in this evening! Tonight our RHSA and NRHH put on its first joint program called Where in the World is Hugo...a scavenger hunt! The program was a great hit and I had a ton of fun doing it. The winner is going to get $200 split between the team members and my team consisted of me, my friend Heather, and her roommate Paige. Now the one thing that made this scavenger hunt so interesting (besides the awesome things we had to do) was the fact that it was POURING RAIN OUTSIDE!
Yes. We ran around in the rain for two hours. And the cold. Good Times in the rain FTW? I think so. In all honesty though, we really did have a great time. The one problem was there was so many things on the list, it was probably almost impossible to do all of them. But I think that was sort of the point. They didn't want everyone to be able to do everything. There were basically three categories of things that we could do to get points. There were riddles, which we were able to answer most of and they were 20 points each! There were also location pictures ranging from 5-10 points. My favorite one that we did was taking a picture with someone under the age of 10. We found this adorable child with his parents about to get into the elevator, so we hopped in and took a picture with him. SO FREAKING CUTE. The last category was a list of 3 challenges for 30 points each. We only were able to do 2 of them because the third one was really really hard. You had to balance 10 oreos on your forehead. As far as we know, no one was able to complete that challenge, but our team got close. Heather was able to balance 9 of them and almost had the 10th one on there, but sadly we ran out of time.
Other then that, today was pretty much uneventful, except for my "thing that made today awesome" thing...which I figured I should put at the end...cause that's what I do...Glad this is is making sense to everyone.
Well, I'm really out of things to write and there's a lot of people sitting in this lounge now which is making me only slightly uncomfortable, so with that I'm going to get off this computer and go do something somewhere else that isn't here...
Anyway...
Thing that made today awesome: I got into this organization called NRHH, which stands for National Residence Hall Honorary! It's an organization made up of the top 1% of leaders on our campus. Yay for being a leader! :D
P.S. This weekend is Passover Break, so I'm going to attempt to get my two book reviews up for the books I read over Spring Break for the DAC. Hopefully that will work out! :D
Today's post features the amazing event that I participated in this evening! Tonight our RHSA and NRHH put on its first joint program called Where in the World is Hugo...a scavenger hunt! The program was a great hit and I had a ton of fun doing it. The winner is going to get $200 split between the team members and my team consisted of me, my friend Heather, and her roommate Paige. Now the one thing that made this scavenger hunt so interesting (besides the awesome things we had to do) was the fact that it was POURING RAIN OUTSIDE!
Yes. We ran around in the rain for two hours. And the cold. Good Times in the rain FTW? I think so. In all honesty though, we really did have a great time. The one problem was there was so many things on the list, it was probably almost impossible to do all of them. But I think that was sort of the point. They didn't want everyone to be able to do everything. There were basically three categories of things that we could do to get points. There were riddles, which we were able to answer most of and they were 20 points each! There were also location pictures ranging from 5-10 points. My favorite one that we did was taking a picture with someone under the age of 10. We found this adorable child with his parents about to get into the elevator, so we hopped in and took a picture with him. SO FREAKING CUTE. The last category was a list of 3 challenges for 30 points each. We only were able to do 2 of them because the third one was really really hard. You had to balance 10 oreos on your forehead. As far as we know, no one was able to complete that challenge, but our team got close. Heather was able to balance 9 of them and almost had the 10th one on there, but sadly we ran out of time.
Other then that, today was pretty much uneventful, except for my "thing that made today awesome" thing...which I figured I should put at the end...cause that's what I do...Glad this is is making sense to everyone.
Well, I'm really out of things to write and there's a lot of people sitting in this lounge now which is making me only slightly uncomfortable, so with that I'm going to get off this computer and go do something somewhere else that isn't here...
Anyway...
Thing that made today awesome: I got into this organization called NRHH, which stands for National Residence Hall Honorary! It's an organization made up of the top 1% of leaders on our campus. Yay for being a leader! :D
P.S. This weekend is Passover Break, so I'm going to attempt to get my two book reviews up for the books I read over Spring Break for the DAC. Hopefully that will work out! :D
April 11, 2011
BEDA Day #11: Stupid Fever, Go Away
Well hello lovely blog readers. Today's entry is going to be another short one because as the title suggests, I'm sick. I guess my five days of no sleep had consequences. What a shame.
Today's entire post is going to be about how life was awesome today. Because until I got a fever this afternoon, life was really awesome today. To start off, and this is pretty much what caused the awesomeness, it was absolutely gorgeous out today. It must have gotten into the 80s. It was lovely. So due to this great and fantastical weather, my first class got out ten minutes early. So off I went to my second class. And she walked in and was like "It's too nice outside to be in class. I'm going to hand back your papers and then you can go." Also, I got a B+ on that paper, which was a huge relief because I was really scared I did a bad job. So then I went and got lunch with Katherine and then me, Nicole, Julia, and Katherine went and sat on the quad and enjoyed the beautiful weather while attempting to do homework that lay totally forgotten beside us.
It was a lovely afternoon and even though I didn't get an ounce of work done, I totally enjoyed myself and being outside. It was just that great. Of course about an hour after that I started getting the chills and around 6:30 I came back to my dorm, took my temperature, and discovered I had a lovely fever, which has yet to go away, but really really needs to.
Also, I got one e-mail back so far from the two that I'm expecting over the next few days. This was very exciting in itself because I was starting to fear that I wouldn't get a reply. One down, one to go!
So with that, I'm going to sleep, because I want to try and make this fever go away.
The icing on the cake: My sister and I just bought our VidCon tickets. Needless to say, we are extremely thrilled for this exciting adventure!
Today's entire post is going to be about how life was awesome today. Because until I got a fever this afternoon, life was really awesome today. To start off, and this is pretty much what caused the awesomeness, it was absolutely gorgeous out today. It must have gotten into the 80s. It was lovely. So due to this great and fantastical weather, my first class got out ten minutes early. So off I went to my second class. And she walked in and was like "It's too nice outside to be in class. I'm going to hand back your papers and then you can go." Also, I got a B+ on that paper, which was a huge relief because I was really scared I did a bad job. So then I went and got lunch with Katherine and then me, Nicole, Julia, and Katherine went and sat on the quad and enjoyed the beautiful weather while attempting to do homework that lay totally forgotten beside us.
It was a lovely afternoon and even though I didn't get an ounce of work done, I totally enjoyed myself and being outside. It was just that great. Of course about an hour after that I started getting the chills and around 6:30 I came back to my dorm, took my temperature, and discovered I had a lovely fever, which has yet to go away, but really really needs to.
Also, I got one e-mail back so far from the two that I'm expecting over the next few days. This was very exciting in itself because I was starting to fear that I wouldn't get a reply. One down, one to go!
So with that, I'm going to sleep, because I want to try and make this fever go away.
The icing on the cake: My sister and I just bought our VidCon tickets. Needless to say, we are extremely thrilled for this exciting adventure!
April 10, 2011
BEDA Day #10: No Interesting Title is Coming to Mind...
I'm sad to report that nothing unusual or exciting really happened today. Today was mostly an errand/homework day for me. I did see Nicole walking in to town on my way out of New Paltz and she decided to go to Walgreens and Stop and Shop with me. That was exciting. We listened to the Burlesque soundtrack and had great fun.
Other than that, all I really did today was go to the library and work on my massive amounts of homework. I have a workbook submission for one of my classes due on Tuesday so I wrote half the entries today and am hopefully going to do the other half tomorrow. Well I sort of need to. But my whole plan and doing all my homework for Monday and Tuesday on Sunday didn't really work because there is just too much due on Monday and Tuesday. Thankfully there is no HFS tomorrow, so I'm going to take the time from like 3pm-9pm to do all my homework. Six hours should be enough time to finish all my crap that is due on Tuesday. At least I hope so. Because tomorrow night is elections for CCC, which means it's another late RHSA meeting.
In other news, I applied for the National Residence Hall Honorary last week and the members were supposed to vote today, so hopefully I'll know if I made it by tomorrow. I really hope so...I'm just really anxious to see if I got it or not.
Sorry my day was so boring...every once in a while we just get those days. Tomorrow is sure to bring more excitement. So I will leave you with one request:
One of my favorite youtuber's, Michael Aranda, is stuck in Paris, France and has not been allowed to re-enter the U.K. so he has asked people to sign a petition to help get him back in. The petition explains the whole story, so I will not, but I'd really appreciate it if people could sign it and let all their friends know and ask them to sign it. Here's the link: http://bit.ly/hybeLE
Thanks :)
Thing that made life awesome today: Kelvin overruled Tim in the RHSA office and let me sit in the chair. He's nice :)
Other than that, all I really did today was go to the library and work on my massive amounts of homework. I have a workbook submission for one of my classes due on Tuesday so I wrote half the entries today and am hopefully going to do the other half tomorrow. Well I sort of need to. But my whole plan and doing all my homework for Monday and Tuesday on Sunday didn't really work because there is just too much due on Monday and Tuesday. Thankfully there is no HFS tomorrow, so I'm going to take the time from like 3pm-9pm to do all my homework. Six hours should be enough time to finish all my crap that is due on Tuesday. At least I hope so. Because tomorrow night is elections for CCC, which means it's another late RHSA meeting.
In other news, I applied for the National Residence Hall Honorary last week and the members were supposed to vote today, so hopefully I'll know if I made it by tomorrow. I really hope so...I'm just really anxious to see if I got it or not.
Sorry my day was so boring...every once in a while we just get those days. Tomorrow is sure to bring more excitement. So I will leave you with one request:
One of my favorite youtuber's, Michael Aranda, is stuck in Paris, France and has not been allowed to re-enter the U.K. so he has asked people to sign a petition to help get him back in. The petition explains the whole story, so I will not, but I'd really appreciate it if people could sign it and let all their friends know and ask them to sign it. Here's the link: http://bit.ly/hybeLE
Thanks :)
Thing that made life awesome today: Kelvin overruled Tim in the RHSA office and let me sit in the chair. He's nice :)
Relay for Life
I know I wasn't able to get a post up yesterday, but there's a very funny story behind that. So yesterday was Relay for Life on our campus. For those of you who don't know, Relay for Life is an event put on by the American Cancer Society to help stop the fight against cancer. It is a day to honor the survivors and remember those who have lost their battle.
I've always enjoyed Relay for Life, but this year it was particularly important to me because my dad passed away from cancer a year ago (today actually). The fact that Relay fell on the weekend of his one year was kind of strange in a way, but I think it was a good experience for me because although it's been hard, I got to have fun yesterday with my friends, which always makes it easier to cope. Unfortunately, due to my lack of sleep this past week, I fell asleep probably 3 or 4 times during Relay (oops), but I still had a wonderful day.
There were really cool events set up throughout the day like face painting and henna tattoos, which of course I got. They also had a cupcake decorating contest, although I don't remember them ever announcing the winners for that. Absolut Accapella came and performed which was amazing. That was actually the first time I've seen them because I missed the last performance that I was supposed to go to.
And of course, there was walking, the whole point of Relay. We walked around the gym...a lot. Now technically your supposed to have a member of your team walking the track the entire time, but everyone on my team left at four except for me and my friend Liz, who also happened to be on committee and didn't get to walk too much. So that left me walking alone for what was supposed to be six hours. Obviously this did not happen because I'm not that awesome.
The hardest part of the day was the Luminaria, a ceremony to remember the loved ones that we have lost. While it was something that I felt good about doing, the truth is that it still hurts. It hurts to lose anyone you love, whether it's from cancer or a car accident. But it's also ridiculously hard because watching someone you love suffer from this disease only to die is a painful experience. No one wants to go through that and the truth is it just isn't fair. After the ceremony, we did a lap around the gym in silence, which is actually when I started crying. I have to admit though that something that really touched me yesterday was after the lap of silence, a girl that I sort of know from RHSA came up to me and touched my shoulder. She had no idea who I'd lost to cancer but it was such a nice gesture and it honestly made me feel better. There are truly some amazing and kind people in this world and although she'll probably never know this, that one little gesture made a difference to me and gave me enough strength to get up and enjoy the rest of the night.
Thing that made life awesome yesterday: Besides what I just talked about, FINALLY GETTING TO GO TO SLEEP. Yay! :)
I've always enjoyed Relay for Life, but this year it was particularly important to me because my dad passed away from cancer a year ago (today actually). The fact that Relay fell on the weekend of his one year was kind of strange in a way, but I think it was a good experience for me because although it's been hard, I got to have fun yesterday with my friends, which always makes it easier to cope. Unfortunately, due to my lack of sleep this past week, I fell asleep probably 3 or 4 times during Relay (oops), but I still had a wonderful day.
There were really cool events set up throughout the day like face painting and henna tattoos, which of course I got. They also had a cupcake decorating contest, although I don't remember them ever announcing the winners for that. Absolut Accapella came and performed which was amazing. That was actually the first time I've seen them because I missed the last performance that I was supposed to go to.
And of course, there was walking, the whole point of Relay. We walked around the gym...a lot. Now technically your supposed to have a member of your team walking the track the entire time, but everyone on my team left at four except for me and my friend Liz, who also happened to be on committee and didn't get to walk too much. So that left me walking alone for what was supposed to be six hours. Obviously this did not happen because I'm not that awesome.
The hardest part of the day was the Luminaria, a ceremony to remember the loved ones that we have lost. While it was something that I felt good about doing, the truth is that it still hurts. It hurts to lose anyone you love, whether it's from cancer or a car accident. But it's also ridiculously hard because watching someone you love suffer from this disease only to die is a painful experience. No one wants to go through that and the truth is it just isn't fair. After the ceremony, we did a lap around the gym in silence, which is actually when I started crying. I have to admit though that something that really touched me yesterday was after the lap of silence, a girl that I sort of know from RHSA came up to me and touched my shoulder. She had no idea who I'd lost to cancer but it was such a nice gesture and it honestly made me feel better. There are truly some amazing and kind people in this world and although she'll probably never know this, that one little gesture made a difference to me and gave me enough strength to get up and enjoy the rest of the night.
Thing that made life awesome yesterday: Besides what I just talked about, FINALLY GETTING TO GO TO SLEEP. Yay! :)
April 8, 2011
BEDA Day #8: Really Really Quickly
Alright so once again I'm writing a really really short post because I needed to be in bed 2 hours ago because I'm tired and sick and tomorrow is Relay for Life so I have to be up at 8am! OMG.
Ya. So tomorrow is Relay for Life on my campus. We don't do the overnight one because no one would come because stupid people can't give up one night of partying to help raise awareness and money for the fight against cancer.
Relay is very close to my heart this year, which I will probably discuss more tomorrow, but will briefly discuss now. I've now been touched by cancer in my family when my dad was diagnosed last year. So for the first time ever I will be Relaying in honor of someone. Relay this year is especially close though because this weekend will be the one year anniversary of my dad losing his battle to cancer, so it's actually going to be a really tough weekend. But in a way, I'm glad Relay is the weekend of this date because what better way to remember my dad than to work hard to fight against the disease that killed him? It seems kind of right in a way. Plus I will be with my friends who have meant the world to me over the past year and have helped me so much.
So tomorrow, I will be walking for my dad in hopes that more children don't have to lose someone they love to this horrible disease. How about you?
Thing that made life awesome today: It's Friday. Enough said.
Ya. So tomorrow is Relay for Life on my campus. We don't do the overnight one because no one would come because stupid people can't give up one night of partying to help raise awareness and money for the fight against cancer.
Relay is very close to my heart this year, which I will probably discuss more tomorrow, but will briefly discuss now. I've now been touched by cancer in my family when my dad was diagnosed last year. So for the first time ever I will be Relaying in honor of someone. Relay this year is especially close though because this weekend will be the one year anniversary of my dad losing his battle to cancer, so it's actually going to be a really tough weekend. But in a way, I'm glad Relay is the weekend of this date because what better way to remember my dad than to work hard to fight against the disease that killed him? It seems kind of right in a way. Plus I will be with my friends who have meant the world to me over the past year and have helped me so much.
So tomorrow, I will be walking for my dad in hopes that more children don't have to lose someone they love to this horrible disease. How about you?
Thing that made life awesome today: It's Friday. Enough said.
April 4, 2011
BEDA Day #4: This will be the shortest post ever...
Hello all. So I know that it is past midnight which means that technically I didn't get a post up for Monday, HOWEVER I have two excuses that I believe are perfectly acceptable...you can choose which one you like best.
Excuse #1: I haven't gone to sleep yet so technically it's still Monday to me.
Excuse #2: On the West Coast it's only 10:19 so it's still Monday...and I'm from the west coast even though I'm currently residing on the east coast.
There you have it. I really don't have much to talk about in this post because it's one in the morning and I have class all day and a quiz tomorrow so I need to go to sleep. Plus my throat hurts which is just not a good thing at all. Basically, I need some sleep.
I will however briefly explain why I'm writing my post at 1:20am. Monday nights are always really busy for me. Sometimes I go to Historical Film Society at 6pm and then I usually run straight to RHSA meetings after. Tonight was one of those nights. See, until about an hour ago, I hadn't been back in my building since 4pm this afternoon, when I left to go to the library to do homework. I didn't really think about BEDA because it's a Monday night and all I was thinking was "great I can't start my homework until 11pm"
So here's the other thing. RHSA meetings usually run from 9pm-11pm, however we are doing elections. Tonight was the elections for PR, so elections ran until 12:20am tonight. Which means I didn't get back to my dorm until 12:30am...an hour ago. Hence the late blog post. But it's here and it's probably crappy because I'm exhausted and haven't slept in 2 days, so with that I'm going to go to sleep.
Goodnight. :)
Thing that made me happy today: I got an 80% on my Macro exam...meaning I passed and will not be failing economics this semester! YIPPIE!
Excuse #1: I haven't gone to sleep yet so technically it's still Monday to me.
Excuse #2: On the West Coast it's only 10:19 so it's still Monday...and I'm from the west coast even though I'm currently residing on the east coast.
There you have it. I really don't have much to talk about in this post because it's one in the morning and I have class all day and a quiz tomorrow so I need to go to sleep. Plus my throat hurts which is just not a good thing at all. Basically, I need some sleep.
I will however briefly explain why I'm writing my post at 1:20am. Monday nights are always really busy for me. Sometimes I go to Historical Film Society at 6pm and then I usually run straight to RHSA meetings after. Tonight was one of those nights. See, until about an hour ago, I hadn't been back in my building since 4pm this afternoon, when I left to go to the library to do homework. I didn't really think about BEDA because it's a Monday night and all I was thinking was "great I can't start my homework until 11pm"
So here's the other thing. RHSA meetings usually run from 9pm-11pm, however we are doing elections. Tonight was the elections for PR, so elections ran until 12:20am tonight. Which means I didn't get back to my dorm until 12:30am...an hour ago. Hence the late blog post. But it's here and it's probably crappy because I'm exhausted and haven't slept in 2 days, so with that I'm going to go to sleep.
Goodnight. :)
Thing that made me happy today: I got an 80% on my Macro exam...meaning I passed and will not be failing economics this semester! YIPPIE!
April 3, 2011
BEDA Day #3: So Brittany and I were sitting in the middle of a crime scene...
Yes. That is my life.
Today has probably been one of the most interesting days of my life. It's definitely ranked in the Top 5. And you get to hear about it!
As as I mentioned in my previous post, today was the STARS conference, a leadership conference held on campus for all the hall governments. The conference ended up being a ton of fun. Every hall performed a lip sync/roll call to start it off and this ended with a bunch of cheers and a round of Ride that Pony. Some of the lip syncs were fantastic and everyone did a really great job.
Next, we had a keynote speaker come in and talk to us about leadership. Now personally, my favorite part of leadership conferences are the keynote speakers because they always have some amazing things to say and I always walk away with new insights into leadership. We did some really interesting activities that I've never done before, which made it even more exciting. One activity (which was my favorite) was that we were all in a giant circle and someone could step in and say what kind of leader they were. Anyone else who was the type of leader then stepped into the circle. It was neat to see all the different dynamics of leadership. My favorite was Meghan's, who said "I'm a leader that motivates other people." I like thinking of Hall Gov as the leaders that motivate the residents in our halls.
The other neat activity that we did was to lead around our partner who had to close their eyes. So the first round I led my partner around while his eyes were closed. Then he did the same for me. And then we switched it up and the person who's eyes were closed led while the "guide" protected them from running into other groups. It was interesting to see why certain people preferred the different scenarios.
Thankfully after the keynote we got to eat lunch, which was a very good thing because we were STARVING. Then we started our programming sessions. The first program I went to was called Empower-Mint and it was a self-exploration program where we wrote down a goal for ourselves and then thought of the things that were stopping us from achieving those goals. But it wasn't a simple goal. It was something that we were having a hard time overcoming. During the second session, my hall gov presented, which didn't really go too great. But we still ended up having a good time.
The last program I went to was definitely my favorite. We had to have a 5 minute conversation with someone we didn't really know and then pick three characteristics (from a chart) and make a bracelet for them with different colored beads and each bead represented a different characteristic. It's funny because it was a very simple program but I really enjoyed it and funny enough I really love the bracelet that my partner (and new friend) made me. He said I as calm (which I think is crazy since I feel like my life is a giant chaotic mess), that I'm truthful, and that I have love and compassion for all the activities I'm involved with. Needless to say, I walked out of that program having learned something about myself, which is the entire point after all.
After the programs, we got a break and I had to go to a Community Service opportunity for an organization that I'm applying for called NRHH. We decorated the covers of cards for child cancer patients to send to their friends and family. It was actually really fun and I talked to some people that I never would have expected to have a conversation with. I also got to see my RA from last year, which was great. Then it was back to my dorm to quickly change and go to the STARS Banquet....and guess what!
MY HALL WON 1ST PLACE FOR ROLL CALL:
Woot Woot!
And now, on to the funny story...the one that involves the title of today's entry.
So earlier when I was on the break from the conference I came back to my room to shower and take a little nap. Well there were some kids outside my building being loud and playing music. I ended up leaving not long after that. Apparently they were standing outside drinking (yes at 3:00 in the afternoon on a SUNDAY) and the cops came and told them off (or something like that). When I got back from my community service, they were all in the lounge on my floor, playing beer pong and basically having a party in the dorm lounge. I found this rather odd because I'm pretty sure that's way against the rules of our building, especially because I'm sure most of them were under 21.
Anyway, when we got back from the banquet tonight, my friend Brittany and I decided to do work in the main lounge. We actually ended up taking pictures with her webcam and right as one of the RA's walked by the fire alarm went off (for the second time this week btw). When we came back inside we just went back to our work. So far, mostly normal. Then at around 8:45pm one of the RA's came in and told us he was having a meeting there at 9 so he asked us to leave. So we did and went up to the 2nd floor lounge where the party had taken place earlier that day. There were still beer cans all over the place and it was actually kind of ridiculous and annoying. But whatever. I left to get some ice cream from my room and when I came back I realized one of the doors to the lounge was locked, so when my friend let me back inside we unlocked the door. Whatever...no big deal right?
Haha. Wrong. A few minutes later my RA came in and was like "Hey, wasn't this door locked?" and we were like "Ya, so we unlocked it" and she goes "Uhh...guys...this is a crime scene...that's why the door was locked."
Oops. Apparently the kids that were having the party in the lounge set off the alarm (we don't know how) and the cop was the one who locked the door so that he come back and get evidence later. And we were just sitting in the middle of a crime scene eating ice cream and writing papers. Whoops.
In all honesty, it was probably the most hilarious thing that has happened to me in a really long time. We just starting laughing and we decided it just definitely wasn't our night. But really it was quite funny. And crazy. Basically tonight was crazy. But it was fun.
And that's the way college is supposed to be. It's those great and MEMORABLE experiences...like eating ice cream in the middle of a crime scene...that makes all the work and studying and paper writing worth it. Because while we're doing all of that, we're also having fun. And being silly. And that's the best part of college...in fact it's the best part about growing up.
the end
Actually...here's a few pictures from STARS:
Today has probably been one of the most interesting days of my life. It's definitely ranked in the Top 5. And you get to hear about it!
As as I mentioned in my previous post, today was the STARS conference, a leadership conference held on campus for all the hall governments. The conference ended up being a ton of fun. Every hall performed a lip sync/roll call to start it off and this ended with a bunch of cheers and a round of Ride that Pony. Some of the lip syncs were fantastic and everyone did a really great job.
Next, we had a keynote speaker come in and talk to us about leadership. Now personally, my favorite part of leadership conferences are the keynote speakers because they always have some amazing things to say and I always walk away with new insights into leadership. We did some really interesting activities that I've never done before, which made it even more exciting. One activity (which was my favorite) was that we were all in a giant circle and someone could step in and say what kind of leader they were. Anyone else who was the type of leader then stepped into the circle. It was neat to see all the different dynamics of leadership. My favorite was Meghan's, who said "I'm a leader that motivates other people." I like thinking of Hall Gov as the leaders that motivate the residents in our halls.
The other neat activity that we did was to lead around our partner who had to close their eyes. So the first round I led my partner around while his eyes were closed. Then he did the same for me. And then we switched it up and the person who's eyes were closed led while the "guide" protected them from running into other groups. It was interesting to see why certain people preferred the different scenarios.
Thankfully after the keynote we got to eat lunch, which was a very good thing because we were STARVING. Then we started our programming sessions. The first program I went to was called Empower-Mint and it was a self-exploration program where we wrote down a goal for ourselves and then thought of the things that were stopping us from achieving those goals. But it wasn't a simple goal. It was something that we were having a hard time overcoming. During the second session, my hall gov presented, which didn't really go too great. But we still ended up having a good time.
The last program I went to was definitely my favorite. We had to have a 5 minute conversation with someone we didn't really know and then pick three characteristics (from a chart) and make a bracelet for them with different colored beads and each bead represented a different characteristic. It's funny because it was a very simple program but I really enjoyed it and funny enough I really love the bracelet that my partner (and new friend) made me. He said I as calm (which I think is crazy since I feel like my life is a giant chaotic mess), that I'm truthful, and that I have love and compassion for all the activities I'm involved with. Needless to say, I walked out of that program having learned something about myself, which is the entire point after all.
After the programs, we got a break and I had to go to a Community Service opportunity for an organization that I'm applying for called NRHH. We decorated the covers of cards for child cancer patients to send to their friends and family. It was actually really fun and I talked to some people that I never would have expected to have a conversation with. I also got to see my RA from last year, which was great. Then it was back to my dorm to quickly change and go to the STARS Banquet....and guess what!
MY HALL WON 1ST PLACE FOR ROLL CALL:
Woot Woot!
And now, on to the funny story...the one that involves the title of today's entry.
So earlier when I was on the break from the conference I came back to my room to shower and take a little nap. Well there were some kids outside my building being loud and playing music. I ended up leaving not long after that. Apparently they were standing outside drinking (yes at 3:00 in the afternoon on a SUNDAY) and the cops came and told them off (or something like that). When I got back from my community service, they were all in the lounge on my floor, playing beer pong and basically having a party in the dorm lounge. I found this rather odd because I'm pretty sure that's way against the rules of our building, especially because I'm sure most of them were under 21.
Anyway, when we got back from the banquet tonight, my friend Brittany and I decided to do work in the main lounge. We actually ended up taking pictures with her webcam and right as one of the RA's walked by the fire alarm went off (for the second time this week btw). When we came back inside we just went back to our work. So far, mostly normal. Then at around 8:45pm one of the RA's came in and told us he was having a meeting there at 9 so he asked us to leave. So we did and went up to the 2nd floor lounge where the party had taken place earlier that day. There were still beer cans all over the place and it was actually kind of ridiculous and annoying. But whatever. I left to get some ice cream from my room and when I came back I realized one of the doors to the lounge was locked, so when my friend let me back inside we unlocked the door. Whatever...no big deal right?
Haha. Wrong. A few minutes later my RA came in and was like "Hey, wasn't this door locked?" and we were like "Ya, so we unlocked it" and she goes "Uhh...guys...this is a crime scene...that's why the door was locked."
Oops. Apparently the kids that were having the party in the lounge set off the alarm (we don't know how) and the cop was the one who locked the door so that he come back and get evidence later. And we were just sitting in the middle of a crime scene eating ice cream and writing papers. Whoops.
In all honesty, it was probably the most hilarious thing that has happened to me in a really long time. We just starting laughing and we decided it just definitely wasn't our night. But really it was quite funny. And crazy. Basically tonight was crazy. But it was fun.
And that's the way college is supposed to be. It's those great and MEMORABLE experiences...like eating ice cream in the middle of a crime scene...that makes all the work and studying and paper writing worth it. Because while we're doing all of that, we're also having fun. And being silly. And that's the best part of college...in fact it's the best part about growing up.
the end
Actually...here's a few pictures from STARS:
April 2, 2011
BEDA Day #2: The Great Part of Dorm Life is annoying people who blast music all night long...
Oh wait. That's not right.
Hello there and welcome to BEDA Day #2. I think we can guess what today's blog is going to be about ^^^^.
I love living in a dorm. Especially my dorm. I have an awesome Resident Director, an awesome RA and I work with an amazing Hall Government. What I don't like is my room. Or rather the location of it. Well actually I just hate the people who live next to me. And they sort of hate me too. It's definitely a hate/hate relationship. See my neighbors like to turn on their annoyingly loud rap music at about 10pm every single Friday/Saturday night. Sometimes it goes off at 11:30pm. Sometimes it goes off at 1:00am. I'm hoping tonight is earlier rather than later. Because I have to wake up at 8:00am tomorrow for STARS (more on this later) and if I don't get to sleep it's going to be a very hard, long day. Mostly because it's an all day event. And I need my freaking sleep!
So what's STARS? Well it's this leadership conference that is held on my campus every year. It's for all the Hall Governments on campus. We do fun things like cheers and lip syncs (something our school is FAMOUS for). Then we get to present and attend programs that different hall governments put on in their halls throughout the year. I unfortunately did not get to attend last year so I'm super excited! I'll have a full report late tomorrow night and hopefully some pictures to go with it.
I'm keeping this post short tonight because I'm in the middle of watching Country Strong and I want to finish it before I go to sleep tonight.
Thing that made life awesome today:
1)I'm listening to Charlie McDonnell's newest CD to block out the loud rap coming through my wall.
2)I got a parking spot in the parking lot of my dorm today. This never happens. It made my day :D
the end
Hello there and welcome to BEDA Day #2. I think we can guess what today's blog is going to be about ^^^^.
I love living in a dorm. Especially my dorm. I have an awesome Resident Director, an awesome RA and I work with an amazing Hall Government. What I don't like is my room. Or rather the location of it. Well actually I just hate the people who live next to me. And they sort of hate me too. It's definitely a hate/hate relationship. See my neighbors like to turn on their annoyingly loud rap music at about 10pm every single Friday/Saturday night. Sometimes it goes off at 11:30pm. Sometimes it goes off at 1:00am. I'm hoping tonight is earlier rather than later. Because I have to wake up at 8:00am tomorrow for STARS (more on this later) and if I don't get to sleep it's going to be a very hard, long day. Mostly because it's an all day event. And I need my freaking sleep!
So what's STARS? Well it's this leadership conference that is held on my campus every year. It's for all the Hall Governments on campus. We do fun things like cheers and lip syncs (something our school is FAMOUS for). Then we get to present and attend programs that different hall governments put on in their halls throughout the year. I unfortunately did not get to attend last year so I'm super excited! I'll have a full report late tomorrow night and hopefully some pictures to go with it.
I'm keeping this post short tonight because I'm in the middle of watching Country Strong and I want to finish it before I go to sleep tonight.
Thing that made life awesome today:
1)I'm listening to Charlie McDonnell's newest CD to block out the loud rap coming through my wall.
2)I got a parking spot in the parking lot of my dorm today. This never happens. It made my day :D
the end
April 1, 2011
BEDA
Well hello there. Happy April! So as some of you may know, this month is BEDA/VEDA month. In case you don't know what that means, let me inform you :)
BEDA: Blog Every Day in April
VEDA: Vlog Every Day in April
You're now informed. I've decided to take part in the BEDA challenge this year. I thought about trying to vlog every day and actually put something meaningful on my youtube channel, but I'm still having a lot of trouble learning to use iMovie (I know I'm stupid) and besides that, I honestly don't think I have the time. I mean, I'm not even sure I have the time to sit down and make sure I write a blog post every single day for an entire month. So as they say, I'm taking baby steps. I have decided however that I am going to work on my video making and video editing skills this summer, so maybe my channel will be watchable come Fall. We'll see.
Today is a pretty exciting day for me. Not only am I taking on this challenge, but it's also my first official weekend off from work. Well I guess I'm not really off. Instead, I'm officially a jobless college student. YIPPIE! Long story short, I was working at a restaurant in the town next to where I go to school and I absolutely hated it. I worked all weekend every weekend and it was starting to affect my schoolwork so right before Spring Break I quit.
So today was the first Friday that I didn't have to rush off to work right after class. So you know what I did with my day? Well first I went back to my room and called my mom to see how my sister is doing (she's been very sick this week), then I went over to the Student Union to hang out with some friends. Now, unfortunately, it's raining today, so I couldn't really just sit outside and enjoy life, so instead I came back to my room and sat down and finished my book. Which was very good by the way.
I then decided that I should probably go grab some dinner, so I stopped over at the dining hall to grab some food and then came back to my room to watch some Doctor Who and youtube videos.
In short, I relaxed. I got to do absolutely nothing and I loved it. I know it seems odd that I wanted to spend my first night off alone, but sometimes it's just necessary to get that alone time. It's really hard to constantly be running around and never have time for yourself, so even though my night may have been more eventful if I was hanging out with friends, it wouldn't have been the relaxation that I needed. I have to say it's been a pretty successful day.
Now honestly, if I do blog every day, it's probably not going to be all that exciting all the time. But there are some exciting things happening this month that I will make sure to write about. Sunday is this thing called STARS conference, which is a conference held on my campus for all the Hall Governments and it's going to be a ton of fun. I might even switch it up and post some pictures on here of the conference. Next weekend is Relay for Life...another exciting event. And the weekend after that I'll be visiting my family in Pennsylvania for a few days and hopefully we'll get to do some sight-seeing (which was supposed to happen last year) and I definitely need to take pictures of that. And then, if I'm lucky, at the end of the month Katherine and I (and maybe some of my other chapter members) will be going down to Brooklyn to help set up a library that The HPA is helping to build.
All in all, it should be a very exciting and eventful month. I hope that I'll be able to document it with words and pictures and maybe actually have something interesting on here. We'll see. :)
As a side note, I finished two books for the DAC, but I haven't written the reviews yet. Those two reviews are probably going to go up as part of this BEDA challenge, so I won't just be ranting about something random every day. I'll try and get those posted over the next few days.
Wish me luck and if your participating in either challenge this month then good luck! May the force be with you!
:)
BEDA: Blog Every Day in April
VEDA: Vlog Every Day in April
You're now informed. I've decided to take part in the BEDA challenge this year. I thought about trying to vlog every day and actually put something meaningful on my youtube channel, but I'm still having a lot of trouble learning to use iMovie (I know I'm stupid) and besides that, I honestly don't think I have the time. I mean, I'm not even sure I have the time to sit down and make sure I write a blog post every single day for an entire month. So as they say, I'm taking baby steps. I have decided however that I am going to work on my video making and video editing skills this summer, so maybe my channel will be watchable come Fall. We'll see.
Today is a pretty exciting day for me. Not only am I taking on this challenge, but it's also my first official weekend off from work. Well I guess I'm not really off. Instead, I'm officially a jobless college student. YIPPIE! Long story short, I was working at a restaurant in the town next to where I go to school and I absolutely hated it. I worked all weekend every weekend and it was starting to affect my schoolwork so right before Spring Break I quit.
So today was the first Friday that I didn't have to rush off to work right after class. So you know what I did with my day? Well first I went back to my room and called my mom to see how my sister is doing (she's been very sick this week), then I went over to the Student Union to hang out with some friends. Now, unfortunately, it's raining today, so I couldn't really just sit outside and enjoy life, so instead I came back to my room and sat down and finished my book. Which was very good by the way.
I then decided that I should probably go grab some dinner, so I stopped over at the dining hall to grab some food and then came back to my room to watch some Doctor Who and youtube videos.
In short, I relaxed. I got to do absolutely nothing and I loved it. I know it seems odd that I wanted to spend my first night off alone, but sometimes it's just necessary to get that alone time. It's really hard to constantly be running around and never have time for yourself, so even though my night may have been more eventful if I was hanging out with friends, it wouldn't have been the relaxation that I needed. I have to say it's been a pretty successful day.
Now honestly, if I do blog every day, it's probably not going to be all that exciting all the time. But there are some exciting things happening this month that I will make sure to write about. Sunday is this thing called STARS conference, which is a conference held on my campus for all the Hall Governments and it's going to be a ton of fun. I might even switch it up and post some pictures on here of the conference. Next weekend is Relay for Life...another exciting event. And the weekend after that I'll be visiting my family in Pennsylvania for a few days and hopefully we'll get to do some sight-seeing (which was supposed to happen last year) and I definitely need to take pictures of that. And then, if I'm lucky, at the end of the month Katherine and I (and maybe some of my other chapter members) will be going down to Brooklyn to help set up a library that The HPA is helping to build.
All in all, it should be a very exciting and eventful month. I hope that I'll be able to document it with words and pictures and maybe actually have something interesting on here. We'll see. :)
As a side note, I finished two books for the DAC, but I haven't written the reviews yet. Those two reviews are probably going to go up as part of this BEDA challenge, so I won't just be ranting about something random every day. I'll try and get those posted over the next few days.
Wish me luck and if your participating in either challenge this month then good luck! May the force be with you!
:)
March 22, 2011
How I'm Spending Spring Break
This week is Spring Break (woot woot!) so I'm back at home for the week. It's been really nice to be home, especially because I've gotten to spend so much time with my mom. However, I still had to bring home schoolwork...in fact I had to bring home a lot more schoolwork then I was originally planning to. See I was supposed to take all of my midterms and quizzes and such before spring break, but that didn't work out because professors got sick and things are the syllabus got changed last minute, so I had to bring home a bunch of crap to study. On top of that, because I was so behind in almost everything last week, I brought home all of that work to do too so that I could go back to school at least somewhat caught up.
Right now my big downer is this paper that I have to write for my English Lit class. It really wouldn't be too bad except for the fact that 1)I didn't too amazing on the last paper, 2)I was supposed to bring the professor an outline before spring break so she could help me, and 3)I missed the class where we did a close analysis of one of the poem's I have to write about and therefore don't know what points she thought were important.
Oops. So now I'm sitting here in the library at UNLV attempting to write a paper that I really have no idea how to write. I have absolutely no motivation to do this and can think of a billion things I'd rather be doing at this very moment. Which is in fact why I am writing this blog post. I also have to go put more quarters in the meter soon or else my car will get towed. That's not too great since I don't want to leave my stuff in this library and I have to be back here by 4:00pm to meet up with Karina (yay for best friends!).
I just realized that last sentence really had no flow and made no sense, but that's ok. At least I can recognize my horrible writing mistakes. Before I waste anymore time sitting in this library, I think I better get off the internet and actually accomplish something. Sadly I can only spend 2 more hours here before I have to get the car back home so I might as well take advantage it and get some work done.
Wish me luck and enjoy the lovely spring! :)
Right now my big downer is this paper that I have to write for my English Lit class. It really wouldn't be too bad except for the fact that 1)I didn't too amazing on the last paper, 2)I was supposed to bring the professor an outline before spring break so she could help me, and 3)I missed the class where we did a close analysis of one of the poem's I have to write about and therefore don't know what points she thought were important.
Oops. So now I'm sitting here in the library at UNLV attempting to write a paper that I really have no idea how to write. I have absolutely no motivation to do this and can think of a billion things I'd rather be doing at this very moment. Which is in fact why I am writing this blog post. I also have to go put more quarters in the meter soon or else my car will get towed. That's not too great since I don't want to leave my stuff in this library and I have to be back here by 4:00pm to meet up with Karina (yay for best friends!).
I just realized that last sentence really had no flow and made no sense, but that's ok. At least I can recognize my horrible writing mistakes. Before I waste anymore time sitting in this library, I think I better get off the internet and actually accomplish something. Sadly I can only spend 2 more hours here before I have to get the car back home so I might as well take advantage it and get some work done.
Wish me luck and enjoy the lovely spring! :)
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