Hello friends! Welcome to the second installment of my monthly book update! (You can find my first post here.) For those of you who don't know me, I am a big 'ol bookworm who can never get enough! Therefore, I decided to start keeping track of the books I read and share them with you guys!
Percy Jackson And The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
Last month I started the Percy Jackson books and finished them up at the beginning of November. I must say, I was ready for this series to be over. Yes, I did enjoy them and found myself reading through them quickly, but I was just ready for the end. I think this is one of those Young Adult series that does not translate into adulthood reading as well as others. I didn't read these as a kid, so I didn't have any nostalgic ties to them and I was just a bit meh as I finished this last book. I would definitely recommend these to anyone with kids, but maybe not so much for adults.
Arena by Karen Hancock
This is my all time favorite book!! I read it at least once a year. Arena is an allegorical fantasy book with a wonderful concept. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially fantasy and sci fi lovers!
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Another book that I read after seeing the movie *hangs head in shame*. I really love this movie and have been interested in reading the book for quite some time. This book is fantastic! The story is told through several different characters perspective and was really well done. I recommend the book AND movie, in that order.
The Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
I was a bit hesitant to get back into Stephen King, I had read the first book in the Dark Tower series and was not impressed. However, I decided to give this one a chance and boy was it short! The book....not the chance. I actually really loved this story and would readily read it again. I actually have not seen the movie based on this book, Huzzah! I am so glad I read the book first, Stephen King writes absolutely enthralling stories. I finished this very quickly and found myself wanting more by the end of it. Read it, my friends!
My goal was to read 5 books this month and I ended up reading 4. I actually might drop my reading goal down to 3 books a month starting next year and work my way up after that. I think 5 books in one month is pretty easy when I'm not busy, but 3 is much more reasonable for a busy schedule.
Share what you are currently reading in the comments! I might end up adding it to my list. :)
Follow me on Goodreads to keep up with all my books! Allons-y!
Monday, December 1, 2014
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
October Books
Welcome to my monthly book review! This is the first installment of what will hopefully become a monthly post. Earlier this year I was severely lacking in my reading habits and I was in a book funk. I was not inspired to seek out new books and read the way I used to you. It was kind of a soul sucking experience. In order to rectify this funk I decided to join Goodreads to start tracking the books I have read and organize all the books I want to read. I am constantly coming across book recommendations, but I can never remember what they were when it comes time to pick out a new story and Goodreads helps me keep them all in one handy place. To keep myself firmly planted in the bookworm realm I have started a goal of reading 5 books a month, or 60 books a year. I plan on increasing that number every year and keeping you guys updated as I go!. Now, without further ado, my October books:
1984 by George Orwell
I'm not sure how, but I managed to miss out reading this book in high school and I have been increasingly interested in reading classic books lately. It took me a little while to get immersed in this book, but once I did I could not put it down. 1984 is definitely one of those books that makes you think and changes your perspective about the world. I am always on board with books that invoke thought so I gave this book a solid 4 stars on Goodreads.
Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
I have yet to grow out of my love for YA novels, especially those in the fantasy and sci-fi genres. These books come highly reviewed from both Goodreads and my fiance so I decided to give them a try. This is also one of the few instances in which I have seen the movie adaptation before reading the book (spoiler alert: the book is better). It was not difficult to be drawn into the world laid out by Rick Riordan so I finished this book fairly quickly and didn't hesitate to start the second one.
Percy Jackson And The Sea Of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Oh man guys, the movie does not even compare to this book! There was much more action and character development in this book that provided a lot of much needed context to the story. I happily moved on to book 3 after this one.
Percy Jackson And The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Yep, it's a Percy Jackson themed month. Future months will be much more diversified, I promise. This is the type of book series that just seems to keep getting better with each new book. I love it. Onwards.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Okay, time to switch things up. I continued with my classic book selections this month with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I picked up a well loved copy of this book at a library sale in a neighboring town a few months ago. We got an entire bag of books for just ten dollars!! It was amazing, but on to the book. I actually had a hard time getting into this book. The horror genre is not something I usually find myself reading and it took some getting used to. I think this is one of the books that would take a few readings to fully appreciate and love.
Percy Jackson And The Battle Of The Labyrinth
The action continues and intensifies! These books are very connected to each other and do not function as stand alone books that you can pick up at random. The story line gets more involved and intricate with each book revealing a little bit more. I can't wait to see the conclusion, but that will have to wait until my November review!
My goal was to read 5 books this month and I managed to read 6, so I'm pretty proud of myself.
Follow me on Goodreads to keep up with all my books! Do you have any book suggestions for my next review? Leave it in the comments!
1984 by George Orwell
I'm not sure how, but I managed to miss out reading this book in high school and I have been increasingly interested in reading classic books lately. It took me a little while to get immersed in this book, but once I did I could not put it down. 1984 is definitely one of those books that makes you think and changes your perspective about the world. I am always on board with books that invoke thought so I gave this book a solid 4 stars on Goodreads.
Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
I have yet to grow out of my love for YA novels, especially those in the fantasy and sci-fi genres. These books come highly reviewed from both Goodreads and my fiance so I decided to give them a try. This is also one of the few instances in which I have seen the movie adaptation before reading the book (spoiler alert: the book is better). It was not difficult to be drawn into the world laid out by Rick Riordan so I finished this book fairly quickly and didn't hesitate to start the second one.
Percy Jackson And The Sea Of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Oh man guys, the movie does not even compare to this book! There was much more action and character development in this book that provided a lot of much needed context to the story. I happily moved on to book 3 after this one.
Percy Jackson And The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Yep, it's a Percy Jackson themed month. Future months will be much more diversified, I promise. This is the type of book series that just seems to keep getting better with each new book. I love it. Onwards.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Okay, time to switch things up. I continued with my classic book selections this month with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I picked up a well loved copy of this book at a library sale in a neighboring town a few months ago. We got an entire bag of books for just ten dollars!! It was amazing, but on to the book. I actually had a hard time getting into this book. The horror genre is not something I usually find myself reading and it took some getting used to. I think this is one of the books that would take a few readings to fully appreciate and love.
Percy Jackson And The Battle Of The Labyrinth
The action continues and intensifies! These books are very connected to each other and do not function as stand alone books that you can pick up at random. The story line gets more involved and intricate with each book revealing a little bit more. I can't wait to see the conclusion, but that will have to wait until my November review!
My goal was to read 5 books this month and I managed to read 6, so I'm pretty proud of myself.
Follow me on Goodreads to keep up with all my books! Do you have any book suggestions for my next review? Leave it in the comments!
Friday, June 6, 2014
The Culture We Create
I want to start talking about social issues with you guys. The past few months I have been drawn to blogs and stories about social movements and their effects on peoples way of thinking. I know that there are many different opinions on these topics and I want to be clear that I am only stating my own. Your own opinions on these topics are more than welcome and I would love to see them in the comments.
I believe that our society relies too much on excusing behaviors because that's just how it's always been. Saying something is 'girly' as a reason a boy can't play with it? Oh, that's just how it's always been. Men catcalling on the street? Boys will be boys. I am a strong supporter of living life intentionally. Don't let social norms dictate how you respond to a situation, stop and think before you respond.
Today let's focus on this article: http://rantsandrambles.com/2014/05/29/and-he-learned/
Once you have read the article please take a few moments to develop your own opinion and feelings about it before reading my own.
Ready? Okay.
This post is extremely powerful and I think it sheds light on something that not many people talk about. Yes, we talk about feminism and expecting men to know better. However, we expect this from them once they have become adults, instead of instilling respect and equality in them from the start. Don't get me wrong, I don't think being raised a certain way excuses behavior as an adult in any way. The conversation needs to have more than one focal point. Instead of only telling adult men that they need to respect women and treat them as equals, let's also encourage teaching the sons and other young men in their life how important it is. I have seen countless parents ask other adults to watch their language around their children, but how often do you see someone say the same about the treatment of women? Children have an amazing way of picking up on the tiniest moments that you don't think they're paying attention to. Micro aggresions towards women are everywhere on a daily basis. We all know that advertisements and movies are major culprits, but have you ever considered how daily conversation contributes? I never really payed attention to it. It is far easier to blame societal norms on the things we watch on TV or see in magazines, as they are tangible and readily available for evidence.
We are in the social media age, where every thought can be conveyed to countless people in seconds. I have found myself posting opinions and random things that pop into my head without even thinking of the backlash they could cause. This is not living life intentionally. This is living life selfishly.
I challenge you to consider how your words and actions shape the world around you. You may be saying 'I'm only one person, I can't change anything.', but think about the ripple effect you could have to those around you. We are raising the next generation and even if you are not a parent you can have a positive impact on the children you come into come in contact with or are listening in on your conversations. Teach the young boys of today that women deserve to be treated as equals. Teach the young girls that being equal does not mean belittling men. Teach with your actions and well as your words, live what you preach. Live life intentionally.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the article, sound off in the comments!
Allons-y!
I believe that our society relies too much on excusing behaviors because that's just how it's always been. Saying something is 'girly' as a reason a boy can't play with it? Oh, that's just how it's always been. Men catcalling on the street? Boys will be boys. I am a strong supporter of living life intentionally. Don't let social norms dictate how you respond to a situation, stop and think before you respond.
Today let's focus on this article: http://rantsandrambles.com/2014/05/29/and-he-learned/
Once you have read the article please take a few moments to develop your own opinion and feelings about it before reading my own.
Ready? Okay.
This post is extremely powerful and I think it sheds light on something that not many people talk about. Yes, we talk about feminism and expecting men to know better. However, we expect this from them once they have become adults, instead of instilling respect and equality in them from the start. Don't get me wrong, I don't think being raised a certain way excuses behavior as an adult in any way. The conversation needs to have more than one focal point. Instead of only telling adult men that they need to respect women and treat them as equals, let's also encourage teaching the sons and other young men in their life how important it is. I have seen countless parents ask other adults to watch their language around their children, but how often do you see someone say the same about the treatment of women? Children have an amazing way of picking up on the tiniest moments that you don't think they're paying attention to. Micro aggresions towards women are everywhere on a daily basis. We all know that advertisements and movies are major culprits, but have you ever considered how daily conversation contributes? I never really payed attention to it. It is far easier to blame societal norms on the things we watch on TV or see in magazines, as they are tangible and readily available for evidence.
We are in the social media age, where every thought can be conveyed to countless people in seconds. I have found myself posting opinions and random things that pop into my head without even thinking of the backlash they could cause. This is not living life intentionally. This is living life selfishly.
I challenge you to consider how your words and actions shape the world around you. You may be saying 'I'm only one person, I can't change anything.', but think about the ripple effect you could have to those around you. We are raising the next generation and even if you are not a parent you can have a positive impact on the children you come into come in contact with or are listening in on your conversations. Teach the young boys of today that women deserve to be treated as equals. Teach the young girls that being equal does not mean belittling men. Teach with your actions and well as your words, live what you preach. Live life intentionally.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the article, sound off in the comments!
Allons-y!
Friday, April 25, 2014
Dear John Green
Dear John Green,
To be honest, I had really never taken much interest in your name until very recently. That is until a friend posted one of your vlogbrothers videos on Facebook. It was one of your educational ones and I was thoroughly intrigued only 15 seconds into it, and then laughing only 10 seconds later. After I finished watching the video I looked you up. Could this be the same guy who wrote that book that I've been hearing so much about? You know, the little known book turning into a little known movie with the little known actress? Sure enough. Same guy. Not what I was expecting, but in a really good way. The next 2 hours...well, honestly the next week...was spent watching countless vlogbrothers videos in my spare time. You and Hank were pretty much my new favorite people: funny, honest, intellectual, and kind. My kind of guys.
Knowing that The Fault In Our Stars was an emotional book made me hesitate to read it. My genre of reading is usually planted firmly in the sci-fi/fantasy realm. Reading a book about cancer kids? Not on my list of fun things to do really. Well, that didn't last very long. I found the first two chapters of the book on your YouTube channel and after watching those videos I was sufficiently drawn in. The blatant honesty and intelligence of the characters was so much more than I expected. The wit and thoughtfulness of Hazel Grace and the counter sarcasm of Augustus Waters spoke to my sarcastic and sometimes cynical brain. I devoured that book in a day. Granted, that isn't unusual for me, but I have been a bit of a stagnant reader lately and it has been suffocating. I haven't connected with characters in written form in a while and it was incredibly refreshing to be brought out of my book worm slump.
John....I trusted you. I mean, I knew what I was getting into, but goodness. It wasn't so much the part where the plot twist was revealed, but the lead up to it. You know your readers are intelligent, we saw the signs in the many pages leading up to the conversation in that fateful Amsterdam hotel room. Yet, you still managed to break my heart. It took all I had to keep reading those pages. What is the point of going on when you already know the outcome? Why didn't you end it the same way Peter Van Houton did in An Imperial Affliction? Why make us suffer the torture of knowing?
As I read those remaining chapters with the bitterness of a shattered heart I reluctantly began to accept the point. We cannot shut out horrible things just because we don't want to face them. Life demands us to put on a brave face, to power through the difficult and the unruly in order to survive. The world is not a wish granting factory. A simple lesson really, but somehow still ground breaking when phrased in such a way. I'm sorry, did you say this is a YA book? I think you might be confused. I have been out of the Young Adult target ages (as set forth by the Young Adult Library Services Association) for a few years now and this, Mr. Green, has challenged and taught me more than almost any other YA book. Obviously, Harry Potter falls into the 'almost' category of that statement. Yes, I am still brokenhearted after completing the final chapter, but not quite as much as I was at the climax. You softened the blow with your teachable moments and unique outlook on imminent death.
So...thank you John Green. For introducing me to your nerdfighter community and allowing me to feel more at home in the world. Thank you for The Fault In Our Stars, which is truly a blessing to all readers, not just the young adults. Most of all, thank you for being yourself and showing those who need it that life is hard, for showing that the hardness of the world does not lessen its beautiful moments. We can all stand to learn from your most beloved Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace.
I look forward to the continued enthusiasm of your work, in both vlog and written form.
Allons-y!
To be honest, I had really never taken much interest in your name until very recently. That is until a friend posted one of your vlogbrothers videos on Facebook. It was one of your educational ones and I was thoroughly intrigued only 15 seconds into it, and then laughing only 10 seconds later. After I finished watching the video I looked you up. Could this be the same guy who wrote that book that I've been hearing so much about? You know, the little known book turning into a little known movie with the little known actress? Sure enough. Same guy. Not what I was expecting, but in a really good way. The next 2 hours...well, honestly the next week...was spent watching countless vlogbrothers videos in my spare time. You and Hank were pretty much my new favorite people: funny, honest, intellectual, and kind. My kind of guys.
Knowing that The Fault In Our Stars was an emotional book made me hesitate to read it. My genre of reading is usually planted firmly in the sci-fi/fantasy realm. Reading a book about cancer kids? Not on my list of fun things to do really. Well, that didn't last very long. I found the first two chapters of the book on your YouTube channel and after watching those videos I was sufficiently drawn in. The blatant honesty and intelligence of the characters was so much more than I expected. The wit and thoughtfulness of Hazel Grace and the counter sarcasm of Augustus Waters spoke to my sarcastic and sometimes cynical brain. I devoured that book in a day. Granted, that isn't unusual for me, but I have been a bit of a stagnant reader lately and it has been suffocating. I haven't connected with characters in written form in a while and it was incredibly refreshing to be brought out of my book worm slump.
John....I trusted you. I mean, I knew what I was getting into, but goodness. It wasn't so much the part where the plot twist was revealed, but the lead up to it. You know your readers are intelligent, we saw the signs in the many pages leading up to the conversation in that fateful Amsterdam hotel room. Yet, you still managed to break my heart. It took all I had to keep reading those pages. What is the point of going on when you already know the outcome? Why didn't you end it the same way Peter Van Houton did in An Imperial Affliction? Why make us suffer the torture of knowing?
As I read those remaining chapters with the bitterness of a shattered heart I reluctantly began to accept the point. We cannot shut out horrible things just because we don't want to face them. Life demands us to put on a brave face, to power through the difficult and the unruly in order to survive. The world is not a wish granting factory. A simple lesson really, but somehow still ground breaking when phrased in such a way. I'm sorry, did you say this is a YA book? I think you might be confused. I have been out of the Young Adult target ages (as set forth by the Young Adult Library Services Association) for a few years now and this, Mr. Green, has challenged and taught me more than almost any other YA book. Obviously, Harry Potter falls into the 'almost' category of that statement. Yes, I am still brokenhearted after completing the final chapter, but not quite as much as I was at the climax. You softened the blow with your teachable moments and unique outlook on imminent death.
So...thank you John Green. For introducing me to your nerdfighter community and allowing me to feel more at home in the world. Thank you for The Fault In Our Stars, which is truly a blessing to all readers, not just the young adults. Most of all, thank you for being yourself and showing those who need it that life is hard, for showing that the hardness of the world does not lessen its beautiful moments. We can all stand to learn from your most beloved Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace.
I look forward to the continued enthusiasm of your work, in both vlog and written form.
Allons-y!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
City Girl: Coming February 2014
Yup, that's right. I will be moving to the big city in a few short months. No, not New York....DALLAS!
You know, I've never considered myself a city girl. In fact, I'm pretty sure less than a year ago the words 'I could never live in a city.' came out of my mouth. Well that all changed when I accepted a full time position about 20 minutes south of downtown Dallas. Amazing how perspectives can change in such a short time.
I will be graduating college in less than a month (WHAT???) from UNT with my bachelor's degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. During my time interviewing for a post college salary position I figured I would just drive to wherever I ended up working for the first 7-8 months, as my apartment lease goes through July. That is until I got the job with DalTile in south Dallas. Turns out that I have the option of driving almost 100 miles a day through I-35 traffic, or 4 hours a day on a train ride between Denton and Dallas. Not exactly ideal solutions...so the apartment hunt began. I'll be honest, I've lived less than an hour from Dallas my entire life and I've never really explored it. Sure I've gone to concerts, museums, and the Dallas Aquarium but never really looked around the neighborhoods. I was clueless. Ahh internet you are such a sweet resource. I asked the wise search engines of the world wide web where a young, single girl should live in such a city. West Village! Uptown! Deep Ellum! What are these foreign lands? Well there's only so much the internet can tell me, it was time to go exploring.
With my sweet boyfriend as my companion for the day I set out to roam the land. I figured I would just get a feel for the different neighborhoods, certainly not sign up for an apartment yet. Oh the places we went: West Village, Downtown, Uptown, and others. Man can I tell you, some areas of Dallas are SKETCH. Yeah the apartment buildings looked nice online, but the areas around those apartments? NOPE. I was beginning to feel a little discouraged. The nice areas of Dallas are SUPER expensive, and cheaper apartments are in areas I wouldn't be comfortable in alone. Feeling slightly defeated we started heading back home to Denton. On our way we passed one more complex on the edge of Deep Ellum, I was all sorts of done for the day so we didn't go in to check it out. Although we did look up information on the way home. It sounded PERFECT! I was regretting not stopping by. Reasonably priced; gated entrances; parking garage connected to the building; spacious 1 bedroom (200 sq ft more than my current apartment); a club house with a workout room, movie theatre, business center, AND hang out lounge? I was in love. Trouble was there was only 1 unit becoming available in the next few months that was in my price range. After crunching numbers and a little more research I decided to go tour the apartment the very next day. Everything added up in person as it did online and more! I was pretty darn impressed. So, naturally, I applied.
I am now the proud future tenant of a big girl apartment in Dallas! It's a 10 minute walk to downtown, 5 minute walk to Deep Ellum, AND a 15 minute drive to work. Needless to say, I'm a pretty happy girl. Here's to moving on to bigger and better things post graduation!
Allons-y!
You know, I've never considered myself a city girl. In fact, I'm pretty sure less than a year ago the words 'I could never live in a city.' came out of my mouth. Well that all changed when I accepted a full time position about 20 minutes south of downtown Dallas. Amazing how perspectives can change in such a short time.
I will be graduating college in less than a month (WHAT???) from UNT with my bachelor's degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. During my time interviewing for a post college salary position I figured I would just drive to wherever I ended up working for the first 7-8 months, as my apartment lease goes through July. That is until I got the job with DalTile in south Dallas. Turns out that I have the option of driving almost 100 miles a day through I-35 traffic, or 4 hours a day on a train ride between Denton and Dallas. Not exactly ideal solutions...so the apartment hunt began. I'll be honest, I've lived less than an hour from Dallas my entire life and I've never really explored it. Sure I've gone to concerts, museums, and the Dallas Aquarium but never really looked around the neighborhoods. I was clueless. Ahh internet you are such a sweet resource. I asked the wise search engines of the world wide web where a young, single girl should live in such a city. West Village! Uptown! Deep Ellum! What are these foreign lands? Well there's only so much the internet can tell me, it was time to go exploring.
With my sweet boyfriend as my companion for the day I set out to roam the land. I figured I would just get a feel for the different neighborhoods, certainly not sign up for an apartment yet. Oh the places we went: West Village, Downtown, Uptown, and others. Man can I tell you, some areas of Dallas are SKETCH. Yeah the apartment buildings looked nice online, but the areas around those apartments? NOPE. I was beginning to feel a little discouraged. The nice areas of Dallas are SUPER expensive, and cheaper apartments are in areas I wouldn't be comfortable in alone. Feeling slightly defeated we started heading back home to Denton. On our way we passed one more complex on the edge of Deep Ellum, I was all sorts of done for the day so we didn't go in to check it out. Although we did look up information on the way home. It sounded PERFECT! I was regretting not stopping by. Reasonably priced; gated entrances; parking garage connected to the building; spacious 1 bedroom (200 sq ft more than my current apartment); a club house with a workout room, movie theatre, business center, AND hang out lounge? I was in love. Trouble was there was only 1 unit becoming available in the next few months that was in my price range. After crunching numbers and a little more research I decided to go tour the apartment the very next day. Everything added up in person as it did online and more! I was pretty darn impressed. So, naturally, I applied.
I am now the proud future tenant of a big girl apartment in Dallas! It's a 10 minute walk to downtown, 5 minute walk to Deep Ellum, AND a 15 minute drive to work. Needless to say, I'm a pretty happy girl. Here's to moving on to bigger and better things post graduation!
Allons-y!
Friday, November 15, 2013
What I'm Made Of
Who am I? What makes me, me? I have been asking myself these questions for the past several months, and I don't really have an answer yet. Almost two and a half years ago I moved out of my parents house after completing my Associates Degree at a community college. I only moved about 30 minutes away, but to me it was still a big change. I went from having a safety net and a set way of living, to living with two other girls and we all had different ways of approaching life. Adjusting to a new way of living, with people who did not think the same way as me was very difficult for a very long time. I starting losing who I was and was turning into someone I didn't like. I honestly didn't realize the severity of it or how much of myself I had truly lost and buried until I moved into a place by myself two months ago. I've starting rediscovering myself and learning what I truly love and what makes me who I am. It certainly hasn't been easy, as all of this is coinciding with losing and separating myself from the people I considered my closest friends. I've had days of feeling worthless and lonely, but I have also had days of incredible freedom and liberation. It's been extremely difficult and emotional, but I am learning to love myself again and truly enjoy the things I love without fear or judgment. I was reflecting on all of this recently and I want to share some things that make me who I am, things I love, what I believe in, and things that are home to me.
Allons-y!
- I love rock music. I grew up on classics like AC/DC and I have always loved true rock bands.
- I love video games. I may not play them as often as I would like, but I love the hand-eye coordination involved and being able to hit targets with precision. I also kind of like the shit-talking. Those of you who play first person shooters know what I'm talking about
- I believe in being kind to people, but I also believe in standing up for myself.
- I love the work of Joss Whedon. The stories. The character development. The wit! Is Joss involved? I'm in.
- Speaking of Joss, I love Firefly. I have a way of adopting TV shows and movies as kind of my 'home base' when I need comfort and something familiar that just jives with me.
- I love sci-fi and fantasy in book, TV, and movie form. Watch one of my favorite sci-fi shows with me, or read one of my favorite books, and let me geek out about it and I will love you forever. Agree or disagree with me about it's awesomeness, but let me be excited to you. That means so much to me.
- I believe in family owned businesses. I work for an amazing company that was started from the ground up by an amazing couple who started their production in a shipping container. Their values and goals inspire me. I believe in supporting these businesses and cultivating small business owners over corporations.
- I love and believe in Doctor Who. Again, TV shows. I will not apologize for having this show be such a big part of my life anymore. I have done it too much, especially in recent years. It has gotten me through so many things and taught me some amazing lessons. I love the writing. I love the actors. I love the cheese factor. I love it all.
- I believe in waiting for things you truly want and not taking short cuts to get there. I believe in waiting when it is the right thing to do, even when you so badly want to skip ahead.
- I believe in tattoos. I don't think anyone should ever be thought less of because of expressing themselves in permanent ink.
- I love Volleyball. I've never been good enough to make any teams, but I love playing with people for fun. I am not a sports person, but I am a Volleyball person.
- I believe that spending hours in a book store is the perfect way to relax and rejuvenate.
- I believe in being scared and pushing past it.
- I love Senses Fail. This band is my perfect jam music when I am having an overabundance of emotions and frustration.
- I love Mayday Parade. This band is perfect always.
- I believe in biblical community. I personally can not grow without it. Right now I don't have any and the stagnant state of my walk is suffocating.
- I believe in paving your own way and being independent. I also believe in asking for help when you truly need it.
- I love personal finance. This is recent, but I love figuring out the best ways to handle my money and future planning.
- I believe in coming home from work and not speaking to anyone for an hour.
- I also believe in 'cave time'. My parents call the time I needed to myself as 'cave time', they know I am cranky and not myself when I don't get enough time for me.
- I believe in strong women, but not pushy women. I believe in the equal rights of women, but not the current popular view of 'feminism'.
- I love having a dark side and twisted side. It makes life more interesting, and keeps me balanced.
- I believe in building people up.
- I believe in being honest.
- I believe in mistakes. And working with people through them.
- I love meat. Steak. YUM. I will never be a vegetarian, or any variation thereof.
- I believe in hard work. I believe in going the extra mile.
- I believe in humor. I need some light in the seriousness of this thing called life.
- I love jackets. I love jackets like most women love shoes. I live for fall and winter, my fashion choices are so much better during those seasons.
Allons-y!
Friday, August 30, 2013
The End Is Near, As Is The Beginning
Yesterday was my last, first day of class. If all goes according to plan I will be graduating college in December.
And guys...I'm scared.
I am notorious for worrying about things to unhealthy levels. I'd like to think I've gotten better about this over the past few years, but in the past few weeks my worrying has come back full force. I stress about finding a job. Not only a job, but a job I will like. A job that will fulfill my financial needs. A job that isn't too far from home. A job that allows me to grow. I worry that I'll fail when it comes to figuring out big girl things like insurance and 401k's without my parents sound advice. They've already started the 'It's your decision.' and 'That's something you have to figure out for yourself.' responses. While I am grateful for decisional freedom, they're responses terrify me. I worry that I'll fail my parents expectations, along with everyone else's. I'm afraid I'll screw up beyond repair. I'm worried that I haven't learned enough in my classes to justify a big girl position at a company. I'm afraid I won't be good enough in this competitive job market.
Aren't I supposed to have my life figured out by now? Everyone keeps asking me what position I'll be going after when I graduate. They ask when I'm getting married. They ask me about my future plans. I. Don't. Know. It's all up in the air. I don't know where I'll be working 4 months from now. I don't know where I'll be living in a year. I don't know what salary I'll be getting. I don't even know when I'm getting engaged, not to mention married. I like having plans, I really do, but right now nothing is solid. It's all fluid, and I hate that. I hate, I hate, I hate it!! I want to have it figured out. I want answers. I want to be confident in those answers. I do. Right now, I can't.
I'm still figuring out who I am, let alone how I want the rest of my life to play out. I realize this is me ranting. I'm ok with that if you are. Well, even if you aren't. I feel like I'm having a quarter life crisis. That's a thing. Don't question it....but if you really want to, Google it. Wikipedia pretty much sums up my feelings: "Common symptoms of a quarter life crisis are often feelings of being "lost, scared, lonely or confused" about what steps to take in order to transition properly into adulthood. Studies have shown that unemployment and choosing a career path is a major cause for young persons to undergo stress or anxiety. Early stages of one living on their own for the first time and learning to cope without parental help can also induce feelings of isolation and loneliness."
See. Real thing.
The last few weeks I have worried myself into laziness and Netflix binging. Sometimes I handle stress by pretending the things I'm stressing about don't exist. I didn't even realize that's what I was doing, I chalked it up to being tired or transitioning into a new semester. Less than 48 hours ago I figured out it's because I am drowning in stress. I still haven't finished putting my new apartment together (I moved a month ago). I'm almost out of clean clothes...well the essential ones, like underwear. I need to get my oil changed in my new car. I need to do a whole bunch of simple things, yet I am totally unmotivated to. That's usually the indicator that I need to slow down, take a deep breath, and minimize stress. I need to find ways to unplug, stop worrying, and just enjoy little things. I think a big thing contributing to my stress is that I've lost a lot of friends lately and I don't have people who know me inside and out to just chit chat with anymore. I don't have a best girl friend to just do silly things with, or have deep conversations. This, in a very large part, is my fault. I need to get out more and socialize. I need to put more effort into those who are still around. I REALLY need a fellow geek to fangirl with. Seriously, I'm taking applications.
I don't think any of what I just described is unique to me. Many 20 something's go through it, and for the most part they come out alive. I don't want to just survive, I want to live and enjoy and soak in all the good things. Positive, happy thoughts everyone.
Allons-y!
And guys...I'm scared.
I am notorious for worrying about things to unhealthy levels. I'd like to think I've gotten better about this over the past few years, but in the past few weeks my worrying has come back full force. I stress about finding a job. Not only a job, but a job I will like. A job that will fulfill my financial needs. A job that isn't too far from home. A job that allows me to grow. I worry that I'll fail when it comes to figuring out big girl things like insurance and 401k's without my parents sound advice. They've already started the 'It's your decision.' and 'That's something you have to figure out for yourself.' responses. While I am grateful for decisional freedom, they're responses terrify me. I worry that I'll fail my parents expectations, along with everyone else's. I'm afraid I'll screw up beyond repair. I'm worried that I haven't learned enough in my classes to justify a big girl position at a company. I'm afraid I won't be good enough in this competitive job market.
Aren't I supposed to have my life figured out by now? Everyone keeps asking me what position I'll be going after when I graduate. They ask when I'm getting married. They ask me about my future plans. I. Don't. Know. It's all up in the air. I don't know where I'll be working 4 months from now. I don't know where I'll be living in a year. I don't know what salary I'll be getting. I don't even know when I'm getting engaged, not to mention married. I like having plans, I really do, but right now nothing is solid. It's all fluid, and I hate that. I hate, I hate, I hate it!! I want to have it figured out. I want answers. I want to be confident in those answers. I do. Right now, I can't.
I'm still figuring out who I am, let alone how I want the rest of my life to play out. I realize this is me ranting. I'm ok with that if you are. Well, even if you aren't. I feel like I'm having a quarter life crisis. That's a thing. Don't question it....but if you really want to, Google it. Wikipedia pretty much sums up my feelings: "Common symptoms of a quarter life crisis are often feelings of being "lost, scared, lonely or confused" about what steps to take in order to transition properly into adulthood. Studies have shown that unemployment and choosing a career path is a major cause for young persons to undergo stress or anxiety. Early stages of one living on their own for the first time and learning to cope without parental help can also induce feelings of isolation and loneliness."
See. Real thing.
The last few weeks I have worried myself into laziness and Netflix binging. Sometimes I handle stress by pretending the things I'm stressing about don't exist. I didn't even realize that's what I was doing, I chalked it up to being tired or transitioning into a new semester. Less than 48 hours ago I figured out it's because I am drowning in stress. I still haven't finished putting my new apartment together (I moved a month ago). I'm almost out of clean clothes...well the essential ones, like underwear. I need to get my oil changed in my new car. I need to do a whole bunch of simple things, yet I am totally unmotivated to. That's usually the indicator that I need to slow down, take a deep breath, and minimize stress. I need to find ways to unplug, stop worrying, and just enjoy little things. I think a big thing contributing to my stress is that I've lost a lot of friends lately and I don't have people who know me inside and out to just chit chat with anymore. I don't have a best girl friend to just do silly things with, or have deep conversations. This, in a very large part, is my fault. I need to get out more and socialize. I need to put more effort into those who are still around. I REALLY need a fellow geek to fangirl with. Seriously, I'm taking applications.
I don't think any of what I just described is unique to me. Many 20 something's go through it, and for the most part they come out alive. I don't want to just survive, I want to live and enjoy and soak in all the good things. Positive, happy thoughts everyone.
Allons-y!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)