5/30 - Little Bits of Happiness

What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?

>>Boyfriend Bryan - This needs little explanation. There is no other way to describe the fact that Bryan and I are together right now besides fate. We are not from the same hometown, we have never lived in the same place - but he is my other half. He loves me unconditionally and I could not be happier then when we are together. He not only tolerates my quirks, but loves me more because of them. 

>>The prospect of spring. Few things make me happier than warm weather and the prospect of new life. 

>>Heading home this week! I love school, and my life here, but cannot wait to spend a few days of quality time with my parents. They keep me grounded and spending down time after finals with them is always much needed.

>>Old friends visiting. One of my best friends who has graduated and moved to NC came to visit this week, and it was wonderful to recount old memories and make new ones this week.

>>Getting another quarter closer to graduation. My collegiate experience has been the best. I would not change any of these experiences, but I am also ready to start the rest of my life. With finals next week, I have one more quarter under my belt, and am one step closer to my goals. 

4/30 - Letter to Me

List 10 Things you Would Tell your 16 Year-old Self, If you Could

1. Stop being so dramatic. Life isn't that hard. Nothing is really that bad. You will miss these days when they're gone.

2. Take the time to realize who your true friends are. Some of the people you have been friends with your whole life may not have ever grown up.

3. Write down every story your coworkers at Fridays tell you. They are some of the most absurd people you will ever meet, one day you will want to write a book about these people.

4. Remember to stick to your guns. You were raised better than some of the shitty decisions you will make. 

5. I promise you will grow into your face. Promise. Stick through the braces, and get some damn contacts.

6. You might don't need to kiss (that many) frogs to find your prince. Quit wasting your time with jerks.

7. No real man would ever lay a hand on you, it doesn't matter if you think that's love.

8. Spring break your junior year of high school will be one of the hardest things you have ever dealt with so far in your life, you will get through it. Be grateful that you got to share this experience with Nana, it may not be a good one - but it is one neither of you will ever forget. 

9. All State will be something you will never forget, cherish every moment you can spend with these people.

10. Lots of people will leave this life in the next few years. Most that you would never expect, reconnect with childhood friends - stay close to your new friends. Life is too short. Learn from these experiences. 

[November 2006 - All State 207 Build - Post Braces, Finally]

3/30 - Describe Your Relationship with your Parents

Describe Your Relationship With Your Parents

As a teenager I had a "strained"relationship with both mom and dad. We got along well, and I could laugh with them, but I never felt the need to confide in them. I went through a pretty rough time in middle school and the beginning of high school and my dad just couldn't wrap his head around what happened to his happy-go-lucky little girl. I had friends struggling with mood disorders, divorce, and abuse and got so wrapped up in feeling bad for friends, I forgot to be thankful and appreciate the things I was blessed with. As I got older my relationship with my parents continued to be stressful. While I did well in school, I decided I needed to be more of a hard-ass. I took up smoking for at 16 while working in a restaurant and had been drinking since my freshman year of high school. To this day my parents have no clue the tangled web of lies my friends and I used to weave so we could go do things we knew they would never approve of. Despite my attempts to rebel, my parents had a tight hold on me. I had a very stable home life and resented them for caring so much. My 10:00 curfew didn't cut it for the badass image I was trying to portray.

Eventually, I grew up. I realized that everything my parents did was for my sister and I. My dad and I grew closer, but it was the relationship with my mom and I that really took a turn for the better. We went from being in a constant state of bickering, to being on the path to really being friends. Now that I'm away I call my mother at least 2-3 times per day. I spent last spring back at home due to some health problems, and my mom and I continued to grow closer. She is such an inspiration to me. Her and my father were both first generation college students who worked their butts off for everything we have. My parents are hardworking and never take no for an answer. While neither of them will ever dote on money, they both came from nothing and have allowed my sister and I to lead very comfortable upper-middle class lifestyles. I love these two people more than I normally let on, and am blessed to have parents as supportive of my every decision as they are. 

Obsessed

One of my coworkers shared this video with me on Sunday and we watched it 17 times on repeat. It's silly and ridiculous, but makes me smile every time I hear the song. Enjoy Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Ashley Tisdale rocking out to the newest canadian pop-star. You heard it hear, Call Me Maybe is going to be HUGE

2/30 - Fears

Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears

Birds

My fear of birds is by far the most irrational, and probably the one that I have to deal with the most on a daily basis. This irrational fear began way back in 3rd grade, and has only been growing. We were pet-sitting my next-door neighbor's cockatoo, Elvis, and my sister and I went next-door to feed it. While Cait was filling Elvis' water dish he squeezed out through that hole, and began dive-bombing my sister and I through the next half hour. We were 13 and 9 respectively and spent the entire time screaming and crying until my dad eventually came by and got Elvis back in his cage. Even after this incident I was attacked by a bird in college, been pooped on 3 times, had a bird fly at my car windshield, and generally had them wreak havoc in my life. Since then I have lived in constant fear of these winged rats. Growing up near Chicago I was especially terrified of going downtown because it meant I would be surrounded by birds. Even writing this post has given me goosebumps. 

Disappointment

I have big shoes to fill (both literally and figuratively, my sister has HUGE feet). Both my parents were the first people in their families to go to college. They worked hard to put themselves through school, and to be in the place they are now. My sister graduated at the top of her class at the Academy and has determination like no one I have ever met. Cait works harder and is intuitively smarter than 90% of the people she has ever met. Throughout high school and my first two years of college I spent my time trying to live up to the standard she had set. Straight A's. No nonsense. It took me nearly six years to realize that we aren't the same person and never will be. It took my parents this long to realize it as well. While they eventually realized I don't have the same internal workings as seeing the world in black or white, I have strengths that come through in a different way. With that being said, I am still terrified of disappointing my family at any given time. Be it academically or with any other decisions in my life, the last thing I ever want to do is alienate the individuals who have done so much for me and continually do.

Being Alone Forever

This fear has kind of evolved over time. It began with me hating every second of being by myself, I was constantly surrounded by a group of people. Over time I began to tolerate my alone time, and even crave it sometimes now. This fear now lives more so in that forever aspect. I'm terrified of never finding someone to spend the rest of my life with. I crave that daily contact with someone who will love me eternally. It scares me that Bry and I have been long-distance from day one. We spend too little time together to have time just to be bored. It terrifies me that the first time we are living in the same city (hell even the same part of the country) he will realize that I'm too much for him. I can be any combination of loud, cranky, bitchy, messy, moody or sad in a matter of five minutes. I'm scared that someday I will do something to scare this wonderful man away.

Most of my fears are irrational, but they're just that - they're mine. These are things that in some capacity I deal with on a daily basis. Describing what I fear I think is a pretty unique way to describe facets of my personality that may not normally come into play. 

Tomorrow's Topic: Describe your relationship with your parents

1/30 - Random Things

Day One - List 20 Random Things About Yourself

[[Family Vacation, Hawaii, Circa 2008]]

1. I am the biggest child at heart. Despicable Me may be one of my favorite movies ever, I'm obsessed with all things Harry Potter, can name all 151 original Pokemon, and can think of few places that make me happier than Disney World.
2. All I want to do in life is help people. Children with special needs hold a huge place in my heart, and I would love nothing more than to spend every day of the rest of my life with these individuals.
3. I have a not-so-secret love affair with musical theater. I grew up singing and dancing, and later finding my true passion behind the scenes, and very few days go by that I don't miss it (I fill the void in my life by blaring musicals whenever I think no one is listening).
4. I use men's deodorant.
5. Cheese is my favorite food in the entire world. I love any and all kinds of it.
6. I hate watching baseball on TV, but would give anything to have Cubs seasons tickets.
7. My legs are two different lengths by over an inch, and my feet are half a size different.
8. I am terrified of birds (side story: my sophomore year of college I was walking to class and a bird swooped through the air and hit me in the chest, I fell on the ground screaming and got such bad anxiety that I had to turn around and go home. This is completely unreasonable and I understand that)
9. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love the holiday cheer and the general attitude that surronds the season.
10. I love roller coasters. and big drops. and cars that drive fast.
11. I have great hair.
12. Glittens are the best winter accessory in the world. If you have never worn glittens, you're missing out.
13. I am a youngest child, and you can tell that in many of the things that I do.
14. I love leadership development, I've taken many classes about it in college and think it's incredibly important to foster leadership development in young people. 
15. Positivity-Adaptability-Empathy-Includer-Communication (StrengthsQuest is my favorite leadership inventory of all time. These are my top five strengths. Everyone should take this.)
16. There are few things I enjoy more than a good glass of wine or an ice cold Diet Coke.
17. Despite my age I still sleep with a teddy bear. Schnookums has been in my life for too many years now, and I just can't let him go.
18. Making a long distance relationship work with someone in the military is the hardest thing I've had to do. In my opinion being a Navy girlfriend/wife/fiance is the hardest job in the service.
19. From the first time I stepped on the Ohio State's campus the university had my heart. I am a proud buckeye and cannot wait until the day I can say I am an Ohio State alumnae.
20. My family is my biggest source of inspiration in my life. My parents are two of the hardest working people I know, and my sister has intelligence and drive that is unrivaled. I spend my days trying to make these three people proud.

30 Things

As much as I have tried to keep a blog, it seems that either a) I can't find anything to write about or b) once a great idea for a post hits me I forget by the time I get back to a computer. To combat this I went to Pinterest (as any red blooded American female would) and found this lovely 30 Things list. I figure through having something to write about every day, eventually it would become habit so I may not need a prompt anymore.

Here are the "30 Things" aka 30 Days of Blogging Prompts
1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrasing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misundertand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.