Sweet Taste of Freedom

Nothing is quite as sweet as that feeling of freedom that comes with the end of a school year; feeling that sense of accomplishment after working hard for months and months. Today I finished my last final, and it is the best feeling in the world. I have worked like crazy this semester. More than just a couple of all nighters were pulled. I have learned a ton, and written oogles of papers. At this point a nice summer is very much needed.

Although this sense of freedom is truly wonderful, I cannot even begin to say how much I am going to miss my roommates. This year has been far and away my favorite year of college. I have had such great roommates who stay up late with me, and love me for the absolutely insane person that I am. One of my favorite quotes from the tv show Freaks and Geeks is when Sam says, "Why do I need more friends, I already have two." But I can much relate to him. This year with just my perfect three roommates and my BFF Cody who lives upstairs, I have more friendship than any person could even hope for. I am going to miss living with all of them so much. I am going to miss staying up late watching super awesome movies with Amanda. I am going to miss late night talks with Beth as we lay on our bunk bed. I am going to miss making up crazy schemes with BreAuna late into the night. I am going to miss doing karaoke with Cody, or coming up with fictional stories of my Russian alter ego. I am especially going to miss Beth, who is going to leave me for 18 months to serve her mission in Japan, and BreAuna who is going to do work study at Disney World. Luckily next year I will still have Amanda and Cody to party with.

Even though I am so sad for this year with my roommates to end, I am so excited for this new summer to start so I can teach cute little munchkins to swim for my job.

I present to you the face of freedom-

Missing my Ireland

I am really missing my I.I. this week! It has been almost a month since I have seen her! I am having serious withdrawls. She is my favorite little buddy. I really cannot wait for this week to be over so I can have all summer to play with her! I mean just look at this cute girly, how could you not love her to pieces. No little person has quite been able to steal my heart like she has mine.

Finals Week Has Arrived!

Bridge Over Troubled Water

I don't know if any of you have felt heart break before, and I mean feeling that something that really just makes you ache and mourn down to your very soul. But recently I have gone through some real hard moments in my life. None of it due to romantic heartbreak but something entirely different. In the past few months my parents have split up and are due to divorce. Coming as a shock to me, who I guess naively suspected nothing, everything felt like it was coming tumbling down all around me. It is hard to try and emotionally have a handle on something you have absolutely no control over. I felt helpless, and had a really hard time connecting with the people around me for a while: my family and friends. You see these kind of things happen on tv or to other people and you never think it could happen to you, but when it does it never turns out as you imagine it could. Even though it was my parents splitting, I felt deep and penetrating heartbreak. All your life you imagine a certain kind of future for yourself and your family, and all the sudden everything has completely changed course.

For months I have been in a bad place, but recently I have been turning a new leaf. Even though there are things greatly out of my control, I have been taking this time of heartbreak to renew myself and take a time for self reflection and discovery. It is in our hardest times that we can discover how strong we actually can be. In these passed months I have discovered that I am a strong young woman with a lot of greatness ahead of me. I have made new dreams for myself, and learned to look forward with positivity and optimism. With Paul Simon as my emotional guide I have started to heal and callus my wounds. I have never so much felt the healing power that music can give until listening to the beautiful lyrics of Paul Simon while I was down. The man is a genius, and I infinitely owe him. Good music really heals down to the soul. Heartbreak is only temporary, and happiness can last a lifetime. I just needed to break through trial to discover the happiness that can be gained.

Life throws us curve balls, we just need to learn to outsmart it and learn to hit the ball right on.

Native American Literature

This semester I have taken a course that I have completely fallen in love with, Native American Literature. Before taking this class I didn't really think too much about their being a whole separate genre for Native literature, but as I have been engrossing myself in these novels I have come to realize that Native writers do in fact have this beautiful and unique style of writing that I have not had the pleasure of reading in any other books. The books I have read have such a strong sense of identity and what it means to be apart of something, the Native culture. And being the English major I am, I love to devour symbolism, trying to find the meaning hidden in simple things. These books are chalk full of that like no other genre I have read. So to you I suggest, if you have not already, to find a Native American novel and you will be pleasantly surprised as you read and open your mind to a beautiful culture.

Books I suggest:

Love Medicine, by Louise Erdrich.

Winter in the Blood, by James Welch

Ceremony, by Leslie Marmon Silko

Bone Game, by Louis Owens

If you feel so inclined, pick up one of these books, and you will not regret it.

How Time Flies

Man oh man! This school year has been absolute insanity! As you can see, since I haven't posted in however many months. But despite the insanity, I have been having the time of my life. In the past months I have made new friends, discovered new and exciting things, felt heartbreak, and studied so hard I thought my brain would deflate. It really is amazing when you look back on your life and can see when you have grown the most as a person, and for me, this year has been one of those times. In just one year I feel like I have grown into a completely new person. It never ceases to amaze me how in such little time life can be incredibly changed. Within just few month span so much has changed, some good, some bad. I have discovered that music has an intense affect, and can feel as if it is sinking into your soul and searching through your life to bring you peace. I guess that Paul Simon and Bob Dylan can have that effect on a person. I have found that a really good movie can help you to leave behind that world and feel complete elation from that cinematic brilliance. And a book, you know that book, that very special one that you read and find your life changed, can give you a new outlook on life and feel as if that characters in it have become some of your very best friends. When you are going through turmoil in your life, and feel that you are beyond turning to someone, I have found that these things can help you and change you for the better. Music, movies, and books have a unique power that can bring you peace and change you in ways you never thought could be possible. When you find that life around you is changing and completely beyond your control, you can take hold of your own life and mold yourself into the person you want to be. Some things can spin out of control and you have to sit helpless and sit and watch it burn, but when it comes to yourself and who you are, that is always powered by your own hand.