Once again, I apologize for forgetting about you for a whole semester. These last however-many-weeks have challenged me in ways I never thought possible and I've learned a lot about myself. I've discovered that I've started writing emails like papers with a thesis and an introduction and conclusion. I have successfully survived working 24 hours a week between 2 jobs and also going to school. I have analyzed authors and their works, written long papers on impossibly tight schedules, been too busy to sleep more than three hours or to eat a meal at a normal time (or even eat a meal while sitting or standing in one place). I have felt like an idiot, I have learned things, and I have overcome my fears of failure, of people smarter than me, and of not getting everything done. Graduate school is not for everyone. I've had moments where I thought it wasn't for me. But you know what? Everything is what you make it. And slowly, but surely, I'm making graduate school my own.
When I was younger, my family moved around a lot. Like every 2-4 years. Everywhere we lived my dad would tell me to make it my own. I would join clubs, work really hard at homework, make new friends, play in the band, and do all of the things I loved. I would be happy. I made it my own. The first year or two of this is always a painful process. But you know what? Slowly but surely I'll make graduate school my own.
06 December 2011
11 August 2011
How You Know You Found the Right One
Tricked you, didn't I? You thought this was going to be some kind of engagement announcement, I bet. Sorry to disappoint, but it's not. The title was intentional, however. Let me explain - but as a warning, it's gonna be a long explanation.
My senior year of high school, I struggled with choosing the right college. I had wanted to go to one my entire life and at the last moment changed my mind, even though I would receive less financial aid and be farther from home. But I've never regretted the choice.
In leaving what I knew, I discovered so much more. It was my first solo adventure. I found a group of great girls I can talk about anything with. I found a drop-dead gorgeous campus that always brightened my day, however dreary, as soon as I walked outside. I loved the sugar maples in the fall, the carillon in the winter with gently falling snow, the flowers in the spring and summer. I found the man I love. I found a marching band that became an all-consuming obsession and a way to learn about myself while playing awesome music and exercising with my best friends. I found faculty in my major and minor departments who truly cared about their students and became more like distinguished friends. I found a church home where I could gladly go every single day of the week, where I could lead and follow and learn, where I always felt at home. I think that's what I miss most. That, and knowing that it will never be the same again.
I'm a firm believer that each and every year is the best of your life - it is what you make it and if you make it that way, each year is better than the last in its own unique manner. I know that my graduate school and its town have a lot to offer and that I'll enjoy the time I spend here. But every time I think of my undergraduate school, I find myself smiling at the memories, and an ache in my heart like when a person is separated from his or her love. If that doesn't tell me I found the right place to get a Bachelor's degree, I don't know what does.
So for now, I'm working on remembering that adventure and storing its happiness away for a rainy day. In the meantime, there's another path at my feet. It doesn't do to get lost in the past and forget to take the path that lies ahead. Without looking forward, it's easy to fall over (and as someone who broke her ankle in three places just five months ago, it's very important to remember that)! Thank you for treating me to a brief trip down memory lane. Now, onward we travel, up the path that lies ahead.
My senior year of high school, I struggled with choosing the right college. I had wanted to go to one my entire life and at the last moment changed my mind, even though I would receive less financial aid and be farther from home. But I've never regretted the choice.
In leaving what I knew, I discovered so much more. It was my first solo adventure. I found a group of great girls I can talk about anything with. I found a drop-dead gorgeous campus that always brightened my day, however dreary, as soon as I walked outside. I loved the sugar maples in the fall, the carillon in the winter with gently falling snow, the flowers in the spring and summer. I found the man I love. I found a marching band that became an all-consuming obsession and a way to learn about myself while playing awesome music and exercising with my best friends. I found faculty in my major and minor departments who truly cared about their students and became more like distinguished friends. I found a church home where I could gladly go every single day of the week, where I could lead and follow and learn, where I always felt at home. I think that's what I miss most. That, and knowing that it will never be the same again.
I'm a firm believer that each and every year is the best of your life - it is what you make it and if you make it that way, each year is better than the last in its own unique manner. I know that my graduate school and its town have a lot to offer and that I'll enjoy the time I spend here. But every time I think of my undergraduate school, I find myself smiling at the memories, and an ache in my heart like when a person is separated from his or her love. If that doesn't tell me I found the right place to get a Bachelor's degree, I don't know what does.
So for now, I'm working on remembering that adventure and storing its happiness away for a rainy day. In the meantime, there's another path at my feet. It doesn't do to get lost in the past and forget to take the path that lies ahead. Without looking forward, it's easy to fall over (and as someone who broke her ankle in three places just five months ago, it's very important to remember that)! Thank you for treating me to a brief trip down memory lane. Now, onward we travel, up the path that lies ahead.
19 July 2011
The Fruit-Computer Intersection
What happens when you combine fruit and a computer? You get a sweet way to answer emails. Or maybe just some cheesy humor and a blog post that is slightly unrelated. :)
Anyway, this last week has been a culinary adventure. My boyfriend came down to visit and I wanted to do something special, so I made cherry bars. I had never tried this recipe before, but it was pretty good. Essentially, you make a special cookie dough (which is quite rich, including 2 sticks of butter and 4 eggs, among other things). Then you coat the bottom of a pan with it, spread a can of cherry pie filling on top, and dollop spoonfuls of dough on top of that. Here's the lovely image:
Then, you bake it and the dough smooths out a bit, though it didn't provide the uniform coverage I was hoping for. Once your bars are cool, you can frost them with a vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar mixture. I thought that they were really good the first couple of days, but over time they start to get really soggy. I also ran into trouble because I didn't have a 10 x 15 pan that was deep enough and used a 9 x 13. Thus the middle was slightly gooey when the edges started to burn. But, I would make this recipe again!
It so looks good enough to eat. :) This weekend I also made (with some help), Sparkling Lemonade Cookies. They are cake-like in texture and include lemonade concentrate in the dough, so the cookie is slightly lemon flavored. When they come out of the oven, you brush them with lemonade concentrate and dust them with powdered or granulated sugar. I thought both versions were nice, but I would definitely use more lemonade on top next time to be sure they had enough flavor.
In other news, I'm really enjoying the class I'm taking right now. It's called "Computer-Based Information Tools" and teaches future librarians the basics they need to survive. We just finished a unit on UNIX and how to communicate with servers that way. Now we're learning HTML and XHTML, so that we can build webpages for our libraries in the future. I adore this unit. I think it's an absolute blast and I can't wait to put my knowledge to the test. I never thought I'd be so excited about computers, or that they would be so important to librarians.
And that, everyone, is the fruit-computer intersection.
09 July 2011
Grad School and Other Things
I know that I promised to write every week. And I will! Starting now. I sheepishly apologize for my lack of updates, and cite graduate school as my excuse. I also know that the premise of this blog is that it is about things like travels and crafts, but this post focuses on studying.
As I write this, I'm five days away from the end of my first graduate school class. It has been nothing like I thought it would be. I'm still glad to be here and I know that I've learned a lot, but at the same time I recognize that it's not exactly what I expected. It lasted for 4 hours a day, three days a week. We turned in a project (of which the shortest was five pages and the longest so far was 11) every two days. I've researched and read and written. And for the first time in my life, I did homework until 3 a.m. not because I procrastinated, but because there really was just that much to do. I'm not really complaining, mind you, but telling you how life has been. I know not every class will have quite this much work in such a condensed period, but it's been a wild ride. All I have left is to finish writing a research guide (compilation of sources and descriptions of those sources to help researchers) on my childhood hero and attend two more lectures and I'm done!
On a side note, in my other class we're learning all kinds of crazy computer skills. Those of you who know me in "real life" know that I'm not the best with computers (or any technology, really). However, I can now get around in UNIX, and will be learning programming languages and things too. Who knew those were essential skills for librarians? :P I guess I'm learning things already. Crazy grad school. :)
As I write this, I'm five days away from the end of my first graduate school class. It has been nothing like I thought it would be. I'm still glad to be here and I know that I've learned a lot, but at the same time I recognize that it's not exactly what I expected. It lasted for 4 hours a day, three days a week. We turned in a project (of which the shortest was five pages and the longest so far was 11) every two days. I've researched and read and written. And for the first time in my life, I did homework until 3 a.m. not because I procrastinated, but because there really was just that much to do. I'm not really complaining, mind you, but telling you how life has been. I know not every class will have quite this much work in such a condensed period, but it's been a wild ride. All I have left is to finish writing a research guide (compilation of sources and descriptions of those sources to help researchers) on my childhood hero and attend two more lectures and I'm done!
On a side note, in my other class we're learning all kinds of crazy computer skills. Those of you who know me in "real life" know that I'm not the best with computers (or any technology, really). However, I can now get around in UNIX, and will be learning programming languages and things too. Who knew those were essential skills for librarians? :P I guess I'm learning things already. Crazy grad school. :)
15 June 2011
Summer's Resolution
Here I promised myself I would write weekly and it's been more than that without an update. Not that my life is that exciting, but I think writing here provides me a chance to exercise my creativity. More or less. :) Ok - my resolution for this summer is that I will write weekly, regardless of whether or not I have something new and different to say.
I'm preparing to embark on the true purpose of my life here. No more sleeping in until I'm no longer tired, no more spending my days reading for fun and working on a colossal paint-by-number, no more long daily phone calls to my family and nights of watching mindless television specials. After a successful interview two days ago, I have a job in my campus library. I start next week, and am very excited for both the experience and the income. I also start classes on Friday, which should keep me out of trouble.
I have to say, however, that I'm slightly disillusioned. I know that graduate students are supposed to be more self-sufficient and knowledgeable than their undergraduate counterparts. For my orientation, I will receive instruction in the computer system and a campus map. That's it. No information on health insurance, meal plans, safety escort services, campus traditions and festivals, none of the traditional orientation trappings. Not even instructions on how to set up email accounts or where to get my campus card. I've already done both of those things, but a little guidance would be nice. Oh well. I'll stumble through and hopefully won't forget anything. I got my undergraduate diploma in the mail last week - reminding me that I've graduated from college, but with these new classes looming, I see not just the accomplishments of the past four years, but all of the things I have yet to learn. In the words of a literary character from my childhood, "Hobey ho!" And with that, I shall dive into another few years of higher education.
I'm preparing to embark on the true purpose of my life here. No more sleeping in until I'm no longer tired, no more spending my days reading for fun and working on a colossal paint-by-number, no more long daily phone calls to my family and nights of watching mindless television specials. After a successful interview two days ago, I have a job in my campus library. I start next week, and am very excited for both the experience and the income. I also start classes on Friday, which should keep me out of trouble.
I have to say, however, that I'm slightly disillusioned. I know that graduate students are supposed to be more self-sufficient and knowledgeable than their undergraduate counterparts. For my orientation, I will receive instruction in the computer system and a campus map. That's it. No information on health insurance, meal plans, safety escort services, campus traditions and festivals, none of the traditional orientation trappings. Not even instructions on how to set up email accounts or where to get my campus card. I've already done both of those things, but a little guidance would be nice. Oh well. I'll stumble through and hopefully won't forget anything. I got my undergraduate diploma in the mail last week - reminding me that I've graduated from college, but with these new classes looming, I see not just the accomplishments of the past four years, but all of the things I have yet to learn. In the words of a literary character from my childhood, "Hobey ho!" And with that, I shall dive into another few years of higher education.
28 May 2011
Dinner and a Movie :)
I thought about titling this one, "Culinary Adventures" or something of the sort. But the recipe I want to talk about isn't really an adventure for me. The first time I made it was about six years ago and I've made it regularly every summer since. It is the perfect mixture of healthy and unhealthy and is just the right kind of salad for a warm summer day. This is Paula Deen's broccoli salad - slightly modified by me.
Essentially it's 1 head of broccoli, about 1/3 cup of bacon bits, 1/2 cup raisins, 8 oz. shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup onion, 1 cup Miracle Whip or mayo, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 1/4 cup of sugar, and a handful of quartered cherry tomatoes. Yum! :)
Essentially it's 1 head of broccoli, about 1/3 cup of bacon bits, 1/2 cup raisins, 8 oz. shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup onion, 1 cup Miracle Whip or mayo, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 1/4 cup of sugar, and a handful of quartered cherry tomatoes. Yum! :)
I decided to make this salad for a friend of mine, and we watched "The King's Speech" while snacking. I have no way of knowing if you have also seen this movie, but I highly recommend it. It could be the history nerd in me talking, but the struggle King George VI faced leading a country while speaking with a stammer and the way that he overcame those challenges is truly inspirational. The movie is also a lot funnier than I anticipated. But I have to say that my favorite part is the growing relationship between Bertie (King George) and his speech therapist, Lionel Logue. As my friend said, this movie is kind of a bromance. It is about the courage of one man in standing up to the challenges before him, and it is about a deep friendship between two men of different social classes, each learning from the other and becoming a true team. Hooray for a wonderful story (and it's even based on reality, which makes it even better!!!).
19 May 2011
Tell 'Em What You're Gonna Tell 'Em
The classic purpose of any introduction, phrased the way I remember from my seventh grade English class. These are the ramblings of a new graduate student, embarking on a curriculum of history and library science and hoping someday to become an archivist or museum curator. Sound dull? Just wait - you'll see it's not so bad. My enthusiasm might even rub off on you! Okay, maybe that's wishful thinking, but just let me pretend. : )
Along the way I'll be exploring the new state I've moved to, taking pictures of things I find beautiful, and sharing my experiments in cooking and crafting. Who knows? You might even learn something. Heck, I might even learn something. Through all of this, all of these wacky and rather disconnected experiences, I hope to discover more about myself, more about the world, and more about my place in it. Welcome to the journey. Welcome to this new beginning.
Along the way I'll be exploring the new state I've moved to, taking pictures of things I find beautiful, and sharing my experiments in cooking and crafting. Who knows? You might even learn something. Heck, I might even learn something. Through all of this, all of these wacky and rather disconnected experiences, I hope to discover more about myself, more about the world, and more about my place in it. Welcome to the journey. Welcome to this new beginning.
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