Success!
Tom and Julie arrived right on time to my apartment! They were the nicest people! BHW and I had dinner all ready to go and we all ate and talked and Tom actually knew BHW's brothers from high schoo! Small world! After we ate and they showered, we headed out for a night on the town. After riding 50 miles I didn't know if they'd be up for a long night out but they were all for it! We tramped around downtown at had some beers at the Herot and then headed to Savages Ale House with a couple friends of mine. My friend just so happened to be turning 21 at midnight so we met her in the village and had some drinks with her. We left around 1AM, we were all exhausted! Tom and Julie just left a little bit ago and I was sad to see them go, we had such a blast together! I don't think any other couch surfers will compare to those two awesome cats!
0 Comments
The book says I'm on page 26, but since I had to rent the large print version from
the Muncie library, I'm probably only 3 pages in, and I'm already bawling my eyes out. The gloomy weather doesn't help and neither does the fact that I just went into work, checked my email, and found out that my boss had sent me a message 20 minutes earlier saying not to come. I sighed, clocked out, and quietly left the office before she even saw me. Needless to say I skipped most of my classes today, it's been a rough one. On Amazon you can buy this book used for $1.12 but I'm not really sure how that could possibly be true. The book has already changed my life, and like I said, I'm only a few pages in. I can't really say much about the book due to the little I've read but I can say that it is a must read. A book that you have to go out and buy tonight, or right now if you trust me enough. Don't go and try to rent it from the Muncie library either, I've already got their copy, although, I'll probably finish this baby tonight. Well, I better wrap this up because the book is sitting right next to my computer and I feel a strange pang of guilt for not having it in my hands Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom My plate is completely full.
I don't mean full like 'yeah, I'm just busy all the time and oh but I still hang out with my friends at night and I go shopping and blah blah blah.' No. This is the kind of busy where I'm lucky if I get to eat a meal before 10PM. If I'm not at school, I'm at work, and if I'm not at either of those places, I'm at practice, and when I'm home from practice, I'm doing homework. It's not like I thought this was going to be easy, I knew that is was going to be really hard, but I wasn't prepared for this. I can manage my time, no problem, the thing is, I don't have any time to manage. I go straight from one thing to the next without a moment inbetween. I also have this issue with stress. It's like an annoying gnat that is always flying right above your head but you can never seem to swat it away because it's just always there. Yeah, that about sums it up. I'm really trying to keep it all under control but I can slowly feel it all piling up. I went to church this Sunday at home and our pastor was talking about just 'sweeping things under the rug'. He brought a good point up that after a while the rug starts getting pretty full of dirt and junk and it starts to get pretty hard to sweep anything else underneath. I try to make time for myself but lots of other things seem to be taking priority. Aside from school, work, and practice, I've got a relationship to work on and friendships to keep, it's just a lot for one little girl. :) I'm not comlpaining, just hoping I can make it through my senior year without having some sort of nervous breakdown. Now THAT would be no good. Man, it really feels good to let this all out. I need to start blogging more. Now you know I have <-> this much time to myself so I'm not going to make any promises. :) On a much lighter note: I'M HOSTING MY FIRST COUCHSURFERS THIS SATURDAY! If you can't tell, I'm pretty dang excited. They aren't from some far away land but who cares, It's going to be awesome, if I don't bore them to death. I'm hosting a married couple from Richmond, IN, about 45 miles away, yes, you heard me right. It's very close to Muncie, BUT the kicker is, they're riding their bicycles here! So, their plan is to ride to Muncie, eat, rest up, and ride on back the next day! I'm pretty jealous of their little trek, Brian and I have wanted to take the trail from Muncie to Richmond for so long! Maybe they'll give us the little kick that we need to jump into gear. Oh, I'm also the new co-captain for the Ball State Women's Ultimate frisbee team. :) We have 30 girls on the email list with about 12-20 girls making it out to practice each day. They're learning the ropes and really catching on to the strategy of ultimate. I'm so proud of them all! I still get a little nervous about talking in front of them, I don't know EVERYTHING about ultimate so I feel a little under qualified. But, I'm making it work along with the other captain, ELS, and we're having fun, which is the most important thing anyways. I'll be sure and update after my couch surfers leave, maybe even before then with another question of the day! Thanks for checking in. :) xo I'm not really far from being 18 but I have grown up a lot since then so
I could probably give my younger self a tad of advice. Actually, I could give my younger self a TON of advice. - Don't date that boy honey, if his parents don't love you, it won't work out. He also lives in Georgia. You.are.insane. - Listen to your parents, they actually do know what they're talking about.. and don't sneak into rated R movies because they'll always find out. - Don't smoke that cigarette. - Being spontaneous is a good quality but probably not the best idea when you're looking for a college. You'll love Ball State, but maybe put a little more thought into it? - Don't eat tuna every day for lunch, it's not healthy for you. - You are special and different from every single girl you will ever encounter, don't brag about it please, cherish it, and don't let anyone tell you differently. - You will be a leader one day, start practicing. - Sing at church more, people love to hear you sing, and it makes your parents proud. - Thank you for not drinking. - Don't reconsider being the captain of the varsity boys basketball team, it will be the most fun you've ever had, even if all the girls call you bad names. p.s. they make it to the state championship game. - You're wearing way too much make up. - Your dad, he's not going to make it pretty girl. Be nice to your friends even though your life is really sucking right now, you'll need them later. Spend every waking minute you can with him. It might upset some people, but they'll understand. Those are just a few things I'd let myself know. What would you tell yourself? School is starting, buy your books and get yo hair cut! I've had many people over the years tell me that I'm rude.
It's not really a surprise anymore when I hear someone say this about me or to my face. I've tried to fix my little 'quirk' but it's been a bit of a challenge. To me, rude is the wrong word, but doesn't everyone say that when they're trying to make themselves sound less bad? Blunt is a better word to describe my social behavior, at least in most situations. I have a hard time grasping the concept of 'beating around the bush'. It is something that confuses a lot of people and can lead people into a situation that they were not anticipating and most likely did not want to end up. I over heard my mom once tell someone 'Don't get on Johnny's bad side, you won't like it over there.' I just tell people how it is. A lot of people don't like that and I completely understand and I do try to respect that. I'm just the type of person that would rather know the facts straight out instead of having to take the risk of interpreting them wrong. I know the saying 'leave a little mystery!' but I'd just rather not. You get what you see, no frills, no extras, no hidden meanings, just me. If you don't like it, you don't like it, if you do, you do. That's just how life goes. Of course I'm not some straight up jerk to people, especially when they need someone to comfort them or a shoulder to cry on, but I do try to let them know the truth instead of sugar coating everything. I don't really get why people would want their life sugar coated into some imaginary perfect world. Even with my friend RJR who was diagnosed with cancer a while back, it was sometimes hard to give her the sympathy she deserved. (Hey RJR, pretty sure this is the first time you're hearing this, no worries) I lost my dad 3 years ago to cancer so every time that she had something to say my first response, in my head, would be 'just be thankful you're here, you're alive.' After a while I realized that yes, she is here and alive and well - wait, no, she is not well. What she went through is unimaginable and torture to her poor body. I had to try to put myself in her shoes and think about what I would want someone to say in that situation. It took me a couple weeks to get the hang of it but I think I did an alright job, at least I hope I did RJR. So yes, I am blunt, I call it how I see it. But there is a time and a place for a little softness on the edges of my 'harsh' social skills. I'm still grasping the whole idea of it, but I do think I've gotten better, a little. Any misconceptions about yourselves? It's hard to talk 'bad' about yourself, but I admit, it felt really good. Until another day, xo I've always 'wanted', ever since I was a little girl with chubby cheeks running
around in my swim trunks that matched my brothers, and no, I didn't have a shirt on either, my mom would tell me time and time again 'you want to much.' So then I switched it up, 'Mom, I need this toy!' 'I need a puppy!' Need, Need, Need. Want, Want, Want. Need, Want, Need, Want. It all seems to trivial now. Half the crap I 'wanted' I didn't even want! I just thought I had to have it because everyone else had it or because we were at the store and that meant I just had to buy something, right? I've grown up since then, just a little, and I've started to realize things I want aren't things at all. Right now I want peace of mind. I've said it once and I'll say it again, I'm a worry wart. I've been reading blogs on Tiny Buddah about peace of mind and letting go and all that good stuff. They actually have some really inspiring ideas (who knew?!) A couple that stuck out to me were: -Set aside a time to worry each day. Write down your worries in a notebook as they come to you and forget about them until the designated time. Then, worry your little heart out until the time is up. This will make your day more efficient and make your heart and mind a little lighter. - Have a 'worry' burning ceremony. I couldn't think of a clever name so sorry about that one. Anyways, write all your worries down on little pieces of paper and set a flame to them one at a time, taking a moment for each to really 'let go' of the worry. If you're not too savvy with fire just imagine writing it down and burning it, but I like to live life on the edge. ;) Peace of mind should always go hand in hand with a smile so read this and check out a few things to get those pearly whites a showin'. Be sure to check out my blog from a couple days ago, I went cliff jumping! It was wild! Pictures and videos included! Thanks for checkin' in today, if you can't tell, work is pretty boring compared to last week. :) Yeah, my answer was pretty deep like always but I'd love to hear yours.. let me know something you've always wanted! And don't feel bad if it's a material item, everyone can splurge once in a while! Sometimes I find things on the internet.. O.K. I find a lot of things on the internet, thanks to StumbleUpon. Seriously, click the link and try if out for yourself! It gets me through class on a boring day, and most of the websites I find and share with you guys are because of this program. Anyways, I found 2 awesome videos today that are totally worth the share. O.K. I'll admit it, I cried watching this clip. I have a special connection with music and, of course, making people smile, what better way to combine the two except in this awesome video?! Yeah, it is a commercial and I'm not sure if the 'innocent bystanders' are actors or not but I don't care, this is stinkin' beautiful. And just so you don't leave my blog wailing and someone asks you why you're
crying and you tell them because of my website (that would take a toll on my viewers), here is a video to get you smiling again. Kids never cease to amaze me with their priceless humor and funny little quirks. What this kid does is not a quirk at all, this is talent. Just appreciating the little things in life, I hope you're learning to as well. We can enjoy this little journey together. xo Today I did it, I went cliff jumping. It was my very first time and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I have very few words to express the time that was spent in Bloomington Indiana at the quarries. I'll post some pictures and videos to help out with the story telling. We first arrived at the 'spot' which was a church parking lot where we parked the car and discretely got our stuff together to make the forbidden trek out to Rooftop. These quarries are owned by a limestone company and are completely off limits to the public, except those rebels without a cause like us. I was doing some reading about the limestone quarries and apparently the limestone used to build the Empire State Building was taken from right where we were headed. There are also no directions online to the quarry, since it is 'illegal' to go there all the information is spread by word of mouth as to how to reach Rooftop. Luckily, I was going there with a friend of mine who had been before. The winding abandon paths to the quarries were breathtaking, trees shading the gravel walk with the sun peeking through was surreal. Right as your legs start to wonder when you'll ever reach your off-limits destination, you round the bend to the 'beach'. The beach is an area where you can go to chill and swim around, think of it as your first quarry experience. You get a feel for the aqua blue water as well as the nasty sludge at the bottom. Shoes are a must so it's good to practice swimming while lugging around some tennis shoes attached to your tootsies. DB and I didn't spend much time at the beach, we were craving the rush of the jump. He took my back to Rooftop and I went nuts. This place was so amazing. Again, the water was the perfect blue you'd see in a travel magazine, not to mention the beyond fabulous temperature once you finally took the plunge in. One thing that I thought was bizarre was the the place was deserted! Yeah, it's trespassing to go there but it's right next to IU's campus, tons of college kids should be out there! I guess it is summer so most of the hooligans are gone for the next month. I had to admit it was a tad creepy with no one there. There were 4 jumps to choose from in this particular quarry. Jump I: 20ish feet Jump II: 23ish feet Jump III: 30ish feet and Jump IV (Rooftop): at a soaring 65 feet. Not much of an in between, eh? I started with the 20-footer and never looked back. DB and I had a blast jumping and flipping from the limestone cliffs. We had even more fun when random groups of people showed up to join! Everyone went straight to Rooftop and kind of freaked out, we convinced them to come down with us and jump a few times before heading up to the big guy. Sadly I never made it up to Rooftop, I hiked up and looked over the edge with no intentions of jumping, it didn't actually seem that scary. I think I'll try it next time, you only live once! This is already quite a long post so I'll sum up the people we met quickly. First group: 3 random dudes from Boston (?!) who were on their way back from a road trip to Utah. These guys were crazy, like probably medically unstable or something. So fun to hang out with them, such a motley crew. Second group: 2 guys and a girl. Really nice people, did a group jump with us! They were from Indy, just lookin for some fun. I'd say they chose the right place. Last Group: 2 gangly lads. One of them was there for the first time and the other was a vet to the area, showing him around. Jumping off a cliff with 5 people you just met is probably the greatest way to start a friendship. I don't know if I'll ever see those people again; but for now, I can say that they're the only people I've jumped off a cliff with. I don't think I'll be able to say that again come next weekend, I've got an itch for some more cliff jumping. I think I have finally come to accept my internship and all the things that come with it.
Yes, the hours are sucky. Yes, I do not get paid, at all. Yes, it is physically tiring day in and day out. But the reward for helping people who genuinely need help is priceless. Lately, my boss and I have been working side by side with the clients instead of setting up their apartments before they get to America. Knocking on the apartment door and seeing their apartment furnished with a few folding chairs and a blanket on the ground is heart-breaking. It never lasts though because as soon as we start hauling in loads of goodies the party starts. When we first meet the clients they are usually timid and doe-eyed, watching from a distance as we carry in boxes of food and necessities. As time goes on and more furniture gets brought in they seem to loosen up and enjoy our presence. The language barrier is pretty thick but we seem to manage with hand signals and, of course, smiles. It can be exhausting carrying in furniture to 4 different apartments in one day, but I always sleep easier knowing that a family now has their own beds and food in their bellies because of something I contributed to. Although, I'm more than ready to get this internship finished with, I'll soak up all the smiles while I'm here. My weekends have continuously been amazing and always too short. I'm in Muncie currently enjoying the 4th of July festivities with the boys. August 1st can't get here soon enough, I miss it up here! I also got a job! My friend HVM hooked me up with a secretarial job at the international office starting August 1st. It's humbling pay and not many hours but it's better than nothing. I am so thankful that she found me a job, I was really starting to stress out about it. I should know by now to stop worrying because if it's supposed to happen, it will, somehow. BHW, my boyfriend, has also applied to work for AmeriCorps in Muncie starting in September. 150 people applied for the position, and there is only one spot to fill. Fingers crossed that he gets the job. If he does, he will be able to live in Muncie while they provide him with a monthly stipend of $1000. He is very excited about the position, and he deserves it so much, I'm praying that he will get accepted. I'll let you know how that turns out when we find out. That's all for today, I'm going to go enjoy the beautiful weather and wait for the sun to set so I can see some fantastic fireworks! I hope you all have been enjoying this long weekend with your family, cherish this time that you have with them. Laugh often, Me When I think of 'giving up' I always think of it in bad terms.
'Don't give up!' 'You're giving up on me?' 'So, you're just going to give up?' Those are the things that come to mind first. Today I have decided that some things you can give up on and it is O.K. I'm giving up worrying, or at least trying to. 'Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.' Glenn Turner How true is that? You can stay up all hours of the night worrying over something, will it make a difference in the morning? Nope, it's going to happen whether you worried about it or not. A friend of mine told me to never worry because you put yourself through the situation twice; once in your head and once in real life. I never thought of it like that! I'm a worry wart, I'll admit it. I worry about everything, big or small. For some reason I feel that it's my job to make sure everything goes smoothly, and if it doesn't, it's all my fault. Who gave me all the responsibility? No one did, I put it on myself. I've been trying these past months to just let go of everything I've been trying to control and worrying endlessly about. If it's going to happen, it will happen. 'Rule number one is, don't sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it's all small stuff.' -Robert Eliot I could go on and on with quotes I've found about worrying, they're all so true! Tiny Buddah does it again with this blog. This website has been a serious life-saver for me the past few months. Any time I'm feeling or thinking anything negative I turn to the words from this website and it always seems to calm my mind. I had a big jump in readers yesterday, thanks for not forgetting about my little website! As always, feel free to think of your own questions to ask me! Don't forget to think of answers for yourself to these questions, it's good to put your brain into overdrive every once in a while. Happy Summer! xo |
To all my Faithful Readers:
Here is a small peek inside my brain. Enjoy. Archives
February 2013
Categories
All
|