Doing What You Love Matters Most

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/education/26HUMANITIES.html?_r=1&sq=The%20Humanities%20for%20Love,%20Not%20Money&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=1&adxnnlx=1282914130-FVvGqAPbzl7AgpPW9Y4pUg

I just finished reading an article from the New York Times ( I know I'm one of the few weirdo 18 year olds who actually read the newspaper) and fell in love with this it! It talks about how all the statistics point to the fact that interest in degrees in the humanities and arts are growing after the recession. I've always thought it was more important to do what you love rather than what was going to make you a millionaire. I figure that if you are doing what makes you happy, everything else will just fall into place, and honestly, I've heard being a millionaire isn't all it's cracked up to be anyway. I'm so glad to see the growing trend of lawyers, doctors, and business-people who continue their education and decide to look into a field in the arts or humanities. Few people realize how important they really are, but when you think about it, our society and cultures would not be the way they are without our basic knowledge of the arts and humanities and a desire to delve more deeply into that knowledge, regardless of the kind of pay you know you will be receiving, I respect that so much. So to all my family that put down my goals of getting an art degree with a minor in art history and business, here's to you: I'm going to do what I love, I'm going to love what I do and I'm going to be so much happier than the rest of America!

First Week of College is Almost Done and Man Did It Fly By

My first week of college is soon coming to a close and I have to say that it has been one of the best experiences I have had so far. Being in college is very different from high school. It kind of reminds of being at like a workshop where I have a bunch of options as to what sessions I can attend and I attend the one that most appeals to me and then I meet up with my friends for fun stuff in between. There is an entire life to be had on campus if you want there to be. For one thing you can live on campus which would actually make things so much easier, I'm considering doing it if I get enough financial aid and scholarships next fiscal year. For another thing, you can work on campus which puts you so much closer to the action. Then there are all the events that they have there. Charity events, concerts, pep rallies, sports games, parties, socials, club meetings, etc. It's totally huge. They have places to eat there and not just a dingy cafeteria although the food there is really great too, but actual places like Jamba Juice, Chick-fil-A, Chili's, etc. If you live on campus there's really never any reason to leave. I don’t live on campus (yet) but I do plan on getting involved and, even though I already have a secure job at the airport, I'm going to see about finding a job on campus because it will be more convenient for me considering traffic, parking, schoolwork, etc. I'm already looking into joining a sorority. I thought the dues would be way out of my price range, but I found out that some of them are actually really very doable. Like Alpha Zeta Delta has dues at $350/semester and then you buy your own shirts or none of them at all if you don’t want. Me and Meli went to the Greek Barbeque yesterday and really got to know some Phi Mus and are really considering them as a possible option. Both of us! It isn't necessary for us to be in the same sorority but it would be really nice. And we already said that if it turns out Greek life isn't going to be for us for some reason or another, we'll make our own group called the Friendship Squad and live all together in Jackie's grandma's house (which is another thing we are thinking about). Apparently Jackie's grandmother is getting too old to live by herself so she may go live in Jackie' house and we can live in the grandma's house all of us together: Meli, Jackie, Sammy, and Kevin. That definitely sounds ideal. Well, anyway, I love the learning style of college; I love the freedom; I love the social scene; I love the food; I love absolutely anything there is to love about it! I even love my classes!

First Couple of Days of College

So I have officially experienced my first days of school, except for one class which is a bullshit class anyway (Freshman Experience, I know, how retarded) and I have to say that I really am loving it. I guess since you are only in the class for so long and classes aren't all day long it's easier for you to focus in class and actually feel excited about it. The two classes I'm most excited about taking are Ecology of South Florida and World Regional Geography which I already have homework for and I can tell I'm going to learn a lot. I know a lot of people look for slack classes with slack professors, but I feel that if you are actually paying for your education, you should be getting something out of it. I haven't been late to any of my classes (thank God) and I've liked all my teachers for the most part. I'm still not sure about my English teacher, but we'll see. I have a feeling she's one of those that you like sometimes and other times not so much. I haven't just been going to class either. I've been socializing with my friends I brought with me from Ferguson and even chatting it up with some I haven't ever hung out with or haven't seen in forever. And today I attended the Greek Life Barbecue and learned about some of the sororities I will be rushing and all about Rush Week and Bid Day and stuff. I really think joining a sorority is the best way for me to get involved on campus and still keep my grades up. They do a lot of community service events as well as attending games and playing some sports games themselves (intramural sports), plus events, socials, formals, mixers, etc with all of your sisters. They are really big on keeping your academics up though so I will be sure to have a study support system and maybe even have a sister who can tutor me if I'm struggling. So far, I have my ideas of which sororities I'm interested in and I can't wait till Rush Week to see if my ideas are correct.

F-I-U!!!

Ole Ole Ole Ole
FIU... FIU...
Ole Ole Ole Ole
FIU... FIU...


Don't give me a word, a word
Don;t give me a phrase, a phrase
Just give me that beat
Oh, that Panther beat
Go Panthers!!


Hey Panthers!
Yeah?
Hey Panthers!
Yeah?
Are you readyy to jigalo?
Hell yeah! I've got my paws up high, my tail down low and that's the way I jigalo!
Jigalooo Jig Jig-a loooo.
Jig a loo. Jig Jig a loooo.

First Day of College Anxieties and Excitements

     Monday is my very first day of college at FIU and like all new roads that we take there are certain things that can seem exciting and make us stick our heads out the window so we can see what is out there, but at the same time we make sure that we drive with our hazard lights on just in case and keep our eyes peeled for deer crossing the road.
     I think that after going to Panther Camp I am definitely more excited about going to a new place and meeting new people and starting my life. There's all these cool things to do at FIU that  didn't know about and I'm excited about rushing sororities and movie nights and Homecoming and all that stuff. Getting my textbooks today just made the whole start of school seem so real though and even though I'm excited to be starting, I'm also super nervous that things aren't going to meet my expectations or that I am going to be miserable, friendless and fail out of college.
     I know some of these fears are unfounded. Even if, on the off chance, I manage to make no friends I will always have the friends I have now so me being friendless is total BS. I guess I'm just worried that everyone in my classes will be totally chummy and I'll be the loser loner chick sitting by herself never talking, which I know isn't true because it's me and I always have to be talking to someone. Also, after going to Panther Camp, I realized that I wasn't that much of a loser and I do have some social skills even if they are minimal, and besides that, I know a lot of people going to FIU! The chances of me never seeing someone I know are very low. I'm also scared about not doing well though.
     Another unfounded fear. I'm not cocky or anything but I know that I'm book smart (although possibly not in math). How many people buy their textbooks and actually skim the first chapter of the books to see what their classes are like and how the books are set up?! And I'm totally excited about some of my classes and ready to start learning new things and researching the things that interest me. I know, I'm a weirdo. I guess the point is, that the likelihood that I will fail out of college is very low so I really have no reason to fear.
     Starting new is so hard, but I have already done it three times in my lifetime and, besides elementary school, I have been able to make each and every one of those new starts exciting, memorable and actually pretty pleasant circumstances considering. College can't be all that different. In fact, the likelihood is that it will be better. So Monday I start brand new with a positive attitude and hope for betterment, excitement and new beginnings.

Catch-22: Ugh I Can't Stand This Book!

The last book that I wanted to read before the summer was over was Catch-22, which is supposed to be about this guy named Yossarian who is a bombardier in a war and i constantly trying to escape fighting in the war and feels that everyone is trying to kill him and that there is this ridiculous law called Catch-22 where if you are crazy you don't have to fly the planes but if you try to turn yourself in saying you are crazy so you don't have to fly you are obviously perfectly sane so you are forced to continue fighting. I know, it's complicated to understand even when I try to write it. Needless to say I had heard mixed feelings about this book. There were quite a few people who said that this was the funniest book they ever read, their most favorite book ever. And then there was the people telling me that they couldn't even get past the first 20 pages, they thought it was stupid, didn't understand it, etc.Needless to say (if you read the title of this entry) I have to concur with the latter. This book, although not stupid, was so very difficult to understand. The way Heller writes it it sounds like a crazy person speaking and it flashes into the past and future and present with no warning so you never have any clue where you are in the story. I couldn't even finish it, although I did manage to get more than halfway (probably only because I was forcing myself too). Nonetheless, I totally hated this book. Almost as much as I hates The Secret Garden when I was in elementary school. I couldn't stand it. Even if it is considered one of the best American fiction pieces to date. I really don't care and I don't recommend this book to anyone I didn't want to confuse and aggravate to pieces.

Shopping: Not Just for Girls!!!

We were making plans to go to an outlet mall today and were trying to decide whether or not to take my brother because he was being so negative. He said that he hated shopping and why should he go. But then my mom said that she wasn't going to buy anything for him unless he came because she wouldn't know what he liked and all of a sudden he found himself on a 45 minute drive to the outlet mall and it quickly became apparent that Adam did not mind shopping at all.... As long as it was for him, of course. While we were scouring the racks for great deals on hot clothes for him and helping him try on his finds he was in total heaven and totally OK with spending an hour or so in just one store, but as soon as we started looking for someone besides him, like myself or my mom, all of a sudden we were taking too long in the stores, he was hungry, he was tired, his back hurt, his feet were killing him. And I realized, it's not that he has a problem with shopping, it's that he has a problem if it isn't all about him! And I realized that most men are like this. Totally OK shopping for the stuff that they want or need (Home Depot and men's clothing, Best Buy, etc.) but as soon as it's the women's turn to think about someone other than them, shopping becomes a burden that they just can't handle...

The Pros and Cons of Vacationing

PROS

1. Getting to see new places.
2. Experiencing new things.
3. Beautiful scenery.
4. Your hair always manages to look amazing in places that are far away from home.
5. Your skin always clears up the further from home you get.

CONS

1. Missing your home and bed.
2. Your friends always manage to do all the funnest stuff of the year when you finally decide to go out of town.
3. Being totally out of the loop...
4. Feeling like a total outsider... 

Find us on Facebook!!!

After reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I am woefully aware of how easy it is for someone with minimal hacking skills to completely learn all the important information that we all keep on our computers, but I figured that if you just used the computer to eat crap they couldn't really find anything so inconsequential and then I realized that people in today's society are the perfect candidates for stalkers. We are all constantly using websites like Facebook where if you aren't careful, a person could know where you are any minute of the day and we make it so easy for stalkers by updating our status every hour or so. All a person needs to do is trace the IP address of your status to find out what time and exactly where you updated said status (satellites are amazing things ladies and gentlemen, they can track you through your computer, phones, basically anything that connects you to other people or the rest of the world). It's enough to make any person paranoid and go caveman on you. But does modern society care whether you are so easily traced through these social networking systems? Do they mind if they can be so easily stalked? Do they care whether someone with some kind of creepy obsession can know exactly where you are every minute of the day and even trace your phone number and then address? absolutely not. In fact, we make it even easier for these psychos by posting our addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses out there for the whole world to see and use for their ultimate convenience. And we are all over the web: text messages, Facebook updates, Tweets and now Loopt (one I just found out about that breaks it down easily for stalkers right away by just giving them the address of where in the world you are right away so they don't even have to work too hard for it and can meet you there!). I have to say that I am almost as guilty as most because I am a Facebook junkie and my life is posted on there for the world to see. I just say here though looking through Facebook and I became amazed at how easily traced we are. That there is no running from anyone. They can always find. Pretty creepy, huh.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

I just recently finished reading this book and usually I'm not one of those people who go looking for the books on the bestseller lists. I try to make up my own lists, but this book really caught my attention. I was in Publix when I read the back of it and was amazed to see that it actually sounded really good! It turns out that I was right. 

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a mystery novel about a journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, and a misunderstood PI with some amazing research skills named Lisbeth Salander who are hired by this billionaire businessman to dig up and solve a case that has been dead and closed for 25 years. Blomkvist and Salander are pulled into an intriguing family history and a search for a dead girl's murderer and in the process learn some things about themselves.

This book is hard to put down. On the one hand you have mystery. On the other you have some romance and touching moments. It's also brilliantly written and  very graphic at points. Completely enjoyable, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to try and unravel a good mystery.

My Day in Cocoa Beach

I absolutely love this place. Well, I love any beach that is. The weather was beyond beautiful today and I continued with my obnoxious photographing chronicle of our Family Road Trip. I actually got some pictures of the place we are staying at, Wakulla Suites. They've got this beautiful tropical garden in the entire middle of the courtyard with pathways you can walk through. The place looks like some out of the way hotel place in the middle of the rain-forest was cut and pasted out of a magazine advertisement to South America or something. It's really pretty homey and I'm thinking of suggesting to my friends that we come here next summer or maybe on a 3-day weekend during the school year. Just to get a way for a little while. I feel amazing and I've only been gone one day. So here are some pictures highlighting my day. For the full collection and play-by-play captions visit my Facebook album: Summer Family Road Trip 2010

By the way, some of these picture were taken by my mother. The captions on facebook should tell you which ones are hers. Enjoy!

First Day of the Family Road Trip

I am sitting on my full sized bed in a room at Wakulla Suites in Cocoa Beach, Florida at the moment and very much so enjoying myself. I spent the better part of the day arguing with my brother trying to end his negativity about a family road trip which I happen to think is the best thing that has happened this summer and on the road as Second in Command for my mother because I am the expert navigator in my family. And, of course, with nothing better to do, I obnoxiously started chronicling our trip, from the moment we left Miami to every stop and even the weather. It actually wasn't that bad of a drive. We did get into a part of town where it was "hurricaning" (that's what I call a storm so bad that you can't see: a little hurricane) and there happened to be a really bad accident as a result of it that I couldn't take a picture of, but all in all good road trip weather and my brother was busy playing video games or sleeping for most of the trip so mom and I weren't bothered by him too much (he's going though this stage right now where no one can really stand to be around him for too long or when he's in one of his moods). We made it to the hotel OK though and now I'm just relaxing.....

For a full chronicle of my adventures, visit my Facebook and go to my album Summer Family Roadtrip 2010