“It’s me, Dad – don’t shoot!”
You know that feeling you get when you suddenly realize that your good idea probably wasn’t so great?
I got that feeling as I stood on my parents’ doorstep at 9:30 on a Wednesday night.
I’m finished with my first year of college and am back home adjusting quite nicely to days without classes or homework. Unfortunately, I’m still adjusting to working in an office all day. But more on that later.
I don’t know what happened, honestly. I saw my schedule for finals week and noticed I had three finals scheduled on the same day – Thursday. Or so I thought. When I called my mom the week before finals, I assured her I would drive home Thursday night after I finished my last test.
The next morning, one of the professors mentioned that his final was scheduled for Tuesday. I thought it was odd, but it wasn’t until I sat at my desk back in the dorm that it hit me: I had my last three finals scheduled for Tuesday, not Thursday.
What’s that? No, I’m not blind. 20/200 isn’t considered legally blind, is it? Well, I had my contacts in, so it shouldn’t have been the problem.
Anyway, I goofed up. But I saw this as a good opportunity to surprise my family. I planned to drive home on Wednesday after packing my things, then getting home after dinner and enjoying the looks on their faces when they opened the door.
I got home at 9:30 pm and noted that both the maxi-van and my dad’s (smaller) car were in front of the house. That meant everyone was home!
I sneaked up the front steps and knocked on the door. I waited for a few minutes. No one came to the door.
I knocked again. This time, I heard whispers and shushing, when finally, my dad peeked through the window and said, “Who is that?”
( Aaaaand this is the exact moment I realized that surprising my family probably wasn’t the best idea.)
“It’s Emily.”
“Emily who?”
“Your oldest daughter….”
My dad finally opened the door and stared at me.
Finally, he asked, “Did you flunk out?”
My siblings and mother came to the door and seemed happy to see me, but they also seemed pretty confused.
I explained that I finished all my finals and that, no, I didn’t drop out of school.
I’m happy to be home for the summer. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my family and friends. But now I know for next time – I will call ahead when I leave school.
Carry On
*WARNING: CHEESY POST AHEAD*
Wow. I think I used to have a blog or something.
I honestly have not had time to write, but now that I’m sitting here typing this out, I realize how very little I’ve actually accomplished this past month. And that makes me wonder what on earth I’ve been doing with my time.
Well, for starters, I went to a journalism conference out of town. That was a blast and a half. I don’t think the lecturers were very knowledgeable about the subject, because in the presentation, “How to Write Good,” (or something… I forget the actual name) the lecturer said some very, er, questionable things.
For instance, she said it was perfectly acceptable to change the wording of a direct quote. She also said you should never make it clear that someone is being interviewed for a story.
I don’t know if she was a master of reverse psychology, but even as new as I am to the career, I knew better than to listen to that. My editor was sitting in the presentation with me, and she leaned over to me every five minutes to say, “Don’t EVER do that… Or that… You know what, just tune this whole thing out.”
After the presentations, there was a dinner and awards ceremony for college newspapers. The newspaper I work for won some pretty good awards, and since I was one of the few journalists present, I had the terrifying task of walking up and accepting the awards on behalf of the entire staff.
Well, it’s not exactly a high-pressure situation, but there were 50 people staring at me when I did it!
As an introvert, it was like death.
Otherwise, I have nothing else to report, other than the fact that I am becoming more outdoorsy than I was a few months ago.
For three whole days, the weather was in the high 70s, so I went hiking (with friends this time!) and went kayaking for the first time the other day.
Aside from spinning in circles for the first ten minutes and a few close calls where I almost tipped the kayak, I got the hang of it eventually and didn’t completely embarrass myself on the water. I did have to laugh at myself when I got to shore. As soon as I stood up, I realized I had been sitting in several inches of water, which left a mark in a choice spot and made me seem like I had… well… been VERY excited about kayaking.
And now, finals week is approaching, and with it, the end of my first year in the “Real World.” I realize that I’ve come a long way from the person I was a year ago.
The Emily I was a year ago was almost painfully shy. She was nervous about leaving home for the first time. She was nervous, but excited to leave her family and friends and travel to the middle of nowhere to get an education from a school she had visited three times in her entire life.
I can tell that I’ve changed in the past few months. I feel a bit more outgoing. It still takes me a while to become that talkative, open person I want to be, but I’ve really been trying. A few months ago, I never would have gone out of town to a conference. I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to talk to people because I was terrified that I would have nothing to say. Now I realize that I have as many valuable things to say as anyone else. I just have to work on expressing those thoughts.
That’s not to say I haven’t had my share of hardships in the past few months. I’ve been sad, confused, nervous, grinding my teeth in frustration. But after it all, I feel… different.
I can’t explain it fully. Confident, I think, is the best word to describe it. I’m excited about what’s coming in my life, and I can’t wait to see how the future unfolds.
I’m still the same me. I just feel like college is helping me become a fuller version of myself.
And of course, it’s not just college that’s brought about this change. God is good. I have family and friends who love me. I could never do this without them.
Like I did in the kayak, I struggled and spun in circles at first, but now I feel like I’m charting a course toward becoming a better person.
I’m going to carry on and try to live my life in the best way I can.
Thank you all for listening as I vent and ramble. Good luck on your own course — thank you for following along with mine.
Lovely Ether We’re Having
We had beautiful interesting some weather last weekend.
The sun was shining, people were out walking, and birds were singing. I even cracked the blinds to see what the ruckus was and blinded myself. I counted that as my helping of the outdoors for the week.
No, I’m joking. I actually got out of my room this weekend. It was so nice and warm out, I decided to go on a hike in the state park nearby my school. I was excited; I couldn’t remember the last time I had gone on a hike. I blamed my short-term memory on winter.
I put on my old tennis shoes, put my hair in a ponytail, and got to the trail.
It was then that my winter short-term memory loss thawed and I remembered why I hadn’t gone hiking before.
It’s because I’m slow as Bugs Bunny in ether.
I walked three miles in an hour and a half. I’m almost glad I hate math enough to not figure out how long one mile took me. Because I’m sure the answer would make me depressed.
I got to enjoy the silence of the woods, sit on the edge of the lake, and think about absolutely nothing. I also tried to convince myself that if I sat there long enough, I could get a tan and not blind people with my pasty white skin.
I can dream.
As I trekked up the last few hills, my cell phone rang. It was my parents, calling to say hello.
“Hey Em! How are you?”
“I’m *wheeze* *pant pant* fine.”
“… Are you dying?”
“No. *pant*” I said. “I’m *gasp* taking a *pant* hike.”
“YOU are taking a HIKE? Who’s with you?”
“*pant* No one.”
“So you just decided to go on a hike. By yourself.”
“Yes…”
“What if there’s a park slasher just waiting to grab you?!”
Well, I certainly couldn’t have outrun the slasher. I think we’ve established that.
Just as the car came in sight, it started to hail.
Yes, you read that right.
Hail.
Midwest weather.
The next day was even warmer. I hung out with an amazing family and got to see the plans for their beautiful new house. It was 75 degrees.
I get back to school, and it drops to the mid-40s in an hour.
Today, I had to bundle up in a winter coat.
With all of these fluctuations, I just have one request: April, make up your mind!
“I don’t deserve this award. But I have arthritis and I don’t deserve that either.”
That was a quote from Jack Benny. I don’t have arthritis. (“YET!” I’m sure my Dad is saying.)
Josie over at Books and Black Licorice nominated me for the Liebster Award. She’s listed in the sidebar under the heading “Blogs I Follow.” If you haven’t checked out her blog, make sure you do! She has an incredible writing style and writes about her fun experiences in college.
The award is for bloggers who are nominated by others as their favorite blogs. They must have less than 200 followers and nominees must follow these rules:
1) Post eleven facts about yourself.
2) Answer the questions posted by the nominator.
3) Pass the award on to eleven new recipients.
4) Pose 11 new questions to your bloggers.
Post a copy of the badge on your blog (type “Liebster Award” into Google images; you’ll find plenty to choose from). Notify nominees and include links to the originating blog, as well as the new recipients.
And here are eleven facts you may not know about me! Or, you know, you might.
1) I am a Communication major with an emphasis in Journalism. However, I get tired of explaining to people how that works, so now I just say I’m a Journalism major. It saves time.
2) I am a French minor.
3) My dream job is to be an overseas journalist in Europe. Preferably in… you guessed it… France!
4) I am an introvert.
5) I recently discovered, to the horror of my family, that I enjoy… musicals. “Les Miserables” was pretty good. Even if it did have Anne Hathaway in it.
6) I come from a big family — oldest of seven — and I was homeschooled for the majority of my life. But you’ve probably guessed that by now.
7) I love to read, but haven’t done much of it since school started. My favorite book is “Pride and Prejudice,” but a more modern series I love is “The Shadow of the Bear.” I also pre-ordered the next book in the series.
8) I love to eat anything chocolate.
9) I hate condiments. Ketchup, mustard, mayo, and pickles make me sick. Why would you ruin a perfectly good hamburger?
10) I love rain.
11) In a freak babysitting accident, I once had to clean out a sink clogged with a child’s lunch.
Sorry about that last one. I ran out of things to say. Hopefully the next set of questions will go better.
Q: If you found $100 in your pocket today, what would you do with it?
A: I would do a little happy dance. And then I would probably put it in a bank. College has turned me into an adult who pinches pennies. I feel old.
Q: What is your dream wedding dress?
A: Honestly, I don’t have an exact image in my mind. I like clothes that are simple, but fun at the same time. My favorite wedding dress has to be Kate Middleton’s from the royal wedding.
Q: What do you do in awkward situations?
I usually smile, which probably just adds to the awkwardness.
Q: M&Ms or Skittles?
A: Skittles. The best ones are the orange and red ones.
Q: Pink or blue?
A: Blue. I looked in my closet the other day and realized that half of my shirts were blue. It must be a subconscious thing.
Q: What do you do when you procrastinate? And if you don’t procrastinate, what is your secret?
A: I wish I had a secret to avoid procrastinating. I usually go on Facebook, watch episodes of “Lost,” “The Office,” or “Parks and Recreation.” Or I eat a cookie. Or stare at the ceiling. Or…
Q: Hugs or kisses?
A: Well, I guess it depends on the situation. If I was in a relationship, I would say both… but I’m single. (Don’t worry, Dad!) If we’re talking about the candy version, I would say kisses.
Funny story. When I was in grade school, my dad would try to give me advice on how to let boys know I liked them. He told me to give them a doughnut, kiss them on the cheek and say, “I think you’re dreamy.” His next piece of advice was to run away.
I think the boy would be the one running.
Q: Earth, fire, air, water?
A: Water, I guess.
Q: What did you dream about last night?
A: I had a dream that I had to re-write all of the papers I’ve written this semester with a can of Cheese-Whiz.
It seemed perfectly normal in the dream.
Q: Dream date and/or proposal situation?
A: I don’t have one. Boy, am I lame. I would be fine with anything laid-back. Watching a movie, taking a walk in the park, or going out to dinner. And as far as a proposal goes, I just want to be surprised.
Q: What would your patronus be?
A: I had to look this up because…
I haven’t read Harry Potter or seen the movies.
But before you begin your strongly-worded comments about how Harry Potter is the best series ever written and anyone who hasn’t read them is missing out and boy are you sheltered and uncultured and you probably like Twilight and think vampires are cool, let me just say that I have heard it all before. I really have no time or desire to read them. I don’t think you’re an evil person if you have read them. I have no opinion on the subject.
Just please, keep it civil.
P.S. I hate Twilight. No hate mail, please.
*Phew!* Well, that was fun. Now, here are my nominations.
AHEM, Mother Crabby at Actions Speak Louder. 
Picco at Spoonlighting.
Marie at Adventures in a Grownup World.
Grace at Teenage Traditionalist.
Delena at It’s On My To-Do List.
And here are the questions, ladies.
1) What is something that you loved to do as a kid but would be mortified to do now?
2) If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
3) What is your favorite way to spend a rainy day?
4) What is an unusual skill you possess?
5) Would you rather have toasters for hands or have a donkey follow you around everywhere? (This was an actual question from a recent job interview. I kid you not.)
6) What is the scariest thing you ever did?
7) What is your dream job?
8) What actress would you want to portray you in a movie adaptation of your life? (Again, another interview question.)
9) What is your pet peeve?
10) Hot or cold pizza?
11) Did you have a celebrity crush? Who is it?
Thanks for the award, Josie! This has been fun!
C’est La Vie
I’m not a violent person. I promise. I don’t kick puppies or throw bricks through windows.
Not on a daily basis.
So when my French teacher had us watch a movie for class about World War II, I cringed when I saw the trailer. Let’s just say there was lots of blood. When I watched it back in my room, I fast-forwarded through most of the fighting sequences.
Mainly because I’m a weenie.
The movie was about a group of Frenchmen who started a resistance movement against the Nazis who were occupying Paris and deporting Jews. The resistance members formed a small group, so the tactics they used were smaller. For example, one character asked Nazis for a cigarette, then shot them when they looked down to get a lighter out of their pockets.
Moral of the story: Smoking kills.
The next class period, the teacher divided us into groups to talk (in French) about what we had seen. He asked us whether we liked the movie, which character was our favorite, and what our favorite scene was.
Then, he asked us how we would fight the Nazis if we were in the resistance. Being a non-violent person (who does not approve of puppy-kicking), I suggested printing newspaper articles that promoted anti-Nazi propaganda.
The teacher shook his head. “I want you guys to think of something more… violent.”
No one in my group said anything. We all looked at each other, unwilling to be the first person to suggest anything violent.
**Now hold on.**
I’m not violent, remember? I think we’ve established that. But I’m just making sure you know.
The only violent word I know in French is “to kill.” I don’t use it a lot. Violence is not something you normally bring up in basic conversation. Especially with my limited French vocabulary.
“Jacques, you silly man, you gave me a baguette, when I wanted a croissant! I will hit you with this loaf of bread and pull your moustache!”
… Not normal.
Also, not a strong tactic against Nazis.
Where was I? Oh, yes. The only violent French word I knew was “to kill.” So when no one else offered any suggestions, and the teacher was visibly growing impatient, I blurted out, “We could kill the Nazis…”
The teacher looked at me and said, “What?”
I thought he said, “Where?”
So I answered with the first words that came to my head. “… in the street?”
He looked at the group of other students. No one said anything.
“Who would do this? You?” He looked at a student sitting in the corner.
The student shook his head.
“You?”
Nope.
The professor looked at me. “Would you?”
“Well, no…”
He looked at us and laughed, “So it seems you have a small problem.”
Yeah, I do. I’m now the kid who suggested we kill people. In the streets. Not exactly a great conversation starter.
At least everyone had a sense of humor about it. Now my group in class fills any awkward silences with, “Kill them… in the streets.”
But I just want to make clear that I am in no way supporting killing anyone. Especially in the streets.
Look both ways, kids.
At least this has driven me to learn more French vocabulary.
A bientôt!
