Dreaming of Spring Break

As I walk around on campus and I'm blinded by the 6+ inches of snow everywhere, all I can think about is spring break. It's hard to believe that it's only a week away, and I'm thankful for it too. This year I'm going on a Royal Caribbean cruise to Jamaica and I cannot wait! It will be so nice to swim in the clear water, eat real food, and let the hot sun give me a tan (since I'm basically albino right now). Needless to say, this break is much needed. However, when I look at my planner for next week, I realize I still have one incredibly busy week ahead of me. I'm so thankful Klein moved our midterm back because I don't think I would've been able to make it out alive with that midterm on top of everything else. This weekend I just really need to stay focused and get a lot done so that next week isn't quite so awful. Sunday will definitely be spent doing nothing but homework and studying. I just hope I don't come back from spring break to even more snow. I don't think I can take it anymore!  

Make up

I've recently become close with one of my teammates who is obsessed with make-up and hair styling. She's so good at it. Her hair always looks beautiful and her make up always looks perfect. Naturally, I'm really jealous. So over the snow days last week we spent a lot of time together and she started giving me tips on hair and make up and showed me the products she uses and all that. Now, I wear make up and I can do my hair. I don't think I look awful or anything. But most of the products that I use are from drug stores. I've never seen the point in paying tons of money for make up because I literally thought it was actually all the same (like name brand clothing is, in my opinion). Then my friend started showing me all the Mac, Urban Decay, and Naars make up she wears, and then I realized that that's the difference between the way she looks and the way I look. I know that sounds dumb, but I JUST now realized that paying money (and I mean a lot) for make-up is worth it. So we went to a mall in Columbia this past weekend and went to Sephora and I bought a few things. I already had Urban Decay's Naked and Naked Basics pallet, and I love it. So this weekend I bought Urban Decay Setting Spray and their mascara called Perversion and I LOVE IT! The setting spray is awesome and the mascara is soooo wonderful: gives you extra-long extra-thick lashes, doesn't get hard and crusty, doesn't seep down your face, and comes off easily with my make up remover. I can't wait to try more high-end make up products-- but I need to save up some money first.

Puppy Fever

I'm that girl that sees a dog when out in public somewhere and immediately stops what she's doing, swoons over the dog, and doesn't want to ever walk away. I love dogs of all shapes, sizes, and colors. I have a puppy back at home (when I say puppy I mean he's really like 10 years old but he'll always be my puppy). He's a chihuahua named Chachi and he's literally my WORLD. He's actually my spirit animal. I look forward to going home to him because it means snuggling and playing with him all day. I think I love dogs so much because I admire their selfless, unwavering love for their owners. They don't care what you look like, or all the mistakes you've made-- they just love you more than they love anything else in the world and they always will. Lately I've really been missing Chachi... I think it's because my roommate brought her golden retriever, Stella, up for a few weeks. It's nice to have her around but now I just want Chachi. Also, coincidentally I've been seeing a lot of advertisements for dogs for sale and stuff like that. I want one here in Boone with me so bad, but Chachi would not allow that to happen (he hates other dogs and becomes a vicious attack animal when he sees another one). He would be so upset and hurt and I could never do that to him. Do I sound like a crazy dog lady? Oh well. :)  

Klein's Literature Review

I recently started trying to work on Klein's lit review. So far, all I've accomplished is learning that I am confused. Maybe I should've started this a long time ago, or maybe I didn't start it because I was confused back then too. I understand my topic, and I vaguely understand the methods section, but I just don't understand what I should be doing for this paper. I know that I am supposed to use sources and some of my annotated bibliography articles, but for what? What do I say about them? Needless to say, I have a lot of questions for him in class tomorrow. Last week's class cancellations definitely were not helpful, so I feel like I've just been stuck. Thank goodness that the rough draft only needs to be two pages and that it's only a rough draft. Here's to hoping I understand this by Thursday (and to hoping that I'm not the only one who feels this way).

Snow Days

I definitely do not like bad weather: I don't particularly love being cold, I don't like rain, and I don't really even like the snow. BUT, when the snow gets me out of 3.5 total days of school, I love it. This week's weather has been pretty much awful, but I got the opportunity to slow down and really enjoy my time and just have fun. I've been at my friend's house for the past few days with a few of my other teammates. We've spent the days being lazy, drinking hot chocolate, watching girly movies, eating pizza, and playing card games. So healthy and active, right? It's been so relaxing and I realized that sometimes this is what we all need: a chance to stop real life and just laugh and lay around with your best friends. In this way, I'm so thankful for the snow this week. I still hate negative degree temperatures when I walk outside, but I'm not sure there are any humans alive that enjoy that kind of weather. I hope everyone else's snow week has been as sweet and enjoyable as mine! 

Exciting weekend ahead!

So this weekend will be a busy and exciting one. Friday is my day to relax and get things done. Saturday, I was invited by my coach to drive with her and one of my other teammates to judge a cheerleading competition in Columbia, SC! I'm super excited but also really nervous. Judging is a pretty nerve racking thing! Apparently it's a really small competition and it's for a private Christian school, but still. At least I'll be getting paid! Then on Sunday I am working the cheer clinic through App Cheerleading. I'm excited but it's going to be a loooong day. The clinics are a good way for my team to make money, and also a good way to see and meet people prior to tryouts. It's also a great way for my team to show off and show how awesome our friendships are. The campers learn our fight song dance, some sidelines, and get to stunt with us. It's a great opportunity for anyone who is planning on trying out for our team and any other college team. We're hoping to get a decent turn out! I'm excited to be busy and make some money, but I need to set aside time to be productive and do homework too.  

Home sweet home

There is nothing that I love more than being at home. When I was in high school I was the typical teenager that couldn't wait to get out of the house. But now that I'm in college I've learned to value home so much more. I spent this weekend at home and it was wonderful, as always. When I drive back into my small hometown I feel instantly comfortable. That is my home: where time passes slower, where all of my sweetest memories were made, where I grew up. Then I pull into my drive way and walk in the house and I'm greeted by an excited puppy, an excited 7 year old sister, and two smiling parents. There is truly nothing better. I also got to see my wonderful boyfriend who is in Rookie school to be a police officer (like my dad). The weekend was filled with laughter, yummy food and relaxation. Leaving is always so hard though. Driving away from my family is the hardest thing, and goodbye hugs pretty much break my heart. I can't wait until I can go back home for a weekend! 

Stressed!

So... I need a blog to just vent, which I know is annoying, BUT it'll make me feel better, I hope. This week has been so completely overwhelming. One wrestling match and two basketball games to cheer in, three 6 am work outs, two 6pm practices (with extra conditioning), two tests, one quiz, three papers due, two presentations, one tutoring session, and one very important meeting. But who's keeping count, right? This entire week I have felt so stressed. I got up at 3:30am almost every morning this week to finish things and study and whatnot. So I just feel completely exhausted and my brain and body are just done. I am so so thankful that it's Friday. My only saving grace through this week was knowing that I get to go home this weekend to see my family, boyfriend, and puppy. I can't wait! Now to just get through this last quiz and one more class. THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY!  

Positive Post Its

So most of you may have seen the abundance of post-it notes that were posted in random places all over campus on Monday-- and I hope you did see them! One of my really good friends and teammates came up with the idea last week: to create a Facebook page inviting people to write positive, encouraging, and uplifting memos on post-it notes and put them anywhere on campus on Monday, February 9. The idea was that, with all the tragic events that are happening around us, the Appalachian State community needs to come together and remind each other that we are worthy, important, and loved. I saw some of the sweetest, most up lifting post its around campus. My heart was filled with happiness to know that a simple sticky note like that could make someone's day or even save someone's life. I even had a pretty bad day on Monday, and a pretty bad week so far. But when I think about our campus spotted with those sticky notes full of love and encouragement, I can't help but smile. I am so proud of not only our student body, but of my beautiful friend who thought of the idea and made it all happen. She has been interviewed by local newspapers and even the Huffington Post for Positive Post-It Note Day. She plans to make it an annual event, and hopes that Post-It will even sponsor her someday. I am so proud to call such an awesome person my friend, and I am so happy that I could participate and be affected by such an awesome idea. I can't wait till next year's positive post-it note day! 

Iphone Updates

Ask anyone.. I am the furthest thing from technologically savvy. Can I do basic things on the computer and phone to get me through school and to use social media websites? Yes-- I was born in the 90s afterall. But as far as all the iphone updates and syncing your macbook with your phone, it's just beyond me! I guess if I sat down and really worked at it and figured everything out, then sure I'd be able to do it. It's just that I have no interest in doing all that stuff. It's time consuming and it gives me anxiety. Tonight my friends decided that I needed to update my phone. In order to do this I needed to sync my phone and computer in order to free up data space on my phone. It took a lot of patience, a lot of questions asked, and a lot of confusion, but I feel like my life is fully up to date now. I might have post traumatic stress disorder after all this. So for now, my phone and computer are up to date.... until the next update comes out, that is. Then it'll be this whole ballgame all over again. Great!

New puppy?

My dad is a police officer in a department in my hometown. Of course, they have police dog German Shepards there, and apparently, one of the other officers has a German Shepard of her own who just had puppies. She only has two puppies left, a boy and a girl, and she brought them to the police department today to try to get someone to buy them. Now, my dad is not an animal person. I have a dog at home and they get along fine but in general my dad is just not an animal lover. He'll cry at the movie Marley & Me, but he's not likely to ask to pet someone's dog on the street (like me). So I'm sitting in class and I checked my phone and I see a picture of this beautiful puppy sitting in a basket in my dad's office. Then another picture of the puppy in my dad's arms-- I've almost never seen my dad smile so big, especially because of an animal. He said we can't buy one, but I know he's secretly thinking about it. I would be sooooo happy if we got one! He keeps talking about how good they were for puppies, and how soft they were, and how they were the coolest dogs ever. I want one so bad! I'll keep y'all updated if we get it :)

Being sick.... EW!

For the past few days I haven't been feeling all that great. I've had a congested head, a sore throat, achy ears, and an awful cough. I usually hate going to the doctor and I wasn't planning on it, but then two of my teammates went to the doctor and were diagnosed with bronchitis that could have turned into fatal pneumonia. So, naturally, this scared me into going to the doctor. I went to student health today and it took forever, of course. After over two hours of waiting I finally saw a doctor. She immediately wanted a blood test done (ouch!) to check my white blood cell count. Overall, my blood looked healthy but my white blood cells were high enough that the doctor concluded that I had a viral infection that was in the early stages of turning into bronchitis. Yuck! So she prescribed me four different types of medicine to take throughout the day and said that if I didn't feel better in the next few days that I would need to come back in for bronchitis medicine. She also ordered 4-5 days of rest with no physical activity. This means I will have to miss practice and 6am workouts. I hate letting my team down, but I feel so awful that I know I couldn't participate anyways. I'm also highly contagious, so I don't think anyone wants me around anyways. So it's soup, my bed, and lots of gatorade and medicine for the next few days for me! Ugh.