14 posts tagged “life”

i'm sorry for disappearing. lots of things have happened and i'm not quite ready to sit down and face them.
i graduated again in december and took the most fantastic trip to germany in january. now i'm back in the states. living at home. working at starbucks, reliving the fun i had in germany in my head, and wondering what to do with myself.
hopefully i'll start blogging more as i start to get my life back on track.
in the meantime, this video:

i want to apologize for the severe lack of blogging that has been going on but i promise i have really good excuses.
the first being i'm home and that means that the computer is not always logged online for fear of viruses and hackers coming onto our desktop and eating it. also this means that the computer is slow as hell for no apparent reasons. i mean why would i want to open two web pages at once? that's just crazy talk. so pretty much internet use is kept to a minimum partly because of the lurking viruses and also because prolonged use on this machine makes me want to hurt people.

and while we are on the topic of computers the second excuse has to do with allastair my lovely dell laptop. something happened to him and now the keyboard is all messed up. the number row and the asdf row have combined so whenever i type "a" or "1" i get "a1" the same goes for "s" or "2" i get "s2"  and so on down the line. so pretty much i can't enter any passwords or type any extended posts or emails in anything under thirty minutes. i'm going to be using the graduation moneys i received to get a macbook! i am soooo excited. hopefully this purchase will be happening soon and perhaps that will lead to an increase in my internet presence.

the third and final reason for not blogging is that there has really been nothing to blog about. i'm home in va beach for the summer. there is nothing to do here. also i'm apparently unemployable as evidenced by the thirty or so job applications i've filled out in the past three weeks and my continuing lack of a job.

to keep myself busy and also because it's driving my mom nuts i've been slowly starting to go through...essentially all of my worldly possessions. i started out in my closet and have found notebooks and notes from high school, notebooks from freshman year of college, letters from family and friends for my high school graduation and my art portfolio from the introduction to art class i took freshman year of college. i threw away most of the notebooks and most of the portfolio but i kept a lot of the letters and pretty much all of the notes. oh high school.

i have done one exciting thing so far over break. the faint came to the NorVa and i went with a group of friends to go see them. we got pretty close to the stage and the band played and amazing set. curtis and i even got to go to the afterparty and meet the band! i will upload photos eventually. my mom's computer takes half an hour to upload two pictures and god forbid trying to post them on the internet. i'd be here for days.

i hope everyone out there is having a wonderful summer. i'm open to book suggestions and job connections :)

so i graduated this past weekend and packed up and moved all my stuff out of my room in PY (my residence hall) thus simultaneously ending both my collegiate and residence life careers. it has been kind of strange but exciting at the same time.
fortunately i don't have to say good-bye forever to VT and Blacksburg; i will be heading back in the fall for one final semester to complete a second degree, a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies (i just got a BS in Biology). This will give me a little more time to apply to more graduate school programs, retake the GRE and enjoy one more football season in Lane stadium :)
i have been super lucky in that i even have found a room to sublet in a cute little brick house and have been asked to babysit a full set of bedroom furniture for just the fall semester! so i definitely have things to look forward to.

this summer is still a little up in the air. i think it's going to be mostly relaxing, working a little (i'm not sure where yet), visiting people who i haven't seen in a while and catching up with all my good friends here at the beach. my mom's probably going to try and get me to go to the actual beach, she thinks i'm too pale (i come from a long line of sun worshipers) i keep trying to tell her i don't want age spots and wrinkles but she insists i need a tan. this will prove to be an interesting battle.

sorry about the series. things got kind of hectic, i got super overwhelmed with graduating and packing (to the point of being pretty much motionless). also my immediate family plus one aunt came to see the ceremony and assist in the moving out process. they're all pretty intense and i didn't really have a chance to use my computer much except to check cuteoverload (i recognize i have an addiction).

i have loads of pictures from graduation but they are scattered about on different peoples cameras, computers, cds etc. i even joined in the fun and took a couple pictures while sitting and 'listening' and the university ceremony. this has been my favorite one so far:

Graduation

so i've fallen a little bit behind and am having to combine topics three and four.
my most sincere apologies!

LEARNED

. girls can be fun: i definitely did not learn this freshman year that year it was very strongly reinforced that girls are evil vicious monsters. this has been learned slowly and tentatively and has come to fruition this past summer and school years. it's actually a blast.

.the internet is vital: coming into college i was an infrequent internet user at best. now i get antsy if i'm without internet connection for more than 3 days. it's sad but good i think. the internet has helped me keep in touch with people and it's also helped me learn more about my addiction to cute.

. drink water!: i swear, because i have avoided soda all four years i haven't gained much weight. yeah i've gotten "softer" but i haven't blimped out because i drink a lot of water (and don't eat a lot of pizza)

. go to class: as lame and repetitive as it sounds, going to class automatically makes you more likely to get the grades you want. evening classes have been my savior.

. get involved: i never really got super involved in college but i have been a part of groups for short periods of time and they have been really fun. not only do you get to interact with people who are usually awesome you are also driven to be better at time management and therefore get more stuff done! hurrah for win-win situations!

. libraries: they are your best friend. they have textbooks for free and they are probably the quietest place on campus with an internet connection (well the third floor is anyway).

. flattery: you have to learn to play the game. it sucks but you gotta.

FORGOT

. sweatpants: in an environment where it's socially acceptable to wear sweatpants around all day it's going to be hard to break the habit. they're so comfy! but they do no favors for your figure or other's perception of you.

. reading for fun: hey sometimes you can just pick up a book and have time to read/enjoy it. four years of college have made this all but a distant memory. i am definitely looking forward to reading again.

. how to work ahead: why do work now when i could go out to a party/watch fresh prince reruns/take a nap and then stay up all night tomorrow to finish it?

. an eating schedule: granted my family isn't too big on these either but we at least have a sense of when each meal should be eaten. here at school i've found myself eating "breakfast" at 2 in the afternoon and having dinner closer to 11pm.

. paying for food etc: i never have to use cash if i don't want to here at Tech. every monetary exchange can be done with my hokie passport or can be charged to my account. it's going to be weird to have to use actual moneys to get what i want when i want it.

i can't think of anything else at the moment.
jeff threw a pretty sweet martini party on the 5th i shall leave you with a few of the pictures from my flickr:

- The Wind: there is nothing worse than having to fight your way across the frigid, blustery drillfield at 9am. NOTHING.

- ResLife: while there were some great parts about being an RA (mainly the people I met through it) ResLife was really frustrating. ridiculous amounts of paperwork, politics, manipulative people, outdated rules and rude/belligerent residents (usually only if they had been drinking).

- Annoying People: of course you find these everywhere but for some reason there seems to be a much higher concentration in college. usually it's the people who think they are better thanyou (either because of their GPA or their taste in music or their drive whatever). or the people who ask the most ridiculous, repetitive questions in class. "so I know you already mentioned this but blah blah blah" HEY if they already mentioned it....don't ask about it again. dumb.

- I-81: well pretty much the whole drive to Blacksburg, but the I-81 stretch was always particularly awful. it's long and full of 18wheelers that pass you at breakneck speeds. no good. no good at all.

- Organic Chemistry Lab: for this one credit lab I would routinely stay up until 4am trying to figure out the pre-lab and still not be able to do all of it. this class was hell. the woman who ran it is pure evil. every time I see her I have to restrain myself from throwing rocks at her.

- Not having a Kitchen: I know it's my fault for living in the residence halls all four years but not having a kitchen has been killer. i cannot wait to be able to cook for myself!!

- The Cow Smell: so we have cows on campus here at Tech, not wandering around mind you but still their pastures are part of campus. on some lucky mornings you would wake up and the smell of cow manure would be permeating the surrounding air...mmmm.

[I'll most likely add more to this list as well...enjoy!]

curtis did this last year and it turned out really well so i'm going to follow in his footsteps. an entry for every day of the week until graduation.

so to start it off, all the things i've loved about college.

*Blacksburg: at first I was a little afraid I wouldn't be able to get used to the small town atmosphere here, but I have learned to love it. being able to walk everywhere is wonderful, not to mention all the great independent stores and restaurants (Gillies, Bollo's, HomeBody etc.).

*New People: at a school of 27,000 undergrads it's almost impossible to not meet new people. and it's really fun when you meet awesome and fun new people.

*Summer 2006: last summer I stayed here to be a summer school RA and take some classes to ensure I could graduate on time. I was sort of uncertain that it would be fun at all but it was probably one of the best experiences I've ever had. I met two of my favorite girls ever and had fun running around a nearly deserted Blacksburg.

*Vintage Cellar: with free wine and beer tasting on the weekends and amazing closeouts vintage cellar has quickly become a favorite place since my 21st birthday. most of the people who work there are very knowledgeable about the wines and I always walk out of there with a great wine.

*Limits: college is where you learn your limits, not just your limits for alcohol consumption but also your personal limits. I've learned a lot about myself and about how much I'm willing to put up with from other people. I've learned how to stand up for myself and how to pick my battles.

*Hokie Football: I was in marching band all four years of high school and when i got to college i couldn't tell you what a down was. not only did I learn a lot about football, I also got this amazing sense of what it means to be a Hokie. going to football games as a freshman was almost magical, being in such a huge stadium packed full of roaring fans is exhilarating.  and the best part is the fun doesn't stop; I never want to stop going to games here at Lane.

*Marching Virginians: although I was only in it for one year it was a great experience. I had a blast dancing the Hokie Poke on the field and screaming at the opposing team when they got too close to our seats. what else lets you shake your butt at a packed stadium?

*Inspired Teachers: nothing is better than being excited to go to class. I've had some amazing teachers who have taught me how to think critically about society and things that I routinely take for granted. learning has been fun for the most part.

*Going to school in a castle: Tech looks like a castle, as one of my teachers told me "if Radford ever attacked us, they'd be screwed." we have archers windows and gargoyles! it's pretty fun to walk across the drillfield on a misty morning towards Burruss...i feel like I'm at Hogwarts (especially if there is music playing from Burruss.)

*No sleep schedule to speak of: it's totally fine if you stay up all night and take a five hour nap during the day when you're in college. No one even bats an eye, actually people think you're weird if you go to sleep before midnight and wake up before noon.

*No dresscode: I love wearing sweatpants and t-shirts. I only have to dress up like once a month for interviews or meetings. it's lovely.

That's all I have for now, but check back...I'll probably be updating these for a while.

I think bad things happen in clumps of three because the universe is a jerk and likes to kick you when you're down.
Last Monday pretty much devastated everyone, and that whole week was surreal and strange. This past Monday (the 23rd) two friends and I drove to Augusta, Georgia (which is about a 5.5 hour drive from Blacksburg) for my friend Ryan Clark's funeral. The service was wonderful and I think we all got some closure from going which was good. However, we didn't really know what to do after the service, none of us know anyone in Augusta so we decided to drive back. To summarize, it was a good roadtrip (my car companions were fantastic) but physically and emotionally draining. I don't know if I've ever been so tired in my life. When we finally got back I came back to my room and checked my email only to receive this:

Dear Ms. Whalen,

Thank you for applying for an internship position with the National Center for Ethics in Health Care.  Due to the large number of highly qualified applicants and the limited number of positions available, we are not able to offer you an internship this summer.

We thank you for your interest in our program.  Best wishes in your future endeavors.

So I've been banking on an internship that I got turned down for. Super. Looks like I'll have to go home and find something to do in Virginia Beach this summer which is the LAST thing on the PLANET that I want to do. Everything is still in the air for grad school too so pretty much I'm screwed. I don't know how to get out, get better and get a job. The mom keeps harassing me to find an "adult job" which is stupid because her definition of "adult job" is something that makes a lot of money but you probably don't enjoy, but you keep the job because you make money. Bump that

Pretty much I'm just waiting for the third thing to happen. I hope it doesn't suck too hard because if it does I might just get into bed and not get back out. Also, if anyone wants to let me live on their couch or knows where I can get a job this summer let me know.

i'm supposed to be starting to pack up things i won't be needing for my last few weeks here at Tech. so of course i'm taking the time to answer emails, find and read new blogs etc.

i think i'm going to be heading out early early tomorrow morning (hopefully around 6am), swinging by that school down the road to pick up emily and hopefully getting back to the beach by early afternoon. the forecast is saying it's going to snow tonight, so i'm crossing my fingers that it's not too much. i really don't feel like trying to drive down all these twisty mountain roads in ice and snow.
i'm really indignant about this snow though. on tuesday it was about 80F here. everyone was in shorts and skirts and tank tops. now it's freaking freezing and i have to get all bundled up to ward off the freezing wind. grar.

in other news, i got halfway into grad school. i applied to Catholic University for a masters in moral theology/ethics, despite my undergrad being in biology with a minor in literature. they said i'm accepted but i need to take 12 credits of religion or theology classes and 9 credits of philosophy classes as prerequisites to my MA. so i'm not exactly sure what i'm going to be doing, i'm probably going to defer for a year (there are more scholarship opportunities during the fall semester) and take a semester's worth of classes at Tech. but that's still all up in the air. plus, if i stay here i need to find somewhere to live and a job kind of soon. it's frustrating and i sometimes wish they had just rejected me because then there would be less stress...more disappointment but definitely less stress because it would be much clearer what i could/couldn't do.
i still haven't heard any more from the internship people but i'm keeping my fingers crossed for the summer in Seattle (not that i have anywhere to live there either).

ah jeez. why must everything be so complicated?!