What I've learned from college.

The other day, I realized that I've been in college longer than I was in high school. Of course, this isn't unusual, because I think it takes on average 6 years to get a bachelor's degree.

It's weird to me, because it seems like high school took F O R E V E R. My journey through my university has certainly flown by. So what have I gained in the process? I'll attempt to put it down in a list. Here goes:

1. I've learned that one of my favorite movies of all time is The Road Home. Thanks, creative arts!

2. I've learned that GDP means gross domestic product. Thanks, Econ 1500! (that's probably the only thing I took away from that class)

3. I've learned that USU has a ton of weird, obscure, useless, money-making rules. Don't even get me started on the math placement test. And I didn't even have to take it, thank goodness!

4. I've learned that I really love the arts and music department.

5. I've learned that going to the free homecoming movie on campus is a good way to date your future husband.

6. I learned that you really don't learn anything in high school. Either that, or what you've learned just gets replaced with new stuff. In fact, the only thing I remember about my high school government class is that our teacher made us do a survey comparing education to political party preference and told us that the more educated someone is, the more of a chance it is that they are Republican. Obviously, this bothered me so much that I remembered it and I still do! (And I'm not a Democrat!) moving on...

7. I've learned that no matter how old someone is, there are still people who will pick their nose and eat it, pick scabs and eat it, and lift up a cheek and fart--all in class. No comment.

8. I've grasped a better understanding of how government agencies work thanks to my reporting classes.

9. I've learned just how lazy I could become--I really do love learning, but not necessarily going to my boring generals everyday.

10. I learned that it is so much fun to make new friends and the students on campus really do rock. When I managed to get out of my shell most days, I made new friends. And I love them!

Some memorable moments:

1. One day of a new semester, I lost my schedule of classes. I managed to faintly remember where my class was, and sat down. It was supposed to be an oceanography class. I sat down and listened to a 50-minute lecture of intense physics, and I was scared TO DEATH. The professor didn't mention anything about the ocean, but for some reason I thought it was the right class and I knew there was no way I could ever pass. Then I ran into a friend in the TSC immediately after, and he informed me that I was indeed in the wrong class because he was in my oceanography class too. Then he laughed for about ten minutes.

2. I'll always miss (but not really) the campus preacher who yelled in my ear several times on the way to class. Stirring up controversy, bashing my religion, and telling me that I didn't need to follow the Word of Wisdom, that's a good way to convert people! Interesting to have on campus, but I can live the rest of my life without seeing him and I think I'll be okay.

3. The various amounts of people I've seen smear themselves on the pavement in a serious of wipeouts. There was the girl who fell down Old Main stairs that almost pulled her pants down, the guy who almost drilled me on his long board then proceded to get launched off his board and into a huge bush, the girl who attempted to walk down the steepest sidewalk just off campus that was covered in a huge sheet of ice--and barely made it out alive, the girl who was walking down a steep sidewalk on Old Main in stilettos that rolled her ankle and launched herself down the hill, and who can forget the time I went marching into the fine arts building when it was wet and snowy, and slipped and yelped at the same time. Thankfully, I managed not to fall, but everyone certainly turned around and stared.

4. I had a class with a fellow Bear Laker, and it was always hard for me to attend. He was a perfect student and always made it to class. My teacher had an attendance rule where she would call out random names to answer questions every class, and if you were there, you got your attendance points for the whole semester. She would only call out our names once. I struggled to go to class, and luckily I was there on the day she called my name. My friend was 5 minutes late to class one day, and she called his name in that period of time so he didn't get his attendance points. It was a travesty! But I couldn't help but snicker at the irony of it all.

I'm going to have to keep thinking of more, but I know there are many. So I guess this will be an on-going post.

I'm going to miss USU.

P.S. Do you like my new banner? :)

Thanks, thanks, and many thanks.

I realized tonight, for about the millionth time, how lucky and blessed I truly am.

For a class, I had to make an outfit out of reused or recyclable materials to be modeled in a fashion show. Mark agreed to let me poke, prod, and strap the clothes that I made on him for the show. I told a few friends and family members, and they said they would come.

It's amazing to me that so many people would take time out of their lives to come support me, even if it was just for a trivial class. Two of my friends who are my age (one a busy college student and another a busy mom) took time to come, even in the middle of crappy, crappy weather. (You know who you are and it was so fun to have you there!)

My parents drove about 60 miles to come see, and my sister (also a busy mom) came too. All in the midst of horrible weather, and all to see this outfit I made out of scraps and candy wrappers.

It's just so overwhelming that I have that many amazing people in my life. And for some reason, it's really hitting me hard tonight.

In trying to figure out all of our plans for moving to Germany, we were at a loss at what we were going to do with our stuff from our apartment (renting a storage unit being the last option). My brother and sister-in-law are going to let us use their unfinished basement to house our stuff for six months. I can't even begin to tell you what a relief this was, because not only are storage units expensive, they seem untrustworthy to me. Yet again another example of how I have so many amazing people in my life.

Another thing I am very thankful for is the opportunity to go to Germany for Mark's internship. I've had so many people tell me that this is "an opportunity of a lifetime." And I know it is, we are so very lucky and thankful to have it. I never thought that at one point in my life, I would be living in Europe. It's always been a dream, and I can't believe it's coming true. I'm so excited for the Mark's new job and all the new things he's going to learn. He's going to be able to use his talents and skills to help many people--I'm so proud of him!

I'm so thankful for Mark, especially because he puts up with me so much. I've never met anyone so patient and kind! Sometimes, when Mark does something and I react in a certain way, I'll think to myself, Does Mark react this way when you do this to him? And most of the time, the answer is no. He really is a sweets, and he is so smart. I'm thankful he is getting the opportunity to grow and learn in his internship!

I'm so thankful for every one of you, and the role and place you have in my life. I don't know what I would do without my friends and family! Life wouldn't be worth living. I love you all!

The puzzle is solved.

We're going to Germany!

Mark got his internship with Bosch. A day after I wrote my last post, he received an email from "the man" in Waiblingen. He asked Mark if he could do a phone interview with him, so Mark said he would be available the next morning.

The phone rang at 8 a.m., just as I was on my way to class. I think I was more nervous than Mark! When I came home I asked Mark how the interview went and if he had any news. Then he told me that he was offered the internship!

Now for the details. It's a 6-month internship and we will probably be living in Waiblingen. If all goes well, we'll leave mid-May and come back the first of December. We found reasonably priced tickets around then...a few weeks after into June, and the prices skyrocket!

I can't believe our lives are going to change so much in five short weeks, but we're so excited for it. Mark, the lucky dog, gets to travel with the company, too. They said that he would be making some trips with the company, and I would be able to meet up with Mark and spend the weekend wherever he is!

I feel so lucky and so grateful. If anyone wants to come visit, you're more than welcome to!

(Waiblingen)

Jeans shmeans.

I have a dilemma.

I've hit a fashion crossroads. All my jeans have holes in them from wearing them too much. But here's the thing, I don't want to buy more to replace them.

I despise jeans. I loathe jeans. Just the thought of putting them on makes me queasy.

How did I come to this realization, you might ask? About a year ago, I've decided that I've really just been fighting my hatred all my life. I've always passed them off as a minor annoyance and just decided that it was something I had to put up with.

Here's a short list of why I don't like jeans:

1. They're uncomfortable. Come on, you know they are!

2. It's virtually impossible to find a pair that fights you perfectly without getting tailored.

3. They all start to look the same after awhile.

4. It's also next to impossible to go from a sitting position to a standing (and visa versa) without having to make some sort of adjustment. (am I the only one with this problem?)

5. They're expensive.

6. Finding a good pair is like finding a needle in a haystack. Hipsters. Boot cut. Low rise. High rise. Skinny. Baggy. Relaxed cut. How about a fits-my-body-instantly cut?

7. Yawn...they can make an outfit look blah.

8. Jeans aren't forgiving with shapes.

All my life I've resorted to jeans as my standard wear for my legs, but no more ladies! No more!

As I've wandered through various European street fashion blogs, many women aren't wearing jeans. Tights, leggings, jeggings, skirts, dresses--these women are my inspiration. They must be so comfortable in those things, and they look fabulous too!

So now I'm on the hunt for the perfect items to add to my wardrobe to replace my holy jeans. It's going to be quite the task, but oh man, it's going to be worth it.

I love this girl's trousers. So cute. (image)

Now, does anyone want to join me in a ceremonial burning of the jeans?

New name and a new life.

Well, my blog has had yet another name change. For some reason, each name seems to just get old after awhile. Is there something wrong with constantly changing blog names? Who knows.

For those of you who read my last post, perhaps I should throw in a bit of a disclaimer. I don't intend for everyone around me to be vegetarian/vegan, but my meaning when I say that "people don't want to hear" is that some people absolutely don't want to know what happens to their food. It's one thing to not know and consume and another to know and still eat it anyway. I think we all need to know what happens to our food and where it came from because it is so elemental and essential to life. I hope I don't sound prudish or rude here, but after I reread my post, I just worried how people would take it.

Anyway, moving on...

Perhaps you remember this post? Mark's possible internship with Deloitte & Touche kinda fell through the cracks. However (and I can't remember if I mentioned this in the last post) it wasn't an official position that Mark was applying for. He was the only one who applied and we weren't sure if there was going to be a place for him over in Munich, and it turns out there wasn't. Kind of a bummer after waiting months (and months!) to find out what was going to happen this summer. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Mark applied for another internship for Bosch in Waiblingen, Germany. This one looks for promising than the last (at least I hope!)

USU has revolving internship positions for Bosch. I'm not sure when we would be going over if he ended up getting the internship, but it would be for 3-6 months. The student from USU that is over there right now is on a 6th month internship. Holy cannoli. If we did go over there for six months, what on earth would I do with myself while Mark worked? I told Mark that I would have to find a job somewhere, even if that meant being the cleaning lady at a hotel or something. The thought excites and scares me at the same time!

This is all speculation, of course. I mean, what else can we do but be excited for the possibilites? Who knows what's going to happen, but I hope we hear news soon!

I'm graduating in about a month. We're moving sometime soon (date is unknown because of the internship). I had a job interview this past week with the local newspaper. I have no idea what I'm going to be doing in May! Has anyone else had this happen to them? You're literally a month away from huge changes, but you don't know what they are yet. I'm not sure my stress levels and tense neck muscles can handle this! :)

On the other hand, I sure am excited for summer to come. I just hope it involves lots of bike rides, tennis, softball, sunshine, campfires, and the lake! It's going to be great!

Next post: Oregon trip. (I'm just too lazy to do it right now.)

Veganism is a rocky road sometimes.

I don't think that veganism was something that I chose. In many ways, I think it found me.

Take for example, the first time I listened to what was soon to be my favorite podcast. After searching through piles of podcasts on iTunes, I came across it and thought, "That seems like a good podcast to listen to about being healthy." And so I downloaded an episode titled, "The High Costs of Cheap Meat" thinking it was going to talk about stuff like hot dogs and chicken nuggets. I must have been really opposed to processed meat at the time.

As the voice rambled on, I remember thinking, This woman is crazy. So much of it went over my head that after I turned off my iPod about 15 minutes into the episode, I didn't remember much except for her saying something about veganism.

Months and months went by until I decided to listen to more of those podcasts at work. I downloaded a few more and was instantly hooked. I liked her message and it seemed to fit in my beliefs, something I believe I had swept under a rug and ignored for some time.

There was the time when my family decided to raise broiler chickens and I had to help the process of--ahem--killing them. Believe me, I had no emotional attachment to those chickens in any way, shape, or form. In fact, I think I was still a little bitter about being attacked by one of my brother's roosters several years before. Still, the image of what happened that day will forever be tattooed in my brain. Did that stop me from eating meat at the time? No.

A few times I had gone with my family fishing and I remember feeling bad for the poor fish that were hauled up out of the water on the end of my line. I got used to seeing the dead animals my family would bring in after they hunted and it got to the point where I didn't think twice about it. Yet, at the same time, I had pretty passionate beliefs that an animal shouldn't be killed "just because."

I almost went vegan a few years after high school. My roommate had discovered a diet called macrobiotic, and I liked it. I believed intensely one of the main messages: what you eat translates directly to how your body looks, feels, and operates. My roommates uncle came over to our apartment one day and was teasingly calling us "vegans." Even though it is a vegan diet per se, I got a little offended.

As I've mentioned in a previous post, veganism was still a hard decision for me, and at times it continues to get harder. I spent so many years closed and blocked to the idea of animal suffering that when I realized just how wide spread and horrible it is, it was devastating.

You see, no one tells you when you are younger that in the egg industry, male "egg-laying" chicks are killed shortly after birth because they are considered useless. No one tells you how extensive and horrible the fur industry is, and it's even worse to find out that some main culprits are even miles away. The feeling of knowing all this is overwhelming and you feel deceived. But let me tell you, what's almost worse than knowing is the feeling that if you try to inform someone else of what you think would be useful information to them (because it was for you) they don't want to listen. They don't want to know.

Your eye to animal suffering is opened. This is something so hard to explain until you truly feel it for yourself.

One day, on the way to work, I saw a cop pulled off the side of the road with his lights on. As I glanced over to see what happened while Mark drove on, I saw a deer that had been hit and crippled in the middle of the road. He was sitting upright, but obviously could not walk or get away. I saw the look on his face, and I'll never forget it. I cried the whole way to work and for most of the first hour.

The truth is, life gets more complicated the more you care about things. There are many times when almost wish I could go back to being ignorant about it all and wishing that would take be back to "bliss." That way, I wouldn't experience tensions between some extended family members, getting stressed when I see images or hear people talk about abusing and killing animals, running into articles online about how horrible the meat and dairy industries are, avoiding 99% of the food at family and friend get-togethers and feeling guilty about it, and the feeling that sometimes you just aren't making a difference.

I sincerely hope this post isn't depressing you entirely (if you are still reading)...

What makes it worth it though, is looking into an animal's eyes and being able to see its soul. (Hey now, stop that eye-rolling!) I'm being serious. You stop seeing animals as units and start seeing them as beings that exist for their own reasons and have their own reasons to live. They want to breathe clean air, run, and be free like we are. And you feel it.

Often, I've had friends tell me, "I was watching (insert random show involving animals of some sort) and it reminded me of you! I know you would love it." Or, "I saw something that was vegan the other day and I thought of you!"

Maybe someone is listening, after all.

A little note of thanks.

I feel so thankful for having such great friends read my blog and for encouraging me and supporting me with my posts and ideas. I love reading your comments!

So thanks. Especially on that last post. I think I really needed it. :)