It's been 2011 for exactly a week now, and so far, it's been pretty good. Mostly uneventful, but that's always good, better than dealing with tough stuff for sure. I had a doctor's appointment earlier this week that I was dreading but it actually went well. The two shots hurt my arm for two days, though. I've played a lot of board games with my family. I went to lunch with my mom yesterday and shopping while my little sis was in school (her second day back) and I got my Starbucks fix a few days ago. So all's been well.
Except for a few regrets I have looking back at the past few weeks. I've been off for Christmas break for three weeks, with one more left :( I am really dreading going back, for one main reason: my roomie. All I know is I need out of that situation, and fast. I'm not sure I can survive 17 more weeks with her. If I had a single room, or a great roommate (or one who was never there), I think I could cope.
I regret not always cooperating with my family. I regret the petty fights with my sister. I regret not taking enough pictures on special events (Christmas, New Years, etc.) I regret not sledding as much as I could (but it's snowing again this weekend, so...). I regret not being as appreciative as I could be. I regret not seizing the moment. I regret saying "I'm bored". I regret taking the first part of my break for granted. I regret spending a lot of time on the computer. Most of all, I regret that time always flies when you're having fun--my break just flew by, and I wish I would have taken the time to slow down and appreciate even the boring moments. I'm not gonna get another long break with my family until spring break in 10 weeks.
I find myself wishing it was Christmas (can you believe it was only 2 weeks ago?) or New Years. But I know I can't turn back time. I'm making a promise to spend the rest of my break in a constructive way, so I won't have any more regrets.
I rang in the New Year last night by blowing cardboard horns outside when it was 0 degrees, screaming at the top of my lungs, making mini s'mores over a votive candle, tossing marshmallows into my dad's mouth (mostly unsuccessfully) and having an impromptu dance party. It was a pretty fun night, but I decided to hit the sack at 2 am, since I'd been up since 9 am on New Years Eve and I'd been pretty busy all day, going to a movie, dashing from store to store trying to find confetti poppers and grabbing a Starbucks. I even found time to slip on the floor at SuperTarget and land flat on my butt. Ouch!
For me, New Years Eve is way more exciting than New Years Day. I always feel a little sad, leaving behind the old year and December. I can't really act like it's still the holiday season and January's not too exciting. Now I have to think about going back to school in 2 1/2 weeks and look forward to the obligatory dental/doctor appointments I have to squeeze in before back-to-school. I've always loved first semester better, because there are more breaks and holidays to enjoy. All there is second semester is spring break, Valentine's Day and Easter. Plus, by the time second semester rolls around, you just wanna get out of there for summer break.
So what's so great about a new year, anyway? 2010 wasn't half-bad for me, so I'm hoping 2011 is even better. But the thought of a whole year ahead of me is kinda overwhelming. What if a lot of bad stuff happens and makes it my worst year yet? What if everything changes by this time next year? What if I don't want to move on and be more mature? What if I just want to live in the moment? I don't often think about this stuff, but it definitely applies when the calendar changes.
Let's face it: I've had a really good winter break so far. I'm halfway into it and already dreading going back. I've really enjoyed playing board games with my family, hitting up Starbucks, shopping trips, Christmas lights and music, just getting back into the life I used to have before I started college. I still know Colorado Springs way better than Fort Collins (and it will probably always be that way) and I really like going to places I haven't been to since the summer.
I know spring semester won't be easy, but I'm hoping I'll be better-adjusted than I was fall semester and I can deal with any problems in a more mature way. I'm hoping 2011 is a great year, not necessarily better than 2010, but good in its own way. I hope I can make lots of memories and cherish every moment I spend with my family. Here's hoping you the same!
2010 was a pretty busy year for me. Of course, I did wayyyyy more than just 10 things, but I handpicked the best (or weirdest/most unusual) to round out my list of 10 Things I Did in 2010. Here they are!
10. I tried a Starbucks Frappuccino for the first time and I loved it. Yeah, I know I'm out fo the loop but I didn't realize you could order one without whipped cream and with skim milk instead of 2% (it's called a Light Frap). I fell in love with the Tall Mocha Light Frap back in September and since then I've come up with my own combos, including the very delicious Caramel Light Frap with 1 pump gingerbread syrup!
9. I survived my first college finals. The first ones are always the hardest, right? I hope that's true, because mine were much easier than I expected. And I ended up with two B's and three A's for my final grades!
8. I bought my own dinner at a restaurant. Sure, it was probably my parents money, but I was 2 1/2 hours away at Qdoba with a friend from my hall. So it still counts.
7. I returned something to a store only 10 minutes after I bought it. A little over a week ago, my sister and I went shopping and on a whim, I bought a pair of khaki pants that were 30% off. When we went to the next store, I found a few things I wanted way more, and since I didn't want to spend tons of money, I returned the pants after I bought the other stuff.
6. My debit card was denied at a store. Actually, the exact same store I returned my pants to, but a few months earlier. Apparently, the store wouldn't charge part of the purchase to my card and the remainder to another one so my mom had to pay for the entire thing!
5. I got my first manicure on my 18th birthday. I've always wanted a mani more than a pedi so my mom surprised me by driving all over town on my birthday and then finally stopping at a day spa where I got my mani. Of course, I got it in hot pink.
4. First time voting. I missed the big presidential election by two years but I still got to vote on important state issues. It made me feel like I was really making my voice heard.
3. I went to Phoenix over spring break. I loved every second of the trip back to my birth place, especially the fact that it was in the 70s and 80s there and snowing back home! The resort we stayed at was amazing, I loved the food and all the sights. The only disappointment was that the airport was much lamer than Denver International.
2. I graduated high school. OMG, was that a milestone or what? I felt like I would never graduate, but the moment came much sooner than I expected. I felt overwhelmed and proud at the same time.
1. I started college. This is probably an even bigger milestone than HS graduation. It's been quite a ride: exciting, annoying, boring, confusing...believe me, I've shed quite a few tears over the last few months but I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. I hope I'll be more prepared for what lies ahead next semester.
There you have it, my "top 10" achievements of this past year. Here's hoping that 2011 is full of even more memories and accomplishments.
Christmas break in college is way different than Christmas break in high school. Sure, both come after a hellish week of finals (trust me, the stress level is wayyyyy higher in college, though in many cases it shouldn't be--my exams this year were actually pretty easy) but college Christmas break lasts for about a month, while the high school version is typically about 2 or so weeks. But there are many more differences that I've already realized only 6 days into break.
- You actually want to do chores. A year ago, I complained about having to load and unload the dishwasher, fold towels and clean my bathroom. Now I'm more than happy to do them, because it means that I'm home, in a place where I actually have my own bathroom (that's about the same size as my side of my dorm, sadly) and real dishes.
- I appreciate family time a lot more. I've always been close with my family, which I'm extremely grateful for. But now that I only see them once or twice a month on weekends, I'm really thankful to have an entire month to spend with them!
- Real food. Sure, the dining hall can be okay, but day after day, not so much. At home, you mostly get something different every single day (or not, if you're a creature of habit). Either way, it's much better than college food.
- You can actually cook if you want to. I absolutely love to cook, and I've missed using the stove and the oven while I've been away. Microwaves are convenient and time-saving but nothing beats cooking actual food. Today I made chocolate-peppermint pancakes for my family and I've made some baked goods, too. It makes me feel good to see my family enjoy the things I've cooked.
- A much bigger closet. I don't know about you, but I've got a lot of clothes. My dorm closet is usually packed to the gills, while my walk-in-closet at home is very spacious, not to mention a good place to get dressed if I want to. I know most people don't necessarily have such a huge closet, but it's probably bigger than the one in your dorm or apartment.
- Being far away from school. The weekends I spend on campus are typically very boring. A lot of people leave on the weekends (myself included, sometimes) and there isn't much to do when you don't have a car. Even if I have no homework, I can't get away from the school atmosphere, because being in college basically means you live at school. At home, I'm over 100 miles away from school, and I haven't thought about it much (except for grades, of course). A boring weekend here is much better than a boring weekend on campus.
What are your favorite things about Christmas break?
I feel very accomplished--I'm 80% done with my finals, with one more tomorrow. But the biggest news is that I'm finally over the hurdle of today: three finals in a row! Everyone I told thought it was crazy (so did I) but I did a lot of studying, a lot of praying and I got through it.
All three tests were timed for 2 hours...more than enough time to finish them. The first one (wildlife ecology, the one I was freaking out about the most) I finished in 45 minutes, the next one (20th century fiction) I finished in 55 minutes and the last one (math) I finished in an hour.
In between tests, you'd find me at the library, feverishly studying up for the next test. Not that I hadn't studied earlier, I just needed a refresher right before the test. I'm hoping it paid off. The tests didn't seem ridiculously hard like I thought they'd be, so that was a nice surprise.
Now I've got one left--and it's at 9 am! Yep, that means I gotta haul my butt out of bed at 7 in the morning...yikes! Luckily, it's just one test, one I'm hoping (and thinking) I'll do well on. It's my media in society final, and since it's a requirement for my major, I really hope I can pull it off. I like the material and the class, so that should be a good sign for my future success. But I'm not gonna expect anything, because my finals today sure did surprise me (in a good way, though).
Once that's over...I'm going home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For a month! There are so many things I want to do, including just spending time with my family and I hope Christmas break will be full of good memories.
Wish me luck on my last exam...and packing!
I'm trying to look at this situation with the "glass-half-full" mindset. Yes, I still have 4 more finals to go until I'm done. Yes, I did take the easiest one today, leaving all the hard ones for Thursday. But I have officially finished one college final. So I'm proud of myself, even though most of my friends on my floor have already taken at least 2 and are leaving on Wednesday or early Thursday. Meanwhile, I'm stuck here til Friday morning, because of one exam that has a common time. There are two large sections of the class, and to make things easier, the professors decided to hold them both at a special time, which happens to be Friday, the day that most people have no exams onand get to be home or are on their way there. Lucky me!
I'm trying to do as much as possible before then so I can leave ASAP. Who wouldn't want to, anyway? I've packed up as much as I can (mostly food, pjs, socks and camis) and I'm just anxious for Thursday to get here. Of course, I'm dreading it because I have 3 finals in a row, but I think I'm (almost) ready for them. Plus, that way, the day should just fly by and then I'll have one last exam bright-and-early Friday and then...I'm home! Of course, that's after a 2 1/2 hour drive, but at least I'll be spending it with my mom and looking forward to everything that Christmas break will bring. I. CAN'T. WAIT!
Tomorrow's a study-my-butt-off day, one last chance to make sure I'm totally prepped for my math, wildlife ecology and 20th century fiction finals. It'll hopefully be a productive day.
I'm more than ready to go home...just gotta get through these last 4 finals!
5 days. Yep, 5 days left before I'm outta here! I can't believe the moment I've been waiting for pretty much all semester is (almost) here. In a way, it's bittersweet, but it's more like "OMG, I can't WAIT!" Can you tell I'm excited?
Of course, all my dreaded finals are ahead of me. Two should be no problem (but I really shouldn't expect that I'll get A's or I probably won't), one could go either way depending on the questions (the format on this one is the same as the midterm, and I got a 92% on that, but the questions on the final could be harder) and two are...well, let's just say I'm not looking forward to them. At all. But hey, in five days, they'll all be over and I'll have a month of break to look forward to! I'm trying to look to the near future and avoid freaking out because I'm not totally prepared yet.
I've got one study guide totally written up. It's taken me several chunks of time since Thursday, but it's totally done. I've got study sessions planned for Monday and Wednesday in the library, which should be a productive time, considering I'm not lugging my laptop with me (I get a little distracted by the internet, namely Facebook and, of course, blogging). I've only got three days where I have finals, one that's jam-packed with three in a row (!) but at least I'll get them out of the way. And that means I have two study days during the week to let off some stress. I'm gonna grab lunch at the student center on those days so I can avoid the dorm (mostly because my roomie will probably be in there all day...vent time: I really hate how she's in there during the day when I want a little privacy and 'me time' but then heads out late at night and doesn't come back til after I'm asleep, messing up my sleep schedule :\) for most of the day. Thursday, I'll be gone from like 12:30 til 8 so that should be good, even though most of that time will be spent taking finals. And Friday, I'm not really counting as a day because I have one final at 9 am (yikes!) but it'll be over by 11, so I can leave soon after, once I'm done with check-out. Which will be another long, boring process. Why can't this week just be over?
Well, I'll update you throughout the week (if I have time, of course) to tell you about how my first college finals week is going. Until then, I'll be studying my tail off!
