Present v. Future

So as of late plans for the future have been the number one thing on my mind. Numerous people are settling down, getting married, engaged, and planning for the next chapter of their education, and I am no exception.

With two years of undergrad done, it is almost time to start graduate school entrance exams and applying to school. It's crazy to think that all of that is just around the corner, when I feel like I just finished that whole process.

With all of this planning I feel myself getting extremely excited for what the future holds and all that will come after graduate school. A wedding, a family, a new home. That's a lot of changes, but it's a lot of excitement too. For the first time I can actually begin to picture my life past school. I can actually see myself in the wedding dress. Women always say that they've been planning their wedding and all the details since they were kids. They had envisioned that dress and knew exactly which dress was right when they tried it on. Previously I could never envision the white dress or me walking down the aisle. I always thought maybe that was a sign that I wasn't going to get married or find the one. But that seems to be changing and I'm glad I no longer feel doomed to be a single old lady.

Now onto the real dilemma. Present versus future. With all the excitement and tentative planning I feel the need to draw myself back to reality. There are a lot of what-ifs still up in the air and curve balls that could be thrown my way. People live by a lot of different mottos. Some believe that you should live each day as it comes because tomorrow isn't guaranteed. In fact, the entire day isn't even guaranteed. However, if one lives each day as it comes, how can you be prepared for what lies ahead. I find its a struggle to find the balance between living each day as it comes and in the moment, but while also making decisions that are best for what you currently want to achieve in your life. Things will change and nothing is guaranteed, but I feel that planning is the best way to navigate the future. A well planned out trip allows you to live each day and moment to its fullest and to enjoy the journey. But at what time do you transition from your planning and live?

I may never know the answer. Or perhaps when I do, I'll be well settled into my wrinkles with grandchildren. Here's to finding the balance in planning and living, to being excited about future possibilities, and to enjoying the present.

War on religion?? More like return pre-1776

I HONESTLY do not understand how people believe that Obama's health care policies for women is an attack on religion. These people must not understand that it is not requiring women to take birth control but requiring the option be available.

These people that claim this attack on religion are largely Christian conservatives. They don't want to have to provide care, in the form of birth control, because it goes against their religious beliefs. They are entitled to their beliefs. However, we live in a country known for it's freedom.

We fought hard for that freedom and drew up a declaration of independence. One main reason for this desire for independence is religious freedom. In this country we have freedom to practice a religion of our choosing and we have a separation of church and state in place.

Separation of church and state. I think those conservatives forgot that part. Their desire to prohibit providing care to a woman based on their religious beliefs imposes their beliefs onto another person. This goes hand in hand with wanting to prohibit abortions or the use of birth control all together. Government officials should not create legislation based on their religion and impose it on the masses.

No matter what your religious beliefs, or your medical beliefs for that matter, you cannot deny that those actions go against the ideals this country was founded on. This isn't a war on religion, this is a war on women.

Embarassment x a million

So here's a play by play of my eveing. I am not making this up, despite how funny this is.

-I came home from work. Changed into my pjs
-checked my email and saw that i had a package so i went downstairs to get it.
-while i'm downstairs there is a cute guy down there getting a package too. there was a little bit of flirting going on.
-i went back up to my room and statused about it.
-about 40 minutes later i get a friend request. i look to see who it is, from what i can see of the profile it looks like the guy from downstairs.
-i flip out because how did he know who i am. i'd never seen him before.
-i then added the guy.
- a couple seconds later i realize i statused about him and that he is going to see i think he's cute. flip out #2.
-i then go to delete my status, and fail. only increasing my flip out. finally after a few minutes i am able to delete it.
- then i go downstairs to ask my roomie who was working the front desk if the guy asked her my name. how else would he know who i am.
-she said he did not, but his name is jacob. ...... the guy that added me is andrew.
- i go backupstairs, bummed it wasn't the same guy and kind of creeped out that some random guy added me.
-i then decide its ok to put that status back up. along with a new one further explaining how i thought the guy that added me was the one from downstairs.
-literally 2 seconds later, the guy that added me LIKED THAT STATUS!!!
-completely mortified on all accounts that i just want to crawl under a rock. however i will not be able to sleep because i am all would up from getting excited/freaking out!!

only in my life would such crazy things happen.

Gobble Gobble

Well Thanksgiving is just 8 days away! This time next week I will be packing up my little suitcase getting ready for an awesome weekend at home! I have so much planned so I know it will feel like it's flying by!

The other day I started thinking about what I'm thankful for. I had a few conflicting feelings about this, depending on what perspective I took.

Currently the country is in a horrible economic state, we have some horrible politicians in office that are screwing all the little people. People are more focused on religious issues and having policies made controlling what a person can do with their body, rather than ensuring that everyone can have a good quality of life with a job, health care, and a home. Many Americans think that America is the greatest nation in the world and that we are entitled to what we have. Lately I haven't been sold on that idea. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful that I'm an American. I had the oppourtunity to go to school, to freely practice my religion, to have a job, to wear what clothes I want. Those things are forbidden for women in many countries. So, yes I'm thankful I'm an American. But I don't think we're the greatest nation in the world right now.

We are supposed to have freedom of religoin, yet a majority religion is trying to push for policies that will dictate how the rest of the country lives. Other countries can see how bad our health care system is, and they can't believe it. We're supposed to be the best, yet we don't even come close to being able to help everyone. The other day I saw a cartoon of a Chinese family eating in their home. The child was staring at his food, and there was a caption over the mother's head that said "Eat your food. There are starving children in America."
It's seriously sad, but it's true.  How can there be that big of a gap in the United States of America, that some people are obese from eating too much food, and other's are starving on the streets.

I come from the middle of the country. In what I'd say is the middle of the middle class. Yes, sometimes life would be easier with a little more money. But I'm thankful I was born into a family in that position. I feel that I've grown up being able to understand both sides to the best of my ability and that I learned the value of money and working hard. I'm thankful that my family has been lucky to have such good health. People say that a lot around Thanksgiving. However, after learning about the NUMEROUS different birth defects and diseases that a child can be born with in my genetics class my perspective on having good health really has changed.

Despite all the things that are going wrong in the world, in my country, and in my state, I am thankful for the little things in the life. Which don't seem so little right now. I'm thankful for my family, for being born in the United States of America, and for having good health. I've been thankful for these things in the past, but this year they have a completely different meaning for me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Texts

The other day I stumbled across a post on my twitter that said "I'm the girl. You're the boy. You text me first or we don't talk today."
I found that hilariously funny and accurate. In my own experiences, boys can't seem to make up their mind. One week they complain you text them too much. The next they complain that they always have to text you first, and that you need to start texting them more. Women can't win!

When you're "talking" to a guy, and you can't quite figure out what they want out of the situation or how they really feel about you, it usually is best to let them text you first. 1. You don't want to be that "annoying-clingy" girl they talk to their guy friends about. 2. How much they text you may be a sign of how much they really like you. If he only texts you once a week, or worse, once a month, I think it's safe to say, move on.

I'm the type of person that always has my phone by me. I check all the time, and the only time I don't respond is when I'm in class or working. What I don't understand is how you text someone, and it will take hours even days to get a response. I'll admit, I have read a text message, but didn't have time to send a reply or went on to keep reading other messages and have forgotten to text back. How many times have you gotten the cliche "Sorry, I didn't see your message" text? It gets even more suspicious when you're hanging out with said person, and they are CONSTANTLY on their phone.

Another contradiction I've found with guys is that it's ok for them to search through your phone and see who you've been calling or texting, but it is NOT ok for you to do the same to them.
Here's a few hints. 1. If all of their inbox/outbox is empty everytime you see them. Consider leaving that one on the side of the road. Clearly he has something to hide. 2. Most guys remember to clear their inbox. However, most don't think to delete their pictures. If you are snooping, check their phone pictures. There's always something interesting.

If you happen to be interested in or with a guy that exhibits these traits. Get lost!!

Dilemma

Going to a big school can be good and bad.

Problem 1: There are professors and fields of study that are ranked nationally, but going to a big school means your campus is BIG. You have 15 minutes to walk, bike, or run across campus to your next class if you have classes back to back.

Problem 2: You pretty much run to class, which means, even though it's only 70 degrees outside, or in the winter months -20, you are sweating by the time you get to class and thirsty, after a few of these "running sessions" you're out of water.

Problem 3: Class isn't that long. On average 50 minutes. You don't want to drink too much water or you may have to get up and use the bathroom, potentially missing important information.

Problem 4: You better hope you have a good deodorant, and that the people in your class do too. We've all had that smelly kid we had to endure sitting next too. It's even worse when your seat is assigned and you have to sit there for an entire semester.

So, do you arrive ontime to class, drenched in sweat, thirsty, with the potential to pee your pants and make your nearby classmate sit with their hand to their nose the entire lecture, or do you walk leisurely and enjoy the view of your beautiful campus (One which devotes countless amounts of money to it's buildings and grounds upkeep) and arrive to class a few minutes late and have everyone stare at you as you walk in???