I think my last post was a good one to leave off on as I disappeared on an unexpected hiatus.
And I’m sorry for that, but I think it was good I took a break. I needed it.
I thought a lot. About stuff. About blogging. I’m still thinking. I’m going all Winnie the Pooh here, guys.
I still feel like I need to sort some things out before I come back to blogging. For a while I’ve felt like the way I’ve been blogging and my blogging experience just isn’t what I’m looking for (no shame in ending my sentence with a preposition). I’m not sure what I want exactly though, which is why I’m still thinking. And why I’m still taking a break.
So yeah. I’m thinking. And when I’m done thinking, I’ll get back to you.
I’m becoming a lot more anxious and paranoid than I’ve been in the past.
I jump at every little noise.
I’ve noticed that my fear of the dark is worsening.
When I’m at work alone at night, I keep imagining horrible things happening to me.
Sometimes when I get sick and my sinuses are congested, like now, I have a difficult time breathing. It’s something that just started happening to me in the past year, but it makes me anxious every time it happens. It’s not even that bad, but it’s still scary. I start to panic a little, and I have force myself to take deep, even breaths.
I’m making this all sound way worse than it really is. I’m fine, really. I’ve always been a high-stressed person; I just feel like it’s just been worse so far this year. College, as much as I love it, takes up most of my time. I work at least 20 hours a week. I’m involved in different activities/groups outside of school. I’m looking for apartments for next year.
And the internet…the internet consumes me.
I’ve just been frustrated lately, which has led to stress. I’m frustrated with myself because I’ve become so obsessed with mindless internet browsing. I’m frustrated because I’m blaming myself for never having free time because all I do is sit on the internet, which is partly true, but I also need to give myself a little more credit. I do have a lot of homework. I am busy. It’s not completely my fault.
I need to acknowledge that. But at the same time, I do need to recognize that I could be doing so much more with my time that just watching Buzzfeed videos.
I’ve been watching a lot of WheezyWaiter’s videos lately. If you don’t know who WheezyWaiter is, then…I’m sorry??? He’s great. I’ve been watching his videos for several years, and he still remains one of my favorite YouTubers to this day. Anywho, he’s recently been making videos talking about how he’s trying to improve his life, and they’ve been really inspirational.
They’ve also made me realize something…I want to get off the internet. I need to get off the internet. And before you freak out, no, not completely. Obviously. I love the internet. I still want to check in on Facebook, and pin recipes on Pinterest that I’ll never cook, and, of course, keep up with this blog. I also love YouTube. I’ve been wasting a lot of my time there. And to be honest, it’s because one Buzzfeed video always leads to another…and another…and…you get the idea.
I need to take a step back from the internet though. It’s making me feel like I’m suffocating. So much stuff is being thrown in my face. It’s overwhelming.
I need to be able to breathe again.
Basically, this rambling nonsense all leads to my main point: I’m going to try to cut back my time on the internet. This means that I will need to be conscious of when I start to fall into aimless browsing. It means that I’ll need to force my finger to click the red ‘X’. It means that I actually need to put in some effort.
I know it’s not going to be easy, and sometimes, I will waste time with mindless browsing. It’s bound to happen. But I’m sick of the way I’m managing and spending my time now, and I want to change that. I’m pretty sure it’s one of the reasons I’ve become more stressed, and I want to see if cutting back on the internet will improve my mental state. Not only that, but it will allow me to find more creative ways to fill my time. I might become more motivated. I might actually get better at completing my homework more efficiently. It will also give me more time to focus on this blog, and figure out what I really want to do with it, because frankly, I’m not quite sure. I need to decide what kind of content I want to include/write about it. I want to post more frequently than what I’m doing now.
For all I know, this could be a fail. Maybe I won’t be able to tear myself away from the internet. But I want to try.
I need to try.
I need to breathe again.
So thanks for sticking with me through this gibberish. I’m not even sure what I just wrote…I’m sure it’s confusing. So how about this – I’ll leave you with a song from Imagine Dragons that kind of relates to what I’m feeling:
Here’s the thing. I’ve never edited a full-length novel before. I’ve edited papers for school, poems, short works, etc…but never something as daunting as a novel that’s more than 100K words. I have no idea what to do.
When I was working on the first draft of Music’s Curse, I was so excited to finish it so I could move onto editing. I thought it sounded like fun, despite the fact that the majority of writers I follow were constantly complaining about it.
But now I understand. I haven’t even started editing yet, and I’m already overwhelmed. Every time I open up the document that contains my 123K words novel, I don’t even know where to being.
Since I’ve worked on this novel over the past three or four years, my writing quality has changed, my plot has changed, even my characters have changed. It’s a big, gigantic mess.
So I’m asking for help. What are some tips you can give me for editing? For now, I would like to do just enough editing to make the story comprehensible so I could pass it on to some friends to read. I’m not so much worried about details like cutting out superfluous words, or making sure all the grammar is correct, or including super thorough descriptions. I want to do a more general edit before focusing on the details.
I especially need to do some world-building with my editing. When I first started MC, I just kind of jumped into the story without figuring out any background information. So any help with how you go about world-building would be amazing as well.
That’s all I’ve got for today. Basically, this is just me begging for any tips and tricks with editing because I am so hopelessly lost and confused.
My reading game has gone down the drain over the past couple years. Last year, I only read about 15 books.
Yikes.
While I don’t have high hopes that I’ll do any better this year, I do have quite the list of books that I really want to read. It’s just finding the time and motivation to read them that’s the problem…
But anyway, I thought I’d share 10 books that I want to actually try to read this year. So here we go.
10 Books I Want to Read in 2016
1. Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer
I just started reading this today, actually! I had a hold on it at the library FOREVER. It’s due in two weeks so I’m really hoping I can finish it before the due date. I NEED TO KNOW HOW THE SERIES ENDS.
2. The Martian by Andy Weir
I am so mad at myself for not finishing this last year. I got halfway through it but then had to return it to the library. And like Winter, I’ve had a hold on this SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME. I can’t get it back, and it makes me sad. I was enjoying it so much.
3. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Again, I started this book last year, but didn’t have much time so I only got through the first 30 pages or so. A couple of my friends rave about it, so I need to read it! I have it checked out right now, so we’ll see…
4. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
As a huge fan of Tolkien, I’m ashamed to say I haven’t read this yet. I’ve just heard that it’s a difficult read, so I think that’s why I haven’t picked it up yet. But people have told me that it’s really fascinating, and plus, it’s Tolkien, so I must read it.
5. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
Fun fact: I saw Patrick Rothfuss a couple months ago at a local coffee shop in my (and his) hometown. Even though I haven’t read any of his books yet, I geeked out a little bit because HELLO he is a well-known, semi-famous author. You don’t meet people like that every day. Anywho, I’ve only heard amazing things about this book, so I’m excited to read it.
6. The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
I mean, I know already that it’s basically going to be Percy Jackson but with different characters and a slightly different plot, but I’m not going to lie, I enjoy almost all of Riordan’s books. And I’m sure I’ll enjoy this one as well.
7. The Rose and the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn #2) by Renee Ahdieh
OMG. KILL ME NOW. I read the first book last year and it absolutely BLEW ME AWAY. It quickly became one of my favorite books. I need to get my hands on the sequel now. I CAN’T WAIT TWO MORE MONTHS.
8. UnBound by Neal Shusterman
The Unwind Dystology is up there on my list of favorite book series, and when I heard that this book of short stories was being released, I squealed. BRING IT ON.
9. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
I wasn’t excited for or planning on reading this book…until I saw a trailer for the upcoming movie. And I can already predict that I will cry at least 2 gallons of tears during the movie. But I need to read the book first, since I’m that type of person. I will probably cry during the book too…
10. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
YEAH OKAY I KNOW I HAVEN’T READ HARRY POTTER YET. But newsflash: not everyone was allowed to read it when they were younger…But now that I’m an adult (I mean, at least legally), I figured it’s probably time to see what all the hype is about. I’m going to try to marathon the whole series and movies over the summer, but if that doesn’t happen, I want to at least read the first book.
~
So there ya have it. What do you think of my choices? What are some books that you want to read this year? Let me know!
Today, I thought it would be fun to link up with The Broke and The Bookish for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt: 10 Songs I Wish Were Books. I’ve actually never participated before, but I really liked this prompt, so that’s what I’m going to do for this week!
1. Gold – Imagine Dragons
First comes the blessing of all that you’ve dreamed But then comes the curses of diamonds and rings Only at first did it have its appeal but now you can’t tell the false from the real Who can you trust, who you can you trust?
When everything, everything, everything you touch turns to gold, gold, gold Everything, everything, everything you touch turns to gold, gold, gold, gold, gold, gold
I’d love to see someone turn this song into a King Midas retelling. How awesome would that be?!
2. Twin Skeleton’s – Fall Out Boy
There’s a room in a hotel in New York City That shares our fate and deserves our pity I don’t want to remember it all The promises I made if you just hold on Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on
I’m just imagining a really dark novel about a twisted relationship…Not something I’d probably write about, but I’d love to see what someone could do with it.
3. Renegades – X Ambassadors
Run away with me Lost souls and reverie Running wild and running free Two kids, you and me
And I say Hey, hey hey hey Living like we’re renegades Hey hey hey Hey hey hey Living like we’re renegades Renegades, renegades
I’m thinking like a road trip sort of story…But there’s a reason for the road trip. The characters set out to accomplish a mission or something.
4. Gone – JR JR
I’ve made up my mind over and over Keep pressing rewind but I’m getting older Tried every door, don’t know who I’m looking for And I’ve made up my mind over and over
I can’t be everything you want me to be I can’t be everything you want me to be Finally, I can see the light through the leaves But it’s all gone But it’s all gone
I don’t really have a specific story line imagined in my head, but I’m definitely feeling some sort of contemporary novel.
5. Strange Déjà Vu – Dream Theater
Subconscious strange sensation Unconscious relaxation What a pleasant nightmare And I can`t wait to get there again
Every time I close my eyes There`s another vivid surprise Another whole life waiting Chapters unfinished, fading
The album this is taken from, “Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory”, is basically a story of itself, but I feel like you could come up with a great story from this track alone, which is one of my favorites from the album.
6. Rock and Roll Thugs – Icon For Hire
Bury all the records in the backyard, When you’re not looking I’ll go dig them back up You can bury my body in the backyard, When you’re not looking I’ll go dig myself up And I know all about the drugs they hide inside the music, I know, I know I know all about the drugs they hide inside the music
The lyrics write such a great story of someone who uses music as a coping mechanism, but someone doesn’t approve of it. I think it would make a cool YA novel.
7. Trouble – Imagine Dragons
So pray for me brother I need redemption I’m just a man A man on a mission I want no trouble Pray for me sister Give me a mention I got no faith And, oh, did I mention I want no trouble
You knew there would be another Imagine Dragons song on here, didn’t you? I mean, for good reason. Their lyrics tell such great stories.
8. Fin – Anberlin
Take what you will, what you will And leave. Could you kill, could you kill me If the world was on fire and nothing was left but hope or desire And take all that I could bring forth, is this hell Or am I on the floor over-desperate? Hold hands streaming of blood again? And then take full weight of me Guard my dreams, figure this out, It’s me on my own. Helpless, hurting, hell Will you stay strong as you promised? Cause I’m stranded and bare. Meanness is washed up in all that I am is God. Take this and all, Then grace takes me to a place Of the father you never had Ripping and breaking and tearing apart This is not heaven This is my hell.
This song is so interesting and full of emotion. I’m not sure what story you could tell with the lyrics, but I think it would be cool to see.
But I wonder where were you When I was at my worst Down on my knees And you said you had my back So I wonder where were you All the roads you took came back to me So I’m following the map that leads to you The map that leads to you Ain’t nothing I can do The map that leads to you Following, following, following to you
I’d like to see a story that takes the lyrics literally. Someone mysteriously disappears, leaving behind a map for his/her significant other to find him/her. Kinda like Paper Towns, except…better.
Those who are dead are not dead They’re just living in my head And since I fell for that spell I am living there as well Oh.. Time is so short and I’m sure There must be something more
You thought you might be a ghost You thought you might be a ghost You didn’t get to heaven but you made it close You didn’t get to heaven but you made it close
I’m thinking like an actual ghost story here. Maybe it’s just because the lyrics are so short, but I’m also getting a short story vibe from this song. A short story about ghosts. Yes.
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I know I picked kind of an odd mix of songs, but that’s what I was aiming for. This was actually harder than I thought it would be, but it was lots of fun!
This semester started just a couple weeks ago, and I feel like I got thrown into the chaos without having any time to process what exactly was happening. I had assignments due right away, meetings to attend, and a gazillion emails to read. Only now do I feel like I’m finally starting to settle in and figure things out.
I’d love to blame my lack of blogging completely on school, but I’d be lying. I’m a lazy, unmotivated person, and frankly, I just didn’t know what to blog about.
I do better blogging when I have a specific topic in mind that I want to discuss that week. But ever since school started, I just couldn’t think of anything in particular that I wanted to write about. This morning I finally said to myself, “Look Erin, I love you girl, but you gotta post something. It doesn’t have to be anything deep or inspirational. Just post something stupid.”
So that’s what I’m going to do.
I thought it would be fun if I found some random books on Goodreads and, based only on the cover and the title, wrote what I think the book is about. But I didn’t just go with any genre of books, I went with children’s picture books.
And these are the results.
1. Rock-a-Bye Romp
My synopsis:
Peter’s mother was just trying to get her son to fall asleep by singing him a lullaby while rocking in her rocking chair. But when she rocks a little too hard, Peter ends up flying out of her arms and hitting his head against the wall. This sends Peter into a coma, filled with wild fantasies and dreams. Now Peter must navigate his subconscious with the help of his fishy friends, Linda, Bob, Nemo, Patricia, Tuna, and Lil’ Fin, in the hopes of returning to his mother once again.
The actual syopsis:
Turning a beloved lullaby on its head, this wonderful read-aloud pairs playful text and enchanting paintings to create a rollicking escapade with a clever premise and a cozy conclusion. “Rock-a-bye, Baby, in the treetop. How did you ever get so high up?” That’s a good question—and this delightful book weaves a gentle fantasy around the baby who finds himself in that very predicament! A marvelous adventure ensues, taking Baby from the tree branches to a farm full of animals to a ride down the river, and finally on a flight through the night sky into the safety of Mama’s arms.
Well, I mean…I was close. But his name is Baby? At least I had the decency to give him a proper name. This book gets a 0/10 for good parenting skills.
2. Frankencrayon
My synopsis:
Violet Frankencrayon had watched too many crayons get murdered by young children who brutally broke them in half and threw their dead bodies in the trash. It was time to get revenge. By harnessing the power of the sun, Frankencrayon melds together the broken bodies of his friends, Orange and Green, resurrecting them from the dead and thus creating a monster. A monster that cannot be broken; a monster that does not possess feelings; a monster that is set on delivering the same brutal punishment to young children that they gave to crayons. But when the monster starts to turn on its own kind, the fate of the entire crayon race rests on Frankencrayon’s shoulders.
The actual synopsis:
This picture book has been canceled.
Wait.
How can we be on the front flap of a canceled book?
Good question.
????
I am very confused, yet very intrigued. I’m adding this to my to-read list.
3. The Book with No Pictures
My synopsis:
Children will be confused by the lack of pictures. Parents will be confused trying to figure out if this is the same B.J. Novak they think it is. It’s no fun for anyone. Don’t read this book.
The actual synopsis:
A book with no pictures? What could be fun about that? After all, if a book has no pictures, there’s nothing to look at but the words on the page. Words that might make you say silly sounds… In ridiculous voices… Hey, what kind of book is this, anyway? At once disarmingly simple and ingeniously imaginative, The Book With No Pictures inspires laughter every time it is opened, creating a warm and joyous experience to share–and introducing young children to the powerful idea that the written word can be an unending source of mischief and delight.
Something tells me my synopsis is more accurate.
…
Well, that’s all I’m going to do for now because I have to get ready for work. But this was a ton of fun. Maybe I’ll do it again with different genres. Let me know if you have any suggestions.
Until next time,
Erin
P.S. It is the same B.J. Novak. I did what you were too lazy to do: click on the author’s name in Goodreads. You’re welcome.
Confession: I actually really don’t like writing reviews for…well, anything. I’m just not good at it, unless I really have a lot to say about the thing I’m reviewing. At work, we have a board where employees can post movie reviews, and the longer I’m at the theater, the shorter my reviews become. Most of the time they consist of 1) a short, witty sentence that takes me five minutes to come up with and that I think is extremely clever and funny, 2) an evaluation of how hot the actors were, and/or 3) a doodle relating to the movie. Example: my review for The Force Awakens was just: “It was out of this WORLD”.
Long, detailed reviews just aren’t my specialty.
Which is why I will be reviewing 2015 movies in mini reviews. You’re not going to learn anything or benefit from this, so it’s completely pointless, but I’m doing it anyway.
Enjoy.
The majority of movies I see in a year are in theaters. I see a lot of movies. I work at a movie theater, okay? (And I can get in free haha jokes on you)
So here are my reviews of all the movies I saw in theaters in 2015:
The Imitation Game
Centerline Rumblestrips did a good job acting. A+ soundtrack. 4/5
Birdman
CAW CAW CAW. 4/5
The Seventh Son
This movie tried its best to be something else but I’m not sure what it was trying to be. 2.75/5
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Manners maketh man, and this movie maketh me happy. One of my favorites of 2015. 5/5
Fifty Shades of Grey
HAHA You thought I actually saw this for a minute there, didn’t you?
Chappie
???¿¿¿??? 2/5
Cinderella
It’s exactly what you think it is. 3.5/5
The Age of Adaline
Well…that’s awkward. 3/5
The Avengers: Age of Ultron
YEAH I LIKED IT OKAY I KNOW YOU DIDN’T BUT SHUT UP. 4.5/5
It’s funny until you have to watch The Voice credit scene a gazillion times while cleaning. 3.5/5
Tomorrowland
Something about a field. I don’t remember. 3/5
Spy
Spoiler: it was a movie about a spy. 4/5
Jurassic World
THESE PEOPLE NEVER LEARN THAT MAKING BIGGER BADDER DINOS IS A VERY VERY BAD IDEA. 4.75/5
Inside Out
I know I was supposed to like this movie, but…*whispers* I didn’t really like it all that much. 2.75/5
Minions
I think this movie is what being on drugs is like. 2/5
Ant-Man
This movie was…surprisingly good? More Ant-Man please. 5/5
Mr. Holmes
The. Whole. Movie. Was. So. Slow. 3/5
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
For such an embarrassing, poorly-made poster, this movie was awesome. 5/5
The Fantastic Four
Yikes. 1.5/5
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Armie Hammer and Henry Cavill = Dream Team. Much colors, wow. 5/5
Black Mass
I think it was good?? I was too confused to tell. 3/5
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
THERESA DOES NOT DO THAT IN THE BOOK I’M SO PISSED. 3.5/5
The Martian
Getting stranded on Mars? #relatable 5/5
Crimson Peak
I smell an affair…Oh. 3/5
The Last Witch Hunter
This movie didn’t even try which actually made it kinda enjoyable. 3/5
Burnt
Oo, burn. I think. 3.5/5
The Peanuts Movie
Hello, nostalgia. 4.5/5
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
Jake Gyllenhaal was so good. 4.75/5
Victor Frankenstein
Welcome to my twisted mind. 3/5
In the Heart of the Sea
Thor ain’t lookin’ so hot. 2.75/5
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Like I said earlier…It was out of this WORLD. 5/5
Point Break
Definitely reached my breaking point with this movie. 2/5
To wrap up: I saw over 30 movies in theaters this year (some of which I saw more than once). My favorites were Kingsman, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, The Martian, and The Force Awakens. The movie that disappointed me the most was Inside Out. Worst movie I saw was The Fantastic Four.
Hope you enjoyed this completely useless post. If you liked this, maybe I’ll do more mini reviews in the future.
I really must apologize for disappearing for a bit. I was busy with finals, Christmas, work, spending time with family/friends, and laying around watching TV/playing video games. So all important things. And then just this week I got struck by a horrible cold that I’m still trying to get over. I went to the doctor thinking that I had strep, but turns out I just caught a virus that gave me a nasty sore throat and caused my tonsils to swell up like balloons. Thanks body! Love you too!
After spending the past couple days doing nothing but groaning and sleeping and blowing my nose and watching so much TV I thought my eyes were going to explode, I got bored. Soooo I told myself that I should finally write up a blog post.
And guess what! It’s that blog post! That same one that the majority of bloggers write every single year. You know the one, where I state all of my goals and resolutions for the new year, none of which I’ll actually remember when December 31st rolls around. But hey! It’s the thought that counts. And it makes me feel better about myself…for right now.
But in all seriousness, I would like to actually put in some effort this year with achieving these goals. Yes, I say that every year, but…this year will be different? *fakes confidence*
Anywho, I’ve kind of divided my goals into categories, cuz that’s how I roll ’round here. Let me know what you think of my goals, and tell me about your goals for 2016 in the comments!
Personal Goals
Walk more. Okay, so every year, one of my goals is always “get fit” or “run every week” or “Omg can you exercise for at least 15 minutes a week you lazy rat”. And guess what. I SUCK AT EXERCISING. And I’ve finally embraced that. It’s not something I’m proud of, but I just have zero motivation to exercise. It isn’t a hobby of mine, and I don’t enjoy suffering on that torture contraption called a treadmill. But, I do know that exercise is so very important for your health, so I want (and need) to start small. I like leisurely walking, so I’m going to start there. Not only do I get some exercise out of it, but it gives me a chance to clear my mind and get outside for a bit. And no, walking more doesn’t include stress walking to class, hoping that I won’t be too late…Walking more for me means trying to walk for a little bit every day, or as often as possible. This should be easier to do once it warms up outside and winter’s gone.
Earlier bed time. AHAHAHA. This one will be hard. While I enjoy mornings, I am definitely more of a night owl. I stay up way too late most nights…And I can tell it’s not good for me. I always wake up feeling exhausted, no matter how much sleep I may have gotten. So I’m really going to try to go to bed even just a little bit earlier than what I’m doing now.
Pray more. I feel like I’ve become so bad at finding time to pray…I always seem to come up with petty excuses. I need, and want, to get into the habit of praying throughout the day, even if it’s a quick little prayer. More specifically, I want to find time to pray in the morning and at night before bed. As someone whose faith means a lot to her, I’m kind of ashamed by how little I actually pray…I need to do better.
Learn when enough is enough. One problem I had last semester was that I took on way too much. I mean, I got through it, but it wasn’t ideal. My GPA dropped a bit because of it (not drastically – I’m still doing really well, but it was hard to say goodbye to my 4.0…), and I was always doing something or going somewhere and it got exhausting. This year, I need to learn how much I can handle at a time without going insane. This is already relevant, as I need to decide if I want to keep or quit my second waitressing job once January is over…
Get a haircut. So this one seems a bit silly, but I haven’t gotten a haircut since I was like, 13 (I mean, I’ve gotten it trimmed – not the same thing). I want to donate it, but that would mean that my hair would be pretty short. And again, this sounds silly, but I’m kind of scared of having short hair again. I love my long hair, and people have told me it looks really nice on me. What if short hair doesn’t look good on me? What if I regret everything?! Regardless, I’m going to get it cut. Gotta try new things, right?
Reading Goals
Read 15 books this year. I know, I know, 15 books really isn’t that much. But…well, I haven’t been so great with reading the past couple years, so I wanted to keep it simple and doable. Who knows? As the year goes on, I might increase the number. We’ll see.
Read for at least 15 minutes a day. This’ll be good for me, and I think it might help me get past this super-duper long reading slump that I’ve been forever…
Writing Goals
Start editing Music’s Curse.Yup, I want to tackle the disastrous first draft of MC. I’d really like to get a solid draft put together so I can at least have my friends read it without being utterly confused. I don’t know how far I’ll get in editing it, but I’d like to start. I’d like to blog about my editing journey, too!
Do CampNaNo and NaNo in November. I’d really like to continue working on the story I started halfway through November, and am thinking that I could work on it for one of the Camps (Camp takes place twice, right?). Or maybe I’ll get started on the sequel for Music’s Curse…We’ll see.
Blogging Goals
Get back on a schedule. I’ve been posting sporadically, and probably will keep doing if I post anymore while I’m on break. But I’d like to get back to posting on Fridays, preferably every Friday if I can manage.
Comment more. I am so bad at commenting on other people’s blogs! I’m just lazy. I love it though when people comment on my posts, so I want to try to get better at commenting on other people’s posts.
Follow more awesome blogs. This might be surprising, but I really don’t follow many blogs. I used to, but most of the people I followed are now long gone. I want to find more interesting and fascinating people!
Share more original works. This includes pictures, writing, music, artwork, etc. I want to share it with you guys! I like seeing what other people think of my stuff.
The list could go on and on, but I’m going to end it there. I know if I set too many goals for myself, I won’t be able to meet them all, and then I’d be disappointed at the end of the year. This is already a pretty hefty list for me. But I’m optimistic about meeting most of these goals!
Classes start up again for me on the 25th, and you can expect to hear from me before then. I’d like to take a look back at the movies, books, TV shows, music, and such that I experienced during 2015. I’d also like to write a post about the things I’m excited for in 2016!
Well thank the Lord! This semester is OVER (well, technically I have one more paper due on Monday, but I’m not worried about it). It’s been quite the adventure. This was my first semester at a university, and it was definitely a different experience than tech college. Now that I’m basically done, I decided to reflect back on what I can take away from this semester. And, naturally, I decided to blog about it. So without further ado, here are five things I learned this semester.
I’m still not 100% on what I want to “do with my life”, but I’ve learned to accept that it’s okay that I don’t have it all figured out.
Honestly, if I could give one tip to high school seniors who are freaking out about what they’re going to do after they graduate, it would be this: don’t stress about it. I was so stressed out last year because I wanted to take so many different paths in life – I wanted to go to school for something I loved, I wanted to be a youth minister, I wanted to study music therapy, I wanted to be an art director, I wanted to train therapy dogs, etc. I would freak out because, at the time, I was at the tech college doing none of those things, and I was wondering if what I was truly meant to do wasn’t anything I had thought of. What if I missed my chance to do what I really wanted to do? What if I wasn’t going to school for the right thing? What if I wasn’t even supposed to go to school?! IT WAS SO STRESSFUL.
When I decided to switch over to the university and pursue a major in arts management, that’s when I kind of said, “Screw it. I can’t keep sitting here waiting for God to scream at me with a megaphone telling me my life’s purpose. I just gotta go for something.” So I thought about it some, and decided to try arts management. And you know what? I like it. A lot. Am I absolutely positive that this is what I’ll end up doing with my life? No. I might get out of college and become a mime. I don’t know. But I’ve come to terms with the fact that it’s okay that I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. I just need to remain open and be ready for whatever life throws at me.
I think this is the most important thing I’ve learned this semester. Accepting it has lifted so much stress from my life. So just try worrying less. You’ll feel so much better. Take it from me.
Nobody else knows how adulting works either. Just fake confidence.
You know how you look at some people your age and wonder, “Wow, they’re so good at this whole being-an-adult thing. How do they do it?” Well guess what, chances are…THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY’RE DOING. They’re just really, really good at faking it.
Here’s the thing: it doesn’t matter what it is – being an adult, math, public speaking – if you act confident and pretend that you know what you’re talking about, people will believe that you do know what you’re talking about. I mean, politicians do it all the time (OOOOHHHHH). Inwardly, you’re freaking out because you’re actually SO CONFUSED about everything and YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW TAXES WORK and you still don’t have your social security number memorized and HOW THE HELL DOES INSURANCE WORK and by the way SOMEONE REALLY NEEDS TO EXPLAIN TAXES TO ME.
But the great thing is, the more you fake confidence, you’ll eventually feel more confident. And then one day you become so confident that you laugh as you effortlessly fill out those tax forms. I mean, you filled them out wrong, but you filled them out with confidence, and that’s all that matters, right?
College isn’t for everyone.
I personally love college. I love learning. University is definitely for me. I know that my college degree isn’t necessarily going to get me my dream job, but that isn’t why I’m here. I’m going to college to learn and experience new things. Nobody forced me to go to college. It was a decision I made completely on my own.
But not everyone is like that. Some people hate college. Some people don’t care to study for four more years past high school. And that’s totally fine. So here’s a piece of advice: If you don’t want to go to college, then don’t. Nothing is wrong with that. I’d hate for you to go to college and spend four years of your life in misery when you’d rather be doing something else. You’d be doing yourself a favor as well as doing everyone who wants to be at college a favor. I hate listening to kids grumble about how much they hate college and don’t want to be there. It gets old real fast, and makes the whole college experience less enjoyable for those who care about it.
So go to college if you want to, or don’t go if you don’t want to. Simple.
I am the worst musician ever when it comes to practicing.
…Which is why I’m not a music major. I decided to take violin lessons with the violin professor this semester. It was a last minute decision, and I’m happy I did it, but I also kind of regret it. I feel like I’ve improved a lot with violin because of lessons, but it was also quite stressful. Even though I’m not a music major/minor, practicing took up a lot of time and sometimes caused me a lot of stress. And it doesn’t help that I am THE LAZIEST MUSICIAN EVER. I hate practicing. I hate walking up three flights of stairs to find a practice room, then get my violin out, then tune it, then play scales, and then practice my solo repertoire. Some days, I just didn’t practice, and then I would totally have to fake it at my weekly lesson. I KNOW. I AM A HORRIBLE MUSICIAN. Needless to say, as much as I enjoyed the experience, I’m not doing lessons again next semester. I’m lazy and I like to just play when I feel like playing.
And finally, the Hamilton soundtrack was the key to surviving this semester.
What’s that, you say? You don’t know what Hamilton is?? WELL EXCUSE YOU. On a list of things that aren’t okay, never having listened to the Hamilton soundtrack is near the top of the list. Hamilton helped me get through this semester. So do yourself a favor and just go listen to the soundtrack. IT IS LIFE-CHANGING OKAY.
So there you have it, five things I learned this semester. Hopefully, I’ll be back blogging more frequently over break!
Laughing At Live Dragons 