Defining Your Future

There are decisions in life that won't always be easy to make. And perhaps the most important decision, which we are, in my opinion, required to make way too early, is what you will do with the rest of your life. 

Your career. 

It's something that haunts us until we escape the realm of college, and even then we may not have escaped it fully. 

From the time we can talk, our parents, aunts, uncles, friends of parents and even strangers have been drilling the same question into our malleable brains,

"What do you want to be when you grow up??" 

I think that is half of the problem. "What do you want to be?"

From the beginning we are making our careers define us.

I am a doctor. I am a photographer. I am a student. Does that really define who you are? 

So let's say that it does. How do you even go about deciding how to define yourself? 

Our parents tell us that we can be whatever we want. We could be an astronaut if our heart so desired! Hell! We could all be heart surgeons if we want it badly enough! Right?

Ehh.... not so much. 

Well, correction. Sometimes people do achieve the impossible, but the results... well that's another post entirely.

We are kind of set up for failure right from the beginning.  We really believe that we can achieve anything. But then you arrive at your grand university and find that you really don't match up with others in certain classes and find yourself being weeded out by intro courses. 

But wait! You were so skilled in high school! "My mommy told me I can do anything!" But some of us just aren't skilled enough in the areas required for becoming an astronaut or a brain surgeon. 

And so, those childhood dreams go right out the window. 

And we are back to square one. 

So by this point you may have wasted a few semesters or maybe even a few years before you realize your chosen major really isn't for you. Hopefully you have really only been taking the pre-reqs and can use them towards your next major. But how do you even go about deciding what that should be?

You have had one mindset for so long, a picture of what your future will look like. And now you have to repaint. 

So, how do you go about deciding what is the best for you? 

Let me say from experience, that you have to do what makes you happy. Cliche? Probably. But it's the best advice I can give from one struggling student to another. 

I have changed my major about four times now. I wanted to be a veterinarian from about the time I was being asked "what I wanted to be". I loved animals! So what better career than a vet!

So I came to the grand ol' University of Florida where they told me that Pre-Vet wasn't actually a major, but I could pick "anything I wanted to" (there's that evil lie again) and still do pre-reqs for vet. 

Being the creative person that I am, I decided to go with Photography in the college of Art. 

BIG MISTAKE! 

I'm not saying that it's impossible, but it's definitely not probable for a working student who actually wants to have a life. 

So after failing chemistry one too many times, I decided that I needed to just focus on the pre-vet and cut out all of the art courses. 

Long story short, I went from Photography to Undecided and finally to Animal Sciences. And then I finally realized that it wasn't because of the art courses that I had failed miserably. I was just incompetent when it came to math and sciences. 

So, I looked deep into my magic mirror and asked "Oh magic mirror, what will make me happy?"

And after really asking myself what I can truly see myself doing in the years to come, I decided on Photojournalism. (Ironic that I started and ended with Photo eh?)

And here I am today. And guess what? I am happy! Still struggling (Reporting's a total drag), but happy nonetheless. 

So confused freshman and sophomores (I'm hoping there aren't any juniors and seniors), I guess what I'm trying to say is look into yourself and ask yourself what YOU want to do. Who YOU want to be. 

Don't worry about what your parents want or what your grandparents want. 

Your parents want you to be a lawyer but you really want to delve into theater? Go for it. It is YOUR life. YOU define it. Not your career and not your parents. 

So as you go into this new year, keep in mind that what you may have planned for your future may not actually be the plan at all. Be open to change, and most importantly, be open to happiness. 

Happy Studying!

xoxo

Back to the Grind

So the first week back wasn't TOO awful. It didn't draw any blood. A few tears maybe, but no blood =).

 

My schedule is pretty full. Unfortunately I have classes every day. BLAH! But Friday's I get out but eleven so it's almost like a three day weekend! 

I think the worst part is that I only have one class on Monday, which is International Relations (SO interesting!!....) and it's at 8:30 in the morning. It will take all of my strength to roll out of bed and go to class. 

Some of my classes seem like they are going to be pretty cool though. Vampire Stories for example!

Vampires, werewolves, ghosts and other apparitions... I mean come on! When have you ever read a syllabus that started out like that? And his name is Dragan Kujundzic! Maybe he's a vamp himself! ;). 

So that's one plus to the semester. 

I was pretty unexcited excited to go back, as you can tell from my awesome nine dollar, reused backpack. But I was pretty impressed by how quickly I rolled out of bed and got ready. It started out pretty harsh. Buttttt with some focus, some coffee and some makeup, it turned around. 

I've been reading the paper everyday, which has actually turned out to be educational! Imagine that!

 I have actually been more up to date on some things my Dad! Now that's pretty impressive. 

I've already had tons of reading and note taking to do. I mean come on! It's the first week! Professors do not care. I repeat, they do not care!!!! 

Having my little babies has been helpful though. Lily even offered to do my work! But she's pretty busy these days. I really didn't want to interfere with her rope chewing, so I declined. 

It's been so nice to have Nikki back in town. We have muted each other's stress somewhat, with a little dose of Bento and TCBY. 

I am getting hungry...

I also made an awesome dinner at home all by my lonesome!

It's whole wheat pasta,  parmesan and oregano red sauce (or something like that) spinach, mushrooms, onions and italian sausage, with tons of spices of course. Come on, I'm Italian! What else do you expect. 

It was mighty delicious!

I did have a few "it's just one of those days" moments. 

Such as, when I tried to get something out of the pantry, but instead the oatmeal decided to fall and erupt all over the floor, right before I had to catch the bus. 

Thankfully I have an in-home vacuum cleaner.

So over all, it's been an alright week. I think the semester should be fine, as long as I stay up to date with my work. And hey! I might even learn a thing or two!

Lily's begging for my attention, so that's my call to get the day going, with a healthy dose of job hunting! Wish my luck!

 But not before we have a little girl time. 

Happy Saturday!!!

xoxo

Men Are From Mars...

Man I tell ya, men are something else. They say women are moody? They say women are confusing? I say HAH!! MEN are confusing. 

There we girls are, enjoying our days, actually enjoying being single, definitely not looking for a relationship. 

And then out of the blue, BAM! This "awesome" guy catches our eye. So we're curious. 

And so you get to know him. But you keep your guard up. You don't just let any old guy into your heart head. 

And then before you know it, BOOM! You realize that you really like this guy. Hey... maybe a relationship is what you never knew you needed! It all seems to fit perfectly! It's all falling in place. This is how it's supposed to be!

And before you know it, it's official. And you can't believe you are here! You found this great guy! How did you get to be so lucky?

But as quickly as you're happy, you're confused. Because suddenly CRASH! Something's different. You can't put your finger on it. But he's suddenly not talking as much, he's not as interested in what you've got going on. 

And then, in a 180 degree turn, he gives you the worst. 

And as quickly as it started it's all over. 

And you're so confused! What the hell happened?? How did things change SO quickly!! 

And then we try and reason with ourselves why it happened. So we start dissecting everything that happened and start dissecting him.

And then we just do the unthinkable.

We start analyzing ourselves. 

As if we are the problem.

So ladies, I guess what I'm getting at is, there's really no point in trying to figure out how their heads work. Or why they do the things they do. It really just comes down to one thing,

They have no balls. 

And unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about it. Except make sure this doesn't happen. 

(I can't take credit for this one.) 

Just be thankful that you got out when you did and that it didn't go too far, so far that it will forever be etched into your mind... or... your back. 

And ladies, one thing we have to learn. Relationships, love, happily ever after, it's not like the movies. It's not exciting and crazy. It is life. And men are just men. And women are women. And we will forever be from two totally different planets. It is how it is.

Barbie and Ken can't even make it work after 50 years of plastic wedded bliss.

If two dolls can't even make it last, what hope do we have?

But who am I? Why listen to me? It's just a pattern 3,000 years in the making. 

But hey, maybe I'm just a cynic.

Happy Dating!!

xoxo

Wonder Woman Wednesday... A Day Late

It's come to my attention that many bloggers seem to have themes throughout the week. I'm starting out slowly with one, Wonder Woman Wednesday! There are so many important women in our lives that don't get enough recognition. Our mothers, aunts, grandmothers, teachers, friends, sisters, and the list goes on and on. Women whose impact we don't realize and take for granted. So I say it's time to start acknowledging these wonder women one week at a time, starting with my most wondrous woman,

My Aunt Joycie

When I was eight years old, my dad and I vacationed with my Aunt and Uncle to North Carolina. My parents were divorced so my mom stayed behind. While on the trip, my dad pulled me aside, telling me we had to go for a walk. The "walk" actually turned into my dad telling me my mom had passed away. 

It was all so foggy for my eight-year-old mind. This couldn't be happening. 

I didn't have a mom? Who would help me get ready for prom? Who would help me pick out my wedding dress? Who would be there for the birth of my first child?

Okay, maybe that didn't all go through my eight-year-old head, but you get the idea. I remember looking at myself in the mirror and just telling myself it wasn't true. This wasn't really happening. 

But it was. 

But what I also remember was my Aunt Joyce sitting in front of the fireplace holding me and running her fingers through my hair, like she still does to this day. 

I didn't know it at the time, but my Aunt Joyce has filled part of that void. True, it's not the same as having a mother, but it's pretty damn close. 

Over the years we have become more than family, we have become best friends. We've baked together, laughed together, cried together, and even fought together (but only a little fight :P). 

I know I can call her whenever I need her and she will be there. Whether I'm happy, sad or just excited about something happening in my life, she'll be there to listen and be excited right along with me. 

But it's not just me that she's there for. She and my dad are the babies of the family, as well as the only two siblings living in Florida. They have been together through the death of my grandparents, the death of my mother, the birth of my cousin, my birth, hurricanes, and just about every other event you can imagine. 

So many people are confused when I tell them how I like hanging out with my family. I guess they just don't understand the strength of my family, of my aunts and uncles, of my dad. Our family has such a strong bond that is pretty rare these days. We joke around and kid with each other, but at the end of the day, we all know how much we love each other. 

And my Aunt Joycie is a part of that glue that holds our family together. We have all had our fallouts. We have all had our fights. But Joycie is always there trying to fix it, trying to make us work it out. And it's not always easy, but she makes it seem easier. 

Though Aunt Joycie has made my life awesome in so many ways, I know she has really made life sweet for my Uncle Randy and my cousin Ryan. 

Joycie makes sure she and the boys always have something planned. Ryan has experienced so many awesome things that so many kids will never experience, whether it's playing the piano, the sax, traveling to Australia, joining a sailing club... he's done it. And it's all because of my Aunt Joyce and Uncle Randy. They have given him an awesome childhood that he will surely never forget. Just as Joycie has been an aunt that I will never, can never forget. 

So here's to you Aunt Joycie. You are so sweet, not only because of your amazing treats baked with love and care, but because of the woman that you are and the woman that you make me want to be. 

You are a classy, sassy, wise, creative, loving, helpful an the list goes on and on. I know that I would not be the woman that I am today were it not for you. 

So, who is it that will help me plan my wedding? Be there for my first child? Help me pick out my wedding dress? 

You guessed it. My Aunt Joycie. 

Thank you for just being you.

xoxo

Does it take one to love one?

With an influx of politics taking precedence on talk radio, the nightly news and in every newspaper,  you can't help but take notice of our nation's newest possibilities. Whether or not you follow politics, you're bound to recognize some of the major names: 

Mitt Romney, 

Michele Bachmann, 

Rick Perry,

 Ron Paul etc.

 And whether or not you follow or even care about politics, you have to wonder, what are their personal lives like??

Do politicians lead romantic lives? And if so, can it only be with someone of the same political orientation? Or do they like to make things spicy every once in a while?

Is it necessary to have the same political beliefs in order for a relationship to really work? 

Is being pro-life or pro-choice a total deal breaker? 

Or is love, simply that, love. Can two people see past whether or not they agree with gay marriage and gun control? Can they see a person for who they are behind their beliefs? Or are the beliefs what make up the person?

Political consultant James Carville, whom you may have seen on TV and who happens to be one of the most liberal guys out there, is married to Mary Matalin, a Republican political consultant. 

Carville worked with Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign and Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign. Matalin assisted  George W. Bush and Dick Cheney until 2003. Can I make it any more obvious how these two are from polar opposites of the political spectrum? Talk about awkward dinner conversations! 

But somehow, the two have been able to make it work since October of 1993. That's not to say they've had some fairytale marriage. I am sure, no almost positive, that they've had their moments where they've not been able to see eye to eye. 

(pun definitely intended)

But maybe, when you find that person, the one who makes your heart skip, your butterflies fly, your smile spread and your eyes bright, maybe it doesn't really matter what they stand for when all's said and done. At the end of the day, maybe people are just people and we have to love them for their faults and assets. 

Now I'm sounding like a PEACE, LOVE AND HAPPINESS liberal hippy! 

But in all seriousness, would you not go on a second date because you found out the guy was from a different political party? Let's say you have all the same interests, love the same food, watch the same movies... Does that all go out the door once he mentions he voted for Obama? 

We all know that Democrats and Republicans will always be butting heads. But maybe, just maybe, love can still find its way!

Happy Voting!

xoxo