Sarah McLachlan - I Will Remember You [Official Music Video]

Last Post!

     So, I have been thinking about what to write about in my last post. I decided to write about my life in the next few months... some of the things I am looking forward to and some goals. Short term, I want to move on from this winter semester coming up! I want to survive it at least. I am taking 20 credit hours next semester. That is 7 classes. Yes, people must be saying that I am crazy, but I want to graduate on time. The Spanish department does not really help with how students want to graduate on time. They like you to be here for like five or six. Well, I decided to beat the system! I cannot wait to go to Spain next summer. It is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am hoping to perfect my Spanish speaking and learn about the culture. I am also looking forward to my 21st birthday. In the first week of May, it is my parents' 25th anniversary, my 21st birthday, and my sister's college graduation. So, we decided that there is so much to celebrate, why not celebrate in LAS VEGAS! All I have ever heard about Vegas are stories, so I am looking forward to making my own! Also, after Spain, I am looking forward to my last year of college. It is hard to believe that I only have one year left. I feel like I just received my acceptance letter into UM-Flint yesterday. Scary how fast time truly flies by... Since I am in the teaching program, I do my block of teaching classes and then my last semester, I student teach. I have already had experience with elementary students so I am really looking forward to being in a high school because I want to be a high school teacher. Once I graduate, I plan on moving down to Florida.

      Long term goals- there are many. I want to move to Miami because they speak Spanish there all the time. Miami University also has one of the best interpreting programs. I do not want to be a Spanish teacher for the rest of my life. I want to learn French and Mandarin Chinese and become and interpreter for the United Nations. Yes, those are big dreams but I believe in myself. Go big or go home right?! Also, a family is very important to me. I want to get married and start a family before 30. I also want to live in a foreign country for a year or two. Traveling is very important to me. So I hope my soon-to-be-husband will like to travel! Overall, I want to live in my parents' footsteps. In final, I have had a wonderful life. I want to keep going in the path I am going. I am looking forward to so many experiences. I hope you all will have successful and happy lives. Do your best and never settle for anything less than what you want and deserve. Good luck!

College and Support

     







     Since this is our last blog, I decided to just talk about my normal life as a college student. No matter what anyone says or does, college is the most important idea a person could ever grasp. College is needed for anything these days; a job, a successful lifestyle, lifelong friends, an education, etc. Many people feel that college is too hard and they barely get through it, but even just getting by and still receiving that diploma is an accomplishment in itself. I know many people, especially in my generation, who are the first in their family to ever attend college. Every time I hear this, I tear up because that in itself can carry around so much proud. In my family, my dad went to Western. My mom did not go to college. She could not afford it when she was my age. However, my mom did go back to school when she was 40, which everyone in our family was so proud of her for. Even now, she is back in school. My parents have always been the best support system behind me. They were always supportive in everything I did. My dad, he never missed anything in my life. He was there at my birth, every kindergarten field trip, all my elementary parties, all of my volleyball games in high school, all of my honor dinners. My mom, who has been to just about everything too, is my biggest inspiration as well. She attended as much as she could when she was in school and working nights as a nurse. My sister Amanda has been my rock in life. Although we barely got along in high school, she is my savior now. She is more than my sister, but my best friend. My grandparents have also been so supportive, praising me in everything I do.

     













      In all honesty, I could not have asked for a better family. They have provided me a meaningful life and have always been there for me. They never gave up and they  never let me give up. They are the best thing in my life. They are the most important thing and I would not have been able to motivate myself to become what I am today. I would not have been able to reach college and strive to graduate and become a teacher without them. I truly owe my family. This is my thank you to them. If I take anything away from life, I know it would be to appreciate my family and all of the opportunities I have been given. And that is exactly what college does; it provides chances of a lifetime. As mentioned previously, never give up on a dream. Even if it is so unrealistic, one day, you could accomplish it and overcome all of those obstacles that once stood in the way. Always appreciate your life and never take it for granted. You never know what the next day may bring. Life is not about the number of breaths, but the number of moments that take your breath away. In closing, my final advice is to live, laugh, learn, and love.

 

Stress and its Consequences

     As I have been talking about stress, there is a few things that can become an outcome because of stress. Since I recently read my paper in class about eating disorders, I wanted to go into detail about eating disorders and my experience with one. They can affect ANYONE, especially women and it is extremely important to be able to recognize the symptoms and understand the consequences. To start of, Anorexia Nervosa is a pyschological illness that limits a person's intake of food. This person will barely eat and they wil ldrastically lose weight. Bulimia is also an illness in which a person binges and purges their food. They also lose a ton of weight through this way, too. I wanted to first give some of the symptoms:
Anorexia Symptoms:

• Refusing to eat and denying hunger
• An intense fear of gaining weight
• Negative or distorted self-image
• Excessively exercising
• Preoccupation with food
• Social withdrawal
• Thin appearance
• Dizziness or fainting
• Soft, downy hair present on the body (lanugo)
• Menstrual irregularities or loss of menstruation (amenorrhea)
• Abdominal pain
• Frequently being cold
• Dehydration

Bulimia Symptoms may include:

• Eating until the point of discomfort or pain, often with high-fat or sweet foods
• Self-induced vomiting
• Laxative use
• Excessively exercising
• Unhealthy focus on body shape and weight
• Having a distorted, excessively negative body image
• Going to the bathroom after eating or during meals
• Feeling that you can't control your eating behavior
• Abnormal bowel functioning
• Damaged teeth and gums
• Swollen salivary glands in the cheeks
• Sores in the throat and mouth
• Dehydration
• Irregular heartbeat
• Menstrual irregularities or loss of menstruation
• Constant dieting or fasting

     As we can see, many of these symptoms are very noticeable, so hopefully if you are experiencing this or if someone you know is going through this, don't keep it a secret. You could potentially save a life.

This is truly what I used to see in the mirror.

     After you have begun to notice the symptoms and have admitted the problem to yourself or a professional, it's time to begin a new chapter with different treatments. As I said in my paper, some great people to talk to are nutritionists, psychologists, and psychiatrists. These professionals will help you move into the right recovery process so you do not end up in a hospital bed or dead. Death is a very common outcome for eating disorders so these should NEVER be taken lightly.

     As a personal touch, I wanted to provide some basis on how I know about this experience. When I was a freshman in high school, I was 14 years old. I had a ton of friends and I thoroughly enjoyed life. One day in the cafeteria, a boy came over to my lunch table and took away my paper bag lunch. He rummaged through it and then took it, threw it in the trash and said to me, in front of the entire lunch room, you are fat and need to lose weight. Stop eating. I ran to the bathroom and sat there until one of the secretaries from the office found me. She called me sister to help me. My mom also came to take me home. From that day on, I did what he told me to do. I stopped eating. I lost 31 pounds in less than a month. I was a thin, 82 pounds as a 14 year old. I lost a lot of my life during this time. My friends thought I was too fragile. My grades began to suffer. My family was worried about me. However, for a person with an eating disorder, the more weight you lose, when you personally look in the mirror, you get a self-distored image. The mirror in your eyes actually portrays you as a heffer and gaining more and more weight. Every time I looked in the mirror, I thought I gained 10 pounds. So there I was overexercising, not eating, and become too thin for life. I exercised twice a day. After school I would run 4 miles and then I would go to volleyball practice for three hours.My skin turned yellow. I lost half of the hair on my head, yet I grew so much hair on the rest of my body because my body needed to give me some heat. I was cold all the time. It was a horrible time. One people think I regret, but in the long run, I don't. This eating disorder helped me strive to get better.
     I had just turned 15. I had been to several doctors and each diagnosed me with anorexia. I didn't believe it. I was only 15. But my parents and sister were so concerned. At track practice one day, I fainted in the locker room. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed. It was a sad day, that day. I was dehydrated and was being fed through a tube in my mouth. I was also hooked up to several different tubes to provide me different fluids as well. I'll never forget the look on my dad's face. From that day on, I knew I was not only hurting myself, but my family too. I made the decision to see a nutritionist, psychologist, and psychiatrist for a year. In this year, I gained some weight back. I made my new friends. I improved my grades. And I fell more completely in love with my family than ever. They were truly my rock through this and there was no way I would have made it out without them. I learned through this that nobody should ever influence your decision to knock off a few pounds. It should always be your idea. This time of my life was horrible, but I don't regret it. I am who I am partly because of this. I always strive for perfection because of an eating disorder, but in a healthy way. God knows no one is perfect, and I do too!
     So, there is my story, in a shortened version. Even six years later, I am still recovering. In my opinion, nobody ever truly gets over an eating disorder completely. I am still tinged by the thought of being perfect, but I know that my family and friends already love me for who I am.
     For more information on eating disorders, here is a great website. Hope I didn't tear you all up too much! Have a great week.

Hahaha

Workload

     As a college student, times always seem hectic. This week, I had so much to do. I had two exams, a quiz, two papers due, and four days of work. Plus, I try to have a social life. Sometimes, that is the most lacking part of my life which is sad because I love my friends and family. This morning, I woke up to the first sign of snow. That made me happy because I love the first days of winter. It means that Christmas is family and that means family time! This week, I am just trying to wrap my finger around all that needs to be done before the semester is over. I have finals coming up. If you have read my recent posts about studying, you can also use those tips in order to study for finals and write paper. My number one piece of advice again is DON'T PROCRASTINATE!
     When times are stressful, it feels as if the days will never be over. Normally I can't believe how the time flies. Nowadays though, I am overly stressed. I am tired. I got sick last week because of my lack of sleep. I had too much to do. After this week settles down, I am planning on sleeping ALL weekend. I am a Twilight fan so I will be one of those who are buying the release of Eclipse on DVD Friday night. I am looking forward to a nice night, cuddled up to a fire watching that! We are also decorating our tree this weekend. I already explained to you that we have a real tree and it is my favorite time of the year. I also plan to do a little shopping. I went up to Birch Run last weekend. I finished my boyfriend and family. All that's left to do are my friends. Christmas gifts are either hard or easy. Gifts cards were a great invention, but year after year, they get boring. If anyone has any ideas about gifts, let me know!
     Other than that, I plan on relaxing. I feel that is the best way to ever relieve stress. Spending time with family is the best way also. Laughing is the greatest gift in life and it is free! Don't ever take advantage of it. Plus, it's a great way to get a six-pack! I know this was a complete random post but I had a lot on my mind! I am posting a video that will make everyone laugh. Enjoy the cheer around and don't stress too much. Always know there are people to talk to! Since I read my paper in class this week, I want to talk to you guys about my eating disorder experience in my next post. Have a great week! Also, here is a link for some stress-reliever tips!

Christmas: The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole

Just to get everyone in the spirit! This is my favorite Christmas song!

Weekend

     As a college student, I still must be able to make time for homework and studying, even though it was a holiday break. I actually have two tests and two papers due the Monday we get back from break, so I couldn't just take the short break to relax. I did have to work a lot. After Thanksgiving dinner, I had to get ready and go to work at 11 pm that night. I worked until 7 the morning of Black Friday. From about midnight until 4 am, the store was crazy. Clothes were all over the place and the line for the registers was a good hour long. The ladies I work with who were ringing up the customers did not have a break for about five hours. It was very, very busy! I had fun though. I got home around eight in the morning and slept for about four hours then went up to Birch Run and shopped for a few more hours. I got all of my shopping done for my family and boyfriend. All I have left to do is my friends.
     All of my friends were home this weekend so I also got to spend some time with them, catching up and what not. I went out to dinner with them a few times and we went bowling one night. I was finally excited to be able to have a social life again! Since I am taking 21 credit hours next semester, I decided that I probably won't be able to work as much as I have been. Work and school together is very hard and I am not sure how people do it! I feel like I am constantly going and I have no free time. I miss being able to say "I'm bored!" Aside from that, I studied and watched Michigan lose to OSU again... it is so heartbreaking being a Michigan fan. I hope they get rid of Rich Rod.
     Today, I did take a few hours out of my day to help my family pick out our Christmas tree and put up the Christmas lights. The Christmas tree is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. I love decorating it and being able to spend that time with my family. It truly is a special moment for my family. I don't believe there is one Christmas, since I could walk and talk, where I did not help pick out the tree, cut it down, and then decorate it. Just another family tradition!
     I finally made my Christmas list. I basically just asked for clothes and Spain gadgets considering in Europe they have all different adapters and such things. Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. The music and happiness that comes with the season is beautiful. Besides the snow and bad weather that may occur, I love this season. I don't mind the cold actually. I am a skier and I love to have snowball fights and building snowmen. My dog loves the snow, too! I am excited that my sister is coming home for a whole month soon. It will hopefully the perfect way to end the year! Hope you all had a good holiday break and I will talk to you later this upcoming week!

The Drowsy Chaperone and Intimate Apparel

     As a student, I am required to take a few general education classes. I decided to get involved in theater. I am taking Theatre 100 and I am having a blast with this class. It is online, but I recently went to both of the UM-Flint plays on campus and would like to share my experience with my first play ever at school's theater.

     The first show I went to was called The Drowsy Chaperone. It was a musical about a man, who acted kind of as a narrator, who is listening to the record for this musical, and as he takes us through each song, we are introduced to the plot of the play. The story of the play was about a a young woman names Janet, who is giving up fame and fortune to marry Robert Martin. Janet is a star of a show called "Feldzeig's Follies" and this show has a lot of money to offer to her. Her producer, Feldzeig, comes along with her to try and stop the wedding so she does not give up on this show. Feldzeig is threatened by two "gangstas" pretending to be chefs so Feldzeig will make sure Janet will partake in these next follies. Feldzeig hires Adolfo, a Latin bumbler to try and seduce Janet. However,  Adolfo mistakes Janet for her Chaperone and they begin a romance. The Chaperone is a drunk and lousy Chaperone considering she lets Janet run off to her groom although it is the day of the wedding. Meanwhile, Janet doubts her love for her groom so she dresses up as a French lady and seduces Robert, who ends up kissing this "french lady." Janet walks out and the wedding is called off. However, Adolfo and the Chaperone decide to get married. Feldzeig and the two "chefs" are thrilled. In the end though, Janet and Robert confess their love for each other and get married and run off with the entire cast to the honeymoon and are flown away by a random aviator named Trix. The entire musical takes place in the apartment of this man in chair. The wedding broken up and then back on again all had to do with the Drowsy Chaperone letting Janet escape to see Robert.
      Overall, it was very ironic, funny, upbeat and I enjoyed the play. I am actually going to try and look into this play on Broadway. I think the UM-Flint students did a great job and I would definitely recommend this play to everyone!

     The second play I attended to was Intimate Apparel. Intimate Apparel was a play about an African American woman, Esther, who lives in a boarding house with her mother hen and maid Mrs. Dickson. Esther is aging and loves her life but is not happy about the fact that she is not married without kids. Esther sews clothing, especially intimate apparel for her only friend and prostitute Mayme and a wealthy, secret friend Mrs. Van Buren. She buys all of these fabrics from Mr. Marks, the owner of the fabric store. He is a Caucasian male. Esther desires for a husband. Mysteriously, Esther receives a letter from George Armstrong, an African American man from the Panama Canal. Esther cannot read or write so Mrs. Van Buren and Mayme help her write and send these letters. Eventually, George asks for Esther's hand in marriage and the day they meet face to face is on their wedding day. After marriage, Esther finds out George is not the man he said he was in the letters. Come to find out, George cannot write either and he paid someone to write the letters. George is having an affair with Mayme and Esther quickly learns of this. Her and George act like they are going to work things out but she gives him all of her life's savings and he runs off with it and goes to Mayme. Esther realizes after a while that her true love is Mr. Marks, but she is forbidden to love and be with him. In the end, Esther is left with no money, husband, and is back to sewing clothes.
     In my opinion, the story line was great, but I thought the acting was a little boring. I was impressed by the set and costumes. I truly enjoyed the experience but I wish I could have been more entertained. Overall, the story was great and I am sure it is a hit on Broadway. I just wish the characters had been more excited about the roles.
     In sum, my first two experiences at UM-Flint theater were fantastic. I enjoyed the plays, one a little more than the other, but I am starting to think of theatre as a minor. Is anyone in class with a theatre major/minor that could give me more info? I would greatly appreciate it. By the way, here are two links for the Broadway shows of these two shows! Click for more information. Have a great Thanksgiving, I'll post probably again after the holiday and Black Friday!
     Links: The Drowsy Chaperone and Intimate Apparel

End of the Semester Tips!

This is a good video for study tips!

End of Semester Worries!

     So, I can't believe the end of the semester is less than a month away! I already scheduled for my classes next semester. I am basically finished with Spanish classes. Only my minor left! I am finished with my gen ed classes after this semester so I am ready to move on and get my degree as a teacher. Since it is the end of the semester, it seems as if professors strategically plan to have tests and due dates on the same days each week. So, in order to not stress, I would strongly advise to not procrastinate! It was interesting, I had a great discussion this week with a few other classmates' in other classes and almost all of them say that they do their best work when under pressure (basically, when they wait to do the assignment the night before it's due). I thought to myself and I cannot even imagine doing this because in my opinion, if I waited until the night it was due, my brain would freeze and I would not be able to even get more than a few words down. If the assignments and studying is started earlier, I do a little bit at a time each and let is absorb into my brain. It seems to work for me.
     One thing I have always been taught was not to panic. If confused, always ask questions. If I don't ask questions and come test/assignment time, I will be frustrated with myself that I didn't ask because I could have known how to solve that math problem, for example. This week, I had a few things due. Over Thanksgiving break, I actually have four assignments that are all due and I am already working on them so I can spend more time with family and less locked in my room studying. Finals are always worrisome. I worry all the time that one slip-up will ruin my entire GPA. I try my best to get those negative thoughts out of my head and walk into an exam or assignment with my head up. However, for many students, that doesn't always happen no matter how much they prepare. That is the key to success though; preparation. Here is a link for some other information that may help you with end of the semester stress.
     Hope everyone has a great weekend! Go Blue and study hard. Prioritize!!!

Soldiers Surprising Their Loved Ones: PART ONE

Since last Thursday was Veterans Day, I just wanted to say thanks to all of our troops and people fighting for our country! God Bless America. Here is a video that will make just about everyone cry.

The Thanksgiving Song by Adam Sandler (subscribe if you like this video)

A little ahead of myself!

I went back over my last few posts and realized I have been talking about Christmas more than Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving is next week! Normally for Thanksgiving, my grandparents from Florida fly-in. However, since my grandpa is older and his immune system is not as efficient, my immediate family and I are on our own. Last year, we have everyone over at our house. My mom cooked the best turkey I have ever eaten. My favorites on Thanksgiving are the turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, pumpkin bread, and stuffing. I am not a fan of cranberries, mashed potatoes, or gravy (yikes!). It is funny that everyone always says that there is something in turkey that makes us sleepy. I recently learned in my biology class that is untrue. The real reason we get tired is because all of the blood in our body is directed to our stomach because we just ate so much and we do not have as much oxygen and blood going to our head, which in turns makes us sleepy! Very interesting I thought. Here is a link for more info about this myth.

Since it will just be my family and me, we decided to have our turkey dinner around 4 in the afternoon. Then, since we recently just purchased a wii game system, we rented a few fun games and are going to have family game/movie night. My family and I love to have game and movie nights. We are all very competitive too! My favorite part about Thanksgiving is after dinner, we start a fire and sit and talk about life. Since we are all busy and all over the place all the time, we do not have enough family time anymore. Family is the most important part about life though. Also, we start talking about Christmas and the family gift we would all like to purchase. Since we are annual Black Friday Shoppers, we barely go to bed. We stay up until about two, get ready, and go shopping until about noon. The rest of the day, we sleep! However, depending on what time of day I work on Black Friday, we may have to adjust our schedule!!

Black Friday Shoppers!

Once Thanksgiving passes, schools begins to really fly-by and sooner or later, the end of the semester is over and then Christmas and New Years. It is crazy how this is my 20^th Thanksgiving already. Now that I am older, I am appreciating the family time and the time off my busy schedule. I hope everyone has plans and a wonderful Thanksgiving! My next post, I will walk more in detail about the upcoming end of semester and the stresses and worries!

More!

Here are some links for Thanksgiving and Christmas that are fun to check-out!

I forgot to mention, one of my favorite parts of Christmas is the lights. My family and I always drive through neighborhoods just to see them!

The Holidays!

My dad and the tree last Christmas!

So the holidays are coming around. Christmas is actually one of my favorite times of the year because I think this is a holiday where gifts do not matter all that much, but rather the memories and happiness while being with friends and family. Thanksgiving is also a great time. I have so many things to be thankful for, especially the fact that my dad is still here after three heart attacks in the past three years. When my family lived in New Hampshire, we would always drive up to Michigan for Thanksgiving and Christmas to be with my dad’s side of the family. Now that we live here, everyone moved away! However, just being here with my immediate family is the most amazing thing in itself. My mom prepared the world’s best turkey last year. My favorite Thanksgiving dessert is my grandma’s pumpkin bread. For Christmas dinner, my sister and I normally make our parents dinner. This year, I think we are making a big honey baked ham with macaroni and cheese! I love to bake too. I still make all those sugar cookies and decorate them for Santa.

After Thanksgiving, my dad, sister, and I always get up to go do the early shopping. It has just been a tradition in our family. My mom takes no part in that though! She feels claustrophobic and hates shopping anyways. The past few years, we bought one big present for the family. Two years ago, we bought us a nice 60 inch flat screen for the family to use. Last year, we all went to Florida and that was gift! This year, we decided to each make a Christmas list of the five things we either want/need and we are going to have a nice celebration just at home. I have not put too much thought onto my list but I think I am going to ask for a few things for Spain. I also might like to get a few pieces of clothing, since I basically wear the same things throughout the year!

My family in Florida last Christmas!

On Christmas morning, we have had a family tradition of us four since we were born. When my sister and I were too young to walk down the stairs, my mom would sit us on the top of the stairs and my dad would video-record us walking down the stairs into the living room with the tree. Now that we are older, Amanda and I still are forced to wait at the top of the stairs. It is funny how Christmas morning, we all are awake at 6 am because we still have that thought that Santa was actually real and really came! Gosh, I remember the day I found out Santa was unreal. I was heartbroken for a whole year! My parents actually hid Santa from us until we were 10. Nowadays, I am hearing that parents start when kids are like 7 or 8. Overall, I am super excited for Christmas and Thanksgiving!

Weekend off!

This weekend I do not have too much homework and I do not have to work! Erik is coming home and we have lots of things planned. We are going to the movies, out to dinner, watching football all day Saturday, and I am taking him to The Drowsy Chaperone at the theater here at school on Sunday! I am so excited to just relax and not have too much to worry about. This past week, I have been super stressed. I had four papers all due this past Tuesday. It was crazy and although I did not procrastinate, I still pulled an all-nighter on Monday night. It was not fun. This week has also been stressful in my family. My mom was laid off her job after a year and it has been very hard on her. We have been trying to cheer her up, but nothing seems to be working.

This is my sister, puppy, and I on the top of the stairs on Christmas!

This weekend, we also have a work meeting. I guess some of the drama I was talking about in earlier posts has finally caught up to some of the girls who started it and karma is coming back around! We are also talking about Black Friday. All of us girls must work a double-shift. The mall opens at 2 am and closes at midnight! I am actually hoping I get the early shift because a tradition in my family is so shop on this day. Thanksgiving this year should be fun too. My whole family is coming in from Florida to celebrate at our house!

Here is a picture of one of our Christmas Tree's!

I cannot believe Christmas is just around the corner. I feel like school just started. When I was younger, as a family, we all just bought as much as we were allowed to spend and just made Christmas about the gifts. Now that my sister and I have grown up, we realize it is more about the love and spending time together. I actually am a snow-person. I enjoy skiing and if it's going to be cold, it might as well be pretty! I have only ever had one Christmas without snow and that was last year when we all went to Florida for the holidays. It was not the same without the snow. I do love Christmas time. I love the music and the feel of happiness and joy. My favorite family tradition is cutting down our tree and decorating it. Also, even though I am still young, I still make Santa cookies! Next post, I will talk more about Black Friday and Christmas shopping! Have a good week!