It's finally here- senior year!

Holy crap that rhymed...

Classes have begun. My new job starts this Sunday. There is officially 252 days until commencement.Woah! Can you say wake up call?

Less of an Eeyore more of a Pooh

Have you ever had one of those days that you're just in a funk? You feel like there's a rain cloud that just keeps following you? Like nothing can snap you out of your deep dark melancholy?

I empathize all too well. I like to refer to this as an Eeyore kind of mood. 

For me it's been an Eeyore kind of summer. Everything is so bitter sweet; so finite and unappealing. Maybe it's because I'm entering into my last year of undergraduate college. Maybe it's because I feel like I'm losing friends to bigger and better things while I'm still here in Boston living the dorm life. It could also be because I'm totally clueless as to what I'm going to do once I finally graduate in May. I have no job, no where to live, no school to go to.... So many reality checks in one summer would turn anyone into an Eeyore. 

Regardless, I need to get out of this funk. I need to become more of a Pooh Bear; so optimistic, so bright eyed and bushy tailed. I'm too young to be such a bitter realist I know, but it's so hard to change now. I know my cynicism is driving people crazy. Hell listening to myself is driving me crazy. What can I do to get out of this mood....think, think, think, think, think...

Popsicles and Ph.D.s

I'm here to tell you, it's true! Everyone does love a popsicle; even college professors. That's right; this week the ice cream man paid a visit to Simmons College. Around 2pm on Wednesday August 17, just about every office shut down to enjoy a frosty treat on the quad. Let me tell you, you begin to see your mentors in an entirely new light once you see them enjoying a "Big Dipper" or a "Choco Taco". This just goes to show that there's always a little kid hidden under that stuffy suit coat. I can't wait for the ice cream truck to pay us another visit. Student Government President, I'm counting on you to make this happen!

I'm not usually a beach person but...

There was something about this beach in Falmouth, MA that caught my eye.

Hi! My name is Katie, and I'm a Busy Beaver

The start of fall semester is getting closer and closer. To prepare for what's to come, I decided it was a good idea to make a chart of what my average week will look like. Holy crap! I sure know how to take a lot on. I'm so busy I needed to block out time to remind myself to eat. I've even considered scheduling bathroom times.

I've been told by many that I'm involved in too much; that I spread myself too thin; that I can't possibly be happy with such a hectic lifestyle. I disagree. My life isn't hectic- it's regimented. To those who say my plate is too full, I say "I have an appetite for life". Have you ever heard someone say, "Man, I wish I slept more in college." or "Wow if only I had sat on my a$$ more in school, I would be soooo much happier"? Nope, didn't think so.

Wish me luck for the coming semester!

So Good!

I sent this to the incoming students in my orienation group. I thought it was the perfect way to get them pumped for their new home in Boston. So Good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds-woOtfcgs&feature=youtu.be

French Failure

I am a failure as a French major. That's right I said it. I am a big fat failure!

By failure, I don't mean that I do poorly in my courses, or that my accent is terrible. I mean that my education in the French language and culture is fundamentally lacking.

I've been taking French for years. I've studied translataion and linguistics, literature, and culture. You may be asking what I could possibly be missing. Two words.... STUDY ABROAD!

What the hell kind of French major has never been to France for more than a week and a half? This chick right here. I feel like a fraud.

Things just haven't worked in my favor. There was trouble financing it, trouble scheduling it, etc. For a while there my college didn't even have a Study Abroad Department; that sure put a damper on things.

For the past few years I've seen a lot of friends and former classemates travel overseas, and it makes me green with envy. Why not me? Why do they get to go?

This summer I miss French more than ever. I miss speaking it. I miss reading it. I miss watching their pouty actors up on the big screen in our cinema class.

I can't wait for the fall semester to start so I can feed my French-loving addiction. Most of all, I can't wait to graduate. After May 2012, you can bet I'll be on my way to France. I will find a way.

Dear Diary....

I was never good at keeping a diary when I was younger. I'm not sure why I thought I'd be able to maintain a blog.

I've always been attracted to the idea of keeping a journal. As a child I loved reading books that mimicked the diaries and inner thoughts of famous historical figures like Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth 1, and Marie Antoinnette. I wished that one day my thoughts and words would be as valuable as those of Anne Frank and others.

I've realized a few things. My thoughts are valuable. My words can be eloquent and honest. I just need to get off my lazy butt and write them!

Hold the sugar please

An awfully pretentious professor held up the line in Java City today. She couldn't seem to decide on a drink. Apparently, they all contained WAY too much sugar for her. Orangina has 35mg- absolutely not! Limeade 47mg- practically a sin! She eventually decided on an unsweetened ice tea after lecturing the cashier on our society's overindulgence of sugar. 

Guess, just guess, what she bought in addition to her unsweetened ice tea... a chocolate brownie! I almost died trying to hide my laughter as I stood behind her in line. I don't think anyone else in line found the humor in the situation, but I sure did. Does anyone else find this funny?

Bonding over Brunch

I love Sunday brunch! It's my favorite meal of the week. Why- you ask. Because Sunday brunch is the best way to begin the end of your weekend. It's delicious, indulgent, and shared with the ones you love. You don't eat Sunday brunch with just anyone. Oh no, your fellow brunchers are the people with whom you want to share the last remaining hours of the weekend, the people who you love to talk to and don't mind if they see you attack a stack of pancakes. At Sunday brunch you can be sure of two things: good food and good conversation. 

This week I enjoyed a particularly special Sunday brunch with my sixteen year-old cousin. As we chowed down on scrambled eggs and french toast, we talked about family, friends, school, the future, politics, boys, etc. How does a sixteen year old get so smart? There were a few times she completely caught me off guard with shining pearls of wisdom. My little twin cousin, as I affectionately call her, is beautiful in so many ways. She's smart as a whip, has a great sense of humor, and is unbelievably polite. She completely rejuvenated my faith in today's youngins. I'm so glad I was able to share the morning with her. 

Who do you like to brunch with? If you haven't brunched in a while, I suggest you do it again very soon. 

Psychic By the Sea

Today I went to a psychic. It seems like an odd thing to do on a vacation in Maine, but hey I like to be a little out of the ordinary. I'm still a bit of a skeptic, but I have to say it was an interesting experience.

As I lay in the grass by the water after the session, I started thinking... What if it were all true? What if the Psychic By the Sea really was capable of predicting my future? There was a lot of information she left me with; initials of admirers and soul mate, career paths, number of children, life expectancy, etc. What am I supposed to do with this information? Just act like I would as if she never told me? Am I supposed to make decisions according to her advice? Is a psychic prediction like a birthday wish? Does sharing this information prevent it from happening? I guess she was right when she told me I was a worrier just by quickly glancing at my palms.

Knowing this information (if it were true) would be an awful lot for the average person to bear. Luckily for me, I had a mostly positive reading. I imagine that not everyone is so lucky. What would you do if you went to a psychic and your future was seen as less than promising? Would you make any attempts to change it?

Enjoy the ride

Remember going on road trips with your family when you were little? You played license plate games, ooohh and aaahhhh over the natural wonders that passed you by, and sang songs with your parents as you wriggled around in the back seat. What happened to that sense of wonder, that joy of being with the ones you love?  Now it seems like everyone just turns on their kindle and shoves headphones in their ears ignoring everything around them. They're missing out on half the fun! It's important to enjoy the ride, not just the destination.

My goal for this vacation: Enjoy getting there as much as I enjoy being there.

I heart NH



Have you ever met a Granite-Stater who wasn't ridiculously proud to be from the 603? I recently had a conversation with a few of my friends who originate from other states like Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York. We have come to this conclusion: New Hampshirites are a breed entirely of their own.

 I don't think anyone is as proud to be from their state as those who were born and raised in New Hampshire. I have to admit whenever I come home from Boston to visit my family in Manchester I swell with pride everytime we pass that warm and welcoming Bienvenue.

My future plans probably won't allow to move back here after grad school, but New Hampshire will always be my home. I am one of those uniquely independently minded, robust, good natured people who are proud to call themselves a Granite Stater. Live free or die!

Look at the view!

There is an Adirondeck chair calling my name in Kennebunkport, Maine! I can't wait to really sit back and relax. I can feel the sea breeze now. Oh wait, that's just the pouring rain in Boston, Massachusetts...

I need a vacation

This is my first summer living in Boston; my first summer working at a "grown-up" job instead of a summer camp. I honestly never thought I'd miss NH so much. I want to swim. I want to lay in the grass. I want to see the stars. The city is hot. The cement is blistering. The air is thick and hazy, and the everyone is sweaty and on edge. I need to get out. I need a vacation.

A few months ago my mom broke the news to me that we wouldn't be going to Quebec like we had originally planned. At the time I was heartbroken. I haven't been to Quebec, or as my brother and I affectionately refer to it, the "Motherland", since I was a freshman in high school.  Instead, we're going to Maine. Yup, Vacationland. Sounds like a bit of a down-grade huh? I thought so too, until a few weeks ago.

I never realized how stuffy I would find the city to be in the heat of the summer. I welcome the coming week in Kennebunkport. It will nice to be a tad closer to Nature. I can't wait to rent a bike, to go kayaking for a day, to finally eat some delicious seafood. You can bet I'll have a thick layer of SPF and bugspray to protect me from too much Nature though.

Here's to new beginnings!

As a rising senior in an undergraduate program who recently had her 21st birthday, the theme of new beginnings is constantly on my mind. So I've decided to jump on the bandwagon and bare my soul to the cyberworld. Kind of cliché I know, but why not give it a shot. All the cool kids are doing it.

As I said in my "About Me" section, I am a huge francophile. Really, I mean HUGE. I love the language, the literature, the art, the films, the fashion, the politics, etc. One of the first real pieces of French literature I ever read was Voltaire's Candide. The piece has such incredible depth. At face value, it's a biting satire, but as you uncover the many layers you see that it's so much more. The story ends with this piece of advice- Il faut cultiver son jardin.  That quote has stuck with me ever since. To me it means that you don't have to go out and explore the world or follow any specific teaching or doctrine. You can find truth and wisdom in your own backyard; in your garden.

So this blog will henceforth be my garden; my own little plot of Truth. By writing in it, I hope to learn more about myself and my world around me. It's one thing to think something and to keep it inside, but it's quite another to articulate it for others to see. You don't have to agree with what I write; you don't even have to like it. These are my thoughts, my feelings, my beliefs. They might validate, coincide with, or even conflict with your own. Mais vivre les différences!