I'm Going to Scotland!

Hello! So, I've been waiting to post this and I'm not sure why. I've been committed to this trip for months but it hasn't seemed real until recently. I am completing my goal that I blogged about probably a year ago and studying abroad. I will take a month between June and July and travel to the University of Stirling in Scotland. I will take two classes while I am there, one writing and one education course, and hopefully do as much exploring as possible too. I just wanted to let all my readers know about that. Hopefully, I'll blog throughout the trip as well.

 Other updates on my life: Although I have been in school for four years, I am going to go another full year at the University of Nebraska. I will be mostly student teaching throughout that time. Because that will take up a lot of my time, I will most likely stop giving tours on campus, although I have really loved that job over the past two years. I am also planning on moving off-campus for the first time next year. Most of my friends are graduating and it seems like another big transition in my life right now.
And I'll leave you with some interesting facts you might not know about Scotland:

-The Hamilton Mausoleum in South Lanarkshire has the longest echo of any man-made structure in the world; a whole 15 seconds.
-Scotland has more than 600 square miles of freshwater lakes, including the famous Loch Ness.
-St Andrews Links is considered the "home of golf"; the sport has been played there since the 15th century.
-In the north east of the country, girls are called “quines” and boys “louns”.
-It is home to the oldest tree in Europe (pictured below), a twisted yew which has stood in Fortingall for 3,000 years. According to local legend, Pontius Pilate was born in its shade and played there as a child (It's the third picture above).
-The raincoat was invented in1824 in Scotland by Charles Macintosh, a chemist born in Glasgow. (I guess it rains there a LOT)
-The inventors of the television, telephone, and penisilun were all born in Scotland.
- It is home to 19 universities and institutes of higher education, including St Andrews, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met. 
-Famous Scottish writers include Sir Walter Scott and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 
-Around 13 per cent of the population has red hair, with 40 per cent carrying the recessive gene.

A Collection of Words

I just happened upon a document on my computer from my freshmen year full of quotes. I used to keep collections of quotes like this all the time. I have no idea what led me to do this, but reading back on what I collected told me a lot about who I was at that time in my life. And it was amazing how many still rang true to something going on in my life right now. I also helped me remember some books I read forever ago. I think I might pick up this habit again. You never know when those words can pop up and make my whole night. I just picked out a few of my favorites from the old document to share tonight. :)


- "If you're good at it, and you love it, and it helps you navigate the river of the world, then it can't be wrong." The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian-Sherman Alexie

-"Did you ever wonder if the person in the puddle is real, and you’re just a reflection of him?" Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Waterson)

-"Don’t take a fence down until you know why it was put up." Robert Frost

-"You might be poor, your shoes might be broken, but your mind is a palace." Angela's Ashes-Frank McCourt

-"I have to tell you, I love living in a world with no clocks. The shackles are gone. I’m a puppy unleashed in a meadow of time." Love, Stargirl-Jerry Spinelli

-"It wasn't only wickedness and scheming that made people unhappy, it was confusion and misunderstanding; above all, it was the failure to grasp the simple truth that other people are as real as you." Atonement-Ian McEwan

-"I am beginning to measure myself in strength, not pounds. Sometimes in smiles." Wintergirls-Laurie Halse Anderson

-"The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared." The Giver-Lois Lowry

-"A friend of mine once defined love as finding someone you can talk to late into the night." Maximum Ride Series-James Patterson

-"I know it is a bad thing to break a promise, but I think now that it is a worse thing to let a promise break you." A Northern Light-Jennefer Donnelly

-After you get stung, you can't get unstung, no matter how much you whine about it." The Secret Life of Bees-Sue Monk Kidd

-"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life."-Winston Churchill

-"Perhaps to be able to learn things quickly isn't everything. To be kind is worth a great deal to other people...Lots of clever people have done harm and have been wicked." A Little Princess-Frances Hodges Burnett

We Love Being Loved

We, as humans, love love. And it's not necessarily being "in love"; it's being loved. It's why faces light up when your dog greets you at the door. It's the reason my dad instinctively squeezes the shoulder of his family members nearby when he's nervous. It's why people are constantly texting or Facebook messaging (or even blogging), reaching out to someone that loves or cares about them.

Unfortunately, I think this addiction to love often gets us in trouble. We settle for relationships with the wrong people because we believe they love us and may be the only ones who ever will. Or we break off a great relationship because the love is no longer enough to satisfy the addiction. Some of us turn to harmful activities to fill the void of love we don't believe we have.

Yes, love is wonderful. But it is also destructive. This is a very short post but it's something that's been on my mind lately and something I know a lot of my friends and family are dealing with right now in one way or another. So here's my message for the day: Someone loves you. You may think you have "no friends" or that "no one will ever love you" but it's just flat out untrue. So relax. Smile. And have a lovely day ;)

There is So Much Good in the World

"What is happening to the world?" "This country is going to hell." "Kids these days..." It seems to me that everyone wants to think of the world as a downhill slide. We constantly focus on what is going wrong in our world instead of what is going right. Yes, I world has problems. It always will. But if there's one thing I believe most in the world, it's that there is so much good. The human spirit is still alive and well and I know it can outshine the worst of circumstances.

One night last week I took the bus and a young man was standing at the front of the bus, chatting with the bus driver and she was laughing. After wishing her a good night, he got off on the next stop and I was the only one left on the bus. The driver turned to me and smiled and told me that boy had stayed with her for the last hour as she rode around the loop between campuses just because he thought she probably got bored driving all day.

Recently there has been a group on campus that does "High-Five Friday" where they give high fives to everyone that passes by the union. Most days I'm looking down at the sidewalk and they make me look up and look the world in the eyes.  It always makes my day.

During the holiday season, I volunteered at the Center for People in Need and it was amazing to see how many people were there to volunteer their time, money, and items to insure everyone was able to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Last semester, I saw some kids in the dining hall sit down with people who is eating alone several times. I remember how lost I was my freshman year and every time I hear, "Hi, my name is...can we sit with you?" my heart warms a little bit.

There are so many wonderful hearts out there. Not even somewhere far but right in your own city, your own neighborhood, your own building. There is love. There is kindness. There is compassion. And it is beautiful.

Oscar Time Again

Next week are Oscars so I want to throw down my predictions once again. Last year, I got 11 of the 24 categories right, but I know I could have had more if I wasn't so stubborn by picking my favorites instead of what I thought would really win. This year my goal is to get 12 or more so I'm at least at 50%. Wish me luck...

Picture: 12 Years a Slave. I have only seen four of the nine this year so I'm not the best judge, but of the four I watched, this was definitely the best. Amazing in so many ways and it's nominated for a lot so I think I have a good chance here.

Director: David O. Russell. I don't see American Hustle winning any other category even though it won SAG ensemble award and this is Russell's third movie that was nominated so third time's a charm. I personally didn't really like the stories of any of his movies but loved the acting in all of them so I guess he brings out the best in his cast.

Actor: Matthew McConaughey. Once again, I did not see Dallas Buyers Club. I definitely did not watch enough movies this year. He won the Golden Globe and SAGs though so I have to go with him.

Actress: Cate Blanchett. I actually did see Blue Jasmine and Blanchett is one of my favorite actresses of all time. This was no exception.

Supporting Actor: Jared Leto. He's on a role with McConaughey. I need to see this film obviously. Although I think Michael Fassbender was amazing in his role.

Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o. She was fantastic in 12 Years. I personally don't think anyone else in this category compares, but the Academy obviously loves Jennifer Lawrence (she's hard not to love).

Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years a Slave. Have a mentioned I loved this movie?

Original Screenpaly: Her. I haven't even seen it and I know it's definitely "original."

Animated Feature: Frozen. Duh.

*Note- The other two best picture nominees I watched were Wolf on Wall Street and Captain Phillips and I enjoyed both of them but can't see them fitting in anywhere. 

Others: Cinematography-Gravity/ Costume Design-The Great Gatsby/ Documentary Feature-20 Feet from Stardom/ Editing-Gravity/ Foreign Language Film-The Great Beauty/ Makeup and Hairstyling-Dallas Buyers Club/ Original Song-Let It Go/ Original Score-Gravity/ Production Design-The Great Gatsby/ Sound Editing-Gravity/ Sound Mixing-Gravity/ Visual Effects-Gravity/ Animated Short-Get a Horse!/ Documentary Short-The Lady in Number 6/ Live Action Short-The Voorman Problem

Personality Test

Hello again! So recently, I have been really caught up in something called the Myer-Briggs personality test. Some of you may have heard of it, or even taken it because it's been around forever. According to this test, there are 16 different personalities types represented by four letters. These can reveal strengths and weaknesses, possible career paths, matches for friends or relationships or even just connect you to a cool community. For example, I am an INFJ and when I type those letters into Pinterest or Google, I find tons of fun websites, memes, comics, or blogs from people similar to me. The following were things I found on Pinterest made by other users that fit me almost exactly:

 

Maybe you won't find as much amusement in this test as I do, but if you'd like to try it out here's a link to the website that has a free version of the test: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp

I'd love to hear what your results are and if you found them to be accurate at all. You can comment on this blog or facebook or just text me your results. Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend and is enjoying the Olympics!

Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself

My parents are very fond of retelling the story of the Mamba. Whenever I mention a roller coaster or amusement park, my dad starts, "You used to hate roller coasters. You cried the whole line to the Mamba." And I did. The closer we got to the actual ride, the more I completely panicked. I couldn't breathe. I was shaking. I couldn't even move after I actually got into the car.

I was afraid of heights and that fear was completely debilitating. Fear can be that way. In my life, fear has stopped me from enjoying the view of the Grand Canyon, got me stuck in a Burger King playpen (only in my mind), and has deterred me from going to the doctor. Although I hate to hear the story of me bawling like a baby on a fun ride, the Mamba experience was a big moment for me. I loved the ride. And since that time, I have enjoyed many, many other exhilerating rides.

Facing the fear head-on, no matter how embarrassing enriched my life in a small way. As a kid, I was so afraid of heights I couldn't go on the slide at the park. Now I can ride on a airplane and be (mostly) calm. I have also faced my claustrophobia through lots of crowded elevators and my fear of needles by giving blood. I have tackled social anxiety by becoming a tour guide and talking to strangers every day.

I am still afraid of heights . I definitely have to leave crowds with lots of small talk after a while. When I gave blood last week, I still shook. Everyone is afraid of something. I understand my examples are little fears. Many of us are afraid of big things. Fear of death. Fear of failure. Fear of being alone. Fear of not being enough. But I am not allowing fear to control my life. I will face it, challenge it, and most of all accept it. I am afraid. I must not let fear affect my joy.