What I Did In 2013

In no particular order, here are some of the things I did in 2013:
Graduated from high school. Got into college. Turned eighteen. Made new friends. Fell in love. Created a public blog. Started college. Wrote what made me happy every day. Lived away from home. Bought a ukulele. Learned how to play "Happy Birthday" on the ukulele. Tried to twerk. Ended Year 1 of my 10 Year Plan. Began Year 2 of my 10 Year Plan. Stopped wearing a uniform to school. Completed the first semester of freshman year at my university. Made fashion posts. Ate a ton of fro-yo. Shared a room for the first time. Read a lot of books. Started to use liquid eyeliner. Went to the art museum. Did things that scared me. Went to a new hair salon. Lost a pair of Sperry's. Met people from different states. Met people from different countries. Went shopping. Meditated. Helped my friend get ready for her prom. Played with my two cats. Had days where I was completely unproductive. Had days where there was too much to do in not enough time. Went swimming. Gnomed my grandparents. Designed my blog. Redesigned my blog. Redesigned my blog again. Did some art. Had my heart broken by a boy. Began wearing Ralph Lauren. Consumed an outrageous amount of caffeine. Received a Forever Lazy for my birthday. Went overboard with having way too much fun with my Forever Lazy. Discovered my favorite band, Walk the Moon. Passed my last high school math class. Went to Amish country. Wrote poems. Cried about things that are insignificant now. Laughed about things that are still not funny. Put a dent in my parents' car. Played racquetball. Reached 500 followers on Pinterest. Spilled a cup of cappuccino all over my white comforter. Watched television. Became obsessed with watches. Made additions to my rock collection. Met someone who also has a rock collection. Got a new hair straightener. Played pranks. Watched videos on Youtube. Went to mass. Crossed things off my bucket list. Admittedly, allowed my right leg to participate in no shave November. Had days where I slept too much. Had days where I didn't sleep at all. Went thrifting. Couldn't remember all of the state capitals. Memorized most of my favorite poem. Visited my brother in Columbus. Visited my other brother in New York. Went on retreats. Got an x-ray of my ankles. Kept up with the Kardashians. Wrote a love letter. Procrastinated. Burned myself. Attended grad parties. Was let down by other people. Painted my nails. Went to college parties. Took baths. Doodled during class. Twisted my hair into a thousand different kinds of topknots. Passed all of my advanced placement courses. Cried from stress. Spent time with my family. Spent time alone. Lived.

Flashbacks

times like these
make me think back
to times before
that were bad
memories rush
around in my head
terrible feelings
of the struggles
that were harsh
i had to endure
unfriendly reminders
of not being good
enough for life
my best is not
enough for this
being broken
down for being
who i am and
what i can do
my ability is weak
and pathetic
they always said
constantly told
of constant failures
all comes back
again and again
as i experience
flashbacks

Thrifting Tips

I love love love thrifting and I decided to put together a few tips that I have learned through my thrifting experiences:
1. Because everything is so inexpensive at a thrift store, you'll have an urge to buy everything, so it's easy to leave with more items than you intended to buy. Try to keep your purchases to a minimum level or else you'll just have bags and bags of regretful buys.
2. Don't buy anything that has stains, loose threading, tears, or missing buttons. It's not worth it to buy something that is low quality that you have to fix.
3. This is a bit of an obvious one, but I'm adding it in anyway: don't buy underwear at a thrift store.
4. Additionally, be cautious of buying shoes at a thrift store.
5. It can take time to find designer treasures but, when you do, it so so worth it.
6. Look in all different sections of the shop. I've found really cool items in the men's section.
7. Also, look beyond the sizes. There are many different brands at a thrift store with many different types of sizes. A small in one brand could be a large in another.
8. Wash everything that you've purchased before you wear it.
9. If you show your school ID in some stores, you can get a student discount.
10. Listening to "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore will totally get you into a thrifting mood.
11. Be open-minded when you step into the store. I fell in love with a sweater that made me wince at first glance.
12. If you don't love it, don't buy it. This will prevent impulse buys if you have an item you're questioning.
13. Thrift stores are constantly taking in donations, so go often to see all the new items.
14. Try on the clothes before you buy them; wear fitted clothes so you can try things over them if you're worried about cleanliness.
15. If you really love something, get it because it may not be at the store for long.
16. Go thrifting with friends who will tell you if you shouldn't buy something.
17. Find out when the store is having a sale and take advantage of it.
18. It's okay to go to multiple thrift shops in one day if you can't find anything at a certain store. Every store is different and every store has different steals!
19. Bring supplies for thrifting, such as hand sanitizer or  a stain remover pen for testing out a stain on a piece that has potential.
20. Have fun. Thrifting should be a fun little outing, even if you don't end up buying anything.

First Semester of College

I just took my last final exam yesterday, so I decided I would write a little update about my first semester of college. Overall, I would give my experience a 9 out of 10. My classes were not overwhelming for the most part, and my work load was always manageable. Because I go to a small university, I was lucky enough to have many great professors who were very understanding and cared about their students. I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people at college and I wouldn't trade the relationships I have built for anything. The amount I have grown here is very surprising and I realize that my experiences while at college have changed me for the better. And, of course, I have learned a lot during my time at college, so I put together a list of things I have learned this semester. This semester has truly made me so grateful for having the ability to attend my dream university.

10 things I learned from my 1st semester of college:
1. A week of college is equivalent to a month back home
2. Some people are really stupid, but there are insanely smart people out there too
3. A care package can make a whole week
4. It's more fun to shower at the same time as your friends
5. There will be more washing machines and dryers available if you do laundry at night
6. College boys: you can't live with them and you can't live without them
7. Put on leggings if you feel lazy, because there is no excuse for wearing sweatpants in public
8. Naps are always good to take between classes...or any other time, for that matter
9. You get to know people quickly because you can spend hours with the same people every day
10.  College is a fresh start; you have the power to do what you want with it

I'll Be A Story

I'll be a story for you to tell
Just like all the other girls who fell
Another chapter in your book
Waiting for the next one to take a look
I'll be another tale you read aloud
About a girl you could live without
The story's tone will be full of regret
But it will be one they won't forget
Remember to tell of how we began
And tell how we had different plans
You'll make it sad and dramatic
Making our end especially emphatic
An addition to your novel I'll be
I'll be the fairy tale turned tragedy

You'll be a memory and a feeling
That took a long time for my healing
The one that I did indeed learn from
And even shaped who I've become
You will not be some story I tell
To the next man I might love well
In my eye you'll be a misty tear
You'll be the reason for my next fear
You'll be the slightest hint in my laughter
And you'll be in a little sigh thereafter
But you did make me stronger too
Though I'll be another story for you
I'll be just another chronicle of yours
But to me you'll be so much more