Where in the world is.....Amy going to live next year?

Ok, so I've been throwing around some ideas about where I want to live next year:

Chicago: I had such a great time there this past summer that I would love to live there forever! It was amazing. There are lots of great Ad agencies, a lot of young people and fun bars and clubs. Also the museums, the beach, and other tourist attractions, not to mention the shopping and the wonderful public transportation. Plus its closer to my mom.





Boston: I could live with Megan again! haha. So far that's all I've got for this city but hopefully I will go visit in March and then I'll be able to fill up the pros and cons of this.







Nashville: I don't really like the look or layout of the city but I want to work on my music career so I think that it might help to be in the heart of music city. However it may be too saturated of a market so I might not be able to break through the clutter. Though I would love to work at the Coyote Ugly there! haha.





LA: Jessica wants to leave Cali so badly but I may be able to get her to stay and live with me so that I can work on my music career and meet Rob Pattinson and live happily ever after!

So I plan on applying to be an RA for U of Dreams - either in LA or Chicago.

I'll update my thoughts on these cities later.

Amy Pattinson? I like it!

Reasons why Rob Pattinson and I are soul mates:

• We both have a passion for and talent in music.
• We have similar tastes in movies
• We both love to read
• We are both deep thinkers and seem to over analyze things.
• We both babble and are way too honest and seem to tell everyone everything all the time. We would never be able to just sit in silence. haha.
• He doesn't take himself, or anything for that matter, very seriously and I need someone like that to balance me out because I take myself way too seriously. He can help me be more carefree and silly.

I love his wild hair; his tall, lanky build; his accent; his eyes; and his ambition and thoughts on fame - how he feels lucky and that he doesn't want to use up all of his luck at once.

Words of wisdom from Full House

You gotta love those tv shows that teach a lesson each episode. The other day I was watching reruns of Full House and DJ was preparing her middle school graduation speech. She said something along the lines high school marking the start of life. So of course Danny has something to say about it and he says that you shouldn't disregard the last 14 years of your life. Did they mean nothing? High school isn't the beginning of your life, it is a continuation, a new chapter. He told DJ that she shouldn't live for the future just like she shouldn't live in the past.

I have a really hard time with living in the now. I am constantly thinking about the future. I obsess about it. I am starting to realize that I think I really am quite crazy. Crazy enough to be institutionalized possibly. I am nuts!

I am convinced that Rob Pattinson is my soulmate and I have come up with two scenarios on how I can meet him and make him fall in love with me:

Scenario 1: I finally become a famous singer and am asked to record a song for the soundtrack of one of his movies. Since he is also a musician he will either do a duet with me or be the songwriter or musician for song. He'll see me in my element and we'll realize we have so much in common and he'll be hypnotized by voice just like those mythical Sirens.

Scenario 2: I write an amazing book series and he portrays one of my characters in the movie version of my book.

Which brings me to my next big idea - I want to write a book. I've always wanted to write a book, hopefully a memoir someday when I've achieve all of my hopes and dreams. I think my life is interesting and my thoughts are bizarre enough to catch people's interest. I mean my life is pretty twisted - growing up in a dysfunctional home, my dad's addiction, divorce, bullied throughout school, singing, dancing, acting, american idol, nashville star, chicago, fsu, my weird encounters with guys like "one ball" and other creepers. My best friend is in love with me but he's married and has a baby with another close friend of mine. I met all of my best friends in college - Andrea, Megan. How Jessica and I became close and talk everyday even thought she's in Cali. My crazy dreams and my weird adventures. It could make for one interesting story,

But I was thinking about how Stephenie Meyer created Twilight. I love these books and she got the idea from a dream she had. How lucky is that - she has a dream and actually decides to write it down and elaborate on it and now she's going to be a millionaire! So I've decided that Megan and I are going to keep a dream journal until we have a good enough dream to turn into a book.

I'm having a horror movie marathon this weekend as a form of procrastination on my homework. I hate school. I'm so over it. Anyways I guess I better at least start it.

Most Amazing Trailer ever! I cannot wait for this movie to come out!!!!

Twilight HD Exclusive Trailer

CS2 Class

I've got a lot of shit to do this weekend:

Rewrite Focus Group Summary
Get quotes from people for Plans Book
Observations of student drinking
Brainstorm Creative

Creative Ideas as of now:

Aren't you glad you missed this?
Don't you wish you had missed out on this?
Aren't you glad you didn't miss this?

All of the above tags would then show some horrible consequence of drinking.

Blog that would work like post secret to talk about drinking horror stories and embarrassing pictures and such.

Using the photos to spell out our message.

Mural of pictures and newspaper clippings of negative consequences of drinking

focus on viral marketing, internet, mobile, social networking sites, promotions - NON TRADITIONAL

What happens in Vegas.....

I went to the gym today! Yay! lol. It's been 5 days since I went last. But I've been busy this week and PMS makes me exhausted. But it felt good to go. I just did the aerobics x-training on the elliptical.

So tonight is my friend's 21st birthday party. It's themed and I hate themed parties. I never seem to have the clothes that fit the theme. I could do sports pros and hos, I could handle an 80's event, a luau, or even a schoolgirl or secretary themed party. Tonight's theme is Vegas showgirl and I just plan on wearing a sequin tank and tight jeans. I wish I had some feathers or something fun to decorate my hair. I could maybe try to find some cheap fake eyelashes and some sequins and do my makeup over the top. Maybe I'll run up to Walgreens and try and find some fun stuff. I need some cheap Halloween stuff too and I bet they have that there also.

I'm so hungry I can't think straight right now. I'll write more later. I'm trying to get better at this blogging thing.

"The sweet isn't as sweet without the bitter"

So lately I've been a total nerd! I just finished another Stephanie Meyer book and now I'm beginning A Walk To Remember. Plus my cousin just sent me 2 books to read.

I'm still totally obsessed with Twilight and the new trailer just premiered last night. It's amazing! Only another month and a half until the movie! woohoo. I think I'm going to need to go Twilight rehab. I have a serious addiction.

And speaking of Twilight, my new crush who has been nicknamed "twilight guy" is making things difficult for me. I can't seem to get a good opportunity to be alone with him. It's driving me nuts. He's going out of town this weekend and it makes me sad. Maybe it's ok though because I'm PMSing and my face is breaking out and I feel bloated. So by next weekend I should look much better. I saw him today and tried to mention some things that might make me more attractive like the fact that I'm a good cook! His ears perked up at that.

I'm confused about what I want to do for Halloween. I was going to throw a party here but its the same weekend as FAMU's homecoming and the GA Tech game so I think a lot of people are going out of town. So I think I may go to Orlando/Brevard county. AJ will be home then too so it should be a good time to go. I love this time of year though because all of the good horror movies come out and they play all of the old ones on TV.

I can't wait until christmas when I go to Wisconsin. It's going to be the greatest time ever. But this is an occurring problem I have - I'm always looking forward to the future and I can't just enjoy what's happening now. I keep thinking things will be better in Wisconsin or next year when I go to Chicago. It's just that I don't think there's anything here for me to be excited about unless this Twilight guy decides to date me.

Anyways I gotta get going I'll write more later. It's time for the Around The World dinner. :-)

Happiness not real unless shared

This is the first time since I was 16 that I haven't had a part time job taking up most of my time. This past week was pretty busy though because I had two tests and a presentation. I love my group from Creative Strategy. All of the girls have put in a lot of work and I feel like we all work really well together. I'm a little bummed because we only got an 85 on our project and presentation but it's ok because next time we'll do so much better.

Since I have more time, I've been eating better and working out at the gym and I have time for a social life. I've met a cute boy thanks to University of Dreams Campus Marketing program. He did the LA program this summer and worked for Summit Entertainment, the people that filmed the Twilight movie!! He got to read the script and meet the cast. I'm totally jealous, of course I had no idea what Twilight was until about a month ago. I've finished reading all 4 books and I'm currently re-reading the entire series. I'm already halfway through book 4 for the second time. I just love the characters and the story line. It's so sweet and it makes me kind of depressed because I'm alone and feel like I will never find my own Edward Cullen. I mean obviously I can't find someone just like him because Vampires don't exist but he's just so perfect and selfless! haha. And I love the actor that plays him in the movie - Robert Pattinson. He is my celebrity obsession! You know sometimes I feel like I'm 13 trapped in a 21 year old's body. I am such a dork. My mom says that I am drawn to celebrities because of their ambition and talent. It's true, it's hard to find a college guy that has dreams and goals. It seems ironic because isn't that why you go to college? To get closer to achieving your dreams? For most people yes, but some people are clueless as to what they want to do with their lives and will end up going to college forever because they can't figure out what to do. And most college guys think they're too young to commit or settle down, they just want to have a good time so they don't want a serious girlfriend. I don't know why they assume that by dating someone exclusively it automatically ends their social life and any chance of having fun. I like my own space and my "me time" so I wouldn't be too needy. I have goals that I'm trying to achieve so I don't want someone standing in my way. I just want someone to share the good things with. I want to have someone to go to dinner with, or to cook dinner for. I love to cook and its more fun to cook for two! I want someone to watch movies with, to lay with me and just snuggle. I don't think that's asking for too much.

I just watched the movie Into The Wild and in the end Chris discovers that "happiness is not real unless it iis shared." And I believe that. I mean I can be happy alone, but it's better when you can share it with someone. By the way, I totally recommend Into the Wild! It's a really interesting journey with some interesting discoveries that he makes along the way. Plus lots of beautiful scenery.

I think I fantasize about dating a celebrity like Robert Pattinson because I admire his talent and his work ethic. I also think that because he works hard and has such talent that he would understand and respect my talent for singing and that he would be really supportive. And we could share in each others' successes. I know this sounds silly but I think that it could really work. If I can just get a song on the soundtrack of one of his movie's then maybe I could get a chance to meet him and I think we'd get along just great. At first I was having all of these wierd dreams about meeting John Mayer in Chicago and I thought that was a sign but John Mayer is known as a ladies man and a heartbreaker and I don't think I want to date a guy like that. And as much I would love to be the girl that he wants to change for, I've learned that people don't change easily and I don't want to deal with that.

And back to vampires - I started watching that new HBO serious True Blood and I'm hooked. I hate that the episodes are only a half hour and that they always end at really key moments but its an intruiging show.

Changing subjects - my mom is moving to Wisconsin in a few days! I'm so excited because I'm going up to visit her for Christmas! And my cousin Jessica is going up there for Christmas too so we'll get to hang out and have a white christmas and drink Leinenkugels and go ice skating. It's going to be amazing.

I felt like I had so much more to blog about but now I'm drawing a blank. I miss Megan and I wish she didn't live so far. I wish my cousin wasn't in California. I can't wait until she graduates so we can move to Chicago or Nashville together! I need to sing. I don't get the opportunity enough. If I move to Nashville I could sing all the time and hopefully get discovered somewhere. I guess I'm off to finish Twilight and to daydream about all of these things.

And one last note - GO NOLES! We're totally kicking ass in Jacksonville right now against Colorado! woohoo!

Mensa must be missing me.

So I'm officially an awful blogger! My summer was absolutely amazing in Chicago. I love the city so much and I can't wait to move there after graduation in the spring. I'm still trying to talk my cousin Jessica into being my roommate when we get out there. Chicago kept me super busy so I really didn't have much time for blogging so there's a lot to catch up on.

After Chicago, I ventured to Wisconsin to visit my mom's side of the family. We had a huge surprise party for my Grandma's 80th birthday. 8 of the 10 kids were there and a good handful of grandchildren were there as well. I got to see my cousin Cassie, who I haven't seen in about 10 years...maybe even longer. Some of my aunts and uncles didn't even recognize me. My Uncle David, who lives in Minnesota, actually introduced himself to me as if I were a stranger. It was a little awkward at first but we all ended up having a great time. My mom's side of the family drinks a lot and this time I was finally 21 so I could legally drink with them. My Aunt Mary makes really strong drinks so it was a very interesting weekend.

After being away from FL for 2 months, I finally returned. It was so boring I couldn't handle it. It was torture. Then of course a hurricane, Fay, threatened Brevard County and all of FL. So I headed up to Tally to avoid the rain. Good thing because Merritt Island received almost 40 inches of rain and almost flooded my Dad's house. Then it moved up to Tallahassee where it dumped a substantial amount of rain also. I stayed indoors for about 2 days. Then my Dad and brother came up to move my bro into the dorm. Then my dad left and my mom came up to hang out. It was a busy weekend. Then classes started which isn't keeping me as busy as I would like....yet! Oh and let's not forget the new roommate disaster.

Alex moved in before I returned and immediately breached the lease by having a dog here. Worst part is, it's not even her dog - it's her new boyfriend's! She knew him for only 2 weeks and already he was spending every night here. It was ridiculous. So then I came home thinking she would shape up with me around. However I never saw her, she was never home. And when she was home, the bf came too. So I tried to talk to her, but I never got the opportunity bc of my last statement. So one day she says she has some stuff she wants to talk to me and Bryan about. However she never set up a meeting time or followed up with us so it never happened and I assumed it wasn't that big of a problem if she didn't really want to talk. But I had a LOT of problems! First of all, she's my friend so I was upset that I never got to spend any time with her. Second of all, her boyfriend is a total stranger mooching off of our lovely home! I've never seen him with his own vehicle so I assume he has no car, and I have no idea where he lives or if he has roommates or bills that he pays. I do know that he is unemployed - what a keeper. He seems nice enough but seriously, why are you guys attached at the hip? I tried to explain things to her nicely and she just nodded and smiled and said she would fix it. Then I get a text bitching about me, and a second text explaining that she meant to send that to a friend. So I told her that instead of whining to her friends, she should talk to me because she sure didn't say anything when I was face to face talking to her. So we talked and after that she still didn't seem to listen. Plus her and Bryan were fighting like it was their job! So something had to be done! I finally set up a meeting for the 3 of us to talk. After this, I would give up because I don't know how many ways I can explain myself until she finally gets it. So we all talked and Alex admitted to being kind of selfish and she finally understood what we were trying to say. All seem good and right in the world. However I'm questioning now if she just said that stuff to appease us. She still has yet to be home without the bf attached to her side and she still buys way too much stuff that overflows in the pantry, making the pantry a hot mess! It's so obnoxious.

I think I should start teaching roommate etiquette workshops. I'd be awesome at it. I am a great roommate: I don't have a lot of guests over, and when I do they are polite and we do not disturb anyone. I am very clean and have good hygiene and I keep the rest of the place clean and organized. I don't have any mental problems, except a slight case of OCD when it comes to certain things. I don't do drugs and I drink responsibly. I'm very friendly and somewhat easygoing. I respect others' personal belongings, space, and privacy. I bet I know a lot of people who would want their roommates to take that workshop! I'd be rich!

Another thing that baffles me with Alex is that she buys Solo cups, paper plates, and plastic cutlery. We have a whole cabinet full of dishes and another full of glasses and a drawer of silverware. I don't understand why you have to buy non-ecofriendly materials! Yes we may be saving some water by not doing your dishes but we're essentially ruining the Earth by throwing these materials into a landfill....not to mention you're throwing your money away! Why would you spend money on disposable kitchenware when we have plenty of everything? I just don't understand some people. Why don't people see these things? They seem so clear to me, and others just don't get it!

I miss the Dreamers, I miss Chicago, and goddamnit I miss the CTA! I waited for a campus bus for 25 minutes the other day! That is simply unacceptable.

Anyways.....I'm off to read New Moon, the second book in the Twilight series. I'm hooked just like everyone else now thanks to Megan! haha. I miss Megan terribly. But I plan to visit Boston soon which will be a great adventure! I'm also planning a trip to visit my Mom in Wisconsin this Christmas and my cousin Jessica is going to meet me there! It will be wonderful to see snow and celebrate a white Christmas! I guess I forgot to mention that my mom is moving to Wisconsin in October. I'm so excited for her. I also forgot to mention my Dad is drinking again which means he's an asshole and I hate talking to him because he makes me cry a lot. I've also started working out again and dieting and I feel better already! I'm a Campus Marketing Intern for University of Dreams and I can't wait for my fellow Seminoles to learn what it is to be a Dreamer! Tomorrow is Labor Day and since there is another hurricane to the West of FL, it will be sure to rain so we're having a game day! Hooray!

Hope everyone has a great holiday and good luck to those who live in hurricane Gustav's path!

More fun in the windy city!

I'm so busy that I feel like I don't update this thing enough! Here's what's new:

I had a week off so I worked on scheduling informational interviews. At first no one paid any attention to me and I got a lot of answering machines. I was feeling really defeated and ready to give up and then things changed....
Each week University of Dreams has a guest speaker. First it was Emannual Osofu Yeboah (see previous blog post about him), then Heather Hale, then Oprah's exec. producer Candi Carter, and most recently Kevin Adler. Kevin is a sports marketing expert and talked to us about how he found his passion and how his dreams changed throughout his life. During his speech he mentioned that he worked for Leo-Burnett! I had actually called there earlier in the day and they could care less about me. So after the speech I introduced myself to him and asked if he could help me get an informational interview there - he gave me his card and told me he would love to help me out! I just e-mailed him and I'm waiting for his reply. I was so excited I could've hugged him!
Then my mom sends me an e-mail with a link to an article. My uncle's ex's brother works in Chicago in the ad industry but I never knew which agency....the article was about how he just won an Effie award and that he is the Senior VP for Cramer-Krasselt, another place I called and no one answered. So I contacted him today and he had the head of HR call me and I have an informational interview scheduled for Wednesday at noon!

Aside from my awesome networking skills, I've been quite the tourist. I saw Batman which was filmed in Chicago so it's a big deal here. Then some of us dreamers went bowling where I was high scorer of the evening. My roommates and I checked out the Planetarium, the Aquarium, the Zoo, and the Museum of Science and Industry.






We also went to a Cubs game yesterday - ironically against the Florida Marlins. The Cubbies won though and it was a good time in Wrigleyville with everyone celebrating and going crazy.



I only have 2 more weeks here and I'm really sad about it. I love Chicago and I don't want to leave. The only thing that I have to look forward to in FL is football season and graduation. Anyways, I'm off to run errands for my office. Adios!

Chicago is keeping me busy!

I've been so busy that I haven't been able to blog! There's always something to do and somewhere to go!




We saw Wicked 2 weekends back and it was amazing! Last week I worked at the Taste of Chicago - Joakim Noah from the Chicago Bulls made an appearance as well as 2 White Sox players. Someone also gave me a reserved seat ticket to see Joss Stone so I got to see her live and up close! Then I celebrated the 4th of July with the Dreamers in Lake Geneva, WI. On the 3rd I watched the fireworks in Chicago over Lake Michigan and it was absolutely beautiful! It was actually a little cold out so I wore my Noles sweatshirt (gotta represent!) and my roommates and I all cuddled under a blanket and watched the show. After the fireworks we went out to a place called the Lion Head and upstairs there's a club called The Apartment which was really awesome! It's laid out like an apartment - there's a kitchen and living room, bathroom, bedroom. Plus they play great music!









Then on the 4th we got on a bus to Lake Geneva and spent hours on the beach there. I have a great tan now between the Taste, Lake Geneva, and the Machine game. So anyways - Lake Geneva was pretty fantastic. It was such a cute little town with great boutiques and delicious restaurants. There are only 2 bars in the town so all of the Dreamers ended up at Hogs & Kisses where we had a reserved section of the bar just for us. We drank and danced and then Hailey and I were tired so we ducked out early. The bar wasn't very big so to have all of the usual suspects and townies PLUS the Dreamers it was way too crowded to move! But it was still a good time.




Then on Saturday we went back to Chicago and everyone talked me into going out that night too! So I ended up at a place called Skybar, a 3 story bar with strobe lights and disco balls and GoGo dancers. I wasn't even that drunk but my stupid self forgot to close out my tab so the bar still has my debit card and my ID. I've called and left a message multiple times but no one has responded and no one ever answers. The website says their hours of operation are Tues-Saturday starting at 8. So I went there last night at 8 p.m. and no one was there. I sat outside for a half hour and no one ever showed up! I am livid! I left an angry message and still no one has answered their phone or contacted me back. After I get my ID back, I'm boycotting Skybar! lol.




After the Skybar night on Saturday, Sunday was my first Chicago Machine lacrosse game! It was a long day but it was really cool. Speaking of work - Today I got great news! They're going to have me working with their PR firm, All Terrain. They outsource all of their PR stuff to them so on Tuesdays and Wednesdays I'll be going over there to help out. I'm really excited about it because they sound like a really awesome PR firm.



So it's been hectic and crazy here in the windy city but I'm loving it and having the time of my life! Tonight I hope to get my ID and debit card back and then I might go out. If not out tonight, definitely out Thursday, Friday, and Saturday! I also want to try and head to the aquarium this weekend and do a little bit of shopping. I also want to go to some of the museums and go to the Navy Pier! Maybe a little beach time as well. :-)

No Solicitors!

I'm finally done soliciting those damn pocket schedules and free tickets to businesses in the suburbs. No more taking the train out to Kinilworth or Wheaton or Naperville! Woohoo! I get the day off tomorrow to relax and regroup and then Thursday we set up for the Taste of Chicago. Then Friday 27th-July 6th I will pretty much be working 8 hours each day at the Taste. I'll be working either the prize wheel or the inflatable. I get to meet the dance team and the players finally too!

The guy who was supposed to be my original supervisor is no longer working for the team, so now I have new on the job supervisors. Mike is extremely good looking and is under the age of 30 and single. Buddy is not as attractive but is a nice guy just the same. But apparently neither of them knew I was joining their team of interns until the day before I arrived. So I'm going to say that's the reason why they couldn't come up with something better for me to do than ride around passing out stuff. I'm not getting a degree in advertising to pass out fliers. No thank you! But since they didn't interview me and hire me then they must not have known my qualifications and skill sets. So I made sure to chat myself up and tell Buddy about all of my knowledge I've accumulated about advertising and business and what not. So hopefully that will sink in and he'll give me better assignments after the Taste is over.

I'm now off to relax and enjoy myself before the craziness of the Taste begins.

One week down, 7 more to go!

So I'm about to start week 2 of this lovely adventure in Chicago. Week one was a learning experience - I now am a seasoned veteran of riding the Metra, cabs, the L, and the bus. I'm still a little confused and lost in this huge city but I'm figuring things out. So far I've made new friends and have been enjoying the nightlife but I'm a little unsure about my internship. So far all I've done is wander through the suburbs and downtown passing out free tickets, promo fliers, and free merch. I've also received a lot of free merchandise which is nice but I just wish I was using more of my brain! I want to feel challenged, I want to be able to contribute ideas and apply the things I've learned so far. It's only the first week so I don't want to judge the job too soon but if things don't change after the Taste of Chicago event then I'm going to have some serious issues. I talked to one of the bosses the other day and hinted around that I want to do more and I think he's on board with that idea so hopefully I'll be able to do cooler things after the Taste is over. Today I am exhausted after a week full of fun that hopefully will continue for the next 7 weeks! I'll post more later because I'm tired and this computer screen is making me sleepy. haha.

Me and the roommates at the top of the Sears Tower.

The whole gang in front of the United Center and the statue of Michael Jordan.

Inspired

Last night I was granted the honor of hearing an inspirational story about a young man from Ghana. His story moved me to tears and to hear him speak about perseverance and making a difference inspired me. First, here is the story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah:

When Emmanuel Yeboah was born without a tibia in his right leg, his mother was advised to kill him. In Ghana, a disabled baby is considered a curse and is either poisoned or left in the forest to die. The lucky ones are hidden away until they can make their way to the streets, where they'll spend the rest of their lives begging. Emmanuel's mother made a choice to keep her son alive and teach him to transcend all limitations. Every day she carried her son three miles to and from school. At school, Emmanuel was ostracized. But it was when he was turned away from the soccer team that he decided to take a stand. Earning a dollar a day shining shoes, he bought his own ball and offered it to his classmates on one condition—they had to include him on the team. With this small step, Emmanuel began a mission to forever change the treatment of Ghana's disabled population. »

To show his countrymen that disability doesn’t mean inability, he pedaled a bike donated by CAF 610 km (379 miles) around Ghana using only his left leg. Now able to stand on two feet (thanks to an operation and a high-tech prosthetic donated by Loma Linda University Orthopaedic & Rehabilitation Institute), he works vigorously to ensure that opportunities are available to all physically challenged Ghanaians.

An award-winning documentary, Emmanuel’s Gift, produced by Emmy-winners Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern of Lookalike Productions, has allowed thousands to share his emotional story. Being a recipient of Nike’s Casey Martin Award and a co-recipient of the prestigious 2005 ESPN Arthur Ashe Courage Award, Emmanuel’s achievements have now been recognized.

Something he said last night that really struck me was that in all of the disabled people he has met, whether they are missing legs or arms, he has never met a person without a head. As long as you have a head you can do whatever you set your mind to. Life is a gift and no matter what physical state you may be in, you are not your body - you are a human being and you are alive. You can transcend phsycial limitations and use your mind and your ideas to change the world. He never gave up and never let someone tell him that things are impossible. He believes that when you do something selfless and give to others that it will come back to you ten fold and that is very true for him. It was an amazing story and I'm thankful that I was able to meet this man and hear his inspirational words.

Finally....

So I've made it to Chicago! Hopefully I'll keep up this blog so I can use it as my journal to turn in for internship credit! I've been slacking but maybe now I'll have things I want to update about. Friday I arrived in Wisconsin and visited with my grandparents and my aunt and uncle a bit and then yesterday my uncle dropped me off here at the University Center of Chicago.

It's wonderful here! I'm so excited about being in the city. We live in the South Loop area which is so convenient because my "L" stop is only 2 blocks away and then the train takes me pretty much straight to my job! I start tomorrow - I have to be there at 9 a.m. One other girl in the program is also interning there and she happens to be my neighbor in the dorm! I'm already making friends - I love the girls I live with and everyone in the program is really friendly. Last night we found the liquor store and a nearby bar, haha. We went to the bar to watch the basketball game and had a good time talking and hanging out. (When I say "we" I mean my roommate and our 2 suitemates. All of us are from completely different areas - FL, NY, MO, & ID) Anyways...the rooms are pretty nice and the food in the cafeteria is pretty delicious. There's some great shopping a few blocks away and plenty of fun things to do it seems. I'm really looking forward to a great summer.

I'm a terrible blogger

So I haven't blogged in about a month! haha. I am a terrible blogger. I guess I just didn't feel like I had much to blog about. But today was a big day - after 2 years at Sunglass Hut I am finally done! Today was my last day working at that damn kiosk! Woohoo! And there are only 8 days until I leave for my internship in Chicago. I just found out who my roommate is - she's from New York. I haven't talked to her much but I've checked out her facebook and she seems really cool.


So my brother graduated from high school last weekend. I usually hate going back to Merritt Island but I actually had fun this time. I went out to Sandbar for some karaoke and drinking with my best friends from elementary school and got way too drunk but it was totally worth it! haha. After being home I returned back to Tallahassee and my parents pretty much followed me up here because my brother had his orientation for FSU. He's going to be living in the nice new dorm....lucky him! I'm excited to have him up here with me next year.

So since all of that is over, I'm just relaxing and packing. Tomorrow I'm having a going away party - dinner at Chili's and then my friends and I are going to the Strip to drink a lot and party too hard. haha! Then Sunday I will finish packing and Monday I plan to drive back to Merritt Island so I can spend a few days on the beach and hanging out with my friends until I fly out on Friday! I am so excited, this is going to be the best summer ever! Hopefully I'll keep up with this blog on a regular basis to keep track of all of my escapades, haha. So anyways, I'll update more later or if anything interesting goes down.

The country music industry needs me!

So I had a great weekend finally - I went out to Bull's on Friday with Alex, Saturday we laid out by the pool, and later that night I partied with Kelly. Yesterday I was lazy and did nothing but today I worked and went to the gym.


Yesterday was also the Academy of Country Music Awards - ACM's. I have to say it really made me want to pack up and move to Nashville because I was so disappointed in the awards. There were only 3 new female vocalists and one of them was of course Taylor Swift who doesn't seem all that new anymore and of course she won because she won the CMA and CMT award of the same category this year! And then she performed and totally over-gimmicked her act. Start acoustic, tear of one outfit to reveal another, throw the guitar aside, then end in a waterfall? It had nothing to do with the song and I thought it was so annoying! Just as bad as Taylor was her BFF Kellie Pickler. Her song was stupid and she's not that great of a singer - she hasn't even had that many hits. Two songs that have been on radio and now this new one and I doubt her album is even platinum - in two years since her Idol debut. Not that impressive.

Speaking of Idols, Carrie Underwood won top female vocalist and had two performances. Her first one was ok, but I loved her second one with Brad Paisley in honor of Eddie Arnold. I do really like her but it upset me that she beat LeAnn Rimes because LeAnn is my idol, but LeAnn doesn't do as much touring and promotions as Carrie. Plus, LeAnn's already won a bunch of awards in her 10 years in the business so I guess it's no big deal.

Oh I forgot to mention my hatred for Jennifer Nettles but I won't even go into that. Garth Brooks was awesome and of course so was Keith! And that leads me to the biggest disappointment of all when Kenny Chesney got Entertainer of the Year for the 4th year in the row. I think Keith Urban deserved to be EOTY because he plays the piano, acoustic and electric guitar, and I think he may have even played harmonica a bit in his shows. He also is really great about making everyone feel like they have front row tickets by moving throughout the audience and having stages on both sides of the arena. He's just awesome and I feel like he deserves more credit!

I love country music and I think I could really fit in because they need more new female vocalists with a big voice. Carrie Underwood was great but she's not so new anymore. And Taylor and Kellie are just plain obnoxious and don't really have anything special about their voices. I can be sassy and fun with a big voice - Shania's sexiness, LeAnn's vocal style, and Kellie's sassiness. And I can dance! lol. So basically I think I may re-try for American Idol this year and for sure audition for next year's Nashville Star - hopefully next year I can get even further than this year!

Living with guys is annoying

So I am currently residing with two males - one has been my roommate for 2 years, he is gay and though I may not like aspects of his personality he is a tolerable roommate; the other is a temporary roommate - my previous roommate's ex-boyfriend! She is allowing him to stay here during this transitional period because he's about to move to SoFla and only needs a place to live for a few weeks. I don't think I would've agreed if he hadn't offered to pay both me and my other roommate $100 each. He's well-mannered and has good hygiene but I always feel like I'm babysitting him. He's a grown man but doesn't know how to do anything for himself. My former roommate dated him for 2 years and even after the break-up she continued to mother him and do things to help him out because he's either stupid or lazy....or perhaps a little of both.

At first it was amusing to watch these two guys do stupid stuff but now I'm just annoyed! Bryan, my roommate of 2 years, doesn't usually spend a lot of time at home but recently he has been more present around the house. He also decided to try cooking his own meals hoping that it would be healthier than eating out. However he is totally clueless on how to cook anything. The other day he made some 5 minute rice, then instead of cooking chicken he bought a bunch of packages of the precooked/prediced chicken to add to salads that you find with the sandwich meats. So he adds that chicken to the rice and I guess in lieu of a sauce he just poured ketchup on it and mixed it all together. It looked awful. He also makes a lot of beeny-weenie.

Bryan isn't the only one that doesn't know how to cook. Kamar, the temporary roommate, is equally as clueless. At least he cooks more appetizing meals but he does it all wrong. He eats a lot of chicken and yet has still not figured out how to cook it properly. He loves to grill it so the other day he grilled up a whole package of chicken cutlets. He told me that if I would like any, he had a bunch leftover in the fridge. However this chicken was almost impossible to cut through and it was really dry because he clearly overcooked it. It was crunchy on the outside and dry on the inside. I noticed he had cut into each cutlet during cooking to check the inside to make sure they were cooked through all the way. I thought maybe he cut them open too soon and that's why they ended up dry, because all of the juices leaked out of the cut. So I ask him when he cut the chicken open and he answers "after about 30 minutes." WTF? Boneless, skinless chicken cutlets should NEVER take 30 minutes to cook on a grill! No wonder they were burnt to a crisp. Not only does he overcook it but I can guarantee that he probably had the grill on too high of a heat setting as well because his thoughts on temperatures is also completely wrong. Today I caught him browning some ground beef to make burritos and the meat was sizzling like crazy and the steam was coming up in clouds from the pan. I asked him what heat setting he had the stove on and the burner was turned on as hot as it possibly could be. He says "it cooks faster this way." No, no, no - it dries the meat out and I don't think it was any quicker than they way I do it. I've never cooked anything on the highest possible heat.

Watching them cook is funny, but the clean-up isn't too funny. Between the two of them they produce a lot of dirty dishes but neither seem to know the proper way to load a dishwasher. This isn't funny because then I end up having to rearrange all of the dishes and I'm not even the one who made them! I miss Megan because her and I were on the same page. We loaded the dishes the same, we put them away in the same place every time, and we kept everything pretty clean and organized. Not to mention I always had someone to talk to and someone to hang out with. I don't really have a close relationship with either of these guys so I don't talk to them much or hang out with them at all. We don't have anything in common - a 21 yr old female, hetero, single college senior; a25 yr old ex-marine, single, hetero male; and a 24 yr old graduate, gay man who is in a relationship. It is an awkward mix of people and I will be glad when Kamar moves to SoFla and I'll be in Chicago soon enough, and when I get back from Chicago my friend Alex will have moved in to replace Megan! Yay for a girl roommate! haha.

Over it!

So for some reason this boy has got me all shook up but I'm officially over it now! I have spent the last 5 days obsessing over the awkward events that happened on Monday and now the stupid text messages that I've sent while drunk. I have no filter between my thoughts and my mouth, or should I say fingers since we communicate through texts. Which by the way I think is kind of lame, I wish he would've called at least once! haha. But anyways...none of this stuff matters anymore because him and I are not on the same page. He can't give me what I want or what I deserve and he just isn't that nice of a guy. So I've deleted his number from my phone so the temptation is no longer available. I'm over it and it feels good. I feel relieved. Now I need to focus on this internship! I still need to finalize all of the paperwork, yikes!

Chicago here I come! :-)

Summer is off to a slow start

After finals week ended I was excited for a summer of sun and fun...but things have gotten off to a rocky start. My last final was a huge presentation on the Friday of exam week and I stayed up for about 2 days straight finishing it. When I was done with the presentation I was so ready to go into a coma, but I barely got a 2 hour nap in before I had to get up and be social. My roommate was graduating with her masters degree the next day so her parents were in town and we were hosting a dinner party for her family and our friends. So we had a nice dinner and drank and played Cranium, it was a successful night. I had a good time, but I was exhausted. After a night of drinking and playing games, I wanted to sleep in but I had to be up early to attend the graduation ceremony. The rest of the weekend I spent either working or hanging out with my roommate and her family, going out to eat or to the bars and graduation parties. Then my roommate, my best friend, moved to New Hampshire on her 23rd birthday, only a few days after graduating with her masters. I was sad she was gone but I didn't have to work and had the house all to myself so I slept a lot! lol.

So once I caught up on my sleep, the fun could begin! Or so I thought. Since I had run myself down so much during finals, my immune system was weak and I ended up with a horrible cold! My nose has been running and I've been coughing. I don't have a lot of energy so I've just been laying around the house when I haven't been at work. Then I discover this weird bite or something on my stomach and I have no idea what it is but it won't go away. Turns out I caught ringworm at the gym.

Then I think I've finally got something to be excited about - a cute boy that's been texting me nonstop. He finally comes over to my house to hang out and things didn't quite go as expected. It was an awkward hookup that left me very disappointed. I wish I could go back and re-do it but it's too late now. I feel like these things always happen to me too. I am cursed.
Right now I'm just hoping to get through the next few weeks. At the end of May I am going back to my hometown for my brother's high school graduation and I'll get to spend some time at the beach. Then I'll be back in Tally for a week and then I'm done with Sunglass Hut and I'm having a big party and then back to Merritt Island for a bit before I finally leave for Chicago!!!!!
I can't wait to get to Chicago! I'm just counting down the days until I leave for this internship. Hopefully I can make the best of these next few weeks and have a good time.

Boys are lazy

So I've decided that the majority of males are lazy when it comes to dating! (I would say all, but I know there are some exceptions) And I can't say that this is all their fault. There are so many girls out there with low self esteem and such low standards for themselves that they put out with little or no effort from the guy. I am no slut and I expect a guy to work for this prize. I think very highly of myself and I have high standards for the guys I decide to date. If you think I'm so awesome then you shouldn't mind having to put a little work into a relationship. But it's like that saying "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?" Why would a guy take time taking me out on a date and trying to be witty and impressive when he can go to a bar and pick up a girl who's willing to have sex for nothing in return? I have never been on a proper date where the guy picks me up from my house, treats me to something (dinner, ice cream, a movie, ANYTHING!), and then at the end of the night takes me home and walks me to my door and kisses me goodnight. I don't think that this is too much to ask, but apparently for some guys it is! This angers me to no end.
I also hate when guys say things and then don't back it up. If you tell me that you want to hang out and get to know me then when I invite you to hang out with me, I would expect you to say yes. It seems strange that when you finally get this invite to hang out with me, you suddenly decide that you would rather go out to the bar with your buddies. That's just strange to me. Actions speak louder than words and if you don't come over when you finally get the invite, I immediately assume you were lying when you said you wanted to hang out.

This is why I usually turn guys down before I even get to know them. I hate being disappointed by stupid boys that don't seem to get it. So I put don't trust guys and I usually push them away and that way I never have to get hurt. But I realize that I need to give someone a chance, and I need to let someone in otherwise I'm never going to find a boyfriend or future husband. And the moment I decided to let some of my walls down, this guy decides to change his tune and now he's MIA. Whatever. I give up.

In the beginning....

So thanks to my creative strategy class, I've become a blog addict. Journals and diaries are so 3rd grade but I like to write my thoughts and ideas down so I can reflect and learn from my experiences....and let's face it, I spend so much time on this darn computer anyway, why not find another reason to be on here for hours? haha.

Stay tuned to read about all of the crazy things that go on in my life and the thoughts that go through my head. Because we're not in Oz anymore, Toto....this is real life!