Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Building...

My first week of 20 has been about the same as most weeks in my life, but there has definitely been a change in my attitude. I am excited for everyday that 20 throws my way and I know that I can only learn from it. I guess that segways into my point.

I have obviously had a hectic week because it is getting near Thanksgiving Break which means finals are right around the corner which means that Habitat Gift Wrap is right around the corner which means that Christmas is right around the corner! Stop, think about the next few days, not the next two months! I need to focus on last week to convey my point.

The most important aspect of my life the last week has been the concept of building. Every step that we take in our lives leads to something else. A decision I make today will at least affect tomorrow if not further into the future. I had my advising appointment last week where I had to make decisions about my class schedule. I still don't know if I made the right decision but Oasis has a redo option, so I am not too worried. I also had to take a professional picture for the business school and attend a welcoming luncheon for the business school. The way I come off in the picture or the interactions I had with my fellow peers/advisors at the luncheon will undoubtable have an impact on my next two years because my first impression will most likely be interpreted a certain way. Those two actions were building a future for me in terms of my career. I don't think that I made a bad first impression, but it's just an example :-)

Building though is something so much more important to me. If you don't know, I am involved with Habitat for Humanity. Habitat's goal is to build decent, affordable shelters for those in need. I have worked on both sides of Habitat's mission. My sophomore year in high school, I went to a site that in the morning only had a foundation and by the afternoon I was climbing off the roof of the first floor. If that doesn't make someone want to help the greater good, I don't know what does :-) These people that need Habitat homes are trying to build a life for themselves that is better than what they had. I am helping them build that life by giving numerous hours to UGA's gift wrapping fundraiser. Everything I do for Habitat, I do with love. It brings out the best in me and helps me remember that I am only a small fraction of this world.

I think the best thing about Habitat is that is remembers there are some people that just need a favor. This past Saturday, I went to build that was completely different from the one I first went on five years ago. The site we arrived at already had a house sitting on the land. What might you asked did we do? We built a ramp for a family that needed stable access into their home. We provided a safe way for the family to roam in and out of their home as they pleased. It was just as much work as putting in the first floor of the house, but I think it was more rewarding because it makes you realize that the simple things in life are really what matter most.

I can't even express in written words how excited and alive I feel when I talk about my experiences with Habitat. Even though the coordination of fundraisers may be stressful and time consuming, it is definitely worth it when I see my hard work being put to good use. Habitat for Humanity is something I will be involved in for the rest of my life because just like the hammer securing that last nail in place, Habitat has built my life into something much better than it was before I got involved.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Birthdays!

So if you didn't know from my previous posts, today is my birthday! I have had a few conversations with my roommate about how stressful birthdays are because you have to react when opening presents. Presents are surprises that you know are coming, which is a really hard state of mind to put yourself in. This year though, I got an actual surprise from my parents. Usually I just go with my mom to pick out what she should give me for my birthday and then the day of my birthday is pretty uneventful. My parents came up on Saturday to help me celebrate and that is when I got my big surprise. It was a beautiful Coach purse that matches my grown up suit so well. Yeah that's right. I now own a suit. It's a very scary thought for a just turned 20 year old but it's a consequence of being a semester ahead in college. You get to those milestones of life earlier than most (story of my life actually). 

So my birthday ended up turning into a week celebration. Today was the best day ever! I had to go to work this morning at oh dark thirty, but it was so quiet that I got all my work done (still on track to not having homework over Thanksgiving Break!). Once I got back from class, I just chilled until I went to Your Pie for dinner (subway of the pizza market) and then I got birthday cake ice cream at marble slab. The best thing about today was just being surprised all the time with a simple "Happy Birthday" from someone I have met within the last year and half of my life. I felt blessed by everyone who took the minute to wish me a happy birthday. It's knowing that people care and that I will return the favor when their birthday comes. Some of my previous posts have not been so cheery because life has been so hectic. I am taking my own advice and focusing on the little things in life.

Happy Birthday to me! I am celebrating the fact that I have a very blessed life and I don't know what I would do without each and every person who I cross paths with on a daily basis. My life (each and every day) is shaped by those around me...not the presents I receive (even if they are the best presents I have gotten) or the stressful times that might burden me (especially since I tend to focus on them). I don't want to make predictions about this next year of my life because you never know if those expectations are going to be fulfilled. Isn't it better to be surprised by life than disappointed by the things that don't come?! I can say though that I have been 20 for almost 12 hours now and they have definitely been 12 hours to remember!

Both of my cute new purses! One for casual things and one for growing up :)


Saturday, November 6, 2010

The Good Times

So I feel like my blog usually becomes a platform for my issues in life, but this post is different. The last few days have been great! I found out that I made a good grade on my Accounting tests. I was really productive yesterday in regards to my HUGE extracurricular activity project. And my family came to see me today in Athens.

My parents came to Athens today because my sorority was hosting a family day event. We actually didn't make an appearance at the sorority house until around 5 pm because we were also celebrating my birthday. The day started off with a tailgate for Habitat for Humanity. We recycle cans as a fundraiser and our tailgate was to advocate for that fundraiser. My parents don't usually come to games, so when they got the chance to tailgate today they went all out. I don't usually get so excited about food but who wouldn't when there is chick-fil-a nuggets and brownies in the same place. My day just got better because even though it was cold at the game, the Dawgs won big. Then my parents treated me to a wonderful dinner at my new favorite restaurant in Athens, Doc Chey's and I got pumpkin yogurt for dessert. I got my birthday presents from my family and I love everything I got. I don't want to harp on gifts but it was just nice to spend time with my family.

I know this day seems really simple to most people but I needed a day to just enjoy the simple things in life. I need to remember the times in life that I enjoy the most. School and extracurriculars are important but so is relaxation. This day is good and I know tomorrow is going to be productive. These are the good times!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Realization

I am about to break every rule that I have previously established for myself concerning blog post but I don't care!! I have made a discovery in the last 24 hours that has made me refocus. What might you ask did I realize? I realized that life is hard. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Every day is filled with a hectic lifestyle that only gets complicated by challenges along the way. I know people are probably thinking...duh, it took you 19 years and 51 weeks to figure that out (I will be 20 in a week from today). And I realized before now that life was not in the least bit simple but now I understand that the problems we face as individual adults are far different than the problems we faced as children or even teenagers. My biggest concern in elementary school was who I was going to play with at recess, biggest concern in middle school was if my wardrobe was "cool" enough, biggest concern in high school was academics and achieving my goals. And all in one fail swoop those aspects of my life converge in adulthood. I am now responsible for my actions and I have to make sure that I am living the life I want to live.

I could not live without my parents. They somewhat shielded from this "hard life" in my younger days (whose parents didn't!?) but now that I have figured it out, they are willing to support, encourage and do anything necessary to make sure that I am still living a great life. I just can't believe that I am making all of my own decisions and that each of those decisions has an impact on my life.

This realization came about because I was walking out of a meeting last night feeling completely overwhelmed. I then tried to study and realized that the student center was like Grand Central Station and I was going to get nothing done fast because I tend to be a people watcher. As I was walking to my car, all I could think about was my test on Wednesday, test on Thursday, my mile long to do list and the feeling that everything was going to to come crumbling down around me. I can't say that I have actually had a panic attack before but I am pretty sure last night was close. I think most people have these little freak outs and they wonder why other people are so content with their lives. I have come to realize that everyone feels overwhelmed at some point...it's hard not to in college. But last night was a change in my attitude. All I can do is focus on the individual aspects of my life. I have to make sure that my studies come first and then whatever time I have left is devoted to the activities that make me feel good. I think I should go back and read my own blog post because I give advice to myself, but tend to forget about my own advice when the going gets tough.

Here is my advice for everyone today: know that life is hard, it's going to have its ups and downs but all of us have the ability to succeed and make ourselves happy.