Light Bulb Moments

You know those moments when a little light bulb turns on in your head?  Those moments when you have brilliant revelations?  Those aha! moments?  We all have them.  I'd say I had multiple light bulb moments today.  So, to keep with my theme of writing lists, not paragraphs, here are the realizations I came to today (in chronological order, of course):

1. Scrambled eggs are so much better when cooked by a professional than by your little brother.
2. Biology professors: your lectures can be as complicated as you please, as long as you give your students candy with every brain-frying lesson.  (Twizzlers and marshmallows making everything worth it.)
3. I know you were pretty confident about your majors.  But the truth is, you need to major in what you want, not what other people want for you.  In other words, don't commit to a major until you actually understand what it is.  :)
4. Prince Charming doesn't exist.  So don't go looking for him!  Do what you want with your life, and let the people in your life fall into place.
5. Remember how you promised the world that you wouldn't join jazz band in college?  Yeah...that's out the window.  You've been roped into it!  I guess you just can't deny how jazzy you truly are.  

Five light bulb moments in one day?  Man, today is just really shining for me!  And so, my beloved readers, now would be a good time for you to remove your eyeballs from this screen and go ponder.  Perhaps you'll have a light bulb moment of your own.  :)

[Be on the lookout for an upcoming post about my foreign adventure to (drum roll please) South Dakota!]

The Difference Between Iowans and Minnesotans

You know you're an Iowan if...

• you regularly shop at HyVee.
• you take college sports more seriously than professional teams.
• you think Des Moines is better than Sioux City, and just a big deal in general.
• you pronounce the word "cults" like a football team from Indianapolis.
• you graduated high school with a class of 32.
• one word: RAGBRAI.
• you take pride in your corn.

You know you're a Minnesotan if...

• you are currently wondering what HyVee is.
• your state actually has professional teams.  Unfortunately, most of them can't be taken seriously.
• you learned in 4th grade that Des Moines is the capital of Iowa, and it's probably just a giant cornfield.
• you fulfill your stereotype by saying "ya sure, you betcha" in everyday conversations.
• you graduated kindergarten with a bigger class size than most graduating high school classes in Iowa.
• What the heck is RAGBRAI???
• you were raised to laugh at Iowa and its corn.

This is all to be taken in good humor, as I'm convinced that both Iowans and Minnesotans are fantastic people.  Wisconsinites, however?  That's another story.  ;)

Skipping, Skyping and Sitting in the T

Since I've been in Sioux City for about two weeks now, I would like to share with you some random thoughts I have, mainly about the things mentioned in the title of this post.  So here we go!

Skipping.  It's a long walk from your dorm to...just about everything else on campus.  So why not skip?  It's way more fun than walking, it feels like exercise, and it makes you look like a happy and approachable person.  At least, I think so.  So I'll skip.

Skyping.  I honestly have no idea who invented Skype, and I'm not about to look it up!  But I would like to extend a giant thank you to that person, because Skype has been a major part of my last two weeks.  I've been able to see my crazy best friends in their natural environment.  Although Skype tends to freeze at the most inopportune times (like when I'm blinking, in the middle of a word, or sticking my nose in the camera), it really has been helpful for keeping in touch with the people I miss the most.  So thank you, guy who invented Skype.  :)

Sitting in the T.  We had a speaker earlier this week who told us that we would benefit from our classes the most if we "sit in the T."  The T just includes the front row and the middle column of the classroom.  Honestly...I laughed at the idea at first.  But then, as classes started, I found myself wanting to sit in the T.  And you know what?  I didn't fall asleep in class!  I actually paid attention!  Ladies and gentlemen, sit in the T.

In other news...I have a job interview (for what could be my first job that I don't hate) on Tuesday, I've signed up for my school's diversity club (because I'm clearly the walking definition of diversity!), a man with a beard made me a pink balloon zebra yesterday, and Lady GaGa is writing the theme song for the next four years of my life.  This is my life now--crazy and unpredictable.  And I absolutely love it.

Special thanks to those of you who are following this blog...you make writing fun.  Until next time!  :)

Of Fish and Friends :)

I've officially been in Sioux City for a week now.  And I'm loving it!  By now, you can probably tell that I'm a big fan of bullet-pointed lists.  So here's my latest one on how to make friends in college, based on my own experience in this exotic land of corn.

• Make lots of popcorn.
• Let your neighbors use your Windex!
• Start a blog that your college Facebook friends will creep on.  They'll think it's so awesome that they'll want to be your friend in real life!
• Meet people in the kitchen while you're making the previously mentioned popcorn.
• Have bonding time with your band.
• I really can't stress the popcorn thing enough.  
• Just wander into other people's rooms.  It's kind of a free-for-all.
• Get a pet fish!  Everyone will want to come admire it.  :)
• Did I mention the popcorn?  

So that's what I've learned so far.  But about the fish...seriously, I want to get one.  The only problem is that neither of us is going to take it home over breaks.  So [plug] if anyone wants to take a fish home over Thanksgiving and Christmas break, let me know!  Otherwise, I'm flushing him.  Just don't tell my roommate.  ;)

Stay tuned, and be patient!  College is a blast, but it's busy!  I'll post as much as I can.

And oh!  One more thing.  Shout-out to my dad.  :)

What I Like About My College

This is strictly a bullet-pointed list.  :)

• I'm making awesome friends!
• Most people are nice!  And I don't have to associate with the people who aren't nice, because this isn't high school.
• My bathroom is covered in inspirational quotes.
• My bathroom also always has 107.1 playing, and I'm officially in love with that station.
• I can make popcorn at any time of the day, and there will always be someone to eat it with me!
• Band is awesome.
• So far I've met two girls (my own age) who are engaged!  How cool is that?!
• My dorm is so chill.  I love it.  

And last but not least...

• Being a Mustang is a pretty sweet deal.  :)

That's all!  Check back soon.

The New Girl in Town

It's only my third day on campus, and classes haven't even started yet.  But I'm already starting to realize something, and I'd like to share my thoughts with you!
I've decided that starting college in Sioux City is like a combination of being a high school freshman and visiting South Korea.  Now, hear me out.  Remember your first day, week, month of high school?  I do.  It seemed like everyone was soooooo much bigger than me--especially the guys.  I did everything in my power to avoid those guys at all costs.  I was scared!  And...South Korea.  When I went there with my sister for a couple weeks, it took me a while to learn my way around.  Everything was so foreign to me!
That's kind of what being on campus is like.  I'm reminded of my freshman year of high school, with all the big bulky football players roaming the same halls as me.  I thought being in college would make me feel older...but that hasn't happened yet.  Being in the youngest grade on campus, I feel like a little kid all over again!  But I'm learning to embrace it.  :)
And as far as the Korea thing goes...I think Sioux City is even more foreign to me than Seoul!  But I'm starting to find my way around as much as possible.  Orientation will help a lot, I'm sure.
So those are my thoughts for the day.  High schoolers, enjoy where you are right now.  College is a blast, but you'll never get high school back.  And if you're a senior, love every minute of it.  Because a year from now, you'll be right back where you started--at the bottom of the food chain. 
Stay tuned!  More updates on my exotic adventure to come.  ;)

P.S. Sorry for the lack of length in this post.  I'm no novelist, I just like to speak my mind.

Thoughts on My New Life!

I made it!  I'm finally in Sioux City.  I moved in yesterday afternoon, and I'm still not sure how all my stuff (never mind the stuff my roommate is bringing) is going to fit in my room.  It's going to be a challenge, but I'm up for the adventure!
On that note, I'd like to make a quick list (because lists are so much easier to write than paragraphs) of my thoughts about college, Sioux City and my new life in general. 

What I've Learned in the Past Two Days 

• Despite your father's previous assurance otherwise, your room is tiny.  Sadly, you will not fit your big pink fuzzy chair in there.
• Some college students never feel the need to sleep.  You may want to turn on your fan or some other sort of noise maker to block out the loud voices of your lovely neighbors.
• The top bunk is a great adventure, especially when there's no guard rail or ladder.  
• Freshman 15?  Not for this chica!  You'll burn off more than enough calories walking to just about any building on campus because your dorm is on the edge of nowhere.
• If your new Iowan friends make fun of you for your crazy Minnesoooootan accent, just remind yourself that they're children of the corn. 

And most importantly...

• There's no possible way to forget your old friends back home.  Even though you've been busy for the past 14 hours, they've texted, called, Skyped and Facebooked you to remind you that they still exist.  Man, aren't you lucky you have such awesome friends? :)

And on that note, I have some people to call.  Stay tuned!  I have no idea what's in store for me, but I'll be sure to give you a taste. ;)

National Sisters Day

In honor of National Sisters Day, I would like to take a moment to recognize my one and only sister.

We haven't always been sisters.  I remember the day my brother was born, over sixteen years ago.  Ever since that day, I had been praying for a sister.  Unfortunately, I grew up, and the sister never came.
Then, my sophomore year of high school, I met a girl from South Korea who was attending my school as an international student.  After a year of sleepovers, giving her rides to hockey games, and general bonding time, she moved in with me at the beginning of our junior year.  And thus, the sisterhood began.
Now, I absolutely love my sister.  But don't get me wrong, our two years together weren't perfect.  The longer she was here, the more we started to act like real sisters: we argued, ignored each other, hugged and made up, and then did it all over again the next day.  It was a roller coaster, but it was the time of my life.  The time I spent with my sister was the best 542 days (that's two school years minus summers, Christmases and a couple vacations) I've ever had.
My sister moved out in June, and I miss her, but I'll never forget her.  All I can say is, thank goodness for Skype, Facebook and long-distance calls.  :)

Now fast forward to today.  My cousins from Ohio are in town visiting some of my relatives, so my parents and I stopped by to catch up with them.  After spending a couple hours hula-hooping and piggyback riding with my 6-year-old cousin, I headed inside to chat with her mom before we left.  Her mom informed me that my cousin had told her Girl Scout leader that her sister was going to college in Iowa this fall.
She knows I'm her cousin (and she won't hesitate to call me her favorite cousin), but I guess she gets overly excited about it sometimes.  But at the end of the day, whether you're cousins or sisters, if your heart's in it, it's all the same.  I love my cousin and she loves me.  Today, we're sisters.

Happy Sisters Day!  Go hug your sister.  Like I always say...

Friends will come and go, but sisters are forever.