Bison and Fire: Iowa's Wild Side

WARNING:  This post has major potential to be absolutely boring.  But don't worry, I'll try to spice it up and make it exciting.

This morning I had the opportunity to go to the Sioux City State Prairie Preserve, which is a piece of the .01% of Iowa's land that is still prairie.  Not only was this a fun adventure over to the west side of town for me, but I was able to learn a bit about Sioux City's wildlife and history.  So let me share with you some of the knowledge my biology class and I soaked up today!

• The Prairie Preserve used to be a golf course.  Once they got rid of the course, all the tall grass just grew right back!
• Back in the day (before the golf course), the prairie was maintained by bison and fire.  The bison would eat some of the plants and trees, and the wildfires would burn them down.  This was all a healthy part of the prairie's ecological cycle.  Now, thanks to modern civilization and Smokey the Bear, the prairie is less fortunate.
• You're best off not wearing sweatpants or any type of fleece while you're out in the prairie.  Nature will kindly disperse its seeds onto your clothing.  :)
• Thanks to John Deere, the soil of the Prairie Preserve can now be plowed easily!
• While several of the native species to the prairie are still there today, the land has also been invaded by Russian olive trees.  Those things are pretty!  But they don't belong there.
  

And finally...

• It's much too cold for snakes to be hanging out above ground this time of year.  :)

As you can probably tell, I actually enjoyed this field trip!  It was a nice break from being on campus, and learning about the town I'm living in was pretty fun.


And on that note, I think I'll go take my laundry out of the dryer.  Stay tuned! 

Skipping Off to My Boyfriend :)

My dear readers, I'd like to share with you an event that completely sums up my life here in Sioux City.

As I was walking back from dinner with a few girls from my hall, we passed four little girls hanging out on the sidewalk.  Here's the conversation that happened next:

Me: Hi ladies!
Girls: Hi!
One girl: Are you in college?
Us: Yup!
Keep in mind that my friends and I are walking away this entire time.
Girl: Is it fun?
Me: Yeah! You should try it sometime!
Girl: I'm only in sixth grade!
Me: Then stay in school!
Girl: YOU stay in school!
Me: Will do.
Girl: You're probably skipping off to your boyfriend right now!!!
Me: Oh yeah, that's exactly what I'm doing.
Girl: (something I couldn't hear because we were pretty far away by this point)
Me: I have no idea what you just said, but you're pretty!

And that, my friends, is a taste of Sioux City.  :)

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go hang out with my "boyfriend," because apparently I just skipped off to him.

I Think I'm in College.

You know you're in college if...

• you no longer consider ramen noodles to be an ethnic food.
• you talk to your neighbors while you're in the shower.
• you can't tell the difference between ramen and hair dye.
• when introducing yourself, you automatically say your name, year, major, hometown and what type of animal you would want to be.
• your lanyard becomes an article of clothing that never leaves your body.
• you bend the rules of how many times you can wear your jeans, just so you can save quarters.
• the season premiere of your favorite TV show becomes a "hall function."
• you're thinking maybe extreme couponing isn't such a bad idea!
• you no longer care how many of the girls in your hall see you in your pajamas.

Friends, family and random strangers, I've been here for over a month now.  And while I still feel like I'm just on a really long vacation, Sioux City is starting to feel more and more like home.
I think I'm in college.  :)

Shout-out to my neighbor two doors down, who ironed her carpet and made an alligator out of envelopes.  Thanks for letting me sit in your room while I wrote this post! 

Weekends in Sioux City

Happy Monday, followers!  I realize I'm not posting quite as often as I could be, and that's probably because I'm finally settling into an established routine here in Sioux City.  I wake up at 6:30 AM every weekday except Thursday.  I sleep in on the weekends.  I go to class, eat a few meals, get my homework done, and hang out with the lovely ladies in my hall.  So have no fear, I haven't fallen off the face of the planet!  I'm just living the typical life of a broke college student.
That being said, let me tell you about my weekend, in none other than a bullet-pointed list!

What I Did This Weekend

• Performed at a pep fest for about 30 people.  You know what they say...30's a crowd.
• Spent a few hours training for my new job.
• Had my first college football game!  Unfortunately, it was freezing, I had a cold, and we lost.  But all hope is not lost!  There's always homecoming.  :)
• Hung out with some awesome people.  We colored Disney princesses, explored the third floor of our building, and ate chocolate cake made in a crock pot.  Needless to say, we are not conventional college students.
• Had lunch at Jimmy John's!  Special thank you to my grandparents, my aunt and uncle, and my supervisors at St. John's Hospital for funding that endeavor.
• Started my job!  All I have to do is call the school's alumni and ask for money.  I absolutely love it!
• Helped my roommate study for her anatomy test...and felt very relieved that I decided a long time ago not to go into nursing.  :)

And those were the highlights of my weekend.  Here's to another week in this beautiful city.

Shout-out to my mom, who I enjoy getting phone calls from almost every day.

Anything and Everything: An Update

I feel like I should update you all on my daily life here in beautiful and exotic Sioux City.  So let me tell you some of the highlights of the past week for me!
First off, my toe is still recovering from the tragic door incident.  It hurts to walk, but it's totally worth the battle wound.  Other than that, I've been learning some crazy life lessons through the experiences I've been having!  For example...

• If you're going to invite someone to watch Mean Girls with you and your neighbors, you should probably meet them beforehand.  You can imagine why! 
• Friends from your hometown (or that general area) are like a little piece of home, especially the ones who really embrace their accent like you do.
• You really can shine at anything you do, as long as you put your heart into it!  

On Friday, my band director called me out for being awesome.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for recognizing my true star potential as third trumpet in our pep band.  :)
In other news, it's game week!  Our pep band will be performing at its first home football game this year, and I can't wait!  This is proof that you're never too old to get in the peppy spirit.  This weekend also brings another first, as I'm going to start training for my new job.  (You know, the first job that I don't hate.)  So if you happen to get any calls from a little school in Sioux City asking for money...that's probably me.  You're welcome.  ;)

This is generally where I would end it, but there are just a few more things I've been wanting to share with you, my faithful readers, for a while now!  So here we go...another list.

• There's a green apple with a face sitting on the floor outside my door.  Her name is Amelia.  She's been there for about two weeks, and I just discovered who put her there!  I'm not moving her until she starts rotting.
• I really love my biology class.  I'm decomposing a hissing cockroach.  It's a pretty big deal for us non-biology majors!
• My roommate is awesome.  Despite her being a vegetarian, she got me bacon at breakfast this morning.  Only a true friend would do that for me!
• I can hear my neighbor through the power outlet by my desk.  It's literally right next to my ear.

And that, my friends, is a true taste of Sioux City!

Shout-out to Brian, the guy in the cafeteria who makes my delicious scrambled eggs every morning.  Happy birthday, buddy!  Today is your day.  :)

How to Shine in College

My dear readers, you may be wondering how I manage to remain so incredibly shiny down here in Sioux City!  After all, my room is tiny, my best friends are back in the Twin Cities, and some of my classes aren't very exciting at all.  Well, it hasn't been easy to figure this out, but I've realized that the most important person to please is myself.  After all, a happy girl is a lovable girl!  And so, here's another completely relevant list.

Top 5 Ways to Keep Your College Life Shiny and Exciting

1.  Go to the dollar store and invest in a puzzle.  It'll keep you entertained between classes, and it'll make great wall decor when you finish it.
2. Listen to music from your favorite childhood movie.  I suggest Toy Story.  :)
3. Rock a fashion statement.  Personally, I wear my hood frequently.  Even in the sunshine.  Luckily, I've been told I can pull it off, because I don't look like a thug.  
4. Get your toe jammed under a door.  It will bleed everywhere, and your nursing major roommate will give you a Hello Kitty Band-Aid!  
5. Join jazz band.  Nothing makes you more unique than being fourth and a half trumpet!

So you see, all you have to do to spice up your life is find joy in the little things like puzzles and Band-Aids.  Before you know it, you'll start to realize your true potential to really shine.  :)

Like Home...Only Prettier :)

It's been a great couple days in Rapid City!  I've seen Mt. Rushmore, had a delicious blended coffee, and met a few cool new people.  And the best part is that we've had great weather!  You see, for the three weeks I've been in Sioux City, it's been hot.  And I mean hot.  Even when it rains...it's still really hot.  But here in the Black Hills, it's actually kind of cold!  I had to wear a sweatshirt!  And it hasn't rained at all.  What a great weekend! 
I've also come to a conclusion about Rapid City.  It reminds me a lot of the Twin Cities, only better.  It feels clean and modern like the suburbs, but there are also those parts that feel more urban.  The difference is that every part of the city is scattered between beautiful hills.  It's absolutely gorgeous.  I would be totally content with living in the Black Hills someday.
Friends, family and random strangers:  visit the Black Hills.  It really is a stunning place.  Oh, and when you go, I suggest finding a spot the deep in the woods late at night and just staring at the sky.  Last night I had the privilege of doing just that, and it was awesome.  The sky is so clear, you'll see more stars than you ever could've imagined existed.  You might even see a shooting star or two.  It'll absolutely take your breath away.
So what are you waiting for?  Get off the computer and on the road to beautiful South Dakota.  :)

Great Faces, Great Places

After a long drive with one of my best college friends, I finally made it to Rapid City, South Dakota.  It feels great to be back in the Black Hills!  I haven't been here since I was a kid.  We got into town late at night, and the dark was illuminated by the lights of the city.  It was picturesque!  It kind of reminded me of landing in Seoul over two years ago...except that we were driving (not flying), and everyone here speaks English.  At least, I would assume so. 
I haven't really done anything here yet other than take a shower, but let me throw you some bullet points to describe the ride to this lovely tourist trap.

• Where the heck is Wall Drug?!  The billboards were everywhere.  Personally, I enjoyed reading them!  When in Rome, right?
• Man!  I Feel Like a Woman.  Shania Twain, along with several other of my favorite country artists, made up the playlist for our drive.  One word: heaven.
• Corn.  Today I learned that the world's one and only Corn Palace is located in Mitchell, SD.  Apparently it's a pretty big deal.
• Heart-to-hearts.  A road trip with one of your good friends is a great time to let your true emotions out!  Don't hold anything back.  Just say what's on your mind!  You'll find that hundreds of miles of interstate highway will really bring out your inner passion.

So that's about it.  To be honest, I wasn't fully awake for the entire drive.  But the point of this post was to let you know that I made it safely to Rapid City.  You got that, right?  Good.  :)
I'm looking forward to the great faces and places that I'll be seeing the next couple days!  I'm hoping that there will be some fantastic memories made.