Resolutions for self betterment

Hello! I'm alive!

After another brief period of being generally unwell, I am finally getting back to being my good old self. I have officially been graduated for over a year, and recently was able to watch the members of the Class of 2016 graduate from my alma mater, and place of employment. It was wonderful to watch them walk across the stage while simultaneously trying to get a decent photograph of them and uploading posts to social media (for my job, of course).  

In one year, I will be walking across that same stage once again with my Master's diploma waiting for me. It's wild that I'll be moving onward and upward from my cozy little life in small town America in just a year, but I know that these two years of post grad living will have taught me so much about the real world, that I'll be an even greater candidate for an upper level job in a big city, potentially abroad. 

It is such an exciting time in my life, and I am trying to take in every moment as best as I can, though I've realized that I haven't been doing my best at being my best. Does that make sense? I've been so comfortable and maybe even complacent, the past few weeks that I haven't really been moving forward, but rather staying in the same place. After being sick again and watching at least five hours of Netflix in a single day last week, I decided I needed to make some changes and quit wasting my time. 

Here are a handful of small improvements I want to make a point of implementing in my daily life to help me grow and be the best I can be:

• Work out each day - even if it's just 15 minutes of yoga before bed 
• Aim to do 1 hour of grad school work a day (at least)
• Take my vitamins every day - I've been having some medical issues blah blah blah so a good, proactive thing to do would be to make a point of taking my daily vitamins daily, instead of maybe twice a week, when I remember 
• Take some time each week to plan for the future - my real real life will be starting in about a year, so the discernment and job search process begins, yet again!

What I've Learned One Year Post-Grad

It has been a little bit over a year since I have graduated from undergrad... In that year, I have gone through a lot of change and a lot of growth. I have laughed, I have loved, I have been challenged, I started graduate school and working in an office and at a newspaper... I have learned more than I ever believed I would in a year and I'm certain that I am better because of it.

Though I could write an entire novel on the different life experiences I have gained from one year, I have cut it down to just 20 tidbits:

1. Seeing friends and making plans require a lot of effort
2. Paying rent hurts, but having a place of my own (that I pay for myself) is one of the best feelings in the world
3. Having great coworkers makes going to work a lot easier
4. I love baking
5. Having good friends is the biggest blessing 
6. Not dating anyone is far better than dating the wrong person
7. Spotify premium (at the student rate) may be a necessity 
8. Having a good landlord is truly a blessing 
9. Having annoying neighbors is just something that happens and there's not much you can do 
10. Going out every weekend is overrated and expensive 
11. I like cats! (I've never had a pet before this year)
12. Budgeting is hard
13. Grad school is not any easier than undergrad for the most part
14. Paying off your credit card every month is hard
15. Having a washer and dryer in my apartment is the biggest luxury ever
16. I do quite well on my own 
17. Going to the grocery store can be turned into a weekend plan that you look forward to 
18. "Making dinner" doesn't happen every night 
19. You must make time for the things you actually enjoy doing
20. Driving 40+ minutes to do something fun is normal 

I daresay I have learned more about the working world, humanity and myself in one year of post graduate living, than in four years of undergrad! This year has definitely been one to shape me and make me even better than I was 365 days ago. 

22 things that make your 22nd birthday different from your 12th

Although I don't remember exactly what I did on my 12th birthday, 10 years ago, I'm quite sure that there was singing, running around, and cake involved. I just celebrated my 22nd birthday with a trip home, before my grad school classes start, and spent it running errands in my hometown, chilling on the couch, and having dinner with Mom and Dad... and it was a great day!

Isn't it crazy, what a difference 10 years can make though? I found that long chats with friends, free coffee, quality time with family, and a bonus birthday dinner are all I need to have a special day... and I am so thankful for that.

Anyways, here are 22 things that make your 22nd birthday different from your 12th: 

1. You will be 40x more excited for your birthday if you know you will be able to sleep in
2. Your birthday is no longer an excuse to "get out of all responsibilities," though you may still be able to slack a little bit
3. You probably still have to work, unless your birthday lands on a weekend or a holiday, or you just happen to get incredibly lucky or are gutsy enough to ask for the day off

Sundays are for brunching (but not for splurging)

After trying my hardest to sleep in (though my weekday real world schedule has pruned my sleeping habits to make 8:15 a.m. mean "sleeping in"), I decided to get up and make a glorious Sunday brunch.

I use the term "brunch," even though it was still breakfast-time, because this huge morning meal lasted me all the way to dinner... I didn't even have to eat lunch!

My first post-grad summer!

Looks like we made it!

Although it is still hard for even me to believe, I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts degrees in Communication studies and Spanish this past weekend! Four years of hard work and a great college experience had led me to this point. It is an overwhelming feeling which can really only be summed up as bittersweet.
Finals week was a total blur for me and the weekend that followed was full of events such as senior formal, a Baccalaureate Mass, and graduation on Sunday. I remember seeing all my friends walk across stage, and then waiting for the moment where my name was called. I don't actually remember the walk, but I was assured by my friends and family that the announcer read off both of my degrees and I definitely did not trip. Thank goodness!
After graduation, my life still moved at the speed of light. I had to pack up all of my stuff from my dorm room and put it in storage for the summer, since I will be moving back to Maryland in June. I also had to say goodbye to all of my lovely friends for an undetermined amount of time, which was as hard as you can believe it to be. I then made the six to seven hour drive home by car, which left me exhausted.
I got more sleep during my first few nights at home than I had for all of the week before graduation... and this seemed to be the general experience for graduating seniors.
Now that I am home, I am preparing to enjoy a shortened summer break, though one that will be full of adventures and excitement. (I will be posting on my upcoming trip soon!)
After I return from my trip, it will be a quick transition and move back South, to my college town, where I will be moving in to my first real apartment and starting summer work for my university, as well as beginning some prerequisite courses for my MBA... I will definitely be posting all about these exciting transitions later on!
For now, I will focus on unpacking my school supplies and immediately packing up again for my trip.
Stay tuned!

How it feels to be done with college:

TGIF- Thank God it's Finals? 

Friday was my last day of undergraduate classes ever, and the only thing that I feel right now is sweet relief. 

I just turned in my last paper (the one that I both started and finished on Thursday night) for my last Spanish class and I finally feel like I can breathe. This year, my last year as an undergrad, was challenging and sometimes scary, but I have overcome all the things that have stood in my way, and it just feels so good to be finished.
Finals week is a bit of a joke for me, since I only have two exams, one on Wednesday and one on Friday. Next weekend is Senior Formal and I graduate on Sunday, Mother's Day.
The majority of this coming weekend and week will consist of spending time with friends, trying to squeeze in every last bit of fun and memory making that we can. We will take lots of photos, make lots of jokes, and probably cry.
I should also probably study at least a little bit.
Although I will be continuing my studies at my same university, since I will be getting my MBA here for the next two years, I know that a lot of things are going to change after graduation.

• My roommates and I have lived together since freshman year... we were randomly placed with each other and somehow we have managed to love each other throughout our time here. Although we have gotten to know each other almost too well, I will miss saying goodnight to them and talking to them in the dark as we fall asleep.  
• I'm going to start wearing business clothes almost every day... this means that I need to spend more money to develop my work wardrobe and that is literally the last thing that I want to spend a ton of money on. 
• One of my favorite things about College is living in such close proximity to all of my friends. It is hard to get bored when everyone lives in the same building complex as you do. Next year, although most of my friends are staying in the area, we will actually have to make plans to see each other, instead of just walking across the quad and knocking on each other's doors. 
• I'm going to have to start paying monthly rent... and I'm really not looking forward to writing those checks every month for my new landlord. 

Graduation is the pure definition of "bittersweet." I will try my hardest to make this next week the best that it can be. 

The hunt: My first apartment

     I am both thrilled and relieved to announce that I have figured out a plan for myself after graduation in May! If you have been in my position of being a second-semester senior, about to graduate with a Bachelor's degree and no plans in sight, then you know just how much better I am feeling now that I know that I will be doing something.
     I have never felt more blessed than the moment I realized that I had a plan. It was a whole lot of "being in the right place, at the right time." I had decided to apply to do an internship during my final semester at my university's office of communication. After I got the internship and began working, I was offered a Grad Assistant position, which will be covering the cost for an MBA. I will also be working as a managing editor of a local newspaper.
     Although I do feel incredibly lucky and glad, this new stage in my life is coming up very quickly, and it is a teeny tiny bit overwhelming. Now, I have to really prepare myself for my latest transition, and a very intimidating part of the real world:

     Apartment Hunting 

     My university and future place of employment are located in a tiny town, almost in the middle of nowhere. I recently found out that it is almost impossible to find open apartments for rent online... there are virtually none listed. Most of these kinds of transactions happen by word of mouth around here.
     I was lucky enough to know someone who will be moving out of a two-bedroom apartment at the end of this semester, so I visited with a friend/potential roommate last week. We were not completely sold on the apartment, and we also may be having a third roommate, so we are not sure if this will work out. Now, I have moved on to looking for town houses/bigger apartments in the area. I am also considering a larger town that is relatively close by. We shall see what happens.
     Before I actually started looking for apartments, I thought the process would be relatively painless and I would find a cute, quaint, cheap apartment for rent in no time. Unfortunately, these kinds of things take a lot of patience and I have come to terms with the fact that I will not likely be able to buy my dream apartment just yet.
     Luckily, I feel very supported by friends, the people in my office, and those who I know in the community. Through them, I have been able to be in contact with around four possible places for next year, and I am now working on talking to my potential roommates to see how they feel about these places. I really feel like a grown up now, and the whole idea of living in the "real world" is becoming more and more real by the minute.
     Honestly, I am most excited to decorate my future apartment... even though my budget is very small. I have already started listing some tips and decoration ideas on my "Living Little" Pinterest board.
     Do you have any tips for me about looking for my first apartment?