Hello all! It's certainly been a while. We are in the midst of craziness--wedding week. As most of you know or remember, my sister got engaged while I was euro-cationing in Italy. The wedding is already this Saturday! I cannot believe that this year has gone so quickly! I'll catch you up on what's been happening thus far...
School wise: I had a grueling schedule of Anatomy and Physiology, Physics, Calculus, and Abnormal Psychology, in addition to a 1-credit Biology Senior Seminar Series. To top it off, I've stayed busy with a job working as a Writing Center Tutor and a Developmental Biology Lab TA. I also work as the Physical Therapy Club treasurer and Joint Events Council Traditions Chair. Needless to say my time is very much occupied up at school. I can hardly believe that I have one semester left and my current focus is concentrated on graduate school. I've applied to six schools: University of Mary (Bismarck), LaCrosse, St. Kate's, St. Scholastica, University of Nebraska Medical Center and Creighton. While I'm still in the interview process, I have yet to be rejected by any schools, which I take to be good news.
Having been born and raised in the midwest, I know you can always count on the unpredictable nature of midwest weather. That being said, the weather seemed to be taking a turn for the worse early in the week. With the wedding on Thursday I attempted to persuade UNMC to allow me to interview at a later date, as I did not want to take the chance of being late for the wedding festivities. I had to withdraw for Wednesday and they plan on letting me know about a later interview date. Cross your fingers!
So today I find myself already in Milwaukee, in hopes that we would beat the weather. Turns out we drove through the worst of it. Tonight will be low-key before the real wedding events begin. My twin sister Katie, my parents, the bride and groom, his parents and myself will eat dinner tonight out at a restaurant. I'll try to keep updates of the wedding weekend as it proceeds.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Strawberry Fields Forever
It's been nearly a month since my last entry, and I can't believe how fast my summer has been flying by. Between studying for the GRE, attempting to compile a semi-presentable scrapbook of my spring adventures, and working full time for the Events Office, it seems like my days disappear right before my eyes.
After a fun-filled Fourth of July Weekend in St. Joe (read: Joetown rocks! Outdoor concert, hanging out with friends, and great food), I headed home to visit Ellen and Katie. Katie was up first in Winona, where we spent the afternoon picking strawberries and the evening shopping. We headed out together for Milwaukee then, our task being to find the perfect bridesmaid dresses. I think we did pretty well, and it was nice to see Ellen again. I hadn't seen her since Christmas with my being in Ireland. I finally got to see her engagement ring in real life and had some good old sisterly conversation. Eric was nice enough to make us a fabulous dinner while we were there as well. Maybe I should go to Milwaukee more often! ;)
This past week has been fairly busy, as I had two large events that started at the end of this week, not to mention I was filling in for a co-worker as the "Office Manager" meaning that I got to spend a lot of time answering phones and taking care of the random assignments and situations that come up. I also started shadowing a physical therapist in St. Cloud this week. I'm always nervous to start shadowing, just because every PT has different ways of going about things, and often I feel that I'm in the way. However I had a blast shadowing and felt confirmed in my decision to pursue this career path.
Speaking of, I'm currently sitting at the local coffee shop, studying away for the GRE. Better get back to it.
After a fun-filled Fourth of July Weekend in St. Joe (read: Joetown rocks! Outdoor concert, hanging out with friends, and great food), I headed home to visit Ellen and Katie. Katie was up first in Winona, where we spent the afternoon picking strawberries and the evening shopping. We headed out together for Milwaukee then, our task being to find the perfect bridesmaid dresses. I think we did pretty well, and it was nice to see Ellen again. I hadn't seen her since Christmas with my being in Ireland. I finally got to see her engagement ring in real life and had some good old sisterly conversation. Eric was nice enough to make us a fabulous dinner while we were there as well. Maybe I should go to Milwaukee more often! ;)
This past week has been fairly busy, as I had two large events that started at the end of this week, not to mention I was filling in for a co-worker as the "Office Manager" meaning that I got to spend a lot of time answering phones and taking care of the random assignments and situations that come up. I also started shadowing a physical therapist in St. Cloud this week. I'm always nervous to start shadowing, just because every PT has different ways of going about things, and often I feel that I'm in the way. However I had a blast shadowing and felt confirmed in my decision to pursue this career path.
Speaking of, I'm currently sitting at the local coffee shop, studying away for the GRE. Better get back to it.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
A Different Kind of Rain
The weather in Saint Cloud has been absolutely gorgeous lately. Unfortunately, I've been stuck inside, unable to enjoy it. While my friends scampered off to the beach, I sullenly dressed for the wedding I worked this weekend. Nine hours of making sure the bride and groom were completely happy. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy working weddings, especially this summer as I am able to check out ideas and suggest them to my sister.
Like I said, I have not been able to enjoy the beautiful weather. Finally, today, my friend Alyssa invited me to her cabin. Wouldn't you know that it started sprinkling just as we were about to take off. We reconsidered our options, and instead decided to go a movie in St. Cloud. When I got back, I went for a long run in the pouring rain. It was the best reminder of Ireland I've had yet. I'm sure I looked like a crazy person to the locals of St. Joe. So here's to enjoying the crappiest day we've had in the last two weeks!
Like I said, I have not been able to enjoy the beautiful weather. Finally, today, my friend Alyssa invited me to her cabin. Wouldn't you know that it started sprinkling just as we were about to take off. We reconsidered our options, and instead decided to go a movie in St. Cloud. When I got back, I went for a long run in the pouring rain. It was the best reminder of Ireland I've had yet. I'm sure I looked like a crazy person to the locals of St. Joe. So here's to enjoying the crappiest day we've had in the last two weeks!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wild Goose Chase
I don't know if anyone still reads this anymore, but I thought it might be nice for those of you who live far away and don't get to see my beautiful face everyday to continue to read about my now-less-than-interesting life back in Minnesota.
Today was my second day of work. Work has started well so far--I remember more than I thought I would, although I can tell this summer will be just as stressful as previous summers. My first three events were planned for me, however, since I was gone. Because of this, I've been helping my co-workers and bosses with random jobs to fill my work hours.
I typically split up my work day by working as much as I can in the morning. Then, when I get too hungry to stand it, or my stomach is growling loud enough for everyone in the office to hear, I head over to lunch, hoping that the few hours I will have left go quickly. On this particularly afternoon, I came back from lunch at 1:00. We have a big group coming to campus this weekend so my mission was to put up signs for my friend, Tina. Wouldn't you know that I had to put the signs on sandwich boards, which were, of course, missing. I then spent the next 2 hours of my afternoon trying to locate said sandwich boards. We never found them.
Today was my second day of work. Work has started well so far--I remember more than I thought I would, although I can tell this summer will be just as stressful as previous summers. My first three events were planned for me, however, since I was gone. Because of this, I've been helping my co-workers and bosses with random jobs to fill my work hours.
I typically split up my work day by working as much as I can in the morning. Then, when I get too hungry to stand it, or my stomach is growling loud enough for everyone in the office to hear, I head over to lunch, hoping that the few hours I will have left go quickly. On this particularly afternoon, I came back from lunch at 1:00. We have a big group coming to campus this weekend so my mission was to put up signs for my friend, Tina. Wouldn't you know that I had to put the signs on sandwich boards, which were, of course, missing. I then spent the next 2 hours of my afternoon trying to locate said sandwich boards. We never found them.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Is This Gonna Last Forever?
I wish that it would. That's right folks, I'm less than 12 hours away from leaving my beautiful Ireland, and while half of me is rejoicing that I finally get to see friends and family, the other half is heartbroken. So as my last blog post from Ireland, I decided to give everyone a little reflection of what I've learned in Ireland.
I wasn't planning on spending my trip "finding myself". I know some of my friends who planned on cutting themselves off from family and friends back home, rarely talking so they could be truly independent and learn about themselves. But I feel comfortable with who I am, and I knew I wouldn't be able to spend too long before calling mom and dad. Regardless, I've learned more about myself on this trip than I expected, in addition to making several friends that I might not have otherwise.
Surprisingly, I found out that I don't really like to travel, unless its for a good length of time. I need to feel comfortable with my surroundings, and at the very least that requires knowing my way around a small square of whichever city I'm in. At the same time, I can't regret a minute I've spent in any of the countries I've seen.
I learned how to slow down. Rarely in Ireland do you see people on the go with lunch or a coffee. They sit down and have a meal, or chat over a cup of joe at the local coffee shop. They arrive 10 minutes late to class for no other reason than walking at a normal pace. Stores don't open until 9:00 am and everything closes down by 6:00 pm. They take time to just be with each other.
I learned how to relax. Classes start five minutes late and end five minutes early. The Irish students think you're crazy if you go to class during RAG week. I went out for pints in the middle of the week. I spent entire weekends in Galway, London, Edinburgh, etc. instead of studying. And when I needed to get something done, I did it.
I learned how to communicate. I went to four different countries, with languages ranging from French and German, to Italian and Catalan. Somehow, I managed to navigate through their various airports, train stations, streets and shops. I also learned when it was important for me to communicate with my travel buddies.
I learned how to plan. I spent my month of April in four different countries, and numerous different cities. I had to book flights, hostels, and activities to do in each of those places.
I learned how to let it go. While I think I did a pretty good job navigating myself around cities and doing different activities, it wasn't without difficulty. I missed trains, arrived late at night in foreign cities and lost confirmation numbers.
I could go on and on with all the lessons I've learned, but I'll be home tomorrow to tell them to you myself! Every minute of these last five months has been incredible. I was very skeptical of the hospitality of the Irish (after all, I come from the land of Minnesota-nice), but they are truly the friendliest people in Europe. Ireland's scenery and lifestyle make anyone feel welcome, relaxed, and like they are having a good time. In addition, I have five awesome flatmates without whom would've made this trip a complete bore. That's it for me--I'M COMING HOME!
I wasn't planning on spending my trip "finding myself". I know some of my friends who planned on cutting themselves off from family and friends back home, rarely talking so they could be truly independent and learn about themselves. But I feel comfortable with who I am, and I knew I wouldn't be able to spend too long before calling mom and dad. Regardless, I've learned more about myself on this trip than I expected, in addition to making several friends that I might not have otherwise.
Surprisingly, I found out that I don't really like to travel, unless its for a good length of time. I need to feel comfortable with my surroundings, and at the very least that requires knowing my way around a small square of whichever city I'm in. At the same time, I can't regret a minute I've spent in any of the countries I've seen.
I learned how to slow down. Rarely in Ireland do you see people on the go with lunch or a coffee. They sit down and have a meal, or chat over a cup of joe at the local coffee shop. They arrive 10 minutes late to class for no other reason than walking at a normal pace. Stores don't open until 9:00 am and everything closes down by 6:00 pm. They take time to just be with each other.
I learned how to relax. Classes start five minutes late and end five minutes early. The Irish students think you're crazy if you go to class during RAG week. I went out for pints in the middle of the week. I spent entire weekends in Galway, London, Edinburgh, etc. instead of studying. And when I needed to get something done, I did it.
I learned how to communicate. I went to four different countries, with languages ranging from French and German, to Italian and Catalan. Somehow, I managed to navigate through their various airports, train stations, streets and shops. I also learned when it was important for me to communicate with my travel buddies.
I learned how to plan. I spent my month of April in four different countries, and numerous different cities. I had to book flights, hostels, and activities to do in each of those places.
I learned how to let it go. While I think I did a pretty good job navigating myself around cities and doing different activities, it wasn't without difficulty. I missed trains, arrived late at night in foreign cities and lost confirmation numbers.
I could go on and on with all the lessons I've learned, but I'll be home tomorrow to tell them to you myself! Every minute of these last five months has been incredible. I was very skeptical of the hospitality of the Irish (after all, I come from the land of Minnesota-nice), but they are truly the friendliest people in Europe. Ireland's scenery and lifestyle make anyone feel welcome, relaxed, and like they are having a good time. In addition, I have five awesome flatmates without whom would've made this trip a complete bore. That's it for me--I'M COMING HOME!
Friday, May 15, 2009
How to Make College Students Look Like Cattle
Warning: The following is a rant about my first day back to campus after an extended vacation across continental Europe. This scene was witnessed outside of the Boole Library and no actual cattle were harmed in the process.
Step 1: Make sure spring break is five months long, and extends from the day classes end to the first day of finals. This way students will feel especially anxious just before finals.
Step 2: Have the day before finals start be a public holiday--a bank holiday is especially helpful.
Step 3: Due to the bank holiday, make sure the campus library doesn't open until 10:00 am.
Step 4: DO NOT open the library doors, until precisely 10:00 am. I repeat, DO NOT open the library doors even if there are over 100 students waiting outside the doors.
Step 5: Make sure your library is equipped with the following: scanners that you must scan your id card across every time upon entering the library, only 3 scanners, and not enough seats for every student planning to study.
Step 6: Make sure that no other place on campus is open.
Step 1: Make sure spring break is five months long, and extends from the day classes end to the first day of finals. This way students will feel especially anxious just before finals.
Step 2: Have the day before finals start be a public holiday--a bank holiday is especially helpful.
Step 3: Due to the bank holiday, make sure the campus library doesn't open until 10:00 am.
Step 4: DO NOT open the library doors, until precisely 10:00 am. I repeat, DO NOT open the library doors even if there are over 100 students waiting outside the doors.
Step 5: Make sure your library is equipped with the following: scanners that you must scan your id card across every time upon entering the library, only 3 scanners, and not enough seats for every student planning to study.
Step 6: Make sure that no other place on campus is open.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Ode to Backpack...and Other People's Blogs
Study Day Number... well, I don't know how many days I've been studying, but it sure feels like a lot. Therefore I am taking a break to once again update you on something I think is very important: my backpack.
Backpack, you have served me well, not only carrying my books to and from class each day, but also being stuffed to the brim with large amounts of clothing, and carrying my groceries. I have not needed to buy but one reusable grocery bag at Dunnes or Tesco because you have served me in carrying my groceries. When I stuffed you full of clothing on my European excursions, you did not rip or tear like others' bags. I have carried you at St. Ben's, along the 20 minute walk to the UCC Campus, and across continental Europe. Thank you, backpack.
Now that that bit of ridiculousness is over with, I can bring up a second point. My friends are fantastic bloggers. I haven't been able to stay up on a lot of them more recently because I've been gone, but last night my study break consisted of catching up on most of them. My friend Kate in Guatemala wanted me to write her blog for her--ridiculous! She is a fabulous writer and I have loved hearing about all her adventures. My roommate for next year, Steph, also just wrote a beautiful reflection piece on her time in Guatemala as well. And another roommate for next year, Alyssa, her blog made me laugh out loud! I only hope that my blog has been half as entertaining as theirs.
Thank you for the distraction! Now back to work!
Backpack, you have served me well, not only carrying my books to and from class each day, but also being stuffed to the brim with large amounts of clothing, and carrying my groceries. I have not needed to buy but one reusable grocery bag at Dunnes or Tesco because you have served me in carrying my groceries. When I stuffed you full of clothing on my European excursions, you did not rip or tear like others' bags. I have carried you at St. Ben's, along the 20 minute walk to the UCC Campus, and across continental Europe. Thank you, backpack.
Now that that bit of ridiculousness is over with, I can bring up a second point. My friends are fantastic bloggers. I haven't been able to stay up on a lot of them more recently because I've been gone, but last night my study break consisted of catching up on most of them. My friend Kate in Guatemala wanted me to write her blog for her--ridiculous! She is a fabulous writer and I have loved hearing about all her adventures. My roommate for next year, Steph, also just wrote a beautiful reflection piece on her time in Guatemala as well. And another roommate for next year, Alyssa, her blog made me laugh out loud! I only hope that my blog has been half as entertaining as theirs.
Thank you for the distraction! Now back to work!
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