Wake Up Call

As a high schooler taking his/her first steps to college, there is a realization of being the bottom of the food chain. The knowledge that has been stuffed into that noggin the past four years is nothing compared to the information of what is about to come. (Well, except maybe the first two years.) Even so, a freshman prepares him/herself  for the realization that there are people that know more than you in life and in academia. It's not a shock, it is expected. And one day, they will once again make their way to Senior life - the island of loopholes and advice givers.

For one stepping away from the typical Bachelor's celebration and pursuing an even higher degree of Master's - the transition is not as easy. The knowledge that you now carry with you is different than those around you, giving you brains in one area - and it may not be the area you need. Not only do you feel that you feel a little cha-headed about academia, but your battles in life to be there. You deserve this. Look what adding one more degree will do for you!

Walking to class, you find yourself rolling eyes at the younger students complaining about reading 10 whole pages for their history class or actually having to participate in a group project. There is an extra pep in your step - your nose tilted just slightly higher than it use to be. People look up to you now; they want to be where you are.

Welcome to Day one - the expectations. Nothing you can't handle, right? Two years is a cinch.

But when week two rolls in, so does reality. These class discussions involve more than you have ever expected. It probably doesn't help that you are the youngest among your peers and you haven't really build schema in life quite yet. Not by hiding away in school, anyway. Slowly but surely, you realize once more that you are, in fact and most definitely, at the bottom of a tall pyramid.

In worms that bit of advice that you had hidden away in a junk drawer during your time on Senior Island. It wouldn't be a terrible idea to keep your mouth shut until you have something profound to say. That statement is more true than I care to admit. You can learn a lot more by listening to those around you than by working on your next statement.

Until next time,

Kaity

The Process of Adapting

adapt

 verb \ə-ˈdapt, a-\

: to change your behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation

After a change occurs in life, there is a second, almost more challenging stage that follows. Adapting. 

As many of you may already know, I am a great creature of habit. I like my schedules, I like my alarms, I like knowing which stores have the best deals, you get the main idea. I love my life to fit into these perfect, safe little boxes organized on shelves.

But moving disrupts that organization and living in a new city where the typical brands are not around forces one to...re-categorize.

Or throw out the old system all together.

What I have come to learn and enjoy about Boston is that it is a city that goes with the flow. Things constantly show at the last minute and it's all in the way you handle them. You adjust - learn the ways of the locals and follow in their footsteps. I am being forced out of my mechanical movements into a more flexible world. It's exciting and greatly terrifying.

But I will adapt. To adapt is to survive. 

(This is not to say that I will lose those parts of me that make me. I must learn the proper way to connect them with the newer world that surrounds me).

So, for a bit of fun, I have a quick list of things that I have picked up during my first week in Boston.

1. If someone asks you if you live in Boston proper - they mean do you live in the actual city of Boston. More specifically, downtown.
2. Prefer not to spend a fortune on food? Trader Joe's. (Bonus: A lot of their stuff is natural!)
3. Paper or Plastic is a real question that happens in most stores. But no matter what you get, it is expected that you recycle.
4. "Subway" means the fast food restaurant. If you're trying to go somewhere, you ride on the T.
5. No one talks on the T. It's odd and makes people uncomfortable. However, staring at strangers awkwardly is cool.
6. Walking is what you do. (Bring on Aleve!)
7. Backyards are not a thing (except maybe if you're waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of Boston Proper). Cookouts happen on the steps and people just walk around you.
8. Dallas drivers ain't got nothin' on Boston ones.
9. A/Cs are not a thing unless you're in a public building. It's never hot enough for one. Feeling overheated? Open a window. Too muggy? Buy a room fan.
10. Dress like you're going to a fashion shoot. If you're going to work - dress it up. Want a more casual day? Add some jewelry and fix your hair. Make sure if someone was to take your picture and post it on a billboard, you would be proud.

That, dear readers, concludes the observations of my first week in Boston.  Knowledge is power, my friends.

Until next time,

Kaity

Welcome to Wonderland

Okay. Okay. Don't panic. Don't scare the new roommates. Breathe.

Dearest readers, I completely panicked. I was very proud of myself until yesterday. I held it all in, every emotion that wasn't excitement or happiness, right up until Mom was getting ready to leave.

It was hard.

Reality set in - and I realized that for the first time in my life, I was completely on my own. For the first time in a long while, I didn't know anyone. I was having to start fresh and meet other human beings that were not yet acquainted with my weird quirks.

So naturally, I freaked.

I know that being scared and frightened is human - it is something we do when change happens in our lives. I just hate that my body's way of showing it is crying. To be frank - I'm an ugly crier. So, after making sure Mom could safely get back to the airport, I ran back and hid in the small chapel that is in the residence, had myself a quick cry and prayer, and then pulled out my inner Edna Mode to face what was coming.

Currently I reside in the last Tiffany Mansion in the nation. It's known as Bayridge and is home to 50 women who are from different places throughout the globe. We have breakfast and dinner as a family and have "Study Break" clubs at night to help us become more than acquaintances. It's right down the street from school, the subway, and the Charles River (where everyone runs/walks/bikes/skateboards, etc). I am very lucky to find such a place in Boston.

As a Texan, there are things that I am learning to adjust to. Some, such as the subway or running on a path, are quite easy to pick up. Others, such as not having a car, seeing the state of Massachusetts on everything, and having no A/C, are a bit more difficult. But I will survive! I have to, don't I?

I want to thank everyone for the good wishes and the prayers of my travels to this new land. Please continue to do both as I now truly begin my journey.

Today is my first day of school - my first day to start off this new life right and in the best manner possible. It's time to hit the ground running and prove to myself that this was the right decision - and one of the best decisions - I've ever made.

Welcome to Wonderland, y'all.

Until next time,

Kaity

I Am The Messenger

Rating: 

For the first time this summer, I feel that I can actually say that I completely enjoyed this book.Ed Kennedy is an ordinary 19 year old cab driver who plays cards when he's not working, owns a dog called The Doorman, and has an impossible crush on his friend.

Life goes on as it always has until one day, he finds himself stuck in the middle of a bank robbery. In spite of his gut, he makes a heroic move and the small town he's in starts to notice.

Then things get weird. A card arrives in the mail, and on that card are three addresses. Three addresses he never noticed within his small town - and all of them need his help.

There's also a nice little twist at the end that adds some flair.This is a wonderful story about how much you can do by just being ordinary. It is an encouragement to open our eyes to others that surround us and, if we can, help - even if it's just as simple as buying two scoops of ice cream.

I would encourage anyone who needs a kick in the but, who feels they can't, or wants to know ways they can change the world to read this book.

I Don't Believe in Good-Byes

Today is a challenging day for me.

It is the last I will be working in the Union.

I started the Block Party of my Freshman year, before the school year even began. I was terrified and knew no one; and was promptly thrown into a gigantic grey shirt with the logo printed on it following my boss around and basically doing whatever was asked of me. I did not talk, I barely made eye contact, and I was overwhelmed with the information poured into my brain.

During that first week we had training and it was very apparent that I was the only new member to the team. Throughout the next semester, three more freshman would come on board - three wonderful women that helped me have a successful life here at TWU. We bonded relatively quickly, mainly through horror stories of our mistakes at work and horror movies (still very unclear of how the latter happened), and remained very close as our peers slowly graduated and left.

We became the veterans - those old enough to pass on the knowledge of our mistakes to the newbies every semester but also comfortable enough to joke with our bosses. Truly and honestly, we were the product of two wonderful offices that taught us all about scheduling, setups, bus schedules, and life.

I wouldn't be who I am without the people that have came and left this office. I surely wouldn't be able to take the next step in my journey without the encouragement and lessons from my superiors.

This is my family. This is my home.

I don't believe in good-byes - they are too final. Good-byes declare endings, and my time with these people isn't over.

This is just a see ya later. A very long, extended see ya later.

I love all of y'all - from the depths of my heart. Thank you for allowing me to make mistakes; thank you for teaching me how to love; thank you for helping me become a better human being.

See y'all soon,

Kaity

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Rating: 

It has been brought to my attention that I might be the only one in the world that had a negative view of Guardians of the Galaxy - I fully believe that it was a difference of opinion.

However, I fully swing with the majority vote on the newest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

I have quite a big problem of finding my way to the theater, especially when it is discount day for college students. My friend and I were a little skeptical going into the movie, but we were wonderfully surprised.

The CGI was impressive, the actions scenes were a decent amount of time and didn't take away from the plot, the TMNT were very much themselves and acted their age (which I was actually worried about), and Megan Fox proved that she can, in fact, act. Even if her character was pointless through basically all but one scene of the movie. 

We were given some nice background of everyone at appropriate times and Mikey allowed quite a bit of comedic relief. I enjoyed the fairly predictable hero and villain plot only because I believe it added a bit of the original kid magic into the movie.

I enjoyed my time. I didn't look at my watch wondering when it would be over and I wasn't surprised for the bit of set up for a second movie at the end. 

The movie is pretty family friendly, and one I might find myself watching again.

City of Heavenly Fire

Rating: 

Throughout this summer, I have been inhaling The Mortal Instrument Series, starting from about April until this last week.

I thought the book was decent, although, as usual, I have a few problems with it – actually a  few problems with the series.

First big problem? (Spoiler) Incest is not something I support, and having the love interests kiss and then find out that they are related until book three where they continue to constantly kiss is a HUGE no no for me. In fact, after reading the first book last year, I set it down and refused to continue with the series. The only reason that I picked up the next book was when (and I will most likely never say this again) I watched the movie. The adaptation was fairly close, but they also had Hodge suggest to Valentine that he should convince the two they were related.

So I continue to read in hopes that this horribly done twist would be resolved. It was.

Until her actual brother showed up and it was back again.

To be fair, he really wasn't fully human and really had never been loved before. Well – still not a good enough excuse.

CoHF follows our favorite characters Clary, Jase, Alec, Isabelle, and Simon as they rush of boldly (relative term) to defeat the last Morgenstern, Sebastian – Jonathan. They find themselves trapped between lies and demon worlds with impossible choices that Cassandra Clare tries to completely fix in the end.

As an up and coming writer myself, one of my biggest pet peeves is when try to give every character a happy ending – especially when the majority of the book is about battles and war. It is okay to let characters die or move on. Heartbreak is a part of life, and I don’t think that should be worked over in fiction.

But, overall, this really isn't the worst series ending that I have ever read.  

Congrats on the main series finally being finished, Clare.