My Own Personal Flurry of Life

Oh, boy. I feel like I'm stretching out my fingers over this keyboard for a first in a long time. The reality is I got very behind in my personal goals recently. Honestly, the holidays always stress me out, and then you throw finals week and trying to move home and problems with school all within a couple weeks and I come very close to absolutely and totally loosing my mind.

Don't get me wrong, I love family time and I love the food that comes within December, but I don't like the feeling of not being able to slow down. I realize that this is a part of adulthood and that, really, once fully on my own it is a privilege to sleep in or just sit and read a book. But during breaks, I hope to take part in these calming activities.

I haven't made a video in weeks. This newest one covers the span of four (and there are no promises that everything is in the correct order) and explains why the vlogs might go on hold for a bit. TRUTH TIME: I only started these vlogs so I could practice for the Thanksgiving Surprise. I think part of my problem right now is my vlogs seem a bit pointless and redundant. I need to find a new goal to strive for so that I feel proud about my content.

Since I haven't posted in a while, I'm sure many of you have some questions about how the semester wrapped up. So...

• All A's
• The research project didn't kill me...but it came close.
• I will be going to Indiana for student teaching.
• I will be in a 4th grade classroom. 
• No, I don't know if I will be teaching all subjects or specific ones.
• I will be leaving on January 16.
• No, I have no idea where I'm teaching after I graduate.
• Yes, I plan on moving home to Texas.

Okay, I think that just about sums it up!

Also - prayers would be appreciated. There's a lot happening right now (that's really not appropriate for posting) that is causing stress during the holiday break and probably will continue through part of the Spring semester. And, yes, I know - Jeremiah 29:11. It still would be nice to know some of these plans right now.

Alright, my friends, I think that's just about it! Be safe while traveling and watch out for snow!

(For all my non-Texan friends: Yesterday, this happened:       )

Until next time,

Kaity

Turkey Surprise!

So, last week I didn't post a blog entry because I was very much on the brink of spilling all the beans about my wonderful surprise.

I don't think you fully understand - I have been lying to my family since May. These last two weeks or so were the hardest yet!

You see - I figured that I have got to try living a bit. I always watch these videos about other people finding ways to surprise their family and I thought, why can't I do that? Living in Boston means that I have missed out on a lot of happenings in Texas and so, after hearing about how Charles did a similar thing a few years ago, I made my own devious plan.

(Side note: Thank y'all who did, in fact, know my plan and kept your mouth shut about it. :D)

All those research gigs and extra shifts were for survival. Plane tickets, especially around the holidays, aren't cheap. Neither is living in Boston, but I had the motivation to make this dream a reality. Yeah, it is kind of silly - but it was worth the trip. I needed that family boost to help me make it through the next few weeks.

Of course, major thanks goes out to Charles, who was my partner in crime through it all. He's been working with me the whole time to figure out logistics, was my driver, and is just an overall wonderful boyfriend.

The next two and a half weeks are going to zoom by, I already know it. I can't believe my Boston chapter is almost complete! Of course I've got to get through finals week first.

Until next time,

Kaity

Turkey Surprise!

(It's doing the weird thing still where I can't post the physical video - follow the link!)

(Video is captioned, but know that the majority of it is music lyrics. 3:50)

Motivation is Half the Battle

So, this week I got a great reminder that nothing will get done if I refuse to do it. You would think that all people have figured this little tidbit of information out, but it turns out I hadn't just yet. For some strange reason, I had this odd belief in my head that eventually all the work I would have to do would just...go away. Turns out it just piles up.

Then, thanks to a motivational speech from my boyfriend, I restarted myself on Friday and I am happy to report that so far everything is going well. I think that this is the most productive weekend / Monday that I have had in a while. Unfortunatly, to keep that going, I'm going to have to constantly push myself.

Four more weeks. Four more weeks. I have a whole lot to get done and four more weeks.

Luckily for me - I'm stuck in Boston over Thanksgiving so that's ample amount of time to get projects done.

Basically what it's come down to is this. Writing a to-do list is not enough for me. I also have to write out how I'm going to use all my waking hours to my advantage. And then also set alarms in my phone so that I don't get distracted by things. 

Eventually (I pray and hope) I will be able to back down and be able to accomplish tasks without having to micromanage myself. But until then, I am going to do what works.

Have a wonderful week!

Until next time,

Kaity

PS : Follow this link to the video. Blogger is being dumb. 

Just A Few Weeks To Go!

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you just want to give yourself a pat on the back and a large bag of chocolate for getting through it? That was this week in a nutshell.

Here's the thing, I like to stay busy. As we saw earlier this semester, I do not do well with free time on my hands. (Idle hands and all that...) So when things started to pick up, I was excited. But, dear friends, there is a balance...and I have not found it just yet.

I have gotten myself into a situation where I am trying to put my all into everything I do, but we (as humans) cannot physically do that. We must pick and choose what to put our limited energies into. Unfortunately, I am a perfectionist and refuse for that to be the case, which is basically why I'm as stressed as I am.

This evening, I took a break by Skyping with Mom about schooling. (Both of us a bit stressed about getting to the end of the semester.) We came to the realization that the end is near. I have four weeks left (without including Thanksgiving) before I'm done.  I have five weeks left in Boston, Massachusetts. Seven weeks left in 2015.

That feels extremely long and short all at the same time. Has it really been over a year? I feel like I've just arrived and at the same time feel like I've been up here my whole life. It's crazy.

Good news! This Sunday I'm feeling a bit more put together. I have the blog post up, my video done. I'm going to be able to fit a run in and knock out things on my homework list. I just need to keep up this momentum of productivity.

Sometimes you need a harsh week to remind you how to balance.

Until next time,

Kaity

(Captioned : 7:50)

Waiting for My Second Wind

Lately, rereading my blog posts have been a bummer - and I apologize about that. I've been letting the little things build up and get to me. Here's the reality of everything - through the metaphor of running.

When you start off a race, you stand at the starting line, adrenaline pumping, eyes wide and heart full of excitement. You feel like you can take on anything - and you can! At least...for the first few miles. And then your side hurts. It's cool, it's cool. Just push through it; no pain no gain.

But then it's another part of your body. And then you can't breathe. And then you can feel how tired you're becoming and you just want to walk because, dang it, it'll get you to the end....just a whole lot slower than planned.

But, being who I am, I'm stubborn and I'm trying to push through. I know that just beyond this next bend (Christmas Break), there's a finish line waiting for me. However, right now it seems that I haven't gotten my second wind yet to get me around that bend. I'm stuck in pain, trying to convince myself that the end really is worth what I'm going through right now.

It might not be a metal to hang around my neck (actually - it's a very expensive piece of paper), but that's not what running the race is about. Yeah, crossing that finish line will be great - but the important part is each step that got me there, pain induced or not. Because without those steps, I would've have never moved from the start line.

Sorry that this post is so late - the week, of course, has been crazy. Last year of grad school is not the same as the last year of undergrad, apparently.

Also, if you're wondering - finally got around to sitting down and analyzing everything from my survey. Data does support my hypothesis!! YAY! Hopefully, near the end of the semester, I can show y'all exactly what I have been working on.

Until next time,

Kaity


P.S. I can't promise a video from last week right now. Honestly, right now I can't promise consistent videos at all - and that sucks. (I'm pretty sure more for me than you. I have fun making them.) But, sometimes, when life gets tough, you have to prioritize, and (because YouTube isn't paying me to make videos) weekly vlogs are at the bottom of the list. Hopefully I can get this one up at some point.

Inconsistent Consistency

Boy, howdy, I've been anything but consistent lately, haven't I?

This week has been a world wind of crazy. I felt that no matter how hard I tried to get ahead, I was always two steps behind the play Part of that was the fact that I was plum lazy and the other part of that was because my body was so confused from switching my work schedule from morning to night and all over the place that I just found my self exhausted when I wasn't sleeping.

However, that is in the past. It is time to move forward and start a new week. The wonderful things about weeks is that every seven days you have a chance for a better week. And every 24 hours you have a chance of making sure that your week goes right.

I am quickly realizing that 24 hours is not near enough time for me to do what I need exactly. In fact, it's at least six hours short of what I need. (Yes, I do mean to use those six extra hours for sleeping). I'm sure there was a point in my past where I realized this also - but it just seems to be a constant theme throughout the first semester of year two.

Wow, there were a whole lot of numbers in that last paragraph.

If you are thinking, wow, this blog post seems kind of rushed this week, you would be right. It is. I'm trying to stay on top of my game and knock out everything I write on my daily to-do lists. (Oh yeah, I got organizing down to an art - I'm just not always great with the actual doing of the things.) Monday's list is quite long because, well, I did not properly manage my time this weekend...or last week.

Oh, well. This week clearly will be better than the last. I mean, heck, it ends with Halloween!

Until next time,

Kaity

Out of the Fog

I'm back!

How much did you miss these posts? Bet you enjoyed them more than the amount of times I've been spamming the interwebs requesting people take my research survey. Speaking of - thank all of you for taking the time to complete it! I got double the amount of people I was hoping for! (Y'all can still take it, if you like. It's open through tomorrow night.)

There. That's it, the last you'll hear of me asking about the survey, I promise.

I've been a bit off my game the last two weeks. I don't fully know how to describe it - but it was kind of like walking through a thick fog. It took me a little while to refind my purpose (which was buried under some rocks in the corner of my mind) and really realize why I'm doing the things I'm doing.

This semester so far has just been really...odd. Being a part time student, one would think that I would all of a sudden have time on my hands, be able to become more involved in things. Turns out that's not how grad school works at all. Apparently, less classes means we should be able to handle more work - because clearly we don't all have jobs to pay for school or anything. Anywho - I complain but really I just need to find a balance.

In happier news, I finally went apple picking! I had a ton of fun with the Bayridge crew as we explored an uphill orchard (you read that right) and picked lots different types. I can't tell you what I actually got because to me, all of them are red. This video should be up soon - so keep an eye out!

Wow, this post is a whole lot of gobbledygook. Forgive me, I'm out of practice.

Until next time,

Kaity

(Getting Back To It)

 (6:45 and captioned) 

(Apple Picking)

(6:00)