Last Post in Gainesville For a While

Finals week is here!! This semester is finally drawing to a close. This is the last Monday that I will spend in Gainesville until August...I can hardly believe it. This first year of college really flew by and I figured it would be nice to reflect on this past year and some things I have learned.

1. College kids will do anything for free stuff. 
I had always heard that college kids were cheap, but I never really grasped how cheap they were until I came to UF. Students will wait in lines for hours, but instead of getting on the roller-coaster "Shiekra" they get two pieces of pizza and a Pepsi. Absolutely insane.


2. College exams suck.
I've never been the best of test takers, and college is almost all exams. I was really nervous coming to college primarily for that reason. However, I'm smart enough to know that I need to study for exams and that college classes are way harder than high school classes. I spent countless hours this semester studying, but it's paid off thus far! Even though I've done relatively well....exams still suck.

3. Family is amazing.
Moving away from home was way harder than I thought. I've had a lot of alone time this year, probably more than I would have liked, and it wasn't always easy. Looking back, I definitely could have made a larger effort to get involved and will do so next Fall. I have such an amazing family (my parents in particular) and they have been my support system through what has been a wonderful, but also very emotional and trying year. Daddy and Momma, thank you SO much for answering all my late night phone calls and being there for me when I needed you. Love you.

4. Even luxury dorm life isn't perfect.
Before I make any comments about Windsor Hall, it really has been a great place to live this first year of college. Any problems that I had can easily be accredited to "enhancing the college experience"...but that being said, being woken up by a vacuum lady every day at 9:30 is less than awesome. The floors between the first and second floor are not as thick as I thought, and Morgan and I can testify to shaking ceiling fans and walls from our upstairs friends. Hallways echo, particularly at 2:30 am when loud girls return from their night out on the town. And finally, when you have no control over the A/C unit, get used to wearing sweatpants and a hoodie all day in your room. :)


5. Bike aggressively.

I bike to class nearly every day, as it saves me a lot of time. When I arrived at UF, I wasn't the best biker nor was I the most aggressive biker. 9 or 10 months later...that has definitely changed. In order to be a successful biker at UF one must learn to weave in and out of crowds, squeeze by pedestrians with inches to spare, and move with a quickness.

6. Appreciate home cooked meals, and being home for that matter.
I love my momma's cooking a million times more than frozen dinners or Compleat's Chicken and Dumplings. Unfortunately, my diet consists mostly of the latter. College taught me to to really appreciate each and every time I went home and enjoyed a real meal. Stuff yourself when you're home, because the amazing food is limited. Also, appreciate all the little things that your parents do for you when you go home. Laundry is probably the most obvious. I have to remind myself that even though they're my parents, it's still important to thank them.


As I get ready to head to Rome on May 24th, I am getting more excited every day. I am excited to leave Gainesville and be home for almost a month. This upcoming summer is such a blessing and I am looking forward to it. Gainesville will be here when I get back (for the next three years), and I'm (almost) sure that I will be glad to return come August 22nd. Until then.....Ciao Gainesville!

Titanic 100th Anniversary

100 years ago, yesterday at 2:30 a.m, the Titanic sank. 2229 boarded, and only 713 survived. It's a story that has touched millions across the globe, myself included. James Cameron, director of the top two grossing movies of all time (Titanic and Avatar) recently re-released Titanic for a limited time. April 14, a group of friends and I went to see it. As we left the theater following the rather long, but amazing movie, 100 years prior, the iceberg hit the Titanic. It was a very surreal and sobering moment as we all looked at our clocks (phones) and began to picture the pandemonium ensue on board. Families torn apart, over a thousand lives lost. I applaud James Cameron for making a three and a half hour film feel like merely a minute and keep the audience in rapt the entire time.

The tragedy of the Titanic is particularly sad because it could have been prevented...in my opinion. A combination of the ambitious and rather haughty "owner" and the captain's navigation errors caused the demise of many. With a desire for fame and money, the crew and its leaders overlooked the safety of its passengers on board. Though the crew catches most of the blame, there were no doubt heroic acts from them: including the famous String Quartet that played until the ship sank. The class separation and different values of human life broke my heart as I watched it unfold on the big screen (in 3D). And though I searched and searched online for a 100th anniversary remembrance video, I could not find one that I liked..

SO. I figured I'd just post the trailer for the movie, and for a minute or two, we can all fall back in love with Leonardo Dicaprio..oops, I meant the Titanic.

P.S. You may have noticed that there are no more ads on my blog. That's because Google cancelled them for invalid click activity...I guess I wasn't supposed to ask for your help. Oh well, thanks anyways everyone!

GO GO GO!

It's going to be one of those weeks. And by "those weeks" I mean: no sleep, crazy hectic school work, studying for exams, and more school work...and less sleep. I've being going since early this morning and just now getting a chance to sit down for a few minutes and write a short post. I'm fueling up on Oreo's and milk to get me through the next couple hours. :)

I have my study abroad meeting tomorrow at 3:00. This is the "Pre-Departure" meeting where I will finally meet everyone else going to Rome with me this summer and also receive the final (extensive) checklist before I leave on May 24th. I also register for classes tomorrow for the Fall semester! Always stressful, but also exciting. I am currently thinking of changing my major to Sport Management (I'm currently a Management major). After looking at the classes for Sport Management, I decided that they sounded very interesting and like something I will enjoy.

Also this week I have to accomplish:

• Writing a persuasive essay due tomorrow
• Writing an essay for my PR class due Friday
• Exam Wednesday morning (have to start studying)
• Finish 20-25 page group project and 20 minute group oral presentation
• Work on Thursday from 4-10 pm
• Crossfit whenever I can squeeze it it in 

AHHH. Pretty crazy right? Well I hope your weeks aren't as crazy as mine, but if they are, hope they're great! I'm going to get back to all my work now.... :( Procrastination time is over. 

Why Study Abroad?

For everyone that is helping fund my trip this summer to Italy, I wanted to put together a list of reasons why I want to study abroad and some things I hope to accomplish while in Italy.

1. The city. 
As mentioned in my previous post, I find the city of Rome fascinating. The history, art, and architecture enthrall me. I have never been to Europe, and I am so excited that Rome will be the first city I get to visit. I hope to learn more about the architecture and history behind pieces of art, such as the Colosseum.

2. Self discovery.
Yes, I would like to "find myself" as the cliche goes. Though I believe that this is an extremely cliche reason to travel abroad, I also believe that self discovery is completely necessary and rather important. As I continue to trek through my college years, the question most asked to me is "What is your major and what are you going to do with it?". My answer is, "Business management and I have no idea." I am hoping that while in Rome, I will have two and a half months to think about all the things I enjoy in life and maybe discover a new passion or two. I hope to return to the states in the Fall excited about finishing my degree at UF and with a clear mind. I don't think that I need to know what I want to do with the rest of my life at age 18, that's crazy. I do think, however, that I should be trying new things, discovering things I enjoy, and focusing on the future.

3. Academic opportunities.
Studies show that students who Study Abroad at least once during their college careers are 1 million times more likely to find a job upon graduating. Okay, maybe not 1 million, but it is shown that international academic experience is extremely beneficial for a future career and a current resume. The small class sizes (10-15 students) will allow me to make relationships with professors and other students...aka networking (which is shown to be the leading factor in finding a job). I have yet to leave, obviously, but for some reason I already know that learning in a different culture and country will put things in a much more focused perspective upon my return.

4. Pasta, gelato, and pizza.
It's no secret that I'm a very picky eater. When in Costa Rica, all I wanted was some good ole' fashioned Zaxby's chicken fingers. For a fleeting second, I was nervous about eating while in Italy...but then I remembered I will be eating pasta, gelato, and pizza. I can do that. No sweat. I'll probably come home an Italian cuisine connoisseur. 

5. Developing new relationships.
I have a strong feeling that this group of students traveling to Rome will become some of my closest friends at UF, and I am really excited about that. I am seeking a community of people with common interests, and by nature of us all studying abroad I know that these fellow classmates are academically driven, culturally aware, and adventurous.


Though those are not all of the reasons I am studying abroad this summer, they are a few significant ones. Most of the other reasons I am excited to go to Rome fall under the "self discovery" category. Whatever the reasons be, I am so excited to go to Rome this summer and I thank you all for your support and helping make this dream come true!

Happy Monday, hope it's a great one :)