2kwl4vwls

Hello kids!

 I was able to help out this week with IWCC’s first new student orientation of the year.  I may have wobbled like a duck during the entire thing (thanks to falling earlier this week), but it was a blast!

I was fortunate enough to meet a dozen new students that seemed absolutely outstanding!  Our presentation room was laughing so hard during our jokes we were not even looking forward to leaving. 

 On another joyous note, summer school was over with on the 23rd.  I took microeconomics this summer and finished with an “A”.  I took that course with my fiance, who also got an “A” for the class. 

This summer is going so fast.  I am not looking forward to it ending. 

Hello!

Since last week’s epiphany regarding being so busy to enjoy this summer, I vowed to spend that last month before actual classes start enjoying life.  

In econ on Tuesday, we watched a clip from Rent that sang a song about, “525,600 minutes, how do you measure, measure a year?!”.  Good question.   

How about in moments??  Crazy I know.  I really started to think how I would measure out the entire year I have spent here at Iowa Western.  Maybe I could measure it by: 

Classes I finished: 11

Classes I got A’s: 11J

obs I’ve Had: 3 (Vanity, Bloggin, Tour Guide)

Times in the hospital: 2 (YAY!)

Times I’ve changed my major: 3 (Teaching, marketing, economics transfer)

New pets: 4 fish (1 still alive)

Times I locked my keys in the car: 1

Times I have blogged: 38 ish

Tours I have given: over 170

Times I’ve dyed my hair: 3 (red, red, red) 

Miles I have ran (cumulative): 78

Moments I said something I shouldn’t have: haha… oxymoron eh?  

Times I have cut my blogs short so I can head to the dirt track races: 1

Remember to spend some time enjoying those 525,600 opportunities to create a moment to remember.

Gone Fishin’

Sometimes in life, one can get so wrapped up in everything important going on that they simply forget what it is like to take a deep breath, slow down, and enjoy living in the world they are working so hard in. 

I do.  Practically every week this summer has been filled with things that although important to me, are not really the building blocks for true inner happiness.  My schedule seems so packed that taking a day off here and there is only necessary to continue on the next week.  At work, one lady seemed to be having the exact same epiphany.  Sure, working hard at a job you (secretly) love is important.  But I realized last night, I have been leaving things I use to enjoy doing around the house to my amazing fiancé (such as taking the puppy for a walk) because I have been so busy. 

Then after work, dance practice (if I do well I may be willing to try out for Iowa Western’s spirit squad, (further filling my schedule)), lunch, grocery shopping, gym, I ran up my 3 flights of stairs and threw the apartment door open.  “Trav! We’re going fishing!” 

He looked up from his books, as if the four horsemen of the apocalypse were beating down the door.  “I need to relax!” 

We loaded up the car with fish poles and tackle.  We literally had to find the fishing licenses we bought at the beginning of summer with full intentions of “fishing every weekend!”  Stuffed at the back of the sock drawer underneath anklets, we shoved them in our pockets and headed off.  

Destination: Lake Arrowhead at Neola.  We spent the next 3 hours reeling in fish after fish after fish.  We went through 3 dozen worms, and after tallying how many we caught & kept, the total reached….41 fish!  I had been so busy all summer I forgot how exciting it was to reel in a lil bluegill and wait for Trav to peel it off the hook and put another worm on.  Sounds a bit too simplistic?  It is! 

Fishing may just be the ultimate cure for a too hectic summer.  

As an admissions ambassador, sometimes things can get a little monotonous.  That is why when a red headed child joined our team I knew we were in for a bit of a routine shakeup. 

 Everybody- meet Paper Cut.  She has a real name- but I don’t know how to spell it.  The problem arose when, one day after a particularly stressful tour, she went to alphabetize files and (get this) gave herself a nasty papercut! 

Then, since she was bandaged the alphabetizing was turned over to me.  “But,” I began in protest, “I alphabetize about as well as a dumb monkey!”  The term was then turned legendary. 

Today, while in the middle of class, I got a text message from Paper Cut saying that there was a gift for me.  Gift?! Last Christmas was the last time I got a gift! 

I show up to work the front desk- lo and behold there was a necklace and earrings waiting for me… the necklace had a monkey symbol and one earring is of a monkey another is a banana. 

Joy for friends! 

SO if you need anything the next few days, chances are I will be rocking out my new accessories. 

P.S.  Come to Iowa Western where you too can make new friends!