Rudeness

During my week on the east coast I encountered some plain old rude people. I was trying to find my bus in philly so I asked the lady who worked at the station where I could find my bus. Her reply "outside with the other busses." Wow, how am I supposed to know that, I don't live here. Then I walk outside and don't see my bus, so I asked another guy if this was the right bus or where mine would be. He said "let's see" and turned around to face the bus "M-E-G-A megabus, nope don't think this is it." I told him he didn't have to be so rude I could read as I walked away.

I wonder what people get out of being mean and rude and acting superior to others. I get so much joy out of being nice and kind to others. I don't know why some people are just plain old mean. Life is too short to be a grouch. So I always say but on a smile and live everyday. 

"Spite and ill-nature are among the most expensive luxuries in life." ~Samuel Johnson

"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." ~ Eric Hoffer

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these." ~ George Washington Carver

Awesome Things

This blog post is inspired by 1000awesomethings.com. This will be a work in progress.

Awesome things:

1) the smell of freshly cut grass
2) free internet on a 6 hour bus ride
3) meeting up with old friends
4) laughing until you cry
5) finding money
6)

Work

Well I successfully finished my first week ever working a full time job. I work at a restaurant. I also tutor every morning. So I really have a job and a half haha. I'm not going to lie it was exhausting and I already thought about quitting my restaurant job at least 3 times. 

Its just so exhausting. As I keep saying work is just too much work. You are on your feet for 5-10 hours at a time. You have to take orders from your customers, coworkers, and managers. And you have to be nice to everyone, which I usually am but sometimes you just want to yell "are you serious?" But instead you put on a smile and say sure I can do that. Well I guess that's life. 

My new mantra has become "kill with kindness." The meaner someone is to me the nicer I act back. Well I am nice to everyone it just takes a lot more effort when they are mean to you. But its been working pretty well. Work can even be fun sometimes but it really depends on the people you work with and the type of customers you have.

I don't know how people work everyday all day. I just get bored with things too quick. I need a job that's different everyday where I don't have time to get bored. Anywho the beauty of work at this time in my life is that I don't really need to work. I have no rent, bills, or expenses (oh the joy of moving back home). All I'm responsible for is one student loan payment every month. So if I really wanted to I have the luxury of being able to quit at any time, and I love having that power haha. 

Well I got my paycheck yesterday and deposited all my tips and it felt good to actually have money in my bank account. So maybe I'll stick with the job a little longer...

The Secret

this is my visualization board!

I just watched the Secret on Netflix and loved it! This is what I learned from it:

The secret is the answer to all that has been, all that is, and all that will ever be. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are all working with the law of attraction. Everything in your life you have attracted.

Thoughts turn into things.

People are thinking about what they don't want - then it shows up over and over again. (like my parking tickets last year lol)

When you're feeling down play a happy song or think of a happy thought.

Life can be absolutely phenomenal and it should be.

The universe says: your wish is my command. 

You don't need to know how to get what you want, you just need to know what you want.

Doubt--> disappointment --> replace with unwavering faith--> feel what it would feel like to have what you want.

You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step ~MLK Jr.

Ex. Visualize a car space (i do this all the time at the mall)

Current reality will change

1. Start with gratitude: This is what I'm grateful for:

my sister

family

friends

the batvan

a house

warm bed

good food

warm showers

great jobs

happy hours

2. Visualization:

Your mind cannot distinguish if your really doing it or visualizing it

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions ~ Albert Einstein

3. Give attention to the solution not the problem

So if you're anti-war be pro peace

If you're anti-hunger think of lots of food

Energy goes where attention flows

There is enough good for everyone

Life was meant to be abundant

Whether you can or can't either way you are right ~ Henry Ford


Everything is Possible. Nothing is Impossible.

All or Nothing.

I've come to the conclusion that I am a very all - or- nothing type of person. I'm either busy/tired and over worked or bored. No in between. However I do this to myself. I couldn't just do 1 or 2 activities at lehigh. I had to do orientation, leaderhigh, class officer, club tennis, rugby, amwa and whatever other things I did. I didn't work for 6 months= boredom. Then I just started 3 jobs in a week= over worked.  

I think I prefer the later though. I like being busy. I like being productive. I like learning. I like earning. I like doing. I like doing things well too.

"When you're doing the work that you were meant to do, it feels right & everyday is a bonus regardless of what you're getting paid." -Oprah

"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do." ~ Edward Halecould

"The difference between extraordinary and ordinary is that little extra" 


If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do. -Lucille Ball

The Rivalry!

147. Did you know that the college rivalry between Lehigh and Lafayette is the most-played football rivalry in the nation and the longest uninterrupted rivalry?! "The Rivalry" is so old that it predates football trophies; the winning team used to just get to keep the game ball. The game is usually sold out months in advance! And is ranked one of the top ten college football rivalries! Sports Illustrated says it's something you have to do once in your life."

Tailgating before game 146.

Lehigh Lafayette week was my favorite week at Lehigh. All of campus is united by school spirit! There are events everyday of the week. Including Bed Races (which I placed 2nd in one year), Lehigh-Laf-a- Palooza (which is basically a giant concert), a giant bonfire, the turkey trot run, and so many other fun activities!

that's right we've won the last 3 years

rushing the field after another win!

• ALL TIME RECORD:
• Lafayette - 76
• Lehigh - 65
• Ties - 5

bed races and band in organic chemistry!!!

I cannot believe we are losing! We'll just have to win the next 11 years in a row! YAYAY let's go lehigh! It's officially lehigh/ laf week! I hope all my lehigh friends are enjoying the week! Looking forward to the Lehigh/ Laf Austin Telecast Party this saturday!!!

" We are, we are, we are the Lehigh Engineers. And we can, we can, we can drink forty beers."

freshmen year lehigh/laf!


Want to hear more about the rivalry?! Watch this awesome documentary! GO LEHIGH!!!!!

"Take out that old silver goblet with Lehigh upon it, and we'll open up another keg of beer (more beer). Because we all came to college but we didn't come to college so we'll raise hell while we're here!"

11.11.11

So today is 11.11.11! It's Veteran's Day and also just an awesome day that only happens once in 100 years! Also harry potter 7.2 came out today!

So all in all it is a pretty awesome day! It would be awesome to be born on 11.11.11- no one would forget your birthday! My cousin was born on 05.05.05 and I never ever forget his birthday!

For the most part people in the United States see 11.11 as a lucky time and usually when you see 11.11 on a clock you make a wish. However in some other cultures it is actually seen as a suspicious/ bad luck time. Egypt closed the pyramids to visitors on 11.11.11! I on the other hand, am taking advantage of some epic wishes!

"Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end" –Adams

What did you wish for today?! I still have one wish left!


"Freedom is never free."

“Some people see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not."

Live your life with enthusiasm

I applied to 3 jobs and just found out that I got all 3! So now I'm going to be pretty busy. But I realized I like being busy. I'm probably going to be working around 60 hours a week which sounds like a lot. But then I think about it and last fall I took 20 credits, worked 3 jobs = about 20 hours a week, was president of a club and had Mono and survived (see post- the final year - semester 7). So this should be easy peasy! 

I felt super tired when my alarm went off this morning but I had to wake up and get ready to tutor. So I sang the first line of this song that I learned at Lehigh. It seems to drive others nuts but I LOVE it. 

I'm alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic,
I'm alive, awake, alert, enthusiaASTic,
I'm alive, awake, alert,
I'm alert, awake, alive,
I'm alive, awake, alert enthusiastic!

And I was ready to jump right out of bed with a smile on my face! What a difference it can make to start your day off with the right attitude! 

Since I'm going to be so busy starting next week I think I'm going to set up the christmas tree now! woohooo.

"I don't have diddly squat, Its not having what you want. its wanting what you have" 

"I'm going to soak up the sun, going to tell everyone to lighten up." ~ 

Soak up the Sun by Sheryl Crow

“Often the greatest happiness in life comes from going through a life challenge and growing into a stronger person. There’s truly nothing more fulfilling and thrilling than discovering yourself to be a stronger person than you ever dreamed yourself capable of being.”

Extracurriculars

When you're in high school you do them to get into college. However when I was in college I loved every activity I did. I just kept finding and applying for new clubs but I never wanted to quit the old ones so I ended up doing A LOT of activities.

I was an orientation leader.
My Orientation Leader was okay but I couldn't meet at the evolution time; so I got a new group and my OL was Josh who was awesome. I loved him and wanted to be like him so I applied to be an OL. I was ecstatic when I was selected. Being an orientation leader is a lot more than just getting a group of freshmen. We had 6 training sessions in the spring. then we come back 10 days before everyone else in the fall and have 4 days where we train from 8 am to 10 pm. then someone usually has an OL social gathering at night, then we wake up and do the same thing again. We get split up into these "families" each fun by an orientation coordinator. You are supposed to stay with this same group all through orientation. Its really fun and you all usually become really close and good friends. Many people do orientation because of the training aspect, I on the other hand just loved being able to lead and acclimate the freshmen to Lehigh. I love Lehigh so so much and was delighted to have the opportunity to share my zeal for Lehigh with new students. I'm still friends with a couple of my old freshmen :) Then I had the chance to plan and run transfer orientation in the winter, which was really fun! It was cool to think that by my senior year, every single student at Lehigh was either in my class or had an OL who I knew. So 2 degrees of separation between anyone on campus!

I was a Class Officer & worked for the Alumni Association.
This was one of my favorites! I loved being a class officer and getting to represent Lehigh class of 2011. I also loved our class officer advisers and my fellow class officers :)

I was in Leadership Lehigh.
Leaderhigh as we sometimes called it, is a 4 year leadership program through which I organized a healthy heart awareness week and made a documentary on youth violence.

I worked for the Women's Center.
 I enjoyed working in this inclusive environment with so many individuals who are driven to create change. One of my favorite things I did was the Vagina Monologues! The cast was made up of a fabulous group of ladies! And we raised $25,000!

I was on the Lehigh Club Tennis team.
I love tennis! See last blog post.

I was the AMWA president.
AMWA is an awesome club for women in the science field. It was usually a small group of amazing young ladies.

I was in APO.
Community service fraternity through which I did lots of volunteer work.

These are things I did for a semester:
I didn't do too much for ISA but once I helped emcee Diwali. I played Rugby for a semester. I worked in Linderman Library for a year. I was the VP of hall council in campus square. I worked at Fairmart library for a year. I worked at Taylor Gym for a semester. I babysat. I was on team '11 (like student council). I tutored through America Counts America Reads. I interned for One Student for a semester. And I joined a sorority - well for a little then realized that I really couldn't do it all.

I feel like all these activities at Lehigh changed me and helped me to grow as a person. It was one of the reasons why I was always so excited to get back to Lehigh after a long summer.
I think I made the most of my Lehigh Experience!

Bleeding Brown & White forever!   

"If you're not actively involved in getting what you want, you don't really want it." ~ Peter McWilliams

"When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better."

"You must get involved to have an impact. No one is impressed with the won-lost record of the referee." ~ Napolean Hill

Tennis

I have been playing tennis for the majority of my life. I was actually born 10 days early because my mom decided to play tennis when she was 9 months pregnant with me and fell and broke her water. In middle school I decided that I wanted to try out for my high school tennis team so I practiced a lot with my dad. I was devastated when I didn't make the tennis team at the beginning of the summer. But it is not like me to just give up on something. So I practiced and I practiced and I made the team at retryouts in the fall! I was ecstatic.

We had 10 girls on the Freshmen tennis team and I ended up being in the top half of the ladder most of the year. I played some singles and some doubles. My very first tournament I played doubles with Liz and we got first place! I was so happy. Tennis taught me to never give up. Never give up on a dream, a goal, a tournament, a match or even a point. I am grateful for the discipline that tennis has taught me.

I played on my high school tennis team for 3 years and then I played on the Lehigh club tennis team for 4 years (though my senior year I didn't play much because I had mono.) It was really fun playing on the club team because it was competitive tennis and we played against harvard, rutgers, princeton syracuse and other schools, but it was still pretty chill. I got the chance to play on the US open tennis courts which was awesome! I love tennis and still try to play when I can. My dad has a group of guys that all play on Sunday mornings so whenever they have an odd number of people I usually play with them. But it's very different playing with 7 - 50 year old men.

My favorite tennis players are Andy Roddick, Venus, Serena, Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal. I met Andy Roddick and have an autographed picture of him! And I met Nadal at the US open and got his autograph!

"Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome." ~ Arthur Ashe 

"Love is nothing in tennis, but in life it is everything." 

"Life is like a game of tennis; the player who serves well seldom loses."

Remember, remember the 5th of November

In honor of the 5th on November and to mitigate my boredom I decided to watch V for Vendetta yesterday. I have seen the movie before but I don't think I fully understood it, when I watched it 6 years ago. This time I loved it! These were some things that I got out of the movie:

~ An idea can change the world.
~ Fairness, justice and freedom are more than just words, they are perspectives.
~ People should not be scared of their government, government should be scared of their people.
~ Symbols are only given power by people.
~ Artists used lies to tell the truth, politicians use lies to cover the truth.
~ Our integrity sells for so little but it is all we really have.
~ I remember when different became dangerous
~ Beneath this mask there is more than flesh, there is an idea, and ideas are bullet proof.

Very profound for a movie. I was really impressed and V for Vendetta is definitely one of my favorite movies now!

Change the World

The Dash Poem

by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak

At the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth

And spoke of the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all

Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time

That she spent alive on earth 

And now only those who loved her 

Know what that little line in worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,

The cars, the house, the cash,

What matters is how we live and love

And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard;

Are there things you'd like to change?

For you never know how much time is left

That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

To consider what's true and real

And always try to understand

The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger

And show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives

Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect

And more often wear a smile,

Remembering that this special dash 

Might only last a little while.

So where your eulogy is being read

With your life's actions to rehash

Would you be proud of the things they say

About how you spend you dash?

The first time I heard this poem, I think it was in leadership lehigh, I just fell in love with it. It is so true. When you die you cannot take your house or car or even the shirt on your back for that matter. We don't know how long our dash is going to be, so we need to make the most of it, because when your eulogy is read you will only be remembered for the dash between the years.

I've heard a lot of people say that they want to change the world. (me included) Well that is definitely not an easy task! But how do we really change the world? It can be done in so many different ways, as a teacher, a doctor, a mentor, or a philanthropist, but first we need to change ourselves. 

I was listening to the radio yesterday and "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson was playing. "I see the kids in the street without enough to eat." "I'm starting with the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways. No message could have been any clearer. If you want to make the world a better place. Take a look at yourself and make that change." Michael Jackson could not have said it better. Before we can go out and change the world we need to first change ourselves.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Gandhi

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us." ~Nelson Mandela

To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better...To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I cant do." ~Edward Halecould

Sisters

Sisters share a special bond and I am so lucky to have  an amazing sister! She has always been there for me, through thick and thin. And we just have such a great time together! I can never be bored when she's around- too bad she decided to go all the way to Canada for college! I'm trying to convince her to transfer to Lehigh or UT. I told her if she went to Lehigh that I was coming back with her!!! Canada is just way too far!

For some reason nobody liked calling my sister by her real name so since she was young I used to make up nicknames for her. She'll go by almost anything! We've called her pooshoo, pouchy, and then I played the game of life and there was a square called "moo-shoo floo attack." Since then I've called her moo, moo-shoo, mooshy, moo-moo, moo-moo-bear. Then I read the old man and the sea and the man's name was santiago, I liked something about that name so I called her santiago for a while. Then I watched this lifetime movie where this girl was kidnapped when she was young. Then she found her real family and discovered she had a dad. So she runs up to him and goes I have a POPPPPY! So now my sister's name is poppy, pops, popsy, popsies, and it's stuck for a while now :)

Anyway I don't know what I would do without my poppy! And I'm glad I don't have to share my poppy. She only has classes on tues & thurs so we skype almost everyday of the week... sometimes we just have each other on skype while we are doing other things and don't even talk to each other! It's almost like she is here and we are hanging out!

Don't get me wrong we've had our fair share of fighting- and scars for that matter! But I think we're pretty much over the cat fights now :) And we can talk to each other about anything and everything! She's one awesome little sister!

P.S Dad's really mad at us because our phone bill was double what it usually is. #nomoretexting :( Canada's not even really a different country it shouldn't count as international texts. I think we should just go with the but we just love and miss each other so much route, when we get in trouble! So naturally the first thing I did when dad got mad at me was to text you, Poppy... haha oops.

"If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child."  ~Linda Sunshine

"A younger sister is someone to use as a guinea-pig in trying sledges and experimental go-carts. Someone to send on messages to Mum. But someone who needs you - who comes to you with bumped heads, grazed knees, tales of persecution. Someone who trusts you to defend her. Someone who thinks you know the answers to almost everything."

~ Pam Brown

"Most are like my sister and me... linked by volatile love, best friends who make other best friends ever so slightly less best."  ~Patricia Volk

"A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life."  ~Isadora James

"She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child."
~ Barbara Alpert


"My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get," ~ My Wish by Rascal Flatts

Holiday Wish List

Now that Halloween is over and it's officially November that means the holiday season is just around the corner! Christmas already?! It just feels so early. As soon as Nov 1st hits stores and businesses whip out all their holiday stuff. Stores are going to start putting out Christmas displays and people are going to start looking for the perfect gifts for friends and family. And Starbucks switched to the red holiday cups, my favorite! I do not celebrate Christmas for religious reasons... just for fun. I mean who doesn't love the lights, trees and the spirit of giving!

In my search for employment I've been bored and poor. Usually when I get emails from anthropologie, or free people, or nordstroms i just delete them, because I am usually too busy too online shop. But it seems that I have a lot of time on my hands lately so I open the emails and then something catches my eye.... so I click on it and it takes me to their site. And then I fall in love, sometimes it's the perfect dress, and other times the most adorable pair of shoes. Then I leave the website open on my computer for days looking at this item (that I definitely don't need) but absolutely love. And then I think responsibly  to myself - for the price of those shoes I could apply to 2 grad schools. I know I can be a nerd, but it's reality. So I started just adding everything I like to wish lists. And now I can just put anything I like on there and revisit them whenever I like! I don't expect anyone to ever buy me anything off the lists but I like just having everything I want together. I think wish lists are a great idea and I am glad that I finally discovered them :)  

I know that material things are not important in life, but a girl could always use a new pair of shoes right? :)

My sister looked at my Nordstrom's wish list and her only advice to me was "You better marry rich, very very rich."

I mean they always say you have to dream big to win big, right?

I fell in LOVE with this watch 4 yrs ago. Sometimes I still dream of it....

 "Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success."                                                            "Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celibrate just living"                           "Once again we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice."

LEHIGH. Semester 7. Final year- First Semester.

LEHIGH

Potential reasons why my first semester of my final year at lehigh stunk:

I hurt my foot and couldn't walk.  

I got Mono.

I was so tired. all. the. time.

3 weeks with 101-104 fever.

I got 20 parking tickets.

My license plates got stolen.

My blackberry got lost/stolen.

My car got grafittied with blood red paint.

My car got stuck in a ditch.

Had to get my car towed.

Continually got sick after mono.

Lost my voice multiple times.

My wallet that was stolen last semester was found on the roof of campus square.

Was taking 20 credits while I had mono.

My french teacher didn't like me. I dropped French.

I almost failed all of my classes.

Good things that came from these bad things:

Since I didn't do one of the activities I planned on, I applied to work at the Women's Center, which changed my life for the better :)

I met awesome ladies at the women's center.   

I joined the cast of Vagina Monologues.

We had girl's nights.

I couldn't drink. 

My dad overnighted me peanut dumplings from my favorite restaurant ever!

My wallet that was stolen last semester was found on the roof of campus square.

Not having a blackberry was like being temporarily free.

My blackberry was randomly returned. #random acts of kindness.

I got 18 parking tickets appealed and became friends with the parking services lady.

I realized that the Lehigh DOS is amazing! Thanks :)

My new license plate is BAT VAN. 

I passed all of my classes and graduated with a B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience.

I realized that I have AWESOME friends. Thanks :)

Well it wasn't quite the semester I had planned, but I think I grew a lot as a person! The good things outweigh the bad things. #SilverLining and it makes for quite the funny story! I still love Lehigh!

"Get out the old silver goblet
with Lehigh upon it
and we'll open up another keg of beer.
MORE BEER!
For we all came to college,
but we didn't come for knowledge,
So we'll raise hell while we're here."
- Lehigh fight song

One Student Day

11.1.11 is One Student day so wear orange today! One Student is a non- profit organization committed to reducing sexual assaults on college campuses. They provide cutting edge programs, resources and opportunities that engage students to create social change to reduce sexual violence.


One Student believes that: One sexual assault is too many and one student can make a difference!


You can help by doing any of these things. The first thing is to sign the pledge and accept responsibility to be a part of the solution. Another fun thing you could do would be to paint your palm with the number 1 and take a picture and tweet or post it on the One Student Facebook page, use their festive hash tag #onestudentday. Tweet and post about One Student Day! You can make a difference and help end sexual assault!


"Rape is the only crime in which the victim becomes the accused." ~ Freda Adler


"Always do right, this will gratify some and astonish the rest." ~ Mark Twain


"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." ~Helen Keller


"You really can change the world if you care enough." ~ Marion Edelman


"Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve a lot of others, they send forth a tiny ripple of hope... These ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." ~Robert Kennedy