Relationship Guru...

I most certainly am not. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm kind of awful when it comes to the whole relationship thing. And I mean any kind of relationship. I feel like I'm a generally friendly person, and I genuinely care about my friends and do what I can so as to avoid any sort of riffs with them. But I often feel like that isn't enough, or it's taken advantage of. So many people tell me that they can instantly tell upon meeting me that I just don't get mad...well that's not true. Of course I get mad, we all do. I just seem to do a better job of bottling stuff up than most people. Which, I think, is why I have so many relationship issues. There's a lack of communication in almost all of the relationships that I have. Excluding my mother and sister, I don't always tell people what I actually think about something for fear of upsetting them. There is a literal fear of confrontation that affects me all the time. I hadn't really thought that this was necessarily a bad trait until recently. Like I said, people see me as friendly and nice...and then they get surprised when I voice an opinion that is contradictory to their own. They don't know what to do with it, so half of the time they laugh and the rest of the time they get upset. Neither of which I really appreciate. And so, of course, then I get upset. Because I've offended someone or they aren't taking me seriously. It's a vicious circle, really. 
This year I need to work on improving the relationships that I already have, actively make an effort to meet new people and expand my small circle of acquaintances, and try to be more comfortable in not only expressing my opinions but also in the fact that some people just aren't going to agree with them. And that's perfectly fine. 

8 Days and Counting!

8 days until I leave to move in at CoCo! I'm excited for a few reasons:
1. I'll be in an apartment, with a kitchen, so no more nasty dining hall food.
2. I'm a Senior!!
3. I'll be living with 3 wonderful, amazing people!
4. Classes = me actually having to get up every morning, get out and do stuff, which I have not being doing lately and I really need to get back into a normal schedule
5. Writing my Senior Thesis is both extremely exciting and very nerve-racking...but I think I'm ready for it.

Converse really is beautiful

I just have to remember to make the most out of my current situation. No matter how much I want to be back in Glasgow, I just can't make that happen right now. So, I need to learn to thoroughly enjoy Spartanburg and all that it has to offer. Plus, Greenville and Asheville are always fun. I'm a Senior, I'm 21, and I'm ready to completely and utterly enjoy this year.

Summertime, and the livin' is easy...maybe too easy

Oh man, this summer has been something else. I don't think I've ever had such a hectic and yet lazy summer in my entire life. My home life has changed, awkwardly but for the better I think. I didn't get a job, so I'm extra poor which has led to spending way too much time with my dog. A lack of things to do, other than cleaning the house, has made me feel a bit more...not quite depressed, but something like it. Needless to say, I am more than ready for the business and fast-paced life that is college. However, I'm also ready for this last year to be done and moving towards the next phase in my life. I'm ready to jump in feet first!

I'm Back!

So, I couldn't sign on to this blog for a few months...I thought it was because I switched emails but apparently I was very wrong because it worked just fine earlier today. Oh well.
I'll be back to posting things about my "oh so exciting" life, even though I have all of one follower and no one but family ever reads this :) It still helps me get everything out and in the open, which seems to be quite therapeutic, so I'm going to keep at it!

Life Planning

Dun, Dun, Dunnnnn!

  
I have to share the revelation that Elizabeth and I had last night (one of many) because I'm just too excited not to. Who doesn't like having a good plan?
   One of the courses I'm taking this semester is Junior Honors Seminar in which we basically decide what we want to do with the rest of our lives...fun, right? Not so much for those of us who have yet to figure out exactly what it is that we want to do "when we grow up" in a year and a half from now. Needless to say as we started off the class by informing everyone else what our plans for the future was one could see the sense of dread and stress come over multiple faces in the room, including myself and my roommate.
Last night, as a way to just vent and release some of that stress so recently acquired, Elizabeth and I had one of our fairly frequent "life planning" sessions. Basically we go over all options that we have, realistically or not, and attempt to figure out when ones we actually want to try and achieve or work towards. In our case, we got to about plan F (after going through researcher, teacher, writer, and tea room owner) before narrowing down our options. I, as is probably pretty evident, want to go back to Scotland, specifically Glasgow, to finish up my schooling and then hopefully live there for a few years at the lease. I'm deciding, as of right now, between Information and Library Science (yeah, that's right, I actually want to be a librarian and be surrounded by books all day) or Museum Studies (essentially, I 'd work towards being a curator). But, because the postgraduate programs at Glasgow only last a year, I could ideally complete both programs and still be done by the time I'm 22. Of course I would pick one program, finish it, and then get a job in that field to help pay for the second program. Both options would allow me to move around if I decided that was what I wanted to do, I wouldn't "have to go into teaching" as so many people assume I will, and should I decide to come back to the States it wouldn't be too hard to find a job here either. Sounds pretty good, yeah? We are pretty awesome at planning our lives when we sit down and really focus on it. Though, it's still one of the most scary things I have ever had to do. I guess it has to be since it is a huge decision and something that you really have to think hard about before making any concrete decisions. I know that I never want to get stuck doing something that I don't enjoy. So, we'll see if things change over the next year and a half as I finish up my undergrad and get ready for gradschool...but I doubt it will too much simply because I can't handle the stress.


This better not be me...



Sweet Charleston



Charleston

 Elizabeth and I came home this weekend for academic break, and as she's never seen very much of Charleston we spent the day downtown trapsing across the city. Having always lived so close to Charelston for 20 years, it's easy to forget just how gorgeous the city can be. With the cobblestone streets, numerous historic buildings, and easy access to beautiful waterfront views, Charleston is hard to not fall in love with. Today's weather was wonderful as well, low 70's and sunny with a slight breeze...absolutely perfect. If you've never been, here's a list of things you should see and places you should try to go:
   1. King Street- even though it's a bit pricey, it's nice to just walk down the street and see the beautiful buildings. Plus, this is the best place to get a feel for the college side of town as it's fairly close to College of Charleston campus
   2. The Market - about a 15 minute walk from King Street, the Market is great. Lots to see and buy, and most of the prices are generally pretty reasonable. Although if it's too hot outside it will be stuffy in there, and probably crowded because it's where people go to "beat the heat".
   3. Waterfront Park - a short walk next to the water you have to take at least 5 minutes to enjoy the huge swings that provide an awesome view of the harbour.
   4. The Battery - not full of much to do but yet another great view of the water. And, there are tons of trees and quite a pretty epic gazebo.
   5. Planet Smoothie/Cupcake - all the way down King St. past Marion Square and right next door to one another these two places are a great place to get a snack. The best way to pick between the two is to decide how heavy of a snack you want (the cupcakes are rich and delicious, but not the best if you plan on walking a lot more after eating).
   6. Blue Bicycle Books - right up the street from Planet Smoothie, this store is absolutely adorable. Very cozy and full of both old and new books (and a very friendly but perpetually sleepy cat) I think this would be a great place to spend a few hours just perusing.
   7. Baked- always fresh and delicious this bakery is made even better by its fun seating (long tables that promote sitting with people you don't know) and fun, bright decor. Oh, and it's on E. Bay St.
   8. Charleston Cook!-  also on E. Bay St. I probably love this place so much because I love to cook. They have loads of cooking utensils, cute aprons, recipe books, and they even offer cooking classes. I would probably spend a fortune here, that is if I had one.
   9. Churches - Charleston's called the Holy City for a reason, there are churches everywhere. Many of them are historic and quite beautiful on this outside as well as the inside. As Elizabeth said "They're like Walgreen's...there's one on every corner".
   10. Walk - even if you don't do everything that's on this list, though quite a few of them are things that everyone suggests, just walking Downtown is an experience. You'll find hidden courtyards, cute alleyways, and many photo opportunities. Plus, it's fun to wander around and imagine what it would be like to live in one of the houses that you pass...

The Battery, King St, Baked, Planet Smoothie

On Being a History Nerd

   I have yet to discover exactly what it is that I will be doing with the History degree I graduate with next year, but I do know that I have always enjoyed learning about history (and probably always will). My mom says it's probably because we get to learn about all the gossips and scandals, which makes sense I suppose because I do love to gossip. But, I love learning about how people lived and interacted in times past and seeing how completely different, or not as the case may be, it was from our own interactions.
   This past weekend, as extra credit for my Jan-Term class, we could go to a Revolutionary War reenactment at Cowpens Battlefield. Now, I have never been to one of these things but they have always seemed quite exciting. Who wouldn't want to see people walking around in period dress and making meals over camp fires? Admittedly, some of the appeal is lost once one hears a supposed soldier discussing his honeymoon and various cell phone troubles, but it was still a really fun day. We saw a cavalry demonstration as well as a weapons demonstration that included a canon! There was also a British regiment represented which consisted of plaid pants and at least one kilt, which obviously made me quite excited. It was really fun and quite enjoyable to hear exactly why it was that the British lost at the Battle of Cowpens. If you are ever presented the opportunity, I definitely recommend that you go to one of these reenactments. You'll probably learn more than you thought you would.


Notice the kilt and plaid pants



This horse was massive!



Little reenactment village