I miss Tanzania

As my final semester in college comes to an end, I am trying to decide what is next for me. I want to do PR for non-profits, I want to join the Peace Corps, I want to continue to personal train, I want to travel, I want to teach English in Korea, I want to do A MILLION THINGS!! The issue here is: I don't know what to do first.

I am trying to be as open as possible because, not only is the job market scary right now, but any work experience will be valuable to me at this point in time. Whether I end up in sales, actually getting to do something in PR, or even just working as a receptionist, I would be gaining and improving upon skills that will help me in the future and it would also be nice just to have ONE schedule for once in my life! I have had a job since I was 13! I'm not kidding. I worked every weekend at a cheerleading gym from ages 13-15 and then worked at Loco's Deli and Pub, Mellow Mushroom, Real Estate International, Red Bull, and now, Ladies Workout Express. Balancing a job and school and even, for a while, an internship on top of that, has been exhausting and I would love to go to work, come home and be done! No homework or leaving from one job to the next!

But all of this planning for the future makes me wonder when I am going to get to go back to Africa. I miss Tanzania so much! I miss the friendships I made there, I miss the culture, and the beautiful untouched scenery. If I could have it my way, I would be teaching AIDS education in Tanzania right now, but I do not feel ready to sign up for the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps is a 2 year and 3 month commitment and I just can't leave my friends and family for that long right now.

Hmm. SO much to think about, but I know I will find my way. I always have : )

But, I have to point out that the little girl right next to me in that picture above, Aleluna, is brilliant. When I met her last summer, she was reading and writing and tried to learn as much English as she could but she could not afford to go to school. That is just not right, and, all I know, is ultimately, I want to make it my life's work to make sure more girls like her, are never denied the opportunity to learn. And I will make it happen, I just hope I can start on that journey sooner rather than later!

HalloVEEN! Muah ahahahahahah!

I LOVE Halloween. I love dressing up, scary movies, haunted houses, and eating obscene amounts of candy, and nothing is better than getting into holidays like we did when you we were kids. Last night Darius, Diana, Brian, Kari, and I went to Creepers Haunted House and it was AWESOME! It was SO scary!! We had to go through swamps, graveyards, cross over rickety bridges, and walk through pitch black hallways while people came behind us and whispered or growled into our ears! And, one thing is for sure, those people can smell fear, because I was picked on the entire time!!!

I love being scared, which is great, because it is an incredibly easy emotion for me to achieve. I could barely sit through "I am Legend"!! I had a coat over my head almost the entire time and watched most of the movie from in between the buttons of my coat... and it wasn't even THAT scary! I think I embarrassed Darius with how easily I jumped up and gasped throughout the movie- haha! Well, last night was no exception. I walked through the entire haunted house with my head tucked in like a turtle, shuffling my feet at a grandma's pace, and keeping my arms pulled in tightly ready to tuck and roll at any given moment. The staff kept telling us not to run, but it was impossible not to! When people are chasing you with chainsaws and sniffing your neck in a dark room, it is hard to walk slowly and keep calm!

Admission was $20 but it was totally worth it! It got all of us into the Halloween spirit and we are all DEFINITELY scared! Actually, before we went, Darius and I were talking about how awkward it would be if we weren't scared. Would we fake it because we didn't want the employees to feel bad? I had no idea, but, luckily, our screams were 100% authentic. So, if you are looking to get into a Halloweeny mood, check out Creepers! http://www.creepershauntedhouse.com/

But let me tell you what I do not like about Halloween: Pointless "sexy" costumes. Like, costumes that should NOT be sexy... like these.

A sexy... bee? Um, ok...





This looks nothing like an actual ladybug...





At least this one gets points for creativity.





But there is just no excuse for THIS- What the hell IS this??






So basically, that's how I feel about "sexy" costumes for Halloween. 99% of them are dumb. The end.

Happy Almost Halloween!

Procrastination at its Finest

Last night I had to make a study guide, read three chapters, clean my room, and do laundry... Instead, Diana and I spent 3 hours watching John and Kate Plus Eight and taking ridiculous pictures in our Halloween wigs. Wow. What is wrong with us? Ha ha! Well, I'll take any opportunity to avoid homework... obiviously!

It's a Dawg Eat Dawg World...

Well, I just arrived back home from Athens a few minutes ago and, I don't care what anyone says, Downtown Athens at night is MUCH scarier than Downtown Atlanta! I've never been around so many drunk, angry people! Luckily it was just about as much hilarious as it was scary! At one point, I heard two people, only seconds apart in completely separate groups say "I heard your were talking shit!" in their drunken voices. I also saw a girl wearing the remains of what was once a very cute dress, run into a wall while saying, "Oh my God! This is the best night ever!".

Actually, it is just really fun, in any city, to only catch small parts of people's conversations. On Friday night, Diana and I went to go rent a movie from Videodrome and I overheard this guy say, "I mean, I went to Montreal, and it's not THAT French." Haha. So, just in case you enjoy eavesdropping into random conversations as much as I do, you can check out www.overheardinathens.com. No matter how crazy the quote is, it is still probably real!

But, let me tell you, it is so good to be home in the safe, comfort that is the EAV!

Relaxation

I love rainy days. It always seems like the world slows down and you can feel good about sleeping late and spending the day watching TV, listening to music, and just doing a lot of nothing. I never feel pressured to do anything on rainy days. I really needed a day like this today. So far I have spent the day sleeping, running errands, catching up on the news, and spending time with my dog... and I do not anticipate doing much more than that until tomorrow.

As graduation approaches, my life is flashing before my eyes, and I am becoming more and more conscious of how fast life can pass us by. Any moment I can have were I can stop, breathe, and relax is appreciated : )

"There is more to life than increasing its speed."
Gandhi

Hmmm...

OK, so the world is really F'd up. No, this is not the first time I've noticed, but it wasn't until Darius and I had a random conversation relating the government to the TV show "Survivor" that I realized that the world is not only F'd up, it annoyingly shitty and selfish. Haha- great description, I know.

As we were talking about relationships between countries and the concept of "Allies", I started to think how similarly cut-throat "Survivor" and the political relationships of the world are. They are similar in that, no countries really care about the success of other counties for unselfish reasons. It is all in an effort not to "lose". I also thought it was weird that, just like in the show, groups of allies aim to destroy or conquer other groups of allies. And while they primarily hope to defeat their enemies, they also hope to achieve superiority over their own allies in time and eventually "win" or increase their power.

Just a silly observation, but I did find it interesting and depressing that the world's politics are not all that different from a crappy reality TV show.

In other news, I am not currently a fan of school right now either. Not that I am ever really crazy about school, but I am one of those "front-row" people who participates and actually really enjoys learning. What separates this semester from the rest is, not only is it my last and I am generally feeling burnt out, but because I am a Journalism major, I have a required minor that adds an extra semester to my degree. It is killing me to know I could be done right now if I belonged to almost any other major! I am spending hours upon hours writing papers and doing projects about hotel management, hospitality quality, and hospitality law... none of which have anything to do with my future aspirations... Well, I guess it is better than facing the depressing job market right now...

On an exciting note, I have to promote the idea and practice of the "relationship vacation" that Darius and I invented! As two fiercely independent people in a three and a half year relationship, we were both beginning to miss our days of abundant "alone time" and decided to take a week apart without phone calls. We just wanted to spend that time with our friends and just doing whatever we wanted. Ever since we took that small time apart, everything feels like it did the first few months we were together! We realized that we were putting too much emphasis on togetherness for our young ages, and needed to take a step back and enjoy each other as something special and separate from ourselves and our individual lives.

This discovery of separate togetherness has completely changed the way I look at relationships... they no longer seem scary or unrealistic, they just become a positive addition to my life. Not something that defines me, just something that makes me happy and inspires me to be better. It is so cool to be with someone who thinks "out-of-the-box" when it comes to relationships. I feel really lucky. Talking through this and coming up with a plan that actually worked had made us both smarter and appreciate each other so much more. I hope that any of you in relationships reading this will remember that, no matter how much you love someone, you should never lose all of yourself in your significant other. In fact, the more of you you keep, the stronger the relationship will probably be : )

M.I.A. is Preggers!

Do they make neon baby clothes?




Check out this video if you wanna see her performing with her belly! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4867x08MNbY

WHO CARES?

I cannot tell you how much I hate posting a picture of this woman... hell, it just makes me upset that I even know she exists... but, I just want to share my thoughts about all of the controversy surrounding this picture.

I was watching Fox News tonight -I know what you're thinking... and you're right, but it is part of my "keep your enemies closer" political technique. ANYWAYS, there was a woman claiming that this "unedited" picture is a "slap in the face to the McCain/Palin campaign". I find this to be HILARIOUS! By saying that, she was basically saying that the only thing Palin has going for her is her appearance... and I couldn't agree more!

I find myself thinking all the time about how different this campaign would be if Sarah Palin wasn't attractive. But what I really wanted to say about the cover of this magazine is that Newsweek almost always has detailed close ups of political figures on its cover. And, no, they are not always "flattering" (think of the covers featuring McCain and Hillary Clinton). A news magazine is not a fashion magazine. We don't need any male political figures to look like models, so why should anyone expect that from a female political figure? This woman is running for vice president of the United States! Who care about her PORES!? A vice presidential candidate should be running for his/her mind, not his/her face. But, I guess the face becomes the important when the mind is empty.

Hey, Kareem!

Ok, so before I went to teach my belly dance class tonight, I went to Kroger to deposit a check and, as I was walking in, a man (about 7 feet tall) and I had one of those "After you..." "No, after you!" door moments. I was thinking the whole time that this guy looks JUST like Kareem Abdul Jabbar but because I know only slightly more than NOTHING about basketball, I decided not to say anything. Everyone in the store seemed to be looking at him but I thought that might just be because he is 7 feet tall and I would assume that most people around that height are constantly catching every one's attention. Well, when I got home I googled Kareem and... OMG- that HAD to be him! I am about 99.97% sure!

Anyways, I am sitting here watching this show on TLC about a family that has 17 kids and it is a a special about the oldest son getting married. They are 20 years old and they are "staying pure" for their marriage. I've always known "staying pure" to be waiting until marriage for sex, but these kids are going the extra mile and waiting until marriage for their first kiss!! WOW! All I can think about is how many bad kissers I have encountered and how glad I am to have experienced enough kisses to know an OK kiss from a great one and to have gotten so many lackluster kisses out of they way! Also, I keep wondering what it would be like to go through that much waiting and the kisses/sex sucked?!? I can't imagine! I mean, I guess they wouldn't know the difference but... maybe they would??
All I can say is, I would want to know what I'm "getting into" when I marry someone! FOR REAL! At least kissing-wise! Well, to each their own!

East Atlanta Adventures

On Friday night Diana and I went to see Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. It was cute and everything but for some reason, we were in the most annoying audience ever! For some reason they all kept applauding throughout the movie... it was so weird! I have never experienced that! I mean, I've been to a movie where the audience clapped at the end, but never multiple points throughout the movie! Strange. But it was in Atlantic Station so I should have guessed the experience would be annoying. I love Atlantic Station but the process of going there always kind of sucks and everything is so crowded and I ALWAYS forget where I parked! Oh, and Diana and I were almost hit by a taxi. It was eventful to say the least.
Ok, so the movie was pretty good... I don't really need to ever see it again, but the soundtrack was really great and Michael Cera is the most adorable creature to ever walk the planet, so it was totally worth it. Afterwards, Diana and I went to The Earl to meet up with Jacqueline and it ended up being one of the most fun nights ever! After a few PBRS and some fabulous conversation, we wanted to go dancing so we walked over to Mary's, a gay bar in the EAV. It was pretty great except their bathrooms have windows on the doors and, if any of you guys know me at all, you know I have a multitude of bathroom phobias that definitely includes people being able to see you through a little window! After Mary's we headed the The Graveyard Tavern. It was great! No cover and a free Colt 45! Good combo! We danced like crazy and then decided to hit up My Sister's Room, a lesbian club in EAV. Let me tell you, when they play Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl", it takes on a whole new meaning! I was not prepared!
It was so funny being there. For some reason I was afraid I would be found out to be a straight person and kicked out- haha! Diana noticed we were the only people carrying purses, so maybe that was a give-away but let me tell you- that place is fun! I mean, there were a few dudes there but it looked like almost any other dance floor with 99% women dancing on it! Men hardly ever dance anyways. So I will DEF. be returning to My Sister's Room!
Last night was Melissa's birthday at Sabroso in Little Five Points and they had a drag show. Wow... now, I have only been to one other drag show at Wet Bar back in the day, but I am pretty sure there is no amount of preparation that could prepare someone for an experience like that. It was crazy, but so much fun!
In conclusion, I am pretty damn lucky to have such fun, crazy, open-minded, and brilliant friends... never a dull moment.


Ps. I cannot stop listening to Band of Horses right now. Download: Our Swords, The General Specific, Is there a Ghost, and No Ones Gonna Love you.... so great : )

And while you're at it, you should probably dance around your room to Devendra Banhart's Carmensita and Lover.

Let me know how those work out for you : )

VP Debate

Highlight from Joe Biden: (this transcript does not do him justice! His delivery was amazing!) Now, with regard to the -- to the health care plan, you know, it's with one hand you giveth, the other you take it. You know how Barack Obama -- excuse me, do you know how John McCain pays for his $5,000 tax credit you're going to get, a family will get?
He taxes as income every one of you out there, every one of you listening who has a health care plan through your employer. That's how he raises $3.6 trillion, on your -- taxing your health care benefit to give you a $5,000 plan, which his Web site points out will go straight to the insurance company.
And then you're going to have to replace a $12,000 -- that's the average cost of the plan you get through your employer -- it costs $12,000. You're going to have to pay -- replace a $12,000 plan, because 20 million of you are going to be dropped. Twenty million of you will be dropped.
So you're going to have to place -- replace a $12,000 plan with a $5,000 check you just give to the insurance company. I call that the "Ultimate Bridge to Nowhere."


"Highlight" from Sarah Palin: And I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I'm going to talk straight to the American people and let them know my track record also. (aka. I will not be answering the questions in this debate. I am going to used my rehearsed answers)

This debate was an EASY win for Biden... anyone else who thinks this debate was anything even close to even was NOT listening.