Ohh heyy.

I haven't written a blog post in literally over 2 months.

Oh well.

New relationship. No job. Finals. First snow. My life currently.

It's Christmas time.

Today, it snowed.

Everything's very cute in my world right now...including the 3 foot tall Christmas tree sitting in my living room, and the cute garland on the stair railing.

I'm happy, I think.

Throat of Doom

So...I'm a hypochondriac.

I either think I'm sick when I'm not (generally as a result of other people being sick) or I think that my symptoms must mean I'm actually deathly ill (when I probably just have a virus).

Right now, I have the worst sore throat since the one I had with Mono. While I'm asleep, probably breathing through my mouth, and letting all sorts of dry air into my throat, it becomes swollen, raw, and 6 other types of painful. Waking up this morning was NOT pleasant. In addition, I think I've over-used Chloraseptic...it's no longer really doing anything helpful.

This is not the way I like to start a full day of classes.

Ugh.

It's 2:14 am right now. I have to be up at 7:30 to make it to class on time. Why, do you ask, am I awake?

I'm awake because I just finished the first homework-night of my sophomore year, and because my second wind has officially kicked in. Today I learned that my grandmother has been put on a ventilator. I talked to my roommate about the fact that she's medically withdrawing from school (unexpectedly) leaving me to find a replacement asap. I stayed at the college newspaper office from 7pm to 1:30am, and I read approximately 60 pages of British Literature and Christian History.

I can't say that a lot of this is positive. Some of it is real, undeniable bad news. But I can choose not to worry, and I can choose to stay positive, and work hard to do what I'm capable of. And that is why I'm awake at 2:14am.

My Best Friends

So this week, I'm chilling in my apartment. I'm trying to get some hours in at work before classes start. And in all of this lovely time to myself, I've been thinking about all the people I'm going to miss when school starts. So this post is hereby dedicated to my best friends.

Although I try my hardest to be kind & considerate, I'll be the first to admit that I'm probably a pain in the butt sometimes. But these people not only put up with me...they actually seem to like me. In addition...they are all of those things I try to be. And I really truly love them for it.

So thank you for: road trips, shopping trips, late night phone calls, river trips, sleepovers, porch time, many many trips to McDonald's, movie nights, hikes, and being awesome.

My entire life, I've danced. There are millions of people in the world who can say those words. And the great part is, almost all of them mean something different. There are people who are fantastic dancers in almost any setting. If there is music on...anything with a rhythm, actually... they can move to it in a way that becomes art. Then there are dancers who specialize in one genre. There are technically trained dancers, dancers who break outside of technique, and dancers who follow no rules whatsoever. There are ballerinas, modern, hip hop, jazz, tap, lyrical, Irish dancers. There are people who dance at clubs for fun...there are people who perform for millions...an there are people who dance as a form of worship.

SO. In honor of my favorite art--and what I would love to be doing right now--here are some of my favorite dance quotes.

"To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking. " -Agnes de Mille

"The dancer's body is simply the luminous manifestation of the soul." -Isadora Duncan

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body." - Martha Graham

I GOT TO RECORD TODAY!
I felt like Britney Spears.
It was pretty much the coolest thing, and made me feel a little more like a musician than a girl trying to sing...ish.

SO cool.

Summer: Day 1

I've decided to turn this into a work-out blog for the next couple months. I'm done with school, and home in St. Louis. Unfortunately, none of my friends are within about 14 hours of me...but at least I get to hang out with my family. Since I don't have much to do, I'm going to spend the summer working a couple days a week, and most importantly, getting myself in shape.

Before I start filling you in on all my accomplishments, here's the sob story:
I can remember being self-conscious about my body as early as 3rd grade. I've never been overweight, but I've also never been particularly athletic, which can be frustrating. I've always had issues with my stomach, and never been close to having real muscles, except in my legs. The only exercise I really did as a kid was dance classes between 2 and 9 hours a week. In high school, to pass my online gym class, I had to go to the gym and do cardio and strength workouts. I even muddled my way through a triathlon once. But in general, I'm not athletic, and my asthma stops me from being successful.

This summer, my goal is to change that. I've gotten back up to my highest weight ever, and I just feel out of shape. So here are my specific goals:

1. Drink water. At least 4 glasses a day. Limit other beverages to one cup of coffee and one other drink a day.
2. Replace processed sugar with healthier things like yogurt or fruit.
3. Work out for at least 20 minutes a day. Run at least 3 times a week.
4. Work up to running 5 miles without stopping. (Right now it's 1.5)

Let's see how this goes!