TBT, Europe Style

I'm really just feeling how NOT in Europe I am this semester, and I'm struggling with the idea that it's been almost a year. But my favorite comparison:


This is me, sitting in the Newark airport being terrified to get on the plane. Pre-ANYTHING, I always feel like this is my "before life got awesome" picture.



And then this, which is not a very flattering picture of me, but it's the moment I realized how comfortable I was with everything. We found this underground comedy club in the middle of London, and it was perfect. British comedy, drinks, and totally authentic and un-tourist-ified. They basically just slammed Americans the whole time, but that just made it feel even more real. At the end of the trip, this is my "after I grew up" picture.


So here's to finding $7,000 and getting me back there.

Can't Stop Laughing...

At these ridiculous goat videos. I think this one is my favorite, though.

Dance Marthon, 2013

I am not a huge fan of dancing, and even less of a fan of being forced to spend a long period of time with a lot of people I don't know. Generally anything that has a morale team I stray away from. But my roommate was the director, and I wanted to experience it at least once, even if I was sure I would hate my life during it.

WRONG.

I had the most incredible experience. The first 5 hours were the hardest for me- I wasn't into the experience, and as much as I tried to be open to it, I hated learning the group dances. But at some point, I turned into 7th  grade, extroverted, super peppy and involved Paige.

I didn't know she still existed. She's been hiding under thick eyeliner and self declared angst for so long, I thought I'd killed her completely. But there I was, dancing around with my sisters and complete strangers, trying to keep everyone's spirits up the last 3 hours.



I was also SO proud of my sisters, who were so involved with the event- not only did we have the most representation of participants, but we had sisters coming to visit every hour to bring us snacks and hold up signs and leave notes. Zetas are not known for being incredibly outgoing, and its a big deal when they leave their comfort zone (ie, the section) to support their sisters. It really meant a lot. Even Deeg, who hates almost any positive social gathering, came to see Becca and I!




We ended up raisiong over 37,000 for pediatric aids, which is AWESOME for such a small campus. Even after we were done at midnight, I couldn't fall asleep because I was just so jazzed up about everything. In the end, I have Becca to thank for the experience, because without her I never would have put myself out there, and I'm SO glad I did.

I believe in dancing for a cure.

In the Land of Women

I just love this quote so much. The movie really isn't all that special, and I don't care for Kristen Stewart, but Adam Brody has a special place in my heart, and I love this line-

"There's a big fucking world out there. It's messy, 

and it's chaotic, and it's never, it's never ever the 

thing you'd expect. It's ok to be scared but you 

cannot allow your fears to turn you into an asshole, 

not when it comes to the people that really love you, 

the people that need you." 

Hey, I wrote this.

I'm going to be honest; my success is not coming from my writing, but rather from my boss giving me some really great opportunities with some really great stories. Which, I guess in some ways is a result of her trusting me to write them well.

But it was a very cool day when facebook said that 5 of my friends had shared a link, and it was something I had written.

You can see my Beatles article here.

I believe in working your way to the top.

Throwback Thursday

I believe in crazy spontaneous adventures.

Books!

I've been doing a poor job of keeping up with what books I've read this year, and an even poorer job with staying on track with my goal. I don't have time to post all the quotes I liked, but just to keep track:

[1] The Paris Wife -Paula McClain
[2] Ruth Hall  -Fanny Fern
[3] Behind a Mask  -Louisa May Alcott

I'm not including Bared to You, because it wasn't a real book as much as a way for me to discover how truly shitty something can be, and still get published. So disheartening. Also, there were two more books for a class that I didn't finish, so hopefully I'll get back to them. And a bunch of poetry from the romantic era, but obviously that doesn't count either.

Now I'm just making excuses. I'll have to focus a little more if I want to make it to 50. I'll make up a lot over the summer. But I'd really like to get to at least 10 before spring break.

I'm back to Pride and Prejudice, but I just started over rather than return to where I was last time I stopped reading. My priorities are out of wack. At some point, I'm just going to have to commit to my "Books I Should have Read Before Coming to College" list, so I can work on the "Books I Should have Read in College" list, which I'm realistically much closer to completing.

I believing in commitments to leisurely reading.

February

And I would have stayed up with you all night, had I known how to save a life.

I can do hard things

I want this.

No matter the letter, we're Greek together

Yesterday, my awesome brother got picked up to be a Theta Chi. We've been practicing his frat guy pose with my sorawrity girl lean, and I think it's safe to say he is prepared.

But really. Greek Life has done amazing things for me- I believe that with the right chapter, and the right school, the experience is all about empowerment and leadership. I can honestly say that I've been much more comfortable in business situations because being in a sorority forces you to assertively, but still pleasantly, say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done. I'm not afraid to run meetings or delegate work. And no one will call me a bitch for it. There's nothing wrong with a confrontational, direct woman.

My Color Group during Recruitment- can you spot the 7 Zetas-to-be?

It also teaches you a lot about love- not everyone takes "sister" as seriously as I do, but I pledged myself to certain values that I won't allow to be compromised. You can't allow other people's actions to change your own, so all you can do is love your sister and be there for her, even when she isn't making it easy for you. My mom taught me that when you least want to hug a person, it's when they most need it. Sometimes I joke that being a good Christian is too hard, so I just do my best to follow the Zeta creed, and I'll get close enough to it. Something I've learned to value is that unconditional love- the kind that I gave my big, and my littles, and the kind they give to me. If you work at it, it's something you can offer to everyone.

My family, minus one grandlittle

Finally, the people! I have met so many different, interesting people and had some amazing experiences as a result of that. My chapter has girls of different ethnicities and sexualities, which is always the first stereotype, but we also have a world class jump roper, a girl that completed tough mudder, sisters that have English as a second language, pierced and tatooed sisters, a sister who refuses to wear pants (even in the Ohio winter), a sister that took me on a tour bus to meet a band, sisters that are in bands, sisters of ALL religions, sisters of no religion, sisters that want to be lawyers, and actresses, and teachers, or mothers... I have learned so many things from these extraordinary women, and I know that without Greek Life, there's a very good chance I never would have met some of them.

Right after I was tackled during  Rho Gamma Reveal.

So congrats, Harry. I hope that you get as much out of the experience as I have, and that your brothers become as important and irreplacable as my sisters have for me.

I believe in LOVE, the Greatest of All Things.