Song Lyrics of the Day

“The world’s a show
And yeah, you look much better,
Look much better when you glow
If you want to be somebody else,
If you’re tired of fighting battles with yourself
If you want to be somebody else
Change your mind…”
-Sister Hazel

(taken from PriorFatGirl)

Reverb 10, December 1, One Word

Reverb 10 is an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. The end of the year is an opportunity to reflect on what's happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead. With Reverb 10, we'll do both. (Thanks Cara for the idea!)

December 1 One Word.
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
(Author: Gwen Bell)

Unexpected.

Many, many things were unexpected this year. The applying to graduate school (technically 2009) left all future choices up to each school that I applied to. Of my options, I unexpectedly chose a school that was 3,000 miles away, where I had never been before, and where I knew no one. I unexpectedly took another Americorps position for six months that gave me amazing, supportive friends and confidence that I didn't know I had. The easiest and cheapest option of moving was unexpectedly driving cross country. I used to be scared to drive from Portland to Seattle but now an 8-hour drive doesn't even seem that bad. I was unexpectedly not scared to drive alone. I met friends I had known for years and saw things I never thought I would see. I unexpectedly have grown to love my school, my apartment, my colleagues and where my life is headed.  I am unexpectedly not homesick in the least and do not miss my old life. Nothing seems expected anymore and I am taking every opportunity to fully enjoy it. 

2011? One word? Adventure. 

Outed!

I was having lunch with a few of my fellow GAs before a professional development meeting today and one of them knows that I am closing in on the big 3-0. I was outed today! He says something and then literally the four other people at the table were like "Um, how old are you?" so I say "I'm 29, 30 in April" and they all begin the lovely explanation of "I thought you were 23" "I totally thought you were like 21 or 22." The looks on their faces were pretty priceless although I have come to expect it now.

It was pretty funny. Then it got into a conversation about surrogates and heterosexual viewpoints and well....that isn't out of the norm for our group.

I think it bugs me on some level with just the amount of respect people give you depending on your age. I bring it  up a lot on here because people either say it is a bonus because when I am 50 I will only look 40 but then they don't quite understand how it affects me professionally or personally now. There are people in my class that act 22 (and are 22) and wow, I would never want to be thought of as immature or naive. I tend to be kind of quiet, especially in new situations, and am an observer by nature. I watch everything and take it in; body language, eye rolls, tone of voice, social norms, everything. I only like to say something when I need to or feel like I have something important to say. There are people in my class now that absolutely just want to hear themselves speak and it is physically painful to the rest of us. This one person in particular is nice and very experience and involved in student affairs but they are also very lucky someone hasn't put duct tape over their mouth yet!

On another grad school related note: I hate APA format.