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Monkeygrl88
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Name: Kelly
Country: United States
State: Virginia
Metro: Fairfax County
Birthday: 8/8/1988
Gender: Female
Interests: Running, Raiders, Food, Friends, Green, History, Cons, Boys, Music, Trees, Reading, Writing, Sleeping, Eight, 1776, Talking
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
AIM:  LimeKJelly
Member Since:
7/19/2004
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| wow, it appears I have not updated since january. Thats amusing. I've once again started keeping some kind of a journal, maybe thats why. Another explanation is that is extremely difficult to figure out how to create a new weblog on here these days. but I figured it out, so here we all are. So what's new....
Spring Semester finished a week and a half ago on a good note. Got As in micro economics and comparative politics and A-s in all the rest (cultural geography, theatre, & statistics). Weird right? Since when did I run around getting good grades. I can't believe I was worried about the college course load. I've said it a million times before but seriously, I have soooo much time! I mean I practice for 2-3 hours everyday and I went to an evening lecture on an interesting topic twice a month and I'm treasurer of Bring Your Own Spirituality and I go to young democrats and I'm gone thurs-sun for meets just about every weekend, and I've still got more than enough time to check the TV listings and find good movies to watch maybe 2 or 3 times a week here. I really need to make some friends.
gosh, friends, wish I could go home and see them! But I'm still in silly old harrisonburg... Coach had to keep me around 2 extra weeks after school got out so I can be an alternate for our ECAC 4X8 since michelle's leg had been hurting. And as it happens it was a good choice too because she just had some kind of meltdown/leg kept her from running and now I'm on the relay. luck, lucky me... But no, I'm pumped. ECACs is at princeton and we leave thursday. yes, very excited, and very much hoping I can get home in time for my brothers jazz dance concert thingie.
But yea running, I'm still really fast, but honestly, no faster than I was my senior year, though no slower, so, fast.
And what else is there besides running, school and missing my friends terribly....
There is the question of my future which takes up the majority of the rest of my time. I'm going to have to stay a 5th year, or at least a semester's worth of one. Studying abroad is a requirement for both of my majors. Did I mention I was double majoring in Econ and Int. Affairs? I can't remember. Anyway but yes, have to study abroad, have to do it in egypt, morocco or somewhere else arabic speaking, and have to do it in the summer. But I don't think I'll be able to go on an early morning run in that part of the world and feel completely safe. I'm not even sure if I'll be allowed too. And I obviously can't take off 2 or 3 weeks from running in the middle of the summer. so I'm going to have to wait for my eligibility to run out (I can only compete for 12 seasons) and then once I can't run anymore study abroad. With that extra space I might even be able to fit in a political communication minor which would be awesome. And then maybe I'll start graduate school that following fall and have an extra long break to work in the spring and summer. Also, should me and Ali get married once I graduate JMU? or should I live with my parents saving money during grad school and then get married? do you realize we would have been dating TEN YEARS if we did that? or 11 if I went to law school.... I had this really great idea of getting married on our 8 year anniversary after I graduate. only that happens to be march which my mom says is to rainy and cold to get married. I do not know what to do. And even though it does seem ridiculously far away, I really do need to figure out how long I'm staying at jmu because I would need to get to work on that political communication minor pronto.
And then I have this other problem. I have no job for the summer. I have currently applied to 13 paid jobs/unpaid internships and have received one rejection. It's been so long now with the others I'm pretty sure those rejections have been implied. All I can figure is that it's because I'm only a freshman/rising sophomore. But still. I have a 3.719 and a darn decent school with two at least semi-challenging majors and some kinda solid work experience and I wish I had something to do this summer. I have been sufficiently humbled however and will never think to highly of myself again. My dad keeps making fun of me, saying I'm going to have to work at mcdonalds. If I still have nothing lined up by june I guess I'll have to start looking for work along route 1. I think I could be good at waitressing. or maybe not. I would probably fall and drop everything my first day. I'll tell you what I am good at. Statistics & Economics. I just wish someone at the bureau of economic research or the US trade representative or the federal energy regulatory commission or the securities and exchange commission or the census or someone in all of washington could figure it out. I swear I've told enough of them....
So on the one side I have a completely uncertain future and I'm unemployed.
While on the other I have all As and I'm damn fast.
Unfortunately good grades and amazing speed endurance will not get you far in this world, so it seems.
So thats my life's problems at the moment.
I'm really nervous about ECACS by the way. This will be the biggest, fastest, most important meet I've ever run at.
Onward! | | |
| So can you freakin believe it's 2008? I'm planning to have the best year of my life since there will never again be so pure a year of 8 and never so awesome of a birthday in my life. I've decided 20 is going to be a the last big deal bday. all the others will just be me getting oooooooold. and 21 has no real relevance for me since I don't drink or ever really plan too. 08-08-08 will be the greatest day ever since not only will I have been running around the planet for 20 years but it will also be the first day of the olympics AND it will be the first olympics women will be able to compete in the steeplechase WHICH just so happens to be the event Rinker's planing for me to run in the spring. Nice right? So pumped.
Oh summer.... already dreaming of warmer days and freer schedules. kinda... I'm going to be trying to work and internship both in the same summer this year. no sure if it will be at the same time or half and half. depends on which internship I get. If I get any... I really need to work on those cover letters...
But what am I doing? I was planning to write a retrospective of 07, not babble about 08. yes 07. Its funny how the pinnacle of all my high school achievements and the slow struggling start of college both fall in the same calendar year. My greatest 2 track seasons of high school and probably (hopefully) what will be the worst season of college running all lumped into last year. But seriously, 07 was great times all the way. There was just SO MUCH. Never have I had such a stressful and rewarding year in my life. seeing all of high school pay off in all those awards at convocation. And then starting all over from scratch. Its a lot of transitioning. I'd like to think the transition stage is just about over now and that I'm really ready to get into college.
I made a 4 resolutions last night. One was about running. One was about school. One I won't mention here. And one was about life. The only one I'll actually write out is the one about school because it's something Mr. Feinstein (my favorite teacher from hs) said when I went to visit him that I really don't want to forget. I was talking to him about all my stressing about what the hell I was doing with my life. I don't think I mentioned here that I completely changed my mind about everything and am now considering majoring in economics so there's your update. Anyway I was telling him my long sad struggle and how I just don't know what on earth I'm doing. And after I was done sounding silly he looked at me with that calm unchanging face of his and said "Kelly, college isn't about worrying about jobs and careers. Is about being exposed to as many new and interesting ideas as you can possibly experience since you'll never have the chance to learn so much again after you finish school." And I guess I've heard this and known this but hearing it from him in just that knowing a way in response to my desperate search for my final goal, I just got it. I won't know what I'm doing with my life until I'm doing it any maybe not even then. And I really need to relax a bit and just go out and learn.
Dang it tomorrow is my last day home, the break has been nice but just flown. Oh well. I'm excited for the spring semester but it will be tough. A math class and not to mention track. It's going to be crazy. I plan to take it one day at a time, and not get so wrapped up in the big picture that I forget to live in the present. That wasn't cliche at all...
goodness, ok I'm done. 'night
:)
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| I'm having a serious crisis about what I'm going to do with my life right now. I mean I'm loving my international relations class to death and everything else that goes into my International Affairs major (especially my econ class). I really am. And I think I will continue to. It's just I'm wondering if I'm really serious about minoring in geography. am I? I guess I'll know when I take that GEOG class in the spring. It came to me on a whim and then seemed to fit but how would I even know? I LOVED my geosystems class last year. It was utterly fascinating to me. But this is a COMPLETELY different kind of geography. We're talking population studies and stuff. Not mountains. Well some mountains but not really. I need to try to remember that.
Anyway what was I saying before, yes my INTA major. Well heres the thing. It's always seemed like the best fit, a career in Intelligence or Diplomacy or the Legislative branch. But there's one thing being a specialist in the middle east doesn't gratify in these particular fields, and thats this nagging other serious interest of mine. And granted it would involve this to a certain degree but not to the degree or even the kind that I'd enjoy. I'm worried if I ignore it I'll regret my choices down the road. But here it is. I love writing. I love speaking even though I shake a lot. A LOT. Notice how those are two different words. My family is always mean to me about this saying indirectly that I suck at writing and that douglas is the REAL writer and that I can't speel. haha j/k/ But seriously. I can spell and even if can't there's this thing called spell check they invented recently and jeez. I definitely spell better than 87% of the country. maybe more. Anyway so I think its time I start ignoring my family. I've always thought about being a speech writer which I've kinda abandoned since it would be ignoring the other side of my interests, int. affairs.
But what if, what if there was a magical profession that combined it all into one. Even if it's low paying, highly competitive and highly competitive. I know I said that twice. Just so you know I know so you don't start thinking I'm not a competent writer. But Really. Do want to know what my communication teacher said about my first speech. I personally thought it was a large scale disaster since I was shaking violently the entire time. My speech was on the history of the steeplechase. Here are a few snippets of his comments copied write off the grading sheet:
"Your ability to visually construct for the audience what the event is like was captivating. Good job with the novel approach....Well researched, explained and informative throughout. The main points were very distinct and structured well. Overall, great job....You did a great job using the black screen function of the power point as well. Very professional....Eye contact was great as was your posture and gestures."
He gave me an A+. So Thats why I think I have potential in writing and speaking. And thats why I'm thinking of going back to that age old profession I've dreamed of off and on since I started dreaming of professions.
What is it? Journalism.
I don't know, I just don't know. Heres what I do know however. After journalistic experience the next two skills that the NY times looks for in a foreign correspondent are knowledge of a foreign language and an understanding of international relations, two things I will have down for sure by the time I'm rollin outta this joint in 4 years. Not to mention the fact that my language will be Arabic and my area of specialty the middle east.
The reason I got thinking all this was because I was fooling around with an online career test today. I put down physical stamina for a skill I have. combined with int. relations and writing, foreign correspondent shot straight to the top. Well, right after military officer. Probably since I also put down leadership ability. But military is out of the question so foreign correspondent was technically at the top.
This is not what I was planning to write about. I was planning to say how freakin excited I was to be going home on friday. kinda slipped my mind. sorry if you read all that rambling. It's not that I don't want to work for the government like I've planned, but another added bonus to this would be some freedom from my home town. I LOVE washington to death. I really do. buuuut the idea of locking myself into a career path that will likely have me living close to the rents for life has never been terribly favorable. of course look at me now. 3 months away from home and I'm just about on the verge of tears for missing my house so much. God I miss my house. All the sophomores swear it feels ridiculously weird when you go home. I can't even imagine what it will feel like. Some part of me is actually quite nervous. for what I don't know. I can really see myself shaking when I go to practice and visit school. So many people, so much tiiiiimes passed.
And what am I going to do about the shaking. Most people have never experienced me doing my tremors thing first hand. Well let me tell you. You have to see it to believe that a human being can shake with that much force without being hooked up to electrodes. My fits are rather rare outside of class presentations. The winter sports awards banquet was pretty bad last year when I got a HUGE unexpected award in front of every athlete, coach and athletes parent. Didn't have to speak. Just had to stand on stage long enough for the male recipient to be called. Couldn't even do that without my knees knocking together repeatedly. when else... gosh get this. When the West Potomac band came to JMU to perform and I was suddenly swamped by so many familiar faces as I went to greet my brother as they walked toward the stadium. Started shaking. Wore off relatively quickly but was most definitely shaking. People scare the hell out me. I wonder if its any better when it's just a video camera. Then of course I'll probably have mortars exploding behind me to freak me out enough to induce the shakes. I was also shaking pretty bad when there was a gun aimed at my head. yea so people and the eminent threat of death. That seems to do it for me. Maybe being a reporter in a war isn't the best idea for a job I've had this week....
Well if anyone can think of something that involves lots of writing (somewhat creative), international relations and NO GUNS OR LARGE GATHERINGS of PEOPLE let me know. I'm so there. There might even be a reward in it for you so get brainstorming. HOME IN TWO AND HALF DAYS!!!!!!!! | | |
| Me and Rinker are no longer friends. I'm not going to Arkansas. But hes got good reasons blah blah blah. Whatever. My only consolation is that Mariah isn't going either. He must not like freshmen. hmf.
Soooo racing in williamsburg this weekend.
I thought of something else for my list of things I miss
# wherever I was
I miss coffee hour, and the big tree outside the church and mom yelling at douglas to get out of that tree and the yruu room. I don't miss board meetings however.
(Note: my family isn't on this list because I see them) | | |
| Hello!
So things are good. Survived my first round of tests with good grades:
Lit (Great Works) 92%
Macro Econ 82%
Intn'l Relations 85%
Communication 99%
My first test in history isn't until the midterm but I just turned in my very first college paper in that class.
And I had a big amazing race last week and tied for 8th on the team with two other girls who ran the exact same time as me. I ran a 23:29 for a 6k which converts to a 19:19 5k which would be a 14 second PR! anyway Rinker just told us a few days ago that instead of only taking the top 7 to the big meet in arkansas next week he's actually taking the top 9. With a girl who didn't race last week added back into varsity I'm freakin tied for 9th!!! He hasn't decided who is going yet but he's going to look at last week's race, our first race and how we've been doing in the workouts. One of the girls I'm tied with he already decided wasn't racing but that still leaves the other. I rocked the workout yesterday (12:08 2m, 2 min rest, 13:52 2m, 1 min rest, 6:04 mile) but the girl I'm tied with beat me by a lot at the first meet. I really want to go but I won't be sad if I don't. It'll be extremely scary if I go with varsity, I will have to run my butt off. Hopefully I'll find out soon. btw not the fastest freshmen anymore, that goes to my friend Mariah now, she is vicious.
And what else, our football team has won four in a row. how cool. aaaaand I have a recruit coming this weekend! She's Sammy Dow and I think we've only raced together once at states in the 1000, she kinda crushed me. haha anyway should be fun.
I'm really starting to miss somethings. 3 months is starting to be a loooooong time...
#1 is my neighborhood, my house, my yard and my secret fort
#2 is the not just the team but just running in HS. I miss getting changed in the bathroom in the gym lobby everyday, and Beeby teasing me about something and Lundin going "KJem! how ya doin?" in his silly minnesota accent. and our track. and Cavalier drive. and tennis courts. And waiting around in the library with the sophomore boys.
#3 is my friends. seeing movies with them, cracking up with them. Gaby's house and Hershey. Waad and Soccer. Beth and Mara and Old Town.
#4 is driving. I think I'm about to forget how.
#5 My teachers!!! and rotc and seeing Feistein in the hallway and Kudos
Haha so a lot of that probably doesn't make sense to the people who read this but no matter.
Jeez, when is thanksgiving? even when I come home then I'll only be home for like a day and a half. How can I possibly get everything in in that much time? Christmas Break is really what I'm looking forward to. I'm totally going to school with douglas and visiting everyone.
Before now the longest I've been away from home is 2 weeks. I'm almost halfway now to when I go home and its been 6 weeks. crazy stuff.
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