Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Snow Day and the Social Butterfly

Happy Wednesday! 

WARNING: Due to the inclement weather, there will be plenty of pictures on this blog. Brace yourselves! 

Before I get into talking about snow, I would like to wish one of my best friends a happy birthday-- so, happy 18th birthday to my bro, Carson! Hope your day has been swell. 

June 2013 - Left to right: Carson, me, and Charlie
Photo by Matthew

How about that weather, Atlanta? It is no doubt cold and horrendous, but I am looking at it from a beautiful perspective. This is the first time I've experienced snow whilst downtown, and it has been incredible. It fell from about 11:00 a.m. yesterday through about 9:00 p.m. or so. It was quite a sight-- not only the snowfall itself, but the traffic! As I perused my Facebook feed last night, I came across some interesting links regarding this "snowpocalypse"... one article which compares the traffic in Atlanta to a sort of "Walking Dead" scenario (which couldn't be a more fitting description considering downtown is home to the first few episodes of the show; not to mention I'm a huge fan). The article can be found here

Yesterday, with the knowledge of the impending weather, class was still going on in the morning. I woke up at my usual Tuesday-Thursday time of 5:45 a.m. to get ready for my 8 a.m. American Government class. I dressed to stay warm and headed to class in the windy city. Like every cold morning, it wasn't the most pleasant walk, but I got a workout nonetheless. After my first class I proceed to English class, which was shortened because of the potential snow storm. I walked back to my dorm after it was over. As I got closer I noticed very little flurries and shook it off as just that-- a flurry. When I settled in, I began to start reading some material for my 2:30 class as I ate lunch. After about noon I received a text from my mother to let me know it was snowing where she worked. I asked if it was really snowing or if it was simply a flurry. 

It was snowing.

See the little flurries? Notice it sticking
on the bushes.

You know you're in Atlanta when...
I hadn't looked out the window in awhile, with blinds pulled down and all (though still open), so I got up to check and to my surprise the light flurry turned into a thicker flurry and was slowly accumulating. I got in touch with one of my high school friends who lives in my building and she came up to join me and to check out my view. 

When Nithya got to my room we were awestruck by the snow since it had been a few years since we last experienced a snowfall quite like this. Already there were some traffic backups present. We debated whether or not to go out in the courtyard for some snowball fighting or sledding. We met up with her room mate, Meera, and went outside. Later, another friend of ours from high school joined us. Edith tried sledding for the first time, but it wasn't very successful since others had been sledding where we were hoping to slide around. 

We got hungry and decided to walk to Pizza Hut just a block away to pick up a cheese pizza. 20 minutes later we were walking out with a warm box of pizza which smelled wonderful. During the whole trek back to the dorms, all I could think of was that one Spongebob episode where Spongebob had to deliver a Krusty Krab pizza whilst trekking on uncharted territory to deliver the pizza in an obscure town. Of course, I began to sing Spongebob's little song... 


"The Krusty Krab pizza, is the pizza, for you and...
MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

We went back to Nithya and Meera's dorm to chow down on pizza and drink hot chocolate. 

Pizza Hut!

Afterward, we headed outside to brave the cold and to watch other residents attempt sledding. A group of guys in the courtyard filled a laundry basket of snowballs and ambushed the wannabe sledders and shredders. Luckily, none of us were hit by the strangers. 

The courtyard

Sledding!

Southern Snowman. Pretty pathetic, I know. 

Nithya, me, and Meera

Nithya, Meera, me, and Edith

We decided to go check out the other dorms nextdoor, which is where Edith recently moved. We spent a couple hours in her room listening to a variety of music and even got to watch her dance! Edith really knows how to groove! I tried to teach her a thing or two about swing dancing, but, it didn't go too well. Still, I exposed my friends to some Glenn Miller! 

After spending a few hours with Edith, we walked back to our dorms and spent a few hours in my room. There was supposed to be free pizza on every floor around 8 p.m. that night, but it kept getting delayed, so eventually we got tired of waiting and had breakfast for dinner at my place. We listened to music, laughed a lot, and I even taught them how to play Apples to Apples. Just wait 'til I break out the Cards Against Humanity game... 

Walking back to my place.

Being silly.

We stayed up until almost 2 a.m., because class was cancelled today and is cancelled for Thursday as well. 

Snowy day skyline - Atlanta, GA
Isn't my view just fabulous?

Today was another lazy day, but my friends and I still got out to brave the cold. I was up pretty early, despite my very late night, but it wasn't until 1:00 p.m. that Nithya, Meera, and I finally walked to Waffle House for lunch (which was originally supposed to be a brunch). It was a slippery walk, but we were able to walk on the street a good ways since it was such an apocalyptic void. The food was great and so was the service, as usual in my experiences at Waffle House. Kudos to our waitress, who'd been there since 8 a.m. yesterday. Needless to say, we tipped well. 

Good morning, Atlanta.

Walking to Waffle House.

Lunch time at Waffle House!


We bummed around for hours at Nithya's dorm, and hours flew by and we decided to venture out again. We walked all the way to Landmark Diner, where we enjoyed mozzarella sticks and cake. Yum. Need I say more?

Wrote my nickname in the snow.

Meera and Nithya enjoying tiramisu and chocolate cake.

We walked back to the dorms again one last time for the night and while I hit the books, presumably they did, too. It's been a great snow week and I am so glad I've been on my weekend since Tuesday, mid-day. 

Before I finish up this post, I figured I would take a step back and share a little about my weekend, pre-snowpocalypse. 

I went home Friday morning (January 24th) to finally take my driver's test! I will save all the details about the test, but I will say that it was as easy as my friends have made it out to be. I didn't believe it at first, but I was pretty calm when I took the test... and I passed! Later that evening I went to the pizza cafe with my brother to catch up and we had a really good conversation which isn't something that usually happens. Afterward, I drove us home and watched The Heat with my mother. It's a hysterical movie starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. My brother is a big Hangover series fan, and he admitted he enjoyed The Heat more than The Hangover: Part III. My mother dozed off about halfway through the  movie, but it was still an enjoyable night. The next day was spent running errands and taking my dog to the park before I went to a sitting job that evening.

No shame in taking selfies with Ruby!

I returned to campus Sunday afternoon and tried to get some homework done before class the next day. ASL is a blast (and a breeze right now, considering the background I have with it) and our class on Monday was very engaging. We're starting to work on WH-questions with each other. I've been signing a bit too fast for those with whom I've partnered up for group activities, but I'm trying to slow it down for those new to ASL. It is really great to be surrounded by 20 or more students wanting to learn such a beautiful language together. I'm loving it!

After class, I went to the counseling center (finally!) to meet with one of the counselors there. I went back in early December to see what I could do about getting some help in coping with depression. I'd dug myself pretty deep and was under a lot of stress and worry. When I met with my assigned counselor, she was impressed by my strength and asked where it was coming from. I had to think on that for a moment, because I've been strong for years up until last semester where my strength began to decline, but I suppose moving out and shifting my focus has helped build my strength up. But I answered her question with "my grandfather. I get my strength from him." Though he is passed, just the thought of him encourages me to go on, because if he were still physically here he would be motivating me. The counselor had a little trouble pinpointing exactly what help I was looking for, now that the notes she wrote the other day were few in comparison to the notes taken by the other counselor last month. Basically, I've requested grief counseling and possibly some group therapy so I can meet others who relate and are wanting to feel better, too.

Positive quote in the counseling center

Well, folks, I have updated the song of the week to Dean Martin's "Let it Snow." I say it's fitting, considering the weather. :-)

Until next time,

Kelsey

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

One week down, taking it one day at a time

Good afternoon, ya'll. 

I survived my first week back! Having Fridays off are a blessing. Nothing beats a long weekend. I had a pretty good, eventful weekend, for I went home to see some family and friends. 

Friday night, my high school held their 2nd (or 3rd?) annual Teacher Follies show, which is a fundraiser for the Thespian troupe which I was a part of when I was still in high school. It's a great show of some of the school's teachers giving their best musical and theatrical performances. I witnessed a magic show and a ton of great music. To top it all off, I had the pleasure of seeing my underclassmen friends again. Needless to say they were thrilled to see me. Oh how I miss my drama friends! 

Hillary wasn't too thrilled about me taking
a picture with her.

Seth! or, "McKrispee."

Shencheh, Trupti, and Yoshua... and me.

Saturday night, my mother, grandmother, and I met up with my aunt, uncle, and their twin daughters to celebrate their 11th birthday! We ate at Carrabbas (which was absolutely delicious) and then headed to the mall so the two girls could get their first ear piercing! I promised them that when I got my second ear piercing that I would get it done with them. So I did. Hannah wasn't really nervous about it, but Sarah was afraid it would hurt. To my surprise, neither of them flinched and they were pretty pleased to get it over with. Afterward, we headed to their house for some cake. 

Me with the twins


Sunday afternoon, I went to church for a very late (but fun) cast party for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a show in which I was the lead role/narrator, Beth Bradley. It was a great show and the whole cast did a wonderful job. We watched the play again on a projection screen as we chowed down on pizza and cookies. It was great having most everyone together again. 

Promo poster

Me as Beth Bradley performing alongside the Angel Choir

Monday morning, I met at church yet again with the middle school youth to chaperone for their service project. We went to a place which houses children whose parents are unable to take care of them, and those who are trying to get back up on their feet and get an education or find a job. We aided them in cleaning up one of the houses. We vacuumed the rooms, took down curtains, scrubbed baseboards, and mopped the floors. The kids worked very hard and got a lot done. After a few hours of hard work, we were treated to pizza at Fellini's for lunch. 

Briefing before starting to work

I went back on campus that afternoon, exhausted. I had a long but enjoyable weekend with many familiar faces. I spent the rest of my afternoon moving in some things I found I needed after a week in my dorm. My mother found a good deal on a toaster oven, so I have put that in my kitchen. I also bought a mirror to go on my closet door. I brought from home two of my favorite posters - one of The Walking Dead, and the other of none other than Rosie the Riveter herself. It was a chore getting things set up, but it's starting to feel more Kelsey... 

Rosie the Riveter... a must.

Another favorite- The Walking Dead!

Why, hello there. 
Today, after ASL, I met up with a friend for lunch when she got out of class. Rachel and I played junior roller derby together for a year in high school, and briefly discussed the idea of starting a skating club. We were both feeling withdrawal from skating, and thought it would be awesome to find other students at our university who are skaters as well. I'm making that another goal of mine-- form a rollerskating club on campus. 

Me and Rachel (black uniforms, in the middle of
black shirt pack) playing for the Brats. Go Undertakers!
Photo by Chris Albright

I am looking into getting involved in theatre here at school. I met a girl in my ASL class who's a theatre major, and she said they are always looking for an extra hand-- from stage managing to stage hands. If all works out, I'll be back in black, behind the curtain of a show! Being in drama club in high school (although stressful) brought me such joy. I had a blast humming the tunes to the musical as I stood by the house doors, or as I prepared to roll out another set piece for the next scene. To this day, I still find myself singing "Wells Fargo Wagon" every time I pass by a Wells Fargo bank. For those that don't know, it's a song from The Music Man, a very fun and energetic musical which my old high school performed 2 years ago. Good times.

Before, I go, I have added a new song for the Song of the Week. It's called Open Happiness by Ceelo Green, Patrick Stump, Travis McCoy, Brendon Urie, and Janelle Monae. Ever since it was released, it has brought a smile upon my face on a bad day. Enjoy!

Now, I best get to studying. Until next time...

Kelsey

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

2 days in, and loving the routine

Good morning, readers! 

Guess what day it is? 




Wednesday has finally arrived. Not that I'm rushing the week or anything (though, I do have a 4-day weekend... hooray for class-free Fridays and MLK jr. day!)

I have had a great week so far. I don't know when the last time it was I said that in everyday life, for it is easy to exclaim that when on vacation (like in Montreat, for example. But, I digress). I know I have only been here for three nights now, but I'm just feeling at ease and it is a wonderful feeling. 

The door to my room. The hall has a Disney theme.
Apparently I missed the Harry Potter theme last semester. :(


I completely settled in to my dorm Sunday evening, and my brother got a chance to see what it looks like. He was amazed by what all is included, and the space I had in my own room. I said farewell to him and my mother after they helped me put away the last of my belongings and groceries. My goodness, grocery shopping for yourself-- especially when shopping organic or just overall healthy-- is quite expensive! All week I've done my best not to waste any food or over consume anything, keeping watch of portions and trying to make the not-as-perishable (?) food last a couple weeks. Oy. My poor wallet...

Okay, don't judge me when I say... I officially LOVE Mondays. I sound crazy, I know, BUT, my first and only class of the day doesn't start until noon! Hence, easy mornings, no waking up really early to dart across campus to class. Not only is it a later class, but it's my American Sign Language class. I already have a solid background of ASL in terms of basic communication, because last semester I took a class outside of college every Friday, but it was only the first three units of the textbook which I will be yet again using for my college class. However, with this class we will address all units: 1-6. For the first half of the semester, it will be simply a review for myself. 

After class on Monday, Hanna (one of my closest friends from high school), who just transferred to my college, hung out with me and brought our friend Shalom along. It was Hanna's birthday, so we more or less celebrated. We walked all over campus together, got a little lost, and got stuck in the rain for awhile until we could get back to my dorm. I cooked dinner for them-- chicken and rice-- and we got to catch up. They left after dinner and I relaxed for the rest of my evening. I aimed to get to bed early, because my Tuesday morning would start VERY early with a class at 8:00 a.m. I haven't had class at that hour since high school! Mind you, I cannot believe It's been almost a year since graduation. But again, I digress.

Hanna and I
Monday afternoon
Rainy downtown Atlanta - 6:00 p.m.
I woke up at 6:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, and was a bit groggy. Nevertheless, I proceeded to get ready and left my dorm around 7:30 a.m. A good portion of my walks to class are uphill (not steep, but progressive hills are killer at times...) and at least 10 minutes away on foot. I start Tuesdays and Thursdays with American Government at 8:00 a.m. The professor I have knows my brother and father, which is cool, and after the class I introduced myself to her. 

Approximately 6:30 a.m.
View from my window - Sunrise!

9:00 a.m. or thereabouts? 

I went to the bookstore after class to rent a copy of the required text, and whilst on my way to class I was surprised to see another friend from high school-- Andrew! While we were talking, we spotted another high school friend of ours and called out to her. Seeing them made my day, since we had some great fun in high school together.

After American Government, I have English Composition II. After my junior year of high school, I began to detest English classes (that is another story in itself), so I was not looking forward to it. To my surprise, my professor was as awesome as others made him out to be. He even wants us to call him by his first name, which will be weird to get used to. 

I have this wonderful, almost 4-hour break between English and my last class of the day-- History since the 1500s-- which I have with Hanna. It is not my cup of tea, but I have to take it. Film major struggles! I'll be glad when I get past all the history classes I'm required to take. At least I have a close friend in my class! 

Speaking of friends, I haven't really met any new ones-- not in my classes and not on my hall. But, it's a work in progress. I've only been here a few days, and I have all semester for making new bonds. 

Before I met with Hanna to walk our history class, I was waiting on the elevator on my floor when I had a friendly conversation with one of the janitorial women on the floor. She asked "how are you?" to which I habitually responded, "I'm good, you?" Her response was the same. She then asked, "Are you having a good day?" I paused for a moment, turned back to face her, and confidently said, "Actually, I'm having a great day." I can't remember the last time I uttered those words. She said "Wonderful" and asked if I was glad to be back. Yet another positive response flew from my mouth when I said, "I am, actually. I just moved in. I was commuting last semester." She warmly welcomed me and my elevator arrived. 
I love friendly people. 

Hanna and I barely made it to history class on time, and had to wave at some other high school friends who called to us from across the Student Center. History since the 1500s was the first class where I actually endured a lecture, since all my other classes passed on it until the second class of the semester. After an hour and fifteen minutes, Hanna and I left. We went back to the bookstore together in search for our history textbook, but later found a better deal online. We went to one of the dining areas and ordered from Einstein Bros. When we went to check out, Hanna was short two cents ($3.02), so we threw our order together and the total came to $10.02-- but all I had was a 10! The lady at the register kindly said she had the two pennies covered and for us to enjoy the rest of our day. We joked about how expensive my ham and swiss bagel was, when I commented that I would consume half now and save the rest for later. I said, "it's all about portion control!" and the lady at the register said "I know that's right!" When we sat down to eat, I spotted my neighbor and said hello to him. Afterward, we went back to my dorm and chilled for a couple hours before Hanna headed home for the night. 

In a couple hours I will be in ASL class, and then I plan to meet with Hanna and hang out in one of the suburbs nearby before I go watch the kids at my church. 

Happy hump day, everyone. Hope your day is as great as it can be. 

Yours truly,

Kelsey 

Saturday, January 11, 2014

All Moved In

I know it is a little early for a second blog post, but I just couldn't resist. This one is very important, because I am all moved into my dorm.

I'm at the beginning of a new start. I'll be living in a whole new environment, with new people who aren't my family, and I will only have to be responsible for myself.

It's different.

Some people are really misunderstanding what I've committed myself to this year, and I just wanted to clear things up. This isn't a blog where I'm going to post my sorrows and downfalls. This blog is just something I can use to share my experiences and how I change as a person in this new life I'm living. Now that I am on my own and beginning my second semester of college, I can start finding out more about myself. 

Yesterday was the big day. I got up early that morning, after a nearly sleepless night, seeing as I was anxious about moving out and into my dorm. The night before I had recruited a couple of friends to help me with the move. Charlie, Natalie, and I negotiated a time we would gather the next morning. None of us were thrilled about getting up early that morning after a late night of playing cards and eating fast food, but the two managed to arrive at my house around 9:00 a.m. 

After about half an hour we arrived at my new living space, where I checked in and we began unloading the car. When we got to my floor, we were confused by the arrangement of room locations. I was located in the 10th suite on my floor, and so we followed the sign which supposedly directed us to my room. We were greeted by three doors, none of which were the 10th suite. After pacing the halls, arms loaded with my belongings, we found it. I set all the stuff I was carrying down on the floor and began to look for my key. I had an envelope in my hand which was supposed to hold my entrance card and room key. I couldn't find it! I thought, "Oh, not today. No way. Nope. Not happening." I had just had my key on the other end of the hall, and by the time I reached my room it had vanished! I backtracked down the hall, unable to find the gold key, and right as my friends were about to go on a hunt for it, we found it laying on the floor beneath the bags I had just dropped. Phew!

The set-up I have is a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom dorm with dining, kitchen, and living areas. It was more spacious than I had recalled when I last set foot in my friend's dorm, who has the same layout as me. At that moment I knew I was getting my money's worth. We brought the bags into the living area and sorted out which items belonged in the kitchen, bathroom, and my bedroom. Charlie and Natalie went back to the car to bring up the remaining items. I just want to say I am so grateful for them and their willingness to help, even at the "early" hour of 9 a.m. They are really awesome

Together we got the bed made and items sorted out, but by then Natalie had to go to work. I said farewell to her and Charlie left, too, so it was just me and my mother unloading bags. We finished by 2 p.m., and realized we had to make a shopping trip to Target to get a few storage boxes and other little things to store some of my belongings. 

Below are some photos of my bedroom. Unfortunately I do not have photos of the other parts of the suite, but this is what my room looks like: 


Closet door and desk

Closet door and bedroom door

Bed

Desk and dresser
(and clothes for which I need hangers!)

Also, a few images of the view from my room:

I am way too excited about how close I am
to the DragonCon hotels...

View of other dorms and interstate

Well, that's a long way down.

Oh, before I go, I have added a "Song of the Week" to the Navigation bar on the right. The song is called "Ready to Go," and it pretty much explains how I'm, well, ready to go back to my dorm and get this semester done and over with! 


Until next time, 

Kelsey

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

First Post!

Hello! 

Welcome to Getting Back to Me: Kelsey's Self-Improvement Blog, where I, Kelsey, have committed myself to self-improvement for the year 2014. Having this blog will hold me accountable for my commitment, so I won't be just another person who has claimed the resolution "new year, new me." 

What exactly do I hope to get out of running this blog?
I hope that as I blog a few times a month, that I begin to see a change in myself and how I feel. If you take a look at my autobiography, you'll learn I am in a mental struggle with myself. I have not always been the most confident girl, for I have dealt with weight problems since my pre-teen years, and endured a lot of bullying like most people experience at some point in their life. I have also dealt with a lot of loss in my life, meaning I have lost many loved ones over the years-- some being very near and dear to my heart. With all of this together, one can only imagine how I handle (or don't handle) it. I want to inspire others to be strong no matter their struggle, because in one way or another, we're all in the same boat

I also want to get healthy both physically and mentally. I want to overcome these mental battles and find happiness in my life. I want to get back into the shape so that I will be on the road again to a healthier lifestyle and won't be so afraid of going out for the athletic hobbies I once enjoyed. I just want to feel good about who I am.

I also want to become a better person. Some people have said, "but, I like the Kelsey you are now." Don't worry, folks, I don't mean anything too drastic. As I said above, I just want to feel better about myself. I want to inspire others in some way, to become a better individual. We all have room for improvement, and that is exactly what I want to do. I want to become an even better version of myself. 

Please follow my blog and read each post as they come, and don't be afraid to post feedback in the comments! I greatly appreciate the support in advance. 

Yours truly, 

Kelsey