Vernal equinox

Happy Friday, my fellow readers!

According to the weather man, we are already a day into Spring! This is debatable, seeing as though I left the house this morning in a coat (about 39 degrees!) and didn't need it anymore by the time the clock struck noon! Unfortunately I hear we are in for chilly mornings and cool afternoons with some rain this upcoming week... is it summer yet?

I don't think I've been this happy about Spring in a while, but with living downtown these days, all I notice with the change in season is the temperature, weather patterns, and maybe a few flowers blooming here and there, depending on where I wander. Being away from home has helped me grow in my appreciation for my hometown and its beauty, especially as seasons change.

Avondale Lake - April 2013

I have been home all week for spring break, but until the middle of the week, I hadn't gotten out much. All I have done is attend church, spend time with the youth group, bum around the house in my pajamas (not that I mind that at all... just very unproductive), and finally, I had the opportunity to have a little fun today by getting my nails done and having lunch with a friend. While both were highlights to my day, I found a deep peace driving around town this afternoon.

Ladybug on a gardenia - February 2013

I got in the car to run some errands before dinner, and as I backed out of the driveway, I rolled down the windows. I turned up the radio and played my Frank Sinatra CD. As I rolled down my hilly street, I rocked my sunglasses as I sang totally off-key to Sinatra's "The Good Life," and after a rough week, it felt good to cut loose to some happy and soothing music. As I cruised through town, the cool, spring air seeped through the partially open windows and blew my hair. Passing the lake, I observed the ducks swimming in line. Children who'd biked to the lake were swinging on a suspended bench, taking in the scenery. An older gentleman fished at one corner of the lake. Couples walked their dogs on the trail. And there I saw it-- my favorite tree at the lake. It served as a canopy over a bench area, and its gentle pink flower petals fluttered with the breeze, some falling off and landing on the grass. The sun reflected off the water, brightly. It was at that moment when I genuinely appreciated the beauty of spring, especially the spring which occurred in my hometown. I hang on to countless memories of the lake, and I am able to recall many days spent feeding the ducks, getting chased by geese, biking around the trial, and that one time where a swan bit me when I was seven years old. 

Yes, that's right. I was bit by a swan.

About twelve years ago, it was spring break for my brother and me, so my grandfather took us down to the lake so we could ride bikes and feed the ducks as he sat under the gazebo working crossword puzzles. Those were some of my fondest memories, getting close enough to the ducks and geese to pass them bread directly to their bills. My grandfather spotted the baby of one of the few black swans we had back then, and wanted to capture a photo of me standing next to the baby. I was hesitant, because I knew many animals were very protective of their young. As I nervously approached the baby swan, my grandfather began to take a picture. Back then, small digital cameras took a moment to capture the photo. Unfortunately for me, after the photo was taken, the mother swan came up to me, its bill ajar, and bit me on my left side. Can you say ouch? I was bruised for a good week or so, and needless to say I was pretty displeased with my grandfather at the time. He, on the other hand, found it hilarious. I'll never forget the day I got bit by a swan. 

I cannot locate the picture of me and
the swan, so here's a picture of me and
my grandfather, 1997.

One of the challenges this week was being strong through the heartache of knowing that three years ago on Wednesday (March 19th), my grandfather lost his long battle with cancer. It's memories like the one shared with you above that keep me going. I'd be lying if I said things get easier as time goes on. For some, that may be the case, but for me and much of my family, the grief has only worsened. On Wednesday morning, I read a beautiful quote by C.S. Lewis, which offered a bit of nostalgia as well as a glimmer of hope. It reads, "Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing the monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward." While a loss such as this is something I'll never forget, moving forward is something I can do, in time. And I have, slowly. Loss is never easy. We can anticipate the feelings we'd have over losing someone before they actually pass, but we don't ever know truly how we feel once a person is gone. We may fill ourselves with regrets or guilt, and fail to remember the most treasurable moments we shared with our deceased loved ones. We have got to let go of those regrets and guilty feelings in order to move forward. We must remember that our loved ones wouldn't want us to spend many and many a year moping about their not being present, but instead carry on with our lives while holding fast to the impact they had on us and what they taught us while they were still here on Earth. We must know that in time-- though it may not seem like it now-- things will be alright. 

Avondale Lake - March 2013

Considering this pleasant weather, a bike ride is in my future-- tomorrow morning. Oh, how I have missed that. Enjoy this beautiful weather as we continue to transition out of winter. 

Until next time,

Kelsey

The song of the week is Moonlight Serenade by Frank Sinatra. Just a tribute to my grandfather... one of his favorite songs, and my all-time favorite song. 

My favorite tree at the lake.

Why I am destined for film

Happy Monday, people!

Spring break is just days away-- in fact, it begins after class on Thursday (for me, at least)!

I won't be traveling, but the break alone will be good regardless. I did have the opportunity to go to Universal, but that offer was for this week. It's a bummer that my spring break doesn't line up with my cousins' spring break! 

I've had a pretty good week since my last update. I attended a film festival, a dance competition, and wandered the city with some of my old high school friends (from my graduated class). There were many pictures, lots of laughter, and much more. I will talk about the film festival later in this post. 

Before I proceed, I would like to announce (for those who haven't heard) that my braces are finally gone! Back to eating pizza like a normal human being without cutting it up with a fork and knife! :-P 

The obligatory selfie, post-braces.

After a long night with Edith at a very disappointing dance competition, we went back to my dorm to watch a movie and eat popcorn. We stayed up until 2 and she headed back to her room afterward. We had to get up early in the morning to meet with our friend who attends UGA, who'd be arriving at 8:30 a.m. by bus. We initially planned to have breakfast together and then part ways, but it turned out to be an adventure around the city. 

Upon her arrival from the bus station to our local Marta station, we greeted our friend and began walking to Dunkin' Donuts. While on the way there, a couple with their young daughter stopped us to ask if we could direct them to the aquarium. We agreed to walk them part of the way there, so we passed by the Westin and went all the way to Centennial Park, where the aquarium can be seen. They thanked us and went on their way, and we went back toward campus. When we got to Dunkin Donuts, I picked up an Oreo Mint Creme Donut. One word... delicious. 

A Coca-Cola painting next to the Tabernacle
More photos from my walk around the city can be
found on my Instagram here.

It's a shame I left my DSLR back at my dorm, because I could have captured many neat shots. Instead I relied on my phone to take photos. 

We decided to walk all the way to the Hilton Hotel to ride the elevator. I had attempted it before, but realized you cannot access the very top without a hotel card. We instead only went about halfway up the elevator, but got a great view of the city from it. Next time, we'll have to go to the top of the Westin together (something I've already done). I filmed a little bit of my view from the elevator. You can view it here. 

Later, we walked back to my dorm to cook a late breakfast before venturing out again. We made pancakes and bacon and lounged around a bit, waiting for the temperature to warm up outside...

...and boy did it get warm! 

We want all the way to 5 Points to shop, and while we were by the Marta station, we saw a cute pair singing and playing guitar in front of the station. To view a clip of the two singing "For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic" by Paramore, click here. They were a very talented pair. A man walked by and handed them what looked like a can of soup and canned tuna, to which they responded, "oh sir, we don't need this, we do this from the heart!" as they tried to pass it back to the man. It was hard to make out what the man said back, but something to the effect of "you may need it in the long run." 

After shopping at Rainbow for what seemed like forever, we walked to Underground Atlanta to explore some shops and booths. I discovered a chocolate shop in Underground and was pretty excited about it. Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations, as it doesn't compare to The Chocolate Fetish in Asheville, NC, nor did it compare to Kilwin's in Black Mountain, NC...but hey, it was chocolate. 

We decided to wrap up our time together by going to Johnny Rockets. Edith and Neeharika shared a Coke float, while I enjoyed a Cookies n' Creme milkshake. I love the atmosphere at Johnny Rockets, because they play strictly oldies in the background. I swear, I was born in the wrong decade! I was singing along to the music while my friends just sat there, clueless as to who Sonny and Cher were. Needless to say, I know where I want to spend my 19th birthday this year. :-)

On Thursday evening, I attended a film festival hosted by Campus Movie Fest. I'd heard about it just a little too late, so unfortunately I did not have anything to submit. I went to the festival alone, and was third in line at the red carpet outside the auditorium where we would be viewing the films. One of the crew members wore a black shirt which read, "Keep Calm and Film On" (a spin-off of Keep Calm and Carry On). The two girls in front of me were having a conversation with him and learned that he graduated from our college with a major in film. He expressed how much he enjoyed his job, which made me even more excited about advancing in film. Somehow, I got to talking with the two girls in front of me, and learned that one is a film major and the other a theatre major. Jasmine and Quinn were their names, and they told me they submitted a film for the festival and hoped to see it in the top 16. If you would like to see their film, visit this YouTube link. After talking for a bit, Quinn noticed my hat and commented on how she too loved Panic! at the Disco. We had the best conversation about the band and similar artists, and we decided to sit together in the auditorium. We sat through some incredible films, and let's just say... boy, does our college have talent! We exchanged phone numbers and plan to hang out after spring break. 

Back when I was in middle school, I was so sure of going into interior design or architecture, since I loved to design spaces. I would spend hours on an online interior design software, creating floor plans of my dream house. I can't tell you how many times I've recreated the design, but I will say that each floor plan improved every time. After taking an interior design class in 9th grade, I learned more about design elements and color. I really enjoyed the class even though it was a lot of work. 

Over the years, I considered the pay I would get and my likelihood of making a life-long career out of it. I decided in 11th grade that I was too wrapped up in designing for my dream house that I probably wouldn't be the best interior designer in that I would struggle to please clients. From watching shows on HGTV, I understand that pleasing a client can be a hit or a miss! Instead, I began to lean toward architecture. I had thought about it a lot in middle school, but I leaned more on the interior aspect of the design. I figured an engineering career would be better for me, but after having a hard time in math class throughout high school, I decided by senior year that it was something I couldn't pull off. Even though I spent a good chunk of my childhood making floor plans and designing roller coasters on the game "Roller Coaster Tycoon," I just couldn't see myself succeeding in that. I grew up with a camera in my hands constantly. So... film major it is! I had thought about photography, but I would be better off having that as a minor, since I still have a lot to learn about it, and I feel more opportune in the film and video major. 

Photo by Monica - August 2013

Also in middle school, I had this YouTube channel where I vlogged and made short comedic videos. Most of those are gone now, but my huge cooking show production my old Girl Scout troop made is still available on my channel. My drive to make videos for YouTube came from when my grandfather gave me a Flip video camera for my 13th birthday. I took it with me everywhere I went. Most of my middle school years are documented solely on film, until I later picked up a digital camera again during 8th grade. I plan to vlog again soon, but this time on a brand new channel. 

Photo by Natalie - June 2012 - Montreat, NC

My brother and I recently talked about the things we were both destined to do for the rest of our lives. He's a very dedicated baseball player, so I'm pretty sure you readers could figure out what he's aspiring to be. Yes, that's right, he wants to get drafted into Major League Baseball. He works hard at it, day and day out, practicing for long hours between homework and other things. We agreed that it must be these things-- these hobbies-- with which we have stuck for many years, that ultimately hint at what we want to or are destined to do. This isn't always the case for some people, but for us, we know it's true. It is in our hearts. I want to work on a film set; he wants to work on a baseball diamond. They say, "if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." I hope I find that to be true when I get my dream job. 

So what is my goal with film? Well, to be honest, I haven't quite figured that out yet. I've considered two different paths-- one being directing, the other being a film editor. Both would be incredible jobs, but ultimately I hope to get to work with a camera directly. I hope in the near future I will find a job on set of The Walking Dead, or perhaps intern over at Jackson Spalding.

Below is a photograph of me sitting in my late grandfather's lap, holding his video camera. One of his many hobbies (besides wood-working and completing crossword puzzles) was film and photography. Last year, I created a Facebook fan page for his work which can be found here: Robert C. Kirk Photography. Speaking of my grandfather, in about 9 days we will have reached three years since he passed away. It is so hard to believe it's been that long...

Bob and Kelsey, Easter 1997 (?)

Have a great Monday, ya'll. Get out there and make your dreams come true. 

Until next time, 

Kelsey


P.S. The new Song of the Week is Panic! at the Disco's "This is Gospel." It is one of the best music videos I have ever seen, and evokes all sorts of emotions. I find it very fitting, at the moment. Enjoy. 

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