Goals for Sophomore Year.

Yay, I'm a sophomore in college. Want to know what that means? I survived my first year in college, didn't gain the freshman 15, and managed to not flunk out. After an extremely long summer vacation, it's that time of year again. And that is back to school time. I always thought that this was the time when you make goals for yourself, not New Year's because you seem to be more motivated now then in January. Or at least in my experiences anyways. Anyways, I'm getting further and further from my point so here's my goals for this upcoming year.

1. Get my license. I'm 19. I need to drive. I do have my permit, but I need my license because yeah being able to drive myself places and being independent.
2. Get a 3.5 GPA or higher so I can be accepted into an honor society. My school has an honor's society for one of my majors, and it's my new life goal to get in.
3. Make lots of new friends.You can never have too many friends. Plus, last year I really didn't get myself out there as much as I would like to and I would like to change that because I only college once. I want this to be a good experience.
4. Find a job. Because like money is important and stuff. 
5. Make the most of every moment. Carpe fucking diem.

I can't wait to look back on my goals in May to see if I actually fullfilled them. What are your college and life goals? 

Why I'm Here.

Ever since I watched the movie Julie and Julia. I was inspired how someone who was an average person like you and me all of a sudden became famous based on the words written in their hearts. I had always been into writing. When I was little, I used to make my stuffed animals act out little stories. As I got older, and knew how to write, I would write them down with Crayolas. Needless to say, I was a strange child. I wanted to be something based on the words that I have written and the opinions that I have. I wanted to be known for these words and opinions.

In August 2010,  I created my first blog Notations. I had no idea where I wanted to go with this blog I just knew that it was meant to go somewhere. For the first few months, I didn't write much basically because I didn't know what to write. When I did write, it would had to be perfect, and write stuff that was polished and pristine. In February of 2011, after watching the show Sex and the City obsessively. I began to model my blog after what Carrie had written about her friends and family. I used false names to protect my friends privacy. I analyzed things and situations that I was presented with as a high school junior who liked a boy who didn't like her, wanted to be the best, and just wanted to be loved. However when writing with that style so many things have happened. For starters, it was too personal. I wrote about who I had a crush on and of course the person read the blog. I eventually chose to write more non personal topics, simply because I realized that there is somethings need to be left behind. 

In 2012, I began to go on a period of adventure. That was the year of endings and beginnings. That's when I began to realize that my time writing notations was no more. I was no longer the person that I wanted to be, because I had let the negative stresses and such take over my life. So I developed this blog to do none other than to find my voice, in addition to making a new shiny and clean start. 

200 entries later I have become much farther on the journey to find my voice as a writer, and as a person. I hope to find myself in the next 200, because this is only the beginning of my life. I am young and yearn to live. I do this because I am meant to. I'm a proud blogger, and I am here to say. I hope that you all will enjoy reading me as much as I enjoy writing this. Like when I started this blog a year and a half ago, my life is full to the brim with opportunity, new beginnings, and of course experiences. I can't wait to actually experience them! 

Tips For Incoming College Freshmen.

So, it has began. Colleges all over the country are opening their doors for their incoming freshmen. Last year, I was a freshman like you people reading this lovely blog entry. However, here's some advice that I want to share with you all that I'm fairly certain that isn't mentioned in orientation.
1. Lanyards/ID Holders are your best friend. One of the best things that are available is lanyards (seen below) I don't know why, honestly. It's convenient to have all of my keys in one sole place. Plus, since it comes in several pretty colors, so it can be personalized for taste. I personally like it because it makes it easy to transfer from my backpack, to my purse, and even can be carried on its own. Also, it's also handy to not dig for your ID.

2. If you're a commuter like me, be sure to arrive on campus at least an half an hour earlier than you need to be on campus. Why? Parking lots tend to fill up rather quickly, and professors are not quite so nice when you say that you couldn't find parking causing you to be late for class, or not even show up at all.

3. Be sure to have lots of snacks in your dorm, because the dining hall tends to close. Some of my favorite late night snacks include Nutella, Wheat Thins, some kind of ceral, and I've heard Ramen is a big thing on college campuses. Nutella is my all time favorite snack of all time. 

4. Individualize your dorm. Although I don't have the experience of having a dorm, I've heard that doing so it makes it more and more homelike. 

5. Having pictures around is also helpful. I made one of my best friends in the entire world a collage of my best friend and I's relationship. That was you have a slice of home, even when you're not exactly near home.

6. Be sure to not put too much on your plate. Meaning, that there's 24 hours a day. School takes time. Plus, food is also important.
7. Have fun :) After all, you only college once.

Hi!

Okay, so I'm a bad blogger. I haven't been writing as much as I would like to or as I should. Sorry internet people who actually read this. I was dealing with a backache, which was really annoying me because I couldn't do much other than crying about how much it hurt. Oh, and watching glee, because glee is awesome if I do say so myself. In addition to that, I was spending a lot of time with a friend of mine, fine a REALLY good friend of mine who was going away to school halfway across the country and I wouldn't get to see for a long time. Okay fine, December but still going from seeing each other at least once a week to not seeing each other for weeks on end. If he's reading this, I want him to know that I'm happy for him no matter how far he goes. However, it didn't soften the blow of having to say goodbye to someone whose been a major part of my life for the past few years. Although one can say that it's not a goodbye, it is simply a see you later.
This is more of a housekeeping entry than an actual artsy entry. I'm going to aim to write more pieces, because I enjoy writing, and I want to be a better writer. Although with this whole college and finding work thing, in addition to having a social life it could be hard. But hey, I'm up for the challenge. That's the thing about the internet. We often forget that there is a life beyond the screens.
Oh, and one more announcement! I had written a guest post on my friend's blog! I hope you guys can check it out because I think that I did fairly awesome, if I do say so myself. (Link's posted at the bottom of this entry)
Til Next Time,
Natalie
http://emmajudy.blogspot.com/2013/08/what-natalie-loves-wednesdaya-guest-post.html

All Your Faults.

Everyone has a flaw. It's a fact, not my own personal opinion. Some people are bad at math. Others can't carry a tune. Everyone has something about themselves that they can't change, some wierd fault that makes us wonder if we're good enough, worthy enough. 

I think that we as a human race focus on the bad things instead of the good things. Like if we get a thousand compliments and the thousand and one was an insult, we tend to focus on the smaller one versus the other thousand. I don't know why it's like that. It just is. We can't change it, it's one of the things that I've noticed about myself and a few others. I don't know why we focus on the negative things vs the positive ones. Is it human nature? What is this nonsense? 

I don't know the answers to those questions, although one can propose many theories.  I can't tell you why we do that, I can just say that we can. 

The best we can do is simply accepting ourselves for who we are, faults and all.We have good points, in addition to the bad ones. Yeah, so you're bad at math. Well perhaps you're the best damn writer ever. So what you're unable to carry a tune? You are a rockstar in the science lab. We do have weaknesses, yet we often forget the things that we do have. We forget that we have friends and family that love us and stand by us through whatever curveballs life has to often. We are imperfectly human, but yet we are perfect in every single way. 

Self Love.

        This week I’m devoting to talking about loving, respecting, and accepting oneself. I believe that self love is an important topic, because if you don’t love yourself then how could you expect to let others love you? Chances are then you can have problems. So, this week, I’m devoting to talking about these important (at least to me) topics.

                I have had issues with self love for a while. For a while, I often thought that I wasn’t good enough to be worthy of love and acceptance. I, of course, was wrong. I thought I was ugly. Although I was assured otherwise by friends and family, it took a while for me to love what was in front of me. I still have issues with my looks, and wondering whether or not I’m worthy of happiness.

                However, I realized that I was wrong. I am beautiful, and I am worthy of feeling happy. Sometimes, I think that society puts an extreme pressure on you to be perfect. We are expected to be thin, to be smart, to be put together. News flash: not everyone is those things. And when you’re not, and you’re sitting on the sidelines watching it happen to some people you can’t help but feel awful to ourselves. But take a look closer to those people that we idolize, those people who cause us to be visited by the green eyed monster. They have problems too. And chances are, if they are famous, then they have special people to make sure that they are beautiful, thin, and always put together. They have hairstylists that make sure that their hair is perfect. Also, sometimes a little program called Photoshop may have something to do with their perfect magazine cover.

                Another instance of uneasiness is comparing oneself to friends. Some friends are skinnier than us. Some friends have the things that we wish that we have, and we can’t help but feel like we’re not good enough because they have the things that we wished that we had. We compare ourselves to them. It’s a natural part of human nature.

                There’s a couple of reasons one can do to attack these sorts of feelings. One can look at the mirror and say that “I’m Beautiful”, and a bunch of other nice things about yourself. Another thing that we can do is also take in account that the people that we are jealous of have problems of their own. You know that famous person with the pretty hair? Yeah, they have people following them around to take their picture. Just by knowing that the grass isn’t greener on the other side is only an upside to when we are feeling down about ourselves.

                To all who are reading this, please know that you are perfect in every way. Why? Because you are you. And that IS good enough. 

The Bigger Person

Sometimes we get into arguments with people that we care about. Sometimes, things are said that you wish that they weren't. Both parties get hurt, chaos ensues, and then people cry. These are the ingredients for an argument.
Then, we are faced with the biggest problem ever. How do we fix things? Do we even want to fix them? The question is answered with one simple answer: be the bigger person. No matter who is at fault, and who did what it doesn't matter. What matters is becoming the bigger person and owning up to what you did. Why? Life is too short to be blackened by arguments and unhappiness. People need to be at peace with each other, I believe.
I want to be the bigger person in my friendships and relationships. I really don't want to hate people, and to have disputes with them. We all get mad at the other, and we all do things. We're human, we're not perfect. However, with that being said, we often have to forgive the other for what they did. That is perhaps the hardest thing. Forgiving and forgetting is a concept that we perhaps try to avoid, and we cling onto that like a lifeboat. Sometimes, it's hard for me. I don't always have the answers, and I certainly don't have the words. I'm sorry? Well that's a start. Sometimes, it's easier to write the words down, because when I have to confront something sitting in front of the person, I often find myself coming short of the words to say what I really mean to say. However, I'm getting better. Sometimes, it just takes me time to let me cool off, because starting this while angry could lead to something bigger than the previous problem presented.
Being the bigger person in life doesn't always work out. However, I will try to, because Jesus and God (it's the first example I could think of) tells us to forgive. And I believe that they are right, because why should we go through life hating each other? Peace and love and all that good stuff. Sometimes, being the bigger person could do good. Sometimes it can't.

The Power Of Music.

Sometimes we have really bad days. On those days we want to cry, watch a bunch of movies, and eat a lot of things that taste good however they are not good for your actual body. It's the kind of thing you do things to make you feel good.
But then, on the radio we hear a song. A song that sparks us on the inside that causes some kind of strong feeling. Only music can do it. Music makes us feel. Music makes us feel inspired. Music makes us want to get up and want to dance around the room and not care what the world thinks. Music has this weird motivator that makes us want to do things. Music can make us feel like we are able to do anything. It makes us feel not alone.
The power of music is simple. For the past week, I've been feeling kind of down. However, with the help of music, it causes me to feel completely and totally happy. I feel like I'm a part of something that is bigger than myself. I'm in a world where I feel like I belong. Whether I'm listening to music, singing along to it, or listening to it when I'm running, I automatically feel better.
It's plain and simple. Music is powerful.

And for those who may be wondering what I'm listening to lately:

1. Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke. I think it's overplayed, but I kind of have this song stuck in my head. 
2. Demi Lovato. I've always liked her, and she's super inspiring. Whenever I listen to Skyscraper I can't help but be inspired to great. 
3. Lana Del Ray. I just started getting into her when the Great Gatsby came out. (Young and Beautiful is simply beautiful.) I highly reccomend her music, so if you haven't heard her before, go onto some music radio thing such as Spotify, or Pandora and listen to her. 

Paragraph with a Punch.

It's ridicilous how people can come in and out of your life. Your best friend can become your worst enemy and vice versa. However, that's the thing about life. It punches you in the face when you're not looking. It keeps you on your toes, like a maze. You never know what to expect next. It's like the people are written in pencil, therefore you can't erase them. 

Is there any permanent people out there?

Gaping Thighs?

Lately, a common trend on social networking sites is a thigh gap. A thigh gap is when a young woman stands with her feet together and measures the gap between her thighs whether or not they touch. (pictured below)

                                                                                                    

Women have been going to extreme measures to get this look, whether in extreme fad dieting, and extreme exercise routines. And when extreme dieting and extreme exercising is involved then usually it isn't exactly

the safest or the healthiest thing in the world to do to your body. Your body needs nutrients to make it grow healthy. And why are we doing this? To reach perfection. 

The war with women and the pressures to be perfect is old news. Fueled by unrealistic standards by celebraties and the media in addition to the rise of the usage of  Photoshop, women just want to be perfect like them.   However, they do not realize that often these women are like us with blemishes and imperfections, and what not. They just have little computer geeks around to make them look as perfect as they want to be. Due to this, a girl who sees that realizes that being perfect is being a size zero, and if she's not those things, then she's not good enough. This amount of pressure could ruin a girl's self esteem, because she doesn't think that she's beautiful. In reality, she IS beautiful. 

Not everyone is meant to be a size zero. Not everyone is meant to look the same. My thighs don't touch, however, I'm an avid runner who runs six days a week. However, that is normal. Having a thigh gap or not isn't exactly the healthiest thing in the world. I know that I'm healthy, and although I have days when I feel like I'm not worthy of being loved and such, I know that I'm good and pretty enough. Being healthy, and feeding my body what it needs to grow and not get sick is perhaps the most important thing to me. 

Overall, strive to be healthy, not perfect. Love yourself, and treat yourself. That's all that matters.