How I feel about Graduation

Sad.

As graduation as been rapidly approaching I am starting to feel all sorts of mixed emotions. Some of the most obvious ones are fear and nervousness. Mostly this is coming from the fact that I have yet to find a job. Every time I think about graduation, that is the only thing I can focus on. I am going to try and get this out of my mind however so I can enjoy my last few weeks of school without letting the stress drive me up a wall. I know I will find a job eventually, I just wish it could be now. Luckily, my parents are not worried about the fact that I will be coming home in May to be a permanent vegetable on the couch. I am going to have to make this resolution to keep my sanity these next few weeks.

Okay well besides the lack of a job, I guess there are other ways I feel about graduation. Well, I guess it is not feelings as much about Graduation but more about leaving Marquette. I was sitting outside today and soaking up the sun, waving to people here and there or having a short chat. Its not like it was just earlier today that I realized that Marquette had become my home, but it is moments like these that really make me appreciate my experiences here. I am not sure if I will miss the familiarity of it all or just the experience in general. I love that I can walk around campus and run into a familiar face in Walgreens or the Spirit Shop and that I know exactly how long it will take me to get to class in the morning to each of the different buildings. Waiting until 9:30 on Monday mornings for the dining hall menu to be posted or getting a Marquette Newsbrief on Monday afternoons have become part of my routine. Meeting Rose at the dining hall for lunch on Tuesdays or ordering a $5 pizza before my evening class, Wednesdays going to Beta Alpha Psi meetings at 6:00, and Thursday $1 margaritas at Soblemans if we can squeeze it in that week. These are all things that I will miss about being here at Marquette.

When I was talking to my grandma at Easter she said something along the lines of "You never forget you college memories", she then proceeded to recount how she learned to smoke in the sorority house and how she would skip class to go to the sugar bowl. Even as she is 91 years old and hardly remembers what she did that morning, it amazed me how fondly she can still recount these days. So naturally after hearing this I try and think about what memories will stick out to me or what I will remember when I look back at my college days in 70 years. The thing is, I don't really know which ones will happen to stand out more than others because as I think of it now there are so many things that come to mind. However as I come to close to graduation I can't help but think how I am the luckiest girl to have gotten to have this experience. Over the course of 4 years I have found a place that I can truly call home and that I know will continue to be home even though I no longer live here. I have made friends that will be around after I graduate.  I found a major that I love and am excited to pursue after graduation (even though I don't have a job now). I was able to travel to 2 different continents and many different countries (I will never be grateful enough for my parents allowing this)!! Overall I give Marquette an A on customer satisfaction (LOL I am cheesy).

Anywho, I will stop my emotional rambling. Honestly I may even post another blog about this because my level of procrastination is at an all time high (Senioritis am I right?) TTFN

Because what is college without your best friends

Living my life

Heeyyyy,

Just thought I would do a quick update since the followers have been demanding more. Not much more new things to report on my end. Been keeping up the regular routine and luckily I am finished with one of my classes! Only 3 more weeks to go. It is crazy to think that the fourth of July has already passed. I always saw that as the summer being over soon but I still feel like it only just began. Even more of a reason why I need to hammer it home with my tanning in these last months.

Today I had a great walk to my classes downtown and it was just so refreshing and nice to be outside. It makes me want to spend more time enjoying the great outdoors. Although I really am loving Milwaukee it has been getting a little scary in my neck of the woods. A robbery outside our apartment last week and last night one at the 7-11 down the street has really upped the measures I am taking to stay safe. Overall I could see myself relocating here after I graduate just maybe into a safer area.

I can't remember if I mentioned this in my last post but I am getting super excited because I am going to be a peer mentor this fall for an incoming international student. I will get to show them around and help them get situated at Marquette and the USA. It will be really cool to see this experience from the other side. We are going to find out who our mentees are in a few days so I am real pumped!

Well I guess I really dont have much else more to blog about that I can think of. I will try and think of more reflective topics or maybe some poetry.

TTFN

Back in the USA

Well Hello,

Since I have gotten into blogging in my time abroad, I think I will keep this going as much as I can when I feel like it here back in the USA. Also I am again using it as a procrastination tool for homework.

Coming back home to the USA was a little depressing and sad at first. From our descent into Ohare airport and not seeing the usual things I see before landing in Ireland like first spotting Howth and then being able to spot UCD I remembered how different things and my life were here. However I transitioned back into life here pretty quickly as I only had 2 free days before I had to start my internship and now it feels like I have been back forever, although it has been a month which is a long time.

This summer feels very different from other summers so far and I think that is due to alot of things but defiantly a big part is that I am in Milwaukee instead of at home. I usually think of summer as bonfires, the pool, watching bachalorette (?) on Monday nights, ice cream and riding our bikes to Dunkin Donuts for happy hour and a lot of lounging around. These days summer is work and class and time for some fun on the weekends. It is alot different being away from home during the summer and it has really given me a taste for the real world.

Even though I do not have as much lounging time and tanning time as I would like this summer, I am still very excited about all that I am doing and as cheesy as it sounds, the opportunity for the future. At my internship at Veolia, I am learning more about how accounting works in the real world and not just in class. At first things were slow to pick up and I was worried if I was going to be bored all summer, however people have started giving me more responsibilities and now I am starting to feel at home at this company. I do not love all of the tasks that I am asked to do, but certain things I really enjoy and that makes me feel very encouraged that I am going into a field that I am excited about and care about. Another thing I like about working here is that I get to talk to other people about their paths that they took. As there are many young people here, they all give me insight into different options for me after graduation. I know my sisters have different priorities about life and Kaity has made it clear that she does not want to work in an office her whole life. Because of this, I was nervous that I too would hate it and would need to rethink my career path. This however has not been the case which I am really glad for. I need to remember that everyone is different and it is okay if we don't have the same goals in life. Working full time this summer and living away from home has made me feel so grown up. One day I went grocery shopping after work and it just made me feel so old. Me and Rose have also started a morning routine were we wake up earlier in order to have a relaxing morning and to watch the news. So far we have been really enjoying it, I think because this also makes us feel like real world people. Also I must at that at work they brew Starbucks coffee for us and they have the fridge fully stocked with La croix, so I really do not have many

complaints.

Another thing that I have been doing this summer is taking 4 classes. 2 of them are online through Marquette and 2 of them I am taking at MATC, the community college in Milwaukee. This has been a very eye opening experience due to the different crowd at MATC. I have been feeling very privileged and lucky for the education that I am afforded. Many of the things that the teachers teach about are things that I would just assume everyone would know but I forget that I learned them in college, it is very different.

Even though I am basically gone from 8am-9pm everyday and working on homework alot, I am still trying to maintain a positive attitude. I will be feeling very accomplished to be able to graduate in 4 years with 150 credits when it usually takes people more time that. I am just telling myself being busy during the summer is better than being at school for an extra semester and not being able to graduate with my friends. I am trying not to complain about being busy though because I do not want to be annoying.

Okay I hope that wasn't too much of a downer, it is still fun being able to live in Milwaukee this summer. We have been trying to hit up the beach every weekend, but the weather has not exactly been working in our favour. Maybe next week it will be better. I have been able to expand my sights around the Milwaukee area and appreciate the city more. I love being able to live in the city where there are always things going on and so many cute restaurants. I could most definitely see myself living here after I graduate.

Alright that about wraps it up! TTFN

On my way to class

Cute Picture of River

Update!!

HOLA!!

WowE what a long time it has been since i have last posted!!! OVER a year!!! My duityfull followers must be so upset and worried (LOL). Well anywho here i am again at home waiting to go back to Marquette! I just moved my stuff into my room at the sorority house a few days ago and I must say i love my room!! I will attach photos!

I am just going to run some last minute errands tommrrow and then on wednesday we will jet off to northern michagan to see my little baby Nancy off to college! What an exciting time for her! I am excited to see Marquette MI and excited for Nancy to begin her adventure, I am sure she willl just thrive in college (although i think she did get WAY too many pencils).

Although I am so excited to go back to my love (Marquette) I think the first few weeks will be an overload with all the things i need to do and my study abroad application. On top off this i will have to say goodbye to my other love (dog Hero) sometime too soon because it seems his cancer has got the best of him :(. I am just glad we got to take him in and give him a good life for the time that we did. What a great boy! I hope i leave before he has to be put down, that would just be too sad.

Well I will wrap this up, I hope to write every now and then so if i go abroad i can continue to blog and will be good at it. OKay Well BYE

-AS

 Great size closet although not unpacked yet! ^

It's friday

So I just downloaded this blogger app because I wanted to be able to read my sisters blog on here but it appears that I can only make posts! How redic!!!! Anywho, I didn't have a pleasant night last night at all beacuse I am super sunburnt and my mouth is starting to form holes from my wisdom teeth AND my throat hurts when I swallow. This is just not fun.

But on the other hand I am developing a love for country music!

-A

Summer!

So today was another day of my summer vacation. Since I recently got my wisdom teeth out these past few days have not been the most enjoyable to say the least. This is mostly because of my passion for food and the lack of food that i can actually eat :(. Well its been pretty hot these past few days and I am trying to work on my tan so hopefully that will progress.


 I have not had too much to do since I have been home but lifegaurd training starts tommrrow so i guess it will give me something too do.


Well thats all for now!


-A

Wednesday

So it is wednesday and I have been sitting in my room for a while pretty much doing nothing. I love getting out at 1 so i can finish my homework while everyone is still in class. Today there was a dramatic drop in the temperature and I am not sure if it makes me excited for the fall and winter or scared. Right now i am looking forward to wearing sweats and boots and drinking hot chocolate but maybe i will feel differently when winter actually comes.

There is some exciting news that i got a job!!! I cant believe it i never thought it would be so easy. My first day of work is on sunday so I am a little but nervous since I have never worked anywhere besides the pool. I only hope that I wont have to clean up peoples dirty dishes. Now i only need to find some pants to wear.

I also joined an intramural kickball team!! I am not the greatest at kickball and I only know one other person on the team but I am still pretty excited to get involved and everything. Although I am debating if i should go to the sailing meeting tonight. I kind of want to go just to see what kind of commitment it is, but on the other hand i also wanted to go to our dorms allstar challenge tonight so who knows what i will do?

On yet another note, I had a salad for lunch today!! I would consider that an improvement over my usual eating and now i am not going to eat pizza or fries for dinner!! SHOCKER!

Well i guess that is all for now. i wish i was a good blogger and i could make it interesting and not all over the place but luckily i only have one dutiful reader. (I know who you are!) Well thats all for now.

Hasta La Vista