Wii

Santa brought me a Nintendo Wii for Christmas. I have a officially become a gamer. I'm not particularly proud of it, but this game is addicting! Saturday night was spent playing multiple rounds of golf, tennis, and bowling, with my mom and dad. On any other Saturday night, that probably would have driven me nuts, but it made me realize that some day when I am living by myself in my one bedroom apartment, I will miss nights like that.

OK enough typing...time to kick some Wii butt!

My Guardian Angel

About a year ago my grandfather passed away. He had lived with prostate cancer for a while, but during one of his routine check-ups the doctors told him the disease had spread into his pelvis and down his legs. Being the protector of his family, Grampa never shared this information with anyone, nor did he let on to the amount of pain he was in. He only lived a few months longer.

My other grandfather died when I was four, so I don't remember much about him other than what I see in pictures. Because of this, I was always very close with my living Grampa. During the summers and when I was home from school, I would visit him and Nana at least once a week. After he died, it took me a while to accept the fact that he was really gone but I would dream about him multiple times during the week, always very vividly like he had never left us. It wasn't until I visited his grave on the six-month anniversary of his death that the constant dreams stopped. That is until last night.

I was standing in an empty white room with Nana when out of nowhere Grampa appeared. Nana started to cry because she couldn't believe it was really him. I could only smile because I knew it was really him. He told us he was doing great and feeling no pain at all. I couldn't remember the last time I saw him with such a huge grin on his face. He then sandwiched my hand between both of his and told me that I need to stop worrying because everything was going to be OK. Grampa then focused on Nana, said the same thing to her, and that she will be fine without him. He said "I love you" right before I awoke to the falling Christmas lights I strung above my bed.

I have always had a strong religious faith and part of that has been my belief in angels. I truly think that everyone has at least one person up in Heaven watching out for them. Now, for those of you who are skeptical, you might say I had this dream because I happened to watch It's A Wonderful Life last night. However, given the "eerie" things that occurred while Grampa was in hospice and also the night he died, I tend to believe that it was really him as my guardian angel showing up in my dream. Lately I have been stressed and upset at the fact that I still cannot find a job and I think Grampa came to reassure me that, like he said, everything will be OK. What really got me in all of this, was that he held my hand. That was something he had never done in all of the times I can remember spending with him, except for the last day I saw him alive. On that day, I told him I was leaving for a few hours but I would be back to visit and he grabbed my hand and said, "Good, I would really like that." Those were the last words he really said to me because when I did return a few hours later, he was in and out of sleep and due to pain medications he didn't make much sense when he tried to talk.

Nana, on the other hand, has been worried about doing things around the house without him, paying bills on time, and just basic living life on her own. Like he said to me in the dream, he told her that everything will be fine. Today, while I was at Nana's house and she received a check in the mail for some sort of insurance reimbursement that Grampa had always filled out and sent in. Nana of course had to do it herself this time, and she got $400 more than she thought she was going to get. Is that supposed to be a sign that she is going well on her own and can handle it? Yes, I think so.

People can believe what they want to believe, but if Grampa told me things are going to be OK (whether in a dream or not) I have to trust him.

What a difference 5 years makes...

Last Saturday night I celebrated my 22nd birthday in New York City with some of my closest friends. We took part in the typical city scene --got to the bar at 9, paid $40 for top shelf open bar for 3 hours, danced the night away, closed the place down at 4 a.m., and after an early morning binge on left-over Chinese food, we rolled into bed around 6:15.

Last night, I went out in Massachusetts with my 27-year-old sister and her boyfriend and his friends who all fall between the ages of 30 and 40. We met them at a small sports bar to watch the second half of the Penn State-Michigan football game. This time around, we arrived at 5 p.m. Once the Nittany Lions sealed the deal, we moved on to another local dive bar which served the cheapest drinks I have ever seen ($2 for a beer and $2.75 for a martini--I'M SOLD!). It felt like it was 11 p.m., yet when I looked up, Alex Trebek's hairless face was staring back at me on the television screen. Yup, it was only 7:45 and Jeopardy was still on. A few martinis later, our group started dwindling. One guy--dare I say man--had to go home to his wife and three children, one couple went home because they were tired, and another guy had to go home because he had to attend church this morning. The four of us lone survivors left and went to one more bar. We decided the McDonald's drive thru sounded like a much better way to end the night so we hopped back into the car after one drink. I was sound asleep by 11:45 p.m. on a Saturday night. I don't think that has happened since I had mono two years ago and slept for 22 of the 24 hours in a day.

Both nights were equally as fun, but I couldn't help thinking about the differences between them. Us 22-year-olds who are fresh out of college and still not wanting to admit we are getting older, don't realize that in just a few short years our lives will be so different from where we are now. Something tells me that my Saturday night festivities will be more like last night's, sooner than I think. And I'm pretty sure I am okay with that.

Better Days, Better Things

"I know there will be better things. That's kind of the best thing about being young... knowing all these things are on their way... these better things."-One Tree Hill

I was never a big fan of One Tree Hill since my local cable company decided to take the station away from us right as the show moved its way up the ratings ladder. Once in a while my college roommates would turn it on in the dorm, but frankly all I could focus on was how grown up Chuckie Lee from Disney Channel's The Torkelsons (anyone else remember that show?!) had become. For those of you who don't remember, he also played Minkus on Boy Meets World. Regardless, I came across this quote today and decided that I agree with it full-heartily.

Not a day goes by where I don't think of the future. What company will I be working for in two years? What city will I be living in? Will I be spending my time with someone special or just continue to have a solid group of great friends? How will I have changed? There are thousands of questions I could ask about the future, but why do I concern myself with these when I should just be living day to day? I am trying my best to plan for what I think the future holds, but maybe it is out of my hands. What I do know, is that better things are on the way. It may not be exactly what I think I want, but it will hopefully be better than what I am doing now.

Of course everyone has their problems. We all go through our fair share of trials and tribulations, but I think people need to put more faith into believing that when things go wrong, better things are on the way. One door closes, and another one opens. At 22, I have my entire life to live. Yes, that scares the hell out of me in more ways than one, but how can I sit here and not believe that my life can only get better? My life is just beginning and the best is yet to come.

Just when things were looking up...

Just when I finally come to terms with not having a job and accepting the fact that something has to come soon, I wake up this morning to this New York Times article. If those two girls have been in search of jobs for over a year now, it gives me little hope that I will actually land something soon. The one thing that makes me feel better is knowing that I am not the only person in this situation!

The Concrete Jungle

"In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new,
Big lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York
New York, New York" --Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind

The words would make any New Yorker proud to live where they do. To me, a Rhode Islander (trying feel brand new on the streets of the Big Apple), these lyrics give me hope.

While furiously applying to job after job, I continue to dream about the day I walk six blocks home in 3-inch stiletto heels to my small studio apartment on the Upper East Side, after a long day of interviewing and writing copy about the latest Brangelina scandal. In my dreams, the first thing I do when I get home is kick off my shoes (and by that I mean put them back in their exact spot in the closet since I tend to be a neat freak), check my e-mail because I left work 45 minutes ago and surely I have unread messages, and finally I raid my fridge and see what I can whip up for a so-called dinner. In a perfect world, I would try to fit a good hour of cardio workout in there at the gym, but for now I'm still dreaming. After dinner is when I sit down in front of my laptop and try to bang out a few more chapters of the trashy romance novel that I write in my spare time. In an even MORE perfect dream, my tall, attractive, and witty boyfriend would knock on my door and surprise me just as I am writing the last sentence to end the chapter. But reality sets in and I am still currently in my small town in RI and not in the "concrete jungle where dreams are made of."

However, Jay-Z along with a little help from Alicia Keyes, tell me that there's nothing I can't do while in New York. So for now, I will continue to let the big lights inspire me and my dreams, but you better believe that I will have a jumbo size bottle of Ambien ready for the day I get called to the city that never sleeps.

Still need more Kanye?

As if we haven't seen the clip of Kanye West stealing Taylor Swift's thunder enough times, we can now wear it across our chests. It only took BustedTees one week to make the infamous clip into a short sleeve t-shirt. While it is not the exact quote out of Kanye's mouth, the company took their own twist on the scandal and printed "Yo, I'm really happy for you and Imma let you finish, but I have one of the best shirts of all time". Of course it wouldn't be a "busted tee" if it didn't mock someone or something. The shirt is now on sale for $20 and comes in sizes S-3XL.

Time to start working!

My insomnia kicked in last night. Usually this causes nothing but tossing, turning, and a few punches to the pillow as I try to drift off to sleep, but this latest bout was different--exciting in fact! I was wide awake thinking of ideas for a novel and I'm almost positive I have come up with a storyline! Of course the idea started with a real-life experience of my own, (which are the easiest to come by) but then it evolved into a literary romance (which is complete fiction since my current love life is non-existent). I have high hopes that this will be a stellar beach read for twenty-something-year-old women.

So I have a basic plot. All that is left to do is come up with names, minor details, and start writing! Oh yeah and then go through the process of getting an agent and actually publishing this thing. Hopefully all will go well! Now, it's time to get down to business...

Rejection

After applying to close to 20 jobs, I have heard back from one. It was a nice e-mail letting me know that they have reviewed my resume, but have decided to look elsewhere for the position. Awesome. At least they let me know instead never bothering to contact.

Good news is that it just gives me more time to play with my new iPhone :)

Did I really graduate?

Although it has been a little over two months since I walked across old Arnie B's steps and received my diploma, there is one thing that has not caught up with time: the fact that I am truly done with college. The 3-hour-long ceremony passed by like a whirlwind. Could it have been because I was still living in senior week mode and the taste of Burnetts Sweet Tea Vodka and Bud Light were stale on my tongue? Perhaps. Regardless, I thought that maybe once FedEx delivered my real diploma, graduation would hit me. Nope, that was a month ago and I continue to believe that in just a few short weeks, I will be pulling into Mt. Carmel Ave. to see all of my friends and classmates for the start of the Fall semester. Some of the people I know are moving on to Grad. school, but I, on the other hand, continue with the endless job search.

In between spending time at Rhody's finest beaches and visiting friends and family, I look to see what is available in the world of journalism. My conclusions: not a whole lot. I apply for jobs when they come across, but for now, I am taking advantage of my time off. With 40 plus years of working ahead of me (oh boy!), I think I can spare a few months.

All Natural Suds

Lately it seems as if everywhere we look, we see the words “organic” and “all-natural” plastered on the labels of some of our favorite foods. Well, the craze has now hit various cosmetic products as well, including the ever-so-popular: bar of soap.

Right here in southern Connecticut is Connecticut Natural Soapworks, run by Sabrina Santoro at Sunflower Farm of Orange. With her motto, “We’re down to earth clean,” she uses all natural ingredients to make close to 50 different kinds of soap, all outside of her full-time job as a court reporter administrator with the judicial department.

“You know, work is work,” she said, “but I can come home and work down in the soapary for hours. It helps me clear my head.”

Santoro, 54, only uses all natural substances in her soaps so there is nothing to strip the skin. She said that when commercial soaps are made, the makers skim the top for the glycerin that forms because it is a profitable byproduct. They then add extra chemicals, such as parabins, sodium laural sulfates, and phthalates that are not good for the human skin. There has been much debate over phthalates health risks, and scientists have found that women’s exposure to them can cause birth defects of their male fetuses. In most antibacterial soaps is a chemical called triclosan, which is known to cause cancer. The skin will start to absorb the harsh chemicals due to constant use of the commercial soaps.

Instead of skimming off the glycerin, Santoro keeps it in her soaps because it is part of the cleaning power of soap. She said oils bind to oils, so the oil from the glycerin sticks to the oils on the skin to pull them off. Therefore, the skin is left feeling smooth, moisturized, and clean.

“I couldn’t use a regular bar of soap if you paid me,” said Santoro. She is extremely careful to not use any harmful preservatives when making her soaps. Some of main ingredients used at Soapworks are soybean, castor, olive, hemp, palm (she makes sure it’s not trees from the rainforest), coconut, Shea butter, and grape seed. Santoro also adds a lot of fresh herbs and flowers for extra exfoliation and fragrance.

She first started playing around with soap making when her sister passed away in 2000. It was her way of diverting herself from the situation. None of the commercial soaps had what Santoro was looking for so she went online and found a recipe to make her own. With a few changes here and there, she now is an expert at the craft and can make 500 pounds of natural soap in just two days.

Santoro starts with either a goat milk base or a coconut milk base and mixes it with oils. In order for them to “marry”, as she calls it, she pours in sodium hydroxide and lye to cause the chemical reaction of burning the sulfate, which combines the oil and milk. Essential oils and fragrances are added and the mixture is poured into soap logs where they sit for a few days. Santoro then hand cuts the logs into 5.5 ounce bars and they have to sit for three weeks before they can be put on the shelves.

One of her newest recipes is the Egg-Head Shampoo bar, made with beer and eggs. “I have always wanted to try beer in my soaps because in the 1970s it was all the rage to wash your hair with beer because it adds body and shine,” Santoro said. She bought Atlantic Amber beer and let it go flat. She used it as a base and added eggs, tea-tree oil, and geranium oil.

For all of the vegans in the world, there is even a line of soaps out there for you. Santoro uses a base of coconut milk for those soaps because a lot of people don’t want anything with animal products. The top-selling vegan soap is “Happy Hippie Treehugger” which is scented with, as she puts it, “the most popular scent of the sixties” and green tea.

In order to have her soaps be considered certified organic, she would have to go through a long three year process, so for now she is sticking to the naturally grown ingredients. The National Organic Program has strict rules for the process of becoming certified organic and how to go about apply for certification. Businesses must submit the type of operation they are running, a history of substances that have been applied to the land in the past three years, the products being grown or processed, and an organic system plan. Once the company is certified, annual inspections are performed by the United States Department of Agriculture.

By choosing to stay all natural, final products made only from botanical resources, Santoro can sell her products at a cheaper price. Certified organic soaps can range anywhere from a hefty $8-$10 a bar. Inside the small shed at Sunflower Farm where she has set up shop, she sells her soap for just $3.50 a bar or three bars for $10.

“Business has been good. My prices are good, it’s natural items, and people like my stuff,” Santoro said. “We’ll really see an increase in sales when the famers markets open.”

As the largest natural soap maker in Connecticut, Santoro also makes all natural lotions, body butter, a dog shampoo, poison ivy relief bar, and soy candles that can double as massage oil when melted. She runs a farmers market in Milford in the summer and her soaps may be sold in Whole Foods Stores in the near future, as they have approached her about selling in the store.

If you are interested in Santoro’s products, her shop is located at 767 Derby Milford Rd. Orange, Conn. or you can visit her website www.sunflowerfarm.com.

Photos courtesy of http://www.sunflowerfarm.com/

Women Veterans: "We Can Do It!"

It is February 2003 and the 143rd Military Police Company of the Connecticut Army National Guard is training in 35 degree below zero weather up in Fort Drum, N.Y. They stay there for two months and are then told they are being deployed to Kuwait, where they would be faced with 143 degree weather and sandstorms. It then took them two days to make the trip into Iraq where they would be in combat for the next year as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Among the 105 people who made up the unit was a pale skinned soldier with light blue eyes and cropped dark hair. Master Sgt. Jacqueline Milhomme, then 36, was only one of 13 women soldiers in her battalion.

It is stereotypically thought that the military is for men. Some people may not think that women are strong enough, whether emotionally or physically, to fight in a war. Historically, in most of the past wars, women were nurses in the armed forces and not actually on the front line. The turning point came in the Persian Gulf War where nine percent of the recruits were female.

While Milhomme, now 42, was with only a handful of other women in her company, she said there were no stereotypes within the group. “There were times where we showed the men up and there was nothing they could say because they knew we were tough,” she said. Even going as far to say that the males in her unit were all like fathers and brothers to her, Milhomme said she “would go back with them in a heartbeat if I could.”

In 1973, there were 55,000 women serving in the active duty military. That was only 2.5 percent of the entire armed forces. As of 2005, there were more than 202,000 women in the active duty, which was 14 percent of the armed forces. This figure almost quadrupled the previous statistic.

Milhomme received the news in 2003 that she was being deployed. “I had mixed feelings of nervousness and anxiousness. I had no idea what I was getting into,” Milhomme said. Her unit was told they were going to Southeast Asia, but did not know where they were going after that. The 143rd Military Police Company ended up being the first National Guard unit in the nation to enter Iraq.

“We had to put our normal life on hold and wonder every day if we were ever going to come back alive,” she said. At the time of her deployment, she was told she would be overseas for six months, which later turned into one full year.

The scene in Iraq was one that will be imprinted into Milhomme’s mind for the rest of her life. In between the large palm trees and telephone poles lining the dirt covered roads were multiple banged up cars, some of which had been burned to a crisp by bombs. The pictures she has from the war show rocks strewn across the puddles of mud surrounded by all sorts of debris. She even has one picture of a fellow soldier in her unit standing in about a 15-by-10 foot trench dressed in his camouflage uniform, clutching his rifle at his side.

Milhomme served her year long tour of duty but, like many other soldiers, now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Those who are diagnosed with this disorder have vivid disturbing memories of a traumatic or life threatening experience they have gone through. Often they have trouble sleeping, get scared easily, and do not enjoy the same things they used to.

In a study compiled by Ilona Meagher, editor of “PTSD Combat: Winning the War Within,” found that about 3,800 women veterans suffer from the disorder. Many veterans are diagnosed with PTSD because of what they witness in combat, whether it is watching a friend get killed, or being sexually abused by another soldier. In Milhomme’s case it was a combination of the loud bombings she heard and the horrific shootings she watched while in the military and as a result she was medically discharged in 2007 because she “couldn’t function anymore.”

She described the transition back to states as a hard change. She said the first few days home were filled with excitement, but then reality set in. Milhomme’s friends and family did not change in the year she was away, but she had been exposed to the bloodshed of war. She spent eight weeks in the hospital getting treated for PTSD and she continues to see counselors at the Veteran’s Center in Rocky Hill, Conn.

“It’s a tough adjustment. I still stay in the middle lane on the highway, I don’t look over bridges, and I’m still afraid of getting blown up when there’s a loud noise,” Milhomme said. “I still don’t go into crowds. I used to love shopping, but you won’t find me in a mall now.” She said she used to run seven miles a day, but her passion for running is gone now due to PTSD. It also cost her job in December 2008 after 22 years working as a parts attendant, ordering different parts for cars as they broke down.

Joining the Army National Guard in 1984, Milhomme did it as a means of paying for school. She wanted to attend college and if she signed up with the Guard, they would pay for her education. When Milhomme began boot camp the following year, the military was still segregated. There were 300 women who went through extensive physical training with her. She said they also learned basic Army skills like how to read a map, how to fire a rifle, combat life saving skills, and emergency skills.

While nowadays she tries to do different women’s things with other veteran’s when she can, Milhomme’s life now revolves around her 17-year-old niece who went to live with her in Broad Brook, Conn. three months ago. She said she would love to go back to Rocky Hill to help other veterans, but she is not sure she is able to. Milhomme now joins the other 15,353 women veterans in Connecticut.

Women Veterans Around New England (as of 10/08):

1. Massachusetts--26,818
2. Connecticut--15,353
3. Maine--10,132
4. New Hampshire--8,741
5. Rhode Island--5,094
6. Vermont--3,710

Photos courtesy of Jacqueline Milhomme

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10 Steps to Giving Yourself a Great Manicure

Are you a female sick of spending $15 on manicures every week? Or maybe you are a guy who just likes to keep his digits in tip top shape. Regardless of who you are, here are 10 steps to saving money and giving yourself a clean looking manicure in the privacy of your own home.

1. Wash hands with soap and warm water and dry completely. The polish sticks to clean nails better.

2. If your nails are already polished, use nail polish remover to take off the old color. If they are not polished, it's still a good idea to run the remover over them anyway to make sure they are good and clean.

3. File and shape nails. You should file your nails with an emory board, moving it over the tops of your nails in one direction (if you go back and forth, then your nails are open to more breakage). Nail shapes are often rounded or square. Meeting somewhere in the middle is the best way according to carefair.com.

4. Put a small amount of cuticle cream at the base of each nail and spread it around. A good brand to use is Ahava. The cream softens the skin around the nail which makes it easier for the next step.

5. Lightly push the softened cuticles back by using an orange stick, or a variation of one that comes in most manicure kits. Do not push back too much because you can cut the skin.

6. Remove the ridges of the nail with a buffer. A manicure "stick" with one of these on it can be bought at any pharmacy or where nail supplies are sold.

7. Using the same manicure "stick" smooth the nails with the other side.

8. Apply a base coat to nails and let dry. This helps the polish last longer.

9. Apply two coats of the colored nail polish of your choice. Here are a few suggestions for the perfect nail color to match your skin tones. If you are not very good with using your opposite dominant hand, you may want to have a friend paint the nails on that hand.

10. Apply a clear top coat and let dry. The top coat prevents the nail color from chipping.

For more tips on making your manicure last visit click here.

I learned it from watching you!

Since we were talking about it in class, I went home and searched the video on youtube. There is some great 80's acting, and serious "dad" mustache. Enjoy!

I'll have that hamburger...along with the 87 grams of fat

I saw this story and was appalled. It ups the "freshmen 15" to "freshmen 50".

The First Pooch..Obamas finally choose!

Well we can all sleep again tonight...the presidential family has finally decided on the dog they will get: Portuguese Water Dog. Once Obama had been elected it seemed as if there were times where the American citizens were more interested in the quest for the family dog than they were in the new President himself. Aol.com reported that the target date for the arrival of the dog is early April. The nation will have to wait a few more weeks in order to catch the first glimpse of the new pup.

Photo courtesy of www.puppydogweb.com

Q&A With Study Abroad Student

Jacqueline Olney is a senior Hospitality student at University of New Hampshire, who traveled to Australia last spring.

Why did you want to go abroad?

Jackie: I have always loved to travel and have been fortunate enough to a lot of places. In the past, I have visited Hawaii, Jamaica, Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas, St. Martins, St. Thomas, among a number of the contiguous states. I wanted to spend time learning about diverse cultures on different continents. Studying abroad in Australia provided me with the opportunity to experience an entirely new part of the world.

What made you choose Australia?
Jackie: When looking at my choices for study abroad destinations, one thing sat at the top of my list: where can I be fully immersed in an environment where the hospitality industry is highly distinguished? Australia, known for its tourism, naturally became my first choice. I have always loved to travel and I was eager to study in an environment where I felt most comfortable, while still providing a refreshing experience in a new country.

How much money did you spend in total?

Jackie: $27,550.00
Program Costs: Tuition - $12000; Room and Board - $5000.
Airfare/Transportation: Airfare - $2100 (roundtrip Boston/Australia). Plan on additional airfare for traveling around Australia and outside countries (i.e. Fiji and New Zealand) - $2000.
Spending Money: $8000 (including extra traveling expenses, food, etc).
Additional Expenses: Internet - $100; Visa - $350; Passport - $100.

What kinds of activities did you do there?

Jackie:I traveled everywhere I had the opportunity to! Traveling consumed most of my weekends, including places like Cairns (Great Barrier Reef), Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Fraser Island, Fiji, and New Zealand. Some other exciting activities that I was able to do was go scuba diving twice (once in Great Barrier Reef and once in Fiji) and also go skydiving (in Byron Bay)! These activities were amazing and were definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity (in the location at the time) and is something I will always remember. Furthermore, going to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world was just breathtaking. Australia is a very active “outdoors” place because of the ideal weather and availability of different terrains (beaches, desert, etc). Sightseeing in itself is a great way to spend time, seeing the most eastern point of Australia, Sydney Harbor Bridge, Sydney Opera House, taking hikes, surfing, concerts, shopping, aquariums, zoos, wildlife, and Mardi Gras festival are just some of the activities I partook in while spending my time in Australia.
How is Australia different than the U.S.?

Jackie:Education wise, the academic format in Australia is different than here in the U.S. There are lectures with tutorial sessions for class sessions. This is similar to UNH classes that have a large lecture for the main class and then a lab for the smaller breakout sessions. There are usually exams given a couple of times per semester (midterm and final). Also, there are a lot of group projects throughout the semester that require a lot of outside classroom work. The people and culture in Australia and the U.S. are very much alike, but also different in many ways. The Aussies are very laid back and “go with the flow.” The service is a lot slower than we are used to here and there is no tipping for waiters. Also, although they speak English, they sometimes use different words than we do.
Would you go back to Australia? Why/why not?

Jackie:Yes, I would love to go back to Australia! I definitely learned a lot about myself while I was there and discovered my different living likes and dislikes. I think that Australia is an amazing country that has a lot to offer. Because of my limited time there, I have many places in Australia that I would LOVE to go back to again, Sydney being #1. There are so many great places to travel to and with enough funds and time, you can really make a lot out of your experience there.
Do you have the desire to travel to any other countries? Which ones?

Jackie: Any opportunity I am given, I will take on with full force to travel and gain a broader knowledge and appreciation for other cultures. I would love to travel to every country if I am fortunate enough, but I would really like to go to England, Italy, France, Greece, and Egypt.
What would you say to other students who are looking to travel abroad?

Jackie:First and foremost, I would recommend to other students who are considering going abroad to DO their research. Going abroad is a huge undertaking and responsibility. You will be LIVING in another country for four or so months and there is not much around you to make you feel “at home” or in your comfort zone. Be passionate about where you want to go and study somewhere that you will benefit from. It is important to embrace this amazing opportunity and take on every experience you encounter with an open mind and attitude.

Photo compliments of Jackie Olney

When you are feeling down...

You can't believe you just tripped on your sweatpants causing them to fall down, at the same time you are falling down the stairs of Tator Hall in between classes. You get up with tears in your eyes because you are so embarrassed, say "F**k my life" and run away as fast as you can.

Well, go on to Fmylife.com and write about it. This is a website where people can go and tell the world their embarrassing moments. Whether you are having a bad day and want to tell everyone, or simply just want to read other people's stories to make yours seem less worse, you can. I find myself stumbling across this quite often to laugh at quick blurbs posted. Who knows, maybe even some of you can relate to them.

That must have hurt

The photo of a beaten Rihanna was finally released this week. Ouch. I still have to wonder though, what could they have possibly been fighting about to make him go crazy on her?

Where is my magic 8 ball when I need it...

One of my roommates just got accepted to NYU graduate school today. Two of my other roommates are in longer programs at Quinnipiac and will continue their education here for the next two years. I'm surrounded by people who will still be considered students once we graduate. It's weird to think that they have plans for the future, yet all I know is that after May 17th, I'm moving back in with my parents...in Rhode Island. Yippee.
A lot of my friends have their future (at least for the next 2 years) planned out, but I have to graduate in three months and have no idea what I am going to do. I know everyone goes through this at some point in their life, but it's one of those things that always makes you feel like you're the only one going through it. Don't get me wrong, I know what I eventually want to do, or I think I do anyway, but where do I begin? And what if I just spent all of this money going to school, get my first job, and absolutely hate it? I just wish I had a Magic 8 ball to tell me what my future will be. Or at least to tell me where to start!

Time Flies in College

Being a college senior is extremely bittersweet. While looking ahead to the future and not knowing what is in store for our lives is exciting, it is also nerve racking to know that we are leaving behind an environment that we have grown so accustomed to in the past four years.

Before coming to college, people always told me, "enjoy it while it lasts because it will go by faster than you know it." For some reason, I seemed to think that they were exaggerating. However, now that college is coming to an end, I realize they are exactly right. It feels like I became a senior before I could even fathom being a freshman.

One of the more important things that happens in college is maturity. It's a concept that happens without even knowing it. College forces us to grow up and become independent. For most of us, it is the first time that our parents have no control over what we do while they are not watching.

Heather Grant, senior occupational therapy major at Quinnipiac, notices the small things that have made her more independent throughout her college days. "I can now run errands by myself. In high school I would never have done that. I now also cook for myself every night and do my own laundry," she said.

Grant said that college has definitely made her aware of time management. She said that while her course load has increased, she makes herself do the work as soon as she gets it instead of procrastinating like she used to do.

With the upcoming graduation, seniors are starting to feel pressure to make the transition into the "real world" as smooth as possible. We are forced to take everything we learned in four years of college and apply it to "real life" situations.

"I was hoping I would learn some independence and mature and get ready to live on my own. In high school I didn't have any responsibilities and now as a senior your getting ready to move out into the world," Grant said.

According to her, Quinnipiac gets its students ready for living on their own by making all seniors live off campus. With these living arrangements, we have to cook, clean, and do our own laundry, which are probably the three hardest things for college students to get used to as freshmen.

Kristin Danese, a senior nursing major said she had to have her mom show her how to do laundry on move-in day in her first year of college.

"My mom took me down to the first floor of Commons and showed me how to use the washing machine and the dryer. I never knew how easy it was to use. The machines here only have like two buttons and mine at home have like ten," she said.

For Danese, her biggest change in college was switching majors half way through sophomore year. Three years ago she believed that as a senior she would be awaiting physical therapy graduate school. Instead she is graduating in May with a nursing degree.

"I never thought I was the type to change my mind," she said.

Well, college changes people; whether its a physical difference or just as simple as growing up. We walk into freshmen year as children and we leave as adults. In four years, that is a huge transformation.

Stoned 7-year-old?

Move over Michael Phelps, this little boy gets higher than you do. I'm sure by now, most of you have seen the infamous youtube video of young David coming home from the dentist office after getting an extra tooth pulled. According to the small blurb about the video, his dad wanted to videotape him before and after because he was so nervous. Little did he know, the video was going to become such a hit. However, it seemed to have sparked some controversy as well. Some say it was wrong for the father to post such a thing, showing how high his son is. They seem to believe he is exploiting him and think it is wrong of him to be encouraging the fact that his son is high.

In his defense, the father claimed that he just wanted to ease his son's tension of doctors. He also said he wanted to tape him because it was just so funny. Later that night David and his mom were shown the video and they too, believed it to be hilarious.

So why the controversy? I don't see anything wrong with the video. This was simply just a father putting up a funny video of his son. And his son was not high because he actually smoked pot or did any other kinds of drugs, it was just from the anesthesia. He was not promoting anything in a negative light by posting the video. I think that there are a lot more clips on youtube that people can be more concerned about than this one.

Chris Brown: he wears wifebeaters..now he is one?

While he and Rihanna are not married, the two were caught in a domestic dispute on Sunday. The two were scheduled to perform at music's biggest night of the year however they left the crowds wondering what had happened. It was later released that Chris Brown had attacked his girlfriend Rihanna and was arrested and booked on felony criminal threats, but posted the $50,000 bail. PEOPLE reported that R&B's hottest couple have had their "ups and downs" recently. But how does that justify him hitting her? It was also reported by msnbc.com that Brown punched and bit his girlfriend. Wrigleys is also preparing to stop running his gum commerical for the time being.
It seems to the outside world that this couple was always happy. Both artists are known for their catchy R&B songs, their good looks, and great dance skills. It's hard to believe that one of them could just crack and actually physically hurt the other. What makes me wonder even further is what could hollywood couples possibly fight about?
Maybe she was telling him what he should wear for the Grammys that night and he didn't like the outfit. Or they got in a fight because she was nominated for more awards than he. Or perhaps they were arguing over who made more money?
When you live the "good life" as a celebrity, what kinds of things do you argue about with your significant other? And what would ever lead Chris Brown to punch and bite his girlfriend?

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20257828,00.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29106475/

Where does TLC find these people?

I started channel surfing during one of the commercial breaks for the Grammys. I came across TLC and saw something I knew I was going to have to watch. It was The Pregnant Man. It was one of those shows where I really didn't care to watch, but for some reason my eyes were glued to the screen. I remember this story when it broke a few months back, but the documentary was aired tonight. My mind was racing with all sorts of questions and thoughts, but in a weird way I still couldn't stop watching. It was weird and I still don't exactly understand his life choices, but he and his wife seem determined to make their life work. I just wonder how messed up the child will be when she finds out her "father" gave birth to her...

So that show ended and Mermaid Girl began. Once again, I started watching because it was such an odd disorder. A girl had been born with her bottom half completely fused together. I had never seen anything like it. She is eight years old and completely dependent on her parents for her ever day needs. I found this show to just be sad to watch and ended up switching back to the Grammys.

I have seen similar documentaries like this on TLC, one in particular being Half Man, Half Tree, which still blows my mind how a man has "bark" for hands. It makes me wonder how TLC finds these people and how they go about asking them to film their life and disability. I also would be curious to see the ratings and how many people, like me, actually tune in to these crazy stories.

How long until spring break?

I realize that it is still only the beginning of February, but with the 50 degree weather we had on Monday how could I not want spring to come? Then yesterday happened. The nonstop snow. It must have snowed for at least 11 hours and only accumulating maybe two inches. I mean if we are going to have to deal with snow, I want at least enough of it to cancel classes!

These small snow storms are starting to get to me. Last week, my friends and I finally booked our spring break trip to South Beach. Now I am going to be daydreaming for the next month about how gorgeous the weather will be, all while looking outside the window and seeing nothing but 5 inches of snow on the ground.

The other unfortunate part about going on spring break in early March is that when we come home, there is STILL usually snow on the ground. I have come home in the past years during an actual snow storm, when I had just spend a week's worth of time in the 85 degree weather. The last thing I want to go through when I come home is more snow. Hopefully this year will be different and maybe if I'm lucky, when I get back on the 14th, it will be at least in the upper 50's. Something tells me, that is a lot to ask for.

For the time being, I will just keep staring at pictures of Miami and think about fun in the sun.