Crazy week

Well that just flew by! First week of classes done, just about 15 more to go before I can start my journalism sequence and not have a crazy semester. I'm already staying up late tonight to finish reading for the rest of the week, and await having free time.

Life lessons I have learned this week:

• Weekends are not just a regular occurrence, they are a reward for how hard you worked in class. So I will only reward myself by paying for dinners or meeting up with friends and being social if I had an accomplishing week of homework and classes, I can't just take a break anymore. My reading levels are up the walls and it's almost ridiculous.
• Even if I'm not talking to my best friends and family daily, I need to know what's going on with them all the time to feel self-sufficient. That sounds partially dependent, but it really isn't...I just love people that much that I want to know what's going on in their lives. Most of the time, when I feel deprived or like I haven't talked with someone in awhile, we usually have a general gist of what's going on, so that's always nice, but keeping in touch as a sophomore is exhilarating between home friends, people I met over the summer, and Mizzou friends I'm not always around.
• Hanging out with people one-on-one or 3-4 people TOPS is the only way to efficiently hold a productive conversation. Large groups don't cut it; if I'm with people I care about, I want to know about each and every one of them....not what the group thinks of something going on and when the end of the table is having an entirely different conversation. You'll probably see what I mean as photos from this week are all of large groups of people.
• There are more Orthodox Christian people in mid-Missouri....WHAT?!?!?! Met a huge group of new people at church today, it was really exciting. We went to lunch together and in my opinion, are a step closer to establishing OCF (Orthodox Christian Fellowship).
• It's hard to go from living with people to not living with them :(.
• Living in a sorority house has its moments of being very stereotypical. It is loud, hyper, dramatic, and fun at the same time.
• Spur of the moment plans are enthralling! Some Phi Mu girls and I were laying out on the social deck doing homework and all I wanted to do was jump in a pool. So why sit there and talk about it when you could actually DO it?! We hopped in the car, drove over to the Mark Twain pool, swam for an hour, went to YogoLuv and drove back...all in an hour and a half! Positively spent time promoting happiness and sisterhood all at the same time :)
• The art of journalism, as stressful as it can be, can just make my day. After lack of sleep, energy and motivation, I was assigned a listening post in my News class. The assignment is to learn about your community by going somewhere and observing, then writing 700 words about it. Examples included the bus station, public transit, other miscellaneous places...so I drove to the Columbia skate park. For those of you Northbrook homies (ha...I just said homies), it's like Meadowhill Park but about 10 times larger and not as landfill-looking. So I sat and watched about 20 guys on skateboards and took note of the environment, then started conversing with them and learning really interesting facts. About themselves, the Columbia Park District, how these boys became friends, and how the age range at this skate park was not 16-22 as the website advertised...more like 17 to 35. It was really cool to hop into a new atmosphere and pick up on so much of their so-called culture though.

Week in review:

Birthday dinner at Hu Hot: if you don't want to be a creepy waiter...don't take birthday cards off the table. He'll never live that one down. Haha.

Phi Mu girls on their way to the country club!

The group at a 21 shots party--another thing I await having for the scrapbook/socialness....and will go out of my way to assure that everyone is having a great time and not awkwardly just hanging around and waiting to leave.

Mizzou Student Foundation "Small change makes a big difference" campaign party! We decorated piggy banks to collect donations for textbook scholarships and more, here's Katie, Jamie, Ali and I with Truman!

That's all for now! Have a great week, until Labor Day Weekend :)

First day of classes!

Today began the first day of classes and one of those days where you feel incredibly productive. Even though I start at 11, I woke up early to do Maneater advertising work and completed my first deadline. Excitement!! With 18 hours, I have a pretty packed schedule, but Mondays/Wednesdays I only have 3 large lecture courses and all of them were with friends (partially to my surprise!) which was awesome.

First, I had Marketing 3000 with a ton of Phi Mus, Kathryn, Sherman and friends from other places so we enjoyed our amusing professor as well as the "abduction" crew dressed in gorilla suits that ran through the classroom handing out fliers for music videos, and ran out shortly after. Kathryn and I ran errands during our lunch and I went onto TAM (Textile and Apparel Management: social appearance in time and space/history of dress) with Jackie and Katie!

What makes me most excited for school/the future is my Journalism 2100 (News) course. Monday afternoons are lectures and everyone is in discussion sections, but this lecture is essentially a social gathering. It's a walking advertisement for Mizzou's honors college and FIGS/learning communities because I am acquainted with probably 50% of the 300 person class. It's in the same lecture hall as my ancient world course was last year, and the Mark Twain 5th floor crew sits near each other, people in our respective sororities and fraternities, and people from other residence halls' groups of friends from their learning communities. People I met in my honors classes/from random activities around campus were all here too, and the 10 minute passing period was spent hugging people and making plans to meet up with them, so I'm excited I'll get to see everyone. More importantly, I'm excited that a lot of my close friends are journalism majors on campus so I'll always be seeing them in my classes for the next 2 years!! How exciting is that?!

I know I'm a freak and enjoy my classes, I just need to get on top of finishing everything else first. But I look forward to the rest of this week and more funny stories from meeting people in class and all! Hope you enjoyed the recruitment photos of the last post!

Recruitment Photos

Here are some highlights of Recruitment!!

Days 1 and 2

Open house days with our gold TOMS and black shirts!

Day 3: Sisterhood Day

Victoria's Secret candy pink dresses and wedges!

Here everyone is with the skit crew for Phi Mu Night Live!

What really happens during Work Week/Recruitment...

Just kidding :P! Only when we have breaks :)

Philanthropy Day

Rocking our lime green shirts and pink shoes

Walking out to the song "I Want Candy"!

Preference Day

BID DAY!

Waiting for the baby Phis!

My Bid Day buddy Rachel and I with the newly painted letters :)

Attempts at chapter group photos

Katie and I with our girls dressed up for the ceremony

Thanks for an awesome recruitment to all my lovely Phi Mu sisters!!

Nonstop Mexico Fever

Here's an article I wrote for the Project Mexico newsletter, which will probably be published in the next edition. This is the original, and I recently shortened it so it would fit (you know I tend to ramble...:P). Enjoy!

After I wrote it, I had a feeling in church on Sunday that I should skip spring semester (2011), move to Mexico and do Project Mexico's public relations. And was about to do it to. I would have enough credits to do it and graduate with my class instead of a semester early, and do it before I started my journalism sequence. What a perfect time...right? Pause: If you know me, you know that I don't do spontaneous things like this. That I plan life and details even if it's annoying. So this was a big deal. More thought and opinions convinced me to stay, as depressing as it is that I can't return to Mexico until at least spring break. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly content at Mizzou and with my life, it's just hard to not want to go back to Mexico. So I hope you like reading the article and hearing about my experience!

This summer, I had the privilege of interning at Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage for a month. From mid-June to mid-July, as an Orthodox Basic Training (OBT) intern, I was blessed with the experience of a lifetime as I helped prepare and facilitate the OBT sessions.

My responsibilities as a month-long intern consisted of overseeing a work site with the site leaders, completing daily projects at the ranch to assure that OBT ran smoothly, answering questions and providing information about Project Mexico to OBT participants, and assisting wherever needed. That did not include the perks of getting to know the boys at the orphanage, improving my Spanish immensely, and the towns of Rosarito and Tijuana.

The atmosphere of the ranch at Project Mexico is one that allows for minimal distraction, peace of mind and enjoying life as it comes by living in the present. This is something we often take for granted in the United States, as Americans are constantly looking ahead to an extent that inhibits us from realizing the occurrences of the present. There were times in Mexico where I would pause and think, “People in America never would have noticed how beautiful this moment was if we were in the US—because they would be text messaging or looking for cell phone reception.” Thus, I was given a new perspective on life during my intern experience and allowed my focus to be on considerably more important world matters, such as the poverty wheel.

With this significantly more real outlook on life, I was able to create genuine and lifelong friendships with the numerous people I met. I became acquainted with the 23 boys at the orphanage and the rest of the staff members very quickly, along with more than 250 fellow Orthodox Christians from around the country. Our core focus of conversation was not necessarily that of gossip or complaint of long work days, but one of connections to religion, each other, our morning and evening prayers, and the service we were completing.

It was incredibly meaningful to oversee two work sites, one during each OBT session, and in the end, getting to see and talk to the families of each of the 10 homes Project Mexico built in those two weeks. I received the miracle of directly seeing how our work helps others one day at a Wal-Mart in downtown Rosarito. In July of 2009, I attended Project Mexico for the first time with Sts. Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church in Glenview, Ill., my home parish, and built for a family with seven children. As I roamed the aisles of Wal-Mart, I felt a tap on my shoulder and the oldest daughter of this family, a 13 year-old girl named Pilar, had recognized me from the previous year. Tears fell from my eyes as she had the courage to approach me from across the store, and proceeded to thank me for everything and update me on her family, who I visited later that week.

These families have such a great level of need, and in return, show much appreciation for the hard work in the four-day home building process. The woman who we built a home for during one of my OBT sessions cooked soup for all 35 people on our site, on a budget of receiving $1.50 an hour working overnight shifts at the hospital as her only employment. My intern experience really allowed me to explore and reflect on the day-to-day life in Tijuana and seeing how the boys go through it directly with the help of your donations.

As a sophomore journalism student at the University of Missouri, I always thought of my life in a futuristic manner. What publication could I intern with next year? Where will I find a job right after I graduate? But this experience taught me that even with a Type A personality, you do not need to follow that plan…but God’s plan for you. That is where you will discover what you love and are meant to do. Spending a summer with Orthodox Christians and mission work combined was the happiest place I have been in my life and I hope and pray that I will return to Project Mexico for years and years.

Recruitment Week

It is as crazy as you think it is...and more. And one of the most odd processes you will ever experience. Some of the parties fly by, others drag on, and if I had to estimate, I've probably talked with over 100 girls going through recruitment over the past few days. If I had a memory, I would be able to tell you their majors, hometowns, high schools, what they're looking for a sorority, activities and residence halls. But I don't remember all of them, but thankfully I have held up as a decent conversationalist and haven't lost my voice quite yet!

I can't even attempt to explain recruitment, only those who go through it on both sides will ever understand. The process correlates with the idea of living in the sorority house....as stereotypical as it's not...it is. But am I having a great time? For the most part, yes! And that's what matters, right?

It was my decision to start a new job, try taking an online class, and join a sorority last year/do recruitment and work week simultaneously. And while it might not have been one of my best, I'm getting through it. I have 3 more history lessons and 3 exams to go by August 30, a few more companies to continuously call until they respond to me, am starting to remaster Photoshop and InDesign (definitely on my Christmas list already), and have three more 5 hour energy shots on my desk as I write this. Multitasking is at its maximum as I read history lessons in between recruitment parties, but my effort will pay off sometime, or at least that's what I pray for. It may not be this week, month, semester or throughout college, but some day I will get more than 5 hours of sleep a night.

And I truly feel that I am becoming closer with the girls in the house. It's hard to not realize the extent of your Phi Mu love, sisterly bond and friendships as recruitment and work week occur, and build more relationships. As much as I do and always will miss Twainers, it's fun to chat in someone's room for hours about everything. And giggle all night long. Or listen to people scream on the phone in the hallway about their drama.

Thus, all is good in Columbia. I'm genuinely happy for classes to start and to get in the swing of a schedule, and be done with PHA recruitment rules. Saturday, I can go where I want when I want, step on fraternity property, leave the house (with more than 3 people too!), see other friends, drive somewhere when I want to without being double parked in, wear letters in public, bond with our new pledge class (!), post pictures that can be seen since recruitment will be over and so much more.

So I pray that you are all well and that everyone's respective move-ins/lives are successful! Mwah!

My New Room

It's been just about a week since I packed up my new (used) Honda CRV, drove to Columbia and moved into the Phi Mu house! Here's the progression of my new bedroom with Kathryn as it becomes more and more comforting :)

This is right when both of us dropped all of our boxes at noon on Saturday the 7th. Kathryn's sister Alex is probably in awe at how much stuff we both have and thankfully, helped us.

NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THIS....

My bed is the purple striped one and my feet fall under Kathryn's bed, leaving us plenty of storage for our stuff. My desk and pictures are on the right and I have a nice little corner in the nook/alcove/whatever you prefer to call it.

And look at the beautiful view from our window!

We get to see the time and weather every morning when we wake up...saving the couple of minutes it takes to check weather.com! Yay productivity! And yes...Only I would find this exciting.

Laura was nice enough to come visit us on her move-in day and set up our shelving unit!

Then...

And now...

Betty and Robin brought back the Jake Gyllenhall cardboard cutout from Chicago (yes, it fit in the car...but without legs).

So Brittney played a joke on everyone and put him in the window. So as the sorority girls were walking out, they looked up and saw this...

HA!

The wardrobe, shelves and drawers Kathryn and I purchased for the room

And now...onto other exciting things

These were the frames my Public Relations committee made for the other sororities in their colors!

This is me, Sherman and Kathryn skyping Andrew! Yay for reuniting!

More to come later! Have a great day!

Back to Columbia- Work Week to the max!

I thankfully had a safe drive back to Columbia (made it in 6 hours too!) from 5 am to 11 am on Saturday the 7th and am moved into the Phi Mu house!

Here are the last few things I did before leaving though:

Lazer tag and Steak N Shake with the Sts. Peter & Paul Crew!

Michigan Dunes road trip with Stacey and Kalyn!

After climbing the dune!

I have to say, it was a pretty stressful move in and will be a VERY crazy next two weeks. Work Week is an entire week (9 am until 9 pm days, at minimum) of preparation for Panhellenic Formal Recruitment, everything from 'walking out' to having proper and solid conversation to make the PNMS (potential new members) happy. It's taught me a lot more about the Greek system...a lot of interesting things that I would change if I could, but I can't.

My to-do lists have multiplied and I'm trying to diminish them, but it's back to junior year of high school 3 hour evenings of sleep. In the next two weeks, I'm going to not only go through Work Week and Recruitment, but finish 3 online history exams, 5 projects and 8 lessons. I'm going to sign Maneater client contracts for the business section and make money doing it. I'll reply to every email I get promptly, but probably not every text message/phone call since I leave my phone in my room during the day because it's rude to use it while we're working on projects. And in addition to these...I'm going to get stuff started for the rest of the semester and finish decorating mine and Kathryn's room (I've never seen 2 people with more things than we have). So are these goals accomplishable? Probably not...but I'll do it anyway! So wish me luck, I'm staying off Facebook to help and keep me posted on your life via emails :) Love you!

The Final Stretch at Home

I'm finishing off my final time in Northbrook, and boy did I enjoy these past 11 days! They have been packed with family, friends, errands, my online history class, packing, Skype, Tokbox, fun, and definitely not sleep :)

After a mental debriefing of where the time this summer has gone, I compiled this list of the 13 states and two other regions I have been to in the past two months, with the majority occurring in these last three weeks. An asterik denotes that I only drove through that state and didn't really spend time there, but it still counts!

• Illinois
• California
• Baja California, Mexico (Tijuana, Rosarito, Ensenada, etc)
• Washington DC
• Virginia
• Maryland
• Delaware*
• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
• New York
• West Virginia*
• Ohio
• Indiana
• Michigan
• Missouri

Wow! Overwhelming much?! I love traveling and think that the 6 to 7 hour drive to Mizzou Saturday morning won't even feel long based on how much time I have spent just chilling in cars, trains and more on the way places. But pray for me, I'm doing the drive in my new (well, used) 2002 Honda CRV that's a 5-speed (yay stick shift!)....and I'm doing it alone! Just me and my iTouch!

People have asked, based on how their summers have been spent, either: aren't you bored at home/what are you even doing here/don't you want to just go back to school? And the answers are no, a lot, and yes but I need a few more days. I underestimate how much time back-to-school errands can take, but have packed them in between the other exciting events over the past week. Here's a photo explanation!

The day I got back, my dad, Hannah, Jessie and I went to the Sox-Seattle game where the White Sox won 12-0! Kalyn was there too and we all had excellent seats! I realized that my dad and I also look alike, ha.

Mizzou reunion below! Andrew, Shaina and I relaxed at Glencoe Beach while enjoying the idea of being with MU-friends IN Chicago. Always cool.

Saturday, we had Yiayia and Papou's 50th Wedding Anniversary Party at Pinstripes! Below are them with their six grandchildren. A fun day of commemorating their marriage and a family get-together!

...And playing with Lena of course. Her (2), Dean (7) and Drew (5) have memorized Katy Perry's "California Gurls" and even dance to it as they sing along. Pretty classic. Yes, I have video footage of this.

What better way to spend a Sunday then going to the beach after church with our Greek friends, and get tan while doing it! Nick, Christina, Dean, Eleni and I smile in the water at Gillson Beach...or more accurately...the free beach next to Gillson. What can I say, we're cheap.

Brooke, Irina and I at Irina's 19th Birthday dinner at a Russian restaurant! It was a phenomenal meal and great to meet her family!

Kalyn's surprise 19th birthday party at "That Little Mexican Cafe" in Evanston! HIGHLY recommend it, the carne asada was lovely and it was so replenishing to have another quesadilla con carne asada, I was feeling a little withdrawal. The salsa was excellent, the only downfall was the $4 charge for guacamole on the side...heck, in Mexico, $4 can buy you the entire quesataco (a huge quesadilla with meat, cheese, guacamole, cilantro, onions and salsa). But she was SO surprised and it was a great time!

Besides these daily adventures, I've spent my evenings on my new favorite invention(s) of this generation...Skype and TokBox. For those who don't know, Skype is video chat/conference calling and more, but TokBox is a website where you can video chat with up to 20 people...at the same time! Anna, Emily and I (the best Project Mexico OBT interns/roommates) have had some trial runs on TokBox....

A photo of my computer screen, you can even see me holding the camera!

We then proceeded to take photos for all of our missed Project Mexico staff members...with signs with messages to them! This one says "Tok Box Success," which it definitely was. Three hours of catching up with my favorite Greek Orthodox people to live with for four weeks. We were even able to plan a Thanksgiving Break trip to Boston online! My Thanksgiving Break will now consist of visiting Boston and Kansas City!

Today we had one last Sts. Peter & Paul goodbye at LazerZone...typical, then Steak n' Shake...more typical. Photos to come soon.

With time limited, I've altered my summer to do list to the "once I'm back at Mizzou" to do list, always fun to conquer all those small things. Only I would feel the need to put all of my Facebook friends into groups based on privacy level and how I know people...yes, sometimes it's nice to add mindless things to 'to do' lists for organization and productivity purposes!

Hope you enjoyed this update and the next one will probably be back in CoMo (slang for Columbia, Missouri if any adults are confused :P)!