things & stuff

Things that pushed my buttons today:

Having to get up early to study tax…blah

Waking up to a messy room because I refuse to take the ten minutes to clean it

Losing my keys! (Thank goodness for the angel that turned them in to the Library – thank you, whoever you are)

People on campus that walk super s l o w l y when crossing the street

Having to climb four flights of stairs probably eight times 

Spending a beautiful day inside studying…double blah

Things that made those things less miserable:

Sunshine in my bedroom window while getting ready for the day
Finding my keys!
Getting my favorite coffee beverage (iced coffee with a littlebitta cream – they’re cheap, too!)
Banana chips.
The 15 minutes I spent in the sunshine with my bare feet in the grass
Good songs on the radio
Completing my tax exam and feeling good about it
Finding out I don’t have to pay $1,000 for my student account on Monday – YAY financial aid!
Being told I “did really well” in my internship interview today
Free homemade lasagna for dinner (perk of having a fiancé that can cook – and he can cook)
Finding the time to write this blog post! That’s impressive. Or  just procrastination, either one.

It’s the small stuff, I suppose.

validation & hope

   I have been in school for the past 16 years of my life. Consecutively.

   I realize that I am one of the most fortunate individuals on the planet due to that fact, but that doesn’t stop me from throwing myself bi-weekly pity parties. So much school! So much homework, so many classes, so many exams, tests, and quizzes. It is entirely overwhelming and, most days, I don’t feel like it has been worth this much time, stress, and emotion.

   But things are starting to clear up.

   I am in the midst of the internship application process as I’m sure I’ve mentioned before. This chews up a lot of time because each internship has different requirements. Most involve applying on two websites which is hard to juggle. They all need a resume, most demand a personalized cover letter, some want transcripts (unofficial, thank goodness), and some even want a sample of your writing skills. Tack those onto an online application process that takes almost an hour to complete and you’ve dedicated pretty close to a night’s worth of available homework time.

   It is really, really stressful.

   I’ve successfully applied to seven internship opportunities so far with a few more on my list.

   And guess what? I was chosen for five out of the seven to come in for a face-to-face interview.

   As scary as it is to realize I’m going to have to “sell” myself to these companies, I can’t help but feel like I’ve already won something. They liked me enough to request an interview! Somehow it validates everything I’ve put myself through these past four years.

   With my sense of validation comes hope. I now realize that though I may not be at the top of my class, that I may be behind in my homework because of everything I’m involved in, that I don’t get 100%s on all my quizzes, that my assignments don’t always get that pretty A, and that I’m not commended for being a 4.0 student, I’m still sought after.

   A little shine has been buffed out of my rusted and corroded armor I’ve been clanking around in for the past year!

   I will get an internship. I will get a job. And, more importantly, I will be an educated individual who understands that hard work, dedication, perseverance, tears, loss of sleep, stress, nerves, and disappointment are all just pieces of becoming the person I aim to be.

Thursday Thoughts VI

My Thursday Thoughts this week consist of:

ONE

   Tonight was the annual Meet the Accounting Recruiters event which is a BIG DEAL in the ol’ accounting department. I was very anxious for it because this was the first year I’ve gone where I had to actively “sell myself” instead of just wandering and observing. Senior year certainly snuck up on me! But it went pretty well, I’m hoping to get a few calls/emails to come in for interviews. I have one tomorrow morning and another on Tuesday but I’d like to get as many as humanly possible so I can have options. Cross yer fingers for me!

TWO

   My phone completely died last weekend when I was in Utah for a wedding (of course) so I had to go phoneless for a few days. It was strange but SO nice! I felt like a new person! I never realized how much I depended on my phone until it wasn’t even an option. For instance, Garrett and I resorted to a few emails throughout the day whenever I could get to a computer. We usually text all day long so it was really weird to not be able to communicate with the touch of a few buttons whenever I wanted. But I am now back to normal, phone in hand…constantly.

THREE

   While in SLC for the wedding last weekend, Garrett’s mom asked me what I picture my wedding dress looking like. I described it to her and she said “well, you basically just described my dress!” She’s coming to visit this weekend and said she’ll bring it for me to try on – YEEE I am so excited! I hope it turns out being my Dream Dress so I can be done with that part!

FOUR

   About that wedding? Garrett’s mom’s stepsister married my cousin’s best friend’s younger brother. Fo realz.

   Small world, eh?

FIVE

   I really really want to plan something fun for this weekend that I can look forward to. For the past few weeks, some gal pals and I have tried to do Thursday Wine Nights but tonight didn’t work out. I just feel so swamped with everything that one little fun thing would totally brighten my outlook. Hopefully something comes up!

SIX

   Today marks almost a month of my no-refined-sugar “diet” (aka:  no cookies, donuts, chocolate, candy, muffins, ice cream, brownies, etc) and I have to say it’s not as hard as I anticipated! And I truly feel better when that category is just completely eliminated. Y’all should try it!

Well happy Thursday! Thanks for readin’. Do something FUN this weekend!

what is and what isn't

   This week was really rough for me. Between balancing school, club stuff, internship recruiting, and MAJOR money issues, I wasn’t the happiest of campers.

   So I ran away.

   We left at dawn on Friday morning and drove through small towns and smoky valleys, we wound our way along shallow rivers and passed fields of drying grain, we listened to potential wedding songs and held hands as the sun worked it’s way up in the sky.

   We reminded each other of what’s important and what isn’t.

advice

   Yesterday was one of those days that brings you to the point of:

• Calling your mom and telling her to “make it better”
• Forcing your significant other to rub your shoulders and telling him to “make it better” too
• Eating too many banana chips
• Getting overly emotional on an intro story for a contestant on The Voice
• Getting overly emotional while watching a youtube video your Grandma sent you
• Hiding from the world under your favorite quilt
• Mumbling angrily to yourself about every little thing that goes “wrong”

Amongst other self-pitying activities...

   After complaining to everyone a few people, I collected these helpful tidbits:

“You make your own happiness – choose your attitude” – my oh-so-wise momma

“Everything will work out, you just have to stay happy. We’ve got love, what more do we need?” – my perfect fiancé

“Picture how you want your life to be, then do what it takes to get you there – you don’t need to do everything” – Papa-san (dad)

I’m so lucky to have the support network that I do.

   And listening to this song makes me happy – not because it relates to how I feel in any way but it is just so dang beautiful! I can’t help but sing along.

first sunday social

Linking up for my very first Sunday Social via Ashley at Ashley's Carnival Ride!

(1) What’s the name of your blog and how did you come up with it?

   This is actually the third blog I’ve started. Well, technically they’ve all been at the same URL but I struggled for a long time to find a good title. When I first started blogging back in high school, I used it to write my depressing adolescent thoughts until my sister saw it on my computer one day and my family wouldn’t stop giving me flack about it. In hindsight, I was definitely a little more angsty than necessary at the time… But when I came to college and set out to blogging once more, I randomly came up with “Writing from Big Sky Country” after watching a commercial about a car dealership whose motto was “the best deals under the Big Sky!” And that was that.

(2) What do you love most about blogging?

   I personally love the following aspect of blogging. I love finding new blogs about interesting women and seeing life through their eyes! It’s fascinating to me. I get so excited when people decide to follow me because I think “they must have found my life interesting enough to creep!” which is kind of awesome in a slightly twisted way.

(3) What are your two favorite posts you’ve written?

   I definitely have to say my engagement story post was one of my favorites to write as well as read over and over again. It’s also the one that has the most views on my blog! Although some of them are probably from me…ok, most…
   My second favorite would probably be my story about crashing a motorized scooter in Mexico. I tried really hard to capture exactly how it went down (no pun intended) so I catch myself chuckling reading it to myself because I remember it very vividly.

(4) What is something you'd want to tell someone just starting out in the blog world?

   I’d tell them to not get discouraged when your blog only gets one view in a month. I was definitely in that situation! I’d get upset because I’d sit down and write something I knew would be interesting or funny and no one would comment…or even read it. But it takes time to get your blog known! I’ve been blogging since 2007 and a majority of my followers just occurred last month! Also, try to keep your blog your own. Don’t conform to the blog norm!

(5) Biggest blogging learning experience you've had?

   This is probably generic, but I found that women my age all over the US are basically conquering the same things. It has really expanded my view of our society and I find it very interesting. For instance, I randomly came across a blog a while back about a girl living in Portland and discovered we have a lot in common! We’re even both engaged and our weddings aren’t far apart! Such a small world.

(6) Give us 3 blogs we need to be following that you love.

   Well considering I found this linkup via Sar from [life of love], I have to choose hers! I get very excited when she posts, her life is so interesting! And her outlook on the world is inspiring beyond belief.
   I also really enjoy reading Paigeity’s blog A Wish in the Wind. I found hers randomly one day and it turns out we used to live fairly close before I made the big move to MT. I love reading about her thought process and her art is lovely!
   I just recently discovered Sarah’s blog Wearing It On My Sleeves and absolutely love it! Her sense of humor kills me and I love that she literally makes her own style. I wish I possessed an ounce of her creativity!

Happy Sunday!

Thursday Thoughts V

Linkin’ up with Sar once again for another round of Thursday Thoughts!

   Thursday already?! I guess having Monday off has me all mixed up. So unbelievably glad it’s my “Friday” today, no more classes until Monday! My brain needs the rest. Between getting trained at Job #1, attending five classes, teaching one of them, being an officer in Accounting Club, being trained at Job #2, planning a wedding, trying to budget money, having my car fall apart, and maintaining every other aspect of life…I could not respect the weekend any more than I do. Now if only having no classes on Fridays meant I could actually relax…but alas! Both jobs await!

   Enough self-pity for now. On to the hap’s!

ONE

   Bought this little diddy over the weekend – SUPER excited about it. I met with my fellow engaged friend, Ashley, to get coffee on Saturday and she showed me her planning book. I decided right then and there that I definitely needed one in my possession. Hopefully it’ll help me organize some thoughts!

TWO

   Lover Boy brought me these. I rarely am a recipient of flowers so I was very touched – nearly teared up! A little later he might’ve let it slip that he took them from work because they were just getting tossed in the trash but hey! It’s the thought that counts!

THREE

   I am so obsessed with banana chips right now that it’s kind of freaky. It’s weird, too, because I used to hate them...even the smell of them made me angry. Life tip: don’t smell banana chips. Just don’t. Well now I have somehow acquired some strange addiction to the things and buy basically a pound of 'em every time I go grocery shopping. SO GOOD. Not as good for you as you’d expect…or want…but that ain’t stopping me!

FOUR

   I had the pleasure of attending our University’s annual Freshman Convocation last night at which Dr. Condoleezza Rice was the special guest. I (ashamedly) don’t follow politics very closely so I wasn’t as intrigued by her visit as some other folks, but the business class I’m teaching requires us to read Dr. Rice’s book Extraordinary, Ordinary People and I’ve really enjoyed it! It was cool to read about someone’s life then get to listen to them speak. She gave great advice, was an awesome speaker, and even gave a small piano recital! Very neat.

FIVE

    The temperature’s cooling down here, folks…leaves are starting to fall and I actually turned on the heater in my room last night! Ahhh I’m not ready. My roommate and I were talking last night about how the prospect of winter almost weighs heavy on us. Montana winters are tough, ya’ll.

Well that about sums it up for me this week! As always, thanks for reading and have a fun-filled and adventurous weekend!

the right one.

   So you know how in movies, romance novels, sitcoms etc, the featured couple figures out that they’re “right” for each other due to heroic ventures or sappy love scenarios? And you base your personal love experiences off of those situations and think “why can’t I find a guy that travels miles and miles on a camel without any money to his name and a severe bullet wound to his left shoulder but still manages to carry a bouquet of my favorite flowers and present them to me whilst confessing his utmost adoration?” (Amongst other scenarios, of course).

   And you get a little depressed because it seems very unrealistic to find a guy that reads your mind, buys you expensive gifts for no reason, and supplies an endless number of foot massages.

   But then one day you have a really big problem. Since you’re poor and don’t have a printer, you wait to print out an assignment that’s due. You usually email these things to yourself so you can print them on campus but for some unknown reason you decided not to (aka: totally spaced it) and now you have three options:

1. Skip your next class and forgo the important attendance points so you can get to your computer, email the dumb assignment to yourself then go back to campus and print it out in hopes that you can accomplish it all before the paper is due

2. Call your fiancé and plead for his assistance

3. Growl to yourself upon realization of your mistake then stand up abruptly and yell “CURSES UPON ALL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES!” and run out of the computer lab toward the nearest safe place

I went with option B. 

The conversation that ensued follows:

Me: I desperately need your help.

Him: With what??

Me: I forgot to email an assignment to myself and it’s due in an hour and I can’t afford to skip class and I could really really use your help in printing it out!

Him: Ok, how?

Me: Go to my house, get on my computer, open up the homework folder, then open up the audit folder, find the paper called ‘CPA’, email it to yourself, then print it out and find me to bring it to me all within the next hour…

Him: Ok.

Me: Ok?

Him: Yeah, I can do it. See you soon!

   Less than a half hour later I had my assignment in my hand, flawlessly printed without even a slight bend to the paper.

THAT, my friends, is how you know you have The Right One.

   Now excuse me while I go rub his back for an hour.