Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
10/3/2012
YO!(LO!) Just kidding. Happy, happy Wednesday!! Get this- on Friday I wrote a super long journal entry regarding my feelings toward the transitional phase I faced coming back to America; also known as, REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK. I chose to make it into a blog because I thought it may be interesting to read how it felt to come back from Europe after living there for a year from my POV, but decided it was a bit too candid for the lovely people of IUE (and America, I guess?) to read. Basically I wrote about how being abroad changed me forever. I went over thinking that change was controllable, that I’d be the same me upon my return because I could CHOOSE to be the same me, but that wasn't the case and I ended up feeling sort of alienated in my own/old life, because it seemed so backwards compared to the new life I had gotten so accustomed to, and even became partial to. The transition was hard and it may always be until I go out on my own again and make another life for myself, one I may even prefer more than the one I had in Canterbury...yea, probably not, but still. Speaking of a new life….
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Canterbury <3[/caption]
I am currently looking into graduate schools!! Since studying abroad put me a semester behind, I’ve had a bit more time to decide on a graduate school and I cannot believe that I am LOOKING INTO GRADUATE SCHOOLS ALREADY?!?! I feel like I JUST started my freshman year at IUE! Did you see my picture on the iue.edu website this past week? Yea, that was me at 18?! That was my very first photo shoot at IUE and I remember it so well! It may seem trite, but the growth you experience in college, from an 18 year old freshman to a 22 year old senior is tremendous. When I first started college I really didn't know what I wanted from it, and how could I have known?! I honestly did not want to go to IUE in the beginning. At that time it was still a VERY small, sort of underdeveloped school and I didn't want to miss out on the ‘typical’ college experience, whatever that means? But (and I put this out on Facebook recently to share) I am beyond proud of my choice to attend IUE and even more proud of my school. In a recent grad school presentation at IUE, one of my professors (who has known me since I was that 18 year old), walked me over and introduced me to the presenter after he had finished, and my professor just went on about how awesome I was, you know, the usual. HAHA! Just kidding! But my professor introduced me to the presenter then talked to me afterwards and gave me truthful, sound advice. In that moment, I couldn't have felt more blessed. I have professors and faculty here who know me personally and are genuinely rooting for me, and all of their other students’ success and I think that is one of the biggest things that sets IUE apart; you can literally feel the love on campus. Phew! I am so happy I’ll be graduating as a Red Wolf and I cannot wait to hopefully make my school proud, in turn! (For anyone wondering, I am planning to become a Physician Assistant and work in some sort of surgical setting, preferably of the cosmetic sort, ideally working as/with a cosmetic dermatologist/facial plastic surgeon.)
Besides school and its subsequent work, which now dictates my time, I went antique shopping with my mom this weekend to get hats for my Grandma’s upcoming birthday tea party. It’s always so fun to go through antique shops, my mom and I do it often, because everything is cooler when it has a story and previous owner. The hat I got is a beautiful blue, from the 40s, and something Allie Hamilton would envy! I’m very excited to wear it! I also recently got to talk with my fourth grade teacher (who remains to be one of my favorite teachers of all time!). She told me she still talks about me and how I would always use the thesaurus. HA! It’s true. I HAD to be different from everyone else, even at 10 years old. I remember declaring ‘befuddled’ was MY word; no one else could use it. So, of course, some lame kid starts using ‘baffled’ as if their affinity for large words was authentic. Pssh! HAHA! You never realize how funny you’re being at that age, like who the heck was I that I needed to use befuddled instead of confused, then slap a copyright on it?! HA! I definitely always had to set myself apart! So I guess, even after all of the changes brought on by growing-up, college, and living abroad, some things really never do change…and that can actually be befuddling. (DON’T use that!) Till next time-
Kels
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I've obviously always been a diva. No change there.[/caption]
