I do have friends

I may have worried you with saying I might be kidnapped. I wasn't, they turned out to be my friends.

Also, I was going to talk about something else but I can't remember what it is. Oh, well. If you actually read the blog you'll just have to remind me.

What have I accomplished?

So, in my quest to go on Semester at Sea I'm working on all sorts of scholarships, and they all want me to divulge how awesome I am. What academic awards and achievements do I have, what Leadership examples do I have.

These are all fine questions and if I were going to give someone I didn't know money I would want to know these things too. Not only do I have to prove I am worthy, I have to prove I am more worthy than the 500+ other kids who want to be able to do this as well. This is tricky for me. I consider myself an able leader, and I have done somethings to refine my leadership abilities, but seriously? They say I can use two sheets of paper? Do they want me to explain all of my experience? They said list! Not a list of explanations, just a list.

And then there are the experiences that just sort of happen. Like when I was hiking up a mountain in five feet of snow and the teacher who was supposed to walk with the slow kids in the back was walking in the front. Gradually I noticed that these two girls were getting farther and farther behind, one was a girl from China who spoke hardly any English and the only snow and mountain she had ever experienced was man-made and in a building. The other girl was perfectly capable of hiking up the mountain, she did motorcross, still does, but for whatever reason she wasn't.

I stayed back and I got them up the mountain, we were part of the first group to leave and the last to make it to the top, no one waited for us. Half-way up the mountain the motor-cross girl started feeling faint and almost fell down. I  told them the little tank engine that could story. I got them up the freaking mountain. They even deigned to have their picture taken with me. But is that something that I can put as leadership experience? Not without a really long explanation.

There was another time that only one girl in the class wasn't invited to a halloween party (this was in 7th grade) and so I told the host that I wouldn't come if she wasn't invited. She got invited. The host asked when she was going to leave the entire time, but it was better than if she wasn't invited. (She was also having a party that everyone was invited to and no one was going to...) But again, that was in 7th grade, and it's not like I was hired to be a mediator of any kind.

Ok, this blog post has turned into a big personal brag fest, but Still. There was also the time my rooom mate had an Anxiety Attack, while she was in her boyfriend's room. No one knew what to do so they came into my room and woke me up. I took care of her and I managed all the people who wanted to stand around and watch. I also called the Resident Life Managers and talked to the paramedics. I'd say that was leadership. Should I include that explanation?

Academic Honors, that one is tough because my school didn't award prizes and things for being awesome. I did take all the highest level courses and what not, but there were no Honor's classes, or IB, or AP, or whatever other acronyms there are for more notable high school classes.

I mean, it's not like I slacked off.

I studied all the time

Heck, I over credited my first two quarters of college, and got all A's and a B+

I might actually have friends

Guise!!
I think that I have friends. This is different from having people like you in your work place, I had that for a while. But today I am getting coffee in a different town with these said friends. And one of them is driving from that town to get me and then driving back their with me, doesn't that seem friendly?

It may be that they are planning to kill me, I'm pretty sure I could take one of them if she were on her own, there's no way I could get both of them though, crap. I'm either skrewed or I have friends, only time will tell.

In case you were wondering I am still raising/saving money to go on my trip around the world with Semester at Sea. Here's the link and here's the web address http://www.gofundme.com/semesterofadventure
I don't know if the web address will work like that, it probably has to be like this: http://www.gofundme.com/semesterofadventure.

I hope you are all doing well. Tomorrow I am going to post about job hunting and following up with employers, also about packing and getting to the airport. It's a fascinating line-up, stay tuned!

Money Money Money, Must be Funny, in a rich man's world

Ok, please excuse the Mama Mia title. I feel ashamed using it, I only saw the movie once at a Basketball camp in 7th grade, I think that is a perfectly acceptable time to see such a show.

Anyway, I chose that title because I created my Gofundme account (http://www.gofundme.com/semesterofadventure). I'll provide the link a few times so that you can see it. I am trying to raise $24,000, it's a lot of money, and I may need more than that for my trip. But that's the very least I could possibly need.

Oh, speaking of money, I have to go pay off my credit card. (I include this so you feel comfortable donating me money because it's clear I am responsible.) Ok, I may need to call my credit union, they're being buttfaces again. Have no fear, should you chose to donate your money it will be in good hands.

And here my link is again, http://www.gofundme.com/semesterofadventure, I don't want you to think that I was being lazy. If you donate $100 dollars I'll send you a postcard, it's a good deal, how many postcards do you get from around the world, like seriously?


Ok, here's the link http://www.gofundme.com/semesterofadventure one more time, and now I will leave you in peace, but, think about it, will you?

I got in!

Alright folks get ready to celebrate, I got into Semester at Sea Spring 2015!
Yeah, that bit was the easiest part, but it was also the first step. I guess it's kinda like getting a white belt, really easy to do, but you can't move forward without it.
Now comes the fun money stuff that I have to work out. Now comes the applying for scholarships, and all that fun stuff. I think that I am going to make a Fundme thing, we'll see how that goes. If you are reading this I would really appreciate a donation, I haven't made a fundme yet, so hold your horses.

I'm pretty jittery today. I woke up at a relatively decent hour, so that's always cheering, plus, I got into SAS, plus I drank a cup of coffee. Oh, and I'm talking to a couple friends.

I think that I should post another thing about "Things to do when you have nothing else to do." We'll see when I get around to that. My first step is finding out what things there are to do.

Ok, I have to start walking to work soon, so we'll talk again later. I'll get that fundme up so you guys can all start emptying your wallets :).

Oh, and I am looking forward to the start of CampNanowrimo, we get our cabin mates in 8 days! Woo!

I think that I am going to try to write tonight instead of watching TV, we'll see how that goes though. I'm in a positive mood so it just may work out how I want it too.

Alrighty, looking forward to talking to you folks again.

I may have some excuses

So, I would have posted sooner but...
I couldn't get the photos on my phone onto my computer
I didn't feel like it
I did write in my novel
I was actually socializing.

That last point is probably the most phenomenal excuse. I went to a party last night, like a real one where people laughed and drank. I was a little uncomfortable at first but I powered through, and I had conversations with people, and I laughed. Oh, and we played Cards Against Humanity, and I got second place.
Another thing I learned last night is that I am incredibly innocent. This is always something that I expected, but wasn't really aware of how blatantly obvious it is to everyone else. I am ok with being innocent, it's another thing to know about myself.

Let's see, also since my last post I went on a hike. I went halfway up a small mountain, found a rock, and read for a bit. I also called my friend and we talked for a bit. It was a nice day. And I didn't get rained on.

Today I am going to a graduation party for one of my co-workers who is graduating from high school. I worry that me and one of other girl will be the only ones there, but we'll just have to wait and see. I have a feeling this party may be more awkward because no one will be slightly inebriated.

Well, that's it for this post I guess, I'm not really feeling bloggy right now. I just though that it would be good to keep you updated. Because I care, you know?

Alright, I'll talk to you folks later.

See?

A sleepy gnome that I made and that represents my near future. 

Ugh

Yes I do  know how to post pictures I just don't have any pictures to post, alright?

I do it for the fans

Well crap, I was going to go to sleep but then I realized I had missed a couple days on the good 'ol blog. I don't want to leave you folks in the lurch.
But really, in mostly seriousness, I am writing this because I have found (And my mom may mention this every once in a while) that you need to make yourself do something to build up will-power and self-motivation. This is something I have had trouble with lately, mainly in the waking up at a decent hour so I have a chance to see more than a couple hours of daylight and in the accomplishing anything while I am awake bit of life. So, I am doing two things to help me get going again. As you may remember from my past posts (If you don't you'll just have to read them or take my word for it) I am decently self-motivated person and a hard worker to boot. But of late I've just been very good and my relatively easy job. (That was an awful thing to say, and I have made some mistakes, but I'm doing alright.)
Anyway, the two things I am doing (And I notice that they may be helping already) are: 1) this blog thing, and 2)The 30 day ab challenge. So far it's not much of a challenge aside from the tricky part of actually doing it. But I am five days strong so woot woot.
But my real goal is to reassert myself in the proper timezone, finish Elphire and Sila (I can do it, I have like 20,000 words or so left until I think that this part of the story could be considered wrapped up.) And then in July I will feel free to start on a new writing project with sassy, possibly mildly depressed, character that is in my head. I hope they stick around long enough for me to write her/him. Sometimes my characters will just wander away. And I wonder why I am so afraid of commitment I won't even go on a date. I can't even keep my half-baked characters around long enough for a chance at an adventure that I make up.

Well this is sort of like novelling.

I am trying to write, this is not usually an issue for me. But the last few days it has been, I don't know what's gotten into me. I usually write at the coffee shop, with coffee (Obviously), but since that didn't work last time (and I am feeling incredibly lazy today) I have stayed at home and am trying to work. I made myself chocolate milk for something to drink but I finished my milk before I had had even worked up the motivation to open my word document. I have managed 643 words in the last hour. I guess that is an ok amount, but they have all been forced. I want to be immersed in my story. You know what I am talking about? When you don't see your computer screen anymore, you just see what you are writing and you can feel what your characters are feeling. It's more like you are watching the story unfold than unfolding the story. That's what I want now. Sometimes it is nice to pick apart the story connect dots that don't seem like they could be connected, but not this time. I want this one time to be effortless.

Ok, new subject. I have applied to Semester at Sea. I really really want to go on the Spring 2015 voyage. It would be an amazing, challenging, ridiculous, impossible adventure. Mainly it may end up being impossible because there is no way that I can earn the money required to go on that trip. So, if I get in, I am applying for the Presidential Scholarship. I have gotten the advice from a couple people that I need to be very specific and detailed in how to carry out my plan. My goal is to collect The Most Important Stories of the World. I want to go to people at every port and talk to them, and get them to tell me what they think the most important story is. That is specific as I am going to make it, the story could be about their own lives, their communities life, it could be a legend, or a fairytale, it could be a religious story. Anything. The challenging part of this project is 1) The whole language barrier, I can't expect everyone I meet to speak English. 2) Getting myself to walk up to someone and getting them share with me something as personal as their most important story. 3) This bit is the least difficult for me, but, compiling all the stories, keeping them organized. I would like to write about my experience gathering the story each time as well.

Alright and my last topic. I work at a To-Shin Do dojo, my job title is Office Ninja, I'm not even joking. But To-Shin Do is about more than just the physical self-protection aspect of martial arts. That is a huge part of it, obviously, but it's also about protecting your self from yourself. For example, not beating yourself up about mistakes you make. Allowing that they happened, recognizing that it was your fault, determining how to avoid it in the future, and moving on. This self from self protection also comes in with the people you associate with. (Everyone I associate with is awesome so I don't have as much to worry about here) But if you are with people who make you feel bad about yourself all the time, then change that situation. You should be an environment where you feel comfortable feeling happy. For me the most challenging bit of this is opening myself up to people enough so that I feel like I know them, and they know me. For a long time while I was here I didn't really know anyone and no one made any particular moves to make sure they knew me. They all had lives here already, I was new and didn't know anyone. Now after two months I am enough part of their lives that I have began giving out my number and have been invited to different activities to do outside the dojo. So that's fun.

This whole blog post is basically just procrastination from writing, I think I'll be getting back to that now.

I've Missed You

So, I am currently living in Colorado working at a Martial Arts dojo. This is a great job, I don't start work till three, it's fun, good co-workers, my boss likes me, yadee yaddee yaddiee.
This is also not so great a job, mainly because it doesn't start until three in the afternoon. This means that I have absolutely no incentive to get up in the morning. You'd think this would be great, you get to sleep in as much as you want, how wrong you are. It was great at first, coming out of my rigorous too many classes in college time it was great. But I found that I quickly became bored. And the thing is I sleep in so late that I can't go to sleep until very late. I'v essentially created my own personal time-zone, it's a lonely place. I mean, can you imagine being all alone in your timezone?
The title of this post is "I've Missed You" because I've been silly not to talk to all you non-existent adoring fans out there. Because I am writing like you exist it feels like I am talking to you, it's an up-lifting experience for me. And you all are great listeners, you never even interrupt.
My catalyst for this post was I signed up for Camp Nanowrimo (If you don't know what it is, go look it up, you're online now anyway) and in the setting up of my profile I posted this blog as my website. I wouldn't want someone to click on my website and then see that I haven't updated it in months, that would be a bad first impression. I have 11 days to post everyday so that when someone eventually stalks me (It's got to happen at some point) it will appear that I am a dedicated blogger.

Muahahaha, how little they know!