I thought I could sneak through work today without a flood of birthday songs or messages, but somehow, my third hour knew and sang happy birthday to me (loudly) for the first part of class. It was kind of cute. Birthdays are weird when you don't see your friends and 90% of the people you see in a day don't know it's your birthday. There's no reason why they should... but sometimes you just want to tell them. Again, I don't know why. You know they're just going to be like, "Happy birthday!" and it will feel artificial; they're saying it only because you just told them. Does this happen to anyone else? Don't you want to just stand up in your office or classroom or (insert place of work here) and scream, "It's my birthday! Everybody should love me today!"
Hahaha. I would never do that. I swear I'm not needy. Now I'm just embarrassing myself. (:
I went out to dinner tonight with my family. My chef brother made me a bundt cake.
One of my students told me I "looked like I walked straight out of J Crew today." Little did she know... most of my outfit is from there. (:
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Writing Challenge Day 21
I'm doing a 31 day writing challenge, found on the Reverb website, designed to reflect on the past year and look forward to what's to come in 2011.
Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)
For the year ahead:
This confuses me. Am I giving myself advice for this year but pretending like I'm 29 and giving the advice? I don't really know what my 29-year-old self would say to me right now. Probably something like, "Stop dating stupid boys." Or maybe, "Take a year off from life and work a random, crazy job in a city on the west coast... like a the vegan food journalist/YMCA nutrition specialist that you were going to be if you didn't get this teaching job." Or, "Don't spend every waking moment planning lessons and making copies and grading so you can get 120 essays back to your students in two days. They can wait. It's fine. Do something for yourself." Or, "You should really get over needing boys to affirm that you're funny/pretty/good enough. That has to come from you." Or, "Save your money more (and don't spend it all at J Crew) so you can go on a sweet trip with your friends who love to travel. And actually plan that trip, don't just talk about it. Plan it. Go buy the plane tickets. Right now." Or, "Do something where you meet more people." Or, "Apply for the Amazing Race." Or, "Go join some crazy non-profit for a few years and promote causes that you care about and dress like a hippie and just love people... that's where your heart is, anyway."
14-year-old self:
// Bonus. This was almost exactly the same assignment I was going to give my Creative Writing class, but we ran out of time before our revisions and portfolios. Ten years ago, I was 14. These are the things I would want to tell my 14-year-old self:
-No one REALLY cares what you look like or wear after high school. Get over it now. Stop buying stuff from Abercrombie. Spend your money on more important things. No, actually... save your money.
-Appreciate your teachers. Not only appreciate them, but take time to write a thank-you note or letter explaining how they've helped you, taught you, encouraged you, or changed you. You have no idea how hard they work.
-Take a makeup lesson. Glitter eyeliner and blue eye shadow does NOT flatter the face. (:
-Be a YL student leader. I don't know why I wasn't.
-Spend more time figuring out what you want to do in your life, so you know after you graduate.
-Take dance classes! I never realized how much I loved dance until college, and now I regret not taking them earlier in my life.
-Balance your obsession with volleyball. School season + AAU in spring + fall travel leagues + 498 summer camps leaves little time for much else.
-Spend time making TRUE friends. Not friends who will date the boy you really like or talk behind your back or hide things from you.
-BE AN EXCHANGE STUDENT!!!
-Take an art class.
-Find a different job than Hungry Howie's. And cleaning office buildings. Ha.
-Don't change for anyone. Be confident in who you are. You will find someone who will love you for that. If they can't, you don't want them in your life anyway.
-Stop being nervous around boys. If you like a boy, make it obvious. Hard to get does NOT WORK.
-Additionally, don't cry over boys. It's high school. These relationships don't matterrr.
-Join more groups (in high school and college). Sleep is overrated. (This might sound ridiculous to some of you, because I definitely have a problem with over-committing. There are a few groups I wish I would have done in high school and college)
-Start learning Italian.
-The best decisions you will make will be to work at Springhill in the summers and be a YL leader during the year.
-Get more consistently plugged in with a youth group at church.
-Stop being obsessed with horses. Or maybe 14 was around the time that I stopped. I think I became obsessed with N Sync at this age.
My life. I feel some of the advice I would give my 14-year-old self is stuff that still applies to me ten years later. Especially "don't cry over boys." And "take an art/dance class."
-Appreciate your teachers. Not only appreciate them, but take time to write a thank-you note or letter explaining how they've helped you, taught you, encouraged you, or changed you. You have no idea how hard they work.
-Take a makeup lesson. Glitter eyeliner and blue eye shadow does NOT flatter the face. (:
-Be a YL student leader. I don't know why I wasn't.
-Spend more time figuring out what you want to do in your life, so you know after you graduate.
-Take dance classes! I never realized how much I loved dance until college, and now I regret not taking them earlier in my life.
-Balance your obsession with volleyball. School season + AAU in spring + fall travel leagues + 498 summer camps leaves little time for much else.
-Spend time making TRUE friends. Not friends who will date the boy you really like or talk behind your back or hide things from you.
-BE AN EXCHANGE STUDENT!!!
-Take an art class.
-Find a different job than Hungry Howie's. And cleaning office buildings. Ha.
-Don't change for anyone. Be confident in who you are. You will find someone who will love you for that. If they can't, you don't want them in your life anyway.
-Stop being nervous around boys. If you like a boy, make it obvious. Hard to get does NOT WORK.
-Additionally, don't cry over boys. It's high school. These relationships don't matterrr.
-Join more groups (in high school and college). Sleep is overrated. (This might sound ridiculous to some of you, because I definitely have a problem with over-committing. There are a few groups I wish I would have done in high school and college)
-Start learning Italian.
-The best decisions you will make will be to work at Springhill in the summers and be a YL leader during the year.
-Get more consistently plugged in with a youth group at church.
-Stop being obsessed with horses. Or maybe 14 was around the time that I stopped. I think I became obsessed with N Sync at this age.
My life. I feel some of the advice I would give my 14-year-old self is stuff that still applies to me ten years later. Especially "don't cry over boys." And "take an art/dance class."
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