Scheduling for the Last Semester

So I made it...I am currently scheduling for the last semester of my college career. It feels weird. I've gotten all of the hardest classes out of the way and only need one professional journalism class to graduate. Should I feel accomplished? Maybe I will when i get to May.

Its so odd how forward thinking our society is! Its September 10th and I'm picking classes that don't start until January 10th! Needless to say, I'm also already getting asked the question: What are you going to do when you graduate?

Savor it, I say! And I need to accept that, because before I decided against graduating early so I could have one more savoring semester up in State College. So Yoga, photo journalism, advanced multimedia production, thesis completion work and hopefully international reporting, HERE I COME! See, now that I spell it out, it sounds sufficient enough to fill my full schedule.

I'll be busy no matter what ...its the story of my life.

Heat

Oh, how I love when its damn hot! I hear everyone around me complaining about how hot it is and how sweaty it makes them. But today I just strolled around campus, soaking up the rays and feeling like I was on top of the world.

Granted, I was wearing the great dress my momma bought me (only $19.99 at JcPenney). You'd have to see it to believe how awesome it is. :-) But anyway, does anyone share with me a love for HEAT?!

For example, it's 91 degrees right now at 5:29 p.m. and I suppose that's hot for Happy Valley! On days like today, I just think how great it would be if I lived somewhere tropical (of course, if I could transplant those I love). Africa, California, Greece, Egypt, South America...the list just goes on and on! This is why I want to be a traveling, story-telling journalist - so I can soak up the vibrant cultures and lifestyles that inhabit these hotttt places.

Penn State Students

There's something beautiful about Penn State students, granted I do have a bit of a bias as one myself, but there really is!

This semester I am taking COMM 410: International Communications, with Professor Elavsky. I had heard nothing but great things about this professor before I took him (including how good looking he was...), but from personal experience I can attest to his abilities as a professor and a critical thinking stimulator.

This is a class of 54 and normally there are a few "big talkers" with over-the-top opinions, but in just the three short classes we've had more than half the class has spoken up. And they have some great, informative things to say! Now, you can generalize about us Penn State students, as partiers (apparently that's not a word!), a cult, or a College Disney World (a great positive comment from some good friends of mine!), but we've got some very aware, knowledgeable and passionate communications students who will be graduating in the fall.

That makes me proud to be one of them.

oh August...

I know, I stink (to say the least) because I haven't written all month. I could give you a line of excuses - and trust me they are valid ones! - or I could just write about the most beautiful part of my August.

A day with family stands out in my mind. My parents and Grammy came to pick me up in Washington, D.C. on August 7th. I missed them all summer so it was such a relief to see them and be heading home with them.

We all went to Open City, a great diner suggested to me by the one and only Caitlin Dewey (fellow Kiplinger's intern), and met Rita Golden Gelman for "brunch." Delish. Took a quick trip to Trader Joe's with Rita, then trekked down to Mount Vernon.

Before I went to D.C. my Grammy would tell me stories of Mount Vernon - it really is beautiful. Grammy believes it is the most beautiful place in the whole world, and it made me happy to share it with her.

It feels as though it is frozen in time, maintaining its natural beauty and reminding us of our strong founding father and first president.

Lunch

"The only danger you ever need to worry about is not having any fun."
- From Andy Hughes' Facebook album.

Today I got to get lunch with Professor John Curley. Among many other accomplishments, Prof. Curley was the first editor of USA Today. Imagine my excitement when I found this out. I actually didn't know this until a few weeks into my intro to reporting class, and we had already developed a habit of talking after class every day. He's a great mentor and very down to earth.

The beauty of today: When I told Prof. Curley how I used to worry about what was going to happen after college, he said there's no need to. I'm thankful for my new-found contentment and I'm just going to concentrate on having fun, as I work my way to where I'm meant to be. I'm ready to soak up senior year at Penn State!!

Frescoes in the Capitol

#4 - Our Capitol building is beautiful. Frescoes adorn many of the walls and the man who painted it left empty space to paint future pivotal events in history. I felt so alive being there today in the senate and house press rooms. So cool!

Deena

I had a friend come into town today, Eric Chou. We met at Penn State Abington. The whole plan was for me to get out of work at 4 p.m. so we could get a good amount of time at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, one of the many touristy things I haven't seen yet in D.C.!

Shortly after we arrived at the museum, I got a call from my fellow intern at Kiplinger's who was going to feed the meter for us. The car was towed...

After a few phone calls we figured out that it had been moved to the 1800 block of Pennsylvania Ave. In the meantime, I received an e-mail from Rita. Deena was over who was graciously going to take a few pictures for my story on Rita for the magazine. Deena said she was going to come pick us up.

In the craziness of wondering how the car was doing in its new spot, Eric and I decided it would be best to just go get it. So we asked Deena if she would mind taking us up-town to grab the car. On our way, sitting in traffic among crazed city drivers, Deena started to tell us all that was going on with her preparation for her huge trip to London in just 3 days. And she still agreed to take us.

When we got back to Rita's, even though Deena should have left 2 hours before, she did a photo shoot with Rita, ate dinner with us and was splendid company.

Beautiful moment of day three:
Deena's patience and presence even though other obligations and priorities were pulling her away. Deena you're the greatest!