Where Did Life Go?!

Image: here

So prior to yesterday, the question in the title never really crossed my mind; not after graduating high school, not after moving into my first college dorm, never. Yesterday and today two of my closest friends celebrated their 20th birthdays. Cue the late night barely-a-quarter-life crises. It finally hit me after realizing that everyone I know is entering their twenties...we're freaking adults, man! Now I still have quite a bit of time left to go before I cross into the next decade of my life but I still can't help but be a little bit taken by surprise at how quickly time seems to have passed.

I remember being in elementary and middle school with one of these girls and seeing each other everyday and going through all these really juvenile problems together. Last night, we were in our own dorms, on different college campuses, four hours away from each other still talking about our problems but with computer screens between us. We talked for hours about financial aid problems, crazy emotional guy problems, and other things that all of a sudden felt very grown up and very strange to us. I have now become very aware of life's little gray area where we are currently located.

In cultural anthropology we learned the term liminality. Liminality typically occurs in a cultural right of passage ritual; it is that step between the subjects starting social status and their new place in society. College is liminal. We aren’t the young guns who were a little sheltered, but we are also not completely cut loose and left alone to provide for ourselves and others yet. There are different rules that apply to us as we are learning how to be adults  in our specific society.

So I have nine months until I leave my teenage years and childhood behind me and really enter the age of adulthood. Luckily I have all these friends I can live through who are testing the waters for me, right? I plan on spending these last months making an effort--toward everything that’s coming at me in my in the rest of my nineteenth year as I enter into the twentieth year: applying for more scholarships to alleviate those financial aid problems, getting to know myself before concerning myself with others to maybe lessen some of those guy problems, and of course having fun to cure myself of my stress problem. After this post, I am still asking myself that question up there…where did life go? But there’s less panic now. Now it is peaceful realization and welcome toward the coming years.

<3 Ashley

Anyone else a little surprised at how fast time truly flies?

Day 30: Letting Go

Photo: here

I am sorry for my complete silence yesterday. The internet was down here and on top of that a marathon of Inside the Actors Studio. So honestly, there was no chance of me ever being online. But good news: the internet is back and Tropic Thunder isn't on until 2! So here I am offering the last of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge posts: React to the term 'letting go.'

Letting go is certainly something that I need to do more of! I have a tendency to dwell; I try not to, but my brain just seems programmed to remind me of things that really put me on edge. I think that letting go does involve acknowledging the problem, but instead of worrying about it try to learn from it. Know what you could have done differently but then let it go. Free yourself from the worry because it will only hold you back; letting go means moving forward freely.

What does "letting go" mean to you?

<3 Ashley

Reflection: Freshman Year

Well that's it! Finals are all finished and I have nothing left to do but move out; I am no longer a college freshman. I will admit that it is a little bittersweet. While I am very excited to go back home and see some faces that I haven't seen in a few months, I am sad to leave some of the faces that I have gotten to know really well. I won't see them for 4 months! I am also a little upset that it's over already; freshman year was fantastic and Pitt has certainly been very kind to me.

I loved the freedom of making my schedule for the first time, and loved the independence that I was given my first time away from home. I loved the feeling that all of the firsts gave me. That's why freshman year will always be a year that I remember. It certainly had a "fresh" feeling and gave me the opportunity to start over. This year I was able to challenge myself a little harder, push myself a little further out of my initial comfort zone and allow myself to get to know some truly awesome people and places.

I have slowly been packing up everything but today is the big packing day! Most of my day will be spent doing laundry, sorting clothes, and getting lost in boxes and packing tape. Here's a few shots of my last week:

Getting my caffeine fix and doing some last minute studying.

And the boxes are back! Desk is cleaned out and everything is off the walls.

The current state of my once full and decorated window shelf. Need to find somewhere to put these books!

All of this paper is from one class. Insane right?

I still have clothes to relocate to bags, books to box and cosmetics to store. That doesn't sound like a lot but this will take me forever! Haha!

Any packing tips for someone who may have accumulated more than what she came with?!

<3 Ashley

Resolution Reflection

Believe it or not, there is only about a week and a half left in the month of February. Where did the time go?! We are already almost two months in the 2013. This is not going to be a long post, but a good one still. The purpose of this one is reflection. How have you spent the first two months? Was it how you planned or hoped? Are you still going strong with your resolutions? Here are my answers:

The first two months for me were spent re-organizing, changing my space up a bit, and committing to a healthier lifestyle. While any hopes of de-stressing my life have almost been extinguished I find myself working a bit harder to catch up. In terms of my healthy lifestyle resolution, I find that I have substantially cut back on junk food (this success is aided by the beginning of Lent.) Since Lent has begun and I have committed myself to eating less junk food I have made Sundays my cheat day (if you celebrate Lent, you know this is the day that you can cheat.)

Anyway, I feel that, despite a few minor bumps, these first few months have been quite successful and I remain hopeful! How about you?

<3 Ashley

Do you feel that you have been successful so far in the new year?

It's That Time of Year...for Reflection

Home sweet home. That's right, after a stressful week of finals I am sitting in front of the Christmas tree with my mother, eating cheese and crackers, and watching Finding Bigfoot (recommended ;P)

Since I have met my the end of my first semester of college and almost the end of the calendar year, I thought that this would be the proper time for a time of reflection (New Year's Resolution post will come later!) As a student going into her first year of college I think that I had a lot of fears and expectations. I thought I would not be able to find people who were interested in the same things as me and led to some pretty solid friendships. I thought I would get overwhelmed in my classes. I thought that I would be faced with the pressure to do things that made me kind of uncomfortable since these people did not know me.

Let me break down the facts. I did make friends who were had very similar interests and senses of humor. We often hang out late into the evening. Never once did I feel overwhelmed in classes. I actually think that this semester helped out my time management since I often had long sections to read for a certain class and multiple papers to write at a time. It taught me to prioritize my work. The professors were also super helpful and willing to answer any and all questions a student had. As for the pressure, I really do not think it ever came. I was asked if I wanted to join people, but I would just answer honestly and no one batted an eyelash. They were very accepting.

This semester was my first time away from home. It was very difficult at the beginning, but contact is everything. I call my parents on the weekend and we text various times throughout the week. My friends and I have to Skype's #1 customers at this point. We chat nearly every other day. In all, college is proving to be very comfortable and livable for me, which is what my concern was all along. I hope this leads you to do some reflection of your own within the next couple of weeks as you formulate your New Year's resolutions. And for those of you considering colleges, let me know if you have any questions. I have only a little experience but would love to help :)

<3 Ashley

Will you reflect before the New Year?