Sunday, September 26, 2010

Scents and Smells.

It's interesting how different scents and smells can take you back to the days of being a child, or being with that special someone, or even a dorky road trip with your parents. I love creating new moments and then without realization, noticing how those smells can pop up and remind you of that time. They say that smell is the biggest trigger of memory; without question or hesitation, it's true. 

Today, my dad was making baked beans with bacon and chili and all the "fixins". I was suddenly 8 years old again, at my family reunion, playing cards with all my relatives. I smell cotton and I'm back in Denton at my old apartment. I smell this lavender candle burning next to me, and it hasn't brought back any memories yet...but I'm hoping new ones might emerge from within it. Here's to hope.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

My life, thus far.

Regarding school:
(This might bore some of you)
I have been taking night classes, and loving the experiences that I'm gathering from them. For my "Intro to Seconday Education" class that I mentioned in my prior post, we have to observe 10 hours at a school and service the community for 10 hours. Now, for most of you, this probably seems a bit dull. However, I'm more excited about this than I have been about anything in a very long time. I received the placement of Centennial High School's art department for my observation hours. I can also use my community service hours at this school for a combined total of 20 hours. I'm so excited to talk with teacher about her lesson plans and how she goes about her days.

Regarding lifestyle:

Most of the time, I'm at the gym, training for the half marathon in December or training for UNLV's swim team for the spring. I'm also considering doing a 50 mile bike ride through Red Rock in October, but for right now, it's just a thought. I think pushing my body to this limit has been providing me with a new take on things. I've been pushing my body to it's limits, proving over and over again that I can do things that I really didn't think I could.

I've been trying to live by the philosophy of, "Do something new everyday." So far, it's nice.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Why do I want to be a teacher?

I have my "Intro to Secondary Education" class on Wednesday nights from 6:00 pm to 8:50 pm. To be perfectly honest, it's about as exciting as it sounds. Meaning: not a lot. The teacher is boring and the class is full of people that I would NOT want teaching the next generation, but I digress.
That class is one of the hardest classes...to stay awake in. My mind wanders. My legs get antsy. My butt falls asleep. Overall, it's not a good experience. However, the thing that most intrigued me was this question: "Why do you want to be a teacher?" A common question brought up in the teaching department. Most of the answers were the usual, "I like working with kids," or, "I have the freedom to teach how I want," and so on and so forth. The rest of the class, my mind was elsewhere. My mind was off constructing every reason why I desire to have this profession.

Tangent:
When I went into college, I was a Marketing major with a minor in International Business. Too much math. Next. I then changed to an Advertising Major with a minor in International Business. However, I soon realized that being in advertisement meant swaying people in one direction or another to buy your product. I didn't want to persuade people. I didn't want to end up lying to people. So that's when some self analyzation had to come into play. What would I do with my life? What COULD I do with my life? Then I remembered that first day of 8th grade art, and walking into that art classroom.


And that's all it took for me to realize what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted other people/students to feel the way I did. I wanted students to realize that there was more to life than just passing through it, trying to get to the destination. My AP art teacher taught me this: "Life is not about the destination, it's about the journey." It's not about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself. I want students to realize that art is all around them, like I did when my Art History teacher took us to Chicago. I started noticing that everything around me was about art and about appreciation. I wanted students to feel inspired...and thrilled...and overwhelmed. I want them to enjoy at least a little bit of their school day, if that's the smallest part that I could offer.

I hope I can do these things. I hope I can shape and mold the next generation into a more enlightened youth. I want to leave a mark on the world, and this is how I'm going to do it.

Monday, September 6, 2010

My weight, my body type, and how I am built.

It has been aggravating me lately. I am sick of being self-conscious of my body.
I think what set me off is what I received yesterday. In my formspring question box, I received a statement. This is the first thing that made me mad. A STATEMENT on a QUESTION website. Whatever. I guess people will just do what they please regardless of what I say. Anyways, it said, "You have big arms." 
Are you kidding me?! Really? I've got a lot of arm, but they aren't in any way, "big". I always joke with people and tell them that I have a lot of appendage. That I am a big girl.  It's because it's true. I am about to hit 5'10". I'm almost there, however, since I'm not, I still say that I am 5'9". (It's a girl thing). 
Listen people, I am a tall girl. It happens. It makes me uncomfortable, but THERE IS NOTHING THAT I CAN DO ABOUT IT. I have long arms to accompany that. I have really long legs. And guess what? I weigh A LOT more than most girls do. I wear a size 10 pant. On a good day, a size 8. I am kicking my own ass, trying to get down to a size 6, but guess what? I am NEVER going to be smaller than that. My bone structure is not built for that. I will never be model material. I will never be a size 0. 
But here's another fun fact. I am hot. I am attractive. And I'm a bigger girl, but I have to be okay with that. I'm not petite and I'm not skinny, nor will I ever be. 


Katherine Heigl said: I'm a real woman, a real size .. well I don't even know what size I am. Between 4 and 6, depending on the day. I am not perfect. 


So anybody who thinks otherwise, I have something to say to you. Blow me.