So, I have been MIA for a few days! I have been keeping really busy!

I have a paper for my Christian Values in a Global Community course tomorrow. I completed it last night, and it was a lot of work. The paper was 5-7 pages, pretty standard in college. The thing about Christian Values that I like is that it challenges your values and perspectives. On the other hand, that is what makes it so difficult to write a paper for the course. I had been really struggling to complete the paper and have it meet my professor's standards. That is why I decided to meet with my professor this afternoon. One thing that I so love and appreciate about the Bluffton faculty is their desire to help students succeed. I have never had a problem getting a professor's input or assistance!

Luckily, my professor thought my paper was pretty good. What a relief! I came back to my room and did some minor grammatical changes and added a bit to the body of the paper. With this out of the way, I can let out a huge sigh of relief.

Today was a pretty good day... I went to the Cross Cultural forum. This is probably one of the best forums of the year. The students who went on the trip share pictures and talk about their trips. I went on my Cross Cultural in May of 2009, but I still love to hear about other people's experiences. At lunch today, they had fried ravioli! I love it! So tasty. :-D

On my agenda for tonight is printing off information for graduate school. I am planning on getting my Master's in Social Work, so this is one of many steps. I'll keep you posted on all of that!

                                  Just a funny picture... Taken at Hot Topic this past Thursday, just for fun. :)

What's in a Weekend...?

It is amazing how fast a weekend can go by when you have so much to do! I think there is something about the time-space continuum that just makes weekends speed up! It seems like it only just begins and then is gone! This, my friend, is why I did not post this weekend. Busy days are preceded by more busy days!

Friday

My Friday afternoon was packed full of stuff to do! I had my social work club meeting at noon. That always entails a lot of hard work. It is worth it when the events are finalized, but there is a lot of work that must be done to make those events possible. We were discussing some upcoming fundraisers, as well as our back to school event. That event is this Friday, and it should be fun.

Afterwards, I headed into Lima with a few people from my Practice 3: Macro class. For this class, we have are working with a group in Lima, Ohio. It is our goal to improve the relationships between the community members and the local businesses and organizations. I and two others went to the library in Lima to do some background research. That is one of the good things about social work classes--you get out into the community. However, it is also a time-consuming project. It is about coordinating schedules. Following the trip to the library, we went to the Allen County Council On Aging, where we met up with the rest of our group. We had a conversation with the staff there about the needs of Lima.

Saturday

Number of hours spent in the library here on campus: 2 and 1/2
Number of papers completed: 1
Success? Yes

The majority of my day was spent working on my paper for my Practice 3 course. I decided to get it out of the way. I then printed out the articles I needed for my next paper (for Practice 1). The library is a great place to go and study/work on papers. It is pretty peaceful and has all of the resources you need.

After working on my paper, I played tennis with a friend. Neither of us are especially good, but we had fun! We even got some good volleys going.

My boyfriend came to visit. He and I and many other friends then went to Findlay. We ate at a great restaurant called Bellacino's. They serve Italian style food... Sooo good, and not overly expensive. I highly recommend it. Then we went to Wal-Mart. This is always an adventure. We looked at fish and amused ourselves in electronics. Then, we came back to Bluffton. My roommate, boyfriend, and I watched the Prince of Persia. Good movie, by the way. :-)

Sunday

Number of hours in the library: 3 and 1/2
Number of papers completed: 1
Success: Yes

So glad to have that project out of the way!

The rest of my weekend was spent watching my own personal Gilmore Girls marathon. It's important to treat yourself after a long day of working.

Monday

Go time:6:40am
Stop: Approximately 5:10pm

What occupied that time:

Work, class, class, work, lunch, work, paper to write, work for the social work club...

It is a busy life, the life of a college student. Worth it? Yes. Absolutely. I spent tonight talking and laughing with my friends. We were unwinding from a long day of school and work. Mark my word: It is soooooo important to have good friends!

Happiness is...

What brightens up a day (one that has been less than positive) more than lunch outside (Other than pizza last night at our first Art Club meeting)? A frisbee that changes colors in the sunlight acting as a tray. Let me back up and explain: Today was the President’s Forum. President Harder spoke today about the future of Bluffton. It is very exciting to hear about all the new places and changes that are coming our way. Anyhow, President Harder announced that the new Health and Fitness Center is close to breaking ground. It will be built behind Marbeck Commons, where the old softball field used to be. While I will not see the facility built during my time here at Bluffton, it is certainly an exciting renovation that is soon to take place!

Lunch consisted of hotdogs, hamburgers, brats, veggie burgers, potato chips, coleslaw, corn, and cheesy broccoli casserole. Let me tell you that there is nothing like a lunch outside (on such a gloriously beautiful day) to cheer a person up. I woke up this morning with a stuffy nose, a sore throat, and a headache. A lunch outside was just the ticket—I felt better just being outside.

After my afternoon class and work, a few friends and I went into town (along Main Street here in Bluffton). We headed to the Etcetera Shop. It is a thrift store here in town. We had a business fair last week (it’s an annual event), where all of the local businesses come to advertise their shops and restaurants. We can pick up free things, and one of those is a plastic bag that allows us to fill the bag full with clothes. Whatever is in there is ours at no charge from the Etcetera Shop. Next, we headed to Ten Thousand Villages-a fair trade store that has items made by people all over the world. It is one of my favorite stores in town. The things are so amazing—very colorful and creative. I also recommend the Dough Hook. It is the local butcher shop that also happens to make baked goods. They have some of the best cinnamon rolls ever! Yum! I love the town of Bluffton, and I think that it is really homey!

That is one of the most amazing and important things to mention about this town: you feel welcome. It becomes a part of your life and who you are. You become a Bluffton Beaver through the university and the community!

Friday Night with Friends

Today was a lot of fun!

12:00
After my classes were finished, I met with the other officers of the Social Work Club. Today was our first meeting of the year. It seemed to be really productive. I am the secretary, and it is nice to have a more active role than I did last year. That is one thing that I love about Bluffton-you get the chance to really be involved. We talked about some of the events we want to hold this year, and I think it will be a lot of fun for everyone. Some of our ideas include a Back to School Pizza Party and a Trick-or-Canning (the collection of canned goods around Halloween).

2:00
I also had my meeting with Professor Heather Koontz. She is one of the three social work professors on campus. The seniors are getting ready for field placement or internships. It is a very exciting time that is also filled with a bit of nervous energy. It is a new step... One that I am looking forward to but am also kind of worried about. I think it is like a Catch 22 in that way. No right answer, per se. This is the beginning of my journey, and I am looking forward to where it might take me.

5:15
My friends and I headed to the Beer Barrel in Lima. Don't let the name fool you-we went there for the PIZZA! I got the lasagna and ordered a small pizza for tomorrow. Both were good... but the lasagna was AMAZING! Really, really good. :) Very cheesy and saucy. Mmmm... Two of the girls who went were my freshmen floor mates three years ago. It is amazing that I have re-connected with old friends as my time at Bluffton begins to wind down.

11:30
Now I am getting ready to watch a movie: Couples Retreat with my roommate and boyfriend. Woohoo.

Good night.

A New Week

This week has already proven to be a great deal less stressful than the previous one. I am grateful for that. I went home this past weekend for a friend's college graduation party and came back feeling refreshed. Sometimes, it is a good idea to get away. It can be the difference between being stress free and feeling like you are going to pull your hair out! :-)

Ok... Now let me rewind. On Friday, I went to Chipotle with some friends. Mmmm.... Chipotle... It is sooo delicious. That might just be my stomach talking, but it is pretty darn tasty! THAT can also be a great way to clear your mind-get out of your everyday routine. Spend time with your friends. Spend time by yourself. Go for a walk. Or, in my case, go to Chipotle and Wal-Mart. It might be hard to believe that a simple trip out to eat and Wal-Mart could be some kind of cure all, but it really is. Seriously, over the past three years (not including this upcoming year), I cannot count the number of Waffle House runs that were followed by a trip to Wal-Mart. There might not have been a need to buy anything, but it can be fun. Trust me! College Wal-Mart trips are different than ones you make at home. :)

My mention of Waffle House reminds me: I made a visit there Friday night as well. It is a definite late night run. Yum! I headed home Saturday for the grad party and was back here on Sunday. That same night, I am (slightly) ashamed to admit, I made a Taco Bell run with my roommate and two other friends of ours. If you are noticing a theme, then you have been paying close attention. This blog seems rooted in food! Sometimes, you need a break from Marbeck. And a late night trip to one or more of my aforementioned "haunts" is always a nice break from studying.

Yesterday, I did the usual (classes and the like). I feel like we are getting into a bit more of the actual content. I have Intro to Graphic Design and Social Welfare Policy and Analysis on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It's always nice when you start to feel like you are diving into material that interests you! Last night, I did some reading and then a group of us went up to the Shannon. The Shannon is the movie theatre in town. It is a great place to go in town. It's $3 per person. That's a deal. Plus they have popcorn/drink combos. ;-) We saw Dinner for Schmucks-pretty funny but no overly in-depth plot.

Right now I am getting ready to head to lunch and them to my 1:00 class-Practice 3: Macro. It's another social work class that deals with a social worker's role in the community. I am planning on some homework and reading. Then, some time to relax!

A Busy First Week

   It has been a VERY hectic week. I seriously feel like with it being senior year, everything is amplified. The work. The stress. The emotions. I have been very busy trying to get everything organized and figured out for my classes (the organizing is a bit less than successful). Monday was nothing compared to the rest of the week. I know this will be a rewarding year, but it is also going to be jammed pack with work!

   On Tuesday, I had as pretty full day. I worked early in the morning (as usual), and then I headed to my classes. Right after those, I went to work for the psychology department. Immediately following that, I went and chauffeured a cat. Yes, I am serious! A friend and I went to Dunkirk (a little town about 20 minutes away) to pick up my boyfriend's cat. He had an appointment with the vet the next day, so I took him to the kennel here in Bluffton for the night. Quite a little adventure!

   Tuesday night, I also went to Game Night hosted by MCB. It was a lot of fun. I was super excited for Dutch Blitz. Unfortunately, I didn't actually get to play. Fear not, though. I own the game and will host a tournament of my own soon! Hahaha. I ended up playing Life with my roommate and four other girls (two other pairs of roommates). Coincidence? I think not. :-)  I did not win. In fact, I was last place. Not such a good turn out for a game called Life.

   Wednesday was a bit more relaxed. I went to work and then to my classes. I spent the afternoon with my boyfriend. We ate at Common Grounds, the local coffee shop. I tried Ma's BBQ Beef. Pretty good... I had night class last night. It is Christian Values in a Global Community. Every senior must take it. I was worried at first--the workload is pretty big! However, the professor, Lynda Nyce, really has a great approach to it. I think it will end up being a pretty good class.

   Today, I have worked at Marbeck (too early!) and attended my first of two classes. I am ready for lunch. Mmmm... I like chili and that should be the soup of the day. I think my fellow classmates might cringe at my love for Marbeck's chili. It's not amazing, but with a LOT of cheese, it hits your palate in just the right way.
 :-)