where to go?

So its the end of the semester and I'm no more found than I was at the beginning. yes, I've cleared a few personal things up, but I mean I still don't know where I'm going. All of my friends this summer are doing incredible things. Things that are actually really impressive, but part of me doesn't really feel like Im getting anywhere. So i realized what I'm interested in...sort of. But that sort of, leaves a whole lot of things unanswered. Political Science, i thought. but then again, Im not interested in politics, which i think is a big part of political science. International studies? maybe, but I haven't taken one class for that major and id have to start all over again basically. So where am I left? I don't know. Advertising? I don't know...maybe. but I didn't apply for the creative program, which is all I would want to do if went into the field. Its so hard. Everyone is achieving so much and going in A direction, but I feel like Im not really progressing towards anything. Maybe towards, the end of my chance to change majors, thats about it. "Just do well" people keep telling me, but what is that? I can't do well if I;m not interested in what Im doing. they go hand in hand. and plus, what is doing well? Success? what is that? Are you successful if your unhappy making a billion dollars a month. I don't think so. I guess time will tell...

storms

Storms. I love storms. Ever since I was little it would always be sort of a big deal when a big storm was coming. My brother would be the first one to spot it...he'd point out 'an underdraft.' And Id grab a blanket and my mom, my brother and I would all sit on my porch and watch it come in over the water. Sometimes they were a let down. A little rain, a little thunder. But sometimes its crazy. Thunder and lightening and tornadoes. Watching lightening from our porch is especially awesome. You sit out there, look out at the channel and you can just see lightening striking for miles. Sometimes, we walk out to the beach. Ive convince a friend or two to walk to the beach in really bad storms. They're always really scared of lightening but I assure them its fine...(?)...anyways. Sitting in beach stand, watching storms, is probably my favorite thing to do. Its so incredible and I don't think you can appreciate storms until you just sit and watch one. I love them, but being with people during them makes it better. Be it friends of family, theres something about sitting an watching a storm with someone thats really meaningful.

earth, wind, water, fire

We all have a favorite color or a favorite animal or song, or car etc... Its something we sort of all have talked about at one point or another. But has anyone ever asked you what your favorite smell was? what about sound? I think the most satisfying things in life are definitely the simpler things. But naturally, we appreciate them less. A favorite smell, sound, feeling. I love when you hear,see or feel something and it sort of brings you back, it relaxes you if you will. Theres something about the most natural experiences that makes you feel small, and I love that feeling. The fact that YOU are small. And I think thats the main difference between materialism and naturalism. The fact that material things make you feel important and natural things make you feel small is huge. I love standing beside the ocean and feeling like the world is HUGE. Take also the smell of rain or freshly cut grass or that winter smell of wood burning. Everyone appreciates them, but theres something different about these natural experiences than the more materialistic ones. They mean more. They sort of pull at something inside of you. My favorite smell in the world is rain. My favorite sound...I love the ocean. Water, no matter if its falling from the sky or crashing to the ground, is a sound that will always comfort me. Ive grown up near the ocean so it kind of makes me feel safe when its around. Anyways, its just something that was on my mind.

breakdancing..what?

This video is the most ridiculous breakdancing video I've ever seen. i don't know if any of you have ever tried to break dance, or do the robot or do anything like that, but it is not as easy as these guys are making it out to be. The last guy that comes out on stage I swear is machine. I don't know how he does that. If i had any weird talent like that I would do it all the time and show off to everyone.

copenhagen!

I just filled out my last form for study abroad next semster, so it looks like I am going to Copenhagen! Im actaully really excited. I was when I first signed up too, then I went through a little period of uncertainty because people kept telling me good and bad things. But I just saw a list of the people that are going and everybody seems really cool! (which is sort of weird because I haven't actally talked to anyone in my group Ive just seen pictures, so from what I know everyone seems cool) Anyways, I super excited about Copenhagen, but what Im more excited about is traveling before classes and during the semester. I might be going with my friends before classes for a couple weeks and if i did that, Id go to Italy. Id spend a few days in Rome, Venice, Florence and then to the French Riviera. This would be two weeks and I only wish I had more time and money to see the rest of the area. After college Im definelty backpacking throughout Europe. During the four months i live in copenhagen we get a 3 week break too. So i was thinking of either going to France, or going to Octoberfest. Yes, Octoberfest. It would awesome. The only thing about traveling to all these places is expense. Its so pricey over there! I would have to buy two passes for the Eurorail, which for would be abotu 1000$. Then theres the hostels. Over there, hostels are about 15 euro, which is 30 dollars here. 30 dollars a night, for a month. And thats not even including museums, food etc. AHHHHHHH. student discounts, anyone?

POPULSIM in Latin America

This past week I have been researching the rise of populism in Latin America. After finally finishing a 13 page paper, I find myself way more interested in Latin American politics than I started out being. It wouldn't surprise me if none of you are aware of the surge of leftist populism that is flooding a handful of countries south of our border. The fact that many of you don't even know what populism is wouldn't even really surprise me. I probably wouldn't know if I wasn't a poli sci major right now. But anyways this is precisely the reason why I thought I would write about it in my blog. Since most of you who read this anyway already know that I wrote a paper on it, i figure ill just explain to you what my paper focuses on. So yeah...THE RISE OF POPULISM IN LATIN AMERICA. So it all starts with a political cycle. A swing to the right, then to the left, then back to the right than to the left again etc. (an in case many of you don't know what the right and left is the political RIGHT= assumes capitalist free market, private enterprises, and basically no government intervention whatsoever. The LEFT is the opposite= no free market, and lots of government intervention) Anywyas so countries in Latin America as a whole were founded as sort of single export driven economies. Meaning given their rich enviorments, the rest of the world really looked to these regions for raw materials as opposed to manufactured goods. So each region specialized a single export, leading to very shaky economies. In WWI and WWII, this type of economy proved undependable since no countries were buying from them, so they adopted a leftist strategy knwon as ISI. So governments intervened and taxed exported good heavily so as to encourage trading within a single country, while also funding a handful of companies to compete in world markets. This stunted competition and just overall was not good. Anyways so by and by and debt crisis exploeded throughout the region in the 1980s. Lefitst, ISI driven economies failed. So in the 80s some Washington based groups implemented some RIGHT WINGED tactics to help Latin America. But, this just led to more corruption in the governments, more poverty, more social unrest and just over all upheaval. SO, no one listens to us Americans anymore basically. Now, a bunch of populist leaders, who are just charasmatic politicians campaining against everything thats not working in an economy now are runnign for offices. So since the late 1990s the country has been turning to leftist ideals such as socialism for asnwers. THE END. but Latin America over all is doing better, short term wise. but in the long run, leftist econimc polices are known to fail.

POWDER PUFF

so i played powder puff football the other day and it was SO fun, but when people say it gets intense they are not messing around. Some girls are crazy. Don't get me wrong, I mean I'm competetive and all, but some girls, granted many were drunk were ridiculous. I would just run the ball because Im fast, but if i hadn't been able to out run them I think i may have ended up the hospital. Picture a team of drunken, uncoordinated sorority girls lined up with their heads down (pissed cause their losing) war paint, cleats, bows in hair, tall socks, mouthguards, etc. And when that ball is hiked back all hell breaks loose. I think it may be one thing to be athletic, and athletically tackle someone, like in actual football. But when your just running with your head down hoping to plough into someone, accidents are bound to happen. Anyways, people got hurt. I heard a girl or two may have gotten a concusion. Maybe a few slipped disks, but come on, why are you tackling. For one thing its FLAG football, i dont even understand how girls fall on the ground, much less slip a disk. I guess being drunk and uncoordinated and then forced to play football is a bad combo, but hey for those of us who the entire combo doesn't apply to it was hilarious.