Finding Balance

I added a second major!!! Political Science! It will only take an extra semester to complete…so my intended graduation should be December 2014! Woohoo! Hopefully, I can find a solid job in the equine industry after graduation until I venture to grad school.

It’s so lonely being one of the only females in your school’s history program. Oh! And the other history majors? They’re mostly student athletes who call you an overachiever because you actually complete your assignments on time. Oh, VI. I like to do my work. I love to read. I love to write. I love being a history major.

mylifeasahistorymajor:

shithistorianssay:

After 2 years, I’ve had a change of heart. I am changing my major. Instead of receiving my licensure to teach social studies at the secondary level, I would like to get my BA in History and a minor in Political Science. I don’t think that secondary education is right for me. At this point, I would like to attend graduate school after VI and work towards becoming a professor. This is my new goal and I feel like a burden has been lifted.

This summer has been interesting. I guess I shouldn’t use interesting as it is a non-descriptive word. All right, this summer has had its ups and downs.

On a high note, I spent all summer working on my research grant! At this point, I have 21 pages typed. I’m hoping for the paper to be around 30 pages in length when I am finished. To sum it up? The Forest Service has drastically altered its mission in order to meet the changing demands of the American public. Not only has the public pressured the agency into allowing more public participation during the decision making process, but congress has also created various pieces of legislation to legally alter the mission of the Forest Service in order to make the American public happy. That is a short summary of my project. I’ve looked at the original legislation that gave the agency a purpose and I’ve read recent GAO reports and interviews Forest Service staff. I’m still working on it, but it has been educational and fun. The best part? I loved visiting Duke University to use their library and archives.

And…the low part of the summer. I am 20 years old and now have braces. At times, it still hurts to eat certain things, but they aren’t as bad as I thought they would be. It is what it is. At least I’ll have pretty teeth one day! Home was a sketchy situation for most of the summer. Things were bad; however, I have lived with my grandparents and my surrogate grandparents for the past 5 weeks. All is well now. I’ve redefined my idea of “family” and “home.” I’m much happier now than I have been in a long time.

And the best part? I move back to college in less than a week! I’m ready to start the semester and I miss my apartment. I am carrying a course load of 18 hours and I’m ready to tackle my junior year of college. I have a new pet bunny to bring with me too.

An ode to summer…well, it has been a learning experience. I feel as if I’ve learned a lot about myself and I’ve had to grow up throughout the past 4 months, but that’s a good thing. So, I’m ready to end the summer and begin the new semester (plus, I miss helping with kiddos in the classroom, even if I am only observing. I graded papers for my surrogate grandfather last night and I was so excited to do something, even if I just graded papers).

You know, times get tough at points in your life. However, friends and family (even those who aren’t truly related) help you get through these times. I don’t believe I’ve shared this exciting information with many people yet, but some of my “family” has decided to give me the awesome gift of braces. I am 20 years old and a junior in college, but I shall embrace the braces because they will be awesome in the end. Growing up I never had dental insurance, so I’ve been to the dentist more times this summer than in my entire life. I’m excited. I’m thrilled. When I begin my teaching career, I’ll have straight teeth. Perhaps I’m being vain, focusing too much on appearance…but, I am eager to tackle this new adventure. Yay!

One of my favorite horses left today. I feel lost. I feel as if I have lost a friend, a companion, a partner. This is horrible. I’ve never had to say good bye to a horse before, but I know he is going to a good home. It will be better for him, but I’ll miss him a lot. At least I still have my Nap to spoil rotten.

What is it like to have a normal family? I know “normal” is subjective, but tonight I spent time with my surrogate grandparents. I didn’t get yelled at, and they were able to work together without arguing constantly. I’ve never experienced this feeling before. It was a sense of calm while being around family. You know what? I loved it. Is this a “normal” family? Not being afraid to getting blocked in by another car in the driveway, or carrying your cell phone in your pocket constantly? Not cowering in a corner or having to stay quiet in the living room to avoid sharing your opinions? It was delightful and I love my surrogate grandparents. Just sayin’.

I detest making webquests. Eh.

I love being in a classroom, but I hate typing up all of my observation notes for my education class. Ergh. It’s so time consuming!

Shakespeare? Hmmm. The life and times of Shakespeare. This shall be interesting.

My observations are going great. I love the class and I am learning so much from my cooperating teacher. I get to grade papers, check homework, and help answer questions about the material. I can’t wait to be a teacher. On a side note, I love getting to dress like a teacher — it is so fun! So, this is just a quick update. VHS is delightful. :)