A Turtle. Really?

On Saturday I drove down to Maryland to visit my soon-to-be graduate school and potential apartment for the first time. I love the UMD campus. It is huge and very nicely landscaped. The academic buildings are classic-looking and the other facilities are giant, especially after going to a small university. I'm really excited for the upcoming fall. We hit some of the DC traffic once getting close to College Park. I can't wait to live so close to the (or really any) city!

Unfortunately, we picked kind of an ugly day for touring outside. The rain was practically coming down sideways. And weather.com displayed a little gray cloud with raindrops falling out of it for absolutely every daylight hour. For once they were right--it rained all day.

Might I just ask one question? Who would pick a terrapin, namely a turtle, for a school mascot? There are various 'artworks' around campus triumphing the iconic diamondback, but I have to admit that it's kind of strange. And slightly ugly. A turtle. Really?

Also, they supposedly have this saying that goes something like, "Fear the turtle." And to that I would ask once again, really, a turtle?

Grad School

So for those of you who have been wondering... I've finally made my final decision on which grad school to go to. I will be attending the University of Maryland in the fall. I will be studying Rhetoric and Political Culture within the Department of Communication. Rather than studying presidential election type political culture, I will study more of media influences in a public forum on culture with an emphasis on globalization. I'm so excited! And, I'll want lovely visitors once I find a place in near College Park...

This photo was taken during model OAS, one night when we exploring the city and got caught in a torrential downpour. The rain was falling sideways and the wind about knocked us off our feet. We had to run to the side of the Washington Monument as the shelter within running distance from the flash storm. It made for a good story later, but stringy hair and really gross wet denim jeans that night.

Urgent: help me decide my future now

Ok. So I've been away this week if you didn't figure that out already. I'll tell you about that later.

Right now, I have a big decision to make. Do I go to NYU in my favorite city in the world with an awesome program? Or do I go to the University of Maryland near Washington, DC also with a very good program? I pretty much decided that I wanted to go to New York University, but with UMD I would be guaranteed a teaching assistantship that pays just about everything. Oh my goodness. I don't know what to do. Both options are equally good. I am hyperventilating right now, and the clock is ticking down. I must know by tomorrow. Help!!

What's your IQ?

---------
So I have some ridiculously good news. I got an email today from NYU Steinhardt. I got in. Whoo! My dream school in my dream city. Sigh. This makes me very very happy. Let's hope things will work out. Whoo! That about sums that up. Whoo! I am so articulate.
---------

On to the real post now: You've got to take this Japanese IQ Test: Everybody has to cross the river. Make sure you read the directions first. It is funny, fun, and challenging. I'm not going to lie, it took me several tries. I wonder how I'd fare in the Japanese job market? Is it time that matters? Or is it actually solving the puzzle that does? Hmmmmmm.

Spring Break

Whoo. It's officially spring break for me. There will be no bikinis, beaches, fruity drinks with umbrellas, sunshine, or anything else that is normally associated with the college phenomenon known as Spring Break. I will be hanging out at home trying to get stuff done--namely ceramics and an American Lit paper (not to say that I have ever participated in the common notion of spring break revelry). Hopefully though, I will have the chance to do something fun. We shall see.

But in good news, or rather really good news, I got a call this morning that I answered with a grogy hello. It was a professor from Boston University who was on the application review committee telling me that I have been accepted to the Department of Communication at BU. Whooo. I am quite pleased.

Phil of the Future

I was thinking about the future (again) and I was reminded of my favorite Disney Channel show, Phil of the Future. Have you seen it? I know it's supposed to be for kids, but it's so adorable. Phil is from the future but the time machine he used to travel our current year is broken. His haphazard dad can't ever seem to fix it, so he is stuck here till the machine is repaired. Phil uses his cool gadgets to impress a girl from his school and his little sister uses them to torture her classmates. I love the episodes. They are such fun.

Future related, I finally submitted my last grad school application today. Boston University is crossed off my checklist. I've been getting emails almost everyday saying: urgent, your application is incomplete. Deadlines are panic, my friend, sheer panic. I am waiting for tragedy to happen. I don't want something bad to happen, but I fear awful mailing mishaps.

Let Me Look Into My Crystal Ball

I submitted my NYU Steinhardt application today! This makes it 3 graduate schools down, 1 more to go. Wouldn't it be amazing to live in New York City for a couple of years? Imagine the scene. Imagine the learning. Imagine the experience.

Imagine the cost of living.

All these applications make me excited--that is a nervous, scared, silly, happy, sad, anxious, elated, tentative, ready for it, roller coaster kind of excited.

Being completely unsure of the future is an interesting place to be in. I am graduating from college in a matter of months. Who knows what I'll be doing next year at this time or where that unknown will be? I am at that point in my life when it really counts, when my entire future is really decided, when I am not really in control of my own destiny. This moment, this chunk of time, is both wildly freeing and decidedly enervating.

Where will I end up?

Denver and Mile High Orchestra

I got my parents tickets to see Denver and Mile High Orchestra this past Christmas. The concert is tonight in Camp Hill, and I am thinking this might be the first present that actually turns out right. (Perhaps some of you remember my past post on the unfortunate and even creepy presents I have gotten my parents) Although...this year, my dad was going to buy the tickets so he asked me the day before Christmas to put them on my credit card so Mom wouldn't find out. I held my tongue and agreed to do so. He was shocked when he opened them up the next morning, because there was no way they could have been mailed to our house so fast. At least I know I got them something that they definitely wanted.

DMHO performed their way into the top three bands on The Next Great American Band on Fox. Their sound is a brassy big band one, only revitalized into much more hip style.

I completed my University of Maryland application today! Two grad schools down, two more to go. I'm checking things off my to-do list like Santa Claus at Christmas time. Gee, I'm hoping I get in to these schools.

Good People

My faith has been restored in humanity. Today I went into the post office, got up to the counter, and realized my wallet was not in my purse. I went home, ripped the house apart and could not find it. I remembered I had been in the computer lab on Sunday so I ran in there asked if someone had turned in a wallet. And surprisingly it was there, along with all my credit cards, license, ID, and cash. I was shocked. I was preparing to call the bank and credit card companies to tell them to freeze my accounts. An honest person found my wallet. I got lucky. The world does have good people in it, and these are the ones who never get thanked, even for doing something as small, yet significant as turning in a wallet. I want to thank that person whereever they are, whoever they are. If only more people in the world were like you...

In more good news, I finally compiled the final parts of my Penn State application and sent it rush delivery from the post office. Whoooooo. Here's to hoping I get in! One grad school down, three more to go.

Finals and Icicles

I'm done with finals!! I was afraid I'd never make it, but yay, I'm done. I had my last one this morning in English Renaissance Drama. I'm hoping for straight A's but I fear an A- in Conservation of Natural Resources. It's always the gen. eds. They always rip down my GPA, because I get so bogged down by my real classes. Grrrr.

Now I can focus whole-heartedly on grad school applications. I've sifted through my choices to 7 schools. I'm hoping to cut one more, but I'm not sure which one is gonna get the axe yet.

I noticed how beautiful the trees were as I was driving home today. Then I snapped a pic of the tree dripping with icicles in my back yard with one sad, brown, lonely leaf. Hold on little guy, it's only what?, 4 more months till spring thaw.