blog – Page 15 – Living off Leesh

OU, Oh yeah!

Published on July 1, 2017July 1, 2017 by Alicia1 Comment

Hello friends. Sorry for my terrible posting habits I have created since returning from Peru. I sort of forgot about time management and my blog in general. However, over the coming weeks I do have quite a bit to share with you all about what has been going on in my life since returning from Peru and becoming reacquainted with my old routine.The first thing I want to discuss is college. As I mentioned a few posts back, I committed to Ohio University, in Athens Ohio. No, not Ohio State, just Ohio. Anyway, last week was my orientation (June 19th and 20th) so Sunday morning, bright and early, my dad and I made the 7 hour drive to Athens.

The first thing I want to discuss is college. As I mentioned a few posts back, I committed to Ohio University, in Athens Ohio. No, not Ohio State, just Ohio. Anyway, last week was my orientation (June 19th and 20th) so Sunday morning, bright and early, my dad and I made the 7 hour drive to Athens.

Upon arriving that afternoon, we checked into the dorm room we would be staying in, grabbed dinner, made a Walmart run to get some breakfast for the next morning, and tried to avoid being soaked by the pouring rain. The dorm we stayed in was quite large, about twice the size of my dorm in San Diego, it even included a sink so I could brush my teeth and wash my face without leaving the room.We went to bed super early because we had to wake up just as early as we had the day before to be ready for orientation (and my two placement tests).

We went to bed super early because we had to wake up just as early as we had the day before to be ready for orientation (and my two placement tests).

5:30 Monday morning (4:30 Chicago time) I hopped right out of bed, showered, ate breakfast, and headed out to check in and then made my way over to 2 different buildings to take my Spanish and Chemistry tests. I ended up scoring in the highest possible grouping for Chemistry and was 1 point away from getting to the highest possible Spanish placement. I won’t have to take anymore Chem classes (I hope) but I will be taking a bunch of Spanish.

After I completed both exams, I met back up with my dad who spent his free time walking around a resource fair. The rest of the morning was a blur, with so many speakers I couldn’t keep up. We were then separated from our parents and took a campus tour (my third), listened to more speakers, and then finally got a break for lunch where we were reunited with our parents. The food selection at Ohio is vast and they have tons of vegan options (the campus is ranked in the top 10 vegan friendly universities in the US). However, all good things must come to an end and the next 8 hours were torturous. We were placed in rooms that were far too cold, and then rooms that were far too hot, being forced to participate in group activities that we had all already done at our prior institutions (it was a full transfer student admissions day so no incoming freshmen were there to questions shower shoes and communal bathrooms), and we had to socialize. The socializing wasn’t horrible and I met some pretty nice girls who I hope I’ll be seeing more of in the fall.

Once we finally finished all of these mandatory (if we didn’t attend we would be unable to register for classes the next day) informational sessions, we had the opportunity to meet with our academic advisors. My academic advisor was less than helpful but it’s a good thing I’m self sufficient and can plan classes on my own (the rest of my group wasn’t as lucky).

When we were finally released for dinner I was able to reunite with my dad and we discussed all of the sessions from the long and tiring day.We retired for bed early again that night because we had to be out of our dorm by 7 the next morning, so after planning out my schedule and reading the piles and piles of information I was given that day, I called it a night.

The following morning, we showered, packed everything up, checked out of the dorm room, and then made our way over to the Union for another couple information sessions and then to register for classes. I had an hour between the sessions and my registration time so my dad and I used the free time to explore downtown Athens.

At around 9:45 I had to trek across campus to my advising session and my dad stayed back to write a letter to me and talk to the campus doctor. When I arrived at McCracken Hall, the home of the college of Education, I saw a sea of people all waiting to have their meetings. There were two people ahead of me still so I had a seat and talked to some of the girls I had met the day before for the next 45 minutes.

At 1030 (my appointment was at 10 but the company was nice so I couldn’t complain) I was able to schedule my classes. I am taking 6 classes: an intro to Psychology, Calculus, Spanish, Teacher Technology, Teacher Education, and a transfer course. I am pleased with my schedule and I have no classes on Thursday so hopefully I can get a job and work that day.

During my advising meeting, my advisor notified me that Ohio didn’t have my AP scores and the credits I completed simply weren’t there, so instead of graduating in 2.5 more years it could be as long as 3.5, so my dad and I rushed over to the admissions office to discuss this issue, only to find out my scores never sent, so I had to resend them. We then walked around campus a bit more, checked out my dorm, before finally making our way back to the car and returning to Illinois.

Now, there are about 2 months until I move in, and I have made a list of what I need to bring, contacted my suitemates, and am more than ready to start this new chapter in my life. OU Oh yeah!

Alicia

19

Published on June 12, 2017February 1, 2018 by Alicia3 Comments

A year ago, I posted something about how turning 19 was irrelevant. That the 19th revolution around the sun was a pointless one separating the enticing year of becoming an adult and getting out of your teenage years.

If a year ago I told you that 19 would have been the best year of my life so far, I would have laughed in your face. But here I am, a whole year later, reflecting on my 19th year on this earth.

A year ago I thought I would be attending Arizona State University, majoring in chemical engineering, and living with my aunt.

But here I am, after taking a gap year, getting ready to start school at Ohio University, going to school for secondary education.

This year I did a lot of things, but if there’s one thing I did that I’m most proud of, it’s making my own decisions. I had always been a go with the flow kind of girl, always trying to please. In July, however, I made a tremendous decision to not return to school in the fall, something that recieved a bit of backlash for, people saying I would never return to college after my break. After I chose to take a break, I was able to leave a toxic job that I wasn’t comfortable with. Normally I would’ve continued with both of these things because that’s what was expected of me, but I did what was right for me and that alone made my entire year.

After convincing my entire family, I was able to volunteer in Peru for over a month, working in an orphanage with some of the cutest babies I had ever seen, and travelling and marvelling at the country as a whole.

This year for me has been the best so far, and I hope it only goes up from here. Now, as I continue to get ready for a new school and a new year, I hope you all continue to live life as I am, pulchritudinously.

Alicia

Also Happy Birthday to me !

Hello June

Published on June 1, 2017May 27, 2018 by Alicia2 Comments

Well, well, well. I’m alive and well and back in my cozy home, perched on the couch in my living room, writing for the first time in forever.

My initial goal was to blog 10 times while I was in Peru, and only ended up blogging twice. I will discuss Peru in later posts and share photos and all of that jazz, but now I just wanted to write. I wanted to share a bit of a life update (sans Peru) and talk about my summer, my college decision and just how life has been thus far.

Let’s get started with college. After another visit to Ohio University, I finally decided to make myself a part of the Patton College of Education at Ohio University. I am extremely excited to start school and become a teacher. I have orientation in 2 weeks and then I wait until the end of August for move in. I am living in the dorm I wanted and have already found out who my roommate and suitemates are. I haven’t been in contact with them yet but I have stalked the ones I found on Facebook and Instagram, which is basically the same thing. Go Bobcats!

Now onto my summer. Can we talk about babysitting? I am sitting for one family on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then another family on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I am also walking the Tuesday/Thursday family’s dog on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays when I’m done with babysitting. Also, I’m walking everywhere, so my new Fitbit and my body are going to love me at the end of the summer.

That’s it for now, I’ll talk about college, Peru, and my summer antics a bit more in the coming post, but since it is June 1st (and the start if my birthday month AND Marilyn Monroe’s birthday) I figured I would get back in the swing of things since I hadn’t posted once in May.

Until my next post

Alicia

Warm vodka

Published on April 12, 2017May 27, 2018 by Alicia3 Comments

Interesting title I know… but bear with me until I get to that story.

Whenever I am not at home, ie. college, vacation, a friend’s house, I always wake up super super early the first few days I am there. This was no exception. I woke up at around 6:30 or 7 (I don’t remember). I didn’t get up though, mainly because I didn’t want to wake any of my three roommates nor did I know how to get out of my bed.

Once my roommates had gotten up and gone downstairs, I basically cannonballed off of my bed (which really hurt) tumbled on the ground and made my way downstairs as well.

Breakfast that day (and every day) consists of bread and marmalade (Peru is known for their Marmalade and it’s amazing!), and a variety of exotic fruits.

After Breakfast, all of the new girls (Marissa, Annie, Skylar, Tressia, and myself) along with Leo and Clara made our way to Plaza San Miguel to exchange money and make ourselves acquainted with the plaza since we would spend quite a bit of time and money there.

We made it back just in time for lunch which was a really yummy pasta salad, rice, and a salad. If you think that’s a ton of carbs you should wait for every other meal (everyone always complains and I just think it’s annoying).

just a bathroom mirror selfie of a sleepy, peruvian gal

After lunch, all of the new girls squeezed ourselves into a taxi and headed to Miraflores (a very touristy area on a cliff displaying the Pacific Ocean in all of its glory). In Miraflores, we walked along Parque Kennedy, which is named after President JFK. This park is full of stray cats just walking around and doing their thing. The urge to pet them was so real, yet we didn’t because A. who knows what they had on/in them and B. they were quite skiddish around humans (no doubt due to some little kids trying to yank their tails).

A very pretty bull

Una Catedral

gato

By this time, the five of us had all opened up about being nervous the night before and for the same reasons. We had talked about families, friends, past trips, so many things and we were really getting comfortable around each other.

By the time we had finished telling stories, we were at Larcomar, a shopping center with about the same sorts of stores that the Panama airport had. There we walked around, took pictures of the coast, talked with some locals etc.

Some of the other girls in the house had told us about this Incan Market that was by Miraflores. Marissa wanted a bag, I wanted to look around and see the colors, and the other girls didn’t have a preference of what we were doing so… after a 25-minute walk or so we made it to the Incan market. The market was full of colored bracelets, bags, sweatshirts and more, alpaca blankets were displayed on every wall, and so many hand-carved trinkets. It was such a sight to see and while I didn’t buy anything that day (I didn’t want to lose anything) I will definitely make my way back to the Incan Market later in my trip to get some goodies.

After Marissa bartered for a bag and we had scanned the entire market, we hailed a taxi and were on our way back to the volunteer house.

After dinner, seven of the eight people who hadn’t gone out of town for the weekend decided to go to Miraflores to go clubbing. Well, the three older people (the 4 new girls were exhausted but we wanted to see what clubbing in Peru would be like… so we tagged along). Apparently buying alcohol in bars and clubs in Peru is just as expensive as the States, but buying bottled liquor is much cheaper so we walked to a local grocery store and came out with 2 bottles of $4 vodka, a knock off orange juice, and plastic cups.

We took a cab to Miraflores(where most of the nightlife happens) and started passing out the mixed drinks. (PS I am legal here so it’s all good). When our drinks were being poured and distributed, I had the pleasure of being the first sip. It tasted like cough medicine that your parents have to force down your throat when you’re little. But we had a lot of it to drink so we shoved it down our throats.

After we finished our drinks (well Marisa hid the vodka bottle in a bush), we got to the club. At the club, they played a variety of English and Spanish music and had an insane amount of flashing strobes. it was nothing too fancy, but it was nice to be able to check out the party scene of Peru.

I got home with 2 of the other girls at around 230 that morning and immediately passed out in bed, and the other 4 didn’t get home until 5. Nevertheless, we were up at 730 to explore Lima some more.

Sunday was a lot more laid back. We took a taxi to Barranco, a less touristy, more local city by the ocean. There we found a cute cafe and Skylar had her first acai bowl, and there was a very very cute Colombian barista who complimented my Spanish speaking abilities.

We got lunch in Barranco after walking along the beach for a bit. For lunch, I got grilled veggies and rice, and tried Sangria for the first time. It was good but definitely not my favorite drink in the world.

After lunch, we went to this little sort of Farmer’s Market, called Feria, which had clothes, food, soaps, cosmetic products, and just anything you could think of. We didn’t buy anything there but looking around was really nice. A few of the booths even had fake Kylie lip kits, which I thought was rather funny.

After walking around all day in the scorching heat, we needed something sweet. We found this little gelateria called Blu, which had a line wrapped around the entire block, which made us sure it had to be good. They also had sorbet (vegan!) so I was able to indulge in an amazing banana mango mixture that was absolutely heavenly.

We ate our gelato/sorbet in a park in Barranco which was filled with cute puppies and live music, an A+ on all ends if you ask me.

We finally made it back to the volunteer house, ate dinner, showered, and promptly fell asleep, awaiting what was to come n the following four weeks.

Alicia

¡Estoy en Peru!

Published on April 11, 2017May 27, 2018 by Alicia1 Comment

¡Hola a todos! I am officially in Peru!! Sorry that I have been a bit MIA lately but this is the first time I have unzipped my laptop since arriving. I figured I would give a bit of a rundown of the first day for this post and then write about my first weekend for another post.

Basically, I woke up at 4:30 Friday morning, got dressed, did my final packing of chargers, books, Fitbits, and phones, downed a Dunkin Donuts iced mocha with almond milk and made it to the airport. I was there 3 hours before my flight(recommended) however, passed through baggage checking and security in about 20 minutes so I had ample time to fill my water bottle, buy some plane snacks and magazines, and use the bathroom.

Upon boarding the flight, I made my way to my window seat (that didn’t have a window) and waited patiently for the girl in front of me to open hers (she didn’t). I spent the 5-hour flight to Panama with on and off naps, watching friends, reading one page of my book and playing Sudoku on my phone, you know… the typical traveling things.

Upon arriving in Panama, I had to walk the entire length of the airport to find my connecting terminal (which is fine since I’ll be doing the same on my flight back with an8-hourr layover). The Panama airport was nothing like I had expected. It was oozing in glitz and glam. The walkways adorned with Pandora, Rolex, and Louis Vuitton shops and the shoppers matching the ritzy ways of the entire airport.

I took a seat at my terminal, while I awaited the arrival of Marissa, the girl I had spoken to on Facebook. I had only ever seen her in a full face of makeup (profile photos) so there was a girl who resembled her in the airport but I didn’t approach her just in case I would have made a fool of myself.

My window seat on this flight did have a window (which made me a very happy gal) so I was able to see Panama and Peru in all of their glory during my flight. We finally arrived in Peru at about 730pm, to which we made it through a very simple cutstoms process and made our way to baggage claim. After getting all of our bags, seeing quite a few dogs, and exchanging $20 we found our driver and we headed to San Miguel.

Our driver was a very sweet man who spoke little to no Engliah and really likes Salsa music. Speaking decent Spanish myself, I was able to communicate with him pretty seamlessly.

I immediately fell in love with Peru. The cool breeze (which I can now say is not always there), the Palm trees, the colorful houses, and so much more made me really feel like Peru was definitely the place for me. The insane driving, however, I can live without.

Marissa and I arrived at our volunteer house, unloaded our baggage, and were immediately welcomed by Martina, an Italian girl who had already been volunteering in Peru for 3 months, and has three more months to go. She knows the house, rules, bus stops, everything really, inside and out and she was very informative and helpful for any qualm we may have. She gave us a tour of the house, gave us a rundown of all of the rules, and showed us to our rooms. After somewhat settling in..AKA shoving all of my belongings into the small closet and drawer i was alotted, I made my way back downstairs to get acquainted with the space, girls, and wait up to meet 2 more new people.

I tried to stay up with the other girls, but all of us newbies were so exhausted, that I went right up to bed. My bed, doesn’t have a ladder so I basically have to do some aerobics to get up there. It’s not too bad, especially since I am one of the tallest people here, I have definitely gotten used to it. the first 2 days were actually hell though, especially trying to get down.

Once I finally made my way into my bed, I got really nervous. The girls who had already been here were best friends. They talk about everything and they do it with such ease. I sort of felt as if I were intruding on their friendships. I really thought I was making a huge mistake coming to Peru. Trying to put those negative thoughts behind me, I shut off my phone, pulled up my covers, and went right to sleep.

Alicia

Also, If you want to follow my journey more frequently, follow my Instagram: @aliciaheninger

Final post before Peru!!!

Published on March 30, 2017May 27, 2018 by Alicia2 Comments

Happy Thursday to you all. In a matter of 12 or so hours I will be on my plane to Peru. I wanted to make one last post prior to leaving just to be like ‘hey, I’m leaving’ and so on and so forth.

For those of you who are new or simply don’t pay attention to my blog posts… I will be in Lima, Peru for the next 4 weeks volunteering in an orphanage(s). Basically, in regards to posting, I am hoping to post 10 posts at the most over the next 4 weeks (but expect a ton of Peru related posts when I get back home). I am not going to say that I will have any consistency in my posting whatsoever (and I really don’t care) and I just really wanted to get that out there.

Yes, I will have down time, however, I may want to nap or explore and do other things besides blogging. I’m not gone, I’m not dead, I’m just out here, enjoying life.

I am super excited for this experience and the next 4 weeks of my life. Until I get to Peru (or my plane) I must logoff because I have to shove this computer into my backpack, along with so many other things. So, hasta pronto mis personas favoritas y hasta pronto Lima

Alicia

Blogger Recognition Award

Published on March 30, 2017March 30, 2017 by Alicia8 Comments

Hi everyone. The other day, Kate, nominated me for the Blogger Recognition Award. Thank you so much to Kate for this nomination. I would definitely recommend everyone goes and checks out her blog. Let’s get started with the award.

Rules

* Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.

* Give a brief story of how your blog started.

* Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.

* Select 10 other bloggers you want to give this award to.

* Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created.

How I started blogging

I have been blogging since I was 14. I stumbled upon someone’s summer bucket list blog and I decided that I wanted to make one as well. So, that summer and the summer after, my friend Molly and I made a summer bucket list blog. We are no longer friends, however, I wanted to continue blogging so I have made a few blogs over my lifetime to continue blogging, mainly just random writings and a bit of food tracking. However, last October, I decided that I wanted to document my time in college so that’s how I started this blog 🙂

Advice

Write about what you want- This one may seem pretty self-explanatory, however, it may not be. With so many lifestyle blogs about fashion and the latest hair hack, you may seem pressured to post about these. Yes, it may get you some traffic but if you don’t necessarily like what you’re posting… why blog? I will post a review here and there because I want to and I think other people might want to see it. I post things for me, because I like them, not to get a certain amount of views in a day and I recommend you all do the same.
Don’t stress- I’m all about trying to be consistent, it’s what readers like and it gets views. However, if I’m sick or had a long day or was out with friends, I’m not going to worry about my blog. Blogging can wait, your life can’t. I blog during downtime, on plane rides, in bed, etc. I make sure I love my life how I want to and make sure that blogging comes second. Make sure you do that as well.

I nominate

I have done this award quite a bit and I don’t want to nominate the same 10 people over and over. So, if you want to do this award, by all means, go for it. 🙂

Alicia

P.S. One more sleep until PERU

Vision board

Published on March 28, 2017May 27, 2018 by Alicia4 Comments

Hi everyone. 3 days until I leave for Peru!! A few weeks ago, Alana made a vision board out of magazines, newspaper clippings, and other written media. After reading the story behind hers (and seeing the process of making her vision board), I flashbacked to middle school and high school when I would clip pictures of Harry Styles, and quotes saying ‘you’re beautiful’ and would litter them on my closet door. I realized that it had been so long since I’d done that and how fun they were to make, so I decided to make my own.

After scouring my entire house for magazines, and only ending up with a few minor ones and a Target catalogue, I got to work on my vision board. I paged through all of them, ripping out pages with cool and warm colors, long quote, short quotes, photographs, etc and laid them aside to cut up.

After that, I began cutting all of the quotes and photos out from the pages and aligning them on my bulletin board. I had quotes ranging from “happy” to “bitch it out” and photos of kids running up stairs and greenery on tables. After i complied them all together on the board, I put my push pins in each clipping and hung it on my bedroom wall, so whenever I need a bit of motivation or just to know I’m worth it, I can check that board.

Alicia

Spring mixtape

Published on March 27, 2017May 27, 2018 by Alicia4 Comments

Hi everyone! I made a fall mixtape in September and had planned on making one for winter and never did. However, after making a playlist for my long plane rides in the coming days, I have decided to make another for Spring. Let’s get started.

Machine-Misterwives: You all know my love for this band and this song is no different. Off of their second studio album (released May 19th), machine is an alternative jam that I listen to almost every day. It has such great vibes going along with it and has a bit of a political hidden message in it and when they played it at the concert, I sobbed. Give it a listen.
Where Does the Good Go-Tegan and Sara: This song is over 10 years old but I just discovered it within the last month while watching Grey’s Anatomy. It sort of reminds me of leaving and new beginnings which is what I will be having in a week so I felt it needed to be here.
Paris-Chainsmokers: I know this is a ‘basic’ band or whatever but this song sort of screams wanderlust to me and since basically half of my spring I will be in Peru, I felt it needed to have a place on this playlist.
Midnight Movies-Saint Motel: I was listening to this song when I decided I wanted to make a Spring mixtape. This was never one of my favorite Saint Motel songs but it has a weird tempo, not too fast paced for a summer feel but not slow enough for a fall song. I have learned to appreciate this song more recently and I definitely recommend it.
Girls like Girls- Haley Kiyoko: This song was just released and I love this song. It is quite a catchy tune and I find myself humming it even when it isn’t on.
Ophelia- The Lumineers: This song has a more fall vibey tempo (it could just be the album cover) but it is a beautiful song sung by an amazingly talented person. This is a song I love to listen to with my windows rolled down when it’s late and no one is speaking, just enjoying music and each other’s company.
What a Feeling-One Direction: Harry Styles is releasing his first ever single on April 7th so that song would make this playlist (even if it was just him playing the triangle for 5 minutes), however, it isn’t out, so I thought I would give one of my favorite One Direction songs a place on this playlist.
Work this Body-Walk the Moon: This song always makes me feel very confident in myself and like I can do anything. I am living my dream next month so this song is being put to life for me.
Art Exhibit-Young the Giant: I don’t really know to describe this song. It’s sort of magical and it isn’t a very well-known song by the band. Nevertheless, it is a wonderfully elegant and beautiful song.
Fire Escape-Andrew McMahon: This song is another song like Machine, an alternative jam. It has a weird beat so it’s upbeat but not super upbeat… if that makes any sense. It has become one of my favorite songs as of late and I listen to it all the time. I had never heard of the artist before this song but I have started to listen to more of his music besides this song, and I really like the sound he puts out.

What would be some songs on your Spring playlist?

Alicia

10 free things to do in Chicago

Published on March 26, 2017May 27, 2018 by Alicia3 Comments

Hello friends. I will have no money when I get back from Peru so I have decided to make a list of some things I will be able to do in Chicago. So, if you are like me and have no money to your name, you can also do these super duper fun things with me. Also I leave for Peru in 5 days LIKE WHATTTT. Anyways, let’s get started.

Lake Michigan- There are so many different beaches you can go to enjoy Lake Michigan. From North Avenue to Oak Street there is a beach for everyone! No matter the season you can walk, run, or lay out on the beach and have a day full of fun.
Lincoln Park- Situated on Lake Michigan, Lincoln Park is home to numerous statues, an abundance of grass for walking, laying, playing, etc. sanctuaries, a rowing canal, and so many other fun options. You can spend an entire day at Lincoln Park and still be yearning for more time here
DePaul University Art Museum- What better way to support your own school than by admiring the art of your peers? This museum is open year round (closed Mondays and Tuesdays) and always has new and interesting exhibits for any art taste.
Lincoln Park Zoo- Home to over 1200 animals, the Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the oldest and last remaining free zoos in the entire country. Enjoy a day of gazing at flamingos wading in water, to giraffes and zebras munching on some hay.
Millennium Park- Take a picture in front of the infamous ‘Bean,’ take a walk around Maggie Daley Park and in the winter go ice skating. No matter the season or day of the week, Millennium Park is full of fun adventures.
Lincoln Park Conservatory- While winter in Chicago is a sight to see, sometimes the best thing to do is spend the day indoors. At the Lincoln Park Conservatory (situated amongst Lincoln Park) you can admire greenery, flowers, and trees of all sizes and biomes all in one place.
The ‘Mag’ Mile- Chicago is a hub for upscale retail. And, even if you don’t want (or can’t afford) anything, simply walking the Mag Mile is a trip in itself. From Ulta to Chanel, there is a store (or a few) for any shopper.
Oz Park- Named after the Wizard of Oz, here you will find statues of the Wizard of Oz characters, an abundance of trees, critters, and so many dogs who would love a petting or a game of fetch.
Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool- If you are looking for a calm place to relax in the midst of finals season, the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is the place for you. The only sounds you’ll hear here are the quiet chirp of the ample bird species and the ripple of relaxing waterfalls. It’s a refreshing venue filled with wildlife, stones, and trees, and will make any stressed person feel zen (at least for a while)
Museums (free days)- Chicago is a city known for some of the most amazing museums in the country. While these museums can be a bit pricey (students get discounts), most Chicago museums offer free days on multiple occasions throughout the year. Simply look up the museum you want to visit and search ‘free day’ alongside of it and you’ll be ready for a day full of art or science… or both!

A-Z Tag

Published on March 22, 2017March 22, 2017 by Alicia3 Comments

Hi everyone. Happy Spring! A little bit ago I saw Tabi do the A-Z Tag and I thought it seemed fun, so I have decided to give it a go. Basically, you just put whatever pops into your head for each letter of the alphabet (pertaining to you)

A– Aesthetic

B– Bees are dying at an alarming rate

C– Chicago

D– Dogs

E– Energetic

F– Feminism

G– Goats

H– Hats

I– Indecisive

J– Jeans hater

K– Kid at heart

L– Lipstick

M– Memes

N– Naps

O– Outdoors

P– Pancakes

Q– a Queen

R– Reading

S– Sunrises/Sunsets

T– Tidy

U– Um

V– Vegan

W– Wanderlust

X– Xenodochial

Y– Yellow

Z– Zealous

Since Tabi tagged everyone, I’m also tagging everyone! I would love to see what you guys choose!

Alicia

Liebster Award

Published on March 19, 2017March 18, 2017 by Alicia14 Comments

Hi everyone and happy Sunday. I was nominated for the Liebster award again by the lovely Jannin at the Book Nerd Dragon. Thank you so so much for the nomination. Definitely go check out her blog, especially if you love reading!! Let’s get started with the award.

Rules

Thank the person who nominated you and answer the 11 questions they’ve written for you.
Nominate 11 people and give them 11 different questions to answer.

My answers

Who is your favorite booktuber? I can honestly say that I didn’t know booktubers were a thing so I don’t have a favorite.
What are you currently reading? How are you liking it so far? I just started Smilla’s Sense of Snow. I don’t really know how to feel about it yet but we’ll see.
Have you read a book that is not your usual genre and ended up liking it? What book was it? I don’t really have like a set genre I like. I’ll read anything so I’ve liked almost every book I’ve read from most genres.
Where are you from? What country, nationality and stuff? I’m from The United States. And I’m German, Irish, Scottish, and English,
How old are you? 19
Underrated books and authors you want everyone to know or discover? Emma Cline. I read her book The Girls this past summer and I loved her!
A character you want to have as a boyfriend but not a lead character in their book. SaGoodede from I Am Number Four.
Most hated lead character. All of the mean kids in Lord of the Flies. I felt so bad for Piggy after they killed him. I cried.
Hardest subject for you? Social Studies
A personality you do not like from a person. When people are pretentious
One character you wanna be friends with forever. Idgie Threadgoode from Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

My Questions

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
What was the last book you read? Would you recommend it to me?
Do you have any tattoos/piercings?
What is your favorite season?
What is your favorite sport?
What do you look for in a boyfriend/girlfriend?
What is your favorite blog post you’ve written?
What is your favorite color?
Coffee or tea?
Cats or Dogs?
Favorite show as a kid?

I nominate:

Esther Aspen Debbie Alanna Jenny Patty Tabi Becky Bea Jess Alex

I really enjoyed doing this and I hope everyone nominated enjoys it as well!

Alicia

Winter bucket list update

Published on March 18, 2017May 27, 2018 by Alicia5 Comments

Hello everyone, one of my Blogmas posts was a Winter bucket list and with winter basically over and spring right around the corner, I decided that I would come back and see how well I did on my little list. Most of the snow ones didn’t really happen because there were about 2 weeks in April where it was above 50 and most times the snow didn’t last long, but the rest of the ones I was able to do 🙂 Let’s get started.

~~Finish Christmas Shopping~~ –
~~See the Christmas trees at the Museum of Science and Industry:~~ Did this one also. Check out my Blogmas photo set to see some photos from that day!
~~Visit the Christkindlmarket:~~ Check. It was so beautiful and I was able to find vegan candy there as well!! Check out my post about that day here
~~Drive around and look at Christmas decorations:~~ This happened on more than one occasion. Friends, family, and I drove around and marveled at many houses and did more than critique others.
~~See the Macy’s tree and windows:~~ The hype of doing this was real. I had never been to Macy’s to see the tree or windows and I did both of those. It was spectacular and the people involved definitely put in a ton of work to make Macy’s beautiful for the holiday season.
The Cubs window
~~Go to Wisconsin for the weekend:~~ I have done this a couple times. We were up there for New Year’s weekend and then I think another time but I can’t remember.
~~Put up the Christmas tree:~~ Put up our Christmas tree and took it down successfully.
~~Have a Christmas movie night:~~ I definitely watched sooooo many Christmas movies. It happened over a few nights (and one even in February) but I watched so many classics.
Go sledding: It never snowed enough to go sledding
~~Read some good books with some wintery drinks:~~ I don’t think I ever did these together but I definitely enjoyed some great books and wintery drinks separately.
~~See all of my friends while they are home on break:~~ I wasn’t able to see all of my friends because of work, vacations, etc. But I was able to see a lot of my friends and I have been seeing them as well when they’re been home for Spring Break as well.
~~Dress up on Christmas:~~ Since I was given a Shrek Christmas sweater and was forced to wear that on Christmas Day I wouldn’t really consider myself dressed up, but I wore nice pants so I sort of looked nice
~~Do a winter photo shoot~~: Did a mini shoot but nothing too extravagant.
Try to take a family photo… key word is try: This literally did not happen at all haha.
Shovel some now: My neighbor with a snow blower beat us all to it each time it snowed
Build a snowman: It literally didn’t snow enough to make one and when it did, the snow wasn’t good packing snow.
Eat a candy cane: I didn’t even eat a mini one 😦
~~Make Christmas cookies~~
~~Build a gingerbread house:~~ 2 of my friends and I each made one and they were super cute to be honest

All in all I would I was pretty successful. I just need a damn candycane.

Alicia

Renaissance Woman

Published on March 16, 2017February 1, 2018 by Alicia4 Comments

Hello everyone and happy Thursday to you all. It is currently 12:29 am and I am frivolously typing away on my keyboard, my sleep deprived eyes drooping every few clicks of the keys.

My entire life I have never wanted to do one thing. I have never been that girl who has wanted to be a surgeon or a teacher or an artist since she was 6 years. I wasn’t that girl who applied to two schools because they had the major she wanted and great internship and job opportunities, pertaining to her major, upon graduation.

I was the girl who wanted to be a princess, an artist, an actress, a writer, a mathematician, an actuary, a business woman, a world traveler, a math teacher, a nutritionist, a marine biologist, an english teacher, and so many more by the time she was 18. I applied to over 15 schools because I couldn’t make up my mind about anything.

I always used to think this was because nothing interested me. I was a depression filled, anxiety ridden teen, who couldn’t be wooed by one thing or another.

It wasn’t that nothing interested me, it’s that everything interests me. There is not one thing I can see myself doing for the rest of my life, not because I want to do nothing, but because I want to do everything. I want to star in a hollywood production, see the aurora borealis, do someone’s taxes, invent something, learn about animals, and help a struggling teenager get into college.

There isn’t one job that fits me. I am a puzzle piece that fits into every puzzle while simultaneously doesn’t fit into any.

I think I keep thinking about this because I don’t want to transfer again. I need to pick Ohio or DePaul and I need to pick one soon. My grandfather keeps pressuring me to visit DePaul, call DePaul, look at DePaul’s website and so on, and it is making me want to rip my hair out.

What happens if I pick DePaul and then want to do something else with my life that DePaul doesn’t offer? Or if the same thing happens at Ohio.

As I lay in my blanket burrito, and as my anxious thoughts completely take over me, I wonder… why does no one else have this problem? Why did every single person I know apply to 5 or less colleges and then just pick one? No one transfered, no one waited until April 30th to make an admission decision, no one is laying in their bed, two years later trying to find a new school so they don’t make the same mistakes they had made two years prior.

The only sounds I hear are of a dog snoring next to me in bed (we are only watching her for a week… unfortunately) but inside my head is like a Final Four March Madness game.

Everyone keeps telling me that it doesn’t matter where you go to school, but let’s be honest… it does. I have to like it, it has to be affordable, and they have to have a major(s) that I like and want to pursue.

I like both schools and once I get financial aid we will talk about affordability. However, the latter, the majors are what I’m coping with. The difference in majors along with my inability to make a commitment and stand by it are the reasons I am still up at 12:48am with a loud and messy head.

I keep weighing the pros and cons. Both schools have pros. Both have cons. Both pros outweigh the cons and there isn’t one that stands out to me. I think I need to just go to DePaul one day and then see if I can get back to Ohio for a few days to really see if I can picture myself on either campus.

Sorry for all the rambling but writing is my way of thinking.

On the bright side, just about 2 weeks till Peru. I have begun packing, and am talking to a girl about going to Machu Picchu over Easter. Half of my life is stressing about college and the other half is pure joy about going to Peru and volunteering. I guess that’s compromise for you…

Alicia

March Madness

Published on March 14, 2017May 27, 2018 by Alicia3 Comments

Hi everyone, tonight March Madness starts! I am a huge sports fan, especially basketball, and every year for the past 4 or so years I have filled out a March Madness bracket. This year, I decided to do the same. This bracket on some ends isn’t super practical. I’m not making a bracket for money so I definitely picked some teams I want to win based on interest rather than record. If any of you have made brackets let me know if we have some similarities and also let me know who you think will win big this year!

I’ll be watching along all of March, and even though I’ll be in Peru for the last 3 games, I’ll definitely make an update post at some point to show how accurate I was!