The Joys and Pains of Being an Introvert

Well, after thinking for a few days on what my next blog post would be, I decided on this: the risks and benefits of introversion.

Welcome to my world:

I wake up, do some studying, maybe do a little internet research on a topic that interests me (usually something to do with healthcare or animal science), socialize just a bit via text message, Facebook, etc. (I still don't get the hype of twitter), and walk the dog. So what do I do with the rest of my time?

I spent quite a bit of time interacting with my family. I feel a lot of people in my age group lose out on the benefits of spending time with there families for being eager to always be on the scene. I for one could care less about "the scene." I rarely party, as I find other things to do with my time. (maybe this is one of the things that makes me so delightfully awkward)

I spend a lot of time talking to my boyfriend. He is a constant in my life and I really enjoy our relationship. Unfortunately, we are about to enter the dreaded territory of the long distance relationship, but I think we can make it.

I also have developed plenty of hobbies. I love to read and to write, although I really need to spend a lot of time clearly planning things out when I write. I also like to play video games and watch anime. I watch the occasional television series, and some movies. I like to be outdoors, either walking, or just sitting and thinking. I even began to embrace my artistic side and found that I like to do different art projects from time to time. I'd say discovering what you like to do is quite a benefit of introversion, if you'd ask me.

Now here's where the introversion really kicks in. I have only a few friends that I have semi-regular contact with. Of course I have plenty of acquaintances, but there's nothing like an actual friend. Now this is a serious issue, because as everyone knows, networking is absolutely crucial to the college student. Here's where my dilemma begins: I am incredibly shy and quite nervous around people I don't know well. I feel as if I may even put up a barrier and inadvertently stop myself from becoming close to others. I have missed out on opportunities due to my shyness. Anyone else ever have this problem?

Fortunately, I have begun to place myself out of my comfort zone. Little by little, I'm realizing how beneficial it is to open up to others. My first real eye-opener was being able to shadow a physician, just by simply asking questions and following through, while leaving my shyness and nervousness on the back-burner. I hope that as I approach my junior year of college, I can keep up this momentum and continue to strive for excellence while learning about myself and what I was meant to do in this world.

=)

Update on the pug

Doque being dramatic (in case you're wondering doque=dog in my personal language lol)

Top picture: Dozey and his hair sleeping...he sheds ALL OVER the carpet, but we love him anyway.

dum dum dum duuuuum dum dum dum duuuuuuuuuuum ddddum ddddum ddddum etc.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

This convenient photo sent by my little sister also had Beethoven's Fifth Symphony attached to it, but unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how to get it to play :/ [It kinda ruins the effect of those lyrics, you know?] But 'tis all beside the point...

DOZEY'S HERE TO STAY!! YES!!

Dozey successfully captured the hearts of everyone in the family, and I do mean everyone. This includes my grandma, who refers to Dozey as "Grandma's Little Boy" ROFL! We've had him for almost a year, and we were able to see him through his 6th birthday :). Dozey is happy and healthy, and we hope to have him for many more years.

Tumultuous Year

Believe it or not, I DIDN'T forget that I had a blog and I DID in fact enjoy blogging. I just had an extremely crazy year. Surprisingly though, I cannot believe that almost a year has passed since my last post...it's insane to think about. After spending so much time away from my blog, I almost find myself at a loss of what to say...

In the time I was gone, I experienced a lot. Here is my year in a nutshell:

• Took 17 credits during the fall of my sophomore year...enjoyed most of my classes (including *gasp* general chemistry) in retrospect. Made the Dean's List! YES!
• One of the classes I took called Infants and Children, centered on child development, caused me to remember the fun I had as a camp counselor and to rethink my choice of dermatology...maybe pediatrics?
• Got a job working in a cafe on campus= FREE COFFEE! I learned just how important a skim vanilla latte could be to me.
• Had a relaxing winter break, found out that my older sister was expecting! YAY! (Maybe I could observe some of those child developmental theories in my nephew lol)
• Went back to school, lightened the load some so I could work more hours...FAIL! I was just as stressed with my 15 credits as I had been with 17.
• Took Anatomy and Physiology, began to understand the complexity of the human body; took Nutrition through the Life Cycle, which provided me with more inspiration to change my field of interest...OB/GYN, Neonatology?
• My sister unfortunately lost her baby, gave birth to my nephew at 21 weeks *many tears*
• Struggled with depression during my spring semester.
• Finished strong, DRAKE came to my college and gave a free concert SLOPE DAY 2010!
• Made the Dean's List AGAIN! Unbelievable!
• My boyfriend of over a year graduated college and will be entering law school in the fall CONGRATS!! Went to Martha's Vineyard to celebrate-->SO MUCH FUN!
• Taking Physics II and shadowing a doctor at a family medicine office as of now...

So, as you can see, I had a lot going on in the last year: some good, others bad. But I wouldn't trade this past year for anything...SUCH IS LIFE =)

Live Life, and Stay Awkward =P

Welcome Back?

I have returned from my extended hiatus to discuss returning to school. After enduring the hell that is packing your life and carrying it with you to a small room, I am all unpacked and settled into my new single. After having a roommate my freshmen year, it was time for a change of pace. I like my own space.

Well, as I listen to my suite mates and friends prepare to go to a welcome back party, I'm so depressed. Why, you ask?

Because of one major problem:

F-I-N-A-N-C-I-A-L A-I-D. I have to get up at 7am before classes have even started for the year (I am NOT a morning person) to beat the rush and try to get enough aid to help me attend school. Because of the recession, they are hard-pressed to find money to give me. Unfortunately, without their help, it would be absolutely impossible for me to attend college. This is the ultimate form of Catch-22. With a prayer, I can feel confident that everything will work out for the best.

A word of advice:

PLEASE complete and turn in all forms as soon as possible.

Try to work out some agreement well before deadlines if your parents are divorced or separated. Non-custodial parents can be your worst nightmare. I break into cold sweats just thinking about my non-custodial parent. *shivers* Not cool. At all.

Do not be afraid to pester the office. It is their job to help you.

But most importantly, complete everything as soon as possible.

Man I wish I could go to that party, which is one of the few I would be able to attend with my heavy course load this semester. Down with responsibility! Just kidding =)!

Guess I'll have my own welcome back party in my room... :/
Or maybe I should just go to bed. *sigh*

Doggy Love

Well, after a tough day at work on Friday, (I was left basically on my own to supervise 22 kids at a state park) I had the greatest surprise that I have had for a few years. My mother told me to look in the hallway, and to my surprise there was an adorable little pug standing there. (God sure does know how to make things better.) Her friend is no longer able to commit the time necessary to care for him and he is ours on a trial basis. As long as we (my sisters and I) take care of him, we can keep him. Yay!! =).His name is Dozey and he is 5 years old. He is just too cute!! I REALLY hope we get to keep him.

I have wanted a dog ever since my German Shepard named Princess died, so we are talking about 12 or so years. Finally. This is like a dream come true! The only thing is that I have to go back to school soon so I won't get to play with him as much. But that makes breaks even more enjoyable =).

Why I Think Everyone Should Watch Anime...At Least Once.

As I always tend to mention, there are many things that make me unique and wonderfully awkward. One of these things is my love for Japanese animation, better known as anime.

Anime. Cartoons. Most people in the teenagers and young adults tend to tuck their tails and run at the mention of anything animated, minus popular American cartoons such as Family Guy, The Simpsons, and King of the Hill. Well, I'm here to tell you there's more out there: anime is an extremely underrated type of entertainment that really deserves more exposure than it gets.

If you have never read the about me section on my profile, you probably do not understand why I feel the need to speak about this aspect of my personality. When I was young, I, like many late '80s early 90's born kids, watched anime. Of course, at the time, I didn't realize it. And many people who did still do not recognize that many of the most popular shows that they watched were made in Japan. If you watched Pokemon, Sailor Moon, or anything in the Dragonball series as a kid, you too are, or at least were an anime fan.

As I got older and went through that "cartoons-are-for-babies" phase, my younger sister continued to watch many of the newly released anime shows. I used to tease her and tell her how immature she was. Boy, was I ever wrong. I was far more immature than she.

About 2 years ago, I watched several episodes of InuYasha, an anime that my sister recorded via DVR. I was hooked. I have watched several animes since in many different genres including romance, mystery, fantasy, comedy, and even historical fiction. With anime, there is something for everyone.

If you are interested, I have some suggestions. Here are my top three:

This show is called Rurouni Kenshin (aka Samurai X). It is my all-time favorite and is in the romance and historical fiction genres. Set in during the Meiji Restoration, it follows the story of a young revolutionary assassin's journey for redemption in a time of peace. This show puts you on a emotional roller coaster: ranging from extreme satisfaction to extreme despair and including everything in between.




This anime is called Ouran High School Host Club and is in the romance and comedy genres. It tracks the story of a poor female student who is forced to cross-dress as a member of a host club at a high school full of rich students in order to repay a debt. There are no words to describe how funny this show is.




This anime, called Fruits Basket, is one of the more unrealistic anime shows out there, but it still has a really great plot. It makes use of the drama, romance, and fantasy genres. The story follows a young woman who has recently been orphaned and has been forced to live in a tent. The land that she secretly lives on is owned by the Sohma family, which has a secret of its own. This show has lots of depressing moments, but they offset by the perfect balance of hilarious moments.


As you can see, all of these shows tend to be marketed to young adults, these are not kiddy, Spongebob-type shows. They each have a set plot; there is always a sense of consistency in the episodes. If you grow tired of American cartoons, please look into anime. You won't be disappointed!
(PS I did not produce, nor do I own, any of these images)

I Just Wanna Be, I Just Wanna Be Successful

As a camp counselor for the YMCA at a neighborhood charter school, I spend a lot of time working with the kiddies. They are so much fun! It is so refreshing to witness the innocence of small children and to, if even just for a few hours a day, revert to your inner kid self. It is important to strike this balance: focusing too much energy on adulthood can be really boring. Kids really do have the most fun!

In summer camp, I teach 1st graders basic character education--they learn about respect, self-esteem, responsibility, honesty, caring, and success, spending a week on each topic. This week is caring week, and we did a project in which the kids drew a picture about something they do that demonstrates caring. Here is my example:



At the end of the summer, my class will be performing in a school-wide show for their community to prove that they have climbed the ladder to success. They will be reciting a poem called "You Must Not Quit" by an anonymous poet. The kids will also act out their parts. Today we decided to add a line from a popular song called "Successful" by rapper Drake featuring. Trey Songz. (If you ever heard the song, don't worry! We only taught the chorus) Too cute!
Here is a sample ringtone that includes the part we taught them:

More from D-1 Harris at Myxer

Even though sometimes they drive me crazy, I feel that I am doing some good in their lives. As an old African proverb goes, it DOES take a village to raise a child. Every kid needs a strong support network. If you can make yourself available to children, you should. You never know the kind of impact you might make. =)

(PS Post title is actually an excerpt from "Successful" by Drake featuring Trey Songz)

Have a Great Day!