March was about me exercising when I can, not for weight loss but for body, mind and soul health. I got caught up in schoolwork and projects that I completely did not have time to work out (well, maybe, if I traded off House of Cards for working out, I would have had time). I completed a very small step, though. I got some dumbbells and a foam rolling pin for all my soreness. I started with a couple of reps, but left the dumbbells and the foam rolling pin behind for the last week or so while I worked on homework, class projects and finishing the Deaf Women Awareness Week events. But hey, March isn't over just yet!
The whole time since my last post I was thinking of why positivity was so hard to come to by for me. Few nights ago, I finally had that light-bulb AHA moment. I've endured so many negative things in my 22 years, that I could not think of anything as normal as negativity in my life. Sad, I know. I've been surrounded by friends who radiated negativity hardcore. I've been surrounded by the media teaching us negativity about our body, about how we should act and how we should be as women. And I'm very sure I wasn't the only one surrounded by negativity.
Over the past few weeks, I have been working with several young women for a Deaf Women Awareness Week which is a week-long events of leadership, confidence and other things with women. This week-long event is now completed, but throughout all the planning--I realized how much of an impact I had on those younger women and how much more I could make an impact on other young women if I really explained what I went through. I was mainly responsible for facilitating two nights of events, one with TED talks (that eventually got cancelled along with the RIT campus closing because of the Vuclan snowstorm) and one with successful Deaf women panel. It was successful, not only reaching out to young women but to some young men too. We grabbed the chance to explain how young men could be allies to women by calling out what's not right such as joking about rape, etc. The panel was truly inspiring because I could listen to these women's stories about oppression and how they got to where they are today. It sure did help with my positivity challenge. If you'd like to share your experiences, I would love to listen and swap stories!
I know I will need to exercise after I get back from Texas for my spring break trip...so much food options. Can't wait! This will be a lengthy resolution as seeing I can't seem to motivate myself to exercise, I'd much rather take a nap than pick up my measly 3lb dumbbells. Now that I put it that way...that sounds dumb. :)
April's resolutions (although some might be during the last few weeks of this month, obviously) will be to travel, even if it’s to another city or to another state (Austin and hopefully national parks around Rochester) and to apply to a job that you're probably under qualified for. As seeing as I need a summer co-op, I'm starting to apply to various job opportunities, even if my resume is not oozing with experience yet--I even applied to Twitter, what a dream job that would be!
To recap my last three months, my resolutions have been:
- January: Bite my nails a whole lot less, take care of them as well as I can and treat myself to a nice manicure when this is achieved.
- February: Strive to be a better person than who I was yesterday.
- February: Be more of a positive person, some of that energy is bound to reach people around you.
- March: Exercise when I can, not for weight loss but for body, mind and soul health.
And I'm off to finish up some more homework and projects before I leave for Texas on Thursday. If I start packing now, will I get to leave Rochester a little earlier? I didn't think so either. :(
For it's a year of brand new experiences and different way of living, at least for me. I'm entering my second to last semester of college, my boyfriend and I are now in a long-distance relationship, and some of my friends have graduated...
I know it sounds minimal, but I really feel like my life has already adjusted from the routine I've known last semester. From the moment I entered my house Sunday, I felt the loss of my roommate and my boyfriend. As I drove to Walmart and Wegman's, I thought back on all the hilarious conversations the boyfriend and I would have on the way there and back to our places. When I'm in the mood, I want to see specific friends--but they're not in Rochester anymore. Some of my friends are starting jobs, families and the rest of their lives; something I can't relate to. There's just something missing from my routine now, and I'm looking for something to fill it. Maybe a new passion, activity or hobby will strike.
In the past few months, when reminded that some of my friends were graduating at the end of fall semester, I laughed it off in hopes of not having the experience impact me this much. But little did I know, by not accepting the truth in the first place, I was setting myself up for a bigger impact. Now this impact is a domino effect to the fact that more friends are graduating at the end of spring semester. All I can hope is that we all stay in touch as often as we can...(because you guys are my friends for life, duh.)
But I'm not the one to back down a challenge, or a changed routine. I'm ready for this change, and I'm ready to see what Rochester has for me and only me. I can't wait to kindle the fire of my independence, stepping out of my comfort zone and to embrace the fleeting moment of having time for myself. I'm ready to step up and take reins of where I'm supposed to go. I feel older, mature, and eager to start things on my own. Of course, it will scare me, sadden me, and maybe make me feel lonely--but I'm ready. By being able to be more flexible with my routine and habits, I will be more flexible with what life throws me--and God knows, there are plenty of obstacles I have to hurdle in the near future.
In order for my personal growth to expand a little more throughout this year, I have decided to do a personal resolution thing. I would like to start at least one per month, and then write about it... Hopefully I will have finished more than 12 resolutions by the end of the year and stick with them for the rest of my life! Naturally, some resolutions will take longer than a month, but I want to introduce a new one monthly and keep on at it.
January will be all about biting my nails a whole lot less, take
care of them as well as I can and treat myself to a nice manicure when this is
achieved. (I have actually been trying to do this for the most of January, so this is perfect to start off with.)
Here's to me and commitment. <3
And this new chapter is.....? My third year at RIT! It's also the chapter that I will finally get my AS degree, start taking BA level classes and finally be on track towards graduation. It is the chapter where I will experience Rochester to the fullest, I finally have a car and finally am 21 years old. This is the chapter where I stop letting little things get to me, and start living for myself.
But how am I starting off this chapter?
I've been so busy since I left home around five weeks ago! I went back to Rochester to complete my spring quarter after a long LOA at home. Ever since I arrived Rochester, I've been on the go. The weekends are spent with me being exhausted like crazy.
Trying to keep up with the pace of my friends and the homework load that just keeps piling on has been really tough, but since it's the fifth week (I'm half-way done!) it's been much easier. I've got back in the zone when I need to do homework, I'll do it instead of sleeping. I figured out my problem....my bed. People always told me not to mix my homework/studying with the place where I sleep because that would just cause problems. It really does. Lesson learned: Never study or do your homework on your bed, because all it does is to make you too comfortable and makes you want to go to bed.
April has been crazy busy so far, I started dating someone amazing and I've been trying to multi-task that between everything else and my other friends. I hated being that left out friend who wasn't dating anybody--so my whole goal is not to leave someone out. SO hard, but in the end I'll appreciate what I did to prevent any drama around me.
I've been so busy, I haven't had the time to miss home. (Except for when my mom told me we got new mattresses!) I'm more looking forward to what summer has to bring me--I more likely have a Public Relations/Marketing/Customer Services internship with Convo, it's a deaf based VRS relay service company. The people there are AWESOME! Go to the web to get information, or shoot me a question about them here! So pumped. This summer is gonna be one of these summers I'll always remember. It's my 21st birthday, I have a summer job, I'm surrounded by the people I love and the guy I'm dating is coming down from Washington to California for a weekend!
I'm doing few more DIY posts, they'll be up in a second! I owed myself a DIY treat!!!
<3
