2012: What a fantastic year!

It has been months since I have posted, but I wanted to take the time to write on the last day of 2012.

2012 has been one of most exciting years to date. The highlights:

1) Spending a month in France, Spain, and Italy with 20 other UC students. This was unquestionably the best month of my life. I will always cherish every experience I had in Europe. I made wonderful friends, saw beautiful cities, ate the most exquisite food, and drank lots of good wine! Study Abroad 2012 is one of my best memories of the year!

2) I graduated from college! After four years of long nights, lots of financial equations, and a few tears, I did it! Not only was that expensive piece of paper important, but the college experiences helped shape me into the woman I came to be. I saw the world with my college class (Canada, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy), I went on four service trips to Texas and Louisiana, I got involved in a few clubs, and I gained my independence by moving out and proving I could be make it on my own.  I couldn't have been any prouder of my college accomplishments.

3) I got a car. This wasn't as exciting as graduation or studying abroad, but it was a big upgrade and I love my new Civic!

4) I started my full time job. I never dreamed of working in insurance as a young child, but I am really enjoying my career. I am learning more about property and casualty insurance daily, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for my career.

5) I ran two half marathons. This was an accomplishment I never could have dreamt possible in 2011. They were two of the biggest challenges I ever willingly gave myself, but the pride and accomplishment that came with that work was well worth it!

6) My mom got married, and I gained a step-dad. I am very happy for both of them, and it is nice to call Charlie family now.

7) I met the most extraordinary man, and I am so excited about our future!

I was so blessed in 2012- I can only hope that 2013 brings just as much happiness and joy!

The learning never ends...

When I graduated in June, I was thrilled to be "done"! I was supposed to bve finished with long nights in front of textbooks, weekends spent reading, and standardized tests. My new boss reiterated this point when we met a few months before graduation and she said "can't you wait to be finished every day at 5:00!?" The answer was yes; I was really ready for that!

Well, was I wrong! The learning, testing, and "homework" did not end! This probably sounds like a rant. I apologize for my whining. I'm very lucky to have a job in this economy, and one that I love too- so I am genuinely happy. It's just exhausting to work 8 hours and come home to CPCU (Property and Casualty) textbooks... They are graduate level insurance exams, and I have to pass 8 of them to obtain my designation. I'm hoping to take 2 by Christmas... but that is going to take some dedication and time outside of the 8-5 hours!

So I've had my great social life for a few months now, but I suppose it's time to get serious again. I won't be able to walk to class at noon and leisurely order my Starbucks latte on the way, but I will definitely still be actively learning in my new career! Big girl jobs come with big girl work, and I'm ready for the challenge!

I'm an adult- since when?

It's been a while, but I'm back!

A lot has transpired in the past few months, but a general recap:

I moved out of Clifton and found a cute apartment near Eden Park (central Cincinnati area).
I graduated from college with my BBA in Finance and International Business!
I finished my internship and started my full time leadership program at an insurance company!
I bought a new beautiful black Honda Civic!

In general, this is all very exciting. I am loving my new apartment, short commute downtown everyday, the opportunity to throw myself into the insurance industry, and the "break" from homework and exams! (I say this with parenthesis, because I am studying for some major insurance exams at work!)

Graduation was very bitter sweet. I was so excited and proud to be done and look back at my accomplishments and growth over the past four years! On the other hand, I miss the friends that said goodbye for good on June 9th. June was a month of lots of changes, but I'm trying to adjust as best as possible and take advantage of the new opportunities that came from the new chapters of life ahead.

More details to come about my new, adult life but it was time to get the blog up-to-date!

The Real World Approaches Quickly

After a much needed fun spring break trip with friends to New Orleans, it's really coming... my last academic quarter of undergrad!

Three finance classes and one international business law class stand between me and my diploma! So strange!

I am really excited for the real world, and I'm lucky enough to know where I'll be in June! I've accepted a job with my current co-op, an insurance company. I'm really excited about my new role, but I'm still sad to say goodbye to the college life.

I've grown to love Thursday nights out with friends to start the weekend off right. Even though I work part-time, there is nothing like staying up late to study and knowing you can sleep in until 11:00 before your 12:00 class if you have to.

Soon enough, I will be a working woman with a long career ahead of me! But onto bigger and better things. I know there are wonderful new opportunities coming after graduation.

I'm just going to soak up my last quarter and enjoy the many memories to come over the next 10 weeks!

No, I am not the bride

A few weeks ago, I had a new experience- bridesmaid dress shopping! I have never been a bridesmaid before, so it was very exciting!

The twist is that I am the bridesmaid, not for a friend, but for my mom!

Yes, you can only imagine that when you walk into a store with a 21 year old and a 40 something year old (she appreciates this mysterious number left secret ;) ) that they assume the young woman is the bride. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for me, I am not the bride! Only the maid looking for a dress to wear on the side of the alter.

My sister and I picked beautiful knee length, deep purple chiffon dresses. And I'm very excited for them to come in! The challenge will be staying the same weight until October :)

And the even more fun, yet odd part of wedding planning will come soon as we help our mother pick out a white dress! I never thought I'd see that in my lifetime, but I'm so happy for her! Just a strange series of events in the life of a 21 year old girl!

Chirp, Chirp!

There have been a lot of dramatic stories in our house this year... but today's may be one of the best to date!

I was walking home from class when my roommate texted me "THERE IS A BIRD IN THE HOUSE!" I began laughing and asked what happened, she responded that it flew out and I was relieved! I thought this meant it went back out the window. I was wrong.

I got back, and we discussed the dramatic situation. She said, "no, it's still up there. I don't know where it went!" I immediately realized my room is not a fully enclosed  and I always leave the hall door open- I had a bad feeling about where that bird went. I returned to the third floor, flipped the light switch, and BAM! THERE WAS A BIRD FLYING AROUND MY ROOM!

I began yelling and ran down to my roommates. Courtney said "that's it! We are getting brooms. Let's go!" We went up the steps hesitantly with the intention of opening the window and easing it outside....

If only it was that simple. What followed was a solid five minutes of frantically opening doors and windows, running on beds, swinging brooms, and screaming at the top of our lungs. Thank God we finally got it out! That bird invaded my personal space today, and I am hoping it didn't carry some strange disease!

I am hoping I don't return home to any flying visitors any time soon!

This image is giving me chills... ewww

"I can't hear you!!"

"I can't hear you!!" all my friends and family shout as I try to carry on a phone conversation... I have become used to this since I got my Android Smartphone in the fall. I chalked it up to bad connections, their phones' problem, or any other reason besides the fact that my phone might be the source of the issue. But, I dealt with the poor phone service. It was manageable at least.

I even cracked the screen of this poor Alcatel Droid during a 5k I ran.... this phone has had a beating! Once again, I could ignore the problem. I just ordered a screen protector :)

After the phone cracked...

The final straw with this phone came a week and a half ago, as I no longer could take incoming calls. It never rings, just goes straight to voicemail. This actually isn't that frustrating for me, since I have more peaceful days (and I can still text and get on facebook at my leisure), but my mom and friends cannot take it any longer. Texting is just not the same.

So after a week of calls to tech support and visits to the phone store, the final verdict: your phone is broken, make an insurance claim! I respond, "okay that's fine, this is covered under warranty, right?" They say normally it would be, but the screen is cracked, so I'll owe the deductible.... lovely!

Oh, and the irony is that I received an email that my phone rebate from when I bought it in November is finally coming in the mail on the day the new phone ships from the insurance company. How fitting!

I just love technology normally, but really!? I just want a working phone with internet and incoming calls. Is that too much to ask for? Hopefully after Friday, these problems will be a thing of the past I can laugh about during an incoming call!

Fat Tuesday!

As a workout-aholic, I try to avoid any holiday that will make it easier for me to pack on the pounds, but it's Fat Tuesday!! I have the next 40 days of Lent to fast, right? Especially since I am going to give up chocolate. I have attempted this at for at least four years in a row.... and sadly enough, only once have I been successful! So this is going to be year #2!

There are many foods I am obsessed with, so picking just one to abstain from was quite a challenge. My roommates would probably have loved if I would have chosen Crystal Light or gum, which are both obnoxious treats of mine after dinner. The Crystal Light is in a large 2 quart container I keep in the fridge, and I chomp my gum quite loudly in our dining room table when we are working on homework. You now know two of my defining characteristics!

To honor this wonderful day of the year, my roommate and I are going to play wii dance and drink some wine. I am sure chocolate will be a part of our night as well! Good thing I ran four miles after work! Let the celebrating begin, since we only have a few hours left before Lent!

"This is my Life"

Welcome to my very first personal blog about my everyday life! I am excited to share the many good, some not so good, and always dramatic stories of my life as a college senior about to enter the real world in a few months!

The title of this first post is taken from one of my housesmates and my favorite YouTube video about a 5 year old girl who knows what she wants. I am all about girl-power, so this is naturally one of my all time favorites. In the second video (which is not as classic, so I'm posting the first only), she concludes: "This is my life", just as this blog will capture the stories of my life. Right Now!

...and this is totally going to be my future daughter! She's a smart one ;)