New Semesters and New Beginnings

With the start of each semester the promise of fresh beginnings always follows. Personally, I love the uncertainty of how the next four months are going to turn out. Each semester has brought about different challenges and new relationships that have all helped me grow in some unpredictable way. This past one was all about a job I had wanted for two years, new friendships, a difficult roommate, and a long distance relationship. However, about halfway through and I start longing for new classes, new professors, and the feeling of starting over again. It always seems to hit around the same time for me. Classes are going great and then out of the blue my heart starts willing for the semester to end.

This semester I want it to be different. I don't want to count down the days but instead focus on the ones I have left. Being a second semester junior means I have three semesters left in college. Judging by how quickly the last one went, I can only imagine the next few will only go faster.

I don't always struggle with this. It's usually when I'm taking certain classes that just don't seem to appeal to me. Of late this was chemistry. Six weeks into chemistry and I was drawing new bonds I liked to call "Olive Bonds" on my desk. This came to be when my lab partner and I understood about as much of the vegetable as we did about whatever bond we were learning about at the time.

So if you are in the same boat as me; I hope you take a step back with me. Together we can embrace each new weekday in the classroom as a fantastic learning opportunity. I hope you take that elective you want, spend too much time wandering around new streets, and go to bed at a decent time during final's week. I hope all of the other semesters don't even come close to how awesome this one is going to be. You got this.

Winter Adventures

I've always been the kind of person that gets in the car and wherever I end up is where I spend the day. This bodes well with the fact that over the years I've found that unplanned dates are the best kind. The dates that become an idea the moment you get there have become some of my most treasured memories. I have always chalked it up to being a poor planner but recently I decided that it has less to do with planning and more to do with the fact that I like to see where things take me. Everything is planned at school and work and when I get a chance to break away from routine I jump at the chance.

Luckily I have found a man that feels the same and doesn't mind getting in the car to a blank map and a full tank of gas. That's where we found ourselves today when he made the decision to visit a wooden park he had played at as a child.

Perfect ideas are never quite what they seem however. He wasn't in my car for more than two minutes when he began fiddling with random items he could get his hands on. This is when he came across my pepper spray and due to its unusual shape, decided to try it out. Before I could answer his question about what it was, pepper spray coated my windshield, pepper hit the back of my throat, and the sweetest and most confused face met me from across my center console. Luckily we hadn't left his driveway yet and were able to clean it up and be on our way.

Eventually we made it to the park and I've realized that nothing makes you feel more like a child again than climbing across rope walkways and tunnels that are not made for adult heights. Luckily everyone is back to school and so alone we were able to explore without feeling like we were make anyone feel uneasy. After we had made our way through the whole park, a walk seemed to be the next logical idea.

Geocaching has quickly become something we do together since we're usually in an unusual spot and so the walk became foraging through underbrush and thorns in the woods. After emerging on the other side we came across the paved path that clearly would have made more sense. He then realized that he used to run on these trails in high school and decided he wanted to show me a place he used to run. It was a path through the woods that led to a creek with step stones across. The half-frozen creek became the perfect target for tossed stones and conversation. More geocaching rounded out our adventure and then we both headed home.

What I've found is that is doesn't take a lot to have a good time with the right person. A few stones and a frozen creek was all that was needed. These are the kinds of days that I hope I wake up remembering thirty years from now.

Influenster Skin Care

Hey there! It's been quite a bit since I've talked about Influenster and this time I'm here to talk about a type of skin care. I received Active Botanicals from Olay for free. One thing I loved about this product was that it never made my skin feel greasy or get dry. I always notice that lotion can give an odd feeling to my skin after wearing for awhile and I was pleased to find out that this was not the case with this at all. Another aspect I liked about the product was the smell. It was so pleasant and not overwhelming that wearing it all day did not give me a headache in the slightest! I would definitely recommend this product as one worth trying. Give it a chance if you're trying to mix up your skin care routine and want to try something new. I have loved it so far and will probably go out of my way to find more products from Olay!

Influenster: NYC New York Color

As you guys have heard many times before, I live for Influenster. Recently, I was given the opportunity to test the NYC New York Color mascara and eyeliner. When I choose makeup I am usually not that picky unless it comes to price; I like it cheap. But I was super excited to give this stuff a try! The first thing I noticed about the mascara was that it hardly clumped at all. The biggest fault I find in mascaras is clumping and so I was pleasantly surprised at the lack thereof. The mascara was also long lasting and held up throughout the summer heat of the day. It also didn't make my eyelashes look freakish which was a plus.

The eyeliner was also a plus for me! What I liked about it was how smooth it was going on. It was dark which was awesome and also held up for the whole day.

Overall, I would definitely recommend that you give these products a try. They are worth it for the price and you can't beat the quality!

*I received these products courtesy of Influenster for testing purposes only

Hiking the Days Away

If you guys are anything like me, you get the winter blues pretty badly too. It is so difficult to stay motivated during the colder months. Once it warms up though I want to spend all of my time outside! This last weekend I was sitting in the cafeteria with my best friend and we were contemplating what to do for the day. It was slightly chilly and overcast so we weren't too keen on being outside. However, we both a text from a mutual friend wondering if we wanted to go hiking with her and another friend of ours. It was the perfect opportunity!

Where we were headed, I had been to my freshman year and it is one of my favorite spots. There is a broken down castle, a cave, wildlife, and this one spot where you have to climb over 300 steps! What was amazing about the day is that the sun came out when we arrived and it turned into a gorgeous 70 degree day; perfect hiking weather! We were lucky enough to see beavers and several turtles sunning on the rocks.

The next day, I was asked by my good friend, Baylen, if I wanted to go to the same park and hike with him. This time we took different trails and I was able to see another part of the state park that I had never been on before. Again it was a gorgeous day and I got to see otters for the first time in the wild.

I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such great friends and be able to see different parts of the country. Missouri has become my home away from home and I cannot believe the semester ends in thirteen days!