It’s like riding a bike

I traveled back to Memphis between spring and summer classes. It was a decision I made quickly in March when I heard a friend in Colorado was going to be in town at same time and I wanted to see friends who had lost a dear family member.
Two nights after I flew home, I asked my dad to help retrieve my mother’s barely used bike from the garage. It was a surprise Christmas gift in 2010 that many Memphians gave with the new Greenline newly opened. Anyway, he pumped some air into the tires, adjusted the seat, and I got on.

It jolted me back to my bike riding days on Redfearn Cove in East Memphis. Yes, I’ve taken some spin classes at the local gym, but this was different. I wobbled and didn’t pedal at first. But, I found my balance and rode around our little neighborhood for about twenty minutes.

Bike riding was something I did with the neighborhood kids and my sister, but also begrudgingly with my dad who tried to teach me to ride. It took forever to learn, but now I know I was on schedule. As I got older, the bikes got jammed into the garage with dust gathering–and I moved on.

Ever reflect on certain times in life-maybe childhood, maybe highschool, or a great trip, or a horrible job and say-did that really happen? I’ve had a lot of those thoughts lately about my 29 years. Are they memories I created that happened or just stories told over and over or pictures I’ve seen countless times?

My trip home was like that evening on the bike–wobbling between friends who are creating their own lives without me sharing a lot of it, balancing adulthood and riding in circles around the questions and concerns my parents have for my future.

I know I need to keep peddling forward with my head high, a firm grip, and the wind in my hair.

Summer is coming and I can’t wait to see what it brings.

14 Weeks (and not a pregnancy blog)

I am sitting in an art studio listening to the undergraduates in my elective painting class wait for our professor to go over grades, our body of work, and a quick chit chat about our feelings about the past semester. I was second in line because…I was second to arrive. This is my last class of the semester, one day later than my other classmates in my cohort. I realized as I finished up my three measly page paper about my final painting AND the final painting at 10:45am this morning(class began at 2:45EST) that I could have done the assignment yesterday. Or two weeks ago when it was assigned.

But, I didn’t. So there’s that.

Most of the students around me are talking about summer plans, future life plans(some are seniors), and you can feel the air of relief inside this room. Or is it anticipation? Panic? Probably a lot of feelings.

14 weeks ago, I had no idea where the semester would take me. I took three seminar type classes, one painting class, and was let go of a fellowship project, but then added to a new, pretty exciting in-the-works project. I learned to let go of the idea of having a social life(even if it meant a movie or just getting drinks). There is no time. I learned to work with classmates with opposite personalities and work ethics and turned out a pretty awesome concept for a client in Burlington. I’ve never had to do anything like that ever, and enjoyed the prototyping experience. I lost a good person in my Memphis life in March and he has left a void in a lot of people’s lives. I had to unexpectantly move out of my “apartment” (my little room) into an almost vacant house with one other guy(whose name is Olsen of all things…) with a shitty reason from my landlord. Luckily, it’s just until the end of May and then I move into my new, cute studio. I got to see the Avett Brothers(if you haven’t been bombarded by my Facebook postings, check out my YouTube channel of them performing).

I now have two weeks to recharge. I’m going home to Memphis for a week to stuff my face, go to Music Fest, and get my life that is in my grandmother’s garage together. The parental units have offered to ship boxes to me in June–I have forgotten what I own.

After that, four classes this summer, while thinking of my thesis. A THESIS. WHAT? When did that happen?

I’ve learned to take one week at a time, and slowly learning more about Andrea and who she wants to be.

No Truer Words Spoken

I’ve been reading Fast Company’s site, Co.Design daily this semester, and I love their daily infographics section. Since a majority of my friends have office setting jobs, this is for you. Where was this when I worked six years behind a desk? I highly recommend adding Co.Design to your daily blog reading. I’m considering subscribing to the mag.

 

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Created by: OnlineITDegree.net

Casting a Wide Net

There are times that you find links, or thoughts, or pictures on your friend’s blogs and want to share them with the world. Today is that day.

 

I came across Sarah and Liz’s blogs today on a whim and found these great links:

Del Amitri’s “Tell Her.”  I feel like this was in some mid 90s rom-com with Jennifer Aniston? Freddie Prinze, Jr? Hmmm…

 

 

 

 

 

 

This fits my “Diary of Me” project so well.

It’s a quick post this morning, but Sarah, Liz, and I have a shared history and it’s always a blessing to know regardless of distance, and time, people are still the same. Just older. Hopefully wiser. Still us.

 

Monday Finds

Here’s some stuff I’ve found around the interwebs:

Ever want to know how to cite a tweet for a paper? Yeah, that’s where we are now in life.

I finally saw “The Iron Lady” over the weekend, and is it bad that I was more excited to see this movie, and this movie than Meryl’s flick? I left the theater not impressed with the movie, but impressed with Ms. Streep.

I saw this on dooce.com and on Tumblr, and now this makes me want to learn how to do it in Photoshop. If Jack Nicholson doesn’t make you want to jump out of your skin, or evoke nightmares, just go away.

Swoon.

I would like one of these please. Preferably, Harry Potter, Amelie, Wizard of Oz, or Benjamin Button.

Please. For the children.

This video has yet to get old. I hope they go on tour again, and that they come somewhere in my vicinity.

Yes. And this. Never gets old…except that he is 40 now, and looks 25.

I’m on Spring Break, so now I can get back to blogging, reading non school related books, and catching up on TV/movies.

–I finished “Commencement” by J. Courtney Sullivan. I loved it, and read the review here.

–Next up, finishing “Paris was Ours” and “Inspirations: Selections from Classic Literature“

Words to end my findings:

“A Ritual to Read to Each Other” by William Stafford

If you don’t know the kind of person I am
and I don’t know the kind of person you are
a pattern that others made may prevail in the world
and following the wrong god home we may miss our star.

For there is many a small betrayal in the mind,
a shrug that lets the fragile sequence break
sending with shouts the horrible errors of childhood
storming out to play through the broken dyke.

And as elephants parade holding each elephant’s tail,
but if one wanders the circus won’t find the park,
I call it cruel and maybe the root of all cruelty
to know what occurs but not recognize the fact.

And so I appeal to a voice, to something shadowy,
a remote important region in all who talk:
though we could fool each other, we should consider–
lest the parade of our mutual life get lost in the dark.

For it is important that awake people be awake,
or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;
the signals we give–yes or no, or maybe–
should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.

Wintry thoughts

February is coming quickly to an end. It’s a special month because of the leap day, which marks another passing of time–four years is significant if you are a high schooler, college student, or even a new parent. I’ve noticed lately due to a class assignment on digital identity that I reflect on time, the past, my childhood, and where I was on certain day, month, or year.
I feel it’s my way of curating my life…making my thoughts, photos, tweets, and posts a record of me. To not be forgotten? Maybe. My time here at Champlain is going to go by so quickly, and I want to make sure I remember most days. With a pretty mild winter, walking around Burlington has been pretty easy.
I move into my new place in early June and I can only imagine what I will accomplish during summer term. Not much else is going on but grad school life. I have spring break in two weeks without a lot of plans. Lent begins this Wednesday–no Starbucks, more Mass attendance and participating in Stations of the Cross at least three times.
I’m all over the place with this post, but that’s how my life is these days. Staying warm, lots of self reflection, assignments, meetings, bus riding, and going through motions while trying to embrace my surroundings.

Time for a change

One of the many things on my plate in late November/early December was the application process for Design for America. If you have been following me on Twitter or Facebook, you’ve seen me promote this organization like it was my job. My professor tasked my class to get this organization to Champlain College.

From the website(because I can’t write it better): “Design for America(DFA) is an award-winning nationwide network of interdisciplinary student teams and community members using design to create local and social impact. DFA equips this generation with the mind-set and skill-set to look locally, create fervently, and act fearlessly.”

We are trying to use design to fix Burlington, Vermont basically. I am in a new city where I am learning everyday about it-the good and the bad. If I was in Memphis, I could rattle off twenty things that could be done. It’s different now for me.

By the skin of our teeth, my classmate Cora and I got the application submitted(which consisted of another classmate, Jess, and I asking students to take a picture holding a “I Heart DFA” sign, creating a video of Burlingtonians talking about the good/bad points(classmate Robin and Rachel were the producers of that piece), and then making a poster of the I Heart DFA images). It was a lot to do in two week time frame.

We made it past round one, and on Thursday of this past week, the operations manager of DFA flew out from Chicago to hold a workshop for all those interested in a DFA Champlain. It was powerful to see so many students, faculty, and people from the Burlington community brainstorm, discuss, and produce deliverables of a better BTV in about two hours. We now have to make a two minute video on a month long project for round two, and then we will know in May if we are granted some DFA lovin’.

The director of DFA is from Burlington, and is a hip, hip lady. Will this help with being selecting? It wouldn’t hurt. I hope my classmates and I can leave a legacy at Champlain with this studio. I hope.

Sunday funday

Here begins another week. I’m starting my third week of classes and it feels less nuttier than the first. Maybe I am getting use to Burlington, the citizens, and the routine of Champlain? Hm. I had my fourth acupuncture “nap” Saturday morning, and I think she is going to make a new plan for me. The winter is affecting me pretty harshly–very tired, thirsty, and not sleeping so great.  It also didn’t help that I went out for beers with classmates the night before…oops. My four classes have upped the reading this go around. I had to buy about 8 paperbacks for one class last fall, and only read two. Pretty pissed. So, now I am getting my readin’ on.

I’m learning how to eat humble pie with my art class. Lots of talented 19/20/21 years olds in this elective class, and somehow I am surviving with my crappy drawing. I hope to look back in April and laugh with pride. We’ll see.

Here are some things I am looking at on the web lately:

Last week, I painfully read the post thatHeather and Jon are taking a break. Possibly a Ross and Rachel type break. I really hope for time to heal their wounds because they are a great family and original, hilarious people. I’ve been reading Dooce for a few years now, and I feel like they are a second family. Funny how you can become so close to people who you only know through photographs and blog posts.

The Avett Brothers, “Backwards in Time.”

 

I’m a little late in the Goyte boat, but, damn, this song. THIS SONG. “Somebody that I Use to Know.”

 

All this dog wants is a treat. You, human, are a jerk.

My rockin’ classmates, Rachel, Greg, and Cora showed my class this video during our Tuesday night class. If this doesn’t create a lump in throat, or makes you stand on your desk and shake your fist with inspiration, then you just suck. Charlie, you are the man.

Have you seen this commercial yet?

Want a book recommendation? The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Read it. Love it. Devour it.

Mavis Staples is Memphis, and I smiled with childish glee when I watched this impromptu sing a round(I made that word up).

 

 

Icebox living-or how I am surviving a Vermont winter

I’m typing below three blankets, while wearing long underwear, and my space heater is on level 2 of 4.

Welcome to January in Vermont. It’s a wee bit chilly. UNDERSTATEMENT of the year, and it’s January 15th(or 16th) depending on when I hit send at the end of this thing). Layering and snow boot wearing is the look du jour.

Catch up:

Acupuncture is amazing, and super helpful to me right now. If there are offerings near you, go out of your comfort zone and try it.

I’m back to taking four classes this semester–3 core classes( Digital Storytelling, Play and Participaton, and Human Interface) and one elective(Painting Other Worlds). I’m glad to be back to a routine.Somewhat.

I have two new housemates, L and I. I just moved in today…still figuring him out. So, me and three boys. Living with dudes is actually quite easy when I don’t have to share a room, or haggle for the remote. I recommend it for you, ladies, if you need roomies of the platonic kind.

I’m already thinking of travel plans this year…ideas?

I can’t wait for summer in Burlington. It will be weird being the only MFA class–class of 2012 will have gotten their degree, and the class of 2014 isn’t here yet. My cohorts are already wondering about them. Also, summer in VT will not feel like an oven, a la Memphis.
I won’t be back in the 901 until…so enjoy 2012, Memphians, cuz I can’t do it with you.

Here’s to learning how to cope with coldness until May(April??).

Needle Napping

Over the last few years, I’ve been toying with different ways to make me a better version of myself. I’ve practiced Bikram yoga, taken Pure Barre classes, gone to therapy, and attended different religious services or added more prayer time to my week.
I decided after walking by a sandwich board on Church street in Burlington that I would try acupuncture. It would take place at a clinic that will take amy amount that you can afford. A classmate of mine also has been going to acupuncture to help with her health, so I’m glad to talk to her to compare notes.
Sooooooo…a few emails back and forth with Julie at Vermont Community Acupuncture, and I had my first appointment about eleven days ago. It was a freezing early afternoon, and I had about three extra layers enveloping me-think Randy from A Christmas Story without the need to pee. Julie sat with me for a few minutes to talk to me about my health history, and she checked my pulse and my tongue(!). Standard procedure that I learned later.
The next room had six beds partitioned off by white stalls for privacy and I was asked to remove shoes, socks, and lie down(lay down? sorry 9th grade English). I had needles inserted in my left ear, along my wrists near my thumb, one in between my eyes, and I think eight on my legs. I was told to just relax and she’ll check on me in 45 minutes.
It wasn’t that bad. It was a nice way to spend an afternoon, and when the time was up, she removed the needles, gave me some water, and told me that people either feel energetic or disoriented, so just take it easy. Alrighty then. I walked home, and promptly sped through season 1 of Downton Abbey on Netflix.
I had the best sleep in a long time that night. I had to catch a flight to Memphis for the holidays, and not once did I yawn, doze off, or feel sluggish while traveling. Was it my time with the needles? I’ve gone back again, and I was told by the third appointment that I should start feeling results.

I hope 2012 leads me to better health in all aspects of me. 2011 ended in a new place, new surroundings, and a new life. Here’s to it.