That awesome moment when...

Lea Michele is wearing a dress that I own on Glee. Props to Maddie for pointing it out. I don't watch Glee, but it made my day regardless.

I love those moments. Taylor Swift wore a dress that I had a few months ago, and it kind of made my week (best part, it was from Target).

 

Dresses are so awesome. 

Prank Wars

     My roommate, Emily (aka Shrillz or Skrillex) and I have a prank war going on. And I kind of love it. A lot of my other roommates become a little tiffed when pranks are pulled on them, so I am thankful that Shrillz and I have found one another in this brand new way. Radical.

     My first prank, which ultimately began our prank war, was to stick these "bird notes" (little pieces of Vera Bradley paper with birds on them that aren't sticky) all over her things. Finally a use for stationery that no one really wants  (not a real picture, but pretty close).

This prank sounds extremely tame. And not gonna lie, it was pretty harmless as far as pranks go. However, I managed to place over 200 papers in her things, in spots ranging from out in the open to hidden in her socks and shoes. She is still finding them, and this happened two-ish weeks ago.

She has decided to retaliate by turning everything I own upside-down and inside-out. Classic. And super super annoying. I was/am extremely impressed and amazed at her pranking talent.

 The photos don't really do this prank justice, since everything looks pretty much the same unless you stare super hard at them.

It is so on. Since she reads this blog, I can't tell you what my next prank will be or when it will happen, but you will definitely see photos of the after-effects.

Prank wars make life fun. Engage in them.

Somedays.

I don't know, but I feel like someone (besides me) needed this today, so here it is. Ignore that it's Taylor Swift if you don't like her.

If it's you, I hope that you have a fantastic day, and that you find everything that you need!



Someone cares about you!

Role Models

     While scrolling down my Facebook newsfeed today, I noticed a photo album of one of my friend's older sisters. Ten minutes and 30 photos later, I knew everything about this girl's rock climbing excursions and paint parties and whatever else she happened to have been up to in the past few months. I have talked to her maybe once.

And this is the point where you guys are probably all like "That is so ridiculously creepy".

And it kind of is. But it kind of isn't. Everyone has those people that they look up to, whether they be celebrities, parents, friends, or friends' older sisters. Pinterest is a great example of this, and even Tumblr, because there are such a massive variety of people/things to drool over and emulate. Some of my campers and friends have even told me on occasion that they look up to me (which makes me feel like one special snowflake, not going to lie).

When I was bored in some class later on, I thought about all of the people that I look up to and why. Friends and family members and celebrities. All of them are what I define as "cool"; being super awesome at whatever it is they are choosing to do, whether that be rock climbing, teaching, making music/art/beautiful words, or just being the best lifer that they can be. I use these people to make myself better, and think of new things that I want to do. Here are a couple of those people. Sorry that most of them are female, I just tend to pick female role models.

 Taylor Momsen. She didn't want to act, so she stopped. She wanted to form a band, so she did. She wanted to prove that not all actors make terrible singers, and she proved that. Basically, Taylor wants to do what she wants to do, and I love it.

I don't know what it is about Taylors. Regardless of what anyone says about her or how lame it makes me look to the general public, I love Taylor Swift. She is so real (as far as I know). All of her songs are about specific things that she has actually felt, and I feel like I can relate to her a lot (her album was one of the many that helped me after Andy cheated). I love the fact that she names names in songs. It's so bold! She is still super grateful and amazed by life, something that is rare in celebrities (as you can see in this picture). Plus, she dates so many guys, but is still looked at as classy, something that rarely happens in our society today.

My little sister, Courtney (pictured with my dad) is definitely one of my role models, although I don't think I've ever told her that (unless she is reading this). She is amazing. Not only is she gorgeous and related to me (just kidding), she is one of the coolest people I know. She works two jobs, keeps up with school, runs, and still manages to be wise and hilarious. She stands up for herself and others, and always manages to be awesome at life.  Even though we don't talk as much (since I am a few hours away and she is still in high school) and she is two years younger than me, I definitely look up to her.

Maria (the girl on the left in this photo) is awesome. Hands down. She was the co-RA (resident adviser) on my floor during my freshman year of college, and a lot of the reason that I am dying to become an RA myself. She is always open to new people and experiences, and I have never had a dull moment with her. She is always herself (which is great because she's too cool to be anyone else) and encourages others to do the same. She is also student teaching in Rio, which she blogs about here.









So yeah. Think about your role models. Think about what you love about them. Thank your role models for being awesome at life. Think about how you can be a role model.

Be a lifer.

My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark

Many critics are complaining that Fall Out Boy's new song My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark sounds to mainstream. And it totally is, not gonna lie. However, there are a few defenses for it:

• Patrick Stump has more creative influence in the band, which is annoying but necessary I guess.
• They needed to make the hit song sound more mainstream in order to make it suitable for the radio (hopefully the rest of the album is less single-y)
• They are changing as a band, and this song is the result of that change.

However, when you strip everything away (including their awkwardly awkward collaboration (?) with 2 Chainz that I have yet to understand), you are left with Pete's words, which are still as beautiful and haunting as ever.

Be careful making wishes in the dark dark
Can't be sure when they've hit their mark, mark
And besides in the mean, mean time
I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart

I'm in the de-details with the devil
So now the world can never get me on my level
I just got to get you out of the cage
I'm a young lover's rage
Gonna need a spark to ignite

My songs know what you did in the dark

So light 'em up up up
Light 'em up up up
Light 'em up up up
I'm on fire

So light 'em up up up
Light 'em up up up
Light 'em up up up
I'm on fire

In the dark dark
In the dark dark

All the writers keep writing what they write, write
Somewhere another pretty vein just died
I've got the scars from tomorrow and
I wish you could see, see
That you’re the antidote to everything except for me, me

A constellation of tears on your lashes
Burn everything you love, then burn the ashes
In the end everything collides
My childhood spat back out the monster that you see

My songs know what you did in the dark

Refrain

My songs know what you did in the dark

Refrain

Crazy Curly Kinky Curls

     As you can probably guess from the title of this post, this post is about curly hair. You can probably also guess that I myself have curly hair. I give you this picture as proof.

(Hint hint, I am the only one with curly hair in this picture, aka the second from the right.)

So there you go, I am one curly-haired individual. And I love it. I really do. I don't have to wash my hair every day like a lot of my friends, and it gives me instant personality. While it can be a tangle-y frizzy mess on occasion (aka when I skip the hair products or don't comb it out or sleep on it), it is one of my favorite physical things about myself. It also works out well with my hippie/bohemian/I-love-life-and-wearing-random-things-and-as-many-bright-colors-as-humanely-possible style.

Another weird things about curly hair is that it is like walking around with a hair comment box (Maybe my hair is hiding it). Here are a few of the more interesting ones that I've received.

Random Girl"Your hair is big."
Me "That's nice"
RG "It's like really big."
Me "Okay."
RG "I don't understand how it's so big."
Me "Your hair is looking really small today."
RG "That's so mean. I just haven't styled it today."
(Because telling someone that their hair is "big" aka frizzy is not mean...)

"You don't look like your family. Are you adopted?" (Everyone in my family has straight hair, since my mom relaxes hers)

"I wish my hair was like yours" (As I am combing the most giant of gnarls out of my wet hair)

"Can I pull the curls?" (Sure dude. I do because I love watching them bounce back up, how can I deny you the fun of pulling them?)

"Can you throw your hair away?" (Since I am the only one in my dorm room with curly hair)

This blog is also super helpful for those of you with curly hair.

Oh, and for anyone who was wondering, the picture above, from left to right: Rachel (visiting from a different college), Maddie, Me, and Danielle.


Rock on curly-haired individuals (and also any of you with straight or wavy hair).

Sitting Al-own

     Due to the fact that my usual breakfast buddy, Derek, (aka Maddie's boyfriend and one of my best friends) decided to sleep in late, I headed towards my school's cafeteria alone.

     Many of you just read that and completely judged my life. Honestly, I would have too.

     However, there comes a time in everyone's life where they are forced to do things alone. Maybe it's going that poetry reading that all of your friends thought was stupid. Maybe it's walking home alone from the clubs because you realize for the billionth time that you can never find a respectable guy/girl/etc. in the dark. Or maybe it's because all of your friends happen to be busy and there is nothing edible in your dorm room.

     While I have a lot of friends, there are  still many times in my life where I do things alone (All of the above situations were pulled from my own experiences, gotta find my material somewhere). Literally, every single one of my friends has a significant other at this point, and there are times when I am simply not in the mood to third wheel it yet again. At first, I thought that this meant that I was doomed to be a social outcast, but then I realized; sometimes it's actually more fun to do things alone.

Here are some ways that you can be al-OWN (cheesy, I know)

• Bring a book. As an English education major, reading is one of my favorite things to do, and one of my favorite loner activities.

• Peoplewatching- Because judging the lives of others is a lot more enjoyable by yourself.
• (Also, this is a fantastic time to check out good looking members of the gender that you're attracted to...)
• Catch up on someone new music. Being that anti-social kid with the chunky headphones. Use that computer. Do some homework. Most technology doubles as loner-buffer equipment. Especially if you're checking out my blog.
• Get hit on. Like I said a bullet point or two ago, you're much less intimidating by yourself. That good-looking individual who has had their eye on you now has the perfect opportunity to make their move.
• Think deep life thoughts. You could be the next Socrates. Or invent something crazy. Or write a story. Or think some questionable thoughts about the aforementioned peoplewatchees.
• Walk with your head up high (especially at night, looking down signals to predators that you're an easy target since you aren't paying attention. Looking down also signifies low self-esteem, (another perk for predators).
• Plan evenings/days with yourself. I live with four other girls, and am constantly surrounded by other people. As much as I love them all, I don't know what I would do without my loner runs/tv marathons/blogging sessions/ book readings. If you enjoy hanging out with yourself, others will too.

...And if you didn't bring a friend, but still want to be social

• Sit next to someone else who is alone. Instant friend. Being alone is the best time to make friends, since people are less intimidated by one person they don't know than a whole group of people. This works especially well when walking alone at night, since walking home alone at night as a female is even more dangerous, it's a nice excuse to grab a walking buddy (sexism at its finest, but it's the truth).
• See if you can find anyone else that you know in the area. A lot of times, you'll see that random girl from you communications/education/etc. class, and you can hang out with them.
• Call someone. I always call my parents or my Oma when walking home from work, which they really seem to appreciate. It makes them feel special, and it gives you someone to talk to so that you don't feel so alone.

When I was looking through Google Images for a picture of a loner, I mostly saw black and white photos that were massively depressing. 

This picture is awesome because 

• It's in color
• It has nice nature imagery (especially fun when everything here is grey)
• The little boy in the green looks like a total rebel, if you don't think about the picture for too long.

Basically, own being alone. 

Camp Time!

One of the camps I applied for hired me! All right, life is swell! They are a super awesome camp on the east coast, and they offer transportation assistance (aka, I can take a train like the song I Woke Up in a Car by Something Corporate!!!), cheap college credits, and all-around awesomeness! If you cannot tell by the excessive amount of exclamation points, I am super super super excited!

On Cleveland and Being a Fifth Wheel

Last weekend, Maddie, Derek, and I all went to Cleveland, Ohio to celebrate Derek's sister's birthday. I debated on going because my personality is a lot more outgoing than Maddie's, and I didn't want to outshine her again when we hung out with her family (I am weirdly talented when it comes to meeting people, and Maddie is more shy, so I am remembered more, which I didn't want because Derek is HER boyfriend and his family is HER boyfriend's family).

     And that was pretty much the only thing that decided whether or not I was going..

Ultimately, my love for Derek's sister (and the rest of his family)  won out, and I packed my bag for Cleveland.

(Me playing with the various wall-hook animals at Anthropologie)

 Unfortunately, Dan (Derek's best friend, and my ex) decided to have family plans that weekend (Dan and Derek are from the same town), so he was the one who drove us. Cue awkwardly loud soundtrack overridden with break up songs, and creepy I-want-that-girl-and-can't-seem-to-have-her-songs.

Lately, I have been super homesick (because of all of the application/life stress), and since I can't go home (it's long car ride away), Derek's house is the next best thing. His family is so real and welcoming, I instantly feel at home (especially since this is my second time going).

After Ashley's (Derek's sister's) birthday dinner at The Chocolate Bar, we all drove through the snow to go bowling. We (mainly Derek, his friend Joe, and I) ended up dancing in the bowling alley, and we had more fun than I ever thought anyone could have bowling. We went to a ton of different stores, including Anthropologie (my favorite fantasy store, because everything is so expensive).

As a random thought, I told Derek that we should go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which, besides the amazing food, is one of the few things that Cleveland is known for). He took my suggestion seriously, and we were off to go view memorabilia from some of the most famous and influential musicians in history.

Jimi Hendrix's writng was definitely the quirkiest. ( I had to steal it from Google since there was no photography allowed).

I am a huge music fan, as most of you who read my  blog can probably deduce (since I put up music videos with practically every post), but a lot of the music I listen to is newer and more hipster-esque, so a lot of the smaller bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were unfamiliar to me. I looked at a lot of the things in the museum from an artistic perspective. So many musicians are artists in the physical sense as well, and it really shows. A lot of the musicians really put huge amounts of time and effort into making everything around them beautiful, something that I really hope to emulate more in the future.
As amazing as everything else was, my favorite part of the exhibits had to be the writings. It was breathtaking to see some of my favorite songs as the artist made them, handwriting and all. I love handwriting.

From Left: Maddie, Derek, me (aka the midget of the group) Ashley, and her boyfriend Nick

Me and Maddie in front of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

 For the most part, I like to think that I owned being a fifth wheel this/last weekend, however, it became a little annoying in the end (not because I want a relationship, just because that is what happens when a single person is around heaps of couples for too long). However, it helped me to come to the realization that I definitely do not want another relationship in the future (I am sure that this line will haunt me later).

In case I wasn't sure about that, after yet another painfully awkward car ride home with Dan, I unpacked my backpack to find a SIX PAGE LETTER FROM HIM.

Oh dear.

He has this habit of writing these really weird letters in which he rambles, attempts to philosophize, and then repeats himself like repetition is going out of style. I have maybe six of them, and we only dated for a month. Terrible.

My friends and I gathered around to read  this monstrosity. It was so many different levels of awful and sad. He even ended it with "we are never ever getting back together" (yes, he quoted Taylor Swift), as though I wasn't the one who dumped him.

One-way ticket to singletown please..

Rock on.

Where Things Come Back

I swear, I am not a speed reader. I just queued the previous book post.

     Anyway. Where Things Come Back (by John Corey Whaley) was something else. It was crazy and amazing and one of those books where you need to exhale afterwards. 

At first, it just seems like it's going to be one of those books where the cynical average boy (Cullen Witter, in this particular case) grows up and dates the beautiful popular girl. Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. Completely wrong.

It's so difficult to even explain this book, due to the crazy amount of sub plots that go on.

Some oldish guy named John Barling thinks that the "Lazarus" woodpecker (oh the symbolic irony in that name) isn't extinct, and riles up the town.

Cullen's brother, Gabriel, goes missing/runs away/you'll-have-to-read-the-book-to-find-out, and the town cares more about the woodpecker.

Benton Sage has the most crazy sad religious parents and the heavy realization that he has failed at being a missionary.

Cabot Searcy is something else, something that I cannot tell you guys without giving away the story.

And the best part is, it all comes together in the best way for the ending. The ending is so ridiculously satisfying and makes the entire book (I hate unsatisfying endings).

And at first you may be like, "well, that doesn't sound very interesting". But it is, it really is, it's just super difficult to describe. This is the book that our high school teachers should have had us read instead of Fill in this blank with a book you hate (The Scarlet Letter, etc.)

Read it. Read it. Read it. Your life will be better, or something.

Every Dotcom's Refreshing for a Journal Update

     I thought that after today, I'd be done with stress for a while. Ha. Haha. No.

     Oh well, at least I tried. I had two of my camp interviews yesterday and found out that I am on the alternate list for becoming a resident adviser (aka I have to wait an indefinite amount of time to figure out whether or not I will become an RA). Therefore, the stress is nowhere near over. Which sucks.

However, there are some bright sides. I hear from a few of the camps that I interviewed with this weekend, which will be interesting. I absolutely fell in love with one of them, even though it'd be an eight hour drive and they don't offer travel assistance. But the thing is, you can't fake that kind of chemistry. I just have this lovely gut feeling that this camp is the place where I'm supposed to be this summer.

I would also love to work at this other one that is specifically for special needs kids, and they offer travel assistance and cheap college credit. The camp that I went to as a kid really seemed to like me (the interview lady kept saying that she was "impressed with me" and that I'd be a "great role model", but she didn't really impress me, and I didn't feel that instant chemistry that I felt with the other two camps).

We'll see, I guess. I am still infinitely hopeful that things will turn out amazingly.

Hopefully, all (or at least most) of the camps that I apply to will hire me, and I can make a pro/con list on here. That would be fantastic. Oh, and I am hanging out with Henry tomorrow. No complaints here.

I don't know where I found this picture, but this post needed photos and this picture describes my life in the weirdest way. I feel like I'm drowning in the most beautiful of ways.

If you are stressed about anything, I hope that it turns out okay!

Another Day, Another Book

     Usually, when I title posts about books that I read, I use the title of the book. It's quick, it's easy, it's there. By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead (by Julie Anne Peters) is the exception. I didn't want to scare you guys.

      I usually read books during breaks. I have a tendency to start off near the lighter end of the depth scale and work my way over to the heavier/deeper pieces. Since school is in session, however, I decided to just go for it. Teen suicide has interested me a lot lately (not because of any plans to commit suicide myself, just fascination), and, as the title pretty much tells you, that is the main topic of this book.

     Not that I expected a book on teen suicide to be happy, but this one was quite a downer. Definitely not a beach read. The story is told from the main character, Daelyn's, point of view, as she finds a website, Through-the-light.com (which is thankfully not a real website) that acts as an aid for people considering suicide. As she reads though and comments on the website's forum, we learn more information about her, including her previous suicide attempt, which left her in a neck brace and unable to speak.

     It's crazy how real this book reads (we only see what Daelyn sees and thinks, giving it more depth), and it's even crazier that there are Daelyn's everywhere. I hate the fact that she is bullied so contantly throughout this novel, and that things are rarely done about it. Daelyn's story definitely personifies the fact that the bullying of others leaves scars, and that those scars can be permanent.

     Although this wasn't my favorite book, it was an intriguing read, and felt extremely real. If you are interested in reading about suicide, I would recommend reading Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. It was extremely interesting and had me hooked until the end.


Also, if you or someone you know is consider suicide, please at least consider calling a suicide hotline. This link has a list of different suicide hotlines (by state). Life is awesome. So are you.

So, Fall Out Boy is coming near me on tour...

And I have tickets to see them with Maddie. I love life. Hopefully all of your days are as awesome as mine is today! If not, here is some vintage Fall Out Boy. If that doesn't help, maybe this will.

Tumblr

During work, boredom started to eat at me, and I decided to check out my Tumblr from high school.

The Obligatory Valentine's Day Post

     While everyone knows that Hallmark and making other singletons feel inferior is the reason for the season, I feel as though it must be acknowledged. Due to my currently single status and lack of romantic interaction, in order to entertain you guys, I will reflect back on my previous romantic interactions.

Here are some of the most "romantic" things that have happened to me (As you can see, I don't take very well to things that others consider romantic, one of the many reasons that I am single at present)...

     My first boyfriend, Alex, giving me his class ring for Christmas- The poor kid shows up to my door, Christmas morning, with a pair of mittens (that I still have somewhere due to the fact that they are warm and I live up north) and a ring box. In the box, obviously, was his class ring. That was the part where most girls would have freaked out. And freak out I did. In the bad sense. Because I was nowhere near ready for that. I ended up wearing it for the rest of our relationship (he has bony fingers), but hated almost every second of it. It was clunky and didn't really match anything. On the brightside, it made my older sister super jealous, to the point where my dad gave her his class ring to shut her up be nice (this picture isn't the actual ring, I gave that back after the break up).

(Me, in the middle, making class rings the must have fashion accessory...haha, not)

     My second boyfriend, my first love, Andy, did quite a few romantic things as well. After a particularly nasty break up (Me being the breakup-er) because I couldn't stand that he couldn't express his feelings, he came to my house at 6:30AM (which means that he had to leave by 6, since my house is a twentyish minute drive) to post an EIGHT PAGE LETTER to my windshield about our relationship and how he loved me. Crazy. We had paint, water gun, and sword fights (nerding out, sorry dudes). We swang on a ridiculous number of swings. We took quite a few sunset and night walks. He even bought me a pineapple, which is my favorite fruit ever. However, in my opinion, the most romantic thing that he ever did was for my birthday, when he gave me Fall Out Boy's new CD. It sounds stupid, but he actually asked my sister to ask me what I wanted, which took a lot of effort for him, because he was super shy and didn't like to speak up (the cause of many of our fall outs).

     Greg never had the misfortune of becoming became my boyfriend, due to various issues (i.e. he wanted to be in control, and I wanted to be in control, and he was a little Disney for my tastes). However, the kid was definitely a romantic. For one of our dates, he took us on a canoe trip. I. Love. Canoeing. He also packed a huge picnic lunch for us, complete with ice (to keep it cold) and forks. He even took  the fact that I am a vegetarian into account and packed us salads. This would have been super nice, except for the fact that during said canoe trip, we had a longish conversation about how I hate that everyone thinks that vegetarians like salads (I don't). The kid said nothing. Cue awkward moment an hour later where he whips out the salads for our "romantic lunch". Cue awkward moment where we never went on another date again (my choice).

     Dan. The boyfriend that lasted one month (although we are still super close), but had a knack for letter writing even though he was kinda bad at it, it's the thought that counts, and romantic gestures. Click on the link for more on that...

So, I guess I don't have a whole lot to complain about in the relationship department. In fact, I should probably be grateful for the multitude of nice guys that have made up my dating history.

Just when you start to doubt your total awesomeness, just think of all of the guys, girls, cats, etc. that make your life wonderful (regardless of whether or not you are dating them).

Happy Valentine's Day!

My Soundtrack

My previous post  about Sleeping With Sirens' new album/EP If You Were a Movie, This Would Be Your Soundtrack made me think. If I had a soundtrack, what on earth would it be?

Sadly, this would definitely be the first track, due to my inability to stay away from the boys that I have dumped, and their inability to stay dumped . I always end up re-dating them at least once, with the reason for the break up rarely being acknowledged, and the re-date attempts always failing.

Dev. I always seem to have this weird craving for her songs, especially when it's after 6:30pm on a weekend. This song is amazing to dance to. Plus, who doesn't like their beats fast and their bass down low?

When I watched the sunrise this morning with my newish  friend Henry(I saw him around campus before, but a random twist of fate brought him, Matt, and I together for a crazy adventure/all-nighter), we talked about sun songs and happy songs. He brought this gem to my attention, and I kind of love it a lot.

Because sometimes life is just so crazy and my thoughts just overflow and everything becomes complicated until I can't comprehend it all. That is this song (sorry in advance, I couldn't find a better video).

If my life were a movie, this song would definitely be included in the soundtrack, even though it's not really a soundtrack-ish song (but none of these really are, so...yeah). So so so fitting. I looked for a quote, but there are just far too many. I'd have to tell you the entire song, and that would spoil it.

What would your soundtrack be?

If You Were a Movie, This Would Be Your Soundtrack

     Admittedly, Sleeping With Sirens' fan base is mainly made up of fan girls. And admittedly, pretty much every single member of this band is super attractive (see above photo). It's not their fault they are all so crazy good looking.

I avoided listening to them mainly for that reason. They are one of those bands that I kind of hate to say that I like because they ruin any "credibility" I have in the music taste department (judge if you want to, but I can guarantee that you have bands/artists like that too). However, when the acoustic version of "If I'm James Dean, You're Audrey Hepburn" came onto my Pandora, I fell in love. First of all, the title of this album/EP (If You Were a Movie, This Would Be Your Soundtrack) is one of the more original album titles I have seen in a long time. There are also only five songs on it, which is perfect for my short attention span. And, they are all super beautiful. Kellin Quinn has an outstandingly gorgeous voice. It can be a little cheesy at times, I admit. However, Sleeping Sirens magically (because they have no clue who I am) understand that I am super stressed waiting for all of my job-things to pan out, and have decided to make this beautiful CD in order to help me stay calm.

If that didn't convince you to click on the Youtube link above, maybe these quotes (from Warped Tour's band page) concerning If You Were a Movie, This Would Be Your Soundtrack will convince you. Here is a link to the article if you'd like to take a look.

“When I started dating my fiancée, we spent all our time watching movies at home, hanging out at the house. We’re both fans of movies and the cinematic portion of life,” remembers Quinn. “I made her a mixed CD a long time ago called If You Were a Movie, This Would Be Your Soundtrack. I just thought it would be a cool name for an actual album. It’s got a little history.”

 “It was the first time I’d been away from home for a while, the first experience of the band, I was just missing home, missing my fiancée and our life together, because you have to sacrifice a lot of time apart to be in a band and be a musician and be on the road,” Quinn reflects. “It’s a sacrifice because you’re doing good things for the people that want to come out and see you and love you, but you’re sacrificing the person you want to be with all the time. It was cool to rewrite that song acoustically, because I feel like it really shows the emotion that you can’t really capture with screaming. The real passion and longing comes through in the acoustic track.”


Thanks, Sleeping With Sirens. Your music is much appreciated.

A Coffee Experience

     I can't remember if I told you guys this or not, but I drink tea. Black tea, white tea, green tea, cookie tea, tea tea tea. And water, I guess. And alcohol. No coffee. Pretty much ever.  All of my friends drink coffee on a regular basis, and while they dabble in the deliciousness that is tea, they pretty much stay away from it.

     Saturday, that changed. My two friends, Danielle and Maddie, and I, all went to go grab dinner before Maddie was off to her piano concert thing (for a class) and Danielle was off to do homework. My evening was most likely going to consist of climbing my own homework mountain, obviously I win the 'party animal of the year' award, I will hold for applause. Until a cookie fell from the balcony.

     I looked up, and it was two guys, Matt and Henry, that I was on an "oh-it's-you"-wave-and-walk-away basis with. I have had a few conversations with them previously, but we were never close. I briefly mentioned that I wanted to sit at this really awesome table that overlooks campus, and the three of us were off.

     The conversation at that table turned into a lust for an adventure. The rest sounds like a college remake of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

If You Give a College Student a Coffee

If you give a college student a coffee, they will ask the Starbucks baristas for four shots of espresso and a mystery drink, due to the aforementioned college students' and baristas' boredom and aforementioned lust for adventure. This will result in some amusing conversation and delicious drinks.

When they are finished with their coffee, they (myself and Henry, since Matt bought something without caffeine) will most likely be bouncing off the walls as they walk back to their residence hall to plot their night, which will make them perfect targets for the film majors looking for extras for a movie.

In order to be extras, the college students ask for direction on what they should be doing. When they receive these instructions, they ask for a reason behind them, to which the filmers don't answer. The college students let themselves be taped walking, and then walk away.

Being extras from the film has given the college students the idea to watch the filmer's films on the internet, which are awful.

The annoyance over the suckish films inspires the college students to go to one of the student's abandoned fraternity house (because frat implies bro status, and he is "not a bro") and burn things, creating one of the crappiest fires this college student has ever seen (all paper, my inner camp counselor was highly disappointed).

The burned papers and books warm up the college students for a short time, but eventually they get cold and hungry. The college students then ask for a pizza, half bacon and half cheese (because the main college student is a vegetarian, and appreciated it quite a lot).

 The pizza makes the students thirsty, which causes them to consume more coffee, which makes them restless and overenergized, so they ask one of the college students (Matt) to turn on some music, while they peoplewatch as the 2:30AM-ers return from parties and bars.

Watching the walkers makes the college students want to take a walk, so they do, taking their time around railroad tracks and spinning in quiet empty streets. The students see a school with swings, so, as mature adults, they make a beeline to them, talking and hopscotching and monkey-bar-ing.

All of this made them very hungry, so they stopped at a diner (they still exist apparently) and ordered food. While eating this food, they need to be entertained, so they asked for a newspaper to color on. Because it was around 5:30 at this time, the students also asked for more coffee (Henry and I, not Matt).

Due to his lack of coffee, Matt one of the college students was very tired, so he asked to walk back so that he could sleep. The other two college students (Henry and me) were still wired, so they asked to watch the sunrise. They didn't have a nice view from their room, so they asked to go to the lounge, with it's wall-to-wall windows. They couldn't just sit on the floor, so they asked for two extremely comfortable couches.

They asked for the sunrise to be beautiful and it was. They asked for happy music to listen to, and they listened appreciatively. Henry asked the other college student to hang out with him sometime, to help him figure out how to use his tea leaves and visit him at work, and she agreed.

The End.