Attempting to Restart...

It has been quite a long time since I've posted on this motherfucker. Here's a run down of what has happened between my last post and now...

• Worked at my "dream" camp in Pennsylvania. It was actually hellish (lots of weird cultural differences and such), but I made some really great friends and visited New York City twice, which was amazing.

Sophie, Joel, and I at an Italian place in New York City

•  I was hired on as a Resident Advisor (RA)! Unlike my position this summer, being an RA has been phenomenal. My Co-Ra's are really great (even when we fight), and I love my residents to death.

  So that's what's new with me. I even included some RA pictures for your enjoyment. How about you, if you're all still there?I hope that your days are lovely!

My Co-Ras, Eli and Meric

Aaron and one of my residents, Chelsea, who brought me pumpkin coffee for my desk shift

  

Let the Countdowns Begin...

13 days until the Pierce the Veil, All-Time Low, You Me At Six, and Mayday Parade concert

15 days until exams are over

28 days until the Fall Out Boy Concert

and 56 more days until I board the plane for camp

Camp Questions

A few days ago, while going through my camp's (I guess that I can call it that now, since I've decided for sure that I'm going there) Facebook page, I found a counselor that goes to my college. Most of them come from Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, or different parts of Europe, so it was nice to find someone from my area.

I messaged him, and we met at Starbucks. Beforehand, I was completely freaked out, since his profile was very nondescript, but he was a cool guy. Props to everyone who can online date/ go on blind dates, it is scary as hell. We ended up talking for three hours, and he answered every question that I had and then some that I hadn't even thought of before. It was great.

Camp Choices (Last One)

So....I have chosen to work at my dream camp on the east coast this summer!

There are so many different levels of excitement being felt right now, I can barely contain myself(Hence all of the exclamation points)!!!!! My parents have chosen to support me (despite my dad's earlier anger at my decision to apply to camps that are farther away).

I am super afraid to travel by myself for the twenty hour bus ride, but I am still in love with the idea of working at this amazing place.

Oh, and I have no clue how to pack enough for an entire summer while riding a bus. Any pointers and/or tips would be fantastic!

Camp Choices

Over the past week or so, I have narrowed my camp options down to two choices, a camp close to my hometown and my dream camp located near the east coast. I was leaning super heavily towards the one on the east coast because they would be letting me work with the arts and hopefully with teen girls, while the other camp would have me taking photos (which I am not very skilled at and don't really want to do).

I was all for choosing my dream camp until they said that I couldn't leave one or two days early (in case I am hired on as a resident adviser). Thankfully, after I gave up that job, the art director called me and said that she would rather have someone like me on staff and have me leave a few days early, aka I am free to choose once again!

Life is swell!

Thailand 2

     About a week ago, I wrote about the opportunity that I received to go to Thailand and help out with learning camps. The guy who asked me about it never e-mailed me back, and I was starting to think that he never would.

Then today when I was eating lunch with Dan (we are now on civil, friend terms), this vaguely familiar looking guy comes up to me and asks me if I remember him. I say that I do, because saying no to that question is never a smart idea. Then he starts introducing me to all of these Thai people and talking about camps and it clicked.

So basically, the guy is still completely on board to go through with this, and also told the Thai people that I am "amazing" and "will go places", which was super flattering.

I hope that all of your days were this awesome!

Cassandra's Angel

When I came home for Easter, my mom found our copy of Cassandra's Angel (By Gina Otto), which is my favorite children's book ever. Not only does Cassandra have pretty much my name, she also completely lives my little kid life. People are constantly criticizing her because she thinks outside of the box and is always chillin' like a villain while all of the adults around her are super tight laced.

The book's message is incredibly inspiring, aka I will definitely be reading it to my campers this summer. The pictures are also spectacular, and I am a sucker for interesting illustrations.

Thailand and Things

Last weekend, my future educators learning community held huge conference at my college. During this conference, a ton of people from my learning community were given the chance to give presentations on their ideas for education reform, teaching tactics, and basically anything dealing with schools and how people learn.

Due to my extreme love for camp and angst towards my parents (for not being as supportive of my camps dilemmas as I would like them to be, as whiny as that sounds), I presented on how skills that I gained as a camp counselor have translated into the classrooms that I have assisted in. It went super well.

At the end, this professor guy who had watched my presentation raised his hand. I was super intimidated, since he previous questions had been a little lofty and difficult for me to understand.

"So, I am taking students to Thailand next December during winter break to look at, and hopefully participate in learning camps. Would you like to help me with that and be one of the students who goes on it?"

How many words are there for yes?

Apparently, this was the first time he had brought up this idea, which makes the fact that I was asked even more fantastic! I could not be more excited! Dreams really do come true, fill in this paragraph with more cliches about how awesome life is.

Also, my campus apparently had its unofficial campuswide Nerd Weekend. We had Animarathon, Quidditch, and LARPing out and about, as well as our zombie nerfgun wars.

(Tommy and I with someone dressed up for Animarathon)

So, Camp...

After interviewing with the art director of my first choice camp, I received a phone call today.

I ended up talking with one of the people I interviewed with, who started off the conversation by saying "Unfortunately... you're going to have to turn down all of your other camp job offers, because we really want you!"

Life is a swell, swell place. Everything is excellent and nothing hurts. Except for the fact that my parents want me to stay close to my hometown (ew). But whatever, still awesome!

So this makes two job offers. Although it's going to be difficult to choose, I feel so blessed/lucky to have such amazing choices.

Home Sweet Homes

As much as I love visiting my family, I am super excited to finally return back to my school and friends. I want to say that I am going "home", but, with all of the moves that I go through, I can never really place where that is. Is it possible to have multiple homes?

For the past two years (aka since I've started college), I haven't stayed in one place for longer than two months. At camp last summer, I moved cabins once or twice a week, and then after camp, it's school to my hometown and back again over and over. And I love it, I really do. It's taught me a lot of things like proper packing skills, long distance communication, living in the moment, and to rid myself of things that I don't need (I have a little trouble sticking with that last one). The idea of home has been screwed up for these past two years, since I can never pick one solid location.

However, the cliche still remains true I guess, home is where your family is. Here are a few of my families.

 (My camp family performing one of our favorite skits)

 (My college family after attending Day-Glow)

(My extended "biological" family on one of our annual vacations to the ocean)

"We were part of something ours and ours alone,

anywhere was home, we're almost here again"- The Academy Is...

Interviews

I have been through six interviews this semester (not counting the one I have on Monday). Mainly for camps, but also (2) for the resident adviser process. Along the way, I have hopefully learned a thing or two about interviews.

Here is what I have for you (I am trying so very hard not to use the cliche tips, sorry if I do):

If it's a phone interview, have your laptop in front of you, with the employer's website pulled up- This has saved me many a time. If you blank on something, instead of freaking out about it, you can just go through the website. Also, a woman I was interviewing with yesterday (about an art's position at a camp) asked me to look through her Pinterest and discuss the crafts I have done/want to do at camp. I was able to pull up Pinterest quickly and continue on interviewing.

Tell stories- "What is your strength?" is an interview question that I hear over and over (mainly because it really is super insightful). The best way to spice up questions and highlight your extensive knowledge of whatever field you want to be in is to tell a story.

Look at Jesus for example. Regardless of whether or not you believe in him religiously, his public speaking skills were through the roof (Bible pun, sorry), mainly because he told stories/parables. The story will stick with the interviewer because it's new to them, and humans are hard wired to remember stories better than plain information. Plus, it adds a layer of believability, since it's more difficult to make up a story vs. lie about a weakness.

(Look at those captivated faces.)


Have Experiences-You can't tell stories without experiences. A lot of people who are looking for their first job complain that no one will hire them due to their lack of experience, which keeps them from gaining experience. Volunteer. Do things informally. Say yes to new experiences. Presto! You have experiences that an employer wants to hear about!

I volunteered as a tour guide for my residence hall when no one else really wanted to, which helped me land my job as a tour guide which helped me landed my job as a "communications specialist". All because I volunteered (and also because I studied up on interview tactics).

Even if you don't want the job, interview for it anyway- I have applied for so many camp jobs I can barely keep track of them. A trekking camp out west (my #2 choice for camps) started my interview off by explaining that, since I was under twenty-one, this would be an internship, and I would only be paid a $500 stipend for the whole summer. Camp jobs pay next to nothing to begin with (especially since counselors are on-call 24/7), but I am used to being paid a certain amount each week, especially with my previous camp experience.I am most likely not going to take this job.

But I continued to interview for it anyway, to practice my interview skills. I wanted to see if I could act like I still wanted it. It was also super helpful/useful to see the kinds of questions she threw out, which included "Tell me a joke" (camp folk are odd folk).

Happy interviewing! You are awesome at life!

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!

Fantasy Shopping (in my closet)

     A while ago, I did a post about fantasy shopping. While I finding the pictures, it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, I should be grateful for the clothes and other fun things that I already have. Instead of making this a lecture post on how we should be grateful for everything (because no one really wants to read that), I decided to take this moment to showcase all of the awesome things that I already own.

Special thanks to my best friend, Maddie, for letting me use her camera, since mine is so many different levels of broken.

Keep in mind, I am a poor college student and not a photographer, not even the amateur kind that takes pictures for Flickr and Instagram or whatever. Thanks!

 This is my typical wannabe hipster wall collage. A must for all college dorms, and it took me like two hours, so I kinda love it a lot. Taking it down at the end of this school year is going to be hell though.

Part of my drawers, some books for class/my own enjoyment, Woodstock mug, African Piano from the camp that I worked at last summer, octopus bracelet that my camp counselor friend Clare (she is a boss at anything artistic) made me because she knows that I like krakens/octopi, and sunglasses for my upcoming camp season and summer (wishful thinking).

Eiffel tower lamp that one of my friends drew on last year (the drawing continues and flows all of the way around the lamp), continuing the kraken theme.

 

The only nice thing about winter is the fact that sweaters are everywhere. I make sure to buy bright fun ones (especially yellow ones), just so that the greyness of the season doesn't pull me down.

All of my tea making supplies, and some random supplies that my artsy friends and I found by my school's railroad tracks.

Beanies are the easiest fix for when curly hair frizzes up, and I love the ease of slipping them on and the statement that they make.

The white converse on the left have paint on them from when my friends and I went to Dayglow a while ago. I love wearing them for the memories.

My aunt bought me the fringe as a welcome-to-college gift, and the red boots were a thrift store find (my mom wanted a pair because she inspired by the Julianne Hough version of Footloose, so I let her borrow them occasionally).

Rejected, Rejected, You Just Got Rejected

Stress. Stress. Stress. I am so many different levels of stressed it is unreal.

Unfortunately for me, my camp didn't rehire me because I want to work with teens (and they want me to work with younger kids). Not going to lie to you guys, I am super humiliated and hurt about this. In fact, I wasn't even going to post about it, but admittance is the first step to the healing process and all, so why not. Plus, everyone has been rejected from something at some point in their lives (insert section where I discuss all of the successful famous people who've been turned down). I'm not alone. Now, neither are you. Rejection sucks. It sucks a whole helluvalot.

On the brightside, I am now in the process of filling out every camp application that I can find, including some that are completely out of my reach, just because I can (and if you know any camps that are hiring, I would love to hear about them). Treks for teens in New Mexico, camps for kids with special needs, academic camps, slightly creepy religious camps, you name it, I am applying for it. Wish me luck, I definitely need it quite a lot. That and a chill pill, because, as I said in the opening of this post, I am superduper stressed.

Thankfully, I also have a ton of people that are reassuring me that everything isn't doomed just because I was rejected from my camp. My best friend and roommate has given me unlimited access to her envelopes (for the applications) and hugs, and my boyfriend has been extremely supportive and even sent me a slew of happy internet things (a few of which are pictured below) to make me feel better. He is definitely a keeper.

Anyways, if you were recently rejected, or if you're stressed, or anything that isn't your best and happiest, and you don't have a super awesome boyfriend or best friend to send you random happy things from the internet at the moment, today is YOUR lucky day!

If that doesn't help, just give someone a hug and smile. It weirdly helps, no lie.

Peace, Love, and Cookie Flavored Tea.

Lessons.

     I have always prided myself on being a learner. In my last post, I mentioned debating a tattoo about constantly learning new things. I honestly believe that a person can learn something new from everything if they think hard enough. After being rejected for a job position as a resident adviser, I gained tenacity and realized that everyone fails at something. After a summer as a camp counselor (which all of you should look into, by the way. It will change your life.), I learned the value of being myself and to never underestimate the influence that I hold in the lives of others. While taking piano lessons, I learned how to digress in order to avoid learning (needless to say, I am no Andrew McMahon). And, piano lessons aside, I have never been the type to learn these lessons the easy way.
     Do you ever feel like that sometimes? Somehow, I always subconsciously feel the need to learn lessons the hard way. The first and only tattoo that I currently have(ish) on my body, a triangle symbolizing my time as a camp counselor last summer (once again, being a camp counselor is the best thing ever. Do it.), was done against my parents' will. I thought that I could hide it. One terminally ill Opa in hospice and a few panic attacks later, I was forced to remove it (unless I wanted to become a gold digger or rob a bank in order to pay for college). I broke up and emotionally manipulated with my first love again and again for around two years. He ended up cheating on me with an insecure girl who constantly looks like she feasts on lemons.
     Would I change it though? Probably not. First of all, look how cute we were.

 And also, without him cheating on me, I would have never applied for the aforementioned resident adviser job that I was rejected for, the camp counselor position that I love more than grilled cheese waffles (sounds gross, but actually delicious), and a new boyfriend that I care about enough to change how I act towards the people I date.
     So, what does this have to do with the present moment? Well, I decided to stack my course schedule so that I have classes for eight hours on Tuesdays and twelve hours on Thursdays. Stupid choice, I advise you to avoid this, it's quite painful. And I am trying to remind myself that this is a great opportunity to learn (my inner education major coming out). Maybe, as my mom tells me, I just love dramatics. I like to think of it as a boredom allergy.
     Oh, and for those of you who have no knowledge of Andrew McMahon, ready your ears for this link.