missing HHI

When I returned to school last fall, I missed Hilton Head every day. It was a hard transition, leaving a fantasy world and returning to the life I had left behind in May. This year, thankfully, it hasn't been as difficult with the constant flow of activities I've had. However, every now and then I do feel sadness similar to last fall. While perhaps it wasn't the best choice career wise to spend two summers on an island lifeguarding and renting umbrellas and chairs, those two summers have changed my life and impacted me more than anything else thus far. On our last couple of days in Hilton Head, Ali decided to read the book that's been in our bathroom for two summers now. It is called How to Live on an Island by Sandy Gingras. What we found in it applies perfectly.

"I think that there's no truer place than an island. An island stands only by some whim of fate, given a chancy foothold among the chaos. When I go to an island, I know that I'm in that state of grace in which anything can happen.

Living on an island often makes you change your perspective, your mind, and your direction too. With the tide coming in over the castles you build, currents sweeping you places you didn't plan on going, the mists rolling in mysteriously over what you thought was clear, you change a lot just to keep up.

Islands can be scary places, but their changeability makes them hopeful places too. Each day starts washed, swept, utterly different than the day before. The morning crackles like a never-turned page.

Where else in the world do we get a chance to step out into so much renewal? Where else do we keep getting second chances at ourselves?"

-Sandy Gingras

Living Out the Dream

I’ve always been excited to get back to Bloomington each fall. This year I was especially anxious, knowing that a senior year of complete chaos and memories awaited me. What made me even more anxious was knowing that I would no longer be living at 441 N. Woodlawn, better known as Theta, but in my own house with five of my best friends. Finally, I’m a live out.

I didn’t always plan to live out as a senior. In fact, it wasn’t until I spent the summer after sophomore year living on my own that I really considered the idea. With a pass down live out two minutes away from Theta and many of my close friends living out, I saw an opportunity and took it. 420 Apt A would be my new residence.

And so far, living out of Theta and in 420 has been perfect. Don’t get me wrong, I had a great two years living in that mansion of a house and having no responsibility to cook or clean. I was blessed to know the pledge classes above and below me, an opportunity my friends at other schools never had. While I miss seeing some of my best friends’ faces multiple times through the day, I still feel welcome in the house. We can eat lunch at the house everyday, which saves me the effort of making a peanut butter and jelly and piece together the previous night at Kilroys with my friends.

Now, we have had some minor challenges. We spent days in the new house scrubbing floors and washing walls and still haven’t quite mastered our Smokey Joe grill. Our faucet makes a weird noise if its on too long and the smoke alarm goes off when cupcakes are baking, not burning. We recently came home to a weird smell in the kitchen. After several minutes of searching for the odor, we realized a spatula had fallen to the bottom of the dishwasher and melted completely in half.

Even with these complications, I wouldn’t trade living out for the world. It’s an experience, but I am independent. Let’s face it - I am 21 years old, and should be able to live by my own rules. I don’t have to eat dinner at 5:30 like a person in a nursing home and if I want to have a beer… or four… with dinner, I can. I have my own room with a full bed – a definite plus. We can host parties and pre games and stock our fridge with more alcohol than food. Our neighborhood is like a senior Frat Row, with Sigma Chi, Beta, AEPi, and Phi Psi close by. Boys can come over at any time of the day and I don’t get a $50 fine if it’s past 3 am. I’m living out the dream, and am finally on my own, without really being on my own. Mom is still buying my groceries.

It's okay to be weird.

My friend Meghan and I will be the first totell anyone we're a little weird. We have an obsession with Harry Potter (she asked me once if I could send her all 7 books so she could reread them) and if it weren't for having to work six of seven weekdays this summer, we most likely would have made a trip to Orlando to go to the HP amusement park. We decided that for our Fourth of July celebration we would all wear matching t-shirts from OldNavy. I've left her countless videos on Facebook singing Happy Birthday at 6 AM, or coming home from the bars at 3 AM. We really don't hold anything back!

We also tell ourselves we'll never get married (this is kidding...) due to a lack of men in our lives. Last night I received a text from her with a quote that I think can be applied to everyone. Especially us two weirdos. One day we'll find our weird soul mates. :)

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird. When we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."

The Past 3 Months in Pictures

I've been a lot of places the past 3 months, from Hilton Head to Chicago to Bloomington to Georgia. Here's a little review of my life the past 3 months. Enjoy!

one section of my daily set up

lifeguard competition, getting ready for the run swim run

our favorite friday night spot: Brick Oven

typical of my roommate and me. She thought her dress looked like a picnic blanket.

Fourth of July with the Mackimms

cubs game with Bethany

IUSF Steering Committee Boats on Lake Monroe... Back to School!

Theta Night Out

trip to Athens! With Jane's sorority sisters

The Social Network

Facebook. It's what we use to procrastinate, what we use to stalk our ex boyfriends, what we use to connect with distant friends, and what we use to socialize. Facebook has defined our generation, and defined this decade. The Social Network, directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, hits theaters this Friday, October 1st. The movie follows Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg, and his journey in creating Facebook. This movie is a must see for anyone who has Facebook, and even those who don't. Check out the trailer if you haven't seen it yet.

The Social Network Theatrical Trailer

"Certain things catch your eye but pursue only those that capture your heart."
-Old Indian Saying

Big Pony Fragrances

I haven't posted for awhile. Forgive me. Summer was an insane whirlwind and the beginning of school certainly hasn't slowed down much either. The next two weeks, however, I have a little bit of down time so I figured I would get back into the swing ofblogging!

My roommate Cat has a cousin Jimmy who just signed with Ford Modeling Agency. He actually was a Phi Psi at Indiana until he moved to L.A. after his junior year. Jimmy did modeling for Abercrombie for several years, but he was recently cast as one of the main models in Ralph Lauren's campaign for their new fragrances, The Big Pony Collection. Since this campaign was launched, I have been seeing the ads everywhere. One of my favorite blogs, Unbashedly Prep recently reviewed the four fragrances. Our school newspaper just had an insert with sample smells of the fragrances. And they actually smell good! I personally love the ad campaign, and I think this video done by photographer Bruce Weber is genius. It's happy, it's nostalgic, and it's memorable. Take a look.

P.S. Jimmy is the one in red.

Ralph Lauren Big Pony Collection Video

images from Unbashedlyprep.com and Google