My friend Rentao visited me this last weekend!
The first night we made a pizza from scratch. We made two, actually! Which sounds exciting, but the actual reason we had to make two is because the first one ended up getting thrown in the trash. What a disaster.
We watched Broken Flowers (disappointing) and The Babadook (less disappointing) and of course we watched some Spongebob because you can never be too old for that.
On Saturday we baked cupcakes and on Sunday we made Alton Brown's grilled grilled cheese.
These last two were much more successful than our pizza fiasco.
It's officially a year since I left for Scotland, today. That blows my mind.
This week's Weekly Distraction
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Thursday, January 1, 2015
New Year's Resolutions
Hello! Welcome to 2015.
I've come up with five resolutions to focus on this year:
Improve Academic Performance
Since my entire POS changed when I had to drop Transport last semester, from here on out it's smooth sailing. Well, not really. But compared to how it's been in the past... each semester is much more manageable, now. I should have more time and energy to focus on taking things in stride and doing well in each of my classes. It's time to buckle down, procrastinate less, and stick to a study schedule.
Improve Fitness
Having more time on my hands will hopefully equate to more motivation to exercise. I'm getting kind of squishy, so it'd be nice to exercise 4-5 times each week. Even if it's just a short work out, I think it would be a good way to end my days. Ideally, by the end of the semester I will be back to running between four and six miles.
Be Less Apologetic For My Existence
This sounds dramatic, but I know that I can be awkward and self-conscious at times. It gets to the point where it interferes with some of my relationships, so gaining confidence and being more comfortable in my own skin is something I'd like to work on. This probably means I'll have to stop being so self-critical and more accepting, but it also will include changing habits that I'm unhappy with in order to like myself more.
Read More
I love reading, but it's easy to justify lounging around, browsing the internet, watching shows, or listening to music after a day of coursework. None of these things are particularly bad, but I'm hoping if I make a more deliberate point to read frequently, I'll cut down on the amount of time I spend doing useless things and being a bum. Plus, there are too many books on my Booklist for me to keep on ignoring it like I have been.
Keep In Touch Better With Friends
I'm not sure why this is so difficult, but it is. Obviously, this resolution includes international friends, and friends at different schools. But I also want to make a point that this includes friends that are easily accessible to me (like friends that are at Iowa State, or friends that are home when I'm home). Writing more letters, checking in with old friends occasionally, and just calling to make plans with friends that are nearby is all it takes.
So here's how I plan on improving my life for 2015.
Let's do this.
This week's Weekly Distraction
I've come up with five resolutions to focus on this year:
Improve Academic Performance
Since my entire POS changed when I had to drop Transport last semester, from here on out it's smooth sailing. Well, not really. But compared to how it's been in the past... each semester is much more manageable, now. I should have more time and energy to focus on taking things in stride and doing well in each of my classes. It's time to buckle down, procrastinate less, and stick to a study schedule.
Improve Fitness
Having more time on my hands will hopefully equate to more motivation to exercise. I'm getting kind of squishy, so it'd be nice to exercise 4-5 times each week. Even if it's just a short work out, I think it would be a good way to end my days. Ideally, by the end of the semester I will be back to running between four and six miles.
Be Less Apologetic For My Existence
This sounds dramatic, but I know that I can be awkward and self-conscious at times. It gets to the point where it interferes with some of my relationships, so gaining confidence and being more comfortable in my own skin is something I'd like to work on. This probably means I'll have to stop being so self-critical and more accepting, but it also will include changing habits that I'm unhappy with in order to like myself more.
Read More
I love reading, but it's easy to justify lounging around, browsing the internet, watching shows, or listening to music after a day of coursework. None of these things are particularly bad, but I'm hoping if I make a more deliberate point to read frequently, I'll cut down on the amount of time I spend doing useless things and being a bum. Plus, there are too many books on my Booklist for me to keep on ignoring it like I have been.
Keep In Touch Better With Friends
I'm not sure why this is so difficult, but it is. Obviously, this resolution includes international friends, and friends at different schools. But I also want to make a point that this includes friends that are easily accessible to me (like friends that are at Iowa State, or friends that are home when I'm home). Writing more letters, checking in with old friends occasionally, and just calling to make plans with friends that are nearby is all it takes.
So here's how I plan on improving my life for 2015.
Let's do this.
This week's Weekly Distraction
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
hi life is hard right now
Sometimes as a little motivation to keep on keepin' on, all you need are things to look forward to.
- In 2 days this semester will officially be over
- In 4 days I will get to see my puppy and my parent's new (actual) puppy
- In 17 days my friend Rentao is going to visit me in The Cities
- Next semester I will only be taking 12 credits
- I'll be making more money come Spring
- My roommate will be someone I know
Alright, Kira. There you have it.
These next two days are going to be exhausting, but there's plenty to look forward to at then end of it all.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
A shift in perspective
Something you once viewed as a sort of freedom is now something you feel trapped within.
Something you once felt trapped within is now something you view as a sort of freedom.
I used to think there was a certain strength in changing the numbers on the scale. Watching them fall, as I would restrict or purge food. It was something I was almost proud of - felt accomplished in. And yet now, I look back and realize I was a slave to my own habits. I was weak: mentally and physically. I used to have this photo saved on my laptop as "free". I thought she was beautiful. And now I see that she's trapped.
I used to feel anxiety about situations over which I had no control. Unfortunately for me, a lot of life is out of one's control. I used to beat myself up over this concept: I would find things I could control. They were almost always a sort of punishment to myself - as if the lack of control was was my own fault. I thought I was trapped in situations which I couldn't manipulate. But there's a release in those situations. And now I see that I'm free.
Something you once felt trapped within is now something you view as a sort of freedom.
I used to think there was a certain strength in changing the numbers on the scale. Watching them fall, as I would restrict or purge food. It was something I was almost proud of - felt accomplished in. And yet now, I look back and realize I was a slave to my own habits. I was weak: mentally and physically. I used to have this photo saved on my laptop as "free". I thought she was beautiful. And now I see that she's trapped.
I used to feel anxiety about situations over which I had no control. Unfortunately for me, a lot of life is out of one's control. I used to beat myself up over this concept: I would find things I could control. They were almost always a sort of punishment to myself - as if the lack of control was was my own fault. I thought I was trapped in situations which I couldn't manipulate. But there's a release in those situations. And now I see that I'm free.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
By nightfall, you'll be gone
Beautiful snow falls at dawn:
White, impressionable, and new.
Billowy in appearance, it sits on your lawn,
Covering the world you thought you knew.
Yet clean and bright it does not stay,
Its flawless surface you wish to harness.
You cannot resist - it invites you to play.
Harsh is the world that makes it tarnish.
White, impressionable, and new.
Billowy in appearance, it sits on your lawn,
Covering the world you thought you knew.
Yet clean and bright it does not stay,
Its flawless surface you wish to harness.
You cannot resist - it invites you to play.
Harsh is the world that makes it tarnish.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Look at me, and say whether you've known me before.
I just finished watching David Lynch's Inland Empire.
It's wild, and almost exhausting to watch (maybe in part due to it being 3.5 hours long).
But overall, it's excellent. If you ever feel compelled, someday you should strap in and prepare for a mindfuck.
It's wild, and almost exhausting to watch (maybe in part due to it being 3.5 hours long).
But overall, it's excellent. If you ever feel compelled, someday you should strap in and prepare for a mindfuck.
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