Hi! I'm Stephany, a twenty-something young professional living in central Florida. My passions include football, writing, social media, and cruising. I am saved by grace and abundantly blessed. On this blog, you'll find stories about my life, book reviews, and ponderings of the future. Enjoy!
I’m keeping with my resolution theme again this month and also talking about how I did with my April challenges.
Resolution #1: Become a healthier person. Last month, I challenged myself to go 30 days without drinking soda. I made it 46 hours. Truthfully, while going cold turkey sounds like a good idea, it’s not. Especially when you’re addicted to it as much as I am. I did fine on my first day but by the second day, it got a little crazy.
I’ve decided to stop taking things away from my diet because I don’t like deprivation. It doesn’t work for me. (Does it work for anyone?!) So I’m taking on The 30-Day Shred challenge. I am going to do Jillian’s kick-butt routine every day for 30 days. I won’t say I’m excited about this and I cringe thinking about how sore I’m going to be. But I want to show myself I can do this. And I think it’ll go a long way in helping me with my weight loss effort. As long as I stick to eating right.
Resolution #2: Become a godlier woman. Since I knew how hectic my schedule would be in April, I charged myself with only conversating with God in April. I didn’t do this as much as I wanted to and sometimes it felt more like an afterthought than anything. I think it’s because I wasn’t really involved with God. He’s been a big afterthought for a while.
So my challenge for this month is to have quiet time with God five times a week. Luckily, my life will be a lot less hectic and busy and it will be much easier to find time to have this quiet time with God. And I hope to make an easy, everyday part of my life that I need. And I’m starting a new Bible study that the lovely Kyla Roma recommended to me! This makes me super excited to start.
Resolution #3: Get in control of my finances. I resolved to start tracking my spending this month and I have done that. I still want to sit down and make some sort of chart of where all my money went and make a budget from that. Unfortunately, the bulk of my money I make in May is going towards tuition so I really don’t have any big plans with my credit cards because of that.
Basically, my goal for this month is to cut down on those little expenses. The two times I get paid this month, I'll take $30 out of the bank to have for any expenditures. I can use this for shopping, food, or whatever I feel led to buy. I really want to get into this habit monthly while I’m trying to get control over my credit card debt so we’ll see how this month goes.
(Also happening this month: a new phone! I’ll be able to shop around for a new phone on May 25th and I cannot wait. I’ve been using my mom’s awful Blackberry since I lost my phone in November and I hate it. So I’m going to get a new phone then, when I can get a nice one for cheap.)
I took a little unannounced blogging break, mainly because I worked all last weekend on my law term paper (about a topic I was clueless on) and finishing up some law journals to hand in on Thursday. And then I was busy with that little magazine project you might have heard me mention a time or two. The semester is slowwwly winding down (only 10 days left!) so I’ll be blogging less until I get my feet back from under me.
In completely awesome news, I finished my magazine today! It has to be the best feeling ever to know I am done and still have over a week to tweak it until it’s due. I’m going to send the file to my professor so he can give me his opinion and critique so I know exactly what I need to fix. This project caused me so much stress and tension but once I found out that my professor liked my magazine, it became so much fun! It didn’t feel like I was doing homework when I was working on this project. And I’m super happy with the way it’s turned out.
I signed up for 4 courses over the summer, forgetting that my scholarship doesn’t pay for summer classes and my financial aid still hasn’t been reinstated. So I might have freaked out a little bit when I saw my tuition would be around $2,500 which is just a little unaffordable. So I’ll be taking two classes and then hoping to get my scholarship back/financial reinstated for fall so I can take 5 classes and finish up my undergraduate degree!
I’ve made a lot of changes to this blog while on my “break.” First off, I changed the layout and I love, love, love it! And since I paid money for it, I’m hoping I don’t get bored with it in a month. I tend to do that. I also fixed my blogroll and made a new 101 days list. I loved how clean and simple Lauren’s looked and went for one like hers with the categories which makes it so much easier for me to look at. I had to make some new goals for the ones I already completed, since I started my 1,001 days over, so check it out!
I have a short three-day workweek next week which I’m thrilled about! That’s two days where I don’t have to wake up before 5am! I took those two days to help with getting everything completed before finals weeks starts and I think I’m going to manage to do everything. Wow! (And the week after that, I took Friday off to recuperate from this semester. I can’t wait!)
In May, I’m taking on The 30-Day Shred challenge. I think I need a challenge for my exercise life, since I do everything in my power to get out of it. Anyone up to doing the challenge with me? Pretty please?
I’m stealing an idea from Kayla Aimee’s blog (which you should totally check out, because she’s awesome). I’ve been a little ‘eh’ about Seven Quick Takes Friday so I thought I’d switch up my Friday posting a little.
1) I didn’t mention this anywhere, not even on Twitter, but I totally failed on my soda fast. I lasted until 8pm on Friday night, which takes me to about 46 hours without soda. Around 7ish, I got a headache and felt a little weak and dizzy. And, gosh darnit, I was at Carrabba’s and having dinner – I wanted a Coke! So I had one, and I enjoyed it. Immensely. Since then, I’ve had about a Coke a day. I do want to drink less of it but I'm not sure if I totally want to cut it out of my life. I love it! Why should I totally give up something I love? I want to get to the point where I only drink it on Sundays (my “cheat” day) and when I’m eating out. Right now, I’m implementing “No Coke Days,” which is pretty self-explanatory.
2) I bought a webcam a few weeks ago to join the 21st century and start Skype-ing. The webcam is totally set up and ready to go. But I haven’t Skyped yet. And I need to. Who wants to break my Skype virginity?
3) I gained 2 pounds in the past two weeks.
4) I have squeezed my dog’s ears way too much in the past week. Please tell me I’m not the only one who does this.
5) I’ve never liked Siobhan on American Idol. While she does have a powerful voice, when she’s just singing regularly, it grates on my ears. And I’ve never felt any good connection with her. On the other hand, Lee Dewyze mightjust be my future husband.
Growing up, I had two hobbies: reading and writing. I would devour The Baby-Sitter’s Club, Sweet Valley Twins, The Magic Attic Club, The Boxcar Children, The Gymnasts, etc. (Quality reading, I know.) The maximum number of children’s book you could check out at one time was 10. Every Saturday, I would check out 10 books, go home and read the first chapter of all of them, then put them in alphabetical order and read those ten books by the time the next Saturday rolled around.
I had notebook after notebook filled with potential stories. I’m always way more interested in creating characters and setting up their backgrounds than actually writing the stories. I wish there was a job market for that! I would get the 5-subject notebooks so I could create 5 different stories. Every once in a while I would actually begin to write the stories and I finished a few (pretty lame) ones.
I’ve never been able to stop reading and writing. Although, with this semester, I haven’t opened up a story in months which is very rare for me and I’m just itching to return to it. I read about 2 novels a week and I’m still a big fan of the library. (Why pay for books when I can get them for free?) I love perusing bookstores as well, but there’s just something special about libraries for me. They hold a unique place in my heart.
When I was younger, there was never a doubt in my mind that one day I would be a published author. I didn’t know if I would write children’s books or adult fiction, but I did know I would write. I would marry and become a stay-at-home mom, writing in my spare time. I never had illusions of being famous but knew I had millions of stories floating around in my head that needed to be told. I would tell them and all of my dreams would come true.
I now know it’s not that easy. Breaking into the publishing world is hard. Writing an entire novel that grips people from start to finish, develops characters successful, and instills the right visual imagery? Even harder. I don’t have grand illusions anymore that writing novels can become a full-time job for me. I know that even published writers work other jobs, or their husbands work overtime or second jobs to keep food on the table.
But the drive is still in me. I know I have what it takes to become a writer, even though I’m not freelancing as much as I should, going to writing conferences, or even writing for my school newspaper. These are all things that aid writers in furthering their career and gain them positive experience in the writing field. I need to be doing these things.
I still have ideas that are itching to get out. I have so many stories that need to be told. God has just totally laid it on my heart that He wants me to glorify Him in this way. (Or maybe it’s just MY will.) Once I started my journalism path, I felt that I was living in God’s will for the first time in a long time. I wasn’t stumbling as much as I used to and when I got kicked down, it was easier to get up.
I’m on the right path. Now it’s just up to me to start turning down the right roads that will lead me to the published path.
It should come as no shock that I have a hard time trusting people. I think it all boils down to the age-old nature vs. nurture debate. In reality, I know it’s just my nature to be this way. I’m a very cautious person and I’m not a girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. And I think my relationship with my dad and subsequent males has nurtured me to be even more cautious about what I share and to whom.
I don’t give my heart out easily. I have walls erected around this small, beating heart of mine that are higher than most people care to reach. I haven’t met too many people in my life willing to break them down. In fact, I find it pretty amazing that I’ve been able to share as much of my life with my co-worker, Stephani, as I have. She doesn’t know the nuts and bolts of everything I deal with but she knows a lot. The fact that she even knows about my dad is a big step in the right direction.
I’m just not the type to speak freely about my past experiences and my life. I’m very cautious about what I give away to other people. It takes a long, long time for me to talk to anyone about my life. Most people don’t know I have a terrible relationship with my father, or how much I struggle with sin. They don’t know how vast my love of football is or what ticks me off. I keep everything locked up so tightly inside of me. It begs to be let out but I can’t. I can’t do it. I can’t put myself out there and let people know the real me. The real me is completely different than the person I appear to be. She doesn’t cover everything up with a joke. She has scary questions about her faith that never seemed to be answered in the Good Book. She has no self-esteem and struggles daily with thinking she’s never going to be good enough.
The thing is, God knows the real me. He knows exactly the girl I’m portraying to be and the girl that I really am. He knocks at my heart-door every single day, just waiting for me to take a chance on Him. But I’m scared. I am so scared of what putting my whole trust in Him will do to me. I’m so scared of how He will change me. I’m scared of not wanting to be this girl anymore. I’m scared that the plans I have for myself look nothing like the majestic plans He has created for me.
How does a girl with so many complex daddy issues like me put her trust in a God like Him? He becomes another father figure to me, although He is the Ultimate Father Figure. He promises to not let me down, yet I’ve never known a time in my life where a man hasn’t let me down. He promises to love me unconditionally, yet I’ve only felt the conditional love from males. He promises to always be there for me, yet I’ve never known a man to keep his promises.
I know God is vastly different from mortal men. But until you struggle with the father issues that I’ve dealt with, it’s really hard to understand where this trust issue comes from. Even those who haven’t had a father figure. Sometimes I just wish my dad had left me when I was younger. I wouldn’t have had to deal with his daily berating of me, or his anger, or even the good times when I got a glimpse of what a good father is supposed to look like.
I want to put my trust in God. I want Him to have my heart. I want to know Him better and fall deeply in love with the Savior who died for me. I’m just at a loss of how to do that.
1. What book, movie or song has made you want to travel to a particular place? (e.g. I went to Prince Edward Island because I was such a Anne of Green Gables fan)
I find it so easy to transport myself to the places in books and movies. So there are so many places I’ve wanted to visit because of how they’re portrayed in these mediums. My top three are: New York City, London, and Italy.
2. Aside from your significant other, who would you want to take with you on a dream trip?
My mom, of course. I’ve never been on a vacation without her and I just have so much fun with her! We’re so alike and we like to do a lot of the same things. We do have our different interests but there’s just something special about traveling with your mom. You can’t get homesick, for one thing. And for another, you build amazing memories that will last for a lifetime. And also, my mom is just plain awesome and I love being around her.
3. Where would said dream trip be to?
It would definitely be New York City. I’m hoping and praying we’ll be able to take this trip in December for my graduation gift but I know how expensive it is so it’s going to take some big prayers. I’ve never been to such a big city and it would be neat to see how I like it. I’m such a fan of the small town that I think I would get irritated easily.
4. If you were hosting guests or providing tips, what three things would you show visitors to your hometown? (Be it where you live now or where you grew up.)
First of all, your first meal would be a Publix sub. Yes, it sounds a little odd but if you’ve never had a Publix sub, you’re seriously missing out. They are so good.
Secondly, we would take a trip down to Clearwater Beach because hello, you cannot go to my town without spending at least one afternoon at the beach. I may not be a big fan of the beach, but I do like taking a trip or two to the beach every now and then.
And lastly, we’ll do some shopping at International Mall because it’s an amazing mall with every shop you could ever imagine. I don’t go there enough, mainly because it’s an expensive mall and the only places I can shop I can find in other malls closer to me. But it’s still fun to look!
5. If you had a long weekend ahead of you, where you head – beach, city or country/mountains?
It would have to be the beach. We don’t have mountains in Florida and going to the city just doesn’t appeal to me. I have to be in the mood for the beach and right now? I’m so in the mood! Once my finals are over, I’ll have about a week before summer classes start so I’m taking advantage of that time to soak in the sun! We have miles and miles and miles of beaches where I live and it’s only about a 20 minute ride to get to them.
6. Do you have a passport? If so, did you get it for a particular trip or just to have, in case?
No, I don’t have a passport. I’ve never ventured farther west than Tennessee, farther east than West Virginia, farther north than Ohio, or farther south than Florida. I want travel more, but it’s expensive!
7. Are there any travel souvenirs you collect? If not, is there something else you collect?
Since I don’t travel, no. I’m trying to start collecting money, but it’s not going so well.
8. If you could name a paint colour, what colour would it be and what would you call it?
I think I would choose a very bright shade of green and call it Stephany Green. And that, my friends, is how creative I am. My kids will probably be named John and Mary.
9. If you were heading away for a weekend city break solo, where would you go? (Forget about practicality here and flight times, assume you can get to any city in the world for the weekend.)
Ooh, I have to go alone? I would probably travel to Boston and visit a very special friend of mine. And she would probably corrupt me. But it would still be worth it.
10. Is there a song or a smell or something that you strongly associate with a particular holiday/place/time, such that it always takes you back?
There are so many songs that take me back to memories:
Anna Nalick’s CD “Wreck of the Day”: The summer after I graduated from high school and was working at a movie theater. I listened to her CD constantly that summer.
Wow Hits 2000: Sixth grade when I had terrible insomnia. I really hate listening to any songs on that CD because I get such an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach, remembering that time. I hated sixth grade.
“London Bridge” by Fergie: My first year at college, where I lived in the dorms. I downloaded this song as my ringtone to wake me up and just remember that pretty awful time of my life.
Francesca Battistelli’s CD “My Paper Heart”: Summer 2008, where I worked as an office assistant at a print shop and traveled up to Tampa two days a week for class. I listened to this CD constantly every day. For once, that was a good time and just brings back lovely memories.
Ashlee Simpson’s “Autobiography” CD: My junior year of high school when I had just began at the collegiate program. This is probably the best memory I can think of. I loved those last two years of high school and loved my high school. It was such a great experience for me!
Visit Roots & Rings to link up if you completed this on your blog, or if you want to read more answers!
I love how exhilarating running in a race can be. The atmosphere is just so different than running at any other time. Nothing can compare to the excitement, nerves, and crossing that finish line. It just makes you want to do it again and again.
I had my 5K on Saturday and it felt like my first “big girl” race where pictures were taken and I had to clip a tracking badge to my shoe to receive my official time. The only other time I’ve raced was with the Turkey Trot which is very low-key and no official times are posted. Here’s the run-down:
4:30am: Alarm wakes me up
And I’m not happy about it. I let myself “sleep” through one snooze and then force myself up and attem. I take Dutch out, get ready, and then sit on the couch, looking at the race papers. I don’t eat breakfast because a) I’m so not a breakfast girl and b) I’m way too nervous to eat!
5:15am: We leave
The race is in Clearwater Beach, which is about 30 minutes from us. Plus, if we get there early enough, we can get free parking. And we’re all about that!
5:50am: Arrive at Pier 60
We find a free parking space. And then sit in nervous anticipation for the next hour. I read a little, we get out to use the restroom and freeze our tooshes off, and then I prepare for the race by pinning my number on and attaching my tag to my shoe. Butterflies are making babies in my stomach.
7:00am: Make our way to the starting line
One cool thing about this race was that the 5Kers and 15Kers run together, until a turn-off where the 5Kers leave. I’ve only run in the Turkey Trot before where all three races start at different times and in different places. So it was cool to be able to stay there with my mom before the race began.
There’s really nothing that can compare to race day and standing in the crowd of all those people who are active and fit, and even those who aren’t yet at a fit level but are changing their lives in amazing ways to become active and fit. It really pumped me up, especially since it was an Iron Girl race and it was all women! Talk about some major girl power!
While we waited there, an announcer was talking and pumping everyone up. Periodically, he would talk about one of the runner’s who had signed up. (When you registered for the race, you put a short statement about why you were running in this race.) I really wanted him to mentioned my mom because, hello, she’s lost 80 pounds and is a Serious Runner now. But then he mentioned a lady who had lost 150 pounds and another one who had lost 135 pounds. Simply crazy weight loss stories! And then, around 7:20ish, he said my name! And my reason for being there! I was shocked and may have even shed a few tears! My reason for running the race was because of my mom. She has inspired me in so many ways, least of all getting fit and becoming a pseudo-runner. That 30-seconds of fame was unbelievable!
7:25am: Minutes away
Once 7:25am hit, the butterflies were going crazy. I was so nervous! I was nervous about just starting out. I was nervous about being able to even run a mile. I was nervous about shin splints. I was nervous about cramping up. So I turned on a little Don’t Stop Believing by Glee. Seriously, it’s the best song to pump you up! I was ready.
7:35am: Race begins
Mile One – Running
My goal was to run my first mile, walk my second mile, and run my last mile. And I did manage to run the first mile. It hurt a lot. I wanted to stop so many times but I found the strength to keep pushing until I saw the first mile marker, no matter how bad the first hill hurt my calves or how many runners passed me. I was running this race for me, not to win any medals. I still had to keep telling myself to not worry about the other racers.
It was very, very hard to run that first mile. I was so close to giving up when I saw the Mile 1 marker. Then, I got a little cocky and thought I could keep running the whole thing.
Mile Two – Walking/Running
About 20 steps into Mile 2, I knew it was stupid to keep running. For one thing, I didn’t want to ruin my shins. They were feeling OK and I didn’t want pain to start before I began my last mile. So I started walking, which really hurt just as much as running.
I did run three times during this mile. One time when I was coming down a hill because it felt easier than walking it and the other two times were for the cameras. (Stop laughing!) The times I ran were probably less than a minute long, though.
I swear this mile felt so incredibly long! During the mile, I had to walk up a bridge. Luckily, I only had to walk up part of it and not the whole thing. My mom, on the other hand, had to run up the whole thing TWICE! Do you see that incline? That’s just nuts!
Mile Three – Walking/Running
Once I hit Mile 3, I knew I had to run. So I did. I started running, except the bottom of my foot, near my toes, was numb. Numb! It felt as if it had fallen asleep but tell me, how does a foot fall asleep during a 5K race? I don’t understand it! I kept running but then my entire foot fell asleep and it gradually moved up towards my ankle. One would think that running would shake a foot from slumber but alas, it just made my entire leg fall into a deep sleep. Honestly, it felt as if I were running on a stump.
Also in Mile Three was The Most Annoying Runner In The History of The World. I was running and she was walking/running. Every time I passed her, she would run ahead, get in front of me, and then start walking. She did this six times and it felt so deliberate that by the sixth time, I ran as close as I could to her and then got right in front of her. I think she got the message because the next time she ran, she was on the other side of the road.
I ended up walking for some of Mile 3 because I didn’t think it was safe to run on a foot that’s fallen asleep. I couldn’t feel that leg at all! I probably ran 3/4 of it and walked the rest. I did end up running for the last leg of it and zoomed my way to the finish line. I was happy to be done, but not too happy with the race itself. If only my foot hadn’t fallen asleep!
My final time? 44:54. I’m not happy at all about it but it gives me a lot to work toward. My mom ran her 15K in 1:54, which was awesome for her. She wanted to do it in under 2 hours and she did it! I was so incredibly proud of her and inspired by her accomplishments. It’s amazing all she has achieved in these past few years. We’re planning on another 5K on Mother’s Day to run together. It’ll give me about a month to get in better shape and I’ll be farther along in the Couch-to-5K program by then.
In any event, it was a great experience and makes me want to keep running and training to get better. I’m hoping to compete in one race a month which will keep me on the consistent exercise path! Some pictures:
Oh, and a video. This is my dog, Dutch, and an Aflac duck I received in my little race grab-bag. When you squeeze his toosh, Gilbert Gottfried screams “AFLAC!” at you.
One. This is my first Quick Take in over a month. And I know I said I would stop with the meme’s, yet this is my second one this week. But whatever. My blog, my rules. I felt like having a somewhat normal blogging schedule this week.
Two. Can I just brag about myself a little? This week of school has been amazing! I had my cover page and cover story due for my magazine, which amounts to 5 pages. My professor has not been kind with his criticism of my work this semester. I’m sitting at a 71% and hanging by a thread. My past projects have not been good. Needless to say, I was very nervous for his feedback. I call him the “Simon Cowell of design.”
So, I had my cover page and cover story critiqued. And then response was overwhelming. My classmates loved my design! My professor said, and I quote, that it was "very happy with it.” That’s the best praise I could ever receive from him. Needless to say, I was walking on the clouds!
The next day, I went to my law class and nervously anticipated my law exam grade. I’ve been really nervous about this class. It’s one of those once-a-year classes that only is available in the Spring. And it’s a required class. If I fail this class, I’ll have to wait until May 2011 to graduate, instead of December 2010. On my last two exams, I’ve received a 68% and a 76%. And I studied my butt off for those two grades. I felt like I did better on this exam but was so nervous to get my score.
And I received a 91%. That, my friends, is an exceptional score. My professor put an exclamation mark beside my score and gave me a little smile when I saw my score. And now I officially love my law class.
Three. I have a 5K race to run tomorrow. I’m not excited about it, mainly because I know I won’t be able to run the whole thing. I started over using Couch-to-5K and just finished the first week! I’m hoping to be able to run a mile, walk a mile, and run my last mile. But I’ve also been dealing with shin splints. I’m pretty sure it has to do with my shoes, since they’re pretty worn out. I’ve only had them for 6 months but I have to wear them every day for work so they get a lot of use. I need to buy new shoes, but I keep putting if off because hello, shoes are not cheap!
Four. I only have 3 weeks left of my semester and then finals week which will feel like a breeze compared to the craziness my schedule has been. I almost had another nervous breakdown on Monday so I had to make a list of everything I needed to get accomplished and when I was going to do it. There’s a lot to get done and only 3 weeks to do it in. It’s going to take a lot of focus and drive but I’m determined to get it done – and do my absolute best job at it.
Five. I’ve found it so tough to get back in the groove of things after Easter. I’m not eating as well as I should, nor exercising as much as I should, nor drinking as much water as I should. I haven’t tracked, which is just awful. I’m just trying to eat as well as I know how since I have weigh-in on Sunday. I think I need to sit in a meeting and get motivated again. Those meetings work!
Six. I have a hair appointment for color today and a hair appointment to get my hair cut next Friday. While I really want to do something wild and crazy like dyeing it blonde and getting a pixie-cut, I’ve been wanting to donate my hair to Locks of Love for a long time. My hair is just about long enough but I want to grow it out some more to make sure I have hair to work with! But mark your calendars! I’m doing something crazy with my hair in June. And honestly? I can’t wait!
Seven. I probably shouldn’t mention this because I really want to win this giveaway, but I also get an extra entry for blogging about it so I will. Ashley, one of my very good blogging friends, is having an awesome giveaway! She’s going to give a blog makeover, using WooThemes, to one lucky person! And then she’s also giving free advertising on her blog to 5 other people. Pretty neat, huh? So go there and enter!
I wasn’t looking forward to this semester. I remember coming home from work on my winter break, about a week before the semester was going to start up, and dread filling the pit of my stomach as I envisioned another semester of college. Fall semester was pretty rough and I knew I was probably overloading myself with Spring semester. I really had no clue how difficult this semester would really be. I had no clue how exhausted I would be. I had no clue that sleeping in on weekends would no longer be an option for me.
The truth is, I have to don a different hate at least 2-3 times a day. I go from one extreme to the other, with no time to rest or catch up. Emotionally? It’s exhausting.
Stephany, the Pre-School Teacher I’ve been working at the pre-school I’m at now for over a year now. The job has been good to me. It’s not easy but it feels like such an escape from my real life. I work with two- and three-year-olds and honestly, I love it. I love the funny conversations I have with the kids, the hugs and kisses they give me, and the challenges they provide me with. It is an exhausting job but it’s a good exhausting. I feel like I’ve been challenged in a different way that doesn’t involve school at all. I get to escape to a place where Dora rules the Universe, potty-training is the biggest headache, and a hug can solve all problems. I say the words “my friends” and “potty” and “nice touches” more in my 5 hours there than I do for the rest of my day.
The hard part about my job is that I have to be fully committed. If I have an exam right after work, I can’t study for it during my time there. I start at 6:30am and have at least 1-2 children there by 6:35am. From then on, I’m preparing the classroom for the day, greeting kids as they come in, and making sure the kids are behaving. I have to be on the ball 24/7. My mind is constantly working and never slows down.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I leave work at 12pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I leave at 10:30am. And then I have 30 minutes (of which I’m driving to campus) to morph into…
Stephany, the College Student I love being a college student. I love my campus, I love my classmates, and I love the challenges schoolwork brings me. But it can be really, really hard to switch off the mind of a teacher to one of a student. I have to forget about work and anything that stressed me out about it and focus on my schoolwork. I have to prepare myself for working on my magazine or studying for my next law exam or writing a paper.
This has become the biggest part of “me” lately. Because when I’m home, 85% of the time, I’m working on homework. I only have 4 weeks left of this semester, but I’m signed up to take 4 summer courses and then 4 courses in the fall, which will (HOPEFULLY!) be my last semester as an undergrad. This semester has been rough on me but I’m managing.
I have class Monday-Thursday. Monday, I only have one class at 12:30pm and then I’m done for the day. On Wednesday, I have class at 12:30, internship at 2pm, and then my night class at 6pm. Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have class at 11am, and then I head straight to my internship at 1pm. I only have 15 minutes between the end of my class to morph into…
Stephany, the Marketing Intern I have to admit, I really love my internship. It doesn’t involve a lot of journalism but I’m learning so much about advertising and marketing and just theater life in general. I’ve been challenged and taken on fun projects. I was just given a project to work on yesterday that I’m super stoked about. I’m a quiet person in general and very quiet at my internship. I don’t engage in a lot of small talk and just get in there and do my job.
This place is just so completely different than any other area of my life. It’s so different from being a pre-school teacher (MILES different!) and so different from my school life. This is a professional atmosphere with professional people. They are all busy, busy, busy preparing for the next shows and making sure everyone is happy. They’re inspiring and I can’t wait to one day have the ability to have a fast-paced career like they have.
But it’s different. It’s a different atmosphere and I almost get an out-of-body experience working there. I have a cubicle that I share with the other two interns. I have a computer I work on. I even have a paper-cutter all to myself! (Don’t be too jealous.) It’s fun stuff. But once I leave this place (at least on Tuesdays and Thursdays), I get to be the person I love most. I get to be…
Stephany, the Girl Stephany the girl is who I really am. When I’m just being me, I’m in my element. I get to be funny and sarcastic. I get to be serious and sensitive. I get to blog and read blogs. I get to laze around and watch TV. I get to run and do yoga. I get to play with my dog and get the sweetest puppy kisses. I get to mess around with my brother and play with my nephew. I get to listen to Christian rock music on full blast and shop for things I don’t really need. I just get to be me.
But maybe all these facets are just little pieces of me that add up to a whole Stephany. All of these things are growing me into the woman I will one day become. It’s been a challenging semester and I have stretched myself pretty thin. But I love it. I love the things I’m experiencing and the challenges that I’m being presented with. I love how much I am growing and maturing through this semester. I love how I’m existing on little sleep, though I know I couldn’t do this for the long haul. I love how busy I am. I’m finding my purpose in my life. I’m finding out just how strong I am. I’m finding out I am capable. I can take on challenges and succeed. Ultimately, I’m finding myself through this craziness.
1. If you could travel back in time, would you? What decade would you visit?
I would. I would love to travel back to the time when Jesus lived here on earth. It had to have been such a special time for believers, knowing the Son of God was within reach. Sometimes, it feels that He is so far away and untouchable. What an honor it had to have been to sit in on His teachings, to watch His miracles from His hands, and to gaze upon His face. We see miracles now, but science tries to explain them away. When Jesus performed miracles, people knew it was Him. I would love to have been there for it. (But I will be spending eternity with my Lord and Savior, so that’s pretty cool as well.)
2. What was your best Halloween costume? (fun to make? most creative?)
I’ve never been big on Halloween. I don’t like to dress up and I’m not really a creative person when it comes to things like this. I only remember a few Halloween costumes: being a clown when I was a toddler, being a witch in 2nd grade, being an angel in 5th grade. Most of the costumes we got were from Target or Wal-Mart.
I remember that I wanted to be a 50’s girl because the poodle skirt was fabulous.
The last time I dressed up for Halloween was 5th grade, because I went to a church Halloween party and I was the only 5th-grader dressed up. All the other girls just wore regular clothes. I felt so embarrassed!
3. Do you like your name? If you weren’t called by your name, what would you want to be called?
It’s taken me a while to grow into it but I do like it. I like how it’s spelled differently and couldn’t imagine having another name. It’s uniquely my own.
When I was younger, I wanted to be called “Ruth” because my brother had a name from a book in the Bible and I wanted one, too. I had to choose between Esther and Ruth, and Ruth sounded less grandma-ish.
4. In the past year, what is the BEST recipe you made. Please share it!
Honestly, I think I’ve made a handful of recipes this year. I don’t like to cook and my mom and I hate planning out our meals (BAD!), so we usually just venture to the store with no meal plan in mind and buy easy meals we’ve had in the past. We need to get better at this.
The only recipe I’ve made that I’ve really enjoyed is mustard pork chops. It’s a fairly simple recipe, which is the reason I like it. All you do is slather mustard on both sides of the pork chops, and then dip them into a Shake-N-Bake mix. (I think you also add some parsley flakes and pepper to the Shake-N-Bake, but don’t quote me on that.) Pop them in the oven at 350 and wait until they looked like they’re cooked. (Yep. I’m the next Rachael Ray. I can feel it!)
5. Look around – what is the nearest object or picture hanging on the wall?
It’s a picture of a waterfall, I think. Somebody gave it to my mom for free and it’s a pretty beautiful picture. I don’t think it really “fits” in our living room but we don’t really have any type of theme anyway. We have the most mismatched house of anyone.
6. What was the last movie you saw in a theater? Would you recommend it?
Valentine’s Day, I believe. And I wouldn’t. I don’t the it was a good movie. It was cute and funny at times but the story line dragged on and on forever, and then 30 minutes before it finished, they seemed to scramble to wrap everything up nicely. I wasn’t a big fan of it but, hey, what do I know? I loved Leap Year!
7. Did you go to summer camp? Will you/do you send your kids to camp?
The only summer camp I went to was “Joybelles Camp” with my church. We went for one week and stayed in cabins. The cabins had 2 bunk beds and one big bed for the counselor and her daughter. Mornings were filled with activities, afternoons with swimming, and nights with praise-and-worship. I really, really enjoyed these trips! I had so much fun!
8. What kind of ringtone do you have?
I don’t really have one. Since I lost my phone in November, I’ve been using my mom’s which is probably the crappiest BlackBerry you could ever get. I don’t know how to figure out ringtones or even change my ringtones to the ones that come with the phone. (You can’t even play music on this phone!) So I’m just sticking with the ones we have until I’m up for renewal. (May 25th!)
9. Where is the farthest away from home you have ever been?
Just Ohio. I’ve never ventured past the eastern part of the country, actually. Ohio was not a fun trip as my parents fought most of the time and the only places we visited was to visit my dad’s old chums from high school. I think the only “fun” my brother and I had was with a paddleboat. One of my dad’s friends had basically created a lake outside his house and had a paddleboat on the lake. So my brother and I spent hours on that.
10. Has anyone ever written a song or a poem for or about you?
No. Ah, who knows? Maybe Future Husband will be a songwriter and sing to me as I come down the aisle. (I’m such a romantic! Ick!)
Visit Roots & Rings for more answers and to submit your own link if you participated!
I’ve been writing down monthly goals for the past few months now, though I did forget to do them for March. I usually make about five big goals that I want to attain that month and usually end up completing 2-3 of them. So I want to focus on making smaller goals and also bring in my New Years resolutions to them. If you remember, I made three resolutions and all pretty big ones. But I figured that if I can get these three areas of my life squared away, it will have been a successful 2010.
Resolution: Become a healthier person. While I’m well on my way to this resolution, I do employ a lot of unhealthy habits in my daily life. My goal for my first month of Weight Watchers was to simply eat within my Points range, track, exercise regularly, and drink more water. And I did that. So now it’s time to focus on what I’m eating – and drinking. And what I’m drinking is a whole lot of soda. I’ve talked before about my soda addiction. It’s gotten a whole lot better since I started Weight Watchers but I really want to kick this addiction!
Even though we’re not Catholic, my mom gave up cookies, brownies, and cake for Lent. And she succeeded! She did awesome, even when faced with tons and tons of temptation – and tons of bad days where baking cookies would “make her feel better.” (But would it?) She wanted to do another challenge so she’s going to give up Diet Coke for 30 days, from April 8th-May 8th. I decided to join her.
So I will be giving up Coke for 30 days. While I’m hoping this will help me lose a little extra poundage, I really want to see if I can do this. It's going to be so tough but with both of us doing it, I think we’ll succeed. I’m going to have to find other drinks to have. I don’t like tea and there are very few fruit juices I can handle. Honestly, the only one is orange juice. I don’t want something too sugary. Do you guys have any suggestions for what to drink? (Obviously, I’ll be drinking a whole lot of water but I need other options as that can get old fast!)
Resolution: Become a godlier woman. I have to be honest: I haven’t done much prayer-wise, Bible reading-wise, or worship-wise. The only time I open my Bible is for church. I only pray when I need something from God. I talk a big game, but don’t do much about it. I want to change that. I want God to be a more active part of my life and I know the reason I feel like my life is so out-of-control 95% of the time is because God is not the center of it. I’m not laying all my stress and troubles at God’s feet.
I don’t have time to do quiet time for a long time every day. My days are so go-go-go and are going to become even more so during this last month of school that it’s just not physically possible. My goal for this month is that I start conversating with God more. I start making Him a bigger part of my life that’s more than just a “God help me” when life gets too stressful. I want to pray to God and feel His presence in my life. I don’t right now. Once school is over with, I’ll have more time to devote to establishing a quiet time and better prayer life. Right now, I just want to have an active prayer life.
Resolution: Get in control of my finances. While my finances are still in quite a mess, I have managed to pay over my minimum amount for two of my credit cards and aside from two times where I had to use them (At Subway, when my debit card wasn’t going through for some reason.) I haven’t used them at all. I’m about $200 away from paying off Target completely, and then I’m getting rid of it. I’m hoping to get this one done with by late June. My second card, which is my bank credit card, is the one I want to keep. It has a $500 limit, which is the perfect amount for me.
The one I’ve been conveniently forgetting about it my Old Navy credit card, which is now with a collection agency. It makes me cringe to even think about that! But I need to call this company and set something up. Because I need to get serious about paying this off.
But that’s not my resolution. My resolution this month is one of my “101” goals which is to start tracking my spending. I really don’t drop a lot of cash in one place. It’s just a whole lot of little things adding up to a lot. I want to start to see where my money is going. I also need to figure out how much money I do have a month to devote to paying off my credit cards. Aside from little things here and there, I don’t have any bills to pay for. Since we downsized, my mom has been able to pay all our bills – and still have money left over! (What a concept!)
So, those are my goals. Just three small things that will hopefully add up to achieving my resolutions at the end of the year. It’ll be interesting to see how I do, especially with the crazy month that’s ahead of me. The good news is, I’m in the home stretch! This insane semester is almost over with – now we just have to see if I pass all my classes. ;)
