Good golly gosh. What am I getting myself into?
I wouldn't consider myself a person who falls for guys quickly, but gosh, my track record in the past couple of months would like to think otherwise. The funny thing about this is that I rarely fall for someone who I feel like I have a "chance" with. I like the idea of a chase.
We all have those characteristics we look for and when someone falls into that category, we start to notice them differently. Eventually, you realize that person is great inside and out. That's when the crush stage begins. Wow, crush sounds like such a high school feeling.
I feel like God puts people in our lives for a reason, whether for a friendship, accountability partner, or something deeper. I always wonder what each person's role is in my life. Alternatively, I wonder what roles I currently play in other's lives and I how I can be more for every person in my life.
At clarity last night, we shared our testimonies. There are many great things about bringing Christians together, but my favorite part is listening to testimonies. Every Christian has a story to tell and each one is different. Each one has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Some stories begin early with rough patches in the middle, other stories begin later in life and are yet to hit a rough patch. I love them all.
In a future post, I should describe my testimony. Not that it is all that interesting, but it is something I think others could learn more about my relationship with Christ from. At any rate, I love being a Christian, in good days and not so good days.
So, I know God will find me a Godly man one day. It could be years from now or tomorrow, which is one thing I love about life: the unpredictability of each day. Who knows where my future husband is today? He could be one of my best friends now, or someone I have yet to meet. Gosh, I love the unknown.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Start of Something New
Well, I guess this is the end of something great and the beginning of something new. Today was my last orientation session. We ended on a high note with goofy awards and pictures. My award said Kaila 'this used to be a female restroom' Swain. :) Very nice. Billy thought it was the best award and I can't say I disagree.
This last session was my absolute favorite. My group was smaller and quieter, but they got along well. I could also connect with each student, unlike the past sessions. They seemed to laugh at my terrible jokes, so it made me feel special.
The registration process of orientation has caused me to change my major this fall. After talking to Greg, another business and journalism Orientation Leader, I now know I no longer want to major in Advertising Management. The school of journalism is not doing anything for me. If I can say this, I think I should reconsider what I am doing still in the school.
So instead, I have been looking into a major in psychology. I love everything about it and I know the program is better than the advertising program. I think that is a wise decision. The only thing stopping me is that my credentials would go from a marketing and advertising management double major with a concentration in Human Resources to a marketing and psychology double major with a concentration in Human Resources? Human Resources is basically the same thing as psychology, but maybe I can double dip the classes. Otherwise, it doesn't seem logical to keep my HR concentration. I may switch to a Business Law concentration instead. Who knows?
I have at least three more months before I need to switch my majors, so I can still give my advertising principles class in the fall a chance. If I fall in love with it, I guess I will stay in the J school. Sometimes I feel once you are in the J school, you can't get out.
I will close this blog by wishing all readers a happy longest day of the year. Enjoy your extended minutes of daylight and I hope the weather is nicer around the world than in Des Moines. Gotta love the humid, on-and-off rainy weather today.
This last session was my absolute favorite. My group was smaller and quieter, but they got along well. I could also connect with each student, unlike the past sessions. They seemed to laugh at my terrible jokes, so it made me feel special.
The registration process of orientation has caused me to change my major this fall. After talking to Greg, another business and journalism Orientation Leader, I now know I no longer want to major in Advertising Management. The school of journalism is not doing anything for me. If I can say this, I think I should reconsider what I am doing still in the school.
So instead, I have been looking into a major in psychology. I love everything about it and I know the program is better than the advertising program. I think that is a wise decision. The only thing stopping me is that my credentials would go from a marketing and advertising management double major with a concentration in Human Resources to a marketing and psychology double major with a concentration in Human Resources? Human Resources is basically the same thing as psychology, but maybe I can double dip the classes. Otherwise, it doesn't seem logical to keep my HR concentration. I may switch to a Business Law concentration instead. Who knows?
I have at least three more months before I need to switch my majors, so I can still give my advertising principles class in the fall a chance. If I fall in love with it, I guess I will stay in the J school. Sometimes I feel once you are in the J school, you can't get out.
I will close this blog by wishing all readers a happy longest day of the year. Enjoy your extended minutes of daylight and I hope the weather is nicer around the world than in Des Moines. Gotta love the humid, on-and-off rainy weather today.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Learning the Hard Way
I just finished my third orientation session. It went pretty well. Most of the incoming Drake football players, which affected the business school the most. Business is perceived as easy and athletes generally want an easier workload, so it makes sense. Not to mention, this session was probably 75% male, unlike a near balance in the past sessions.
I chose to wear a new pair of bright colored shoes yesterday, which received many compliments, especially from the football players. I was even told that one of my group members found me in a group of people by my shoes. Nice.
When I was checking into Stalnaker yesterday before orientation, I dropped my stuff in my room. My room is conveniently located across from the restroom, so I feel fortunate. I needed to use the restroom, so I walked across the hall to go inside.
Now, the way this restroom is laid out is different. There are stalls near the entrance and there are also stalls toward the back of the restroom, near the showers. Of course I head toward the back, to scope things out. I found a stall and shut the door behind me. Just then, the restroom door opens and I hear feet. However, the voices accompanying these feet are deeper, more like male voices.
I suddenly freeze as I realized I had not taken a look at the sign outside of the door. I was definitely in the men's restroom. My plan: wait until I hear two stalls close and dash out of the restroom. No worries. Plus, I was in the back stalls, and they surely would not walk back to where I was. Wrong.
One of the guys walks into the stall next to me and shuts the door. Perfect. They probably think it's another guy in my stall.....wait. My bright, very distinguishably girly shoes. Crap. I attempted to step back toward the toilet, hoping my shoes would not be noticed.
The guy in the next stall starts doing his business while I wait to hear another stall door close so I can make my getaway. Several seconds later, another stall closes and I rush out of the restroom. No harm was done. I did happen to take a glance at the sign on the door as I left though: Men's Restroom.
Next time I am definitely checking before I walk into a restroom at Stalnaker. Apparently, they change between sessions.
Oddly enough, I was also told that I "look like the girl off Twilight." Hmm....that's definitely a first for me. But I'll take it as a compliment, because I believe she is very pretty. You can be the judge.
I chose to wear a new pair of bright colored shoes yesterday, which received many compliments, especially from the football players. I was even told that one of my group members found me in a group of people by my shoes. Nice.
When I was checking into Stalnaker yesterday before orientation, I dropped my stuff in my room. My room is conveniently located across from the restroom, so I feel fortunate. I needed to use the restroom, so I walked across the hall to go inside.
Now, the way this restroom is laid out is different. There are stalls near the entrance and there are also stalls toward the back of the restroom, near the showers. Of course I head toward the back, to scope things out. I found a stall and shut the door behind me. Just then, the restroom door opens and I hear feet. However, the voices accompanying these feet are deeper, more like male voices.
I suddenly freeze as I realized I had not taken a look at the sign outside of the door. I was definitely in the men's restroom. My plan: wait until I hear two stalls close and dash out of the restroom. No worries. Plus, I was in the back stalls, and they surely would not walk back to where I was. Wrong.
One of the guys walks into the stall next to me and shuts the door. Perfect. They probably think it's another guy in my stall.....wait. My bright, very distinguishably girly shoes. Crap. I attempted to step back toward the toilet, hoping my shoes would not be noticed.
The guy in the next stall starts doing his business while I wait to hear another stall door close so I can make my getaway. Several seconds later, another stall closes and I rush out of the restroom. No harm was done. I did happen to take a glance at the sign on the door as I left though: Men's Restroom.
Next time I am definitely checking before I walk into a restroom at Stalnaker. Apparently, they change between sessions.
Oddly enough, I was also told that I "look like the girl off Twilight." Hmm....that's definitely a first for me. But I'll take it as a compliment, because I believe she is very pretty. You can be the judge.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Bagels, Boys, and Burning
Today I went to the Ankeny public pool with Lisa and Landon. After Lisa coordinated with her other young mother friends, we left the house around 11:30. We decided to grab a bite to eat at CJ's Bagels, a place Eryn and I have tried to eat at many times. Turns out, the place closes at 2:00 p.m. everyday. That would have been nice to know a couple of weeks ago.
Anyway, lunch was wonderful. The bagel sandwich I had was amazing. I will definitely go back. It was one of those places where it was difficult trying to find something to eat, because so many things on the menu sounded delicious. I don't know if the food is legitimately better in Iowa than Missouri, but I honestly feel like every place I eat at is my new favorite place to eat.
Ashley and her sons Clayton (who I continually called Layton for probably the first hour), Ryke, and Thayer met us at CJ's. Those boys are a handful. A cute handful, but a handful nonetheless. We left CJ's with two messy tables and more food on the floor than probably in the boy's stomachs. I am starting to rethink the idea that I want three boys...
The pool was packed. We met up with Deanna and Harrison, her one-year-old son. Clayton, who is four, and Ryke, who is almost three, wanted to go down the waterslide, but needed someone to go with them. Lisa gladly followed Ryke, but Clayton needed an adult. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and went down the slide with him. We ended up going twice because he loved the slide so much. (I'm pretty sure I enjoyed the experience more than he did, but I was not going to let him know that.)
For the next hour we were there, Clayton continued to show off to "Kay-uh" (a.k.a. me.) It was adorable. Ryke was also adorable, with his emo boy haircut and his daredevil attitude.
What started out as a tanning trip turned into my first Ankeny public pool experience. If I had known I would be splashing around with five little boys and three other adult women, I would have been more diligent with my sunscreen application. Welcome to summer. :)
Anyway, lunch was wonderful. The bagel sandwich I had was amazing. I will definitely go back. It was one of those places where it was difficult trying to find something to eat, because so many things on the menu sounded delicious. I don't know if the food is legitimately better in Iowa than Missouri, but I honestly feel like every place I eat at is my new favorite place to eat.
Ashley and her sons Clayton (who I continually called Layton for probably the first hour), Ryke, and Thayer met us at CJ's. Those boys are a handful. A cute handful, but a handful nonetheless. We left CJ's with two messy tables and more food on the floor than probably in the boy's stomachs. I am starting to rethink the idea that I want three boys...
The pool was packed. We met up with Deanna and Harrison, her one-year-old son. Clayton, who is four, and Ryke, who is almost three, wanted to go down the waterslide, but needed someone to go with them. Lisa gladly followed Ryke, but Clayton needed an adult. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and went down the slide with him. We ended up going twice because he loved the slide so much. (I'm pretty sure I enjoyed the experience more than he did, but I was not going to let him know that.)
For the next hour we were there, Clayton continued to show off to "Kay-uh" (a.k.a. me.) It was adorable. Ryke was also adorable, with his emo boy haircut and his daredevil attitude.
What started out as a tanning trip turned into my first Ankeny public pool experience. If I had known I would be splashing around with five little boys and three other adult women, I would have been more diligent with my sunscreen application. Welcome to summer. :)
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Missing My Best Friend
The bond of identical twins cannot be matched. Eryn and I are closer than any other set of siblings, or twins for that matter, that I have ever come in contact with. We are on this journey called life together and I strongly believe we will make it to the finish line side-by-side.
After my odd work schedule, I have been given a week off, which has been nice. The one thing I was looking forward to during this week was spending time with my best friend. It only takes a couple of hours not seeing her and I already compile a list full of things to tell her. I should seriously consider taking a notepad with me to jot down ideas as they come to me.
I know she spends a lot of time with her boyfriend and I try to understand where she is coming from. I mean, I've been in a serious relationship before too. But at the same time, I wish she would hear me out sometimes. I don't know if she understands how honest I am when I say that she is all I have and the one thing I come home to. I just can't wait until we leave for California in August, because we will have some quality time together. No distractions. No interruptions. Just us and our family. :)
As I conclude, I wanted to list some of the benefits of being a twin, just because I feel it is fitting. Here they go:
After my odd work schedule, I have been given a week off, which has been nice. The one thing I was looking forward to during this week was spending time with my best friend. It only takes a couple of hours not seeing her and I already compile a list full of things to tell her. I should seriously consider taking a notepad with me to jot down ideas as they come to me.
I know she spends a lot of time with her boyfriend and I try to understand where she is coming from. I mean, I've been in a serious relationship before too. But at the same time, I wish she would hear me out sometimes. I don't know if she understands how honest I am when I say that she is all I have and the one thing I come home to. I just can't wait until we leave for California in August, because we will have some quality time together. No distractions. No interruptions. Just us and our family. :)
As I conclude, I wanted to list some of the benefits of being a twin, just because I feel it is fitting. Here they go:
- Buy one, get one free deals are made for twins.
- When trying on clothes, you only need to try on half of the items. The other one can try on the other half. (It makes shopping go quicker!)
- You have a built-in best friend at all times.
- You can share things such as car payments, clothes, and gas expenses.
- Your strengths complement each other, so you can work well together.
- You know that person better than anyone else in the world. Period.
- You have the same taste in significant others (which is a good thing when one is looking and the other is already taken.)
- You get the chance to answer questions such as "what is it like being a twin?" (I usually answer with "I wouldn't change my position for the world. I love every second of being a twin.")
Monday, June 7, 2010
Uncovering the Turtle Shell
When I began OL training in March, it was apparent that I would be "the quiet one." Not that I mind by any means; I am usually the shyest in a large group of people. Not a problem for me. Especially because I have always been shy, only becoming more outgoing when I began my first job in retail.
From becoming a sales associate at Fashion Bug (I was still "the quiet one" when I left in January) I had gained a sense of comfort in knowing I could be more outgoing in professional situations. Working there for two years was one of the best experiences of my life, honestly. Not to mention, I developed a "work voice" that I can turn on and off subconsciously (Eryn still makes fun of me for this, but I'm okay with it now.)
I am realizing that I have become more comfortable around the other OLs and the sessions are more fun as they come and go. I create a shell when I am forced into situations with many people I don't know well. I can use an analogy of a turtle shell here, because it is appropriate at this point in my blog. The shell first becomes soft, where I am still timid, but I become consciously aware of the shyness. Then, holes begin to emerge in the soft shell, where pieces of my personality shine through. I don't think I will ever become a naked turtle with no shell, but I may make it to a flashy turtle with very little shell to cover up with. Flashy is still good, right?
I heard someone mention today that they love being around the other OLs because we were all chosen for two reasons: we are easy to get along with and we are all outgoing. That is what brought up this entire shell concept which has been developing in my mind all morning. I am by no means outgoing, so I still wonder why I was chosen. I must have pulled out my "work voice" during the interview. That thing is more powerful than I even know.
I don't feel like my shyness has been a detriment at all. Looking at my evaluations, I have received an excellent in both categories from every one of my students. I'm trying not to brag, but this is shocking to me. Maybe you don't necessarily have to be outgoing to be good. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
My favorite part about orientation is registration. Every one of the five students I registered this morning came out with a complete and jealousy-worthy schedule. This was complete luck on my part, but I'm just glad to share the excitement with the students.
One girl I registered is an actuarial science major, so she already has a set schedule laid out in most cases. However, this girl was taking a very high level of math starting out, so her other options were very limited. As I was finishing her schedule of all business classes, she informed me that she wants to take Spanish as she scored into the fifth year of Spanish in the placement exam. (First off, that's amazing. She must already be fluent in Spanish, considering I think there are only six years offered at Drake.) We easily rearranged her schedule without needing to override any barriers and she walked away with a fall schedule that is ideal for future actuaries and includes Spanish with a lab.
Yes, Orientation Leader is definitely worth it. No, you didn't ask, but I thought I would answer the question even before you thought the idea.
From becoming a sales associate at Fashion Bug (I was still "the quiet one" when I left in January) I had gained a sense of comfort in knowing I could be more outgoing in professional situations. Working there for two years was one of the best experiences of my life, honestly. Not to mention, I developed a "work voice" that I can turn on and off subconsciously (Eryn still makes fun of me for this, but I'm okay with it now.)
I am realizing that I have become more comfortable around the other OLs and the sessions are more fun as they come and go. I create a shell when I am forced into situations with many people I don't know well. I can use an analogy of a turtle shell here, because it is appropriate at this point in my blog. The shell first becomes soft, where I am still timid, but I become consciously aware of the shyness. Then, holes begin to emerge in the soft shell, where pieces of my personality shine through. I don't think I will ever become a naked turtle with no shell, but I may make it to a flashy turtle with very little shell to cover up with. Flashy is still good, right?
I heard someone mention today that they love being around the other OLs because we were all chosen for two reasons: we are easy to get along with and we are all outgoing. That is what brought up this entire shell concept which has been developing in my mind all morning. I am by no means outgoing, so I still wonder why I was chosen. I must have pulled out my "work voice" during the interview. That thing is more powerful than I even know.
I don't feel like my shyness has been a detriment at all. Looking at my evaluations, I have received an excellent in both categories from every one of my students. I'm trying not to brag, but this is shocking to me. Maybe you don't necessarily have to be outgoing to be good. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
My favorite part about orientation is registration. Every one of the five students I registered this morning came out with a complete and jealousy-worthy schedule. This was complete luck on my part, but I'm just glad to share the excitement with the students.
One girl I registered is an actuarial science major, so she already has a set schedule laid out in most cases. However, this girl was taking a very high level of math starting out, so her other options were very limited. As I was finishing her schedule of all business classes, she informed me that she wants to take Spanish as she scored into the fifth year of Spanish in the placement exam. (First off, that's amazing. She must already be fluent in Spanish, considering I think there are only six years offered at Drake.) We easily rearranged her schedule without needing to override any barriers and she walked away with a fall schedule that is ideal for future actuaries and includes Spanish with a lab.
Yes, Orientation Leader is definitely worth it. No, you didn't ask, but I thought I would answer the question even before you thought the idea.
Friday, June 4, 2010
A Day in the Life of a Working Girl
So now that I am able to get back into my life for a day, I haven't missed out on much in the real world. Correction: I don't care what I missed out on in the real world. The last couple of days in my life have been a blast. Let's start from the beginning.
Monday night, Tuesday, and Wednesday I was in training for Orientation Leader. After a total of 27 hours put into training across the 3 day span, I felt excited about the first session.
So I woke up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy....Oh wait, that's not where I was going with this. Darn Kesha. Anyway, I woke up on Thursday excited for my first orientation session. I spent a majority of the morning escorting new students to the residence hall they were going to stay at during the evening. I talked every family's ears off, especially the new students coming to Drake. What can I say, I love Drake University.
We broke off in sessions later in the afternoon where I was to entertain...err...inform 8 incoming business students about the upcoming school year and registration. It was more of me talking at them, but I told them to shut me up when I got too boring for them. I was never shut up, so I will take that gesture in a positive light.
The remainder of the day consisted of a college session, a delicious dinner, a couple of student life sessions, and evening activities. The student life sessions were put on by the OLs, which was a great time to bond with my fellow co-workers. The evening activities were probably more fun for the OLs than the incoming students, because I was paid to eat rise krispy treats, play three consecutive hours of Catch Phrase, and sing "Hit Me Baby One More Time" during karaoke. Oh yeah, this is definitely not a job.
So my next session begins this Sunday, and I already can't wait to get started once again. Did I mention we were all given matching sling backpacks to carry our materials in throughout the day? Yep, this is definitely something I want to do next year. :)
Monday night, Tuesday, and Wednesday I was in training for Orientation Leader. After a total of 27 hours put into training across the 3 day span, I felt excited about the first session.
So I woke up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy....Oh wait, that's not where I was going with this. Darn Kesha. Anyway, I woke up on Thursday excited for my first orientation session. I spent a majority of the morning escorting new students to the residence hall they were going to stay at during the evening. I talked every family's ears off, especially the new students coming to Drake. What can I say, I love Drake University.
We broke off in sessions later in the afternoon where I was to entertain...err...inform 8 incoming business students about the upcoming school year and registration. It was more of me talking at them, but I told them to shut me up when I got too boring for them. I was never shut up, so I will take that gesture in a positive light.
The remainder of the day consisted of a college session, a delicious dinner, a couple of student life sessions, and evening activities. The student life sessions were put on by the OLs, which was a great time to bond with my fellow co-workers. The evening activities were probably more fun for the OLs than the incoming students, because I was paid to eat rise krispy treats, play three consecutive hours of Catch Phrase, and sing "Hit Me Baby One More Time" during karaoke. Oh yeah, this is definitely not a job.
So my next session begins this Sunday, and I already can't wait to get started once again. Did I mention we were all given matching sling backpacks to carry our materials in throughout the day? Yep, this is definitely something I want to do next year. :)
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