Senior Year Is Full Steam Ahead

Sadly, the racing season has come to an end--I finished 16th in points. For now, the racecar goes up on blocks and I dive headfirst into the mound of studying already on my plate.
It's only a few weeks into the fall semester and I feel like I've been at it for months. This may be the senioritis setting in already...yikes. I feel like I am just ready to graduate and be done with it. I'm sure I will be ready to head right back to school shortly after the monumental day passes.
Taking 18 credits, my fall semester is proving to be far from easy. My schedule is freaking me out a bit as well. Each of my classes, with the exception of one, meet one day a week for three hours. It certainly is strange. While night classes are a common thing in the communication major, never have I had so many at once. The classes are definitely not a breeze either. Organizational Communication with Phil, Ad Campaigns with Tim, just to name a couple. However, I must say I do enjoy all my classes thus far.
I truly believe the communication program at UW-Green Bay is phenomenal. I have learned so much in my time here and feel I am ready to step out into the real world and get a "grown-up job." Many of the classes are tough, but worth it. I took Theories of the Interview with Phil a couple semesters ago. That class kicked my butt, but it was one of the the most worth-while classes I have taken. I learned so much about the interviewing process that I didn't know before. There is just such an array of classes offered in the communication major that can help us to be successful.
UWGB not only has outstanding programs, but the opportunities I have had are amazing. The leadership positions I have been trusted with and the organizations I have been involved with will make me better suited for society and will aid in me being successful. That's what I love about UWGB--the huge amount of student involvement.
I plan to graduate in May, which seems to be right around the corner. While I still have quite a few months until that day, it will be here before we know it. Crazy! I never thought that day would come, but it's creeping up fast.
The fall semester is not even half over yet, but I am looking forward to my final semester. I have two classes to take. The rest of my credits will be earned through internship credits. What an amazing semester! Hopefully my simpler schedule will allow me to do all the things I have not had the chance to do in my three years already completed.
I want to get back into intramurals. I want to take more advantage of the Kress while it's still free for me to use. I want to explore places in Green Bay I have not had the chance to. I want to take naps.
There is one thing I really regret not doing while in college. I wish I would have studied abroad. I have always wanted to travel to England and explore Europe. I came very close to studying in Holland a few semesters ago, but backed out. So unfortunate... I may never get the chance to go. I guess I will just have to wait until I'm rich and famous and can afford to go myself. (Graduation gift idea?? Plane ticket??)
As I count down the days to graduation, I try to also savor what time I still have. You only go to college once (usually). My journey is coming to an end. It's nearly time to start a new chapter in this book called life. But for now, the action in this chapter is far from over.

A year from now

So my sister asked me today "What are you doing next summer?" I simply replied with "Well..hopefully I'll have a job." She wanted to know if I was living at home because apparently my mom seems to think I will still be living at home.
That made me think...where will I be in one year? Yes I want a full-time position in the field of journalism. But I don't want to be a grown-up, with a grown-up job. Oh well..it must happen at some point.
What worries me is thinking about where I may be in one year's time. There's so many places I want to go. London, New York, Chicago and Minneapolis. And yet, I want to be in La Crosse. I love it here and have so many good things going for me here. So now I am in a pickle..do I move away and hope to one day return home? That seems like the most logical scenario. But leaving what I know and am comfortable with does scare me a bit.
I'm definitely not picky in where I end up having a job, as far as geographically. I would like to end up back in the Midwest someday if I do choose to move away after school. I like the area and want to be close to family. I also want to see the world. This is where I am stuck.
We'll see I guess. Who knows what will come my way in the next year. I just have to have an open mind and be grateful for the opportunities I am given.

My journey with the Boy Who Lived

Yes..I am talking about Harry Potter. As some may know, I am a bit of an HP fanatic. Ok..I may be obsessed. Yes I got to the theatre 60 hours before the midnight premiere of the 8th and final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Yes i camped at the theatre, sleeping in tents on concrete. But hey, my friends and I were the first ones in line in the entire U.S. How cool is that?
We had our tickets, we were simply camping out to get the seats we wanted and just to celebrate the amaziness. We dressed up and played Quidditch. We had duels and tried our HP trivia.
It was an absolutely wonderful experience, to spend time with all these people who love the same thing you do.
Many people don't understand the passion I have for these books and movies. And I don't really know how to explain it other than I grew up with the franchise. Harry Potter is what got me into reading. I never in a million years would have thought to pick up a chapter book. I hated reading until I started those books. They took me away into another world when I so despised a lot in life. Middle school you know...not the best years...I spent a lot of time with my books those days.
It truly is sad to see the franchise come to an end. It almost feels like part of me has died. Yes I always re-read the books or re-watch the movies, but it's not the same. It's been a wonderful journey and I have loved every moment of it. My fellow "Potterheads" are some of the best friends I have. I enjoyed sharing the experience with them and watching as our love for the books transitioned to screen.
Call me crazy...I am crazy. But not many can say they have such a great passion for something. And hey...I could be addicted to something worse.. :)

Struggling season

Well the final stretch of the racing season is underway, with only five or six weeks left. It's been a very up and down season. I am currently sitting 19th in points, which to me is unacceptable. I started the season strong, sitting 16th in points for a few weeks. After a couple not-so-great weeks, I quickly began dropping. Last week I did move back up from 20th to 19th, but I need to put the pedal to the metal and climb some more spots. Last week was a great week and I had high hopes going into this past Saturday. I started the night out strong with some great times in hot laps. Qualifying then brought some frustrations as I got loose coming out of turn 4 and got sideways, but saved it. Awful time at 23.4 sec. My heat race then went ok, where I finished 6th. We then made some changes to the car to try and tighten it up a bit as the track would loosen up with the cooling down of the weather. My dad however ordered too many turns to be taken out of the right rear wedge and my car got tight tight tight. The feature came and it was not a pleasant experience. I had big problems holding my car down on the track and it wanted to shoot up toward the wall. There was then a wreck and I came within inches of being in the wall. To my low-side, cars began spinning. I had to make the decision of what to do and where to go. I went as close to the outside wall as I could get without touching it, gunned it and steered clear of the wreck...barely. My stomach dropped as out of the corner of my eye I saw a car spinning at me. I thought for sure my night was over. Somehow, some way, I squeezed through. So could have been a worse night I suppose. We then lined up for the restart and typically my car handles very well on the outside, so I took a chance and went to the outside lane, gaining me a couple spots. Definitely not a good call that night...my car was still tight as could be and I quickly fell back. I was frustrated to say the least,,,but I didn't lose any spots in the points race, and my car was in one piece...which in my book, is a successful night.