A Very Lucky Girl

It's 2:08 pm on a Monday afternoon. I would usually be in appointments with potential students or calling new leads, but instead I'm sitting in bed with Netflix and a frozen pizza. How did I get here? It's a snow day. But it didn't begin that way. My alarm went off at 7:58 as usual and I began my morning. I saw a dusting of snow outside, but I hadn't heard from my boss about whether was campus was open or closed so I showered, ate breakfast, and left for my commute with plenty of time for cautious driving.  On my way to work I fought the internal battle of wanting to go. It's a daily struggle to get up and go to a place where there is a high probability of facing rejection. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I love that I have the opportunity to change lives everyday. But it does get hard. It can be hard to pick up the phone and call a potential student who has hung up on me 5 times that week already. But the job requires that kind of persistence and tena...

Not having homework is probably one of the weirdest feelings I have ever experienced. When I was school I felt that free time came at a cost, so it never actually felt free. More often than not I would wind up feeling guilty that I was not doing something for school, because there was always a paper to write or studying to be done. Free time rarely seemed to exist. But now a whole new world of legitimate stretches of unfilled time lies before me and I am still figuring out what exactly to do with it. I really hate sitting and doing nothing and I like to feel productive. I might need a regular hobby, but until then let me elaborate on what I've been doing outside of my work weeks so far. Although I am not a big TV watcher, I can binge watch Netflix television episodes with ease. And even though I own the entire Friends collection on DVD, the addition of the seasons to Netflix makes the transition between episodes so much smoother. Yes, next. Yes, I am still watching ...

I have completed an entire week of full-time work at Heritage College and I can honestly say that I love it. The week was not without a few bumps and bruises, but ultimately I am excited about the career I am beginning!  The things I have learned in the past 7 days include: I was incredibly excited to wake up on Monday morning and get ready for work! Tuesday was a far less perky story. Which leads me to... Coffee. Coffee is cool. Commuting is not cool in the least. Although said coffee makes the commute slightly cooler. I am still learning at what time I need to leave the house in order to get to work on time. I either cut it really close or got there 30 minutes early, there was no in-between.  I need to keep plastic forks in my desk because there is no guarantee that there will be any in the break room. I ate my lunch with an ice cream scoop twice.  I have SO much support! Thankful for sweet friends and encouraging calls and texts as I transition to this new time...

I took a chance a few months ago when I saw @CollegeTownLife advertising for freelance writers on Twitter. I responded to their plea for articles and sent one in. I never heard back. So, I am not good enough. Yet.  I wrote about the epedimic of campus preachers that ignites when springtime starts.  What you can find at an on-campus crazy preacher gathering Springtime is in the air. With its gentle breezes comes the smell of free snow cones, the sweat of students tanning studying for finals on the lawn, and the harsh rants of a Bible-thumping preacher ignoring all rules of the bike lane. Chances are, Brother Jed or Pastor Micah has made an appearance on your campus already and you’ve been privy to the three typical scenes provided for your study-break pleasure. 1.      The focus on sex: For a religious activist, the guy is excessively focused on sexual sin. Bedazzled with anti-homo pins and “no porn!” buttons, he shouts at the ladies wi...

For so much. So, so much. The blessings in my life so outweigh any negative, major OR minor. I think the number one thing I am thankful for is drugs. I'm talking those little 5mg hydrocortisone tablets, 25mg DHEA pills, tiny halves of fludrocortisone, and the synthroid that I'm slowly getting weaned off of (wean-hate that word. Searched for another and came up blank). My drugs are awesome and amazing and I am so thankful for medical insurance and for parents that are willing to shell out cash to prolong and maintain my fulfilling life. I'm thankful for a heart that's sometimes too sensitive, but one that is often attuned to the feelings of others. I'm thankful for legs that are learning the nuances of running all over again. I'm thankful for people that enrich my existence everyday. I'm thankful for family that knows the value of laughter I'm thankful to work with dedicated and motivated students. And I'm extra thankful for the sucker t...

Sharbear asked me a hard question the other night. I had just finished holding a two hour review session for my Gateway kids. Two hours that absolutely sped by, I had so much fun with them! I answered their questions about the study guide with some help from the book (but seriously, I probably could have aced this test with minimal outside studying) and created a jeopardy review game to further insure knowledge that would STICK.  The best part was the last 30 minutes or so. I had promised to stay from 7-9 so I didn't feel right about leaving early, just in case someone else showed up. Two students hung around with me, talking about everything from home to dirty roommates. I was so honored that they would sacrifice some of their own free time to continue keeping their TA company.  Anyway, back to the tricky Sharbear question. I spoke to her on the way home (almost cementing my demise: cause of death? by bicyclist) and apparently something in my voice when I recounted the ev...

"I'm a freshmen-lover...in an extremely appropriate way" said I as I lounged across the couch in Savannah's triangular office on Monday. I couldn't contain my excitement about the relationships I get to build with new students. Hi guyz, my name is Taylor and I'm obsessed with this year's freshmen class at OU. I love being able to be a mentor of sorts: to my Gateway class, my freshmen friends, and strangers that I meet at the Caf or the Union. I remember my dad telling me, "the best way to have a conversation is to ask someone about themselves. People love to talk about themselves, it's human nature." Paul never ceases to be right. Except for, of course, when he's wrong. I applied to be a TA for the next two semesters and I am absolutely adoring every second of it so far. My class is so great, especially considering that it's at 8:30 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Thankfully, it's full of morning people (or people that are rea...