"Here's to a positive 2008"

As one door closes and another opens tonight @ 12, I think today is a good time to reflect about accomplishments/what life changing events have occurred in my life during the course of 2007. Overall, I feel like I've grown up a lot and begun to understand a little more about who I am. This year I haven't been afraid to do things that I've never done before and I'm really proud of myself for that.

My first list is dedicated to the positive experiences of 2007.



2007: A year of firsts

• David. The first guy I have fallen for both emotionally and physically. My first true love. My first long-term and slightly long distance relationship. (l yr!!) And the first guy that I have learned to accept and even love his flaws.
• Prom Fashion Show. I planned it and put up with a lot of annoyance and stress just so my classmates would have something to remember their senior year.
• Flight Yearbook. The months of hard work, deadlines, and late nights came to an end and I still continue to be really proud of the final product and my performance as an Editor.
• Prom. Not a first, the fourth actually, but It was definitely the most fun!
• Graduation. What an emotional/great day. I was able to give the welcome speech to my graduating class and I felt as though my family was very proud of my accomplishments. I worked SO hard in high school and it has payed off in countless ways.
• Intern. During the summer I worked at the Rogersville Review and I really liked it. I got to learn a lot about how a newspaper is ran as a business and how hard it is to work under constant pressure of deadlines. I got to interview a politician, record a radio commercial, interview random people at the 4th of July Celebration, and typeset a book. Plus I met and worked with some really cool people.
• Church. Started going back, well not to mine, but David's. Yeah it's Baptist. It's been hard getting used to it, since I'm used to the calmer Methodist way. I have likes and dislikes about both, but I can't let that get in the way of the true reason for going. It's no doubt that God has seen me through some tough situations this year and I'm grateful for that.
• Moving. Probably the hardest thing I've went through this year and it's not over. I still feel really torn between being on my own and being back home where the people I love are. Part of me likes to think that I would have been better off staying home, but I know that I would have hated driving to JC and I would have regretted not being brave enough to do something different. I have met some really great people and I like being in a slightly large city. Plus, it has been my goal and reason for all my hard work in high school, so I'm very happy with my decision.
• College. Wow. It's an adjustment that's still in progress. I now realize why so many people don't make it past freshman year. High school prepares very little for the "sink or swim" college world. I mean I'm just not used to the concept of being able to choose if I want to attend class or not and the fact that I can just get up and leave if I want to. Plus, Everyone knew me in high school and in college I'm just like everybody else...it's hard to get used to the "little fish in the big pond" concept.
• F-R-I-E-N-D-S. Bummer. The show is already off-air, but I just discovered it and I LOVE it. I think I'm gonna start getting the seasons on DVD.
• Puffin-corn. Mmmm. It's the best snack ever! A mix between a Cheeto and popcorn...I'm hooked!

So there are the highlights. Now presenting the goals of 2008. (Notice I didn't say "resolutions." We all know that word is just jinxed!)

2008: What's next

• Strengthen Mine and David's relationship even more.
• Keep kicking butt in college.
• Find another internship or somewhere beneficial to work during the summer.
• Make some new friends and still keep the old ones.
• Get a "new-to-me" car.
• Start playing guitar again.
• Go to the beach!!
• Become closer to my family.
• No "freshman 15!!"

Well...that's not a lot. I think I can handle it...

I hope that somehow this blabbering has inspired you to do a little assessment of the past, as well as a chance to look forward to the wonderful experiences that are ahead. Don't spend time dwelling on screw-ups. We all have them and as much as I would LOVE to hit myself in the face for some of the stupid decisions I have made there is no use punishing myself. I can be forgiven (starting with myself) and there are things to look forward to. I really can't stand people who find something wrong with everything, so do you and me both and favor and keep your head up!

Peace, Love, and thanks for reading,

a.marsh

**quote of the day: "Live and Learn."

Textbooks..AHH!

So I decided to look up my textbooks for next semester..whoa! At least I'm gonna order them off Amazon and my roommate and I are sharing two. Why do textbooks cost so much? Is it because there are so many people that collaborate on them? Or is it "big business" as it's best. Last semester I paid about $300 bucks for my books and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will do better and not spend more than $180. The only reason I am getting by this good is because my bff is giving me one book and the halvesies with the roomie is great!

Also, isn't it ridiculous that they charge FEES! Tuition is reasonable...I guess, at $2,443 per semester. I have decided to try out an online course and they are stamping a $48 fee to my tuition for it. I mean, I won't even be taking up space on campus! The professor doesn't even have to show up anywhere! What is up with that?

Today's list features the crappy part about college:

• TUITION. I don't know about you, but I am still used to the free public school system I was in for 13 yrs... and all of the sudden its thousands of dollars just to go to school! Crazy!
• LIVING EXPENSES. I found a pretty good deal, my own b-room, furnished, walking distance to campus. Still yet there's rent, water, electricity, and food to be bought every month!
• BOOKS. Again, I am used to public schools. I never had to pay for a book! Now I'm shelling out $60 for ONE!
• THAT OTHER STUFF. Yeah. Gas, car insurance, car payments, cell phone bills, don't go away just because your going to college.

Before you are totally bummed out by my negativeness, the GOOD most definitely outweighs the BAD in this particular situation. The freedom and what is learned at college is well worth all the freakin' money that's paid for it. And besides: "You can't take it with you when you go." and "It's an investment to your future." I hope that is true because I'm gonna have to make a lot of money to make up for what I will spend the next three years!

Peace, Love, and thanks for reading,

a.marsh

**Quote of the day: "When autumn comes and it doesn't ask. It just walks in where it left you last. You never know when it starts, until there's fog around the glass inside your summer heart." -John Mayer.

What do you do with a list and a love of journalism?

Today I am bothered by the thought of what exactly I was put on this Earth to do. Being a college student, I find myself full of random things that I THINK I could do. After all, I am pretty sure that I want to go into journalism, but man does that word have such a bad definition that comes with it. I'm sure that most people think "uh, in-your-face reporting, crime scenes, digging up the dirt, celebrity gossip..who on earth would want to do that?" Well most of it doesn't describe me at all, but "digging up the dirt," now we are on to something. Part of me would really like to do documentary type things, and another part of me would love to go into the magazine business, another idea is online news, but I'm just not sure what is going to be a stable position in the near future. Maybe by starting this blog I will begin to realize what exactly I would be happy doing for the part/the rest of my life.

List of what I want in a career/job: (I make lists for EVERYTHING I do.)
1. Interview/Interact with people. The more I learn from others, the happier I am.
2. A role-model. I want to be respected and strong. There are not a lot of women for girls to look up to these days.
3. Unpredictability. No cubicle, boring, same-o everyday stuff. I like to be in the know.
4. Variety please. Politics and news are cool, I just don't want to be old/depressed before my time.
5. Organization. Even though I do want things to be "spur of the moment" I still need to be efficient. No half ass/incomplete jobs will have this girl's name on it.
6. Design. Even though I'm not a "photo-shop queen," I do enjoy the creation of layouts. I was editor of my high school yearbook..does that tell you anything?
7. Creativity. I don't want to work somewhere that I feel I have to bite my tongue in order to keep my job, I should get to write/express anything that I feel would have a positive influence on others.
8. Optimism. I am an upbeat person and lazy, negative, pessimistic people really bring me down, so I need a good working environment.
9. Do it different. I really don't aspire to live my life working under someone else's dream. That's a good start, but eventually I want to do things as I vision them. I want to "make my own path."
10. Not all about me. Journalism is known as a competitive and cut throat type of career, but I simply do not want to live my life selfishly. It's not all about me, me, me. All though I know success comes with sacrifice, I DO NOT want to be the old lady alone with a bunch of cats.

The list is done..Now what?

Peace, Love, and thanks for reading,

A.R.Marsh


**Quote of the day: "You're the cheese to my macaroni."