So..1 Year Out!

Hey guys!  I haven't written a post on here in a little over a year.  A TON has happened since I last updated everyone about my life, so here are the highlights:

-Once I returned home from Cape Cod, I had a month and a half of FULL TIME job searching.  It sucked.  I was stressed, depressed, and all around just not feeling great about myself.
-Eventually, I was hired by a local social service agency dedicated to helping seniors in the community.  I work as a Case Manager which is PERFECT, because that's exactly what I went to school for.  :)  It feels great being able to put my degree to work for me and get a little ROI (return on investment).
-Oct. 15, 2012 is when I started this incredible new job.  I'm almost coming up on my 1 yr anniversary here, so life has been wonderful.  I've learned a ton and absolutely love the work I'm doing.  Perfect fit!
-Ryan and I are no longer a couple.  But it's okay, I promise!  We're still extremely close and went back to being besties.
-In Feb. I had to get a new car.  Space needed new roters, brakes, brake pads, etc., etc., and it just wasn't worth it to keep throwing money into a '99 vehicle.  I ended up getting myself a silver 2010 Dodge Journey which is a large SUV.  The only 2 drawbacks are that (1) it is an automatic (I prefer 5 speeds), and (2) it is only FWD.  Since my job requires me to do home visits to many (most) of my clients, I am often traveling up back roads and up mountains, even in the middle of winter.  I wish I had advocated more for getting a 4WD vehicle.  Oh well, next time.  I am proud to say that I was able to get the loan for my vehicle all on my own (didn't need a co-signer!) so now I am truly able to say 'my' car and mean it! :)
-I've been to Washington, D.C. with Ryan last year for my birthday (my first time there)!  We stayed in a hostel for 7 days which ended up not having running water for 3 of those days, so we ended up having to get a hotel room about 2.5-3 days into that madness.  I think we almost reached our breaking point in seeing how long we could go without showering.  It was bad.  BUT we were able to see all of the main highlights and tourist attractions, so it felt great to cross all of the main monuments and museums off my bucket list.
-I've been paying HARDCORE on my student loans.  I crunched the numbers last night and by the end of this year if all goes well [I'll explain in my next bullet point], I'll have resolved $11,430 in my student loan debt.
-"If all goes well...."  Okay, here we go.  I have 3 different lenders for my student loans.  My federal ones through the US Dept of Education, some through VSAC, and one through this other loan mgmt company on behalf of my college called MyCampusLoan.  They are managing my Perkin's loan (instead of Champlain having to hire staff to work directly on managing every student's account).  Here's the deal.  There are certain circumstances in which you may be able to get your Perkin's loan forgiven.  You also have to have worked at your job for a minimum of 1 year.  I applied for deferment a couple months ago (because I only just found out that this might even be a possibility for me), and was approved--so right my now loan with them is not accruing interest.  YAY!  Before applying for deferment, my Perkin's loan was my first smaller loan I was really going after.  I wanted to get that totally paid off so I could snowball my payments and put the rest of the money that was going to my Perkin's payment toward VSAC or my federal loans.  But, since my Perkin's is in deferment and is not accruing interest, I'm working hard on my VSAC loans since they are still accruing interest.  Anyway, once I meet my 1 year anniversary at this fantastic job, I can send in a Request for Cancellation form.  I don't know if I will be approved, but I really hope so.  My other hope is that they will refund me the $1800 or so I've already invested in that loan.  Because I can put that towards another one of my loans.  So, if all of this goes my way, I'll be $11,430 out of student loan debt by the end of Dec. 2013.  GET IT.
-Ryan moved to E. Boston to continue his studies and get his Master's in Community Theater at Emerson College, so that's exciting!  I can't wait until I can go down to visit and spend a few nights with him.  I don't know Boston that well, but I imagine I'll be learning over the course of the next few years.
-Lastly, I'm trying once again to lose weight.  Now that I have health insurance through my employer (although I'm not sure how that's going to change once the Health Care Exchange takes over Jan 1), I have successfully lost about 30 lbs since mid January of 2013.  I went to Physical Therapy to have them train me in how to push myself, how to do which exercises with my body, and how to execute proper form with many of the different exercises they gave me to work on.  Besides exercising and trying to be more active in general, I have almost completely done a 180 on my diet.  I'm trying to stay away from processed food as much as possible, and focus more on fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, protein, etc.  There are still the days when I need to stop at McD's for a breakfast or lunch, because my job often has lots of time constraints, but I'm not making that the foundation of my diet any longer.  I can't wait to continue with this journey now that I have support from my PCP (primary care physician), and other local community agencies to help me reach my goals.  :)

Annd...that's really about it.  I'm sure I'm forgetting a few different highlights, but that's most of what has happened to me since August of 2012.

I hope I didn't bore you with all the minute details of my life for the past 13 months.  There's lots of exciting stuff going on, and I love being able to share all this with you.  :)

What are some of the main highlights of your life in the past year.  In what ways have you grown?  What can you do this year that you couldn't last year?

Happy September, everyone!  Here comes the next holiday season!!

x.o.x.o.
Megan

I'm a Big Girl Now! (Almost)

Hello, again Blogger.



Been a while since I last posted for you!  So, here's whats going on in my life right now:

• doing the whole job search thing
• still unpacking from college & from getting back from Ashley's where I spent the summer
• have successfully managed to visit a majority of my friends up in VT since I've been home
• trying to decide where I'm going to live; and if/when I can afford to move in on my own
• managing how weird it feels to not be moving back into college today

Originally the plan was for Rosie and I to get an apartment in Barre, but that's not a healthy decision for me for lots of reasons which I don't really wish to divulge to strangers on the internet.  Let's just say I have a past   with Barre and I don't want to put myself in a position where I will feel unsafe or ambushed.

SO-I am contemplating where I really want to be so I can start job searching in that area and figure out life piece by piece.  To start I'll be living at home and commuting to work wherever I decide is the area I want to reside, so I'm trying to be smart and realistic about what I can afford, how much commuting my car can take until I make the big move, and where the best place for me is in Vermont.  

In the meantime I'm daydreaming about what it'll be like to finally be on my own, to be a real adult working the typical American 40 hr week, and how incredible it'll feel to finally be financially independent from my family.  I can't wait to be able to pay all my own bills every month while chipping away at my student loans that will be coming due in a few more months!  However, step 1 is finding that first career-level job to put my degree to work.

Self-sufficiency at it's finest!!!

I'll need lots of luck so feel free to leave your well-wishes below.  Much appreciated!

If anyone has any suggestions or tips on searching for and obtaining a first apartment or what the first year out of college looks like-feel free to leave those below as well.

From my brain to yours,

xoxo Megan

It's Hot; I'm Melting. Here's My Thoughts on Religion?

I'm pretty positive I can swim through the air today on Cape Cod.  It has been muggy and hot and humid for the past two days, and tomorrow is supposed to be the same.  

I consumed an entire pint of my favorite Ben and Jerry's flavor: Chocolate Fudge Brownie tonight just to cool off, and it worked....for about an hour.

 

There are so many things going through my mind right now between boyfriend stuff, job stuff, and living arrangement stuff for the upcoming months.  There are going to be big changes, ones that I hope I am ready for, and some that I know I'm ready for.

Which is why I continue to be up so late on my days off, thinking about things and hoping for the best for myself.  There are so many unknown variables in my life.  Any decision I make at this point in my life is going to put me on an entirely different life path than I would have been on if I had made the opposite decision.  That's a lot of pressure, much like the episode "Turn Left" in Doctor Who, Season 4, Episode 11.  You can watch it on Netflix or probably look it up on Youtube in parts.

So many things are about to change and I'm about to embark on a completely different life journey.  I want to serve whatever purpose I have in this world and help, touch, and connect with the people I am destined to encounter.  I want to live a comfortable lifestyle, and make sure I do whatever I can to become fully financially independent from my family all the while creating a comfortable living atmosphere and environment for myself and whomever I choose to share my life with.  I hope to be the best person I can be, and to really immerse myself in the experience of living, and working hard for that living.  I want to know that I am earning every dollar I make, and that I am dedicating myself to being the best version of myself I can possibly be.

Life/Karma has a way of returning to you whatever you deserve.  I want to put as many positive vibes in the universe not just so that I can get something good back out of it at the end of the day, but just so that I know I am sending as much positive energy into this universe as possible.  Period.  I don't want to be the person that is good and does good because s/he knows that s/he will be getting a reward for doing so, but because I feel it is the right thing to do.  

I'm not sure why I'm having this huge deep, defining moment of my life at 12:30 am when I feel like I'm sweating out every single toxin in my body, or why it feels so New Age-y, but I suppose in moments of stress/distress is when a lot of "Aha!" moments happen.  Perhaps I work best under pressure?

I suppose I've always been a New Age spiritualist.  I was baptized Catholic as a child, but once my Mom and I moved on, we stopped going to church.  I do believe there is some higher power out there, but I don't necessarily think it is one all-encompassing god (or goddess for that matter).  I think of this higher power like a huge diamond in the sky, with many different facets.  These facets reflect down on the world  creating different perspectives; gods, and goddesses in all different regions across the globe.  However, each of these higher powers stem from the same source.  When I decide to do my form of "praying", I pray generally to all gods and goddesses, (1) because I'm sure in many cases I need all the help I can get, and (2) because I don't want to offend any gods/goddesses that do exist in case they do come in different entities.  

When I do pray, I try to keep myself in perspective and not wish for a certain outcome in a situation.  I ask only that I am guided to whatever path I am supposed to be on, and that things will work out for me in the grand scheme of things "for the greater good".  I know that sometimes life hurls challenges at you right and left, but they're to help you learn, grow, and become stronger for the next set of obstacles you have to face.  I feel like everything is all a part of a grand design.  Again, as I mentioned in a previous post, this doesn't give you the free reign to let the cards fall where they may.  You still have the ability to make choices, and to decide if you will step up to the plate and face the challenges that are coming at you.  You have the ability to live a better life and to make better choices for yourself.  

Finally, my environmentalist side comes out.  I feel that all Earthly creatures come from the Earth, and are returned to the Earth (in both a physical and spiritual way).  When I die, I hope I am not buried in a casket.  I would like to be returned to the world in the most natural way possible.  I want to decompose directly in the ground without being protected by a wooden casket, be cremated, or (as terrible as this sounds), be returned to the ocean to be eaten by fish and sea creatures.  Seriously, what is the point of being protected in a casket?  You're dead.  Just let nature take you back.  I know this sounds like a grotesque, horror movie scene, but really, I don't want to use more of the Earth's materials to give me a "proper burial".  I just want to be left in piece(s) [see what I did there?] to be consumed again by nature, and folded back into the planet like a nice pizza dough.

I'm not sure whether I believe in reincarnation per se.  But I believe that we have a symbiotic relationship with the Earth we come from.  Just because we are human doesn't mean we have the right to overpopulate and destroy the miracles of life, peace, and solace on this planet.  We are no greater than the common squirrels, shrimp, or dung beetle that also exist on this planet.  In the grand scheme of things, we are all just a life form trying to survive.  So why do us humans continue to do nearly everything we can to ruin or spoil life-when so little of it already exists?  Greed.  Lust for power.  The power to feel "human" emotions.  The same components that "set us apart" from other life forms-a brain to think with and process complicated situations.  A brain with emotions when once corrupted, ruins life for all others nearby.

Sorry that this just turned into a very political rant.  But it's how I feel.  We come from this planet.  Ingesting all of these synthetic materials and man-made toxins are not doing us any favors.  Notice how you feel better after eating a wholesome turkey sandwich with cheddar cheese on whole grain bread and veggies over a McDonald's value meal?  (Don't get me wrong-I do love the taste of McDonald's food).  But the food is probably mostly synthetic.  It's bad for you, brings more toxins and salts/fats into your body that most people typically don't need, and leaves you hungry for more later on.  Whatever chemicals are used in the food create sort of an addiction.  Once you go to "splurge" once, it's hard to resist the temptation to do it again.  

Also, apparently the nuggets from McDonald's melt into liquid?  "One former McDonald’s employee warned against the chicken nuggets recalling: ‘I accidentally left a whole bag of about 100 chicken nuggets out on a counter for way too long. They melted. Into a pool of liquid. I never understood why. But they were completely indiscernible as being the nuggets I once knew."  Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2173221/Chicken-nuggets-dirty-ice-dont-dare-touch-ketchup-bottle-The-dangers-fast-food-choices-people-work-joints.html#ixzz20qwB8iiP

Anyway-back to my point.  The reason you feel better after eating the turkey sandwich is because it's made of wholesome products coming directly from nature.  All of the nutrients are still in the food, and it doesn't leave you CRAVING more hours later.  You also feel better about yourself for making a healthy choice over the easy way out.  Plus, your body runs better once it has all of these nutrients coming more directly from nature.  

All of these things are suddenly coming back to the forefront as I'm thinking about my life and how I want to lead it.  So what, I'm most comfortable being a New Age spiritualist?  So what I actually own my own Tarot Deck (not that I use it often, but I hope to remedy that once I have my own place that isn't in a college dormitory)?  So what I perceive my "god" to be a little different than yours?  This doesn't make me a bad person.  This doesn't mean I'm messing with the dark forces of the universe and am opening doors that I don't know how to close.  This means I'm living life as best I can, and doing what I can to make my home on Earth as good a place as possible, while accepting a little help and guidance from my friends in the big diamond in the sky every so often.  

As soon as I am home with access to my candles again, I shall light one and reflect on every other person in the world who is at the same life transition place as myself.  We have lots of big choices to make, and not a lot of time to make these choices.  This is the biggest life transition of them all-leaving the house for good, spreading our wings, and learning how to fly.  We could all use a little luck and guidance right now.

From my brain to yours,

Megan

My Big Decision

Today is the day.

Friday the 13th, 2012.

I have officially written to The University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH to see if they can defer my acceptance for a year.  Which means....

I have decided to find an awesome full time job with benefits for at least a year, and to get an apartment in Barre, VT with Rosie!!!

I'm so excited!  I can't wait to find my financial foothold as a real adult and to finally be able to feel financially independent from my family!  I'll be able to afford my own things, my mom won't be stuck with my bills as well as hers anymore, and it'll just be much better for everyone, all around.  =)

I have been applying for jobs like a crazy person.  Hopefully one of them (a few, preferably) will want me and be willing to take me on.  I'd love to find at least one, but it'd be nice to have a choice, as well.  "The starting median salary for a social worker [is] $33,400" (http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/media/nasw-responds-to-article-on-worst-paying-college-degrees.html).  That's a $676 paycheck every week (before taxes), which is $17.41/hr if you work a 40 hr week.  I mean, according to the article it's 'supposedly' one of the worst paying college degrees, but $17/hr is more than I've ever been paid in my lifetime.  Clearly, I will be very excited about this kind of paycheck.

I'm also SUPER EXCITED to start my first ever apartment hunt!  Luckily Rosie is also looking for a new place to live right now, so we're trying to find a nice 2 bedroom and split all the costs for rent/utilities/etc.

Probably what we'll have to use for furniture at least to get started...

I can't wait to start my real adult life and to live in an apartment which for the first time, I'll finally be able to afford!  AHH! 

Please wish me luck in all my endeavors.  I have a lot to learn and get used to as I get ready to embark on my new life path, so I'll need all the well-wishing I can get!

My goal is to get moved into a nice cozy apartment (with heat included in the rent price) before the snow flies in Vermont.  If you have any advice please leave it below!

Stream 2: My Little Ottoman

As I sit and think about heading off to grad school this fall, I inevitably find myself thinking about what my everyday life will be like.

What is my room going to look like?  How am I going to decorate?  What will I store in my perfect little ottoman now that I no longer have to hide my alcohol from campus security?  (The dorm I will be living in is a 21+ dorm, so it is okay to drink privately in your room with the door closed).

An ottoman is such a perfect furniture piece.  It functions as a stool, a seat, a footrest, and as storage (if you have a hollow one with a removable top).  I will be living in a single in Babcock at UNH in the fall, which means I won't have a lot of space.  I'll need to maximize storage whenever possible.  Lofting the bed to move other furniture pieces underneath is only the beginning of creative storage.  Knowing how to maximize your vertical space is key.

For example, purchasing vertical hanging boxes for your closet space can help you get your shoes off the floor, store those extra bulky winter sweaters, or keep some extra office supplies in an organized, out-of-the-way place.

Additionally, a standing plastic tower that fits under the bed is perfect for organizing and storing medicines, undergarments, or extra make up and jewelry so these items don't clutter the larger drawers in the dresser that is assigned to you by the college or university.

As wonderful and clever as these other pieces are, nothing beats my little ottoman.  It can be a great hiding place as it simply looks like decor or functional extra college kid seating.  While I'm not sure what I want to store in it next year as of yet, here are a few ideas of mine:

• Snacks
• Extra notebooks/stationary/office supplies (frees up clutter on the desk)!
• Handbags I'm not currently using
• Shoes
• Extra sheets/pillow cases/out-of-season scarves
• Decorations for each season/holiday to keep my room festive
• Scented goods for the room/air fresheners

How do you creatively store things when living in such close quarters?  Where are your best hiding places?

From my brain to yours,

Megan

Stream 1

Because I suck at finding inspiration to sit and write about, I decided to get started with a stream of consciousness piece.  Here it is:

I believe everything happens for a reason.  Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.  One door closes, another opens.  Insert a multitude of other such cliches here.

Often it is hard to see past the negative aspects to this crazy, dramatic thing called life.  One word has hardly ever held so much room for interpretation or emotional turmoil.  Some see life as a blessing or gift, others as a curse.  How is one's lot in life determined?  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Is Karma broken?  Is Karma real?  The human race has often wondered about its place in "the grand scheme of things", as they say.  Are we alone in the universe?  Does a god preside over all of creation?  And what does that say about those who choose to believe in such a power that may or may not exist?  What does that say about atheists?

Are humans meant to be strictly logical creatures, living as empirical scientists?  Are we meant to be intuitive, emotional creatures--living passionately and without law or governance?

Many say that in order to survive you must be able to adapt.  Why is it then, that little pebbles survive longer on this terrestrial planet than living people, who are always searching for self-improvement?  The adaptability theory seems flawed.

These are big questions about life and the human experience.  I don't know the answers.  Maybe I'm not supposed to.  Maybe I can't; human comprehension only goes so far.  We don't even know how to use the entire capacity of the brain's ability to function and process information.

All I really know is who I am and how I experience the world around me.  I live both passionately and rationally, I believe in Karma and I believe that there may be some power, god(s) or goddess(es) in the universe overseeing the grand scheme of things--making sure that the balance of the universe is always in check.

I do not, however, believe that this is an excuse to lay back and let the pieces fall where they may.  All humans have power in that they can make decisions.  If you want your life to be different, then have the courage to make the necessary changes.  Be an active participant in your life.  If you want something, go after it!

Sometimes even after putting in all that hard work things will not go the way you envisioned.  You know what?  That's okay.  It wasn't time for you to go down that path yet.  You have more to learn and more experiences to obtain before taking that path.  Have faith in your life.  Believe that you are exactly where you are meant to be at exactly the right time (even if "exactly the right time" means you are currently 10 minutes late for work).  Things happen for a reason.

Live your life the way you want.  Do the things you want to be remembered for.  Be fearless, and love and respect yourself.  Never stop learning, never stop growing.  Adapt if you need to, remain stagnant if you want to.  The possibilities are endless.

From my brain to yours,
Megan

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Today is Christmas!!!!

I hope those of you who celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, etc. that you have had a fabulous holiday season!

My Christmas was actually quite nice this year.  I spent Christmas Eve with Ryan and his family.  We knitted, watched movies, had a HUGE meal comprising salmon, steak, and assorted veggies, and went to church to carol and remember what Christmas is really about.  Now, I'm not a devoted Christian.  I was baptized Catholic as a child, however once my mother and I moved to Lyndonville we stopped attending church and that part of my life sort of closed.  I'm a cautious Christian now I suppose.  I am picky and choosy about what parts of Christianity I believe in, so I don't feel comfortable calling myself a true Christian.  I believe that there is some higher power, and that perhaps there is a sort of destiny for everyone.  However, I don't consider this as an excuse to lay back and do nothing with my life.  I am still the highly motivated individual I have always been, and always hope to be.

Anyways, moving along.  This year my family and I decided to open presents Christmas Eve as we had extended family coming on Christmas day, and it would have probably been a little awkward for them to watch our family hold our Christmas.  I believe in a small family Christmas-immediate family and a few close friends whom everyone knows intimately.  I feel awkward crashing someone else's Christmas when they are opening presents, and I don't like being put on display for others outside my immediate family and inner circle of friends and having to show and tell each of the gifts I receive.  It just feels weird to me.  So, we had our own intimate family Christmas and then hosted a few family members today, Christmas Day.  It worked out quite nicely!

Here is a list of some of the awesome gifts I received this year from my family (this isn't to brag-I'm just excited about what I've been lucky enough to receive!):

• My own personal Susan (a name Ryan and I have given the voice of the GPS put out by the "For Dummies" company)
• A car radio with a CD player, conversion kit, and CD holder for the car!  Space (my car) came without a CD player-just the radio.  This way I can make my own mixes again and listen to my own music whenever I want!  I just need the money to get to a garage to have a mechanic install everything for me.  :D
• A Tazo Tea kit with 2 tea mugs, Zen tea, and Calm tea (all of which I love).
• Clothing from Lane Bryant!  
• FUZZY SOCKS!  (My fave).
• Earrings from Lane Bryant.
• A necklace and earring set from JCPenny's (I believe).
• Candy dots.
• Hershey's kisses (already eaten).
• A few purses (that I think I am still trying to decide whether I like).
• Twin XL Sheet Set
• A flower-shaped cutting board, lady bug hot plate, and a strainer serving spoon (which is awesome!)
• Bath and Body Works Enchanted Life body spray, body lotion, and body wash.
• Bath and Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom Body Butter (I have used this every day since my sophomore year of high school and I looooove it!)
• 2 little Peppermint and Cotton Candy hand sanitizers from Bath and Body Works.
• Gift cards to the Mobil station and Price Chopper (Yay for gas to get back to Burlington and money to buy enough food to hopefully feed me until my refund check comes in!)
• Dermalogica Wash off, Bedtime for Breakouts, and Ready, Set, Scrub! products (which I also love.  I have tried them for the first time this past semester and they seem to work really well with my skin!  Hooray for gentle ingredients that don't actually do more damage to your skin than good!)

And from Ryan:

• A new pot to cook with since the Teflon was coming off from an old pot I had which necessitated my throwing it away.
• An amazing book he created full of memories between the two of us.  :)  <3

And from Ashley:

• A pair of earrings from Forever 21.
• A small clutch purse (which I love).  
• Yarn to aid me in my knitting endeavors!

Thank you to those of you who have exchanged gifts with me.  I love you all.  <3  Please go into the New Year safely, warmly, and heartily.  Drink and be merry-but also please be safe about it.

Safe and happy expeditions to you all!

xoxox

<3 Megan 

Resident Assistant

Oh yeah, get ready.  This girl right here?  The newest RA at Champlain College!!!!

I'm soooooooooooooooooooooooo excited!!!  I'll be responsible for residents living at "The Q".  Curious about some of the perks?  $1,000 stipend over the course of the semester, free "room" (not "board" which includes the meal plan,) my own bathroom (with a tub!) and a chance to make some new and excellent friends!!!

Seriously, it's going to be a wonderful and fantastic time.  Can't wait to move in!

Keep you posted as more info is revealed!

Until next time,
XXOO Megan <3

Looking Down: I See Boobs!

Soooo....some of you may be baffled at the title.  Understandably so.

Here's what I mean.

When I came to college, I was overweight enough where when I looked down the front of my body, I saw boobs and then a few inches of protruding tummy beyond that.  Now when I look down...I just see boobs!!! Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!  This means I've probably lost some inches on my tummy area, but I'll be able to validate that more when I'm able to find some quiet time to strip down and take my measurements.  (It's really rather difficult in college with people around all the time.)  I'm not knocking it though, all summer I craved more interaction with people my own age.  Well, now I've got it.

I'm very excited for weigh-in on Sunday.  Also, I've gone in to reset my WW points.  I had been allotted 32 points per day, but now that I've indicated that I'm walking most of the time, I'm allowed 37 points per day.  No WONDER I've been starving at the end of the day.  I'm doing some serious calorie burning by walking everywhere (especially to Ryan's dorm room-which is 5 stories up-and elevators are not an option.)

To add on the subject of my diminishing belly bulge, I feel like I can account to the other reason I've lost some of it.  First, there's the exercise portion which obviously helps, regardless.  But then there's the food choices.  Case in point:  I looooooove warm bagels with cream cheese.  They taste so good, and it's essentially a comfort food.  However, bread expands in your stomach-therefore creating extra pudge and bloat during the day.  I've been really careful about choosing lots of fruits in the morning for breakfast (I need to start working more protein in in my breakfasts as well-but I'm working on that,) and having at LEAST 1 salad a day with either lunch or dinner.  I like to try to have a bigger lunch because then your body has the entire rest of the day to digest that.  Dinner should be something simple yet effective.  Half a plate of veggies or fruits, 1/4 plate of protein/fiber, 1/4 plate of whole grains. 

I'm having a bit of a battle with the "whole grains" thing.  The prepared meals I've been getting are more geared either towards straight up carbs (lunch), or lots of veggies/healthy stuff that'll digest within the next hour or so (dinner-usually.)  Maybe I should work on making deli choices for lunch instead, and then asking for whole grain bread.  That may help.  :)  Plus any cold cut means will be protein.  Hmmm...excellent.

Also-on a side note.  I splurged last night.  It's been around 90 degress EVERDAY of college so far.  It's sooooooo hot.  Vermont is NOT supposed to be 90 degress.  Ever.  Okay, maybe one or two days out of August, but not for weeks at a time.  It was in the 70s and 80s before I left for college back in Lyndonville, and now that I'm back in Burlington where the weather is naturally about 5 degress warmer than home anyway, the temp decides it needs to skyrocket.  Because of this, I had a chocolate creemee for desert yesterday with Hershey's chocolate sauce.  I don't regret it.  :)

Anywho, I've got to wrap up this post for now because I have class in a half hour and I'd like some time to center myself before going up to campus for 3 classes.  To everyone out there-good luck with your weight loss plan or with your making healthier lifestyle choices plan!  I'm always here...going through the same process with you.

Chin up, kids!

<3 Megan <3

My Pores Still Work

Hi, all!

Yesterday I got my exercise in!  Too bad it was 97 degrees outside, but you take what you can get I suppose.

I went on my 6 hr field trip with my Intro to Bio class I've been taking at CCV this summer.  Around 9:30-10am, we arrived at our first stop.  After a 15-20 min climb up a hill of about a 70 degree incline, we made it to our first site.  (This was when I almost passed out about three times from my heart working too hard-just FYI.)  I WAS keeping myself hydrated.  That is SUPER important on a day where the heat is through the roof.  However, my instructor thought that we all hiked on a regular basis or something so she went like 80 mph up the hill (that's legit-haha.)  Anywho, after finally arriving and noticing my skin seep sweat everywhere, I cooled off by listening to our instructor talk for about 10 minutes.  Whew.  Yep, sweat is rolling down my body everywhere.  Fantastic.

(Skip all the boring searches we did in the stream, our findings, and our next 45-50 min talk.) Actually-we did find a Northern Dusky Salamander which was cute, but that was about it.

Our next site after climbing back down the mountain was on the Mad River in Waitesfield.  WATER.  I WISH I'd had my bathing suit, because that is the most awesome swimming hole I've seen in a LONG time.  Ryan-we're going.  No questions.  Get in the car.  NOW.  Hahaha.  So, when we got there we ate lunch, and then talked for another 20-30 mins, THEN we got to go walk through the river.  OOOOHHH it felt SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good.  Like, you have NO idea.  Unfortunately this site was out in the open sun.  And me being a redhead and all, I wasn't expecting that to go over too well.  Fortunately for me though, I was smart that morning and had brought sunblock to put on before we left.  As of now, I'm about three shades darker than I was pre-field trip.  Awesome!  I was thinking I would have had to reapply my sunblock more often than just the once in the morning because the sunblock was about a year old, and I had been sweating all morning.  Yup, my pores still work okay.

Regardless, this second site was MUCH more enjoyable.  No evil horseflies trying to get a chunk out of you, no 70 degree incline of a hill, and plenty of water to go around.  If I hadn't been worried about getting Beth's car all wet on our ride back, I would TOES have completely submerged myself.

It was all a good time.  My body still remembers how to sweat, and I made it out alive.

YAY!

<3 Megan <3

Mr. Scarborough: Part 2

Copied and pasted from FaceBook!  Hope you all enjoy!

First off, thanks to all of you who are interested in what's going on with Mr. Scarborough, and for all your continued support. Many of you have been SUPEREXCITED to hear how my trip to Maine went, so here's a glimpse to hopefully satisfy all of you. :)




_____ _____ _____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____



Ding! Ding! Round two! On Tuesday I took a nice, short, leisurely 3.5 hour drive to Scarborough, ME to see Mitchell (formerly Mr. Scarborough.)



Before the fact, I again woke up 2 hrs before I had scheduled myself to leave and commenced with my preparation for the day. 30 minutes to wake up and eat breakfast, 2 minutes deciding what to wear, 15 minutes in the shower, 10 minutes actually getting dressed and brushing hair and teeth (not with the same brush, mind you,) 5 minutes double checking the ingredient lists on my shamoo, lotions, and deoderant to make sure nothing contained anything coconut (Mitchell is allergic. [:(]), 3 minutes finding and applying mascara (which again doesn't happen often-but it adds that extra oomph,) 20 minutes running around gathering items to throw in a bag "just in case," 10 minutes assuring my grandmother I'll be fine and not to worry, 10 minutes at Cumby's to gas up and grab a lunch for when I got closer to Maine, 5 minutes in Kinney's grabbing MORE last-minute stuff (3 of which were spent talking to Dorothy about 3 kids that died in a car crash in our town the night before,) 1.5 minutes on the phone to let Mitchell know I'm FINALLY leaving, and 2 minutes to drive out of the parking lot and to leave Lyndonville. I'm off!



[Insert 3.5 hours of uneventful driving here with an awesome soundtrack including songs such as: According to You-Orianthi, Follow Me-3OH3!, OMG-Usher, Shots-Lil Jon, LoveGame-Lady Gaga, Just Dance-Lady Gaga, TiK ToK-Ke$ha, Blah Blah Blah-Ke$ha, Defying Gravity, Don't Stop Believing, Imagine, It's My Life/Confessions, Smile (Lily Allen), Taking Chances, 4 Minutes-All from Glee, Jumpin' Jumpin'-Destiny's Child, Say My Name-Destiny's Child, Affirmation-Savage Garden, No Scrubs-TLC.]



"278, 276, 274...oh, come on! It's gotta be here somewhere! 258, 256....oh...crap. FML!" This was my internal dialogue while trying to find Mitch's house after finally finding his road. (There are like 3 roads that are actually one, but the name changes the further along the road you get. Kind of like Newark Rd/St...whatever. LOL.) Of course, I missed it the first time by, but then I had to find a place to pull over (5 minutes down the road) to call my gram to let her know I got to Maine safely, as promised. I felt like if I pulled into Mitch's driveway and then proceeded to sit in the car on my cellphone that that may come across as sketchy and stalkerish. Not the best way to come across when first visiting someone's home. Haha.



Anywho, I turned around after I got off the phone, and drove by it-again. WTF?! Why am I SO good at finding people's houses? FINALLY I pulled in the driveway. Phew.



Now, here's where more confusion begins. There's a front door, and a door through the garage into the house. Way to make it easy for me, Mitchell. The walkway to the front door looked promising, so I decided to try that first. No response. Awesome. Way to make an ass out of myself before even getting inside. "Well, this is awkward," I muttered as I turned away to go try the garage door next. Too late. Just as I finished talking out loud to myself and turned around, there he was at the end of the walkway. Fabulous, now he probably thinks I am a mental case as well. Just wondeful. :)



BUT-now I'm not the one that appears sketchy and stalkerish. He just stood at the end of the walkway and stared at me until I figured out the other door would be a better way to get into the house. Hahaha. Nice.



Going into the garage was fun. I got to meet Winston (the Pug,) and Jacob (the auburn Golden Retriever) tied up just outside. SOOO CUTE! Inside the house was pretty fun too. It was designed to draw people to the living room/kitchen area which I found very clever. I met Lily (KITTYYYY!!!!) in the living room, and got to see the rest of the house. It was gorgeous, and spotless like Mitchell had told me before- despite 3 pets living there.



I got shown his bedroom and the computer room-the two most frequented-by-Mitchell rooms in the house (except the computer room is more so.) The Guest Bedroom (Mitchell's room) was really very sparce. Of course, it kind of has to be, incase everything falls apart some night and he's out a place to live. His bed was really squishy and comfy-and big! People that have bigger-than-a-twin-sized bed facinate me. I've slept in a twin my entire life-which doesn't really provide or promote cuddling opportunities. :(



Oh! Then I got to see an album full of pictures of Mitchell growing up and excelling in school. Mitch=adorable child. (And is now a perfect man <3). I may have to look at this album again later when I'm sitting down and am really able to focus in and study it. All in all though, I loved it.



After seeing this and two of his PUBLISHED POEMS (that's right, my man is totally awesome,) we were a little at a loss for what to do next. Mitchell showed me a few things online (including a game called Plants v. Zombies.) My mom would love it. Eventually we decided to drive to the beach.



For some reason, Mitch decided that he liked watching me drive, then teased me about how cautious a driver I was. Hey! I actually learned to, you know, STOP at stop signs in Driver's Ed, apparently unlike you crazy Maine people. Haha!



We got to drive through downtown Portland-except I didn't really know what I was doing because some lanes aren't really marked well. We made it unscathed, even if some drivers were probably like, "Stupid Out-of-Stater." LMFAO. Also, there was a sketchy homeless man that we had to avoid, so that was fun, too. Haha.



BEEEAAAACCCCHHH!!!!!!!!!!!



The ocean was beautiful. There wasn't spectacular visiblility, but the sun was out and the breeze was relatively warm (and so was Mitchell.) :)



We walked along the beach, and playfully shoved each other. We talked, we cuddled, we sat, we cuddled some more, we became a couple, we bonded. It was really fabulous. Oh yeah, we kissed too. [Insert pre-teen squealing here.] I missed being intimate with someone more than I realized. Apparently I have soft lips? I mean, I thought lips were supposed to be soft all on their own? Maybe not. If not, I guess I'm lucky. He is too. :) (For those of you who are like me and sometimes need extra prompting, that was me saying that Mitchell has soft lips, too.)



On the way back to his house, we took the highway which bypassed Portland's heavy traffic.



Maine is such an interesting state. The majority of it looks like VT, but on the trip down to the ocean, there was a section that reminded me of Burlington, a section that reminded me of the hills in San Francisco (although I've never actually been there,) and downtown Portland that reminded me of Montreal. WTF?! I mean, it's cool. But just not what I'm used to. =)



Getting back to the house after stopping to grab cheap gas at Sam's Club (whooo hoooo!!!) we only had a few minutes before his mom came home from work.



After a few minutes of mindless banter back and forth when she finally got home, Mitchell decided to make us scarce until she decompressed from work. So, we decided to go lay down for an hour. YAY! CUDDLE TIME! We just layed in each other's arms and chatted back and forth for a while until Mitchell fell asleep. He's so comfy! Mitchell now =s Megan's new favorite body pillow. =)



About an hour later, we were up. After more wonderful kissing, we went into the computer room so I could watch him play an expert game of League of Legends (abbreviated to LoL) so I could learn something. Well, I don't know how much I learned, but maybe with time and experience it will all come to me.



Mitchell's mom ended up getting a little testy because the one game went longer than originally intended, and supper was ready. So, begrudgingly he left the game, and we went to grab supper. Chicken Alfredo. YESSS!!! We joined his mom and stepdad on the screened-in back porch, and made more small talk. Dinner overall went very well. I had a hard time eating due to my untimely wisdom tooth trying to shoulder its way into my mouth, but I just took my time and ate until I was full. Overall, dinner=success.



Soon after this, Mitchell decided to go grab gas for his car at Sam's Club, so I went with. If you think MY driving is interesting, you should check HIS out. Psh. LMFAO! It's okay though, it makes for an interesting ride.



When we returned "home", I unfortunatley had to get going. It was about 7:30 at night, and I needed to be able to read my directions. After a few kisses, nuzzles, and hugs, I left. :'( (There really wasn't any crying, but it was very sad.)



Leaving is always the hardest part. Getting there is so easy because you have all this time ahead of you to do whatever you want. Next thing you know, it's time to go. When you leave, everything is uncertain. You don't know when you'll see each other next, you don't want to let the person go even though you HAVE to, and you don't want to put miles and miles of distance between the two of you. It's just sucky all around.



On the way home, I got lost by missing a turn somewhere, and ended up near Oxford, ME. Eventually I just decided to follow routes heading West and North which is where I needed to go to get home. I don't think I acutally lost much time by getting lost. Once I found Conway, NH again, I definitely knew where I was and then booked it home.



All in all? Not a bad day, not a bad day at all. Mitchell makes me very happy, and he's good TO me and FOR me. We're both in this relationship for the long haul, so who knows where we'll end up. For now, I'm just along for the ride. And as long as there are no other cars at an intersection, who really needs to stop? <3

RYAN GOT HIS LICENSE!!!

...and that's about it.  I have nothing new to report other than that I opened an account on Zoosk.com.  :)

Oh, and the big ugly orange cement block by my high school?  Yeah, someone left a tv on it last night when I drove by at about 10pm.

Oh well.  I'll keep you posted if anything else new/interesting/exciting happens.

Much love!
-Megan

It's All Coasting From Here on Out

So, I realized that I never did post about my EHS Honors Dinner.  Other than almost getting run over after the event (Nadia'd-for those of you who watch LOST,) it was really uneventful.  We sat down at our dinner tables with some water and/or lemonade:

Mmmmmmmmmmmm...

After everyone had gone through the buffet line, we had our nice meal.  After the meal, the award-presenting commenced.  I was more toward the end of the program, but it was still very nice.  Ann (Fred's wife) walked me up by holding my hand, and presented me to the audience:

Ann and Fred are both my professors for the Social Work Program, so it was really fabulous to have everyone there!  Also, the lady in the blue shirt in that last picture is Tawnya, she is another SWK faculty member who will essentially be taking Fred's place when he retires in another year.  Nobody can truly replace Fred, but Tawnya is going to do her best!

________________________________

On to other activities, TODAY IS MY LAST DAY OF CLASS!!!!  YESTERDAY WAS MY LAST DAY OF COR!!!!!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!  Yes, I am very pumped.  This has been a long time coming.  Yesterday was ALSO the last day of my internship for the semester, so things are FINALLY wrapping up.

I just want to say that I couldn't have done this without the unwavering support of Ryan, Ashley, Velvet, and my family.  You guys truly are the best there is, and I want to thank you all for putting up with my stressful, crazy antics whenever things went to crap for me this semester.  If I had like, $500 to give each of you, I'd toes do that.  :) 

(But I don't, so forget it.)  Haha <3

In terms of stress relief....yeah, well, here, let me show you.

Mmmm hmmm.  That's what we do with our life. 

So, all in all, I think I can breathe again.  I'm scared to go home this summer and to see what is going to happen when I have nobody to hang out with.  I don't want to spend my entire summer at work and/or locked away in my room.  I want to get outside, go be active, and do something with my life.  I want to explore some nautre trails, but unfortunately you need someone with you when you go do that.  Sooo...I don't know. 

I do plan on trying to organize a big party at Willoughby by picking a day in mid-July or so, and seeing if we can just get a MASS of people to show up on the same day just to hang out, and enjoy the gorgeous weather.  I'm really looking forward to that, so hopefully that will happen!

I'm also nervous about when I go home that I will have nothing to write about the entire summer other than posts like, "My life sucks.  I work.  I eat.  I sleep.  The end."  I want to write some witty, funny things that keep you all entertained!  Other than Ryan creating a summer reading list and a lesson plan for me to follow this summer, I'm really afraid of just wasting away with nothing to do.  I love hanging out with my family, but after so many days of work to family to work to family, you kind of need something else.  (No offense to all of you at home! I love you, but I need people my own age, too.)  :) <3 

My CCV course will help keep me occupied with some stuff though, so that's good.  I wish I could find more nature spots to go and just sit and get away from the computer without being eaten alive by mosquitos, or being afraid of getting myself lost by going too deeply into the woods.  I'm thinking of maybe spending some time at N. beach out at Willoughby, but we'll see.  I think I'm going to be stuck with paying for gas money to get to classes and back this summer as well, so I need to be aware of what my travel habits are like.

Another topic I'm thinking about lately is boys.  I feel as though I'm ready to move on.  Now that Luke and I have had some space from one another, I don't see myself as a "part" of him anymore.  He is his own person and I am too, and I realize that I don't feel bound to him any longer.  It's really fabulous, really.  I don't mean that in the sense that I am bashing him in any way, but I'm realizing that I think I've been ready to move on probably for about a year now, so I'm glad it has finally happened.  I feel like a much stronger person.  I don't feel guilty about going out with my friends at night when I "should" be home on the computer talking to him.  I actually want to go out and be active with people now.  If you had talked to me about a year ago, I would probably have turned down plans to go out simply because I would miss a night talking to my boyfriend.  Yeah, kind of shitty right?  Well, I have moved on and I want to start looking again.

I realized that I often have trouble just getting to meet people.  So I was thinking of making a profile through Seven Days and posting to see if anybody may be interested.  Seven Days is a very public/weekly publication for the Burlington area, so if I find that I haven't had luck flirting this summer, perhaps I will post something for next semester.  I really do like being single, but I also miss the intimate part of being in a relationship.  And by that I don't mean just missing sex, but I just miss being held.  I miss feeling safe and warm and loved in someone's arms.  I mean, I can certainly live without that if I have to, but I would prefer not to.  Basically, Megan is on the prowl again.  If you or someone you know is interested in dating her, please tell her or forward her their contact information!  I feel as though I may have some free time to pencil them in this summer. ;)  Hahahaha. <3

Until next time!

<3 Megan <3

CCV

I had my meeting with my Academic Advisor, Fred, this past week.  Basically we met to discuss what my class schedule would look like for next semester, and to make sure I'm on track with all the classes I need to be taking.  Indeed, I am well on my way!  However, when we looked at possibilities for next semester, I had 3-4 classes listed, which I needed to pick 2 of.  One of these classes was a science with a lab.  Now, granted I am already signed up to be taking 6 classes next semester, but I don't want to have to waste class space while I'm here over the school year to take my required science with a lab.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....

Fred suggested I look into CCV about taking my science with a lab class over the summer through them.  Hmmmm...that would be cool.  First off, when I go home I get really bored because I'm so isolated from everyone else my age.  It's so much easier here in B-town to go walk 10-15 mins and BAM! You find your friends!  In Lyndonville, I could DRIVE for 15 mins and still not see anyone my age.  Having a summer class like this would A) Prevent extreme boredom and isolation, B) Allow for some NICE summer morning/afternoon driving :), and C) Allow me to potentially make some new friends in other areas of  VT.  I'm almost positive that the CCV classes have many adult students, students my age, and even some students that are in high school.  This will allow me to socialize myself nicely!

So far, I think it might work!  Unfortunately, the science with a lab course wasn't being offered in St. J, so that means I will have to drive an hour to the city where I'm going to actually be taking this class, but like I said, it will allow for some beautiful driving.  (Plus it'll help me get my driving fix for the week, having to drive over there 2 days out of the week.)  Mmmmm...I like it! 

It definitely looks like a plus on just about all sides except for payment...but we might even be able to work that out as well.  WIN!

Now I have to try to see when the CCV offices are open so I can get in to speak with someone.  I may try this afternoon after I man the table for Accepted Students Day by being on the student SWK panel (so basically, students and their parents can come ask me about the program and teachers and such.) Yay!  I'm pumped.  (Plus I get $50 out of it....so I'm all about making $50 in about 1.25 hours. hahaha!!)

Whooooot!  Well, I am going to go finish the rest of my day.  Wish me luck, everyone!

~Megan

Snowball/Jeanne Mance/Successes/Failures

Well, hello everyone!

I've been a slacker lately.  I'm so caught up in my day to day life that things have started to slide on the blogosphere side of my life.

SO, to catch up, let's start with snowball:

These are snapshots of the evening.  Hahaha.  Amid all the completely inebriated people in the center of the dance floor, the rest of us had a GREAT time with the chocolate fountain (FONDUE!!!!)  and some of the music.  Top Hat Entertainment could have probably done a little bit of a better job, but we were able to do the Hand Jive, so then it was all good. :)

Now, let's talk about Jeanne Mance!  AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I received the BEST massage in the past 8 years from Ryan.  It felt so goooood.  We made a special trip to Rite Aid to get baby oil, and a water fountain.  Mmmmmm hmmm.....it was awesome.   We made a Zen Tent, and a new phrase: "It's ZEN TIME, WHAT?"  Yes, things are strange.

Later in the evening, we decided to get Wings for supper.  After calling and waiting for 45 mins, Wings calls Ryan's cell phone.  Joe BOOKS it down the stairs.  When Ryan and I arrive, there are like 4-5 guys lined up against the wall with police officers reading them their rights.  We don't know what happened, but it had to do with alcohol and being on campus.  To see the supposed dialogue, check out Ryan's blog: http://ryhowland.blogspot.com/

Ryan and I just completed a V-Day mailing package to go out to everybody.  It was pretty epic!  Hahahaha.  We've got letters going to L-ville, Barre, and Florida.  Toes!!!!  Let's just blanket our country with 308 Luv!

As far as successes and failures, I'm surviving school.  I don't particularly enjoy a few of my classes this semester, but I'm plugging through them.  I just wish the next three months would hurry up and be done because I'm basically ready to go home and spend time with my family and Ryan.  Granted, I wish I could also go visit Velvet and Ashley at their respective homes in NY and Mass, but it is what it is.

As far as plans for next year, Ryan and I are still planning to hop a plane to Florida over Thanksgiving break.  Mmmmm hmmm....pictures to come!  Hahahahha.  Cannot wait.  Taking a plane (or two!) by ourselves is going to be pretty amazing, and I feel like I'll feel MUCH more like an adult when that is able to happen.  Can't wait!

I believe that's about it as of right now.  I'm (immensely) enjoying being a single woman, and I plan to enjoy it until I feel I'm ready to try dating again.  I love being able to go out with my friends and not feel guilty about not being ONLINE for 7hrs every night talking about the same things day after day.  I really do feel free, and I'm going to enjoy that freedom to it's fullest extent.

Much Love!  IT'S ZEN TIME, WHAT?!

Love, Megan

I Know What You're Thinking

WHERE has she been?  WTF, I want another post!

Well, ladies and gents.  I have been busy.  I have almost successfully navigated my way through the Fall 2009 semester.  One more exam in about 45 mins and then it'll hopefully be just about done and over with...

GIFT EXCHANGE is tonight!  I'm still working on the most EXCELLENT Christmas present for Ryan.  It won't be done in time for tonight, but apparently we've both created gifts for one another that is going to make both of us sob uncontrollably.  Can't wait!   Oh!  Spyro is almost done!!!!  Hahahaha.  We haven't totally "beat" the game yet, because we have to go back through all the other levels and collect ALL the gems in order to get into the final level.   But we're definitely working on it.

Speaking of gifts, I can't wait for Velvet to open hers.  It's mostly a gag gift, but it is also something she will hopefully find useful, and that will make her laugh, giggle, or at least smile once every morning. :)

Finals are overall going extremely well so far.  Is it bad to phrase this line like this: "I wonder how many A's I have?"  Hahaha.  I feel like I did really well this semester in despite of all the crap that happened.

Ugh.  But, I've almost made it.

Ryan, Joe, Ashley, Velvet, (maybe Jess?), and I are going to have our last fantastic night in 308 maple tonight.  Send us your best!

xoxo
Love,
Megan
P.S.  My ex-supervisor is AWESOME.  This is a shoutout to Meg, who offered to let Ryan and I borrow her vehicle for transporting college kid stuff from Jeanne Mance to 308.  Meg Ryan (our combined stage name) thanks you!!!!!