Post-College in DC

My life schedule has been pretty hectic lately. I'm taking 6 classes as a fall semester senior, a 16hr/week internship, running the university's Ballroom Dance program, and babysitting on the weekends to earn some money. And - of course - hitting the gym. It's a bit much but it keeps me busy. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I had 4 classes as a fall semester senior and a ton of free time. I'd be bored. Me and my schedule have what some would call a love-hate relationship.

Holy crap, I'm a college senior. Remember when you were graduating from college? It's different now than when my parents, or even my brother, went to college. Now I'm thinking about a hundred different things - where I want to go after I graduate, when I should start applying for jobs, where I want to live, what I want to do. There's a ton of thinking going on, but I'd prefer to stay in the DMV area (DC, Maryland, Virginia - not the Department of Motor Vehicles). I love DC and the surrounding area. 

Funny enough, Forbes released an article this year on the 10 Best Cities for Newlyweds & young couples! DC made the list! Rent.com, the surveyors, said that "the nation’s capital city offers a wide breadth of romantic opportunities for newlyweds to enjoy depending on what strikes their fancy – everything from cultural excursions (the Smithsonian), to political events, to walking through slices of history at every street corner. With a high mean annual income, newlyweds are more likely to be able to enjoy all that the city offers.” I second that statement.

DC is truly an incredible place when you know where to go - or know someone who knows where to go. DC has been rebuilding to bring in new populations of people to the city, including gays and young couples, which native Washingtonians have told me didn't used to be the most popular people living in DC. So what now? Jobs applications, resume` and cover letter building, interviews, graduation photos...a lot is going on. Thankfully, I'm confident that I'll have an incredible job to get my foot into the door of the real post-college world. 

It's a little overwhelming. Wow!

Halloween 2013

 



 

 



 





 

Government Shutdown: They finally did something!

The Government Shutdown is finally no more. Conveniently right before the deadline. The final compromise? Raise the debt ceiling some more - now the US is in debt somewhere about $16.7 trillion. 

Checkout what this random guy, Dave Manuel, has to say on his website:
http://www.davemanuel.com/us-national-debt-clock.php
I randomly found it online when I was trying to find the national US debt and learned some interesting things. Whether it's credible or not is completely up for debate.

Google says that the US population, as of 2012, was about 313.9 million. 
16,700,000,000,000 / 313,900,000 = $53, 201.66 = the debt total for each person in the US.
Crazy, huh? Guess we'll wait until January or February to see what's next. Maybe another government shutdown?

---

I ran a 5K today for the first time in a while. I also realized that I'm a laundry hoarder - unfortunately, I'm the college student that waits a solid couple weeks until I decide to do laundry. I know I need to do laundry when I'm using my bikini bottoms as underwear. Okay, MAYBE I did that once...or twice.

Anyway, running felt so good. Thank goodness for the gym. I need to exercise more, geez. I was going pretty steady last summer, but now I just feel like a lazy bum. 

Umm, so the guy who was supposed to play Christian Grey in the 50 Shades movie dropped out because he was afraid of the fame. Whaaatt. 



Charlie Hunnam, how could you do this to us!?

What a shame. 

There isn't much else to report, but I'm trying to keep my blog steady right now.

Stay chill, folks 
XO

M

US sits on its balls: Government Shutdown

Living in DC has some incredible benefits. Not only have I been in the area to experience the unfortunate Navy Yard shooting, but I've also experienced the second government shutdown in nearly two decades. 

Navy Yard

My heart and condolences go out to those who have been affected by the Navy Yard tragedy. I almost ended up working there and I could not imagine what those poor civilians have been through. This event makes the nation question a lot of things. For example, how many shootings does the US need to witness to crack down on gun control? Also, how are we allowing mental unstable citizens own guns? And is our mental health care facilities doing their jobs? The US has been forced to question all of these things. Not only are our citizens affected by these massacres of innocent people, but it has gone so far as to affect the veterans! Our veterans should not have to worry about their safety away at war AND at home!

Government Shutdown

What the hell? We have people in the government and their jobs are to not agree to disagree, but to make everyone's lives miserable. (Not really, that was greatly exaggerated. But seriously.) Get a grip government. Do you know how many people WON'T be able to be compensated after FINALLY coming to an agreement?



The furloughed workers related to the government WILL BE compensated. Organizations like WIC and HeadStart programs are not able to receive enough money through funds to support families. Single parents are temporarily quitting jobs, losing their pay, to stay home because they are unable to pay for their child's day care program on their own. Those who were eligible for food stamps may not be eating much this month. Museums and monuments in DC have been closed, though citizens are ignoring the police and the signs meant to close them off. DC Police aren't ticketing misparked cars, though they will ticket you in MD and VA and college campuses in the area. Tourists are confused. Veterans are breaking entries into the WW2 Monument (which I am all for - GO GET 'EM!) and the government just passed (in the last 48 hours) some piece of legislation agreeing to give families of deceased militia their benefits. Holy hell. you say? It isn't even close to stopping there. The FDA isn't checking food so the food isn't 100% safe. If an outbreak happens, the CDC is down for the count too. So do we deal with disease?

Vendors near government buildings WON'T be compensated. Because of the shutdown, there aren't as many tourists. There aren't even government workers bustling around DC to get to work and aren't paying for their sketchy corner hot dogs during their lunch breaks. Which means - NO MONEY FOR THE VENDORS. They're also losing money. They aren't the only ones. The list continues...but what are these furloughed workers doing in their free time? Getting work done, trying to find an agreement or a way out before the national debt is due?

Nope.

DRINKING. <--> ALCOHOL. 



Congrats, America. We've hit a new low.

September Pinspirations!

 



 



  





 

Dear College Seniors...

There are a ton of things that go through your mind when you're a senior in college.

Shit, I have loans to pay back.
I'm gonna end up living in a cardboard box.
I can't wait to get a real job!
ALCOHOLLLL.
I really need to get back into shape.
I promised my friends I'd keep in touch with them after graduation.

Buzzfeed has an amazing way of combining the mind of college seniorsand summing everything up.

26 Symptoms of Entering Your Senior Year of College

The Difference Between Freshman Year and Senior Year in College

Emotional Stages of Your Senior Year of College

Thanks, Buzzfeed, for giving me entertainment this year!

Sincerely, College Senior

Elevators

The dorm building I live in this year has 3 elevators. The middle one, until recently, had been shutdown due to maintenance and the fact that it just hasn't been working.

When it was working this week, I thought it would be fine. WRONG.

I live on the 7th floor. I took the middle elevator to the 1st floor to let in a friend. However when I went to exit the elevator, the doors opened wide and abruptly shrunk to a narrow opening. I thought, I just need to get out of the elevator! and went to walk out. 

Because my attention was on the doors trapping me in the elevator, I didn't look down to see a 6 inch difference in the floor of the elevator and that of the 1st floor. So when I went to exit the elevator, I flew onto the floor because I tripped. 

Thankfully no one saw this happen. But I don't trust the middle elevator anymore.

I'm back :)

Hello to all readers! I'm back!

I had a tricky summer. I was living in DC for the summer instead of heading home to Jersey. I got a job as a hostess at a fantastic Italian restaurant in Dupont Circle. I'm currently NOT in a relationship, though I certainly have been keeping my options open. My phone slowly died over the summer (RIP Samsung Galaxy 1) and got a new phone (YAY Samsung Galaxy 4). Right when I got the new phone in the mail, with the package in my hands, my laptop dies. CRAP - I know. RIP HP of 6-7 years.

My birthday was last Sunday, September 8! I turned 21 so I can officially go out for drinks! I'm in my senior year of college - YAY! - and my brother got married in the beginning of August to his lovely wife - ANOTHER YAY! So it's been full of ups and downs, but I am still feeling fantastic despite the downers.

I hope everyone's summer has been wonderfully amazing and full of great adventures!

I will keep you posted on hilarious stories of the unfortunately funny life of Marie :)

Ciao ciao!

Updates

Hello to all,

I have had a tricky summer.

My laptop died,  the only connection I have to my blog.

Updates will be coming soon,
And so will tales of my 2013 summer adventures!

Thank you for your patience :)

Live to the fullest!

M

Depths from the Past - Part 3

The Solution

Why did I write those 2 horrifyingly scary posts? Don't worry - I promise I'm not that person now.

A few things have come to my attention recently.

1 - What the hell are your kids doing on Facebook and Twitter?

If your child is under 18 and has a Facebook, I don't think that's smart parenting. When I was in middle school, MySpace was the big thing. Everyone at that age gets in trouble since they're still working on their "identity". They don't even who their true friends are. I can understand if your child might be traveling during the summers for some academic or sports programs and meet people from around the world. They want to keep in touch - I can appreciate that. If any adult looked at their child's Facebook, Twitter, or whatever page, I'm sure they'd be surprised. When you get older, especially when you grow up in college, you realize that the younger kids are aggravating as shit online. I don't want to see 50 posts about how depressed you are because some guy doesn't like you. You sound like Taylor Swift and someone needs to smack the shit out of you. Some parents don't even know what their kids are doing - smoking, drinking, going to parties they shouldn't be at. It explains where they REALLY were last Saturday night. 

Dear Parents, please be smarter about this.

2 - Mortality in Youth

In the last 5-10 years, the suicides in youth across the country have escalated. It can be due to a ton of things - being gay, bullying, complications with identifying themselves, etc. There are millions of things. Also DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE. What the hell is wrong with you? Accidents while texting and driving are becoming more popular than drinking and driving! KNOCK IT OFF. My family KNOWS I don't take that crap while I'm in the car. Do you WANT to kill me? Worse - do you WANT to be responsible for the death of someone else in another car? Your kids shouldn't be texting while driving either. I don't care how much that fancy iPhone 24 costs! IT IS NOT MEANT TO BE PLAYED WITH WHILE DRIVING. So kids, stop taking pictures of yourself behind the wheel. I can meet you at a red light to see you smile while driving. No one cares. Get your shit together.

If the world can change one or both of these things, I think the world would be a little better.

There are many little things we say and do everyday that can make or break someone. If you changed one little thing, how big could the solution be? If you could figure out why your child really doesn't like going to school? If you could make a difference in someone's life? 

How big would the change be?

The point in posting those experiences I had weren't to freak out my readers. The point was to understand that kids actually feel that way today. They go through worse today because there's so much crap in the world. 

I'm a happy & healthy soon-to-be 21 year old. I run almost every day and swim every week. I have Celiac Disease, but I love to dance. I enjoy choreography, reading books, and listening to great new music! I go to church every week and believe in God. I pray every day and I'm honest. I love Social Work & I can't wait to help people once I graduate college. I'm passionate about many things, including the youth today. 

It pains me to see the youth today deal with situations that scar so deeply, but they can be fixed so simply. 

Depending on whether this was scary or inspirational, I hope you understand my reasons for these posts. 

For my parents who are probably reading all this and freaking out: I was strong then & I'm stronger now. 

Depths from the Past - Part 2

The Depression

I was horribly and utterly confused. I took it out on everyone – my parents, my older brother, and my little sister. I threatened to run away. I took all of my belongings to the basement and demanded my own space, one place of my own that is not allowed to be shared with my sister. I craved independence for the wrong reasons then.

I straightened my hair every day. I bought makeup and practiced with it. A lot. I listened to loud obnoxious music with lyrics that scared the hell out of my parents. I fell into a depression so deep that Alice in Wonderland could not find a hole that fell equally as far. I wanted nothing to do with my family. I kept quiet in the car, only answering to questions with one word responses. I tried to hurt myself and others.

I found ways to do the easiest damage to myself without the scars. I thought to cut myself but did not want the mess. I cut my hair short and spray painted it with different colors. I wore inappropriate clothes that made me look like a baggy gangster instead of a slut. I wore hats and fell in love with the color black.

I wrote horrifying poetry that was deep, graphic, and painful. I cried all the time and I had emotional breakdowns every other week. I did not fit in anywhere and I hated it. I was alone in a very neutral zone. I had crushes on guys but got over them. I pushed friends away and lost more. Only three close girl friends stuck by me.

I dreamed of dying, all the ways I could go. I dreamed of watching everyone at my funeral and wondered how they would react to seeing my lifeless, pale body in a six foot box. I dreamed of too-late compliments from kids in my class, flowers from family members, and even cards addressed to me. I thought about the pictures my parents would put around the funeral parlor and how many people there would be. Maybe there would be none at all.

I wanted the pain because it made me numb. I was lost. I was the only one and it was not fair at all. I ate less and cried more. I turned up the volume on my scream music and ignored my family. I read and wrote dangerously and lived freely. I was not tied down, but at the same time I wanted to be. I did not want to be loved, but I actually did. I was a confused adolescent who craved attention but was afraid of admitting my failure and defeat. I did not want another reminder that I was a bad person, that I was not good enough, that I could not live up to the standards of the people around me.

Those years were the worst. I created an imaginary hell hole for myself.

But they were also a turning point in my life, as well as many other experiences I have had and will have in the future. Those years were also the best years. I understood who my best friends were, girls I still keep in close contact with to this day. I was accepted to a private Catholic all-girls high school that I loved. Even though there were more difficult decisions ahead, I changed. I graduated 8^th grade with a couple of awards. I completed my final basketball season and started thinking about the possibilities of high school.

Fact: I want to change and start over. I want a new life. 

Depths from the Past - Part 1

The Failure

Everyone goes through a depression stage. It is usually quite visible when it hits too. It is the certain age range – the pre-teen to teenage era – when it strikes with full force. It is the identity and questioning years, the years that tear you apart to find yourself. They are the toughest and most critical years in a young girl’s life. I would like to speak for the young boys as well, but I can only speak for myself and the experiences of others closest to me.

I was a scary tomboy. I remember my grade school years well. There were tons of crushes among the kids in my class. Some dated each other and rumors were constantly swirling around. He kissed her, she actually likes this other guy, etc. Middle school – my 6^th to 8^th grade years – were the worst and best. I spent my entire educational life in Catholic schools, becoming well educated under the proctoring of my parents who believed in the solid and well-trusted Catholic education.

I applauded my Catholic schools and adored my Catholic education. To those who believe in it, faith is something that always stays with you. For me, faith is the invisible layer outside my skin – it is always with me. It is the soft pillow that comforts my body and mind when I am stressed or inconceivably happy. Faith is no longer a reminder of something I need to have, but something I have that I need to use.

However, I did not always have faith. In middle school, I was picked on and befriended. I attempted to stay neutral and dreamed of things to do instead of doing them. I stayed focused on grades and getting into high school. If boys liked me then, I never knew. I was skinny, confused, and incredibly shy. The back of the classroom was my home and I never rebelled against the rules. I learned the meaning of discipline and my upbringing made me mature at a very young age.

I was good at a couple things then, constantly dabbling with different ideas about school subjects and sports. I was never fantastic at one thing. I do not think I ever will be. I kept a low profile in school, trusting few and remaining in a neutral relationship with the rest. I was civil with girls I did not like (the popular girls) and used my manners. I never tried to impress anyone because I did not think there was anyone for me to impress. The other girls did. I kept a low profile on the basketball team as well, barely making a name for myself but keeping up with my athletic skills.

I was a failure, the “could have been” prodigy child that never was. I could have grown into a professional musician like my mother. I could have become a superstar athlete or Irish dancer like my father hoped I would. I could have made something of a skill I learned at a very young age and could have been traveling the world by now, signing autographs and performing for hundreds of thousands of people.

But I did not want to touch any of it.

I had no idea what I wanted anymore.

Fact: I am an unattractive and bony failure athlete, dancer, musician, and student.

What do you think?

I didn't do another Challenge Week on purpose. Instead, I want your opinion.

There are so many things I could write about, but I want to know what you want me to write about. What are you interested in? Is there something important you want me to write about? Are you interested in anything I've mentioned so far?

Feel free to write in the comment box below! 

Choreography & Dance Showcases

I'm thinking about planning a huge dance show next year to raise money for one of the biggest events of the school year. It would be fun, sexy, and include the crowd too! Here are some songs that I think are perfect: 

Put it in a love song - Alicia Keys ft. Beyonce
Upgrade U - Beyonce
Get Up Rattle - Bingo Players & Far East Movement
Show me how you Burlesque - Christina Aguilera
La Despedida - Daddy Yankee
Ghosts n stuff - Deadmau5 ft. Rob Swire
Cell Block Tango - Chicago
Dancing - Elisa
Wanted - Hunter Hayes
Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
Wop - J Dash
Bust your windows - Jazmine Sullivan
Do it like a dude - Jessie J
Day n nite - Crookers Remix by Kid Cudi
Mambo No.5 - Lou Bega
Boyfriend - Lou Bega
Sway XL Junkie Mix - Michael Buble
Adorn - Miguel
Let me love you - Ne-yo
Troublemaker - Olly Murs
Dance with me tonight - Olly Murs
When I grow up - Pussycat Dolls
Pon de Replay - Rihanna
Stay - Rihanna
Get Loose - Sohanny & The Vein
Wobble - VIC
I found you - The Wanted
Scream & Shout - Will.I.Am & Britney Spears
#thatPower - Will.I.Am & Justin Bieber

Day Off

Apparently I'm not working today (yes, I landed an amazing part-time job). It's pouring rain out. What on earth am I supposed to do with myself? That's usually the question I ask when I'm not busy. So here's some random shit to do when you're free, bored, or have time off and have no idea what to do with yourself:

 

Play with your hair. This is obviously for girls unless a guy with really long hair is reading this post. Try something new with your hair. Side braid, fish tail, a new fancy hair style. Anything you like. Get on Pinterest and take your locks on a well-deserved fancy hair day!



Take some quizzes. There's a ton of stupid stuff to do online. Instead of sitting around doing the most logical thing - reading up on the news - challenge yourself by taking a silly quiz! Like this one: Are your loved ones plotting to eat you?



Checkout some recipes. Whether you have all day or a couple hours, you always have time to find a quick recipe. Think about something you've been dying to make yourself, even if you had it in a restaurant. Bring your favorite treats to the kitchen and DIY! Need help? Skim through foodnetwork.com for great recipes for dinner, drinks, dessert, and more!



Arts & Crafts. Go online to look for fun and creative DIY projects! 



Window Shop. Online, at the mall, or around town, window shopping is the perfect way to get out of the house and enjoy the moment. That new phone, cute dress, or the perfect gift for that special someone can be found anywhere. You just have to search for it. You never know what cool stuff you'll find! 

Do I deserve this shower?

I've been having zero motivation to workout. Also, my work schedule is tricky. Unfortunately, the pool hours on campus are only mon-thurs, 5-8pm. The gym hours are mon-fri, 4-10pm & sat, 10-4pm. If I get the night shift, I'm probably working from 4-9pm. Maybe until 10pm. I'm also trying yoga and mini workouts in my room. My goal has basically been to "deserve my shower". Weird, I know.

Here's my thought process: I workout until I'm drenched in sweat. It's easier for me to run 3.5 miles at the gym every day (I prefer treadmills to running outside). I could also swim 1000m easily at the pool. Whichever way I choose to workout, I have to be completely exhausted, sore, and my muscles need to be throbbing. Then I think, do I deserve a shower? If not, I work my body harder until I do. That's my goal right now - to make sure I have pushed my body hard every day so that I deserve that final "ohhh" moment in the shower when the hot water hits my sore limbs.

I did have a solid 3 days going for me where I worked out at the pool and in my room. But I've gotten lazy since. I've brought this up to a few friends of mine and they said they feel the same way - they also have zero motivation to workout and they don't have time.

 

Let's face it - not everyone looks like this & a ton of Vicky S models are photoshopped. Sometimes they do such a poor job that you can point out the flaws. Anyway, I don't look like this girl now and I won't. I'm short and I'm pretty muscular for 20 years old. I'd like abs, but I'm still working on certain things at a time. I'm trying to boost my upper body strength because I'd like to be able to do hand stands, etc. I want to stand on my hands, like they do in yoga! I need to work slowly but at the same time I'm also trying to gain flexibility. I used to be more flexible but my body has tensed since high school. These are all things I need to work on.

So this motivation thing - how am I supposed to kick this? I would love to wake up first thing in the morning and go for a run. DC is pretty nice. When I was interning this past semester, I was up at 6am during the week. I was exhausted but I HAD to get up. Waking up early gave me a great view of the sunrise! When I was in high school, I woke up at 3.30 or 4am every day for swim practice when I was on the swim team. Working out for an hour in the morning gave me a huge boost of energy for the day, but accountability was also important. Right now, I don't have anyone holding me accountable so how am I supposed to get up that early and attain my goals?

I think Insanity and Crossfit are awesome and I'd love to do them, but I'm starting small right now.

Happy June! (Pinspirations!)