Tuesday, September 7, 2010

I trust this is Your plan

God is good and I am blessed.

I could end this blog right here, that's really all you need to know. But, I'll clue you in asto why I know this is true: my prayers have been answered.

-I have at least one part time job set in stone, am 95% sure about another one, and will be doing babysitting here and there. Nothing is permanent and I won't be starting for at least another week or so, but I can take a deep breath and relax. These jobs will give me excellent experience and more money in my pocket. I'll still be looking for a full time job in my field, but this is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.
-I have a car. Most of you know that my precious little stinker of a Taurus went to car heaven in February. Until July, I had the car that the Sister's of Mercy provided us with. Then I came home, and have been sharing my mom's car. She's been incredibly gracious about it, but it's been tricky with job interviews and such. My sister bought a new car and is selling me her current one. She is being VERY fair about payments, because she knows I need to settle into these part time jobs first, which I think is just awesome. I was blessed with a very amazing family.
-I had an amazing experience at Church tonight. You don't need to hear all the details, but you do need to know that everything is going to be okay. Trust.

So, like David Archuleta told me, things are gonna get better. They already are. I'm excited about the way things are panning out for me and blessed to have a strong support system. Hopefully this means I can get involved with the things I wanted to before, like volunteering and a young adult faith group.

There are two other reasons I'm incredibly content today, and they came in the form of music:
-Anberlin. I discovered them two summer's ago, and ever since have been a fan. Anberlin is an alternative rock band with a Christian background, but they aren't classified as a "christian rock band". Does that make sense? They are open about faith, but not necessarily in all of their music. Anyways, I dig them. It's their fifth album, and pretty close to perfect. Lyrics are great, music is great, and vocals are excellent. Favorite songs "Take Me As You Found Me",
-Sara Barielles. Her new album is maybe my favorite album of 2010. It is absolutley amazing. I've been anxiously waiting this for quite some time now, and it defintley did not dissapoint. Sara wrote every single song on the record. Her lyrics are incredible- she finds a way to say things that is beautiful and so spot on. She really inspires me as a song writer. Plus, she plays a handful of instruments on the album, which is pretty awesome. Each song is different, I love when she gets jazzy and soulful and also when she's soft. Terrific album. My only worry is that people will go crazy for "King of Anything" and forget that the rest of her album is even better. Same thing happened with "Love Song" a few years ago. People went NUTS over that song when the real treasure of that album was "Gravity". Anyways. Favorite songs "Breathe Again", "Let The Rain", "Hold My Heart".

In other news, today marks the first day back to school for many people. Unless you go to a private school, then you've been buckled in for a few weeks. This is the first year since I was 4 that I'm not starting a school year. That really freaks me out. School has always been the core of my life, even last year. I wasn't in school, but I was working in one, and almost everything revolved around it. Now that's all vanished. I feel strange without it. I also sort of miss college. For those of you that know me, I'm assuming that took you by surprise. Trust me, it surprises me too. College and I weren't exactly best friends. But, now that I've been gone form it for two years, I can honestly say that I miss it. I know a few people starting their freshmen year right now, and boy do I feel for them. I know how scary that can be. So, I'm offering my advice. How to make friends.

You should know that I came into college completly 100% terrified. I was practically kicking and screaming on move in day. I didn't want to go. But, I managed to make friends along the way. So if I can, anyone can. It just takes practice :)

I know a lot of people make friends with people on their floor/suitemates or whatever. I was not one of those people. Every single girl in my floor had a few things in common: A. They were blonde B. They all came from my rival high school (okay, not all of them, but about 80%. They planned it).. C) They were more interested in where to purchase alcohol than where their classes were. So, no friends on my floor. Plus, my roomate won the award for worst roommate ever, so you know we weren't friends. But, if your floormates are cool, go knock on their door. Ask them if they want to watch Real World with you or go grab something from the cafeteria.

Classes! As a freshmen, I didn't declare a major, so I had classes with mostly other undecided freshmen. You can form study groups, walk to class together, etc. It's really cool when you declare a major, because then you'll start to see some of the same people in your classes. Also, your major most likely has a club- like Western had "Family Studies Organization". Check that out, you can talk with other students in your major about internships, volunteer opportunites, networking, etc.

Every college has hundreds of clubs. Sometimes you have to search a little, but they are there. Look into what they offer and join one that best meets your interests...because whatever that is, I can almost guaruntee you there is a club for it. They all do tons of activities. I highly suggest checking if your school has APO, a co-ed community service based fraternity. It is an excellent organization that I wish I had joined in college. They do amazing things. Also, don't be afraid to go to that first meeting alone. I know that can be terrifying, but if there is a club where there are people with similiar interests, it won't matter. Or try emailing the leader and let them know you're interested- they usually scoop up new freshmen very eagerly! Along with clubs, there are usually IM sports.

Church! It doesn't matter your religion, most colleges offer something for all faith backgrounds. My church in college was awesome- we had weekly Sunday dinners, retreats, study hours, etc. I didn't discover it until my senior year but was SO glad when I did. It was one of the best things I did as a student at Western.

Of course, you can always do what I did- join a sorority. I know. What the heck is a shy little thing like me joining a sorority? To be honest I don't know what I was thinking. One of my friends was going through rush, and I wanted friends, so I did the same. And you know what? It was both the greatest/worst thing I've ever done in my life. I know, not very encouraging...but my sorority was special. First of all, I suggest to at least rush- you meet a ton of people just by doing that! At least give it a chance, because sometimes sororites are completly the opposite of what you hear about them- mine was. And although things didn't exaclty worked out the way I had planned, I still made some great friends and was able to add amazing things to my resume because of it. Great experience. If your school has Delta Gamma, look at them first :)

Above all of these though, you must be confident in yourself...and do not let other people change you in a negative way. If there is something you believe in, stick with it. Don't give in just to make friends- because if those people don't respect you or your beliefs, they really aren't your friends anyways, and you will end up getting hurt. Also, take your chance now. Don't let it just pass you by. This is your time, not tomorrow. Step out of your comfort zone and reach out to other people. Make your name known, and be proud of it.

Okay, I'm finished preaching. Have a great Wednesday.

4 comments:

Desi said... Add Reply

I had a Taurus too and we parted in July! How did yours pass?

Megan said... Add Reply

Desi- Well. I was driving home from seeing Jason Castro and it straight up died on 94. It was one of the scariest moments of my life, no lie.

Desi said... Add Reply

Mine went down in flames. I empathize with the terror.

Shari said... Add Reply

Yay, so excited for you! Sometimes it can be so hard to keep the faith that things will work out, but you are too dedicated and hard-working for them not to. Congratulations on the part-time jobs, the car, and all of it! Your positive outlook throughout this journey has been inspiring, and I just know many great things are ahead for you! :)