Even If The Sky Is Falling Down

Some of the biggest moments from 2011:

1. The biggest thing to happen this year: Italy. I love seeing new places, and last spring I had the chance to study abroad in the city of Florence. The course was on language and Renaissance art, technically, but everything was an experience. There were eight of us in the apartment, and we made so many great memories together. It was unbelievable. Over the four weeks, we explored Florence, Pisa, Rome, Venice, and Viareggio. Molto bellisimo!

2. After Italy, I spent my first summer on campus. I was somewhat nervous at first, since the area is pretty dull and all my friends were home with their families, but it was an amazing few months. One of my new friends from the Italy trip was staying, too, as well as another girl I work with. We had a blast - lots of adventures, mishaps, and general tomfoolery. I was also introduced to legend that is T. Mills and went to my very first water park!

3. I’ve always worked with Dining Services, serving tables at the little cafe on campus. They don’t accept student workers during the summer, though. It was a struggle to find someone looking for help, but eventually I landed in the Buildings and Grounds office. B&G has done so much more for me than the cafe. Don’t get me wrong - I enjoy working in both, but I feel like this has more benefit. Who knew that it would take so many life skills to run an office!

4. My school requires an internship for its four-year degrees, so I did the first half of it this summer. I decided to work with Trinity of Chemung County - an amazing NPO aimed at the prevention of substance abuse. From the very first day, the prevention director let me tackle actual projects and speak with contacts. She also took me to conferences in the neighboring counties and introduced me to people in the field. It’s a huge first step.

5. Speaking of travels, I had my first visit with Niagara Falls. It’s something every person in New York should do - there’s no excuse not to go. I’ve planned so many trips with so many people, but it always fell through for one reason or another. This time, I went home with my Italy friend for her birthday. Her family lives near Buffalo, so we decided to make the short drive as long as we were there. It was beautiful, but now I want to see the Canada side!

6. Classes started again in September. I helped with the Freshman Orientation and then jumped right into the swing of things. It was another good semester for my GPA, but the bigger change was the addition of new faces. I have so many new friends now, and I love what they add to the experience. They’re funny, sharp, caring. And I chose to live in a freshman dorm, so there’s never a dull moment.

7. This year I decided to take on a few new responsibilities. I ran for the position of News Director with our college radio station, so that’s been great. Right now, I co-host two (and soon three) weekly shows, featuring a lot of techno, ska, and indie-rock. At the last moment, I decided to run for a position on the Judicial Board. This is in addition to the regular clubs that I attend. It’s a busy schedule, but I love being more involved this time around.

8. The school hosted an overnight trip to DC this semester, including free bus and hotel. I was all over that! A couple friends and I stood in line for twenty minutes to reserve our spot. We just made it. The trip was great, and it’s definitely not one I’ll soon forget. The highlight was getting lost in the middle of the night on the opposite side of the city - two and a half hours from the hotel. We just wanted to dance, but we wrote down the wrong quadrant.

9. I dyed my hair blonde, blue, and black - in that order. I’ve wanted to do something fun with my hair for a while now, just so I could say that I did it. A norm deviation paper for Social Psychology gave me the perfect opportunity. A friend and I went into it together, and the reactions we got were priceless. My favorite was “So.. are you Canadian?” Lolwut?? There are a few pictures posted toward the beginning of my blog, if you want to take a look.

10. The Hunger Games. It sounds crazy, but this trilogy was a huge part of my year. A few of my favorite professors started a reading group centered around it in October. I hadn’t heard of the series, but I went out and bought a copy with my mom. I’ve been hooked ever since. The material is so.. powerful, moving, inspirational. It’s an emotional nightmare. I literally cried one day at work for the images of pain and suffering it leaves in your mind.

11. This year has been really good for me, overall. I think a lot of it has to do with the new attitude I’m getting toward life. Bad things happen every day, definitely. But they don’t have to control you. You are your own master. You control your thoughts, emotions, goals, and behaviors. You are beautiful, because beauty can be found in everyone. You don’t need others to validate you - look in the mirror and love the person you are. If you don’t, who will?