What's New?

Hi all!

Since last I posted (a real post), a lot is new in my neck of the woods!  First and foremost, I started a new and very busy, semester in January and have been enjoying the crap out of it.  Seriously!  I'm not being sarcastic.  I am in three very demanding, very interesting classes and I can't remember the last time I actually enjoyed school this much.  I may be singing a different tune come the end of the semester, when my responsibilities hit me in the face like a ton of bricks, but for now, I prefer to live in a naive state of anthropological bliss.


Aside from normal classwork and working 15 hours a week in my research assistant position, I have also been spending my free time (read: time not spent doing homework, sleeping, eating, or watching Glee) applying for a small travel grant funded by the National Science Foundation.  If I receive the grant, I will be able to use the money to travel to Bangladesh in the fall and do some preliminary research.  This would be particularly useful because it would give me some important experience, and I also happen to have a friend planning to go to the same field site at the same time I hope to go.  Sounds pretty ideal to me!  Oh, and I finally managed to submit the paper that came out of my thesis to one of the better-known journals in my discipline.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I have also signed up for the Lincoln Half Marathon, so I've been battling the elements, getting training runs in where and whenever I can.  In case you don't know, by "elements" I mean nearly 3 feet of snow.  Central MO fell victim to that massive winter storm that hit the Midwest a few weeks ago and have only begun to see the ground in the last week.  School was cancelled for three days (an actual first for the University of Missouri) and I spent some quality time in my driveway with the shovel.

Progress after 1st hour of shoveling.

I also managed to paint my bedroom, clean the house, and watch a lot of TV.  We have been enjoying spring-like temps this week, though, and I'm pretty excited to finally be able to use the trail in town again.

My hair got a little friendly with a freshly painted wall.

I'm happy to report that as tough as last semester was, with the move, trying to find my way in a new town and navigate a long distance relationship (which, admittedly, I have yet to master), this semester is shaping up to be positively awesome.  I have made a few great friends at school and am very happy to report that most of them will be around Columbia for at least another year.  I have started to become more involved on campus, attending lectures and starting a reading group with a couple of the aforementioned friends.  Now that I'm feeling a little more settled, I really like Columbia and am reassured often that I chose the right graduate program in the right town.  It doesn't hurt that I'm a short 5 hour drive from home, especially since this little guy is getting cuter by the minute:

Seriously.  Whenever I need a good pick-me-up, I just go to my sister's Facebook page and go through baby pictures.  They always put a smile on my face.

So...  That's a quick rundown of what has been going on in my life.  No amazing insights and it sounds a little like the purpose statement I wrote for the grant earlier today.  But, I figured that even a less-than-eloquent post was better than no post at all!

What's new with you?

I Wish...

I wish I were here right now...

... not surrounded by birds, of course.  But on the beach.

Side note:  For someone who is as afraid of birds as I am, I sure took a lot of pictures of them in Sanibel. Maybe Sanibel makes everything better?

...

Yes.  It most certainly does.

Present

In a yoga class I attended on December 30th, the instructor was discussing the transition out of 2010 and into 2011.  As she talked about leaving 2010 behind, she said something that struck me so deeply that it is still with me (no easy feat, considering the sheer volume of random thoughts that spin around in my head on a daily basis).  She called 2010 "A Year of Challenge and Growth."  Was it ever!  I had absolutely no idea what I was in for, but after 12 months of challenge after challenge, some big and some small, I realized that I was emerging from 2010 a somewhat different person than when I entered it.  No doubt, I still talk so much that sometimes I annoy even myself.  I also talk mostly about myself - a flaw of mine that makes me cringe.  I have trouble slowing those twirling, whirling thoughts and focusing on just one at a time.  And I often watch too much TV and spend too much time on Twitter and Facebook.  But in so many ways, 2010 was a year of wiping my slate clean.  I was afforded the opportunity to deal with some very deep past hurts and to work through them with my loving family.  I learned how to communicate better and become a better listener (something I continue to struggle with), and even how better to verbally support someone I love.  And so, inspired by this idea of a clean slate, one on which I can begin building new habits, new relationships, and a better understanding of myself, I decided to sign up for two separate events at my yoga studio: an afternoon of guided meditation and intention-setting for the new year on New Year's Eve and a far more active workshop on New Year's Day in which I was supposed to complete 108 Sun Salutations along with a roomful of people.

If I could adequately describe the peace, serenity, and inspiration that I felt during the New Year's Eve intention-setting workshop, I would.  But, I fear that trying to put it into words would take away its specialness, so I won't do it that injustice.

The 108 Sun Salutations on the other hand...  I'll spare you the gory details of a studio floor so drenched with sweat at the end that I could merely slide from my mat to the door and of aching muscles that started to refuse to hold me up around 93.  I went into that workshop looking for a way to ACTIVELY welcome in the new year.  To somehow sweat out 2010 (which I very well may have done) and make room for everything that was to come in 2011.  As Aaron might say, to judo chop 2010 into oblivion and become quick allies with 2011.  I expected to walk out of the studio feeling invincible, enlightened, and accomplished.  Aside from running 3 half marathons, this was physically one of the most challenging things I have done and I was sore for almost a week afterwards.  But I walked out feeling somewhat ... agitated.  And I couldn't figure out why!!!  Was I hungry?  Was I dehydrated?  (Yes.)  Was I tired?  I was happy that I'd done it.  I felt pretty darn good about myself, in fact.  And I figured the effects would kick in at one point or another, although I had no idea what they would be.

Luckily, I think I was right.  During this lovely, peaceful, relaxing vacation that I am currently on, I have noticed that I have been more patient, more appreciative of the world around me, and much more focused on the present moment.  Those probably don't seem like difficult things to be while on vacation.  But, trust me, they can be.  Think of it.  How easy it is to focus on hurrying to get to the beach and miss the beauty around you; to think only about annoying the talkative person next to you on the plane is and miss the opportunity to listen; to slip your headphones in and turn up the iPod instead of listening to the wind and the waves falling easily onto the sand; to go back to the hotel room, turn on the TV, half-listening to a re-run of an old Friends episode, all the while checking email, updating Facebook, and having a snack (maybe that last one's just me?).  While some of that is still going on for me, I have also noticed how quick I am to take a deep breath and smile, rather than let a slightly annoyed feeling creep over my entire body when traffic on the island (I know, poor me) is creeping along at a slower-than-glacial pace.  I have noticed the beauty of this place in a whole new way and have allowed myself to dream about the future (which, of course, includes one of those beautiful beach houses), but not lose sight of the present.  I am feeling quieter on the inside and suspended in this little bubble of contentedness, even while the world around me seems to spin increasingly out of control.

These are changes that I hope to bring home with me even more than the scads of beautiful seashells we have been collecting; changes that I hope will be the first new layer on my recently cleaned slate.  I hope that a truer sense of being present in the moment and the act of doing only one thing at a time will become a real part of who I am and shape who I will become.  Because I can tell you one thing for sure:  reading an email from a friend, eating an ice cream cone, watching a TV show, looking out the window, taking a walk are all infinitely more enjoyable when that's the only thing you're doing.

I know I'm a little late to the game, but Happy New Year, everyone!

First Sanibel Sunset

So...  It's been over a month since last I've posted.  I feel ashamed.  And disconnected.  And very behind.  Ok, maybe only the last two.

My mom and I are currently on our (what has become) annual trip to Sanibel, FL.  We left Lincoln this morning around 4:30 and haven't slept much since (tossing and turing in a cramped airplane seat certainly doesn't count).  So, tonight, I'll spare you from having to read whatever may stumble out of my crowded, discombobulated brain and instead leave you with one of my first pictures from the trip.

Sanibel Sunset from our hotel room

  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are enjoying 2011!  I'll be back soon...

Better Late Than Never

Phew!  The last couple of weeks have been an absolute whirlwind - I have:  made a quick weekend trip home to deposit Nellie at my mom's house, travelled to New Orleans for an anthropology conference, driven home again to spend Thanksgiving week writing a paper, getting a cold, running a 5K Turkey Trot, baking 3 pies, spending time with Aaron, friends, and the fam, including TWO back-to-back Thanksgiving dinners. My goodness.  I'm exhausted just thinking about it.  And frankly, seeing as how I'm about to be launched into the three busiest weeks of the semester, I don't see things calming down any time soon.

So...  Before things get too hectic, I'm taking this evening to relax a little (Wizard of Oz, anyone?), regroup, and make a quick list of the things I've been most thankful for over the last year.  So, in the spirit of Thanksgivings past, I decided to share that list with you...

1.  I am thankful for the slightly new path my life has taken, which allows me to continue to go after my goals and dreams every day.  It wasn't easy last year, it's not easy this year, and it won't be easy for a long time to come.  But going after one's dreams isn't supposed to be easy.  If it were, it wouldn't mean as much.  Moving to a new town, all by myself, has presented all sorts of new challenges to me, but I am thankful for them because they make me stronger.

2.  I am thankful for my family and friends who continue to support me every step of the way.  No questions asked.  Ever.  They (YOU) believe in me and remind me to believe in myself, even when the going gets really tough.  And they celebrate with me when I have success.

3.  I am so very thankful for the new little addition to our family.  While we all know it was a bumpy road at times, his presence in our lives has brought the three of us (my mom, sister, and I) closer together than we've ever been.  A good friend told me once before he was born, "You may not be able to imagine a life with him in it right now, but once he's born, you won't be able to imagine your life without him."  Truer words never spoken.

I could honestly go on for quite some time, but it's getting close to my bedtime.  Thanks to each and every one of you for the ways in which you have touched my life.  I am a better person for it.

Happy (late) Thanksgiving!

Procrastination

Hello Blog World!  It's been far too long, I know, I know.  I'm sorry!  It's just that I've had all this homework lately and I feel so guilty if I spend too much time writing something - anything - that isn't homework.  It just seems so... indulgent... you know?  In fact, I don't even really have time to write today.  I have this take-home midterm that needs to be done.  But I thought I'd take just a few seconds to check in and say hi.  Also, I needed a way to procrastinate because I haven't decided which question to answer next.  And I've already pet Nellie, eaten a chocolate chip cookie, filled up my water glass and looked out all my windows.  Isn't it amazing how dirty the blinds get?  And isn't it even more amazing how much I want to clean them right now?
Anyway, I'd better get back to work.  I hope everyone out there is having a nice, relaxing Sunday evening.  Obviously, Nellie is.

Adventures in MidMO

I was hoping for and expecting a relatively easy week this week, school-wise, since the last few weeks have been so stinking busy.  Instead, I find myself with too much to do and too little time to do it in, just like last week, and the week before that, and so on and so on.  I don't have a lot of time to share all of my deepest thoughts with you today, but even in spite of the busyness, I want to take a few minutes to tell you about the last week or so and share a few pictures with you, as well.

Last week, my mom came to visit for a few days.  We did plenty of shopping (and I spent plenty of money - but, to be fair, most of it was on much needed decorative attire for my apartment) and plenty of eating, and it just so happened that the Husker volleyball team was in town to play (and beat to a pulp, I might add) Mizzou.

We also did a little exploring outside of Columbia.  Imagine, if you will, the hilliest, winding-est road you've ever seen.  Now, picture me driving on it, screaming at the crest of every hill, SURE I'm driving us right off a cliff.  It was fun.  And I really could have used a drink, but I settled for a cheeseburger, fries, and a peanut butter cookie.  The drive was well worth my several near heart attacks, though, because the town of Rocheport, MO is quaint, cozy, and charming (which is why I took so many pictures), filled with B&B's, and with a scenic cross-state bike path passing through the edge of town.

We had planned to have dinner at Abigail's, but found out they're closed on Tuesdays, so we "settled" for the aforementioned comfort food at the trail side cafe in town.  It was pretty darn good.

Lucky for me, Aaron came into town the following weekend.  First order of business:  Abigail's!  The food was pretty darn good (especially the pumpkin cake with caramel drizzled over the top); the company was better.  Although, that company is hard to beat.

All in all, I've been having a fair amount of fun - probably more fun than a graduate student should be having...  And now, it's time to get down to business.