Changes

Why is it Winter

Ok, this is something that seriously annoys me about Northern Kentucky and Kentucky in general for that matter. We HARDLY have a fall or spring which just so happen to be two of my favorite seasons because the weather is comfortable. Not too hot or cold, just enough to wear jeans and a hoodie and be comfortable. Here in NKY we did have a few days of really amazing weather like this, however, it is currently October and I'm scraping ice off my windshield, bringing out the North Face, and making hot chocolate. Wut. Is. Life. Don't get me wrong, I love love snow, but I can wait a few more weeks for that to actually have the time to enjoy fall. Sigh. Mother nature........

How in the Actual Heck do I Pick What to do For the Rest of My Life...

Ok for those of you who don't know me, I am (was) a nursing major and NKU. So yes, I still go to NKU (go Norse lolz), but I am no longer a nursing major. When I first tell people I changed my major from nusing they're always like, "Ohh I bet it was too hard..." Uhm no, actually, it really wasn't that bad. For one, it was the first semester of it, so it wasn't even close to touching on the hard stuff yet, however, I just began to realize that nursing is simply not for me. Why? There's several reasons that it came down to, but the biggest reason it pretty funny if you ask me. Obviously in nursing you have to learn about several diseases and disorders that a human can have or aquire, and me being the extremely anxious person that I am, begins to worry that I too have all these diseases and disorders. Call me somewhat of a hypochondriac: a person who has hypochondriasis, a disorder characterized by a preoccupation with body functions and the interpretation of normal body sensations (such as sweating) or minor abnormalities (such as minor aches and pains) as portending problems of major medical moment. Yeah, I got that definition from yahoo answers, but yolo. Seriously though, I am definitely partially a hypochondriac, and for obvious reasons, I really don't think nursing is the right avenue for me. SO I am left wondering: now what? I hit the books pretty hard (aka the NKU Undergraduate handbook which is incredibly helpful if I do say so myself...), and I discovered a major that seems as if it was created for me. Pretty much since I was a little girl, I had always gone back and forth between nursing and teaching as a future occupation. So of course when I realized nursing wasn't going to work out, I immediately began thinking about teaching. However, I didn't exactly see myself in a primary or even middle education setting, and I really didn't want to give up on science completely because I really do have a passion for it. So as I was flipping throught the undergrad handbook, I came across the Biological Sciences major. I discovered there were about four different tracks you could take with that, one of them being a teacher education track. Uhm hello?! Yes please. With this major, I will have a bachelor's degree in biology AND I will be certified to teach 8-12th grade. It's like the best of both worlds. I can choose to teach, but if that's not working out I'll always have that bio degree to fall back on.  It's quite fabulous, and I feel confident that this is a much better avenue for me. A lot of people tell me I'm selling myself short being a teacher, and it really makes me mad. I am going be the best damn biology teacher out there. Who says just because you're really smart you have to go out and be a lawyer or doctor. I know my personality better than anyone else, and I know that teaching in a high school setting, I will be happy. That's what really counts, right?

And now for a funny transformation... to prove change can be a wonderful thing

Madison and I from my 8th grade graduation (above obviously) to at some point in my senior year - thank geeeee for puberty

Well isn't that something.... So for all you pre-teens out there frowning in the mirror, don't worry we've all been there, and I promise there are better days ahead.

On that note, embrace change as much as you can because nine times out of ten it can't be avoided and is actually a really positive thing. I, personally, tend to favor change - a little bit too much at times. I like to change everything... a lot. I like to change my personality (like on a minute to minute basis), my taste in guys (country, gangster, pretty-boy, I've had them all.........), and I like really like to change minute things such as my hair color, room set-up, etc just to spice it up a bit. Okay that just sounded awkward whatever... BACKSPACE FOR WHAT?! Moral of the story: change can be good, bad, whatever, but it happens. Period.

Tid-Bits

1. Yeyeyeyeyeye the suprise I've been talking about is so soon, and I will definitely be discussing it in next week's post!
2. I want to hear what you readers (yewww rockkkkkk btw) want to hear more about from me. I'm up for anything, just email any ideas or questions @ perfectlyunperfectblog@gmail.com Woooo!
3. Do you ever go through a phase where you're like obsessed with one food in particular and you can't stop eating it and then all of the sudden the thought of it makes you want to vomit? Ugh. This happens to me all the time. It even happened with Nutella (I KNOW RIGHT LIKE HOW DO YOU GET SICK OF NUTELLA?! Idk... but I did.... It was a sad day). However, most recently it has happened with carmel apple pops.... sigh... I know my teeth will be happy at least.
4. I randomly think about my future husband about twice a day. I may or may not even know who the heck he is, but I will find myself thinking 'Hmmm, I wonder what my future husband is doing right now?' or 'I wonder what my future husband would say about this situation?' or here's my favorite 'I really hope my future husband is somewhat attractive so we can have cute babies :) :) :)' I'm weird I know, sorry.
5. My psych professor about had I heart attack when I told her I was only a freshman because of how well I'm doing in that class. Ok, like that class is seriously a joke it's so easy, but like half of the students are failing, and it just leaves me questioning how many unintelligent people there are in the world? Like have I just been surrouned by intelligent people until I entered college or what... I thought it was supposed to be the other way around. It's very peculiar, my friends.

ALRIGHT, well it's about eight o'clock which means it's about time for me to leave work and begin to enjoy this fabulous weekend ahead of me! Until next time....

Stay Classy,
Megan LouAnn

Carmel Apple Pops Might be God's Gift to the World

Why I Love my Job

For those of you readers (btw thank you to anyone who takes the time to read the randomness I post :) ) who do not know, I work at a nursing home at the front desk. My typical duties include updating computer files, checking the census, filing, answering the phone, sending emails, pretty boring things if I must say so myself. However, all of that aside there are two main reasons why I wouldn't trade my job for the world (well at least temporarily until I get a degree and blah blah you know what I mean).

1. It forces me to do my homework
Yeah, homework is awful and not fun no matter what circumstances it is under, however, for me, homework isn't all that awful because it keeps me occupied at work. I typically have an hour and a half to two hours left after I finish all my typical duties. In this time frame, of course I spend it scrolling aimlessly through Pinterest and Twitter, I use it to type my blog posts (hey hey), but most often I use it to just knock out some homework. I mean, I'm getting paid to do homework, so it makes it a little more bearable. I really focus on my homework at work more than anywhere else because there is such few distractions, and the internet connection at work compared to at my house is like lightening speed. (I could seriously rant about the poor poor internet connection at my house for dayzzzzzzz, but I won't bore you.) On to number two on why I love my job....

2. The residents and family members I interact with are such amazing people.
Seriously, I am so blessed to have met some of the residents and family members especially here at my work. The love and dedication I see from countless husbands and wives who come to visit their ill spouses every. single. day. multiple. times. a. day. is astounding. There is one lady in particular who seriously unconditionally loves her husband, and the way she cares for him truly warms my heart. She is always singing to him, and she does everything she can to make him know how much she loves him. It's amazing to see love that has been there for so long and is stronger than ever. I hope to one day find it myself. The residents themselves here are seriously hilarious and never fail to put a smile on my face. I've had many residents tell me random stories from their "younger years", and I absolutely love it. These daily encounters I have are really what make my job so wonderful.

As you might imagine, when I tell someone I'm a receptionist at a nursing home, they might not think twice about what I really do. Yes, there's the dreary part to my job as there is any job, but to be an eyewitness to daily acts of true love is something I am so thankful for. I've worked at a pool, putt-putt place, and a clothing store, and I wouldn't ever dare to think to go back to those jobs. I am so very fortunate to have found something that will hopefully stick with me for the rest of my college career, and potentially even after I become an R.N.

Transitioning from High School to College

Ok, so I decided to write a bit about this because more than half of my friends I have spoke to about how their college experience has been have all said the same thing. It's something along the lines of: it's pretty good, hard to adjust to the new atmosphere, but I think it will come with time. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that the majority of my friends come from private Catholic high-schools, and unless they went to a private Catholic college, chances are they were thrown into a completely new setting and atmosphere. I know for certain I was. Class sizes went from about 20 in high school to about 200 in some college courses. I'm fortunate enough that all my classes have no more than 100 students in them, but still, that's a major change. One of my most enjoyable classes is my college writing course, and I'm willing to bet it's because there's only about 18 students in there. The atmosphere is more comfortable and familar to me, and it gives us all a chance to get to know each other better. Another major difference I've seen is that in college, you really really have to put yourself out there and make an extra effort to make new friends. Yes, there is sororities and fraternaties, and I'm not at all bashing them, but they are not for everyone. So say, like me, a sorority is not for you. Now what?

In highschool, you pretty much saw the same people every day, multiple times a day, so it's easy to bond, make some connections, and make friends. In college, it's not so simple. At first, you will probably make a temporary friend in each class, and it usually ends up being whoever you happen to sit by. Then you probably exchange numbers or emails to be able to ask each other questions about homework, tests, etc. Yes, you're helping each other out, and enjoy each other's company in class, but are you really making a connection with this peron? Here's where the hard part comes into play: you have to go out of your way and put in effort to actually spend time with that person outside of class. But in reality, it's not as hard as it seems. Just going to lunch one day can really help establish more of a connection with someone and help you build a legitimate friendship. I am so lucky to have a made a really good friend this way - shout out to Jessie if you're reading this since you read my last one! It's kinda strange how much we have in common, and although we haven't known each other all that long, I really value our friendship, and know that it will grow over these next few years as we fight our way through nursing school together :) .

The other major transition that has been hard for me is deciding what in the world to do with all of this extra time. In high school, I seriously was so busy all the time I hardly had time to eat, breathe, and sleep. Here's the thing: you don't go to school for seven hours everyday in college. Here's the other thing: you don't get to play all the sports you played in high school in college. So what exactly DO you do? Here's what I discovered. Find something-anything that you can do at least once a week that you genuinely enjoy and look forward to. For me, this is playing volleyball every Thursday night at LA Fitness. I played volleyball in high school, and I really enjoy the sport, and at LA Fitness, it is so laid back and relaxed where I can really enjoy myself. Here's the best part: I get to play all positions instead of forever being labeled as a setter. I get to actually hit the ball (and yes people I can actually hit the ball.) It such a great way for me to alleviate any stress from the week and look forward to the weekend. So just find one thing you can do once a week that will help alleviate stress, trust me, you'll be glad you did! And to wrap this up here is a video on How to Survive College, and if you're ever bored one day watch this kid's videos because they're pretty entertaining.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyvfJdl_CNI

Random Thoughts

1. Some people should just simply not have their driver's license. Period.

2. Carmel apple pops are seriously the bomb. I know there's been a lot of hype about them lately, and it's all true. They are seriously like heaven on a stick. Try one.

3. I watch too much reality tv, but I'm okay with it... X-Factor is my show, people.

4. I really really wish I could sing. It's not like I have an awful voice, but I just wish I could like REALLY sing.

5. Is it cool to be a night owl (I love owls) and an early bird?!
6. I'm still super stoked about this lovely suprise coming in October -eeeeeek :)
7. Subtweets are really like the worst invention in the world. We are all guilty, but I've been trying really hard to shy away from them. It's like the worst thing - you can put whatever you want in a tweet, and while you don't mention anyone's name... it's pretty obvious. And annoying. So let's all try to stop posting so much sly sneaky junk on Twitter. Like I said we are ALL guilty, but we can all stop.
8. I really want to get a tattoo, but I'm too indecisive, I feel like once I get one I won't want it anymore.
9. I've started to find myself thinking, "Oh I should write about this in my blog!" and then I forget about, so I should really try to write those ah-ha moments down.
10. Did I mention carmel apple pops are freaking delicious. Ugh.

Ok, I think that about wraps things up for now. Feel free to post any comments you have or e-mail me @ perfectlyunperfectblog@gmail.com

Stay classy,
Megan LouAnn
P.S. sorry this post was kind of long and contexty (yeah that's not a word), but I gotta get my thoughts out somehow, well byee!

Stressing, Ta-ta Saving, and Photographing

Second Post Jitters?

I don't know if this is a thing, but it sure feels like it. Having a blog is pretty cool I must say, but a little strange assuming anyone and everyone has the ability to read what you post. However, I have to keep in mind that I'm not writing this blog to impress anyone, rather to express what I'm feeling, thinking, anything...

Stressing

Well, it's officially fall break! And I'm stuck at work... however, I have the rest of October weekends off which is a huge blessing, people. Anyways, I really believe we should have a fall break like every week... Seriously though, college can be so stressfull sometimes for no particular reason. I truly think the mere thought of college stresses me out. One night this week I was particularly feeling stressed for no reason, and the very next day my psychology professor lectured on how to deal with stress in college - freaky stuff right? No, that's just God's way of saying calm down, you're doing just fine, and a break is in your near future. Things like this happen to me all the time, and I truly feel it's God's way of speaking to me. I love it, and I believe He works like this for other people too, they just haven't noticed! So, next time you find yourself thinking, "wow, that's so strange - this is exactly what I needed" I bet you it was God helping a son or daughter out. He's a pretty amazing dude. Point is: yay for fall break because we all need it. The end.

Ta-ta Saving

I love October for so many reasons. First and foremost - fall. Fall is my absolute favorite season, and it's so unfortunate how short lived it is. There is nothing better than wearing jeans and a hoodie on a slightly chilly fall night. Second reason I love October - breast cancer awareness month. Yes, there are hundreds of different variations of cancer out there, and many people feel it is wrong that breast cancer get its own awareness month; however, there are other months dedicated to other types of cancer, people just don't know about them. I love the spirit of hope and strength that radiates during October. I love hearing the stories of the survivors and the fighters. I love pink, and I love to donate to such a good cause. Yes, people should be aware of cancer and breat cancer all year round, but October gives the cause a special push. It helps celebrate the survivors, fight for the fighters, and mourn, pray for, and honor those who have lost their battle. So, I encourage you to wear just a little bit of pink each day this October and to say a quick prayer every day that someday SOON there will be a cure. My third reason I love October is short and simple - Halloween. Candy, costumes, scary stuff. Yeah nuff said.

Finally, something pretty big is coming in October! It's a secret currently, but I can't wait to share with you once it happens. I have been looking forward to this for months now - eeeeeek! I'm too excited, but that's all I'm going to say until later!

Photographing

As I said on the last post, I really like photography, so I'm going to share a few photos from a mini photoshoot I did with my GORGEOUS younger sister, Madison.
Quick little spiel about Mady:
1. She is a sophomore in high school
2. She is a rock star at volleyball
3. This girl is like a solid three-four inches taller than me... younger sister... yeah...
4. Finally she is my absolute best best BEST friend in the whole wide world

Ok now time for the fun stuff - the photos!

I love this one of Mady. Her face is flawless, and she looks very relaxed and natural.

I had to throw a classic smile one on here. Tooo precious, and her hair looks amazing!

This is my favorite one - no clue why. She just looks at peace with the world, and I love the tigers on her shirt!

These photos were taken in my back yard since I decided on a whim I wanted to do a photoshoot. It's nothing special, but it's fun, and I think they turned out pretty nicely for:
1. Me being a complete amatuer - I want to take some sort of photography class though!
2. Having a pretty standard digital camera
3. Editing them on the photo program that came with my computer

If any one wants to model for me that would be pretty cool. Mady is gorgeous and all, but I can only photograph her so many times! But seriously! I would love to work with anyone - I have lots of ideas but zero models. (You don't have to be an actual model here people... I'm in need of a face!) If interested email me @ perfectlyunperfectblog@gmail.com :)

That's about all I've got for now... I hope you all enjoy your fall break (that is if you have one - if you don't, sorry for that spiel earlier about how awesome it is - keep pushing through, Thanksgiving break will be here before you know it!)

Stay classy,
Megan LouAnn

First Post Jitters

The first post of any blog is so crucial yet so exciting! Allow me to introduce myself a bit (eeek, I always find this so hard to do!).

My name is Megan, and I am an 18 year old college student at Northern Kentucky University. I am striving for a BSN in nursing, and I will officially be applying to the nursing program in January - yay! My family is my biggest support group in the entire world. My mom loves me unconditionally, my dad is my number one role model, and my baby sister (although 15 years old isn't so baby) brings me endless amounts of joy each and every day. You'll soon find out one of my favorite things in the entire world is photography, so I will be incorporating a TON of pictures into my blogs.

Here's one of Madison (baby sister) and I!

This is from a photoshoot we did this past summer to promote Smith Digital Photography! She does an AMAZING JOB, and if you live in the NKY/Cincy area I would highly recommend her for your senior pictures or any other special occasions you want photographed! This was taken on the nature trail at a local park we used to go to quite frequently when we were little.

Back to introducing myself... I went to a fairly small Catholic high school where I played volleyball, tennis, and cheered. Yes - I kept myself very busy. I was also a member of the school newspaper because, clearly, I enjoy writing. More importantly than sports or extracurricular activites, it was here where I met some of my life-long friends: Caitlyn, Elizabeth, Lily, and Nikki. These girls have been with me through the good and bad, and there is no doubt they will all be in my wedding one day (now that's a crazy thought!).

Here's a picture from class trip of Nikki, Caitlyn, Elizabeth, and I (Lily wasn't able to go because she was having back issues :( )

And here's a picture from senior homecoming with Elizabeth, Lily, and I!

Such beauties! But really, these girls are amazing, and I'm so blessed to have them in my life. Elizabeth attends the University of Louisville, Nikki and Caitlyn attend Eastern Kentucky University, and Lily goes to NKU with me - yay! However, being split up has done nothing but made each of my friendships stronger. It really showed me how much I value their true friendship, and again, makes me realize how truly blessed I am to have found my absolute best friends!

I think that's the basics as far as my introduction goes... You'll learn a lot more about me along the way I'm sure, but I'm really excited to just share my experiences, good or bad, as I journey through an eventful time in my life!

Please feel free to contact me at perfectlyunperfectblog@gmail.com with anything you want me to talk about in my blog or to just say hey! I love meeting new people and would really appreciate any feedback you may have!

Stay classy,

Megan LouAnn :)