Where the Good Ends... Just Kidding!

Well, it’s been 36 days since my last final.. and this is where all the good ends. Just kidding. I’m being dramatic. But in all seriousness… there is just one more day until I start the last semester of my high school career. One of the best things about being a PSEO student is BY FAR winter break. It was extremely nice. Up until now, I’ve never had a winter break longer than two weeks in my life. This year, my high school friends had to go back to school within a week and two days. That just seems insane now after having a break that lasted over a month! I didn’t spend my break very productively, and did so very much on purpose. I watched every episode of the short-lived show, Freaks and Geeks. One of the BEST shows ever. It was the beginning of many current stars’ careers; some of the main actors being Linda Cardellini, Jason Segel, James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Busy Phillips. I watched every episode of 30 Rock in a week. I saw Django Unchained, Argo, Here Comes the Boom, Silver Linings Playbook, and The Hobbit.. twice. All EXCELLENT movies, I might add. I ordered many movies on Netflix that I’d been wanting to see. I had a junior high class reunion and saw many people I hadn’t seen throughout my high school years. I participated in a scavenger hunt set up at the Mall of America by one of my PSEOSA friends. My team, Anna-M.A.L.S. won! “Anna” because I was the team captain, and “M.A.L.S.” because each letter stood for the first letter our first names. I thought that was just the coolest thing. I went to the Mall of America a few more times just for fun. I went ice skating at the OVAL, which is claimed to be the largest artificial outdoor skating rank in the USA. I made a gingerbread house. I went bowling and played games in the arcade at Brunswick Zone XL. My friend and I used all the points to buy a bunch of candy to go along with the chocolate cake, red velvet cupcakes, chips, puppy chow, popcorn, and fake champagne on New Years. I ate mac and cheese pizza at Mesa Pizza in Dinkytown. I split my first vanilla bean. I experimented with my new crème brûlée torch I got for Christmas. I made a pizza from scratch complete with homemade bread, olive oil, thinly sliced tomatoes, finely chopped garlic cloves and red pepper, mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, a little pesto sauce, basil leaves, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. I went to Olive Garden a few times. I ate an amazing coconut cream pie at Cheeky Monkey. I tasted the best tea I’ve ever had at Teavana, along with buying $72.00 worth of tea, and a new loose leaf tea insulated tumbler for 75% off! I saw many friends that I wasn’t able to see during the school year with our constantly conflicting schedules. I spent a lot of time with my three cats and two dogs; they just love sleeping on my bed! I saw the majority of my family over Christmas and for football bonding time. I watched the Vikings beat the Packers, and then the Packers beat the Vikings. My little cousins taught me how to play Halo. I played the board game “Even Elephants Forget” (made in 1981) for the first time. I had a few PSEOSA meetings and accepted three new members. I made two University of Minnesota fleece blankets. FINALLY, I went to the WALK THE MOON concert at the Fine Line Cafe in Minneapolis, accompanied by Pacific Air (formerly known as KO KO).

WALK THE MOON: I have to take some time to talk about their concert! Sooooo good! They came out on stage to the beginning of “Pure Imagination” from the original Willy Wonka. I thought that was just awesome; although it did bring out a little nostalgia. Willy Wonka was definitely one of my favorite movies as a kid! WALK THE MOON played the majority of the songs they’ve recorded and a few new songs that are coming out on the Tightrope EP on January 22nd. Eli Maiman also played the Super Mario Brothers theme song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTa6Xbzfq1U) in between their first two songs (more awesome points for them!) I usually purchase a t-shirt at each concert I go to, but didn’t see one I really loved so I ordered one online after the concert. It’s going to come with a vinyl record of their debut album, as well as a WATERCOLOR SET and COLORING BOOK. It doesn’t get much better than that! I would say that I’m a regular concert-goer. I definitely see more concerts than the average person. All I have to say is: BE THANKFUL if you’re anywhere over 5’2! General admission concerts are GREAT… except for the view. When I went to see The Black Keys at the Target Center in Minneapolis, I was one person away from the stage. ONE person! And I could still just barely see! Being present at any live concert is enough for me, though. It’s such an amazing experience!

On another note, I’m taking 18 credits this semester filled with chemistry, biology, microeconomics, public speaking, and journalism. I’m definitely looking forward to journalism! I’ve never taken a journalism course, but I sure do enjoy writing and have been considering journalism as a double major for quite a while now. Speaking of majors… oh gosh. I had a few meltdowns over break where I decided to ditch the environmental science track and become an elementary school teacher (something I always said I wouldn’t enjoy). Then I decided completely against that and wanted to be an animal science/pre-vet student and become a large animal vet through the VetFast program that the U of M offers. As of now, I’m really not sure what I want to do anymore. I know exactly what my interests are, but I can’t seem to find a path that fulfills my list of interests and really works out with what I value in a career. Whenever I ask somebody for advice, they automatically say that I should be a veterinarian. I’m a hardcore animal-lover, but I really don’t think I could be a vet; I wouldn’t enjoy it. I would LOVE to see animals every day and know deep down that I’m helping them, but that’s the extent of my “pros” list. I just want to cuddle with puppies all day while watching 30 Rock and eating cupcakes while saving the world and getting paid for it! This blog post is becoming a ventilation system for me… I’m okay with that. I just hope others can relate! I don’t want to choose the wrong path just because I don’t know the exact career I want. For example, what if I decided to go the journalism/film route, and then randomly decided that environmental science/public health path contains my ideal career? If I stay at the U of M, I’ll enter my freshman year with my general requirements completed and ready to enter a major. Scary stuff, right? I hope to job shadow over the next few months, as well as volunteer more over the summer and hope that leads me in the right direction. Graduation night is coming up fast for us seniors! It will be a bit weird due to the fact that I haven’t taken classes at my high school all year and only took two the year before. I keep thinking that when I’m accepting my diploma something like this will happen… I usually don’t use Mean Girls quotes, but this one actually fits pretty well with my situation!

So that’s what I did over break and a sneak peak of what’s going on in my life right now. To all high school seniors: don’t put off the hunt for scholarships! Many of the deadlines have already passed without me even knowing. Search, ask, and apply ASAP! Also: don’t forget to fill out the FAFSA!

Good luck with the rest of the school year and happy 2013!

-Anna 🙂

P.S. My favorite celebrity is now Tina Fey. She just gets me! Not to mention she’s extremely creative, hilarious, and down-to-earth. “Can I share with you my worldview? All of humankind has one thing in common: the sandwich. I believe that all anyone really wants in this life is to sit in peace and eat a sandwich.” -Liz Lemon