What I Learned

10 Things I Learned in January

So, one of my favorite bloggers has been doing this “ten things I learned” list at the end of the month for awhile. I’ve been meaning to join in as a way to look back and remember stuff that has happened over the course of the month, but alas, I kept pushing it off. I decided since it’s a new year and all I decided to give it a shot. Will it actually stick? We’ll see. This was kinda fun actually.

1. Always, always listen to Mom (especially when it comes to snow days). 
Seriously. The weekend the dorms opened back up was the weekend of what was toted as Snowmaggedon here in Nashville (though all us natives know that snow will hit anywhere but here). Snow or no snow, we knew that ice and super cold temps were on the horizon, so I decided it’d be best to head back to school Saturday instead of Sunday, especially since I knew school wasn’t going to close for the weather. Mom said apparently it didn’t look like it was gonna be as bad so she suggested I wait, but we went on and took me back Saturday night. Two hours later, a campus-wide email from Lipscomb’s president announces that classes are gonna be cancelled for the next two days, due to the low temps and so that out-of-towners didn’t have to travel in the bad weather. Oh, irony, how I loathe thee. I could’ve spent two more days in my bed! With home cooked food! And the irony is that Lipscomb NEVER closes. Sigh. But it was nice to have a couple days of quiet on campus. 🙂

and also: Nashville, seriously get your act together. You can’t be in the single digits (with WIND) all week then all of a sudden turn 60 flipping degrees on us. I am perpetually sick thanks to the bi-polar weather. JUST PICK A SEASON ALREADY! And please let that season be warm. We’ve had enough cold!!

2. Taking 4 literature classes in one semester will be the death of me. 

SO. MUCH. READING, Y’ALL. Some of it is fun, but Jesus… what did I get myself into? And so much writing, but I can live with that.

3. Literature for Young Adults is the universe’s way of telling me that I am (finally) in the right major.

I love all my Lit classes (despite the amount of reading), however this one is my favorite. I think this is the world’s way of telling me I’ve found my niche. So much fun, so many good books and topics, and plus- it’s an all female, English major only class, so laughing and talking about books is pretty much required.

4. Lesson #2 really impedes the whole “reading for fun” thing. 

I started reading Allegiant in October and I seriously finished it today (and proceeded to cry through the last 70 pages). I decided to start re-reading it at the beginning of January since I stopped reading it once I lost my nook charger (woo technology) so technically it took me about a month, but STILL. When you have short stories and epic poems (darn you, Iliad) to read, reading for fun at the end of the day loses when the other option is sleep.

5. Live-tweeting should be a career. 

Specifically, live-tweeting awards shows. I’d make a fortune.

6. Quiet time is essential. If you can have quiet time on a lake somewhere, it’s even sweeter. 

Quiet hour on Cozumel retreat is always one of my favorite moments. Cozumel retreat in itself is one of my favorite moments, but I always get so much from sitting in the quiet. Especially when I’m sitting in front of this:

Sub-Lesson- Things I also learned on retreat include: Boys do not appreciate the hilarity that is Pitch Perfect; Name That Angel is the most competitive game ever; and Mafia is ten times funnier when played at 3 in the morning. I love retreat.

7. McKay’s is seriously one of the best and worst things that’s happened to my life.
Best because it is literally book heaven:

Seriously. I got SO! MANY! BOOKS! For like 20 bucks. How had I never been to this place before?
Worst: simply because I could spend my every dime in there. My wallet sighs. But I neeeeed them, you guys.

8. Sharing your life with the people you love most isn’t as easy as you’d think.
Especially in person, with my voice.  I can write all day long about myself and my life… in my journal, where no one sees it. Giving a devo about my life, my story? In front of people?  Especially the people I love and work with daily. Not easy at all- terrifying, in fact. One of the scariest things I think I’ve done. But oh, so rewarding. It was worth the scary parts to feel a little more free and open about myself.

9.  I have officially become a night owl. 

I used to be an early bird, y’all. I would sleep as soon as the clock hit 10. I would never hit my snooze button or sleep late on the weekends. Then this last semester happened (stupid 8AM class!). Sebastian dying at 4 in the morning happened. Now I can’t sleep. Usually I don’t even think about sleep til 1 or 2… and even if I do think about it, I lay down and stare at the ceiling usually til 2am. I don’t like this. I LIKE MY SLEEP GUYS. Moreso, I like waking up at like 10 and feeling like I have a whole day ahead of me, instead of sleeping til noon (or past 1pm like I did at my Dad’s… oops). I need to remedy this.

10. This is seriously one of the best things that happened to me this month:

SO MANY COMPLICATED FEELINGS. JUNE CAN’T GET HERE FAST ENOUGH!!
Do yourself a favor and go read this book (The Fault in Our Stars by John Green). And watch the movie trailer. It’ll make you laugh and want to curl up in a corner and sob all at once. It’s that good. 

January favorites/ discoveries:
Books: Allegiant (duh), The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass by Mandy Hale (SOOO GOOD Y’ALL).
Music: Kacey Musgraves (Follow Your Arrow has been on repeat since the Grammy’s); Lorde (love her); Dave Barnes’ new album (specifically Little Civil War)
Movies: Pitch Perfect (see lesson 6); Mean Girls (this movie never gets old); Frozen- which I haven’t seen yet (I know I’m horrible) but I’m determined to see it before it leaves theaters. I’ve heard the music and know the premise, but I’d still like to see the actual movie!
Quote:
 “Anybody who has survived childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of the days.” Flannery O’Connor (from my Lit Studies book) (so much truth)
and “The very thing we are afraid of, our brokenness, is the door to our Father’s heart.” -Paul E. Miller (this one is so true for me, especially after lesson #8).

Well, February is here, and it is one of my busiest months. (And I thought January was bad!) but if it goes as well as my 1st day in February, where I saw this at the end of the unusually warm day:

Then February is going to be just lovely. 🙂


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