I have such cool friends...

I'm not sure if it will play; the video may redirect you to YouTube, but my best friend Mattea stars in this super cool music video! She asked me to post it on my blog for her, because they are trying to spread the video around. If you like swing dancing and bop-doo-wop music, give it a watch, I think you'll enjoy it!

Evolution of my Planner

In case you were wondering about my epic time management skills, I will let you in on a little secret: I am not that great at time management. I wouldn't call myself a reckless time-waster either, but some days are better than others. I've found more and more, that I live and die by my planner. If it's not in there, it doesn't happen. (I've missed several important appointments due to slight oversights in this regard.)

At the beginning of the week, my planner looks like this:

By the end of the week, it looks like this:

As you can see, my planner is an evolving documentation of my life. As tasks become finished or moot, they get crossed off. Ongoing tasks (like reading) get checked off. Unfinished tasks get rewritten and moved. I think I get about 90% of what I write down finished, as far as assignments go. The percentage differs when it comes to "fun" stuff like hobbies, personal projects, and chores. But there it is--the secret to my success: My Planner. 

While Mom and Dad are Away...

...the little hooligans come out to play (or something like that). Jussst kidding! Things have been pretty chill on the home front, but we have been watching a crapload of movies! Here are the stats:

Movies intended: 10

Movies actually watched: 9

Total hours: 18 hours and 15 minutes

Favorite: She's the Man

Cost of the pizza: $0.00

Average wake up time: 6:39 am

Average bed time: 9:40pm

Naps: 0

Feeling: Tired. Responsible.

Surprised by: my ability to stay awake after feeding the dog.

Accomplishments: finally downloaded iOS7 for. Bernard (verdict:  I like it!)

Reading: "In Camera" short story by Nawal El Saadawi

Highlights: Quiet house. Drinking tea in Mama's bed. Jake called me and when I answered the phone, his whole family shouted, "We love you Meesh!!!!. And hung up.

Quotes: "Why is this so awkward??" "Why are you making me watch this?" And "You were right, Misha!!" (Courtesy of Cameron)

Looking forward to: Sleeping in after Mom and Dad get home. (ie. not feeding Pat in the mornings)

This year marks the second year of what may very well become an ongoing tradition for me and Cam-- at least while I'm living at home: Parents' Anniversary Marathon!!! Last year, they went up to the Grand Canyon while me and Cameron stayed home and watched 9 movies by the same director (in chronological order by year) in two days. Crazy? Yes. But awesome. This year, we decided to do things a little differently. We picked a different theme for each day sand watched movies in that theme. For Example: Disney Animal movies might include Lion King, 101 Dalmations, Aristocats, etc. Note that this is a selective, not a comprehensive list- this is key. Since we had 3 days, we each picked a theme and agreed on the third theme.

Friday: Rom-Coms (50 first dates, She's the Man)

Saturday: Spider-Man (All 3 of the old ones with Toby Maguire, and the Amazing Spider-Man)

Sunday: "Mind-Blowers" (The Truman show, Total Recall, and Inception)

You can guess which one was my pick. Besides the thudding bass of our surround sound system, things have been pretty quiet around here! It's been nice having the house to ourselves, but I am looking forward to having Mom and Dad back again. 

The Strangeness of Beauty

"We love you meesh!" Out of the blue, Jake's family shouts into the telephone and hang up. Two tears escape my control and slide down my cheeks. I've been really emotional this morning, and it's not because I watched Rom-Coms with Cameron last night. No, since Mom and Dad are away, I've had a lot of time for reflection this morning. Cameron sleeps late, so the house has been quiet--perfect for some early morning quiet time, a cup of tea in Mama's bed, walking the dog around the block, and thinking about art.

Ah, art.

This morning I was reading in the Psalms, and appreciating the poetry of it all. It turned my thoughts toward acts of worship, especially those acts that please God that are distinctly not corporate worship (Jake and I were just talking about this yesterday!). Now that I am "in college" (rather, out of high school and in this new stage of life that I'm not quite sure how to label), I am reexamining and forging my own beliefs. I don't think my faith has ever been challenged like this before. Now, I must decide, do I really believe this? And if I do, what do I do about it? Some things I've taken for granted; others I have taken for my own. I asked myself, what are the essential truths I believe about God/faith? What is most important to me? What truths are the most integral to my being?

One word came to mind: Purpose. (For the moment, we'll assume that faith in Christ as the only way of salvation is a given.) Some of the most meaningful revelations about God in my life have been about my purpose and identity. As I developed a greater understanding of who I was and what I was meant to do, my love for Him blossomed. I don't need to prove to you the significance of art in my life, for it will reveal itself in due time. But I believe it is inescapably tied to my purpose and identity. I find myself always returning to this beautiful medium; and even when I can’t make time for it, artistry still pervades my thought-life. I consider myself an artist, because I find life beautiful and brimming with meaning.

The title of this post coincides with the title of a book I just finished for school: The Strangeness of Beauty by Lydia Minatoya. In the story, three generations of women, American and Japanese, must overcome their differences and their past in order to live at peace in pre-World War II Japan. Upon reaching the end, I couldn't discern what it was that moved me so much about this story. For the assignment, I have to write about myo (roughly translated "the strangeness of beauty") which the main character Etsuko uses to describe a variety of concepts, ideas, experiences, and relationships in her world.

Then I stumbled upon a study question on The Norton Publishing website:

The Strangeness of Beauty may be seen as two interwoven tales: one a story of character, family, and culture; the other a meditation on how art—literary, visual, culinary, of professionals and amateurs, of kite makers and kimono weavers and housewives—informs and enriches our lives. At what point do these two tales intertwine and how do they culminate in the concept of myo?

I saw the relational story of Etsuko, Chie, and Hanae. I saw the concept of myo within those relationships. But I didn't see how much the book was shaped by the role of art. I realize now, this is what moved me so deeply about the story. It is the intersection of art and relationships--everything I've striven to be.

More to come on this topic. <3 comment-3--="">

Jingling Johnny

This song has been playing on the radio a lot lately, and I love it! Not just because it's got an awesome, folk-sy, twang-y sound that resonates with the country girl inside me. And not because I've been learning how to play it on my mandolin. But because of one instrument they use call the "Jingling Johnny." Also known as the Pogo Cello, Boombass (Or Boombas, or Bumbas, or Boomba), Lagerphone, Stumpf Fiddle, Teufel Stick, Turkish Crescent, or Bladder Fiddle; the Jingling Johnny is usually a home-made instrument that varies based on the individual who makes it. Miscellaneous items (springs, tambourine-like devices, cookies sheets, bells, etc.) are attached to a wooden pole which is used as a percussion instrument. I wish I could provide a better picture of it; you'll just have to search for it in the video. Awesome song (and band!), fascinating instrument!

A Taste of Fall

Not pictured: Miss Colleen, and three girls who couldn't make it.

Unfortunately, Tucson does not experience some of the beautiful foliage that accompanies our notions of fall, but that is not to say that we don't have options! I spent this morning with these four lovely ladies up on Mt Lemmon enjoying the crisp air and warm drinks. We brought a little picnic spread of apple pie bites, cookies, muffins, and of course, hot chocolate.

These ladies are part of my core group that I help lead on Wednesday nights at CCC and we decided to do a little extra outing today.We had a great time chatting about this and that and hanging out. Miss Colleen brought a festive tablecloth to cover the table. While we were snacking, we saw a gigantic bird and a little squirrel came and said hello!

This is one of the views from our picnic spot. It's hard to see, but there are little houses down there. As we drove up, orange-yellow aspens greeted us as saguaros gave way to pine trees and rocky cliff-side. It was so beautiful! I am determined to go back so I can enjoy the color a little more before it goes brown.

The Numbers Are In!

hours studied (avg./day): 4.75
trips to Starbucks: 4
books finished this week: 4
brain power: 85% capacity
stress level: low
reading: The Strangeness of Beauty by Lydia Minatoya
mood: unmotivated
learning: to complain less
sad realizations: I haven't seen Jake's face in a long time!
looking forward to: hanging out with my freshmen girls on Saturday! 
highlight of the week: Receiving postcards from Maike, Jake's public declaration of love and adoration for me on Facebook.

Weekly Update:

We thread our way through throngs of people. A running stitch of white tents and food trucks embroider the streets of downtown Tucson and strange smells mingle with one another in the air. Somewhere a mariachi symphony plays traditional Mexican music. The annual 3-day cultural festival Tucson Meet Yourself is truly a beautiful, overwhelming, sensory affair. This year was my first time going and I loved it! I invited a friend from college group and we had a blast dancing to strange tunes and trying strange foods. Bruce and Stacey introduced us to Iranian food and we tried O'odham fry-bread tacos--both of which were delicious. We visited all the main areas, but we barely scratched the surface of what they have to offer. Next year, I will go back with a little more time on my hands to try more food and actually enjoy some of the performances they have stationed around the festival.

Last year, over 100,000 people visited Tucson Meet Yourself. I'm so glad I got to be one of them this year! By now, you've probably noticed that I have a thing for numbers and stats, so here are more stats for last year's TMY. Warning: they're impressive.

Also this week, I have been working hard at my conference paper which I promised to work on during my first Inksanity video. And I decided to make a compromise with Kristin and Sabina. They have been urging me to do NaNoWriMo which I'd originally planned not to do considering my heavy course load this semester. But, I told them I would set a small word goal (probably a short story spanning 10,000 words or so) if I can finish my American Novel class and drop my Shakespeare class before November. For my AN class I only have a few assignments left, including one of the conference papers. I'm trying to drop Shakespeare from my degree template because I had a few unexpected credits transfer in (I did the work, but I didn't expect the transfer to go through or count toward my degree) and I might be able to drop a class. No offense to Mr. Shakespeare, but it would be a huge weight off my shoulders if I didn't have to pick up another class between now and January. Four classes is enough. I know my mood says "unmotivated," but I did some figuring and once again, the end of my degree is tangible. I just need to get through these next few months.

How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read

This. Is. EverythingI'vebeenlookingfor.

Or at least, that's what I thought when I came across this title at the local library. Being an English major with massive amounts of required reading I snapped it up thinking, "Where has this been my whole educational life??"

I'll confess, this book was definitely not what I expected. I'd say that I don't know what I expected but that is an outright lie, because, confession: I totally expected a cheat-sheet guide to B.S.-ing my way through college literature. If you're lazy, like me (or absurdly overworked and trying to save some time/energy, also like me), then this is not the book for you.

On the other hand, if you are an avid reader, enjoy theory, and want to know how to B.S. your way through social situations involving books you haven't read, then this would be a great book to read! The first section is largely theoretical, discussing the theory of reading, specifically the difference between reading and not-reading, or even un-reading! The main premise considers that whole body of written knowledge is too vast for one to read every book that's available. In addition, Bayard talks about how our reading experience is not made up of individual books but a series of relationships between books, ideas, experiences, etc. The theory was interesting, though a bit heady for me. The author draws from a lot of literary examples, all the while designating which books he has actually read, skimmed, forgotten, or heard about. The second half of the book offers vague guidelines on how to use these theories of what is reading or non-reading in social situations when you might be called upon to talk about a book you haven't read.

Overall, an enjoyable read, even though it didn't turn out to be my easy way out of college literature!
Disclaimer: in keeping with the title of the book (and also this post) I did not actually read the whole thing. I did read large portions of it, but skimmed the rest! How did I do?


Image credit: Photo by Mark Larson used under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works license

Postcards from China

"China" by Bob Perelman

We live on the third world from the sun. Number 3. No one tells us what to do.
The people who taught us to count were being very kind.
It's always time to leave.
If it rains you either have your umbrella or you don't.
The wind blows your hat off.
The sun rises also.
I'd rather the stars didn't describe us to each other, I'd rather we do it for ourselves.
Run in front of your shadow.
A sister who points to the sky at least once in a decade is a good sister.
The landscape is motorized.
The train takes you where it goes.
Bridges among water.
Folks straggling across vast stretches of non-concrete, heading into the plane.
Don't forget what your hat and shoes will look like when you are nowhere to be found.
Even the words floating in the air make blue shadows.
If it tastes good we eat it.
The leaves are falling.
Point things out.
Pick up the right things.
Hey guess what?
What?
I've learned how to talk.
Great.
The person whose head was incomplete burst into tears.
As it fell what could the doll do?
Nothing.
Go to sleep.
You look great in shorts.
And the flag looks great, too.
Everyone enjoyed the explosions.
Time to wake up.
But better get used to dreams.

Two postcards from Maike arrived today. On one she transcribed this poem. She says that Bob Perelman created it during his travels in China; he found Chinese books with English captions under the pictures and turned those captions into a poem.

She also writes, Every night couples gather at a small park to dance. My host mom took me out Thursday night. It was a night full of Chinese waltzes and dancing with strangers. I have never seen anything like it before in the States--everyone coming in one place to dance and no one in want of a partner. Look at me, dancing in Shanghai! I even sing with my host sister though I never sang at home...

It sounds beautiful.

5 Quirks of Misha

My first video for Inksanity is live!

Things I learned: 

1. Don't use Windows Movie Maker
2. How to get to and navigate the inner workings of YouTube's movie editor
3. Film all your takes at once (i.e. say stuff a bajillion times the first time so you don't have to refilm)
4. Edit your video all at the same time. (i.e. don't upload half of it and come back to work on it later) 
5. I make some really bizarre faces on freeze-film 
6. I frequently sigh/exhale-heavily at random times when I speak
7. Verbal Crutches: And, So, and But

There are a few instances where you can tell they were separate takes due to lighting, the angle of the screen, and the fact that I am more freshly showered at some parts compared to others. Oh well. Overall, it was a good first experience (even though I'm pretty sure I spent well over 4 total hours editing it together) and I'm happy with the outcome. Enjoy!

666 Stats from the Week of Hell

Here are the Stats:

hours studied (avg./day): 5-6
cups of coffee consumed: 3
hours of sleep (avg./night): 9
Word documents created: 5
brain power: 82%
stress level: medium
hours to edit my Inksanity video: 5
reading: Pale Fire by Vladimir Nobokov
mood: mostly optimistic/excited
learning: to edit my assignments before turning them in
looking forward to: Tucson Meet Yourself cultural festival!
highlight of the week: IM-ing Maike (who is all the way in China) on Skype

Last Sunday, Mom asked me what my week looked like and upon opening my planner, my eyes bulged a little bit. "It's going to be a hell-week." I thought to myself. Although you know what? It hasn't been as bad as I thought. Yes, it has been crazy, full of busy days and lots of studying, but I think I'm starting to get the rhythm down. 

I've been focusing on finding a good balance between work and leisure time and I've gotten to work on a few personal projects on the side (none of which are noteworthy to mention specifically here). Jake offered me this little gem, this week, "Enjoy the fruit of your labor, because it is the gift of God" from Ecclesiastes. We were talking about how interesting it is that God connects work/labor with enjoyment. Balance is definitely something I can strive for in this area of my life.

Rattlesnake Cafe

A few weeks ago on our morning stroll, Mom and I passed this little coffee shop and I thought to myself, "Ooh! I need to try that!" I love trying new things and finding new haunts to frequent (plus breaking the "norms" of every day life!). So this morning, I took my mentee Katie there and we had an awesome time catching up over coffee at a little table in the back.

It was such a pleasant morning out--kind of grey and overcast, threatening rain, but we didn't see so much as a sprinkle. A perfect day for driving the Miata with the top down! (I've been practicing with the stick shift and I'm starting to get the hang of it well enough to drive it by myself.) I busted out the first long sleeves of the season! Last night, I tried wearing a winter coat at the park, but I think I pulled it out a little prematurely. Soon, my fluffy white coat, I will wear you with pride!

We went early, so the atmosphere was a little dead, but it quickly livened up as we nursed our drinks. There was a book club of some sort right next to us and they would burst out with roars of laughter now and then. Once more people trickled in, the shop became bubbly and friendlier. It's kind of on the expensive side (as most local shops I've found are), but my vanilla latte was the best! I will totally be going back there, perhaps with my laptop and schoolbooks in tow!

The Main Event: Fields of Faith

I've found that even though I have officially graduated high school, I am being pulled back into it once again as I volunteer with CCC's youth ministry. Pastor Rob approached me over summer and asked me to come on staff with the freshmen girls. It's been challenging and I was nervous at first, but over the first month, I've grown to love my freshman girls. You'll probably hear much more about them over the coming year.

Every six weeks or so, Rob puts on what he calls, "The Main Event." What is the Main Event you ask? Why, it is exactly that--the Main Event. This event is shrouded in ministry for those who are not part of the elite, or haven't participated before. The Sunday previous, Rob announces it, encouraging all to come and find out what it's all about. The Main Event is generally a fun outing, in which Rob transports all the students to a remote location and hosts a fun activity off-campus. And it's different every time.

This October, our first Main Event took place at a local park for Fields of Faith hosted by Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)

Here's their promo-video:

It was an awesome time of fellowship, worship, and prayer with the other Christian highschoolers of Tucson. At least three churches were represented and eleven schools! It was so encouraging to see so many young people gathered together in the name of Christ. I can always get excited about events that bring out city's youth together!

I think the biggest takeaway for me was to keep the Word fresh! I think this is something God has been bringing me back to a lot lately. At college group, Rob mentioned that when you grow up in Christian homes, sometimes we get bored of reading Scripture; it loses its freshness. He encouraged us to find ways to keep our faith fresh and new in our lives. It was spoken as a total afterthought, squeezing that little part in at the end when people are getting restless and itching to leave. But it hit me so hard. That same word came up again tonight--fresh. Exciting and new and different. Faith can't be just a routine.

Mindmaps at their Finest

For my American Novel class, I'm reading Vladimir Nobokov's Pale Fire and it has lead to a bounty of educational opportunities (including my parents' introcuding me to "Don't Stand So Close to Me" by The Police/Sting), although I did have to rely on liberal use of Wikipedia in order to understand what exactly was happening. Once you get into it (or in my case, once you get a good overview, a'la Wiki), it is actually fascinating. Brilliant, really! I think it is on the same playing field as William Goldman's The Princess Bride (except I think Pale Fire came first, so the reverse would be true).

The novel is comprised of a foreward, a poem written in 4 cantos of heroic couplets, a commentary, and an index. The best part about all of this is that the poem is written by Mr. John Shade and the foreward, commentary, and index are written by Dr. Charles Kinbot, a close friend and colleague of Mr. Shade. Confusing? Definitely. When it first said the poem was by Mr. Shade, I thought, "Wait a second, isn't this written by Nobokov?" I double-checked the cover to make sure. No, it says Nobokov on the front. Then who is Mr. Shade? And who is Dr. Kinbot? That is the question.

The novel has been widely discussed for its non-linear connections. It was included in a study on hypertext (text that hyperlinks to other texts, or parts of the text, for reference purposes. This blog post would be an example of a hypertext--or any other webpage for that matter.). My further research in trying to locate such a hypertext for Pale Fire led me to a very interesting graph detailing the various connections of Pale Fire. It very much resembled a mind map, only infinitely more complex than anything you might draw for personal "brain dumping."

Unfortunately, I could not locate the copyright information for it and cannot post it here. However, you can view it here along with the abstract of the creator's study. (A larger version of the graph is available on the second page). The full study is much longer, but a very interesting read if you feel like drowning in literary criticism. However, the abstract provides a nice enough (and much briefer) overview. I know I'm geekin' out over here, but enjoy!

Unexpected Art

 

This is just a portion of the poster-sized page!

It's been a long time since I've made any mail art, but today, I was blessed with a little unexpected mail love from Japan!

I used to be a really active mail-artist, but because of my studies, it had to take a backburner to my education. I still try to make art every once in a while, but these creative excursions are few and far between and I don't keep up with any of my old penpals.

This particular missive was not a personal note, but an on-going mail call that I've submitted to in the past. For mail calls or CFEs (Call for Entries), artists send out a call, or request, for artworks usually on a specific theme. These often have certain parameters for genres, sizes, mediums, etc. but most are pretty flexible. This particular one requests hand-carved stamped images and arti-stamps (faux-stamps, another vein of mail art). I submitted a Japanese fish I carved into an eraser a few years ago and he sent back a massive sheet of paper bursting with colorful images and addresses and artistamps. Another such poster graced me today.

I remember the first poster I received from Ryosuke-- it had a lot of stamps of naked ladies, which I thought was weird at the time. Now, it doesn't bother me as much since I am older and have been more exposed to the world. (Some people just like naked ladies, I guess.)

Today, I feel a little more submerged in the mail-art world; I miss it terribly. I have no shortage of materials to work with now. In fact, a few months ago, my cousin Ish sent me a ton of cuttings from discarded National Geographic magazines! Such fantastic images must not go to waste. And I'm sure they will not, but in this season of life, time has been more elusive than ever. In the meantime, I must find other ways to fill my creative needs, until my schooling is finished, but this little surprise in my mail box definitely made me smile!

Autumn

I wrote this poem for fall a few weeks ago while enjoying a pita out on the back porch. As I watched the sun gild dust motes and tiny insects in gold, the words came to me. Enjoy.

Autumn

Our shadows lengthen,

As the days wane,

A decaying palette,

Kindling

Leans against the back wall

Of an abandoned shed,

Tossed there,

Among stray cinderblocks.

Restless air

Shivers

With the approaching footfalls

of Autumn.

Cloaked in fire,

Bloody fingertips,

Guilty.

Of murder.

And proud.

With a laugh,

And a swish,

She throws her golden tresses,

Over her shoulder,

And looks the other way.

This Week In Numbers

Sometimes, I like to put my life in numbers, in what I call Stats, especially at the close of letters.
Here are my Stats for the week:

Classes taking: 4

Credits/Semester: 15

Hours studied/day (avg): 5 1/2 

Hours sleep/night (avg): 8 1/2

Cups of coffee consumed: 2

Brain power: 88%
Things I have forgotten: 5

Reading: Life after Art by Matt Appling

Mood: frazzled

Learning: how to use the library's virtual databases for research
Looking forward to: Tucson Meet Yourself festival happening next weekend

Highlight of the week: this beautiful weather!


Tucson has been having some glorious glorious weather lately! I can feel the freshness of fall approaching and I am loving every minute of it. Since the weather's been so nice, I've been taking my studies out of doors. There is nothing quite like studying outside when the air is crisp and cool.I started two new classes this week through Thomas Edison State College (TESC): African Encounters and Non-Western Literature. I haven't fully transitioned into them yet, so I've been awfully forgetful and flustered lately! Even important things, like a conference call for work, a babysitting appointment, and the 7-month mark of Jake's and my romantic relationship! I am hoping that once I settle into the routine of these additional classes, I will be less frazzled.

The Inksanity Begins!

Every weekend or so, I meet up with a couple of friends at Starbucks to write/study and hang out. We've been writing pretty consistently at the same Starbucks location for about two years now; all the staff know them well and we have our very own table which we have declared expressly "ours." Over time, we've developed into a close-knit group, as writing, though solitary is also a very social activity. We named our little group "Inksanity" (like insanity, with ink), and created a Facebook group to announce weekly write-ins.

And then one of us moved away for college! So to keep up with one another, we decided to do a vlogging project.

Mission TypeWriterEffect, in which six of us keep each other accountable to our writing (or non-writing) goals via video-blogs. We'll take turns filming our videos and if someone doesn't make their goal or doesn't post their video on time, they will get a group-mandated "punishment" or dare that they must complete and film-document.

It's a fun way to stay connected! I foresee our little project becoming less goal-oriented as we start dispersing more and becoming more of a way for us to catch up and be part of one another's lives no matter where we are. My first video will be posted this week!

Summer Rom-Antics

I hardly posted anything to the internet over summer, but I'd still like to share about it.

The majority of it consisted of my budding romance with Jake. He blogs occasionally over at Ask Me if My Name is George, but he is much more prolific on Facebook. Most people that know us, know that we have been friends for a very long time; I have pictures to prove it!

Circa 2008

Because of our rich friendship behind us, we have such a fun story and we had an equally fun summer! Perhaps I will tell the full story another time. But for your viewing pleasure, I created the following presentation:

You can view it by clicking on what interests you, but I think it would be easiest to go through using the two arrows at the bottom.



The presentation is actually a prototype for my top-secret project, which I like to call "Bird's Eye View," or BEV for short. I cannot disclose too many details here, but here is my vision for it: a web-based journal-ing platform centered around a calendar view, a planner for the past. It's a very exciting project, though it is still in it's early stages of development. I will update here if I make any headway on the project. With my fall classes, however, it will be on the backburner for a little while. Enjoy!

Fresh Starts for Fall

Most people look forward to the end of high school, because it is the beginning of something new. With fresh young faces and their fledgling dreams tucked under their arm, they are launched into the next chapter of life: college.

I never really got that launch.

I definitely got the end of high school, though there are few pictures to prove it; but the line between high school and college was slowly blurred and blended until there was no way to distinguish one from the other. I am sincerely grateful for my experience with CollegePlus and the bounty of opportunities it has afforded me, but sometimes, I regret that my blurry transition was not as fresh and crisp as that which my peers are currently in the midst of.

Nevertheless, the onslaught of fall still seems to represent a clean slate. Though I am less than 6 months away from obtaining my Bachelor's degree in English, I still feel like it's time to start over. It's time for things to be different. It's time to shake up my life a little bit.

So, I've been going to college group. I've taken my studies beyond my desk--usually outside or to Starbucks. I've taken up casual art journal-ing. And now, I'm giving blogging another chance. My old blog was great for the four years I had it (four years!), but a new chapter calls for something new.

I want this blog to be:

• a canvas for my meandering thoughts
• snippets and snatches of everyday life
• fragments of beauty
• a fresh start for fall.

With that, I present you:

Misha's Meanderings