Uncle Oliver

Although it is cheesy, I have to say I love Valentine's Day. I declared that last year and I am going to say it again. I love handing out paper Valentine's to my friends and strangers and yes, they are the kiddie kind. I love having a reason to wear as many pinks and reds as possible and to look as cute as possible. My mother even came to campus today to give me two boxes of Girl Scout Cookies and a new book. Today is a good day.

Last week was also full of love, although the circumstances weren't as happy as Valentine's Day. My great uncle Oliver passed away about two weeks ago and his funeral was last Friday. He was one of my favorite people on Earth and I will greatly miss him. Most of my aunts and uncles (Teresa, Kerry, Arlyce, Richard, Lisa, and Lenny) can up for the funeral, along with Oliver's kids and grandkids. Despite the sadness, it was amazing to have most of my family around the same table. We told stories about Oliver, who always seemed to be involved in some sort of odd escapade which often included his nieces and nephews it seemed. The one red thread through all the stories was how loving Oliver was. Everything he did was out of utter compassion and love and by nature, he was a gentle man.

My mom, Oliver, and I this past summer.

Today on Valentine's Day, I hope to continue my uncle Oliver's amazing legacy of love and maybe his legacy of crazy escapades.

Peace!

-Nicole

I'm thankful for my mom.

"When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself." -Nancy Friday

Megan here. I'm sorry I haven't been the best at keeping on schedule.

I can't wait to get home for Thanksgiving. For the first time, I'm really starting to miss my family.  This whole college thing is quite effective at making me forget or look past all the little trivial things that annoy me and long for everything else, all the love and positive regard. Absence makes the heart so much fonder.

I have always, always, always been a Daddy's girl, but lately I just miss my mom. Recent events have brought us closer together in that we have reached a better understanding of one another through the things we cannot tolerate. It is not so much we've found a common enemy, but we have found similar causes we are equally passionate about, and now we can mutually listen to each other's frustrations and see parts of ourselves in the dialogue.

My mom is the strongest woman I know. I am so glad and so proud to say everything I know about being my own person I've learned from her.  I inherited much of her appearance, but I also inherited her passion and her spirit--while our stubbornness has led us to butt heads many times, I wouldn't trade that quality for anything.  I am proud of her for following and continuing to follow what is in her heart, despite the difficulties brought about by those choices. 

She is, and always will be, my role-model and the example I look to when doing what I know to be right isn't the easiest course of action. I cannot wait to see her, hug her, listen to her vent about a number of frustrations, and spend Thanksgiving together.

Peace and be well.  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

-Megan

Love Thy Neighbor

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." -Jimi Hendrix

Megan here.

I cannot get this election off my mind. I just want it to be over, but my stomach is in knots over the possible outcomes. I will probably cry at some point tomorrow, either tears of joy or immense pain and sorrow.

I wish everyone would always think about how their actions affect those around them, including those already marginalized by society. Voting has real life consequences, and I wish members of my own family realized how important these issues are to me, because it will change our relationship.  There's no way it can't  be affected, and while we'll always be family, that alone does not compel or require me to compromise my values and beliefs in their presence.

"Love thy neighbor."  It seems simple to me.  Love is something that builds someone up. It eases pain, gives comfort, provides a light in the darkness, and makes someone feel safe. Love doesn't shame, invoke fear, or cause pain. Love thy neighbor means showing respect, providing for needs, ending stigmatization and discrimination, and overall just being a decent person.

Please, please, please, please go vote.  From the bottom of my heart, I urge you to step into that voting booth and think about how those marks will affect your neighbors.  Show some respect and show some love.  I think if we need more of anything these days, it's precisely that. Love.

With all of my LOVE,

Megan

Preschool

It has been said many times before, but I am coming to a new understanding of what it means when someone says college students are preschoolers. Of course, I get excited when I learn something new and I think it is the coolest thing ever and sometimes I need my mom to pick me up and kiss me on the head. But let me add something to this extended metaphor: preschoolers develop a thing called "false beliefs", which is the understanding that what someone thinks can be wrong, including their own thoughts.

In the past few weeks, I have been struggling with how to deal with differing opinions. When growing up, views on things that other people held were different, but not drastically. And if they were, it always seemed I could prove them wrong. It seemed I was always right. I have come to the difficult realization that my views on things may be wrong and there can be multiple truths on something. Just as preschoolers develop the ability to control their emotions, I am learning how to control my feelings when someone has a dissenting opinion, especially when someone is close to me.

There is something unique to college-age students though that differs from preschoolers - the development of being able to appreciate differing thoughts and see them as valuable. My college emphasizes the importance of interfaith and inter-anything conversation. The valuing of opinion is what makes something change for the better. And I'm slowly getting to that understanding of that value.

And although preschoolers and adults are different, I think I am still entitled to a few naps and for my mom to pick me up off the sidewalk and kiss my scrape and tell me it's all going to be ok.

Peace!

-Nicole

Roots

1. There is no age limit to Sea-doo jet boats
2. Always remember where you came from
3. Good food brings people together

Hello! It's Malyn again.

Last weekend, I journeyed home (a four-hour bus trip from Concordia) to see my great aunt and my mother's cousins. And it was beautiful. I get to see them only once about every 3 years, and my great aunt is 87. She's in good health, but I don't always know how many more times I'll get to see her.

Anyway, my mom's side of the family hails from Indiana (Terre Haute, to be specific), and they all have really great Southern-ish accents and are very down to earth. You spend a few hours with them and you start belly-laughing at their stories, and when you leave you say, "Baeh!" instead of bye.  There's always loads of great home-cooked food- my aunt loves cooking and then everyone else brings things to share.

We sit around a large table and eat and talk. Most of the stories are from about the 60s, when many of them were children - that side is notorious for pranks and mischief. I also get the chance to hear about the days when my late granddad and my great-aunt were children. There's a famous story where my granddad was trying to learn to drive but couldn't stop the car, and so was swerving everywhere trying not to hit things - he finally ran it into a tree at low speed in order to stop!

This sense of spontaneity and fun usually leads to pretty enjoyable things. My aunt Ann lives on a lake, and so usually we go out for boat rides. Last year they bought a Sea-Doo jet boat, one of these:

We decided to try and give my great-aunt a ride on it. Her hips aren't great anymore, but she was up for it and we managed to get her on (in doing so my mother almost fell into the water - it was all a very hilarious situation). She and my aunt cruised around and had the time of their lives.

Always remember who you are and keep in touch with family. I'm blessed to have so many great relatives - I know many people aren't so lucky. It was a wonderful weekend and I'm glad to have such a lovely family!

peace and have a fabulous week!

-Malyn

Be Kind

I'm mean. Or at least, I have been lately. I snap back at my friends and I seem to have no tolerance for professors who don't do things the way I want them. I have no idea why... maybe it's because I'm stressed or maybe it's because I have lost sight of what's good. No matter the cause, there just seems to be no good reason for me to keep on being mean.

People have asked me in recent years what was one thing my mom taught me that I still hold onto. And my answer is always the same: be kind. She always taught me to talk about people in the best light, even if you dislike them or disagree with them. The person on the other side of the story has their own story and they have their own beliefs that they believe in as fully as I do - why would I push them down with my words for being them? This is not to say I should be 'nice'. Nice is making sure everyone is happy and gets what they want. To me, nice is an easy thing to do. Nice makes it easier for me to let them have it their way and then go home and talk about how wrong they were. Being kind, on the other hand, is harder. It requires me to slow down and really think about whether these emotions are about me not getting my way or if I am honestly hurt by someone else's actions.

To amend my first statement, I've been 'nice'. I have blamed others for being someone who isn't me. It seems my roommate, my close friends, and my boyfriend have gotten the brunt of this easy-way-out-niceness.

So what am I going to do about it? I'm going to try to be aware of what's going on around me. Megan taught me a cool little statement: "I am kind, I am patient, I am loving". I am going to write it wherever I can, make sure I can see it, and try to see everyone in the best light possible. I have recently heard from multiple spiritual leaders that when someone is hurt, the victimizer is hurt just as much. It comes in more of an implicit manner, taking a toll on how one views the world and people.

This is a promise and an open apology: be kind. And I challenge you to do the same. Be kind. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt, because to them, you are the other side of the story.

Peace!

-Nicole

Waiting

1. Try to get some sleep - going 27 hours on no sleep is not a good idea.
2. Sometimes the weather is a bit moody.
3. Writers block is annoying.
4. Good things come to those who wait.

Why hello there! Sorry for long delay - I've been having a bit of a tough time finding things to blog about. Plus, it is nearly the end of the semester and things are a bit busy. You'd think after ending a play, I would have time...apparently my life just gets busier. I had a pretty busy weekend and didn't get a lot of sleep. I think I made up for it with a nap yesterday and a good night's sleep (Megan didn't fare as well as I did though). We only have a few more days of classes then finals, then we're done! It's crazy.

The typical response to "Excited to be done?" would be "I can't wait!" but for me, I can wait. Sure, I'm excited for summer to come, but I also want to savor these last few days here on campus. The sun, it seems, has finally decided to stay. The campus is being cleaned up from winter and it's become possible to lay outside and read or just chill. It's something calm in the midst of all this craziness.

Honestly, I can wait for summer. I'm beginning to realize how much I am going to miss my family here. It's going to be weird, when I work on campus this summer, to not see their faces and hear their voices. I'm ok with waiting for summer to come. I'm going to pack my next few days full of chilling with friends (even if we are just doing homework). I'm going to listen to laughter and tell jokes and be a bit ridiculous.

I can wait. It's all good.

Peace!

-Nicole

Definition of Family

1. Writer's block sucks.
2. Walking without shoes on in 31 degree weather is interesting.
3. Chocolate is wonderful.
4. Welcome to the family.

Happy Easter everyone! I hope it was swell and was restful. My weekend was fairly relaxed - did a ton of sleeping, talking, laughing, cooking, and just doing nothing. I was able to see my aunt and uncle, which is always a blessing because they live a bit ways away. I got to spend a whole day with my mother (which I have waited for for a while) and we went to see The Hunger Games, in which I cried buckets of tears. I also got to experience a new kind of family.

My family is pretty small right now, especially at holidays. My mother and I often spend holidays with another family, with whom we are close with. When making plans for this Easter, I simply assumed we would be spending it with that family again. On the contrary, it turns out we were going to have a total of 7 people at our house. My house is small and our table can only handle about 4 people and 6 is squishy, but possible. Having 7 people in our house for a few hours was going to be a feat and having a meal - oh dear, was it going to be an adventure.

My concept of family has always been very fluid. Because I grew up an only child, anyone who I connected on deeper levels with I considered to be a sibling in some sense. I have always had multiple parents because I was always in church ("it takes a village to raise a child"). It hasn't been until recently I've discovered how deep I can be connected with someone and not be related to them. With the addition of my sister, I have gone on a huge discovery process of what being family, especially what having and being a sibling means. My definition became shared experiences and having to deal with one another, despite emotions. At the end of the day, even though one might be angry or annoyed at the other, there is still that desire to be with one another. The other almost becomes a home base. In talking with friends about missing home, the recurring theme seems to be that: the comfort and feeling of home, no matter where or what the situation is.

This Easter has taught me something a bit more about family - it can grow in ways one would not expect. Megan stayed with me nearly the whole break. We spent a ton of time at church and she's gotten to the point where she has developed her own relationships outside of me. Because church is such a huge part of my life, it will frankly be very weird to not have her with me at church this summer. I have a fairly large network of people at my church and Megan has found her own place. It's just a new definition of family - she went from being a friend of a friend to being a sister in many aspects (heck, my mom even gave her an Easter basket).

For the past few months, I have created a family at school. And I expected it to happen. What I didn't expect to happen is the growing of my family at home. Not only has Megan sort of become an addition, it has happened with my mom also. She now has more children to take care of - she has dedicated herself more to relationships with the kids she mentors. I apparently now have about 20+ siblings.

So to wrap it, my definition of family is continuing to grow and change. It seems that anyone I meet may just become my newest family member. And it's pretty sweet.

Peace!

-Nicole

"I just can't deal with this right now."

1. Document the sleep deprived quotations.
2. Ever in Ames, Iowa?  Eat at Jeff's Pizza.
3. Go.  You won't regret it.
4. Salsa Doritos are actually kind of good.

Megan here, better late than never right?  I promise I'll post next Wednesday.

Sadly, the title seemed to be my inner mantra for the last two weeks.  It knew I was in for a marathon with MBLGTACC alone, but then my family emergency popped up as well as a few other things I didn't account for.  I felt completely and utterly overwhelmed.  To give you an idea, I spent 19 hours in a vehicle over a span of 5 days and during those 5 days, I went a 72 hour stint with 11 total hours of sleep.  It was really rough and I kind of got a little bit goofy on the ride back.  MBLGTACC was incredible though and feel free to ask us about it.  It was a life changing experience as someone put it in our meeting yesterday, and I really really hope to be able to make next year's conference in Michigan.

I guess I learned a lot over the last week.  Sure, some things I didn't want to know, but it happens.  I was just stressed over going home and having to finally come to terms with another death in the family. There's been 4 since winter break started. Plus the funeral was on Valentine's Day which I already associate with negative connotations having nothing to do with over-commercialization or my currently single status.  So yeah, it was rough, especially with living out of a suitcase and missing classes and whatnot.

Things are rough sometimes, and sometimes they're utterly overwhelming and difficult, but they do get better.  I got back to campus on Tuesday night after white knuckling it through a snow storm to get here.  Yay for 30 mph on the interstate! (I digress) and so yesterday was my first full day back and I was so happy to just have familiarity and routine again.  Yesterday felt great for me.  I felt genuinely good and not stressed out.  Things definitely felt better, and I feel better in general.  It just goes to show that while things may be stressful, they can also be good at the same time.  MBLGTACC opened my eyes to a lot of things, plus I bonded with a lot of amazing people.  I learned, I laughed, I cried, and I experienced solidarity like I've never felt before.  Sure I was stressed when I got back over having to go home, but home was exactly where I needed to be and I'm glad I went back.  I would have regretted it if I hadn't, and I really needed the closure.

Feeling overwhelmed and like you can't handle things as they currently are, much less when an emergency arises, is scary; that's what friends are for.  Reach out and let someone else support you until things stabilize, and then you can get back to normal.  Things will ease up, and they will get better. 

Trust in other people as well as yourself.  You're going to be just fine.
Have a great week and hug someone you love.

-Megan

Coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine.

First person to comment and tell me the name of the song I got the title from gets a mental high five from me. My friend and I used to go through this song, sending each other the lyrics line by line. Oy, nostalgia.

First things first, if you're reading this, you need to look at the post before this and share it on your facebook, tumblr, twitter, whatever social networks you're involved in. Nicole has entered a scholarship competition for bloggers and needs as many 'shares' as possible. Please do this. Besides, it has some good political insight.

1. Walks help with back problems.
2. This too shall pass.
3. Get out of the house and get out of your head.
4. Have faith in friendships.

Hey, Megan here. I hope everyone is having an excellent holiday season filled with family, friends, and baked goods.

I've been home for 11 days now, and while it is nice to feel carpet beneath my feet, have a nice shower, and be able to walk to the fridge for a snack, I still miss college immensely. The truth is I have cooped myself up in my room for far too many days and am a little bit stuck in my head. Last night I went out with friends to our popular summer haunt and it made me realize not only the importance of getting out of the house, but also the importance of simply having faith in your friends. You have to trust that each other will still be the same person you know and love. Everyone changes to come extent, but, as I learned in my most recent psych class, personality is fairly constant over time, so have faith in it.

It's important to get out of your room, get out of your head, get out of your house, go spend some time in a dimly lit coffee shop, and have a good discussion in a van. Don't get stuck in your head. It's not an accurate portrayal of reality; it's just a skewed mess of constructs that can certainly and very convincingly masquerade as reality, but it really isn't. See, the trick is you actually have to go and live in the real world with real people in order to construct a more accurate reality instead of just letting your imagination take what you know and run off in all sorts of directions with it. It's so simple, yet we forget it sometimes.

So tonight I'm spending some quality time with a couple of friends who I've known since 7th grade. It's definitely time for a reunion, and I know we'll be able to pick up on our friendship right where we left off despite the fact that we've all changed quite a bit. I'm excited to spend time with them because I get to be the part of me I missed.

We all play different roles in different groups of friends or acquaintances, and I get to be wild and bubbly and silly with this particular group, whereas I sometimes like to fade into the background in other groups. Sometimes I step a little out of line and play a role I'm not meant to when I'm with certain people. Believe me, it is an uncomfortable feeling to sit there and think to yourself, "I shouldn't have said that, definitely shouldn't have done that, should have thought before I said THAT." It's okay to play different roles I think, it just depends on who other people need you to be, and what you're comfortable with. Taking on a different role doesn't mean you change your personality either, it just dictates what strengths and weaknesses you employ and when. I think it's just important to change it up a bit, and not force yourself into being typecasted as it were. Is typecasted a word?

In conclusion, get out and live a little, have faith that you'll be able to pick up where your friendships left off, and just let yourself adapt to situations. When you leave home such as I have, it's rough to go back... but, it's important to. (Let the record show that I have now expressed this sentiment in writing whenever I complain.) When you hit the road and leave, it's almost as if you have also taken upon yourself the responsibility of returning, almost like a price you have to pay for the extra freedom. It's just the way it is sometimes. Making yourself remember where you've come from isn't a bad thing by any means, and in some ways it keeps you grounded, and gives you extra motivation to get where you want to be.

So, I hope you have a most excellent week. Take care. Love and hugs.

-Megan

CHRISTMAS!!!

Melissa here.

I HAVEN'T BLOGGED IN FOREVER. HI, EVERYONE.

Right now, it's officially Christmas day (even though it's almost 2 am, it still counts)!

I'm really excited, because I get to spend a lot of time with my family. I've realized over this break that I've really missed them. Today, I spent the entire day with them. We ate lunch together, then went to Christmas Eve mass, and came home to open presents. I'm really excited, because I got three books (two of which I've already read, but who's to say I can't reread them again?), one of which is Looking For Alaska by John Greene. I've wanted to read it for over a year, and now I finally can! I also got the game 'Apples To Apples', which I ended up spending a good chunk of time playing with my mom and sisters. Like I said, I've really missed them, and it took being away from home and coming back for a longer break to realize this. Being home, I've been able to have some really good talks with my mom, like we used to when I was growing up. I forgot how much I really need those talks. No one can put things into perspective for me like my mommy can. I guess what the point of this post is, don't forget the importance of family during this Christmas time. Don't forget the importance of family ever.

I guess that's all I have for now, so...

Aww yeah.

-Melissa

The Story's Conflict

1. Baking cookies is exhausting.
2. A night with family is the best kind of night.
3. Write a blog post - Megan might get angry if you don't.
4. If there is no conflict, there is no story.

I am currently sitting at my kitchen table, surrounded by my family (mom, aunt Arlyce, uncle Rich, and cousin Joseph). Let me start off by saying that my uncle Rich is insanely brilliant and creative. He just got back from a script-writing conference in Hollywood. One of the main things he learned was "If a scene does not have conflict, there is no story."

My uncle, being the brilliant man he is, applied it to life. If life does not have conflict, then what is the point? Take a huge break-up. If it didn't hurt and if it didn't create some emotion, then that means there wasn't much there before.

Can you list all the fights you've had with friends? How about can you list all of the crazy things you've done in the past year? I know I can tell so many stories of fights/conflicts I've had with friends and I can tell you about the crazy antics that have happened too. Every single one of them has had a conflict involved, whether it be between myself and friends or myself vs myself.

And I've learned from each of them too. Try to remember a day where something crazy or weird or exciting didn't happen - pretty much impossible. If there is no conflict, there is no story. If there is no story, then there is no lesson. Without a lesson, then what is life? I try to learn something new every day (heck, that's why I blog). If I can't find something in my day that I can learn from, then what is the point of it?

Something can always be learned - no matter the situation. If a day seems too boring and utterly useless, create conflict. Scary, I know. But, why waste a day when posing a risky question or doing something a bit out there could create conflict and present a lesson?

Conflict also brings change. On a large scale, if a country disagrees with another, they will surely let the other know. But on a smaller scale, if something is not right in a relationship, the best thing to do is confront it and work it out. If it isn't talked about, the problem will still be there and change will never happen.

Don't be afraid of conflict. Without it, there pretty much is no life. So live, speak your mind, and learn.

Peace!

-Nicole

The Rest of the Story

1. Unplug yourself from technology during stressful times - it may increase your productivity.
2. Wear comfortable clothes during finals - you'll be happy you did.
3. Puppy love is the best.
4. The rest of the story has to be written.

Day one of finals week: Complete. Tomorrow is our last day of classes and then Wednesday-Friday are finals. It is getting to be crunch time - well, it has been crunch time for quite a while, but now everyone is feeling it. Most people can't wait for the semester to be over, but for me, it's bittersweet.

If I go back to back to August 28th, I was feeling so anxious and excited.

"Move-in day" me

I had no idea what was coming but I was ok with it. I was so excited to start a new chapter in my life - heck, I waited years for that moment to come. I was as ready as I could be. I situated myself into my room and went to orientation.

My club - see me in the middle, poking my head out?

I loved orientation. It prepared me for what I didn't know what I needed to be prepared for. I loved my orientation group and I would be spending the rest of the semester in class with them. This picture was taken one of the last days of orientation, little to my knowledge that this was my first college family. I love each and every one of them like a sibling and they are so dear to me.

Crazy how even now it represents all of our personalities (I'm center in the back row, choking my friend)

Then life became very bizarre...which is when I started this blog. I thought I would have a strict schedule and I thought I would act just as I had before, just without as much anxiety as before. I never expected for this to happen. Every day brings something new and I mean new. I never know what to expect. Sometimes I wish for consistency, but most of the time, I love the craziness. And I've done some crazy things. Heck, Megan jokes that I now have a reputation. I am the "pink-haired, bubbly, loud, emotional, girl-with-the-ideas, theatrical, cute-clothes-wearing, Harry Potter and Doctor Who fan, touchy-feely, organized, army-building" girl. Ok, so maybe most of that stuff isn't included in my reputation, but my friends sure do know about all of it.

I've changed so much. I think of when I've gone to camp or mission trips in years past and come back suddenly and abruptly changed. It's all good, but that change often doesn't last long. It's that mountaintop experience, where you feel so emotionally high and then you back to reality and that mountaintop experience was too short to really learn from that experience. For a while, I felt like college was like that. Orientation felt like camp: everything was planned out and I was in a specific group. It felt like a mountaintop experience.

But now I have started to live on that mountaintop. And I've made friends. I became friends with Melissa who accepted me for who I was instantly and allowed me to be me fully for the first time in a long time. She introduced me to Megan, who I have become connected to at the heart. I've also met Sally, Stef, Erin, and so many other people who have started to camp with me onto of that mountain with me.

Throughout my classes, I've learned to look up, instead of looking down from my position on the mountain. Little did I know that there are other mountains to climb where I could experience more mountaintop experiences. Before, I've always been looking down to see where I've been and to see how far I've gone. I'd been waiting for college for so that I didn't remember to keep on looking farther up. There is so much more waiting for me to climb. And I'm not discouraged by it...these aren't goals set by other people; I choose what one to climb. If I don't like it, all I have to do is switch to another.

I've been living on this mountain for a while and it's become semi-comfortable. As the semester ends, I can't help but think I am ready for the semester to end. But maybe I'm not. I love how everything about college is still new to me. But as these last few weeks have passed, things are becoming not-so-new, like when to eat dinner to avoid the dinner rush, the best places to study, when to get the best shower in the bathroom, or how long it takes to walk to class.

I'm also slightly sad because I will have to home for about a month. The concept of home has completely changed in my mind. Home has always been at my house; now it's mainly my dorm. When I spent mid-sem and Thanksgiving at my house, all I wanted after a few days was to go back my dorm. My college family was there and I missed seeing them. Yes, I do miss my house and my mother, but I was ready to move out when I came to college. I'm not ready to say goodbye to my friends, even if it is only for a month.

The end of the semester doesn't mean huge changes are in store. It just means that the beginning has ended...now it's time for the rest of the story to start. And I can't wait to see what crazy things are going happen.

It's going to be quite the adventure and quite a beautiful mess. 

Good luck on finals and whatever else is going on in your life.

Peace!

-Nicole

Family Ties

1. Pumpkin pie is a God-send.

2. Black Friday isn't all bad.

3. 2-year-olds are hard to keep up with.

4. Blood is thicker than water.

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your Thanksgiving was full of food and love. I am currently sitting in the car, on my way home. I had Thanksgiving dinner at my sister's then spent today shopping with my aunt and cousins. It was a fantastic break from college and it was also an adventure - a good, but slightly scary one.

I met my sister this August. I grew up an only child, being raised by my mom. I always wanted a sister; the closest thing I had was a family friend, but even then we weren't close. I've had a few people who I've been close with and have called them a soul-sister, but I don't know what having a sister or even a sibling really means.

Just before my mom and I were going to leave Ashly's house, Ashly's stepdad said to me, "It's crazy how much you and Ashly look alike." This took me aback. I know Ashly and I looked alike, but I've lived my whole life not looking like anyone. Sure, I've looked like friends and cousins, but we always grew out of looking alike. People have always told me I looked like my mom, but you are supposed to look like your parents. But now, I show people a picture of Ashly and I and they know we are sisters without me telling them.

Ashly and I grew up in very different situations, to say the least. I grew up in a city; she in a small town. I was raised by my mom; she was raised by her mom and stepdad. She had younger sister; I was an only child. Not to mention, I am nine years younger than her and she is married and has a two-year-old boy. We are quite different, but something connects us.

I look at my nephew, who's two, and it's hard for me to think we share the same blood. It's even weirder to look at Ashly and know we share the same DNA - we are genetically linked, not just linked at the heart. Whenever I am with her, I see myself. We are both OCD about organization and we both love old things - something that I never knew where it came from in me. My mom doesn't really have these qualities and I always thought it was something I had learned, not inherited from my dad.

Family can include more people than just who you share DNA with, but something has to be said for sharing a genetic code. I am just learning what having a sister really means. I don't know much about who Ashly is, but from the three times I've been with her, I already feel a pull at the heart when I'm with her. I've felt a connection at the heart with people, but this is new. It's different. For most people, this connection is nothing new, even sometimes frustrating. But for someone who is experiencing this for the first time as an 18-year-old, it's amazing. And I love it. It hits a part in me I never knew I had - it's that automatic connection that isn't based off of interests or personality. It's the simple fact we look alike and have the same blood.

Be grateful for your family, no matter how messed up or crazy it is. You share more than memories. Your family is who made you who you are - not how they raised you, but because of the millions of years of people before you created your specific genetic code that is your personality and appearance. And that's a miracle.

Peace!

-Nicole

She's a rebel

1. Sleeping in is great.
2. It's okay to give yourself time to think.
3. It's a small world.
4. "Family" includes a lot more than just blood relatives.
5. Pudgy little squirrels are ADORABLE!

Heeey, its Megan. Happy Wednesday! And Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Oh, and the title comes from a Green Day song, in case you were wondering. I just arrived at home around 20 minutes ago. Where is home you ask? Home for me is Central Minnesota, about an hour north of the Twin Cities.

So here I am, sitting in my room, contemplating my return and also how my family will react to my streak of blue hair... The thing is that doing anything remotely associated with rebellious behavior is completely uncharacteristic of me. I thought about doing something a little bit crazy, but never plucked up the courage to actually do it. I tend to be spontaneous only under carefully controlled conditions, and so this is a little weird for me. Am I turning into a rebel?

Well... maybe. The thing is that society expects college students to rebel and do some crazy stuff. Colleges put into place a whole number of policies aimed at controlling the chaos that is a population of young adults. I wonder though, what is the real cause for stereotypical college behaviors? Do we "rebel" because we're at a crucial junction in life? Or is it really because we're faced with societal expectations that we're supposed to rebel? It's all over in the media and movies and such: how a college student is supposed to act.

I guess I am just worried that my family will take this little deviation from the social norm and peg me as the new family rebel. Maybe I am to an extent, but the changes in my appearance are nothing compared to the changes everywhere else. I am turning into a happier, funnier, more thoughtful, more open, better person, all thanks to the craziness that is college. If that's a successful shot at rebelling from the social norm then throw me in the same league as James Dean because it's where I want to be.

I pose a challenge to you. Yes you, the one reading this right now. It's okay to rebel. I encourage it. HOWEVER, you ought to find something worth rebelling over. Something that keeps you up at night or gives you those knots in the pit of your stomach. Find your cause, your purpose in life...even if it doesn't coincide with what society thinks you ought to do. I mean, what's a rebel without their cause? (Do I score points for another James Dean reference?) If you don't like how society handles a certain issue, then show how to handle it better. If you don't like what society values, then be an example of what ought to be held as important.

Being unique and different is challenging, and it's hard to stand up for what you really believe in, but I know you can do it. Be strong. You got this.

-Megan

Home

1. Lazy Sunday afternoons are fantastic.
2. Nutella is delicious.
3. The History Channel is quite bizarre, especially the show Ancient Aliens.
4. The concept of home can change.

It's been four weeks. Four weeks since I started classes and nearly five weeks since I moved into my dorm.

When I graduated high school, I didn't cry nor did I rejoice. I wasn't particularly sad to be leaving my high school years behind, nor was I too ecstatic to be leaving. It just felt right to be done with high school. And it felt right to be moving to the next stage of my life: college.

I had split feelings about moving to college. On one hand, I was thrilled over the idea I would have my own place and I could choose what I wanted to study. But on the other, I loved my house. I loved my room and how it got a ton of light in the morning. I loved my kitchen and I loved having a bathroom to myself. But I guess, more than anything, I loved the concept of home. Being able to come to a place of comfort after a long day of classes, work, and practice and just relax. Seeing a very familiar face and know that they will care for you and love you no matter what. I didn't want to leave that behind when I went to college.

But, after five weeks of being here, I have discovered home is transferrable. My dorm has now become a place of comfort. My friends have become my family - the people I want to see and talk to after a long day. Every good feeling I had about my house I now feel about college. This is home. And I'm happy.

Though I could do with a more comfortable bed.

Peace!

-Nicole Kippen