The calm before the storm

Right now I feel really calm and relaxed, but, like we say at the restaurant "this is never good." My classes have settled down and they are over for the most part - just finals left.

My roommates and I decorated the apartment for Christmas. We have also been burning cinnamon candles and listening to Christmas music. "It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas" if I do say so. I think I am going to hurry and pull together a few more gifts this evening before I head off to life group.

Hope everyone is taking time to enjoy the holidays - one more week and it will all be over!

Sarah

reality sets in

As I was driving home from work today, smelling like food -as usual, something hit me. And it hit me so hard that I had to cry for the next 10 minutes. These next two weeks are going to be awful. Finals have always been a time for stress and anxiety - but these next two weeks will hold a record for that I am afraid.

The one week I needed a little breather from work, I am scheduled to work more than I have ever been scheduled before. AHHH! (This is not what I needed) Plus my classes are really hard this year...there will definitely need to be lots of time and studying put in this week. Its scary how one week can blow the entire semester of hard work.

I was gently reminded that God will take care of me, and just to breathe. I am headed to church now, I am sure Tommy will have some assuring words :)

Good luck to everyone during dead week ~ STUDY!

Sarah

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. Its a time to be with family and stop and realize how blessed we are, that there is so much stuff we have to be thankful for - that makes me really happy. Also there is not all of the stress of presents that Christmas brings.

This Thanksgiving I got to see all of my siblings, which was wonderful. And I helped my mom cook, which is always fun. It was a really wonderful time - the food was amazing and it was good to be home.

happy (late) turkey day

Sarah

You're in it right now, aren't you?

My grandmother passed away.

It has been very hard on me. At first I really wanted to be strong and mature, and logical. Telling people that it was a good thing, that she didn't suffer, that she lived a long life - that I was happy God took her from her pain. But I have come to realize, however true those things may be, she was my Mimi and she meant a lot to me. I have come to realize that it's okay to cry and that I do need to grieve.

I feel like I am in a surreal state right now, she was the first person I have ever lost that was close to me. It is really weird to think about, and I am sure that when I go to her house, and am at the funeral it will hit me much harder, but I am hoping it will also bring a sense of closing. I feel like Andrew from Garden State, not that I am on anti-depressants by any means, but just that the world is moving around me and I don't know quite how to fit in anymore.

I want to keep from shutting down, I still need to function and go to my classes. It's just really hard, at times I feel like I have cried too much and then at times I feel like I haven't even cried at all. I feel like the Lord is really protecting me though, and comforting me. He has not left me by any means, only become stronger in my life now. He has given me so many people to cling to, my family, boyfriend, and my wonderful roommates.

If you haven't seen Garden State, go rent it.

Sarah

nose piercing and family

I had been wanting to get my nose pierced for quite some time...but was too scared to actually go through with it. A few saturdays ago I went to the homecoming game (yay!) and afterwards spontaneously got my nose pierced lol. ...after all, it is sort of an unspoken rule that the art students at North Texas have their noses pierced.

It hurt really bad, but I am so glad I did it, and think it looks super cute (did I just say that?). Anyway, later that week I ended up seeing both my families (my parents divorced when I was younger.) They are very conservative and didn't take the nose piercing wonderfully, but it was good, and I think now they are realizing that they need to let go.

Apart from revealing my nose, it was really good to see the fam. I have missed them so much!

Sarah

midterms and such

Life has been flashing by, I can't believe that we are already more than half way through the semester. I look back at how I felt at the beginning to the semester (moving as a transfer student scared and afraid) and laugh. I feel like an expert. Even though I still don't have everything under my belt, I have my schedule and routine down pat.

I have been thinking about going into restoration lately. Because I love art, but I also love science a lot too. I don't know much about it and have just been toying with the idea. Interestingly enough, a graduate student in my 19th century art class was seriously considering that field and has researched a lot of information about it and she told me that she would give me the file she has composed. So that was extremely exciting and random.

My job is going well, after a small bump in the road I feel like I am doing better than ever. My classes are still over whelming, but I have a feeling they will continue to be until the semester ends. I went to a UNT football game a few weeks ago! That was utterly amazing U...N...T.... Eagles fight-fight-fight! I really miss my family. I feel like with classes, church, work and school assignments that I don't have any free time anymore. I haven't seen my family in quite a while, and my little brother and sister had their 10 year old birthday recently :(

Life has definitely become a balancing act lately and my arms are getting really sore....maybe I should try to fit in working out?

Sarah

Watch out!

So...it has been a while since my last post, regrettably due to my busy life at the moment.

It is so easy to let school work creep up on you, even when you are studying and reading all the time *BAM* a test, paper, or presentation is right in your face. I feel like I have been smacked in the face a lot lately.

I talked to my aunt (through facebook, ironically enough) the other day and was really encouraged. Even though school work never seems to end, and my job is time consuming, and my sleep is always disappearing...this is college. Time to have some fun and enjoy myself before I am thrown into the real work - makes me wonder how hard the real world will be lol.

I am really starting to enjoy my job. It is becoming easier each day I work, and the people I work with are so wonderful! I will admit that I almost cried on Sunday...but this woman started chewing me out telling me how horrible the service was, and it wasn't even my table (I don't know why she got her panties all in a wad). Monday and tonight were much better, the customers were super nice, and gave me good tips!

I have joked with one of my roommates about our survival strategy for college - just make it to the end of the semester. But that soon became, make it through october, then make it through this week, make it to tomorrow, make it through the next hour, minute, second...so, if we just make it one second at a time, we will survive haha

I should probably return to my 19th century assignment, blah

Sarah

OH! I went to the Vesuvius exhibit @ the DMA this past Saturday, it was so amazing! I would recommend everyone go to it right now, but I am afraid it is in Jackson Florida now :(

running running running

I feel like I am always running these days, just trying to stay afloat.

Luckily my book came in on Monday and I was able to read it all by my class on Wednesday... However we had to do an in class assignment from the reading, which was not entirely clear (I don't think anyone in our group knew what to do) and so that was pretty much terrible.

I started my job on Tuesday - it was so much work, but also fun and rewarding. I made alright tips, so that was exciting too. Wednesday was my second day to work and I got very flustered, because a lot of people ordered coffee drinks, and I had no idea how to make them (I didn't know the difference between a latte, a cappuccino and a breve.) But I pulled myself together and handled the situation very well :)

Today I had an awful test in my art appreciation class...I was writing the entire time and my hand even began to cramp up. We had to identify slides and answer fill-in the blank (which was not hard) but we also had two formal essays to write as well! I didn't have any time to organize my thoughts and a rough draft was out of the question - I just wrote everything that came to my head, and anything I could think of that applied. Goodness, those essays were exhausting.

Tomorrow I have un examen en mi clase de español and a writing assignment in my British Lit class due as well. So...I should probably get on that.

Sarah

So much!

Wow..so much has happened in the past week!

I got my boyfriend a puppy as an early birthday present; a salt and pepper miniature schnauzer (so cute)! He lived with me and my roommates for three days before I was able to give him to my boyfriend, and we all fell in love with him.

I also got a job this week!! I am going to be working at Bochy's, a little bistro off 288. I have never waitressed before, but I am still really excited. My first day of training is Tuesday, so I can't wait.

I am a little stressed because my book for my 19th century art class hasn't come in yet, even though I ordered it with expedited shipping over a week ago :( Hopefully it will come in tomorrow, and I can get it read by Wednesday...

Today was just a lazy day to relax and catch my breathe. I need to do so many things tomorrow, but for today I will rest.

Sarah

Wednesday

Wednesdays have always been my favorite day of the week. For the past four semesters my classes have always been easier on Wednesdays and at the end of the day, your week is down hill from there. However…this semester my hardest classes are on Wednesdays, in just three weeks I have learned to despise them. On the other hand, after today the hardest part of my week is over, and I have another whole week before Wednesday again.
That was just a random rambling I thought I should share.

If everything goes well, I will be starting at McAlister’s next week, so that’s exciting. I went to access (the Tuesday night college thing at Denton Bible) again last night. It was really fun and I am glad I ended up putting my reading to the side so I could go. Even though Denton Bible is so huge, I am really starting to like it. Tonight one of the girls that’s an intern there invited my roommates and I for supper, I think it will be fun to get to know her better and free food is always a plus! So I think that will be a perfecting ending to my Wednesday.

Sarah

Orientalism

For my 19^th century art class we had to read large excerpts from Edward Saïd’s Orientalism. It was very interesting and addressed issues I had never even thought about. The study argues that Western society derives an inaccurate view of Eastern society because the perspective we have is so ingrown in our minds we can’t escape it. It focused on the fact that Westerners know what is best, because we have been educated and “cultured” – unlike the “orientals.”

This point hit home for me when thinking back on my mother’s trip to Egypt. She told me about going to a museum with ancient Egyptian artifacts where the glass was missing from the display cases, the descriptions of the objects were hand written on note cards, and the facility lacked air conditioning. The next year she and I went to the British Museum in London (where I found my passion for art history) and she commented that she was glad that the British had mummies and ancient Egyptian artifacts because they would take better care of them than the Egyptians would.

Her point was that the Westerners knew how to better preserve and knew the greater value of the objects than the Egyptians themselves. Is this true? And even if it is, do Westerners have the right to take them? Or is it their duty to protect them?

Well… other than my endless reading assignments, I have been doing laundry and looking over my Spanish book today. (Fun, I know)

Sarah

Labor Day weekend

It was nice to have a long weekend after the first week of school.

I watched movies all weekend with my roommates, it was so fun :) I watched Little Women on Friday...I hadn't seen that movie in so long, gosh it's good! As well as, Pride and Prejudice (one of my all time favorite movies.) Also this weekend I got through my first scary movie ever!!! (Thanks to Amy, who comforted me through the Hitcher)

I am still trying to find a church in Denton that I like, I am checking out both Denton Bible, and the Village at Denton. They are both really good churches, so I can't really go wrong.

I am also trying to find a job, hopefully I will have one by the end of this week - I have a second interview with McAlister's so that's exciting!

The rest of my weekend was pretty boring - me reading for my 19th century art class.

Hope that yalls weekend was relaxed and refreshing as well
Sarah

still getting settled

So I survived my first week at UNT. My other classes went pretty well, though I can hardly believe the first week is over - its going so fast.

People have always told me that once you get into your major classes, it will become more difficult...but I just never imagined how hard! I had my first advanced art history class this past Wednesday. I know it will be a tremendous amount of work, however it seems very interesting and exciting as well.

I have been searching the past few weeks for a part time job, but I haven't had much luck. I am going to stay persistent and hopefully it will pay off.

Sarah

The first post!

As it says in my "about me" section, I am a transfer student to UNT. These first few days have been so crazy. I finally got settled into my apartment, which was nice. (This is my first year to live in an apartment, my first two years I lived in the dorms.) My roommates have also moved in, and although we are still organizing the kitchen and decorating the living room, this apartment is beginning to feel like home.

Yesterday was my first day at a public University. It was very different from what I had expected and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought at such a large school I would just be a number and the professors would just teach in order to have money for research. Both my classes yesterday were rather small and the professors seemed very nice and genuine.

I had a little difficulty with the bus system, and I was practically attacked by a squirrel but for the most part it was a great day.

I hope my classes today go as smoothly - fingers crossed!

Sarah