How to Escape Monotony

          Everyday we all go through a certain routine or schedule. Mine, for example, is: Monday through Friday, I wake up at 6:00 AM and eat breakfast. Then I brush my teeth and wash my face, and look at my reflection in the mirror picking out all the flaws that I'm sure everyone notices. Once I'm content with my appearance I try to pick an outfit together (keyword TRY). Then I drive myself to school, where I make mindless chatter with friends and sit in a desk from 8:00 AM to 3:05 PM. After that my day consists of procrastination and a snack until I fall asleep roughly around 9:20. Saturday and Sunday I do homework, read, and go to church. This is the consistent pattern of my life. Everyday rolls right into the next and they all blend together into a grayish sort of color.  

         Is there ever a time when we experience a sudden shift in our schedules? A drastic change that forces us to stop, look around, and say, "What just happened?"  At the moment, I am in desperate need of a change. I would jump right at the chance to jet off on a spontaneous adventure to the coast of the Mediterranean coast, or to the wild rainforest in the Amazon.

However, I am sadly not even an adult yet. Just short of a few months till that fateful day, when I can proudly declare my independence as an eighteen year old.  But, until then, I have to find small ways to shake up the monotony of my youth. 

          Maybe I should change my hair? Different color or different length. Maybe a boyfriend is in order! Although, the amount of gentlemen callers at my door is at a low at the moment. I think an easy way one can shake up their lives is to get a hobby. I'm joining the rock climbing club, and although I have little (well, none really) experience, I am trying to broaden my horizons. So, what I suggest is: find a hobby. Try anything and everything. Knitting, dancing, tennis, biking, drawing, anything. Even if you have two left feet, do not be afraid to branch out into the unknown. You will spice up your life if you do!

Know Thyself

Staring out of my economics class, I see the rain has slowed to a small drizzle, and the Chattanooga sky is nothing more than a bleak gray.  My mind is not focused on my teacher, Mr. Griggs, who is talking about the rising Civil War in Egypt.  I'm worrying about the current location of my black American Eagle skinny jeans, along with my favorite braided belt.  I'm wondering about the recent journal entry I turned into Mr. Campbell, my AP English teacher.  "Know Thyself" was the assignment's name.  This got me thinking.  Who am I?  Am I the quiet, hipster people perceive me as?  Even though that's how my classmates and friend see me, is that really who I am? Have I adopted to my alternative music and clothes from seven years of going to a private, "Be an individual" school? Or maybe it has to do with the fact that I grew up with an older brother, who was all about not conforming to the norm of society.  Whatever the case may be, I have found that I am nothing more than a label.  We are all labeled by society.  Some of my classmates are "jocks" and "popular".  Others are the "singers" of choral ensemble or some are "bookworms".  Because of this, I don't think I will ever know who I truly am.  Even if I say I don't care what others think of me, secretly I'm always too worried about how others see me.  I'm too afraid to say what's on my mind, fearing that I will be labeled as "stupid".  I'm too self-concious of what I wear fearing I'll possibly be labeled as a walking "fashion disaster".  What I'm trying to get at here is, is it possible to know who we are? Will there ever be a time when we don't worry about the way people perceive us, and we just be the person we know is deep down inside of us?

End of a Season

The end of summer is upon us. The time when we have to trade in those shorts that make our legs look good for some bottoms that are appropiate for school or the workplace. The days of tanning on the roof are coming to a close, and we have to become comfortable with the paleness we had almost forgotten from the wintertime.

For me, and most the American population under the age of 25, the end of summer also means going back to school. With this being my last year of high school, I'm looking forward to being exposed to the florescent lights, making small talk with people I havent talked to in two months, and the pressing matter of what not to wear on the first day of school. I'm feeling quite confident for the upcoming year. I got some new clothes from Anthropologie (on sale, of course), and I'm looking forward to what this year brings. New love, new friends? Who knows? With college fastly approaching, and my eyes set on the wonderful city of Athens, home to UGA, I'm ready to break my comfort zone. I'm ready to be spontaneous, and try new things.