Likes: 2666 (en espanol), isabel allende, BHG cookbook, getting packages in the mail, pajama days, earl grey tea, big hugs from four year olds
Dislikes: extremely cold weather sans snowfall, slush, archives losing sources, dirty communal microwaves, icky old moldy food, getting spit up on by infants
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Currents
Likes: pashmina scarves, cooking, moccasins, Eucalyptus and Spearmint linen spray, archival job!, novelas en espanol, Almodovar, Sinclair Lewis, daily jigsaw
Dislikes: slush, allergies, dust, waiting for decisions to be made, shopping in grocery stores with a lot of people, non-working dvd players
Dislikes: slush, allergies, dust, waiting for decisions to be made, shopping in grocery stores with a lot of people, non-working dvd players
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Back East... But Wishing I Was West...
Current Obsessions: LIFE magazine photo archive on Google, Special K Red Berries, reading the personals on CraigsList, looking for a fabulous apartment in Denver, White Christmas, A Prairie Home Companion, Guinness, The Economist, the browsing section of the library, the Smithsonian and Library of Congress's Flickr streams
In Search Of: a suitable male companion, a suitable canine companion, a pair of pearl studs, a pair of new heels, and several of the books on my reading list
Current Dislikes: dried fruit in most of its incarnations, Fanta orange drink, fried food, "Gossip Girl," girls and guys without gender-ambiguous balls, thinly veiled political tirades masquerading as fact, drafty doors, my inability to get ArtStor to work on my computer
In Search Of: a suitable male companion, a suitable canine companion, a pair of pearl studs, a pair of new heels, and several of the books on my reading list
Current Dislikes: dried fruit in most of its incarnations, Fanta orange drink, fried food, "Gossip Girl," girls and guys without gender-ambiguous balls, thinly veiled political tirades masquerading as fact, drafty doors, my inability to get ArtStor to work on my computer
Sunday, August 3, 2008
What is the City but the People?
I've been a little busy in Denver--too busy to keep up on posting. But it's my last night here, so I figured I would wax poetic about my stay here this summer. I have had an incredible time--and I taught myself to love adventure, to be more spontaneous, and to let the little problems in life slide by and focus on being happy.
Although my internship wasn't quite what I had hoped it would be, it provided me with an experience I had not had yet: now I know what I don't want in a boss, and in a job. I want to be challenged, and I want to be treated like a valuable member of a team, where I can work independently, but contribute meaningfully to a project that will actually serve a purpose.
To that end, I'm looking at some new experiences within the next year, including travelling to some pretty cool places, as well as applying not only to graduate school, but also to a few jobs that will help me to achieve something.
I met someone here. He taught me something that no one else ever could tell me so well: don't sweat the small stuff, and don't ever let anyone underestimate your worth. He's lived a life I only dreamed of--and he taught me that I don't just have to dream, but that this is something that indeed I can do. So I'm going to do it. I don't care about the cost right now, because honestly I found out that I can indeed be versatile, that I can live out of a suitcase comfortably, and I have found a place, some people, and some hobbies that really make me happy.
I want to come back to Denver (or Colorado in general) sometime soon. I have so much unfinished business here--fourteeners to climb, people to meet, places to go. I will be back. But I'll be a different person when I get there.
Although my internship wasn't quite what I had hoped it would be, it provided me with an experience I had not had yet: now I know what I don't want in a boss, and in a job. I want to be challenged, and I want to be treated like a valuable member of a team, where I can work independently, but contribute meaningfully to a project that will actually serve a purpose.
To that end, I'm looking at some new experiences within the next year, including travelling to some pretty cool places, as well as applying not only to graduate school, but also to a few jobs that will help me to achieve something.
I met someone here. He taught me something that no one else ever could tell me so well: don't sweat the small stuff, and don't ever let anyone underestimate your worth. He's lived a life I only dreamed of--and he taught me that I don't just have to dream, but that this is something that indeed I can do. So I'm going to do it. I don't care about the cost right now, because honestly I found out that I can indeed be versatile, that I can live out of a suitcase comfortably, and I have found a place, some people, and some hobbies that really make me happy.
I want to come back to Denver (or Colorado in general) sometime soon. I have so much unfinished business here--fourteeners to climb, people to meet, places to go. I will be back. But I'll be a different person when I get there.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Manifest Destiny
Call it manifest destiny. Call it wanderlust. Call it whatever you'd like. But, somewhere during my visit of the Colorado History Museum, I had one of those epiphanies. (Then again, it's been a week of those for me, but we'll get to that later.) I really love it out here. There's something about this state that just screams "independence," "quirkiness," and "history." I keep on running into people--at King Soopers, at Chipotle, in the Denver Public Library--who moved from out east to be here in Colorado. And all of them seem to say the same thing--that there is something special about this state. I tend to agree. It's a state of transients come home, the type of people who have been everywhere, seen everything, and just want a good place to raise a family, keep up on the cultural scene, and live a life that has just a little less stress than those afforded in the humid, crowded east coast. I think, at some point in my life, I want to be back here. People are accepting, and ready to make friends, or at least talk to you and trade life stories over the serendipitous cup of coffee.
Last weekend I visited the Molly Brown House museum (think Titanic), which exhibited exactly the type of house museum I'd like to work in, should I end up on that end of the history spectrum. Exquisitely kept and catalogued, with objects with direct ties to the Brown family. Normally, I spend tours mentally criticizing guides for their inability to be articulate, engage their audience, or provide what I deem to be necessary pieces of the historical puzzle. I walked out of the Molly Brown house in shock--I could find no fault with the guide, and after telling her as such, engaged in quite the lengthy discussion of history, museum studies, Denver lore, and assorted other topics. It was quite an incredible experience.
Today's visit to the the Colorado History Museum was similar. I spent the first 15 minutes in the building chatting with the receptionist and desk clerk about the museum, Denver, and life. They were quick, and enthusiastic, to answer my questions regarding some research I was working on and the holdings of the Colorado Historical Society--and their enthusiasm was contagious. The museum itself was one of the best state museums I've seen--modern, technologically advanced, but utilizing a good balance between photography, documents, and objects to portray many sides of the history of Colorado. I spent several hours there (because I am a museum dork) just taking pictures and reading everything my eyes could handle.
I spent two days in a row rock climbing--which in hindsight probably wasn't my best idea, physically--and had a great time not only at the MeetUp group, but with a friend from work and several others. I am loving the community that rock climbing is providing--it is such a social sport, and I really hope I can keep up this pace (or even increase it) once I get back east.
I've started doing some really interesting research today. My grandfather spent a lot of time in the service during WWII (they lost his records...it's a long story, literally), and had spent a bit of time in Colorado learning to ski with the 10th Mountain Division in Camp Hale. He doesn't remember much in terms of chronology, so I am trying to piece together his record of service through my own research of when which units did what. I'm finding it to be incredibly rewarding--just the type of history I love--the type that has a purpose and a good story to tell.
Finally, I'm revising my graduate school list. I think I was perhaps a bit hasty in putting all top schools on my list, and after speaking to several professors (one of which let me know that NO Lafayette history students have ever been accepted to an Ivy), I've decided to make my list a little bit more balanced. And, most importantly, I am finding this new approach to graduate school searching to be infinitely less stressful. I am actually looking forward to the process now. I'm ignoring the names, partially ignoring the rankings (hey, it's me--I can't ignore them entirely), and trying to find exactly what will make me happy. Nothing would be worse for me than to end up someplace I despised for the five years that will most likely shape my future career. I want this experience to be amazing--I know I can pull off the workload, and I just need to find the perfect place to do that work.
I have three weeks left in Denver. And already I miss it.
Last weekend I visited the Molly Brown House museum (think Titanic), which exhibited exactly the type of house museum I'd like to work in, should I end up on that end of the history spectrum. Exquisitely kept and catalogued, with objects with direct ties to the Brown family. Normally, I spend tours mentally criticizing guides for their inability to be articulate, engage their audience, or provide what I deem to be necessary pieces of the historical puzzle. I walked out of the Molly Brown house in shock--I could find no fault with the guide, and after telling her as such, engaged in quite the lengthy discussion of history, museum studies, Denver lore, and assorted other topics. It was quite an incredible experience.
Today's visit to the the Colorado History Museum was similar. I spent the first 15 minutes in the building chatting with the receptionist and desk clerk about the museum, Denver, and life. They were quick, and enthusiastic, to answer my questions regarding some research I was working on and the holdings of the Colorado Historical Society--and their enthusiasm was contagious. The museum itself was one of the best state museums I've seen--modern, technologically advanced, but utilizing a good balance between photography, documents, and objects to portray many sides of the history of Colorado. I spent several hours there (because I am a museum dork) just taking pictures and reading everything my eyes could handle.
I spent two days in a row rock climbing--which in hindsight probably wasn't my best idea, physically--and had a great time not only at the MeetUp group, but with a friend from work and several others. I am loving the community that rock climbing is providing--it is such a social sport, and I really hope I can keep up this pace (or even increase it) once I get back east.
I've started doing some really interesting research today. My grandfather spent a lot of time in the service during WWII (they lost his records...it's a long story, literally), and had spent a bit of time in Colorado learning to ski with the 10th Mountain Division in Camp Hale. He doesn't remember much in terms of chronology, so I am trying to piece together his record of service through my own research of when which units did what. I'm finding it to be incredibly rewarding--just the type of history I love--the type that has a purpose and a good story to tell.
Finally, I'm revising my graduate school list. I think I was perhaps a bit hasty in putting all top schools on my list, and after speaking to several professors (one of which let me know that NO Lafayette history students have ever been accepted to an Ivy), I've decided to make my list a little bit more balanced. And, most importantly, I am finding this new approach to graduate school searching to be infinitely less stressful. I am actually looking forward to the process now. I'm ignoring the names, partially ignoring the rankings (hey, it's me--I can't ignore them entirely), and trying to find exactly what will make me happy. Nothing would be worse for me than to end up someplace I despised for the five years that will most likely shape my future career. I want this experience to be amazing--I know I can pull off the workload, and I just need to find the perfect place to do that work.
I have three weeks left in Denver. And already I miss it.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
THE list. And other adventures
It's been a busy week for me. I think I finally found a group I can hang out with. After perusing MeetUp.com, which is much more active out west than it is out east, I have started a weekly climbing routine with the Denver Social Climb--a really great group of 20 and 30 somethings who are (much like everyone else in this city) rarely Colorado natives, and instead have diverse life experiences and hometowns. They're all really nice, and I hope to keep in touch with a few once I get back out east. I'm really proud of myself, since I got my belay test, and did a 5.7 without falling, and attempted a 5.8 falling often. My goal is to lead climb by this time next year--as well as actually gaining the forearm and finger strength to do better bouldering.
In other news, I've been stressing about this upcoming semester, and next summer. I know I need to do some major work on thesis, grad school applications, and GRE studying soon. As a first step, I'm trying desperately to start from square one and remember all of the math I literally have not dealt with since my junior year in high school. Also, I have developed what is a working copy of THE LIST. Narrowed down from over 30 to 18, I'm still hoping to cut about 8 more before December, when applications are due. Thus far, it's daunting.Here's what I have, in no particular order really.
In other news, I've been stressing about this upcoming semester, and next summer. I know I need to do some major work on thesis, grad school applications, and GRE studying soon. As a first step, I'm trying desperately to start from square one and remember all of the math I literally have not dealt with since my junior year in high school. Also, I have developed what is a working copy of THE LIST. Narrowed down from over 30 to 18, I'm still hoping to cut about 8 more before December, when applications are due. Thus far, it's daunting.Here's what I have, in no particular order really.
- Yale University
- Princeton University
- Stanford University
- University of Michigan--Ann Arbor
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of California--Berkeley
- Harvard University
- University of Chicago
- Columbia University
- Cornell University
- University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill
- University of Virginia
- University of Colorado--Boulder
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Wisconsin--Madison
- Brown University
- Duke University
- Rutgers University
Monday, June 30, 2008
It's Been A Long, Long Time...
So I'm completely negligent in keeping this blog updated. Whew... this could take a while to get this up to date.
The first reason I stopped blogging was because of day camp. I had my first week of Japan camp two weeks ago. 14 five to nine year olds are adorable, precocious... and exhausting. Each day, after having myself covered in gold and silver leaf, embossing powder, paint pens, and having to deal with a countless number of requests to go to the bathroom/backpack bin/first aid center/water fountain, I sort of just collapsed into my bed, read a little, and tried to mentally get myself ready for another day. I had four little boys as my specific charges. I like dealing with little boys (less glitter, hair ties, etc to deal with, and I can break up fights fairly easily, even considering my stature)--and these guys were very much into the idea of making samurai swords, and were even more intrigued by the idea that I had come from the far-off, humid, mini-mountain land of Pennsylvania just to spend the summer in Denver. Although it was a little sad to see all of our charges leave on Friday, I spent the whole weekend recovering from the ordeal--and watching all of the available seasons of "Weeds" online. A really interesting show, with an even more interesting view of the drug business. Plus I sort of have the theme song stuck perpetually in my head.
I spent the next week at the apartment, running errands and doing some preliminary thesis research at the Denver Public Library. No sight is more relaxing to me than a room filled with books--which, consequently, is what I have now after a few trips to the library and back. I'm hoping that if I start kicking my literature review into high gear this summer, that's one less thing I will need to deal with when I get back to school in the fall. My boss was on vacation the whole week, and had never really given me enough work to keep me busy--and since the rest of the interns were working from home, there really was no sense in my showing up in the dark basement of the education department anyway.
I just got back from my week in DC yesterday. I am really glad my boss let me spend the entire week there--it was really great to see friends and just talk to people who know who I am and where I'm coming from--something that hasn't happened out here yet. I did several happy hours with friends (Hawk and Dove and Capital City Brewing Company--two of my absolute favorite places), and met up with former employers/contacts. I also spent a lot of time in the Library of Congress doing yet more thesis research. This was an interesting experience, since I had never just gone researching on my own--I had always done it with a school group or through the Congressman's office. I finally got my materials and got some pretty awesome primary sources. However, it was a little hard to concentrate, considering that the Main Reading Room, as gorgeous and historical as it is, seems to perpetually be under construction.
I also got to check out the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. It really felt odd being back on the Mall... especially without a Smithsonian Intern badge. The three cultures in this year's festival were Bhutan (Asia/India), NASA (I am still trying to figure out how this is a culture), and Texas. I watched a lot of the Texas cooking demonstrations, since Indian food isn't my thing, and learned a lot about how to cook a steak. Sadly, the food wasn't good at all, so I didn't spend the $10 to eat quesadillas in Texas or rice in Bhutan.
The reason I went to DC in the first place was because I won third place in the Independent Women's Forum's annual essay contest (apparently you can read my essay on both the IWF site as well as Lafayette's site). The reception was great, especially because my friend Ashley had also won a prize, so it was good to catch up with her, as well as the other people at IWF. I had thought it would be awkward for me to be there at first, because I had been offered a junior fellow position there this summer, but declined it for the adventure of Denver. However, it all worked out when the person who would have been my boss announced she was from Denver, so it was all good.
Denver International Airport itself is very nice. The white tent-like structures that make up its roof are supposed to look like the snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains, which is really cool. I was a little concerned, however, by the bucking bronco statue that had red, glowing eyes--quite disturbing on my 4:30am bus ride to the airport! The airport is very open, clean, and has some interesting trains to move people from terminal to terminal. They play some unidentified country/rock strains and a voice joyously announces "A train is arriving!" every so often, as if this called for a great celebration of beleaguered tourists with too much luggage fighting with quart-sized plastic bags to contain their liquids. (As a side note, I do not understand these new TSA requirements for liquids. It said "anything smearable" counted as a liquid on the TSA site, but I got barked at by a security guard because I had put my face powder in there as well. He was not amused by my explanation that ultimately all makeup is meant to be smeared.) My flights to DC went very well (I had a layover in Atlanta), but on the way back, I got delayed in Atlanta by a nasty thunderstorm. I am still not used to the hot, humid, thunderstorm-inducing weather of the east coast in June.
I am hoping to do some more social things within my last five weeks in Denver. I joined a few groups on MeetUp for museums and rock climbing, since my rock climbing buddies have been AWOL for the past few weeks, and I figure if I like this area as much as I think I do, I really want to start making some meaningful connections here.
However, I know that most of my time will be working, studying for GRE, reading for Thesis, working on AGD things (oh, philanthropy), and trying to see some more stuff in Denver. I am finishing up a biography of Buffalo Bill Cody, who is buried right outside of Denver, so I am trying to find a way to get up to his ranch in the mountains for some touristing.
I think I am enjoying this relatively stress-free lifestyle. All I have for the next few weeks is research and writing, which is a piece of cake for me. One more camp my last week in Denver, then two more days of bus-riding, which I am not looking forward to.
The first reason I stopped blogging was because of day camp. I had my first week of Japan camp two weeks ago. 14 five to nine year olds are adorable, precocious... and exhausting. Each day, after having myself covered in gold and silver leaf, embossing powder, paint pens, and having to deal with a countless number of requests to go to the bathroom/backpack bin/first aid center/water fountain, I sort of just collapsed into my bed, read a little, and tried to mentally get myself ready for another day. I had four little boys as my specific charges. I like dealing with little boys (less glitter, hair ties, etc to deal with, and I can break up fights fairly easily, even considering my stature)--and these guys were very much into the idea of making samurai swords, and were even more intrigued by the idea that I had come from the far-off, humid, mini-mountain land of Pennsylvania just to spend the summer in Denver. Although it was a little sad to see all of our charges leave on Friday, I spent the whole weekend recovering from the ordeal--and watching all of the available seasons of "Weeds" online. A really interesting show, with an even more interesting view of the drug business. Plus I sort of have the theme song stuck perpetually in my head.
I spent the next week at the apartment, running errands and doing some preliminary thesis research at the Denver Public Library. No sight is more relaxing to me than a room filled with books--which, consequently, is what I have now after a few trips to the library and back. I'm hoping that if I start kicking my literature review into high gear this summer, that's one less thing I will need to deal with when I get back to school in the fall. My boss was on vacation the whole week, and had never really given me enough work to keep me busy--and since the rest of the interns were working from home, there really was no sense in my showing up in the dark basement of the education department anyway.
I just got back from my week in DC yesterday. I am really glad my boss let me spend the entire week there--it was really great to see friends and just talk to people who know who I am and where I'm coming from--something that hasn't happened out here yet. I did several happy hours with friends (Hawk and Dove and Capital City Brewing Company--two of my absolute favorite places), and met up with former employers/contacts. I also spent a lot of time in the Library of Congress doing yet more thesis research. This was an interesting experience, since I had never just gone researching on my own--I had always done it with a school group or through the Congressman's office. I finally got my materials and got some pretty awesome primary sources. However, it was a little hard to concentrate, considering that the Main Reading Room, as gorgeous and historical as it is, seems to perpetually be under construction.
I also got to check out the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. It really felt odd being back on the Mall... especially without a Smithsonian Intern badge. The three cultures in this year's festival were Bhutan (Asia/India), NASA (I am still trying to figure out how this is a culture), and Texas. I watched a lot of the Texas cooking demonstrations, since Indian food isn't my thing, and learned a lot about how to cook a steak. Sadly, the food wasn't good at all, so I didn't spend the $10 to eat quesadillas in Texas or rice in Bhutan.
The reason I went to DC in the first place was because I won third place in the Independent Women's Forum's annual essay contest (apparently you can read my essay on both the IWF site as well as Lafayette's site). The reception was great, especially because my friend Ashley had also won a prize, so it was good to catch up with her, as well as the other people at IWF. I had thought it would be awkward for me to be there at first, because I had been offered a junior fellow position there this summer, but declined it for the adventure of Denver. However, it all worked out when the person who would have been my boss announced she was from Denver, so it was all good.
Denver International Airport itself is very nice. The white tent-like structures that make up its roof are supposed to look like the snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains, which is really cool. I was a little concerned, however, by the bucking bronco statue that had red, glowing eyes--quite disturbing on my 4:30am bus ride to the airport! The airport is very open, clean, and has some interesting trains to move people from terminal to terminal. They play some unidentified country/rock strains and a voice joyously announces "A train is arriving!" every so often, as if this called for a great celebration of beleaguered tourists with too much luggage fighting with quart-sized plastic bags to contain their liquids. (As a side note, I do not understand these new TSA requirements for liquids. It said "anything smearable" counted as a liquid on the TSA site, but I got barked at by a security guard because I had put my face powder in there as well. He was not amused by my explanation that ultimately all makeup is meant to be smeared.) My flights to DC went very well (I had a layover in Atlanta), but on the way back, I got delayed in Atlanta by a nasty thunderstorm. I am still not used to the hot, humid, thunderstorm-inducing weather of the east coast in June.
I am hoping to do some more social things within my last five weeks in Denver. I joined a few groups on MeetUp for museums and rock climbing, since my rock climbing buddies have been AWOL for the past few weeks, and I figure if I like this area as much as I think I do, I really want to start making some meaningful connections here.
However, I know that most of my time will be working, studying for GRE, reading for Thesis, working on AGD things (oh, philanthropy), and trying to see some more stuff in Denver. I am finishing up a biography of Buffalo Bill Cody, who is buried right outside of Denver, so I am trying to find a way to get up to his ranch in the mountains for some touristing.
I think I am enjoying this relatively stress-free lifestyle. All I have for the next few weeks is research and writing, which is a piece of cake for me. One more camp my last week in Denver, then two more days of bus-riding, which I am not looking forward to.
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