Podcasts- Why iTunes Doesn't Completely Ruin My Life

Apple products are great...sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I have an iPhone with ios7 and I LOVE it most of the time. If you stop and think about it, it's really crazy to have so much technology in such a small device. That being said, iTunes is awful. It just is. Between constantly trying to update, operating slower than Christmas, and not recognizing my phone every other time I plug it in, iTunes is pretty frustrating.

Aragorn gets it.

One thing iTunes does really well, however, is podcasts. Podcasts generally fall into one of two categories: radio show or talk radio. One of the great thing about podcasts is that they have new episodes often (daily or weekly) and that you can download past episodes and catch up. Oh wait, I forgot the best part, they're FREE! When a single song on iTunes cost $1.29, free is a much more in my price range. There are literally hundreds of podcasts for everything from teaching kids their ABC's to celebrity gossip to readings of Sherlock Holmes. I'll share with you two of my favorites, Stuff Mom Never Told You and Welcome to Night Vale.

Stuff Mom Never Told You is a podcast put on by the geniuses at howstuffworks.com. This podcast is all about gender and women's issues. That's not to say it's just for women, but women are the target audience. Some of my favorite topics have been "Why is 'bossy' a bad word?", "Movie Magical Makeovers", and "Are women less financially literate than men?".

The two ladies who host the podcast, Caroline and Cristen, do their research and present their topics in a funny, yet informative fashion. (Be forewarned, though. These ladies are not Christians or very conservative, so while there is no bad language on the podcasts themselves, there does tend to be a more liberal slant to their talks. That doesn't make them any less informative, but be aware that you may want to skip some of the more...racy topics. There are plenty of topics to choose from, so don't despair!)  If you're looking for some informative tidbits about women's issues, this podcast is right up your alley.

This podcast is as hard to explain as it is a joy to listen to and that's exactly what its creators intended. Welcome to Night Vale is the brain child of Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor and is narrated by the very talented Cecil Baldwin.Welcome to Night Vale is a twice-monthly podcast that gives updates to the fictional desert town of Night Vale such as weather, traffic, community calendars, and updates from the City Council and the Sheriff's Secret Police. Their website, Commonplace Books, sells merchandise, answers F.A.Q's and posts a schedule of their live shows (which need to come to my area ASAP). The best way to experience Night Vale is to listen to the podcast and revel in the deadpan humor and creativity put into every episode. If you're nerdy in the slightest, you NEED to subscribe to this podcast. It's not an option, really.

If you're traveling this Christmas, be sure to check out Stuff Mom Never Told You and Welcome To Night Vale along with any other gems you may find in the podcast section on iTunes. Trust me, it'll make your drive/flight/train ride/ sea voyage much more bearable!

Happy Trails!

What's your favorite podcast? How else do you keep entertained on LONG trips?  Let me know below!

For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic

Does anybody else which they didn't have emotions sometimes? No? Just me? I'm just going to be honest, I'm SO emotional these days (really all the time). I know what you're thinking, "Of course you are, you're a girl!", and while you're biologically correct, stop that nonsense! We're all human and we're ALL emotional, regardless of gender. I'll get off my soapbox now and back on track. 

Stress makes me emotional, for sure. And right now, as I explained in my previous post, I'm super stressed out. Come to think of it, that's probably why I cried yesterday watching an episode of Full House. I wish I was joking. Stress also does something else to me, it puts me in a bad mood. 

Honesty moment- I'm a pessimist. Sorry to burst your sunshine bubble and break you rose-colored glasses, but I tend toward the pessimistic side of life. And you know what? I'm ok with it. I'm not ok with all my negativity all the time or with downright bad attitudes that some days bring, but, honestly, I've never been a glass-half-full kinda girl. 

Eeyore is my spirit animal. He GETS me, ya'll.

Please don't think I'm saying there's anything wrong with being positive. If that's your personality, be the little miss (or mister) sunshine that you were born to be! I'll be the raincloud in the corner, perfectly content to bask in your sunshine for a minute and go on my merry way. 

So what do I mean by pessimist? Personally, I prefer the term realist. (Some people say "harsh" or "blunt" and I'd be lying if I said those weren't also accurate.) I like to look at the world as it is, evaluate it, and move on. I'm a driven person. I like to get things done and done well when at all possible. I can't stand laziness, especially when it comes to school or work. My mantra for my senior year is "Suck it up and get it done." (Positive, sweet, endearing people, feel free to cringe and/or put me on your prayer list.) I'm realistic in that I find out what it takes to complete a task and I do it. Like Nike, I just do it. 

In my opinion, realists are more independent. Can I get a witness, realists? Since I don't need someone to hold my hand through everything, I can get more done on my own. I'm not anti-social, but sometimes I just need to get by myself and do some work. I like doing my own thing, setting my own schedule, and generally just taking care of myself by myself. Expecting a lot from yourself can be tiring, but it's pretty rewarding to do things without help. 

It's hard for me to ask for help because, you guessed it, I'm kinda (really) stubborn. I'm always surprised when someone offers to help me do something, but I'm always really grateful. Part of being realistic is not having high expectations. That way, I don't get let down. Please don't feel sorry for me. When something awesome happens to me, it almost always catches me off-guard and it's like a gift!

How does all of this tie into my intro about emotions? I would say pessimism (realism) is a major part of my personality. However, emotions take my personality to a whole different level. When emotions get too involved, my straightfoward-ness turns into mean and my driven work ethic turns into angry-at-everyone-who-gets-in-my-way. I tend to be confrontational and harsh, so I often hurt people's feelings. Oftentimes I justify my actions by saying I was "being real" when what I was doing was being unnecessarily nasty. Emotions get the best of me because I'm sinful. It sucks, but it's true. I'm working through separating my personality from my emotions, but it takes lots of time with Jesus and I'm still a work in progress. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't let emotions take over the best parts about you. Embrace your personality, but work on separating your personality and your emotions. Nobody's perfect, but we could all stand to work on ourselves, right? I know I could. Next time you talk to me, I'll still be 100% me: realistic, blunt, and honest, but I'll try to temper it with the kindness and love of Christ. As a Christian, that's what we're supposed to do anyway. Allow Christ "to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose" as it says in Philippians 2:13. He knows my heart and your heart and created us all with our personalities and quirks, so why not let Him mold us to be more like Him? We can trust Him. I'm sure of it. 

Stressing Out - What College Seniors Need and Don't Need

It's no secret, college is stressful. I'll be honest with you, I'm all kinds of stressed out right now. I'm a senior English major which means, you guessed it, reading and papers and some more reading and a few more papers. This year, I also have the privilege of being the Editor-in-Chief of The Skyliner, NGU's student newspaper. All of the opportunities come with lots of responsibility and deadlines, but it's also teaching me so much.

That being said, I'll tell you what I don't need right now. I don't need people to remind me how "privileged" I am and how much I have while others go without. I KNOW. Nothing helps me de-stress like hearing how good I have it while my work piles up and I endure late nights, early mornings, parking tickets, and room checks. I'm struggling and no amount of guilt-tripping will change that.

Guess what? Every other college senior I know is in the exact same boat. We're all stressed, tired, and irritable. We all have giant projects to accomplish in tiny windows of time and our degrees depend on it. Years of schooling and thousands upon thousands of dollars in debt hinges on one school year. On campuses across the country, seniors are breaking down and crying over theses, portfolios, interviews, and presentations. On top of all the work, the "real world" is always looming on the horizon. Are we going to be able to get jobs, places to live, or eventually someone to settle down with? No wonder we're stressed out, our whole world is about to change and we're scared and excited at the same time.

If you know a college senior (or any college student for that matter) think twice before you pass judgment on them. Remember when you were 22, living on ramen, and working an entry-level job for pennies? College seniors are almost there and the thought of having our own lives is scary. No one likes leaving the familiar, and being criticized for feeling overwhelmed isn't helpful. So if you encounter a college student who's about to crack under the pressure, here are 4 things you can do to help ease the stress. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it's a good place to start!

1. Say (or write) something encouraging.

Something as simple as "You can do it!" can lift spirits, but a thoughtful text, facebook post, phone call, or a hand-written card can do wonders to boost confidence. Think about the last time someone said something that changed your attitude for the better. It was awesome, right? Spread the good feelings and encourage a struggling student.


2. Send them a gift.

Look how happy she is to be getting that package! It's common knowledge that college students are poor, so any gift goes a long way. Trust me, a well-timed bag on M&M's can be the difference between a meltdown and a night of productive studying.





3. Hug them. (Let them know you're there.)

This doesn't apply to everyone, but you know how sometimes you just want a hug? Yeah, we're there. And we're also occasionally (aka always) feeling awkward so we don't know how to ask for one without being "weird". If the college student you know will appreciate it, give them a quick hug! If you think they might recoil, at least let them know you're there, especially if you live close and can talk in person. Sometimes face-to-face interaction can do wonders for someone who's stressed out. Bonus points if you're Hobbes.



4. Pray for them.

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray continually,   give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." The most important thing you can do for anyone is pray for them, whether you live 5 minutes or 5 hours away. Pray for the college students you know and let them know that you did! Is there anything more encouraging to a Christian than knowing your brother or sister in Christ is lifting you up in prayer? Prayer is powerful in all circumstances, stressful or not.


On behalf of college seniors everywhere, thank you for caring about us, thinking about us, and hurting with us. Once we get those hard-earned degrees, it'll worth all the stress. At least that's what I tell myself, over and over and over.

My Ever-Growing Reading List

I love books. Like really, really, REALLY love books. One of my dreams is to have a library so big that I cannot possibly read them all in my life time. In order to feed my addiction, I keep a running list of books I want to read. For your reading convenience, I divided them into fiction and non-fiction.

Fiction:
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Serena by Ron Rash

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger 

1984 by George Orwell

The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 

Catch-22 by Joseph Keller

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Ulysses by James Joyce

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Stranger by Albert Camus

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Beloved by Toni Morrison

World War Z by Max Brooks


Nonfiction:
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

How To Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will the Lead by Sheryl Sandberg


What are some of your favorite books? What should I add to my list?

Time to try again.

I've tried blogging a few times before, but it never really stuck. I always used  the excuse that I'm "too busy" to keep up with a blog. Then I realized something: I'm not going to get less busy anytime soon. I'm going to graduate from college in May (yippee!) and to be honest, I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with my life. But I do know one thing, I love writing and it's like any skill, practice makes (close to) perfect. So I'm here to try my hand at blogging once again. If you're reading, I just want to say thank you. Thanks for being interested and be sure to check back soon for my first real post!