My bff Andrea tagged me in a post on her blog, so I thought I'd take a sec. and return the favor!  :)

Four Shows I Watch: I don't really have time for TV, but I do make time for Bones, Parenthood, 30 Rock, and Lie to Me.
Four Things I'm Passionate About:  My family, my church, education (both formal and informal...Life Long Learning!), and having an open mind.

Four Phrases I Say A Lot: "For real," "Good times," "Peace out," "Anyway..."

Four Things I've Learned from the Past: Trust your instincts, God has a plan for me (and it is better than my plan for me), be flexible when you have to change (change is usually for the best), and don't let stupid stuff get in the way of important relationships.

Four Places I Would Like to Go: Australia, Europe, Montreal, and Maine

Four Things I Did Yesterday: Went to class, met with my research advisor, rode the train home for the first time this semester, and took a nap in front of the fireplace!
Four Things I'm Looking Forward to: Seeing my family tomorrow, Black Friday being over (I work retail, remember?), getting going on my research project, going to graduate school
Four Things I Love About Winter: Winter clothes (sweaters, hats, scarfs, boots, gloves...), hot chocolate!!!, getting to see my extended family more, Christmas

Four Things on My Wish List: A kindle, an exotic vacation where I can use my new scuba skills, visits from old friends (I had one today :)), and more time to appreciate everything

So there you have it!

Top Ten Reasons I Love What I'm Doing!!

Today I had an incredible meeting with Dr. Wainryb and Holly.  We pinned down my research question and hypotheses for my research project, and made a list of conferences and publications I can submit it to when I'm done.  We also worked out a timeline so now I know exactly what needs to get done when. 

I'M SO EXCITED!!

Here are some of the reasons why:

1. Holly.  She is so nice and super supportive.  She totally listens to and values every ones input.  We think on the same wave length.  Plus she is just a really cool person.

2. Dr. Wainryb.  She is a developmental psychology superstar, but you would never know it.  She is super nice, really down to earth, and really wants her students to succeed.

3. No egos!  Everyone I have worked with is totally down to earth.  Everyone collaborates and helps each other out.  There is absolutely no competition or intellectual selfishness.

4. People are so helpful.  Seriously, they have all bent over backwards to help me out.  I had one professor who was going on maternity leave, but made sure that I knew who I needed to talk to about stuff in order to keep moving forward.  She was gathering information to help me out the day before she left to have her baby!

5. It is relevant.  I am studying how families work.  What could be more relevant?  Everyone has a family!

6. It is intellectually challenging.  I have to really stretch myself and look at things in new ways, and explore lots of ideas.

7. The collaboration is so fun!  Lab meetings are awesome because everyone sits down and discusses things in an intelligent way.  These people speak my language :)

8. The 'work' doesn't feel like work.  Sure, sometimes it is hard or tedious.  But there are things I love about every aspect of it!

9. It fits my strengths.  I for sure, absolutely have a lot to learn, but I enjoy learning it.  I want to learn it.  And I am good at learning this kind of stuff.  (I totally don't mean for that to sound conceited at all; I just mean that this discipline is a good fit for the way my brain works.)

10. It feels right.  I was talking about this to one of my friends today; I am at peace, and happier than I have been in a long time!  It feels SO GOOD!

OK, so it has been a long time since I last blogged.  Too long.

Here is the problem though.  I don't really have anything new to say.  My life is so freaking predictable it is ridiculous.  I have settled into a pattern of sleep, work, school, homework, repeat. 

And I don't feel like that is a bad thing!

In fact, I kind of like it.  I like being able to plan on things.

I like feeling like I am doing the right things.

I like the intellectual stimulation that school provides.

I like pretty much everything I am doing.

And that is kind of surprising actually.

I am definitely not where I thought I would be at this point of my life. 

The best laid plans right? 

Two and a half years ago, when I started at the U, I never would have thought I would be doing anything as awesome as what I am doing now.

And I never would have thought that I would know so many awesome people.  It isn't easy for me to get to know new people, but in the last year I have met and become friends with so many generous, kind, embracing individuals. 

Life moves by so fast!  It is awesome to be busy and happy.

I just had a minor panic attack.  Actually, it was a little more than minor...

One year, ONE YEAR from now I will be graduating from the U, applying to graduate school, and getting ready to move (possibly far far away). 
I realized that I am going to miss so much stuff...family functions, friends weddings, hanging out with my peeps, keeping tabs on my former sunbeams. 

I also have so much to do before then!  I have to get my senior thesis started and done, finish my degree and two minors, get a REAL job, get more involved in community service, save a bajillion dollars so I can afford to go to grad school, and the list goes on.

Plus, I have to figure out where I want to go and what I want to focus on!!  I don't even know where to start to do that! 

Sorry, just had to get all that off my chest. It is all going by too fast!!

YAYAYAYAY!!!

If you couldn't tell from the title, I am really excited right now.

As some of you know, I have decided I want to go to graduate school for developmental psychology.  Now, you may well ask, what do you do with a degree like that?  The answer is Research.  I have discovered that I really love research; reading it, doing it, coming up with research designs, all of it!

Since that is my goal it has become important that I get some experience actually doing research.  Being a RA has helped, but I wanted to do my own project.  My dear adviser, Dr. Holly Recchia, is leaving me so I lost my supervisor.  She suggested I work with this other professor, Dr. Beverly Brehl, who I also love.  But she is having a baby like, now.  So Beverly asked her former doctoral adviser, Dr. Cecilia Wainryb if she could help me out.  Cecilia is a big deal in developmental psych...like almost rock star status.  She is not 100% on board yet, but I think between Holly, Bev, and me, we can get her convinced to come aboard. 

I haven't even gotten to the exciting part yet!

I was super worried.  Because I'm not a psych major, I can't do my project through the psychology department.  FCS (my department) has a few options for undergraduate research, but not many.  And I wasn't sure they would be ok with me having a supervisor from another department.  So today I went to talk to my academic adviser to see what the deal-i-o is.  She sent me to see the DEPARTMENT HEAD.  Um, intimidated much? 

Thankfully, she was super nice and understanding!  I can do research through FCS with a Psych supervisor!  They are making a special exception, just for moi!  The department head said, "I am really impressed with your initiative." 

Pretty sure I haven't stopped smiling ALL DAY!!!  :D

I don't mean to brag, but it is so SO motivating and exciting to find something that I love to do and that I am good at.  And the fact that other people think I'm good at it too is AMAZING.  I AM SO EXCITED!

More 717...

I totally forgot to mention my other BFFs from Carlisle.
Kelly Haight is the reason I didn't drop out of seminary.
Jen Hilterman used to keep me from shooting myself in Ms. P's theatre class.  GO PUDDING!
Megan Campbell is my baby sister I swear...such a sweet heart.  She always wrote me super cute notes
Hillary Horner also got me through Ms. P's show choir... good times fo sho.

Megan is the one wearing the glasses.  Hillary is next to Megan.  Jen is the one kind of half way down on the right, and Allegra is the one on the bottom.  It is unfortunate that you can only see her eyes...

10 things I miss about the 717

So most of you know I pretty much hated living in Pennsylvania.   It was my junior year, I was away from all my family and friends, and I had a mega bad attitude.  On futher reflection, I've decided it wasn't all bad.  In fact I even miss somethings about it.

1) Hershey!  Chocolate world...does that really need an explination?
2) ALLEGRA FRANKLIN.  She is pretty much one of the coolest people ever.
3) Washington DC.  45 minutes away.
4) NYC. 1 1/2 hours away.
5) Panera Bread.  They seriously have the best pastries and breads and panninis ever!
6) The ice storms...just kidding!  But we did have lots of snow days off of school.
7) It brought me a lot closer to my fam.
8) The small town feel Carlisle had.  It was super close to big cities, but the town itself had a lot of civic pride.  I miss that.
9) The humidity.  It was way good for my skin! ;)
10) Being able to share the gosple on a regular basis.  It still happens here, especially at my school, but it was a good growing experience.

So there you go.  There is a silver lining to every rainy cloud!  keep looking, even if it takes you 5 years to find it!