The ADVENTURE has come to pass!

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Cooking

Cooking is something that more people should embrace earlier on in life. There is so much joy and discovery that comes by creating sustainable food for ourselves! Just a thought!...

Posted via web from Samantha's Posterous

A direction for my LIFE and some updates!

So these past two weeks have been filled with new developments in the life of ME. I think a list is appropriate and easier

1. I have a set date to intern at the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in DC--> February 25-March 25. This opportunity is going to be amazing and I cannot wait to live in DC for 4 weeks!

2. I will be leaving DC and flying to Phoenix to house sit for my uncle for two weeks. Perfect vacation...although it will be by myself. I will have really great quality time with a book and the pool.

3. I will be working at St. Edward's for almost two weeks as a "secretary" (I don't think that word is PC anymore) but basically scheduling and phones and stuff like that. It will be a great opportunity to work with new people and fun as well to be back on campus.

4. I have met my first babysitting mystery. The child I am supposed to be sitting this week will not entertain the thought of looking at me for more than 30 seconds. This has never happened in all of my years of babysitting! Quite strange, but her mom is very nice about it!

5. I have temporarily moved in with Austin and Jayme and so far it has been great! Park Terrace definately needs its own reality TV show. The people are great and the DRAMA is even better!

6. I have started reading "Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea" by Chelsea Handler. Every time I pick up this book to read I end up looking like a fool because I laugh out loud almost every other page. It really is that funny! An awesome mindless read filled with great insight.

7. I have (sorta) learned to control my shopping and spending habbits. This has been a very challenging process for me as I love to spend money and buy new clothes. Due to my lack of a plan for my near future I really need to be careful of how I spend my hard earned money, although it is almost like pulling teeth!

8. I have decided to try out this whole fitness thing (AGAIN!). So far I have not become obsessed which is a really good thing and it feels great to do something for myself! I have learned that I can workout for 2 hours as long as there is something fantastic on TV.

9. I have become increasingly obsessed with Twitter and finding new social networking/blogs/really cool idea sharing opportunities. A few that I would say are mentionable are Quora and Posterous! Check them out for yourself to see what all of the rage is all about!

10. HAITI. This has been such a dear subject to my life! I was absolutely obsessed with the rest of the world for the last few weeks. It breaks my heart to see the people of Haiti in such a time of pain and suffering. I want to help them so bad. I really want to go in the later part of the Spring to work there, however, that is a prayer that is still being worked out!

So basically what I am saying is LIFE IS WONDERFULLY PERFECT!!! I have tried this whole no manipulation and controlling thing for my life and I think that it has really worked out. I am having a blast and cannot wait for the adventure to continue....MARDI GRAS HERE I COME!

Life Update #1

This will be my last night in my apartment with my wonderfully dear roommate Elyse! Our lease ends tomorrow, but, this is just one end amist a series of new beginnings and the start to my newest adventure!

I will be in Austin until February 5, babysitting and nannying, hanging out with people and relaxing (hopefully finishing a great book on personal finances and great money management tips..but thats another entry)..then the real adventure begins! I will be traveling to Baton Rouge to stay with my dear friend Kristie for about a week and a half..then its on to Mardi Gras 2010 which I am absolutely so excited about! Last year was an amazing experience and this year is goona be even better (many pics to come!)

I will then be leaving Baton Rouge and heading to Austin for my first homecoming as an Alumnus of St. Edward's. Following the wonderful weekend full of catching up with friends and participating in events begins what I have started calling the great mystery!

This great mystery will include graduate school decisions, an internship in Washington DC, possibly a trip to Colorado, and then Phoenix to house sit for my uncle, and could include visiting relatives in Seattle! With so many decisions and lots of fun traveling I just simply cannot wait! This great mystery will soon unfold its course, but until then I hope to soak in every experience I have in the mean time!

An update with more final decision will be coming soon! In the mean time...keep all those in Haiti and those volunteers and doctors giving of their time your prayers.

A Productive Day

So today has been quite a productive day in life of...yours truly. I met a new family I will be nannying for later this month, found a gown for the Endymion ball which is quickly approaching, came up with the greatest sandwich invention ever, laundry, searched for more babysitting/nanny jobs, made tea, checked the mail, and now I get to do my favorite activity...blog and check all of my FB and Twitter stuff.

I find that productivity makes one feel accomplished, energized, and ALIVE...well I guess I feel that way! Crossing items off my never ending to-do list is always such a joy. Now some might call this obsessive, controlling or claim I have complete Type A personality issues going on, but really who doesn't like to see what has been accomplished in a day, week or well, even month, because lets be honest, we all know that to-do lists can be quite idealistic.

The moral of my day and really this entry is that being productive really feels great, especially to an unemployed graduate who is just trying to make things happen. I think I will have to have more days like today a lot more often!

My Life Thus Far...Post College

So this whole graduating thing has so many emotions that follow it--> Boredom, excitement for the future, sadness, stress, happiness, joy, relief....and the list can go on and on! This particular week for me has been very interesting. My apartment lease ends next weekend, I have not signed another lease and have decided to be a nomad for a few weeks, I have discovered the art of finding babysitting and short term nanny jobs on-line which means I have random jobs for most of the month which is a really good thing, not having a real job is kind of weird and its feels strange to say that I am unemployed, I think I have the internship in DC worked out to be able to go sometime in March or April, finding a ball gown is a real challenge when it is not prom season (Mardi Gras Ball is QUICKLY approaching), and to top everything off I just generally am confused about my future because I am trying to not be controlling...BUT all of this is not sad, it is my new adventure and it has been an exciting experience.

On another topic, I really enjoy social media. I really find it interesting this lifestyle that so many of us lead...updating and checking out twitter and facebook accounts endlessly, stalking celebrities day in and day out, and finding most of our news sources from CNN online or from Chelsea Lately. Now I know that this type of social media has its ups and its downs, but I really see the value in this opening of the world. The idea sharing and spreading that takes place truly is magnificent-something I am truly thankful for! So, although being sucked into such cultural ideas can negate more personal relationships, if you don't have a twitter, think about getting one. If not for your friends, for all of the information available, same thing applies to facebook and linkedin, and any other social networking and media sites. (blogging is a great idea too!) I promise you will not regret it!

I guess that is all for now, and I hope that your new year is off to the right start! I sure know that mine is!

Stuff White People Like

Stuff White People Like

As I sat in Baton Rouge this Holiday Break, Kristie's brother Rob asked if we had heard of this website called stuffwhitepeoplelike.com. Immediately I was interested in what kinds of things I am supposed to like, then to my great surprise it was this hilarious list of 130 "ideas" of things white people like. The list includes camping, hating people who wear Ed Hardy, the idea of soccer, unpaid internships, and sea salt...just to name a few.

What I found to be clever after more scrutiny of the website was that each entry had a description and justification as to why white people would like such a thing. For example, the camping description explains that in theory camping should be a very inexpensive activity, yet with white people the more simple it appears the more expensive it really is. My favorite part of this description was the last paragraph were it says, "Ultimately the best way to escape a camping trip with white people is to say that you have allergies. Since white people and their children are allergic to almost everything, they will understand and ask no further questions. You should not say something like “looking at history, the instances of my people encountering white people in the woods have not worked out very well for us.”

Most of the entries to this website are quite witty, however people take offense to some of the things posted. It really is quite amazing what will set a person off, and I do think that some of these things that white people are supposed to like definately do that! Also, there is a full length book on the same topic and if you are interested read the description below>

If you have a minute, take a look at the website. It is a great conversation starter, or maybe a debate starter..either way...its quite comical to find out what white people like!

Stuff White People Like: A Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions
They love nothing better than sipping free-trade gourmet coffee, leafing through the Sunday New York Times, and listening to David Sedaris on NPR (ideally all at the same time). Apple products, indie music, food co-ops, and vintage T-shirts make them weak in the knees.
They pretend to be unique, yet somehow they’re all exactly the same, talking abut how they “get” Sarah Silverman’s “subversive” comedy and Wes Anderson’s “droll” films. They are also down with diversity and up on all the best microbrews, breakfast spots, foreign cinema, and authentic sushi. They’re organic, ironic, and do not own TVs.
You know who they are: They’re white people. And they’re here, and you’re gonna have to deal. Fortunately, here’s a book that investigates, explains, and offers advice for finding social success with the Caucasian persuasion. So lose yourself in the ultimate guide (featuring brand-new entries and extras!) to the unbearable whiteness of being.

Source: http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/stuff-white-people-like-the-book/