My own worst critic

I wont lie to you. I am my own worst critic when it comes to my writing. It doesn't really matter what I am writing. I lost count of how many papers I scraped and started over last semester. Everyone I have read them always says that my papers or speeches are great, yet I never think that they are as good as they could be.

But you tell me that my essay is going in to a contest to win a 10 day trip to Africa with a New York Times journalist, and that criticism shoots through the roof. It's people from the freaking New York Times that will be reading and judging this. I have to find a way to be myself and have my personality shine through, yet sound sophisticated, put together and seem interesting, like I could hold an audience if chosen to go on this trip and blog about it.

I know the chances are probably slim that I'll actually win this trip but it would be absolutely amazing if I did...

College screwed up my sleep schedule

Proof: It is midnight. Both of my parents have gone to bed and I am wiiiiiiide awake. Hopefully I can rectify this wonky sleep schedule before classes start up again in 2 weeks...

Snow 2

Okay. I have decided that I like snow except for when I have to drive in it. Driving home tonight was...interesting. Freeway wasn't bad, except for speeding yahoos that were still flying at 85mph while it was snowing. The main roads in Bowling Green and Brentwood weren't too bad, but the roads in my actual subdivision were covered. City apparently doesn't clear the streets in subdivisions. Under the snow is this slippery thing called ice. And driving over THAT in a little subaru outback wasn't fun. No accidents though, thank God and KTB (I feel like she keeps me safe when I drive).

The snow at home doesn't look nearly as fun as the snow at school. Not enough of it to play in, and it doesn't look very packable. It's very powdery.

Snow!

Photo credit: Shelby Heiden and her iPhone picture taking skills. We found some empty beer boxes in the parking lot and turned them into makeshift snowboards...then went to find cardboard for sleds It is very easy to amuse college students when there is snow on the ground.

I have that itch again...

...a metaphorical itch, that is. I haven't been anywhere significant since I went to Europe the summer after high school in 2008. As a result of being stateside for a year and a half, I have that itch to travel again.

A few months ago, I mentioned that I wanted to study abroad with Semester at Sea next school year (junior year). Well, right now that might not happen. I think that I am going to stay here for junior year and work on getting credits towards graduation, work to save money that I'll know that I need, etc. I figure if I focus on getting enough credits, I can take fall semester of my senior year "off," study abroad and not have to worry about if those credits will help me or not, and still come back and graduate on time in May of 2012.

To try to satisfy that itch, I am planning on going to Ireland for a week after school is over. Whether or not that works out is a different question, but I really hope that it does. Ireland may be in Europe, but it's a country I haven't been too yet. And after my first trip, I'm all about new stuff. (Mom still wont get me to go sky diving, but you know what I mean). There's something that intrigues me about being in a different country, in different surroundings, in a completely different culture.

But on a different note, I can enter to win a trip to Africa with a NY Times journalist...Africa. With the NY Times. I just have to figure out what makes me stand out for my essay of up to 700 words...I'm open to suggestions. :)