Monday Motivation: Brave.

     Yes, I still keep a journal. Totally a #writerprobs, I know. Don't worry, I don't write in it all the time, only when typing my feelings or speaking them aloud doesn't seem to quite have the meaning that I am trying to convey. I looked back at it the other day for inspiration for a new blog. One of things that I found funny is how I always doodle in the margins, drawing scenes of a life that I dream of or shapes that, if put together correctly, would have some mystical meaning. The common theme between all of my entries was that of doing something out of my comfort zone; something that required courage and bravery. Then it hit me. I was to write about being brave. Bravery is something we all too often reserve for heroes in the classics or our favorite characters in television series. Rarely do we ever think of ourselves being brave. 
      I dream too big. My mind dwells in a parallel universe that could rival even the most prestigious writer. In kindergarten I used to come up with intricate tales, sit down my friends in their typical 90's attire and tell them of my days spent fighting dragons and my nights spent sitting in my castle. You've got your hands full elders used to say as if my lack of limitations was somehow incapacitating.
     Today, I don't really have an idea of failure, nor have I ever. Susanna, only about 6 years old, would be telling you the same thing I am today. I want to make a difference.  Not a stutter, pause or ounce of uncertainty in my voice. It seems like the words possibly, maybe or if are not in my vocabulary. If is a word that to me, is toxic, almost unbearable to my vulnerable ears or poisonous to be spoken off my delicate tongue. I try to use it as little as possible because I am able to set my own limitations in life and if I tell myself if, then I am giving in to the possibility that I don't have what it takes to be great; that I am just doubting everything that I once thought. 
     But through life we are taught that the sky covered by white fluffy clouds isn't the limit for characters like Jack and the Bean Stalk or Chicken Little. So why should it be mine? 
     "If your dreams don't scare you, then they aren't big enough." I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have heard that quote tossed around throughout my two decades living on this planet. But sometimes the only thing you dream of is your bed signaling the end of a very busy and hectic day. Bravery isn't saved for the knights that fight dragons, public speaking in front of large crowds or solos in school plays. It could be asking for help in your macroeconomics class because you really did not understand what was happening. It is deciding to join the rugby team despite knowing nothing about the sport and it's deleting people out of your life because you are worth more than friendships that are nothing short of toxic. 

     These heroic acts do not have to be things that move mountains, cure cancer and they do not set off at the sound of a gun. Most of the time, they begin small...very small. With each step you take, each moment you live they grow larger. Sure, big things are amazing but I believe in acts of bravery that are ordinary. Things you can do everyday. Filling every second that you and I have lived with bravery. 
     No matter the size, big or small, be fearless; be brave. 
Learn Spanish and fail miserably. Fall in love and get your heart broken. Cry, giggle, build, give, dance, walk, sing, scream, write, lead and dream. And grow that dream. Just do it. Whatever your it might be.
     When I was in kindergarten, by dream was fighting dragons and living in a castle. Over a couple of years I went from being a young child with an idea to a college student with a purpose. If you were to tell my young self that those dreams in which I embodied brave would change my life, I wouldn't have believed you. But here I am now, dreaming like never before and fighting those dragons on a day to day basis; being brave. 
     Fight your dragons. Raise your hand. Dream. Inspire. Be brave. 

Love, 
Susanna

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Figuring it All Out

     I talk to people a lot. I just like to talk, I guess. I'm either always texting, chatting or typing. The other day I was talking to one of my friends and she told me that she thinks I seem different. No, I haven't changed my hair color or anything drastic like that, but I have been feeling a little different for the past month or so. It is a good different, don't worry.

     One of my favorite things about blogging/ being a camp counselor is that I get to talk to people about my past experiences. There are so many things that I wish I could tell people based on the things that I have experienced and the lessons I have learned along the way. I remember a time when I was at camp with my girls from and older cabin and I was speaking to one of the mothers. She said that school that past year had been tough for her daughter and that she just wanted to say to her "relax about your grades!" Sending her to summer camp was a way for her daughter to just forget about everything that went on during school and to just be a kid without being stressed out. The girl was the type that would always strive for excellence and anything less would tear her to pieces. When the mother said that I was instantly brought back to my first year of college (last year) when I got back an exam with 30% written on the top of it.

     THIRTY. Thirty percent. AKA an F. A big one. As far as I was concerned, the world was literally going to stop its revolution around the sun and I was going to be the only person on Earth that experienced this phenomena. In fact, my emotions, fears and insecurities knocked me down so many levels that it was hard to climb back up to the top. That first semester was so rough for me because of that one grade and class. (Side note: I studied a lot for this exam. At the time I did not know that macroeconomics was clearly not my thing.)

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     Looking back at that thirty percent I now realize that it was not an end, but a beginning. Through billions of little things that would follow, I am here now. I started talking to people just because I loved hearing stories and I started writing down my life experiences just so that one day I would be able to remember them. Never in a million years did I think that one day I would be writing my own personal blog in which thousands (yes, thousands...how the heck did that happen?!) of people have read. Never in a billion and one years did I think that I would be at this point today. I thank SMC for that opportunity. I have been able to explore worlds in which I never knew existed and have had the opportunity to talk to so many amazing people.

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    Getting the opportunity to live an amazing life, meet great people from all over the world and have the ability to learn things that interest me....all because I got a thirty on that exam. (Don't worry, I am now beyond happy with the path in life that I have chosen.)

     In two years (eeek) I will be able to graduate SMC with amazing life experiences under my belt. I have big aspirations of one day being able to make a difference. I want to do something that will change people's lives. I want to be happy and successful. 

     Looking at it, it is not the "end goal" that has created the difference that both myself and others have noticed within me. It is just that I have changed the way that I view things in order to make myself as happy as possible. I have decided that it is not the final destination that I am looking forward to, but rather the long back roads, highways and interstates that get me to that place.

    Throughout the past months I have felt like I have just exhaled and let go of everything that was holding me back. I have released so many things that were eating me from the inside out. I let go of my fears. I let go of some people. I let go of insecurities and security blankets. Deciding to let go and to feel the release of energy that I have wasted on negativity feels truly amazing.

     Things that have helped me through have been the community at SMC (everyone is truly amazing), the classes that I have so much passion for, figuring out a schedule that I can handle, rugby to release all my stress and finally, reminding myself that even if things don't go the way that I have them all planned in my head, that things will ultimately fall into place and the horrible things will actually be the start of an incredible journey.

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     I owe it to SMC for making me feel like a new person. Being a part of such an amazing community has opened so many doors for me, both inside my life and out. One thing that I always mention when I give tours is how much of a community we really are. And honestly, it is so true. We are able to pick people up when they are down and brighten up someone's day even if we don't know them. Thanks SMC, for everything. 
    
     I do feel different. In a billion and one ways. I honestly think that this is the first time in my life that I have not freaked out about what the future has in store for me. A couple of months ago, I would have let the fear of the unknown hold me back. Now it is just making me work that much harder to drive me in the right direction.

Love,
Susanna

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What am I listening to?

Time Management Tips for the Procrastinator

     I am not sure if I would call myself a procrastinator. I don't complete an assignment the day it was assigned nor do I wait for the last minute to do things. I fall somewhere in the middle. Personally, I think how we manage our time varies from person to person. I can say personally, that the transition from high school to college was mainly based on how you figure out to manage your time.In college you have 10 times more free time than in high school, but you have 10 times more things to complete. It takes longer for some people while others just fall right into a great routine.

     The past year has been hectic. Between 4 classes, giving tours, rugby practice and games and keeping up this blog it is sometimes easy for me to get overwhelmed. I am busy person, so I figured I would share some of my time management tips for all you procrastinators out there!

1. Use a planner! I write down every tour, every homework assignment, every practice and everything in between in my planner. I use the space for each day in my planner to write down what needs to get done for that day, while my monthly calendar is color coded to tell me large events and assignments.
I personally have a Lilly Pulitzer planner, and while expensive, I use the living heck out of it. For me, it was well worth the money that I spent on it if it means keeping me organized.

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2. Schedule some "Me Time". I know, it may sound kind of weird, but for me, it is a necessity. My "me time" during the week takes place from Friday after my rugby practice to Sunday at noon. It may make me sound like a horrible student, but during this time I will not do homework. I do a ton during the week so I use this time to do other things like write blog posts, catch up with friends, do laundry or sleep (most of the time I am probably catching up on sleep).

3. Keep you professors informed! The lovely thing about professors here at SMC is that they are always willing to help you out. If one week is particularly crazy, it is best to keep them up to date on what is going on in your life, especially if that means having to hand in an assignment late. Hey, it happens. it's not going to be the end of the world if you ask for an extension on an assignment.

4. Prioritize! Every one's priorities are different, so I am not going to sit here and tell you that homework needs to come first. For me, I have a pretty unique perspective on my GPA. While I aim to keep it as high as I possibly can achieve, I am more concerned about gaining life experiences and making the personal connections with my professors, employers and peers. While I do my absolute best to keep my grades up, not doing so well on a test or quiz  is not going to kill me. As long as I work as hard as I possibly can and do my assignments to the best of my ability, I am happy with my accomplishments. 

Moral of the story is, figure out what works best for you! 

Love,
Susanna


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What am I listening to?

[I hope my readers don't take this post as unappreciative of my education. My education means the world to me. I wouldn't be here it if I didn't find it to be important.  I value my education, but I also value real world experience and gaining connections that will be able to propel me in life. It is a give and take between the two.]

Spring Break!

Helllllooooooo, is this thing on?! Just give me a moment to dust off the cobwebs that have blessed this lovely blog that I call mine. I have been busy lately with classes, rugby, tours so Spring Break last week was much deserved. 
     I have not been home since January so it was really nice to go home again to see my family and my dog! I was planning on taking the MegaBus on Thursday at 3:45 to Hartford, but on Wednesday night into Thursday we got a MASSIVE snow storm here in VT. When I say massive, I mean we got 2 feet of snow in a night. So, naturally, my MegaBus was cancelled  to go home on Thursday. But all was ok because my lovely friend Sharon (read her blog HERE), offered me a ride home. So on Friday Sharon, her friend Shawn and myself packed into her Subaru and headed toward New York. I finally got home around 8PM after my dad picked me up from Marist College (where Sharon dropped me off) and after a quick pit stop at my uncle's house. 
     Saturday was fairly uneventful. I went shopping with my mom in the morning then went shopping again with my best friend around noon, then went back out shopping with my mom later in the day. It was all Target's fault, it was just calling my name the whole time I was home. Needless to say, it was a fairly good day. Sunday was sort of the same, minus all the shopping. I just stayed at home with my puppy for most of the time. 
     Fast forward to Thursday. Mom and I packed into the car to head up to Massachusetts to attend an award banquet for my Yiayia (grandmother). She was being honored as Quincy Citizen of the Year. My mom's whole side of the family was in attendance which was really nice. Earlier in the day I also attended a class that my Yiayia teaches at Mount Ida College. She gave me a quiz at the beginning and I got a 60. Good thing I was not actually being graded, but I still did better than I thought I would. 
    On Friday I hopped in the car with my Uncle Ted, my Aunt Cindy and their two dogs, Tupelo and Tessie to make the trek back to Burlington. It was really nice to spend time with them on the car ride up.Saturday I headed up to Smuggler's Notch with my dad, my Uncle Emmett, my Aunt Paige and my cousin Finch for a wonderful powder day. The conditions were great and no one was there which made the lift lines almost non existent. After a day on the mountain my dad, brother and I headed over to my Uncle Emmett and Aunt Paige's house for a big dinner that was delicious. 
     Here I am, finally, on Sunday sitting at my desk in my dorm room in Alumni writing this post before I start some homework due for this week. I could not have asked for a better week at home and now I feel refreshed and energized to finish the last part of this semester. 

Love, 
Susanna

P.S.: Saint Michael's Women's Rugby will be playing on Saturday March 29th at UCONN at 1pm! If you are in the area, be sure to check it out! More details will be posted on our Facebook page closer to the date!

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What am I listening to?

On the Hunt: the Job Hunt

     It is that time a year again. Job hunting season. Thankfully I have already been blessed with a fantastic job this summer and I am honestly counting down the days until summer camp, but for those without jobs, this might be of some help! One of the major points of being a grown up college person now is that you will need to get a job. This not only provides you with money, but it also provides you with something to put on your resume, work experience and the opportunity to network and meet new people. Last year around this time I started looking for a camp counselor position because I knew it was what I wanted to do. It gave me the opportunity to get my resume and applications to as many camps as possible while still leaving me some wiggle room for scheduling interviews. It is also a perfect time because spring break is right around the corner and, assuming, you are looking for a job close to home, you won't have to take time off of classes to go home for an interview. Here are some of my tips to nailing an awesome job.

1. Ask yourself a few questions: What exactly do you want to do? Do you want to be outside or inside all day? Do you want to be at a desk? Do you want to work with kids? What are you interested in? This will help you narrow down your search to find something that you are interested in doing all summer. 

2. Work on your resume: Make sure your resume is up to date and professional looking. SMC has a great service in our career development office where they will help you organize a professional resume. Set up an appointment HERE. (In general, our career development office is amazing here on campus, they are bunches of help and I suggest checking out their website HERE!)

3. Check what is needed when you apply: This is a crucial step. Make sure that if you have to submit a cover letter with your resume and application that you do so. If you don't, it may look like you do not know how to read directions and it will look poorly on you.

4. Research: Research the places that you apply. I spent hours perusing Youtube, Facebook, twitter and the company's websites to find all of the information that I could about them. This is crucial if you get an interview so that you can ask the questions that you really want to get answered. 

5. Google yourself: I know, this may sound really weird. Now a days one of the first things that employers do is Google and applicant to check what they do online. So before they see something that you aren't particularly proud of, go on a quick mission to clean up all of your social media sites and online activity. This is especially important if you plan on working with children like I do at a summer camp. You are there to be role models and a reflection of the place you work, so don't make it look bad!

6. Do a follow up: After you submit your application, give it a few days but then make sure that the employer received your application. 

7. Dress the part: If you have an in person interview, make sure you look nice. Most of the time they will tell you how to dress for an interview, whether it be business casual or business attire. Whatever the case, pull yourself together a bit. Sweat pants and sneakers are never an option, just remember that. 

8. Don't get frustrated: I applied to many places before I found one that loved me as much as I loved them. It may take time to find the perfect fit. Just don't get frustrated. Some place wants you, just stay positive! 

Helping my A session girls during an evening activity. They had to wear as many articles of clothing as possible. I believe our count was around 107 or so. 

My C session girls. This was after an evening activity that consisted of paint, water, flour and tons of fun!

Those are some of my tips to landing an awesome summer job! I followed these tips and I found a place that I adore working at. Last summer was an absolute blast and I cannot wait to go back. Shameless plug, if you want to work at a summer camp, DO IT. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had and I recommend it to anyone!

Love,
Susanna

Questions? Comments? Just wanna say hey?
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