Natural Hair

Wow, it's been SO long since I have updated my blog. This post is going to be about hair. Let's get right to it....

"We don't go natural, we return. Natural is where it began!"

I went natural December 23rd, 2013. I didn't plan on transitioning to go natural, but retrospectively I transitioned for a few months before cutting the relaxed ends off. I had a haircut and my last relaxer in May of that year. I was letting my cut grow out and never got another relaxer. So, by December, my new growth was pretty wild and hard to tame. I was getting tired of washing, blow drying, and flat ironing the two textures. During winter break, I decided I wasn't going to be stuck doing my hair the entire time. I cut the relaxed ends off. I have never felt so free!

The picture below is from the day I cut my hair! It wasn't perfect, but I was happy to be free lol...

I have had it cut and shaped a couple times since then. I have been a little scissor happy with trimming my own ends. I need my ends trimmed one more time and then I'll leave it alone!

This is my hair as of last week! My shrinkage is crazy, but this is what it looks like when it's stretched a bit. I don't use a lot of heat, but once in a while, I'll flat iron it and wear it until shrinkage gets the best of me lol...

Okay, that's my little hair story lol... I'll be back soon!

Dai

The last year has been full of changes! This year specifically has brought a lot of phases of transition and changes to my life!

I graduated and moved back home and started working full time, pretty much immediately! I am teaching 7th and 8th grade science which is absolutely fulfilling and exhausting at the same time!

I am no longer with the boyfriend who I was swooning over in my last post. Our relationship ended about 2 months ago when he decided that now is not the right time for us to be together. I have used my summer vacation to focus on myself and my responsibilities for the upcoming school year (aka my career).

I won't bore you with an endless story on the past 8 months of my life. I'll just pick up here and update more often. Blogging is a great release. I just don't have much time lately. My personal journal has cobwebs as well lol...

Dai

Journey to Me

OMG! It's been so long since I've posted. My last post was in February and it is now October, pretty much November. I don't even know where to begin! I've been through so much, it seems like the process never ends (not that I'd want it to!). I can say that I'm definitely making progress. So, here's an update. I hope I don't miss anything.

I am in my last semester of undergrad!!!!...!!!!! I am absolutely overwhelmed with life at this point. My classes are a handful, but I'm holding it down. I'm taking 12 credit hours right now, which doesn't sound so bad. I'm taking a class about Sustainability where I've had 2 group projects going on at once. One is done so far, the other will be done when the semester ends (thank goodness). We're working on seeing how we (the University) can use the Green Roof on the Physical Sciences building to grow native, threatened, and/or endangered plant species to preserve, protect, and reproduce them to replenish and beautify the campus. I'm also taking a class called Biology and the Environment, which I could take with my eyes closed. It's a 1000 level course that I'm taking as an elective. It's pretty interesting, though. Up until now, I wasn't familiar with Environmental Science at all. This class is pretty much an introductory course. I am also taking a Black History course to finish my minor. The professor seemed so intense and uptight at first, but she's really just a sweetheart on the inside. She's just really about her business!! We discuss some pretty interesting topics that cover the antebellum period in America. Finally, I'm taking a course called Capstone which is the exit course for the Interdisciplinary Studies major. I did say I changed my major, right? lol...

I'm graduating December 14th, 2012 at 2:30pm. Yes, Lord. Thank you! I can't begin to express how I feel about graduating after 4.5 l o n g years! I'm just so thankful for the support system that I've had in my family this whole time. It hasn't always been easy, but it's turning out to be very much worth it. All the tears and feeling homesick and lonely sometimes, it was all worth it. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I am a first generation college student, so I'm very proud to represent my entire family when I walk across that stage. I dedicate my graduation to my parents, grandparents, and older brother. WE have all arrived. And to my younger siblings and cousins, ya'll need to handle business now. I changed the game for you!

I am also working for the first time during the school year. I love and hate my job at the same time. I'm in retail right now and I love meeting new people and helping women look their best, it's just time for a change. I've been there since the end of March and I'm ready for something new. The pay sucks, but my 40% employee discount (that's right) is everything!! Can you say shopaholic?

 I am still dating the same guy. We've been together for over a year now :) I'm in love *swoons*!! I'm about to get mushy here, so if you'd rather be spared, then skip to the next paragraph. Anyway, I never thought I'd feel this way about someone. I've been completely open with him about my entire life, pretty much, which I've never done with anyone before. He looks like a big tough guy, but he's just a big teddy bear. He's so loving, giving, protective, kind, loyal, honest...I could go on and on!! Geez. Where had he been all that time before? How did we not cross paths sooner? He's been home with me a few times and met my family. My grandparents adore him. They always ask me when we're getting married. You know how old people are. "This isn't the 1950's, Poppy." That's what I have to tell him. lol... You don't marry the first person you seriously date these days. My grandparents have been together 49 years and my granddad is 73. *does a quick computation* He was 24 when he married my grandmother. Yea, people don't get married that young anymore either. Any who, I'm rambling. We're both 22 and just enjoying each other, for now!

My hair is growing! I decided not to cut it anymore. It's time for something new. My goal is to have a nice bob. I'd like to try the asymmetrical bob with a little color in it. We'll see how it goes. I'm smack dab in the middle of the awkward phase right now. I just don't know what to do with it. I'm about to try to make my own clip ins so I can give my hair a break from all the heat styling I do to it. I'm about an inch away from being out of the awkward phase. My make up is looking great these days, but that's a separate post! I'll update on all my new products soon!! (like I really have an audience, anyway) lol...

Oh, I moved into my own apartment at the end of the summer! Finally, room mate free! It feels good. I can do anything I want to, anywhere in my apartment, butt naked if I so choose! Yes, that's the best part of living alone. I've always spent a lot of time with my man so he's there with me more often than not. So, I don't get lonely. However, I do get super bored when he's not around! I live in a pretty nice community. I just go out and go for a walk around the park if I'm that bored. The people there mind their business, but are friendly enough. Okay so the biggest difference I've noticed now that I don't live in student housing is the peace and quiet!!! OMG, I think that's the best part. My last semester in student housing I believe my upstairs neighbor was a DJ. I'm not even exaggerating. The music was non-stop!! Where I live now is so quiet! I love it!

Well, I'm going to write a book if I don't stop here. I think that covers pretty much everything. Life is good, I can't complain! Just living it up!

♥ Dai

Journey to Me

So much has happened in the past 6 months! I'm feeling a little anxious that more changes are coming. I'm at a point in my life where I just would rather not deal with anything unnecessary. If it's not going to help me move forward, then I really don't need it in my life right now. I've been through so much drama, lost friends, I've fallen in love, and I'm still just trying to keep my priorities straight with school and accomplishing my goals so I can live my life. In the midst of all that, I'm feeling a little anxious and drained. I'm anxious for what's to come and drained emotionally of what has been. I just want to focus on being the best person that I can be for myself. Wow, I'm tearing up as I write this...I don't even know how to describe what I feel...I feel lost and I don't know where to find myself in all of this. Everything that's happened is a lesson learned and I just take the best from it and keep pushing forward.

I love me!

I think this is a pretty common topic for anybody across the board. It's really important to love yourself. I say that because although I am a very self-confident person, I realize that not everybody has that same confidence. Whether someone has made them feel bad about themselves or they are too critical of their own flaws, there are people out there, girls in particular, that struggle with self- confidence. I'm not saying that males don't struggle with this issue, I can just relate to it from a female point of view for obvious reasons...

We all have flaws, but what I learned while I was younger, is that you have to take those flaws and love them! I will use body image as a specific example. Everybody has something that they don't like about their body, even the most confident people. The difference is learning to love and embrace those flaws and becoming accepting of yourself no matter what. People want to change themselves so bad and there are billion dollar industries (plastic surgery) that feed off of those insecurities. What you have to learn is that your flaws make you who you are, they make you YOU!

If you can't love yourself past your own flaws, whether it has to do with your body image or just what you think of yourself in general, then no one else will love you. There are people out there who are so insecure about themselves that they feed off of others' insecurities to temporarily make themselves feel better and it's just sad. In feeling good about yourself, you give someone else the strength and courage to look on the inside and find something good about them as well.

We all need to find something positive about ourselves and let it shine. And the things we don't like, we need to take hold of it and just own it, learn to love it. When we do that, we free ourselves from our own limitations of what we think we can or can't do or what we should and should not look like. Every one, every body is different. Love yourself for who you are!

~LaDai

Busy!

It's been a super busy semester so far, already, and it's only the third week of class. I'm taking 16 credit hours this semester, which is the most I have EVER taken in one semester. My long-term goal of finishing school has turned into a short-term goal, as my graduation date is fast approaching. It seemed like it was so far off in the distance before, now it's within sight. It's kind of overwhelming at times, but I'm getting there. After my 5 classes this semester, I'll only have 7 left. So that leaves me with 2 semesters left before I'm done. I hope to finish by the summer of next year, so I'm working really hard to make that happen. I can't believe that I'm a senior and the 4 years have gone by so quickly!

I feel how I felt when I was graduating high school. It's so bittersweet that after all of this, it's coming to an end. I've met some amazing people and I know that we'll be lifelong friends. The whole college experience in general has been a good one, for me. I'm a little bit nervous about ending this chapter and starting all over. I know that whatever comes next will be a great experience, though. I'm looking forward to it!

~LaDai

Journey to Me

I was just thinking about independence day and what it means to me. I decided to brush up on my history and read about the historical importance of today: the American Revolution, the Declaration of independence and what it meant as far as solidifying the United States as an independent country. Then I made an important decision, I am truly proud to be an an American.

Saying this out loud sounded weird to me. I have probably only said this phrase less than a handful of times in my life (that I can recall): September 11, 2001, President Obama's inauguration,...and today. And then I thought about it. How many times have I said to anyone, "I am American"? I'm black, yes. But, American? I'm not so sure. Does the fact that I was born in America make me American? Sure. If I was born in Germany, I guess I'd be German. *shrugs* What does it truly mean to be American? The few times I can recall telling anyone I'm American was meeting a group of people from the Caribbean and the first question is "What are you?" (Jamaican, Lucian, Bahamian, etc.) I would reply (as I identified myself), "I'm black," and someone would politely say, "No, where are you from?" "Florida!" LOL...I never really thought of myself as American. That's not really what comes to mind first as far as how I identify myself.

I am American and proud!

Happy Independence Day !

Thanks to the men who were brave enough throughout the American Revolution to establish our freedoms...and the soldiers today who fight to protect them!!


I haven't posted in a while. I'm on so many different social networking sites (facebook, twitter, tumblr, this one..I think that's it lol), I figured I share enough of myself everywhere else. I've kind of neglected my blog, which is the one place where I feel like I can share my inner thoughts without worrying about a stupid character limit. Alot has changed and happened since my last post in April...

I talked about the change of major. I'm currently considering my options and trying to put together a plan for what I'd like to do after graduation in December 2012. I have recently opened up to the idea of teaching out of state. I have currently added Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia to the list of places I wouldn't mind moving to. I'd have someone I know, either family or a family friend, in each of those places. If moving can't happen for me, I'm working on making it a possibility to teach at the high school I went to. I've been trying to meet with someone to make sure I'm qualified and see what openings they may have within the next year or so. I'm realistic about the cuts in education and the fact that it may not be as easy as it sounds to get a job as a teacher. My dad proposed the idea of me joining the Navy, which I almost did right out of high school. I'm not opposed to that, but that option is only if I can't find a job within 6 months after graduation (gotta get those student loans paid!) OR if I do start teaching and maybe it isn't exactly right for me. The biggest pro for me about the Navy is that if/when I get my Master's degree, I have a sure way to pay for it without taking out anymore loans or living like a broke college student again. I just know that whatever happens after graduation, I'll be FINE!

I've also had ridiculous amounts of roommate drama. Living with friends can either go great or horrible. We've had some great times, but boy when things are bad, they're BAD. I don't really care to get into what happened.

I don't know what else there is to say. Life is good right now. Summer classes started about a week ago and are going well so far, despite how much work it is. No one said it would be easy. Once the summer term is over, I have 11 classes until I'm finished! It feels good to have come this far! This school year is going to be a lot of work. Depending on how I work my schedule, I could graduate as early as next summer. By December of next year, I'll for sure be finished!

As always, thanks for reading!

~LaDai

My Tumblr

I have started posting here http://vivalaladi.tumblr.com/ I haven't abandoned this blog, but for more frquent updates, that's where you can find me!

Journey to Me

So it's been a while but I haven't given up. It's been a long semester and I have alot to update. I may have to come back and edit this. I'm also typing this on my iPod so excuse any typos and my horrible punctuation lol....

I have become alot better at handling my negative feelings. Ive been able to not express it so much but what I need to learn to do is really let it go. What happens is anything negative just gets swept under the rug. My problem is that there is only so much you can sweep under a rug. I know that what I need to learn how to do is release it in a healthy way so that I can be open to peace. When I figure that part out i will be okay.

I also changed my major. Rick Scott (FL governor) is really scaring me with what he's doing with Florida's education system. Although teaching is something I really want to do, it's not really encouraging when it seems that no one in power is doing what's best for our students or teachers for that matter. I'm still going to get my teacher certification but in case teaching doesn't pan out for me like I plan I had to change to a degree program that will give me options to go in another direction if I need to. I changed to Interdisciplinary Studies. I have 2 concentrations: one in education and the other in life/biomedical sciences, and a minor: African american studies. I just dont want to be limited by having such a specific degree. It was science education before I changed it. I felt like it would limit me to the education field only. People keep saying I don't have to teach in Florida but I don't know how I feel about moving out of state.

By changing my major I only have 13 classes to take before I graduate!! So basically if I take classes this summer, the full school year, and next summer, I'll be done! I will be graduating for sure in about a year! That's pretty exciting fo me. I never thought I would make it this far and my dreams are becoming a reality! The other day I said to someone that I must be lucky to have accomplished my dreams. After I realized what I said and really thought about it, it's really not luck. I know that everything I've done has been through God's grace. Nobody can stand in front of me with a straight face and tell me that God is not real!!! My whole life is proof that He is real!! Sometimes I get to thinking that I don't deserve all of this. I'm not special. I'm no different that anyone else who is from where I'm from. I'm no different from anyone else that has the same problems I do. That's how I know that there is a plan and purpose for my life!

I really didn't know what to expect from this chapter in my life as far a being in college. I'm feeling the same way about the next chapter once graduation comes and goes. I have alot of questions but I guess that's part of my journey to me with discovering who I am. At the end of the day I just want to be great and do great things. I want to be remembered for the lives that I will someday change.

Reading my posts from December until now, I can see the growth within myself. I hope that it radiates outward and encourages someone else on their journey!

~LaDai

Can't we just agree to disagree??

I'm pretty much an open minded person. I don't mind talking to people who can express themselves and possibly change my mind. But there's a line that can't be crossed if someone isn't willing to change their mind. I would never force my opinion on someone and I wouldn't want another person to force theirs on me. So, this is the point where we agree to disagree. And it is what it is. We can go on our merry way.

However, I can't stand arguing with someone who can't agree to disagree. I don't mind a healthy debate or discussion, but everyone has different opinions. At the end of the day, if I don't agree with what someone has to say (or you don't agree with me), then we just don't agree or see eye to eye, however you want to put it. It makes no sense to keep going on and on. You have your opinion and I have mine. We've shared and that's it.

~LaDai

Happy New Year!

But anywho, I had a really good Christmas here with the family!

Growing up, Christmas means more about getting a chance to come home and spend some quality time with the people I care most about. I was really suprised with gifts this year. I got a speeding ticket a couple weeks ago that my amazing mother paid for, so I really wasn't expecting anything more. That was enough for me! So the gifts I got, meant alot to me. Some cd's (my parents know I love music), books, scented things, and jewelry. I also got a new car right before the New Year! Gotta love ma and pops, they take good care of their baby girl!

New Year was especially great! I spent time with a good friend of mine. Brought in the New Year at a party with her. Just had FUN! And I also spent some time with another "friend" of mine (lol)...my sweetheart! ...That's another story for another time!

Other than that, things are pretty good! I'm too excited to get back to school and get back with all my roommates. I'm sure it's going to be a pretty exciting semester! I'm also planning to get into a good workout routine...We'll see how that goes, also!

~LaDai

Journey to Me

Well, I haven't had much going on lately...

A couple weeks ago, I had a revelation about myself, just some unhealthy habits that needed to be changed. I am currently working on that. So here it is...I wrote this on Christmas Eve:

"I’m trying my best to take a healthy approach to changing this. I want to be a more open person, able to share my feelings and what I’m going through, be more understanding of others, as well as empathetic. I think that by changing my emotional process, I’ll be able to deal with the things that stress me out or irritate me in a healthier manner without damaging any of my relationships with the people around me. I just want to be a happier person overall and strengthen relationships that I have with my friends."

Everyone makes a New Year Resolution, so for the New Year or not (mainly, just in general) this is my new motto for just living a more positive life:

I release all feelings of negativity from within and open myself to everything of love, joy, and peace.

You are welcome to use that also if it is going to help in your own life. I was in church one night and it just hit me that what I need to do most is to just learn to let go of the things that aren't going to do me any good, which in any case would be negative feelings, thoughts, actions, and habits!

~LaDai

Journey to Me

I started a private journal a couple days ago. My mission is to be a more open person with the people all around me. I keep so much inside and recently I got to a point where I realized that's not healthy for me at all. So, I'm beginning my journey by journaling whenever something bothers me. I've decided to incorporate pieces of that into my blog so that I can open up in more than one way and to different people, whereever you are reading this.

The first entry:

"You were such a great guy to me; you came along doing things that no one had ever done for me before. I was selfish, not thinking of what I needed to do to be good to you. I’m just now realizing that and it may be too late. But I can say that I have learned a lot and that’s all that matters. I’m hoping that I can take what I’ve learned and apply it to my next relationship. All I can say is that I am glad for all the time that we have spent together getting to know one another."

The second one, I wrote last night.

"...and all these things I ask of him and ask him to be, I am willing to do the same in return and be the same to him.
I will love him for the person he is. I will love him past all of his flaws, past every wall he has around his heart. I will knock those walls down so that I can have the real him, flaws and all. I know he won’t be perfect, but he will be perfect for me and I will love him for that!
I will love him through everything."

~LaDai

All I Want For Christmas...

That is it! I'd be the happiest girl alive :)

*photo courtesy of Victoria's Secret official website*

~LaDai

Your house, Your rules

There are certain things in my life that, even now as a 20 year old, I still don't understand. The first thing that comes to mind when I say that is my parents' rules at home. Through middle school and high school, I was always that kid who's parents knew every single move I made. I believe that's how it should be anyway, but no matter how old I got, it still remained the same. Alot of the rules are unsaid, they've never really been established as so, it's just something that is understood in order to keep the peace.

For example, even when I go home on breaks, such as this coming Christmas break, there's never a time where it's acceptable for me to just leave the house and not say anything to anyone about where I'm going. I've tested it. It does not work! For safety reasons, of course, it makes sense. When I think of myself as an adult living in a house with other adults, you would think it wouldn't be an issue no matter how close or far I'm going. However, in a sense of me as their offspring, no matter how old I get, as long as I'm dependent on them, it's one of those unspoken rules that will always be in place.

There are other things that work the same way, and although I don't quite understand it...the point I'm making here is that some things should be done to simply keep the peace. There's nothing I can or can't do that causes a disturbance. If it keeps a happy balance, then I'm all for it!

~LaDai

I'm a Badu-ist !

Let me begin by saying that I listen to alot of music! Different people in my life have opened me up to different kinds of music, so I think it's safe to say that I listen to a little bit of everything; from Taylor Swift to Plies, everything! One of the main genres that I really enjoy to my core is Soul and Neo-Soul music. My love for Soul music comes from my mom, one of the most influential people in my life. I think that's why I'm so in love with it. Living away from home, when I miss her, that music is there and it takes me back to certain memories that I have of her. It's just comforting.

My mom got me into Erykah Badu. I was about 7 years old when Baduizm, her 1st album, debuted. But, I can vividly remember hearing these songs. Then, Live came out not too long after that (within the same year I believe), followed by Mama's Gun in 2000. That's when my love for Erykah Badu really became real (lol)!

I remember my mom playing these albums almost everyday for a long time. I heard Erykah Badu's voice when I was getting ready for school, after school in the evening, relaxing on the weekends, just all the time! I can remember singing the songs, just knowing the words. As I got older, hearing the same songs, I began to understand what she was saying in my own ways. When she was talking about love and relationships in general, I understood it for what it meant to me years later as a 13 year old and even now as a 20 year old. Even now, having heard all of these songs for years, I pick up on things that I heard her say, but didn't understand. Recently, her song Didn't Cha Know from Mama's Gun took on a new meaning for me as I was really trying to figure out my purpose and what I wanted to do in school and life in general: "Ooh, heyy...I'm trying to decide, which way to go. I think I made a wrong turn back there somewhere." The first verse is exactly what I was feeling at the time.

The majority of her songs take me to a different place. Her songs about dealing with feeling insecure, self-discovery,social issues, and just being independent as a woman have left a lasting impression on me that I carry even to this day. I think it's safe to say that these three albums have really been influential and comforting. So comforting that when I miss my mother I can close my eyes and listen to Badu's voice and in an instant, I'm back at home!

Erykah Badu has had 3 albums since: Worldwide Underground, New Amerkah Parts 1 and 2 (4th World War and Return of the Ankh), which suprisingly, I haven't really gotten into, but I still plan to. It's just something about the 1st 3!

Now, Badu isn't the only artist my mother has introduced me to. We both enjoy artists like Jill Scott, India.Arie, Kem, Anthony Hamilton, and Chrisette Michelle. My personal favorite, of course, is Erykah Badu!

I think that's it for now...I may have to return later and add something I may have forgotten.

~LaDai


Picture Credit: http://blogs.pitch.com/wayward/2010/05/erykah_badu_at_the_midland_can.php

Major Update

So the first few weeks of school have definitely been suuuuper hectic! Math has been running my life, it's just so time consuming...it makes it hard for me to find time to do other things like talk to people or actually update my blog! So basically, I've been in my room or somewhere on campus trapped by endless math homework and quizzes due. My other classes aren't that bad and thankfully I don't have any other classes that are this time consuming. BUT, everything is going pretty well. I'm finally getting a handle on my time management skills. I have no time for procrastination, which is a good thing, anyways.

In between all that, I have had time to try out a new beauty product! Well, it's not exactly a beauty product...but it helps alot! I'll give a little back story first. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, maybe I have, but I have super oily skin. No matter what products I have tried, it just won't go away. So, I basically learned to just accept it and live with my oily skin. I stopped worrying about it and just let my light shine through! One day last week, I was on YouTube looking up some skin care regimens and reccommended products for oily skin when I came across the unbelievable. The product is Philip's Milk of Magnesia. Now most people know what that is and what it's inteded for. If you don't know, Philip's MoM is a laxative. And my first response was, "I'm supposed to put that on my face?? Yea right!" But everybody who did a video on it and used it said it works wonders. Alright, why not? Either it will work or my face will still be oily. Nothing to lose. So I tried it.

AMAZING! I'm telling you, I can go a whole day now without touching up my make-up or blotting my face because it's oily. I am shine-free! I shake it up really good, use less than a dize size worth of it, and just rub it in on my face. I make sure I get my forehead, cheeks, and nose...and I am good to go for the day no matter how hot and/or humid it is outside. In a week, Philip's MoM has become a key part in my make-up routine. It's great. For any ladies out there who are battling with an oily face...please, try this product!

I have come to the concusion that I will not go natural...for now. I'm just at a point where I think my hair works for me and there's no need in changing it until I'm ready. I questioned it alot about if I really wanted to do it or not and I'm just not ready. When I'm ready, I won't have any hesistations about it and it'll be something that I'll just be able to go for and I'll love it! Just not yet.

I was missing home so bad last night. I don't know what it is, but I'm just ready to be home for a while. I hadn't planned to go home until Thanksgiving, but there's no place like home and no feeling like being around family. Lately, I've been thinking about what I want to do once I'm finished with undergrad, and it's really just stirring up some nostalgic feelings. It makes me realize how much I've grown up and how much more growing up I've got to do. It just makes it feel like my childhood is that much more in the past. It's not that I want to hold on to being a child, but I don't want to forget these memories that I've got. I doubt I will, but it's just the thought.

Well, that's it for now. Stay blessed!

~LaDai

Well, I'm Back.

It's been a while!

Well...school has been keeping me plenty busy. At first, it felt like it would be a breeze, but at the beginning of the 4th week of the semester now I'm not so sure about that! I'm taking Biology 2, Intro to the Teaching Profession, Theories and Practice Teaching ESOL, and... College Algebra. Honestly, my schedule isn't so bad. I have Bio on MWF and the lab on Fridays and my other 3 classes only meet once a week, all on Tuesday and no class on Thursday. What makes it difficult is the fact that College Algebra is uuber time consuming (and running my life). I'm actually in the middle of some homework right now and decided to take a break. (At least I found something semi-productive to do.) I have a service learning project in my Intro to Teaching class and I'm excited to get started. I get to volunteer in a local school and gain some classroom experience!

Lately, I've been thinking about what I want to do after graduation. I'm not so sure, yet. Grad school is definitely a possibility. I just don't know ho soon after graduation that can happen for me. It's crazy how time flies! I feel like I was just a Senior in high school not too long ago. I'm a Junior this year and I'm looking at an expected graduation date of Spring 2013. I'm glad that it's a goal that's actually in reach and very attainable. I just feel like everything is going good for me. Loving life right now!

I went to my first football game Saturday night. We played NC State and lost...but it was fun anyway!



~LaDai

Back to School...

I'm really just in the spirit of appreciating these last 2 weeks I have here at home before I have to go back to school. Spending time with my family and friends, just the summer in general has been pretty awesome! I really like being a student and I'm just ready to get the semester started. I'm taking 4 classes: Biology 2, Chemistry (which I am retaking lol), Introduction to the Teaching Profession, and Theory & Practice Teaching ESOL Students; all of which I'm pretty excited about taking! It should be a pretty interesting semester this fall.

Another thing to be excited about is the fact that I'll be getting new roommates this year! This go round, I have opted to live with 3 of my friends. For the last 2 years, I've had random roommate assignments and although they haven't turned out horrible, I just never really made a connection with any of the other girls. I'm looking forard to living with people I already know, actually will enjoy being around, and not coming home and heading straight to my bedroom.

The only thing I'm worried about is I know it can be a different situation living with friends. We're all cool girls with diffferent personalities and that's beneficial to our friendships together because we all bring different qualities to share with one another. As far as living together, I'm a little eager to see what the mix of our personalities will stir up. Regardless, relationships with other people never always consist of blue skies and sunny days, but I think we'll be able to handle living with eachother. It's going to get crazy at times, I know this lol...But I love my girls and I know we'll make it work!

~LaDai