CreComm: year one in review

September
I knew what was coming. The best and worst year of my life. I was excited to be pushed beyond my limits; to learn the secrets of the trade; to make new friends. We were thrown right into big assignments, strict deadlines, and a busy schedule.

A handsome young man, James, gave his number to me on a bus ride home. I texted the number and we went on a few dates, which then turned into spending every evening together doing homework. He quickly became my closest friend, then asked me to be his girlfriend.

I had to reduce the amount of shifts I had at work because school became so busy. This broke my heart because I love my job.

October
My new boyfriend dropped the L-Bomb ("I love you"). I freaked out. Two weeks later I returned the sentiment.

I received personal praise for an assignment from one of my instructors. After losing confidence in my writing skills, this gave me some more hope.

We covered the mayoral election at school, and I got to work election night from the comfort of my own workplace. It was fast-paced and fun and I was reassured working in a newsroom is what I want to do for life.

November
This month was a blur. I was running out of material and money for my blog (which used to be about thrifting).

I met my James' parents for the first time and fell in love with them.

I missed seeing my own parents.

I was an intern news editor at The Projector. It was a lot of fun, but maybe I'll stick to reporting for now.

December
I cried a lot. I was stressed about school. I'm always scared I won't hand things in on time, or do well on exams, but I always do and this was no exception.

I totalled my beloved CRV. A concussion from the crash stopped me from working some shifts over the holidays, which upset me because this was the time to make money to catch up on bills.

I got to go home for Christmas. It was nice to see family.

January
Going back to school was great. I liked the routine. I was scared of making new friends this time around though, since we were put into different sections. But I made some of the best friends ever — for life.

I wasn't doing well personally.

I wrote a blog post that received a lot of attention.

I realized James was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.


February
I turned 22.

James and I went on a short road trip to Minneapolis for the long weekend.

I was on the radio to discuss struggles with body image, stemming from my popular blog post mentioned above. It helped me realize I could help people with my own experience.






March
I finally had wheels again, thanks to my parents. A beautiful, little burgundy Ford Focus. I felt free and independent again.

I won the Eric and Jack Wells Award for journalism excellence.

James and I got engaged. We are getting married in 2016.



April
My cat developed an aural hematoma. I couldn't afford surgery. So we put him on medication and the doctor said it should clear up in a month.

I came home to a crying and bloody cat, and a blood-splattered hallway. His ear had burst. One vet
said I needed to do another unaffordable surgery. Two others said it would heal itself. So far, it is indeed healing itself and he now has an adorable floppy ear.

Classes are about to end. I'm so excited for summer, no homework, and sunshine. I am sad I won't see my friends/classmates everyday. I love them, and they make life exciting.

I'm so grateful for all my instructors have taught me, all the guidance they have given me, and all the fun they've provided for my classmates and I. I will forever be indebted to them.

Productivity: The Brain Break

I'm a go-go-go kind of person — even when I don't need to be. I stress myself out over every task I take on. Along with that, I try to do everything at once. If I get stuck on one task, I go to the next one until I hit a roadblock, then bounce to another one, and another, and eventually I end up with a pile of roadblocks that lead to me staring at barely-touched Word documents on my computer screen and perusing social media for hours. Then, I come close to missing deadlines and terribly slapping together assignments just to get them done. My method of "getting stuff done" isn't really productive.

My close friends, family, and boyfriend try to convince me that my way really isn't the highway. The potholes in my road lead to a lot of tears and frustration. All of them keep saying the same thing.

"Take a break."

My excuse/response? "Haha! A break! There is no time for breaks. A break will put me behind."

Last Friday, the homework piled up for the weekend and the same panic settled itself in my gut. I reviewed the list and didn't know where to start. Then, the words of my friends and family crept back into my brain again.

"Take a break."

I opened my laptop and began revising an article for my journalism class. I stopped and felt my eyes glaze over looking at the screen instead of reorganizing my paragraphs. I was so tired after a full day of classes.

"Take a break."

I shut my laptop, called my boyfriend and to his excitement said "we're going on a date." I was going to take a break.

We enjoyed a late dinner at an all-you-can-eat sushi joint, then indulged in some carrot cake at Baked Expectations, and finally settled in and watched There's Something About Mary. Little did I know that this simple and relaxing date would result in the most productive day of my college career.

I woke up the next day, went out and took some photos for an assignment, came back to my desk and ploughed through three major assignments due the following week. I hate to admit it, but it looks like I was wrong.

If you're like me and refuse to delay your work and give your brain a break, stop it. You're not above rest. You're deserving of fun, and you are most definitely deserving of a clear head that allows you to work efficiently.

Take a walk, watch a movie, meet a friend for coffee. Anything. Take it easy. you'll thank yourself later.