Home sweet home.

I am home now, I got into Minneapolis yesterday evening. It feels good to be back, although I really wish Mike could have come with! Hehe..

Alright, i realize it is a little late, but I am going to do a challenge that Bonnie posted at lifeunrehearsed.blogspot.com

Think on these things a bit:
3 Things I like about me are:
3 Things I don't like about me, or things I could do without, about me:



Okay well i guess I will start with three things I like about me.

1. I am friendly, or at least I like to think so, I can chat with people very well and I am fairly approachable. I like this about myself, I always want to be someone that people can feel comfortable and welcome with.

2. I want to do good in the world. Maybe that it is that I am still young and ignorant, but I actually believe that people can change the world and I want to do it! I have so many ideas in ways in which I can help, and many ways in which I already do help.

3. I am a very loyal friend. If you are my friend, I will stay by your side and help you through all that you need help with. I will sacrifice many things for you, for friends are the most important part of life, and it is important to do anything in our power to honor that relationship.

So three things that I don't like so much about me..

1. I am very emotional. I have sooo many emotions, which is a good thing because it makes me human but it also a bad thing because on some occasions I do not have the power to control them. I sometimes go through stages where nothing anyone can so or do will change my mood.

2. I am very competetive. I am a jealous person who competes too often. I am glad I can recognize this about myself because it is the first step in solving, but I am way too competetive when it comes to frienships and other relationships.

3. I am very dependent. As independent as I sometimes feel, I am very dependent on my relationships. I rely on my relationships when I should rely on myself.

This was a fun challenge, the thing is, when it comes down to it... even if there are things you don't like about yourself, the best thing you can do about those things is just accept that you possess them. Secondly, if they are really things you wish to change than you can work to change them. Accepting the fact that you have this fault is half of the battle. Do this challenge, maybe you will learn a little bit about yourself!

Okay, gorgeous day here in MN! I am off to lay on my dock!

*Vanessa*

Tune of the day: Breakdown- Jack Johnson
Question of the day: What books are on your summer reading list? Do you have any books that you would recommend for others to read?

* My summer reading list includes ALL of the Harry Potter Books, hehe, The time traveler's wife, The namesake, Nineteenth circle and some other ones that I pick up here or there. If you are looking for a good book to read this summer.. i STRONGLY suggest reading "Eat, Pray, Love" or "The Secret Life of Bee's" They are excellent books!.

Last Day in New York

Today is my last day here in New York, but the stay has been soo wonderful! The weather has been gorgeous and sunny!! I even have a little bit of a sun tan!!!

Everytime I come to visit Mike at his house, I feel so spoiled because I am treated so well here. I get to wake up late and get served good food. Haha, it really is a wonderful vacation spot. Mike and his family are so kind to me. They are an amazing family, his parents work for Unicef which means they have lived just about everywhere in the world. His mother was born in Portugal and raised all through Africa. His father was born in Ireland and grew up in England. They have both been everywhere so there home is an eclectic taste of all the places and experiences they have had. It is so fun talking with them because they have seen so much of the world. So lovely to be here!

I am sad to leave tomorrow, but happy to go home to my wonderful friends. I also will be starting training for my job on Thursday. I am training to work at Baccio resturant, as a waitress. I have felt very in the dark in terms of the job though, I never seem to be able to get ahold of the people I need or receive any information. I am also working at Artsy Tartsy here and there this summer. I just got the schedule and I am in at least once a week so that should be fun. Although I am worried about how the two schedules are going to work together.

Anyway, I will write more when I am safe and sound in my home tomorrow evening.

Until then,

Vanessa.

Tune Of the Day: Here in your arms by Hello Goodbye
Question of the Day: Have you always lived where you live now? Do you ever think about moving?

* I have lived in Minnesota my whole life, and until I moved away to college in Pennsylvania, I always thought I wanted to live there for my entire life. Now, I don't know, i have seen so much more of the country and realize that there are a lot of great locations. I guess only time will tell!

Larchmont, NY

Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated recently. I am currently in Larchmont, New York. I am staying here with Mike.. we have been having such a great time! Anyway, I would love to write more, but we are off soon to a double date with two of his good friends. This is a beautiful city and we have been having a really wonderful time here! Today was 90 and sunny, so we went to the beach and swam and layed in the sun! I hope that you are all doing well, can't wait to update more!

Until Then, HAVE A WONDERFUL MEMORIAL DAY OFF!

Love your way,

*Vanessa*



( Here is a picture of Manor Park, a beautiful park here that overlooks the Long Island Sound. I think we are picnicing there tomorrow! Can't wait!)

The earliest post I will ever write

Haha, so I guess this can be considered either the earliest or the latest post i will probably ever write. I just got home form the premeire of Pirates of the Carribean III. It was so much fun, really, they did a great job with it. It is so entertaining! You've got to get out and see it! If you liked the first two, get out and see the third!



Okay so the only reason I am writing this late is because I forgot the tune and question of the day!!

Tune of the day: Fire on the Mountain - Grateful Dead
Question of the day: What is your favorite day of the week?

* Kinda random, I know. but I think that my favorite day would be Sunday. It is always like the day when nothing is really going on, it is all about relaxation and just recuperation before the week ahead. I like Sunday! hehe, what about you?


Alright, talk to you tomorrow, or i guess just later today!

Peace your way,

*Vanessa*

Sisterhood of the Traveling Journal!

My friends from school and I thought it would be a great idea to pass around a jounral this summer, that each one of us has an opportunity to write in and then ship it off to the next person. There are four of us girls, so each one of us will get the journal 4 times over the course of the summer. What a cool idea, right??

Anyway, so i got the journal yesterday!!!! Which made me incredibly happy, i am the second one to get it so I got to read all about my friend Morgan's life thus far.. i was actually laughing out loud, it was so entertaining! Anyway, so it is my job to spice up the journal a little bit with some of my scrapbooking stuff and pictures and what not, so, needless to say I am going to have an excellent time with that!!!

I've already been writing in it like non-stop, since I already have to send it to my friend Mary Grace tomorrow!!! Too soon, I know. But we thought that the every week deal would be fun because then we get it more often!

So very random but fun, I AM GOING TO NEW YORK ON SATURDAY!!!!

I don't know if I have talked much about him, but I have a boyfriend from school that I will be visiting. I knew that the three months apart would be hard, but luckily my airlines surprised me with a bonus trip to almost anywhere in the U.S.. so I am taking it to see my love! I am seriously so lucky for this opportunity.



Mike and I started dating only in late December, but I have been so happy with our relationship. I think my favorite thing about him is that he just helps me to not be so serious all of the time. I have a problem with that, and he puts a lot of fun and laughter in my life. He also is the best listener, on my most homesick days at school he would sit and listen to me talk for hours and hours. Seriously, what a great guy! Anyway, so I am very happy to see him in ONLY A COUPLE OF DAYS!!! I am especially excited for his hugs! :) :)

Have a great day!!

*Vanessa*

Good Morning!

Good Morning Sunshines!


Today is going to be a great day, I can already feel it! I am going to work more on some cards from my momma's work and I am going to eat at my favorite sub place for lunch, potbellies! Nummy!



Today is my friend MARY's Birthday!! So I will definetely have to celebrate with her at some point! Mary is the one I was writing about much earlier in the year, who was in a car accident. I saw her the other day and she looks so healthy and so beautiful!! I can't imagine what it would have been like to go through that, but all I know is that Mary is one of the strongest people I know. Seriously. She has been through so much, yet she handles it all with a smile on her face. She is truly one of the kindest hearted people I know. Happy 19th Birthday Mary, I love you to bits!


Tune of the day: Show me Shame: Ben Harper (Mary and I met Ben Harper about 5 years ago!!)
Question of the day: If you could meet anyone alive right now, who would it be?

***I think I would meet Jonothon Kozol, who is an education scholar and writes books on how we can fix the education policies in the United States. I am so passionate about teaching and about education that I could really learn a lot from this man. I read one of his books "The Shame of the Nation" and it makes you sad to know about these things, but it is inspirational in the fact that there is so much you can do to help! He came to my high school, the year after I graduated, imagine that... anyway.. that's who i would meet!

The New and Improved.

As you can see, my blog is changing around a lot lately. Well really, I am trying to find the right style for it. It is sort of expressive of me right now. I am in a trial and error spot in my life, I have to try new things and styles until I find something that is just right for me!

"Life is a dance you learn as you go, sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow"


Well, with the new blog and the new me, I am really hoping to get some more readers to this blog. So, if you read, will you please comment so that I know you are out there!? I would really appreciate it!

Daily Special!
Tune of the day : Dream a little dream - Ella Fitzgerald
Question of the day; What is your favorite recipe??

* I will tell you mine :) my favorite is making homeade pizza, i buy the crust (its too complicated for me otherwise) and then all the ingredients to make the sauce. I add chopped green peppers and onions and add basil leaves. Then for the toppings, I put on lots and lots of mozarella cheese with peppers and sausage. Nummy... thats a-making me hungry!


Elsie blogged today about how she loves Marilyn Monroe and old vintage things, she asked us what old things we like... to be honest, I love everything old. I love tradition and I love the way older things look. Although, my favorite "old" thing would have to be records, like 45's and 33's. I collected them for awhile, they are just so classic and have such a beautiful sound. I did a physics project on how a record player works, so if you ever want to know, just ask. Hehe..





Well, tata for now... talk to you soon i am sure!

Thanks for reading!

*Vanessa*

How you doing?

So how are you today?

Today I am feeling a little under the weather. I have been for the past couple of days, just sort of sleepy and down and unmotivated. I don't like the feeling. It is a weird stage I am in now, it is such a transition period. Everything in my life is in transition right now, and I am having a hard time in the middle. I don't know what I am going to do with my summer yet, things are still up in the air. My mom and I are still deciding as to whether or not we will be moving this summer. I am in transition in the fact that half of my heart is here at home, and the other half is at school. I guess I just need to relax, but it is hard to fight this feeling.

I am going to make a plan for tomorrow, so that I will at least have something set in stone.

Here it is..

1. Wake up and exercise!
2. Make eggs and toast for b-fast (my fav meal)
3. get crackin on some cards to sell
4. Meet mom for lunch at 2:30
5. Read a little "Three Cups of Tea"
6. Go for dinner
7. SEE SHREK III ? (wanna join?)

Well one upside to my life these days, is that I am bunny-sitting. That is right, taking care of a little bunny rabbit named lucy. My best friend Mia just got her last week, and now she is out of town.. so i get the bunny for another week! She sure is a cutie!



Another good part about my day, I went to Artsy Tartsy (my old workplace) and I chatted with my old co-worker bonnie for awhile. That was really a treat. Thanks for the nice chat bonnie! Maybe I'll see you again tomorrow!

Well, Hope you all have a very nice night and day tomorrow!

Love to you,

*Vanessa*

You can't get AIDS from a hug..

Today There was a very inspirational episode of Extreme Makeover : Home Edition. It was the season finale and it was about a family of four kids, two with HIV/AIDS belonging to a single mother. The kids attend a camp started in MINNESOTA!! Called Camp Heartland.. just about 90 miles north of the twin cities. The camp is for kids with HIV/AIDS or in relation to a family member(s) dealing with the disease. Kids with the disease not only suffer from it, but they also suffer from discrimination and ignorance about the disease. The kids are rejected by their classmates and teachers, kicked out of camps, churches, swimming pools, schools, etc. How terrible. So the camp is a time when these kids can feel at ease, like they have somewhere to belong.


The episode truly inspired me, I have decided to give a small contribution to the camp heartland, you could help to.

Look into it at http://www.campheartland.org/ any donation helps.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

*Vanessa*

P.S - HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPPY NESBITT!! It's been great spending the day with you!

The Agenda For Today!!

Hey Kiddos,

The Agenda for today goes as follows..


1. Get My Nails Done!!


2. Pick up more and more job applications.. I just wan't to be a waitress! Anyone know any connections?



3. Print off some pictures for fun!



4. CREATE!!
-------"Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun!"


This evening I will probably hang with friends, it has been fun seeing the people who I have missed for so long! Back into the old schedule, feels pretty nice.

Fun Little thing...

Read my VisualDNA™     Get your own VisualDNA™

Bonnie gave me this idea.. and it was really fun!! So go do it!!

Hope you are all having a fabulous day!!

We have a third member of our family for about a week.. guess who? I'll give you a clue, she is the size of my hand... details later!!


Okay love to you all.. *Vanessa*

I'm Taking Elsie's Challenge

So, Elsie's challenge today is to take a self portrait and post it!!

I took this one, this is me TODAY!!! I am off to a new fresh start, thats what the towel is for. Anyway, It was fun doing the challenge, I am sure I won't win the new elsie products, but its worth a shot, right!?



Check out Elsie's blog. http://elsieflannigan.blogspot.com/

Love you!

Mother's Day!

Well, yesterday I arrived into Minnesota around 9 in the evening, so we couldn't do too much to celebrate, but we did celebrate a little!! We went out for a little ice cream treat!

Let me tell you, I have the greatest Mom in the whole world. You don't believe me... well let me tell you some stories..



1. When I was younger, (i mean much younger) my momma would read to me every night until i fell asleep, a lot of times... she would fall asleep with me. Well one night, i had a little "accident" in bed and I was so uncomfortable. I looked to my mom and said "Hey mom, can we switch sides, I'm on the pee side!" And she moved right on over.. NOW THAT IS TRUE LOVE!!!



2. Another story.. About 7 years ago, I was attending a Middle School fairly far away from our home, and I was on a traveling soccer team that took up just about all of my time. So even though my mother is a very serious buisness woman, she found the time to drive me to school every morning at 8, pick me up at 4 to take me to soccer practice and then pick me up and take me home to help me with my homework. (she really does it all) But one day, my mom was in a terrible accident. She was hit going through a red light. She went unconcious. When the medics came to get her out of her car, she woke, and the first thing she said was.."I need to get my daughter to soccer practice!!" TALK ABOUT DEVOTION. (luckily she ended up being okay with only some mild injuries)



3. Before I could drive, but I would still have friends over, we would get really bored. Sitting in a house for too long isn't really very fun for pre-teens. So one night, really late, a friend and I were bored. We went to my mom and said "we're bored, what should we do" And Mom got a look of excitement on her face!! "I have an idea!!" she said. "Let's go to McDonalds in our Pajamas!!!!" Haha, thinking it was like the most rebellious thing to do, we did it.. haha.. she is so creative.



I love you, Mom! Even though we don't see one another every day anymore, I love you more than you will ever know. Thank you for 18 years of care and attention and really hard work. I really hope to be as good of a mother as you some day!

Last Day of Dickinson.

Tomorrow is my last day here at Dickinson. It is so strange, the life I live. I move back and forth from home to second home. I really feel like Dickinson is my second home. It really just hit me, for so long I was homesick and wishing to be in the place I am used to. Now, this is home to me too. I have a whole life here, a family that is made up of my friends and great people who support me here. Today I completely packed up my room, all the posters are off of the walls and all of the clothes are out of the closet. It looks so empty in here, yet it reminds me of the first couple of days I was here. So much has changed since then.

I am the same girl, but with a new twist!!

I have learned so much this year. Not only about academics, although the amount of I have learned in that field is tremendous, also though, I have learned so much about myself. I have learned how to be independent, how to live on my own. Of course, I still have so many people supporting me, but really when it comes down to it, I'm the only one who will always be there!

I am very sad to say goodbye to my friends tomorrow, but I am very excited to see old friends and family. I drive up to New York with Mike tomorrow afternoon after my Final... stay there till Sunday and then fly home on Mother's day! I won't come back to Dickinson for another 3 months.... oh dear..

I will miss my second family - the greatest friends in the world.

Finals time..

So I finished my last week of classes!!! I can't even believe it, not more classes as a first year student, crazy! But this coming week is finals, so I am still going to be really busy. I have one final exam tomorrow and one on friday. I also have a final spanish paper due on friday. And I gave a final presentation on last thursday, needless to say, things have been busy.

Although, do you know what my test is on tomorrow?? About all of my favorite childhood books! Seriously! I am in a children's literature class where we analyze the books, lucky me, huh?

I get am being tested on








kid's books!

The Hobbit

The Lion, The witch and the Wardrobe,

Matilda

and even...

HARRY POTTER!!!

Well wish me luck, these next few days will me study study study. But then, before you know it... I'll be home!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

*Vanessa*

My passion..

I think it is important to find things that you are passionate about. I don't know because I have never tried it, but I REALLY REALLY WANT TO BE A TEACHER!! What an amazing profession. You have the ability to impact so many little ones. I am involved with a program called CARES which is basically you volunteer to mentor an elementary school student that is a recent immigrant to the united states. This year I have been tutoring Eddyne, a 3rd grade girl from Rawanda.



(Aren't we cute)

Anyway, so I was elected to be the cordinator of the program, meaning basically that I am in charge of a lot of things!! Today, I met with the ESL teacher from the local elementary school to hear some suggestions and provide some feedback. I was blown out of the water, she told me how she could see an enormous impact in the students we have been tutoring. She told me that every kid who has entered into this program have made a gradual shift into a happier state. The students come into a new school, where they don't know anybody and don't even know the language, so we provide them with a community to which they belong. This makes me so happy.

Next year, we have so many changes and things that need to be done, but I CAN"T WAIT!!! I can't wait to make a difference.

I will leave you with a short but sweet quote.

"Impact and be impacted"

Love to you,

Vanessa.