Language...redefining who we are?

[to be continued]

What's your heritage?

Family background is a major deciding factor in who you are. In general, various nationalities have differing personality types.

[to be continued]

Personal Style

Your personal style is something that will always define you. Even as it changes, the way you dress will always reflect who you are.

[to be continued]

Branching Out

One of the most important aspects of finding oneself is identifying with another group of people. As mentioned in my previous post, there are so many stereotypical cliques of people with similar interests that tend to gravitate toward each other. We all go through high school knowing groups of people like this. Maybe you yourself were in a group like this.

However, always sticking with one group of people doesn't allow you to learn more about yourself. The way to truly learn more about your own interests and to become a better-educated person is to branch out and hang out with diverse groups of people.

What is inspiring this post, you ask?

Well, today I came to the realization that I typically only hang out with the same types of people. Lately, though, I've been working on several group projects in various classes and associating with a bunch of new people. I realized that I have a lot more in common with these people than I could have ever imagined. I also am breaking out of my comfort zone a little by interacting with so many different types of people. Prime example-- our blog group :)

P.S.- I'm so excited for tomorrow night, guys!

The Power of Music

After another interesting discussion with my roommate the other day, I found inspiration for my latest blog entry. We were discussing personal taste in music, and came to the following conclusions:

1. Everyone listens to a certain type of music when they're feeling a certain emotion. For example, when you're out with friends, you're more likely to listen to upbeat music. The genre is irrelevant, determined solely by your own preferences, but the songs that you choose to listen to will be more likely to "pump up your energy." Also, when you're feeling sad, you will probably listen to one of two types of music-- the kind with depressing lyrics or the kind that makes you want to get your revenge on those who have wronged you.

2. Musical preference influences many aspects of your personal life: the people you hang out with, the clothes you wear, the way you speak, even the way you interact with other people. The most simple example to give for this would be the stereotypical high school cliques-- the goth kids probably listened to emo music, the preppy kids probably listened to Top 40 music, etc. Although it's not that straightforward in real life, the idea remains the same.
3. Writing music is a great way to relieve stress and express emotions. Most songs are obviously written about the emotions the artist is experiencing at the time, or events that the artist is going through. Writing music can serve as a sort of meditational activity—relaxing.

So now I would like to ask… how has music influenced you?

Family-- Gotta Love 'Em

All of last week, I felt slightly sick. However, I was able to go out and buy the medicines needed to nurse myself back to health. Then Friday hit, and I couldn't move. Kicked out of my own room by my roommate and her friends' State Patty's rowdiness, I was left at the mercy of my best friend, who graciously offered me her bed. The sickness struck me almost immediately, and I was unable to take care of myself. I was reverted back to my little kid self, forced to rely on the assistance of others to get better. Luckily, my friend is a very motherly person when she needs to be, and she took great care of me, but I couldn't help but find myself wanting Mom and Dad more with each day. My mom is a nurse, too, which made me miss her even more right then. An accidental miracle of sorts, I ended up on 2 IV drips in UHS on Monday, followed by a series of blood tests. Of course, I alerted my parents of this, but since I'm supposed to be a big girl now, I spared them the details. They really didn't need to worry. Leave it to my worried parents, though, to call the Health Center and demand details. Around 6pm, I called my mom to tell her that I had finally been released from UHS, only for her to say, "Oh, good! Dad's waiting for you outside your dorm building."
My dad had driven 2 hours to come get me because he knew that I needed him.

So why am I telling you all this unrelated story? Well, I feel like I need to state the obvious here-- that we should never underestimate how much we need Mom and Dad. They taught us all we know, instilled their morals in us, and love us unconditionally. As we grow personally, we're always growing under their caring watch. Even at college, they still have an influence on us. Family makes us who we are, whether we like it or not. Personally, I absolutely adore my parents for the person they made me today.

Also, sorry if this post was a little lengthy or cheesy-- it was written under the influence of some really strong antibiotics and good painkillers.

Have you told your family how much you love them today? :)

College Relationships: Myth or Reality?

As of recent, it seems that many of my friends are finding themselves getting stuck in relationship problems, so it seemed like a good idea to discuss this on my blog. I’ve got the friends who aren’t sure where they stand with their “significant other,” the friends who are having problems because their boyfriends are living at home while they’re here, the friends whose boyfriends just aren’t sure if they want a relationship anymore, etc. Honestly, I’m not even sure what advice to give them anymore!

In a relationship, you are not only growing with another person, but you yourself are growing, as well. You may not realize it at first, but your attitudes toward certain things may change as you spend more time around your significant other, and when the relationship ends, you most certainly will find yourself questioning what you want from a relationship, what type of person you should date, etc. You may even begin to notice certain dating patterns that you have or certain ways you act at specific points in a relationship.

There are many different types of relationships in a college setting. You have the boyfriend, the I Don’t Really Know What We Are But I’m Afraid To Ask, the you-know-what-buddy…the list goes on. CollegeBlender.com gives a pretty accurate description of some of these various types.
[Follow this link to view the list:]
http://www.collegeblender.com/external?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcollege-warehouse.com%2F%3Fp%3D143

Whether or not having a real relationship in college is possible nowadays is something about which I have not yet come to a conclusion. Sometimes I see couples that seem like they don’t have a worry in the world, and other times (in many cases) I see couples who are constantly stuck in a whirlwind of conflict and confusion.

I'm interested to hear your personal opinions on both this list and on relationships, in general!