Language...redefining who we are?

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What's your heritage?

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

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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.

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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!

My Passion.

The other day, I was discussing future goals with my roommate, and obviously, my dream of becoming an archaeologist came into the discussion. Travel is one of my greatest passions, along with learning new languages, studying ancient histories, being outdoors, etc. The list is never-ending. When my roommate asked why I loved this stuff so much, I wasn’t exactly sure at first, but after thinking about it for a few minutes, I realized that the main deciding factor in my dream profession was my trip to Turkey.

About two years ago, I took a bus trip around Turkey with my fellow exchange students and about 20 other Romanian strangers. We toured various historical sites, such as Istanbul, Troy, Kudadasi, Canakkale, and Pamukkale. Of all of these sites, the most breathtaking was the Hieropolis. Located at the top of a verrry large hill were the remains of what was once an entire palace. Wandering around, I could see that some of the staircases were still intact. It blew my mind to think that thousands of years before me, ancient civilizations of people had walked up and down those very staircases. Giant, towering pillars extended to the sky, and it was amazing to think that they had stood firmly placed for that many years. The entire time I was on top of the hill, I felt like I had fallen into a time machine and had been transported back thousands of years. I was in complete awe of the history the place had witnessed. I felt as though being there had made me a part of the history, as well.

So for my passion blog this week, I would like to share with you all a few pictures of my greatest passion.

What are your dreams and/or future goals? What inspired those dreams?

There's No Place Like Home.

Leaving home can be one of the best methods of inducing personal growth. I'm sure you all can agree with me on this one, since you all have obviously recently left home to come to Penn State.

No longer living under Mom and Dad's roof, you have to establish your own rules, take responsibility for your own actions, learn to prioritize, keep your room clean (or not), etc. The list is endless. If you didn't already feel like enough of an adult during your senior year of high school, these new liberties finally leave you as the ultimate boss of your own life. Sure, your parents still have a significant influence on the things you do, but at the end of the day, it is you who is calling all the shots.

I experienced this almost three years ago, when I left home for Romania, so coming to college wasn't too harsh of a transition for me. This is why I decided to talk to my roommate, Sam, about her move from Mamaroneck, NY, to University Park, PA-- her first time truly away from home.


Me: How difficult was it at first to leave home for a college in another state?

Sam: I mean, it was, but it wasn't. It was because it's really different here than it was at home, but but it was definitely easy knowing that I'd be getting a change of scenery and a chance to start over.

Me: You obviously know what you need to get done, and by when you need to finish it, but did you have any problems prioritizing or fulfilling any of your responsibilities at the beginning of the year? How is your independence here different from that which you had at home?

Sam: Haha, yes I did, but mostly because I wasn't used to not having a set routine like I had in high school. I had to manage it myself, which I wasn't bad at, but I wasn't good at it either. When I'm here, I'm able to eat, sleep, or go out whenever I want, so finding a balance was definitely a top priority.

Me: How, if at all, has all of this changed you as a person?

Sam: I think, at most, I've learned to take better care of myself. I learned what I need to do, and what I shouldn't do, and I guess that I can do more on my own than I realized.


So today, I challenge to all to take a few minutes and reflect on how you have changed since you've come here, and what has shaped those changes.

Finding a Personal Passion

On Monday night, I danced-- truly danced-- for the first time in almost three years. That was my first night as a member of the Penn State Vole ballet club, and it was the most amazing night I've had in a long time.

I danced for twelve years before I stopped in June 2008. I would spend eight hours a week in the studio, dancing Salsa, Lyrical, Hip-Hop, Modern, Ballet, and Tap. It was the one sport at which I was actually decent, and it was my one real passion.

After class on Monday, I came back to my room in such a great mood. My roommate just laughed at me, so naturally, I dragged her to a different dance class on Tuesday night. (Which she ended up loving, might I add.)

So my first conclusion on personal growth is that, in order to figure out what makes you tick, you must first find things about which you are passionate. These things could include sports, music, drawing, reading, writing, or simply taking time out of your day for yourself. When you find something that you really enjoy doing, you lose yourself in it, and only when you lose yourself can you really find yourself. As abstract as that may sound. Having a passion will give you something to focus your energy on and to look forward to each day. You will become a happier person, and I personally find that when I'm spending my evenings doing something that I love, I'm more focused on my studies during the day. Not to mention, spending time doing activities you love will keep both your body and brain active.

Your goal for today, ladies and gentlemen, is to go out and find something that you love doing, then let me know you feel after. :)

What is this blog?

As you all have realized by now, college is a time of change. These are the years during which we learn who we are, what we're good at, what we like and don't like, etc. We learn to prioritize. We gain responsibility. Most importantly, we can make ourselves into whatever person we want to become.

This blog is going to chronicle the experiences of some of our fellow Penn State students, as well as my own. I will attempt to write about many diverse sources, interesting stories, and ways in which others feel they have changed. I will also write about the various ways through which you can possibly develop a better understanding of who you are and who you want to be. Hopefully it will not only be slightly entertaining, but it will also inspire you reflect and learn more about yourself.


P.S.- I've been told that my page shows up in Romanian. It's because I had my Gmail account in that language, and even though I reverted it to English, some of it still shows up in Romanian. Sorry about that. :/