DIESEL

So I just spent the weekend with three fabulous girls and approximately 9,000 other people in Orlando, FL, at the NASPA/ACPA joint conference, and in true college student development form, I have a few reflections.
<-- Lauren and I on the last day of our trip... we missed the last session (not our fault) and so we decided to get some drinks and sit outside! Possibly the greatest strawberry daiquiri ever.

First, I spent all of 2.5 hours in the sun (on Sunday... coincidence?) and I swear my hair is blonder. If you know me, you’ll never believe I’m saying this: I’m tired of going blonde in the summer! This summer will be the first since 8th grade that I won’t even touch the bottle of Sun-In! I really noticed last year how brittle it got (and my hair is getting thinner anyway... not balding though, don’t you worry), and in some lights it just looks like straw... this, like a lot of things it seems, started around the time I contracted The Mono in ’05. I occasionally use a Brilliant Brunette-type conditioner, which adds some brown to my hair to tone it down a little (well, I swear it does, although Sarah Reddon pointedly noted this weekend that I easily buy-into hair product marketing... it’s true, but I really do feel like I notice a difference in hair products!)... I’ll have to get some hair sunscreen or something, dang. Or just wear my bandanas all summer long. The sunshine was great though, Reddon and I played in the octopus pool at GAYLORD and I have a little bit of a bikini tan wooo! (So, now instead of being 'so pale it hurts' I'm simply 'so pale.'
<-- On our way home Saturday night... the parking garage was a maze... so we pretended we were on a safari. That's Lauren, Ashley, and Sarah.

Second, the conference. It was fun! I learned a lot of new stuff and also realized how much I’ve learned in the past year... sometimes when what you study seems common-sensical, it’s easy to underestimate exactly how much you really are learning. Didn’t do too much on the networking side of the conference, but I think the girls and I feel like it at least prepared us for placement interviews at next year’s NASPA conference in Boston. I’ve learned a lot in general through this Nashy/Vandy experience, a lot about myself in particular. The only thing is that at the conference we saw or met with a lot of graduate students in similar programs who are doing way more than we are. They’re doing hardcore research, they’re presenting at the conference, they’re running orientation. I’m trying to get my homework done on time and sitting in front of my computer talking to friends online at the Registrar’s office all day. Grrreat. But I guess if nothing else, I’m thankful for the people I’ve met here, both the three I went down to FL with (we’re very similar people, I’m not even going to tell you how nerdy we all are) as well as the ones who didn’t go or who were there but somehow we didn’t meet up with (weird how you can see random people you’re not expecting, but not see the people you’re trying to see!). I’m really excited for summer... we spent last night figuring out our course registration for next Fall, and it’s basically going to be the same situation as last semester: me in random classes, everyone else in other classes together, so I’ll be lonely again. But hopefully over the summer we can form some routines that will carry on into the year. By the way, conferences are pretty cool... I’ll get to see these people (Reddon, my classmates) every year of my career! Plus, we get to travel... in the next year, I'll have the opportunity to go to Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, and Atlanta again, just for conferences! I love Higher Ed.
<-- Already pumped for BOSTON next year!

Third, there’s so much I want to do in my life, I don’t know how I’ll get to it all. I went to this presentation on a NASPA/ACPA-sponsored professional development experience to Ghana that happened last year. I’ve always had a mission trip abroad with a church on my list of things to do before I die (right up there with ‘ski the Alps’ and ‘run a marathon,’ among other things... can you imagine? that’ll be the day...), but I never thought about a trip abroad with colleagues for the purpose of professional development. The idea is that by educating myself, I’ll be able to educate/relate to/teach the students I mentor or supervise as an administrator. It’s a great idea and I so want to do it someday. The problem is, I see myself not being able to do things like that... I mean, if I couldn’t study abroad in college (except for a short little week in Costa Rica) because I was too busy and there was never a good time to be away, how will I find the time when I have a job and a life? Guess I just won’t get married and won’t have kids, huh? Freeeeedom, selfish freedom.
<-- I had tree bark in my eye at this very moment, but surprisingly it turned out so cute. :) First Olive Garden trip since Summer '06.

Fourth, guess who has Yuengling? Thank you, Pottsville, for opening a distributor in Florida, because it makes me a happy happy girl (since I can’t find it in Tennessee!). <-- We're not really big going-out girls... but that doesn't mean we won't enjoy a good beer. Or a fridge of beers. :-P Don't worry parents, most of this came home with us. In fact I've got about a seven pack of beer on my floor right now.

Fifth, we got to see Al Gore basically present An Inconvenient Truth. It was so good. I’ve been becoming more and more conscious of trying to lead an eco-friendly life and creating a sustainable living the best I can, but that really sent the message home hard. If you haven't watched it yet, please do.

OK, that's all!
Til the Hershey's kiss,
LJ

P.S. This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated.
P.P.S. We listened to Mitch Hedberg on the way back (Dane Cook and Dennis Leary on the way down) and that's one of his quotes.
P.P.P.S. The title of this post, DIESEL, comes with LP's fascination with Sarah's VW's fuel source throughout the extent of our trip.