Thinking & Doing

I've been thinking about writing my thesis for two and a half weeks. I've been doing this zero days out of said eleven. As we approach the new year with excitement and anticipation, I'm thinking a lot about what I'll be doing.

I'll be starting a new internship at the remarkable Coffee House Press in Minneapolis. (Thrilled might be an understatement.)

In May I will graduate from the University of Minnesota, entering the job market with spunk and enthusiasm.

I will stand up in my charismatic friends' wedding and attend others throughout the summer. (P.S. I need suggestions for summer wedding-worthy dresses.)

I'll have my own room after years of roommates and twin-sized beds.

There are momentous life events coming up this year, along with little extras that are just as important. I know that resolutions are difficult to keep, so Abby is insisting that we make specific, attainable goals for ourselves. Here's one of mine:

Think, then do. I'm not a procrastinator, so I might seem like the most unlikely person to aim for doing instead of thinking when it comes to projects. However, I'm a realist and like most people my worst critic. It's easy to hold yourself back by thinking about what you could do instead of just going for it. So this year, I'm fearlessly going to do more in all sectors of my life.

I'll do more when it comes to my health; less screen time, more green veggies and whole foods, enough rest. I will do more for school to finish strong––that means finishing my thesis (egads!), knocking that internship out of the park, and launching the 2015 edition of Ivory Tower. I'll do more as a friend, sister, and daughter; I'll be there for the big moments along with the little ones, listen intently, and value time.

2015 is the year of doing. I know that sounds like a Nike commercial, but who are we kidding? The new year is ridiculously optimistic and at times cliche. Entering with confidence and a plan isn't the worst idea we've ever had.

Photo via my Instagram of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. 

Staying Sane

Hello, all! Welcome back from the holiday weekend. How glorious was it to hang with friends and family over wine and pie? We did Thanksgiving with our family friends and brought the dessert. I worked a Black Friday shift, which is always kind of a blast, and we finished the long weekend with a lazy Saturday brunch and family game night––Scattergories and brandy slush is absurd.

Now that I'm back for the final weeks of semester, I'm definitely feeling the crazy. Here's how I'm staying sane these days:

1). I read this article, and after visiting Germany this summer, I overhauled my correspondence habits. While in Berlin, I didn't have cell service; since then, I don't habitually check my phone. I also only send emails between 8:00am and 8:00pm in an attempt to keep work and life separate.

2). Sleep. It's so contradictory sounding when you have a to-do list that is a mile long, but I got over seven hours of sleep last night (!!), and now I'm refreshed for a productive day. I'm also less cranky, which my roommates appreciate.

3). Watching less television. I usually fall into a dangerous habit of turning on Netflix when I have down time, or when I'm doing homework. Abby did something brilliant over holiday: she started Gone Girl and she just finished it last night. Reading unwinds you like none other. (I'm dying to start and finish 100 Years of Solitude as well as Both Flesh and Not over winter break.)

4). Cheer-boosters: our apartment has strings of lights, a small tree, and a silvery wreath. Even when our unit feels freezing, the twinkling colors make us feel cozy and cheerful.

Top photo via Instagram; Scattergories photo via Abby Carlson Instagram

Interstellar: Water Cooler Currency

It seems as though everyone in the office at work as seen Interstellar, and we're all talking about it. Critics have been a little split on the film, with some praising it's stunning visuals and entertainment value and others critiquing its lack of sophistication/intellect. Here's what my co-workers and I have determined over coffee and the copier:

1). Paying for IMAX seems to have been worth it. My co-worker Kate said its enormity was astounding.

2). Along that line....it's visually spectacular. We think the sublime of nature in romanticism is being replaced in the twenty-first century with galactic film.

3). Matthew McConaughey is so orange!

4). The dimensions of time (especially near the end) actually blew our minds. Worm holes, black holes, alternate universes, etc. We talked about time and relativity for 20 minutes and still felt perplexed/curious!

5). Matt Damon and the snow planet: gratuitous macho scene that came off as foolish boys having a snowball fight.

6). Robots were not as impressive as our beloved original HAL: their voices were almost too real; their design was bizarre and nonsensical; but their programming capabilities fascinated us.

7). We're happy Anne Hathaway is out of Hollywood hiding.

8). As per usual, Hans Zimmer knocked it our of the park with a shimmering and cavaliering (albeit loud) soundtrack.

9). Dylan Thomas's poem, "Do not go gentle into that good night," while a lovely poem was overused and felt forced. We get it, Nolan, you're an intellectual! 

10). The pathos was delicately balanced––it wasn't cold, but it wasn't sappy.

Photo via Wired, by Paramount Pictures. 

Truly Midwestern Sayings (Decoded)

I've lived in the great Midwest my entire life, and thus I'm not always aware of what constitutes a "truly Midwestern" saying. When I traveled to Berlin, I realized some of our strange American aphorisms, and then even Minnesota/Wisconsin versions. When my family took a vacation to Florida, everyone picked up on our accents and our expressions. I've compiled a list and helped decode their secret meanings.

1. Minnesota Nice: this is just an excessively polite way of saying passive aggressive.

2. "That's different": Your behavior/lifestyle/personality/opinion is totally unacceptable in my view and I will never understand, nor attempt to understand, why you do/think that.

3. "For sure": this seems to be exclusively Wisconsin in my experiences. If you're hardcore, you'll tack on an elongated "oh" in the beginning. Depending on tone, this can be condescending (if someone makes a suggestion that you despise) or eagerly appeasing (agreeing for almost the exclusive desire to agree). See No. 1 for why. (I'm pretty sure that other regions say, "most definitely.")

4. "Just a thought": this is typically said at the end of an opinion/suggestion. It's a polite and slightly passive aggressive way of implying that what you just said is (to you) the right and superior sentiment, but you don't want to come of as pretentious or too forward.

5. "Wouldn't you know"/"Dontcha know": the former is a way of introducing what you're going to say as special, interesting, serendipitous (like if you recently saw a long-lost friend you had been speaking about the other day). The latter is added at the end of a statement, and means to establish agreement.

All in all, most Midwestern sayings are about playing nice. If confused, assume they are trying really hard to keep the peace.

Photo via sarahcarlsonetc Instagram. 

Girl Talk: On Reticence

I was part of the University's English Undergraduate Conference at the end of spring semester, and I had a really thought-provoking conversation with one of our faculty that keeps being relevant every day since. . . .

After attending several sessions throughout the day, Judith and a colleague mentioned the prevalence of modest apologies coming from the women. Without fail, the women presenting prefaced their papers with apologies for language and content. Even if quoting directly as support for their papers, women felt the need to apologize for swearing, use of "crude language," or discussing sex and violence. 

Meanwhile, the men (and I must admit, we attract far less men in the English department) confidently went forth with coarse language and content. There was no obligation, whether real or perceived, to justify what they said. 

Judith said after, "I was stunned by the compulsion to apologize for presenting intellectually provoking idea. And then I realized that they were all women. It's 2014 here; what's the issue?"

And really, what is the issue? I completely understand practicing modesty, and I think being a "class-act" is rarified these days (do I sound old or what?). However, I continually find myself frustrated that women feel as though they must comply to a different set of social/behavioral standards; and on the flip side, I'm appalled that men think they are exempt from polite behavior. 

It would be so nice to see a social setting in which both men and women were playing by the same rules. It would also be quite shocking, no? What do you think you would see that was different? I'd love your thoughts!

Photo via

T-Minus 18 Hours

Tomorrow evening, my flight for Berlin will take off (yikes!) and I'm tingling in anticipation. While I've flown many times before in my life––I've already traveled abroad with a high school class––this will be the first time I travel on my own. That's right, I'll have to go through security, boarding, baggage claim solo, and it's making my heart-beat quicken.

I feel extremely prepared, which is helping, and everyone has been immeasurably helpful and supportive as my departure nears, but I told my mom this evening that I keep worrying about the little, insignificant things like:

What if my baggage weighs 52 pounds?
Will my hair and make-up get gross on the flight?
Do I need compression socks or does the twenty-something-year-old magic apply to international flights, too?

See––little things . . . My time abroad is a quick three weeks, so I already know it will be a whirlwind kind of trip. During my stay, here's what I'm most looking forward to:

Staying with a family so I can experience "real life" in Berlin.
Going to museums and internet cafes when I feel touristy.
Eating chocolate and mentos as I read on the plane.
Listening to music on trains.
Seeing the Brandenburg Gate again––it's just so stunning.

Berlin Bound

Exciting news––I'm going to Berlin, Germany this June for a fellowship with the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and the University of Minnesota. For the month of June, I will assist teaching English in classrooms while conducting minor research on German children's literature. My host family will likely be my cooperating teacher, and I am very excited to experience Berlin through an extended, somewhat assimilated stay.

I already booked my flight (eeps!) and I'll be leaving May 31 in the evening. . . I can hardly wait! I visited Berlin briefly in my high school years with a European history class, but it's been a while and I'm kind of nervous to go on my own!

Do you guys have any travel advice? I'll admit it: I've never flown or traveled alone. What should I be aware of and look out for? Do you have any good packing advice? I'd love your tips!

Girl Talk: On Feminism

Have you noticed a spike in Feminism lately? It seems as though women everywhere are working together to build a beautiful, powerful voice. No one is burning bras, but a female power is definitely surging. 

It's inspiring to see women helping each other. Too often there is animosity in the estrogen world. As SNL's Nasim Pedrad playing Arianna Huffington so eloquently put it during Weekend Update, "Nobody hates women more than other women." It's tragic, but often true.

So when I see a growing female community effort, it excites me.

There's something, though, that often bothers me when it comes to "feminism." It's treated like it's a bad, or frivolous, or eccentric hobby. While delivered with a wry smile, a man saying, "Oh, you're suuuch a feminist!" offends me. It's clear that these comments are somewhat deflection tactics; men are, unfortunately, intimidated by independent, intellectual, empowered women.

Here's what I'm thinking:

The feminism we're seeing right now is not misandry, so men, please don't mistake our empowerment for man-shaming. I think the trend we're seeing right now is equality. My creative sister will often say, "I'm not a feminist, I am a supporter of equality, empowerment, and community," which I find so refreshing.

It's not about drawing a divisive line between men and women. It's about treating women as if there need not be a line in the first place.

If you want to know more about what's happening in the world of "feminism," please check out these sites:

DARLING Magazine
The Lean In movement
SoulPancake and Darling teamed up for a great series, That's What She Said

The In-Between: Dealing with "Grey Areas"

I got an email the other day that was simultaneously encouraging and dissatisfying. It read: Dear Sarah, Thank you again for applying....we have placed your name on a short wait list. Of course, I was flattered by that they were "impressed" with my "performance at the interview," because it sounds high-stakes and pretty hard-core. My performance was being complimented; what more does a habitual achiever want?

That pesky "while" prefacing the compliment couldn't be avoided, though. It set up disappointment for the rest of the email and made the statement slightly contradictory.

Then, resurrected on my screen, was one of my most detestable phrases: "short wait list." I always found this to be most difficult to handle, because it's a matter of almost. It is not definitive; I wanted an obvious yes or no. Grey areas like this can be so uncomfortable, because you feel good about not being rejected, but you also feel sorry for yourself that you weren't a top choice. Oh, the conflict!

My mom has always said I see things in black and white. I like answers and I like to know exactly what's coming. When things aren't clear, I struggle to see the possibilities. Instead, I feel a little confused, floating in a neutral (seemingly infinite) abyss of questions and waiting.

And you wait....and wait. This might be the most painful part. After anxiously awaiting concrete results, you find out that you'll wait a little longer. Isn't it so hard to just sit around speculating? So what I'm trying to do with this wait list thing is focus on the possibilities. Instead of being overly self-critical, I'm telling myself that I made it past the first few rounds and that's an accomplishment in and of itself. I'm embracing the grey, I suppose. But it's confusing, no?

Do you see the world in black & white, or in spectrum? How do you deal with waiting and unclear answers? I'd love your thoughts!

Photo via Instagram

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hi, everyone! Happiest of Valentine's Day! I thought I'd share four festive links that I sent to some students this morning! Enjoy your sweet, sweet day and tell your friends, family, close ones that you love them.

1) Listen to these atypical love stories from This American Life.

2) The love story of Alexander Graham Bell and Mabel Gardiner Hubbard.

3) If you're feeling dejected/cynical this holiday, check out Liz Prince's funny "Alone Forever" series. 

4) VIDEO: The Single Life: The Science of Love (SoulPancake)

P.S. Did you read the Love Letters series? They're sweet.

Photo via Hoopsy Daisy Etsy shop

{Weekend Update}...A Day for Doing

In an effort to be more adventurous and also become unofficial experts on the Cities, Abby came up with a brilliant idea...

Every Friday we'll do something new in our area. A "Friday Try-day," if you will. The name may sound a little juvenile, but it encapsulates the basic premise. Last year one of our New Year's resolutions was to try more new foods and it went so well that we're extending it!

Starting last week, every Friday we'll either try a new cafe, go to the art museum (this MIA event looks amazing!), see a cool movie, check out an unique store, or something "culture-y" and new. In an effort to keep it sans arrogance/hoity-toity, some Fridays might be something as ordinary as going to the ice-skating rink or going to a new public library.

(This past Friday we went to Birchwood Cafe in the Seward neighborhood. They are a farm-to-table restaurant that use organic, local ingredients––No GMOs––and have a fun, quirky atmosphere. Their coffee is delicious; it's rich and full without being overly bold and the savory pancake (see above) was insanely delicious! Two words: bacon tidbits.)

By the end of the semester, we will have (hopefully) tried a ton of new things our lovely Twin Cities have to offer!

Do you have a day for doing? I have a friend who doesn't spend any money Monday through Friday, so weekends are super special for her. In the summer, my mom and her friends have a Coffee Talk Tuesday at the local cafe. It gives you something to look forward to. But is there something weird about "ritualized fun"? Perhaps. I'd love your thoughts!

Top two photos me; last photo Abby Carlson

"So...what is college really like?"

I've been asked this questions for several years now by grandparents, small children, and educated professionals alike, and my response is generally consistent. Normal. I read, write, eat, and then read and write some more. (Mostly read.)

With the incredibly cold weather that started over the weekend, all classes were cancelled Monday and this morning, so I'm sure my aforementioned questioners are really confused now. I'd feel so cool if I could relate my college life to those hipsters with fabulously 'real lives' on GIRLS (kind of, it would be a little on the icky/TMI side) or the academic all-star with obscene amounts of time to be awesome and social Rory Gilmore, but in all honesty, it's just not that glamorous, which is fine. I guess.

Especially in the Midwest, a large portion of the school year takes place when the weather is so ungodly cold just going to class is an adventure. After several freeze-thaw sessions, the desire to go live it up in -10 air temp at a frat house with sweaty/chilly people seriously declines. You wake up in the cold dark and go to bed in the cold dark, and in general, your classrooms are kind of cold and kind of dark.

Now, don't get the idea that I go to some crappy, underfunded university. It's just the Minnesota reality.

So when school was cancelled, you know what I did? Pretty much the same thing per usual. I was confined to the indoors with copious notes and stacks of books, my fingers drying and cracking as paper wicked away any remaining oils and moisture my skin had managed to retain.

Again, read, write, eat, read and write some more. What I did yesterday, what I do everyday.

And let me tell you: It's the best. It's like an extended vacation, just with deadlines and grades. Ignore the sitcoms and feature films; academia is incredibly monotonous but insanely fun, and reading all day has become delightfully underrated, so now all my crazy fellow english majors are kind of hipsters by default.

So maybe we are the new GIRLS?

Photo: Abby Carlson Instagram

{Weekend Update}...Brunching at Home

Last Friday the challenge proposed was to do something surprising for someone; I said I was visiting my grandmother for her 99th birthday. Unfortunately, due to poor driving conditions, I couldn't drive back. I was totally bummed, yet Abby and I managed to have some fun. Friday night we picked up some groceries (we were out of the essentials), so along with fresh eggs we grabbed a pint of Summit Oatmeal Stout ice cream; we watched way too much Arrested Development; and we went to bed at a crazy hour. Saturday morning we had a lazy start & made an enormous brunch.

I'm telling you––brunch at home may be better than brunch out. And here's why...

It makes your typical Saturday at home feel like a mini party. And who doesn't log mini parties? It's simultaneously relaxing and stimulating/fun-inducing, both of which you want in a weekend.

You can food photograph all want without the weird glances from married couples who just don't get it. And it's fun to laugh at how silly you are when you realize the lengths you go to for a good 'gram.

The couch for brunch is seriously ten times more comfortable than any brunch-y table/booth near that corner front window through which light is blinding you but tables near by still want the shades open. Bonus, it feels kind of fungi shui to sit curled up on the couch with an entire brunch spread over the coffee table.  

Anyway, brunch is fun at home because it makes your apartment feel like a different place for a while. Lay out a tablecloth (or a huge scarf on the coffee table), use your french press, don't watch TV while you eat. It makes Saturday morning at home feel so charming & special!

To see more of the weekend brunch scene (amazing mini waffle doughnut recipe) head over to Classic Kitsch!

{Friday Challenge}...Surprise Someone

Tonight Abby and I are packing our little bags and leaving town for the weekend. My grandma is turning 99(!!) years old on Sunday, so we're spending the weekend with her to celebrate. But since she knows I'm at school, she thinks only my mom and dad will be visiting. As you get older, especially nearly a century, gifts are kind of pointless. Our birthday gift to her is a surprise weekend. We'll stay up late, play cards, and graze on popcorn just like old times. I've been looking forward to this all week, because I can't wait to see her face when we walk in the door after Mom and Dad. Those moments are the best.

So this weekend (or upcoming week) do something surprising for someone. Perhaps make a tasty brunch so that when your roommate wakes up, there's delicious food and coffee ready to be eaten. Or send flowers to one of your friends at work just to say they're awesome. (I was really receptive to this post on Wit & Delight about women empowering women.) Even if it means that you pay for the coffee of a stranger behind you on one of these freezing days, it's worth it because that surprised look on someone's face is amazing.

Photo by Jessica Nichols

Weekend Update: Temporary Goodbyes

I'm back at school and thought I would share something that's not often mentioned: temporary goodbyes are sometimes the most difficult.

It sounds completely insane, because any sensible person would realize that the temporary part means that there will be a future reunion. However, the open-ended nature of a temporary goodbye leaves more of a grey-area abyss while the permanent goodbye solidly closes the door. The permanent goodbye, with its grimace-inducing finality, actually facilitates a quicker recovery. Since it's permanent, things aren't going to change, and you therefore accept the reality quite quickly.

The temporary goodbye often includes the phrase, "I'll see you soon," and rarely (at least in my collegiate experience) has a definite future date for being reunited. There is an estimation: perhaps two week, maybe if things get crazy two months, and that indefinite nature is practically impossible. How do you look forward to something like a heartfelt return home when you can't write down the date in your calendar?

Let's face it: seeing someone soon is hardly consolation when they are driving away with the car rearview mirror-obscuringly packed.

When my friend moved to Texas, we kind of just faced the music knowing in our heart of hearts that our teahouse chats were pretty much over. When I leave home after a lengthy, lazy vacation, it feels like my body is actually being ripped from the house unwillingly. I don't know if I'll be home Friday or Saturday and that little vagueness is annoying and difficult.

Instead of having time to recover after a final, permanent goodbye, temporary goodbyes leave everyone in kind of hello/goodbye limbo. This volleying back and forth, home and school, saying see you soon what feels like seconds after saying it's so good to see you! is harder.

And so when I left for spring semester, it was significantly tougher to say my temporary goodbyes because the moment you say them, there's anticipation for the non-established (but implied) reunion. Call it weakness, call it metathesiophobia; the temporary goodbye pulls at your heartstrings a little harder than the good old permanent goodbye.

Photo via Instagram

"I'm sorry, but..."

I'm sorry, but what's with that phrase that so sneakily introduced my sentence? This vocabulary phenomenon has become rampant––noticeably among the twenty-something female population (myself included). Similar to the "I feel like" verbal tick, "I'm sorry, but" is a weak way of introducing a topic of conversation, debate, or simply intrigue. It's a little depressing that so many young, intelligent women are compelled to qualify their thoughts in such a self-depricating manner. Why are you apologizing for your rational, even emotional opinions? They are valid, seeing as you are a human being with the right to your personal beliefs, notions, and propositions.

Here are some abridged examples of "I'm sorry, but..." that I've said or heard recently:

"I'm sorry, but I wouldn't want to be objectified like that." (In reference to the notorious 'hot bartender' myth on campuses and television.)

"I'm sorry, but...starving yourself isn't a 'healthy lifestyle' [air quotes used here]." (A discussion about highly restricted dieting and juicing.)

"I'm sorry, but I don't have the energy to deal with drama."

In reference to a friend looking for a job: "I'm sorry, but having experience––even though it's not your ideal job––is only going to help you."

"I'm sorry, but when did being an intelligent, self-respecting woman become so taboo?"

Women of the twenty-something group: we are better than this! We don't need to apologize! Most of the time, what you are saying, what I am saying, we are saying is true, insightful, brilliant, or amusing. There is no reason we should say "sorry" for contributing to the conversation!

Photo via Instagram

The Small Family

Small family grows!

As you know, I have an identical twin sister (Abby) who also happens to be my only sister, my only sibling. So it has just been the two of us rattling around the house with our parents. Our little family of four for two decades.

Mom's father and sister are both deceased, but her mom, our Grandma Esther is a resilient woman at 98 and a half years old. She's remarkable. So my mom is also from a small family.

Dad has one brother and a set of parents, naturally. I am embarrassingly out of touch with my cousin, Uncle, and that entire side of the family.

So let's count. My nuclear family: 4, Extended family: 5 (somewhat generous considering closeness.)

And yet I don't woefully mourn the size of our small, small family. Friends are amazed, acquaintances are confused that I don't regularly yearn for more siblings, more cousins, etc., etc. The honest truth of it is, I don't know any different. This is my normal. I can't imagine spending a week at some lake with a million cousins and a handful of chatty aunts!

Because in their place, we've created a huge family. Hugely close, hugely personal, hugely extended and untraditional.

My "Auntie Sandy" and "Uncle Kevin" are close family friends with vibrant children, who also have brilliant little children. They've taken me to dance class, picked me up from work, and have made ice-cream with us at 9:00 while doodling on Lisa Frank notepads.

So the small family grows.

My amazing God-parents have four kids ranging from 27 to 13, all of whom are beautiful, hilarious, are true siblings to Abby and me. And their family? Enormous. We do Thanksgiving together, cramming at least thirty people into a modest Midwest home. We vacation as one big family, we share "family jokes," because we are family.

And by now, this uniquely intimate family of four has grown tenfold. Yes, our everyday home life is shared between four people, incredibly close, very in sync. Arguments do not erupt over television channels; choreographing schedules is a basic line dance, uncomplicated, including everyone at everyone's events. Young ones are not teased about childish crushes, and older kids are not harassed by boogers.

It's quite nice, you know. Quiet at times, and lonely when both Abby and I left for college in tandem. But it's as though we've had a modified single-child experience. And siblings? I have a wonderfully rich sibling relationship with my "god-brothers/sisters" that allows me to go home once I've had enough sword fighting.

Work Friends

Ultimate work friends.

When I come home over the summer and vacations I also return to my hometown job. I get to see all my work friends, and we chat away about how the last few months have been. But I rarely hang with these friends outside the workplace; we don't text while I'm away, nor do we make any efforts to truly stay in touch.

Recently, our managers organized a "team bowling night" to ignite the get-to-know-you vibe in all of us. We were told to not talk about work ––at all!

Example: I know who is good at what at work, I know everyone's name, I know the songs on our playlist they love and which they hate. But I don't know them exactly.

As of a few weeks ago I decided to buckle down and be "real friends" with some of my "work friends," which has been a delight! I get to ask them great stuff when I go into work, keeping our job light. Yeah, we deal with our tasks, but we also get to chat about life, family, upcoming plans. It's a blast to get to know your co-workers in a new light.

I'm curious? Do you hang with friends outside of work? If you were to sit down with them, would you immediately talk about work, or would you both talk about your personal lives? 

Driving and Cities

Do you live in a big city and still drive? I know a lot of people in NYC don't drive, and even don't own a car, because public transportation is so great. Likewise, I know buses, taxis, and walking are popular in Chicago. My first two years at college, I relied on walking and buses to get around the Twin Cities; this can be somewhat difficult, though, since it can take an hour with connecting stops to get from campus to Grand Ave.

Abby and I have talked about brining a vehicle to the cities. This way we could actually buy ice cream at the grocery store! We could get two gallons of milk, frozen pizzas, etc. It would also be nice so we could go wherever, whenever!

But I have some reservations. First off, our vehicle (which currently is at our parent's house) is quite large. It feels powerful on the interstate, but is a beast to park. Moreover, it guzzles gas. Not the most ideal situation for a tight-fisted college student. When we add up insurance, gas, parking (meters are everywhere in the cities!), along with the anxiety of driving in the cities, it feels overwhelming!

Do you have any advice for driving in big cities? Everything is so incredibly fast-paced, close quarters, and generally confusing! Obviously, it will take practice, but I would love you input! Is a car a pro or con in big cities?

Photo via Flickr

Playing Catch Up

I have a habit of using my days of to catch up on things. I'm by no means a procrastinator; in fact, I'm a bit of stickler when it comes to deadlines. But my days off from work are not always the weekend, so I use days like today to do things that I've missed. Here's what I'm catching up on today:

1) The Newsroom. So good, to dramatic, so Sorkin.

2) Paperwork (yuck!) for the upcoming school year. I got an email today that one of my advisors was missing some forms. Time to get out my favorite blue pen and fill out those forms!

3) Online job training. This is by far the weirdest thing I've ever done. My campus job this year is a sort of mentorship program for incoming freshman. But since most people live away from campus, or even Minnesota in the summer as we prepare, everything is virtual. It's pretty interesting. I'll be popping out my contacts and reading several interesting articles.

4) Reading for fun. I'm still on Changing My Mind, which is turning out to one my favorite reads in a long time. Zadie Smith is the bomb.

5) Course book inventory. I've ordered a ton of textbooks, but seriously have no idea what I have and what I still need. Amazon, watch out!

Photo via