Moving Blogs?

Hello there (my very few readers),

I've been looking into domain names and Wordpress lately. Why? Well, since I'm planning on working abroad, at times, I'm unable to publish on my blogs. I've done some research, and it seems the best option is to just get a domain name (which means money), and use something like Wordpress to make it all pretty-like. I'm hoping to have some kind of published, current work out there on the internet if I plan on being an artist/writer/etc. (I got this advice from a company I talked to at a career fair, and it's a good idea!)

I'm looking to combine my 3 blogs. All of which are not accessible in certain places.

The question is, that if I move to a more permanent home, would you all follow me? Would you be interested in reading about my ramblings, art, and other things? And if you know, which web hosting service should I use? I'm looking into "green" web hosting (just because I can), specifically GreenGeeks.

I've also come down with a nasty sore throat, as well as my nose is starting to run (with sneezing). Ugh. I don't think I should be making any of these decisions whilst taking cold medications...heh.

Now I leave you with a video (which really can't go wrong in this day and age) of puppies and a kitty. BOTH!

They say that home is where the heart is, I guess I haven't found my home.

Title: Ingrid Michaelson: "Are we there yet?"

Sorry I haven't posted here so much, but I usually post over at my LJ... I'll try to make this a mirror!

I have a hard time with transitions. Any transition, really. Big ones particularly freak me out. Guess what? I'm going through a big one right now. I will soon be going off into the real world (well, half-way across the world, really.), and that's especially hard. Some days I don't mind it, in fact, I can be pretty excited about it. Yet, there are days where I have panic attacks about it. My mental state is rather fragile yet, and I worry that I will only get worse when I go abroad...alone...by myself. I worry too much anyway. I think that having a dog with me over there will help a lot. Spending the summer with my own, old dog really helped. However, my own dog is rather old, and retired. I want her to live out her last years in peace, without taking her with me (even though she still has a good many years left, and is perfectly healthy). I was going to take her grandson, but he isn't really what I'm looking for. My mom even threw out the idea of his sister, but I think my mom wants her. This dog thing is really worrying me, because the logistics aren't there for me. I know this is a few months from now, but I don't know if I could be there by myself.

I've even started pulling away from relationships in my town. I mean, I'm going to be going far away, and I know that I will lose most of those relationships anyway (which is my logic). However, with my mental state being as it is, this isn't healthy for me right now. I need relationships with others, and I'm definately NOT talking about romantic ones. I need, no, crave relationships. I've been pulling away for too long, and I've let my baggage get the best of me for too long. I'm hesitant to start new relationships, but I need this. Though this is also difficult, because of many reasons which I might not write about here. I could use prayers...

Many the Miles (4/27/10)

As I write this post, I'm sitting in the basement of my dorm (yes, I still live in the dorms as a Senior, and plan to live in them next semester, even if it is my last), trying to get a head start on my finals-studying. I'm extremely tired, and I have laundry in the drier next door. As I sit here contemplating marketing concepts (guess which class I'm studying for?), I am feeling a bit philosophical. It could be that I'm just utterly exhausted, and I tend to get kind of loopy when I'm tired, but let's just roll with it.

I am graduating in about 8 months. That may not seem like a lot, but it will go by soon.

I'm also trying to get summer employment, which has been nerve-wracking, in order to prepare myself for my possible career. (That's being an ESL –English as a Second Language –Teacher.) The reality of my impending graduation is looming, since I'm going to great lengths to get this particular summer position to get classroom experience, which I am lacking. I'm grateful that they're considering me at all. After all, I just sent them a rather open-ended email a little over a month ago on a whim, and ended up getting an interview, and possibly some classes. The only problem is that it would overlap with my last week of classes and my "finals week" starting next week. That's why I'm trying to get a head-start on studying NOW, while I still have some semblance of time.

I'm also looking at a Summer RA position (not affiliated with the university), for some summer camps at these apartments which the university sometimes uses for housing when the dorms fill up. This RA position includes a room in one of their suites and a meal plan, as well as a stipend. I'd be working 25ish hours a week as an RA, but I'm willing to do so if it means I will have a confirmed place to live over the summer (no subletting problems!). The interview I had with them this morning seemed to go well, the interviewer having liked some of my answers. He seemed to like that if I could be any part of a ship, I would be the crow's nest. *shrug* We used similar questions when my student org interviewed possible officers for next year, last week.

I'll hear about both jobs on Thursday; for the RA position, it may be an offer letter, for the teaching position, my possible class schedule. I'm very anxious about Thursday. Then all will be revealed.

This summer may well help my progression into my chosen field (which doesn't have much to do with my major, oddly enough). Then that leads to my post-graduation plans.

My "plans" are very flexible right now, but I do plan on using a teacher placement service that I have available to me, starting next semester. I'm hoping to get to China or Korea first, but Japan and Taiwan is also a close second. In my Chinese class, I often feeling longing for my beloved Zhong Guo ("zhong" = Middle, "guo" =country, therefore China calls itself "middle country"). I miss the food, the awesome people I met there (many of which are not there anymore), and just how easy it is for me to live there. Being a bit of a "hidden immigrant" in the US, it's a bit tiring to always have to explain that I'm from Finland, and REALLY, I am. Whereas in Asia, I'm obviously foreign, which is such a relief! I'm allowed to make mistakes (in language, etiquette, etc) and it's ok. Here, if I do, people would think I'm strange.

I often don't talk about Finland to my friends here in the USA, because they often can't relate to me, no matter how much they may be want to. Also, some people don't believe me, and yet others think I'm bragging if I do. The boasting issue is a big reason why I don't like to talk about my travels. I've had brilliant* experiences, and I understand that many have not. (*I think how the Brits use "brilliant" is fantastic, so I'm going to try to ingrain it into US culture, heh). I also know that I will continue to have these experiences after graduating (me planning to go abroad and all). It's a fine line to walk, culture-wise.

This post is a bit scatter brained. I think I'll leave my half-awake rantings here.

~Laura

*NOTE: Title of this post comes from the Sara Bareilles song of the same name, which appropriately describes my feelings towards life right now. I highly recommend a listen.

"...Feel the morning (whispers) though a sunny day"

Volbeat: "The Human Instrument"

I can't believe that I'm 21 now. My birthday celebration was great last Saturday, good times with good people! I even made a new friend (a friend of a friend), and it was just fun! Yay for being now fully legal to do pretty much anything in this country, woo.

Oh yeah! My friend couldn't get into the bars (she wasn't 21 yet, but will be in a week and a half), so she called the guy she liked, and now they're officially dating! (he asked her out, it was a really cute story!) The bummer thing is that she was one of my last single friends, so now I'm one of the few that's not in a relationship. It's ok though, I know now's not the best time. Every guy I seem to even remotely like, in the tiniest bit gets a girlfriend. I guess I'm like Chuck in the movie "Good Luck Chuck" except that I don't have to sleep with the person, heh heh. (good movie btw) Besides, I have a feeling that I'm going to marry a foreign guy (that is not American or Finnish, no offense to anybody who IS though), so I have at least that to look forward to. &hearts

I also can't believe that the semester is almost over, but I really can't wait for summer. Why you ask? Well, I'm *hoping to* go to Ruisrock, this big rock festival in Finland. I'm also hopefully going with a friend from the US (studying Finnish, will be in Finland for a summer program) and my second cousin from Canada (who is also really cool). The more I check out the bands, the more I'm excited! I've always wanted to go to one of the many Finnish rock festivals in the summer, and now's (maybe) my chance! Woo! Now it's hard to concentrate, but at least I just bought the Danish band Volbeat's CD, and I'm enjoying it. (one of the songs my dear friend Tiina posted, and I remembered that I liked it!) Plus they're one of the bands that will be there, so that'll tide me over until this summer. I'm so excited!! Woo! /o/ \o\ /o/