anahorvath.com

Category: Life

  • A Golden Birthday- I Turn Twenty Today!

    golden birthday

    So today’s my twentieth birthday. Wow. Two decades around the sun. 🙂 That sounds pretty cool to me. Some would also say it’s my golden birthday, because I’m twenty on October 20th so that’s pretty cool. The past couple of years I’ve posted around my birthday, I’ve made it a post about the different things I’ve learned since my last birthday and I really like that so I’m going to keep doing that. So on this lovely day that is October 20th, my golden birthday, here are twenty things I’ve learned, relearned, or thought a lot about on this trip around the sun:

    1. Taking summer classes will take a toll on you. I thought I was going to burn out for a second there when the fall semester started this year. Oh boy. I feel like taking a class or two wouldn’t be the worst but taking 11 credits this summer was actually so mentally exhausting.
    2. Homemade burrito bowls beat all other burrito bowls. I’m a big fan of Qdoba don’t get me wrong, but when my family and I make burrito bowls at home, they’re actually the best thing ever. And they’re so filling and you know that the chicken isn’t going to be burnt.
    3. You can’t always get what you want. This applies to a lot of things in life but I’m really applying this to the Game of Thrones finale. Guess the House Targarygen is going to have to find another way to rule the Seven Kingdoms for longer than about three seconds before going absolutely mad.
    4. Hard work pays off. This is something I’ve always known but I really found that out after making the Dean’s List my first year of college. I feel like I really set myself up for success. This also applies to my sports and other stuff. Putting in the time and effort to perform as well as you want to really pays off.
    5. It’s okay to feel sad. This may be one of the more serious and real things I’ve learned this past year, especially after Marty passed away. I feel like I’ve always thought I have to be this perfect, happy girl all the time but that’s really not the truth. I have emotions and I’m honestly tired of pretending that everything is okay all the time. Bottling up my emotions hasn’t helped anything so it’s about time that I started expressing how I feel more often.
    6. It’s okay to cut ties with people. I’ve met a lot of really nice people in my life so far and I’ve also met a lot of people I hope I’m in the same room as, ever again. Regardless of how I feel about a person, I still treat them with respect and treat them like a person but I now feel okay telling myself that I don’t need that person in my life and that it’s okay to not be everyone’s best friend.
    7. Adult tournaments are where the fun is at. This past summer I had a lot of fun playing tournaments and leagues and also just hitting with my sister and dad. With the exception of being pegged in the thigh earlier today on a serve, playing the adult tennis stuff has been so much more enjoyable and uplifting than junior tennis. There still is the sense of competition but there’s also so much less pressure and unnecessary drama and crap. It’s the best. I’ve also met a lot of really amazing and sweet people through tournaments so I feel blessed to have the tennis opportunities I have had.
    8. Teaching tennis has its ups and downs. So you might remember that I made a post a couple of weeks ago about how much I loved coaching little kids. Yes, I still do, but literally the weekend after that post when I taught WAS AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE. Oh my goodness the kids were little monsters. And honestly that’s ok. There are going to be days where the kids are great and I suck or vice versa. It’s not always going to be perfect and things won’t always go the way I want them to when I coach. I’m there for the good, the bad, and the ugly, that’s for sure.
    9. College really is better than high school. People are just so much more mature (there still are a lot of weirdos and immature idiots, but won’t there always be?) and everything is just so much better. The classes are more interesting, I have more freedom, and I’ve met some really incredible and wonderful people that I feel lucky to call my friends. 🙂
    10. It’s important to put the technology away every once in a while. Nowadays too many people are glued to their iPads, phones, laptops, and other electronic devices. Instagram is not your life, breaking a streak on Snapchat will not end your friendship with a person, and being offline for a couple of hours a day will not end your life. I think it’s more important to live in the real world than the virtual world and remember things for how they are. Pictures and videos are great to have as memories, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I think it’s better to just live in the moment.
    11. Kickboxing is so much fun. I’ve always wanted to try kickboxing and then I discovered that the rec center at CSU has a class and I decided to try it. It’s so fun and what I love most about it is how rhythmic it is. It’s similar to dance that there’s a beat to stick to and there are combos and you’re supposed to be very light on your feet. It’s so so so much fun. And it always kicks my butt too which I enjoy.
    12. Having a suite mate sucks. I’ve been locked out of my bathroom five times this year already. And I’ve been nice about reminding my suite mate to unlock it. She’s loud. She honestly scares me a little too. It’s an experience, let me tell ya. But beside that, I still enjoy having a room to myself and it’s all been great. I feel like I could definitely have a roommate, but not in the same room like last year and I feel like I will never want to have a suite mate like I currently do ever again in my life.
    13. Bobo liking Taylor Swift is one of the cutest things ever. For those of you that don’t know I have a pet bird, well now you know that I have a pet bird! His name is Bobo (at least we say he’s a he) and he loves Taylor Swift. Any time my sister or I play her music, he’s bobbing up and down and jamming out. It’s pretty dang cute.
    14. Traveling is so much fun. This past summer after I visited my friend in California by myself, I realized how much fun traveling is. I’ve always enjoyed traveling but this past trip really got me excited to travel. I really want to go on more trips with my family, especially to Universal Studios in Florida or California and ESPECIALLY to Russia. It’s been a dream of mine to go there for soooooo long now.
    15. Don’t be so serious all the time. This one is something I’ve learned from teaching tennis and being with little kids so much. They just love life so much and they’re always so excited and just adorable. They’re just living life as it is and taking advantage of every opportunity they get. I want to be more like that. I still work hard and take things very seriously, but I’ve learned that there are some places and things that you just need to relax on. Sometimes you just need to let go and be less uptight and worried. Everything will work out in the end.
    16. Going off of that last one, I’ve also learned that self-care is so important to being a functional human being. Whether that means I take more study breaks, work out more, drink more water, or treat myself to something tasty or sweet every once in a while, I’ve found that taking more time to help myself out has made me a happy, more functional person. I’m more able to then help others when I feel like I’m doing ok.
    17. Having a sister for a best friend is the best thing ever. She’s always there for me and she’s someone I know I can laugh with, cry with, and even rant with. Allyson has been the best, best friend ever and I feel so lucky to have such a hilarious, smart, and adorable little sister to go through life with. Siblings make life so much more fun.
    18. There’s a time and a place to say what you want to say. I feel like in our society today, there’s a lot of tension and hatred and overall weirdness. There’s honestly so much I could say about everything regarding our world, our government, and politics in general but I choose not to. I’ll say what I want to say, when I want to say it. I’ve noticed that there really are only certain people I can share with, which is kind of sad because a lot of other people will tell me I’m wrong or close-minded. And I’m not close-minded which is also sad! People just aren’t willing to listen or believe that there are other opinions out there. I feel like we all just need to stop that kind of mindset and understand that people have differences and that’s fantastic. People can’t get along if they can’t accept that and I just wish more people were willing to do that, our world would be a much friendlier and successful place.
    19. Saying no is a magical thing. I’ve always known this too but I feel like in the past I’ve avoided telling people no because I worry about how it will make them feel. If I don’t want to sign your petition, I’ll let you know. If I don’t think something sounds good, I’ll let you know. I’ve always considering honesty to be the best policy, and that still holds true. I just feel like I’m getting better about helping others with the advice and guidance I give them. Or at least I hope I’m getting better with it, haha.
    20. Family matters so much. I’ve always known this but with some of the stuff that has happened this past year in my life, I’ve really seen how powerful and amazing having a family is. My family provides so much support, encouragement, guidance, and love and I just appreciate everyone in my family so much. They’re always there regardless of what the situation is. I’ve had a lot of fun times with my family and made so many great memories and I feel so lucky to have the family I do. They mean the world to me.

    And that’s that! There’s always more than the lists I’ve provided, but this is what has come to mind. Today has been a wonderful day and I’ve felt so loved and appreciated today and it’s honestly nice to feel that kind of love and get all that attention every once in a while. 🙂 It’s cool that my golden birthday fell on my 20th. Not sure why I feel that way but I do. It feels like this year is going to be a good one. 🙂

    I hope you’ve all had a great Sunday and have a good week! See you next Sunday!

  • PHIL COLLINS

    Phil Collins

    So tonight was absolutely incredible. My family and I really enjoy the music and personality of Phil Collins, and he was in town tonight for his “Still Not Dead Yet” Tour. My dad made the amazing decision to buy tickets about a week ago and I am so happy he did. Phil Collins, you’re an amazing man.

    For those of you that don’t know who Phil Collins is, first, shame on you. Second of all, he’s the voice behind the entire Tarzan soundtrack in addition to much of the Brother Bear soundtrack. He was in the band Genesis if that rings a bell for anyone and he’s an incredible drummer too. He’s from England and just has so so so much talent. Some of his other well-known songs include “Susussido”, “In the Air Tonight”, and “You Can’t Hurry Love”. These were all songs that my family and I had the pleasure of listening to tonight.

    Phil was such a funny, genuine, and down-to-earth guy. I loved his accent and just love him too. We had seats off to the righthand side of the stage and it was so cool to see Phil and his band up so close. His entire show was a lot of fun and he carried himself in such a classy and just wonderful way. I truly appreciate it when people do that. I don’t understand all of the concerts that people go to where the performers are trashed and carry themselves in such a sad, pathetic way. That kind of stuff just makes me sad. But Phil Collins didn’t make me sad. He was so present and happy to be performing for us. Even though he hasn’t been feeling great lately and recently had back surgery, he was so excited to be in Denver and truly gave us a wonderful concert.

    I hope I have a chance to see Phil Collins again at some point. He’s such a wonderful performer and after tonight, I would love to go to more concerts like his. Concerts are a lot of fun and I feel really blessed to have had the chance to spend some good, quality time with my family. Have a good week everyone! See you next Sunday!

  • Positivity is Key

    positivity is key
    Photo by Allie Smith on Unsplash

    As many of you know, last week was a tough week for my family. With the loss of Marty, it has been tough to stay optimistic. But through writing and talking about my feelings, I’m coming back to my more positive self. In general, I’ve noticed that our world has become a more negative place. Positivity is key if you’re looking for success, progress, and overall happiness. And to me, becoming a more positive person comes from a couple of different things:

    1. Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” With this Bible verse in mind, I just know that different things in life might just might suck, but ultimately, God has plans to make me a better person and bring me closer to Him. All that happens is meant to happen and it will all be okay in the end.
    2. Count the things you have to be thankful for. I think becoming a more positive person is all about perspective and when I say that, I mean that we need to recognize the things we have in life that others may not be as fortunate to have. Remembering this allows me to be grateful for the wonderful life I’ve been gifted and stay positive.
    3. See the alternatives. There may be times in life where you’re faced with a difficult situation. Maybe your car broke down. Maybe you failed that chem exam. Maybe worse happened. With growing your individual positivity, there are many different ways to look at a situation. Looking at the chemistry exam example, maybe you did fail the exam. But you will learn from your mistakes and become a smarter person from that. Perspective comes in here again. Be thankful that you have the opportunity to be taking a chemistry exam and learning to become whatever it is that you want to become. Things could be much worse, and unfortunately there are some people in the world that have it much worse than you do. Be good to yourself and be good to others.
    4. Be kind to yourself. As a perfectionist, this can be difficult for myself when I underperform, but I’m learning how to work through that. It is important to be kind to yourself. Allow yourself to take study breaks or work breaks. Meditate, allow yourself to have a cupcake or piece of chocolate every once in a while. Celebrate the little bits of progress. Being kinder to yourself will allow you to trust more in your own progress within the different parts of your life.
    5. Pay less attention to the negative thoughts in your head. This can be a tough one too because I feel like society is so hardwired to be negative nowadays. Don’t do this. You can’t do that. Any negative thought can be altered into something positive and that’s just what you need to do with it. Let’s say I’m really struggling to hit backhands one day when I’m out hitting with my dad and sister. Instead of saying, “I can’t hit backhands. I suck,” it would be much better for my own mental health and tennis game to say, “I’ll get this next backhand in,” or visualize what a good backhand is going to look like. If you can train your brain to alter the negative thoughts, you’re going to find much more success and happiness with what you do.

    I’m going to end this post with a quote that I want you all to keep in mind this week.

    We become what we think about.

    Emily Nightingale

    And it’s so true! Positive thinking leads to positive people that leads to more positive results. Positivity is key everyone. I understand being realistic but I believe that being realistic comes with positivity. Have a good week everyone and I’ll see you next Sunday.

  • In Memory of Marty

    Marty
    August 22, 2009 to August 26, 2019

    This will most definitely be one of the hardest posts I will ever have to make. This past week, one of my best friends passed away. My sweet, little boy Marty made his trip to Heaven.

    It’s hard to imagine that he’s actually gone and it’s tough to think that there is now a period of my life where he won’t physically be here. I won’t be able to go home to him on weekends and be greeted by his cheerful bark and wagging tail. I won’t be able to take him on walks anymore or play with his little stuffed dragon or other toys anymore. It honestly feels like I’ve lost a brother. It feels like a little bit of me is gone. This is hard…

    Marty

    I remember the day we went and picked up our sweet little angel. It was October 26, 2009, six days after my tenth birthday. I remember telling my teacher at the time that I would be missing school on Friday to go pick up my brand new puppy. She was jealous. We left and stayed in Colorado Springs that night and I remember looking out the window of the hotel thinking, “We’re coming Marty. I can’t wait to meet you.”

    When we arrived at Sunset Dachshunds, the place we picked him up from, he was wearing the cutest little black and orange bow to celebrate Halloween coming up and his little tail was wagging about a million miles an hour. He cried a bit on the way with us to our grandpa’s house, but I think he knew that he had just become a member of a family that would love him endlessly.

    During his first few months at home with us, I remember crying while I was on my way to school because it was snowing so much and we didn’t get a snow day. I just wanted to spend the day with my new puppy. We got to school and all of the teachers were standing outside the building as the snow blew around and they told us, “Go home. No school today!” My sister and I were thrilled. When we came home to him, he was attempting to crawl over the barricade we had set up for him. He was so dang cute. We spent that wonderful snow day with our sweet little boy and I will always cherish the pictures my family took that day.

    He was such a smart pup. He could say “I love you, Inna” to my mom. He could sit, sit pretty, shake, and even though he was a bit crazy on walks, he was always such a well-behaved dog. He was great with people, sometimes not so much with dogs, but he was still a good boy and would listen to us when we told him to stop doing whatever he was doing.

    I can’t figure out why the pictures keep flipping on me, but still, enjoy this one with a massive cucumber Mar managed to pull.

    And when we got Boo, I remember how excited Mar was to be a big brother. He was always clearly an alpha, but he became such a leader and role model to Boo, once Boo joined the Horvath family. Any time Boo barked too much, Mar was there to snap at him and put Boo back in line. Any time Boo was a bit too far ahead of Marty during walks, Marty would bark at Boo to get to his side or stay behind him. Anytime Boo would even just want to play, Marty would always challenge him. Marty was always so good to Boo and such a wonderful companion to him. I can’t imagine how Boo is handling this. Or does he really even understand? From what I’ve been told, on Marty’s last day on Earth, Boo spent a lot of time licking him and sticking to his side. I feel like dogs have a way of knowing these things. I just want to be there as much as I can for Boo now.

    Despite all of the emergency visits to the vet, Marty was still a pleasure to have around. There was one time where he must have eaten a chicken strip or something, and he managed to get a HUGE abscess in his mouth. At the ER, they told us Mar had cancer, but we knew that wasn’t the case. The abscess popped and he ended up being just fine. Another time, he had an allergic reaction to a rabies shot and we made another trip to the ER for him. And then when we found out he had that stupid bladder cancer, every trip to the vet was a journey, but the time spent with him was not wasted and not under appreciated.

    I wish that I had been there for him with his last breaths but maybe it’s for the better that I was at school when Marty moved on. I told him that I would see him in two weeks after first leaving for school and it really sucks that I wasn’t there for him, but I’m happy to know that he’s in a better place and that the pain and suffering is over.

    I’m thankful to my parents for not listening to the vets, saying that Marty only had six months to live. He lived an entire freaking year after the vets discovered the cancerous cells in his bladder, and he lived a good year. He got to be with family until the end.

    So Marty, thank you for all the tail wags and kisses and play time and snuggles. Thank you for all the walks and car rides. Thank you for being a little ray of sunshine even when days were rough. You may have hated bath time but you were always the cutest little thing when you acted all grumpy under your blankets, even though I wasn’t touching you. Thank you for blessing my life with your wonderful existence and all of the memories. You will forever be a part of our little core four and be my best friend, my bubba, my little prince, and now my angel. I love you endlessly, Marty. ?

  • Back to School! Getting Ready for Year 2 at CSU

    This past Monday, I moved back in at Colorado State University. Classes don’t start for another week but I was granted early move-in by the honors program (thank youuuu) so I could be all settled in in time for me to take part of the peer mentor trainings for freshman seminars that CSU requires through the honors program. Oooooh. Basically, I’m an instructor for a freshman seminar recitation course. Fun! I get to provide a bunch of resources to freshmen in the honors program and help make their transition to college as smooth as possible. I’m supposed to have a partner, but I’m not going to lie, he’s been a lousy one so far so we’ll see how that goes!

    Monday was a fun day. Let me tell ya. Monday = move in. I said all my goodbyes to my dad, Marty, Boo, and Bobo and then was in Fort Collins a little after noon. That’s when the unpacking began. My mom and sister made a second trip back to my house to get the rest of my stuff and then all of the magic in my new room truly happened. I’ll have to post a picture of it some time! The unpacking and sorting and decorating really wasn’t complete until around 6 o’clock and my mom, sister, and I had all skipped out on lunch so we were all pretty drained. When finished with my room, we went to Chick-Fil-A for dinner where I ate WAY too much (but also needed it so we’re fine). After dinner, I said goodbye to my mom and sister and was back in my hall. Bed time followed shortly after. I was pooped!

    CSU

    Tuesday was a big training day for the peer mentor program. There were so many ice breakers and a lot of good information to help us all be the most successful and helpful instructors to our freshmen. Wednesday was the day I actually got to meet my freshmen and I’m so pleased with the group I got. They seem to be a wonderful group of very smart young individuals and I look forward to seeing them become more confident and comfortable with college. 🙂 I don’t know if many other honors programs run things the way that CSU’s honors program does, but I’m blown away by the attention and support that each student receives.

    Thursday was my first day to really just do nothing which was kind of nice but also really weird. This was the day that my sister, Allyson, was moving in at Regis University and also the day that most people were moving in on campus here at CSU. It was also Marty’s tenth birthday. I’m still celebrating and I’m still so thankful that my sweet bubba has been such a wonderful part of my life. Anyway…

    Thursday morning, not much happened. In the evening though, the big carnival on campus happened! Despite some threatening clouds and the occasional bit of rain, the carnival continued on. My friends and I didn’t do many of the rides (I’m personally just not a fan) but we did try every single ice cream thing (including snow cones) that was available to us. There was also popcorn and I found out I’m not horrible at skee ball. CSU seriously knows how to throw a welcome party, wow. This was a super fun night because I just got to be around so many good people that I love so so so much. I’m excited and thankful to be with the friends I made last year.

    Friday, once again, the morning was pretty slow and relaxed. My friend and I went to get our nails done and also had lunch at Torchy’s Tacos which has become one of my favorite places to eat in the whole entire world. The trashy trailer park tacos are the way to go in my opinion. 🙂 10/10 would recommend.

    CSU

    In the evening on Friday, there were activities at the Lory Student Center and that was my favorite part of this past week. My friends and I got there an hour before anything actually opened so that we could wait in line to stuff little Rams, kinda like what you do at Build-A-Bear Workshop. We successfully stuffed our Rams and then went on to collect so much free food from Spoons (which is a local Fort Collins favorite), Panda Express (a personal favorite haha), as well as That Bagel Place (which I believe is another Fort Collins thing). We made glitter jars and made sand art and really just enjoyed each others company. My friends and I even made it on the Lory Student Center’s Instagram story!

    Yesterday, I had my first day of work with a local tennis facility and I really enjoyed getting to play and TEACH the sport I love. The little lobbers (which were the 4-6 year olds) were my favorite. They were just all so adorable and so so so bad at tennis and I loved it! Teaching is a really different side of things that I think I’ll learn to really appreciate.

    This past week was exhausting but so much fun at the same time. I’m so excited to be heading into this school year and see where things take me from here. If you’re a fellow Rammie and you’re reading this, good luck here at CSU! 🙂 If you’ve headed back to school already, I hope things got off to a good start for you and if you’re just getting into classes and you’re not from CSU, I still wish you the best of luck. 🙂 We’re all gonna need it. Especially if your name is Ana Horvath and you’re taking a physics and organic chemistry at the same time… Have a good week!

  • Anastasia Takes on Anastasia and Gets Ready to Go Back to School

    Anastasia

    Once upon a December, your gal (that’s me) was ordering tickets for a show coming to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. That show was Anastasia, the new Broadway musical based off of the 1997 cartoon Anastasia. I love that movie by the way. I intended to order tickets for Sunday, August 18th (today) but somehow managed to mess up BAD and ordered tickets for last Sunday, the 11th. I didn’t realize that until my family and I were already driving down for the show today at 2 o’clock. I don’t think I’ve EVER messed up that bad in my entire life. My parents keep telling me not to worry but I feel HORRIBLE about the situation. I’m typically not the type of person to make that kind of mistake…

    When we arrived at the DCPA, I was already in tears because there goes $400 and great seats to a great show, but fortunately, we were able to snag four tickets at half-price to sit in the balcony and still get to see the show. We ended up going to the 7:30 show instead of the 2 o’clock show and had to spend practically the entire day in Denver waiting, but that’s okay!

    My family and I killed time by walking around the Denver Pavilions in addition to the 16th Street Mall, which has gotten SO WEIRD. There’s plenty of excitement along that strip, let me tell ya. One of my friends from school was actually at the 2 o’clock show that my family and I were supposed to be at and we had plans to get gelato after it finished so once her and her family got out, we went and got gelato with them. If you’re looking for good gelato in Denver, Amore Gelato is the place to go. Good flavors and it’s a very cute little shop!

    By the time we had chatted and eaten gelato, it was time for my family and I to head back to the theater to actually get into see Anastasia. Our seats weren’t the greatest (in comparison to the seats in the mezzanine that I had originally selected), but we still had a good view of everything and my family and I really enjoyed each other’s company.

    The costumes were absolutely gorgeous and the show was just phenomenal. If you have a chance to see it while its on its national tour or even on Broadway, please do. You will not be disappointed. Russian history and culture has always fascinated me and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I might be kind of biased in that my mom’s side of the family comes from that part of the world, haha. The fact that the last Russian grand duchess and I also share names is pretty cool too. 🙂

    I hope you all have a fantastic week and remember to double and TRIPLE check the dates and times for tickets you decide to purchase. You do not want to make the same mistake I did. Tomorrow, I head back up to Fort Collins and my summer will officially be coming to an end. Before I know it, I’ll be sitting in my organic chemistry class wishing I was out on the tennis courts again!

    This summer has been a great one, and I hope that you all have had great summers too. If you’re moving off to college or helping your kids or friends move off to school, best of luck to you. Have a great week everyone! 🙂 See you next Sunday.

  • A Birthday Weekend in New Mexico

    New Mexico
    This is meant to be upside down. Haha. My grandpa has some great brick walls at his house. 🙂

    This past weekend was another visit to New Mexico. Road trips can be pretty fun! We celebrated my aunt and dad’s birthday on Saturday and then just spent quality time with family which is always good. 🙂

    We left on Friday with my whole gang, dogs and all and enjoyed a nice and cool drive down to Farmington, New Mexico. We made our regular stops at Gunsmoke outside of Buena Vista, Colorado, South Fork, and the McDonald’s in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Marty and Boo, my doggies, always enjoy road trips, and Marty has always really enjoyed getting to stick his head out. Both Marty and Boo really enjoy getting to eat the occasional French fry too, after our McDonald’s stop. Haha.

    Friday night we enjoyed a great dinner with lots of veggies from our garden and angel food cake for dessert. The angel food cake with fruit was a highlight for sure. 🙂

    Saturday was my dad’s birthday as well as my aunt’s birthday. We spent the day relaxing, eating more good food, and playing Uno. There was just a lot of good time with family. We also went dorm room shopping at Target. Shockingly, the Target in Farmington had better options than the ones back in Broomfield! We also did some shopping for my aunt’s new kitten. She’s a cutie!

    For the big birthday dinner that night, we had root beer floats and a delicious peach cream pie for dessert. Safeway makes some delicious and cute cakes nowadays, let me tell ya!

    With the birthday festivities over, Sunday was spent getting ready to go back to Colorado and just like that, our fun, family weekend was over. We were welcomed back to Colorado with a lot of rain and cooler temperatures which is always refreshing. The road trip back to Colorado is always really long (it has always been 7-8 hours but the desire and anticipation to get home seems to make it longer). The views are always beautiful too. Some of the drive can be boring, but it has always been fun to see what’s out there.

    I’ve really enjoyed the time my family has spent in New Mexico. I wish that the visits could be longer but the time my family and I spend together is always great and so worth it. Family is so important and will always be.

    It’s crazy to think that summer’s almost over now! I’ve got one more week of freedom, ahhhhhh. I hope you all have a great week!

  • Pool Days are Cool Days

    Pool days are cool days

    Allyson and I have been going to the pool a decent amount this summer but since that’s really all I had going on this past week, I figured I would share our pool adventures. 🙂

    My family and I are members at a country club in our area and that’s where we play tennis, eat sometimes, work out, and also take advantage of their wonderful new pool and poolside grill! The weather was finally perfect this past week and neither Allyson nor I had work or class on Wednesday, so it was a perfect pool day.

    Of course swimming happens while you’re at the pool but it’s also fun to just chill in a chair in the shade while letting your feet tan in the tiny bit of sun in your area. Allyson and I will typically be in the pool for about 30 minutes to an hour and just mess around, splashing each other, and also just relaxing. I can’t ever convince Allyson to go into the deep end with me, but I think I’ll get her one of these days.

    Allyson and I have also really enjoyed the food served by the poolside grill whenever we go. This past time, we ordered smoothies when we first got there and then later ordered buffalo chicken tenders and what our country club calls the Cali Chicken pizza which has chicken, avocado, lettuce, bacon, cheese, golden cherry tomatoes, and ranch on it. It’s a really good pizza. After eating all of that and swimming for a bit, we also ordered a skillet cookie with ice cream. Yummy!

    I’ve really enjoyed being able to just relax and spend more chill time with Allyson this past summer. I wish we were able to go to the pool more often than we have, but the times we have been were totally worth it. We’re trying to squeeze in a few more trips to the pool before we both go off to school. It’s coming up so soon! AHHH!

    I hope you all have a great week! Don’t forget to wear sunscreen and take a hat. 🙂

    I would also like to say that my thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the shootings in Ohio, California, and Texas. Let’s be good to each other and take care of one another. ❤️

  • Out of Online Classes!

    online classes
    Photo by Sergey Zolkin on Unsplash

    As of yesterday, my microeconomics class and my technical writing class are COMPLETE! Woohoo! Online classes are DONE! I still have my physics class to finish at my local community college, but I feels nice to know that my load just got a lot lighter.

    Eleven credits this summer may have been to big of a task to handle. I’m a bit worried that I’ll burn myself out for this upcoming fall semester. Considering that I will be taking seventeen credits this fall, I feel nervous about what my work ethic is going to look like. I’m a pretty hard-working person so I think I’ll be able to stay strong but we shall see. Haha, I bet you guys will hear about how all of that goes.

    Online classes are extremely helpful for people who can only make those work. Or for me, they’re helpful when you add a business minor to your load and still want to graduate early. Online classes are also cheaper than most classes you can take at a community college or university. Super convenient, let me tell you.

    One of the biggest things I struggled with in my online classes was actual dedication to the class. Of course I got all of my work done in a timely manner and to the best of my ability but it was hard to find the motivation. I never met either of my teachers (with the exception of a Skype call to my Econ professor) and I never met any of my peers. I personally really appreciate the personal connection that comes with physically being present in a classroom or lecture hall listening to a professor. I feel that I am more involved and present to learn the material.

    Another thing that I hated about my particular online classes were the mandatory, weekly discussions. Every week, there was some topic we were required to discuss with discussion group members. In order to receive credit for our discussions, we had to make a post that fully answered the question or questions, respond to AT LEAST two other classmates posts, and then interact with our peers based on responses we got. I was always really good about posting early in the week but oh my goodness, my peers were not. I would answer everything by Tuesday and sometimes Wednesday and wouldn’t hear back from ANYONE until Saturday. Discussions closed on Sundays and I honestly didn’t want to deal with all of that so late in the week, but I eventually just had to because some people are stupid and some are just big procrastinators. Thanks…

    Online proctoring for exams creeps me out too. WOW. The process is overkill. I had to be proctored twice for my Econ exams and both experiences with that were just horrendous. It’s creepy that another person can just hack into your laptop like that. I also didn’t appreciate that I practically had to be glued to my seat the entire two hours I took my Econ midterm and final. What if I was uncomfortable how I was sitting, huh? I also found it unnecessary that the proctor had to see my entire room to understand that I wasn’t cheating. I was even asked to take down a tennis tournament draw I have up on my wall from when I won regionals my junior year of high school. How in the world would they expect me to cheat off of that?!

    I understand the point of online proctoring, but as I mentioned earlier, the process and extremes to which these services have gone is a bit extreme. Sometimes I just wish people were honest and trustworthy and then we wouldn’t need these creepy, strange proctoring services. Oh well.

    Other than these couple of things I mentioned, I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to take a couple of online classes. It has been helpful to my college plans and allowed me to see another side of the academic world.

    More importantly though, here’s to a more true start to summer for me! Well, minus physics. But still! Have a good week everyone. 🙂

  • Father’s Day 2019

    Father's Day 2019
    An oldie, but a goodie. 🙂 This is from Father’s Day like two years ago.

    Father’s Day 2019, here we go! Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! How lucky am I that I get to post about this wonderful day every single year.

    In my life, I’m so lucky and blessed to have the wonderful person I call my dad in my life. Dad, thank you for being the best tennis coach, cheerleader, chauffeur, friend, and of course dad that I could ever ask for. You’re an amazing person and I hope that I can one day be as courageous and smart and confident as you are. I’ve recently really come to enjoy our economics talks (I need all the help I can get!) and of course our conversations about tennis and just life in general. I love you so so so much.

    When I’m at my best, I’m my father’s daughter.

    Anonymous

    On our agenda today, we’ve got some tennis planned and then hopefully we’ll go out to celebrate and let my dad pick the restaurant. That’s always something kinda special my family does. We always get a card too and typically get some candy, but this year there was this really cute mug my sister found that came with matching boxers (haha) that we got for my dad that say “World’s Best Dad”. True facts with the statement on that mug, that’s for sure. Allyson has a good eye for gifts, let me tell you that.

    I hope you’re all treating your dads well today and spending lots of time with them. Let the dad jokes fly today, and every day honestly! They deserve all the love and appreciation today. Happy Father’s Day 2019! Have a great week and I’ll see you all next Sunday! 🙂 And don’t forget, that every day is truly dad’s day.