Goodbye November

This is a mural in Philadelphia that I've seen while riding the Market-Frankford line westbound. This mural and numerous other inspirational paintings can be viewed out the window of the subway - if you're ever in need of some enlightening words, a ray of hope, I'd suggest you take a ride on the Market-Frankford line if you're in the area.

Anyway, I've been writing a lot less than expected, particularly this past week or so. Thinking about posting one way per day to stay calm has been a thought that's almost overwhelmed me. Not that I'm drowning in school work or anything; finals are coming up and I've got a few papers due, but all is manageable. Lately, though, I just haven't been even close to the best mindset to write positively, so I haven't written at all.

Thanksgiving break was the most relaxed I've been in a while, which is perhaps the best and only advice I can offer up for today: if you're feeling stressed, spend time at home. That can be infeasible during college, though, so it hardly counts as advice.

Anyway, my boyfriend and I went to see Michael Buble last Wednesday night at the Wells-Fargo Center in Philadelphia. After an interesting performance by Naturally 7 (or, as we joked, Melodic 8), and a fiery internal debate over whether to blow $8.50 on Chickie's and Pete's infamous crab fries (I ended up deciding that cup of fries wasn't worth almost ten bucks), Michael Buble took the stage. Although I know Michael Buble's a talented singer, I wasn't his biggest fan prior to the concert. Even afterwards, I can't say he's my favorite artist. But man, can that guy entertain an audience. Not only is he a great live singer, at one point filling the arena with only his voice, sans microphone, but he captivates his audience. I found myself genuinely laughing at plenty of his comments. It didn't feel scripted as most concerts do. If you're at all into Michael Buble's music, or hell, even if you're not, I'd suggest you scrape up some money and buy tickets to see his Crazy Love tour - it's quite a spectacle.

All in all, my Thanksgiving Break was the best I've felt in a long while and, with three Thanksgiving dinners, a few Christmas movies, one game night, some new purses from my boyfriend's mom, and a rare visit to the movie theaters under my belt, I packed up my clothes and reluctantly headed back to Philadelphia.

While returning to college hasn't exactly brightened my week, I've been doing what I can to maintain a cheery smile. Me and my boyfriend's one year anniversary is coming up next Monday, the sixth, and I've been keeping myself busy with his gift(s). I'm not a very crafty person, but hopefully he'll enjoy my presents. I've got a few other surprises up my sleeve too!

In true post-Thanksgiving fashion, my Christmas enthusiasm has been intensified tenfold. Sixteen days until I go home for Christmas break, and counting - I've never been so excited for Christmas break.

In the meantime, I'm occupying myself with schoolwork - superfluous studying for finals will certainly be in order these next few weeks - and working on Christmas gifts. How is everyone else making it through the last push of the semester?

Keep calm,
Sarah

Old stuff isn't always wrinkly, saggy, and bad

I'm not a music snob by any means; I'll willingly share with the Blogosphere that I love Lady Gaga's wacky music, and Green Day's always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Nah, I'm not a music snob. But I do appreciate good music when I hear it.

That's why, today, I'm suggesting that you relax yourself, and perhaps even make your mind a more peaceful place to reside, by listening to some good ol' folk.

Ke$ha sure as hell is an entertainer to say the least, and Taylor Swift definitely does a better job than any of capturing the hearts of teenage girls because, well, let's face it: what she says is so relatable: we all have crushes who probably don't like us back, we all like southern gentleman who come to us in the form of a Romeo and Juliet-esque fairytale. Yeah, yeah.

But don't you ever wonder about the bigger things in life? I really hope so. That's why I suggest you take a time travelin' trip backwards by about forty years and listen to some good folk, some folk that will, hopefully, expand your mind more than 'Ye ever could. If you need a little push in the right direction, here's what I've got to say:

Pete Seeger - Sitting through my Dissent in America class was what first made me realize that Pete Seeger was more than just a name I heard all of my favorite musicians attribute their success to. My professor played a few songs for us, and I was instantly enchanted by his smiling face, positive songs, and simply happy attitude - despite the fact that most of his songs were protesting something. If you don't know where to start with Seeger, try listening to "Turn! Turn! Turn!" - a song that you'll undoubtedly recognize that was covered by the Byrds, but I suggest you listen to this original version, featuring the lovely and talented Joni Mitchell (also worth giving a listen): 

I feel like Bob Dylan is this guy that everybody knows about but very few people know. And I've got to admit, I'm quite possibly one of those people who doesn't really "know" him; I have his Highway 61 Revisited album and I know his quintessential songs (Mr. Tambourine Man, Like a Rolling Stone, etc. etc.), but it's tough, for me at least, to really get into Dylan; his lyrics are really, really obscure to me - not very relatable in the way that a lot of times the lyrics sound completely bananas ("The ghost of Belle star, she hands down her wits to Jezebel the nun, she violently knits a bald wig for Jack the Ripper who sits at the head of the Chamber of Commerce") but I guess that's all part of his reputation as a lyrical genius. You've just gotta listen to him to get it. My favorite song by him at the moment is "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright". I couldn't find a good enough version to do the song justice, so if you're curious, you'll have to go look              it up.

Wanna really chill out? Try the Grateful Dead. I'd suggest "China Cat Sunflower", my dad's favorite.

Other suggestions? Try Janis Joplin, the Rolling Stones, or, of course, the Beatles, who I hope you've already exposed yourself to in more ways than just "All You Need is Love". 

Keep calm (and listen to some new music),

Sarah

"I lost my childhood to Draco Malfoy"

Due to my excessive status updates on Facebook, constant countdown, and two posts in a row about it, everyone probably gets that I saw the Harry Potter movie last night. But I'm not writing to review the movie or anything; not only am I horrible at writing reviews and feel a little unqualified to do so, but my mind has officially been BLOWN by this movie and I feel as though I should save any and all discussion of the movie until I'm able to speak.

Anyway, watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows reawakened my passion for the series - I must have read the series about six times in total (in completely different order each time, of course) and, as odd as it sounds, the series brings me endearing complacency in a way that almost nothing else can. Perhaps it's my familiarity with the characters? I understand that Harry's always going to be the one who makes me say, "GOD, DON'T DO THAT; ARE YOU RETARDED?" and Ron's always going to be the under-appreciated sidekick with awkward tendencies, and Hermione will forever be the bushy-haired genius. Of course, it goes a lot deeper than that, and that's kind of the point: I know this trio better than I know some of my friends. And I find the deepest sense of comfort in reading their stories.

You could say Star Wars has about the same concept. This summer, my boyfriend took me to the Star Wars convention in Orlando, Florida (true story!), and I witnessed many, many enthusiasts who seemed to almost dedicate more of their lives to the epic saga than George Lucas himself. This story is the childhood, and perhaps even the lifestyle, of many.

I'm including the Twilight series too, only to refute the fact that this series can live up to either Harry Potter or Star Wars. It just doesn't hold the same value, and I'm not just some kid hating on Twilight because I think the Edward Cullen/Rob Pattison hype is a bit superfluous. I've read the series, at first out of curiosity, and later, because of my intensely obnoxious need to finish everything I start. The series hasn't built itself that following. It's not become a lifestyle in the way that Harry Potter and Star Wars have, sorry.

ANYWAY, this isn't really a post dealing with keeping calm or relieving stress, sorry. I'm trying to deal with the stress myself. I'm still out there lookin' for ideas though, so please keep checking in! Also, I sincerely apologize for my long-winded and pretty much unnecessary rant.

Keep calm,
Sarah

"To possess them all is to make oneself immortal"

You actually have no idea how much I love Harry Potter. So, my proposition for college kids to stay calm: forget your papers, forget your reading, forget your studying; drop everything and go see The Deathly Hallows. 

That's what's up.

Keep calm (read Harry Potter),

Sarah

Inspiration? Nowhere to be found.

I'm fresh out of inspiration, witticisms and humor, so I can only offer up one piece of advice that parallels my mood - watch some Spongebob. Remember what it was like to be familiar with something.

Speaking of familiarity: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out tomorrow night. I've got my midnight premier ticket out and ready to go. These stories are my childhood, they're my comfort zone. And you'd better believe I need some comfort.

"Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win."

Keep calm,

Sarah

Still feeling lost, but making myself known

I came to Philadelphia from a small town. And when I say "small town", I mean it: my first high school had a "Drive your tractor to school day". I thought there would be something almost romantic, somewhat spontaneous about moving to the big city on my own. And here I am.

It's ridiculously simple to feel lost in the city. People are everywhere. The city makes me dizzy. Even though I've become literate in subway map-reading, I know a few of the best little boutiques to poke around in, and I have a few nice restaurants I'd love to eat at if I only had the dough, I am, by no means, a "city girl" yet. I still feel lost. There are people absolutely everywhere.

And so here's my little tip of the day - and this doesn't just go for university students in the city; any college campus is large enough to feel a little infinitesimal in. Get involved. Know people. 

In high school, I was involved in whatever I could get my hands on: marching band, musical pit, designing costumes for the school plays, the school paper, concert band, Girl Scouts, what have you. College is a bit different. To get involved, you've really got to go for it yourself. 

Luckily, I took some initiative before classes even started and got my lonely ass signed up for multiple clubs and organizations, everything from Temple's Socialist club to a Gardening club. Currently, I'm only involved in one of said clubs (Students for Environmental Action represent!), but I make sure to attend as many meetings as possible and volunteer for everything I'm available for. 

Similarly (and no, this is not in any way a plug for what I'm involved in), I've very recently become involved with something my Journalism and Society professor has set up: a magazine all about the Philadelphia music scene. It's called Jump. It's a strictly volunteer-based staff of music enthusiasts/students at Temple who want to explore the jungle of the Philadelphia music scene. So far,the ball is still rolling. WWe've got a media package set up, a few hundred Facebook group conversations going, and a group meeting in the works. It's lookin' good, and it feels really good to be involved with something so fresh, so innovative. Look world, I can actually be somebody in a city.

Stay involved. Join something, anything, and most importantly:

Keep calm,

Sarah

Fall Into Your Comfort Zone

Today's beautiful; sunny, crystal blue skies, orange-tinted leaves heaping on the ground around campus, a slight breeze (not quite enough to rustle my hair that took me 15 minutes to straighten, yet just enough to feel like autumn) and the perfect temperature, at least in my book: 63 degrees.
Oh yeah, and my boyfriend is coming to visit me. I know, I know, nobody's going to want to read an entire post about some chick's boyfriend. But seriously though. We're in love. And today, I'm writing about love as a form of relaxation, in any form. This is what matters.

This is my boyfriend, Trevor. We've been dating for about a year now, and I love him to pieces. I make the same claim as most other serious couples - we've been through so much together, but the hardest test we've endured so far has been distance. We've gone from living 15 miles away to 250 miles away in the blink of an eye, and it's one of the most challenging relationship obstacles I think we've both encountered.

Last night, we got into a fight. Or, more-so, I fought him. Being my typical self, I turned nothing into something, making a decision that he already had to make much, much harder than it should have been. But after all of the bitching and whining, he loves me. He still loves me. 

Thank you, Trevor, for loving me in a way that allows me to feel completely comfortable. Thank you for accepting me. I love you in every sense of the phrase. 

Being around someone you're truly comfortable with is ultimately the perfect form of relaxation, at least to me. Find someone like that. If you're far away from them like I am, Skype. Talk on the phone. Write a letter. If you're like me and live in a world that is so new and strange, perhaps you just need some time to fall back into your comfort zone.

Keep calm,

Sarah

Stressed about Finals? Light a candle!

Before I write anything, allow me to explain the above picture (although it's basically self-explanatory): EIGHT DAYS until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1. This, in case you couldn't tell, excites me a great deal. Although the Harry Potter books trump the movies by far, I'm a fan of both either way; so expect to see a countdown every day until the 19th!

Anyway, I promise the reason that I didn't write yesterday was NOT because I was being lazy. I have this problem where, if I can't figure something minuscule out, it ruins everything. Case in point, yesterday, I tried to add a picture to my blog as I always attempt to do, and it wouldn't let me. So something in my brain told me that, if I didn't put a picture at the top of my post, I shouldn't even bother posting anything. I don't know, don't ask me.

SO, relaxation. Finals are right around the corner, papers are being written (or pushed off), chapters are being read. It's getting rough out there, it's every man for himself. What can you do to rid yourself of some of that end-of-semester anxiety? Light a candle.

Scents are great ways to put your mind at ease:

Falling asleep while studying? Then Peppermint is what you need! Sniffing peppermint oil, or peppermint scents in general, will help you stay more awake. One study found that, after getting a whiff of peppermint, people were able to type, read, and write more accurately. 

Stressed out and unable to sleep? Jasmine is your answer. The calming scent of jasmine will help you sleep sounder, perhaps even drowning out the obnoxiously permeating snores of you roommate.

Been cranky lately? Try sniffing some cinnamon. Studies show that, after inhaling cinnamon, you'll be kinder, more concentrated, and more enthusiastic about what you're doing. In fact, just reading the word "cinnamon" sparks the same part of your brain that makes you cheerier when smelling it. 

I'm no coffee addict, but it certainly wakes me up. Unfortunately, being that I'm a broke student, I can't afford coffee on a daily basis. However, a recent study shows that simply smelling coffee will wake you right up.

Citrus will work as a quick, mid-day "pick-me-up".

Lemon is proven to boost stamina.

If you're feeling sick, chamomile is the best scent to surround yourself with. Studies show that chamomile will soothe your stomach and your mind.

I know a lot of residence halls don't permit candles (like mine), which makes it hard to fill your room with these wonderfully beneficial scents, however, there are ways around it; buy a scented body scrub, for example. A lot of these scents are offered in things like Glade plug-ins, which is what my roommate and I keep in our room. Or, just go out and pick some flowers -- a lot of these scents derive from a flower or plant!

(This information was all taken from http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Health/The-Power-of-Scent.html if you want more information!)

Keep calm,
Sarah

Take a moment to breathe with Marcel the Shell

Only a few days into this blog and I'm already slacking on what I hoped to be a "twice-a-day" posting schedule! Shame on me. Anyway, sorry about the lack of an update - yesterday I was swamped with studying for a journalism exam, writing an article for another journalism class (I'll hopefully post it once I've cut it down from its current 1,500 word state, which is far too long for the topic, I think), catching up on some reading, and attending my dreaded Environment lab.
Anyway, enough. I hope everyone's had a nice week thus far; feel free to tell me about it! I'm currently looking into an interesting way to relieve stress, which I'm hoping to try... I'll write more about it this evening if all goes well.
In the meantime, watch this video that my sister sent me. It will warm your soul and melt away your stress, promise.





Stay calm,
Sarah

More like POM Fantastic!

All right, all right: a whole post about pomegranate: weird, right? Most definitely. But hear me out.

So today, after my trip to the gym, I ambled down to the Fresh Grocer near campus to purchase some much-needed snacks for my dorm room, along with a pack of blonde hair dye as I've decided to put some blonde highlights in my hair just for the hell of it. But I digress.

Fresh Grocer gave me plenty of options for junk food, let me tell you. It was hard to walk right past the on-sale leftover Halloween cookies and cupcakes they had, and equally as difficult to pass up those delicious cookies that start with an M that I can't seem to remember the name of at this particular moment. But I realize that the Freshman 15 is a very real thing, so I reluctantly pushed my way past the junk food aisles (although admittedly, I did buy some cherry PopTarts, but honestly, what college kid can resist those?) and headed for the fruit section.

Which is where pomegranate comes in. Pomegranate, meaning "seed-apple" in Latin, is a delicious and tangy fruit that many people are intimidated to eat: how the hell do you eat a round, hard, blood-colored fruit (It's actually really quite simple; simply cut off the top part of the fruit, slice the shell into pieces, and pick out the little seeds)? 

But let me tell you, as expensive as these obscure fruits are, they're well worth it! Allow me to explain:

*Men: One glass of pomegranate juice a day keeps the prostate cancer away! Seriously though.

*Pomegranates contain really special little things called antioxidants which fight off nasty diseases and stuff.

*All right ladies, I know most of us are of the younger generation, but for future reference - pomegranate contains an eensy bit of estrogen and also alleviates many of the symptoms of menopause, like mood swings.

*Pomegranate "tones up the intestines". I'm not entirely sure what this means, but it sure sounds legit. I'm down.

*Pomegranate will control your diarrhea. And we all know how bad diarrhea sucks.

*Sexually frustrated? Probably not. Either way, pomegranate will definitely help your sexual libido. It's proven that pomegranate (also known as the "Love Apple" and the "Sex Juice of Aphrodite") will increase blood flow to the genitals and fight against aging. Basically, more pomegranate = better sex.

What does this all have to do with stress? It might not help you at all, but I know that I feel much, much better eating a banana with peanut butter or digging into a nice, juicy pomegranate than walking away from the school diner with a stomach bloated with fries and grilled cheese. Just sayin'. 

Tell me about the delicious and nutritious food you love! 

Keep calm,

Sarah

Little accomplished, my b

Well, my to-do list remains fairly undone, unfortunately. I started my day curled up on a couch on the top floor of the Tuttlemen Center (if you're a student at Temple and have not checked out the lounge on the fourth floor of Tuttlemen, I suggest you do - it makes for a great, quiet studying area with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a great view of the Northeast Philly skyline) reading for my Political Science course. 

Later in the day, I ended up in Center City with a few girls, we stopped at Anthropologie for a while and then sat in one of the thousands of Starbucks crammed inside the city. Alas, due to the fact that I have essentially a few quarters and dimes to my name, I wasn't able to buy anything to update my wardrobe nor was I able to purchase my first holiday Peppermint Mocha of the season from Starbucks, but it was nice getting away from campus, at the very least.

I ended my day with a trip to the gym with my roommate and some broccoli and cheddar soup, and I'm currently nestled into the covers on my bed, which is just fine with me.

So, while I didn't end the day as accomplished as I originally intended, I can offer up one piece of advice in regards to something that my mind has been stumbling upon more and more lately: do not be afraid of your own company. Appreciate yourself, appreciate alone time. It is better to be in your own company than in the company of those who don't appreciate you.

Oh, and as for the picture at the top - tonight just seemed like a "Goodnight Moon" night. Go back and revisit the book! Or just go here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F97is-K4n8) and appreciate the book in visual terms. It will comfort you. Kid stuff always does.

Keep calm,

Sarah

Good morning,

I guess I've inherited one of my mom's genes: the inability to sleep in like any average college student. Then again, also unlike any other college student, I didn't "go out" last night, but rather, enjoyed a night of zumba-ing and Skyping with my boyfriend in my pajamas. I much prefer this to any beer-drenched, sweaty, gropy Frat house anyway. I almost might go so far as to say that I'm not a huge fan of weekends on campus; everyone parties late and sleeps all day. I'd much rather get some schoolwork done. Dull? Maybe.

Moving on: it's sunny today, finally - the past two days have been rainy, which in high school would not have bothered me in the least, but college is a different story. 

Today, my aim to "keep calm" is simply going to be this: I plan on getting shit done. 

My to-do list consists of the following:

- Make my way over to the Conwell building so that I can try and get myself on that work-study list, because apparently work-study students are the only students on campus who need jobs.

- Sit in the library for a good amount of time (i.e., however long my attention holds) and get an early start on my research project for Dissent in America. I'm thinking of writing about the Democratic National Convention in the 60's.

- Go to that really helpful a2b class at the gym (a2b = "abs 2 back"). 

In the meantime, I'll keep scouting around for interesting ways to relax. I'll check in at the end of the day. Please stop by again!

Keep calm.

Sarah

Dance the Stress Away

I might be one of the few people in existence who isn't Friday's biggest fan - up at 6:30 a.m. for my first class, going all day until 4. That's usually about the time I crash.

But today, as my first mission to remain calm, I decided to try something I'd heard a lot about, but never tried for myself: zumba. 

Walking into Temple's gym for the class, I had NO idea what to expect, but the class ended up being a lot of fun, and was so intricate that I had no time to think about anything but keeping up with the dancing. 

For those of you who don't know what zumba is, and don't feel up to entering a gym class with no prior knowledge, it's essentially a dance class; a little bit of hip-hop, a little bit of what I'd assume to be salsa, and some butt-shaking, earth-quaking hip thrusts all thrown together to create the workout sensation that's sweeping the nation: zumba!

Now you might be thinking, "I haven't even attempted to dance since that lame middle school dance where Joe and I slow-danced, will I be able to handle zumba?" My answer: YES! The steps are pretty basic, so you'll  keep up, I promise.

So get out there, sign up for a zumba class! I left feeling not only disgustingly sweaty but immensely relaxed and rejuvenated, despite the fact that it was 8:30 p.m. when the class ended. Great stress reliever!

Tell me about your zumba experiences! Do you love it or what?

Keep calm,

Sarah

Keep Calm and Carry On

During World War II, the British government almost released a set of posters promoting British nationalism -- they read "Keep Calm and Carry On". They weren't very popular back then, and hardly anyone knew about them.

But now, there's been a revival of sorts. "Keep Calm and Carry On" now seems to be the motto of many -- and I'm making it mine, too.

My name is Sarah, and I'm a freshman studying Journalism at Temple University in Philadelphia. College is stressful, I get it. In order to cope with my stress, and hopefully help others, I'm starting this blog. 

Every day, I'm going to hunt down and try something new -- something that reminds me to take a breather, something that inspires me, something that reminds me that there's more to life than what I'm seeing in front of me.

Check in, please, and leave me comments -- how do you "de-stress" yourself? I'd love to hear. 

Keep calm,

Sarah