And the answers were gone...

All right, so here's the deal. Today, I'm going to write about something totally and completely random because the things that are on my mind right now probably shouldn't be public - too much going on. So instead, I'm going to do something I always used to adore doing: make a list! Sorry if this bores a lot of you, because I know most people reading this don't honestly care about my favorite songs or any of that bullshit. So skip this entry if you don't really care, but here are my ten favorite songs of all time (not the kind of "favorite songs" that change every week):

1. Chicago, Sufjan Stevens: I am absolutely blown away by this song every single time I hear it. The line "All things go" rings so true to me, it's been one of my major philosophies in life; in fact, my favorite quote is "This, too, shall pass" which acts as a constant reminder that all feelings, both good and bad, will eventually pass... everything, believe it or not, is temporary.

2. Let Go, Frou Frou: This song, or rather, this band, was introduced to me by someone I used to know, and it carries so many beautifully sad and nostalgic thoughts with it. Half of the lure of songs are the images they bring to my mind when I listen to them - and a lot of the time, those images are blissful memories that I won't forget. But I appreciate this song for the value of its words too, not simply the memories it comes with. "There's beauty in the breakdown" is such a positive attitude to take when going through an absolutely horrible time.

3. Satellite, Dave Matthews Band: I was caught between "Ants Marching" and "Satellite" for this spot, but I think I like "Satellite" a little better. I just so appreciate the earthiness and fun...ness (?) of DMB.

4. A Day in the Life, The Beatles: The Beatles have always held some sort of really soft, loving, happy spot in my heart. One of the most intense moments in my life (note: "one of" not "the most"... just saying) was when I got to see John Lennon's childhood home. I guess "A Day in the Life" would be, in my opinion, the ballsiest and most creative song of theirs, by which I'm immensely impressed. I just get chills every single time I hear it.

5. On the Radio, Regina Spektor: This could be broadened to essentially any song by Regina Spektor, but I figure that probably isn't fair, so I chose my favorite. This song has one of the most wonderfully calming and genuine phrases I could imagine any song ever having: "This is how it works, you're young until you're not, you love until you don't, you try until you can't. You laugh until you cry, you cry until you laugh, and everyone must breathe until their dying breath." I cannot even begin to tell you how many times these few lines have given me exactly the comfort that I        needed, more than any of my friends or family could.

Ok, well, I lied. This was supposed to be a list of ten, but due to the fact that I'm still sick and tired and begin the first round of finals tomorrow, I'm going to cut it short... but expect this list to be continued! As for my "piece of advice" for the day (which has been getting lamer and lamer by the day in case you haven't noticed), I'd suggest you write. Even if you don't write, write. About anything. Start a journal. Seriously, journals aren't just for ten year olds; I've kept one since about that age but I plan on keeping one for my entire life. It's incredible what writing can do to your mind. My english teacher always used to say that writing allows you to stumble across ideas you didn't even know you had in you. If you need help with what to write about, check out this website that my friend Katie (search4muchness.blogspot.com) sent to me for some help with my own blog: http://www.creativity-portal.com/prompts/imagination.prompt.html
Good luck on your finals if you're taking them, and remember: tomorrow is "Hug a Stressed College Kid" day!

Keep calm,
Sarah

Cover Your Cough!

Apparently this has not been happening on Peabody's fourth floor. The common cold's passing through the hall in an almost door-to-door fashion; every time I walk down the hall to the bathroom, I can hear coughs and sniffles from behind closed doors. Fortunately, I've not been left out of the loop - within a few hours of waking up this morning, I was essentially left incapable of studying due to my cotton-stuffed brain and scratchy, dry, sore throat. Not to mention that I feel about 80 with my aching bones. I've been downing water and Orange Juice, I've burglarized a handful of oranges from the dining hall, and I've been layering up almost superfluously - let's hope I can beat this cold before my first ever round of finals.

Anyway, enough complaining. I'm not much in the mood to write tonight, and nothing's really happened today. Thus far, my day's consisted of watching Sarah Palin's Alaska and studying for finals beneath my bed covers. Also, I've pretty much had these three really great songs on repeat today, introduced to me by one of my few good friends here at Temple, so, if you're looking for some good music to just chill out to, I'd suggest giving these songs a shot (thanks Eric, if you're reading this):

Hope everyone's feeling well-prepared for finals and enjoying their weekend; sorry for the lack of advice today.

Keep calm,
Sarah

Finally, the end of the semester

 

Today finally marked the end of my first, and hopefully worst, semester at college. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm home free - Temple gives us two "study days" along with the weekend, so, after tonight, I'll be practically a permanent resident of Paley Library and, on occasion, the Tech Center (although when I stopped by the Tech today, it was so full that it took me 45 minutes to snag an open computer to print something out). But tonight, I'm allowing myself to celebrate the end of the semester by "going out" for the first time in about two months. If you couldn't guess by my posts on weekends about staying in, I'm not too big on college parties, but I figure I'll try to have some fun tonight. It's a holiday party (a "Festivus for the Rest of Us" party, to be exact) with plenty of egg nog so, naturally, I'm sold. 

Anyway, my advice for the day: Cook! I was inspired to give this little piece of advice not because I went out and cooked but because my roommate, last night, made homemade mac n' cheese and brownies. I've been getting fairly bored with my diner's relatively plain, burnt, American food they tend to offer, so a home-cooked meal was welcome indeed. The dorms here at Temple have little apartment-sized kitchens on the bottom floor so, while it may be hard to find some alone time to cook, it can't hurt to try. Cooking will allow you to take control of at least one situation when your life may seem so rocky and unstable, as mine often has lately. It gives you reason to completely divert your mind - look up a complex recipe, find a grocery store and buy the ingredients, and cook away! There's nothing like providing your own meal for yourself. The healthier the better! If you don't have the money or resources to make a home-cooked meal, try watching Food Network. Seriously, my roommate and I sit and watch the Food Network for hours in between classes. Just watching the Barefoot Contessa or yes, even Paula Dean, cook a tasty meal is a huge stress-reliever for me! Bon apetite, and have a good Thursday!

Keep calm,

Sarah

Find some stability in the midst of chaos

If my boyfriend and I were Polar Bears, this would have been us this weekend. I went to visit him in college for our one year anniversary and we shared a lovely weekend that consisted of mostly snuggling, hiding indoors from the biting wind (the fact that ABC Family had a Harry Potter weekend only added to my motivation to stay indoors). We ventured outside, though, to play a few riveting rounds of pool on Saturday (all of which Trevor won) and spent the morning in the student center studying, calling it quits after only about an hour to trek over to the nearest Domino's to get our "usual" - a medium cheese pizza and an order of Cinnastix. I suppose, as lame as it sounds, that would be my word of advice for this weekend (I feel like I'm just getting lazier and lazier with these words of advice): Pick something and stick with it, make it a symbol of normalcy in a life of chaos.

Trevor and I, for instance, started our Domino's tradition - something that's stuck with us, something we know will always happen, no matter what. This all started on our vacation to Orlando in August when we woke up starving. Since then, we've ordered Domino's once per visit. I used to think I embraced change, I used to think I hated patterns and that sense of same-ness, but now, I welcome anything that represents a pattern, such as this. It gives me something to lean on.

I hope everyone's staying warm!

Keep calm,

Sarah

Rain boots, Christmas Spirit, and AIDS - Be kind to me, December

First of all, happy December - it's about time. Fall is typically my favorite time of year, however, December certainly is growing on me. With December comes Christmas lights, which are already draped around my dorm room along with some tinsel, hot cocoa, snow (hopefully) and, most of all, winter break. Fifteen more days of school and then I've got a few weeks to gather myself and come back to Philadelphia hopefully refreshed and ready to push through the rest of the year.

Anyway, not only is today the first day of December, but it's also World AIDS Day. Spontaneously, my roommate and a few girls from my floor made our way to Temple's Underground where Temple's Health Department (for those of you who go to Temple, learn a little more about HEART... with ten condoms for a dollar, free testing for just about anything you can get tested for, and plenty of other awesome information, it's a preferable first choice over, say, the doctor's office) was hosting a Red Lounge. We originally attended with the intent to watch Amy, a girl on our floor, perform in her dance group, however we stayed for most of the event, which featured step groups, theater groups, singers, musicians, and poets. One man in particular, though, stuck out to me - unfortunately, I can't remember his name. He's a fifty-something man suffering from AIDS who has some incredible information to share. He was diagnosed with AIDS a few months after a wild night out, during which he'd had a little too much to drink and was unable to defend himself when he was shoved into an alley and raped. He's been living with AIDS since, and though he generally looks a little ragged, a little worn, his aura is nothing but glowing positivity. One of his best friends passed away from AIDS merely hours before he came to speak to us - this man, he said, had no family, so he's responsible for the body, the funeral, the ceremony. He told us that his medications (he takes 44 pills a day - one pill is for AIDS, the others are to eradicate the symptoms of that single pill) are so expensive that he can hardly afford his own funeral, much less someone else's, but, with a weary smile, he said he would figure it out.

I know this has little to do with relieving stress - in fact, it does the opposite. I thought that it was worth mentioning though, as it was a major part of my day. I suppose I can tie in this piece of advice, though: look around the bulletin boards and sidewalks on campus and choose some events to attend. I never would have thought twice about this Red Lounge event, but I'm so grateful that I did - I will never, ever feel the same about AIDS, and the event almost convinced me to get tested, just to have that sense of complacency, as unnecessary as it might be. Anyway, go to that weird event, the one you think no one will attend but sounds interesting nonetheless. You never know.

On another, wetter, note, as cute as my brand new red Ralph Lauren rain boots are, I've never appreciated them for their practical purpose more than today, which served up a torrential downpour with a side of hurricane-esque winds - the weather was unbelievable. Happy December.

Keep calm,
Sarah

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