I don't know what to do with this blog!

Okay, friends, here's the deal:

My blog is going through an identity crisis. I love the idea of having a blog. I love writing. I love talking about myself (and clearly I'm not afraid to admit it!) But I seriously have NO idea what to do with this blog. I've seen food blogs, weight loss blogs, travel blogs, crafting blogs, book blogs, dog blogs, dating blogs...and the list goes on. I think there's probably a blog out there somewhere on any topic someone could dream up. Maybe I don't need a focus. Maybe I can just ramble (kind of like I am now) whenever I feel like. I don't know. One thing I do know is that I need a new name for this thing. I don't know what to call it, but it needs to reflect me and what I'm passionate about. Problem is, I'm passionate about quite a bit: politics, history, speech, teaching, crafting, my job(s), exercising, good food, good coffee, good wine, books, music...I could go on. Now you understand my frustration. As I said, I LOVE to write, and a blog seems like a great way to exercise and use my writing skills (as if I don't enough at work - did you know I'm writing a book??) I just...don't know what to write about or focus on. Okay, enough of this. If anyone has any suggestions about a title or where this thing could go, that would be great! Otherwise, I'll continue to write about random things...

When you dream, dream big...

It's been quite a while since I blogged and so I decided that tonight was perhaps a good night to write a new post. This one isn't going to be about weight loss or history or anything else I usually post about. This one is about a feeling I've over the past couple weeks. As of late, I've felt extremely blessed. I really can't put my finger on why because nothing overly wonderful or exciting has happened recently. My life certainly isn't perfect (who's is?), but I can't figure out why all of a sudden I have this almost overwhelming sense of gratitude for everything and everyone I have in my life.

If you didn't know, I started coaching high school girls soccer this season for my former high school. It's been such a fun experience so far; I have the opportunity to work with some seriously top-notch (in school, soccer, and life in general) young ladies. I'm also working with some excellent coaches (one of whom is a former coach of mine). I love coaching --I always knew I loved it when coaching forensics-- so I took this opportunity and am certainly glad I did.

Work is good - always busy and there's always far more to do than I will ever accomplish in my time with my current organization. We had a major fundraising event last night that was quite successful. Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul, and Mary) gave a concert. I really didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did, but I melted when he played Puff, the Magic Dragon. My parents used to listen to it when I was a kid, so it was incredibly nostalgic for me. Everyone in attendance seemed to have a wonderful time at the concert.

I also recently stopped denying myself from having a particular dream. If you know me, it's no secret that museum education is truly my love in life. It also shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that my ultimate goal is to work at the Wisconsin State Historical Society, and once I'm there, I'm not leaving. For a long time, I told myself that I didn't want to be in museum education because it's hard, for many reasons. First, it's just hard work -- like anything. Second, it's often crazy hours --like my current job. The real issue I had with it was that museums, cultural institutions, and many nonprofits in general are significantly underfunded, so I told myself that I didn't want to spend the rest of my life justifying my job. I've grown to accept that fund development work is (and should be) part of EVERYONE's job description in a nonprofit. We have a very different economy now, and so it's going to continue to be difficult to raise money and ensure sustainability. Frankly, I told myself that the for-profit sector would be easier. But in looking at my friends and work acquaintances who are in the private sector, it's not any easier. Relationships with other organizations are just as important and the workload is similar (and sometimes even more). Plus, there's no point in denying yourself something that will make you happy. Even if I don't end up loving museum education like I think I will, there's no point in not trying and making up excuses. If we don't have dreams, I don't think we have much left. All of that said, I applied for two museum education positions (and I'm working on a third application). I'm anxiously awaiting closing dates (one of which is today!) I'm working my network to talk me up a little. And I'm hoping and praying.

I think the beautiful thing about dreams and goals is that our emotions run high and really kick in and make us feel human. Coasting and maintaining the status quo is just that - staying in neutral. When I do that, every aspect of my life gets stuck, and especially my emotions. Dreams and goals make me feel alive, and perhaps that's where the feeling of gratitude comes in. Even if I don't get any of the jobs I've applied for, I would rather have the dream, set the goal, and work toward it than stay stuck in neutral. Heartbreak is hard, but it's beats the hell out of never trying and denying yourself something you really want. And, at the end of the day, if you discover you made the wrong decision, you get two things: the knowledge that you made a decision (any decision) and a lesson learned. And in my book, that's a winning situation.

Over the Cliff...and into the New Year!

Last year, I wrote the new year's post just before Christmas, but this year, I didn't get around to it until tonight (New Year's Eve).  The title of the post reflects a few different things, but mainly that the country is tumbling over the fiscal cliff in a few short hours.  Hooray, higher taxes.  I know we'll only be over the cliff  for less than a day most likely, but I'm still angered by it.  I'm also angry because the newest proposal reflects the band-aid approach (let's just push back those cuts for another year and deal with it later) once again.  I get that it's a big decision and worth much discussion, but how long can this go on?

Okay - enough about politics.  The title also reflects some things missed "deadlines" in my personal life as well.  First, I managed to maintain my weight all year, but didn't lose any, so I'm not too happy about that.  Second, I really wanted to be out of my parents house by this time, but with my job potentially ending in September, it really isn't practical for me to move out.  So, that's what didn't happen.  Now, let's talk about what did because that's much more fun and exciting!

Highlights of 2012 include:
-Reconnecting with old friends and meeting many new ones
-Being a bridesmaid for the first time in my best friend's wedding
-Celebrating the birth of many babies, including children of cousins and friends, and my sister-in law's new niece
-Taking a fabulous trip to Chicago with my family
-Learning more about and being able to appreciate the history of my mother's family
-Finishing up my year in AmeriCorps and being hired by my host site
-Visiting another best friend in North Carolina
-Running my first 5K just before my first trip to the ocean
-Celebrating Christmas with my wonderful family

Of course, there were some sad times and challenges as well, but that's part of what makes life interesting.

I'm sure you can probably guess what my new year's resolution is: lose weight.  For real.  I don't know what's different about this time, but for some reason, it feels different.  The deadline is June 1 - 135 pounds.

I think part of the difference might come from the fact that I actually feel like I can do it this time.  I've never felt that way before.  I always felt it was this giant, looming, scary goal - but this time it feels like I have the power to make the changes I need to make.  I think the other reason it feels different is because I want to have control over something.  With many things that happened this year, I felt as though I had no control over any of them, which is mostly true.  When life is difficult for me, I need to regain some sense of control, and I know I have control over what, when, and where I eat.  Perhaps that's not a great reason for losing weight, but I think it will work for me.

Okay, I need to wrap up because I'm off to an NYE party shortly!  Happy New Year all!

Peace.

Falling into Fall, part 2

Woah...it's been while!  I happened to be looking at my cousin's blog when I realized that I hadn't posted in a long, long time!  So long in fact, that I fell right through fall and into winter (or at least what feels like winter, since it's not officially winter according to the calendar).  Warm day-time high of 20 degrees today.  On Wisconsin!

In my last post I talked about how I was going to cook more and eat less, and thus lose weight.  Still working on all of that.  I'm REALLY, REALLY terrible at the accountability and willpower business of weight loss, so if anyone has any advice for that, please let me know!  However, I have been cooking a little more.  I made an awesome Taco Soup that isn't very conducive to weight loss, but is really delicious!  I also made pumpkin muffins (that whole can of pumpkin, box of vanilla cake mix recipe).  They were also delicious.  The pumpkin oatmeal was a total flop, so I had to do something with the left over pumpkin.  I made another batch of Asian Coleslaw as well for Thanksgiving last week!  It was a big hit!

I also said in my last post that I was getting a new job...and I did.  You're reading the blog of the new Projects and Programs Coordinator at the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service.  It's a solid gig - I'm nearly full-time and make significantly more than I did in AmeriCorps.  It's a project position, though, so it's possible that come September 2013 I'll be looking for a job once again.  In fact, it's not just possible, but highly likely.  But alas...this job will provide some great project management (leading project meetings, budgeting, event planning, etc.) experience.  I do enjoy the job, but I discovered it's a little too much desk-work and not enough face-time with people!  Major problem.  I am still working at the historical society, which gives me my time to talk to people and share with them my passion for history.  Hooray.

On a completely different note - my trip to North Carolina was AMAZING!  We had so much fun.  I flew in on a Thursday night.  That night we got dinner at a Mexican restaurant (including margaritas) and just chatted to catch up.  Friday we went for breakfast and then went out to Old Salem Museums and Gardens.  It was a Moravian settlement in the 1800s.  At one point, the (white) Moravians and African-Americans lived peacefully together, but the Moravians eventually started practicing slavery, so that was the end of that.  As a result, the African-American Moravians built their own church within the settlement.  The church was by far my favorite part of the whole historic site.  The African-American Moravians built a log church originally, but the congregation grew too large and they had to built a second, much larger, brick church.  They also had a cemetery near their church.  I want to explain a little bit about that.  Moravians bury their dead according to choir, as opposed to with their family.  For example, all single white men were buried next to one another.  They also buried people outside of the Moravian church if they died while in Salem.  These people had a separate part of the cemetery, called the "Strangers Graveyard."  Eventually, the congregation of the church grew so large that they had to expand the brick church, and they built on top of the graveyard!  This fact totally creeped out Anya.  When we first got to the church, I couldn't figure out why it seemed so familiar to me.  Then I realized that I had heard a presentation about the restoration of the church at the history conference I went to back in April.  Small world.

This is the Moravian brick church.  You can see some headstones to the left of the brick path.

 Another highlight of Old Salem was having some really good dessert at their operating restaurant/tavern.  

This was my (half-eaten) bourbon chocolate pecan pie with whipped cream :)

Anya's homemade lemon ice cream with ginger cake :)

After Old Salem, we went to a neat restaurant in Salem called Sweet Potatoes.  Neither of us had very exciting southern entrees because it was kind of expensive, but I did try fried okra for the first time.  It was pretty good, but I still found it a little slimy.  Then we went back to Greensboro to this awesome coffeehouse/hang out called the Green Bean.  (They also have REALLY excellent hot chocolate).  We saw three great live bands that night: Luke Mitchem, The Rough and Tumble, and...I forgot the name of the last one!  I would definitely recommend the music of the first two.  On Saturday, we made our trek to N. Myrtle Beach/Ocean Isle Beach to run our 5K on Sunday!  On our way, we made a few stops.  First, we went to the Greensboro Historical Museum.  If you're ever in Greensboro, definitely stop there!  Their first gallery on the first floor is a little confusing, but it only gets better from there.  They do an EXCELLENT job of interpreting.  Next, we went to the historic site of Charlotte Hawkins Brown.  She started a college preparatory school called the Palmer Institute.  Many of the buildings are still standing, but the only one that is open for interpretation is her home.  It was pretty cool.  Finally, we made a stop at a FANTASTIC winery called Duplin Winery.  Our first attempt to stop at a winery was a total bust, so we were very happy to find Duplin.  They gave tastings for free and have some DELICIOUS muscadine wine.  I'm hoping for a bottle for Christmas ;)  

Then we drove the rest of the way to N. Myrtle beach.  After driving all day, we were pretty tired, so we just ordered some pizza and watched a movie.  We also had to be up early Sunday to drive to Ocean Isle Beach and run!!!!

Sunday was finally the day of the 5K.  It was so INCREDIBLE.  I've decided that running near the ocean is significantly better than running in central Wisconsin.  The smell of the ocean just provides more motivation :)  Anyway, I loved every second of the 5K and had a pretty decent time.  After the 5K, we went to the beach (my first time ever).  I love, love, love, love the beach!  We then went to the Oyster Festival in Ocean Isle Beach, had some awesome seafood, and looked around at the little booths.  After that we drove to Wilmington, got some frozen yogurt, and hit the beach at Wrightsville.  Then, it was time to make the drive back to Greensboro.  On Monday, Anya had a meeting on campus for work, so I had some time to enjoy the campus of UNC-G.  It was beautiful.  I read outside - it was 65 to 75 degrees the whole time I was in North Carolina.  I flew out Monday afternoon, and returned home to rain and cold weather.  

Since North Carolina...it's been a whirl-wind of work, running, and crafting.  I've kept up on my running 3 times a week (for the most part).  Lately I have been feeling less motivated, but I think it's the combination of the cold weather coming (though I will be running on the treadmill from here on out) and the Thanksgiving holiday.  Now, it's back to work after a 4-day weekend and prepping for Christmas - my favorite time of year!  

I think that's all for now.  Expect more frequent posts as the weight loss starts to be successful...because it will.  

Peace.    

    

Falling into Fall!

If you know me well, you know that my favorite season (by far) is fall!  I love the fresh air, the autumn chill, sweaters, jeans, boots, scarves (both knitted and otherwise), and the upcoming holidays!  This year, I'm particularly excited about fall because I'll be in a new job (I'll post more when I'm officially on the payroll), losing weight to fit into numerous pairs of jeans that fill my dresser drawers because I REFUSE to throw them away, and continuing my new-found passion for cooking!  That said, I'm falling into fall!

However, before the days of jackets and turning on the heat return, I have to wrap up the summer.  My last post talked about the refocus of this blog to reflect my old love of food and my new passion for cooking.  While I would love to say that I cooked a lot recently, I haven't had much time.  I was busy wrapping up my position as an AmeriCorps member and prepping for my new job (so many cryptic references...).  I also seriously refocused my weight loss strategy to reflect what I know I should be doing.  I hate to say that I'm still working on it, but I developed a reward system today of all the things I've wanted to buy recently but haven't (much of which includes crafting stuff).

However, I did do some cooking and baking, and plan to do more in my time off while I wait for the paperwork regarding exiting AmeriCorps and coming into my new job to catch up with me!  My brother turned 30 (are we that old already?) in July, but we officially celebrated his birthday just yesterday.  I made two FANTASTIC dishes, both of which I received numerous compliments on.  First, I tried my hand at an amazing, yet high-calorie, high-sugar, dessert.  Pictured below is the Raspberry Pretzel Salad and the recipe for it!  It's absolutely delicious, but I would avoid it if you're trying to lose a few pounds.  However, I had one piece at my brother's party.

Yummy!

And a close-up of those delicious, albeit frozen, raspberries.

The recipe for the above delicious-ness :)

I also made Asian Coleslaw, which I have made before.  It's probably one of the easiest salads to whip up quickly.  Here are some pictures (because I like to record my creations, much like I photograph crafts and cards I make), and the recipe.  

Yum!

:)

The recipe for Asian colelsaw:

16 oz. pre-packaged Cole Slaw
1 pkg. Chicken flavored Ramen noodles, uncooked
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 c. slivered almonds
1 c. sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1 c. light olive or vegetable oil (I usually only use 1/2 c. vegetable oil to cut calories).
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. vinegar (I use white vinegar)

The seasoning packet from the Ramen noodles

Finally, two more exciting bits of news.  The first is...I'm going to North Carolina in October!  One of my best friends from college is doing AmeriCorps there, so I am going to visit her.  I'm so looking forward to seeing her (it will be over a year by October), and doing all kinds of fun things.  We're doing some history tours (since we're both history geeks), going to a winery, going shopping, and...running a 5K in Ocean Isle Beach!  That's my second bit of news...I'm running a 5K!  I'm training for it now with a friend/colleague.  The program we are using maintains that we will be able to run 3 miles in 9 weeks, and we are one week into training.  It feels good to be running again and getting back in shape.  

I guess that's it for now.  I will update again soon after I make this week's recipes: Pumpkin Oatmeal, a pumpkin smoothie, and Autumn Bean Soup!  

Peace, love, and cooking :)

    

Food Love

It's been quite a while since I last posted. That's partly because I didn't meet any of the goals I set for myself about weight loss, and I didn't want to admit it. However, I did attend (and participate in!) my best friend's wedding this past weekend and my bridesmaid dress fit! I consider that in and of itself a total win. Aside from not meeting my weight loss goals, I did recently accomplish a few other things (both related and unrelated) that were definite wins as well. I am eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking less soda, doing some cardio, and lifting weights significantly more. All good things. Something also happened recently that I am not yet allowed to say (at least not here on the interwebs), so that will remain a mystery until it's official. Let's just say it's a darn good thing. The reason for this post (and the re-focus of the blog in general), is to toss out a realization I had within the past few days. I love food. Obviously. But I don't just mean eating food. I mean I love everything about food. Researching it, preparing it, eating it (of course), enjoying it, and writing about it. I like knowing what's in my food and how it was prepared. I love the ritual of preparing a meal, and the nostalgic feeling of some food (like elephant ears at summer fairs and good lattes during fall). In short, I'm becoming a foodie, and for someone like me, I think that's a much healthier way of approaching food than my current approach to it (read as: I eat it because I'm fulfilling an emotional need, as opposed to a physical one). Perhaps I can turn my love of food into productive (and not totally screwed up) ways of thinking about it. We'll see. We'll start with today. I did some good research on Chai Tea Lattes (which I LOVE) and shared a fantastic recipe for a DIY Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte on Facebook, which you can also find here: http://sumptuousspoonfuls.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/make-your-own-pumpkin-spice-chai-latte. I also discovered that I was running low on Chai tea (gasp!) and quickly purchased more. Yahoo! In addition to exploring recipes, I also made some delicious (and mostly nutritious) meals and snacks today. I had a totally awesome fruit salad when I came home from work today, with an English Breakfast Tea Latte (which I do not recommend, at least not the way I made it). I should point out that I typically don't use any sweetener in my tea, but that particular latte definitely needed it. Yikes. Anyway, my awesome fruit salad is pictured here:

Not only did my fruit salad taste fabulous, it also looked beautiful! I also made a totally great salad for dinner, which consisted of carrots, red pepper, romaine, and a bit of onion. I used this weird but very delicious buffalo ranch dressing made by WishBone - the light version. No pictures of that salad, but I can tell you that it tasted great and looked great, too. When I got home I discovered that my mother had requested I bake some cookies - from the package. That was fine because I'm not great at baking from scratch and had I made a sweet treat, I would have made something fruity and frozen, since fruit is better for you and it's pretty darn hot this week.

For the 4th of July, my family is heading up to my aunt and uncle's cabin, and I am bringing some amazing pineapple salsa that I've made before. I decided this year that instead of buying tortilla chips, I would try my hand at making pita chips to go with the pineapple salsa. I made a small batch tonight and they turned out pretty good. They taste good, but the bread on most of them ended up being a little too thick to brown them correctly. I'll work on that for the actual chip-baking day prior to the 4th. Here is my first attempt at pita chips:

So there you have it - today's baking and cooking adventures. As I said, hopefully this is a more productive use of my love of food than overeating. I couldn't imagine why it wouldn't be! More to come as I continue to cook, bake, eat (albeit less and healthier), savor, and LOVE!

Developing Good Habits

Well, I figure it's about time to update again, and I have plenty to talk about regarding my weight loss and fitness goals.

First, and most importantly, Weight Watchers didn't work for me. However, I can't say I'm surprised by that. Because I spent my days counting points (and cheating points), all I thought about was food, which (go figure) wasn't very effective in controlling my emotional attachment to food. So...I got to thinking last weekend. I thought about how when I was at my heaviest weight (163 pounds during my junior year of college), I managed to take it down by 10 pounds that summer. I remembered what I did during that summer to lose the weight, and I discovered that it was all about developing good habits. (Coincidentally, I'm reading a book right now called "Rediscover Catholicism," and in it, the author discusses good spiritual habits). Okay, back to weight loss. I realized that I had excellent habits that summer, so starting this past Monday, I went back to some of them. Here they are:

Eat a bowl of cereal with milk or yogurt for breakfast EVERY DAY. (Okay, this gets really, really, old but it works because it creates a natural rhythm for your body).
Eat a banana between breakfast and lunch. (Bananas are yummy, so I usually eat one every day. But it also keeps your metabolism up so your body doesn't go into starvation mode and start storing more fat. That's bad.)
Have soup and crackers, or a sandwich, with a piece of fruit and a vegetable for lunch. (Just keep eating those fruits and veggies, and look! by lunch you're already up to 3 servings a day!)
Have something sweet (or salty), but small, for an afternoon snack. It curbs the urge to eat a larger sweet or salty snack later.
Eat a lean cuisine, soup, or a salad for dinner. If you have soup, eat another serving of vegetables. (Self-explanatory - eat something healthy with more veggies to finish out your servings of fruits and veggies for the day).
Drink lots of water and less soda. (This is a big one because of the real sugar (or fake sugar in diet soda) and the caffeine. Caffeine increases your appetite. Water helps naturally flush out the toxins in your body.
Walk 30 minutes during lunch at work every day. (It helps you maintain a steady weight).
Exercise for at least 30 minutes after work. (This is where you should actually lose weight).
Get enough sleep! (Duh - if you're tired you will be munching all day to keep your energy up, and you'll munch on processed sugar and processed carbs, which are always bad ideas).

That's it. That's all I did to lose those 10 pounds that summer. Aside from the 30 minutes of walking at work each day (this week was super wonky in terms of my schedule), I have started all those habits once again! And so far, it's been effective! Huzzah!

I should mention that I did have one major success in the month of March. I set a goal to bike/run/walk 40 miles, and I did it! This month's goal: 60 miles. Because of my crazy busy week this week, I have 0 miles so far, but this weekend and next week should serve me well.

Alright folks, enjoy your Easter, and look forward to another post next month filled with success stories!

Even the Best Laid Plans Don't Always Work Out

I figured it was about time to update the blogosphere again on my quest to lose weight and get back in shape. Remember those last two goals I set? To work out 30 minutes, 4 days a week? And to drink only 3 12-ounce sodas per week? Yeah...those didn't work out so well. And here's why:

I DIDN'T WRITE ANYTHING DOWN. Please metaphorically slap me now.

I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking in not documenting my progress, but I also realize now that clearly I was not ready to set those goals because I failed to hold myself accountable. But, it's time to try again. And I figured I'll try a different way to hit the exercise goal this time. I joined a community goal on the Weight Watchers website to bike/run/walk 40 miles during the month of March, which comes out to about 1.3 miles per day. And this time, I will absolutely document it! I also joined a goal to be in a single-digit clothing size by May 5. I'm not entirely sure how realistic that is, but I figure if it's in my head, I might actually make progress toward that goal. I will say that I would love to be in a single-digit size by the summer. I don't remember the last time I bought anything in a single-digit size...

The soda goal remains this same, but again, I will actually document it this time - starting tomorrow.

You may think that nothing will change this time around, but I can tell you right now that I took the time to make some other changes this weekend that will hopefully give me a push. I've been meaning to get my hair cut and styled for a long time now, and I got a rather expensive last night. I have bangs again (I had them in high school), and the stylist actually demonstrated how to style my curly hair so that it's soft and can move (as opposed to crunchy and stiff). Though I straightened my hair today to see what my (slightly) new cut looks like straight, I am most definitely wearing my hair curly to work tomorrow. Hopefully that new look will motivate me on the weight loss business.

I also discovered the magic of facial masks today. An old colleague of mine sells natural facial care products and gave me a sample of a facial mask, and while that particular product is not quite right for my skin type (of course, I researched it!), I plan to purchase one this week that is correct for my skin type. If you know me well, you know that I've had problems with super oily skin and acne since I was probably 13. It's totally obnoxious, and I figure that if I can get my skin to look better, I will be more motivated to get other parts of me looking better, too!

Finally, I took a pair of jeans that I bought about a month ago that had been hiding in my drawer because they were a little too long over to my grandma's house tonight so she could hem them. They are really cute jeans, and they fit right now, so I'm excited to wear them! I also bought some great plaid deck shoes last night for the spring and summer. So hopefully some wardrobe changes will motivate me as well.

I read an article in the newspaper that said that if you're in a funk, either mentally or physically, or both, all you really need to do is get moving. Exercise your mind and your body. Do something you've been meaning to do that will benefit your physical and mental health. So hopefully I jump-started that process this weekend. Even if I don't meet all of those goals, I will have something to work toward. Furthermore, the article stated that you'll feel better, even if you only think you are making progress.

More to come...probably in another month...

:)

Hard work, Hope, and Hard-boiled eggs

Perhaps the attempt at a funny and creative title is a bit lame. I should get points for the awesome alliteration, though. Because I decided to jump back on the work out wagon tonight, I decided I would also do an update on the weight loss process. It's slow-going, which is to be expected. I have lost a grand total of...four pounds! (Cue fanfare). But seriously, that's an accomplishment. I'm back to the weight I was over the summer, which is a good place to start. (I should also point out that I'm currently about 20 pounds lighter than I was at my heaviest point ever, so the fact that I've kept that off is also pretty awesome).

Enough about what the scale says. I have to say that I'm feeling pretty good, but like everyone in today's world, I would like instant gratification. Obviously, that's not possible with a weight loss goal. So instead, I'm choosing to focus on the progress I have made. I can tell you that I'm already much better at eating. That sounds weird, but if you've ever tried to watch what you eat and control your portion size, you know what I mean. I mean that I actively seek foods that I know will keep me full. I also stop eating when I'm no longer hungry, for the most part. That last one I'm still working on. I'm also taking control of my relationship with food. In college, I was a huge stress eater. If something went wrong at school or at a forensics tournament, I would comfort myself by eating. I know, bad idea. I honestly don't remember when I lost control of my relationship with food, but it feels really good to be regaining control. Now, I channel my frustration/anger/fear/sadness into crafting, exercising, or working on my capstone in attempt to publish it. I've also taken control of my tendency to eat when I'm bored. If I'm watching tv and am tempted to grab a snack (even though I know I'm not hungry), I will knit, craft, play a game on my nook, or go on the computer. It's weird...because I know logically how to lose weight. It makes perfect sense to me. But it's one of those things that is easier said than done if you're someone that struggles with weight. I used to be really jealous of people that don't bear this particular cross, but I've come to realize that all things considered, this cross isn't that bad. Additionally, it makes me a much stronger person (with a whole lot of will power) to have to bear it. (I will quickly explain the cross metaphor. The priest at my church once said during a homily that everyone has a cross to bear. Jesus' cross was of course literal, but most of us have a challenge we deal with throughout our lives, whatever it may be).

The number one thing I have taken away from this adventure so far is to keep going. Even though eating hard-boiled eggs (and I've been eating a lot of them!) will become monotonous eventually, it will all be worth it. I will also tell you (whoever you are) that I've become much more confident with my clothing choices since starting this journey as well. I just purchased a fabulous burnt orange crocheted sweater that I would have never worn before I started this process. For those curious, the sweater makes its debut this weekend in...Eau Claire! I'm going there with a friend to take her friend out for her 21st birthday!

Now that I've make some good progress in controlling my weight and my relationship with food, I've decided it's time to make more changes. My primary goal is to get back on the work out wagon. You have to know that I love exercising in the summer - when I can play tennis, ride my bike, go swimming, and walk outside. The winter is quite a bit more difficult for me. I quickly get bored with running on the treadmill, and I refuse to buy a gym membership because I'm still so sporadic with my workout routines. I fear that I would never use it. I'm thinking that if I can make it through February and most of March, the weather will be good enough to bring out the bicycle. Right now, I'm only shooting for 30 minutes 4 days per week. Compared to my sporadic 30 minutes once or twice a week, if that, I'd say that's a decent goal.

A secondary goal, and one I've made many times before, is to cut down on soda. I drink diet soda, which I know is no better for me than the regular kind. The biggest problem I have with cutting out soda is that I'm totally, absolutely addicted to caffeine. I know that I could drink coffee, but I have to throw a bunch of creamer and sugar in it to make it taste good, which of course raises the fat and calories. I do, however, love tea, so I'm hoping I can get to a point eventually where I can only drink black or green tea to satisfy my caffeine addiction. For now, I'm taking a page from my own after school programming about setting SMART goals, and cutting down to three 12-ounce sodas per week. Compared to my seven per week that I currently drink, that will be a big improvement.

I think that's all for right now. If you read it, thanks for reading! If not, at least I can document my progress and broadcast my goals to the interwebs, which will hopefully keep me accountable. To end, a quotation...

"Vision is not enough, it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs."

Taking that first step...

If you read this blog, you know from my last post that one of my goals for the new year is to continue to work out and get back in shape. I don't think I mentioned that the other part of that goal is to lose weight. If you know me very well, you know that I am considered overweight (according to my BMI - yes, not the most accurate measurement, but it works). Of course, I'm not grossly overweight, and have never been considered obese, though at one point in college I was very close. So, what sparks my desire to lose weight? Well, honestly, it's something I've struggled with my entire life, and at various points in my life, I've done the roller coaster dieting. It's usually worked for a little while. In fact, the summer after my junior year of college, I lost 10 pounds with the old-fashioned "calorie-counting, exercising method." This summer, I dropped another 8 with that same method, and it felt great. However, within the past month, I noticed the numbers on the scale creeping back up again. I also noticed a pattern. Summer means warm weather, an easy time working out, and fresh fruits and veggies to eat in abundance. Winter means cold, nasty weather, boring treadmill work outs, and less motivation to eat yummy fruits and veggies. So, I'm trying to break that pattern. I am also trying to break the old "diet for a day" routine I've done since high school. Usually I look at the scale, respond with the appropriate profanities, and promise myself that "it will be different this time." And, go figure, it's never different.

Which, along with a commercial for Weight Watchers, brought me to tonight. I should also point out that one of my best friends is getting married this summer, and I'm in the wedding. There couldn't be a better time to take control and face my challenges. So, I joined Weight Watchers online. I know many people who have had success, so I decided to give it a shot. I'm not trying to lose some enormous amount of weight. I've set my goal of 15 pounds, which I think is entirely reasonable and will put me in that normal range on the BMI scale. I should also point out that I have three pairs of jeans waiting to be worn. I wore them in high school, but only for about year. Wouldn't it be great to say that I could wear jeans I wore when I was 16? The answer is yes. Clearly, I've also decided to make my goal public, hoping that it will help motivate me to stick with it. So here we go, blogosphere...

I'm thinking that since this blog hasn't been that history related anyway, I will keep you updated on my journey to change my lifestyle.

A side note: I just realized I never explained the title of this blog. It's actually a quotation said by the lovely old chap, Cecil Rhodes. Rhodes was a British businessman who "founded" Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). I chose it as the title of my supposed history blog because it's such a powerful quotation. At the time, Europe was busy dividing up Africa to its liking, and in my opinion, Rhodes was a pretty greedy guy. I think to me it represents the power of one person and the power of ambition and setting goals.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

That it is. For me, Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year. It's a time to be with family and friends, celebrate the birth of Christ, give gifts, and count my blessings. I'm not going to lie, though, I AM looking forward to having a week away from the office!

Christmas also always lends itself well to reflecting on the previous year. Since my family does not send a Christmas letter, I thought I would spend some time reflecting here.

My year was filled with many wonderful times and blessings, including:

-Graduating in May from UW-Eau Claire!
-Actually finding a job (albeit part-time) right out of the gate
-Spending time with family and friends over the summer
-A fabulous weekend vacation to Door County with a very good college friend
-Working for AmeriCorps and getting to know some amazing colleagues (who are now friends) and students
-Celebrating my brother's wedding in October! I couldn't be happier for my brother and sister-in-law and couldn't have received a better sister, either :)
-Being asked to be in a good friend's wedding. We have known each other since first grade, but didn't become close until high school. We lived together in college as well. I couldn't be more honored and happier for her! Though the wedding isn't until June of 2012, I'm including it in the highlights from this year!
-Receiving an award for having a very well-written history capstone. That was exciting for me. Call me a nerd if you must.

Though my year was clearly filled with many great experiences and blessings, it was also filled with some sad times, too. I lost an uncle and a great uncle this year, which was hard for me and my family.

As I reflect on this year and look forward to the new year, I have some resolutions.

-Continue to try working out and getting back in shape
-Exercising patience when I become frustrated or annoyed
-I would love to find a more permanent job that I could stay at for a few years...then go to graduate school!
-Work on publishing my history capstone...we'll see.

That seems like a pretty decent list. I'm really looking forward to Christmas and to the new year to see what it brings! I wish you all a joyous, Merry, and blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.

In my last post, I told you (whoever you are) that I was going to be working for AmeriCorps at UW-Marathon County. Well, I've been at it for about two months now, and I'm enjoying it immensely. If you want to be technical about it, I work for the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service (WIPPS), on the UW-Marathon County campus, which I was placed at through AmeriCorps. Whew, that's a mouthful. (typeful?) Whatever. Disclaimer: please leave the Rihanna jokes out. Yes, WIPPS and chains excite my co-workers and I. Moving on. Without boring you (hopefully), I'm going to attempt to tell you what we do at WIPPS. In a nutshell, WIPPS combines student service, scholarly research, and public dialogue to address numerous public issues. In practicality, that means we host a variety of events (ranging from a conference on how Marathon County can better compete in the global economy, to a discussion on the current state of American politics with Dave Obey and Tom Petri). We also have a Student Civic Leadership Program that involves college students, a high school leadership program, and various other programs/events/projects. We partner with many other organizations, including the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), the campus,and the Kettering Foundation.

As I said in my last post, my project at WIPPS specifically relates to college access. With the DPI, I am coordinating a mentoring program in five schools in the Wausau area, including high schools and middle schools. Most of my time is spent facilitating study halls, chaperoning field trips, programming, and leading activities with my students. Our program focuses on college access - for example, those practical skills and knowledge one must have to get to college (financial aid, how to apply, etc). However, we also believe that students need to know how to lead effectively, have good personal health habits, and understand how to succeed academically. A second part of my job is to make service learning a regular part of student life on the UW-Marathon County campus. Therefore, I am specifically in charge of recruitment and scheduling our college mentors in the various schools. I'm also involved in other projects, such as mentoring for the high school leadership program, college days on campus, and organizing service opportunities on national days of service, like Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Though I absolutely love what I do, the title in of this post sums up my feelings regarding my mentoring/college access project. One of my co-workers and I constantly feel as though we don't do enough - specifically that we aren't making enough of an impact on our students, their schools, and our community. Everyone is constantly asking for more, and because there are only three of us on this project, we have to say "no" sometimes. And that's frustrating. So I'm trying to keep in mind that I am only one person, and that what I do and say will have an impact on my students and my mentors, regardless of whether or not I have the opportunity to see it.

Summer Time!

Well folks, I suppose it's time to update again. I've been out of school for 3 months, and I'm enjoying the lack of homework and free-time on weekends immensely. In my last post, I said I was working for the Corporation Counsel of Marathon County, but I never told you what that means.

The Office of Corporation Counsel consists of three attorneys, a paralegal, three legal secretaries, and me (I'm a receptionist). Our office deals with Children in Protective Services cases, child support, divorce cases, paternity cases, mental commitments, and any case involving Marathon County. For example, we represent the County if someone wants to sue the County. I do a variety of tasks, involving almost all of the above areas. I take paperwork to Judges' chambers for signatures, frequent the Probate Office to "file" paperwork (ie. get it stamped and authenticated), get the mail, answer the phone, make copies, fax paperwork, send out mailings, and anything else I'm asked to do. I actually really enjoy it. It's been an interesting experience; I've learned a lot about how the circuit court works and the processes involved in in it. However, next Friday is my last day in the Office of Corporation Counsel.

I'm moving on to a year-long position with Americorps. Basically, I'll be getting paid for service work, which is excellent. I'm placed at UW-Marathon County, which is a junior college in Wausau, and I'll be designing a program/event/something to increase college access among at-risk populations in Wausau (ie. non-native English speakers, alternative high schools, charter schools, etc.) (Note: if you went to Eau Claire and are familiar with BluGold Beginnings, I'm looking to design something similar to that). I've been told I'll have a variety of other tasks to do as well in this position, and that my position is a pretty important bridge between various organizations in the Wausau area. I start training on August 23, and will hopefully jump into my projects at UW-Marathon County the following Monday.

I also noted in my last post that I was hoping to do some work with the Marathon County Historical Society. Mission accomplished. If anything has kept me busy this summer, it's definitely been historical society projects. I helped create an exhibit celebrating the 100th anniversary of workers' compensation in Wisconsin and Wausau Insurance. Wausau Insurance began almost solely to support the workers' compensation law. It was bought out by Liberty Mutual about eight years ago, but it was such a large part of the Wausau Community that we decided to commemorate what would have been its 100th anniversary. It was incredibly interesting to learn about the history of workers' compensation and Wausau Insurance, and totally awesome to play curator for a few weeks. I also planned and helped facilitate our annual Children's History Day. The day was a total success, and the kids really seemed to enjoy the activities we planned for them. A large part of the day was dedicated to the Civil War, since this year is the 150th anniversary of its start. The actual curators at the historical society created a wonderful exhibit about Marathon County's involvement during the Civil War.

Because I'll be starting a full-time job shortly, I will have less time to devote to projects at the historical society. However, I'm hoping to finish a few more tasks before I leave, involving developing activities for our new Children's Discovery Room, cleaning/organizing for our Curator of Education, and creating yet another small exhibit. Once I start my new job, I'm hoping to be a docent on the weekends for our historic house museum. I may also help the Curator of Education with activities for the Junior History Club.

Other than working, working, and working :) I've been reading, biking, relaxing, watching tv, shopping, spending time with my family, and taking a few weekend trips. It's really been a great summer, and I'm actually looking forward to not going back to school in September for the first time in TWENTY years. That's pretty excellent.

That's all she wrote...

I realized today that I hadn't posted in a while, and I figured there's probably not a more perfect day than graduation day to update! Yes, that's right, after 5 long years, I finally graduated from UW-Eau Claire! (cue fanfare). It was a truly magical experience to be surrounded by my classmates (many of whom I don't even know) and embark together on our next big adventure! My 5 years at UW-Eau Claire went by so quickly in retrospect, and in all honesty, I don't think I have any regrets. First of all, I don't believe in regrets because at one point, everything I did was exactly what I wanted. I will also say that if you don't know, I was very, very studious throughout all of my college career. And while maybe that took some time away from my social life, I know I would not have been satisfied with myself if I hadn't taken my coursework so seriously. Still, it's hard to believe it's over. I had some wonderful experiences at UW-Eau Claire-experiences that changed my life for the better. I met the most amazing people (friends, classmates, and professors) that had such great influence on me and that I will surely keep in touch with for years to come.

Today, I'm feeling a whole mess of emotions: happiness, sadness, anxiety, a feeling of triumph, and relief. But mostly, I'm feeling blessed. Blessed to have been a part of an excellent university, blessed to have had the support I received from my family, teammates, coaches, friends, and professors, blessed to have had the opportunity to obtain a bachelor's degree. College is an experience that cannot be replaced by anything else and to have had the opportunity to learn and grow as much as I did makes me feel truly blessed.

One of my good friends who is wise beyond her years (but also 10 years older than me) told me I should document my hopes, dreams, and fears as I close the college chapter and start a new chapter. In the broad scheme of things, I really only desire two things: satisfaction and purpose. It's pretty simple. In whatever I choose to do in the coming years, I want to be satisfied with it and enjoy it. I also want to do something that has a grander purpose than just making me happy, however. In my chosen line of work, I think I will find immense helpings of both of those.

On a more practical note, I'm dreaming of museum work, or any work in history really, graduate school, marriage, children, a doctorate, and a teaching job at a university similar in size and mission to UW-Eau Claire. As usual, my biggest fear is the fear of failure and disappointing others, especially those who put time and effort into shaping me into the historian and person I am today. I don't know that I will ever overcome either of those fears, but I do know that my time at UW-Eau Claire has taught me to push them aside and replace them with taking risks.

For the summer, I'm heading home to Wausau to work for corporation counsel at the courthouse. It's a temporary, part-time position, but it will work for now. I also just learned about a position opening up at a historical research and consulting firm in Maryland, so I will definitely be applying for that. I also plan to do some projects with the Marathon County Historical Society, visit friends, read for pleasure, get back in shape, and spend some time with my family.

I have no idea where life will take me in the coming years, but I believe that everything will work out the way it's supposed to.

Spring Break

While this may not be the most blog-worthy post ever, it contains the things that have been on my mind the whole semester. By that I mean, I'm trying to a find a job and I've been pre-occupied with it since January. So, I spent much of spring break job hunting. And folks, it's tough out there. I applied in January to numerous visitors' centers throughout the state of Wisconsin, a few museums, and to a couple organizations with PR/Writing positions available, and came up empty-handed. This week, I applied to a few museum jobs, and I especially desire two in particular. They are both really fabulous museum-type tourist traps outside Chicago. One is called Cantigny Park, which contains gardens, museums, and a whole mess of other attractions for folks to enjoy. I'd be an Education Assistant basically, so that would be solid. The other is called Naper Settlement, and it's a Victorian village. Again, I'd be doing Education Assistant-type things. Needless to say, I WANT them. BAD. Also, I know my cousin would love it if I came to live by her :)

The other two museum jobs I'm less thrilled with. Of course, any of them would be awesome. Let's face it, a job in almost any field would be awesome at this point. One is in Wausau, which would mean I could live with my parents and save rent, etc. But I'd also be living with my parents. I realize that a lot of college grads end up back with Mom and Dad, but after leaving for a while, it's hard to live with them again indefinitely. The other is in Phoenix, AZ, and while that would be cool (hot weather, no snow, far away, etc.) I'm not sure I'm ready to move quite so far away from family and friends. So, I really want those jobs in Illinois. I can't believe I'm actually saying that I want to move to Illinois. :)

I also applied for a few communication jobs in multiple hospitals and clinics throughout the Midwest. And while those jobs would be great, anyone who knows me well also knows that I want to work in museum education. It's my dream. But I'm being realistic about the economy at this point in time. Bottom line: I need a job. I really want a job in museum education. But if I don't find that, I'll take anything else that kind of-sort of-maybe relates to either of my majors.

It is depressing? To know that I may not get my dream job, well, perhaps never? Yes and no. I've come to find that the more you plan, the more your plans change. So I'm not planning. Wishing, hoping, dreaming? Absolutely.

But enough about that. The rest of spring break has been filled with enjoying mindless television, eating home-cooked meals and gaining the required amount of pounds from said meals, and then working out to work off those pounds. I also spent some time with my parents, which was nice. Hopefully I'll be heading up to Mankato for a long weekend to see a good friend who's in grad school up there. Oh, homework. Can't forget that. I've done a bit, and will do some more. I can't escape it. But come May 21, I will have won. Ha.

What I've Learned

A while back, and by that mean in high school, I read something called "What I've Learned." It inspired me to write, but at the time I didn't think I was wise enough (or mature enough, really) to write something similar. I guess five years makes all the difference? Not really, but I decided that in my final semester of college (gasp!) I would put pen to paper, or key to computer screen, and attempt to write what I've learned in my twenty-three years of life. So here goes...

1) I've learned that there is such a thing as pushing too hard. Like 38 Special said, it's better to hold on loosely.

2) I've learned that time changes people, sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse. However, I've also learned that it's not my position to judge that.

3) I've learned that everyone has insecurities. It's how you handle them that makes all the difference.

4) I've learned that I would rather be amazing at one thing than average at many things.

5) I've learned that I don't have to be perfect at everything. I've also learned that achieving perfection is impossible.

5) I've learned that it's not worth it to change yourself for others.

6) I've learned that others can't love you if you don't love yourself.

7) I've learned that good things to happen to good people, given time.

8) I've learned that being on top isn't all it's cracked up to be.

9) I've learned that you can't force love. You have to let it grow naturally.

10) I've learned that stress can be good because it provides perspective.

11) I've learned that stress can be bad if you don't know how to handle it.

12) I've learned that friendship doesn't mean talking every day. It means still feeling a connection to someone you haven't spoken with in two months, and picking up right where you left off.

13) I've learned that people come into your life for a reason and leave when they have served their purpose.

14) I've learned that sometimes, you have to rely on yourself.

15) I've learned that it's important to pick your battles.

16) I've learned that sometimes you have to make things happen, and that sometimes you have to let things happen.

17) I've learned that my parents are usually right.

18) I've learned that some conflict is healthy.

19) I've learned that writing can ease pain, heal hurt, and cure loneliness.

20) I've learned that if I don't give everything I have, I will be unsatisfied when I reach the end.

Curriculum Contradictions

If you read this blog, you know I started my last internship today at the Chippewa Valley Museum. You also know that part of my job there is to create a teachers' guide for a new exhibit they just developed. Awesome. Seriously. It's probably my favorite part of museum education, of those that I've experienced so far. My task today was to peruse other guides, as well as finally read those pesky Social Studies Curriculum Standards for the State of Wisconsin. (They sound really important, but most educators think they're ineffective). Basically, they break social studies into 5 different areas: history, geography, economics, behavioral science (what the hell is that?), and political science. Each category has learning objectives for grades 4, 8, and 12. As an educator, I, of course, have an opinion about them. I like the fact that we've attempted to standardize education. However, the standards are written using incredibly vague language. For example: "Identify major discoveries in science and technology and describe their social and economic effects on the physical and human environment." What would be considered "major discoveries?" Or social and economic effects? How competent does the student need to be? So obviously, a lot is left out. But...how are we supposed to include that? That turns social studies into a black-and-white subject, which it's not. It's complicated.

Another big issue...I went to a private school. My teachers didn't have to follow these standards. I never took a geography in my life, and I'm a victory lap senior. I also never took economics until college. Hence, the title of this post. I never touched half of the material in these curriculum standards. However, I still had a fabulous education. I learned to write well (obviously). I learned to recognize areas where I might need improvement. I learned to think critically and make connections between different subjects.

Which brings me to a novel idea. Do we need curriculum standards? I know, it's wild. But I would argue that many teachers are passionate enough to figure out what they should be teaching. Mine were. Teaching at any level is not a profession you can go into without a degree of love for education and students. And maybe this idea wouldn't work. I don't know, but perhaps it's time (again) to re-evaluate our education system here in the US. In addition, there are national standards as well, so which set do teachers prioritize? Or are they relatively the same? I have no idea. Clearly, I have to do more research on this topic. The only thing I'm sure of is that the standards we have now probably don't do what we'd like them to do. I understand that it's tricky, but I also know that a quality education is vitally important. As they say, you can only get by on charm for about 15 minutes...after that, you'd better know something. And considering we're getting beat by multiple countries in many different knowledge areas, we should probably at least do some re-evaluating.

I also realize it's impossible to get every student to the same level of competence in all subjects. Far too many variables exist for that to happen. But if anything is obvious, something has to be done.

Interestingly enough, this whole post addresses many reasons I left the elementary education major as a sophomore. And yet, here I am, still concerned about it :)

Another Internship!

I started my last internship during my college career today. It's a little surreal. Anyway - if you know me well, you know I spent the summer working for free at a couple museums. I had such a great experience at both places - met so many great people, got some awesome experience in museum work, and it was fun. Unfortunately, I did not get the credits I need for school from either of those experiences because I had not yet taken the required course. If you know me well, you also know that I was not too thrilled about that situation. Regardless, internships are awesome, and I would recommend them to EVERYONE. It's a great way to get some experience with a safety net.

So this internship is at the Chippewa Valley Museum in Eau Claire. They do a really nice job of interpreting the history of the Chippewa Valley. The staff is fabulous, and the facility is beautiful. I did some work previously with the educator there, and I am working with her again. I'll be developing a teachers' guide for their new exhibit and doing some docent work as well. More fabulous experience to add to the resume. And it should be fun :)

That's a pretty big nutshell...

Alright folks...here's the story. I'm gonna attempt to give you the nuts and bolts of being a historian in a nutshell.  There's been this weird perception among historians that the public at large doesn't care about history.  Lately, that charge has been coming under fire and we're (historians, that is) starting to realize that perhaps you do, and that we just suck at communicating with you.  I know, I know, some of you still don't, and that's okay, because I probably don't care too much about your passion either.  And it's cool.  We don't all have to love everyone and love everything about everyone.  That's unrealistic, and kind of weird.  Anyway - that's where I come in!  Public Historian to save the day!  I wish I had a super cool super-hero name, but alas, it's just me.  For everyone asking themselves, gee Em, what's a public historian?  I'll tell ya.  A public historian is first and foremost a historian.  So I'm "trained" in the study and practice of history.  (I put "trained" in quotations because I haven't graduated quite yet).  The "study" of history should make sense; we all learned it in elementary school, middle school, and high school.  "Practice" gets a little more complicated.  Public historians "practice" history by researching it and producing what is called "gray" literature (things like captions for museum exhibits, resources for teachers, and anything else that sees more than the brick walls of the ivory tower, or the academy).  By contrast, academic historians "practice" history by teaching it, researching it, and publishing it in the form of a book or article - usually for other historians to read.  The only real difference between an academic historian and a public historian lies in audience.  Simple, right?  Therefore, my job as a "trained" public historian is get you to think about, and perhaps even enjoy thinking about, history.

This is the part where I have to address the age old question: Why should we care about history?  There is no right answer to the question, and every historian will come up with a different answer, of that I can assure  you.  But before I give you my answer, I first need to explain what it is that "trained" historians actually study.  Contrary to popular belief, historians don't just memorize names and dates of treaty signings and European wars that accomplished nothing and that no one really cares about it.  That would get boring.  Instead, historians explore broader social, economic, political, and other causes of particular events that can be considered "watershed" moments.  Or, on the flip side, historians speculate as to why certain events were not "watershed" moments and why things remained as they were in a particular time period.  (A watershed moment is an event or time period that lead to massive change - for example, World War I was a watershed moment for United States immigration policy.  In the post-war era, the United States passed federal legislation that massively restricted immigration into the United States).  I hope that makes sense.  Of course, there is some memorization of names and dates, but that's really only in survey courses.  Once you hit upper levels, it's all about the cause-effect of particular events and implications of said events. That means that we attempt to discover how we got to this point, in 2011. That aspect of history is the usual "How can you know we're you're going if you don't know where you've been?" line. For example, immigration policy of the past informs current immigration policy. But there's a lot more to it than that. And after all, we're speculating. We don't have all the answers. Sorry to disappoint anyone.  

In addition to all that, historians explore the history of history, which is called "historiography."  This topic is really heady, and gets confusing from time to time.  Historians, like me, examine what other historians, like one of my professors for example, had to say about a particular event or topic.  And of course, each historian has a different take on a certain topic.  Granted, some things are historical truths, but they can be interepreted in any number of different ways.  That was a really nice segway to your next point, Em.  Why thank you, Em.  Okay, I need to point out here that ALL history is someone's interpretation of what happened in the past, which to many, makes the study of history entirely futile.  And to them I say, your face is futile!  Then, I say, well, doubter of history, the great thing about interpretation is that it says something about the time period it was produced in.  And that, my friends, or enemies, or whoever you are, is why we study history.  Any document, photograph, exhibit, letter, or what have you, that's been saved from a particular time period demonstrates what those people thought was important in that time period.  Moreover, any history of a topic or event that was produced demonstrates how historians thought about that topic or event in the past. In terms of public history, a plaque memorializing a particular individual says a lot about what people of that time period valued. For example, if today, in 2011, a plaque was created to commemorate a famous protector of the environment, people would look back and determine that people of our time period really cared about the environmental movements and individuals who were vital to their creation.

So hopefully all of that makes sense. I know it's probably still difficult for you to understand why I enjoy the study and practice of history. For me, it's exciting in that "I finally figured out this algebra problem that I've been working on for 3 hours" kind of way. It's finding that perfect piece of evidence that says exactly what you need it to say. I should also mention that much of what I do as a public history major is read and write. If you know me well, you know that reading and writing is practically all I do these days. Historians are always trying to learn more about particular events, times, and places, and I have discovered that I have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. So history works for me. In addition, I have a huge passion for writing, so that works out nicely as well. Finally, history is not black and white, and accepted interpretations of historical events are always changing. Perhaps new evidence was found, or historians just looked at an old piece of evidence through a different lens. For some reason, it's fun, challenging, exciting, inspiring, horrifying, and beautiful, all at the same time.

 So, with all that in mind, I'm imagining that this blog will be just random things about what's happening in the history world (and things do happen! It's not just a bunch of old professors in their smoking jackets discussing the repercussions of the Treaty of Versailles, which has been discussed to death, by the way). I'll also include some updates on my history capstones (yes, you saw that right, two of them).  

So,if you read this thing, great!  If you even like it, fantastic!  If you kind of like it, but I could do something to make it better, tell me!  If you don't read it, fine.  If you don't like it, fine.   Trust me, I won't be offended, because even my friends find my major boring!