A little more sappy than I usually prefer, but I’ve been keeping a more private journal over the past few days to deal with what’s been a reasonably tough week. Optimism at my core, I found these two photos on my Facebook newsfeed this morning and thought they were too appropriate to not share.
Just click the “play” symbol to the left of the song titles to hear the music.
Hold My Hand by Michael Jackson & Akon
Yellow by Coldplay
Let’s just have a productive day. Soon.
At dinner with some new friends tonight, I received a unique question. Upon realizing that I have a completely ridiculous obsession with Apple products, a friend asked me – what’s on your home screens? How do you prioritize everything, what goes where? I thought that this would be a cool blog to write, because people do often ask me why do you need an iPhone, an iPad, AND a Mac? And how do you keep all of that organized?
Well, I own and use each because different devices do different things. I’m really lucky and fortunate to be able to have all three, and having paid for each one after intentionally saving my money, I take care of each of them greatly. You’ll never see my iPhone without a case, same for my iPad, and whenever my laptop goes into my backpack, it goes into a case too. Double cases haha I use to have a clam shell case for my laptop but it made it heavier than such a light laptop should be.
Like most people, my computer is obviously for heavy word processing and long term internet browsing/usage. My iPhone is for constant text (short) messaging, “phone calls,” and anything else I need access to virtually 24/7 like my to do list and calendar quickly. My iPad is primarily used for medium-time web surfing, taking notes, viewing articles, playing games, and watching movies – definitely more social things.
Here are my home screens for each device:
All in all, there are certain uses for certain devices obviously. The best part, though, about owning all Apple products is that your content (photos, messages, calendar) can sync across all of them. If I make an edit to my calendar on my desktop, it’ll show up on my iPad. If I get an iMessage on my iPad, it shows up on my iPhone. The syncing provides you efficiency that you can’t really get when your’e constantly trying to make all of your devices talk to each other.
Consider this a serious endorsement for Apple. :)
Some of the weirdest things happen when you least expect it! This afternoon I was just sitting around the house getting some work done, and I got this text message from a fellow Hokie. We had actually served as officers in Alpha Kappa Delta last year, and had the same major obviously (sociology).
So of course I was anxious to see the photo, and truly enough here it is!
After returning from Boston, I think that I was most excited to be able to substitute teach at the local schools. I have been a registered substitute teacher since the summer of 2011. Ever since, I haven’t been in Fredericksburg at the same time that public schools are in session. On Monday and Tuesday, I would be, so I decided to keep an eye out for the calling system to give me a ring and ask me to come in. Sunday night, while at dinner, I got a ring from the system and ended up logging in to accept a job substituting for all levels of high school math at Mountain View High School. I had never been to MVHS, so I was excited, as I learned that their school colors were maroon and orange. Nuff said.
I do have to say, though, I loved working with these children. Seeing them understand the concepts that were simply eft for me to communicate from a lesson plan was nice. I understand why people experience such job from being a teacher. But, to allude to Nevitt Sanford‘s Challenge & Support Theory (one of my favorite student development theories of ALL time), the amount of support that you need to provide younger students is insane. Which is ironic for me to feel, personally, beacuse I love the amount of suppor tthat you need to provide to little 7-year-old 1st graders. But for them, it’s expected. And they are striving to be independent simultaneously, and eager to learn more.
You can’t describe all teenagers, for the sake of their development, in the same way. Some are working eagerly to move forward and some are perfectly happy being stagnant. Working with those more challenging situations woul dbe hard for me, I’ll admit, if I was ever a high school teacher. At the university level, there is that innate sense of “I want to be here,” my most students. Not all, but most. And I think that is what can help navigate many challenges in higher education administration. So, essentially, this entire experience while unique and rewarding in tis own way, really helped cement the fact that I am in the right field. :)
Last year, Kristin and I took a fantastic trip to Boston at the start of 2011’s Winter Break. We had both been itching to travel somewhere and get outside of Blacksburg, being in our senior year and in the home stretch. She’s a world traveler, and I’m certainly not, but I really did want a new experience, too. We chose Boston because of a great deal on Jetsetter, a website that gives amazing discounts on all kinds of different travel accomodations.
Boston, in 2011, was one of the best trips or vacations I had ever taken. Not only was a great trip with a great friend, but it was fantastic to explore a new city, mostly unplanned, asking locals for reccomendations, and hitting up all of the fun, typical, Boston things like the Freedom Trail, local bars, etc. We realized that Boston was a relatively young city, and we were excited for the opportunity to get back in the future after spending only three days there.
Later that spring, during a late night study session at the Math Emporium preparing for final exams, we looked at the football schedule when Virginia Tech Athletics released it. We realized that we would be playing Boston College in Chestnut Hill, just 10-20 minutes outside of Boston. We immeadiately snatched up some $30 tickets for the game and decided that we would plan the rest of the trip come fall.
This fall, with the help of a good mutual friend of ours, Karen, we sat down and realized that JetBlue had some fantastic tickets on sale – only $70 one way for a flight from DC to Boston. Last year, we decided to take a train from Fredericksburg to Boston but this time around we decided that since it was right at the beginning of Thanksgiving we should snatch up these deals, too.
So, we spent the weekend that began Thanksgiving Break in Boston and we really enjoyed ourselves! I told myself I would do a better job of taking pictures than I do in normal life (because by my standards, I am kind of bad at it) and I succeeded on the first day. After that? Not so much. But I still have quite a few that I wanted to post on here to document the memories.
When we arrived (after, myself, chugging through the night from 7 pm – 11 pm driving from Blacksburg to Fredericksburg, quickly doing some laundry, packing, and catching a flight that departed DC at 6:00 a.m.) we went to the hotel first to try and check in. Unfortunately our hotel room wasn’t ready 8 hours early. :-p We were staying at the Intercontinental Boston, due in part to a certificate I had gotten for a free second night of a 2 night weekend stay.
This hotel was right near the harbor, beautifully positioned relatively in the heart of Boston, convenient to public transportation, and a great choice due to the price vs. the amount of amenities that we got.
Last year, we stayed at The Lenox Hotel, in Back Bay, and that was the Jetsetter deal that really ignited our planning for the trip. On the way out of town, as our train was leaving at like oh dark thirty in the morning, we did a grab and go breakfast. This time around, I treated Kristin to Breakfast at the Lenox instead, and we actually got to sit down and enjoy what was a fantastic breakfast. Didn’t think to take any pictures. Lame.
After that, we went to another place that we had been to the year before. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE a good manicure. I don’t care about your perceptions of manicures, and what they may be, but there are 2 things that are true. 1. pushing a wheelchair around all day eventually pushes your hands to the brink of horrible damage, and 2. there is some confidence to be had in hands that are presentable!
SO, I must endorse – if you are ever in Boston check out this place: Hollywood Nails. I link to the Yelp page because their web page is…not bearable. This place, not even ADA accessible, is probably the site of one of the best manicures I’ve ever gotten, and definitely Kristin’s favorite french/gel manicure. Check it out.
Fun fact about Karen, we actually were boyfriend and girlfriend back in the sixth grade! After I moved away to Fredericksburg, we didn’t really keep in touch until we ended up living right down the hall from each other freshman year in a leadership living learning community on campus! Karen’s completing her fifth year in architecture while I complete my Master’s at Tech, so it’s been fun getting to spend more time together.
I can’t decide, for the life of me, which one’s I’d prefer. I want both. Might get both. But thought I’d ask for opinions instead. :) What do you all think?
I mean, are we going to Egypt? Cause I thought we were going to Massachusetts… :)
