Day 15: A picture of you last year and now. How have you change since then?

This is me in June 2009 (so a little over a year ago):

THEN,
I was a senior at Worthington Kilbourne High School.
I was on the honor roll, and would graduate with honors.
I had never taken a college class, only AP's.
I had four best friends.
I had been to one or two midnight movie premieres.
I had just seen Franz Ferdinand in concert!
My house was a mess because my crazy family was remodeling.
I was worrying about what my roommate would be like.
I went to church, but hardly ever went to youth group.
The farthest I had driven at a time was an hour away to my grandparents'.
The only thing I'd bought online was a beanie baby on eBay.
I only cut my hair for Locks of Love, and was sure I'd never dye my hair.
I'd almost always wear my hair up in a ponytail, out of my face.
My best work was the 100-page novella about dragons.
I hated poetry.
I was much more naïve about the world.

and this is me more recently (let's say, November 2010):


NOW,
I am a college sophomore majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in French and Business at Bowling Green State University.
I made the Dean's List last semester and am hoping to be on it again this semester.
I have taken and excelled in three semesters' worth of college classes, many of them Honors.
I have six best friends.
I have been to five or six midnight movie premieres.
I just saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1!
My house looks great, but the family in it is still crazy! ;)
I consider my roommate among my closest friends, and I'm going to miss her when she moves out next semester.
I am involved with H2O and consider myself a strong Christian.
I drive 2 hours each way to come home some weekends.
I've developed a nasty habit of shopping online... :/
I cut layers and bangs into my hair this past summer, and I'm considering dying my hair.
I usually wear my hair down or half-up, unless I'm studying hard or working out.
I know that my best work is yet to come, with the new story I'm working on.
I still don't particularly like poetry, but I've come to appreciate it.
I know that I don't know everything about the world, but I'm eager to learn more.

Day 14: Something you crave a lot.

Lately, I've been craving a few things:
1. Cheese quesadillas. I've become somewhat obsessed with them this school year, haha. But I don't always have the money / mealplan to get some. So I usually end up craving them for a few weeks before I break down and buy one. (haha)
2. Popcorn and ice cream, especially if I haven't been home in awhile. These foods really remind me of home, because I LOVE popcorn (I have my own popcorn maker and everything) and I always serve my dad ice cream (it's kind of a tradition).
3. Baked mac & cheese! (also if I haven't been home in awhile)
4. As much as I say I have a Peter Pan complex, sometimes I crave change. A lot of the time, it's with my hair-- dying it a funky color, or cutting it in a crazy way (which is weird... because I hardly ever change my hair...). Lately, I've wanted to try minking my hair-- keeping the top layers blonde and dying the bottom ones dark purple-- but we'll see if that works out.
5. Sometimes, I just crave to be with certain people... I think everybody gets like that, especially if you miss the person in question.
6. Of course, I get cravings to write quite a bit. :) Such is the life of a writer...

Day 13: What makes you different from everyone else.

Wow, I've gotten really behind... sorry. Anyway, the thing I like to say when asked this question is that I'm a writer, an artist, in this corporate-dominated world. Sometimes, though, I wonder if that's really true...

Day 12: A picture of something that makes you happy.

I edited this picture from screenshots of a recent episode of Castle "3XK," in which Castle and Beckett share one of their first real intimate moments. I squealed so loud when this happened, haha. I love the Castle/Beckett pairing, and I want them to get together already! Their sexual tension is driving me crazy! Of course, Nathan Fillion, the actor who plays Castle, says that as soon as Castle and Beckett hook up, the series will be over... I hope that doesn't happen. :/ Of course, they're both involved with other people at the moment, so we're safe for now.

Day 11: Nicknames you have and why you have them.

1. K.
The reason I have this one is because of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and my best friend, C. We started writing letters to each other sophomore year of high school using only our first initials, like in Snicket's series. My grandmother somehow picked up on this and also calls me K. My roommate calls me this, too, because I'm so used to signing my name "K." at the end of my notes on our white board.
2. Kai-chan
My friend KT calls me this, because she thinks I'm small and cute, and we share a mutual fascination with asian culture. She also calls me Jaildo, because apparently that's what T9 thinks she means when she's typing my name in her phone. XD
3. Kaiberto, K-bob
My sister Leah calls me this because my siblings and I called her Leroy for the longest time, and she wanted to give me a guy name to for some reason (probably to annoy me).
4. Léa
This is the name I picked for my French name when I was in 7th grade. I used it in French class until my senior year of high school. In my college French classes, they always called us by our real names, which I have yet to get used to, and I'm a sophomore!
5. Kieleen
My mom calls me this because apparently at my first doctor's appointment when I was a baby, the nurse called my name as "Kieleen Norse" (when it's actually pronounced Kay-LIN NURS). She immediately thought, "What have I done to this child?" So she still uses it in jest.
6. Crash
My grandpa calls me this because when I was sixteen I got rear-ended and totaled my first car... basically he never let me live it down, haha.
7. Nourse
My golf coaches and my badminton professor (so consequently my entire badminton class) call me by my last name. I always thought that was weird... But I guess it isn't really, haha.
8. Mom
Yeah... quite a few of my friends call me this in jest because I have some sort of mothering complex, I guess. I'm basically a big worrier, always asking that they text me when they get somewhere safely... that kind of thing.

Day 10: Plans/dreams/goals you have.

1. I definitely plan on writing a novel within the next year or so. I am going to write one for my Honors Project next year, so I'll already have a solid manuscript when I graduate. (that way, it'll be that much easier to get published)
2. Probably my biggest dream is to see a book I wrote on the shelves of Barnes & Noble, Borders, and "wherever books are sold." It doesn't have to be a best-seller, but it wouldn't hurt. ;)
3. I want to incorporate my faith into my writing so I can spread the Word through the pages of my books. I think that is truly what God is calling me to do. :)
4. I want to travel to a bunch of places (see day #4's post) :)
5. Although this is WAY in the future, I definitely want to have a family of my own, and I want to adopt kids. The world's so overpopulated, and every kid deserves to be loved. :)

And... well, I'm sure I have more, I just can't think of them now. Haha.

Day 9: Put your iPod on shuffle: first 10 songs that play.

I swear to God this was totally random, but it completely sums up my tastes in music...

1. P.Y.T. (2008 Remix) - Michael Jackson feat. will.i.am - Thriller 25
2. This Fire - Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
3. Pigfarts, Pigfarts - Joe Walker, Lauren Lopez - A Very Potter Musical Soundtrack
4. Up - Shania Twain - HAM Night!! 6
5. Ridin' Solo - Jason Derülo - HAM NIght!! 7
6. Mighty This Love - Peter Mayer - Stirrin' Up The Water
7. Akatsuki - Alice 9 - Meine Leibe Wieder OST
8. Guys Like Potter - Lucius Malfoy and Snape - A Very Potter Sequel Soundtrack
9. Not Crying - Flight of the Conchords - The Distant Future
10. Amish Paradise (Parody of "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio) - Weird Al Yankovic - Bad Hair Day

Day 8: Songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, and mad.

I actually have playlists on my iPod for such moods...

Happy: usually musicals and the like... my "Musicals," "Wake Up!" and "Spring Has Sprung" playlists
- Good Morning, Baltimore (Nikki Blonsky)
- Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) -- just MJ in general
- No You Girls (Franz Ferdinand)
- Lucky (Glee Cast)
- Smile (Uncle Kracker)
- Short Skirt, Long Jacket (Cake)

Sad: either slower, softer songs, or really intense ones... depending on the kind of sad I am. Slower = "Sleep" playlist, Intense = Evanescence and the like.
- Lithium (Evanescence)
- Daisy (Switchfoot)
- Fade Together (Franz Ferdinand)
- All These Things I've Done (The Killers)
- Red Light (David Nail)
- Change Your Mind (The Killers)
- Long Line of Cars (Cake)

Bored: Sometimes I just put my iTunes on shuffle if I'm bored.
- Charlie the Unicorn songs (Jason Steele)
- Michael (Franz Ferdinand)
- Her Morning Elegance (Oren Lavie)
- I Like A Boy in Uniform (The Pipettes)

Hyped: the intense songs on my "Golf" playlist
- We Are (Ana Johnsson)
- Back in Black (AC/DC)
- 40' (Franz Ferdinand)
- Iris (The Goo Goo Dolls)
- Je Suis En Vie (Grégory Lemarchal)

Mad: I dunno... I don't really listen to music much when I'm mad. Here goes nothing...
- Ammunition (Switchfoot)
- Nobody's Fool (Avril Lavigne)
- Bulletproof (LaRoux)
- Kakumei (Toshihiko Seki)


Well, there you have it.

Day 7: Something you've been proud of from the past few days.

I got a 92% on my Pop Culture midterm! Which I was actually kind of worried about. My professor was acting like we all failed it. But I didn't. :)

Also, I was able to keep a really juicy secret from one of my best friends for nearly a week. I knew who her big in her sorority was, and I couldn't tell her... it was so hard, especially since she was torn up that it wasn't going to be the girl she thought it was going to be. But I did it! And she was totally surprised. :D

That is all.

Day 6: Short term goals for this month and why.

Since it's almost the end of the month, these will be for next month, November. I'll think of 11 goals for the 11th month...
1. Stop biting my fingernails! As I mentioned in Day 2's entry, I have a bad habit of biting my fingernails... Hopefully, I'll be able to at least make progress in this area.
2. Write EVERY DAY. It is National Novel Writing Month in November, but I don't think I'll be able to participate this year. Although I am working on a concept right now, I don't have a story ready. I DO however, have five new writing books to draw from, so I should be able to get some good daily exercises out of those.
3. Read the Bible every day. I have been doing this, up until recently. This program that I'm in at my church had us read the four Gospels in 8 weeks. I'll admit, I've gotten a bit behind schedule (as I'm still in John and the program ends next week), but I do want to finish that task and continue reading through the New Testament.
4. Figure out my housing situation for next year. It's kind of complicated, and I'll spare you the details, but what I thought was pretty much set in stone about where I was going to live next year was just shattered... so I will have to figure out where I am going to spend the next year of my college career.
5. Vote! This will technically be in November, so I'm counting it. I still have to research the candidates to see who I should vote for (and I already have my absentee ballot), so it's still an important task.
6. Find and buy Christmas presents for my friends and family. On a budget, might I add. It's better to get it out of the way now than when I have finals to worry about in early December.
7. Keep up on all my homework (and maybe even get ahead!) As I've said before, I'm a chronic procrastinator, so sometimes homework (especially large projects) are quite difficult. I'm hoping to better manage my time so I can get to do everything that needs to be done (and things I want to do, too).
8. Finish re-reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows before the movie premiere(!) on the 19th. :)
9. Have another HAM night with my best friends at BG. We've all been so busy with all of our schedules lately that it's hard to hang out much anymore. I want to savor the time we have together...
10. Wear makeup at least 5 days a week. I think it helps with my appearance (even if it's just a mental thing), but I always forget to do it in the morning, or I feel too lazy to do it, even if I do remember.
11. Focus more of my life on God. Just generally trust him more. Also, I might be getting baptized... stay tuned. :)

Day 5: Favorite superhero and why.

Da na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na...



BATMAN!

You know why? Because Batman is basically just an average guy. Well, not really average, since he's a billionaire-playboy by day... but he doesn't have super powers. And neither do his villains. They're all very... real. Which is awesome. He could be satisfied with his position at the top of Wayne Enterprises, but he knows there's something more that could be done in the world. Of course, he has a dark past... he wouldn't really be Gotham's Dark Knight if he didn't. AND he has the coolest gadgets ever! (he's got to, with all that cash) Plus, Batman has the best parodies. Just sayin'. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQYxAeruiEo&feature=related

Day 4: The five places you want to go most.

Well, I have a lot of places I want to visit... so I decided I would split it into two categories: International and Domestic.

International:
1. (Back to) London, England, and Paris, France.



2. Italy. Particularly Rome. I've heard it's beautiful, and the food is amazing!


3. Ireland or Scotland. To play golf. That would be pretty freakin' amazing. :D


4. New Zealand. It's got to be pretty awesome if Flight of the Conchords came from there! And Lord of the Rings was shot there. Plus, I've heard there's incredibly scenery. :)


5. British Columbia, Canada. I've heard it's beautiful there, and Canada is always a nice place to visit. :)



Domestic:
1. California. I've never been to the West coast (the farthest West I've been is Idaho), and I've heard it's gorgeous, and of course there's a lot to do.


2. Hawaii. 'nough said. :)


3. Colorado. Particularly Vail. If you know what I mean. :)


4. The Grand Canyon. I went out West a couple summers back, but we never got to go there...


5. Texas. Again, I've never been, and I've heard it's a sweet place.

Day 3: A picture of somewhere you've been.

I've been thinking about this, and though I could post a picture of Paris or the Rocky Mountains or Key West, the place that's close to my heart right now is my tree. :) But first, some background:
In Gilmore Girls (amazing show, btw), Rory goes off to college at Yale. She's a study-aholic, so naturally she needs a place to, but her roommates are all fighting, and the library is crowded, so she wanders around campus until she finds it-- her study tree. She calls her mom to tell her about it, saying it fits her back perfectly, and it's a great place to study... then she comes to her tree the next day, and finds it occupied by a guy reading trucker magazines. In the end, she buys the tree from him for $20. I always loved that storyline in the episode (4.06, "An Affair to Remember")... I'm not gonna lie, that's one of the things I thought about when I first came to BG.
I found it yesterday...


I was stranded in main campus, away from my dorm, and had not brought the right books to do my homework. I tried going to a computer lab, but they were all full... then, I walked over to where my next class would be, half an hour later, and I saw it-- it was love at first sight. It's like a chair, I can sit in it and not have my back cramp, and it's not too high off the ground... I hope some guy doesn't steal my study tree... 'cause honestly, I don't have the $20 to spare right now. Haha.

*Also, in the lower picture, is my new bag I got from ThirtyOne! Eee! I love it so much. :D

Day 2: A habit you wish you didn't have.

I know this sounds lame, but... I really wish I didn't bite my nails. It's a bad habit, but I don't know how to get rid of it! Argh! I really wish I could get a manicure like a regular girl... but I don't have enough nail. Pedicures are nice, though... Man, I could use a pedicure right now... wow, I'm off topic. Anyway, I have been biting my nails for as long as I can remember... If anyone has suggestions on how I can rid myself of this "horrid habit" (Parent Trap reference, to those of you 90s kids who remember when Lindsay Lohan wasn't... well, Lindsay Lohan), post in the comments below. :)

Not procrastinating would be nice, too. Haha.

Day 1: A recent picture of yourself and 15 interesting facts about you.

1. I picked this picture because recently I've been acting completely ridiculous. :P It's also a reference to a commercial that I love: http://tinyurl.com/2g7go89
2. I have four best friends. When I get married, I'm going to be screwed trying to pick a maid of honor.
3. I am a vegetarian and have been since I was four years old.
4. I am a Creative Writing major (French and Business minors) at THE Bowling Green State University. I'm also a sophomore.
5. I am a Christian, but recently I have really been giving my life to God, and I'm loving every moment of it
6. I think I have a special talent for killing plants. I strangle them with love... I'm glad I'm not the only one who takes care of my dog at home, haha
7. I have been to France--only for a few days-- and I want to go back. But not to study abroad... just to absorb the atmosphere. Paris is my favorite city on the planet.
8. I am a writer. I wish I could motivate myself to write every day... that's probably partially why I bought all those writer's idea books over the summer... and I definitely need to work on my motivation... haha
9. I am in LOVE with the show Castle. If you've never seen it, you need to. :) http://tinyurl.com/28xkxsv
10. I play the clarinet, and next semester, I was unable to fit Uni Band into my schedule, so it will be the first time in almost NINE YEARS that I won't be playing in an organized band for the whole school year. I'm pretty sad about this fact...
11. I want to get my masters in Library Science and be a librarian by day, novelist by night.
12. I love getting mail. I know, everyone says that, but I'm kind of ridiculous about it. Sometimes, I feel like I order things online just so I can get it in the mail.
13. I am not afraid of the number thirteen. It is one of my favorite numbers... part of the reason why 26 is my all-time favorite number is because it's 13 times 2. And Fridays the Thirteenth are some of the best days, in my opinion. :)
14. When I was a little girl, I wanted a pet komodo dragon and a chinese alligator, not a pony. But my favorite animal is the wolf. (they never seem to have wolf stuff in stores...)
15. I'm a terrible procrastinator. I'm doing it right now, actually-- I should have used this time to write an ode (due in my Craft of Poetry class tomorrow), but I didn't.

15 Day Challenge

Okay, I haven't written in awhile--who knows if anyone in cyberspace even finds my thoughts worthwhile!-- but I came across this on a friend's page and decided to try it.


Day 1: A recent picture of yourself and 15 interesting facts about you.
Day 2: A habit you wish you didn't have.
Day 3: A picture of somewhere you've been.
Day 4: The five places you want to go most.
Day 5: Favorite superhero and why.
Day 6: Short term goals for this month and why.
Day 7: Something you've been proud of from the past few days.
Day 8: Songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, and mad.
Day 9: Put your ipod on shuffle: first 10 songs that play.
Day 10: Plans/dreams/goals you have.
Day 11: Nicknames you have and why you have them.
Day 12: A picture of something that makes you happy.
Day 13: What makes you different from everyone else.
Day 14: Something you crave a lot.
Day 15: A picture of you last year and now. How have you change since then?