I have had so many dreams never make it to the conscious world. But for some reason, this one stuck with me so I had to just write it down somewhere. Hopefully you will be somewhat entertained.
Most of the dream takes place in the restroom of a huge football stadium. It is coed, and there is an extremely huge line. It is mixed between males and females because it isn't the same as when girls flock together to a bathroom. It is a waiting area so you can catch up with your friends and family before going back to your section. However, your section is based on your career path, and the doors to that section are actually portals to different parts of the world depending on what you are doing with your life. So essentially, every time you enter the long bathroom line, you have accomplished a new goal that you were trying to achieve and receive a "break" to see others.
Now I definitely knew everyone in my dream, but some people were doing entirely different things with their lives (i.e. a teacher was a zoologist, etc.). So that was kind of amusing. Some people were doing their actual career. I can't remember what everyone in my dream was doing, but we were all making small talk and encouraging each other when we met in the bathroom and before we went on our next adventure.
The last memories consisted of people rapidly cycling through so there was no wait in line anymore, and it was chaotic. Randomly, my hairbrush was there, and I didn't want to carry it with me anymore. I was planning to write my name on the back so no one else would touch it, but debating if I wanted to label it because it would look funny. Then I woke up. Why was that happening? Not a clue.
So now I'm wondering what influenced this dream... a) I must be obsessed with football, b) the bathroom is a good place to relax? c) I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my life, and probably - d) as people get older, life becomes a total whirlwind, a place where it gets more and more difficult to just take a step back and breathe.
I'm feeling like that right about now. When things seem to feel more optimistic and I can catch a break, something else comes up to remind me that I still have a lot of "figuring life out" to do. I know that I shouldn't be spending my life looking forward to the future, but it is hard since the present has had it's hardships.
Maybe I'll just spend more time in the bathroom...
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
What gets me up in the morning
If you were to ask me this before summer started, it would have been my cats. They like to wake me up when it is breakfast time, or if they see me open my eyes. They also like to wake me up from my naps so I can give them attention.
But now, I wake up way earlier for my ASL class I take four days a week. It is actually through the University of Washington so it is very convenient. I go to class from 8:45am to 1pm, Monday through Thursday. We experience total immersion; the classroom is a no talking zone. I have already learned so many signs after the first week and am so excited to learn more.
I love the class, I love how we learn, and I really love the group of students that are attending. They are all there to be able to expand the horizons of communication, and to learn about a new culture. Everyone is so understanding and excited to be there just as much as I am. ASL is such a beautiful language, and thank goodness I still have another 8 weeks. After it is finished, who knows? Maybe I'll continue the second year courses at UW. :)
But now, I wake up way earlier for my ASL class I take four days a week. It is actually through the University of Washington so it is very convenient. I go to class from 8:45am to 1pm, Monday through Thursday. We experience total immersion; the classroom is a no talking zone. I have already learned so many signs after the first week and am so excited to learn more.
I love the class, I love how we learn, and I really love the group of students that are attending. They are all there to be able to expand the horizons of communication, and to learn about a new culture. Everyone is so understanding and excited to be there just as much as I am. ASL is such a beautiful language, and thank goodness I still have another 8 weeks. After it is finished, who knows? Maybe I'll continue the second year courses at UW. :)
Friday, June 17, 2011
A Small Accomplishment
This really isn't a big deal, but I got a poster into WikiSym 2011! For those of you who don't know what it is here is a link: http://www.wikisym.org/ws2011/
And if you don't want to read the link, it is a conference about websites such as Wikipedia, and cool innovations to make them more interesting, get others to become contributors instead of readers, etc. Is there something in Wikipedia where you could see yourself making a contribution, or maybe a subject you want to add?
Papers are the way to go through graduate school (and get a job), but I will submit the paper version of this poster this fall. The reason that this is so exciting is that it is the first acceptance while in graduate school! I am happy they accepted my work in progress because they can see the value in my work. I am so happy today!
And if you don't want to read the link, it is a conference about websites such as Wikipedia, and cool innovations to make them more interesting, get others to become contributors instead of readers, etc. Is there something in Wikipedia where you could see yourself making a contribution, or maybe a subject you want to add?
Papers are the way to go through graduate school (and get a job), but I will submit the paper version of this poster this fall. The reason that this is so exciting is that it is the first acceptance while in graduate school! I am happy they accepted my work in progress because they can see the value in my work. I am so happy today!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
A Real Vacation...
For the past couple of days I have been lucky enough to be on a vacation. I spent the first day with my mom and going through things in my room and reminiscing about school and the past. I really wish I could spend more time with her :(
The next two days have been spent at Neskowin, OR right on the beach with my Dad, Kris, and brother Bryan. It has been beautiful watching the waves crash and just enjoying nature. It really has been amazing for the most part to just kick back and relax. I am glad that I will be seeing more of them this summer!
I wish I could have vacations like this more often. I think at one point I said "I feel really lazy right now", and I was told "That's great!". I need more positive reinforcement ;)
I hope people are taking advantage of the summer months ahead to be lazy.
The next two days have been spent at Neskowin, OR right on the beach with my Dad, Kris, and brother Bryan. It has been beautiful watching the waves crash and just enjoying nature. It really has been amazing for the most part to just kick back and relax. I am glad that I will be seeing more of them this summer!
I wish I could have vacations like this more often. I think at one point I said "I feel really lazy right now", and I was told "That's great!". I need more positive reinforcement ;)
I hope people are taking advantage of the summer months ahead to be lazy.
Friday, June 10, 2011
I'm not giving up
Admittedly, the blog failed miserably, but I can explain why -
First off, I had all the symptoms of Norovirus, but I never checked with a doctor because I hate visiting the doctor. I was stuck at home for days and it wasn't fun. I finally traveled south to Corvallis since I hadn't eaten anything to visit college friends (so no opportunity to get sick on the road). Five days later, I got home and was really burnt out about school. Naturally, the next day, I got sick again. I got "better" in time for the end of the term, and then got a sinus headache which kept me in bed for a while. Needless to say, it has been frustrating being constantly sick for the better part of a month. However, if this is the worst of my illnesses, I am pretty lucky.
The purpose of this post isn't for me to complain, but as you can guess, I wasn't really enjoying life for a while. And yes, the question of whether or not graduate school is a healthy place for me has come up in my thoughts. When talking to people about graduate school, everyone says you need a good enough reason to stay. This confuses me though, because what is the golden reason? Are there good reasons to pick from somewhere that I'm not aware of? Is my reason socially acceptable, or will you just listen to me skeptically and think I'll quit in another year?
You know what my reason is (and believe me, most of the time I can't come up with one)? It just feels right. I honestly think that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now. I think that if I were to quit I would really regret leaving behind the opportunity I have right now laying in my hands. But I guess, the only person that this reason needs to fulfill is me.
This logic holds true for other things, like why you live the way you do, your relationships, your friends, and how you work through hard times. The past month or so has been a hard time for me, but I'm ready to move on and keep tackling life, without needing the validation of others. And being happy.
But - I can't forget how sick I have gotten solely from stress, and I think that there are some life changes I need to make soon or I might just not be able to survive a graduate program. I am identifying that the lack of structure in grad school allows me to either a) work, or b) do something for fun and feel guilty the entire time. In fact, I very rarely take a break for myself without feelings of guilt. This has got to change. I swear the bottomless pit in my stomach and mental strain has caused me to get as sick as I did, and be unhappy.
So my challenge to myself is to eradicate this stress, and not give up. Not give up on being happy, finishing school, or this blog. I'm not done yet.
First off, I had all the symptoms of Norovirus, but I never checked with a doctor because I hate visiting the doctor. I was stuck at home for days and it wasn't fun. I finally traveled south to Corvallis since I hadn't eaten anything to visit college friends (so no opportunity to get sick on the road). Five days later, I got home and was really burnt out about school. Naturally, the next day, I got sick again. I got "better" in time for the end of the term, and then got a sinus headache which kept me in bed for a while. Needless to say, it has been frustrating being constantly sick for the better part of a month. However, if this is the worst of my illnesses, I am pretty lucky.
The purpose of this post isn't for me to complain, but as you can guess, I wasn't really enjoying life for a while. And yes, the question of whether or not graduate school is a healthy place for me has come up in my thoughts. When talking to people about graduate school, everyone says you need a good enough reason to stay. This confuses me though, because what is the golden reason? Are there good reasons to pick from somewhere that I'm not aware of? Is my reason socially acceptable, or will you just listen to me skeptically and think I'll quit in another year?
You know what my reason is (and believe me, most of the time I can't come up with one)? It just feels right. I honestly think that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now. I think that if I were to quit I would really regret leaving behind the opportunity I have right now laying in my hands. But I guess, the only person that this reason needs to fulfill is me.
This logic holds true for other things, like why you live the way you do, your relationships, your friends, and how you work through hard times. The past month or so has been a hard time for me, but I'm ready to move on and keep tackling life, without needing the validation of others. And being happy.
But - I can't forget how sick I have gotten solely from stress, and I think that there are some life changes I need to make soon or I might just not be able to survive a graduate program. I am identifying that the lack of structure in grad school allows me to either a) work, or b) do something for fun and feel guilty the entire time. In fact, I very rarely take a break for myself without feelings of guilt. This has got to change. I swear the bottomless pit in my stomach and mental strain has caused me to get as sick as I did, and be unhappy.
So my challenge to myself is to eradicate this stress, and not give up. Not give up on being happy, finishing school, or this blog. I'm not done yet.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Bliss
Here are some reasons why I am happy today:
1. I had trouble sleeping last night, so somehow placing my head at the foot of the bed worked. Apparently my kitties don't like pillows, because when I woke up they were both sleeping right next to my head. It was so precious.
2. The sun was shining in my window this morning. I even got to go to class outside and get some color. It is crazy that Seattle FINALLY decided to be sunny again.
3. My boyfriend was kind enough to call Comcast on my behalf and reduce my bill by $40 a month! I mean, Kyle is a boy's name right? Thank you Vincent for doing the dirty work.
4. Today was our hardest running workout thus far, which means I got to run for 15 minutes at my old workout pace before being injured. With the intermittent sun and shade patches, greenery, and a trail full of runners and bikers, I honestly can't remember the last time I felt this happy.
5. I got my car back. There was a scare that I would have to get rid of it because I couldn't afford the fixes anymore. My mechanic was amazing and gave me a deal (w/o me asking) so I was enjoying my car with the window down today. If anyone is curious about a great Volvo repair mechanic go to Larson's Volvo Repair on 73rd and Roosevelt. I will always go there until I move away from Seattle.
6. Since I have my car back, I can still do Shari's days (Wednesday). For those of you who don't know, Shari's is a 24 diner place that gives you a free slice of pie on Wednesday. We have become regulars there, for better or for worse, and now we can continue our tradition :)
Anyway, hope everyone is well.
Monday, May 9, 2011
One of the coolest feelings...
I am a computer scientist and I do research in HCI, or Human Computer Interaction. In a nutshell, it is researching how to make computers of all sorts (laptop, desktop, phones, etc.) more compatible with people. Basically making people's lives easier and more enjoyable, and allowing people to get more out of technology. This has been my interest for years since I really love working with technology, but at the same time interested in how people think.
CHI is the #1 conference for people who do research in HCI; it really is the place to be. In the past, I was never able to as an undergraduate, because you can't really afford to.
But now, as a first year Ph.D... I am finally here! I am in beautiful Vancouver, B.C. until this Thursday and I am loving it. Yes it is insane with 3000 people and so many options of talks to attend, but it is the coolest experience ever. I am so thankful that I can reunite with old friends, make new ones, learn about relevant information straight from the source, and on top of it all - it is completely free.
Graduate school is definitely a gift.
But really - here is more on HCI - check it out :)
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