Home Sweet Home

      Happy Monday! Since we had a three-day weekend thanks to Labor Day, I decided to come home! Even though I had only been gone for two weeks, it felt like I hadn't seen my home and family in forever. I missed my own bed, my own shower, giving my parents hugs every night, laughing with my brother, and my mom's cooking, but I mostly missed my dogs. I literally cried tears of joy when I opened the front door and I saw my dogs coming down the stairs to greet me with wagging tails and smiles across their faces.
      On Friday night we just talked about everything that's been happening for the past couple of weeks and watched TV. On Saturday we went to the dog park, went shopping, got frozen yogurt, went out for sushi for dinner (my absolute favorite), and watched a movie at home. Yesterday we took our dogs for a walk around the neighborhood, then my mom and I ran some errands, we had fish tacos for dinner, and watched "Love Actually," which is a favorite movie of mine. Today I spent some time on the couch with my dogs, saw "Let's Be Cops" with my brother (not a great movie, but it was fun to hang out with the bro), got a pedicure with my mom, and made dinner with my mom too! Seriously, the dinners have been my favorite part about being home. But I really need to go to the gym on campus starting tomorrow!
      Being home has reminded me of how much I love being home. I definitely took it for granted while I was actually living here, and there are so many little details that I didn't recognize before college, that I now don't have and it's hard knowing I have to leave again in the morning. I love being at KU, but nothing compares to spending time with your family and dogs on a lazy afternoon while eating delicious friends. Not going to lie, I'm going to miss it even more now. I don't think I'm coming back home until Fall Break (second weekend in October, I think) and that's going to be a really long time away from home and everything that comes with it. I might need to make my parents bring my dogs up to my dorm one weekend :)

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

First Week at KU

      Happy Friday! Wow, it's been way too long since I've posted. My life has been so busy for the past few months (years?) that I barely have time to do anything. I finally finished the never-ending summer of nannying and working at my school's summer program, I moved into my dorm at KU with my roommate (and best friend from high school), I went through formal recruitment and pledged Sigma Kappa, and I just finished my first week of classes!
      Lots of crazy stuff going on that, a couple of months ago, felt ages away. Rush was super hot, stressful, and gross. I have never sweat so much in my life, thanks to the fact that I had to walk to 12 different houses in 100-degree weather. There were some tears involved because I was released from my mom's sorority after the second day, but I'm so happy to be a Sigma Kappa!
      I loved going to all my classes this week. I'm taking English, Math, Philosophy, Psychology, and Anthropology. I've already had quite a bit of homework, but thankfully I have enough free time to get it done. Once I find a job, however, I'm afraid that's going to change. My favorite class so far has been Anthropology, which is a lecture (with 300 students) I have twice a week, and I go to a discussion once a week, which only has about 10 students. I love learning about different cultures and why people act differently!
      My dad is coming to pick me up this evening to take me home for Labor Day weekend. Honestly, the hardest part about being away from home has been how much I miss my dogs. I love them so stinkin' much and I just hope they don't forget about me! I'll definitely need to take them to the dog park this weekend. I also just can't wait to be with my family, sleep in my own bed, eat my mom's food, and not have to wear shoes in the shower! Ah, the luxuries of home...

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Orientation at KU!

     Happy Tuesday! I'm so sad that USA lost against Belgium, but the fact that I went to my freshman orientation today kept me from staying glum for too long. Oh my God I'm just so excited for this fall and everything that's going to come with it. Just thinking about my bedding that will go in my dorm is giving me the chills.
     So after some admittedly rather boring speeches about KU, I enrolled in my first semester classes! I'm taking English 102 (unless my AP score bumps me up), math 101 (ugh, I thought I was done with Algebra), Communications (I think this is mostly a speech class), General Psychology, and Anthropology (I'm so excited for those last two)! A total of 15 credit hours and I'm on the right track to becoming a Special Education major! My earliest classes are at 9 a.m. (hallelujah), my latest goes until 3:50, and I don't have any classes on Tuesday and just one on Thursday. Oh my, how different from high school this is going to be.
      I also went to an informational meeting about Greek life since I'm going through formal recruitment in the fall (quite the process), and I finally got to see a dorm room in my residence hall! Not going to lie, it's pretty small and the rooms haven't been renovated in quite a while, but I'm confident that my roommate (who also happens to be my best friend from high school) and I will be able to make the most of our little dorm. I couldn't be more excited for this next chapter in my life; I wish I could move in tomorrow! :)

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

P.S. I'm not shopping at Hobby Lobby until they cover all methods of birth control for their employees, just thought I'd throw that out there :)

Yoga

      Happy Friday! I am so incredibly happy that it's the weekend because I've never had a longer week in my life. On Tuesday of this week I started a second job, which proved to be far more challenging than I initially believed. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, my schedule is work at Summer at Pembroke Hill from 7:30-12:45, grab lunch, then at 1:15 I go to the house of the family I work for to get their (extremely nice) car to pick up their kids from their Downtown office day care, and we go to the pool or something until their parents come home at 5:30. I'm not going to lie, I've never been so exhausted in my entire life. Waking up at 6 and not coming home until 6 gets really old really fast. I need the money, but it's hard to maintain my sanity when I hardly have a second to myself (especially since I had to do something almost every evening this week).
      Yesterday, my mom and I decided to do a yoga class together. We'd never done yoga before, but I've always found it very interesting. The class started at 6, so I had to go straight there once I finished nannying. I'd never been to the yoga studio before, so I put the address in the GPS on my phone. However, the GPS took me to the completely wrong place (surprise, surprise) and it was already 6:00 and I still had to change my clothes and I was so tired and hungry and I almost decided to just give up and go home. I finally figured out the directions, I walked in at 6:08, and went right to the bathroom to change my clothes when I just started to cry. I know I can't really convey this via the internet since anyone who reads this probably doesn't know me, but I truly almost never cry. I just don't. So I even surprised myself as I was sitting on the floor of the bathroom in this yoga studio I'd never been to before, crying my eyes out. I think I had been going, going, going, for so long without ever really doing anything for myself that I couldn't take it anymore. I was tired, frustrated, and stressed out. And these three months are supposed to be the last stress-free period for quite a while (maybe even until I retire)! I managed to wipe away my tears and walk into the room with dignity. There was only one other person there besides my mom and me, and the instructor was definitely your stereotypical mellow "one with yourself" yoga instructor.
      My bad mood had me very skeptical about yoga in general at the beginning of the class, but the more I focused on my breathing, movements, and "feeling" rather than "thinking," I actually felt a difference in my mental and emotional state. Toward the end of the class, we were just lying on our backs on our mats while breathing deeply, and the instructor read a passage to us from a book about meditation and love. I don't think I've ever felt so truly relaxed in my entire life. The class was exactly what I needed in order to take care of myself, and I'll definitely be going back next week. I'm so glad I didn't just go home when I was lost.


Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Roxie :)

      Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great Father's Day weekend! My life has been absolutely insane for the past few days. On Saturday night we got the cutest little 6-week-old Boxer puppy! She's a flashing reverse brindle, which is very rare in Boxers. We named her Roxie as the female version of Rocky, as in Rocky Balboa (also a "boxer"). We have two other dogs, Jack, a Jack Russell terrier who's 12, and Maggie, a three-year-old Boxer, who is named after Hilary Swank's character in Million Dollar Baby, which is why we stuck with the famous boxer theme in naming Roxie. Since they're both purebred Boxers, they get to be members of the American Kennel Club, so they get "special names." Maggie was named Sugar Lips Hot Legs Maggie May, which are all names of Rod Stewart songs, and Roxie's is Roxanne Be My Girl after songs by The Police.

      She's pretty adorable :)

Carpe Diem,

Brooke

In a Rut

      Happy Wednesday! Oh my God I can't believe it's only Wednesday. Each week this summer has felt so incredibly long. Waking up before 9 a.m. (and most certainly at 6 a.m.) should be illegal. I honestly have even started to enjoy my job (four summers into it...) but I just hate waking up at 6. When I get off work at 12:45, I go home to eat lunch and chill out for awhile. However, for the past few weeks nearly every spare moment has been dedicated to all things involving rush, which I will be going through at KU in the fall. I've been asking people to write rec letters for me, writing resumes and cover letters, and planning my outfits (tbh I loved that part). I'm so excited but also pretty nervous! I can't wait to be a member of a sorority.
      Lately, I feel like I've been lacking inspiration or something. I can't really identify it, but something's definitely felt off. To help feel more inspired, I've been reading more, I'm finally going to start running again this evening, and I'm going to take Maggie on more walks (so yes, lots of exercise). I think reading and enjoying nature while exercising are healthy and cost-effective ways to distract you from reality (rather than eating or binge-watching your favorite show on Netflix) and get back on track.

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Healthy Eating and Fitness Regimen

      Happy Thursday! I'm so glad there's only one more day left this week because I am so tired of working in the office. I keep telling myself every day that I'm going to work out when I get home but I'm always just too tired to do anything other than lie on the couch and watch Netflix (namely: Parks and Recreation). However, starting today, I am determined to start running again and start eating healthier, and I thought I would share what my new regimen is with you guys!

Breakfast:
Peanut butter on whole grain toast
Milk
Green tea

Midmorning Snack:
Granola bar (because that's what they have in the office at work...)

Lunch:
Sandwich on whole grain bread
Carrots
Apple
Water

Dinner:
Whatever my mom since I'll only have a few more months of her cooking dinner for me :)

Dessert:
Small portion of whatever I like.

Workout:
30 minutes of running on the treadmill 5 days a week

Obviously, my menu is subject to change depending on what my mom buys at the grocery store, but this is just a kind of guideline. Hopefully this works out because I've been eating way too much junk food!

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Summer Job

      Happy Wednesday! Yesterday I began my fourth summer of working as a camp assistant at Pembroke Hill's summer program and I'm already exhausted. I prefer to get work over with early in the day, so I asked for the 7:30-12:45 shift. However, this means that I have to wake up at 6 every morning and I'm already sick of it after two days. Thankfully I'm working from 11:30-3:45 next week, so I'll get a little break from waking up so early. I'm just working in the office this week, which isn't very exciting but it's a nice transition from the school year to the summer.
      I do need to work on managing my time; all I've been doing the past few days is writing and addressing thank you notes from everything I got for graduating. I want to start doing everything on my Summer Bucket List like running, going to the pool, and just being more social in general. I'm ready for Summer 2014!

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

First Post as an Alumna of Pembroke Hill

      Happy Sunday! Last night I graduated from high school and I can't believe how quickly the night past. Yesterday, I woke up, helped my mom decorate the house (so many balloons, red and blue m&ms, and pictures of yours truly), went to brunch with my advisory, had my graduation party at my house with the family (Oklahoma Joe's for dinner was the best), opened up some presents (typing this post on my brand new MacBook Air as we speak!), and went to graduation! I was so worried that it would rain and we would have to have the ceremony in the gym, which doesn't have air conditioning and therefore would have been miserable. Fortunately, it was a beautiful night and everything went smoothly.
       After we tossed our caps and took a ton of pictures, my whole class loaded up on some buses and  went to Power Play, which I wasn't too excited about when I discovered that's where our after-grad party was, but it was actually so much fun playing laser tag and racing around in go-carts. We stayed there until about 1:30 a.m., the buses drove us back to school, and some friends and I went to my friend Brittany's house. We hung out in the hot tub, listened to music, and reminisced on our high school years. Around 4 I went downstairs to go to sleep but I couldn't fall asleep so I went back upstairs around 5:30, and we just watched the sunrise. It was the perfect start to our first day as rising college freshmen :)

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

A Letter to Pembroke Hill

      Happy Friday! Last night was our Commencement Dinner which took place at the InterContinental Hotel and it's basically a dinner that celebrates the graduating class and welcomes the juniors as rising seniors. My favorite teacher was one of the speakers elected by the class of 2014, and his speech was perfect. We opened up an envelope that was at our seat at dinner and it was a little questionnaire that we filled out in fifth grade describing what our lives were like, what our favorite things were, etc. Obviously, I was the weirdest and most embarrassing fifth grader ever and for the picture that we drew of doing "something we love in 2014," 2007 Brooke drew a picture of herself modeling. Yeah. So I was basically crying from laughter at how weird I was. Anyway, I'm graduating tomorrow night (oh my god) and I wanted to write a letter to Pembroke Hill (just for my own sentimental purposes, I obviously won't be sending it to anyone), the school I've attended since 1998.

Dear Pembroke Hill School,
      Firstly, I want to thank you so much for molding me into the person I've become. Because of your teachers and rigorous schoolwork, I've become a self-disciplined and considerate person who won't let anything or anyone stand in her way.
      I would like to address, however, a few flaws in the school which I feel can be fixed. I understand that we're a "college preparatory school," and therefore we must be competitive in academics and extracurricular activities, but the hyper-preparation has, in my opinion, gotten out of hand. Was it really necessary to start having final exams in sixth grade? Just so we could be extra prepared for final exams in high school? Finals may not have had the same effect on everyone that they did on me, but I will always remember crying every night for weeks before any finals week, due to the amount of pressure you put on me to do well.
      When students (including myself) become depressed due to their feeling of helplessness and extreme stress, there's something wrong. When students have frequent breakdowns, require therapy and medication, and even attempt suicide because of the emotionally destructive environment at school, there's something wrong. I'm not saying that Pembroke Hill is the only school with this issue, because it's not. However, I strongly recommend that changes need to be made. I've grown up my entire life firmly believing that my grades were significantly more important than my happiness, and there will always be a part of me that resents Pembroke Hill for drilling that idea into my brain for sixteen years.
      We need to make it clear to students that their education is more highly valued than their grades, because students will do whatever it takes to pass when they feel like they are incapable of understanding the material. The amount of homework assigned does not determine the ultimate success of the student in a class, rather, how well the teacher teaches and insures a firm grasp on the concept from each of his or her students.
      I don't want anyone to think that I don't realize how incredibly lucky I am to have gone to Pembroke Hill, and I will always take pride in saying that I'm a Raider. I'm just trying to say that I wish Pembroke Hill hadn't stolen several years of my childhood in order to prepare me for "the real world." I wasn't in the real world and I wasn't supposed to be treated like I was. When we were given extra math lessons rather than recess and more homework rather than time to enjoy our youth, those were the things that I won't miss about Pembroke Hill.
      However, the things I will miss about Pembroke Hill include the first day of school, the BBQ football game, new classes and teachers, Extended Day, Homecoming, the room in the library, choir concerts, May Day, cheering for football games, going to the school where my mom works and brother attends, going out to lunch with my friends, Blue Koi, the bond between the students in a really hard class, all my English classes and teachers, Mr. Laible's jokes, Mr. Young's jokes, Prom, the musical, costumes for the musical, the nervous excitement for the opening show, striking the set, cast parties, Showcase, Friday til 4, advisory, the beautiful campuses, winning the two-lap warmups basically every day in middle school gym, "partners" in younger/older grades, JanTerm, Hawaii, Chicago, New York, birthdays in the Lower School, Ms. Rodes, Mrs. Smith, fellow lifers, my amazing friends, and everything in between. Despite any criticisms I have for Pembroke Hill, I could not have asked for a better school to have spent the first quarter of my life to grow up in. I am so grateful for everything the school has given me, and graduation will definitely be bittersweet. I'll definitely be back to visit and I'll always have my Raider Pride t-shirt. Thank you for these wonderful 16 years which I will always cherish and never forget.

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Books to Read this Summer

      Happy Wednesday! With only three days left until graduation, my mom and dad have been giving me a ton of chores to do because we're having a family party for my graduation. We'll have about thirty people at our (tiny) house to eat Oklahoma Joe's, which is famous for its barbeque. It's literally the best and I'm so excited. In between scrubbing every inch of the house, I've been able to get through the first five Harry Potter movies :). Anyway, I'm really looking forward to finally having time to read the books I want to read rather than what I have to read for school (Heart of Darkness was nearly the death of me). Most of the books are classics or just a book that caught my interest, which I feel like I should read before going to college. I hope I can read most of them before the end of the summer!

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling (currently reading for the fifth or sixth time -- don't judge.)
2. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (also a reread, it was my favorite mandatory book in high school)
3. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (read this for my AP paper, another favorite)
4. Agatha Christie novels
5. The Cider House Rules - John Irving (because I loved the movie)
6. Ada, or Ardor - Vladimir Nabokov
7. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov (I read it this winter but it made no sense so I'm going to try again)
8. Beloved - Toni Morrisson
9. Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf
10. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
11. Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
12. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
13. Emma - Jane Austen
14. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
15. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
16. Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
17. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
18. Ernest Hemingway novels
19. Charles Dickens novels
20. Atonement - Ian McEwan

I'm sure I'll be adding to the list, but this is a start. I probably won't be able to read more than 20 novels in just 12 weeks, but I'll try to read as many as possible. Let me know if you have any recommendations!

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

The In-Between Summer

      Happy Tuesday! I had my last day of high school last week and I'm officially graduating this Saturday! It's funny because I think I felt much more sentimental and hesitant about leaving high school in January than I do now. Maybe it just hasn't sunk in yet, but I'm definitely feeling much more excited than I am sad. Thus far, I've watched three episodes of Parks and Rec and I'm on Prisoner of Azkaban of my Harry Potter marathon (which I always do during an important time of my life). However, I plan to do a lot more than watch TV and work for my fourth summer at my school's summer program (yayyyyy). Here's my summer-before-college bucket list:

1. Camp out with friends
2. Go to the pool
3. Run (trying to get in shape for college)
4. Go to a concert (Miley Cyrus here I come!)
5. Picnic
6. Hike
7. Read (Summer reading list to follow!)
8. Camping at Lake Melvern with the family
9. Plan dorm room (tbh I think I'm most excited for this one)
10. Go to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
11. Paint a canvas
12. Go to the farmers market
13. Outdoor musical (Sound of Music at Starlight Theatre?)
14. Outdoor concert
15. Outdoor play (Shakespeare in the Park)
16. Plant a garden
17. Go to a carnival
18. Go fishing
19. Game night with the family
20. Organize everything
21. Road trip
22. Spa Day
23. Orientation at KU (omg can't wait!)
24. Go boating
25. Class at community college (for college credit at a cheaper price)

I'm so excited for my summer after senior year/before freshman year! Wish me luck so that I don't trip as I'm walking across the stage to get my diploma!

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

One Day of High School Left

      Happy Thursday! Although I have the AP for Modern European History next Wednesday, I technically have only one day of high school classes left because classes for seniors end tomorrow. It's so crazy to think that, after sixteen years at my school, I'm pretty much done. When I was in the lower school, graduation seemed so far away that it almost felt like it would never happen.
      Looking back, I feel so incredibly grateful to have gotten to go to my school. I can't believe how soon it's all coming to an end. Although I'm so excited to go to KU in the fall (I visited again with my best friend from school and roommate for next year on Tuesday!), there's almost a part of me that wishes I could go back and re-experience my childhood at the school I get to call home. From picking apples and pumpkins in pre-school, to practicing the May Dance, to all the sports practices and games, to the plays and musicals, it's been a great sixteen years. There have been a couple of times when I've started to tear up, and I just know that I'm going to have a melt-down soon.

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Creating New Versions of Myself: British

      Happy Monday! Today has certainly been a Monday; this morning as I was pulling out of the driveway this morning, I ran over the curb and popped a tire, so I have to buy a new one (and those things aren't cheap), I felt super sick all day, a certain teacher was rude, I got in a fight with someone, and nothing seemed to go right. On days like these, I pretend I live somewhere else. Here's what the life of British Brooke would be like.

British Brooke...

• Sips her afternoon tea and nibbles her crumpets
• Wears tartan and Barbour
• Listens to The Beatles and The Kooks (already do that...)
• Reads Jane Austen novels
• Idolizes Diana and Kate
• Celebrates Burns Night
• Lives in a flat with yellow walls
• Often goes to the library
• Participates in London night life
• Eats fish and chips for lunch
• Constantly explores every corner of the UK on trains and buses
• Fully embraces Britain's hidden whimsical nature

Here's to a better rest of the week; I'm going to the Miley Cyrus concert tomorrow and my birthday is on Wednesday!

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Creating New Versions of Myself: New York City

      Happy Saturday! After an extremely long and tiring week, it feels so good to be relaxing on the weekend. Yesterday didn't start very well, but at the end of the day I got an A on the rough draft of my Capstone paper (woo!) and I made $80 babysitting last night! After my recent trip to New York City for my school's choir trip where we got to sing in Carnegie Hall, I've been dreaming about how my life would be if I lived in the Big Apple...not going to lie, I'm kind of picturing it to be similar to Carrie Bradshaw's life.

NYC Brooke...

• Shops until she drops
• Reads the New York Times every Sunday
• Eats take-out with her friends 
• Frequently goes to the Met
• Starts every morning with coffee (oh wait, I already do that)
• Walks her dog in Central Park
• Hails a taxi like a pro
• Can strut down 5th Avenue in Louboutins
• Always decorates her apartment
• Dresses colorfully in the city of black
• Maintains a perfectly organized schedule
• Always has wild stories to tell on Monday mornings
• Walks as though three men are walking behind her

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

 

Creating New Versions of Myself: Southern

      Happy Tuesday! This week has felt so incredibly long and it's not even halfway over yet. Each class feels like it lasts 3 hours rather than 50 minutes, and the days drag along so slowly that it's almost unbearable. Tomorrow the classes are 80 minutes, but there are only three periods and we don't have to be at school until 9:45! Late starts are the reason why I've made it this far during my senior year. Only 46 days left until graduation!
      Recently, the weather has been warming up a little and it has me daydreaming of swinging on a porch somewhere in the South. Here's what Southern Brooke would do.

      Southern Brooke...

• Has summer picnics and garden parties
• Wears pearls and sundresses
• Frequently gets manicures and pedicures
• Goes to the beach whenever she can
• Appreciates snail mail and old traditions
• Enjoys cooking and eating shrimp & grits, biscuits, and peach cobbler
• Sips sweet tea on her porch while watching the sun go down
• Takes gardening, slow cooking, and crocheting very seriously
• Strolls along lanes with Spanish Moss trees
• Lives in an old plantation home with a porch and a swing

Do you ever imagine what your life would be like if you lived somewhere else?

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Creating New Versions of Myself: New England

      Happy Saturday! I don't think I've ever been as unproductive as I have been today; I'm pretty sure I've watched about 30 episodes of the Office in the past 24 hours. I will admit that it's been pretty nice just getting to relax after my trip to NYC (omg) and a crazy stressful week at school. If I lived in New England, this is what I would be like.

New England Brooke...

• Rides a Schwinn bicycle
• Sails in the summers
• Spends her afternoons with a good book and a crisp apple on the dock
• Paints water colors
• Eats Sunday brunch with her family 
• Wears cableknits and oxfords
• Reads the classics on her window seat
• Lives in a white cottage
• Always has hydrangeas and peonies in her home
• Has lobster and crab for dinner
• Travels to the city 
• Rows her canoe in autumn

Ah, if only...

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Selective Perfectionism

      Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great start to their week! For me, everything was going pretty well until my last class, which happened to be English, when I received the grade for my AP English paper. Now this isn't just any ol' essay. This was the essay that allows us to receive college credit, so it was much bigger. We had to read a book (I chose Pride & Prejudice) and compare it to other novels that we'd read last semester for class. Okay so I had literally never worked as hard on anything than I did on that paper. I met with my teacher countless times and I read it over and over again to make sure it was perfect. I turned it in feeling very confident that I would receive an A, and I had never been prouder of an essay.
      So flash forward to a few hours ago when I got the paper back and I got a 92%. Don't get me wrong, I can't stand those people who complain about getting anything less than 100%, but I truly felt that my essay deserved an A (rather than an A-). I met with my teacher after class to ask him why he didn't point out the essay's flaws during all the times I had meetings with him, and he told me there were structural problems that I didn't fix and that I didn't make enough connections between each of the novels. Deep down, I knew he was right, but I let my pride get in the way and I basically demanded that he give me an A. He told me to read the comments again when I wasn't feeling so angry, and he made some really good points about my writing.
       I went directly from English to rehearsal for Grease, where I was talking to another girl in my class and she asked me what I got on the paper. I told her my grade and that I felt it deserved an A, and she said: "I thought my paper should have gotten a better grade, too! I only got a 97%." I swear to God I almost straight up punched her in the throat. I just know she didn't work half as hard on her paper as I did on mine, and it just kills me that she got an A+ and I only got an A-.
      Since then, I've been thinking about why I care so much that I got a slightly lower grade than I was expecting, and I seriously think I have selective perfectionism, which is a term of my own creation. It means I only care about some things, but I really care about those things. English used to be my best subject, and I could get 100% on pretty much everything without really trying, and this has been the first year ever when I've had to actually put in effort, and even when I do try I don't really do that well. It sucks because I'm not even good at the one thing I thought I was good at. I guess I just have to try to move past this. It's not the end of the world that I didn't get an A!

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Grease 2014

      Happy Thursday! Although I'm just a cheerleader in my school's production of Grease the musical, I'm getting super excited to wear a poodle skirt, white Keds, and a high ponytail. There's something about doing the hand-jive and saying words like "nifty" that make me want to go back in time to the 1950s. The show is in two weeks (omg) and we haven't gotten our costumes yet, nor have we built our set. . .however, I'm completely confident that we'll be able to pull everything together. Last year when we did Into the Woods we didn't have a set until two days before the show and it turned out pretty well, so I'm hoping for the best. Wish us luck!

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Creating New Versions of Myself: Parisian

      Happy Wednesday! I can't believe the week is already half-way over, but I'm not complaining! This week has been pretty good so far; I've been running on the treadmill and wearing cute outfits which always puts me in a better mood. I've also been trying this new thing where I "create different versions of myself (I know, I'm pretty weird), where I basically just fantasize about what my life would be like if I lived somewhere else. I think I just have this overpowering feeling of wanderlust and all I can think about 90% of the time is traveling. Last week I imagined what Parisian Brooke would be like, and this is what I came up with:

Paris Brooke...

• Loves going to the cinema
• Goes to the market every week
• Constantly shops
• Lives in a charming studio
• Travels to the countryside
• Paints landscapes
• Loves the ballet
• Wears stripes, skirts, and berets
• Goes dancing with her friends
• Sips coffee while reading
• Drives a vespa
• Indulges in macaroons and champagne
• Never leaves the house without her Chanel No. 5

      I know that most of these things aren't really characteristic of Paris, but it's just how I imagine my life if I lived in Paris. To get me in the mood, I watched Funny Face and Midnight in Paris (omg I love that movie so much). I have other versions of myself that I'll be sharing each week! Next week is New England and I'm obsessed.

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Happy First Birthday to My Life as a Wallflower!!!

      I just realized that this blog's first birthday was yesterday, and I felt like I should recognize this milestone! I know I haven't been the most consistent with my blog posts, but I'm pretty surprised that I'm still posting a year later! I had no idea what this would turn out to be, but I'm so glad I decided to make this little blog :)

Thank you to everyone who reads (if anyone does...)!

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Second-Semester Senior

      Happy Tuesday! Today was pretty great; I was wearing a cute outfit, people were pretty nice, I wasn't assigned too much homework, and the weather was perfect. So I'm currently a second-semester senior in high school, and I can't believe I only have 95 days left until graduation, but I also can't believe I have 95 whole days left until graduation. As I was telling my (hopefully) future roommate yesterday, I feel so conflicted about leaving high school and going off to college because I could not be more excited to go to KU and go through rush and every other part of the college experience, but I'm also incredibly nervous and a little sad to be leaving my school, which I've attended for nearly sixteen years.
      I've never not been a student a my school and I feel like it's defined so much of my life and who I am so it will probably be a little harder for me to leave high school than most students. When I was younger I used to want to go to college super far away, but now that I'm going to be in college in a matter of months, I couldn't be happier that I'll only be 40 minutes away from home, where my mom can make dinner for me and my dad can fix anything that's broken :).
      If any high school students who aren't seniors yet are reading this, I feel like I should let you know that the second semester of your senior year is not as easy as many people will probably tell you that it is! I have to do this crazy senior project where I write a ten-paged paper and give a 20-minute presentation about it at the end of the semester in front of a bunch of teachers, parents, and other students and it's incredibly stressful. Just keep in mind that you have to finish your last semester strong! I can't wait to be finished :)

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Snow Days!

       Happy Wednesday! Both yesterday and today were snow days, and they have been so relaxing! I didn't realize how much I needed these days to just lie on the couch and do nothing! It's back to the daily grind tomorrow, but hopefully I'll feel much more refreshed than I've been feeling recently.
       I've watched the last episode of Sherlock (omg best show ever...but it might not be back until 2016...), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (judge me), The King's Speech, several episodes of How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, and The Office, I've baked mocha fudge brownies (to die for), I made snow ice cream, I did a craft using last year's Lilly Pulitzer agenda pages, I've been reading Lolita, I cleaned my bedroom and bathroom, gave myself a mani/pedi, ran on the treadmill (I could barely run for 20 minutes...it was pathetic), and cuddled with Maggie. I'd say I've had some pretty great snow days :)
      Also, this has been my quote for the week and I quite love it. Design a life that you love!

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Back to Reality

      Happy Tuesday! So since I got back from Hawaii, reality has just been repeatedly punching me in the face. Firstly, I have come to the conclusion that I simply can't live in Kansas City after I graduate from college because the winters are just too cold for me! I need a year-round temperature of at least 65 degrees.
      Secondly, school sucks. Seniors have to do these projects called capstones where we pick a topic and work on it for all of second semester and then present it toward the end of the school year. I've picked my topic and now I'm just waiting to hear if it gets approved.
      Thirdly, I had to get my wisdom teeth pulled on Friday and it hurts so badly! My face got so swollen and I still haven't been able to get back on my normal diet. The smoothies and milkshakes were a bonus though. :)
      At least I have another four-day week, and tomorrow is our late start so I get to sleep in!

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

HAWAII 2014

      Happy Sunday! I got back from Honolulu yesterday morning and it was the absolute most amazing trip of my life. Seriously, you have to go there before you die. The palm trees, the weather, the culture, the people, everything about it was perfect and I want to go back so badly! I slept for twelve hours last night and I still feel pretty tired, which tells you how miserable the plane rides are. But once you get there, it all becomes worth it. Even emptying my bank account for that trip seems worth it :) Here are some of my pictures:

Day 1: Arrive in Honolulu