Well I had a good last day at home, went out with the parents for a nice late lunch Seasons 52, then down to Atlantic Station for some shopping. I actually wanted to go to H&M there, but apparently it doesn't open until spring, so no luck there! But I did find two other stores there that I really like: K la, which has nice, cute clothes, a lot of brands I've never seen before and good prices (dresses $60-$150), and then Knitch which carries some nicer, designer brands like T-Bags, Alice & Olivia, Michael Stars, etc. but they were having a 70% off sale (AMAZING!!!) and I ended up getting THREE T-bags dresses, a cute MS top, and a t-bags top for a gift for $296!!! The sales guy said I saved over $600, which is how I justified the purchase to my dad, but of course I would never have spent the whole $900 sans amazing clearance, but he doesn't have to know that!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
sober fun
Oh last night with the girls was SO great!! I SO regret not calling Liz on New Years, it looks like they all had a great time together! Oh well. But I'm so glad I got together with Em and Liz, I do love them so much, sometimes you just forget when you're apart for that long (there are, however, the old friends that I don't care to spend too much time with, and thankfully they were not invited to our little rendez-vous).
We ended up talking for 3 hours at the restaurant, the lights coming up, music turning off and chairs going onto the tables clued us in to the fact that we were the last people in there at 10:30, and since we wanted to talk more, we went back to Liz's house and ended up there until 1:30, so that's 6 straight hours of completely sober conversation and reminiscing with friends. It makes me feel very old to get together with friends and look through old pictures and reminisce about old times. And in reference to the last post's concerns about the alcohol-free evening, it made me so happy to know that we could have such a great time completely sans booze. Even Emily said on the phone to her boyfriend on the way to Liz's, "No, we don't need to drink to have fun." For some reason it's just great to know after living in an alcohol-infused college town bubble for 2 1/2 years that sober fun does still exist! (Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'll ever kick my partying habits, but sometimes it's nice to actually remember the memories you make with friends).
Well, just 2 more days at home til the wondrous return to Athens!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Old friends . . . no liquor . . .
Alright, well I did it, I called the old girlfriends to meet up for dinner! Yay for me and taking initiative to keep up with old friends (even though they've kept in touch over break and it's really just me who's out of the loop). Anyway, we're just meeting for dinner somewhere tonight, but of course both of them said they didn't care where we go, just come up with something and call them back with the details, so now I have to come up with where to go, and I don't know . . . don't want to do just boring O'Charleys, there's not much nearby, I guess it just comes down to Paradise Grill or that Mexican place next to it, or El Jinete I guess. Well, I'll give myself another 30 min or an hour or so and call back . . . damn I with we were in Athens, or the City, or somewhere slightly interesting where we can drink at restaurants w/o being worried about our ID's or being recognized by neighbors, friends of parents, teachers, etc. anyway we'll see, I'm sort of in the mood for Mexican for some reason (and the off chance that someone other than me will want a margarita . . . ??)
finally, the Resolutions
That's right, the capital R-e-s-o-l-u-t-i-o-n-s. Just for documentation purposes, here they are, plain and simple:
- the diet -- lose 15 lbs by Spring Break (not that I really weigh myself, but I want to have an acceptable SB body) by sticking to South Beach, and taking Yoga 2 days/week
- the LSAT -- study 4 days a week, do at least 1 full, timed practice test a week
- audition for Rockettes if at all possible
- stay current on the election/current events
- keep up with this blog
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
why do I create these decisions for myself!?
Alright . . . so in my final year and a half of school, do I pursue more involvement in school activities like I (for some unknown reason) want to do, like apply to be an "official ambassador" for the school, or don't I?
The more law blogs I read, which for some reason I've gotten into make me more likely say no, don't become more involved, you have enough on your plate, focus on your grades and the LSAT, that's all that matters in the end. But then some other part of me says to stop and think of other parts of life and if I want to be involved in things like this for networking at-large, and what if I don't want to be a lawyer in the end, what if it just doesn't work out, should I just go around closing doors of opportunity?
But then there's this lingering thought in the back of my head that says that I could be the dance team captain next year as well, and even though it would be daunting, the idea of being in charge of the sorority and the dance team -- everything important in my life -- is extremely exhilarating!!
Or do neither and just focus on my grades, LSAT, and enjoying my last year and a half? Oh what to do?! You know what, that's a no on the ambassador thing, it seems a little pretentious and I probably wouldn't get in anyway. With the whole Tanzania thing and the quickly vanishing Ambassador thought it's like I'm trying to be someone I'm not, trying to prove myself to someone, trying to show that I'm more than I appear, to really show it, because few people will ever see my transcript, or know my LSAT score, but I guess when I get in to that top notch school people will realize that I did do something other than attend socials and read magazines while in school.
But then again, when I think of people I know who've been Ambassadors, it's people I really admire, and I'm not committed to dance team yet for next year, but I really do love to dance, and I know that I have to dance -- that's one thing I've figured out in my college career -- well I guess I've got a few weeks to think on it and get some other opinions, apps aren't due til the 28th. hmm ..... ???
A fav little quote to share
watching Sex and the City and heard one of my favorite quotable Carrie quotes (which I have posted on my desk), but I'd never heard the lines leading up to it, which are hilarious and make it even better!! So I had to share, and add some parenthetical commentary to make it more fitting to my personal situation . . .
"If you're a thirty-something woman (20-something sorority girl), living in Manhattan (Athens), and you refuse to settle, and you're sexually active (sometimes), it's inevitable that you'll rack up a certain number of partners (shacks), but how many men (frat-stars) is too many men (frat-stars)? [and now for the great part... ] Are we simply romantically challenged, or are we sluts?"
Just 2 days of boredom left!
Alright, well now that the BIG decision of the moment is out of the way, I guess I'll document some other events of my life . . .
Still hanging out at home, I was slightly productive today I'd say. I worked on what we need to do sorority-wise when we get back, started the agenda for next week, but one important factor is that I need to get a projector by Monday so we can show everyone our new GIN system website, which is an amazing online utility for any organization, especially Greeks!
I do need to call my old friends before I go back, I think I'll call them tomorrow and maybe we can all do dinner tomorrow night. I really want to stay in touch with them, but it's just getting harder and harder with every year, and we're growing apart to some extent, but I do want to stay friends with them, they're amazing girls and I love them to death!! So tomorrow it is, I'll call Liz & Em and we'll get together for dinner or something, I'm thinking Mexican and margaritas, but I don't need the marg's for my diet's sake! We'll see . . .
Ah I can't wait to get back to Athens!! I really have just 2 more days at home, but then it's 2 days of dance and then class : ( but I think I'm going out every night of next week! haven't pulled a 7-night-er in a while, but I think it's about time! and it's been way too long since we've done bottomless wine at Speakeasy! I think it's going to be a great semester!!! : )
Paris, je t'aime!
Alright well a new day has brought new light to my decision. I did what I said last night, I read the blog of last year's Tanzania trip and I looked though the facebook pictures of a girl who went last year, and frankly, it scared the shit out of me. I don't know, the whole third world, developing country, no modern coveinences, the whole deal, well it's clearly not "me" and I don't want to say that I'm not cut out for it because I could definitely do it, but I just don't know if I want to. I read the blog and nothing particularly excited me, it really sounded rather boring, and it turns out a lot of the seminars and speakers are very business focussed. Last year's group project was to write about starting a small business in a third world country, and business/finance/econ doesn't interest me in the least. And then I think of PARIS!! Ahhhh Paris, the art, the architecture, the culture, the food, the WINE!!!!! A feeling of calm and excitement rushes through my body just thinking about it now. As I was out shopping today I found myself looking at a dress and thinking, "Oh this would be fabulous in Paris!" Paris is "me," Tanzania is not "me" at all, but that's one of the reasons I was interested in it in the first place--it would be a different and life changing experience in so many ways.
So I really need to decide if I want to go on the more noble, OnceInALifetime Tanzania trip, or the fabulously cliched CityOfLights Paris trip?? Am I trying to be someone I'm not by going to Tanzania, am I going to be stuck with a bunch of Chaco-wearing, tree-huggers going wild over close contact with spider monkeys? Most likely. And then there's Paris, a bunch of Chanel-wearing, bottle-huggers freaking out over close contact with the Eiffel Tower. I hate to admit it, but option two is SO me! It's cheesy, it's cliched, it has sorostitute Carrie Bradshaw wannabe written all over, but honestly, that's who I am, and I can't deny it!
Who's to say that I wouldn't gain as much from being in Paris, what if the people in Tanzania gained a lot out of it because it went along with who they were, they chose to go to Tanzania for a reason, it appealed to them (in the same way YoungLife camps appeal to those kinds of people) and I don't know why it appealed to me, I think because I had already given up on Paris, (because of LSAT dates), this program worked with my schedule and I love the LEAD program. Only one girl went last year, and that I could NOT handle! I need girlfriends!!! (fabulous, Parisian girlfriends!)
My only fear is that I'm making this decision based on alcohol, the drinking/partying scene in Paris is fabulous, and by the looks of the pics of people who went last year, they did a lot of that! In Paris everyone can drink, wine is cheaper than water, hell one restaurant my friends went to even sold wine in baby bottles! That sounds amazing to me!! When else in my life can I go to a foreign country for 6 weeks just to travel around and party? never ever!!! but then again everyone said Tanzania was once-in-a-lifetime, but do I need that in my lifetime? In my experience I grow more as a person by going out and seeing people and activity, I get energy from others, not from 3rd world countries. It wasn't just the "tough" parts of Tanzania that worried me, even the "exciting" parts seemed pretty boring, the safari, I mean I didn't even get LOVE the Animal Kingdom safari ride that much, so FIVE days of safari and game rides seems a little excessive to me. It's like I feel bad for choosing Paris, but why should I? It's my decision, and I LOVE Paris, and even though I may get a chance to go back to Paris, it would never be in the same way, in the same capacity as 6 weeks just partying and traveling around with peers, not a care in the world, and that sound fabulous to me!! Plus I can try to brush up on my French before Paris, maybe become fluent by the end, and wouldn't that be fabulous as well!
I guess now I'm just trying to justify my choice to go to Paris, because it's shallow and immature, but this is a time in my life to be shallow and immature, and I've thought the decision through, so it's really not shallow, it's really a pretty deep decision, it's following who I really am and not trying to be someone else, and knowing yourself is really the most important thing for success, isn't it?
Je t'aime Paris!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
First Freak of the Year
So before I've even had a time to start breaking my resolutions, I've found myself faced with one of those menacing, big-impact life decisions. You see, for the past few months I had decided that I would go to Tanzania, Africa, for a study abroad program in May. I saw presentation on the program in one of my classes and made up my mind instantly to go on the trip which is through a leadership program at my school. One flaw, it ends in early June, just a week before the June 16th LSAT. So then, today, all of a sudden I started rethinking my decision (partially because I read the blog post from last year when the group climbed Mt. Kilamanjaro) and contemplating going to Paris for study abroad instead.
The pro's of Paris:
1. it's PARIS!!
2. nice air-conditioned hotel
3. fun in a foreign country with fellow students
4. jugs of wine with every meal
5. sight-seeing through France
6. get political science and cultural diversity credits that I need for graduation
7. visit my best friend who'll be in Cortona, Italy all summer
8. brush up on my French, work towards fluency
And the con's:
1. I'll miss the June LSAT entirely and have to take it in October which creates a whole mess of issues to be dealt with
2. European study abroad programs through school are pretty cliched, and won't stand out at all for law school admissions or give me particularly interesting stuff to write/talk about
What it means to take the October LSAT:
- have to take it during school
- have to finish studying while taking other classes and worrying about other tests, papers, midterms, etc.
- have to wait all the way til mid-October to know my LSAT score and know what schools I really have a chance at getting in to
- have more time to study, but might procrastinate and not take advantage of the time I have before school starts
- only other chance to take it again if I'm not happy with my score is the Dec. LSAT which would be right in with finals and would be awful!
Pro's of Tanzania:
1. It's different and interesting
2. Once in a lifetime opportunity in a number of ways
3. Love the LEAD program so far, so how could this be less than amazing
4. have heard only great things from past participants
5. might stand out to law school admissions
6. gives me something great to write/talk about in admissions essays/interviews
7. take the June LSAT and get it over with!
8. have the rest of the summer to do whatever I want
9. It's not something people would expect me to do, and I love surprising people like that!
Con's of Tanzania:
1. It'll probably be uncomfortable and I won't have the comforts of home
2. I'll only have a week or two to do last minute studying before the LSAT
3. I'll only have a few days after finals until I have to leave
4. I'll have to figure out something to do for the rest of the summer
Alright so those are the pro's and con's of both. Now that I've written them out, I think I'm leaning towards Africa (my initial decision) and staying in Athens for the rest of the summer. Although Paris looks like TONS of fun, I have a lot of fun already, and most law schools have semester abroad opportunities which are probably similar to the experience I would get with the UGA program. And lingering in the back of my head is the advice I got from a friend who talked me in to applying for the LEAD program in the first place, that she was sure she would find her future husband through LEAD, so what better way to bond with a potential future husband than on an African safari?
So for now my decision is to read the blog the LEAD students made on the Africa trip lat year so that I have as much information as possible before making my final decision. Plus, I can go to Europe for fun (no class involved) next summer!
New Year . . . New Me??
Well here it is 2008! Excited? Somewhat. Confused? Very.
We always hear the line, "New Year, New You!" Well it is a new year, but do I really need a new me? I like me, I could use some improvements, but is a whole new me in order now that the calendar has turned? I sure as hell hope not!
I guess it's time for some introductions, my name is Kayden Carlson, I'm a junior in college at a large, Southern university, I'm pre-law, sort of a nerd, but I have an active social life, and I live in a 4-girl room in my sorority house with 55 other 20-something sorostitutes (not a term I support, but one I feel entitled to use for fun), oh and I was just elected President of the sorority.
So here we are 2008, first day of the new year, I'm at home in Atlanta for Christmas break (bored out of my mind) and, sitting here on my parent's couch, watching the Florida v. Michigan bowl game, I've decided to start this blog. Why? Because I like to write, I think I have a moderately interesting life, and oh, did I mention, I'm at home and bored!
As for the title, I'm not totally freaking out (yet) but the eve of my freak-out is quickly approaching and I've begun recognizing symptoms of a quarter-life crisis is in full force. Even today, on the very first day of this new year, I'm filled with confusion and facing a slew of decisions and choices that I'm certain will have a major impact on the rest of my life!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)