One More Chapter
A twenty two year-old's view on life, death,
and Taylor Swift conspiracy theories
and Taylor Swift conspiracy theories
4/29/2014 0 Comments A Weekend for the BooksI haven't posted in a few days due to the fact that things are beginning to get rather hectic around here now that finals are rolling around and term paper due dates are nearing, but last weekend was a rather jam-packed weekend with no time for actual school-work. Here's a little run down for all of you... Friday...Friday I was driven home rather early so as to be able to attend my friend, Jackie's, wedding. She was my co-worker until she moved to be with her fiance at his military base. Unfortunately, since Jackie used to work where she was getting married, I was actually working her wedding. But, hey, I'm not complaining because I actually got paid to attend my friend's wedding. She looked beautiful and it was a lovely wedding. Plus, all the servers had fun watching one of us walk down the isle this time and one of us. We all shared a dance on the dance floor toward the end of the night, and took pictures together with the bride. It was a great night, and surely one to remember. Saturday...Saturday was a long, long day, but one full of love and support as I attended Chickee's Dance World's second regional competition of the season. I only got to see a handful of dances since Saturday was all solos and duos and I couldn't stay for both days, but they still did amazing and I am so proud of all my Chickee's girls. I absolutely love coming and seeing everyone and supporting you all every time you go on stage. It kills me that this was probably the last competition I will be able to attend for a long time. Next spring I will be in France and the summer after, in New York. So I won't be able to just drive up and visit and therefore wouldn't dare to miss my last chance of seeing them and supporting them. Claire, Morgan, Nani, and Maddy, you all did wonderfully on Saturday. I wish I could have seen more, but I am sure that you all looked beautiful on that stage and gave it 110%. POWER2014 Sunday...While Sunday was a much less interesting day, it was just as busy, filled with shooting various scenes for the television show I've been working on this semester for the Umass TV station. But what I was most excited about was the solidifying of some really exciting plans. I am extremely happy to announce that soon I will be welcoming a new four-legged friend to my family!! I'll post pictures and tell you more once the day comes, next Sunday when we will be adopting the little critter. The craziness is only going to get worse from here, so I've been taking it just one day at a time and getting done what needs to be done. I can't believe that I will be done with my first year of college in less than a week and a half. That's all for now. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayIscariot by Walk the Moon
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4/24/2014 0 Comments Some Much Needed InspirationLately I have been attending many various events around campus because of my affiliation with the Her Campus online magazine that has a chapter here at Umass. Most have been more frivolous but still pleasant, and today I again attended another event which was mandatory as a writer for the magazine. This time, though, it was a bit more of a serious event; a "Women in Media" conference.
I didn't know what to expect and arrived rather under-dressed, but knew that it would probably be rather informative and a helpful event considering my position as a woman who plans to enter into the media industry. So I sat down, tried some of the free coconut water, decided I hate it, had some water instead, and settled in for the three hours of speeches that were to follow. In the end, I was inspired. The stories these women were telling were amazing. The things they had accomplished could make a list a mile long. I can only hope to one day be as successful and productive as these women have been in their life so far. What they were saying to me, about their struggles of being a woman in a male-dominated industry, were so full of passion and drive that it actually moved me. I was reminded once again of why I am doing what I am doing. There were moments where I had a literally hold back tears. Don't worry, I'm just an extremely easy crier. I will pretty much cry if I feel anything more than a modest emotion...yeah, it's a problem. But these women filled me with such passion and hope for my own future I simply could help but feel in my heart that I knew I was working towards something just as great, and with that much emotion, who wouldn't have to hold back some tears? It has been too long since I've been as inspired as these women have made me today and I find myself freshly refilled with that passion and perseverance that I could feel slowly slipping away. Sometimes, it seems, we find inspiration in the most unlikely of places. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille 4/23/2014 0 Comments A Dream DeferredWhoops, I just missed a lot of days. Looks like I'll have to be posting life three times a day to make up for the missed days and meet my year goal. One of the reasons I haven't been posting is because I have been extremely busy lately. For instance, I recently decided that it would be a good idea to bike to camp when I had to work in the few months between finishing the semester and camp opening for the summer. I though that it would be a perfect way to stay active, healthy and to get in my exercise in while still being productive. It's more than 16 miles one way. So I figured I should give it a practice run in order to find out the time it took to get there and to get back. Monday I did the bike ride there and back in one sitting (a little less than 35 miles). Immediate regret. It was so difficult. It is primarily hills both ways, and towards the end on the way back home there is an approximately three mile stretch that is all up hill. By that time our legs were like jello after hours of uphill biking. When we got home I splayed out on the couch for a second. Soon I realized that there was no chance in hell of me being vertical anytime in the near future. My sister and I were dead and our bodies badly sunburned. I think that it's safe to say I will be using a car to drive to camp this summer, but hey, I still got a good workout out of it! This experience had shown me that not all goals we have are good goals, or practical goals. I am the type of person who, when she sets certain goals, she reaches them no matter the costs (ok, well that's a bit dramatic, there are several things that I wouldn't do even though they would help me reach a goal). Biking might be a great source of exercise, and I do love to do it, but perhaps there are times when cars are just more practical. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayI Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt 4/16/2014 0 Comments Nine Months In the MakingContrary to what the title of this article seems to imply, I am not pregnant. Not at all. Moving on. Approximately nine months from now, January 2015, I am going to be boarding a plane to begin one of the greatest journeys of my life so far. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to go to Europe, especially France. It is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Besides New Zealand, of course. And next January I will be leaving to live there for almost four months, and I couldn't be any more excited. I am going there as a study abroad program in Paris with Umass and absolutely cannot wait. I will be doing some of my favorite things in life in one of the most romantic cities there is; learning, sightseeing and eating. There are so many amazing things that I have always wanted to, such as seeing the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, visit Bath and Versailles, and see the Eiffel Tower. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing opportunity open to me as a student at Umass. This is honestly going to be a dream come true for me and can't wait to journal, blog and video the whole way through it. I feel like finally my life is starting to kick into motion and with this trip and my trip to L.A. coming up, there is so much to be excited for and look towards. It's going to be the experience of a lifetime, I only wish that I could share the experience with my family. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayI See Fire by Ed Sheeran it's so good I had to post it twice. 4/12/2014 0 Comments Slam PoetryI remember back during my Junior and Senior years of high school my English teachers each showed us some of their favorite slam poetry. During Junior year it was to help us with writing out own slam poetry and presenting our writing with the class. During Senior year, I think we were just perusing YouTube and my teacher happened to show us her favorites. Watching these videos made me realize that I LOVE slam poetry. This shit's crazy. Some of them are funny, some are serious, but all make a statement. And most of the time, when done well, they will leave you feeling empowered and wanting to take a stand. I would love to take the opportunity to spread my love for some of these most impressive of artists. Not only is their writing strong and well-done, but to be a true slam poet, you need to be able to present your work in a powerful and dynamic way. For instance, take a look at this poem by Marshal Davis Jones called "Touchscreen": Another one of my favorite performers is Taylor Mali. He is an English funny yet honest teacher, and he knows that he makes a difference: Taylor has many other amazing poems as well that you should definitely check out on YouTube. He truly is an inspiring person to listen to. What I think I love most about Slam Poetry is that it is contemporary, expressive and it forces you to face the truth. There are so many amazing artists in this world that deserve more attention than they are getting, so I highly recommend you take some time out of your "busy" schedule to offer them some appreciation. We can't all be rocket scientists, and honestly most of us don't want to be rocket scientists. These artists are making a difference in their own way, so why not let them? Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayI Can't Help Falling in Love by Ingrid Michealson 4/12/2014 0 Comments The Ultimate Movie ChallengeMy sister and I like to play this game where one of us will think of a movie quote (or sometimes a quote from an episode of The Office) and the other must guess where the quote comes from (or which episode/season it is from). It's actually rather sad that we are able to retain all these useless snippits from various, unimportant films of little to no merit, but that we can't seem to remember to do everyday simple tasks like do homework or clean the kitchen. But that's a horse of a different color. So today I am going to challenge all those of you who think you are as awesome at vague movie quotes as Audrey and I. Below is a list of quotes that I can think of at the top of my head without any reference at all (which means there might be a word or two missing or out of order) and let's see how many of them you can answer. The answers are at the bottom if you scroll down. Take the quiz, then post a comment saying how many you were able to get! Or give me one and I'll see if I can get it as well. Welcome to long road trips with Audrey and Amanda Keohane: 1. "Sometimes we don't do the things we want to do so that others won't know we want to do them" 2. "Can you hear the empty space?" 3. "Oh I play all over. But mostly up front, on the right it best." 4. "But Wesley, what about the ROUS's?" "Rodents of Unusual Sizes? I don't believe they exist." 5. "Where is she going?" "To her tower..." "She has a tower?" 6. "Is there any body going to listen to my story, all about the girl who came to stay..." 7. "Keep the change ya filthy animal." 8. "oh, Alison!" 9. "We'll take the lot." 10. "I love seeing a teacher outside of school. It's like watching a dog walk on its hind legs" 11. "Graduation Caps?" 12. "Tigers love pepper. They hate cinnamon." 13. "I'm obnoxious!" 14. "Oh, Sam..." (followed by a nostalgic smirk) 15. "My eyes aren't glistening with the ghosts of my past!" 16. "Do these flashbacks happen often?" "Increasingly...today." 17."This is the story of boy meets girl, but you should know up front, this is not a love story" 18. "I concur" 19. "We need to steer them in the white direction." "Right direction?" "Yes, that's what I said." 20. "I told you not to fall in love with me." 21. "And in that moment, we were infinite" 22. "I'm am nobody special, of that I am certain." 23. "Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing" 24. "Smurfs are asexual, they don't even have reproductive organs under those little white pants." 25. "I start fires for pleasure" 26. "I know exactly what you're talking about. I felt the same way during my phantom pregnancy." "Don't listen to her." 27. "Redrum. Redrum..." 28. "Make like a tree, and get out of here!" 29. "Do not be frightened. It is only farce!" 30. "As blissful as you two are in the throws of young love, I'm just letting you know I've got a date with Uncle Sam" 1. The Village 2. Holes 3. Bend it Like Beckham 4. The Princess Bride 5. Princess Diaries 6. Across the Universe (also the Beatle's Song "Girl") 7. Home Along (come on, that one was a gimme) 8. Hocus Pocus 9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 10. Mean Girls 11. Twilight 12. The Hangover 13. Finding Nemo 14. The Lord of the Rings 15. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 16. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Johnny Depp remake) 17. (500) Days of Summer 18. Catch Me if You Can 19. Hairspray 20. A Walk to Remember 21. Perks of Being a Wallflower 22. The Notebook 23. The Santa Clause 24. Donnie Darko 25. Pitch Perfect 26. What to Expect When You're Expecting 27. The Shining (also a gimme) 28. Back to the Future 29. The Village (also where I learned what the word "farce" was) 30. Across the Universe How'd you do? Thanks for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DaySing by Ed Sheeran This song is Ed's newest single that just came out this month! Take a listen! 4/9/2014 0 Comments Life's Little Pick Me UpsAs a bit of a follow up to my previous post about good days and bad days, I wanted to make this short post about the great things in life that can help make a bad day a little bit better.
I was suffering from a streak of bad days recently, though I am happy to say that these past few I have felt a lot better, and during that short lived dark period I noticed my friend's post on my Facebook news feed. Now as cliche as it sounds, it was a long quote from the movie The Notebook, but reading it I was reminded just how much I really love that movie. Not only is it chick flick perfection, but it never ceases to lift my mood (even though the ending is unbearably sad - but in a good way!). Even just reading that quote, which was one of my favorite scenes, I felt a little better. I think that the thing we need to do during these bad days is to just take some time for yourself and do something that you know is going to help lift your mood or make you feel even just a slight bit more confident in yourself. Watching The Notebook helps give me hope that something as epic might happen to me one day - though, don't worry, I'm not crazy; I realize that something like this movie almost never happens. But on a bad day, it's nice to think that it might. There are plenty of other things as well that are awesome mood boosters, not just for me but for most people. For instance, now that the sun is coming out and the ground is warming, it's the perfect time to go take a hike or a stroll around the neighborhood. Sometimes getting some fresh air and just taking some time to be alone with yourself and nature is just what the doctor prescribed. Or maybe you need to just find a comfortable place with a steaming cup of green tea and a good book. Getting lost in the worlds of various characters and escaping reality for a little while, even for just a few minutes, can do a body good. Not only are you exercising your brain, but you are becoming more cultured (depending on what you've decided to read) and you're not spending that time thinking about how bad you feel that day or any other negative thoughts about yourself. Because that is what leads to those bad days, reader! Find other things that you know will help you beat this nasty mood you find yourself in from time to time, even if it's watching a scary movie and binge eating popcorn and mashed potatoes. hey it's only once in a while, and those are some of the greatest foods know to man so... There are so many things that life provides us with to make thing better *cough* chocolate *cough* and don't be afraid to take advantage of them in order to get up and out of those awful ruts we all get in sometimes. In fact, I could really use a good hike right about now... Exercise is always a great way to boost your mood, not only does it create endorphins, but afterwards you feel like a champ because you did something good for your body and it knows it! Good luck with your happy hunting! Thanks for reading, Amanda Lucille 4/7/2014 0 Comments Good Days and Bad DaysIt's unavoidable, we all have good days and we all have bad days. For me, I have good days, bad days, and very bad days. I've struggled with my self-esteem for most of my life, and I'm sure there are many others out there who can relate. It wasn't exactly easy growing up around people who were all stick skinny and ate whatever they wanted to without gaining an ounce. My mother was also all about living a healthy lifestyle, while the rest of us all sat around eating Twinkies all day, so she was always in much better shape than the rest of us. Though while I looked out of shape and overweight, my sister had a six-pack. So long story short, I now do my very best to be as healthy as possible. I eat only natural foods, and try to exercise everyday and I have been determined that this summer I will be comfortable in my body at the beach. While I'm at the point where I'm more comfortable with my body than previously, there is still much more progress I want to make. So, of course, some days I wake up feeling bloated and "fat" (bad days) and other days I wake up and really do see the progress (good days). The worst is when you have a series of bad days in a row. This is when the very bad days come into play. These are the days when I start to lose hope that I will ever have the body I want or that I will even be comfortable in my own skin. It seems like all the progress I had seen in the previous week has miraculously disappeared and I am left back at square one. But do not fret, for those of you who experience days like this and are going through a similar process as me, I am here to tell you it's OK. First of all. F*** all those people who are making you feel inadequate or who made fun of you in the past to make you so self-conscious. They aren't even worth the time, and by letting them make you feel this way you are letting them win. It's not fair to you and it's not fair to those around you who are trying to support you and help you get to where you want to be in life. You are perfect the way you are, and no matter how cliche that is, it is completely true. Secondly, never forget that these bad days come and go. They aren't forever and the good days will return in time. Sometimes it's just a waiting game. You can also make them come back, if you lighten up on yourself just a little and stop seeing yourself in such a negative way. Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely suck at doing all these things. I know that they are true, but that doesn't make them easy to carry out in real life. I may talk the talk, but I am still working on how to walk the walk. It takes time and determination and a lot of outer support to break down the walls of insecurity that people build up over years and years of torment and cruelty. So there's the truth of it. It's damn hard work to lighten up on yourself, especially when you've made a habit out of it. But it's not impossible, not at all. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayNext in Line by Walk the Moon 4/6/2014 0 Comments The Hazards of the JobFor those of you who don't know, I work at a wedding venue located at a renovated farmhouse in my town. It is honestly one of the most beautiful wedding venues I have ever seen and I only hope one day I am able to afford to be married there. I started working there as a busing staff and a setter (someone who sets the hall for all the weddings). I soon was promoted to a server and to a setting captain. Now I also work shifts as Head Table Server, which generally means being the bridal attendant. I have met so many amazing people and couples over the years and I love how every shift at work is so different based on the people attending the wedding. Last night the couple was one of the sweetest I have ever met. Towards the beginning of the night I noticed a small, handheld notebook placed on one of the front tables. I ignored it thinking that one of the guests had simply left it there by accident and would soon be back to retrieve it. Throughout the night I continued to notice this small notebook sitting there on that table, but again and again I simply ignored it. At the end of the night, as I was packing all of the couple's materials up for them to take home, I saw that the notebook was still there on the table. I picked it up and asked a nearby employee what it was doing there. The employee informed me cheerfully that this notebook was part of the way in which the groom proposed to his new wife. My heart melted a bit as I opened it and flipped through the pages. It was filled with small, delicate cartoons colored in artistically with faint watercolor washes. The cartoons professed in various, completely adorable ways how much he loved this woman and how he is looking for nothing else in life than to simply be with her and love her. In the end it told her to go to a certain section of the library in which she found the notebook where normally one would find a specific F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Once she got there she would find the him and the ring. It was one of the sweetest things I have ever seen/heard of. This is just one of the many hazards of my job there. On a regular basis I cry at work. I try to hide it as best I can, but often during the father/daughter dance or the toasts I feel the tears welling up. It really is a problem I need to fix soon, because at times I think I worry the guests and my fellow employees. And hearing stories like the one of this groom's proposal just work to remind me of how hopelessly single I truly am. But again, it's just one of the hazards of the job and I can only hope that one day I will be as happy and in love as all these couples I see every weekend. It is them who really truly give me faith in this crazy little thing that we all wish for. And with that said, Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayOne and Only by Adele 4/3/2014 2 Comments Dare To Be DifferentFitting in is so overrated. If we all strove to be the same as everyone else life would be so boring. We also wouldn't have any artists. Can you imagine a world with no art? It is my belief that the key to happiness is just doing what makes you happy. It's really not that complicated. I feel like too often people follow the career paths that their family want for them just to please their parents or to be just "as good" as their extremely successful older sibling or other elder. Let me tell you, if I did everything in life to fit more into my family I would either be studying mathematics or engineering right now. No thank you. Instead I took the first step towards my own life when I went to Monty Tech. Both my other siblings went to Wachusett Regional High School, as did most others in my town, and nobody else in my family had gone to a tech high school. But I knew that it would help me in the career path I had planned for myself so I went. Best decision I ever made. Because I made it for myself. I did what would make me happy and make me my own person. The great thing that Monty Tech taught me was that I don't want to work in Culinary for the rest of my life. I wanted to study English and Film Studies. So now I go to college for that. I am a liberal arts major in a family full of Science, Math and Business majors. And I love it. The greatest ideas and revolutions in history happened because of people who wanted change, who refused to follow the status quo. Similarly the greatest ideas were thought of by people who wanted to break free from the confining limits of the 'norm'. Who wouldn't want to be the next Aristotle or the next Picasso? My greatest heroes and inspirations are people like Baz Luhrmann who's films have such a unique and distinctive style that you would know one of their films anywhere. So stop trying so hard to fit in all the time. If you are shopping for clothes and see something you like, get it. Don't stop and think, "what would people think if I wore this?". If you wanna wear bold red lipstick, do it. If you want to write a story unlike anything anyone has ever written, power to you! Our world would be no where without the people who dare to be different. There would be no such thing as progress. So put down that gossip magazine and go make yourself happy damn it! Because you just might make something of yourself one day, and it won't be because you tried as hard as possible not to stand out. Thank you for reading, Amanda Lucille Song of the DayBe Ok by Ingrid Michaelson Classic. |
About This Blog:I started this blog as a way to challenge myself to write more over the 2014 year, but it has blossomed into so much more than that. I use it to let people in on what's happening in my life, talk about things I find important and to spread the news about amazing people, places and art. Archives
November 2017
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