Things I wish I knew at all times

1. Don't watch movies and think of things as they are in reality, it will ruin it. Especially when those movies are Transformers, Harry Potter, or any other sort of sci-fi stuff. 
2. When walking around short furniture don't cut corners. You may only have one little table and chair in the entire room but still somehow the magnet in your little toe is more powerful than your ability to walk around a piece of Ikea furniture.
3. Don't put your coffee next to the computer when playing intense computer games. You don't play them very well and you end up scaring and then pushing the cup over, spilling hot coffee onto the table that slants down towards your lap. The coffee may also somehow leek into your top drawer and spread wonderfully there hiding there until later that day when you need something and it is somehow glued to the wood and slightly soggy. And of course you don't own a towel with which to clean this whole mess up and just end up sweeping it back into the cup with your hand and using the not-very-absorbent dishtowel. Luckily the electronics and papers managed to escape... selfish bastards.
4. Don't even try to set goals for the gym. While you say "I'll sign up for free classes!" what you really mean is "I'll look at a list of free classes and then decide which one I would go to but decide not to because I'm too lazy and would rather watch a movie!"
5. Don't wash spoons in the sink with the water on full power, it will go everywhere but the sink. Magic.
6. Never live in a house with inexperienced cookers and very sensitive smoke detectors. So far there have been 4 fire alarms and a couple of close calls in two weeks because people somehow still don't understand that leaving food in an oven or on the stove for way too long will lead to fire. Also, they will happen when you are in the shower or still asleep. Because f-you, that's why. 
7. Clearly not all English is English you can understand. "Hi, where are you from?" Smile and nod during every conversation from there-on out. 
8. "I'll just browse" is never true in a secondhand bookstore. Also, I'll only buy two is a huge bloody lie.
9. Trying to give up sugary stuff on a diet will only lead to anger and frustration. It's been one day and I'm about to rip someone's head off.
10. New creations in the kitchen seem a good idea at the time but they almost always disappoint. Yum! Potatoes and cereal and salt and apples because I don't have anything else in the fridge!
11. "I'm going to read more!" uh-huh... computer games it is. "I don't have class all week, perfect to go somewhere new and read!" vs. "holy crap, it's three in the morning and I'm still in the ruined temple!"
12. There is no such thing as a good time for high heels. Especially when that time is during rain on cobblestone streets with only uphill and downhill and a lot of drinking is involved. The only thing missing is lots of drains to get stuck in with your heel- ohh... never mind  she managed to find that too. (This clearly didn't happen to me because if I wore heels in this place I would detect the rain about an hour before everyone else.)

Decisions

Five year ago, after graduating from high school, I took one year to myself to figure out what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. It was a wonderful year of discovery, action, travel, and spending time with the family.
Then when I had made my decision I moved to college in Spain for two years. I go there knowing I had to move to a new school in two years time since they didn't have my major. But it was two years away, so of course I didn't need to worry about it. Then the two years were over and I moved to the US. I thought, wow, those two years were over and I was in the US and thinking, the next two years will be over but not for a long time. But now the two years are over once again. Where have the last four years gone? Where have the last two years gone?
At times I thought it would never end, sometimes I hoped it would go by faster, but now that the end of this part of my life is here I really don't know how I should or want to react.
It's been wonderful, stressful, enlightening, encouraging, discouraging, upsetting, annoying, happy, sad, and exciting.
But all in all I know it was a great time and it was a great decision. I'll never think back and second guess my decision making process. I'm glad I'm where I am.

Packing up, moving on

Packing bags is neither easy nor quick. I'm not going to deny the fact that it takes time, effort, and planning to do it the right way. More so even when you're packing your bags to leave the country for good and have to cram two years of hoarding into roughly four suitcases. Yeah sure, FOUR SUITCASES?!? Seriously though, it's not that much...
So far I have one completely packed and ready to go, one big bag full that just needs to be added to a suitcase, a batch of small bags that equal to one suitcase, and then all my other stuff which is probably one and a half suitcases still.
I thought I would have roughly four suitcases full, but now looking at it, as I keep shopping and hoarding all my stuff, I realize I might have five/six/seven.... no, five though. So let's hope to keep it strictly business and only bring home what I need.
But I don't want to leave anything behind! I have a nice little collection of random stuff here that I got attached to, like a pet just made out of wood and paper and stuff...

And then the next problem: Where am I going to put all this stuff!?!

Oh lord...

Are you serious? How can a university function when the departments are so disconnected that they can't even respond to my emails and apply my acceptance information...
I wrote my future graduate school three times now about hearing back if my offer acceptance has been received because I sent in the payment, the forms and firmly enrolled. But so far no response. Also, I accepted my scholarship twice yet they still wrote me congratulating me on my offer.... Hold up, seriously?? What's going on????
GET IT TOGETHER! JESUS!

I CAN'T WAIT! 9 DAYS!!!!!!

Being there

The power that is service is amazing. Never before have I truly realized the strength and support it relays to other people. Today I went out with a friend to volunteer at a 5k run. While we didn't run or walk to 5k, we made a difference in the lives of others. This was surprising on its own because the people in the run were making a difference in ours. Thinking that all we did was hold an arrow at the 1 mile mark, people running past kept thanking us. It startled me, in a good way, when I finally figured out that they were thanking us because of our support for them who are supporting others.

It's the little things, what might not mean anything to others, that means so much to the specific group of people. Just spending a couple of otherwise idle hours out in the beautiful sun holding a big red arrow made the people running feel more empowered and supported a great cause, research on multiple myeloma, bone marrow cancer.

Just one step at a time, one hour at a time on your free days, you can make the kind of difference that can possibly change lives. By just thinking: "there's free bagels there, so why not?" you suddenly catapulted yourself into the position of volunteer which leads you to touch the lives of others. Having several causes close to my heart myself I know that I would love even the slightest most unenthusiastic volunteer around.
Because, still, they decided to be there.

Lead by example

The day after the presentation. It was wonderful and sad all in one go. While the presentations went well, we went out for drinks after, and we all got along splendidly it's sad to think that we connected like this on the last possible day.

But nonetheless it was all worth it. As a summation of the past four years, two years in my major, I learned a lot of lessons that are not only valuable to me as a student, but also as a person. One of the major lessons I have learned has to do with acceptance. While we all think we are tolerant and accepting, are we really? Do we really forgive and pass no judgment on others? Do we really live in a world where we feel nothing matters but we think? I think, and learned, over time that there is no escaping the judgment of others and the only real step to take is to learn and teach others about the power of acceptance. 

With just some simple thoughts shared by those aware of the need or lack of acceptance and tolerance we can at least strive to provide for others the world that we all want to have. If you can't live your life without judgment then why do you expect others to do the same. Like a lesson learned as a child and as a student, and now as an adult: Live by example.

Picture from weheartit.com