A bittersweet departure.

It's becoming more real. It's becoming more exciting. And it's becoming more nerve racking.

Going to school in Lincoln, England come January is finally beginning to sink in. People are constantly asking me when I leave, what's the count down and how excited am I? I always have the same response, "Eh, I don't think about it." Which is completely true. Most people would think it's all I think about, but it's almost never on my mind. Of course I'm excited and looking forward to the incredible new experience but why waste away my time here thinking about something that I will have 4 months to think about while I'm actually doing it. 

I say it's bittersweet for a few reasons. I'm excited to be there, but I'm not excited to leave. 

For the bitter:

1.) Packing for a weekend gives me anxiety, let alone packing for 4 months. 

2.) Leaving my family will probably be a lot tougher than I imagine. 

3.) Moving out of my house at school in the middle of the winter and needing to have an organized mess at home in order to sufficiently pack. Although, I am incredibly thankful I was able to find a sub leaser for the semester.

4.) My friends mean everything to me and I don't want to miss out on an entire semester with them.

5.) My boyfriend is pretty rad and I'd take him with me if I could.

These things will all be tough, but then I think about the benefits and excitement of experiencing a different culture for over 4 months. Not many people get that opportunity and I am so grateful.

Yesterday was the day. I purchased my one-way plane ticket to England. January 14th, 2014 I will be Lincoln, England bound. I met the others that will be going with me on this adventure and I'm very excited to get to know them. Knowing I will have great people to experience this with makes it even better. 

With that being said, now for the sweet:

1.) I'M GOING TO SCHOOL IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY!

2.) I am going to meet so many new people and meeting people is one of my favorite things to do.

3.) I love clothes. I love fashion. England is a very great place for both of those things.

4.) I am only taking 12 credits and have no work obligations while I'm there. Talk about living the dream!

5.) There will be so many travel opportunities and I'm already trying to plan my first trip. It costs almost nothing to travel to different countries in Europe and I will be taking complete advantage of that.

So now when people ask me about going to England, I won't have a boring monotone answer. I'll probably cry, cheer, hug and make my many signature facial expressions. But somewhere in that response I'll tell you how excited and grateful I am for this opportunity of a lifetime, because this truly is a dream come true.

Why am I putting aside something I love? Also, spring break.

As I have mentioned before, writing is one of my favorite things to do. So why do I keep putting it off? Why do I make, "I'm too busy" my excuse for not expressing my thoughts on paper. I read so many various blogs yet I don't make time for a blog post of my own. Anyone who wants to, MAKE ME WRITE. I've been given this gift and passion so I might as well use the crap out of it.

March is the month of Spring Break. There's constantly photos being posted and status updates about how truly amazing someones spring break was. But I think that my spring break deserves more than a Facebook post or a tweet. Nothing will ever do the justice of how truly amazing it was.

I went on STLF's Pay It Forward Tour this year. I was on a bus with 39 other incredible personalities for 8 days. It's amazing how close you can get to people in such a short time. We traveled to San Antonio but made 5 stops on the way. In each of those cities we slept on the floor of a church or gym, if we were lucky we got to shower and we went through many boxes of tissues and fruit snacks. Also, in each of those cities we did a service project. The service projects varied. Some were wet, some dirty and some gave us rosie cheeks. But of course each of them were just as satisfying as the last. I've never had just a fulfilling experience. This will always be on my mind and it reflects a bit of who I am today. I'm so thankful for each and every person I met on the trip and so glad they made an impact on my life.

While I was on the trip I got some incredible news about the Study Abroad program I applied for. I WAS ACCEPTED. When I found out, I screamed, jumped a round and was nearly in tears. I don't think I've ever been so excited for an experience in my life. I had a few days left of the PIF but as soon as I got home I ripped open that envelope and starting filling out more paper work. I have a ton of preparation and anticipation to do before I leave next January. I will be seeking advice from anyone who is willing to give it to me and I would like to hear about as many peoples experiences abroad as I can so that I can live mine to the fullest. 6 months in Europe is more than I could ever ask for. One of the best things about being accepted is being able to renew my passport. My last one was taken when I was 14 and let me tell ya, it's a pretty dreaded picture. Although I'm not extremely happy about my new photo that I took last week, it's better than my first one.

While I'm preparing to study abroad at Lincoln University next spring, I hope you're all planning a trip for yourself. I understand that money is a huge factor when it comes to traveling, but the memories and experience out rule any amount of money it took to get there.

 

             

   

 

Exciting up comings.

I know I haven't written in a while, and I apologize for that. Being a full-time college student with a job, friends and lots of activities around campus keeps a girl pretty busy. But I wouldn't change it for the world. I'm notorious for saying, "Eh, I'll write tomorrow", but that needs to stop being my excuse. So if anyone has writing ideas, send them my way!

As I've talked about before, I applied to study abroad in England next spring. It's a long process and finally starting to feel real. I was asked if I wanted an interview for the program, and of course, I said yes. I can't wait, although I'm nervous. What if I don't get in? What if this isn't meant to be? What if my dreams don't come true? I will truly be crushed. I need to stop living my life with a 'what if' attitude and start thinking about the positive things from either outcome. My interview will be on March 1st and you can bet your bottom that you'll be hearing how it went.

So how about that "State Of The Union" with Obama tonight?

I'm going to San Antonio, Texas for Spring Break with STLF this year. I'm so excited to do wonderful service for those in need, meet new people and of course the warm Texas sun. We will be stopping in many cities on the way, so I'll be able to have plenty of new experiences with all kinds of cool people. I can't wait to make a packing list but I can wait to pack.

As much as I want to travel the world and indulge myself so many opportunities and experiences I don't have the means to do so at this time. (Time and money.) So any of you out there traveling and experiencing culture all over the place, I am living vicariously through you. So, thanks for that.

Top 5 & Not Top 5

This is supposed to be a Friday thing, but of course I forgot while I was doing SO many things with my Friday night....

Top 5

1.  I got a ride to class two days in a row! (I live a block away from school) But it was still really great because of how cold it was this week.

2.  My roommate Holly, my friend Allie and I baked a delicious cookie cake recipe that we found on Pinterest. Seriously, so good.
1 pack of yellow cake mix
2 cups of chocolate chips
5 T of melted butter
2 eggs
Mix them together, 9x13 cake pan. Over on 350, bake for 20 min.
Please try it!

3.  Last week one of my Not Top 5 was that I was sad about One Tree Hill. But this week I finally started watching it again, so I'm not as sad about it anymore. Except for the fact that I have to hate Nathan and Brooke all over again. I just love them all so much.

4.  I got a card in the mail from my best friend Kelsey. She rocks, so did the card and so did the candy she sent me with the card. Although, along with that card and candy I have to pay 20 cents to the mail man because Kelsey didn't put enough stamps on the envelope.

5.  Perks Of Being A Wallflower is my favorite book and I've been dying to see the movie. But I have this thing where I feel super guilty if I go see a movie in the theaters for what seems like 32 dollars (probably only $10). So I finally watched it with Allie and it was an incredible movie, to say the least.

Not Top 5

1.  Holly and I have been talking about making Lasagna since November and finally the other day we did it. Maybe you saw my post on it, but we burnt it. Tears weren't shed, but they probably should have been.

2.  I was hoping for a snow day at least one time this week, but of course we didn't have one. So I'm betting that there's no hope for one this school year.

3.  My package from Urban Outfitters still hasn't arrive. I just really want my new watch and purse!

4.  Holly unfollowed Mara and I on Twitter. It was really sad.

5.  I got a wrap from the Dragon Cafe and it literally just fell apart when I picked it up to eat. It crumbled and it was just done for. Hoping for better luck next time.

Hope you had a great weekend thus far. Enjoy watching the Super Bowl tomorrow night, if that's your plan. It's definitely mine!

Why American Idol made our night and ruined our night.

Today has just been a rough day. Not that I want to complain for this whole post, but hopefully this will come off more light hearted and a bit silly.
I've been trying to be optimistic about the semester and not being able to see my friends and roommates as much as I've hoped. I finally realized that the semester won't get less busy and our schedules aren't going to change, they're only going to get busier. My roommate Mara and I have completely opposite schedules and rarely ever cross paths. If we do its for 5 minutes in the CMU and then we're on the move again. Hopefully we figure out a way to actually see each other more often, otherwise this is going to be a looong semester.

If you know me at all, then you would know that I am not a fan of cooking. And neither is my roommate, Holly. Generally when we put our mind to it and follow the directions, the food we attempt to cook actually turns out pretty good. Our most successful recipes being, cheesey hashbrowns, chicken alfredo, frozen pizza and mac n' cheese. Our least successful, to date, is lasagna.

We browned the meat, cooked the noodles and began to lay the ingredients in the pan. Our plan was to make two 9x9 trays of lasagna, which soon turned into only one 9x9 tray. For that one tray there were too many noodles, not enough sauce, little meat and even littler cheese. . .
We didn't want to waste those extra noodles and the little meat and sauce we did have. So we cut up the lasagna noodles and mixed it all together. . . improvising at it's finest.

After we had that fiasco, we realized the oven wasn't even on to be preheated. After a while, we put the lasagna in, only intending to melt the cheese and heat it up.

It's Wednesday, therefor American Idol is on. Holly and I sit down to watch it and an hour later we realize that our lasagna is indeed, still in the oven. REALLY? We jump up in hopes that it hasn't been burnt. Lucky for us, it wasn't terrible but the noodles were definitely a little more crispy than hoped. Zach took one for the team and tried the first piece and it turns out it wasn't that bad but certainly not that good.

We sit back down on the couch to finish American Idol, drowning in our sorrows and finding out that two of the audition locations are two of the places we will be going on our Pay It Forward Tour for STLF over spring break. One being Waco, Texas and the other being our final destination, San Antonio, Texas. That is of course, when we realize that we missed our STLF meet at 7pm, it's now 9pm. We decided that this was just a learning experience for us and we had fun doing it. Things don't always turn out the way we want and sometimes you need to make better choices. For instance, setting a timer instead of pretending we would remember our food in the oven or maybe watching the Food Network rather than American Idol.

Although you may think watching American Idol is the best thing for you, sometimes it's the worst. This is the end of our difficult night with all the wrong turns.

Snow, snow, snow.

I find myself complaining about winter, all winter long. But then there's days like today. 30 degrees fahrenheit and snowy can never be a bad thing. I love snow but I think cold weather and snow for a month is plenty enough.
I don't know how people can't appreciated the snow. It is so beautiful, fun to play in, gets classes cancelled and makes for a great Instagram photo. It's also notorious for causing people to slip and fall, and today that was the case for me. I was walking to class with my friend Cam. While we were still on the sidewalk in front of my house he turned around to throw a snowball at me, I got scared, shuffled my feet and then fell on my butt. It was quite possibly the funniest thing that has happened to me in the snow, yet pretty painful.

Winter in Minnesota can sometimes be dreadful but there's many great things that come from it as well.

1.  High, colorful, printed socks.

2.  Laughing at yourself after falling in the snow, only if your closest friends see it.

3.  Fireplaces, candles and cozy blankets.

4.  Watching full seasons of various shows on Netflix.

5.  Cute winter accessories.

6.  Frosted trees in the morning, before the sun melts it away.

7.  Snowboarding, skiing and sledding. Speaking of sledding, I tried sledding in my front yard on the        first day it snowed this winter...let's just say I'm gonna have to give it another go.

8.  Looking forward to going to Texas for spring break.

9.  Hot cocoa, coffee and apple cider.

10.  Classes cancelled and Snow days! Although, it's a rare occasion. 

And for the people who wear glasses, the number one bad thing about winter: Your glasses fogging up when you walk into a warm building. There's no hope because you can't see with them on and you can't see without them on.

Let's all cross our fingers for no school tomorrow. Keep the snow comin'!

Top 5 & Not Top 5.

Let's just talk about some really great things that happened this week and some not so great things that happened.

Top 5

1.  My roommate Holly and I were sitting outside of the Dragon Cafe at school on Wednesday eating walking tacos. Suddenly she exclaims, "This is my taco question of the day!, as if she asks a question about tacos every day. It was really funny and had me laughing for about 3 minutes. Really, I couldn't stop. But of course, like most funny things, it was a, "you had to be there" kind of moment. I hope you all have "taco questions of the day" from now on.

2.  I got paid. Then again, that should be on everyone's list of top 5 things, ever.

3.  I went bowling with a bunch of friends. Every time I go bowling I feel like I tell everyone how much I love bowling and that I forgot how much fun it is. The first game I bowled a 93 and I was so proud, until I bowled a 165 the second game. Who knew that was even possible for me. I even got 3 strikes in a row, which I learned is called a Turkey. It was really exciting.

4.  I love Target. Everything about Target. Especially their clearance racks. I got this really great vest and a burnt orange jacket. I don't own anything orange and never imagined myself buying something orange. (I'm a fan, with the exception of this jacket.) I really need to get rid of the mentality that if it fits then I should buy it. . because most of the time, it fits. 

5.  A while back, I accidentally put my favorite shirt in the dryer (it's one of those shirts that shouldn't be put in the dryer). I shrunk it, it didn't fit right and I just destroyed that shirt. I couldn't get rid of it though. The other day, I just decided to dry it again because it was already ruined. When I took it out of the dryer it was fixed! Truly, it looked like it had never been ruined! That was the best part of my week, I think.

Not Top 5

1.  I had one goal for the second game of bowling I played. I just wanted to beat Zach's score. Well, I lost by 8 points. 165 to 173. But I still had a lot of fun trying to kick his butt.

2.  I ordered a watch and a purse from Urban Outfitters over two weeks ago and there was a problem with the delivery so I still haven't received them. I just really want them, now! Soon enough though..

3.  The weather this week has been horrible. I'm such a wimp in the cold, so if mother nature could be nicer to us Minnesotans, that would be really great.

4.  I have this weekly occurrence where I think about the characters on One Tree Hill are doing, and have to remind myself that they're not real and the show is over so nothing else is going to happen. I've been having withdrawals since I finished the series and it's becoming a problem. I'm going to start over to cure my frustrations. 

5.  I was really excited about getting paid today, but I've nearly spent it all. On necessities though, so that's ok. 

Notebooks.

Everyone's passion starts somewhere.

For me:  Notebooks, 13 Going On 30 and The Daybook Blog.

I have stacks of notebooks. Some that are full of drawings, some of my darkest secrets and some that I want someone to find one day. These here are only a few of what I actually have and have had in the past.

My excitement over notebooks started in 2nd grade. There was this girl on the bus, (she sat in the back so she was one of the cool kids) she had a notebook that I was dying to have and had only hoped my mom would buy it for me from the book fair. Well I on the other hand, had a red N'sync Hit Clip. I'm tellin' ya, these things were the bomb. The girl with the really cool notebook wanted my Hit Clip. So of course, the idea of a 2nd grader was to trade! How brilliant was that?! I think my mom found out that same night and made me return the notebook the next day. Sadly for me, I never got my Hit Clip back... :(

Basically, I loved notebooks for how they looked on the outside until I realized the things I could come up with on the inside. I then started to write things down. Writing help me get through hard times and gave me a place to rant about the good times. Essentially notebooks always listened.

Magazines and 13 Going On 30.
In 2004 the movie 13 Going On 30 came out. The first time I watched that movie is when I knew what direction I wanted to go with my life.
You know the scene where she presents her magazine layout to the editor at Poise? That's exactly what I'm talking about. I wanted to be her! I want to design layouts, take photos and write for a magazine. 13 Going On 30 wasn't just another chick flick to me, it was an eye opener and a life changer. Who knew a Jennifer Garner movie could essentially change my life.


If you don't already follow The Daybook Blog, YOU NEED TO. Seriously, that's what inspired me to start writing a blog. Her blog posts are everything one would expect in a blog. She's dedicated, silly and down right fashionable. After contemplating for a long time whether or not I could start a blog and keep up with it I just told myself to do it. Like Sydney, I needed to be dedicated and I just needed to do it.

Cozy makes everything right.

Every time I try to use my desk for homework, blogging, social networking or anything really, I can't focus until it's clean, organized and cozy. Really, I'm a sucker for anything cozy.

Living in a dorm room or in a old college house, which is what I live in now, can make it really hard to find "cozy". My room in the basement has all white walls, rickety basement windows, classroom tile floors and this wonderful wooden paneled wall. Everything about it is creepy, except that one wall. I knew this room needed to be mine because of that wall (seriously, it is so 1970s). I needed to make that room my own and most importantly, I needed to make that room livable. Which of course, means cozy!

Warm colors were the first thing. Browns, reds, golds and mustard colors. I think that's my favorite color combination. I went at it and this is what I got.

          

Lamps instead of over head fluorescent lights. I was lucky and didn't have to deal with fluorescent lights, thank goodness. But I prefer to light my room with lamps and a few white christmas lights. 

I think I have a weakness for any candle with a fall scent. It's the most cozy thing I can think of, other than fuzzy socks and slippers, of course. Just fill the room with candles and it's probably the definition of cozy. They smell nice and look nice, win-win.

Another way to make a space your own is to add photos of people you care about, put up things that remind you of some fun memories you have and write inspirational quotes everywhere!

My roommate, Holly, is also a fan of the cozy. Just look at her room. If you knew Holly you'd understand why this is her room. It's her personality in a nutshell. A very good thing I might add.

Now go make your room cozy, I promise you'll love it. And maybe this will make it that much easier to study all night long and get rid of that writers block I'm sure everyone gets once in a while. I know I do.

There are 12 months in a year, not 23.

Since I was a 10th grader in High school I have had this wonderful plan to study abroad in England. It didn't work out then so I told myself to never pass up the opportunity in college.
My Freshman year in college I met one of my closest friends who happened to be from England. This only made my interest in studying abroad, grow. I expressed interest in the program right away and decided to stay on track with it. I knew when I needed to apply by, I knew which University I would be attending and I knew that's exactly what I wanted to do.

March of 2012 I visited England. When I left, I knew I wasn't saying good-bye to England, but instead I was saying, I can't wait to call you my home. There was no way I wasn't pursuing my dream to study abroad.

It's now January of 2013, a year away from studying abroad in England. I applied at the end of December. It's killing me, but I have to wait until late March/early April to have an interview and after that is when I find out if I've been accepted into the program. Really, it's nearly killing me to wait. I usually wish time to go slower, but in this case, let's get movin'! Like anyone else this anxious to study abroad, I haven't stopped looking at Lincoln University's website (the school where I will be studying). It is SO dang confusing. Their academic calendar is a long list and their dates are, day/month/year not month/day/year. You don't wanna be the person trying to figure out how the heck there are 23 months in a year all of the sudden. After finally figure out that situation, I started reading their events. All I wanted to know was when the semester starts and all I could find were dates for "Formal Timetabled Activity". WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? So, anyways, as excited as I am there are also some frustrations I need to over come.

I can't wait to find out if this is what I am meant to do next year. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is paying for the bathroom and running into people because in Europe walking on the right side, is indeed the wrong side.

Better things to come.

I really am going to try harder with this blog, I promise.

Tonight, I was having a conversation with one of my good friends. We talked a lot about relationships, friends and waiting for better things to come. I often find that the advice I give to others is really just the advice I have been waiting to hear myself. This might sound strange, but I like to think God puts people and situations in our lives in hopes to better ourselves in the process of bettering the other person. This conversation opened my eyes and made me realize that there are struggles in my life right now because soon enough there will be things to take the place of those struggles and I won't even think twice.

Moving on can be one of the hardest things to do, but also one of the best things for us. This all comes back to, better things to come. I need to move on from my past hurts and sorrows in order for something new and exciting to come into my life.

Lately, I have been making some huge life decisions. Living situations, school options, traveling experiences and friendships. What I need to focus on in 2013 is prioritizing my life. And I mean really prioritize. Although I think owning human biology this semester and making it to the Dragon Cafe for grilled cheese and tomato soup every Thursday is the most important thing right now. . . it really isn't. My priorities should be focused around God, Family, Friends and my well being. I need God in the center of all that I do. I need to maintain a strong relationship with my family, the people who will always be there no matter what. I need to focus on the friendships that are worth it and move on from the ones that bring me down. Though I prefer not to put myself first, I need to focus on Me before I can focus on the rest. Without a healthy self, there will be no solid ground for the others in my life.

So consider this a late New Years' Resolution. This is year is going to be all about golden relationships, magical experiences and of course, a healthier lifestyle. After I finish this bag of Doritos.

The gal behind the screen.

My name is Laura Baier and I am from Monticello, MN. I am a Sophomore, majoring in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Photojournalism and a minor in Leadership. I enjoy everything about sharks and Batman, but keep your tickling and dirty microwaves away from me. One of biggest concerns in life is that my sewing machine has a safe home and is ready to be used at any give moment. Crafts are my get away and favorite activity, making Hobby Lobby my greatest weakness, right next to ice cream. Long boarding is one of my most exciting activities and the greatest time to do my thinking. In my opinion you can’t go wrong with a bowl of Lucky Charms and I can’t think of anything better than a trip around the world. As far as my greatest accomplishments in life, making something into the garbage from all the way across the room definitely takes the cake. Making people laugh is something I strive for and experiencing the world is more than a dream.