25 before 26

I’ve lately been quite inspired by this blog, A Beautiful Mess. One of the things Elsie does to keep her fast-paced life moving forward and so fun is to make a list of goals before a birthday. And since I’m hitting the age of being alive for a quarter of a century now, I decided to do it too!

Help me keep on top of these. :)

1. Lose 20 pounds.
2. Release at least 5 archive podcasts.
3. Submit a paper to be published.
4. Get a 4.0 each semester.
5. Obtain a second job.
6. Write a long blog entry once a week.
7. Write a letter to a friend once a week.
8. Finish at least 10 books NOT related to school or my field.
9. Stick to a household organizational system.
10. Volunteer at the radio station once a week.
11. Make dinner with fresh vegetables at least 4 nights a week.
12. Take more time out and about with Derek, going on day trips, hikes, little dates, etc.
13. Utilize Zotero and Flickr more effectively.
14. Go to Maine.
15. Attend the Farmers’ Market at least once a month.
16. Lift weights at least 3 times a week.
17. [a personal one I just want to share with close friends!]
18. Sit quietly and meditate 15 minutes a day.
19. [another personal one!]
20. Be humble and thankful.
21. Spend less than 40 dollars a week on outside food.
22. Buy clothes that are made well and will last me for years. Buy LESS clothes.
23. Be spontaneous and adventurous, especially with Derek.
24. Do not pull any all-nighters for school.
25. Watch less TV programs — on SideReel, Netflix, etc.

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In other news, I do hope you all have had a wonderful holiday. I’ve been on a vacation myself for the past week now, and it’s so nice!

First semester: check.

And, I’m done! My grades have come in and they make me pleased as a peach. It was a lot of work, a lot of late nights, and a lot of coffee, but it’s over for now!

My next challenge is this upcoming flight. I really dislike flying — a condition that started within the past few years — and don’t want to do it. But, my love for my parents and cat and home outweigh my anxiety about flying.

Onward!

Coming out from under.

Hello all! It’s 1:30am; why am I awake when I could be in bed with the third Hunger Games novel?

I don’t know. The light of a computer screen is addicting that way.

I finished the paper that I put the most into since my thesis in undergrad, so I feel done with school even though I’m not — two more presentations to go! Ah but presentations sound like a breath of absolutely fresh air (Literally. I didn’t go outside for two days when writing, and drank a lot of instant coffee).

I have some reflections about the semester and about Madison, as well as some goals and to-dos to write here so I will hold myself to them. But for now, I came here to write because I’ve read some interesting and inspiring posts that I wanted to share. So instead of writing more, I’ll let other people do it for me!

Library-related !

• How to Spend Your Winter Vacation — This is to get everyone in the mood for winter vacation. I have big plans, and one of those plans is not burn out but also not to be a vegetable. Maybe that should be my new motto for life: don’t burn, don’t veg.
• Cover Letters — The bane of your existence or a way to prove you can connect the dots in a meaningful way? This is an important blog post to note for anyone, not just those immediately in the job-hunting phase.
• Twopointopians — My favorite bit from this is that being skeptical is what reasonably intelligent people do. I’m not a cyberprophet but I’m not a neo-Luddite and I like it here. I think it’s a mistake to say “it doesn’t work, stop trying, and I’ll be over here laughing at you” but I do think it’s time to realize that simply getting a Twitter and a Facebook page doesn’t assume rich community engagement.
• Lifting the Research Veil — This latest paper made me want to organize my research process a lot more. I appreciated the insight into how she completes her research.

And because my life is not lived only in the library …

• Radiolab 99% Invisible: I cannot wait to add this podcast to my list of them. I’m all caught up with This American Life, Radiolab, Planet Money, and Stuff You Missed in History Class. Waiting for the next episodes is worse than people obsessed with America’s Next Top Model. The 3 samples in the latest RL podcast were great and inspiring.
• Coincidentally, two posts from two beautiful women about shaping the life they want with their partner. Both of these are also inspiring. I am really looking forward to the time I get to focus on Derek during winter break. We can’t spend Christmas together, but we DID get a tiny little tree this year that we will be decorating before he leaves for California!
  • A cozy Christmas in Germany.
  • A newlywed Christmas.
• Songs on repeat lately that I highly recommend:
  • Shake it Out by Florence + the Machine — This song is best played loudly through your earbuds as you walk down cold streets with an extra spring in your step. (It’s too hard to dance with the devil on your back)
  • Blame It On the Girls by MIKA – A high-spirited song that, to me, actually says to stop blaming it on others and take control of your own life.
  • Somebody That I Used to Know (feat. Kimba) by Gotya — A gorgeous music video; the body language between the two is breathtaking.

Lastly, since one of my goals will be to read x number of books, what’s a book or two you recommend? Let me know in the comments!

Archival Podcast

I just announced my plans for my personal winter project to some of my classmates, and they’re interested!

Which name do you like better for an archival podcast? Arcast or Archivault? Or do you have another idea?

Academia? Maybe, kinda, who knows

One reason I don’t think I want to go into academia: I feel like I obtain an artificial power that is too big for me when I make another person’s life (or people’s lives) into a few sentences of explanation.