random act of kindness experiment

(this has proper capitalization because it was a paper for a class as well)

thoughts: Acts of kindness are not random for me, they are normal. It is easy for me to approach a stranger and strike up a conversation, to tell someone to have a nice day, or to offer to help someone carry a large load to their house. So, instead of choosing an act of kindness that was already a part of my daily routine, I was advised to choose something outside of my lifestyle. I chose to make some chocolate chip cookies and take them door to door to my neighbors until all of the cookies were gone. While this exercise was easy for me, it still was a rewarding experience.

I prepared a plate of chocolate chip cookies and walked three doors down the hallway of my apartment complex (I know the neighbors in the vicinity of my home). I knocked on doors, but didn’t receive many answers because it was mid-afternoon, and most of the residents were in class. When someone finally answered the door, I was greeted by a young man who I have seen in some of my classes. I offered him and his roommate a cookie, and they both happily accepted. I waved goodbye to them and continued to visit more apartments. I walked across the street to the other part of the complex and was greeted by another young man, who seemed pleasantly surprised that I offered him a cookie, which he happily took and ate, saying “Have a wonderful day! It was so nice to meet you!”

As my cookie supply dwindled and I knocked on more doors, the residents seemed to get more and more joyous. One girl was really surprised to see me offer her cookies, but she even invited me inside as she took about three cookies for her and her roommates. Every single house I visited (where people were home) happily accepted a cookie and thanked me, telling me to have a nice day. It was really great to see the smiles of the residents as I walked away from their doors.

I already know what it feels like to be kind to a complete stranger, but it seems the feeling is so much greater when you present the recipient with a tangible gift, no strings attached. I feel that for my particular experiment, the results were positive because most of the residents were students, and I was presenting them with free food, delicious cookies. Socially, I think this states that young adults are comfortable with people their own age, and I feel that young adults are willing to accept food that is given to them for free. Had this experiment taken place at an apartment complex where the majority of residents were not students, I’m not sure the results would be the same. I’m still sure that most people will take a free cookie, but I’m not sure if everyone would take a cookie from a stranger.

This experiment was rewarding and was also very fun. I am honestly considering doing more things like this, because I could see how it brightened people’s days and that made my day just a little happier too.

why i chose this photo: this is a picture of a teeny tiny flower that i found while walking in a park here in corvallis. the flower was really small and simple, but it made me smile as i noticed it among leaves and grass when i walked.

question: how has someone noticed you and expressed kindness towards you?

inspiration: "even the smallest things in life can be great when recognized."

looking up

thoughts: in a society powered by technology, many of us are continually glued to it. to phones, computers, apple products, what have you, new media devices are often the main focus of our daily lives. we have to be connected somehow. but why? i conducted a little experiment last week to see how non-digital communication works, and how much of our lives are spent missing the daily happenings.

why? i am a new media major, i love to be connected too. but it is a balance.yes, our society has changed to that technology is almost mandatory and necessary, but unplugging and communicating in our god-given form should also be important.

last thursday (i haven't posted until now because i wanted to process what happened), i spent an entire day with very minimal cell phone/internet use, and walked between classes with my head up. i didn't text anyone between classes and i walked normally without my phone in hand. instead of walking with my head down, paying little attention to people, i made it my goal to communicate with people, weather it be a simple hello, or a big smile. i wanted to see what would happen.

so i did that. i walked and smiled genuinely at people. not that forced "hey" when you walk by someone, but a real smile, trying to brighten my day. at first, not many people caught my eye, but as the day progressed and i continued, i got more and more people smiling back or saying hello to me. it became joyful, and i really connected with people as i lit up their days. it wasn't super surprising, but those smiles brightened my day as well.

i was in a great mood by the middle of the day and ended up sitting down next to a person i have never seen in my sociology class before. the kid that sat next to me briefly acknowledged me and we greeted eachother. when i asked how his day was, he started to tell me that his day was not going very well. i kept inquiring, and he told me how he was sad and lonely and wondered how to be outgoing and happy and connected like i was. i was able to cheer him up a bit and he really appreciated it. it was really great to really help someone out and influence them.

i left class feeling great about how i had tried to unplug and connect with people normally, and was really excited to share how my day had gone. when i had entered class, it was dark and rainy. when i left class, i looked up and noticed a beautiful rainbow in a glowing sky. it just goes to show that you can miss a lot by being bent over your cell phone or looking at your computer screen. you can get so much more out of life just by looking up and viewing the world around you.

why i chose this photo: after a whole day of looking up and straight ahead, i ended my school day by seeing this. it was a magnificent result of my test to look up.

question: what could you gain from your day by not texting people as you walk? by not talking on your cell phone?

inspiration: "there is beauty in everything. you just have to look around to notice it."

encounters with strangers

thoughts: i awoke from a wonderful nine-hour sleep and opened my blinds to reveal a gorgeous fall day outside around 9 am this morning. i made and ate breakfast and walked outside in the warm october sunshine to class, where i tried to give my full attention to the teacher, but it was hard because the day was so pretty!

after class, i really wanted to get some coffee, but i couldn't decide if i wanted to go to a coffee shop, or the beanery (a branch of the coffeeshop that i work for) near campus. i finally decided to go to the beanery. i walked into the shop, that was fairly crowded, and ordered an americano, and talked to the cashier for a bit. he looked a bit tired and not really wanting to be at work, but i encouraged him a bit and he looked a bit more cheery after i paid for my drink. i walked towards a table to sit down and noticed two of my old bible study leaders sitting down. i talked to them for a bit, then proceeded to my table and began my storyboarding homework. the shop was full, and i was fairly conscious of all of the conversations that were taking place, hearing all the mummers floating around the shop. there was a young man fairly close to me, across my table, who was standing, leaning against the table, reading from an ipad. he was reading out loud and it seemed like he was talking to himself, so i looked at him strangely for a bit, but i determined that he was reading, so i continued with my homework.

i finished my coffee, and reached in my bag for an apple that i brought, and started to eat it. after a few bites, i noticed that the man with the ipad was staring over my shoulder at what i was drawing. he inquired what my homework was, and looked genuinely interested, so i explained to him what storyboarding was and is and showed him the first twelve drawings i had completed. he asked if he could sit down and wanted to know more about my major, new media communications, and from a few simple questions, we got into a conversation about school, life, goals, and dreams. he told me about his experiences in germany, where he stayed during the world cup that took place there a few years back. i continued the conversation talking about spain and how much i loved europe. we talked about school, life, and how we enjoy helping people.

i asked if he worked, and he said no, that he was a trust-fund kid, but enjoyed hopping around non-profit organizations and putting in time there. he shared his dream to plant a city garden in big cities and how to get people involved. he wanted to turn empty lots into something beautiful. he showed me the plan written on his ipad (a photo of a letter he had written). it was a really encouraging conversation, and when i asked why he came over in the first place, he said, " i noticed you eating an apple, and i knew you were wise. i wanted to learn more about you." some might view this as shady, but i found it pleasant, and told him so. he said that he appreciated that i opened up and said that i was very bright and exciting to talk to. we had talked almost for an hour when he said that he name was grant, and he said, "i know you're melissa." (he had looked at my homework). it was extremely interesting, and was one of the most enlightening conversations that i have had in a long time.

for me, this encounter today took away one hour of my life, a little time was lost doing homework, but overall, i learned a lot from a complete stranger, the man with the ipad and the open personality.

why i chose this photo: besides having a random encounter today, it was an amazingly beautiful fall day out.

question: if someone random came up to you and asked about your life, how would you respond?

inspiration: "smile at someone today or talk to someone you don't know. who knows what could happen!"

letters from far away

thoughts: i've recently been struggling with friends showing up in my life and today, and upon checking my email today, i received some good news. after two months of putting off writing to my host family (because i feel like i need to take a lot of time to write in good spanish), i wrote them a really nice letter about what was going on in my life and how much i appreciated them. today, i got a really nice letter from both my host family and from my little host sister, carol. my family wrote about how much they appreciated me in their lives and how their other host girls don't even talk to their family. they wrote how much it meant that i took time to actually get to know them and play with their daughters. it meant a lot, mainly because i was just myself the entire time. in addition to the letter from my host parents, i got a really special letter from my host sister, carol. she's 7 years old, and she wrote to me about how much it meant to her that i always played with her and how much i meant to her. a really special line she wrote is "[translated] i see all the pictures you drew for me, and i think you are the best sister ever!" SO CUTE. i felt so loved and so honored to talk to someone who i really changed, and someone who changed me too. i know that she along with my host family were amazing blessings in my life, and everything that has happened, happened for a reason, and we can continuously bless each other today. it is beautiful.

why i chose this photo: this girl changed my life, friends and sisters forever!

question: who has changed your life?

inspiration: "no matter the miles, a little love travels a long way."

the past four months

it's that time again, the time i get back into blogging. usually it is something that i'm very good at keeping up with, but after a whole summer of no internet, i got used to not being online as much, and therefore have not written in a while.

in this post, i'll give a general overview of what my summer was like and what i learned from the past four months. the following posts will be back to normal.

thoughts: [starting june] when i first heard back in january upon my return to the us from my study abroad that bing's employees (the cafe where i work) wasn't allowing students to work over the summer, i panicked. even thought i constantly work 20 or more hours a week, all of the money i make goes right into rent and bills, and i only end up saving about 100 dollars a month, which is barely anything. i immediately started applying for jobs, usually averaging about 3-5 job applications per day. if you do the math, i applied to hundreds of jobs over the course of six months, and i didn't hear back from anyone. the job search became my life, my dependence, and came even before classes. (how could i survive two summers in a row without work?) i even begged my boss to help me find hours somewhere else, but she told me that nothing else was available.

i was devastated. i applied and failed countless times. while this was extremely trying, i did manage to enjoy life. i got closer to many people at antioch (a guys christain house), and i became really involved with my church and made great friends and finally found a church family where i belong. after praying with them for a few weeks, i received news that i was going to be a video intern for osu and would earn 10/hour. it was so perfect! i stopped applying for jobs, because the position started in april and would end in september. it was amazing.

so i began working on my internship as a videographer for international student services at osu, and soon began to realize that while the opportunity was amazing, the group i worked for was so unorganized, unprofessional, and extremely undereducated in the subjects we worked on. but suddenly in late may, i found out that my living situation was drastically changing. i was the most scared i've even been and worked even harder than ever at bing's so after two months of that, i began the job search again. eventually, i applied at every single posting on craigslist, just hoping someone would hire me, even i was doing data entry. my dream job the entire time was to be a barista at some coffee shop, but i heard nothing from anybody.

during june, i did some work on my internship here and there, and worked about 20 hours a week on that. josh and i even made a small trip to idaho and enjoyed some time there helping and visiting with his family. i was able to spend a lot of time with friends, and even though i worked on video editing, i honestly felt the most relaxed i've ever felt. after a few weeks of just enjoying quality time with friends, going to portland, and enjoying the summer sunshine, i found out that i got a job offer at a coffee shop called the beanery! i was so excited! the only catch? the job was offered in albany, a 25 minute drive from corvallis. i happily and joyfully accepted.

i worked 5:30-10:30 everyday, meaning that i had to leave at 5 am and get up even earlier. i learned to deal with it, and eventually picked up tons of hours there and was able to make extremely high rent payment on my own the entire summer. the atmosphere of the beanery was way different than any job i was ever used to and at first it was a challenge, but soon it became way more than a job, but an opportunity to make people feel joy and to feel loved. i started to just love and help people, to go above and beyond the job requirements, and i honestly saw a lot of changed hearts and people that seemingly were never given chances, suddenly appreciated being allowed a chance. in addition to working at the beanery, i continued my internship and even picked up night shifts at the dining centers to make rent. i befriended people there that most other employees hated just because of differences. it was beautiful to see the chance i gave going a long way when those people thanked me for it later.

besides my many working hours, i was able to enjoy sports outside, bike rides, starry nights, hanging out with friends, and being 100% independent from home. overall the summer was a balance of work, hanging out, and personal growth. i learned what hard work really is, and i had to build my image at work from the bottom up. i learned financial struggle, and i learned that relying on god is the most amazing thing. he will provide for you. this summer really shaped and formed me in ways i never could have imagined. i experienced a lot and i'm truly greatful.

photos: here are a few highlights from summer (in reverse order for some reason)

josh and i at one of 6 summer weddings

dj and i reppin corvallis rec softball

my friend anika came to visit, and now she lives here!

after a long and fun bike ride, we hiked up bald hill

josh, me, katrina, and nathan at adam barrett's wedding

christy and i at a free christain concert!

jetboating on the willamette provided us with a front row seat for fireworks!

touring the rose garden in late june

my amazing graduate!

why i chose these photos: all of these photos represent the joy i had this summer and even though i was really busy and struggling financially, i managed to have a GREAT summer!

question: how was your summer?

inspiration: "no matter what you are going through, no matter how hard things are, look to find joy in everything and that joy will get you through.

no internet for me!

dear readers,

you are probably wondering why my blog is entitled "daily photos and inspirations" and i haven't posted for over a month. my apologies. i am currently living in a 2 bedroom apartment and i am paying double rent over the summer. i cancelled the internet and cable to save money until i get roommates, so for now, i only have internet when i work on my internship on campus. it is fairly limited so i have not posted on my blog until now. i will start posting again daily in late september when i get internet installed in my apartment.

thank you for your patience!

for now, follow me on facebook.

later,

melissa

corvallis in the summer

thoughts: i've never been in corvallis for an entire summer, but i'm really excited that i'm officially living here now! i've heard great things, and i am experiencing all of them first hand. firstly, the population of corvallis is drained when most dorm students and out of state kids leave town, leaving locals and a select population of summer students and kids like me that are looking for work. the weather is absolutely gorgeous and the slight breeze is the perfect thing on a sunny day. the air smells so clean and fresh and there is actually parking! during the day, not many people are around because they have class or work, but nights are filled with croquet games at sunset, late night simpsons-watching, popcorn, and pushpops. the first month here has been absolutely great! i knew it was officially summer the second week of june when the sun shone in all of its glory and the nights grew longer and i could finally see the stars dot the big blue sky because the clouds had finally cleared. i've enjoyed one full month of summer and i'm looking forward to a few more!

why i chose this photo: i took this photo in late spring, around memorial day weekend when corvallis was really empty. the flowers had just started blooming and it was finally sunny out. it just smelled so good out! this picture reminds me of the lazy days of summer when life is carefree and fun.

question: how do you know when it's officially summer? why do you enjoy doing?

inspiration: "it's summer, live it up!"

good eats of summer

thoughts: the rain and clouds have been around far too long, and i (among many oregonians) am very happy to say that this sunshine the past two-ish weeks has been a real treat! i haven't really seen much sun since my choir toured in hawaii in mid-may, so i am loving these goregous blue skies and warm weather. although my car's air conditioning doesn't function too well, i enjoyed a nice 1.5 hour drive up to portland on thursday with my windows down and my music on. it was so great! that evening we saw the broadway performance "the lion king" which was by far the best 'official' start to summer ever! yesterday, i ran some errands and my mom asked me to pick up some strawberries for the house. i purchased a flat of berries. they were fat, bright red, and looked amazing. i'll just have one, i thought. wrong. i ate so many on the way home! they were absolutely incredible. being a native oregonian, i can tell right away the difference between an oregon berry and a non-oregon berry. oregon berries are SO delicious and sweet, i plan on eating millions over this summer.

why i chose this photo: as you might have guessed, most of the strawberries are all gone, and i really wanted a picture to show how great they are, but i took this picture when josh and i went to the beach one sunny day in may. we had a picnic and ate bread, cheese, strawberries, and good-n-plenties. we also took some pictures of our lunch, this was one of them. mmm mmm good.

question: what type of food(s) remind you of summer?

inspiration: "enjoy the sun as much as you can, because it doesn't last long in oregon!"

driving

thoughts: today was a day in which joshua and i drove almost 8 hours from star, idaho to portland. i wasn't really dreading the drive. i actually looked forward to it. the trip itself wasn't long in the scheme of things (i took several 6 hour bus rides in spain) and josh wanted to drive the whole way. our time was spent conversing over a variety of things, surveying the landscape, and forgetting life's worries. i say forgetting life's worries because there are a lot of things on my mind. i have to try and figure my summer, how i am going to make it. i still haven't found a job to pay my extremely expensive rent (although my internship will be paying a bit more than previously promised) and i'm worried about graduating on time. although i've been really bummed out and frustrated with a lot, this nice long drive helped rid me of the things flooding my mind. the drive was mainly empty of human existence, just open and free. i focused on the empty hills and treescapes and tried to empty my mind as we passed miles and miles of countryside.

why i chose this photo: this was just as we got onto 1-84. josh told me to look out the window, and i just stared at this endless beauty.

question: what was/is your favorite drive?

inspiration: [i saw this on a church bulletin board and liked it]: "if there is any sort of storm in your life, just wait for god to make it into a rainbow."

breathing

thoughts: i'm really enjoying the peace that idaho has to offer. during the early morning, the breeze blows across the valley and sends the sweet smell of grass into the air and the sunlight gently shines. in the afternoon, the sun is hot and the air is dry but the land is goregous and just lit up with the sunshine. the evenings are filled with long hours of sunshine and settling clouds. i'm really happy here. not to say that i'm not happy in corvallis, but i feel so free here! i have (some) obligations here, but nothing compared to back home. i have really enjoyed reading, playing backgammon, cooking, and spending time in warm weather. it's weeks like these that really make me enjoy summer. i'm finding peace in the relaxing atmosphere here. it's times like these that i can actually breathe and forget life's worries.

why i chose this photo: josh and i went on a walk down by the road at the bottom of the hill and watched the sunset here. it was beautiful to watch the water change color at the same time as the sky. i think that walk was one of my all time favorites.

question: what is the most breath-taking sight you have ever seen?

inspiration: "breathe in, and out. it's all going to be ok."

a peaceful evening

thoughts: i don't really know the cure for worry, and i'm not really sure if there is one but i do know that clearing your mind every once in a while really helps. it's been really nice to be here in idaho, hundreds of miles away from things that have been stressing me out and to just sit outside and listen to simplicity. i'm not saying that i ran away from my problems back in corvallis, but it is nice to sit back and forget about them, to have them on hold for a while. this trip has been extremely relaxing and stress free, but every once in a while, stress creeps into my mind and stays there. the most relief i have found for stress and worry is just emptying my mind every now and then. now, emptying my mind completely is really difficult because i'm always thinking about something. today was really interesting because i was occupied with a lot of fun activities (driving around downtown, getting coffee, playing backgammon) but my mind was full, i was thinking about too much. tonight after dinner, i walked outside to watch the clouds pass over the valley and i sat on the edge of the hill where josh's family's house is. soon the whole family gathered next to me, and we all sat on the edge and watched the clouds slide over the valley. it was gorgeous. we sat for maybe 15 minutes and watched the clouds. we only talked a little bit, but we just sat and gazed at the clouds, listened to the crickets chirping and cows mooing, and i felt peace.

why i chose this photo: this was one of my favorite skyscapes of the evening.

question: what is the most peaceful sight you've ever seen?

inspiration: "take time to clear your mind and find your inner peace."

the start of summer

thoughts: i haven't written in awhile, but things have been busy. the last few days of the term were spent studying and working. that is basically all i did. i am so relieved to be done, and that feeling of peace has just begun to wash over me. after finals week, my boyfriend josh graduated with a bachelor's in business while his dad graduated with a phd in education. it was a beautiful graduation and it was really fun to be a part of it! the next day, i drove to idaho with josh and his family, where i am currently spending a week. it is so relaxing here. i can forget all of my troubles and just breathe. we are in the middle of no where, on top of a hill, in the most goregous home you could imagine. i can lie in the grass and not hear a sound for miles, except for the occasional mooing cow in the pastures below the house. on the first night we were here, it was really warm and within an hour of us finishing dinner, a huge thunderstorm rolled in, complete with lighting! it was a beautiful, powerful vision of god's might and it was a cool way to start the summer. i really enjoy thunderstorms and it is nice to be far away from everything that stresses me out back home. i feel invincible out here, and i'm so glad i have this trip to be free from everything!

why i chose this photo: i haven't seen a thunderstorm in a long time, and i have definitely never seen one roll in. i took this photo minutes before it was pouring rain and the thunder started. it was one of the most amazing things i have ever witnessed. i love a warm summer rain accompanied with a thunderstorm. it is so pretty to watch.

question: what makes you feel at peace? what do you enjoy about summertime?

inspiration: "the simplest things in life are the ones in which we find the most joy."

home is where the heart is

thoughts: i have a lot to do for finals, but i left corvallis for just about 30 hours to celebrate michelle's graduation. it was hectic to leave and drive to portland for such a short time, but it was really refreshing to be at home and feel loved by my family that i am not able to see all that often. it was really fun being at home and catching up with my immediate and extended fam, and take tons of pictures and just laugh, i had a good time just being silly with my sisters during graduation photos, and being near my family and seeing how much they enjoyed me at home. it was a great feeling to feel wanted and appreciated and loved despite me being away at school and busy with life. i guess it was comforting to know that no matter what, the closest people in your life are always there for you! it was a great thing to realize during this time of hurting and the losing of a close friend. real home is truly where your heart is happy. so, although i live in corvallis and feel at home here, my real home is up north with my familiy.

why i chose this photo: my sister graduated today around 2pm. crazy! everyone kept asking me "doesn't it seem like we were just here at your graduation?" and honestly, it didn't really seem like it. i think i've been so focused on school and work that michelle's graduation passed all too quickly. my favorite part of the day was just taking pictures. it was stressful at first, but then we all started having a lot of fun and it was great! this is a photo of my fam.

questions: 1) where/when do you feel the most "at home"? 2) how have you grown since your own graduation?

inspiration: "life presents us with scenarios (like graduation) that we perceive as endings. instead, we should view them as stepping stones in our lives. we just hop from one stone to the other, getting a little further to the end of our journey."

the rainbow in a storm

thoughts: it's a weird feeling to have your mind be full, but nothing to write about. right now i'm questioning everything. roommate, friends, school, life. i'm struggling with a lot, and i'm feeling really empty right now. i feel like a failure, like nothing i do is right. i feel i work hard and try my best but i can't succeed. i apologize for sounding so negative, but life can get you down sometimes. right now, i'm picking myself up and i'm moving on. i feel like a giraffe (sounds silly, but let me make a point). i've fallen really far, but i'm working on standing tall again. (make sense?) i was walking to school today and thinking of how hard situations in life make you stronger. it's true, i know, but the hurt i feel (from school/work/drama in my life) is everywhere. but i keep going. i know that i am weak and vulnerable and i can't avoid feeling like that, but i can get through this storm and i can be strong once again. i'm giving it all to god and i know i can do this.

why i chose this photo: after the rainiest storm i have ever witnessed in my whole life from my window in my spanish apartment, this beautiful rainbow shone through. it is visual proof that god can turn something ugly into something beautiful.

question: what motivates you when you are at a low point in your life?

inspiration: "no matter what happens, the sun will always shine through the biggest storms. just motivate yourself by looking ahead at a brighter end."

the last five days

background: for the last few days, i have been working on a final for one of my classes. we had to make a 60 second video and meet about twenty other requirements for the video (using original music and sound effects, filming specific angles, etc) and other than that, the video could be our own. i was frustrated at first, but finally came up with this project.

(this video was filmed in my kitchen, and i compiled all music and sounds from open source sound effects libraries online)

enjoy.

copyright 2010, melissa vinson.

no fruit were harmed in the creation of this project.

question: what kind of feedback can you offer me after watching this video?

inspiration: "the smallest things in life can inspire you. look around. who knows what you will find."

people in my life

my thoughts: i've been really caught up with life and how busy it is and how fast it moves, and today at work i was daydreaming about spain and how i really enjoyed my time there and the life i had merely months ago. for those of you who don't know, i studied in santander, a city in northern spain, for three months. when i was there, i lived with the most beautiful family anyone could ask for. it was a dream come true to be blessed with such wonderful people, and they changed my life in so many amazing ways. i am so lucky to have contact with my family still, and i am still amazed and inspired by them each day when i am constantly reminded of them. although i speak a different language with my host family, we are still family, and we still have a deep connection. when i think about it, i was granted such a great opportunity to be in europe, live among a local family, and experience a new culture, but experiencing true love from complete strangers was something i never expected, only dreamed about. my spanish family is my second family, and they are always in my heart. my family (fani, juan, bea, and carol) changed me for the better.

(bea, melissa, and carol - the three sisters/las tres hermanas)

why i chose this photo: i received some nice emails from my host family today and have been thinking a lot about spain, and also sang a song from a broadway play called wicked in my choir concert tonight about how the people we meet can change us for good.

question: who has changed your life?

inspiration: "i've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason" - from the play wicked

windows

my thoughts: i woke up fairly sick this morning, with chills and a fever, and felt trapped in my house. i really wanted to open all the windows and let some fresh air in, but i was presented with a problem. there are only three in windows in my apartment: one in each of the bedrooms, and then the sliding glass door. i got up, opened the curtains and opened the window in my room. for some reason, i expected a blast of fresh, clean air, but i was greeted with the routine view of my neighbor's apartment and a lack of breeze. i studied abroad in spain almost a year ago, and i had the most beautiful view of a soccer field, leading into more apartments and finally the beautiful bay of biscay. i didn't really realize how much i took that view for granted until i returned to the united states. most apartment windows only offer a view of a parking lot, or the other side of some apartment. i live on the third floor, but i still don't see anything worth looking at. am i'm being pessimistic? i would say no; i just long for what i can't have: a window with a nice view and a clean breeze. what can i do about this lack of a view? i've made the most of it. if i lay on my bed just right, i can see the sun set in the evening. i can also see two pretty trees that grow in the parking lot near my window. it's the small things like this that make me glad i don't live in a humongous city with no trees and smog that covers the sun. i'm grateful for what i have and where i am now. it just helps me to dream big - when i'm done with college, i want to move to a place where i can have a full view of something beautiful, and god-made, instead of staring at a wall when i open my curtains.

why i chose this photo: i wish i could see this every day. no matter how lonely i was or how stressed out i was from all of my spanish homework. i could look over miles of spanish land and feel invincible. that feeling of invincibility keeps me going, even when i feel that the world is taking over.

question: what do you see when you look out your window? what is beautiful? ugly? good? bad? how do you view things from the inside out?

inspiration: "even if you aren't in the most ideal situation, find one or two small things that are great, and that will keep you going."

slowing down

[[this post was from yesterday, but i was really sick and fell asleep before i could post]]

my thoughts: i've frequently noticed that the little things in life are the things that make the biggest difference. lately, i have been too busy to notice the good around me or be inspired because i've been so caught up with school and work. as i usually do, i was walking between class and work, trying to eat a bagel with one hand with my nose buried in the school newspaper, a coffee in the crook of my left arm when i stopped to look up at the people i was walking amongst. i could see that as i read the newspaper and managed to balance my bagel and coffee between my arms, several people were walking around me, clearing a path for me to walk as i walked upstream in a river of people. it was something so impacting that i put down my newspaper and actually looked into the faces of the people i was passing. as i watched people, many smiled at me. i smiled back. some people looked really exhausted as they trucked towards class, but others were carefree and happy. i had only walked about 10 minutes, but by taking time to focus on one task (walking to class) i was able to appreciate my surroundings instead of completely ignoring them.

why i chose this photo: this tulip was hidden among several branches and other foliage and flowers in my garden at home. i saw a small glimpse of purple among the branches, pulled them aside, and saw this beautiful flower.

question: have you ever taken a moment to slow down and observe the world around you without distraction? what did you see?

inspiration: "if you don't stop everything you're doing every now and then, you'll miss out on opportunities to grow. take a bit of time to slow down and peer into the world around you. you'll never know what you might find."

rain

my thoughts: i sit in my bed, my hair damp from my shower, coffee in hand, blankets at my feet, listening to the sound of rain against the roof of my apartment. as i listen more closely, i am able to distinguish several rhythms of rain as it falls from the sky. it’s funny, the drops all fall at the same pace, yet they all make different noises depending on what surface they hit. when the drops hit the roof over my head, the drops make slow, dull thuds, but when i listen to the drops hit the roof over the adjacent apartment through my open window, the impact of the drops sounds like popcorn in the microwave. i can faintly hear the steady trickle of water from the gutters to the cement below and the rhythmic drip-drip-drip of the pipes emptying on the sidewalk. it’s like i’m listening to a symphony; so many sounds compiled together to make something beautiful.

question: what do you hear when you stop and listen to the rain?

why i chose this photo: i took this photo a few years ago from the backseat of my dad's car as we drove home from the store. it was really rainy, and the sky looked gray and green. this image sums up today, just wet and dreary.

inspiration: "behind every storm is a rainbow waiting to happen."

why i created this blog

first things first. why did i decide to blog?

it's not complicated really, i blogged all through middle school and high school, but stopped when i entered college because i didn't really realize how big blogs really were and the impact they have. i started to study business when i came to osu, but i am now a new media communications major. it's a mouthfull, but it just means that i am studying any new form of digital, interactive media (such as social networking, videography, etc). it was through this major that i discovered just how powerful the internet can be: it gives anyone a voice. that is why i decided to blog again. i want to be a part of this digital age and let my voice be heard.

with this blog, i intend to post a daily picture (either current or something from my portfolio of photos), write some thoughts about the picture, ask a question, and then leave my audience with an inspiring quote or thought. you are more than welcome to comment, talk to me, message me, whatever. this blog is meant to be uplifting and fun. i plan to use all of my own pictures too. i hope you enjoy this blog :)

before you read, you should know that..

- i never capitalize anything. i read a lot of e.e. cummings in high school, and was intrigued by his lack of capitalization (and sometimes punctuation)

- i appreciate feedback, so leave comments.

- if you follow my blog, i'll follow yours!