Allee Siver

Here's the situation. I'm sitting on a futon in my dorm room. Anatomy book open, sticky notes out, and highlighters everywhere. I also happen to be sipping (or devouring) one of those absolutely delicious, sugary Starbucks chilled frappuccino drinks you get from the cooler. Anyway, like any other student on campus, I gradually shift my focus to the much less-educational but somehow inevitable Facebook. Yep, it happens to all of us. You're supposed to be studying and yet you sit scrolling through post after post thinking, after this next one I'll get back to it. Yeah, that usually doesn't happen.

Really, that's all just me rambling. I'm actually here to try and convince you that your entire life doesn't need to be posted on some form of social media. Just hear me out.

Whenever I'm scrolling through Facebook, at some point I always think to myself that some people really just put their entire life on the line. I mean every emotion, and every detail of every event is spilled out for the entire world to see. What exactly is the motive for including every moment on a mere Facebook post? Wouldn't people rather have a conversation with someone that can react to the situation with them?

As you can see, I struggle when it comes to these types of posts. And maybe I'm being too critical and should just mind my own business, but I do have a few reasons I don't post every detail of my life.

1. Social media is not a personal diary. These things are not private and people actually read that stuff. Especially for people my age, future employers often check your Facebook page and other social media sites to see what kind of person you are. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want my future boss, let alone all of my Facebook friends, reading every detail of my day. Frankly, it's rather boring and if the right person got a hold of it, talk about stalker-ish and creepy.

2. There is no mystery. When everything goes on social media, what's left for people to ask you about? How can people ask you questions about your day when they already know the answers? Trust me, there is always someone willing to hold a conversation with you, even if it's only two minutes long. There are people that care about you and want to hear about every detail, so do yourself a favor and hold a real conversation with someone. You might be amazed.

3. God has called me to communion with people, not my computer screen. This one kind of branches off of #2. Too often, people mistake socializing on Facebook for socializing with people. There's a difference. If I'm struggling with something, I would much rather talk to Jesus, who I know is listening and cares about me, than my computer screen with a few friends that maybe read the post. Secondly, finding a community of fellow-believers who can help me through my emotions is waaay more beneficial than just typing about it. Instead of posting "I could not be more angry right now!" try talking it through with someone. Hopefully this person can help you see straight and calm down.

4. Facebook is for sharing, not competing. If you're looking to get a reaction from people or a certain number of likes, you should probably reevaluate your priorities. Facebook is fun when it's not a competition. Rather, it should be a common space for people to share information, jokes, or whatever. Not a place to compete with other people to see who is the most popular or who can post the best picture.

Lastly, I just want to say that I didn't write this post with the intention of judging or rebuking the people who do this. Would I spend time on Facebook if I didn't find it at least a little entertaining? There's always a time and place for a great Facebook post. I'm just merely trying to convey that perhaps fewer details on Facebook could change the way you interact with people on a daily basis. If you find a funny picture, send it to a few of your closest friends or family. You're much more likely to get the reaction you're hoping for there.

Where does the time go? I am currently beginning my 11th week of college and I have yet to keep up with all of my college adventures. Even though I have a bunch of homework to do, I decided to quick sit and write something. 

Since my last post, I have started a few drafts and stopped in the middle thinking "Oh, I will finish this later and post it." Obviously, that didn't happen. I feel like I am constantly swamped in assignments, papers, projects, obligations, etc. that I barely have time to do anything except college! Don't get me wrong, I really like college. I have learned so much this semester and am very grateful to have the opportunity to work to receive a degree. It's just busy.

Fortunately, I have gotten to do a few fun things. First of all, I finally finished Emma by Jane Austen. There are a few people that can attest to my obsession with Victorian literature and I might have been a little too enthusiastic about finishing that book. I don't really care. But before I am run away with by my feelings on this subject (name that book! Hint: it's not Emma), I'm hoping to do a review for the book in a later post so look for that.

Secondly, this past weekend I attended two plays in Minneapolis with the English club at the Minneapolis Garage Theater. Let me just say that both of the plays were absolutely incredible. The company that performed had some really outstanding actors and I am so glad I went! The same company performed two plays on Saturday, The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster and The Twelfe Night, Or What You Will by none other than William Shakespeare in the original Elizabethan pronunciation. I'll say it again, both plays were incredible. I hadn't read either of the plays, so every suspenseful event and every joke kept me thoroughly entertained. 

First, I want to apologize that I have been slacking on my blog posts. So far, college can be summed up into one word: busy. I have never experienced anything like this before! 

Secondly, I feel like after almost two weeks of college it is past time for an update. After moving into my dorm room on Friday, August 22, the first weekend was full of events. Honestly, some of them were a little bit too much for me. I tend to be slightly more introverted than most, so all of the large group activities seem a little overwhelming to me. None the less, a group of friends and I participated in some, explored campus, and began getting used to our new (rather uncomfortable) beds. My roommate and I have spent a significant amount of time rearranging our room so that we have the best fit, and as of this morning, hopefully have a more permanent solution. There are lots of things to consider when arranging a dorm room, such as maximum space, being able to see out the door while sitting on the futon, where to put the desks for maximum light, and etc. College requires an entirely different organizational system; I am still trying to figure mine out. 

Then classes began. I won't go into detail for all of them, just the most notable. My very first class was Honors Chemistry. Holy smokes. I knew it would be challenging, but apparently our professor picks one of the hardest units to study first so I am going to be spending quite some time with chemistry homework. However, I feel that with the right help and study habits I will succeed. All I can say is it's a good thing I like science. My favorite class to attend thus far is my Spanish class. I absolutely love it! This class concentrates on communication and different aspects of culture in countries that speak Spanish. Long story short: I sincerely plan to travel to Spain ASAP. The rest of the classes require some work as well, and I am taking 16 credits so I am sure to stay busy. 

There are other activities that happen during the week, one of my favorites is Toasty Tuesday in the Honors Hall basement. Everyone literally eats toast in the basement and they have an original haiku poem about toast contest. I have only been to one so far, but I plan to attend as many as possible.

Among the many things happening here on campus, I simply cannot go into detail about everything because that would be extremely boring. All I can say is that so far I love college even though I have lots of homework. Although, let me just say that walking in pouring rain to class is so not fun. I will leave it there. It made me so excited for winter. *sarcasm intended*

I suppose I should leave it at this, as I have a stack of books and reading to finish for class tomorrow. 

The countdown is on. The timer is running. The moment has come. It is officially less than 36 hours until I move into my dorm room and become an official "college student." The last year has been spent anticipating this moment, and now that it's here, I want to savor each feeling. In my experience, moments such as these slip through my fingers and I cannot truly appreciate what is going on around me. 

From visits, to applications, to scholarships, to acceptance letters, to housing applications, college has been on the minds of my classmates for at least a year now. Decision after decision was made and now the culmination of all that work is here. Many of my friends (including myself) are moving onto their chosen college campus this weekend and it is bittersweet. On one hand, the new experience and fresh start are more than welcome. After 18 years of living at home, many of us are ready to "fly the nest" and begin our adult lives. It also offers a fresh start after the many trials and tribulations of high school. New faces, classes, schedules, and surroundings can do a person wonders. Sometimes it is amazing to see how people change from the time they graduate high school to the first summer after freshmen year of college. (Unless of course, that change is of the partying sort, if you know what I mean.) 

The "bitter" part comes with the goodbyes. Even if I was glad to leave high school, I am going to miss the people I met there, and there is sentimental value that lies within the halls that hold so many memories. As my classmates go their separate ways, saying goodbye is an obligatory task. After growing up together, chasing each other on the playground while we played "lava," watching each other go through the awkward stages of puberty in middle school, and relying on a friend's direction the first day of high school, we form attachments to each other that bonds us as a class. So undoubtedly, saying goodbye, even if it is only until December, is difficult. 

In a way, I will also be saying a different kind of goodbye to my family. Even if I am only moving across town, I will not be living in my house most of the year. I will be sleeping in my dorm room more than I will be sleeping at home, and spending more time on campus than with my family. This will be a huge change for everyone. Of course I will see them plenty, but I won't be seeing them daily like I am used to. They have been my support system all throughout my life, and will continue to be, but after I begin college the dynamic changes. There is a certain air about beginning college and my "adult life" that also changes the way I interact with my family on some level. 

Overall, I am ready! I have a feeling that the upcoming changes are for the better and I can't wait to see what God has in store for my future. 

Ok, for those with blessing/curse of curly hair, some days are a struggle. Like seriously, I'm pretty sure my hair has a mind of its own. Some days it is cooperative (for a certain time span anyway) and some days it simply feels like a teenager going through a rebellious stage. 

In case you haven't noticed, I have strong feelings regarding my hair. But I've been living with it for who knows how long and I have found that as a rule most people with curly hair have the same feelings as me, perhaps a little less exaggerated. 

So I have taken a stand against frizzy hair. After a helpful haircut with a stylist who knew what she was doing, I have invested in some products by DevaCurl. Let me tell you, they are miracle products. Completely botanical and water soluble, they are good for the environment and especially my hair. I was first introduced to them a couple of years ago, but as I recently found out at my haircut, I was using them completely wrong. (Funny how someone can use gel the wrong way, but there definitely is a wrong way.)

Their signature three step system has proven time and again that every girl with curly hair can benefit from their products! There is no need to be worried about having curly hair because now there is a solution. The products work together to completely hydrate hair. Other products tend to dry curly hair out, regardless of how many times the bottle says it is "moisturizing." They also just sit on top of hair and/or strip the hair of its natural oils, thus making it dryer, which consequently forces the body to make extra oils to compensate, leading to a disaster. It is an endless cycle that is unnecessary. 

DevaCurl products work themselves into the hair to nourish and hydrate hair without harmful chemicals. Their shampoo is sulfate free (meaning it doesn't produce a lather) which, honestly, scared me a little at first. I was worried my hair would get too oily and look terrible. How wrong I was! After almost a solid week of using these products, my hair simply cannot get enough moisture! My hair is nothing close to oily, but feels healthy. Also, one of the big sellers for me was that once I do my hair completely, the style can last for about three days! Hard to believe, but it is seriously true. When I came back from the stylist the first night, I was worried about sleeping on it but when I woke up the next morning, I was able to move a couple of hairs around and my hair was perfect yet again! For someone with curly hair, this is miraculous.

The problem is learning to use these products the right way. I am still an amateur but am learning new things every time I do my hair. After attempting to style it twice with only slight success, I decided to go back to my stylist and ask why my hair was still frizzy. She gave me some suggestions and I am praying that it works. I need my hair to start cooperating. I thought I was doing everything exactly the way the hair stylist told me, but hopefully with a few tweaks I will have better success. Like I said, my hair is important to me and I get frustrated when all I see is a frizzy mess. 

Here's to no more frizz!

During the summer, most people associate the phrase “the road” with traveling. However, this summer those two words hold a completely different meaning for me. My summer has consisted of working on “the road.” I associate this phrase with one other…asphalt paving. Yes it is true, I have been working road construction all summer. Lately though, I have been up close and personal with the experience and I thought it appropriate to share a few thoughts since I have been eating, sleeping, and breathing asphalt every day this summer at Bowes Construction. (Okay, not eating but you get the idea.)

First: let it be known that the first four weeks of my summer were absolutely the easiest few weeks in my entire life. Obviously, we can’t pave the same road every day for the whole summer so I have to switch jobs. My first job this summer was “gatekeeper” at the airport. The title of this job gives it more credit than it’s worth. In reality, this job was easily the most boring job a person can have. I spent approximately 12 hours of each day in one spot “watching” the gate entrance to be sure that no one was driving in who wasn’t allowed to be in. AKA, book reading time!! I lost count after 15 books, but at the end of the summer I will do a grand total. Sometimes when I got tired of sitting I would pace and read at the same time. Even though the job paid extremely well, especially for the little work I was required to do, I got antsy toward the end. Sitting for all of those hours really caught up with me and I was ready to do something else. If that had been my only job this summer, I probably would have gone crazy. 

But the time did come for me to switch jobs. Bowes has been working on paving and patching certain county roads near Volga, Bruce, and Sinai so there I went. Unfortunately, my day started a little earlier with these jobs because of the time it took to commute back and forth. (We try to start at 6:30 AM…). Needless to say, these jobs were absolutely more entertaining than the airport job. However, there were some serious downfalls. Coincidentally, the book The Road by Cormac McCarthy holds a few similar characteristics to my job. Perhaps I may be exaggerating a little, but some days the heat was almost unbearable and the day felt as though it would never end. I was alone, hot, and even though I wasn’t trying to escape from cannibals (for those who haven’t read the book, read it) I had to be aware of my surroundings so that cars don’t plow me over. None the less, I definitely survived the long days. 

My last few days of flagging I switched to the jobs in town. This is an entirely different experience because we are paving some of the bigger roads and there are always lots of cars. I started on 17th Ave and eventually moved to Main Ave. I could go into lots of detail but it’s not really worth it. Essentially, I have learned that there are three types of people. Those who are patient with road construction, those who freak out and can’t understand how to approach or drive through road construction, and absolutely the rudest people I have ever come across. Not even kidding, I have been yelled at, blown off, swore at, the whole nine yards. For anyone reading this post: please, please, PLEASE be kind to people working on the roads. In Brookings, if the roads are closed, don’t fret because there are about four ways to get to about any place. Yelling at the flaggers is not going to magically open the road back up, so just go around. Yesterday in particular I was absolutely amazed at the stupidity of some people! I got awful sick of being blatantly ignored by people when there is obviously a lot of construction going on behind me and no one can drive through! It was absolutely one of the most frustrating experiences. Although, it was highly satisfying when they had to listen to me regardless of all the swearing and yelling. 

In short, my job this summer has been a learning experience for sure! I don’t mind the amount of my paycheck, but I will probably only do one summer. My flagging experience is now over and I get to move into the office, with regular hours and air conditioning. I am ready for that change!

For those who are interested, here is the book. I strongly recommend it!

Blogging and Blueberries

So I decided to take up blogging. For real this time. My reasoning: I am about to embark upon a new journey in life called college and this provides an opportunity for a fresh start and is sure to bring new ideas, people, and experiences to my life. 

Because this is my first real experience blogging, please excuse any blunders made as I try to develop a blogging voice and get back into the habit of writing. (Hopefully I haven't forgotten how over the summer...) My posts will probably be sporadic, but my hope is to write about my daily adventures, however small and insignificant they might be. Of course, as a lover of literature (particularly Victorian novels), expect many references to my favorites. :) *cough* Jane Eyre *cough*

So it's Saturday morning. The feeling I had as I woke up this morning (without an alarm) was pure bliss because I had the entire day to use as I choose. However, that feeling quickly and abruptly changed to panic when I realized that I was 15 minutes late for my oil change appointment. Long story short: I still got my oil changed. 

After I arrived home, I wanted to bake something. It was one of those irrepressible feelings that I sometimes get on Saturdays and I knew that I wanted to make scones. A couple of weeks ago I tried my first ever endeavor at making scones and they were pretty good. Today, I wanted to try a new kind (because there are endless possibilities scones are a great choice for those who like to be creative with their foods). So I got home, woke my sister up promptly at 8:30 AM (she wasn't pleased), but with the promise of french press coffee and homemade blueberry scones, the morning seemed brighter and she crawled out of bed to help me. 

Fortunately, scones are not hard to make so in no time I was sitting down at the table with a nice, warm, fresh, blueberry scone and a mug of coffee, sweetened of course. It was delicious. Today's baking adventure: success!