Thank GOD for little brothers

I had been working on a paper all day that was due at 11:59pm tonight. I had gotten it all finished and perfected, remembering to save it every so often. Well, when I went to save it the final time after all the revisions and perfections were made it wouldn't save. And it wouldn't save and it wouldn't save. Then Microsoft word just stopped responding and closed. Mind you it's 11:24 when all of this is happening. So, I immediately have a panic attack and frantically check all over my computer for the file. Nothing. All that I had available to me was 2 pages of imperfection with absolutely no time to finish writing it let alone edit the dumb thing. So I did the only thing I could think of doing. Cry. I cried for a good 5 minutes then called tech support because crying wasn't gonna fix anything. Basically they didn't know their asses from a hole in the ground. After I got off the phone with them I called my momma and bawled and bawled and bawled. I didn't know what to do and I was just so fucking mad. Little did I know my little brother was awake and googling as my mom was listening to me cry. Garrett got on the phone and told me to do a few things and BOOM! My paper was back, fully edited and perfect. It's now 11:44 my paper is submitted and all is well. Of course, I cried some more because I was so relived. I'm telling you what, that was the most violent emotional roller coaster I had ever been on in my life. 

Goodnight. 

Long time, no talk.

Man oh man, has it ever been a long time, where to begin...

My trip to Texas:

Well, as you may have guessed I made it to Texas and back without any freak accidents after the one mentioned in my last post. It was so nice to spend time with my boyfriend after him being gone for what seemed like forever but it was just a month in a half. Being in Big Bend was so refreshing because I didn't have cell phone service so I was completely disconnected and I loved it! Ryan and I went hiking on some really cool trails and we even spent the night up in the Chisos mountains for his birthday! 

We also got to go to Mexico for lunch one of the days I was there because Big Bend is on the border of the USA and Mexico! 

Ryan had to go back to work while I was down there, so I got to have alone time to hike and enjoy nature all by myself. I'll tell you what, hiking is one of the most relaxing things I have ever done. 

Oh, and while I was down there Iowa was experiencing the polar vortex, which was something like -40 degree temperatures and I was living the dream in 40-60 degree weather! 

School:

I'm taking some pretty neat classes this semester, I don't really want to bore you with the details. But, something super exciting is happening in Dec. 2014. 

I GRADUATE, with a degree in anthropology and a minor in biology...6 years later! 

Work: 

I'm still working for the city as a lifeguard and swim instructor, which I love! I am teaching 2 classes of 5-6 year olds, 3 private lessons and a class of adults ranging in age from 29-44. I've been teaching lessons since last summer which is a grand total of something like 7 sessions of swim lessons, each session 2 days a week for 4 weeks (M/W or T/TH). I am telling you what though, the adult class is by far the most challenging class I've taught. I was given this class because I was the only one my lesson coordinator could trust teaching them, so I guess I deserve a nice pat on the back. This session is by far the craziest though because I teach M-TH and then immediately following my T/TH lessons at 8pm I have to guard special Olympic practice til 9pm, but starting tomorrow, from 9-10:30pm, I get to participate in a scuba diving class! 

Fridays, I lifeguard and then Sundays, I teach a private lesson to a 7 year old boy! The only day I have off is Saturday, so you can bet I have myself a little fun:)

Hmmm what else....OH

SPRING BREAK:

Because it's been since January since I've seen my boyfriend and I miss the kid like crazy, I wanted to go back to Texas for spring break. Bonus is the weather down there, of course. But, I miss my 16 year old brother as well. Hmm. so I came up with the perfect solution. Since his high school spring break and my spring break are the same week I proposed to my parents that they should let Garrett come with me to Texas. THEY SAID YES! 

So now I'll have someone accompany me down to Texas, plus my brother and Ryan have a cute little bromance thing going on. 

So there ya have it folks, a very brief recap on my life the past 2 months. 

#TitterstoTexas2

ALSO, my best friend Nick is moving to MN from NM so that's really awesome too! 

#TittersToTexas Day One

Yesterday was my first day of my 22 hour trek to Texas to see my boyfriend. At around Williamsburg I started to feel funny. So I decided to pull into a Casey's which consisted of me taking an exit off the interstate, turning right, turning left and finally turning right again into the Casey's. Well, at the light waiting to turn left I started coughing and really feeling like I need to puke. The light turned green. I went and then my vision got blurry. Next thing I know there was a guy screaming at me asking me for my phone to call my parents. I was in a snowbank with puke all over me. I don't remember any of this. A cop came and asked me what had happened and I told him exactly what I remembered. He asked if I had been drinking, of course. Then EMS was at my door. Getting my blood pressure, my pulse, listening to my lungs and all that. Thankfully they didn't make me go to the hospital AND I DIDNT GET A TICKET. Apparently the guy that was screaming for my phone had watched me drive into the snowbank at 2mph so my car wasn't hurt. After everyone left I pulled into Casey's and cleaned myself up and called my dad back. I got a hotel in Williamsburg and the sweet front desk lady let me put my barf clothes in the washing machine! After I got settled in my room I really got to thinking. If I had been going any faster or if the snowbank weren't there I would have smashed into a lightpole. Or what if I was still on the interstate.

For Christmas my grandma gave me a guardian angel to put in my car. As much as I don't want to believe it had something to do with the turn of events, I do. 

I woke up this morning feeling fine and after this yummy bowl of fruit loops I'll begin my trek once again. This time hopefully making it out of Iowa. 

The Urge to Write

Since starting my blog, I have realized that I like to write. I figure this is true because, if there is one thing you know about me, it's that I love to talk. I have an incredible ability to go on and on for hours about nothing. I like to write because I feel like once I get going I can paint a pretty vivid picture in your head with the words on a screen and I actually making a conscious effort of  thinking before I speak but being trapped in the 'digital age' has hindered that. Relying on Twitter and Facebook to update you with 'relevant information' is extremely suffocating. I constantly found myself aimlessly scrolling through my Twitter feed, checking Facebook, and repeating this action for an extended period of time. In a way my Twitter was my word-vomit journal, I would tweet about everything and anything; silly thoughts, life's biggest questions, things that would randomly pop into my head and so on.

I am dependent of social media and my iPhone. I have realized this and have taken action to become less connected. I have deactivated both my Twitter and my Facebook, it's definitely not permanent but it is going to be for a while. I like having a place to document my COMPLETE thoughts and not be limited to 140 characters. I have wanted to deactivate my Twitter for a while now but because it is a big part of my life I didn't know how I would take to not having somewhere for my thoughts to go. Around the same time I started thinking about deactivating my Twitter, my friend Emily created a blog and does a spectacular job blogging, you can check it out HERE! After I saw that, i was inspired to blog. How could you not be?!

My deal with Facebook isn't that I was constantly updating my status, it's that I used it as a weapon. A weapon that I used to judge and to make a target for whatever I felt necessary. I didn't do this very often but when I did and realized it I felt horrible. The way the world is these days there is no room for hatred and anger. I don't want to fuel the fire, I want to extinguish it.

Until I feel that I can be a respectful part of society without social media, I will be disconnected and you can continue to find me here.

Cheers

This One is For You, Batman.

It is with a heavy heart I write this post. Mike Wolfe (Batman) has lost his fight against cancer. 

As a Colt Cadet, Mike was ALWAYS around when you needed him, whether it be to make a meal, fix your injury, help with those ungodly props in 2004 and so on. I am proud to have known such a wonderful man, they don't make 'em like you, Batman. You will be missed.

I'll be seeing you. 

Lots to be Thankful For.

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. Thanksgiving for me, in prior years, is just a day to eat and eat and eat. For the first time in a very long time I am finding myself truly thankful for everything I have and everything I am as a person. Perhaps it's because I don't come home as often as I used to or because I'm growing up, I have no idea. But here are a few things I am thankful for, in no particular order. 

-My family, including the crazy ones. 

-My friends. God do I love all of you, so much. 

-My wonderful boyfriend, of course.

-My health. 

-My heart, without it I wouldn't be feeling the feels right now.

-My mom and dad. 

-My English teacher, Jeni. I don't know another college professor that makes me WANT to go to their 9am class every single Monday, Wednesday and Friday without hesitation. She just found out about some pretty bad health issues.

Last but most certainly not least,

-Mike Wolfe. I have had the pleasure of knowing this man since 2004 and I can not even begin to describe the impact he has had on my life. On Tuesday, I found out he has terminal cancer and is spending his last days at a cancer clinic in Madison. 

Please from the bottom of my heart, take a minute out of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and pray for Mike, Jeni and both of their families. 

Here's to all of you. God Bless. 

I just thought of a tradition to have with my own family when the time comes, each thanksgiving at breakfast before we start eating we will go around the family and share what we are thankful for that year. Perhaps writing them down to see how we change as a person and as a family throughout the years. 

Hey There!

Hey there! I am Brittany! I have lived in Iowa my whole life and while it's colder than the dickens in the Winter, I don't think there is anywhere else I would have rather grown up. I attended the University of Northern Iowa for 3 years majoring in elementary education, but realized that teaching wasn't for me. I then changed my major to anthropology with a minor in biology and transferred to Iowa State! My friends are the bomb and I'm glad that get to enjoy my adventure as much as I do.

I love giraffes, simple as that. If there is a giraffe on a thing or a thing is giraffe print, I need it. No question. I will try anything at least once and if I don't like it I will try it again 3 more times. Having said that, I do not like peanut butter, chocolate, or sushi. 

I love to travel and have gone to at least one concert in each state that I have visited. Visiting each state and traveling overseas is one of the most important things on my bucket list. 

I have lots of stories to share and plenty more that haven't happened yet. I'm glad you're here and I'm excited to share my adventures with you!