change

It's been a while. A long while. Sometimes life takes over and you don't even have time to breathe. The last little chunk of my life has been one of those times, but here I am once again. For some reason I always come back to this blog—some reason I am completely unaware of at the moment. However, I can only hope that that reason will be revealed to me. Until then, I'm just gonna keep on writing.

My freshman year of college is over. O V E R. What in the world. I feel like graduation was an hour ago and my first day of high school was a yesterday. How am I already 1/4 of the way done with my undergrad at UTK? It absolutely baffles me, but it's beautiful. Watching myself grow as a person is just incredible to me. I am not the same little girl who was a Blue Raider for 4 years of her life, though I WILL be a Blue Raider for the rest of my life. College just..changes you.

Now, I'm aware of the subjectivity that surrounds the word 'change.' Sure, maybe I've gained 25 pounds and have a few more novels under my belt, but I promise that I'm so different. I have a totally different outlook on life. I have never been 'closed minded' exactly...but I've never been one to speak up about my beliefs. I was raised in the Catholic church, and I never really questioned my faith whatsoever. Now, I question everything. I love everyone—black, white, gay, straight, bisexual...everyone. And I'm not afraid to stick up for people who are singled out, because I firmly believe that everyone deserves the exact same respect. If you are living, breathing, have flesh, whatever...you deserve the EXACT same respect that I do. Not only that, but my religion has grown as well. I don't really agree with the Catholic beliefs that I was raised under. I still affiliate myself with the Christian faith, but I have beliefs that people are often times afraid of. At least I think they're afraid, because I can't think of any reason that people would tell me I'm wrong as much as they do. I respect ALL faiths. I think my God, your God, other gods/goddesses/higher beings are more focused on what we do not what we say. And I think that if you're living your life in such a way that betters you and those around you, then you're doing exactly what you're meant to do. Never again will I ever discourage someone out of their beliefs, because I know they're what truly form a person.

I think the biggest change that has come upon me while at UTK is that I now know what I'm meant to do. I'm meant to make an impact. Wow, yeah, I know that's vague! But, it's true. To be more specific, I'm meant to teach. I know that. Knowledge is the gateway to everything. It is the most powerful tool you will ever possess. With knowledge, you can do anything. I've thought that college teaching is the place for me, but that poses a special challenge. How do you impact those that are on a similar intellectual level? Those that are not very...receptive? It's tricky. But I think that's where I'm meant to be. And if not, then I'm sure I'll find my place! My English literature major paired with my Women's Studies/Religious Studies double minor should be the perfect route for me to encourage others to develop their own beliefs and act upon those. But, most importantly, I want to teach them to not be ashamed of what they believe! It is no less worthy than the Jew, Muslim, Christian, Atheist, or any other person down the street.

The word that sums up my change is 'accepting.' I'm accepting in ways I've never thought possible. I've seen more different people in a semester than some people will encounter throughout all of their life. I've become more comfortable in my own self and my own beliefs, and I know I'm going to change the world some day. If I can impact just one individual I'll have done my duty. Hopefully one day everyone will love each other as I do.

I hope that 'change' has more of a meaning now than ever before. I'm proud of the person I've become, and I hope that I can make others proud as well.

xoxo, Liv

self in the raw

I wrote this really awesome, deep poem for my honors english class. I thought I would share.

Who are you when nobody is around?

Who am I without the influence of you? Or you? Or you?

Self can easily be defined as a social construct if that is what you make of it.

However, nobody can really define how you define who you are.

That’s a big problem these days—everyone thinks they can control you. Use their hands to mold you into something you’re not.

The even bigger problem is that you let them.

“But don’t your friends and family define you?” Undeniably so.

But so does a multitude of other things.

The flower soaking up the sun reminds me that I am a vessel.

A vessel for beauty, warmth, and simplicity.

A vessel to help others—a flower can pollinate many other flowers; I can pollinate my world.

The wind defines my power.

How can something so silent be so big?

It reminds me that silence is golden—I can move more mountains with my actions than with my outward appearance.

The sunset.

So much beauty to span as far as the eye can see.

A blend of different colors; red, orange, hot pink.

The sunset is kind of a blanket of imperfections. It is never concrete. Always changing—no 2 sunsets are the same.

However, everyone notices its beauty, and nobody labels it as imperfect.

I am beautiful blanket of imperfections as well.

The words of others.

Though not my own, I can shape them.

I can mold them into what I need to hear.

No two people can interpret something the exact same way.

Words are a beautiful thing and are easily taken for granted.

Much like myself.

My thoughts in this natural, empty place define me more than anything.

Though absent of people, this place is booming with life.

Who do you want to be when nobody is around? There is nobody to impress. Nobody to live up to.

I want to be aware.

Aware of my potential.

Aware of my beauty.

Aware of my potential impact on the world.

Inspiration often comes to those who wait in a quiet place.

You may define yourself by the presence of others.

That may be your self.

My self, however, is quite the contrary.

All of the abstract.

The subjective.

The intangible.

The colors, shapes, forms of art.

Those are what make me my self.

My self in the raw.

I have never been so impressed with a piece of my poetry before. Sometimes classes really do teach you things about your self that you never realized. :)

xoxo, Liv

have a coke

I'm sure you have all seen the Super Bowl Coca-Cola commercial that aired this past Sunday. Chances are, the commercial might be the only thing you remember considering the game was nothing to write home about. If you haven't seen the commercial, please go watch it. It's beautiful. Here is the link: 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs&list=PLCIVZWq1FAwcWJmgdF5o3-QTZZ-OnBUgA&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D443Vy3I0gJs%26list%3DPLCIVZWq1FAwcWJmgdF5o3-QTZZ-OnBUgA

This commercial has caused SO much controversy here in the U.S.... But why? Haven't we left the days of racism and close minded-ness in the dust? Weren't those mindsets buried in the graves of America's long-gone slave owners? I suppose not. 

People have said cruel, cruel things. Not only have the things been cruel, but they have been ignorant as well. "We speak English here in America," "The National Anthem is supposed to be in English," "Your going to lose our business," (yes I used the wrong form of "you're" for emphasis).. These, along with many other vulgar comments, were posted all over Coca-Cola's Facebook page and clouded all of our Twitter feeds. 

I have so, so many issues with everything that was said. Coca-Cola did NOT use the National Anthem in their commercial. English is NOT the only language spoken in America. And if people think they can go longer than a week without a Coke, they're probably wrong. Personally, I think all of these people speaking out against Coca-Cola for their commercial are tainting America's image that has been built up since before any of us were put on this Earth. 

I loved the commercial, and here's why: 

I love diversity. I thrive off of the integration of different cultures that surrounds me each and everyday. I recognize that the world, even the country, we live in is more diverse than it has EVER been, and that is a beautiful thing. I am a firm believer that in order to understand your own culture you must also understand cultures around you. America is a country of opportunity. That is something we, as citizens, should be proud of. Seeing people of all shapes, sizes, nationalities, classes, etc. come together should give us all the tinglies inside. We should look at this like a proud mom looks at her 4th grader for winning a spelling bee. America is incredible. And this we owe a great deal to diversity. 

So, I applaud Coca-Cola. I got chill bumps when I saw the commercial, and I do not even hesitate to say it was my favorite commercial of the night, even beating out the adorable little puppy in the Budweiser commercial. 

I advise everyone to take a deep breath, look at the world around you, and have a Coke. It'll do us all some good. 

xoxo, Liv

life plan

Blogging everyday is hard. H-A-R-D..Hard. Even blogging once a week...Or once a month if you're me (oops). However, I could say I'm attempting to blog more, BUT, that never works out for me. So I'm just going to continue doing what I feel like doing and maybe, just maybe, something beneficial will come out of it.

I'm already almost a month into the semester and it has been an absolute blur. I've taken on the extreme task of 18 hours *gasp*and can feel it slowly but surely killing me. But, I have a plan. I HAVE A PLAN YOU GUYS. I haven't been very certain about my plan the entire time I've been here, but now I've got something down. I've got life goals and aspirations and a major that will hopefully get me going on the right path towards that. Much like writing down goals or whatevs in hopes that you'll be more inspired to keep them, putting my plan into writing feels incredible.

My official major is English with a concentration in Literature. I'm highly considering adding a Religious Studies minor to that, but I don't have to narrow that down quite yet. After I graduate with my Bachelors (which I hope to do in 3 years AND I'm on the right track to do that, might I add) I'm going to continue and work towards my Masters. Hopefully I'll be done with that in 5 years *fingers crossed*. I then want to continue on to graduate school and further my education. I've always thought I would sound nice with a "Dr." as my title.

Anyways, those are just the logistics of everything. What I really want to accomplish is something that will make a difference. After either graduating with my Masters or my Doctorate (haven't gotten this far yet....) I want to teach in a different area. Preferably an area where they're lacking in educational resources. Whether I'm going to be led to a different country or an impoverished area in the United States, I'm not sure. But I want to spend a couple of years impacting people and encouraging them that they CAN become something. They should never feel inadequate to those that have more money or more resources than they do. Nothing...I repeat NOTHING....makes them lesser than anyone else, and sometimes they just need a solid influence in their life to make them actually believe that. I will be that person. After finishing my time there I want to continue on and teach english at a collegiate level. I would really love to teach a special class on Middle Eastern literature or something of the sort, because that's where my interest really lies.

So far I feel like this is really what I'm called to do. I know as well as anybody else that plans have a funny way of changing themselves around, but right now I'm really in love with the life plan I have for myself. And I know that the stresses of my classes right now will pay off. I also know that I am blessed beyond belief to have the opportunity to study at a University, and, beyond that, I have the opportunity to spend everyday studying something that I absolutely love. School isn't so bad when you like what you're doing.

Best wishes.
xoxo, Liv

nash-vegas, we love ya!

Traveling is by far one of my favorite things to do. However, travel as a college kid is H-A-R-D hard. Mostly because we have no money. Because we're in college. Anyhow, I'm thankful for the trip that Patrick and I got to take to Nash-vegas!

Though in our home state of Tennessee, Nashville was a beautiful little getaway. We had the opportunity to stay with our friends Paige and Cody. Cody is Patrick's roommate, and Paige is my future roommate. They just so happen to be dating which makes things perfect. They welcomed us into their homes, and we had a fantastic few days!

Day 1:
We arrived mid-afternoon at Cody's house. We were met there by him and Paige, and we got to meet Cody's mom! From there we headed to Paige's place and made homemade pizzas. We concocted several different things, and they were all delicious! After our lovely homemade dinner we headed to Climb Nashville. I wasn't too ecstatic about climbing because I'm a weakling, but I had a blast! There were walls that had all different difficulty levels, along with bouldering walls and more difficult things! You had a harness and whatnot as well, so I didn't feel like I was fighting death the entire time.
Here is a glimpse of Climb Nashville:

After climbing we went back to Paige's and played hours worth of Mario Kart. It was a good little first day.

Day 2:

We woke up kind of late, but we got the day started. We headed over to Cody's for lunch and had some delicious leftovers. After eating we headed to the city. We walked around and saw a lot of the local Nashville spots. We went into a boot store and the Preds shop. After that we walked to the river and took a few pictures with the strip behind us. 

Here is the batman building:

The four of us; Patrick and I:

After that we went and enjoyed some appetizers at a place called Demos'. Patrick and I got some cheesy garlic bread, and Paige and Cody got some soup. And of course we both devoured their famous rolls. After enjoying appetizers at Demos' we headed across Nashville to enjoy dinner at a place called Maggianos. It was so delicious, and we made it out of there only spending $2.25 for the four of us! We did pretty good. 

Here's a cute couple pic of Maggianos:

After all of our good eating, we headed back to Paige's and played some more games on the Wii and watched a movie. Our time was flying by. 

Day 3:

Our third day was just a free day. Cody and Patrick joined us fairly early, and we just hung around Paige's. We had some leftovers for lunch, and then maximized our laziness. We played Volopoly, but didn't finish. I was of course coming in last place. Losing games is my specialty! Before we could finish we had to go to dinner at Cody's house. His mom made delicious turkey enchiladas. After dinner we headed to the Grand Ol' Opry to see the lights. They were incredible. 

Here is my photo documentation of all of its wonder:

I may be biased, but this one's my favorite: 

After exploring, we went back to Cody's and played Life. I almost won, but Paige beat me out. Then we went back to Paige and finished our game of Monopoly. Cody killed everyone. We then played some more Mario Kart, but we were all exhausted. 

Day 4:

The fourth day wasn't really a full day. We got to explore the Bass Pro shop (mostly for Patrick) and then ate lunch at Rainforest Cafe (mostly for me). The food at Rainforest is always good, and it makes me feel like a kid to go eat there! It was so great. Then we said our goodbyes and parted ways. 

I'm so glad that Patrick and I have such amazing friends, and that we were able to invade their area for a little bit! It was so much fun and was the perfect little getaway. Thanks, Cody and Paige, for allowing us to come! 

And, see ya later Nashville! We can't wait to come back. 

xoxo, Liv

first semester: check!

So, the last month has been so hectic. I haven't had time to blog at all, which is sad. Every time I go to write a new post, I figure out how much I love it. After that, I vow to write religiously. However, every time I don't. I want this time to be different, but who knows if it actually will be.

This post is going to be a jumbled mess of everything. But that's okay. My life is also a sort of jumbled mess, so I'm sure this will depict my life pretty accurately. Let's reflect on the past semester.

I started out with a rough time. I'm not going to go into detail about it, because that's way too much for me to go into AGAIN, and I've realized that nobody actually cares.. I was involved in engineering (blech) and band (even more blech). But, some good things came out of it! I made an amazing friend in band. Her name is Melanie. I don't know if I've talked about her yet, but I'm so thankful for her! I wouldn't have gotten through any of band if it wasn't for her. We are very similar yet very different. We shared one important thing though: we both hated band. Luckily, even with band being over, we still talk! And I think we'll continue to talk, because she's a quality gal. 

Here's Mel and I.

Through all of the stress and craziness of being an engineering major involved in the biggest student organization on campus, I still managed to make some time for fun! I got to attend my first college sporting event as something besides a bando. Unfortunately, it wasn't football. However, it was basketball, which is almost as fun as football! (And a lot shorter which, if you ask me, is a massive plus.) I had many-a-nights spent out at cereal bar (better known as The Knoxville Pearl which is a hole in the wall that's TOTALLY worth going to if you're in the area for more than a day) and took my fair share of trips to Ritas and Coolato Gelato (both quality dessert places). I got to experience Knoxville's great eateries and burn some calories at the infamous Jump Jam. I also took some time to explore the surrounding mountains by going hiking with my darling and two of our friends! I know I spent a great amount of time unnecessarily complaining about this semester, but it was actually fun. 

Basketball pictures

Cereal bar

Hiking to Chimney Tops 

Along with doing fun things, and meeting Melanie, I've also made some more quality friendships. Some friendships have fallen apart, but only for others to fall into place. I've met some sweet girls who were willing to take me in and allow me to live with them next year! It was iffy, especially since I only knew one of them, Paige, at first. However, upon meeting the second, Grace, I knew things were going to work perfectly! I don't really know the third, Holly, as well, but from what I've seen she's a sweetheart. No girls can get along 100% of the time, but I don't foresee any issues. They're beautiful girls with beautiful personalities. They're a positive influence on me and help bring me up, even if they don't see it. I've finally learned to surround myself with positive people. You just feel better about yourself and life when you go about it with a positive outlook and have people to build you up. I think meeting them is what I was most thankful for this semester. I wish it would've happened earlier rather than later, but I suppose everything happens at a certain time for a certain reason, and I'm not going to question it. God put me, and them, there for a reason. 

Here's a 'Merry Christmas' photo from Paige, Grace, and I

Although not in grave detail, this is a pretty good timeline of my semester. It has definitely come to a close, and I've never been happier. I made good grades, pulling out an A- in engineering, which I NEVER thought I would do. Complaints have been common, but overall I'm thankful for the first semester that I had. All of the challenges and difficulties I faced helped shape me into the individual I am now. I've learned what (and who) is really important in my life. I've discontinued trying to be someone I'm not, and I've just accepted the fact that maybe not everyone is going to like who I'm meant to be. And that's okay. I may not have been happy 100% of the time, but through the tears I've bettered myself. And I wouldn't change a single thing. 

xoxo, 

Liv

college changes you

Every student who is approaching their college career has heard people say, "college changes you." If you are anything like me, you had no problem saying that you were never going to change. When you're just so sure of yourself, why in the world would you ever allow something like college to change you? Looking back, I was wrong. And if you're saying that now, you're wrong too. You will change. I'm a walking example of the fact that college DOES change even the stubborn-est of individuals.

A couple of days ago, I was freezing my ass off walking around campus in my boyfriend's oversized Brazil quarter-zip. I had leftover curls in my hair and the entire sidewalk I was on was practically deserted. It's times like those when I allow my mind to wander. Sometimes that's bad, but I felt like this time it made sense. I began to play through my life before college and compare it to the first semester of college that I am (almost) done enduring. It was odd.

Before college, I cared. A lot. About myself, about others, about things that didn't need to be cared for. Even though I enjoyed to be lazily dressed and didn't always dress to the nines, I cared about my appearance quite a bit. I cared about what other people thought about me. I cared that my grades were nothing but perfection, and anything less than an A was not satisfactory in my book. I payed a lot of attention to others. I looked at how they were dressed (bad, I know), how they looked (even worse, sorry), and their personalities. I wanted everyone to like me. I needed the approval of everyone around me. In other words, I spent the first 18 years of my life working SO hard to impress and gain approval of people that would vanish from my life in a matter of months.

Now, as the first semester of my college career comes to a close, I'm a totally different Olivia. I feel foreign in my own world, but it's not such a bad thing. I've realized that sometimes it takes (what seems like) your whole world crashing down around you to realize your fatal flaws. Now, I don't care so much about what I wear. I'm a college kid, so I do wear norts/leggings and a t-shirt everyday, but even when I wear "normal clothing" it's comfy and not uber-expensive. I've become familiar with sale racks, thrift shops, and the saying "I don't have the money for that". And, that's okay. I'm okay with that. It's making me appreciate the things I DO have that so many others don't. I've come to realize that having a few good friends is worth more than having everyone in the world love you. I've lost a few friends in messy ways recently, but I couldn't be happier with the amazing individuals I have in my life. They bring me up constantly and keep me laughing. Although grades don't mean everything to me anymore (maybe this is a new flaw?), I'm still determined to keep them where they need to be. Oh, and most importantly, I've learned to follow my heart. That's my favorite lesson of all.

To wrap this up, here is a beautiful picture of my favorite building on UT's campus, Ayres.

Thank you, UT, for making me a different person. It's okay to let college change you.
xoxo, Liv