Who Are You???

Alright, so it's been a while since I've blogged. I absolutely LOVE writing...but ironically am terrible at consistently blogging and/or keeping a journal. I'm hoping to get better at this and maybe someone out there in the universe will be able to relate in some way, shape, or form.

The best way that I could think of is to start one of those "blog challenges" I see floating around Pinterest all the time. So I searched for some...but in doing so, I realized why they were called challenges. Dang, people want me to get all sorts of PERSONAL on the Internet...That's kind of intimidating... I tried really hard to find one that I felt fit my mission with this, but failed. So I'm just going to consolidate a few different challenges and make my own personal challenge!

Day One: Who Are You???

 

 Hello, world. My name is Sydney. I'm Utah-born, California-raised, and living in Idaho to go to school. I attend Brigham Young University-Idaho where I just finished my sophomore year studying Early Childhood/Special Education. As of a few days ago, I have officially left my teenage years behind me and have graduated to the roaring 20's. I have two younger sisters and two dogs named Jake and Katie whom I love dearly.  I started this blog at the beginning of the year to fulfill a requirement for my online New Testament class. So yes, the first few posts will be assignments I had to post for my professor to grade. Now, however, I want to start blogging for ME. 

I am in love with all things Disney related and also quite a big Harry Potter nerd. Growing up, I wanted to be a dolphin trainer at SeaWorld and study marine biology in college. After taking one biology class in high school I quickly realized that the science field was not my cup of tea and began to rethink my life. Having grown up loving to read and write, I entered my freshman year of college as a declared English education major. I am so grateful they don't make you stick with the major you declare as a freshman because while I love English, I think taking three different classes on grammar would probably make me want to tear my hair out.

My second semester of college, I was able to find a babysitting job 2 days a week watching the two cutest kids in the entire world. Their influence, combined with the Child Development class I was taking, made me realize that I wanted to work with kids. I want to be a Mom one day. I want to have a husband and kids. The whole front porch/white picket fence dream? Yeah, I want it. My Mom was able to stay home with my sisters and I, and I want to be able to do that with my kids. So my approach to college was not "how can I have the best career?" by any means. I was (and still am) trying to figure how I can make my studies apply and be profitable in the frame of raising a family. With this perspective, I realized that the preschoolers are my people. Please don't make me go out to a party. Let me stay in and babysit a 4 year old and I'll have so much more fun. My dad frequently asks in frustration: "Are you 20 years old, or 5?" I know it drives him nuts, but I enjoy it. I don't want a cubicle and paperwork. I want to sit on the floor and color with young kids while a preschooler tells me the story of how he thought he saw a dinosaur outside his window last night. I am 20 years old--I promise--but I like preschool. So sue me!

This is all pretty basic stuff: who are you? Where are you from? What are you studying? These are the questions I answer a million and a half times during the first week of school. If you're still reading, I guess you want more than that.

As much as I've tried to steer away from the English major world, I can't seem to escape it. Maybe it's because both my grandma and my aunt are English teachers so the nerdy-ness is literally in my genes, but I love to write. Shocker: a blogger that likes writing. Ok no but seriously, I want to be a writer. As much as I've stated that I love preschool (and I totally do)...that's not all I want to accomplish in my life. I want to write a book. Specifically in the Young Adult fiction category. I don't know if I'm any good at it, but it does come semi-naturally for me. So in-between all of the other things in my life (family, church, school, work, friends, dating hahaha funny joke), I like to sit down with my dear laptop named Gertrude (name is thanks to my dear roommate Stephanie) and write. I have about a hundred pages on the current project. Will it go anywhere? I sure hope so. But only time will tell. 

Contrary to my father's belief, there's not a lot of money in the writing world. Writers are known more for being tortured and misunderstood than they are for being wealthy millionaires. Yes, JK Rowling made a killing and she is now wealthier than the Queen of England. But she's 1 out of literally hundreds of millions. I'm not banking on that kind of success by any means. 

Other things to mention: yes, I am a Mormon. No, my family are not polygamists. No, we are not Amish. I welcome any questions you have and will answer to the best of my ability, but I might point you towards Mormon.org if your question is one that I know could be better answered by someone else. OOH! This gives me more to mention!

To all of those other fellow Mormons reading this post (seriously, if you're still reading I'll be stunned): yes, I am a 20 year old female in the LDS religion. No, I am not married. Yes, I do go to 'BYU-I-Do'. Yes, I'm fully active and a regular temple attendee. But no, I am not going on a mission. These are all topics I'll cover in other posts because it's much too long to cover here. 

So why am I blogging?

Life is an adventure. And adventures are best when shared with other people. I'm so many things all at once with so many different facets and quirks and a plethora of awkward stories that I need space and room to explore and share everything I learn and experience. I'm dorky, please just accept that fact now. I definitely don't have it all figured out, but I'm trying. And I invite you to read on about my life and hopefully you'll be able to giggle along with me because sometimes life is just plain Weird. 

This is me, Internet worlds. I am Sydney and this is my life. Come along for the ride. If it turns out good, then great. And if not, then it sure as heck won't be boring! 
  
 

School Woes

This week, I was accepted to work in the Toddler Lab next semester. "What does that mean?" Basically every Tuesday and Thursday I'll be working from 7:45-11:15 with kids aged 18 months to 3 years old in a preschool-like setting. Technically they're too young for preschool (and there's a specific 'preschool lab') but that's at least the general idea of it. I'm really excited for it. That's a fun age group and while I have no doubt that it will be tough, I'm also really looking forward to it.

After receiving this announcement, I went ahead and started looking at the other classes I'll need to take next semester. I'm an Early Childhood/Special Education major. After graduation, I'll be licensed in the state of Idaho (and I can become licensed in other states) to work with children from birth up until the 3rd grade in a variety of different ways. My degree is incredibly flexible and has opportunities in teaching (in both mainstream or special education classrooms), preschool, daycare, or more specific training in the special ed field. There's a whole heck of a lot that I can do with it. The problem is...I don't know what I want to do.

One of the most commonly asked questions up here at school is "What do you want to do with your major?" And honestly...I have no idea. I know it's the right major for me. Without a doubt, I am solid on that point. I'm very excited about it. I just don't really know how I want to use my degree in the real world.

This coming September will start my fifth semester and the beginning of my junior year of college. That honestly and truly blows my mind. I don't feel like I've been here this long... and the fact that I'm almost done kind of makes me a little nervous. College is a very nice limbo between high school and the big scary real world. To think that I'm halfway done with this very comfortable limbo stage is intimidating. I'm going to have to leave the bubble of Rexburg and venture out into the real world and get like a REAL job. Weird...

I guess one of the hardest things to wrap my head around is the fact that I don't really have any plans after graduation. I probably should. I probably should have like 'big life goals' or something adult-y like that. I feel like I've got a pretty good grasp on my grad plan and the classes to take between now and then. That much, at least, I feel like I understand. But after graduation...I got nothing. No idea of what I want to accomplish or what field I want to go into...

Thinking that far into the future stresses me out anyways. I probably should focus on this semester and passing the classes that are in front of me here and now. Let's be honest and just say that making up a week and a half worth of work for 6 classes is definitely not an easy task. Nor is it enjoyable. I'm not a big fan of it. We're barely at mid-terms and I already am worn out. The idea of doing this for 4 more semesters... UGH. No bueno.

So I guess for now I'll keep working on the homework that I have now and (hopefully) the higher level classes will point me in the direction of what field I want to pursue. Idealistically, around the time I'm getting ready to graduate some Prince Charming-esque figure will show up and be fabulously wealthy so that I'll never actually have to enter the work force haha. I kid, I kid. Marriage will come in it's own time frame and I am more than happy to enjoy life as a single woman before having to deal with engagements, fiancee/husband drama, wedding plans, mortgages, bills, etc etc. But that's a topic for a whole other rant...