It's been way, WAY too long

I've been meaning to get a post out there for the past couple of months, but I couldn't really think of anything interesting to write about, and my life has been getting steadily more hectic! Not that that's any excuse, but I'm hiding behind it anyways.

I did not expect this year to take me by surprise. What I've learned so far is that when people say "senior slide," they're just referring to a mentality. Senior year is not easier than junior year. The teachers give you just as much homework, just as many tests, you just have much less motivation to prepare as well for said tests.

I just got back from Thanksgiving break, a whole week to lounge about and generally do nothing. Over that time, I read the entire Percy Jackson series, including the Heroes of Olympus part. Although they are significantly below a high school senior's reading level, the plotline kept me hooked. A few other books I'm looking to read over the next few months include:

• The Law of Nines by Terry Goodkind
• World War Z by Max Brooks
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte 
• Aesop's Fables
• Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

I've heard they're all fabulous, so if you're looking for a way to escape for a little bit, there's some ideas. 

As far as college goes, I'm more confused than ever. My "short list" includes Gustavus Adolphus College, the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, St. Olaf, and University of Wisconsin- Madison. I've already been accepted to the U of M and Gustavus, and have yet to apply to the other two. Since they're all pretty close to home, I've also been looking for somewhere a little further away, just in case I decide in the next few months that I hate the snow. 

She was beautiful, but not like those girls in the magazines. She was beautiful for the way she thought. She was beautiful for that sparkle in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful for her ability to make other people smile even when she was sad. No, she wasn't beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful, deep down to her soul. 

The Last First Day

I entered my high school for the first day of school for the last time today. It was strange and bittersweet to say the least.

I walked into the school's common area, and looked around, expecting to see my older friends loitering around on the couches, but they weren't there. It was weird, but not unwelcome, to walk into school knowing it's my last stepping stone in the high school experience.

Another thing is weird about starting up school again. As soon as my carpool pulled into the parking lot, it felt like summer had never happened, and I was going back to school after a long weekend. The time that I spent away from school seemed much less than the 3 months that it was. Very depressing stuff.

A reminder for anyone who's planning on applying for any of the University of Wisconsin colleges, the application is now open and ready for your completion!!

I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then ~Alice in Wonderland

Infinite Samis

I just finished watching Charlie McDonnell's new video called Infinite Charlies. It's about how the universe, given enough space, will have to repeat itself. The universe can not come up with infinite combinations of elements, so that number -immensely large as it is- can be measured, it is finite. This fact, along with the most recent scientific belief that the universe is infinitely large, means a conclusion can be drawn. Hang in there with me. The idea is that, given enough space, the universe will be forced to repeat itself, just because there aren't enough combinations. That being true, that means that there is, theoretically, another you reading this exact post on your very screen in this exact solar system somewhere else in the universe. Freaky, huh?

I find theories like that quite interesting, and so I'll be taking a class at my high school called Physical Universe first semester. It is described as "an introduction to the basic ideas behind quantum physics, the theory of relativity, and string theory. These theories will be compared to classical Newtonian physics. This course explored the universe from the smallest particles to the largest structures in space, including how stars live and die, black holes, and the Big Bang theory."

Thomas Edison's last words were: "It's very beautiful over there." I don't know where there is, but I believe it's somewhere, and I hope it's beautiful. ~Looking For Alaska by John Green 

The Contents of my Purse

My purse (which could probably be called a backpack, but I have been using as a purse all summer) seems bottomless, yet I wish it would hold more. There are so many things that I keep in my purse that I probably don't need, but am convinced that as soon as I remove them, I'll be in a situation where I need them. When i'm talking to my guy friends, every once in a while, one of them will ask me how much "stuff" I fit into my purse. Since I haven't ever taken inventory of what I actually have in there, let's see together what I have.

- 1 iPhone 4S charger
- 2 packs of gum
- 1 single use toothbrush
- 1 pair of headphones
- 1 burt's bees "lip balm"
- I clinique chubby stick
- my keys and keychain
-1 guitar capo
-1 ponytail holder
- World War Z (the book)
- sunscreen
- my pooh bear wallet
- a pair of socks
- a comb
- my "quotes" notepad
- a deck of cards
-EOS egg chapstick
- my inhailer

Reading back over this list, I'm really not sure that I could explain why I have 3 different types of chapstick in my bag, but I also will not be reducing the list...

So, boys, a girl may keep many things in her purse, but never question it, because the day they finally listen to you and empty it out, you're going to need some sunscreen.

An excerpt from my quotes notepad-
Two possibilities exist. Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not. Both are equally terrifying 
~Arthur C. Clarke

Just Some Music

I thought I'd take some time out of my day to share with you a few artists that you may or may not have heard of, but whom are great nonetheless.

1. The Civil Wars

Comprised of Joy Williams and John Paul White, the duo have amazing vocals, and a more folk-y feel. They collaborated with Taylor Swift in her Hunger Games soundtrack Safe and Sound.
Recommended track- Barton Hollow or Poison and Wine 

2. Elizabeth and the Catapult

Elizabeth Zimen has very strong vocals, and a voice as sweet as sugar. I had the pleasure of seeing her open up for Sara Bareallis in Duluth, and that's how I first found out about her. 2 albums and many, many song repeats later, Elizabeth and the Catapult is in my top 5 favorite bands.
Recommended track- Golden Ink or Race You 

3. Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile is one of the strongest voices i've ever heard, and has one of the biggest ranges. I saw her live at the state fair when Amos Lee opened for her, and it was absolutely fabulous, her songs on itunes don't show how truly talented she is. She is one of those performers who doesn't need autotune or a big backup band to accompany their voices.
Recommended track- Turpentine or That Wasn't Me

4. Chameleon Circuit

Comprised of YouTubers Alex Day, Charlie McDonnell, Liam Dryden, Ed "Eddplant" Blann, and Michael Aranda, these guys participate heavily in trock (time lord rock). If you don't understand the reference to time lords, you most likely wouldn't understand the songs. But if you are a Whovian, their songs will bring back memories of former episodes that made you sob, and add new emotions to the era of David Tennant.
Recommended track- Mr. Pond or The Sound of Drums

5. Keri Noble

The former singer is now a talk show host on Cities 97 in the morning, and from the resonating voice you hear in the morning, it shouldn't surprise you to learn that she used to have a fairly successful singing carrer. When I was about 10 years old, I saw her sing live, and fell in love with her smoky alto voice. I saw her perform 2 more times, and have a plethora of autographs.
Recommended tracks- Bartender or Look at Me

6. Scars on 45

I don't personally know a whole lot about scars on 45, but they come highly recommended from my dad, who is my music guru. They're a newer band, and from the few songs that I have heard, I like what I hear.

Recommended track- Give me Something or Loudest Alarm 

College Checklist for Seniors

If you're like me, you're seeing all of your older friends get ready for a big transition in their lives, and you're feeling left behind. It's scary to think that, in less than a year, I'll know where I'm going to be spending the next 4 years of my life.

The common application came out a few days ago, and I had a chance to look it over to see what it would be asking of me. Reducing my high school career to a few "activities" entries and some drop down boxes was really disappointing. I feel like I've done a lot in my high school career, and I've sure as hell matured a whole lot since I started high school, but there's no place for putting that down on the common app!

As a compulsive list-maker, I decided to reduce my stress into a very manageable to do list for the next year of my life.

TO DO BEFORE D-DAY (Decision Day)

~ Find scholarships that you're eligible for- There are a lot of scholarships out there, and sifting through them can take a long time, so try to do it before senior year actually begins

~ Decide what you want in a college- Big or small? In a city or in the suburbs? What area of study do you want to focus on? If you make these decisions, choosing a college can be made much less stressful and seemingly random.

~ Get on campus- go to local colleges to get a feel for what you want in a school and help yourself make the tough decisions.

~ Get your ideal score on the ACT- If you haven't done as well as you'd hoped on the ACT or SAT before now, study hard, because you have another shot in September to hit your goal score!

~ Make a preliminary colleges list- using the factors you decided on, make a list of colleges that fit what you want in a school, and check out their admissions requirements and averages. Categorize them- reach, match, and safety schools.

~ Senior pictures- make sure you get them scheduled and taken, and submitted to your school (if your school participates in this type of program)

~ Stay focused- It may be easy, once you're accepted into a school, to start the "senior slide", but keep studying and pass your classes, the information you're learning is going to be very relevant in college.

~Early Action/ Early Decision- if you're 100% sure that you want to go to one school, you can apply for early action or decision, so make sure you remember to fill out your application before the deadline

~ College fairs- get exposed to different colleges through college fairs in your area or college reps that come to your school to present. If you're even the slightest bit interested in going to a college, check out their booth or presentation to see what they have to offer you.

~ Register for AP exams (if applicable)- Don't forget, just because you're senior sliding doesn't mean that you can't get some credit for all the work you've put into your AP classes! Some colleges (not all) take a good score on a AP test as credit, saving you money in taking out student loans.

Despicable Me 2

I recently saw this movie, and it was absolutely adorable. I was listening to a radio review of it when I was on my way to practice one day before I wound up seeing the movie, and they called it "childish", although they did admit that the kids in the theater with them did thoroughly enjoy the movie. I tended to side with the kids over the radio hosts.

The movie had a legitimate plotline, because the kids try to set Gru up with online dating, which he resists. Also, he is recruited by the Anti Villain League, and meets a very eccentric woman, who is voiced by Kristin Wiig. You can also expect to see a lot more of the minions in this movie, which I had absolutely no objections to because the minions made me laugh so hard.

I think I wound up laughing harder than about half the kids in the theater, it was a silly and cute kids movie that i'd hardly recommend, no matter your age. It gets 4.5 stars on the Sami Scale.

Also, if you haven't seen this trailer for the movie yet, you absolutely had to. I melted.

Blue vs Brown Eyes

As I was religiously watching Grey's Anatomy last week (I'm trying to catch up before the new season airs), I realized that a lot of the attractive people on that show have blue eyes. So the lesson learned for today is have blue eyes, and if you don't, don't go into the entertainment business. But actually there's just something entrancing about blue eyes, something I can't quite put my finger on. Brunettes with blue eyes are puzzling. My eyes are the color of some fresh mud, quite delightful.

Day 30: My Middle Name and How I Feel About It

It looks like I've survived 30 days writing blog posts about myself, and I'm not sure it's possible to feel more self absorbed! I've spent the last 30 days talking only about myself, my thoughts and opinions, and little else. Not much has changed over the last 30 days, even though I was expecting to look at my old posts and feel like I'd matured, it was really only a month.

So as my grand finale, I'm supposed to talk about my middle name and how my parents chose it. My full name is Samantha Marie Peterson. I wasn't named after anyone, all I know about the origin of my name is that my parents knew I would be a "Sam", regardless of if I came out a boy or a girl. They chose Marie because it sounded pretty, that's all there is to it. There isn't really a whole lot to say about my name, other than I think it sounds very English. 

And, like a runner completing a marathon (because typing is like running a marathon, obviously), I have reached the finish line of this race, but that doesn't mean that I'll be done running. 

Until next time,

~Sami

Day 28: My Happy Month and Day 29: A Picture of Me

Day 28- The month I was happiest this year and why

Well, so far this year January rocked, because I had a ski trip that was one of the highlights of my high school experience. We skiied on a really tough course, but outside the race, it was incredible. Our trails were right next to downhill hills, and one night we snagged some lunch trays, hiked up to the top of the hill, and sledded down on lunch trays. It hurt to fall off the tray, but it was beautiful up there. When we got up to the summit, we laid down and looked at the stars, completely silent. It was beautiful, and there was this tangible hanging silence, and those are my favorite types of silences. 

February was no fun because I didn't get put on the Sections team, even though I'm 4th on my team. It was still okay to support my team, but I wish I could've skiied the course. The sweethearts dance was pretty fun because I like getting all dolled up (:

March was my choir tour to Chicago and my trip to Spain, both of which were amazing. I bonded with so many new people on both trips, and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to go on both trips. I learned so much in Spain, because I've never been out of the country, and it was absolutely gorgeous. I also took the ACT in March, and that went better than expected, so March was a pretty good time for me. 

April and May were both remarkably uneventful, full of school and studying and periodic stress related mental breakdowns (you know, the usual). 

June was the end of junior year, my birthday, a lot of thinking about my future, and kind of a stressful month. 

Overall, I'd say March was my happiest month, although January comes in a close second. 

Day 29- A Picture of Me (or a few)

My two main girls and I at Sadie's (our theme dance), I'm the one in the middle 

When I was a young girl, apparently I used to be kind of cute, I'm curious what happened 

Because I can't just post a picture of myself and I'm always in costume. This probably points to a psychological issue about how I'm guarded or something. This is me and my sister a few years ago on Halloween, pre flow chop

And to round out the day, who doesn't have a selfie while rolled in a rug?!