I've got this friend thing in the bag.

Conversation can be intimidating. I fluctuate between being an expert conversationalist and a floundering, speechless dimbo. My go-to conversation-starter spiel goes a little something like this.

1. Shout and/or say the person's name in a strange accent.
2. Ask a ridiculous question while bouncing around like my sister when the rest of my sisters and I spiked her milk with sugar a few years ago.
3. Stumble through the rest of the interaction.
* If you don't believe me, I can have any number people confirm that THIS IS A THING and I really do it.

On account of my general social awkwardness (which may or may not be apparent), I love it when other people approach me. (Assuming I want to talk to them. Obviously.) I don't have to scream their name like I'm being murdered in a horror film to get their attention! Better yet is when they come prepared with a topic of conversation, lest I resort to pithy arguments where my opinion makes virtually no sense. This too is a "thing". I've done it several times over. Pity me in my lack of social prowess.

Enter my Pride and Prejudice tote bag.

 

This thing is washable canvas, perfectly sized to contain my schoolbooks and my allergy medication, AND is the ideal conversation starter. I have lost track of the number of compliments this bag has earned me. Some of them have been from gentlemenly persons. They were males who were dead serious about my Jane Austen paraphernalia. As it turns out, some of my college friends had scoped me out as potential friend material way back during orientation on account of my bag. (Emily detailed the whole start of our friendship on her blog.) I'm telling you, this tote bag is amazing. Thank goodness I have a second one at home.

(Long story. Another post for another day.)

I guess the moral of the story is that it's a good idea to wear your heart on your sleeve. Or, more specifically, your interests on your bag. Makes the whole conversation thing at least twenty times easier. The end.

The Peanut Butter Analogy

I think I need a writer's retreat. Even after a week of fall break, the words are just... Well, the only analogy I can think of is the feeling peanut butter stuck to the roof of my mouth. The stories are there, but they're almost as sticky as Ally's super-duper-borderline-crazy organic peanut butter. They're stuck to the roof of my... brain? See what I mean! I'm so desperate, I'm comparing things to peanut butter. I need a drink. By drink, I mean tea. Or coffee. Hot chocolate is also acceptable. Oh my heavens I haven't a pumpkin-flavored beverage yet. This is a major problem. Someone, anyone, please! I need a good dose of pumpkin before autumn gives way to the winter blues!!!

GOOD GRIEF, LOOK AT THAT. WHAT IS THAT? THE NECTAR OF THE GODS!?

Back on track. I don't see a real, honest-to-goodness writing retreat anywhere in my near future, but I do see a whole month dedicated to novel writing. Ladies n' gentlemen, it is that time again. That time of the year when my crazy levels are at least three standard deviations away from average and my friends and family start to seriously reconsider my presence in their lives. It's almost NaNoWriMo!

*ze super cool image from ze NaNoWriMo webzite*

This year is a really awful year to attempt writing a novel in thirty days. I know for a fact that I am going to be super stressed about school and whatnot. But I also know that I would kick myself if I didn't at least sign up and write on the first day! Who knows what will come of next month. I think I can convince a few other sorry suckers to try their hands at (at least) a few days of frenzied writing spurts with me. The tentative plan is to reboot my NaNo novel from last year, which was not at all what I intended it to be but still showed a lot of promise. I figure if I start fresh, I can redo the whole premise but maintain the integrity of the characters and the overall feel of the story-world. Cool stuff, huh?

Now that you all know my plans, I can get back to my Astronomy homework. Maybe I'll even get a NaNo-planning session in... A girl can dream!

Anne-ish Tendencies

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

Isn't this beautiful? http://kasia1989.deviantart.com/art/Friendship-Anne-From-Green-Gables-337566594

It is October, which has to be my favorite month. It's a delightful combination of brisk fall air, pumpkin-flavored desserts, cozy sweaters, boots, and steaming hot beverages. Autumn is also my most productive writing season. With rainy days and nostalgia practically humming in the air, there is no shortage of inspiration during the fall months. Endless scope for the imagination! Therefore, this is about that time of year when my Anne-ish tendencies really start to show.

Anne-ish tendency: (n) an inclination towards the literary, the imaginative, and the occasionally stubborn nature of a certain Anne Shirley; see "Anne of Green Gables"

Isn't this cover cute!?

After a long and stressful week full of schoolwork and studying, last night I desperately needed to indulge my inner Anne. My friend Emily from There is a Bend (she's kind of sort of adorable so you should really check out her blog) invited Ally and I to her room for coffee and tea. (I never thought I would find myself drinking caffeinated beverages at 9:30 PM, but somehow college makes caffeine seem like a good idea at any time of the day.) Long story short, we all ended up breaking out our old writings. And oh, did my Anne-inclined heart ache! After days upon days of bumbling through college and not feeling quite myself, I could feel my familiar Anne-ish tendencies welling up in my chest. It was wonderful. Sitting in the depths of despair while being a pseudo-adult can be really exhausting. Sometimes, you need a healthy does of Anne-ness to make life bearable.

“That's the worst of growing up, and I'm beginning to realize it. The things you wanted so much when you were a child don't seem half so wonderful to you when you get them.” 

How I felt getting dropped off at school.

Though I have yet to discover our local Lake of Shining Waters, this school has great potential as my own personal Avonlea. The gym rents out canoes, for heaven's sake. It's like they want me to act out The Lady of Shalot in the Shenandoah River!

* ~ * ~ *

In looking up all of these quotes for this blog post, I have realized that I desperately need to reread Anne of Green Gables. Also, I need Gilbert's stupid face.

Stahp it. You're too cute. And stupid. But mainly cute.

I couldn't keep this to myself.

Did you guys know that they're making The Book Thief into a movie? Well, they are. I need to get to the store so I can buy approximately 500 boxes of double ply tissues.

GUYZ, it looks SO GOOOOOD. I watched the trailer for the first time with a friend this morning, and the whole time, we were like this:

RUDY, RUDY, RUDY!!!!!!!! GUYZ, HE LOOKS SO ADORABLE. And Max! And the Hubermanns! Can we make that 1,000 boxes of double ply tissues? 

In which Monica enters college.

So. College.

Yeah.

Um...

I have literally no idea what I'm doing.

You?

YES, ME. Being a freshman is hard. I have no idea what to expect. Things are awkward half the time because practically everyone is a stranger. It's this bizarre mix of exciting, terrible, stressful, and fun, all at the same time. Fortunately for me, I have Ally from Charlie and Me as a roommate, which means that we don't fight over house rules or boys or muffins.

We also back each other up during awkward or difficult moments.

Furthermore, it means we watched The Importance of Being Earnest. So let me tell you earnestly a thing or two about my first week of college. May you learn from my experience, dear reader.

1. Getting a cold without Mom's TLC is miserable, so come prepared.

*achoo*

I got a sore throat on the second or third day being away from home. It was miserable, and I was panicking, because I've had some pretty nasty cases of strep throat in the past and I know for a fact it's not fun. Fortunately, I came to school fully stocked with Vitamic C drops, honey, Advil, and all the other things a sicky Vicky might need. I don't know what I would have done without them.

2. Keep your expectations realistic.

You're not going to walk on campus and be the coolest thing anybody has ever seen. You're also probably not going to meet your future spouse on the first day (emphasis on the "probably"). So if you're hoping for this:

Expect to be momentarily impressed before getting distracted by one of the other zillion things going on.

And if you thought you had just signed up for four years of fun and games, well... Keep in mind, you're going to be studying a lot of German grammar.

You'll look perfectly plain in the process, but you ARE supposed to be getting an education.

3. Always make time for writing, even it requires a make-believe excuse.

Writing is therapy. I can say this with every fiber of my being after orientation week. Whether I was typing up a blog post, jotting down thoughts in my random journal, working on a fairytale, utilizing my prayer journal, or throwing together a passage for a potential novel, I felt so much more relaxed during and after writing. It keeps your head screwed on straight and lets you take out all of your stress on the page. Do whatever it takes to make writing a daily exercise.

Any other college newbies who are putting their pens to paper?

The Hair Analogy

As a child, Disney gave me some unrealistic expectations in regards to hair. I was never satisfied with my own hair. I wanted it to be Aurora-curly, Belle-brown, Ariel-long, and look as fantastic as Pocahontas' hair in the wind.

Amazing what her hair can do with a minimum amount of product.

I grew my hair long and the color turned out alright (Anne Shirley auburn, if you ask me). However, no matter how often I wished on a star, my hair never became curly. Guys, I eventually resorted to eating the crusts off my sandwiches!*

* Recent discussions have informed me that apparently not everyone grew up being told that eating bread crusts makes your hair curly. So here's your daily dose of folklore!

If I was Aurora, I would spend hours just whipping my hair to and fro. It's so BOUNCY!

After years of using lame hair products, curling irons, and one ridiculously bad perm, I accepted my fate. I have come to love my hair, and when I'm lucky, I even get to enjoy the occasional curly hair day.

Another important thing to know about my hair is that when little strands of it are exposed to rain, the beach, or a pool, I have a halo of Felicity-style curls. It's pretty much AWESOME.

See the itsy bitsy curls?

(Alright, alright, I'll start getting to the point!) So last week, after taking a jog in the rain and returning with a couple tendrils sticking out here in there, I got it in my head that maybe, under the proper conditions, the rest of my hair would just magically curl itself. I popped in the shower and helped myself to my younger sister's curly hair formula shampoo and conditioner. And you know what happened?

Absolutely nothing.

Mainly it just made my hair less shiny than usual, which made me kind of sad. Talk about a failed experiment! Now, for the analogy part of this post!

While I was trying to salvage my tired-looking locks, I came to the realization that I treat my writing a lot like I do my hair. I'm always wishing for it to be curly --- i.e., to be poetic and be perfect right off the bat. I'm constantly fighting any straight and/or wavy tendencies. I have to learn to see the beauty in the writing voice that I do have... and to appreciate the occasional curl that comes my way.

Anyone else fighting their natural voice, or their natural hair?

The Art of Persuasion

I just finished reading Jane Austen's Persuasion, and let's just say I'm a little overwhelmed... and making plans to reread every Austen novel ever. I'll tell you why!

When my dad convinced me to read Pride and Prejudice, I didn't really see much beyond the face value of the romance. And let's face it: P&P is an awesome romance. Lizzy and Darcy's love/hate relationship has inspired countless other love/hate love stories. (Plus, Darcy is pretty much one of the most attractive men in all of literature.) Meanwhile, my fourteen/fifteen year-old self had no appreciation for anything resembling "depth". It was a love story that made people think you were smart if you said you read it! What's not to like!?

Fast forward to eighteen year-old me closing her copy of Persuasion. I felt satisfied, and yet... This wasn't "bright, sparkling" P&P. I mean, I had giggled over Wentworth's swoonworthy declaration of love (give that man an AWARD), but still... Had I missed something? Wanting to read some more, I flipped to the front of the book to read the introduction essay.

Those who are attracted to Jane Austen because of nostalgia for the stability of class and clarity of old-fashioned values in picturesque English villages miss the most profound theme in her writing. Celebrated for simplicity, quaintness, and old-fashioned certainties, Austen in her last novel turns out to be complicated, thorny, and most of all, anxiously uncertain about the world developing around her. At times she appears to be talking herself into a "cheerful confidence in futurity." It is tempting to imagine where she would have taken this direction had she lived. But this novel was to be her final attempted act of (self-) persuasion.

Um, wow. That's a lot to swallow.

The extra bit of insight Susan Ostrov Weisser's essay provided had me analyzing every chapter, every character, everything. Furthermore, the essay called into question the Jane Austen stereotype: "sweetly old-fashioned, genially mild and reserved, spirited but primly spinsterish". The mysteries of Austen's character make her novels even more open to interpretation, if you ask me.

This comic makes me proud that Mansfield Park is my favorite one of her novels.

In short, I now want to reread all of her books and start asking some bigger questions. I'd highly encourage you to do the same!

Of course, this doesn't mean I'm going to stop enjoying period dramas from a nostalgic perspective. (see below)

Have you ever read a book and were surprised by the deeper meaning of its contents?