Word Count: 365
This was my first time ever listening to a podcast. After the first episode I was hooked. I ended up listening to three episodes back to back just because I was so intrigued. As I am writing this post however I am coming to realize that the plot is interesting, but that is not what makes it so fascinating and draws me in. As I listen, I am able to visualize where they are, what the rooms look like and the characters. I have the ability to still create a story from listening. This is so successful because of the communication between characters. They have interesting dialogue, but it's the way they say their words. In order to show discomfort they pause or use specific tones. For example, when Heidi reconnected with her boyfriend, you could feel how awkward it was because of their questioning tones, and they would often accidentally interrupt each other during their conversation. Another example of how powerful tones are included in the first podcast when Colin,Heidi's boss, is continuously attacking her abilities within her work position. Not only does he yell, but his choice of language is a representation of his over-controlling personality. The dialogue is extremely important, but the sound effects make the podcast seem extremely real. One interesting sound effect I found was in "Stop Helping", when Walter was discussing his experiences, the sound of water boiling in the background represented the heat and tension he felt as he explained his memories. He was angry and emotional and this sound was a perfect representation to his emotions. The small sounds such as the dinner bell ringing, the phone ringing, the background noise of the airport, all make the situation seem very realistic but also shows how important small details are within the script. As the podcast continues it leads me with multiple questions, the main question I have is to why Hedi does not remember anything. It makes it seem like her old job brainwashed her into forgetting all of the information she ever encountered while working. I am looking forward to seeing what this story develops into and the role that Walter plays in Heidi's life.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Painting London Underground
Word Count: 466
Halloween is an exciting time of the year for children, but is also a lively time for college students. This is the best time of the year to go out to parties, but also be able to dress up and reminisce on the similar parts to Halloween that were celebrated as a child. The costumes may reveal less skin, but the intent is still the same, to pretend you are someone that you are not. Amelia, Jennifer, Mackenzie, and Elizabeth were roommates living in an apartment. They all were excited about Halloween, except for Elizabeth who would not be at school because of a family responsibility, she was jealous that the other three girls were able to celebrate without her. Days before the holiday, they planned all of their costumes. Together, they decided to go as three witches, each having something different about their outfit. Amelia decided to wear her favorite boots and her witch had a rebellious side to her so she also added a leather jacket to the costume. Jennifer's favorite color was green so her green skirt brought out the color of her eyes the entire night. Mackenzie had a beautiful long body, she decided to wear an off the shoulder top in order to expose her shoulders and neckline. Halloween was on a Sunday this year, being on a school night however did not stop the girls from wanting to party .They all got dressed and left their room at around 10:30 PM. Quickly they jumped on the first bus to College Avenue they saw and once it was there stop they hopped off and proceeded toward the party. They walked for about 5 minutes until they located the frat house, they walked inside and their night of joy began. They drank together, took pictures, and danced the night away. At around 12:00 AM Amelia realized that their excitement to party overtook their thought process and realized they had a group assignment due at 10:20 AM the following morning. Amelia announced this to Mackenzie and Jennifer and encouraged them to leave. All three of the girls ran out of the frat house basement, charged towards a bus, and made their way back towards their apartment. Once they got back to their apartment they made coffee and began cramming for the next morning. They stayed up all night in order to get their project done. They were so angry with themselves for missing Halloween, but were thankful to Amelia for reminding them. They remained awake all night, using caffeine and Halloween candy as their source of energy, and finished the project with enough time to shower and head to class. "There is always next year" they told themselves as they exhaustively headed back towards College Avenue on a morning bus.
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Thursday, September 14, 2017
My first Lost
Word Count: 647
January of my freshman year, my mother was in consistent pain. One day I had an early dismissal because of a storm coming in. That was the day where she could not take it anymore, I forced her to go to the Emergency Room at Chilton Memorial Hospital. That day concluded with a mass being found in her intestines. A week later she had surgery and the mass they found lead her to be diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma ovarian cancer. Her journey of fighting cancer began with her first chemo treatment in April of 2012. The next year was a rocky journey filled with chemo treatments, radiation treatments, and thousands of dollars worth of pain medications. She spent more time over night in the hospital than she did at home. I would spend countless nights laying on the couch next to her hospital bed. Together we would watch Modern Family, order pizza (because she hated the hospital food), or shop online. She missed out on so much by being in the hospital She missed Thanksgiving and we shopped online for Black Friday, she missed my first prom, and she missed my 16th birthday so we brought a cake to the hospital and sang there. A month after my birthday her health completely deteriorated, she was at her lowest point. I remember her coming home on a Wednesday in May telling me she was going to finally get better and she was going into the hospital to get put on the proper pain medication. Unfortunately the original intent was not followed through and she was placed into Hospice Care. Hospice is where individuals with a life expectancy 6 months or less go in order to pass away as comfortable as possible. I was unaware of this until she was in for over a week when my father told me she only had a few more days to live. Those last few days consisted of me missing school for over a week. I was by her side every second of the day and was afraid to go and even eat in case I missed something. I will never forget her screaming from the amount of pain she was in, I will never forget the smell, and I will never forget holding her at 5:00 AM on Friday May 9, 2013 until her last few breaths. That following Monday, May 12, 2013, was the last time I ever saw her. She was laying in a casket holding a letter I wrote her in between her hands. The funeral home put make up on her in order to brighten up her skin tone. They put neon pink lipstick on her and all I could think was "she would be so mad at me for allowing this" because I knew she would have killed me for it, she was not a hot pink lipstick kind of lady. The wake went on and I got multiple compliments on being so strong and was told I held myself together very well. I gave a speech. I of course cried during the speech but weirdly throughout the wake I rarely cried. I was constantly receiving attention so it was almost a period of happiness. I enjoyed having people tell me stories about her and how amazing of a person she was, which of course I knew, but it was nice to hear it from others. That was the last night I ever saw my mother, she was gone mentally before that day, but that was the last day I experienced her physical presence. I missed her then, especially her not being healthy, but I have missed her more every day since. I now have a tattoo for her. On my rib cage I have a purple iris because we would go to the iris gardens every year and purple was her favorite color.
January of my freshman year, my mother was in consistent pain. One day I had an early dismissal because of a storm coming in. That was the day where she could not take it anymore, I forced her to go to the Emergency Room at Chilton Memorial Hospital. That day concluded with a mass being found in her intestines. A week later she had surgery and the mass they found lead her to be diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma ovarian cancer. Her journey of fighting cancer began with her first chemo treatment in April of 2012. The next year was a rocky journey filled with chemo treatments, radiation treatments, and thousands of dollars worth of pain medications. She spent more time over night in the hospital than she did at home. I would spend countless nights laying on the couch next to her hospital bed. Together we would watch Modern Family, order pizza (because she hated the hospital food), or shop online. She missed out on so much by being in the hospital She missed Thanksgiving and we shopped online for Black Friday, she missed my first prom, and she missed my 16th birthday so we brought a cake to the hospital and sang there. A month after my birthday her health completely deteriorated, she was at her lowest point. I remember her coming home on a Wednesday in May telling me she was going to finally get better and she was going into the hospital to get put on the proper pain medication. Unfortunately the original intent was not followed through and she was placed into Hospice Care. Hospice is where individuals with a life expectancy 6 months or less go in order to pass away as comfortable as possible. I was unaware of this until she was in for over a week when my father told me she only had a few more days to live. Those last few days consisted of me missing school for over a week. I was by her side every second of the day and was afraid to go and even eat in case I missed something. I will never forget her screaming from the amount of pain she was in, I will never forget the smell, and I will never forget holding her at 5:00 AM on Friday May 9, 2013 until her last few breaths. That following Monday, May 12, 2013, was the last time I ever saw her. She was laying in a casket holding a letter I wrote her in between her hands. The funeral home put make up on her in order to brighten up her skin tone. They put neon pink lipstick on her and all I could think was "she would be so mad at me for allowing this" because I knew she would have killed me for it, she was not a hot pink lipstick kind of lady. The wake went on and I got multiple compliments on being so strong and was told I held myself together very well. I gave a speech. I of course cried during the speech but weirdly throughout the wake I rarely cried. I was constantly receiving attention so it was almost a period of happiness. I enjoyed having people tell me stories about her and how amazing of a person she was, which of course I knew, but it was nice to hear it from others. That was the last night I ever saw my mother, she was gone mentally before that day, but that was the last day I experienced her physical presence. I missed her then, especially her not being healthy, but I have missed her more every day since. I now have a tattoo for her. On my rib cage I have a purple iris because we would go to the iris gardens every year and purple was her favorite color.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
10,000 Steps Later
The title of my blog is "10,000 Steps Later". I chose to do this post last in order to explain the title but also explain my feelings on it. Every day I have a goal of taking 10,000 steps, it is a recommendation from the American Heart Association to take at least 10,000 steps every day. There is very few days, especially at Rutgers, where I do not reach this goal. This step count however is also a representation of how busy I really am. Sometimes, I do not realize all of the things I am putting myself through. I hate sitting still so if I am not doing school work, I am at actual work, or I wake up hours earlier than a normal student just to go to the gym. It is both a blessing and a curse to be active like this. Some days, I really need to relax and sit still but mentally I cannot always do that. At the same time, I never find myself procrastinating and putting off work because there is no other time I can do things. I set myself to a strict schedule which is helpful during the week, but not when I try to make plans with others or genuinely just go with the flow. I always think in advance because I want to be a "go-getter". Sometimes though, I wish I could just sit back and relax and let life take me on its own journey, rather than all the decisions being made by me.
Picture after Picture
Word Count: 127
This is a picture frame located on my desk in my room. The picture frame I colored myself, both in boredom and as a distresser. I love photographs and actually am a photographer myself. The picture in the frame is a picture of me and my boyfriend at my senior prom. His name is Michael, and he is my best friend. We have been together for over four years and within that time period we have accomplished a lot as individuals. I am very fortunate to have him, especially because he met my mom and dad when they were both still alive. They both really liked him too which is always a good thing. I will forever be appreciative of him for everything he does for me.
Finding a Home
This is my second year living on the Douglass campus. I did not want to live here my freshman year, but last minute I decided to join the Douglass Residential College. This ended up being one of the best decisions I have made at Rutgers. Being apart of DRC provides multiple resources and I have come into contact with amazing people. Some of my biggest support systems were women I met because of the program. Other than being apart of DRC, Douglass is just a beautiful location. At home, I am used to being in a "woodsy" area, surrounded by trees and mountains. Douglass is as close as I will get to what I grew up around. My favorite season is fall and I cannot wait for the trees here to start changing colors. Spring is also beautiful because there are flowers every where. I love it here, it is my home.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
The 24 Hour Shift
On campus, other than working at the dining hall, I am a resident assistant on the Douglass Campus. I am within a first year dorm. I had my first official weekend shift this Friday night. During weekend shifts I am "on duty" for a 24 hour period, I stay inside the building for this duration of time. I am very lucky because I have a really awesome staff, featured in this picture is Johan. Also featured in this picture is a bag of Peruvian Inca corn and dark chocolate peanut butter cups. One of my staff members went to Trader Joe's and brought those back for me. One of the most important things we do as an RA is that we build a community, this is done through programming. It is not an easy job, but thankfully I have my staff supporting me.
Friday, September 8, 2017
My Hero
I found this picture of my mom. It amazes me when I see pictures from when she was my age because we look so much alike. My mom is my hero. She inspires me everyday because of her strength. She always encouraged me to adventure and my life defining moments were because of her extraordinary efforts as a mother. She encouraged me to never give up on my dreams, one of her dreams included me attending Rutgers. I am honored to be living her dream and I know that she is proud of me. My mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer my freshman year of high school. She battled very hard, she went through chemo and radiation, but the illness took her life during my sophomore year. Every day I feel her with me along my journey, I wouldn't be able to do it without my guardian angel.
Gainz
5 days a week I wake up and head straight to the gym. My favorite day is "leg day" and then I like to do shoulders, and then triceps. I love working out because I used to play basketball very consistently and when I came to college I had to give it up. Lifting weights gives me something to do, but it also gives me structure and sets me to a schedule. I have actually gained a lot of muscle from doing this and hope to gain more, people always used to judge me and tell me I was "too thin". Once I started doing this though, I have not received as many comments. When I miss a day at the gym, I feel more tired and do not feel like I accomplish as much throughout the day. It is my escape and I look forward to making more progress.
Peanut Butter Jelly Time
"Peanut Butter is the glue that holds this body together" is the quote that represents my life. I put peanut butter on everything, this morning was a banana and a piece of toast. I also like peanut butter for the nutritional benefits such as the protein so it keeps me going after the gym. I try all kinds of peanut butter, currently in my room I have cinnamon roll, pumpkin, brownie batter, organic, and oatmeal raisin. I never eat crunchy ever either, only creamy.
Tick Tock
My biggest pet peeve, for the day at least, is when people are not on time. A meeting that was supposed to start at 9:30 did not start until 10:20 which concluded in me not getting home until after 11:00 PM. I work at the Livingston Dining Hall on Campus and am a manager there.
About Me
Word Count: 409
Hi I am Brielle and welcome to my blog! I am a sophomore at Rutgers University studying math and then education. Purple and teal are my favorite colors aka why my blog is bursting in this color scheme. A fun fact about me includes I am a foodie at heart, my dream is to travel cross country going to all the places "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" has visited. While I love food, especially peanut butter, I also love physical activity. My blog is going to allow you to follow me during my day, which always ends with me taking over 10,000 steps a day. I try to walk every where, I go to the gym every day, and am always on the move. A lot of people call me a "go getter". I literally never stop talking about either food, the gym, my boyfriend, or my recent trip I took to Greece over the summer. I was fortunate enough to study abroad for two weeks with the Lifestyle of the Mediterranean program offered through the Kinesiology and Health Department. I spent two weeks in Greece going to places such as Athens, Nafplio, and islands such as Spetses. During my trip we focused on the importance of physical activity, stress manage, and a healthy diet. My days included eating, going to the beach, eating, hiking, learning about historical sites, embracing the culture, and more eating. My favorite thing we did there was going to dance lessons and learning traditional Greek dance. I was enjoyed learning about their diet, one thing I found really interesting was that feta cheese is different there than it is in America. This trip is something I talk about often because it is a major aspect in my life, it was the first time I went outside of the country, and I was alone until I got there and met other students. When I first came to Rutgers I told myself I would never study abroad, and that obviously changed. When I came here I had different mindsets, different goals, and different habits. This trip changed my life but I have Rutgers to thank for it. I look very forward to the next year to see whats to come, I have no idea where I will be a year from now, or even tomorrow. All I know is that I have to take it one day at a time, 10,000 steps at a time.
Hi I am Brielle and welcome to my blog! I am a sophomore at Rutgers University studying math and then education. Purple and teal are my favorite colors aka why my blog is bursting in this color scheme. A fun fact about me includes I am a foodie at heart, my dream is to travel cross country going to all the places "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" has visited. While I love food, especially peanut butter, I also love physical activity. My blog is going to allow you to follow me during my day, which always ends with me taking over 10,000 steps a day. I try to walk every where, I go to the gym every day, and am always on the move. A lot of people call me a "go getter". I literally never stop talking about either food, the gym, my boyfriend, or my recent trip I took to Greece over the summer. I was fortunate enough to study abroad for two weeks with the Lifestyle of the Mediterranean program offered through the Kinesiology and Health Department. I spent two weeks in Greece going to places such as Athens, Nafplio, and islands such as Spetses. During my trip we focused on the importance of physical activity, stress manage, and a healthy diet. My days included eating, going to the beach, eating, hiking, learning about historical sites, embracing the culture, and more eating. My favorite thing we did there was going to dance lessons and learning traditional Greek dance. I was enjoyed learning about their diet, one thing I found really interesting was that feta cheese is different there than it is in America. This trip is something I talk about often because it is a major aspect in my life, it was the first time I went outside of the country, and I was alone until I got there and met other students. When I first came to Rutgers I told myself I would never study abroad, and that obviously changed. When I came here I had different mindsets, different goals, and different habits. This trip changed my life but I have Rutgers to thank for it. I look very forward to the next year to see whats to come, I have no idea where I will be a year from now, or even tomorrow. All I know is that I have to take it one day at a time, 10,000 steps at a time.
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