Lady Gaga

Hate her or love her. That's usually how people feel. She is very out there, different, outrageous, weird, ridiculous and everything in between. I used to be on the fence about her for awhile. I would sometimes enjoy her music while other times be annoyed by her. I told myself I needed to make a decision and I was going to do so fairly. Around May 2011, I watched her HBO Monster Ball special concert. I also bought her Born This Way album and listened to all the songs. I started to fall in love. I learned more about her over time and listened to her older music and loved that too.

For my Advanced Public Speaking class, our first speech was to be an informative one. I decided to do mine over Lady Gaga and her philanthropy efforts and work as an activist. I researched her more and my admiration deepened. Did you know that she was able to play the piano by the age of 4 and was granted early admission (which was only granted to 20 students around the world) to attend New York University's Tisch school of the arts? She has worked on the "It Gets Better" campaign which was a YouTube hit that was supported by numerous celebrities and people from the gay community. It is letting the gay community know that high school does suck, but it gets better when you grow older. She eventually created her own thing which is called The Born This Way Foundation which promotes and kinder and braver world, is against bullying, and offers help. You can get involved with the mission in different ways and also donate money to fight against bullying. She created this with her mom and it was officially launched at Harvard this year. It shouldn't be too surprising that she was bullied a lot growing up, so it is something that is personal to her. I love that she is using her fame and reputation to put it towards something good. A 14-year-old boy took his life last year due to being bullied because of his sexuality. He had made a tribute to Lady Gaga before the event. She found out about it and made a trending topic on Twitter in support of him and wanted to meet with President Obama to talk about the issue of bullying.

Some also dislike her music and may not think she is a good singer or have any talent. She doesn't lip sync at her concerts and on her Thanksgiving Special she had some great pieces that I love and wish I could have on my iPod! I looked up some videos from before she became Lady Gaga and was still Stafani Germanotta. There is some very raw good music that can give you some chills!
Here is some stuff you can watch!

Here is the It Gets Better campaign video. I sometimes tear up watching this because it warms my heart so much. I loved seeing my class smile and respond to this video during my speech.

This is my favorite performances on her Thanksgiving Special. She talks about being bullied in parts of this. Really cool video and shows some of her personality.

This is her performing while at NYU. It is composed and performed by her. I am in love with the first song and her voice is amazing in this. Wish I had this on my iPod too!

She tweeted this picture today and I love it because she looks so normal and like everyone else. She looks beautiful and I am loving the brunette hair :)

She is definitely a leader and doing amazing things to let people know they are great the way they are because "God makes no mistakes." I definitely look up to her and she is an inspiration to me. She is a strong woman that chased her dreams and wants to make a difference.

P.S. I got an A on my speech over her :)

Sparkle & Shine,
Rachel

22 Ways To Build Self Esteem & Self Love

I found this online last year as I was preparing for one of the very first BUILD Beauty meetings last year and I revisited it again as I was preparing the very first Freshman Night this year. I fell more in love with it and I feel like everyone needs to read through it and actually incorporate at least some or better yet ALL of these things if possible in their lives. Okay, maybe all of them at least once? Just try!
Here it is. 22 things you can do to help your self esteem and better your life. These little things and changes you can make will really make a difference in your life. I have put in some of my input on things I have done or my thoughts on some of the tips. I hope you try it out and it helps you! Let me know what you think or if any of them impacted you! Email me at glitterandthegirlygirl.gmail.com. 

Self Esteem Tips

1. Set an intention. Before you get out of bed, decide what kind of day you want to have. Make a deliberate, conscious decision about how you want to create your day. Write it down. Play a little with how it might feel. When you get up, act accordingly. Remind yourself throughout the day of your intention. Look for ways your intention is playing out in your world. Suggested intention: Today is full of joyful miracles!

How many times have you thought to yourself, this is going to be a bad day? And then it turns out to be a bad day? How you think about your day and how it will go will dramatically help how it turns out. No, you can't control if your tire decides to go flat or stop that accidental coffee spill, but you can control your attitude about the day and how you react to those situations. 

2. Be true to yourself. Live your life doing what feels right to you, not what someone else thinks you should do. It’s ok to listen to advice, but in the end, make the decision that feels best for you. Being a people pleaser is a very frustrating way to live. Get in the habit of pleasing yourself. You are responsible for your own happiness. Your feelings are important. "Our self-respect tracks our choices. Every time we act in harmony with our authentic self and our heart, we earn our respect. It is that simple. Every choice matters." ~Dan Coppersmith

3. Change your mental diet. Read uplifting books. Listen to uplifting tapes and CDs and attend uplifting workshops. What you focus on expands. What you put your attention on becomes more real. So focus on what you want to create, on what makes you happy. Don’t focus on negativity. Stop watching the news. Avoid whiners and complainers. Walk away.

4. Be aware of what your monkey mind, the voice in your head, is saying. Widen back and observe your thoughts. If a particular thought isn't kind or isn’t serving you, note this and redirect your focus to what you are wanting. This may take a bit of practice. Remember to be kind to yourself as you are gaining awareness and strengthening your will.

5. Upgrade your physical diet. Processed foods contain very little nutritional value when compared to raw, organic fruits and vegetables. Eat fresh produce rather than processed foods whenever possible. Drink plenty of water, fresh juices and smoothies instead of caffeinated beverages or energy drinks. Add nutrient dense superfoods to your diet. When you take care of your body by supplying it with good nutrients, you will naturally feel better and have more energy.

6. Stop comparing yourself to others. You are not supposed to be like anyone else. You are you. You are the only one who can be you. Your perspectives, gifts and value are exclusively yours. You are a unique expression of God. Revel in it! If you want something to measure yourself by, compare how you were yesterday to how you are today, and be kind.

7. Create an uplifting environment for yourself. This can be joyful colors, uplifting music, nature photos, plants, uplifting posters, open windows… you decide. Wear clothes that you feel good in.

8. Celebrate your successes. Even the small ones. Don't wait to get perfect. Any progress at all is worthy of celebration. When you celebrate, you are telling the universe “I am loving this. Please give me more!” Yay!

This is so important and I have been stressing this a lot this year to BUILD Beauty girls. It is not a crime to reward yourself even with the most simple thing as a bubble bath, coffee, or extra time to read a book. Last week, I had a great productive night at the library and I was excited because I thought to myself, you know what, I am going to go home and enjoy some oreos and milk. Let the little things excite you!

9. Be grateful. You have much to be grateful for. Before you go to bed each night, write down ten things you are grateful for that day and why. This is an important step. Gratitude alone can turn things around for you. What are you grateful for right now?

I recently made a blog post about my happiness journal. This is very similar to that. I would choose what you prefer. You can do whatever you like whether it is a gratitude or happiness journal. You can learn more about my happiness journal experience in my past blog post about it!

10. Create a list of accomplishments and review it often. We tend to get overwhelmed looking at what’s left to be done and forget to give ourselves credit for how far we’ve already come.

11. Don’t take yourself, or life, too seriously. Lighten up. Dare to have fun. “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly” ~ G.K Chesterton

This is something I need to remind myself to do!

12. Learn something new. Become an expert. Get curious and learn all there is to learn about what interests you. Learning is growing, and it feels good.

13. Do things that stretch your comfort zone. Anytime you feel fear, as long as it isn't life threatening, is an opportunity to grow! "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." ~Anais Nin

14. Do something nice for yourself. You deserve it! Maybe a massage, a bath or nap. Take yourself out on a date. Treat yourself with the same honor, courtesy, respect and kindness you would if you were taking someone else out that you really, really liked. The key here is to enbrace and enjoy the experience. Feeling guilty defeats the purpose.

15. Do something nice for someone else. Volunteer. Being of service, without expectation of reward, feels really good.

16. Spend time regularly doing things you find joyful. What make your heart sing? Do more of it! Remember being happy is not a selfish act. Your joy is a gift to the world! When you feel joyful, your joy is contagious.

17. Do something physical. Clean out a closet. Get out of the house. Go for a walk. Do some gardening. Visit the nature preserve. Exercise. Fly a kite. Ride a bike. Exercise produces endorphins that help you feel better. Also, being outdoors in the sunshine helps the body produce vitamin D, which contributes to a healthier, happier you.

Last year we had a couple trainers from the student recreation center come speak at BUILD Beauty about fitness and one girl said to us, "have you ever left the gym unhappy and mad that you went?" Seriously. I don't find anything negative about going to the gym. Try it!

Also, on the subject of cleaning out a closet. I also believe that when there is clutter around you, it clutters you inside as well. It makes it harder to focus and clutters your thoughts. You should see how you feel after picking up for even just 5 minutes. 

18. Spend time with supportive, uplifting people. We do exist!

Text me, email me, message me, whatever you gotta do and I will try to give you some encouragement!

19. Create positive affirmations about yourself. Post them about your home. Say them often and out loud.

I have a friend that is posting post its with positive affirmations about herself on one of her walls. I suggest using the bright colored ones :)

20. Allow yourself to be where you are. Just feel whatever you are feeling, without judging it or judging yourself for feeling it. Let go of the story you have created around it and just be with the feeling. Embrace it. Explore it. Feel it. All any feeling wants is to be felt fully. This can only be done when you let go of your resistance to feeling it, which is kept in place by the story and the judgment around it. Without the story and the labels, feelings are inherently neutral. Feel the feeling fully, then just let it dissolve.

21. Remind yourself often you are a miraculous, sacred, perfect expression of Life. Amazing, incredible you are worthy and loved always, without having to do a thing.

22. Spend some time just being. This is much easier in Nature. Go camping. Take a walk. Climb a tree. Sit by a stream. Put up a hammock and climb in. In reconnecting with the Earth and Nature, we slow down and have time for some inner reflection. Priorities become clearer. Who you truly are is more easily recognized here.

I hope you will think of these and try them out. See what differences it makes! I would love to hear about them. :)

Sparkle & Shine,

Rachel 

http://www.spiritwire.com/selfesteemtips.html

Do It Yourself: Banana Face Mask

For BUILD Beauty, we made these college go to guides and we included a banana face mask you can make at home. I decided to try it out the other night and fell in love. It is very simple and leaves you feeling quite refreshed!

All you need:
1 banana
1 tsp. of honey

How to:
Mash up the banana with the honey and apply it to your cleansed face. Avoid your eyes!
Leave it on for 15 minutes and then rise.

I do advise laying down to do this. I used a spoon to spread it all over my face and then laid down to avoid it dripping. It may help to have a friend put it on your face while you lay down. It will harden up a little after some time passes.

I hope that you can try it out sometime because it sure feels good! :)

From:
www.gardenofbeauty.net

Sparkle & Shine,
Rachel

Dream Bigger

There is a guy that sits on this ledge in a pretty prime spot on campus with a white board that has a quote written on it at least once a week. He reportedly used to attend Emporia, but does not anymore. I had him in a class my freshman year, but word on campus is that he does not actually attend classes anymore. He is known to some as the “Free Hugs” guy, but he never really talks to anyone as they pass by. He just sits there with his board with a quote he jotted down on it for the day. The first quote he had this school year was, “If your dreams don’t scare you enough, then you need to dream BIGGER!” This confirmed to me that I needed to stop thinking about blogging about the need to dream bigger and actually do it!

This whole idea of dreaming bigger came to me as I was standing in the admissions office by my desk last spring. I had just found out that BUILD Beauty would be expanding and becoming official at K-State. It was just a week or two after Easter when my aunt had asked me if I wanted to expand it to other colleges eventually. I decided then when I replied to her that I was going to make it a goal for it to happen before I graduated college. Here I was a sophomore and it was already happening. That’s when I thought I needed to dream bigger.

Last year I had come back from the CASE ASAP conference in Nashville with ideas galore that I wanted to make happen at ESU. I made a board of all my ideas that I even decorated with glitter of course and I presented it to our executive board in hopes that some of these ideas could actually happen. I had some success getting the Pay It Forward program going, but there was another idea I was really excited about that didn’t get to happen. It was the T-Shirt exchange. We had managed to get a little funding for it, but not enough, so it was put on the back burner for the rest of the year. A few days before retreat, our adviser called and told me that we would have money for it this year and she wanted us to decide on it at the retreats that week so we could get them ordered and ready to go by the first football game which was August 30^th. It was decided we would try it out and the shirts were ordered a week before we needed them to start doing the exchange two days before the big game. They arrived the day before we needed them!

We ordered 500 shirts. 100 would be used Tuesday in the Memorial Union, the same for Wednesday and then another 100 would be used before the game at our tailgating area. We encouraged students to bring in a shirt from another college and they could swap it out for an ESU shirt. If they didn’t have that or didn’t want to give up their shirt, they could buy one for $5. On the first day in Memorial Union, we started at 10am and we were down to just 4 shirts by 12:30pm. We ended up with a full box of t-shirts and made a good amount of money! The second day all 100 shirts were gone by 12:00pm! We decided to take 150 shirts to the game and got rid of almost all of the shirts then as well. It was really successful overall and it got a lot of people talking. The shirts will be donated to shelters in Emporia which makes it a win-win for everyone. It warms my heart that it is also for a good cause too.

It was cool to see it come to life and see students wearing these shirts to class, around campus, and to the football game. I thought back to the poster in which I had the idea decorated with glitter and now here it was happening before my eyes.

Emporia State has really shown me that you can make dreams come true. You need to put in some work, have trust in your team, have faith that it will turn out okay and don’t give up! You have to take chances, ask questions, and speak up. Sometimes you have to take the imitative if you want to see it happen. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to do all the things I have been doing. I am going to continue to dream bigger and expand myself even more. Dreams can be small, such as the T-shirt exchange. It is not a dream like becoming the first woman president. It is fine to have small dreams that can be achievable because man does it feel good when you do achieve them. Now I am not saying you can’t dream to be the first woman president. This whole blog is about dreaming BIG! If that is what you want to chase after, then start running! I just want to let you know that you can have dreams whether they are big or small and you don't need to be a certain age. My mom is now making bags and selling them at a dance studio. It is neat to see them as she makes them at home and then see them hang on the rack at the studio to be bought! Anything is possible. They are still dreams, they are still yours, and it will feel great when they come true for you. They can happen, you just need to chase after them!

Sparkle & Shine,

Rachel

The board with my ideas. There is the T-Shirt Exchange on there!

The t-shirts came to life!

Day 1 of the exchange. First box of t-shirts from other colleges.

Day 2 of the exchange. Another full box of shirts!

Some of the ambassadors working the table at our tailgating area, The Black Hole!

Happiness Journal

About a month ago, I was watching an Elizabeth Gilbert interview she did with Oprah. She talked about a new thing that she started doing every day and that was writing in a happiness journal. She would write down in a journal of things that made her happy that day. She pointed out, why focus on the bad, the negative? That stuff just brings you down. I was intrigued by that idea and it was that day that I found my own journal that would be my own happiness journal. It was almost as if I was meant to do this. It was weird because I was in the journal section at Target and I stumbled across this one that was by itself, the last one. As if it were meant for me. I knew it was just from reading what it said on the front.

It is perfect because I would be writing about things that make my day bright and a lot of you know that "sparkle" is a word that I kind of own for myself. Something that people associate me with. There was no doubt that I had to get this and it would be my happiness journal. I started it that night and with an introduction. I took a picture of it and shared it on Instagram and Twitter. I had feedback and one girl said she was inspired to do it so she can look back at it and see what she was doing in her life then and what not. It is a nice way to see what you were doing at that time in your life and what was making you happy then.
I have written in it every night since I have gotten it. I don't really write everything out in sentences. I just list things out, but not in a list form. It's in prose form almost. Sentences, half sentences, words. Short thoughts and things that made me happy. It is a nice way to reflect over the day and see all that I have done and actually how many things made me happy. It adds up. You will see in the picture in the bottom if you are able to read it, that I mention that I might learn some things about myself just by doing this and I kind of already have. I have learned that people are an important thing in my life. I value the people around me. All the conversations, phone calls, texts, skype dates, and bonding moments. I mention a lot of people and things I do with people. I found that interesting.
I encourage you to get a happiness journal and to see what you come up with. It is nice to focus on the good and by doing this, you revisit that happiness, which can only be a positive thing that can enrich your life. One journal that was at Target said, "We write to taste life twice..." - Anais Nin. I find that true in a way. With this you can taste that happiness twice when you write it and maybe even three, four, or five more times if you go back and visit it. If you have a bad day or going through a tough time, this can be another tool to help you get through that. It is a reminder of things that have made you happy before. It can help you revisit that.
Let me know if you start one and how it goes. It is a neat thing to experience.

Sparkle & Shine,
Rachel

City Lights

I am really excited about this poem I started working on last night and finished tonight. Well not technically finished. I think I am going to use this to workshop as one of my poems for my poetry class this semester.

This poem was inspired by my trip to Indianapolis. I pulled imagery from my experiences there in the beautiful city. This is dedicated to my dear friend, Kirsten, who also went to Indianapolis. We had a conversation about something on her bucket list.

She would love to have this amazing adventure with an awesome guy she randomly meets where they pretty much get to do anything (not hookup!) for a night. 

It has a movie-esque feel to it and I think it is safe to say a lot of girls probably have this on their bucket list! So here it is. My poem dedicated to Kirsten, other girls like us, and Indianapolis.

It's a whirlwind night

Surrounded by 

City lights

Strings of them

Wrapped in limbs of trees

Twinkle

A beautiful monument

Makes it a romantic

Place where I'm glad to be

In this unfamiliar city

The hum of cars pass

By on the brick roads

Of the round about

Conversations float in the air

From people walking around

And I'm enjoying the company

Of a boy from LA

That just bought me ice cream

From a shop across the way

We indulge

We chat

As we sit on the ledge

We pass flirting

Now on the edge

Of a crush

When I so easily blush

He spits out the chocolate chips

Because he only likes the mint

We talk school

We talk religion

He plays it cool

Makes it a mission

To pick on me

To get closer to me

Like any boy that plays games

It was today I learned his name

As I stand before him

I slip my arms around his neck

Our pauses

Longer

Knowing what's next

It's right

It's now

We don't make a sound

We both ease in

To a perfect first kiss

For a perfect moment

On a whirlwind night

Surrounded by city lights

Sparkle & Shine,

Rachel

Nail Polish Review: "I'm Not Lion" by China Glaze

Jessica knows me well and my taste in nail polish. She pretty much told me I was going to get the China Glaze nail polish cleverly named, "I'm Not Lion" from their safari collection. She told me it was me.
I chose to wear it for my first week of school. I was already falling in love with it as I was painting it on. I knew then that Jessica as right.
This is a great color because it goes on by itself which is great for a glitter. You don't need to hassle with finding a good shade to put underneath. You can just use the glitter. I also love the color because it is really subtle and simple. This makes it classy and sophisticated but at the same time, it is enough to be girly with the sparkle. I definitely recommend! It's good for any occasion and pretty much any season too. A good one to add to your collection!
Sparkle & Shine,
Rachel

Indianapolis: CASE ASAP "Race Towards Excellence" Network Conference

There is nothing like hanging out and sharing a common bond with 600 college students from all over the nation. Last week I went to Indianapolis with 5 other girls from ESU Ambassadors and our amazing adviser to attend the 39th annual CASE ASAP Network Convention. We traveled 9 hours in a van and on the first day I requested White Castle for lunch! We don't have White Castle anymore in Kansas City let alone Emporia. Almost everyone hadn't had it before. So it was exciting getting to have that and be a part of others first experience having it!

We needed to be there in time for Heather, a fellow ESU Ambassador, to get to a meeting. She is the district representative for our district in the CASE ASAP organization. It is a pretty big deal and we are proud that she is from ESU! So when we were on the way, we noticed the time on our phones changed. Oh yeah, there is a time difference in Indianapolis! That was an adjustment we had to make! Once we got there, Heather had to go to dinner and work with the exec board with other district representatives so the girls and I went and got dinner at a mexican restaurant that didn't have Dr. Pepper or Pibb Extra. It was a sad moment! We walked around town and got shakes at Steak N' Shake too!

Ashley and I had a room to ourselves so we got to have our own beds! I have gone on a lot of trips through high school and college and I have always had to share a bed. So this was a neat first for me to have my own fluffy bed of bliss! It was quite comfy and by the window :) It was also nice to have it for just Ashley and I. We got to relax and also have a lot of bonding time!

Since we had to go a couple days early because of Heather and our adviser's meetings, we had our second day there all to ourselves with nothing planned! We slept in and went to the mall for awhile. For dinner, Ashley, Amanda, and Kirsten and I went to the Colts Bar and Grille which is all things Colts that is dedicated to their fans. I had a flat bread pizza that was delish! I definitely recommend if you ever want to visit Indy!

That night we went swimming at the hotel pool. The view was amazing. There was a wall of windows and part of the roof was made of windows as well. You could see the city lights and tall buildings as you relaxed and swam. It began to thunderstorm. Something that has became foreign to us due to the drought we have been in this summer. Amanda and I lounged and looked up through the roof windows and watched the lightning and rain fall down.

Our view through the window at the pool.

That night we went to the lobby and lounged and got on our computers in these super duper comfy seats! We also got desert from a restaurant at the hotel and ate them in the lobby. It was nice to unwind with the ladies and be girly!

The CASE ASAP conference started that Thursday! I was so anxious for it to finally start and felt like a kid waiting for the first day of school! We went to registration to get our things and set up our table decorations. They messed up my name tag and had my name as Machel which was a big joke to the other girls, but luckily we got it fixed :)

We went to roll call which is when all the students are gathered together in the ballroom and they introduce all the schools attending the conference. This is a time for schools to do a chant, cheer, or whatever they want to let everyone know they are there. This is a rush because everyone is so excited and they have a lot of school spirit. There are over 600 students representing over 100 schools. There are big name schools there such as KU, Mizzou, Florida, Tennessee, UCLA, Ohio, Texas, etc. It is cool to hear their chants and see what they do to show their school spirit. During that time they had a couple people from each district come up for a contest. Heather wanted me to be one of the people that went up for our district. For the contest I had to do my best rendition of "Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!" I know, imagine me yelling this with my tiny voice. I think I did  a good job and I was thankful to have a microphone to assist me!

That night we went to a baseball game. We didn't stay very long because it was kind of boring. Hey, we are girls and we wanted to get ice cream! So we left early :)

Us at the baseball game.

We searched for an ice cream shop and found one that is in this beautiful area. It was in this round about with shops and this in the middle.

It had brick roads and the trees were filled with twinkling lights. Our adviser, Nikki, treated us to ice cream and it was delish. We decided to sit on the steps in front of the monument and had one amazing view of the city. This was what I saw...

One of my favorite pictures of all time. It was taken from my phone and I didn't edit or use filters. 

It was a special moment for me. Something that I will always remember. I felt this calmness and peace. I felt surrounded by love and a bond. Us girls just sat, ate our ice cream and observed. We saw some lightning in the sky and soon it started to sprinkle. We got up to head back to the hotel and it started to rain on us. It was a great feeling just walking at night in the rain with friends in downtown Indianapolis. I felt very in the moment.

Getting back to the hotel in the rain.

Ashley and I needed to practice our presentation so we ran through it a couple times at a random spot in the hotel and we presented for our fellow ambassadors and they helped us out! Friday was the big day and we had our presentation at 3:00pm. We presented to a room full of people about how to give effective campus tours. We got quite a few chuckles, went our full time, had questions asked, and people that came even had discussion among themselves helping each other out. It was such a great feeling and a lot of excitement and right after was market place in which schools exchange/barter things such as t-shirts, stickers, pens, and more. I was able to get a couple hard to get t-shirts from UCLA and Florida! :)

My loot from market place!

The food we were served at the hotel during conference was amazing. We had an etiquette lunch and we were taught by a really funny lady how to conduct ourselves at fancy dinners and what not.  This was our lunch during that.

Friday night we went to dinner and enjoyed it with a fellow school from our district, Drake University. We indulged at Hard Rock Cafe! Ashley and I really wanted to go there because we went last year while at conference in Nashville!

Saturday was a fun filled and busy day! We had more sessions to go to and we got a lot of ideas. At lunch the spirit award was announced and our district, District 6 won! It was awesome to be a part of and we got a cool ribbon to add to our name tag. That night was the banquet, so we got dressed up and had a fancy dinner. 

Afterwards was a dance party! I "Tonto jumped on it" and "jumped around" in my heels! It was cool dancing with other college kids from around the states.

With the beautiful ESU ladies :)

My Ambassador partner in crime, Ashley!

We decided to go out on the town in our dresses. We went back to the pretty round about and took pictures. It's such a romantic setting. Definitely felt like a Sex and the City moment strolling around all dressed up with some great girls! 

We went back to see if there were anybody at the dance party still and it was more packed than when we left! We went on the dance floor and danced with people that we had met while at conference. It was so much fun letting loose!

Me channeling Kate Middleton.

We were pretty sad leaving on Sunday morning. I was bummed to leave such a beautiful city and all the cool people I had met while I was there. Some live 100's and 1000's of miles away and you may never see them again, but hopefully we can stay in touch. I had a great time meeting new people and making memories with them. It was really neat to talk to some of them and hear about their programs and how different it can be. It makes me want to travel even more and experience more too. I also got to spend a lot of time with fellow ambassadors and learn about them too. I feel like we got closer and strengthened our bonds. Let me tell you, I know what Kirsten wants and does not want in a man! She was cracking me up and we started a new thing where we say "Chronicles of Kirsten continues" when she says something funny and outrageous! I love experiences like this because I get to learn and open my eyes more to the world and I definitely did through hanging with my fellow ambassadors, exploring a new city, meeting new people, feeling like I was living in a chick flick movie, going to conference sessions, and eating a lot of delicious food of course. :)

I was already starting to feel like Christmas was over and I was wandering how many more days were left until next year's conference. I definitely can say I had the time of my life. There wasn't a bad part to the trip. Everything seemed perfect. 

Now I can't wait to go to the 40th annual CASE ASAP conference in 2013. I will be looking forward to meeting you, New Orleans. :)

Sparkle & Shine,

Rachel 

Homesickness & Excitment

As school was coming to an end, all anyone could talk about was how excited they were for summer. I felt like I was the only one that didn't really have excitement for it. At the time I had no idea what I was going to do about a job. I didn't really have any plans or anything. I felt like there wasn't much for me to be excited about. I was content with being at school and being busy all the time and doing things I love. I was the oddball.

The first few weeks of summer was weird. I didn't have a job, school, or meetings to attend. Nothing. I was going day by day. I watched a lot of Sex and the City and got to visit with a lot of friends and family in between sleeping in and going to the gym. It was a foreign feeling to me, but was much needed.

As time progressed over the summer, I was surprised at how much I was enjoying my summer. I was relaxing for once, doing things I wanted, seeing people I hadn't in a long time and growing closer to friends and family. I definitely strengthened my bonds with people this summer which has been really important to me.

As I was going over my schedule for August with my mom, walking her through all the places to be and things to do, she decided for me to not come home after my trip to Indianapolis and for me to just stay at school until labor day weekend which isn't until September. At that moment my heart dropped a little. I had this wave of emotion in my chest go through me. It was like it was anxiety or a shot of homesickness. I have spent so much time with my family and close friends, that it was weird to think I wouldn't see them for atleast 3 weeks when I would see them at least three times a week. As it is getting closer, it is getting a little tough. This morning at church I hugged my pastor and he asked when I was leaving for Emporia. I said, "tomorrow." Hearing it out loud hit me. I will miss going to church ever Sunday and bible study after week, but I will get to when I can.

It is a bittersweet thing. I live this unique life right now during college. I have home here in Kansas City, but Emporia has become a home to me too. I probably easily live there more than I do in Kansas City in a span of a year. I live both and I have so many beautiful people in both places. I don't know if I could be more blessed. Thankfully I have the technology. I have calls, texts, emails, Facebook, Twitter and Skype to keep updated and connected with everyone. I have hints of homesickness looming in me, but excitement for the upcoming weeks to come is shining too.

I am glad to have a great summer. It treated me well. I am so excited for what is to come. There are so many great things about to happen and I will be sure to keep you filled in. :)

Sparkle & Shine,
Rachel

 

Eat Pray Love

One of my all time favorite books is Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I love pretty much everything about it. I love that it is a memoir, I love her humor, her thoughts, lessons learned, the places she visits, everything. My heart and thoughts go back to that book a lot. She goes on a journey for a year and lives in Italy, India, and Indonesia. To put it plain and simple: She Eats in Italy, Prays in India, and Loves in Indonesia.

This summer, I think it was when I was eating alone at Italian Delight and indulging on amazing cheese pizza (Italian food. See the parallel?) that I had started to feel this Eat Pray Love journey of mine. I am single like she had been on the journey. I got out of a deep relationship kind of like Elizabeth Gilbert getting a divorce. I was burned by a few boys soon after the break up kind of like Elizabeth getting burned by a boyfriend she had had after the divorce and right before her journey.

The fact that I acquired a job at an Italian restaurant was probably my second hint. That was my Italy. I was surrounded by Italian food almost everyday so I had it often just like Elizabeth Gilbert.

It wasn't hard for me to see that my church was my ashram in India. I had made it a goal at the beginning of summer to dig deeper into the spiritual part of me. I started to attend a bible study every Thursday morning at 9am. It is a group comprised of about 6 adults and then our two pastors attend as well. It is very small and intimate. I fell in love with that group and the time I got to spend with them. They were my Richard from Texas. I attended church every week except for one due to being out of town. I also attended a women's retreat there yesterday which was an amazing experience. I got to be away from my phone and life for most of the day as I got to get to know women at my church even more as well as about life and the story of Ruth. I will probably have future posts that will relate back to that day. I started doing yoga more and I hope to make it more of a habit. I want to meditate and become better at it just like Elizabeth Gilbert. I think the incident with the 3 pennies and a night under the stars would be my big moment with God. You know, like the big moment Elizabeth Gilbert had with Him.

So I had come up with an Italy and an India. I had been eating and praying, but what about love? Elizabeth had met a man in Bali. Now everyone has a different journey. Ours is not exactly the same and I think this is where mine is most different. I do not really have one boy that would be my boy in Bali like Elizabeth Gilbert had. Not just yet. I am still mingling and getting to know people. So maybe eventually I will get that Bali boy, but in the mean time, I have began to fall in love with myself. And I have been loving and feeling the love of my family and friends which has been amazing. That is my love in this journey. In the first chunk of summer I was in the gym almost every day working out pretty hard. I could feel that difference in my body and stamina when I exercised. I had reached a confidence with myself on the outside. A feeling I hadn't really felt before in this time of my life. Since being single and experiencing things on my own, I have come to know me as myself more. I have been really enjoying it. I used to hate my own company and couldn't stand being left alone with myself, but now I don't mind it. It's fine by me. I have had the opportunity to see and hang out with so many people that I hadn't seen in years or haven't hung out with. I have gotten to see my best friend at least 1-3 times a week every week. I have had a lot of quality time with my family and grown closer to them. So many bonds have been strengthened and I couldn't be more thankful for it. I have definitely been filled with love.

I recently watched an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert on Oprah. She definitely intrigues me and I feel that we are alike. She said that anyone can have a journey like hers and they don't necessarily have to go to the places like she did to experience it. I feel like that is just what I did. Now then again, I wouldn't mind actually going to the places sometime in my future!
This summer has been extraordinary and I will remember it always. I feel full and content just like Elizabeth Gilbert.

Sparkle & Shine,
Rachel