Finishing my Freshman/Junior Year of College

Wow, I'm almost done with my first year away at school! (Context, I did Running Start in High School so my first 2 years were done when I enrolled here at 18). After lots of computer troubles (thanks windows 10), plenty of homework, some amazing new friends, and too many naps to count,  I am coming up on my last few weeks here at Central for a while. Well, until the workshop I have here in July and having to sign my lease in August. It has been a year of growth and a few setbacks, but overall I came out the other side a better person and I am happy with the person I am becoming. We introduced a wonderful new family member after losing Sierra, June 24th is the first anniversary of her death. I know it will be a hard one, but AJ (and managing his Instagram, see link at end of post) has been a huge help. I get to work/intern at my high school job this summer and I can't wait to get back to my second family, both human and canine.

I have learned so many new things, and even have my own website that I post samples of my PR work to! I learned how to use this awesome website called Canva to create posters and social media posts which has been a huge help in the mock PR firm class I am in. Basically, we are a PR firm we just don't charge. I got into a workshop this summer on learning the ins and outs of the radio industry. It's strange that I'm starting to feel like an adult now, but at halfway through 19, that's a good thing.

Yes, there are lots of things I wish could've gone differently. Though there is a lot in my past that I wish could've gone differently too, most out of my control.  Everything I've gone through has made me a stronger and more compassionate person. Some of it sucked, but overall I'm grateful for them since they made me the strong woman I am today.

Being back in my hometown is going to be strange, but a good kind of strange. I'll have to get used to traffic again! Also, not using Fred Meyer as the mall will be a bit strange as well. The one around here has everything though! Perks of being in a college town I suppose. Not being just a dorm away from my friends will be strange too, but I will finally get a chance to catch up with my friends from home and not just on a weekend while trying to spend time with my family.

It's actually true though

Overall, I wasn't sure what to expect from this year but I came out the other side more like the person I want to be, and that's what really counts. Also, no parties, drugs, or alcohol for me. Just lots of naps, like seriously this bed is so cozy I kinda don't want to go back to my one at home. Plus, why go party when you can spend time with your best friend talking about books and dogs and school until your throat hurts because you have been talking for so long. Going back to school isn't something I'm dreading, but something I'm looking forward to. I can't wait to see what my senior year has in store for me.

~MG


AJ's Instagram is his racing name: springwateraj 

A Series of Unfortunate Events

“It is always sad when someone leaves home, unless they are simply going around the corner and will return in a few minutes with ice-cream sandwiches.” 
― Lemony Snicket


Lately, I have been catching up on the second season of A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix. I never read the books as a kid, nor do I remember any of my friends reading them. Even when the movie came out quite a few years back now the series did not come to my attention. I think as a kid I wanted to read a book with a happy ending, as most books have.  As I watch the series I keep thinking about what parent would let their kid read such a depressing story, or even why I continue watching it. 

This thought has nagged at me the past few days and I think I have finally come up with an answer. The adults in this series, at least most of them, are quite ignorant and oblivious and it is up to the children to face their situation and figure out a way to find out more about their parent's death and bring Count Olaf, a murderous yet musical villain, to justice. This series not only teaches children to rely on themselves but also helps them realize that just because they are young does not mean they are incapable of making a change. 

Perhaps it is series like this that help encourage my fellow students to march on Washington when the adults, at least it feels like, would rather turn a blind eye than listen to our accusations about a murderer hiding among us. Sometimes this is a person, like when people tried to warn the authorities about the Parkland shooter well-before the shooting took place, or the guns themselves. I'm not going to go into some long spiel on gun-control and my thoughts on it because I do not feel like I have my ideas sorted yet, but I will say that something needs to change. If it is us students that have to do the dirty work for someone to listen then so be it. 

“At times the world may seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe that there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough. and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events may in fact be the first steps of a journey.” 
― Lemony Snicket

Personally, I want my (future) children to stand up for what they believe in, know they can make a difference, and remember that the most important things can be learned from books and from your own imagination. I look forward to reading this book series with my children and showing them that books can do more than just provide an escape for a little while, they can also enlighten you and help equip you to take on the world. 

~MG

Introducing AJ

AJ's adoption photo we fell in love with

  This beautiful boy is the newest member of my family! We adopted AJ over winter break and I just went back and saw him for the first time last weekend since leaving for winter quarter and he has really blossomed into a goofball and fits right in with our family. He is a lover of naps, which also fits right into our family, but has grown fond of mirrors and the television. He is a former racing dog from Florida and we have access to his family tree which I love to look through! He won only one race under the name 'Springwater AJ' on the 21st of April, 2017 (video replay), and retired in June, around the same time we lost Sierra. I am going to have to record that video replay as they don't stay on the website forever and I love how he came from behind and how excited the announcer gets!
  AJ is obsessed with JA, which is what we call his reflection that he loves to look at/tries to interact with. I can't wait for him to meet other dogs and learn that not all dogs are greyhounds! I am still looking into getting an emotional support animal and it will be very important that the two of them will get along as he will be their uncle and a very important role model in their lives, even if they are older than AJ...
  Anyways AJ loves his football toy, mostly because it has treats in it! He is very content to lay on his bed with his football, a blanket draped over him, and TV on to whatever morning television show is on at the time. He is a very big fan of Good Morning America but I have a feeling he would like late night TV as well. I think he likes the applause because obviously, they are applauding for him.
  It is still strange to think Sierra is gone, and I find myself constantly comparing AJ to her, but in a good way. He knows how to get what he wants just like she did, but he seems to have a more compassionate approach while Sierra would just glare at you until someone did what she wanted. AJ is also more playful than I remember her being, but I was in elementary school when she was AJ's age so maybe I just remember her as an elderly dog. He loves the ear scratches I give, rubbing my knuckle on the inside of their ear, just like Sierra did. They can't share collars as greyhounds need a special kind but I am hoping he can wear some of her holiday bandannas as we come up to some this Spring. Even though I was very excited about getting a new dog I secretly worried that it wouldn't feel right having another dog be the fifth member of our household but AJ fits right in. We had never lost a dog before and as hard as it was, getting another dog was the right decision for us. AJ helps us reflect on the happy times with Sierra and makes remembering her just that much easier. 
  I would like to thank Greyhound Pets Inc.  where we got AJ for being so wonderful to AJ and his brothers that have stayed there before. I love seeing the pictures of the greyhounds and hope to bring AJ to some events at their kennel so he can reconnect with his friends. I am head-over-heels in love with this boy and cannot wait to get to know him more!

~MG