Emily wants YOU to tell her what to do...

Hahahahhfahfakd.

This happens rarely. Just ask my parents.

So in between working and thinking about making a list of what I need to pack rather than actually writing a list of what I need to pack, I’ve been making a list of other things; things I plan to do while at these venturesome islands.

I’d like my readers to get as excited about this upcoming adventure as I am, so I’m using this post to get ideas of things to do whilst "studventuring" abroad.  

Studventuring (stuhd-ven-tur-eng)
verb
1. When what you're doing is technically called studying but on a real note you're not actually studying.  You are mostly just adventuring.

My main goal for this blog is to fill it with as many fascinating stories and interesting (and potentially awkward) experiences as I can without exaggerating…a lot.

Here’s a list of what I already plan on doing: 

Studventurous Things To Do in New Zealand Without Dying

• Blackwater raft
• Sandboard
• Water surf
• Fly fish (this is for my fishing-obsessed family)
• Hike (AKA “Tramping” in NZ language) everywhere my out-of-shape body will allow me to
• Bungee jump
• Go parasailing
• Have a philosophical revelation atop the Shire

• Eat a cute dead lamb… maybe
• Go to class… also maybe
•  Befriend the Kiwis

(NZers call themselves Kiwis….)

Activities such as blackwater rafting and sandboarding I had never even heard of until I discovered New Zealand, and I learn more and more about what I can do there as the departure date of February 10^th comes closer.  I’m interested in what other cool things people have heard about in NZ so that I can expand my small-but-growing list of Studventurous Things To Do in New Zealand Without Dying (even if you have to make up something, remember: we make up our own words here).

I am going to try my ABSOLUTE best to fulfill every suggestion I add to my list of Studventurous Things To Do In New Zealand Without Dying. But keep in mind I am a…."human" being, not the Incredible Hulk. 

So PLEASE post a comment, message me, whatever, and share the wealth of knowledge of things to do whilst studventuring abroad.  Sharing is caring.  

THANK YOU & Keep Happy,

Em

P.S. In order to post comments and technically “follow” the blog, you may have to make an account on bloglovin’.  Just click the “Follow me on bloglovin’” button at the top of the right sidebar, and in just a few quick steps you’ll be a fellow bloglovin’ buddy. 

Easy.  Yay.  Thanks =0)

The Nation's #1 "College" Town

Ithaca, NY - The Nation's #1 Collegetown

Let me tell you about Ithaca’s most esteemed recognition.

It’s a lie.

Well, it’s actually not a lie.  It’s like a lie-fact.

Liefact (ly-fakt)
adjective 
1. When there is a somewhat unnoticeable, and deeper meaning to one truth, which in turn, makes the implied truth sort of… false, but equally still true.

Let me explain.

I’m not going to bash on Ithaca and say there’s no way it’s the #1 Collegetown just because the bars close at 1 and I’m pretty sure the North Pole is right down the street.

Ithaca is an exceptional college town. We have two renown colleges 3 miles from each other, friendly, local retail door to door, and some of the happiest people you’ll ever see eat a flavorless organic bowl of tofu.

But Ithaca has two faces.

College students and “townies.”

I realize now that many students have not had the opportunity to experience the “townie” side of life like I have been able to recently. Most students stick to the two downtown bars (2nd Floor and Moonies), campus, and Chipotle.

For those of you who fall within that category, CHANGE THAT.

Ithaca is not just the Nation’s #1 Collegetown, it’s the Nation’s #1 Town. I was beginning to see this after having worked with “townies” for the past year, and meet more than the usual fair share of locals for a student.

Now shout out to (drum roll) fjiadjklfjg kfm,mc,vm…….

My cousin Lauren.

Lauren is an outgoing, beautiful cousin of mine who made a surprise visit to Ithaca the other night. Lauren’s friend plays in a reggae band called the I Town Allstars at a local bar that I had only vaguely heard of previously. A few hours after her spontaneous decision to drive down, we met up and went out to check out reggae night at this bar. (Check out the Reggae Night page here)

To say the very least, I SAW A WHOLE NEW SIDE OF ITHACA.

I did not hate it.

I also smelled a whole new side of Ithaca.

I had mixed feelings about that.

The band members were so musically gifted and on point with every song they played, and upon meeting my cousin’s friend and the rest of the band "backstage" (AKA side room that smelled liked musty boy), I felt kind of like this:

I would explain this new face of Ith in detail regarding the “vibes” and “electricity” and all those real not-made-up adjectives out there, but I do not want to sound corny. Or crazy. Or shot.

Looks like you fellow Ithacans will have to take my word for it and check it out yourselves. And truthfully, anyone who’s free on a Wednesday night should check out another face of his or her town too.

So Ithaca, NY, not just the Nation’s #1 Collegetown, but the Nation’s #1 Town.

This gives the Nation’s #1 Collegetown a somewhat unnoticeable, deeper meaning, which in turn makes the implied recognition sort of…false, but still equally true.

There you have it, a lie-fact.

Keep Happy,
Em

Homeless-ish

Currently:

Listening to the gay vocal-major RA who lives below me singing (belting loudly) to Alicia Keys.

I don’t hate it.

A more detailed currently: 

So as you may assume from the title of this post, I’m kind of “homeless-ish” right now. Not on the streets homeless, more like sleeping on my ex-apartment’s living room floor homeless. If you’ve read the “Purpose” page of this blog, you’d know my anticipated journey to the fantastical New Zealand is only a few short weeks away. Yes, this is how I feel:

 YAYAYAYYEEEE jIFHI:EHKJFHE:IUH:ILFjeji&^&#(()#*#($! 

As excited as I am, I’m equally broke due to the cost of reserving two feet of space on an airborne, claustrophobic plane for 48 hours. Since the economy kind of sucks at home, I came back to Ithaca to work my jobs until I leave.  And because I'm no longer an actual resident of the apartment/don't have a room/a bed, I'm referring to my situation as homeless-ish.

Homeless-ish  (hohm-lis-esh)
adjective
1. Not being homeless but at the same time still being kind of homeless.

Brownie points if you've read the About Emily Page and already know that I have the ability to make up my own words.

My temporary bedroom

Just a few tips on how to be homeless-ish:

1. Don’t watch scary movies
2. Don’t watch scary movies
3. Don’t watch scary movies
4. FaceTime friends if you were stupid and did watch a scary movie
5. Bring things to do to not go crazy

Yes, the first four tips were inspired by me watching a scary movie and living very alone and then attempting to sleep in an empty, quiet apartment.
                                                                     

 Ideas of Things to Do

Here we have a sketchbook, a guitar, the beautiful Cheshire Cat I can
make jokes to, friendship thread, coloring utensils, Peanut Butter, and
an amazing book called The Universe in a Nutshell  by Stephen Hawking

But on a real note, the first homeless-ish week here has made me feel sort of grown up, even more so than when I was actually a resident of this apartment with my roommates in the Fall. While feeling grown-up is a strange mix of excitement and nostalgia, it’s mostly scary as *&%$. For me, this is probably because I have absolutely no idea how to do the world/life/adulthood.

Tonight I made my first meal consisting of real food that’s not a bag of pretzels or box of mac n cheese. Keep in mind I’ve also been living in an apartment with a kitchen for the past four and a half months, so this is a step for me. Since I’m not a huge fan of red meat, I tried making smoked salmon for dinner.

It was disgusting.

A for effort.

To avoid feeling lonely/grown-up, I’ve been working as much as possible. My two main jobs here both are serving jobs; one at my college’s Catering company, and one at an Irish Pub downtown. The pub I work at, called Kilpatrick’s, is actually a fun job for me. For those of you in the restaurant biz, you probably know the work atmosphere is typically hell in a nutshell BUT the money is awesome, which is why we put ourselves through this hell. Lucky me found a restaurant less Hell-ish, or at least so far it is.

This is very rare for one to say, but I love as much as I hate having these “blue-collar” type jobs. Mostly because they’ve taught me (and continue to teach me) some of the greatest life lessons one can learn.

Things you can’t learn from school, things you can only learn from the actual experience.

You may start noticing how I like making lists. So here we go, 3 important life lessons I've learned from the food industry:

1. No one is under you. Just think how nicely our world would smell if all the sewage workers went on strike. Exactly.

2. Making your own money, building your own success, accomplishing your own goals, are all products of hard work. And you can only judge this by how cool and great you think are post accomplishment. And this feeling only comes from working hard, not getting things handed to you.

3. Working in the customer service field, I’ve encountered some of the most interesting, respectable, and also despicable people ever. It’s helped me build my own character, showed me who I want to be, and who I don’t want to be.  It's also taught me how to suck up to people.  All different types of people.

So there you have it, the rare philosophical thoughts of Emily that actually make sense (or so I hope). Maybe being homeless-ish for a few weeks has made me wiser.

Then again, maybe not.

Then again, the smell of burnt salmon is still in my kitchen.

Yea, I still have much to learn…

Keep happy,
Em