Day 28: When it comes to books and movies, I'm a crier.

I finished The Fault in Our Stars earlier today, and I swear I cried at least eleven times while reading it. Then, this afternoon, a couple of my friends came over to watch The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants... Despite my best efforts, I cried through all three of the scenes that usually make my eyes well up. (And yes, I always cry during The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Judge me.)

You know, it's fine when I'm alone and in the privacy of my own home and everything, but I really need to work on this whole crying while "reading/watching dramatic films in front of other people" thing.

Lesson learned: when it comes to books and movies, I'm a crier.

Day 27: Having friends with good taste in music is a wonderful thing.

Shoutout to Kat and Emily for making me the most wonderful mix CDs of all time, all the time. I credit you two with introducing me to a large percentage of the good music I listen to.

Big Black Car - Gregory Alan Isakov

Apparently this song is in a McDonald's commercial...? Ignore that. It's gorgeous.

Lesson learned: having friends with good taste in music is a wonderful thing.

Day 26: People can really suck sometimes.

Yes, this is directed at you, dude who rear-ended Emily and then bolted this afternoon.

You suck, and I hope you are so ridden with guilt that you can't sleep tonight.

Lesson learned: people can really suck sometimes.

Day 25: Once you go John Green, you never go back.

There should probably be some sort of general rule that John Green books cannot be gifted Christmas morning...

I know that today was Christmas and I should have been spending it chatting with all twenty family members that were gathered at my grandparents' house and whatever. But, knowing that I had that book now, all I wanted to do (and therefore did do) was find a quiet place to curl up, be anti-social, and read.

It didn't take long to realize Looking for Alaska is one of those books you don't really put down once you pick it up... Oops. Sorry, relatives.

If you haven't seen this quote/a John Green reference of any kind on Tumblr... You haven't ever been on Tumblr.

And you better believe I also received Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars, and An Abundance of Katherines this Christmas... Now, excuse me while I go back to reading.

Lesson learned: once you go John Green, you never go back.

Day 24: Arizona is actually really pretty.

After a senior year of wanting nothing more than a change in scenery, I found myself missing the desert so much that I basically demanded that my best friends hike Camelback with me this week. (We're talking ridiculously persistent Heather despite the rain and conflicting schedules and such.) 

With all its brown, desert-y land and Saguaro cacti... Home ain't half bad, after all. 

Lesson learned: Arizona is actually really pretty.

We'll ignore the fact that I got so excited about taking this picture that my best friend had to tell the lady who took it, "Sorry, she hasn't been here in awhile." ......oops.

Day 23: I am a perpetual planner.

I'm coming to find that I will always and forever be that friend that tries to organize everything. The one that sets up the group hangouts or thinks of things for everyone to do together, and then takes the initiative to set up a time and a place and make sure everyone has a means of getting there and make adjustments if the original plan doesn't work for someone and so on.

I'm not complaining. Merely observing.

Though I will admit my event planner tendencies may be my downfall this Christmas break... I've apparently decided that I must plan something with everyone while I'm home and I'm starting to realize that maybe five-ish weeks isn't as much time as I had thought. Or at least not enough time to see everyone I want to see, do everything I want to do, and read a good book/catch up on my TV shows/lay around the house and do nothing.

Oh my. I need to get myself in check.

Lesson learned: I am a perpetual planner.

Day 22: Darren Criss + Christmas music = magical.

That is all.

Lesson learned: Darren Criss + Christmas music = magical.

(But really he can serenade me any time he wants.)

Day 21: I'm an awful gift-wrapper.

Honestly, you would think I wrapped all of my gifts with oven mitts on. It's the thought that counts, right?

And, on a gift-wrapping note, here's what happens when cat videos and Christmas collide:

This guy can wrap a cat and I can't even wrap a rectangular box...

Lesson learned: I'm an awful gift-wrapper.

Day 20: Kids' shows aren't what they used to be.

That makes me sound like I'm trying to be all mature/old/sage or something, but I'm being completely serious. I'm spending the night at a friend's grandparents' home in St. Louis and, being all burnt out from finals and such, we spent pretty much the whole evening watching TV. We were kind of pathetically excited when we realized that Drake & Josh was on but then, after just a few glorious episodes, Big Time Rush came on... What even is that crap?

This is totally an appropriate instance for an ironic use of that overused #90skid hashtag, but I'll restrain myself.

I'll leave you with this:

Like honestly, this show still makes me laugh out loud.

Anyway, lesson learned: kids' shows aren't what they used to be.

Day 19: Dining hall food doesn't always suck.

Today Plaza had spinach. I repeat, spinach. Like, actual greens. Plus they had semi-decent apple pie. When does this ever happen?!

Still doesn't compare to the food I'm about to eat in three days... Or make up for the fact that I had a ridiculously long and tedious Spanish final this evening. But still.

And, even though this is totally unrelated, I found this today and just about died:

For your enjoyment.

Lesson learned: dining hall food doesn't always suck.

Day 18: Being a concert junkie is a way of life.

As of right now, I'm set to go to four concerts just in February. Only one of which is within a reasonable distance of my current (carless) location. And I'm seriously considering trying to find a cheap cab service to get to another one in St. Louis that month, as well.

There's actually something wrong with me and my complete disregard for my bank account. I'm thinking someone might need to stage an intervention.

Lesson learned: being a concert junkie is a way of life.

Day 17: Optimism is key.

Pretty sure I actually woke up (two hours after my alarm went off, mind you) in the worst mood ever this morning... and somehow I ended up having a surprisingly great and productive day.

It's all in the attitude, yo.

Lesson learned: optimism is key.

Day 16: Getting motivated is hard.

During the winter, anyway.

I just spent a week at home, the semester ends and I'm back home in just three weeks, and it was nineteen degrees outside when I walked to class this morning. Why I would actually want to do anything, I don't know.

Possibly one of the most over-used memes ever, but I'm too lazy to find a different one.

Wish me luck surviving finals...

Lesson learned: getting motivated is hard.

Day 15: Some things never change.

After three and a half months apart... 

Kat, Sarah, Ally, Erika, me, and Emily.

Lesson learned: some things never change.

Day 14: Always have a back-up plan.

You know, for that time when you road trip two hours down to Tucson to pick up your best friend from U of A and find that there's a major accident on the northbound I-10 and you therefore cannot drive back the only real direct way home...

Long story short, we may or may not have made what should have been a two hour trip home into a three hour trip home, complete with near death experiences and driving the wrong direction in the middle of nowhere. At night. In the dark. But it's okay.

Lesson learned: Always have a back-up plan.

Also, I had my first experience with a "T-Loc" tonight? (Apparently that's what those hip U of A kids call the Tucson locals...) He was definitely on some sort of hard drug and paying for his gas station cigarettes with change that he poured out of a prescription pill bottle. I mean, who needs a wallet anyway, right?

Day 13: Scottsdale is a very, VERY different place than Columbia, MO.

I forgot that being home meant I actually have to look cute all the time... I have officially left the world of oversized t-shirts and Nike shorts and re-entered the world of designer jeans and brand new BMWs. Oh my.

Scottsdale Pains Twitter

^^That about sums it up.^^

Lesson learned: Scottsdale is a very, VERY different place than Columbia, MO.

Day 12: Nothing beats the connection you have with your family.

I know this is super cheesy, but singing and playing guitar hasn't been the same without my sister. We just have this chemistry that nothing else will ever really compare to.

So now we're back on YouTube and it just feels really great. I'm just really happy right now, ya know? (It definitely helps that I just happily gained about 20 pounds from my first In-n-Out trip since returning home...)

Our cover of Taylor Swift's new single, Begin Again.

Lesson learned: Nothing beats the connection you have with your family.

Day 11: How to make people at the airport think you're famous.

Wear the whole beanie/hipster sweatshirt/skinny jeans combo, bring your guitar as a carry on, and buy a Venti Starbucks drink. And have a friend do the same and walk around with you.

But really I can't count how many times I heard "Are you guys in a band?!" today.

How to make people at the airport think you're famous? Lesson learned.

And, on a side note, ERHMAGERD I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME.

Day 10: Joseph Gordon-Levitt is awesome.

Just watched 50/50 for the first time... Obsessed. And then there's 500 Days of Summer and The Dark Knight Rises and he's just perfect okay?

I'm currently on a fast track towards a delusional sort of exhausted. Goodnight world.

Lesson learned: Joseph Gordon-Levitt is awesome.

Day 9: Work hard, play hard.

As cliche as it is, I feel like, after the amount of hard work I've put in over the last few days, I deserve to play hard. Between quizzes, class reading, projects, and research for my next MOVE story, I've been ridiculously productive all week. (Also ridiculously good at procrastinating, but that's beside the point.) After my interview with EOTO in fifteen minutes, my 3:30 pm J1100 class, and my online journalism quiz after that, I'll be set to return from my week of hermit-ish ways for one last night of fun here at Mizzou before I go home for Thanksgiving break.

And I'm stoked.

Lesson learned: Work hard, play hard.

Day 8: Ed Sheeran increases productivity.

Not statistically true in the slightest, but listening to him has been working for me this evening.

Please. Drown yourself in his ginger wonderfulness.

Lesson learned: Ed Sheeran increases productivity.

Day 7: MizzouWireless sucks.

To all the upperclassmen here, this is sort of a "....duh" moment, but I hadn't experienced the wifi frustration firsthand until today. When I was working on a big Spanish project. Which is due tomorrow. And all my partner and I needed in order to finish the project was an Internet connection. Ugh.

Lesson learned: MizzouWireless sucks.

This, though.

Day 6: Paychecks are wonderful things.

As if I didn't know that already...

But really, I just picked up my fifth story pitch at MOVE, meaning I'll start getting paid for my writing for the school paper from now on. An income at last. Even if it is only about $10 a week.

Lesson learned: paychecks are wonderful things.

P.S. Actually just sent my mom a text with the money bag emoji in it. My life...

Day 5: Don't be afraid to shake up your routine.

I feel like when I started at Mizzou, everything was new and exciting and, each day, I woke up with this complete and total readiness for whatever the day held for me. But as the year has progressed, I've fallen into a sort of rut. I do the same things everyday, follow the same routines, walk the same routes to my classes... I even eat the same foods half of the time. (Really though. Don't get me started on how much I've eaten at The Shack lately.)

So this morning I decided to shake it up a little bit by walking a completely different way to my stats class. Even just making that little change put me in a significantly better mood.

Since then my day has been kind of unintentionally different from the norm. I got the chance to intern at MOVE magazine this evening, and the whole experience was new and just really fun and interesting. I learned a lot about the editing process and what goes on behind the pitch emails and late production nights, which, as dorky as it sounds, I find really cool.

Now? My roommate and I just completely rearranged our room for the hell of it. There's a ton more space and the new setup is actually really refreshing. Definitely a change for the better.

Lesson learned: Don't be afraid to shake up your routine.

Check out our awesome dorm room. It's as awesome as a dorm room can be, anyway.

Also, let's completely ignore the fact that I ate at The Shack again tonight...

Day 4: The future doesn't always have to be scary.

I feel like there's this common misconception that our futures have to be regarded as daunting. Because our futures are uncertain, they must also be frightening. However, I don't think that's always the case.

Two of my good friends here at Mizzou and I have been scoping out places to live next year, and I think we just may have found the perfect house. All we've done is send in a request for more information (who even knows if the place is still available, or if it will ultimately even be what we really want), but I'm already stoked.

I mean, the complex allows for pets. And the place has a front porch. A front porch. And, best of all, it's not a residence hall.

Is it wrong to be excited for the unknown? I think not.

Lesson learned: the future doesn't always have to be scary.

Longleaf 3 Bedroom Cottage - Cottages of Columbia

But really. Check out that porch.

Day 3: Absentee voters get short-changed.

And by that, I mean I feel gipped because I didn't get an "I Voted!" sticker in my ballot envelope when I voted two weeks ago.

That aside, here's to being 19 and able to vote this election. I sort of, kind of feel like I'm making a difference.

And with that, I'll end the election talk. (I'm sure your social networks have seen enough of that today.)

Lesson learned: absentee voters get short-changed.

Day 2: Daylight Savings Time is dumb.

I realize we're only one day into this whole time change thing, but I am so thrown off by it. I mean, honestly - how is it only 5:15 right now? I still have a whole evening ahead of me - which I should probably spend doing homework but probably won't anyway - and I'm ready to go to sleep. (Okay, I will acknowledge that going to bed at 6:15 would be equally as pathetic as going to bed at 5:15.)

I'm starting to think my homeland has it right... No DST for Arizona. Those smarties.

Lesson learned: Daylight Savings Time is dumb.

I'll leave you with this.

Sure, Benjamin Franklin. Sure.

Day 1: Taylor Swift is always relevant.

Hence my current Tumblr page title.

But honestly, I'm being the most stereotypical teenage girl right now and just straight jamming all of Red. Have been for the last couple hours, actually. It's weird because when I first heard "Never Ever Getting Back Together," I swore the song made me want to punch a baby (or something equally violent and socially unacceptable).

But - damn all her relatable lyrics and ridiculously catchy melodies - I can't avoid the Taylor Swift trap.

Lesson learned: Taylor Swift is always relevant.

The song that inspired the Tumblr title, and the song that I've been shamelessly blaring/repeating for the last few hours... Enjoy.