Day 36: I actually am learning something from my economics textbook.

I've been able to tell from day one that this semester is going to require a way more disciplined work ethic than the one I kept up in the fall. The amount of homework I've had even just during syllabus week... I know I'm capable of getting everything done, but I also know I wasn't prepared to be spending this much time locked away in my room with a pile of textbooks and newspapers.

However, as my econ textbook continues to ramble on about trade-offs, it proves to be very relevant to my current situation... I feel like my life now strictly consists of the choice between keeping up with classes, a social life, and sleep.

Or this, which I've seen on Tumblr more times than I can count:

It's actually kind of cruel, the way that my first semester lulled me into a false sense of security...

Lesson learned: I actually am learning something from my economics textbook.

Also, I just realized that I accidentally recycled one of the newspapers I need to use to write my J2100 paper that's due on Tuesday, and to be able to view the stories from that issue online I have to pay for a subscription. But it's not like that makes me want to pull all my hair out or anything. Really, it's fine...

Day 35: I'm really good at worrying.

I sent out three emails today to different magazines in Scottsdale, inquiring about possible internships for the summer. I'm pretty sure that I sat there staring at my email inbox for the next fifteen minutes, just absolutely petrified. Then, a few minutes after I finally moved on to other things, the little red "1" badge popped up on my email icon and I had a mini-heart attack... Only to find that it was junk mail.

I don't even know what I'm so nervous about. I guess I just feel like whoever is going to read my mails will skim them like this:

I JUST WANT TO BE SEEN AS A VALUABLE ASSET TO THEIR PUBLICATIONS, OKAY?!

Oh my.

Lesson learned: I'm really good at worrying.

Day 34: There's something about those little traditional, gentlemanly things.

This is about to be a hopelessly girly post... Sorry 'bout it.

So today, the guy that I went to lunch with completely unexpectedly refused to let me pay for my food, and the way that he went about it was ridiculously adorable. Like it was just really genuinely sweet. For as much as I can be a total and complete feminist about some things, I'm such a sucker for a gentleman.

I'm pretty sure I actually swooned while this whole paying-for-my-lunch thing went down. Which is really embarrassing.

Lesson learned: there's something about those little traditional, gentlemanly things.

Day 33: People are generally nicer when they're hiking.

I was hiking the McDowell Sonoran Preserve this morning with my parents, and I would say that about 95% of the people we passed on the trail greeted us with either "hi," "good morning," or some variation of "how are you?" Like honestly, when are people ever that friendly? 

I'm not going to lie, this whole niceness phenomenon is a huge part of the reason why I love hiking so much.

Lesson learned: people are generally nicer when they're hiking.

Day 32: I missed hockey. A lot.

But now the lockout is over, my dad and I went to watch the Coyotes' open practice today, and the season is set to start in less than two weeks. I'm a happy girl.

Plus, after watching practice today, I'm even more excited to see number 89, Mikkel Boedker, play this season. He gained a lot of confidence in the 2011-2012 post-season, and even just seeing him on the ice today has me believing he's one to keep your eye on in 2013. (Doesn't hurt that he's beautiful and Danish and I kind of want to marry him, too, but that's beside the point.)

Boedker's OT goal in Game 3 vs. the Chicago Blackhawks.

You don't really get a good view of the goal until the replay, but it's a beauty.

Lesson learned: I missed hockey. A lot.

Day 31: There's something to be said about watching both the sunrise and the sunset in one day.

My dad and I caught the sunrise on the way up to Flagstaff and the sunset on the way back to Phoenix. As corny as it is, I live for little things like that.

Didn't hurt that this was my view for the majority of the day, too...

Lesson learned: there's something to be said about watching both the sunrise and the sunset in one day.

Day 30: Visiting other people's schools is pretty cool.

I was talking with a high school friend the other day about how it feels like we all lead two separate lives now: one at home during breaks, and one at all of our different schools. So to be able to visit somebody else at their college campus is kind of like getting an inside look at their other little world, and it's actually really cool.

Of course, visiting ASU today was like visiting half of my senior class' other world, but it's fine. I really liked getting to see a lot of people I knew in high school and walking around campus and whatever.

Plus, Barrett's dining hall looks like Hogwarts...

I'm just a tad jealous.

Lesson learned: visiting other people's schools is pretty cool.

Day 29: My obsession with the number 11 is getting out of hand.

I've always done these weird little things, like leave the volume of the stereo in my car at level eleven and set the microwave for eleven seconds when a normal person would set it for ten and believed that the eleventh day of every month is going to be some ridiculously good day for me or whatever, but now I'm scared to reblog anything more on Tumblr because I'm at exactly 1,011 posts.

That's weird.

Lesson learned: my obsession with the number 11 is getting out of hand.