Spending Time Like an Introvert: Sleeping

Hello Everyone,
Sorry for this month being a slow one for the blog, getting back into the school schedule can be difficult.  But now I am hoping to have everything figured out and I can just get back to blogging regularly.

So us introverts love many things: fandoms, books, TV shows, etc.  But there is one thing that all people love, both introverts and extroverts.  Something completely amazing.  Something so great that we dream about it while we aren't doing it. Incase you did not read the title, I am talking about sleeping.

Sleep can be so amazing, we just long for it all of the time.  But when the time comes for us to go to sleep, we fight it with everything we can.  This seems just like an oxymoron.

I have come up with a solution as to why we as humans might fight going to sleep. 

When I wake up in the morning, I don't want to get up because I have a full day filled with work I don't want to do before I can enjoy myself.  I work all day on things that other people want me to do.  But once I get this done, I have very little time to do what I want to do.  So I squish in bits of fun and pay for it in the morning when I slept so little.

Maybe this is just me, but I think that this is what most teens do.  If you have a different reason, I would love to here it!

Love,
Amanda

Induction Ceremonies

Behold! The Glorious Cupcake!! ^__^

Unfortunately, (or maybe fortunately - I'm not sure for you guys) but this post will have to be quick, because I have just been super busy lately and four years of a rigorous college prep course has not beat the procrastinating ways out of me. Nonetheless, I will try very hard to keep this post succinct.
The reason for such a late post is due to my National Honor Society Induction ceremony. I had mixed feelings about it because a quarter of the way through, I had the urgent need to go home and sleep; and keep in mind, that the actual ceremony hadn't started yet. However; I do enjoy a nice dress up and of course cake or in this case, cupcakes afterwards (I'm pretty sure that's why we all go in the first place). And I'm also proud to say that I was able to snatch the last cake-pop! Needless, to say it was delicious, but I digress.

Induction ceremonies are a mixed bag of fun and tediousness. In this particular situation, I was not looking forward to it. Even though the alternative may seem lame, I had much rather stay home and do homework on a Monday afternoon, yet I do enjoy variety to my weekly routine. And while I'm weighing all the pros and cons, I might as well add that walking on stage in a not-so-graceful fashion, is most definitely a con. Luckily, the entire ceremony was hastily planned and there was some  slight turbulence with the overall production, but I suppose that is a high school ceremony's charm. I can only hope what graduation will have in store, but either way I get cupcakes so it's good on both fronts. 

Terror Kingdom

Hello Everyone,
Sorry it has been a few days sense we posted, life has been keeping us busy.

But I figured sense we had been gone so long, a new story would be appropriate.
I hate rollercoasters.  I know this is a very rare thing for people to hate, but I just do.  They seem poorly made, and high up; I just never want to go on one.
For my 13th birthday my family, my best friend, and I went to animal kingdom. We walked around to look at some animals and then my friend asked me to go on a ride with her.  She told me it was not that big of a deal, nothing scary.
Mount Everest.
I will never ride another roller coaster again; that forever will be my last one.
The ride started to climb. and climb. Just. Climbing.
My number one greatest fear is heights. So climbing is scaring me to death.
But then the track ends. And the ride pauses. And a click is heard.
We started to fall backwards.
I was so scared, I just curled into a ball and shook.
Instead of wasting all of your time on how scared I was, I was still shaking two hours later when I tried to eat my lunch.
Very long story short, if you don't laugh you will cry. That and don't take me on a roller coaster.  Luckily I have earned a great story and learned a valuable lesson. What more can we ask for?
Love,
Amanda

Spending Time Like An Introvert: Shopping

Like most girls my age, I will indulge myself in the pastime that is shopping. I am a lover of fashion and just pretty objects in general, thus shopping has always been a wonderful treat. However; there are several types of shoppers out there, and as an introvert, there are some things about shopping that can make one apprehensive. Shall we outline them?

1). Crowds

Personally, I do fine in crowds. They don't bother me as much as it does to some people, but sometimes crowds can be particularly annoying come winter time and other sale seasons. Prime example: Black Friday. Never again shall I take part in this capitalist  ritual. A hectic crowd can be just that: hectic. There's no room for thinking , and it's hard to focus as well. I would much rather have a store to myself where I can find the stuff I want in peace without having to wait in lines or maneuver through a crowd

2). Helpful Employees

After working as a sales associate, I have come to understand as to why other sales associate are so perky and just so helpful. If you're lucky, you'll come across a sales associate who knows how to keep their distance but is intuitive enough to know when  to throw a buoy when you're drowning in a sea of "I have know idea what I'm looking for".  Then, God bless them, there are the sales associate who are all up in your face with a wide smile and a voice two octaves higher than normal. Then again, I think that's just a mutual problem for everyone.

3). Going up to the cash register

This is something you grow out of eventually, but every once of a while there is that sense of apprehension lurking underneath the surface. There's something intimidating about going up to that tall counter. It's especially difficult if you're in a store like Hollister or Forever21 and the sales associate look really snooty or just uncaring, so any means of witty banter or awkward laughter are futile in soothing the wooden transaction.

4). Asking employees for help

It's a sad shame that the stores that I go into always have the really cool, hipster-esque blokes with their beanies, thick-rimmed glasses, and the taciturn-the-world-is-too-mainstream-so-I-have-to-look-somewhat-broody look on them. These are the kind of people I try to avoid, because I feel like I'm pestering them and it's like they really don't care, or sometimes I just don't want to go through the hassle of asking someone. Or maybe I should just avoid hipster-clothing stores... Either way, just aim for the nicest looking person and cross your fingers that they're helpful. Don't get me wrong, most clothing associates aren't mean it's just that they look really intimidating due to the coolness-vibes that reverberate off them, or maybe that's just me...Like I said I just need to avoid the hipster stores...

5). Not knowing how to browse

Learning how to shop on your own can be a bit of a challenge because I feel as if I'm missing a chunk of myself without my mom's guiding presence. Of course, I'd separate from her once we've landed in said store, but shopping without your mom in a 10 mile radius, is a whole different story. Solitary shopping has you wandering around a store in an awkward fashion i.e. sifting through racks without really processing what you're looking at and cordially refusing the help of a sales associate when in reality you have no idea what you want or where to start. The easy fix is just practice. Outline what stores you're going to and have a rough idea of what you want. It will make a world of difference. And don't be afraid to wait in the dressing room line, because I've learned  that nobody cares if you go in the dressing room more than once. There are much weirder people out in the world.

6). How to hold your shopping bag with grace

 If you take anything from this article today, let it be this: there is no way to hold your shopping bags gracefully. And if such etiquette exists, no one has given me the memo. For the memo-less among us, just hold your bag high! (Or low if that's suits your fancy). Just hold it how you want, because I've tried all  the different ways. Forget holding your bag in the crook of your arm because those straps can pretty much cut off circulation. Kicking your bags are also inevitable and forget about trying to avoid people. If you hit them, you hit them. My only advice is to double bag what you can and be on your way. 

A Bare Attack

Hellos Everyone,
Just another story from another weird moment in my life.

I was working at a sixth grade retreat recently, and it had been a very long day. At one point I was caught in a spaghetti fight.  So as you can tell it was a very long and tiring day. 

I also was dirty.  I had brought two pairs of shoes but both had been ruined.  So when I was having a terrible headache and tired, thirty minutes after I was supposed to leave, I was ready to just get out of there.

I went to ask my mom if I could leave, but she said I needed to get something out of her car first.  I didn't want to grab my wet shoes and put them on.  Mom said her car was right out the door, so I just ran out there to quickly grab my T-shirt in bare feet.

On my way out I passed this woman who was also a leader for the youth group.  She saw that I wasn't wearing shoes and asked if owned the pink shoes in the kitchen.  I said no. Then she said something about me catching some unknown really long disease name that I could care nothing about.

I just kept walking and ignored her.  I didn't feel good about that, but I was tired and I seriously couldn't care less.

So I grabbed my shirt, and realized I had to go back in  and grab my bag.  I walked in to the room to give my mom's keys back and then went to the kitchen.  In there I grabbed my bag, and as I turn to leave, the woman stopped me again. 

She stopped me and tried to tell me about this disease again, but she made the mistake of about a minute in asking me if I even knew what this disease was.  I am not thrilled with my answer, but I looked her in the eye and said," Yes." then I walked past her.

Sure that was some good sass. Sure I also lied to someone at a Christian youth retreat.  I really don't care if I'm walking for a minute outside in bare feet to grab something.  Maybe the only lesson is please don't talk to me if I'm tired and just trying to leave quickly. Thanks.

Love,
Amanda

I Am A Storyteller

Hello Everyone,

So recently I came across the realization that I am a story teller. Yes, that old person who sits around fires doing nothing because they have lived an entire life, telling other people bits of wisdom and humorous satires. Maybe not that majestic, but I would like to think of myself as that kind of person.

I was walking and talking with my friend Alyssa, not this one, and she was telling me a story. Correction.  She told me a sentence about her day. I laughed and looked her in the eye, saying," If that was me, this is how I would say it."

Not changing a fact, but embellishing the truth, I retold her information.  We both laughed as I acted out the part of a girl being poked in the eye, and I spoke of the lesson I learned from not watching where I walked.

But this alone was not what got me thinking about how I am a storyteller.  For one event cannot cause a label like that to be true.

Later I sat in the car with Alyssa, yes this one, speaking of something that happened to me that day.  I had to tell a back story for her to understand this story, than went on a rant with a few more that I had.  We both laughed, and I accidently ran into my car horn in my uncontrollable squeals scaring the other students who were heading home.

It got me to thinking, I love telling stories.  I just love it.  I have lived some great times too! Why don't I tell stories?

So on here, whenever I have a new or old story to tell, I will be sharing them with you.  Mostly funny, a few meaningful, and maybe one or two sad. But I would really like to share something with you guys, and I hope that these let you know a little more about us, and how crazy my life really is.

Love,
Amanda

Fangirl Fridays: Mia Thermopolis

Here's one thing about growing up; sometimes you can't properly cherish something for what it's worth until you get older. That said, I don't think I fully realized how great Princess Diaries was in its time, nor did I realize how much I could relate to Mia Thermopolis.

First, let's be clear, I am not a princess and Julie Andrews is not my grandmother (oh how I wish), but Mia is one of us. For one thing, she is socially awkward. Prime examples include setting fire to a diplomat's sleeve and getting a brain freeze from pear ice-cream, all in the same night might I add. That said, watching the movie made me realize the extent of our similarities, especially in terms of our shared athletic ineptitude as well.

But most importantly she is seemingly invisible to the masses, and she has no intention of becoming visible any time soon. As an introvert, I relish sometimes in anonymity. Part of this is because I am modest; I don't like attention drawn to me, because then awkward levels rise and self-consciousness settles in.  I think that's why it's so easy to relate to Mia; she exhibits all the trials and tribulations that all teenagers undergo (i.e. puking during a school debate or just being sat on). But  when her royal grandmother drops in, all of sudden the spotlight is on her whether she likes it or not. Thus the movie follows her story as she tries to grow accustomed to her new role. Inevitably it got to her head, but who wouldn't? She shows that even the most down-to-earth people can succumb to the temptation of popularity.  I don't believe that the world is made up of introverts and extroverts; rather, we both carry traits of each group, with one being more prominent than the other. That said, I think all of us have a part that likes being heard. We like to be acknowledged. It's what we do with the attention that we're given that matters the most.

 It really hit home in the end when Mia reads a letter from her deceased father saying that the "brave may die, but the cautious never live". Watching the movie as 17 year-old teenager trying to come to terms with an impending future racked with the unknown and responsibility, I realized that I shouldn't be so afraid of speaking out. Towards the end, Mia makes a speech, soaking wet wearing a hoodie and jeans, awash with a new sense of confidence, where she accepts her role as princess. By accepting this role, she understands that importance of using your voice to change words into actions. With that she embraces herself, coming to terms with the influence that she has so that she can make a difference in the world.

So within the span of 2 hours, we see the transition of a socially awkward teen to an awe-inspiring princess which goes to show that having a voice isn't such a bad thing after all. That is why I love this movie so much: it is the perfect mix of humor and wit wrapped up with a wonderful moral message that any generation can take with them. And that's why I admire Mia Thermpolis, because she taught us that we can grow out of our awkwardness and that princess or not, you have every right to speak your mind.