(More) John Green Novels, Registration, and Christmastime!

Hey guys!

So I literally just finished a book. A novel. A masterpiece by one of my favorite authors: John Green. The book was co-written with another fantastic author, David Levithan, who I'm now going to read more of. Now, I'm an English major. I therefore read all sorts of amazing novels, plays, and poetry. I enjoy Fitzgerald, I idolize Hemmingway, I wish I was Oscar Wilde. Yet there's nothing like sitting down for a good teenage novel like Will Grayson, Will Grayson. Only to discover that maybe it's a bit deeper than you thought?

Now this was the book I would read between classes, on the subway to and from school, before I went to bed. I'm a big book person and I feel the need to read constantly. I'm also a list person. It helps me organize and stop stressing about everything I have to do. Seriously, if you're ever freaking out about work, just write down a list of everything and you'll feel better just looking at it. That piece of paper isn't as bad as the jumble of stuff going on in your head. Anyway, I have lists and lists of books that have yet to be read, from Dante's Divine Comedy to Life of Pi. This was (supposed to be) a lighter read for me.

I should warn you, don't walk into a John Green novel with these expectations that it will be a walk in the park. His novels are funny, adorable, and heart-wrenching. They will break your heart. I had just read (see also: recovered emotionally from) The Fault In Our Stars and I thought I knew this, but I went for it anyway. Now, the story is about this kid named Will Grayson who ends up, through some pretty weird circumstances, to meet another kid named Will Grayson. They swap stories, they're sufficiently weirded out, their lives become entangled in the most absurd ways. And the book is about love; friendship love, romantic love, familial love. All types of love. It's a book about appreciating the people in your life. And it hit me really hard. Coming right after Thanksgiving and right before the holidays, this is just what I needed. I appreciate the people in my life and you should too. Yeah, pretty gooey and sentimental but I teared a bit at the end. Not to give anything away, but it involves one absurdly long car drive, a lot of phonebooks, and a reliance on the kindness of strangers.

I scheduled my classes for the spring yesterday and it was the most exhilarating and terrifying experience of my life. I made about 15 alternate schedules in all my freaking out. I actually ended up with my perfect schedule, so I don't know why I freaked out so much. I'm just happy it's over with and I can live my life in peace for awhile. Or until the next semester's registration appointment (oh god save me now).

My friends and I are doing Secret Santa this year. I'm super excited because I love the mystery of it all. My friend made little slips of paper with all our names on them and folded them so they were ridiculously difficult to open. We're all sworn to secrecy about who we got under a death threat from said friend but I'm just itching to go out and buy my person a gift this weekend!

Lastly, although two out of three of us in my dorm room are Jewish, we all decided to have a Christmas tree for our room. It's fake of course, but we had a lot of fun listening to the Christmas music playlist on Pandora while decorating it with ornaments. I'm really, really starting to love my roommates.

I just love this time of the year. It's so cozy and the lights make the city so much more beautiful despite how cold it is. Christmas music is so happy. I know it'll eventually get on my nerves, but for now it's amazing. Happy (soon-to-be) holidays everyone! Don't get too stressed out about finals week (quickly approaching gahhhh!!!)

Bye!

thanksgiving and registration!

Hey guys,

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!  I know I did; some of my family members who usually don't come came for dinner this year!  Andd I made some great dishes.  My mom does an amazing Thanksgiving every year, but since I learned I'm gluten intolerant about two years ago, it's been a little tricky.  You see, I was a vegetarian a few years ago, and it wasn't too difficult.  You either just leave out the turkey (and gravy!) or substitute a Tofurky for it.  But when you can't eat gluten, you can't have the stuffing, gravy, prepared foods with sauce (unless you know for sure it's okay), pies, or cookies.

By now I'm pretty well adjusted though:  I made a cornbread and whole wheat bread gluten-free stuffing, and my mom set aside some gravy thickened with cornstarch.  I also made a pumpkin custard (basically, it's the pumpkin without the crust), and my mom found gluten-free amaretto cookies!  It's still a little awkward, because people sometimes still have questions.  But I was so proud of my grandma--one relative asked why more people can't eat gluten all of a sudden, and my grandma replied "because people didn't know about it before".  She'll still offer me cookies sometimes, but I was so proud that she remembered a part of my often lengthy, probably annoying, explanations of "why I can't eat that". =]

On another note, today is priority registration!  It's an amazing perk of being an Honors student, but it doesn't take all the stress out of registering.  You still have worry about getting into the seminar or honors courses that you want!  I've had pretty good luck in past semesters, even though I always end up making last minute changes.  >_<

I'll let you know how it goes!  Enjoy the rest of your week!

G.

Learning things the hard way.

Don't ever forget your umbrellas kiddies.
Looking like a drowned rat isn't cute.
And rain comes down very suddenly in the city.
Create a nice little nest for your umbrella in your backpack and just let it live there.
Don't take it out, otherwise it will be on your desk at home.
And you'll be soaking wet and cranky in Manhattan.
Soaking wet, cranky, and not cute. Not exactly how you want to look in college.

On top of that, if you don't have an umbrella, your backpack gets wet.
And what do you keep in your backpack?
Your notes from your lecture that are now wet.
Your journal that is now wet.
Your textbook that is now wet.
And your lovely Macbook Pro, which, by some miracle, didn't get wet.
But the case did, so it's too close for comfort.

And when your mommy calls you asking how you are, and you respond
"Alright, but I got soaked!"
You won't be given sympathy.
You'll be told to use your head for something other than a hatrack.
Which is another thing you need to remember, because if you had a hat, at least then your head would be drier than it is.

Bottom line? Check the weather before you leave. If the weatherman says that their might be a single wisp of a cloud, bring your umbrella.