I decided that, as this blog has many other subjects on it other than the details around NaNoWriMo, I started a blog solely for NaNoWriMo and my other writing insanity!
http://latteandaprayer.wordpress.com/
Please enjoy me slowly losing my sanity this next month over there. 
I will see you back here when non-writing things occur to me.
I was worried about my word count today when, by my afternoon classes, I had only advanced from 3,000 to 3,500. To put it lightly, I started to mildly hyperventilate that this year was going to become a failure like last year already.
However, when I got back from my afternoon classes, I sat down, plugged in my headphones and set my iTunes on shuffle and then… I typed. I typed and let the characters carry me. Unfortunately, Braden is new to me, and because of that, he isn’t jumping off the page quite how I’d like him to just yet. He needs to bring in his own sense of life that I haven’t exactly discovered yet. But it’s only a first draft.
The purpose of NaNoWriMo is to get that first draft on the page. To get a complete story, from start to finish, written out. I have so many half-finished stories in my repetoire, the prospect of a finished one, even though it will be nowhere near publishing ready at the end of the month, is so terribly exciting I can hardly describe.
As of now, I am at 5,265. I may continue for a little bit once I’m ready for bed and then call it a night, or I might consider my progress today a victory and continue tomorrow.
Either way, I’m over 1/10 of the way there, and I have to say, that alone feels rather amazing!
Well, this will be my second year’s attempt at NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).
50,000 words in 30 days. So far, I’ve got 2,400. Deep breaths, and I’ll be plunging in. My goal on it this time around is to let the characters and the story guide me. It doesn’t have to be awesome this time around, it just has to be complete.
This is my log of how it is going well, or makes me want to cry in desperation. I guess it’s abotu time I get blogging again, huh?
Thus far, I really have no clue where I’m going with it. But it’s a ride. Life’s a climb. But the view is great. And this month will certainly be a climb. I’m simultaneously excited and terrified for it.
Let the noveling begin!
It’s been a couple weeks into college, although it feels vaguely like it’s been forever. Seriously, I don’t know what it is, but as fast as my senior year of high school went, that’s about how slow my first year of college is going so far. I like my classes, for the most part, although I’m really not into my major. That’s the thing about a liberal arts education. They really want you to be well-rounded, which is awesome in theory, but I was most excited about the getting into what I want to be studying aspect of things, and I really haven’t reached that point yet. It’s mildly disappointing, but the workload thus far has been so manageable that I can’t bring myself to complain much.
Last week, Callie was home, which was AMAZING! Because though I would have preferred the circumstances for her being home were better, I got to see her twice! We had a blast. I love just chilling with her, talking about life and all the ups and downs that come with it. I always feel so relaxed and de-stressed after hanging out with her. We really get everything out, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need to do. She’s such a great friend for letting me get all my stuff out and still wanting to hang around me 
I owe you big, Callie!
The weekend before last, since obviously a natural order of time means absolutely nothing to me in my blog, was Artapalooza in CF. Which means I headed back home for the day. I saw so many people, and it’s truly amazing how much more respect and love I have for my town now that I’ve been away from it. And the thing is, I haven’t even been away from it that long. Which makes me wonder if I’m going to really start missing home more often. I know that I can go back whenever I’d like, but really I can’t. There will be work to do and social events to attend to and WTV meetings to make and Trumpet deadlines and all these amazing college-y things that I really want to be involved in, and I’m afraid the balance will be a little harder to make. Thus far, though, I’ve been handling the freedom rather well, if I do say so myself. I haven’t cracked and I’ve been getting my work done with time to spare. But then again, I’m usually very on top of things in the first few weeks. It’s toward the second semester that things start to wear on me and I lack in the homework department. It is my goal to be better at time management this year though. I guess I don’t really have a choice about it, do I? I slack, I fail. Failure is not an option. Because once I get through this year, I’ll get more of a chance to focus on what I want to be doing. Communication Arts.
Which brings me to another topic. I’ve recently thought about changing my major up a bit. Instead of double majoring in Comm. Arts print media and Writing, I think I’m going to be doing a double emphasis/major in Comm. Arts print and electronic medias. I don’t need a degree to write. Plus, with the print/electronic media double major, it opens up some doors for potential publishing jobs, which I’ve been recently thinking I might actually really enjoy. And no, not just because of Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal. Nice try, though. The job just seems like something I might be interested in. I’m just beginning to see the beauties of what I could do with a Comm. Arts degree.
As for back home, I miss my grandparents, and the neighbors something crazy. Luckily I’m going to have a movie night with Nicole on Friday, so that’ll be nice. Because she’s basically like a big sister to me, and I haven’t gotten to talk to her the last couple times I’ve been home, because they’ve been quick stops home. Just a few hours and stuff. Plus, I miss my “little sister” Jaylee and my (I call him this mentally, cuz he’s adorable, and if Jay is my surrogate sister, then he gets to be this) “little brother”. They’re too much fun, and I hate missing weeks at a time of them growing up. It kills me, because I got so used to being there every day for them. Being apart for a week feels like I miss a world of things. But I know they’re always there for me, and I am always there for them. I’m only 20 minutes away, and I remind myself of that to keep me sane.
Well, as I leave, I will leave some pictures of my dorm, which really don’t do it justice. Because it’s a pretty effin’ sweet dorm. And some things have changed since I took these pictures, so I’ll have to update in a later post. But it’s late for me on a weeknight and I really should be getting to bed soon. And also, pictures relating to the rest of the post. Me n Callie, Me n Jaylee, and Brecken bein’ silly.
I have this theory. It’s a theory that some people are just really magnificent hug-givers. I can just tell, by looking at them, that they would give those hugs that no matter how absolutely horrible your day might have been, it gets instantly better from one of their hugs. In my theory, the hug doesn’t have to be from a true love or anyone you might have particular romantic feelings for to be so awesome. I believe, simply, that there are hugs out there that can heal just about any wound. It is something of a goal of mine to get hugs from people I meet whom I believe have these awesome hug powers. In general, I believe in the power of a hug. But I’ve found recently that some people simply give better hugs than others. So, this is my salute to good hugs and my challenge for all of you to a) give more hugs, since they make people smile, and b) find your own awesome hug givers. Because really, they rock.
Annnd, I know that’s random, but I was thinking about it today after receiving a particularly awesome hug and also having a conversation with someone whom I suspect would give super hugs. More about my boring college life and adjusting to dorms and all that jazz will surely come later. But this was far more fun to write about for the time being.
And until I find an awesome tea shop like Argo Tea, I have no place to really sit for awhile and type/contemplate my thoughts. It’s a lot harder to focus and get it all down in a noisy, busy dorm than you’d suspect. For now, that is all!
Love!
THERE’S a certain nostalgia about putting bits and pieces of a former life into boxes as you prepare to move on to the next chapter in my life. I don’t really feel any different. And that’s what’s strange. In a week, I’m going to college. I will be living in a dorm and not at home. I won’t have someone asking me if I have any homework every night and then badgering me to make sure I have it completed. I will eat meals on my own, I will be entirely in charge of my own time and my own money. I am living on a budget. I will only be home on breaks and every now and again to do laundry or babysit. I should feel different, shouldn’t I? I should feel like I’m moving away to college. Like I’m starting the new chapter in my life that I am.
ADMITTEDLY, I am more excited about the prospect of it than I was before. I can feel the fact that I am going to be leaving soon. I think it really is time that I get out there and be on my own more than I was before. It’s just so strange. To see clothes and microwaves and picture frames in boxes, knowing that they are going to usher me into this new life I will start. But a new start doesn’t mean erasing all the old things. A clean slate doesn’t mean you write off everything that happened in the past. Not to me, anyway. Certainly, I will be leaving some things behind. Inevitably, some relationships will fade. But the thing is, I’ve always thrived on the great friendships I’ve established. Starting with none of those on my daily agenda will be strange to say the very, very least. I guess that comes with the territory of embracing all this newness.
SEEMS like just yesterday I was throwing my little red cardboard hat up in the air and thinking of all the exciting adventures that awaited me throughout my senior summer. Now I’m sitting at the brink of my eighteenth birthday celebration (tomorrow), my eighteenth birthday (Wednesday) and my move in to my college dorm (Thursday). It seems to be coming on very quickly. Perhaps more quickly than I’m ready for. Then again, I’ve been waiting on this all summer. Of course I’m prepared. Of course I’m ready. Why wouldn’t I be? It’s going to be a rush.
I’M stuck in this weird thing though, where the days seem to go by fast, but at the same time they drag on and on, for whatever reason. It’s like time is spinning out of my control and standing still at the same time. On the one hand, I like it, but on the other, I wish time would just pick a speed and go at it until I finally get to move. All the insecurities I’m feeling right now stem from the fact that I’m still here and everyone else has moved in. Seriously, I am THE last one to leave. It’s unfortunate to know that I have four more days before move-in with none of my very good friends to hang out with. If it weren’t for my lovely neighbors and their adorable children, I might literally go insane. The majority of my things are packed. All I have left to complete is packing clothing, large appliances, and a few last minute tidbits, and clean my car out to make room for a box or two come moving day, and I’m ready to go. While that makes for a nice, clean-looking basement, it does not bode well for a sane Torie for the next few days.
THE boring part of going to college in a smaller town than the one I currently live in will be the lack of excitement that Waverly holds. The bright side is that even the smallness of that town is new to me, and therefore will keep me captivated for some time. I found ways to amuse myself with CF for eighteen years, I can certainly find a way for a marginally smaller town to keep me interested for four years. I look forward to going to visit some of my friends who went to bigger colleges, but mostly I’m excited to settle in to my own college experience. It will be a trip, that’s for sure. I’ve decided, though, that I am prepared. Because I have wonderful people in my life and a good head on my shoulders (not to be braggy, but reiterating what I’ve been told helps me feel better) and this will be an exciting new chapter in my life. I couldn’t be surer about that. I will of course be keeping you updated as the intensity of post-secondary schooling starts to drive me crazy and sleep-deprived, but the first few days should be the most exciting. Welcome week is cheesy, but will hopefully help me get to know my fellow classmates and feel more at home quickly in the place I will be calling home for the majority of the year for the next four years.
SUPPOSE that’s about all I’ve got for the time being. To those of you who have already moved out and settled yourself into a dorm or an apartment, congratulations, and I hope things are going well for you! To those of you who have started classes – best of luck, study hard and keep working for what you’ve dreamt of, it’s closer to your grasp than ever! To those of you still waiting, I feel you! College is going to be a crazy ride, but I feel so very blessed to be able to experience it!
Turn and Face the Strange
August is, here. Really here. Not, oh, it’s the first day of August and I still have time here. It’s really here. It’s people are leaving in a matter of days for college and I’ve only got a couple weeks left before I move into my dorm myself here. It’s so weird. All these changes that are happening. Or about to happen, or whatever. It feels a little weird. I’m about to be “Knighted” and start this new chapter in my life that is going to be just… entirely different. But I wonder if it will hold the same pattern. By the same pattern I mean the feverish anticipation of a new school year. Pencils filled with unused lead, notebooks with empty lines waiting to be filled with any number of notes from lectures, folders labeled with the appropriate class titles, even a binder or two with dividers begging to be labeled with various intellectual subject matters. Worksheets and exams waiting to be handed out, textbooks waiting to be cracked open. A world of undone things that, by the time November rolls around, leaves you really only wanting a break from it all.
I wonder if I will find myself burning out earlier in the year, if the work will be too intense, or if I have over-estimated my ability to adjust to such a dramatic change in lifestyle. I feel as though perhaps having had a sibling would have made the process a bit easier. Not that I’m that worried about adjusting to living with another person. I thrive on social situations in most cases. That’s not at the top of my list of worries. I have accepted, on some level, that no matter how much I think I’m prepared for college, it’s going to be an entirely different world, and I can’t be fully ready for it. Even if I have over-estimated my ability to adjust, I think I’ll prevail. I’m a strong person. A lot of things in my life have taught me that, and I am simultaneously ecstatic and afraid for this new adventure, but being the eternal optimist I am, I will err on the side of ecstatic and take it one day at a time. Step by step, if you will.
The First Adventures
Well, the sun has, an hour or two ago, set on the dear city of Santa Fe, and quite honestly, I’m glad to be here. My feet might be sore from walking the downtown plaza and traipsing in and out of various small shops, oohing and ahhing at all the turquoise jewelry handmade by Hopi, the local Native American tribe. Last night, we didn’t do much of anything special. Settled in for the few days ahead of us and grabbed a handful of necessary snack foods to keep us satisfied between meals. Yes, I understand that with my newfound consciousness about what goes into my gullet and where it has come from poses something of an issue for this part of me, but I try to ignore it. I know it’s not a good mentality to take on – the ever classic “Oh, I’ll start the diet next week” kind of thing, but in my current situation, it’s really the only choice I have. And it’s true. I will do my best to start being more conscious about where my food has come from and whether or not it is in season when I get home. It’s just hard to do so far from home when I’m in a very touristy frame of mind. It’s all about the local flavor here and now, which for all I know could mean a lot of gas-guzzling to get the food to my plate. But, though I seem to have a mini Barbara Kingsolver sitting on my shoulder when I sit down to a meal anymore, I push it aside. I don’t want to be annoying with this new lifestyle, after all. Just more aware.
But, that has little to do with the first day or two in Santa Fe. Like I said, the majority of the day today was spent shopping downtown Santa Fe. Although I left with only a dress, a pair of shoes and sunglasses, and a necklace that was, indeed, a gift. The dress came from a very cute little boutique in the plaza, though, and is unlike any other piece in my closet, so I considered it an investment. The necklace is Dichroic glass and has a Native American symbol for victory and valor (a bear) on it. It’s a cute piece that has, from the moment it was presented to me, garnered some serious sentimental value. Once all of us were weary and I was blistered from the idiocy that possessed me into breaking in new shoes while walking the plaza, we made our way back to our little condo-type place and changed into bathing suits for some time at the pool, the majority of which was spent migrating between the actual chill of the pool and the welcoming warmth of the hot tub (neither of these options lasted terribly long for the tub got too hot quickly being in New Mexico and all, and the water was cool enough for me to be chilled within a few moments) and back again. Then, Andrew, Dede, Mary and I headed for another type of mall. A mall where the brand names weren’t price-tagged at hundreds more than I could hope to afford but less authentic than the shops in the downtown area had been. Still, I found some fantastic deals at Wet Seal, and left the mall a happy, if now less wealthy, vacationer.
Tomorrow seems to hold the promise of a two and half hour drive (with only one Dramamine, a situation that will hopefully be remedied before we get too far into the trip. Both Andrew and I are prone to motion sickness) and a lot of exploring of the ancient Aztecs that once inhabited the area. Oh, my aching feet, it seems as though tomorrow’s trip will involve a lot more walking. Here’s to hoping the blisters don’t pester too much.
Tonight, in the hot tub near our building, there was a rather interesting gentleman who came to join Andrew and I just as the two of us were contemplating returning to the air conditioning of our room (Andrew is prone to headaches following an extended hot tub stay). The gentleman and I had a nice, if brief, conversation about a conference that he was here to attend called “Creativity and Madness”. It seemed absolutely intriguing, so the curious and personable part of me inquired further. His answer was that the conference is about brilliant creative minds and an underlying assumption that there is some instability of the mind that helps feed this brilliant creativity. Once more, I was further intrigued. He went on to inform me that tomorrow’s subject was something along the lines of “Stephen King, women writers,” and a third category that escapes me as of now. It was nice to have this short conversation with an interesting man (he made a quip after a story about a hot tub in a Floridian Hilton that was colder than the pool itself about how, with the exception of Paris, he expected the Hilton name to imply some sort of quality), although I might have relished alone time a tad more. Still, it gave me an interesting little story to tell, did it not?
Unfortunately, that is all I have for you today. Not that you’ll know what “Today” is (Well, it’s Monday, August 3, 2009) because all of these posts, it seems, are going to have to be posted at the same time… when I return home.
TTFN!
Entering New Mexico – Random Thoughts
That’s right. We finally got out of Texas and into New Mexico. Even the lack of green and sudden appearance of red and orange clay as a landscape has its charm. In comparison to the vast fields of green and growing crops I see anytime I take a trip near my hometown, it is an interesting, welcome change. The land is so flat, stretching out to a point where you can see the sky meeting the ground. It is a sight to behold, even coming in as a mere tourist with the most touristy of intentions when we settle into Santa Fe in a matter of hours. Somewhere crossing the Texas-New Mexico line, we gained an hour, making the day a brilliant 60 minutes longer. I contemplate why such instantaneous changes can’t happen when you find yourself needing more time in a regular day. What I wouldn’t give for an extra hour sometimes. It might stave off the insomnia, you know?
At any rate, the mesas and plateaus out here are quite beautiful. I half-expect to see a road-runner come bolting across the street with a well-known “meep meep” as a wily coyote chases after with a box of Acme explosives or some sort. It’s very interesting, even from the standpoint of a car. I feel, thankfully, as though all the summer dresses I packed are finally going to get some use. I can’t imagine the desert being cool, although I might not know from the standpoint of an air-conditioned van just yet. The sky is virtually cloudless and the greenery that does grace this landscape is a world apart from the huge oaks and elms I am so used to seeing in Iowa.
The prospect of this new adventure is finally hitting me. Missouri was too similar to Iowa, with the humidity and the rain, the landscape still showing me a lot of green. Amarillo was different, I could tell from the moment we walked into the local steakhouse and were greeted with a deep southern “Come on in, y’all” (I could have sworn he said “Good Mornin’ y’all, which made no sense at eight at night). But still, things didn’t seem as different as I’d expected them to. Now, driving through New Mexico, I can feel the anticipation of the trip dawning on me. There was, a few hundred feet back, an old abandoned bus in a large patch of grass. This is the desert, and good heavens, I am loving it. Now, I know better than to expect the city to be like this, but driving through it all gives me a good enough sense of the idea that I really, truly am on vacation finally to keep me satisfied.
From what I hear, Santa Fe is quite the artsy town, and I am very excited to witness and experience that first-hand. My wallet is full of a lot of cash waiting to be spent on varying degrees of Santa Fe charm. Be it clothes, shoes, accessories, keychains, t-shirts, art, pottery, whatever the city has to offer, I can’t imagine being disappointed. I’m all for new experiences.
On a few notes entirely unrelated to the trip itself, I’ve been realizing as we drive that although I’d like to view myself as a small-town girl at heart, I am beginning to doubt the truth behind that conviction. Every time we’ve found ourselves driving through a major city, a rush has run through me as I smile in awe of the big building and positively bustling nature of everything around me. It’s like I was born to be in the city, no matter how unacquainted I might be with the mannerisms that are often attributed to being in a big city. I mean, sure, I’ll always be an Iowa girl, but I’m definitely seeing that there is a big city girl in me that needs to thrive before my days are through.
Also, I’ve been reading one of the three books on my summer reading list for my Scholars class at Wartburg in the fall, entitled Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. It’s written quite stunningly by Barbara Kingsolver. Upon first picking it up, I can truthfully say that I was not at all enthused about the idea of it, although one of the reviews boasted “This book will change your life…” But now 100 some pages into it, I can see how that might be true. It has me staring at my plate and wondering if what I’m eating is in season, or how far it traveled to be on my plate. It is leaving me with a rather burning desire to get up early on Saturday mornings (I know, gasps of shock were heard throughout the world) and head down to the Farmer’s Market. Buying locally fills my mind now (a rather terrible thing to be unwillingly dwelling on while one is on vacation in a far-off land) and I can feel myself wanting to change my eating habits to a more local, health-focused weekly menu.
With these random thoughts, I will close this post and promise more at the close of my first day in Santa Fe (if I should be fortunate enough to find a wireless internet connection sometime soon.)
On the Road Again
Currently, I’m in the van again. After a three-day stay in Branson, Missouri we are on our way to a one-night stay in Amarillo, Texas. The trip so far has been fairly uneventful, but then again, our final destination and all the touristy goodness that is to come with it has not yet been reached. Our main reason for stopping in Branson? A day for Andrew’s mom to see her father’s grave and a day to visit Andrew’s dad’s Aunt. What else came of the stop on our vacation route? An experiment with hairstyles where I wore mine straight for two days. As I put mousse in my hair this morning, I realized I’d missed the curls something fierce, although when it’s straight, it is significantly easier to brush through. There was fish-feeding of koi in the pond residing on the campus of our resort, and a game of bingo that left me winning a shot glass and some furry handcuffs. Yeah, at that point I was wondering what kind of a resort this was, too.
Other things that transpired from our stay in Branson? Yet another few members of the Kunkle clan reiterating that Andrew and I must come visit some day when we’re married. Whether the statement was entirely true in its intentions or not seems irrelevant. Apparently, we seem functional enough as a couple to predict a lifetime of happiness. It is somewhat comforting, if the amount of pressure registering behind the statement and the idea of an entire two sets of families fully expecting matrimony to someone in the future is a little dizzying. There was a trip through town to Panera in a frantic attempt to obtain a wireless internet connection for the duration of time it would take to drink a cup of coffee and eat a pastry to catch up on everything I could possibly catch up on in said time allotment. I learned how to use the coffee maker in my room without much difficulty (I’m beginning to think I have a sixth sense with these things) despite how confusing it looked. A couple night-time walks through the campus (can I properly call it a campus? I’m not sure what other title I would give it) with Andrew and a lot of time spent out on porches with a book and some music.
Being in such close quarters with the entire family is turning out to be much easier and natural than I might have originally expected. Given that I have more or less been a part of this family for over two and a half years now, I’ve never spent such a concentrated amount of time with just the family, and it is going very smoothly. Here’s to hoping the rest of the trip follows in similar fashion.
TTFN!
