Senior year stuff kicked us both in the butt--stressful college decisions and tying up loose ends left us without a second of free time but we're done!
12 years of public schooling are behind us...it's so weird to think about...but both of us are ready for the change ahead of us.
That brings us to a very important announcement:
WE'RE GOING TO COLLEGE!!!
Anastasia will be attending the University of Maryland, College Park this fall (Go Terps!) while Hannah will be attending the University of South Carolina, Columbia (Go Cocks!).
Even though we'll be very far apart (about 9 hours), we plan to keep in touch and continue running this little gem of a blog we've created.
Because we haven't been posting at all, really, we thought we would post a recap of our senior year (still can't believe it's over):
Band Camp
Last Football Game
Disney
Hot Sauce (we wrote a play and it was performed!)
Winter Formal
Sequel (our school's creative writing magazine)
the og babe squad
Halloween
Stage Crew
Fall Play: She Kills Monsters
Spring Musical: Beauty and the Beast
The Biggest Blizzard Ever
My dad, my brother, me, and our snowman named Conrad
Artfest (a celebration of art organized by Sequel)
Way back in February our school's marching band rode a bus down south for 16 hours. We were Disney bound. With only three day in the park, we hoped to make the most of our senior trip with our band-mates. As the end of the year, and the end our our high school career, approaches we knew this trip would be a pinnacle experience. Just like many others, I grew up listening to Disney music from all the fantastic films. Disney means more to me now than it did when I was younger; Everyone knows a Disney song can brighten any rough day. Moreover, we were all thrilled to miss a day of school, escape the cold weather, and enjoy some momentary freedom. Obviously, I couldn't capture every moment and place we visited, but here are a few highlights from our trip to Universal Studios, Disney World, and Epcot!
Day 1
Entering the newly added portion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Needless to say, I was very excited to see Diagon Alley.
This summer, all of my friends seemed to be acquiring small backpacks that made carrying necessities much easier, and I loved the idea. Purses are not my jam...they're annoying to keep on my shoulder and lug around, but a backpack is small and compact and fits nicely on your back so that you can be hands-free.
These friends coined the term "adventure pack" to describe the bags' functionality when it came to, well, going on adventures!
I actually have #1 in a bright turquoise rather than a hot pink, and I love it. It's big enough to fit anything I might need, but looks a lot smaller than it is. If you're looking for a bigger backpack, 3,5, and 6 may do the trick. They're not adventure packs so much as they're bags you could use as overnight bags or book bags.
Ah, who doesn't love old trends making a comeback? Iridescent prints are being revived from the 90's and I'm totally on board with this trend. The print is chic, sleek, with a touch of futuristic. Holographic items are practical because of their versatility but add just the right amount of fun and pizzazz to any outfit. These are just a few everyday staples that are sure to catch some eyes because of their iridescent shine.
We're about a month into the new year, 2016, and chances are you've already given up all your New Year's Resolutions. Spending the last week of December 2015 writing down some embarrassingly unrealistic goals (including exercising more, losing weight, finishing those books by your bedside, or learning ~something new~) was a futile attempt at promising yourself this year will be different. And now here we are, all of us feeling like inept failures.
But don't worry, you are not inept, or a failure. New Year's Resolutions are awful. They force us to criticize and change ourselves and our lifestyles. I detest the phrase "New Year, New You." Instead of focusing on upsetting our entire way of life, we should celebrate another year of growth and memories, both of which have added to our individual identities.
If you are among those who have abandoned your Resolutions, you are not alone, not even in the slightest. University of Scranton found that only 8 percent of people are successful in achieving their goals. That means that an overwhelming majority, 92 percent, fail. January 1st is not the end-all-be-all for changing your life. The goals we set at the beginning of the year do not account for anything the new year has in store for us. New Year's Resolutions are dangerously distant. Obviously some goals are supposed to be long-term, such as going to college, but that steps that you need to get to that point are short-term. Changes take place day-by-day, constantly, and in the present. Do not be discouraged if you haven't completed the remarkably (and probably purposefully) vague goal of losing weight. Implementing a plan, such as making a weekly work-out schedule, is a much more effective way to make daily progress towards achieving a broader goal. If you've given up, at least for now, don't make excuses or blame yourself. It just sort of happens. And instead of directing your attention on whether or not you've executed or failed a Resolution, relish the moments that are unplanned. Savor the moments where you feel exhilarated and learn from the adversity that you've made it through. These are the true achievements that define us. Forget the stupid commercials and pop culture pressure to magically transform your life. I certainly don't want one day, Janurary 1st, dictating how I am going to be spending the remainder of my year. Many things we will accomplish throughout this year will most likely be either unplanned or outcomes of small efforts we've made year-round. So throw away your irrelevant list of New Year's Resolutions (if you haven't lost it already) and simply strive to be the best person you can be everyday, every year. xoxo, Anastasia
If you noticed, the background picture from this is from Fantasia, and that's where I heard this for the first time. For most of my childhood, I knew this as the "Pegasus song from Fantasia". The 2 Fantasia movies are where I was first exposed to classical music--if you find yourself unable to just listen to a 30 minute song, I definitely suggest watching them. Because there's something to look at, a story is being told, the viewer is more engaged and less likely to be bored.
Anyway, this is a masterpiece. It truly does evoke images of a field or a meadow. It's beautiful and lyrical and I just really love listening to it.
You will 100% recognize at least one of these. Popularized sometime in the 1950s, this 4-movement work tells a story of 2 violent and extreme seasons, and 2 seasons of serenity and frivolity. I've now seen this live twice, and I really do love it. The concert master at the BSO (the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra) truly does the solos justice.
This is a great piece to listen to if you're really new to classical music because you'll know the tune of at least one of the seasons and knowing the tune makes it much easier to stomach.
This is the first classical piece that I truly got into.
A few years ago, my parents dragged my brother and I to the BSO to see satellite images of each of the planets accompanying their respective movements. It was fantastic and I found myself really getting into the piece, especially the Mars and Jupiter movements. Mars is very Star Wars-y, see if you can identify what the Imperial March echoes.
Another piece I was exposed to via Fantasia, I had forgotten about it until we sight-read an arrangement of the 4th movement last year in Wind Ensemble and I was like "Oh my gosh! This is the flying whale song!!!"
For any of you who have seen Fantasia 2000, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If not, you probably think I'm insane but that's ok.
It's quite a majestic piece, but I would suggest the 1st and 4th movements...the 2nd and 3rd movements are very very slow and quiet and I prefer the faster moving portions, but this piece has something for everybody.
Another piece I saw live before I really appreciated it, this symphony took me a while to get into, but I'm glad I did. It's truly majestic and you can totally feel the "from the new world" vibe. This has become one of my favorite symphonies and my dad, someone I consider to be more of a classical connoisseur than myself, also placed this in his top 5 most important classical pieces list.
