12 Random Facts About Me

In an attempt to make my blog more personal, check out the list below of random facts about me!

1. I’m the youngest child of four, resulting in me being infinitely spoiled by my grandparents as a child and having to learn from my parents at a young age that I, in fact, cannot get everything that I want.
2. Speaking of being the youngest, I always joke about getting the hand-me-down genetics.  To an extent though, I truly do believe it.  I’m only 5 foot half an inch, and I stopped growing in 8th grade.  My two brothers (the oldest two siblings) are both over 6 foot and my older sister is inches taller than me.  So, hand-me-down genetics, right?
3. Being the youngest influenced my parents to bless me with eight names.  Just kidding!  I only have four names but that still confuses everyone- one first name, two middle names, and my last name.  To make matters more confusing, I go by my second middle name.  How?  Two words- my grandma.  She was a saint and helped my parents with me when I was first born (remember, I’m the youngest so my parents were dealing with toddlers and a pre-teen) and she was really in love with the name “Emily,” so when push came to shove, my parents just threw that in after my other middle name because I was the last kid.  I have a hunch that as soon as I was born, my grandma immediately started calling me Emily and that’s how I became stuck with it.  It’s actually a pretty cool story.  Also to note, I have the same name as the royal toddler (Charlotte Elizabeth).  The only difference is the Emily vs. Diana as the second middle name, but I still think it’s pretty cool.
4. I started karate when I was 11.  Chugoku Kenpo Karate, a Japanese style, that literally means “Chinese secret science of the law of the fist and empty hand.”  Also, I was one step away from black belt (in my style, that means a three-striped brown belt) and didn’t move forward to my black belt only because of timing (I was in college, it was difficult to cram all of the testing into summers and holiday breaks).  But I’m very close with my sensei and she’s like a second mom to me.  She’s the first person in the first row on the left.
5. I have done other sports, too!  Karate was my first love, but running is a close second.  I did cross-country and track from middle school through college.  In fact, I just ran my first half-marathon in my hometown last weekend!
   

   

   Two hours and nineteen minutes later…

6. And that handsome man in that picture is my fiancé, who I met in college and have been dating for four years, engaged for two, and who I’m getting married to in just 17 short days!  And in reference to my names that I listed earlier, I told Kyle I was going to hyphenate as a joke to just continue the ridiculous length of my name.
7. Speaking of weddings, I have a kickass pair of heels that I splurged on (treat yo’ self!) but I actually HATE shoes.  I mean I love the heels that I got and I really am looking forward to wearing them, but I hate anything being on my feet, unless they’re sandals where my feet can breathe.  (This means I hate socks, too!). As a side note, when I say “splurge” I really only mean like $60, which is WAY better than what I spend on running shoes (~$100) but it still doesn’t sit well with me to spend that much on one thing.
8. I love walking and running and hiking and traveling to new places.  I’ve been to several states in the US, but I’ve also fortunately had opportunities to travel to England and Germany.  Next on my bucket list: Ireland, Italy, and Switzerland, hopefully!
   

   
9. Here’s a weird one for you that I’m sure not many people can relate to: I HATE cheese.  Absolutely hate it.  Hate the smell, hate the taste, hate the texture.  I’m un-American (my fiancé’s words, not mine).  I’m not sure what happened.  I used to love Mac and cheese as a kid, along with cheesy pizza, but something clicked one day and I gagged when I bit into a previously thought delicious slice of Papa John’s pizza.  To the people who love cheese but cannot have it due to their digestive systems, I’m the worst, and I apologize for my un-Americanness.
10. Speaking of weird things, I have an irrational fear of…..water.  Yep, you read that right.  Whenever I go into a pool, or an ocean, I have to stay in a level where my feet can always touch the ground.  I know what you’re thinking- can you swim, can you tread water?  I can do both of those things.  However, for whatever reason, the moment I’m in a body of water that’s deeper than neck level, I freak out because that’s when I have to be on tippy toes and any further I feel like I’ll drown.  You guys probably think I’m so weird by this point.
11. But something that’s pretty cool and un-weird is my love for tattoos.  I love how the same designs (i.e. Harry Potter tattoos) can mean something completely different to another person, and I love how you can express what you’re feeling on your body.  I have two tattoos, and they’re both for my grandma on my dad’s side who passed away of lung/metastasized breast cancer.  She lived in Texas so I only met her a handful of times before she passed away, but she made a huge, positive impact on my life.  The first tattoo I got was a flower that was designed by my sister.  The second tattoo was from my favorite book, “Slaughterhouse-Five,” and it lists the famous quote, “So it goes…”  My sister and I got that one together in almost the same spot on our bodies.  She has also designed another tattoo from Slaughterhouse-Five with the quote “Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt” in remembrance of my grandparents on my mom’s side (yes, the grandma who gave me my name).  But that is a story for another time.
12. Lastly before this post gets absurdly long, I clean when I’m upset.  Why?  I have no idea.  I supposed it relieves stress?  Any psychologists have any idea why I do this?

 

I’d love to learn about you!  Share a random fact (or several, if you wish), or even rant to me about my un-Americanness in the comments section.  I look forward to reading them!

It Gets Better

You may not always end up where you thought you were going, but you will always end up where you are meant to be. – Unknown.

Over these past few months, my life has taken many unexpected twists and turns.  When I reflect back on a year ago, it’s amazing to see how much I’ve grown and learned about myself within those twists and turns.  For instance, I was just a recent college grad who was struggling to make money as a server for a catering company at this time last year.  To anyone struggling at the moment, it’s important for you to know that it gets better.

It was about this time last year when I received an internship and a freelance writing position, both online, to help me move forward with my dreams.  The internship was short-lived (I learned quickly it wasn’t for me), but the freelance writing filled my heart with happiness as I was finally getting paid to do something that I love.

In December, I was on the phone with my dad hysterically crying about my life and how it was anything but what I expected life to be life after graduating.  I was physically worn out from working insane hours during the Holiday season at the catering company, and stressed due to the lack of articles the freelance writing company was giving me (I later found out they were going in a different direction with their freelance writing- but not before I sent them an e-mail a month later asking if they forgot about me.  Poor professionalism in my personal opinion.).  Sure, the part time job with bi-weekly paychecks and lenient bosses who approved of almost any time off that you requested was incredibly nice.  The hours, however, were not, especially in the slow periods of the year.  During the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced Christmas season, I knew that I needed to find a new path and as soon as possible.

My dad has always been one with words, and he gave me some great advice after listening to me cry for an hour.  He told me that I’m only 22.  I have my whole life ahead of me.  Accepting a job outside of my immediate field right away isn’t necessarily a bad thing- not only will I have a more solid paycheck, but I’ll be gaining experience.  He explained that I’m still young enough to get a job doing what I would like to do, as long as I never let it out of my sight and continue to work towards it.  Being so young allows a multitude of opportunities to present themselves as long as I’m willing to keep an open mind.  And that’s what I did.

It was then that I started creating multiple paths for myself.  I applied to Grad School, various jobs, and looked into employment agencies.  By February of this year, I had two interviews lined up through an employment agency and I was accepted into Grad School for a Master’s Degree in English.

The only way I could afford Grad School was if I received a Graduate Assistantship position.  Then, if I accepted one, the Grad School I was accepted to only paid a slim stipend of a maximum of $4,000 or $5,000 per year.

I never heard back about GA positions until May, when I already accepted a temp-to-hire position as a transcriptionist with a law firm in my area.  I debated whether I should accept it, but considering working part-time wasn’t cutting it anymore, I had to make the decision fast.  I compared the $4,000 to $5,000 stipend to my hourly wage, and taking the transcription position over going back to school seemed like the right path for me to travel down.

It’s now only a short-time later at the law firm and I’m full-time with benefits, and on top of that, two weeks ago I received my first “promotion.”  I’m no longer a transcriptionist- I’m now a legal secretary!  On top of that, the part of the firm I’m working with is a small medical malpractice who merged with us in May and are some of the greatest coworkers I’ve ever had.  It seems like it can’t get any better, right?

Wrong.  One of the attorneys in the med malpractice firm is not only encouraging me to follow my dreams as a journalist; he’s helping me find a way there.  A few days ago, he met with me and told me straight up that he wants me to do something that I actually love to do, not live day by day.  He told me that somehow he would help get me there, as long as I don’t mind being patient.  He has already presented an opportunity to me that could definitely help my future as a writer, but I don’t want to jinx anything before I know if it’s possible.

On top of all of the achievements in my professional world, my personal life has been getting better every day. I never thought I would fall in love with someone, especially at a young age, because of how self-conscious I was by always comparing myself to others.  I never thought my life would get any better in this aspect, but two years and some months ago, I was proven wrong all because a silly boy who was completely intoxicated just happened to land beside me on a couch at a sorority formal.

Fast forward to May 2015, when I went back to my Alma Mater to see my now boyfriend of two years graduate with both my family and his.  It was a great day as I was seeing old friends and faculty who will forever hold a special place in my heart.  Little did I know it was about to get better.

At my graduation, it hailed in 60 degree weather.  At my boyfriend’s graduation, it decided to downpour for a solid fifteen minutes which started shortly after he walked across the stage to receive his diploma.  We all ran for cover into the corridor of the main building on campus, called “Old Main.”  (Picture the outside corridors in Harry Potter– shout out to this blogger for capturing this beautiful view.)  I didn’t pay any mind to everyone gathering around me; I assumed it was all because of the rain, and that it was crowded because of the plethora of alumni, faculty, staff, family and students who had to somehow fit in the space to be sheltered from the storm.

Kyle ran to find his aunt who was lost in the sea of people, but I thought nothing of it because I knew we were all going out to eat after his graduation.  I spoke to my Alpha Xi Delta sisters and friends and family who were surrounding me about the rain, and how ironic it was that two years in a row we had awful weather for graduation.

Next thing I know, I see Kyle running up to me with a nervous expression on his face until he said my name.

“Emily,” he said as he got down on one knee.  “This is not how this was supposed to go because the rain ruined everything but I love you….will you marry me?”

I bawled.

Cried of happiness for a solid ten minutes.  Shaking and smiling and my stomach bursting with butterflies because I was overjoyed.

He made me the happiest girl in the world that day, and continues to make me happier every day that we’re together.  He’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.

Nothing about our relationship has been conventional, and that makes it all the better.  The fact that everything was so rushed and so quick- it was absolutely perfect.  He later told me during our long four hour drive home his actual plan- to propose by the fountain, his elaborate speech that he had been mentally preparing for days, weeks, months.  Everyone congratulated us afterwards and told me how they all knew for months, some even for as long as a year.  Even though I know I’m still young and that I have my whole life ahead of me, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that Kyle is the perfect guy for me.  I feel even luckier to find him at such a young age because that just means that I have longer to spend with him.

I’m thankful to have someone who pushes all of my insecurities aside, who makes me feel like the most loved person in the world, who will do anything for me, who makes me laugh almost every moment we’re together, who listens and gives so much to anyone and everyone around him without asking a thing in return and who proves to me every day that it/life gets better.

Here’s a picture of the fountain where he was going to propose (not taken by me- found on Google):

To anyone who is struggling to find a job after graduation, who is bothered by their self-image, or is upset about anything else in life- it does get better.  I hope my story (and update on my life) can be accepted as proof.  If you would have told me two years ago that I would be working at a law firm while living with my fiance in an apartment in a town two hours from where I was born and raised, I wouldn’t have believed you, and I probably would have laughed.  However, I’m realizing now that, at this moment, this is exactly where I’m meant to be.

Thankful Tuesday: My Parents

I’ve always been thankful for my parents.  However, a couple of recent events in the lives of people who I’m close to realized how truly lucky I really am.  My parents are not even close to being perfect.  They’ve made their fair share of mistakes, just like every other parent and person on this Earth.  But they’ve done plenty of things for me and my siblings that I’m realizing not every other parent in this world does.  And for these reasons, I’m extremely thankful.

1. Paid my way through college:  I graduated almost a year ago from a small, private, liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere, West Virginia.  I was accepted into two out of three of the schools where I applied, and this private college was more pricey than the other one that I was accepted into.  My parents told me to not let the prices affect my decision and that I should go wherever I wanted to and we would figure out the financial decisions after.  One specific college offered me a $9,000 merit scholarship each year, on top of several other grants and another in state scholarship special to West Virginia.  Those lowered the cost of tuition by more than half, so we covered the last half with loans and some help from my parents.  Now my parents didn’t have to help me pay for school, but they did, even on top of paying for my sister’s loans that they took out to help pay.  During school, I met many people who didn’t have the luxury of having any help from their parents, or just a slim amount, and that’s when I realized I’m so lucky to have parents who are willing to help out as much as they possibly can.
2. My dad took out his retirement money to help me: Continuing on with the topic of money, my mom quit her job the summer before my senior year at college.  She was mistreated and overworked, and the job was practically killing her anyway, so it’s both a good and bad thing that she’s not working there any longer.  She didn’t have a job lined up when she quit, nor did she ever find one, so that made it tough on my dad who made twice as less than my mom made.  She was the breadwinner of the family, and my dad had to somehow figure out how to support our family on barely a $30,000-$40,000 income.  Before my final semester at my college, we received a letter about how much money I owed the school, and how I would need to pay it before I was allowed to start my spring semester classes.  I freaked out.  I didn’t want money to be the reason I couldn’t finish college, especially when I only had a semester left.  We thought there was something we could do with financial aid, since my situation had changed (aka my mom losing her job when she was the breadwinner of the family and my dad somehow trying to figure out how to pay my tuition on top of paying the bills and buying food in order to survive), but since we had already turned in the financial aid application, there was nothing they could do.  We even tried to get my dad’s dad to cosign on a loan with me, but that fell through as well because he wouldn’t sign anything electronically and that was the only way it would work.  My dad, being as selfless and amazing as he is, decided to take out his retirement money to pay off my final semester.  He didn’t have to, but he did, because he wanted me to be able to pursue my dreams, which unfortunately can only be done with a college degree nowadays.  I don’t know many other people who would give up their retirement money just to help out their kid, but I’m so fortunate for my dad to do that for me so I could continue on working toward my dreams.
3. They’re always there for me: I know several people who can’t count on their parents for anything, and I’m lucky to have ones that will always have my back.  There was a time in December when I lost faith in ever finding a job.  I was beginning to think that I would be stuck at a catering company/part-time job for the rest of my life, barely making enough money to pay my loans, let alone bills that I still haven’t taken on (but will need to once I start making a set salary at my new job).  I called my parents hysterically crying, ranting about everything that was setting me back from my dreams, and my dad just kept telling me that these were little roadblocks and that things would start looking up if I just stayed positive.  He explained that it’s difficult to stay positive in these times, especially because he knows that I need the money and they can’t do anything to help since they’re barely scraping by, but eventually something would come around and I’d be right back up on my feet again.  He also said that taking a full-time job that wasn’t in my field isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  It’ll give me experience and more money to live comfortably.  I can also keep looking for my dream job while I work at a full-time job so I don’t give up on my dreams.  He explained that I’m only 22, so just because I’m not where I want to be yet doesn’t mean I won’t get there and that I still have the rest of my life ahead of me.  All of this was difficult to understand because he ended up getting stuck at a job where he still is after 25 years and he hates it, but he told me that as long as I keep pushing toward my dreams, I’ll get there.  I wouldn’t have calmed down without his advice, and I wouldn’t have taken a job at a law firm without it, either, because I would still be close-minded to jobs only in my field.  It might take me a while to get to my dream job, but at least I’ll be making money in the process of getting there.  But anyway, I know that whenever I need to talk to my parents, they’ll always be there to listen to me and I’m very thankful for that.
4. They’re helping me move:  Basically, I moved up to Pennsylvania a while ago, but I didn’t want to change my address and everything until I got a full-time job in the state.  Because I have that full-time job now, I need to change my address, get a new ID, get my license plate changed, get my car inspected, etc. etc. etc.  I never realized how much of a pain it was to move, and now I’m slowly realizing that it’s a lot of work.  In order to get my car inspected, I have to get new tires because they’re so dull that they wouldn’t pass inspection.  My parents are in the process of selling their house and in order to close on that house but until it closes, they have still been paying the mortgage.  They offered after it closes and they get some money, they would be willing to help pay for any fees I may encounter while switching everything over and also to help pay for new tires.  I have some friends whose parents leave them up to figure everything out on their own, so I’m especially thankful that my parents still offer to help until I start making a good salary so I can pay for everything on my own.

There are plenty of other reasons why I’m thankful for my parents, but these are the big ones that are currently prevalent in my life.  I hope that anyone who reads this will appreciate their parents for everything that they’ve done for you.  And if your parents haven’t done anything for you, I hope that you’re thankful for someone in your life who has at least helped you find your footing to get set on the right path.