Back to School

I officially survived my entire first week here at Iowa! I've got to say, I think I am falling in love.

All of my classes seem very interesting which is great, but the best part is not how interested I am in them but how interested my peers and professors seem to be about them. I have always believed that the most effective teachers are ones that are teaching because the subject actually excites and intrigues them, not because it is solely their job. My first class at Iowa was a Human Origins lecture and the professor announced that he is only a sub for the week because our real professor is uncovering fossils in Southeast Asia...what?! I thought that was only what professors in movies did!
I'm taking a modern dance class and it is amazing because I like to pretend I go to a fine arts school where an actual graded class involves stretching, across the floor, and short combos. Is a dance minor ahead in my future? Possibly because the dance school here is just lovely and the girls are wonderful and we have an actual musician. That's right, everyone! Instead of the teacher hitting play on a stereo, an actual guy picks up on the desired rhythm and plays drums for us-it is impossibly cool.
My first day of my journalism class, we watched the Anaconda music video, first thing in the morning at 9:30 am. We're covering all types of media and how we as a public are consuming this media, which will be so interesting. Yesterday was my first discussing for that class and my TA put a photo on the board and asked us to guess where it was, seeing as it was her hometown. I threw my hand in the air like the snobby know-it-all kid and practically yelled "Columbia, Missouri!" She had gone to Mizzou and was from CoMO, had a nose ring, hair just like mine, and studied the PR side of journalism. I think her and I will get along just swimmingly.
My two other classes are Interpretation of Literature and Screening Latin America which I am already just eating up because film and books are two of my favorite things in the world, of course.

So I am loving my classes here clearly, but the thing I am really loving is all the SUPER COOL HIPSTER ARTSY INTERESTING PEOPLE! They are just everywhere. It is so cheesy and kind of embarrassing to say but I keep feeling extremely inspired by everyone around me whether it's because of their hair, their conversation, or the way they dress, all of the people here are so different and they all have something really special and captivating about them. So I've put together my back to school necessities because everyday when I wake up I feel challenged to wear something uniquely me that is different from everyone else:

Top left is a hamsa necklace. I don't have this exact one but it is double layered and I wear it constantly because it goes with everything, doesn't get in the way, and is just the right amount of jewelry for me.
Top right is a flannel which is not different from everyone else but gosh dang I just love flannels, I would wear one everyday. It's been a bit cold in the mornings so I will wear it with a tank or t-shirt under and then when it warms up in the afternoon, I'll wrap it around my waist. Nothing beats a nice flannel from Goodwill.
Bottom left is a lace bralette. I honestly think I have worn my grey bralette from Urban Outfitters every single day this week. I'm wearing it right now as well. It goes with everything, is crazy comfortable, and all the duties of wearing a bra are covered except if this one shows, it's not a big deal. In fact, I think it's cuter if it does show just a bit. These are a staple and I really need to invest in maybe a few more...don't tell my dad.
Bottom right is a buddha candle. Now my buddha candle is turquoise but this white one will have to do for the sake of display. I cannot seem to ever have enough candles. Let me take a quick second to count all the flames currently lit in my room as I lay on my bed typing...13, people. They make my room smell amazing and there is something so calming about candlelight.

I don't have any food pictures from this week because it's been a bit crazy around here. And of course by crazy, I mean that Clancy, Mary, and I sat on the couch and cuddled all of yesterday. Nothing is more fun than all three of us piled in my bed making fun of each other. I feel like Annie in the sense that I can't help singing in my head, "I think I'm gonna like it here!"

First Day of School Eve

'Twas the night before school started and all through Big Red, not a creature was stirring, not even the rabbit in the shed. The backpacks were hung in the closet without care, in hopes that syllabus week soon would be there. The three girls were nestled all snug in one bed, while visions of the Pentacrest danced in their heads. And Mary in her kerchief and I in my robe, had just settled in to our humble abode. When out on the porch there arose such a clatter, I ran to the living room to see what was the matter. Away to the front door I flew like a flash, I tripped on the rug and fell on my ass(h). A crack on the floor of the newly grey porch, gave way to another fall adding fire to my temper like a torch. When what to my wandering eyes did appear, but a miniature girl carrying a backpack with cheer. With a case full of pencils and a face like a dolly, I knew in a moment she must be my friend, Molly. More rapid than IC traffic the exclamations came, she whistled and shouted and called each three by name. "Come Clancy, come Morgan, come Mary to me! Let's grab some Tostitos and watch some TV! Get out the face masks, the hair cream, and nail polish, we've got some blackheads we need to abolish!" As leaves that might not yet begin to change, soon there will be tailgates quickly arranged. So into the closets all the girls flew, with hands full of jerseys and black and gold bibs too. And then all of a sudden, I heard in the next room, "Cheerleader" playing loudly, loud creaks and a boom. As I opened the door and swiveled my head, there was dear Clancy, dancing on the bed. She was dancing and singing and having a jolly time, for us not to join in would be a great crime! A bundle of girls all screaming and laughing, we could barely notice the whole house cracking. Their eyes, how they twinkled, their singing voices-so scary! Their moves were like Beyoncé's, their faces so merry! Their recently washed hair was drawn up knots, they were dancing so much they were starting to sweat lots. They crashed to the floor in complete defeat, they can't be back-up dancers, they have to compete. They all had red faces and little round bellies that shook when they laughed like a bowl full of jelly. They were excited to start this brand new school year, but looked at each other with a face full of fear. With a wink of an eye and twist of a head, the whole house was instantly clean and they had nothing to dread. They spoke not a word but went straight to their hair, before the heat came and they needed some prayers. And laying their clothes out beside their bed, they brushed their teeth and looked forward to the day ahead. They yelled out "I love you!" before their doors shut, and with one last glance, Clancy fell on her butt. But I heard her exclaim, ere she was closed out of sight- "Good luck during syllabus week to all and to all a good night!"

I unfortunately used all of my creative energy on that poem above so I suppose I will leave you all with photos of my latest cuisine creations:

Shrimp campanelle: The shrimp was baked in a paste formed from garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. After combined with the cooked noodles, we added feta and basil. This was so delicious I want to make this every day, wow yum.

Salmon with quinoa, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and mixed fruit. I used olive oil and seasoned salt and threw it on the George Foreman (of course, right?). It was a great and easy meal and apparently, "the healthiest meal I've ever eaten" in Corbin's words.

Also, speaking of food, I experienced my first DP Dough calzone and, wow. I almost wish I hadn't because there is no way that is any kind of good for you but it changed my perspective on the world. 

I'm excited for school tomorrow! It really hasn't hit me yet that I'm actually going to school here and going to be sitting in a classroom tomorrow as a student. That's life! Goodnight to all and happy first day of school to all the Iowa students and many others:)

Year Twenty Fish Finds

This week has been absolutely JAM-PACKED and I haven't been able to post about it due to the fact that we only yesterday got cable and internet (text us, FaceTime us, Facebook message us, we are no longer cavemen!) Dealing with Mediacom was one of my first learning lessons. I even got to name our wifi (BigRed) and choose the password (..lol just kidding suckers don't steal our signal)! I will try to keep this post at only children's novel length!

I turned 20! It's kind of a sad birthday because it's the "aww honey you're almost there!" year. But I had a great day with friends and even threw the first party at the house! Okay, just kidding, sorry mom. But I did have a few people over! You know the people are your real friends when they didn't even leave your house messy.

The biggest lesson I am learning at the house, besides that you actually have to water plants everyday,   is how to feed myself. Nothing screams college like wanting to make something and realizing you do not have any of the ingredients, utensils, or skills to make it whatsoever. My freezer currently contains three things: frozen salmon, frozen tilapia, and an ice-cube tray. A few days ago I decided to try my luck with tilapia on the George Foreman grill (we don't have a real grill). So I'm all excited about this delicious and healthy grown-up meal I'm about to have when I realize that we do not have lemon juice or olive oil, both things almost any recipe I saw (had to Google of course) called for. So I improvise and grab the butter and slap it on the grill. I'm feeling pretty proud of myself as I sit at the table and start eating the very thin end of the fish. Well kids, here is the main lesson to this story: you have to let frozen food thaw before you cook it.

After that embarrassing lesson I decided to put aside my pride and try again last night. I did it! Still no lemon juice or olive oil but I used butter and some seasoning salt on my thawed fish and it was delicious. I paired it with some quinoa that I made the day before because the directions made enough for an entire family and I wasn't quite that hungry.

There it is, my tilapia á la George Foreman.

Today is a huge day for the Noonan Family because on this very day, my sister Mackenzie receives her white coat! Dang, she is always setting the standards way too high for the rest of us. I'm so excited to see all that she is able to do with her life and how lit up and excited she gets from talking about cadavers. What a lady! But in all seriousness, Mac is a genius and has always been such a good model for me in hard work and following your heart to make sacrifices in order to do what you love. So proud of you Macadoo and can't wait until you can deliver my babies! She doesn't actually know for sure what field she wants to go into yet but that's what I'm pushing for.

Currently as I'm writing this on the porch, Clancy walks over to me and asks, "are you writing about our adventures last night?" 

Confused, I ask, "what adventures?"

"You know, we watched Matilda together last night and went to bed at 10 pm?"

And that pretty much sums things up right now. Today is also an exciting day for Clancy and I because our third roommate, Mary, is finally returning from Florida and we miss her dearly! Soon it will be the three amigos all officially together for good in the Big Red House!

Last Day as an AMPER

Today marks my last day as an intern at Amperage Marketing! This summer has absolutely flown by and I have gained more knowledge than I ever that was possible in a summer.

I began this internship extremely unsure of myself and thinking that, because I was younger than usual, I would be doing a lot of the "coffee run" type duties around the office. That was not so! My first day I was given a pile of research to sift through and make notes of important facts and details and I knew that this summer would be a challenge and a time for me to gain an insurmountable amount of experience. Not to mention I was given a badge-how professional!

During my time at Amperage I was able to meet, discuss, and learn from some absolutely inspiring and knowledgeable professionals with exciting ideas. I was able to attend client meetings, see a video production shoot and editing, help to organize the company's YouTube channel, help create a visual infographic, and learn about creating and reporting an organization's social media plan. I learned how to optimize my LinkedIn page, how to create my own website, and the importance of having a blog (hence the creation of the page you are currently on).

My favorite part about my internship at Amperage was all of the accomplished people I was able to meet. I have nothing but respect and admiration for every person I worked with at Amperage-they all do such amazing work that they really care about! It was truly incredible to see how every employee brought something special to the table and were able to collaborate with everyone else's talents to give clients a truly unique and satisfying experience.

I also gained two new friends through this job! Alison and Katie have been so helpful to me, not only with the work I have done at Amperage, but with my future academic and professional career, and with my transition to the University of Iowa. They gladly answered any and all questions I had-no matter how stupid ("What does CRM stand for?") and, whether they know it or not, provided me with so many tips and tools to succeed. Alison inspired me to start this blog and create my website and Katie has continuously been an example of how to be a professional and challenge myself.

Overall, I am so happy I was able to have the experience I did with all of the AMPERS. I gained experience far beyond that of working at a marketing agency. I was able to realize what I am truly interested in and how to set myself up for success in the professional world.

Thank you AMPERS!!

Manic Monday...and Tuesday

Whew! The past few days have been a whirlwind and I can honestly say I am not sure I have ever been more tired in my entire life. My eyeballs are acting like toddlers upset with me for not letting them close.

We moved into our new house on Monday and it really seems to be coming together really well! The stairs may creak unbelievably loudly and there may be spiders in the window, but the house really has something quite special about it. You can tell that it has history and so many people before us have made memories they will never forget there.

I absolutely love my room because it is zen and comfy and has plants all over, not to mention the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. However, the porch is my favorite place in the house. Every morning I grab a cup of coffee or tea and just sit and people watch. It is so quiet and lovely, the best way to start my day.

Life has been a bit stressful having to commute and run all over the place! Not many people are moved in yet so it's a bit quiet there now. I think next week more people will be there and it will great to not have to leave! We will also have cable and internet next Thursday so booyah!

Latest Obsession

I will be the first to admit that I am one of those people that try millions of "too good to be true" products because of celebrity endorsement. Most of the time I order or purchase these items knowing fully well that they will most likely not work but there is something about trying out new items that I am a sucker for. My latest purchase has been seen in the hands of celebrities such as Ashley Benson, Kylie Jenner, Vanessa Hudgens,and Lord Disick, just to name a few.

So I gave in to my curiosity, went to the FitTea website, and ordered myself a 14-day teatox. There were a few things I was pleasantly surprised by when I received my order in the mail: for one, the bag is full of individual packets of tea which makes it very easy, rather than measuring and purchasing your own tea bags to enjoy the product, the second thing was that IT TASTES SO GOOD! I consider myself a pretty avid tea drinker but mostly in the evening and mostly as a calming and soothing drink. This tea has a slightly citrus taste and would be excellent with a bit of honey, though I haven't tried it for myself. From my first sip, I didn't care if this stupid fitness tool was supposed to work, I was glad I bought it solely for how delicious it was. The last thing, there are benefits that absolutely work like the tea advertises! Though I have not weighed myself (a rant for another post on another day), I can tell that I feel so much more energized and just overall better. When my 4:30 pm workout comes around, I do not look at that treadmill with drooping eyes or jump into bed afterwards for a nap. I feel great! 

So there's my little rant about FitTea. I bring up the wonderful hot beverage to introduce my breakfast choice for today (and actually many days). I love weekends because I am actually able to workout in the morning and feel accomplished rather than waiting until the end of the work day. I really try not to eat before I workout because a. working out on a full stomach makes me feel a bit tired and not quite as strong, and b. because I want to save my food as a refuel for when I am done working hard. 

On the back of the FitTea bag, it advises that you drink one cup of tea everyday either in the morning or before a workout. I am just one of those people who are hungry as soon as they wake up so having a cup of tea before I workout gives me a little fuel before I workout while letting me save my meal for after. After a warm cup, I headed off to the gym where I put some miles in. I am a treadmill in the gym runner which is not something you here very often but, again, that is another rant for another post on another day. Upon returning, I made one of my favorite breakfasts that I eat probably 2-3 times every week. It's no new recipe that I can claim as my own, but if you aren't already eating this, you should!

I make an over-easy egg and while it's on the stove, I pop a piece of whole-grain bread in the toaster. While those are cooking, I grab and avocado (I prefer it to be pretty soft for this recipe). I spread the avocado on the finished toast (why I like it to be soft so it spreads almost like butter, however, chunks work as well and are just as yummy) and plop the egg right on top. Ugh it is delicious and clearly crazy easy! Avocados and eggs are probably two of my favorite foods so there will be many more recipes including them to follow. Wake up and empower and fuel your body and you will not regret it when you feel energized and awake all day! Not to mention how satisfied you will be with yummy-ass egg yolk dripping down your chin. Happy Sunday!

The Beginning

So here I am, a college student ready to move in to this big red house a few blocks from campus with two of my best friends in the world. The move is sure to bring about many changes and challenges but I am sure it will be a year to remember and a story to tell the grandchildren about. Exhausted after a day spent cleaning and arranging, visions of what the completed house will look like seem to haunt me back at my parents' house.

I've started this blog to document what I already know will be the time of my life, in the best way that I know how. I'm sure there will be fights, dirty dishes in the sink, and hair absolutely everywhere. But I'm also sure that there will be wine and movie nights, "Back in Black" blaring on Saturday mornings, and barefoot dancing on the hardwood floor with two crazies whom I am proud to call best friends. I cannot even imagine my life being dull while I am spending my time in The Big Red House.