Why my Roommate is the best thing that happened to me in 2015

Let me just start off saying that I have had a LOT of roommates. Seven to be exact. Girls are hard to live with, myself included. It's even harder to be friends with your roommate. When the dishes pile up, you get annoyed, and the last thing you want to do is be besties with the perpetrator.

But when you find a good roommate, you know. When you find a great roommate, people will start questioning your sexuality, and you don't even care because you can't imagine doing stuff without your platonic other half. 

With that bond comes a great year of memories and many reasons why my roommate was the best thing that happened to me in 2015:

The bat-shit-crazy stuff she says.

If I had a dollar for every time I laughed at something crazy my roommate said, I would be a gazillionaire. Whether she's trying to cheer me up, annoy me, or just having a conversation, my roommate says some of the craziest stuff I've ever heard. Some of my faves...
"Awkward... the romantic music is coming on and I'm over here like I just want another hot dog."

"Can you listen to me in the eyes please?"

"Peace out butter scout."

"If I would have stayed home tonight, I just would have eaten jalapeno dip. What?! At least I'm honest..."

Sending the same guys the same questions on our dating apps.

Sitting next to each other swiping guys left and right. I turn to my roomie and ask if this guy is cute, "Oh I totally just matched with him... Let's send the same message to him and see if he notices..." Hysterical laughter ensues.

Sharing a closet.

AKA Me stealing her clothes. Thanks boo for keeping me stylish.

Drunkenly stumbling into her bed because I want to hang out.

Obviously the best and most crucial time to hang out is at 2:30am when our Uber driver drops us back at home. Sure, you might be sleeping, but who cares?! It's hang out time!! And don't lie, you love it. Or at least your snapchats followers do because let's be honest, I'm hilarious.

Debating what to say to the guys we're texting.

"No don't say that, it's too forward." "Oh, Oh, say this..." "Ew, don't text him back."

It's nice to have that sounding board.

Crying together.

Well, mostly, me crying. Because you're kind of heartless sometimes. But you are always there to listen to my dramatic sobs, and I appreciate that a LOT. And you know I always have your back when you break down and let those tears sneak out.

Ridiculous Youtube videos.

... That we watch from separate rooms in our apartment. And then hear the other person laughing, so we run into the room and watch it again. Laughter ensues even harder.

Wrestling with life decisions.

To go back to your ex or not to go back to your ex. (Don't go back, obviously....) To switch jobs or not? To chop off your hair or not? To go to the gym or not? I love that we can always have these conversations, even if we judge the crap out of each other for the outcome. I'll only judge you for a little bit. (Cough, your ex, cough.) It's just because we love each other. 

Literally wrestling.

Yeah, it happens every once in a while. 

The Snapchats. 

Documenting our crazy lives is one of the funniest and most accurate things about our friendship. From throwing gummy bears at me at the grocery store, to trying to catch popcorn and cookies in our mouths from across the room, to taking apple cider vinegar shots, to drunk ramblings; Our snapchat friends are able to see little bits of the chaos we create.

The CAR-aoke sessions.

"Hello.... It's Me.... I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet." We belt that ish at the top of our lungs. We get really into these songs. We dance, and almost run off the road with our dance moves. We lose our voices. All for the sake of a good car-karaoke (or CAR-aoke) sesh and it's always a blast.

Having you become my best friend.

The longer we live together, the crazier our adventures get. The more awesome inside jokes we rack up. The more stupid quotes. The crazier near death experiences we have while you are driving. I have never been besties AND good roommates with anyone and I am so thankful to share our crazy little Portland adventure together. 

I may have been single for 2015, but I had my roommate, and that might even be better.

Follow our adventures on Instagram #emmieandsarahlove or #myroomieismybestie

These Aren't My New Year's Resolutions: The 10 Things I Demand from 2015

New Year's Resolutions are dumb.
No sugar coating it.

People think that by setting this public goal, they're automatically going to develop this super-human dedication to lose thirty pounds. They purchase their gym membership and then go for a week, MAYBE a month, before giving up. They say they'll quit smoking and then two weeks in, they forget that it's their resolution and light up.

New Year's resolutions are oftentimes unrealistic and frustrating. NEWS FLASH. Life is frustrating.

(Whoa, whoa, whoa Sarah... Where is your positivity?!?! That was SO cynical!)

Hear me out. The word 'Resolution' is defined by the Oxford dictionary as "the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter." So creating all of these resolutions are basically the act of creating end goals without creating the game plans. How does that make sense?!

So how can we create these goals in 2015 without setting ourselves up for failure?

I love looking at language and how to spin the situation using certain words to change the meanings, and that's just what I did! I've decided to create my 2015 New Year's DEMANDS. A 'demand' is defined as "an insistent and peremptory (insisting on immediate attention) request, made as if by right." I'm making these insistent changes in 2015 as if by right, because guess what? It's my right to make changes!!! 

Here are my ten demands for 2015:

1.) Learn to keep my mouth shut.
I'm not going to lie, this one was completely inspired by a recent blog post on Elite Daily called New Year's Resolution Remix: 15 Things to Stop Doing in 2015. Their number one resolution of change was to stop showing and telling everyone about everything. That hit me so hard. As you all know, I am an OPEN BOOK. I will talk about anything with anyone; discuss my sexual abuse with the CEO of my work (along with 12 other people), DONE, write a blog post about getting dumped hard, CHECK, telling everyone that I embarrassingly got into a strangers vehicle outside of work, YEP.  However, there's no need to post on Facebook six times a day. I don't need to have my phone on me at ALL TIMES. I need to find a bit more balance in my real life, and not focus on my virtual life...which brings me to my next point.

2.) Be present.
I NEED to put my phone down. I need to buy a camera, a real life camera (not just my iPhone) and capture moments. I need to immerse myself back into my art. I need to write down the little moments. The present is passing by at every ticking second and I'm missing a lot of it. I need to be present.

3.) Increase my savings.
My friend Craig posted a photo the other day of a savings plan. The first week of the year, you put one dollar in your savings account. The second week, you put two dollars in your savings account. The tenth week, you put ten dollars in yours savings account. The 32nd week, you put 32 dollars in your savings account. You get it? I'm doing it. By the end of the year, you should have put away $1,378.00 into your savings. That's happening.

4.) Make my bed.
I am not a tidy person. Any of my former roommates will tell you that. Any of my close friends will tell you that. Anyone who has stepped into my bedroom EVER will tell you that. My goal is to start making my bed. A little effort goes a long way. You never know, this first step could lead to a myriad of other tidy habits... I might actually start putting my laundry away right after its done too... Whoa now, let's not get too ambitious.

5.) Heal my heart.
I thought it was healed. It isn't. It's healing, but it's not healed. Unfortunately, time and optimism are the only things that will cover this demand.

6.) Love my body.
I am so much better at this than I have been in the past, but I have a lot of growth left to see in this topic. One of the best ways to love your body is to take care of it. I've definitely improved my exercise plan in 2014, but in 2015, I want to step up my nutrition game. I'll be starting off the year with the Whole30 Challenge! Regardless of my nutrition or exercise, I would like 2015 to consist of more body-positive dialogue. Tell myself what I'm doing right, instead of commenting on my flaws. Continue taking care of myself.

7.) Fall in love and date.... myself.
If you are in a good relationship, you are able to have fun, to communicate, and to adventure. In 2015, regardless of my dating life, I want to date MYSELF. I want to do fun things and go on adventures and be true to me. There is nothing wrong with doing fun things alone. Why should you be forced to wait on other people to see that one movie, or try out that new restaurant? If I want to be happy with another person, I first need to be confident in my own emotions, interests and perspectives. 2015 will be the best relationship I've ever had... with me.

8.) Read a book a month.
I cheated, I started my January book in December. I'd like to do a book review at the end of each month. January starts off with the book Love Does, by Bob Goff. I love reading and I look forward to having the free time to explore more literary opportunities.

9.) Meet my fitness goals.
2014 was AWESOME in regards to getting into the correct mindset of a true life-long fitness journey. It was not an immediate-results experience, but more of a "why is this not working... holy crap, when did I make so much progress?!" I have two major fitness goals for 2015.
       1- ACTUALLY get my Zumba Instructor certification. This was my 2014 goal and unfortunately I couldn't make it happen, but dang it, I'm signed up for my class to get certified on February 21st! It's going to happen y'all!!! I've got two stellar instructors (who have become great friends) that have agreed to help out in mentoring me on that big step! Hopefully by 2015, I will be teaching my very own class!
       2- DO A PULLUP. Unassisted. I will probably cry when I get there but that is happening this year.

And finally, 10.) Give.
I found a quote a couple weeks ago and I could not have worded a mantra for 2015 any better. The quote says this:

I aspire to be a giver. A giver of good vibes and a giver of strength.

I cannot wait to give. How I'm going to do that, I'm not quite sure. What I do know is that I'd like to give back, give love, give encouragement, give hugs, give funds, and give confidence. I have been so incredibly blessed in my life, despite my struggles, so 2015 is going to be showing appreciation through giving.



2014 hard but it was the year of positive thoughts and my goodness, it taught me SO much. The positive thoughts aren't going anywhere. The positivity will remain. But 2015 is going to be something spectacular. I don't know what, and I don't know how, but I know. It's a big year and I can't wait to share it with you all.

So lift that champagne glass, or red solo cup, or glass of water, or juice box.
Thank you for 2014 and Cheers to 2015.

If I could write a letter to me...

Dear 15 year-old Sarah,

You are about to embark on the most awesome life. Seriously. You get to experience some really incredible things. You get to witness love, excitement, loss, and the most incredible laughter. You'll get hugs that repair your heart and hugs that will leave you completely crippled. You'll meet people who will change your life forever. As I'm looking back on the person I was my freshman year of high school from my 23 year old eyes, there are some things that I would want to tell you if I could.


Don't drink pink panty droppers. EVER. You won't remember those nights and you usually don't make very good choices at that point. Anything with that many types of alcohol is a bad idea.

Making out with a stranger WILL happen. (Sorry Mom...) It won't make you feel better about yourself and it tends to make things a bit more awkward later on in life. However, you usually will have friends that save you from your own stupidity.

Put yourself out there. People will judge you. Screw 'em.

Learn to dance ASAP. You'll meet incredible people and it's a fantastic workout. Plus, guys that know how to dance are officially your type because they are sexy as heck. It also helps you gain a whole new level of self confidence that you never knew existed. And guess what?! You're not half bad!!!

Forcing yourself to throw up is never a good idea. Which leads me to the next point.

Take care of your body. You only get one. Skinny is overrated and usually unhealthy. 800 calories a day is stupid. Vomiting is unhealthy and causes so much more BAD than you can imagine at this point. Fueling your body to be fit is the best way to take care of yourself. Don't get me wrong, laziness is great, but like everything, it should be done in moderation. Exercise is one of the best things to combat depression, and you'll face that more than once. Taking care of your body also makes you feel so much better about yourself, physically and mentally. When you are fit, you look hot, and your confidence shows.

Be a dork. It's your thing. You're good at it and it comes easily. Don't fight it. With your sense of humor, you can have fun with most people and when you're being silly, people feel more at ease. Laughter makes any situation better, I promise.

You learn a lot when you start dating. Don't be afraid. Again, you have to put yourself out there. You're going to get shut down, and friend zoned, and blown off, and stood up, but believe it or not, some of those trainwrecks lead you to some great people.

Heart break is literally the worst thing on the planet, (with hangovers pulling at a close second) but also one of the most influential forces of nature. You will be crippled. You will cry more than you thought humanly possible and you will be betrayed, Benedict Arnold style. It will cause you to question everything, yourself and your decisions included. But it will also grow you. You'll find a strength that you never knew existed. You will pick yourself up when you feel like everything on the planet is pulling you down. You'll laugh between the moments of weakness because you are strong and you can't be destroyed. You become a stronger woman, a more compassionate woman, and a smarter woman.

Peach Burnett's is a bad idea. Correction, any sweet alcoholic beverage is a bad idea, but Peach Burnett's is the worst.

It's okay to whole-heartedly love Taylor Swift. Her albums will literally heal you. She's putting all your feels into words. And she does so in an eloquent and rather catchy way. Turn the music up and JAM GIRLFRIEND.

Open your sun roof at every possible chance. Turn your music up loud and be glad that you are blessed to have yet another day on this earth.

You will see loss. It's hard to see those around you lose someone and it's even harder when you lose someone yourself. Hug everyone you love as frequently as possible and don't let anyone go without knowing how you feel about them.

Don't buy the Jetta... actually, you gain some pretty incredible people in your life from that piece of shit, just sell it earlier.

Don't start texting and driving. It's like quitting smoking. Impossible, but worth it.

Exercise is not for someone else, it's for you, and when you finally get the hang of it, you end up gaining so much confidence in yourself. You're pretty strong too when you actually push yourself. And let me tell you, with good diet and exercise, you won't get bulky. Don't be one of those dumb girls that are afraid to lift.

Your gut intuition is probably right. Whether it's about a friend, a situation, your boyfriends "friend" that he made out with three years ago, your gut usually can tell if something's not right. Regardless of how you feel about someone, be the bigger person and ALWAYS treat people with respect. You always want to be the person whom people have nothing bad to say.

NEVER make that comment about the lesbian couple to one of your best friends. It will cost you one of the most genuine friends of your life. This is my only one thing in life that I would change. Literally, the one moment I would go back to and alter.

Friend break-ups are ALMOST as bad as romantic breakups, and sometimes worse. Cherish your friends but know when to let go. Sometimes they'll come back to you and sometimes they won't.

High School is absolutely NOT the best time of your life, so get excited for all of the stages after. Each stage of your life brings even more new and exciting opportunities. Keep your chin up.

You will cry over money more than you will cry over boys. Money sucks. No, you don't need to go out for dinner tonight just because you're lazy. Save that $10 because you WILL need it. However, your appreciation for money will help you in the long run. Be smart but don't be afraid to ask for help. Many people have faced the struggle that you're going through, and you never know when someone will invite you over for dinner (it's one less meal that you have to afford!).

Your relationship with the Lord should always come first because He is always with you and your biggest cheerleader. Followed closely by your mom.

Lorelei Gilmore is always going to be your biggest role model. Also, followed closely by your mom.

The quantity of friends you have does not determine the quality of friends you have, but family dinners are one of the most fun parts of college. A diverse group of friends is a fantastic thing. You have a friend group for when you want to watch Netflix. You have a friend group who will join you at the bars. You have your sports friends, your school friends, and your work friends. Sometimes they'll overlap, sometimes they won't. Embrace the variety of friends but know that they won't all be there when you need them, and that's okay.

Coffee will be one of your best friends. It's like a security blanket and a therapist all in one.

And lastly, Love yourself. Despite the circumstances of life, you are you. As Dr. Seuss said "Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive that is you-er than you!" Stay true to yourself and find out who that is. It takes trial and error. You'll go through phases with your interests and your talents. One thing that you should always keep in the forefront is your positive outlook and your silver-linings perspective. Positivity truly changes your life. So keep smiling, keep shining... Trust me, Bridemaids will be a source of wonderful quoting pleasure in your future.

You're really freaking incredible. Don't forget it.

Love always and always cheering for you,
Older, and slightly wiser, Sarah

Why I went skinny dipping in the Pacific Ocean, and other life changes.

Skinny dipping in the Pacific Ocean was not on my bucket list. In fact, it hadn't ever come close to it. I had gone "skinny dipping" in college, but a sports bra and bikini bottoms does not a skinny dipper make. I'm a fairly modest person who gets uncomfortable when someone stares at me too long. "Is there something on my face? Is my fly undone?"

Why would I put myself out there like that? It's dangerous. It's cold. It's crazy.
Well, let me explain.


I am a 23 year old woman. In my life, I've done some pretty awesome stuff but I haven't done anything extraordinary. I wasn't Valedectorian. I didn't have perfect grades. I wasn't an incredible athlete. I didn't date much. I have lots of great friends but I wasn't "the popular kid." I didn't get a crazy awesome job right out of college. Sure, I've done well for myself, but there hasn't been anything that would necessarily make me stand out from a crowd AND THAT'S FINE WITH ME.

As a millenial in post-college life, you start to think about how you are living. You're not in college anymore. You can't just stay out until 3:00am four nights a week and expect to maintain a decent job from 8:00am-5:00pm. Drinking large quantities makes you do stupid things that you can't chock up to "college stupidity." Bills don't get paid with student loan disbursements, they get paid by long hours and real jobs. You have to start saving your money. You have the pressure of the rest of your life once you get that degree. For the first time in our lives, we are actually told to grow up.

I've been trying to grow up since I was 15 years old. I wanted to be the mature one who had her "stuff" together. I developed the moniker of "Momma Sarah" and loved it because I was the DD when we went out dancing; I'd cook dinner for my 20 closest friends; I took care of my friends after a pretty terrifying car accident, making sure they woke up every hour in order to make sure they didn't have concussions. I loved, and still love, being the caretaker of the group.

However, there is one thing that I have realized  at this point in my early-twenties journey. Since I can remember, I have been trying to act older than I am. I wanted to dress older (not even on the scandalous scale, just older styles), I would look into my future, I'd plan my life down to a specific timeline, and you know what I found? I was not living in the moment. I was planning for the person I was going to be instead of developing the woman that I am. This fact has bothered me a bit. I LOVE being a planner, but given some recent developments in life, I have realized you can't plan for everything. Yes... I know... I should have realized this fact much sooner, but hey, I'm stubborn, okay?

So on the chilly September night at the Heceta Head Lighthouse, on the Oregon Coast, I decided to live in the moment. I let my 23 year old self give in to the impulsive and slightly stupid idea of wading into the freezing cold salt water BECAUSE I COULD. I was living in the moment! With one childhood friend, and two strangers, we ran hand-in-hand into that icy ocean. I felt an electricity that only comes around when you are comfortable in your skin. All of my insecurities about my body were gone. Let's go even bigger... for a moment, my insecurities about LIFE were gone. I didn't think about my career path, my bank account, my relationship status, my family, my future. I thought about how freaking cold it was, yet how thrilling this adventure felt. I was in the moment.

Looking back on that memory, I realized that I shed more than clothing that night; I also shed an idea that spontaneity is bad. I gained the knowlege that a little bit of crazy is a good thing. It keeps you on your toes, it keeps you alive.

So yes, I went skinny-dipping in the Pacific ocean. Yes, I froze my rear-end off.

And yes, I changed my outlook on life.

College: I learned more about me than my major.

For some of you, you just started your last First day of School. For some of you, you started your First Day of College. And then there's those weirdos who have already been in school for a month, but were in the same boat. Regardless of where you are in your college career, you're doing it. GO YOU!

I love seeing the anticipatory posts of the new college babies. I love seeing the reflections of this year's seniors. It's a really incredible time of life.

There is so much to learn in college. DUH. It's why you're there; to get an education that will further your life aspirations and career goals. But what many people don't really talk about is how much you learn about yourself! I discovered myself in college. I'm not talking some crazy existential journey that miraculously opened my eyes, but I mean that I was able to develop parts of my personality that hadn't fully come around in the first 18 years of my life. I learned what I was capable of (like in last week's blog about the group that changed me in college! ), what I could survive, and what brought me a ton of joy!
So you might be asking, what did I learn MOST about myself from college?
1) I had to put myself out there.
College is hard. In high school, I was definitely an extrovert. When I got to college, I was out of my element and I was shy for the first time in my life. You go off to an area that is not familiar, and (I'm making an assumption here) you PROBABLY don't know everyone. You're probably going to have to talk to strangers, and not in a "Do you want a free piece of candy from my big white van?" kind of way.... however they do give out a lot of free candy on college campuses... But in all seriousness, you're not going to enjoy yourself if you sit in the back of the class, avoid eye contact with humans and don't make any friends. Take a step. Put yourself out there. Sure, not everyone is going to be your best friend, but every once in a while, you'll be able to share your mutual fear of your Rhetoric Professor and BAM! You have something in common. New besties.

2) Learn your limits. All of the limits.
When I say all of your limits, I do mean all of them. Learn about your sexuality. Learn about your alcohol tolerance. Learn how much stress you can handle. By learning your limits, I mean testing them. Push them. I'm not saying compromise your values or do things that you know will make you uncomfortable, but I learned my limits by seeing what was comfortable and what was not.

3) Trying to fit in with people you don't like is STUPID.
This was a mistake I made my freshman year, and other short bursts of time throughout the rest of college. If you don't like how someone is acting or treating others, you don't have to put up with it. The beauty of college is that there is a diverse population and there's probably SOMEONE out there with similar interests. Be patient and start looking!

4) It's a good thing to change in college, just don't change to impress others.
This was one thing that I saw from a bunch of my peers. They were pressured into doing things and they made the choice to change but not necessarily for the right reasons. I changed a LOT in college., but I never did the things that would change who I am morally. I didn't hook up with a guy because my friends wanted to hook up with his friends. I didn't smoke weed because the people around me were smoking weed. It goes back to your limits and also back to finding people with similar interests. Develop yourself but don't try to fit yourself into someone elses standards.

5) You will lose high school friends.
Not intentionally. And not all of them. Given the fact that you are not forced to be in the same class as 25-ish students every day, you will lose contact. They'll go off to different coasts, make new friends and new lives. That's okay. But the friends you keep in contact with will always be there for you. They'll be your rocks that you call and it seems like 5 minutes have passed instead of 5 weeks. You'll be in their weddings. You'll scream and cry for joy when they announce they are pregnant. They have a huge part of your life and they always will.

6) Sometimes you have to do things by yourself.
This was a new concept to me. I am a people person and sometimes independence scares me. College was very good for me in this scenario, especially since my parents moved 2,500 miles away. It kind of relates to the "Put yourself out there" point. There were times I needed to study by myself, or run errands alone, or even go to functions without a wingman. It was such a growing experience and truly forced me to find an independent confidence that I had never had.

7) You'll cry.
Because, sometimes, life is mean. But...

8) You'll laugh even more.
You're going to make incredible friends, go on ridiculous adventures, and see some hilarious things. Some of the things that happened to me during my college experience would have made for a phenomenal comedy/drama on a hit TV network. Some of the stuff was so far fetched that I could do nothing but laugh it off. Some of the laughs were alcohol induced. Some were from a delirious lack of sleep. Some, a mixture of both. Some laughs were a coping method when I was so stressed that it was the only thing keeping me from crying. Some of those laughs were to keep my friends from crying. But those laughs are some of the best memories I have from college and they will be forever with me.

Like I said, college was one of the best times of my life. I miss it daily, but I also reap the benefits of my college experience on the regular. I talk to my college besties every day. Literally, every day. I am so thankful for the person that college made me. I learned so much and wouldn't trade it for the world. Embrace this phase of life, whether you're just starting or if it's winding down. These memories will be with you forever.

Looking at the group that changed my life.

Have you ever had something happen to you that changed your life for the better?

I've had a few of these moments. Sometimes you realize in the moment that they're happening and sometimes it takes a little flashback to remind you of how much you were affected. I've had a few seasons in my life that definitely changed my overall course, and one particular organization had a large life-altering presence.

On Friday, I was asked to return back to my old stomping grounds, the Memorial Union at Oregon State University, to participate in an alumni Q&A session for the incoming coordinators of the Memorial Union Program Council (MUPC). I was so excited to go back to Corvallis and share my love for MUPC with anyone who would listen.

Anyone who has spoken to me for more than a half hour has probably heard me talk about MUPC, so for those of you who are scratching your heads and wondering what in the world it is, I will try and convey the awesome in one sentence.

MUPC is a student event planning group on campus to put on a huge variety of events and activities throughout the year.

That sentence (or any sentence that doesn't include firworks and pyrotechnics) does not do the organization justice. It sounds like just another student organization. How did that change my life? Well, let me tell you. Through MUPC, I was able to gain more knowlege than any other time/place in my life. I learned interpersonal skills, I learned the professional building blocks, I learned conflict resolution, and most importantly, I learned about my own personal potential.

The interpersonal skills were something I had already thought I displayed. I'm my mother's daughter. I talk to strangers at the grocery store. I am fairly confident when meeting new people, but MUPC and student leadership encouraged me to develop my skills further. We did trainings like StrengthsQuest to determine our leadership styles, which helped us learn what types of people we work with more effectively and how we can better our communication with those who may not be like-minded communicators. It also encouraged me to work with different organizations who have different motives and end goals than my own organization. We worked with diversity development in order to reach a greater target audience.

Along with the interpersonal focus, I was also encouraged to develop my professional skilss. We worked with tools such as timelines, GoogleDocs, Microsoft Office, riders, contracts, and so many other things. We were taught how to conduct meetings, how to market our own events and how to professionally handle difficult clients.

We learned that, on a campus of nearly 30,000 students and faculty members, not everyone will LOVE your events. We learned that you're always going to have that ONE customer who whines. We learned how to work with committee members that you'd rather drop kick across the football field. We also learned how to adapt. Sometimes your comedians show up ten minutes AFTER the commedy show is scheduled to start and that you have to get up on stage in front of 1,200 people in order to stall while they get ready to preform.

Most of all, MUPC taught me that I am capable. How often are 18-22 year olds in charge of an event with a $70,000 budget? How often are students in charge of over $100,000 worth of merchandise? How often are college 'kids' responsible for keeping 6,000 students safe at a free concert? Well, at least once a year for all of those with MUPC. The organization taught me that I am capable of putting 6 months of hard work into a single 40-hour weekend and creating memories for hundreds of students and their families.

Honestly, it was a little difficult going from so much responsibility to the "real world" where people my age aren't always held to the same work standards that we were held to in the Student Leadership world. It was hard since I had accomplished some big stuff in college and then I went back to the lowliest positions in the workforce. But let me tell you, once I was able to prove myself and to prove my abilities, I realized that MUPC had set me up for success. Looking back and talking with the new coordinators helped me realize how much growth I had seen in myself throughout the two years as a college event coordinator.

MUPC had changed my life. It had given me the people skills, the work ethic, and the confidence I had needed to prove myself to my superiors in my after-college life. It also gave me some of the best friends I could have asked for. I spent many days crying over tests, work frustrations and boy problems with my co-coordinators. We binged on coffee as the event date came up closer and closer. We shared event horrro stories. We shared event successes. We met each others families. We met each others' significant others. We lived one of the best times of our lives together and now share a bond that will always remind us of some of our best and strongest memories.

Going back this weekend came at the perfect time. I needed to "go home" and MUPC was a great place to visit. It reminded me of all the things I survived while sitting on those couches at the MU. I tried conveying my love for the organization to the incoming coordinators but they'll learn soon enough. They'll live it. It opened my eyes to how different of a person I would have been had I not joined the Programming council.

I loved looking back on the organization that changed my life.

Homesick for College

The place that I was raised is 273 miles away. I am used to homesickness.

My family lives 2,494 miles away. I am VERY used to homesickness.

First of all, let's talk about the term "homesick."  When I say homesick, I'm not talking about four walls and a roof. I'm talking about the laughter after your sister says something stupid. I'm talking about the wrestling match with your brother. I'm talking about watching Gilmore Girls with your dad (yes, I said dad... sorry for blabbing your secret, Pops). I'm talking about going on walks with your mom and discussing life. I'm talking about the RELATIONSHIP of HOME.

When my family moved accross the country, I went from an illusion of independece to a reality of literally being on my own. I went from home being just a few hours away in case I needed anything, even just a hug, to needing 18 hours and four planes to wrap my arms around my mom and dad. It was shocking and hard to get used to at first (let's be real; it's still not easy). The homesickness I felt back then was strong and the three hour time difference made it even harder to talk to the ones that I love.

Thankfully, as the time passed, Oregon State slowly started becoming the home I created for myself. It wasn't the same as being with my family (which is what I associate 'home' with, since they are no longer living in my childhood home), but I started to find a group of people that became my "adopted family". I had friends who brought me into their childhood homes. Their siblings became like my siblings. They hugged me when I needed hugs.

It wasn't the same as being home but it became MY home.

Four years later. I'm homesick again. But this time, instead of being homesick for my biological family I'm homesick for my college family. I miss having a hangout spot on the couch in my favorite coffee shop. I miss the friends that lived within walking distance. I miss going to Sharri's for horrible breakfast food at 3am. I miss the REALTIONSHIP of COLLEGE.

There was an article that went viral last year, right around the time I graduated college, called The Opposite of Loneliness . This article knocked me on my butt the first time I read it, and continues to do so a year later. It came from the Yale Daily News (the real one, not the Rory Gilmore version) and was written by a young woman, Marina Keegan, who was destined to do big things, yet her biggest fear was losing the "people, an abundance of people, who are in this together."

Yale is full of tiny circles we pull around ourselves. A cappella groups, sports teams, houses, societies, clubs. These tiny groups that make us feel loved and safe and part of something even on our loneliest nights when we stumble home to our computers — partner-less, tired, awake. We won’t have those next year. We won’t live on the same block as all our friends. We won’t have a bunch of group-texts.

This scares me. More than finding the right job or city or spouse – I’m scared of losing this web we’re in. This elusive, indefinable, opposite of loneliness. This feeling I feel right now. - Marina Keegan, Yale Daily News (2012)

Unfortunately though, her story ran just days after she was killed in a tragic car accident. But Marina had the right idea. She knew that she was blessed with the people who related, who experienced, and who lived the opposite of loneliness. They lived life together. Even if they weren't going through the same things, they were doing it together.

In college, I was blessed to make the closest friends I've ever had. We went through deaths, through breakups, through financial instability, through hangovers, through aced tests and failed exams, through engagements, through everything. It isn't until you don't see your friends regularly that you realze how much you love them.

I had this epiphany on Tuesday Night when I reconnected with some of my MUPC alumni buddies. We talked about life and jobs and memories of our crazy events and I realized how much I had missed them. I also realized that I am so lucky that I DO miss them. It means that our lives shared a special experience and it would always bond us.

So, yes, I am extremely homesick for the 20-ish friends who would come over for dinner parties once a month. I'm homesick for the study groups. I'm homesick for the friends who would pull me onto the dance floor when a boy was hurting my feelings. I'm homesick for the wine nights... all the wine nights. I'm homesick for sitting on the MUPC couches playing the Sausage Movie game and giggling like the immature goobers that we were (and still are).

But I am SO DARN GRATEFUL for those silly moments, those hugs and those tears, those life moments. The reminiscing and the memories are about more than my degree I earned and the massive amount of debt I accrued. They are about the love I earned and gave so willingly.

IT'S WORTH THE HOMESICKNESS.

CHALLENGE TIME: 20 before 25

I've been lacking blog-spiration in the last week and a half.

I thought about writing a post about how to quit your job, since I did that last week (YAYYY! I got a new job, but that will be a post for after I officially start!) but realized that's a really dicey subject and I'm trying to focus on positivity in the 'No End in Sight' realm. Not saying that it's impossible to stay positive when quitting, but it's also something that could very easily take a turn that I wasn't anticipating.

I thought about writing on how to stay in touch with friends through a long distance, but had a hard time finding the right angle.

I wanted to write about how bad-ass it is that the World Cup is happening right now.

But then it happened... Today, while perusing the interwebs, I stumbled upon gold.

As I was randomly googling the phrase twenty-something, (because who doesn't do that?!) I came across a blogger out in Florida (Click Here to check her out!) who had put together a list of 20 Things to do before she turned 25. After looking at her list and thinking about what goals I have in my life, I started putting together my own list, but with a twist.

HERE'S THE TWIST...

I am going to come up with a list of my 20 Before 25 (in no particular order) and then, based on recommendations from all of YOU, I will add 5 things onto the list. Don't even bother suggesting Skydiving and Bungee Jumping for consideration, because that WILL NOT HAPPEN. However, I am excited to see the ideas you throw my way.

So, ladies and gents... here it is!

MY 25 BEFORE 25:
1. Complete a mud run.
2. Get my Concealed Carry license.
3. Check off another state in my list of places I have traveled. (So far I'm at 41)
4. Regularly maintain my blog for at least a year.
5. Go on a mission trip.
6. Attend a professional sporting event.
7. Donate more than $100 dollars to a worthy charity.
8. Visit my grandma in Arizona.
9. Keep a plant alive in my house or on my balcony :)
10. Get my Zumba Instructor Certification.
11. Camp on the beach.
12. Have two months salary saved in my savings account.
13. Go snow camping.
14. Ride in a hot air balloon.
15. Pay for a strangers coffee.
16. Go fishing with my dad.
17. Make a time capsule to open in 15 years.
18. Pretend I'm really rich and test drive a sports car.
19. Attend an all-weekend music festival.
20. Go on a 10+ mile hike.
21. ?
22. ?
23. ?
24. ?
25. ?


Okay, there it is! Now it's time to send me your ideas! Keep in mind, I don't have a whole lot of expendable income, so most of these things can't get too crazy when it comes to cash required.

To make a suggestion, you can Facebook me, Email me, or leave the suggestion in the comment section of this post! Once I get a good amount of suggestions, I'll go through and pick out the winners to be added onto the list. When the top 5 are decided, I will reveal them on another post (and might throw out some honorable mentions too :) )!

Get creative people! You all continue to inspire me with the amazing things you're doing in your lives and I can't wait to have you be a part of this fun new challenge for myself. LET THE SUGGESTIONS BEGIN!

So much change, so little time.

I'm moving in a little over a month. For those who know me... Yes. I'm moving again. This will be the seventh time in 5 years. If I were in high school they'd call me an army brat. Or a gypsy. I also just had my second round of an interview for a company that truly excites me. I've lost ten pounds by working my butt off at the gym. My boyfriend is moving up to Portland within the next few months. This will be the first time we've lived in the same town in the seven months we've been together.

You're thinking, "COOL SARAH. Just throw out other random pieces of information. It's not like we actually wanted to read something relevant to our lives or anything."

Well, I guess I'll get to the point.

THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGE HAPPENING.

Normally, I turn into freakout mode Sarah when a lot of change begins to occur. I mean seriously... I'm human! Humans don't like change!

But here's the thing. As much as I don't like change, I actually love change. Why may you ask? Oh Okay... stop begging, I'll tell you.


Change is scary.
I'm not a fan of the terror that accompanies horror movies, or the fear that comes with sitting next to a dying loved one. What I am a fan of is adrenaline. When you're going through significant life changes, you get pumped with adrenaline. Sometimes those things give you a rush that gets you through the scariness.

Change is necessary.
"If there were no change, there would be no butterflies."- Some dead dude.
On a more serious note, if there wasn't change, there would be no growth. There would be no chocolate chip cookies. There would be no statue of Winged Victory. Change must take place to make room for new ideas, new growth, new awesome experiences.

Change makes you reevaluate where you're at in life.
It makes you look at where you're at, where you're going, who you want to be with, what makes you YOU. The changes I'm going through have caused me to look at relationships. They have caused me to figure out what's important in my life right at this moment in time.

I'm sitting here at work. I'm sitting here watching the news. I'm sitting here watching the coverage about a school shooting 8.6 miles from where I work. One student was killed and a teacher was injured. Even though I don't know anyone who attended this school, didn't know the teachers, the first responders or anyone else involved, I know that this act of selfishness and terror was done in my community, and that's pretty freaky.

I'm not saying this school shooting was change that should have happened, but it did. These kids, these teachers, these community members witnessed an event that will change their lives. This change was scary but hopefully, everyone will see a change that keeps kids safer and helps individuals with mental health issues. Despite the fact that I was virtually un-involved, this is change that will effect me, and it sure as heck has caused me to reevaluate where I'm at in life.


Change is not a bad thing. Like I said, it's scary and it takes a lot to overcome, but change is good. It keeps you on your toes and helps you to develop your path.

Make a good change today.

I'm not settling... Am I?!

Our world is filled with encouragement, whether it comes in the form of corporate logos, inspiring stories or just plain pats-on-the-back from your friends and family.

Nike tells us to "Just Do It," the Army tells us we can "Be all [we] can be," school teachers tell us to go to college because that's how we're going to be successful. Encouragement is all around us, telling us to strive to be better than we were yesterday, last week, five years ago.

What happens when you are trying to better yourself and you find yourself stuck in the mud? You're trying to "just do it" but there's a roadblock. You're trapped.

Man, am I in this spot right now or what?

As I have made it pretty darn clear, you all have probably figured out that I'm pretty stuck when it comes to my current employment. I literally just spent 15 minutes playing with the Rubik's cube on today's Google homepage (which was stupid by the way because I have no idea how to figure out a Rubik's cube). I would consider that situation stuck and I'm not even talking about the puzzle.

My current job has made me reevaluate my strengths. It has made me question my abilities. It has put me in waist-deep mud with a little pink Baskin & Robbins sample spoon to dig myself out.

I have applied for a countless number of jobs in the last two months. FINALLY, I got a call back and an interview scheduled for a job that was kind of a fall back option, not because it's a lame job, but because it does not require much education and is in a field that I never considered as a career path. Retail. I don't want to go into too much detail since it isn't for-sure yet, but here's my dilemma. The job is salaried, with WAY more benefits than I currently have and (most likely) has a higher pay grade. The company gives back to the community and supports programs that I participated in as a kid. The company has many locations and what I would assume to be a pretty large opportunity for growth.

You're all like, where's the dilemma?! This is where I have reached a conundrum (LOVE that word). I don't know what I want to do with my life. There... I said it. I'm totally lost. I don't know what I want to do with my life. This position that I will be interviewing for is in a direction that I never really anticipated and people that mean a lot to me have sort of snubbed their noses at it. Not intentionally, but it has happened. That doesn't mean the job is bad, or good, but it makes me think about how I will get to where I want to go in my career. I have narrowed it down to a general field of what I want to do (community relations with an organization or corporation/business), but I don't know how to get there.

Well, actually I do. I have to start from the bottom, right? With all of the encouraging words surrounding us in marketing and in our personal lives, I feel that there is a negative stigma with starting at the bottom. People assume you're settling for something because it's easy and convenient. Now here's the difference between settling and starting: Settling is a verb, it's getting complacent, it's lacking the motivation to grow and become a better employee/person; Starting is a noun, it's the point at which you begin your growth, where you learn the basics in order to grow them. If you really think about it, how are we supposed to instantly beat out the people who have worked the lower ranks and climbed up the ladder? It's not fair to them and it's not fair to us.

Like I've said in prior blogs, we are NOT a generation of entitlement, therefore we cannot expect to be entitled. 

I'm not going to lie, I can see myself kicking butt at this job. I thrive on customer interaction and I know it would be a good fit for me, but can I get passed the negative stigma in starting lower on the totem pole? Can I see myself in a total career change? I guess we'll find out after the interview. Maybe they'll sell me like crazy? Maybe it will be a fantastic fit?

My advice to friends and e-friends is that it's never a bad idea to start at the bottom as long as you're not settling for something less than you deserve.

Don't get used to the bottom. 
Push for the top. 
Stay motivated and don't let yourself get stuck, because getting stuck sucks.

What do you think? Do you agree? Or do you think you should hold out for something better? I'd love to know!!!

Until next time. Sending good vibes to you and yours!

Inspired by.

Straight up, yo.

Quarter-life Crisis

As I sit here at work filing my nails (yes, I am blogging at work.... yes, I am filing my nails at work.... that's how it works when I have nothing to do...), I was hitting my first blog-writer's block. I know I haven't fully committed to writing a post every day, but that's what I've done so far so why not?!

The fact that I'm filing my nails at work definitely made me think for a moment. I said to myself, "What are you doing with your life?!" This is not the first time this thought has crossed my mind in the 11 months since I graduated college. When I was working like a crazy person, the question was, more often than not, regarding my social life. Now that I sit with a blank stare on my face for 8 hours a day, five days a week, the question is more career oriented.

Like I've said in prior posts, I am lost in the stage that many "Gen Y"-er's like myself (born between the years of 1981-1994) stumble into. The "What Now" stage. We've been told this magical fairy tale since we were old enough to listen. It goes like this...

Once upon a time, there was a princess named Sarah. She was told for all her life that she would go to college (because no one wants to work at McDonalds when they're thirty) and have the time of her life. Then, a magical fairy, called the Registrar, would give Princess Sarah that esteemed four-year degree, and she landed an incredible career right out of her cap-and-gown ballgown, making $50,000 a year. Then once she had her dream career established, she would fall in love with a Prince, who also had a college degree, and they would live Happily Ever After in financial security.  

Isn't that a beautiful story?! And fairy tales do happen every once in a while. Take Kate Middleton for example. She went to college and became the mother of the future King of England. No wonder people go to college....

And then for some of us, the fairy tale looks a little different. Same basic plot line, but with a slightly different timeline. And maybe a few (or more) plot twists.

This is what we like to call the Quarter Life Crisis.

The reality is that our generation is going into the workforce right after one of the largest economic downfalls of modern history. That means that not only are we searching for jobs against all of our classmates/age demographic, but we're also battling it out with The Gen X-er's (1965-1980) AND the Baby Boomers (1946-1964). THE WORLD IS AGAINST US!!! (Insert dramatic music here) Just kidding... Kind of.

In actuality, the world is not against us. The world is our greatest supporter. Go ahead, roll your eyes at me for being so naive. Seriously though, if the "world" did not want us to succeed, why would all of our teachers, coaches, mentors, parents, and random adults (not the creepy kind) tell us that we had the world at our feet? As one of my best friend's Rachel always says (quoting "Friends of course), "The world is your oyster!"

Our generation is making a huge difference in the world, but we're also taking the hit for a lot of the older generations' mistakes. We could whine and say "It's not our fault that you old fogies ruined our job markets, so we're stuck having Mom clean up after us while we binge-watch Netflix on the couch." but that would just prove Uncle Bob right that we're lazy and annoying. So how can we prove to Uncle Bob that we're not just 22 and living with Mom and Dad because we're slackers? Well you can start by getting off your derriere and realizing these next tidbits:

We're all going through it. 
Even though you haven't found something that truly embraces your passions and strengths, you do not get a free pass to lose all faith. There are tons of people who are going through the confusing time of not know what the future will hold. Find out what other people in your situation are doing to get a one-up on the competition! How are they networking? How are they finding jobs? How are they getting the opportunity to show their skills?

Our parents went through it, but at 30, or 40, or 50... just not at 20...
My grandma always tells me that the average person goes through 5 career changes in his/her lifetime. I have no idea where she got that fact but it does NOT surprise me. Heck, I've already had one and I'm not even 23 yet! A lot of our parents went straight into the work force after high school because that was much more accepted 20-30 years ago. I can almost guarantee you though that they changed jobs once or twice between then and now. The point is that everyone will come to this point in their lives at any given time. Maybe someone loses a job, maybe you're forced to move... You never know. But our parents did the What's Next game too. Dare I say it.... Ask your parents how they handled the transition.

We're all faking it.
My roommate reminds me of this point ALL THE TIME. Our generation is notorious for one-upping each other. We want everyone else to think that we've got it all figured out, that all of our bills get paid perfectly on time and that we always have extra cash to eat at the new trendy restaurants whenever we want. It's such a sad little joke. Why are we competing with each other?! We're all in the same boat, so why can't we all save some cash by buying a fifth of your favorite booze and making mixed drinks at home with pals every once in a while? Split the cost, and you saved five bucks!

Patience is key. Passiveness is not.
Let's stick with the familial words of wisdom with this next one. My Dad always says that opportunity is the perfect combination of patience and preparation. It's so true. If you're sitting on your tuckus, waiting for the perfect moment, you're never going to see it happen. You need to be ready to pounce once the timing is right. Does this mean networking? Does this mean researching businesses/industries in your field? Be ready for the right moment.

As the Beatles once said, "I get by with a little help from my friends."
I am such a support-supporter! That just means that I believe that you CANNOT and WILL NOT get through things alone. You need a few cheerleaders to pat you on the back and say you're going in the wrong direction, or to help you put your tunnel vision goggles back on to get where you're wanting to go.

In the midst of our quarter life crises, remember that you are not alone. This is a phase and it too shall pass. Remember to stay positive and don't lose faith. And why do we stay positive?! Class?!

Because 2014 is the year of positive thoughts. Word.

I'd like to give myself a pat on the back for using tuckus and derriere in the same blog post. Go me.


DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW No End In Sight! Look to the right at the top of this post to keep the positive vibes rolling.