Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Since tomorrow is the last day of 2012, I thought I'd take this opportunity to reflect on the past year. It was a bit of a roller coaster, with various accomplishments, setbacks, comebacks, and curveballs, but I'd say the technological sector of my life saw more growth than even I expected. Here are some examples:

• This blog! I started it in February of this year and had no idea what I was doing. Now I'm using bullet points!
• Twitter: I came into 2012 with a few tweets and fewer followers. I still don't have a ton of followers, but I've had doors open up for me that I never would have imagined. The account that I started for the environmental club at my school broke 100 followers recently, I've been tweeting up a storm with the help of the marvelous iPhone, I got to work at a concert and see the bands for free, and I even got an awesome internship that I'm really excited about. All because of a little social networking site.
• Tumblr: What did I do with my time before I was on Tumblr? I must've been on Facebook much more often. I cringe at the thought. I feel like I'm part of a new society with an entirely different culture now. It's great. Let's just pray I don't get on Pinterest or I'll never have free time again!
• Youtube: In addition to my ever-expanding K-Pop playlist, I produced my own video and uploaded it to Youtube. It was a project for a class that I made with a friend of mine and it wasn't very interesting, but for a first endeavor, it felt like something to be proud of. Perhaps it's just the tip of the iceberg! 

With such a productive year behind me, I'm really looking forward to the adventures I'll have this coming year. I'm sure I'll learn a lot in my new classes and my internship, both about technology and  about life in general. Maybe I'll make some interesting Youtube videos and find something even more time consuming than Tumblr. Who knows? The future is wide open and I'm ready to dive in head first!

Going Mobile

Christmas came early this year when I received an iPhone 4 from my parents. The need for a smartphone was in the forefront of my mind for months for many reasons: 1. Keeping up with my various social media escapades was becoming increasingly difficult; 2. My old phone was absolutely awful, dropping calls and making texting almost impossible (typing "c" either meant typing "ccc" or nothing at all); and 3. Quite a few of my friends have smartphones and I was beginning to feel left out.

Now that I have my wonder device, although it's not the latest technology (I didn't feel I was innovative  enough for the iPhone 5...or affluent enough, for that matter), I have been using it constantly. I thought I was attached to my phone before, but that was child's play compared to my attitude now. Every spare minute, if I'm not texting or making a call, I'm checking Twitter or Facebook. OK, I'm also socializing with real people who are physically present and making sure I don't get run over by a bus, but the point is, my phone is a new and very close companion.

Another change that has happened with my new phone is a rekindling of my love for photography. When I brought my phone home, I downloaded Instagram, well, instantly! Since then, I've been taking pictures of every perfectly-placed nicknack in sight. It's really fun and I think it's bringing an element to my Twitter that was previously missing. Pictures seem much more interesting than just text tweets and I'm loving bringing some life to my online presence.

So yes, I am obsessed with all of the creative social media opportunities that have recently been opened up for me, but as always, I'm trying to stay balanced and keep one foot on solid ground while the other is in the cyber-world. Only this time, I'm finding that my feet are a bit closer together than usual. I can share all of the awesome, random things that I enjoy in my normal life by posting them in the technological universe without having to remove myself from the situation to stare at a computer. I feel really connected to people, near and far, and I think it's pretty amazing that I could have such a change in perspective from the palm of my hand.

Becoming a Professional?

During the new semester so far, I feel as though I've really been focusing on the future. I've been participating in more leadership positions in clubs, signing for my first apartment, looking for internships, and networking with more professionals than ever before. The technological world has been a fundamental part of my newfound seriousness. Recently, I've had two experiences that opened my eyes to what lies ahead.

The first of these experiences was going to the PR+ Social Media Summit hosted by my college. It was a conference for professionals and students where speakers presented their unique insights into social media and other public relations tools. As a PR major, I was pretty stoked about it! For part of the day, I got to tag along with one of the speakers, which was a rewarding experience. I felt very relaxed and yet excited because she was so kind and friendly. I sat in on some presentations by top PR execs and learned some very valuable pieces of information. One thing that really stood out for me (and that a lot of speakers emphasized) was that social media is not the traditional marketing tool; it must be customized to each company's or client's specific needs in order to create and maintain the best mutual relationships possible. Even though social media is a technological invention, it really is all about people.

The second experience I had was less exciting, but still pretty important. I joined LinkedIn and started connecting with some of the people I met at the Summit. It was a nice way to follow up. Although I'm still figuring out the mechanics and social norms of this latest social media endeavor (what else is new?), it's nice to know that face-to-face encounters can be paired up with online interaction. It makes the whole networking process a little easier.

I think what I've learned from all of this is that I don't need to be scared of meeting and talking with professionals. They were once in my shoes (some not too long ago!) and a lot of them are pretty awesome people. I can learn from them, but I can also just enjoy their company. I was always told to "be yourself" when going in for an interview, but until recently I took that to mean "be the part of yourself you think they will like". This notion, of course, is ridiculous because not only do I not know the individual interviewers or their preferences, but I also don't know how to be what I think they might want, i.e, the super outgoing go-getter with loads of experience and absolute professionalism. Sure, I've got some of that, but I've still got a long way to go. I may be 20, but I'm still a kid. Going to the Summit really showed me that. And that's OK because a little naivete and fresh perspective can be valuable in its own right.

Old and New

Recently, I made a trip to a couple of art museums in my area. I saw an exhibit on the "Posters of Paris", collections of really old stuff, and collections of some fairly new stuff. It was pretty amazing.

One thing that really impressed me about the posters (aside from the fact that they were once haphazardly displayed on Parisian streets) is that they were color lithographs, AKA prints on prints on prints. I could barely make a print with one color in my eight grade art class; I can't imagine layering different colors with different patterns on one space, and getting everything to line up perfectly and blend right. As a person with self-diagnosed artistic OCD, that sounds like the ultimate nightmare.

Even more impressive than the immaculate construction of the pieces, however, was the feeling that they conveyed. In some cases, I enjoyed the artists' painted rough drafts more than the finished prints. There was something in them that conveyed movement and made the scenes seem very real. I felt like I was in Paris, taken back in time.

I was transported even farther back when I went through the regular exhibits. A friend of mine commented, "You can't even fathom how old this stuff is". She was completely right. How could we, people of the 21st century, understand what it was like when a pot was made and painted in ancient Greece? How could we envision what life was like when the pyramids were first being built and tombs were being filled in Egypt? We will never be able to fully understand what it was like to live and breathe back then, to think and feel as an ancient Greek or Egyptian. At least their artwork lives to tell part of their story.

As I progressed through the rest of the exhibits and then went to a more modern museum, I saw time catching up to me in art form. From portraits of important people, to pieces of rustic furniture, to abstract sculptures and socially conscious folk art, people have been recording important parts of their lives for centuries and will probably (and hopefully) continue to do so for centuries to come.

It makes me wonder what my generation will present as our defining artifacts. Computers? Cell phones? Will someone be digging around in the dirt a thousand years from now and find an iPad? I guess that would be pretty cool. Or will people just be able to use a computer to look up all the awesome stuff we made? I guess that would be pretty cool, too. Still, I hope someone digs something of mine out of the ground and puts it in a museum someday. I hope they can touch what I touched and wonder about what I thought and felt. And I hope they still enjoy the old Greek pots and Posters of Paris.

Goodbye, Time

With school getting ready to start up again, my brain decided that there weren't enough distractions for me. So I got a Tumblr. Goodbye, productivity.

You detail-oriented people may be curious as to why this blog post is called "Goodbye, Time" instead of "Goodbye, Productivity". "G, P" would fit perfectly if this post was just about Tumblr; but it's not. My joining this extremely addictive and time-consuming website reflects what I'm going through in my non-Internet life: the realization of the passage of time, with all of its wonders and frustrations.

My Tumblr is super random. I am also an extremely annoying user, I'll admit. I reblog about a million things at a time, often about the same thing. However, when I'm not on one of my "attractive Asian man" binges, I find the time to reblog some pretty cool stuff. I like cool stuff and cool stuff comes in many different forms, whether it's old British comedy shows or plants. Everyone is not going to agree with me on what constitutes cool stuff. You may be into Steve Buscemi gifs; I certainly am not. Still, there's something really special about sharing the stuff you like and realizing that other people like it, too.

What does all of this have to do with my big realization of the passage of time? I reblog some old photos: Robert Plant, mid hair-flip; Jimmy Stewart doing something awesome; even Walty looking like a boss (that's Walt Whitman, in case you were wondering). And while I'm spending my time looking at these cool old pictures, I realize that, at some point, the people in them were probably collecting stuff that they thought was cool, too. We, as humans, just like cool stuff. Cool stuff. Cool stuff. Cool stuff.

Why do we like cool stuff? Because it lasts. Stuff lasts longer than we do and with the Internet, it will last longer than some of the longest-lasting stuff has ever lasted. We like to think that, even as time passes, other people will still like the stuff we once liked. That's what time capsules are for; and Tumblr is a virtual time capsule.

Recently, my grandma had to move out of the house that she inhabited for over 50 years for health reasons. Since then, my family has been going through all of her old stuff, taking the things they would like to keep. Part of me wants to leave it all there and have some sort of mini museum erected in honor of my grandma and all she's done for our family, but let's face it: stuff in-and-of itself really isn't that cool. It's what you do with the stuff, what you say about it, what you think about when you use it that makes it cool. My grandma's house was only full of cool stuff when she was in it because she made it cool.

So time passes. Things change. People change. And even though the stuff remains, we can't keep that cool vibe in it forever because that cool vibe is a part of us; these changing, passing creatures. So enjoy your stuff. Put all of your cool vibes into it. Breathe life into it. Make other people excited about it and get excited about other people's stuff. Use your time wisely and never forget that the stuff in our lives, whether it's on Tumblr or displayed above the fireplace, doesn't mean anything until we decide it does. Only we can create meaning. I think that's a pretty awesome power we humans have.



P.S. For those of you who are curious, I do have a box of stuff from my grandma's house. Because it's still cool to me.

Teaching the LastLearner

I don't think it's any secret that I have a slight addiction to K-pop. I have a Youtube playlist entitled "K-pop Guilty Pleasures" and my friends frequently have to listen to me rant about my latest obsession. However, besides giving me something new to listen to (and attractive men to look at!), K-pop videos have actually opened up a new world for me. They've helped me to expand my cultural knowledge and have inspired me to take the first steps to learning a new language.

Reading some of the comments on the many videos I watch gives me a very minuscule insight into Korean culture. For example, the words "oppa", "saranghae", "hwaiting", and "daebak" appear frequently (usually followed by lots of hearts or exclamation points). Out of sheer curiosity and the desire to not look like a n00b, I look up words like these on Urban Dictionary and, after sorting through some of the more *ahem* colorful definitions, learn what they mean. (In case you're wondering, "oppa" is what fangirls usually call the male band members they like, "saranghae" means "I love you", "hwaiting" is a term of support for a band or group, and "daebak" is something like "awesome").

It's amazing what knowing a few new words can do for your confidence. Learning these words lit the spark that drove me to start learning the Korean language, hangul. And since the Internet is so awesome, I don't have to spend money on textbooks, flashcards, or a professor's salary; I learn at my own pace, in my own way.

Using a couple free learning sites, music videos with on-screen lyrics, and English-subbed Korean TV shows (like Dream High), I've been able to learn the Korean alphabet and I've started expanding my vocabulary. I follow one of my favorite K-pop stars (Ok Taecyeon of 2pm) on Twitter and I've recently been able to read and understand a few words from his tweets. It's not much, but I feel pretty good about it!

I think it's cool that we've entered into an age where we don't have to go through the traditional steps to learn something new. With the Internet, we've got the whole world at our fingertips and there is nothing stopping us from picking up a new language, learning how to do a backflip, or taking on a challenging new recipe. We can begin a new adventure at any stage in life, whether we're in school or not, and I think that's pretty exciting. I guess you really can teach an old dog new tricks!

I hope to continue learning hangul and maybe someday move on to other Asian dialects as well. As long as I've got a functioning brain and an Internet connection, I'll be filling my head with new knowledge (and probably some adorable cat GIFs as well). So stay thirsty for knowledge, my friends! And don't be afraid to gain that knowledge in a creative way because, as we're always told, the journey can be just as fun as the destination. Saranghaeyo! <3

These Days of Summer

Happy first official day of summer everyone! Like many college students, I've been on summer break for over a month now, but it's still nice to welcome the summer solstice with a (long overdue) blog post.

What have I been doing lately? Nothing overly technological. Of course I still use Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube religiously, but right now, my time is devoted more to working and fishing than improving my tech-savvy skills. I have started a little project, however, that combines my time outdoors with technological growth.

It's nothing earth-shattering. I just take pictures of the natural world around me and post them on Twitter. It hasn't caused me too much anxiety (except for the unreliable Internet connection I have to deal with) and it isn't very complicated, but it still excites me. It's fun to start conversations about things I like with people I may not even know. The Internet is pretty helpful when it comes to that.

I think it's cool that we can share things that are so un-electronic in the most electronic of ways. I could go the old fashioned, romanticized route of sending postcards, but somehow posting my own photos from my own experiences has a much more personal feel to it. The images can't be held in your hand, but they were seen by my eye. There's something very special about that.

The most beautiful place in the world, as seen by an old soul. 

I encourage you all to take pictures of things that interest you or are important to you, but don't just keep them all for yourself; share them! I know (better than most) that it can be a bit daunting to "go public" with something that you are emotionally invested in, but once you take the plunge, it's actually very rewarding. If photography isn't your thing, that's fine. Write about it (like me!), post videos, or get soundbites.  Find a way to share what you love because, chances are, other people love it too. Who knows? Sharing your passion could help you make a friend or learn something new. Doesn't that make it all worth it? 

The Week of Music

I have declared this past week "the Week of Music".

Since it's early summer and I just got my wisdom teeth out, there's not much for me to do but catch up on Glee, browse the web, and stumble upon new musical discoveries. In a twist of fate, I've been particularly lucky as of late.

Twitter has been good to me. For some reason, I now have three new followers, each of which is affiliated with music. I have no idea where they came from, but one of them is pretty decent! I look forward to getting to know their style.

Also, while scanning through the millions of tweets that I can't seem to keep up with, I ran across a lovely link to a free ten-song playlist from iTunes. How could I say no to free music, some of which I was familiar with and some of which was completely new to me? Well, I almost had to say no because I couldn't find my iTunes password, but once I figured that out, all was well! Now I'm enjoying all kinds of awesome tunes. I love when the Internet works for me!

Of course, Spotify and Youtube help as well. Those sites feed my Adele addiction like no other. That's one good thing about this technological age: it's so easy to find great music. No more relying on the radio or CDs your parents buy you; you can begin building the playlist of your life at the click of a button.

To me, music is very sacred and personal. Everyone has their own tastes and preferences, but it's important not to get stuck. There is so much out there to discover and we should take the time to go looking for it every once in awhile, instead of listening to the same songs over and over. So, my dear readers, I ask you to jump out of your comfort zone, or at least make me jump out of mine. Start a conversation about music. Talk about your favorite band with anyone who will listen, even if your favorite band is Nickelback. Then ask that person about their favorite band or a new track they've just gotten into. Expand your music knowledge and listen to the world open up around you! And of course, feel free to suggest some jams for me to listen to in the comments. I'm all ears!

The die has been cast. Have fun!

Oh, the Irony!

Hello all! It's finals week so this post is going to be short...maybe. I just noticed that this blog has reached 500 page views! That's just about the coolest thing I've ever seen. The fact that people are showing interest in what I have to say is mind blowing. So thanks awesome people!

Also, since I began this journey into the technological age, some interesting developments have occurred. I've grown a lot. I've learned a ton about technology, changed some of my views, and started branching out more. Recently, I was given two positions that involve extensive uses of social media and other tech-y things. Who knew this old soul would be so involved in the technological world? And the weirdest part: I'm actually excited about it!

Maybe I'm experiencing some end-of-the-year reflection syndrome, but I feel really good about where I am and where I'm going. Embracing new technology isn't scary; it's exhilarating. I get to learn things I never thought I'd have to learn and that's a really cool feeling. I guess the Last Learner is finally catching up to the rest of the world.

So here's to my first 500 page views! Hopefully the next 500 will be just as rewarding.

Not Alone

I have discovered something recently: I am not the only old soul out there. Or, at least, the rest of my generation is starting to catch up to me.

While browsing Facebook the other day, I came across something peculiar. A trend began to emerge right before my eyes, unfolding as I scrolled farther down the page. Looking at all of the posts, all of the shared pictures and witty comments, I saw that my friends were expressing a nostalgia that I had never really seen before.

What were they so nostalgic about? The only decade my generation has ever truly known: the '90s. "Like this if you're a 90s baby", "Share this if you remember Lizzy McGuire's parent's names", "Like in 3 seconds if you played with a bop-it". Yeah. I get it. We played with toys that are no longer on the market and we watched shows that are no longer on TV. We want to relive that because it was a fun time in our lives! We were kids with no responsibilities and no heartaches (that is, unless your Slinky broke). I understand being nostalgic about an awesome family vacation or that one time you stayed up late secretly listening to your new S Club 7 CD, but being nostalgic about an entire decade? This is something that I haven't encountered before.

I grew up listening to my parents talk about "the good old days" of the '70s and I remember thinking about how old and dated it made them sound. Now we're talking about the '90s in the same way. I guess it's just a part of growing up.

While this realization is a bit startling, it does make me pretty excited about the future. My generation is the first that will essentially grow up on Facebook. We're going to be the pioneers who make the transition from posting pictures of college parties to posting pictures of our newborn children. And we have no examples of how to do that!

Maybe thinking so much about the future is something an old soul does, too. Maybe you finally cross the threshold of adulthood when you focus more on the past and future than the present. But to my fellow Facebook pioneers, '90s kids, and old souls, I'd like to say one thing: let's not forget entirely how to be kids. I don't mean that we should focus on the childhood we've left behind, but that we should focus on the present, the way kids do. There's a lot of great stuff going on today, in this moment, and someday we'll be nostalgic for 2012. Enjoy it while it's here. Cherish your past, enjoy the present, and get pumped for the future! Time is on your side because you're only as old as you feel.

Technology at Its Finest

So I haven't blogged in awhile. I've just been enjoying all the new technology around me! Just kidding. I've pretty much been doing the same old stuff as usual, although there has been one new technological development that has captured my attention and delighted my soul: Pottermore.

I am a huge Harry Potter fan and have been since about third grade. I remember pretending to be a young witch during recess, casting spells and riding the Hogwarts express. Reading the books with my mom is a cherished memory of mine. When the movies came out, I felt like I had really been transported into the magical world. And now with Pottermore, the Harry Potter experience is enriched even further.

I feel like a kid in a candy store. I have a wand (Apple and Pheonix feather, 10 3/4 inches, quite flexible) and I'm part of a Hogwarts house (Hufflepuff--I was a bit surprised, but I'm learning to love it). I'm gaining insight into things I never knew about the stories, and the world feels like a brand new and exciting place!

I'm really impressed with Pottermore, not just because it's fun and awesome, but because it's different from anything else I've encountered on the Internet. This site isn't used solely to capitalize on the HP franchise (although I'm sure that's a nice perk!); it's used primarily to enhance the reader's experience, so that new generations of Potter fans (and old ones too!) can connect even more with the books. It's like pretending to be Harry on the playground, but it's on the computer instead. It's perfectly suited for this technological age. And the best part: it still encourages reading.

One thing I've learned from Pottermore and my recent experiences with technology is that it really doesn't matter what technology or medium you use--printed books, EReaders, movies, or others--as long as there is a way to truly connect with a story. That's what turns a small experience into a cultural phenomenon. Technology isn't bad as long as we use it to improve society and engage the next generation. If we need a site like Pottermore to get kids excited about reading, I'm all for it. And while I'm there, I'll reawaken my own sense of wonderment at the literary world around me.

Back to Basics

I have just finished my lovely week-long spring break and with it came new revelations about old interests of mine.

Firstly, I love books. I love the way they look, the way they feel, and even the way they smell (The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien is a best-smeller--pun intended!). Cheesy jokes aside, there is just something about sitting down to read a good book that makes me truly happy. And the feeling I get from cracking open a book for the first time--or even the second or third--just can't be duplicated by reading the exact same story from a computer screen or an e-reader. As much as I want to begin to embrace technology and new forms of media, my love for turning the page into a brand new world will never change.

Secondly, I love old movies and TV shows. The black and white kind. With the overacting and sub-par special effects. Old movies aren't as glamorous as today's movies, but in some ways they are more glamorous. I am absolutely delighted by the story of  It's a Wonderful Life; I am shocked, scared, and, quite frankly, mesmerized by Hitchcock's Psycho; I watch The Twilight Zone religiously; and any movie with Mae West kills me. "Peel me a grape!" That's just good stuff.

I'm so glad I had a week to relax and do some of the things I love. In this technological age, we often get lost in our fast-paced pursuits. Sometimes it's nice to just take a breather, a minute to ourselves, and enjoy the simpler things in life. The thing is, we shouldn't have to wait until spring break or any other vacation to suck the marrow out of life. Find the time to do what makes you happy because when you're not bogged down with life, you just might start to live.

Ugh.

I think I've been pretty nice to technology thus far. My last post went so far as to praise it! This one will be different, however. I think the crotchety old lady in me has been raging to break out of her 19-year-old prison as of late. Let the (hopefully comical) venting begin!

Firstly, I would like to talk about an activity that has been a major part of my life in recent weeks: finding credible sources for seemingly endless research papers. I must say, being in college helps. I have access to a library catalog with tons of databases and thousands of articles. I don't have to sort through millions of Google links that have nothing to do with my topic. Even the magical library system doesn't help, however, when the database tells me it has an article and then refuses to let me see it. Why the tease, Proquest, why? If I can't read it, don't act like you can get me access to it, because I only end up wallowing in despair over the loss of a potentially awesome resource.

In my last post, I talked about the power of technology, but really, there are some instances when it has so little power that it baffles me. Take my Ipod, for example. One day, it just stopped working. It wouldn't turn on and it was making annoying clicking sounds. I hadn't used it in awhile and it had been just sitting on its dock, charging. I turned on the dock, which was working fine. I plugged the Ipod into the computer and it turned on. So it had been dead! (Yes, even my crazy brain can figure out some technological problems using simple logic.) However, when I plugged it back into the dock, it still didn't want to work. The problem? The dock was dusty. When I cleaned it off, everything worked again. The powerful Ipod, arguably the technological advance of the century, had been momentarily defeated by...dust. My dead skin cells. Maybe this means I need to clean a bit more often, but more importantly, I think it proves that through all of these technological advancements, HUMANS STILL RULE!!!

Last complaint, I promise. What in the name of all that is good and holy is going on with Youtube? It is so slow! How am I supposed to get my fix of nerdy Vlogbrothers videos, unintentionally hilarious K-pop music videos, and Adele songs that I attempt to sing along to, when there is constant buffering and the need to lower video quality? Technological universe, hear my plea! Make Youtube the glorious place it once was, where I could watch Harry Potter Puppet Pals without having to wait for 15 minutes for the thing to load!

Next post will be nicer. I just had a list of things that were bugging me and now all of those things can be crossed off! Old lady: satisfied. Thanks, blogosphere!

The Power of Technology

Hello again! Today, I'd like to discuss the power that technology has as I've seen it recently in my life.

I'd like to draw your attention specifically to social media. It's kind of weird to think about, but Facebook and Twitter can change a person's life. Crazy, right? I'm always baffled by overnight Internet sensations. The other day, I witnessed a sensation in the making.

My college's Facebook page posted a photo of a guy walking to class on a snowy day. The thing is, he was wearing shorts. I happen to be friends with this guy and I can safely say that he always wears shorts, no matter what the weather is. The caption of the photo said "There's always that one guy in shorts" and all of these alumni were commenting on the picture saying things like "I hope his mother doesn't see this!" and "I never understood this. Why do some guys have to be so macho?" In short, they were hatin' on my poor friend, the Shorts Guy.

Eventually, he saw the picture and defended himself against the crotchety shorts haters, explaining that he did, in fact, own pants, that he was not from northern Wisconsin, and that he was not trying to make some sort of macho statement. He simply likes to wear shorts. End of story. Soon, lots of people were flocking to his defense. As of right now, the photo has 27 shares and 179 likes.

While my friends and I were all laughing our heads off at Shorts Guy's new fame, something magical was happening. Some comedic genius made a meme using the picture and gave it the caption, "First day of winter? Don't care." This meme made it to Twitter and then spread like wildfire.

Now, at least in the social media world of my college, Shorts Guy is famous. It took all of about two hours for this to happen. I never fully understood how fast technology was until I witnessed this event.

I'm hoping when I bring my shorts back from home, Shorts Guy will be kind enough to sign a pair!

Here We Go!

Let's get one thing straight: I am not old. I am actually 19. I just think I should be 19 in the 1960s...or '40s...or some time that doesn't require learning tons upon tons of new technology in order to slightly increase the possibility of getting a decent job. Why am I writing a blog then, you ask? There are two answers for that: 1. I'm tired of shying away from things that I'm not naturally good at and 2. I have an hour to kill and I don't want to start my paper that is due Friday.

This year, I've already made some great strides in my love-hate relationship with technology. Everyone has Facebook, including my mom (even though her page is actually under my dad's name--confusing!), so I don't count that as an achievement. However, I did recently get a Twitter account, which I'm still wrestling with. I have mastered the retweet, but that's about it.

Next, I created my Youtube account. I know this is super hard to believe, but until about a week ago, I didn't even have a Google account set up. That's right: no Gmail. My friends thought I was insane. I'm still half-convinced that Google is trying to take over my life. However, I got over it for enough time to get Youtube all figured out. Of course, I've been using Youtube for years, but now I have subscribed to a total of three channels. This is what I've been missing out on. Go me.

You have no idea how much the creation of this blog is stressing me out. I just have this feeling that everything I'm typing is going to disappear and then all of my brilliance will be lost. Or that my template will look super weird. Or that something is going to look ridiculous. Then again, none of you know that this exists yet and hopefully this blog will stay in a quiet little corner of the Internet until I can work out all the kinks.

I think I'm done here. Fingers crossed the posting of this goes well!