Category Archives: personal

For Jason, One Year Later

Posted on December 2, 2011 | 10 Comments

I blame it all on him. The fact that I can’t look at a love quote or watch a sappy commercial without crying. It’s all his fault.

I open up my Pinterest and the waterworks just start up. It doesn’t matter if I’m at my work desk or if I’m at home in my bedroom or if I’m in the middle of class. I read something beautiful and think of him. And it just opens up this part of me I didn’t even know existed. This depth of feeling I don’t even understand.

Not everyone gets to celebrate a one year engagement–I guess we’re just lucky like that. So this is my one year ago he asked me to marry him and I said yes post. It’s probably kind of sappy, but how many times in your life do you get to be truly sappy?

 

More than four years ago I took a chance and opened up to someone. I told Jason I liked him and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But the rewards have been great, and I look at that moment as a turning point in my life. A moment where I decided to stop being afraid of what I wanted and follow my heart.

Sure, there have been times where I’ve faltered, but it was that moment when my life changed.

We’ve had our ups and downs. Our times apart. We know that love is hard work, but we like hard work. Working hard just means you really care about something. If we didn’t have to work at it then the times that are truly beautiful wouldn’t feel like such a pay-off.


View Driving directions to 3901 Northeast Broadway Avenue, Des Moines, IA in a larger map

And to think that we grew up on the same street, went to the same grocery store, saw the same snows. I always say I never thought I’d be the one to marry my high school boyfriend, but then again, why not? Maybe the problem with relationships now is everyone just expects so much. Everyone wants to have this grand love story but they want it on their terms and they don’t want to work for it. Sometimes the best things are the unexpected ones.

So, to Jason, one year ago you asked me to marry you and I said yes. And I say yes today, tomorrow, and forever. I love your past, future, and present. Thank you for always pushing me to be the person I want to, helping me achieve my dreams, making every night a slumber party, and every day something to celebrate.

I have always known it was you.

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Posted in personal, wedding

Let’s Start Something New

Posted on November 19, 2011 | 20 Comments

It feels like it’s time for a change.

I don’t want to be a book blogger anymore. Or at least, not “just a book blogger.” For those of you who are able to write about books for years and years, I respect you for that. But right now my life is not about books. Things have changed a lot since I sat down to write my first post in October 2009, and just because I wanted to write about books then doesn’t really mean I should continue writing about them.

I’m a very different person facing very different circumstances.

What I learned from starting English Major’s Junk Food was that I could set my mind to something and go far with it. I could set a goal and complete it. That was an invaluable experience for me and it got the ball rolling for my life. Since then I’ve set many goals and worked to reach them. I would hate to not go after all of my goals because I feel like I should read. That just wouldn’t be right.

So here I am, starting something new.

I want to write about my wedding, getting married, moving, graduating, traveling, finding a job, feminism, cooking, health, exercise, and of course, books. I won’t stop reviewing books because reading will always be a big part of my life. They just aren’t the biggest part of my life right now.

I know this means I’m saying good-bye to some of you. But I know in my heart that some of you will stay, and maybe it means I’m saying hello to a few people. I hope that’s the case.

So I’m excited. And I hope you’re excited. I’m excited about blogging again! I feel like jumping up and down. I know this is right.

Welcome to English Major’s Narrative.

*Awesome photos by John Allen Photography.

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Posted in blogging, personal

Running for the Literati

Posted on November 15, 2011 | 4 Comments

So while I haven’t been reading recently I’ve taken up a new hobby. Running.

Believe me, no one is more surprised than me.

I’ve always been active but I’ve also always been adamant that I’d never become a runner. It was too hard, boring, and I’d rather something more enjoyable like walk or dance or bike. Yet her I am. Running.

It all started a couple of weeks ago when I saw an article on Jezebel. Why Women Runners Are Punk Rock. Did you know that as recently as the 1960′s women couldn’t run in running in American road races? It’s so hard for me to imagine when every day I walk out there door and see girls running everywhere I look. It was unique perspective for me as feminist. Here is something I’ve always loathed but it’s also something many women fought to have. So I though, why not try it.

I’m doing the Couch to 5K program and I started the third week today. I ran three minutes straight and I didn’t die! For people who really are runners that seems like nothing, but for me it was a big accomplishment. And I did it twice. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the C25K program it uses intervals of running and walking to work you up to running for 30 minutes straight over the course of nine weeks.

I’ve started reading about running in my spare time. I can’t wait to leave the house and run a little bit farther, a little bit longer than I did before.

Im a Runner Susan Orlean

And then there is this Susan Orlean video that connects writing to running. Which I love.

So maybe running isn’t as bad as I thought.

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Posted in feminsim, personal, running, writing

A Stress Rant on a Sunday

Posted on October 23, 2011 | 7 Comments

I put a lot of pressure on myself. 

Glad we established that.

I have a horrible, horrible case of senioritis. All I feel like doing is watching television. I am struggling under the weight of all the projects I’ve taken on, and I don’t like the way it’s making me feel. I’ve always had a problem with balancing things I want to do with things I have to do. Thing I want to do: Blog and start projects. Things I have to do: Homework and laundry. This is basically the balance I’m fighting with in my life.

I also found out this week the one class I need to complete my fundraising certificate won’t be offered next semester. You would think I would be upset about this, but my reaction was pretty much meh. 

It didn’t take me long to figure out what I wanted to do next semester instead. Get an entrepreneurship certificate. But now this makes me feel flighty. Like I’ve changed my mind way too many times in college. Even so, I started looking at the entrepreneurship certificate at the beginning of this year. Every couple of weeks. I thought about how I should have thought of it sooner, should have pursued it earlier, and now it was too late. Part of me thinks it was kind of fate the fundraising class won’t be offered next semester. Maybe this is what I’m supposed to do? I don’t know. And now my head hurts. And I wish that pile of laundry would quit staring at me. 

I’m so stressed I’ve lost motivation to do anything. That’s the worst kind of stressed. It’s like I’m stressed and can’t do anything to get out of it. I keep putting off things, letting more crap I need to do fall on me and bury me in this little stress hole I’ve dug for myself.

Sorry, that sounds really depressing.

Okay. End rant.

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Posted in personal

True Hearts Land

Posted on October 14, 2011 | 5 Comments

On Wednesday I mentioned that I’m working on some Internet projects. There is one very specific project I’m working on and really excited about–even if I might be in over my head. I’m starting a literary magazine (oooh) for nonfiction about the midwest (aaaah) and it’s all online. It’s called true hearts land and since it’s online I’m accepting written, graphic, video, and audio submissions. The beauty of the Internet, right?

I already have two writers working on something for the first issue and I’ve sent out some emails to other people who might have contacts for me, but it doesn’t seem right to start a literary endeavor without posting it here. I know a lot of you aren’t in the midwest, but hopefully you’ll become readers and supports of this project, and for those of you who are in the midwest maybe some of you write nonfiction about your home. You should submit it on the website.

I’m excited! This project is combining so many things I love and I just feel like it’s the beginning of something really good. Something really right for me. I kind of want to scream, but in a good way. Something literary, midwesty, nonfictiony, Internety, and just lovely.

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Posted in literary magazine, personal, true hearts land