Rae Goes Away: Packing for NOLA

When this post goes up I'll be in the car on my way to #NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) for the Katy Perry concert! Sadly, we'll only be staying in my self-appointed second home for one night, but I'm super excited to go. As I was packing for the trip I found it looked like I was moving to NOLA permanently! So I grabbed my smaller over-night vintage suitcase and started downsizing.

Here are a few little tips I learned along the way:

1. 2 for 1. Since our trip is going to be two days of traveling, I wanted something comfortable both days, so I decided to make two outfits using the same pair of leggings. This saves space in my luggage since I'll be wearing  the leggings and boots on the way.
2. Make a List. This is the simplest trick that everyone suggests but I'm so the worst at it! I ended up actually outlining each outfit (3 in all) and seeing what pieces I could cross over. This is a different approach to packing for me and it really worked.
3. Smaller Suitcases Win. When I was trying to pack my big carry all suitcase for this trip, I packed about 6 completely different outfits and two variations FOR ONE NIGHT! I felt like I needed to fill up the bag despite the fact that I don't need much for the night.
4. Plan for Travel. I initially started by putting my bag together with the clothes I wanted to wear on the car ride down. Then I realized how dumb that was, pulled everything out and reassessed. I knew we'd be leaving early so I wanted to have my outfit picked out, so I set it on top of my suitcase with hair accessories and all ready for a quick, speedy morning.

Packing List:

2 Concert Dresses

Heels

Fast Flats

Underclothes

Sweater

Hairbrush

Make up/Toiletry Bag

2 Tunic Tanks

Leggings

Boots

Extra Tunic

Hair Accessories

Night Gown

Slip-on Shoes

Blankets/Pillow/etc.

How do you pack for overnight trips?

VegHead in Shreveport

HAPPY WEDNESDAY! Look at me, posting on time/on the schedule again!

About 1 week and two days ago I decided to go officially and properly vegetarian. I've always known it would be better for my health and for the environment, but living with my venison loving mother has always made it a little difficult. That's not to mention that I had never done much grocery shopping for myself until Keith came to live with us. But now I've truly dedicated myself to making a tiny impact in myself and in the world with my diet. (This sudden motivation may or may not have come from Kalel Cullen's blog post, video, and suggestion of Paul McCartney's "If Slaughterhouses Had Glass Walls.)

Yes, that's a smoothie bowl. Yes, it was delicious. Yes it's the only picture I've taken of food for the last week. 

So far I've found the diet to be a bit difficult. There are very few places in Shreveport that I've found that have vegetarian friendly meals. I'm finding it very frustrating that everywhere I go I get french fries, mashed potatoes, fried onions, etc. I eat a lot of bean burritos and eggs (I am not vegan, vegetarian who eats only free-range eggs and is lactose intolerant). Mostly I find going out very frustrating now when I once loved it. Italian has so far been the exception as I only ever ate Alfredo before anyway. 

Aside from the frustrations of going out, I really enjoy my new "friendly" foods, as I've begun to call them, at home. I've found so many different ways to make/mix/cook the veggies I've always loved and some I'd never tried. So far, these AMAZING zucchini fries from Yummy Healthy Easy have been my favorite go to.

I haven't made the ranch dip, but with Hidden Valley they're pretty great. Last night I also made this Fruit Salsa from The Thread Affect and it was pretty good. Pasta has also become my best friend again. I can eat pasta with butter or Alfredo or marinara and be perfectly content. 

These fruit quesadillas (by A Cedar Spoon) were also a huge hit with myself and Keith, so they're definitely here to stay. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a homemade desert so much!

As I discover more delicious ideas and undoubtably learn some things about being Vegetarian in Shreveport I will let you all know!

Have you ever been/are you vegetarian? What did/do you find most challenging? If not, what is your favorite veggie?

A Catch-Up Post

Goodness it's been so long! School started and everything went crazy! I haven't been here in weeks and I haven't been on Twitter for about as long! It's crazy! Here on campus I don't have a computer in my room and I certainly don't have a private computer, so it makes anything I can't do from my phone rather difficult. Here we go now, I'm going to try to catch y'all up on this thing that is my life.

1. Classes are.... classes. There is a lot of reading in my classes this year. We just finished one novel in my English class, The American by Henry James, and we've started another, The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. I probably won't review the first, I was unimpressed. I adore Henry James and I felt that novel was such a let down from the short stories I love.
   My french class is insanely difficult. We have a student who is fluent and from Togo, a French speaking country, and he gets as many things wrong as the American students do!
   History is not what I hoped it would be. I really need to read the course descriptions better! I hoped to study the great Kings and Queens of England (ie. Henry VIII, Elizabeth, William & Mary, etc.), but instead we're studying more about the uniting of the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland and the British Empire! Such a let down!
   Script writing is amazing! It's a seminar style and I really love that. Each week about 4 people have 4-5 pages of a script they wrote read. Mine is being read today! I'm so excited! I've also got almost 20 pages of my script written. Perhaps I'll turn it into a short-ish film some day!
2. Joined the fencing team. This is actually a really new thing. I joined last Tuesday and had private training that day, then went to bouts on Thursday, and have private training again tomorrow! I really love fencing so I'm excite to learn more and compete for the first time in December!
3. Roommate is awesome! She's one of my sorority sisters and our room is amazing! We took away the whole dividing-the-room-between-rommies thing and made it one big room of sharedness. It's also covered in my photography and her art!
4. My sorority is great! We just got a new pledge class of really lovely, awesome girls! I'm extremely happy to see my sisterhood grow and I can't wait to get to know my new sisters more!
5. Grad school is in the works. I've picked out my top two Grad Schools (SOAS, University of London, or University of Hawaii, Manoa).
6. Doctor Who is.... GAH! I adore this show so much! I'm currently on the two part special that is the last with the Tenth Doctor and it's so sad! I don't want to see Ten go, but I'm interested to meet this Amy Pond that everyone is obsesed with!

I think that about sums up my life since we last spoke: Dorm, Class, Sorority, Fencing, Doctor Who. Yep, that's my life. I hope to be able to get back to posting regularly, but please excuse any college kid slacking I do.

How have you all been?

A Change of Pace

Thankfully, this time I don't mean a new blog! This time my change of pace is a redirection of my entire life! At the current, I am enrolled at a small, private university in my hometown of Shreveport, LA. I'm registered as a French and English major, which I had been very happy with. But things have changed, and I'm a bit frightened about it.

 

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In August, I will be applying for transfer to a large, public university in Colorado! I'll be applying to enter their College of Science and Arts to study Linguistics and Anthropology, with a possible minor in Classics (Greek and Roman Studies)! It's ridiculously exciting, but equally frightening. 

When this posts, I'll be riding in a car to Colorado. My Grandfather and I left today at 6 am and are going to be back home Tuesday (just in time to write my post for Wednesday). On this trip I'll get to not only see family I've missed, but see the campus to which I'm applying and where I am hoping to spend my next three - four years of study. I'll have a full write up on the trip (with pictures!) on next Wednesday, but today I wanted to discuss my reasons for transferring. I'm sorry this is a long, mostly photo-less post! Just bare with me.

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Early June or late May, I discovered that my current university had cut thie Latin program and would no longer be offering any Latin courses. This was the factor that made me first debate transferring schools, but it's certainly not my only reason. When I chose my school, I chose it because it was close to home and the website promised me the ability to attain a Masters in the Art of Teaching in 5-years (beginning as an undergraduate). In my research and visits to the school, no one felt the need to correct me and tell me that the undergraduate Education program had been cut. Strike 1.

As I get into school and begin classes, I learn that my undergraduate MAT is not possible anymore, and settle for a double major of French and English with a possible minor (definite classes) in German. Little did I know, or anyone tell me until a German major friend, that the German department was closing down and would not be offering beginning courses anymore. Strike 2.

The general atmosphere of the school is very much like a small-town. It's a very close knit community with the cliques (granted not a bad as high school). There are the choir kids, the athletes, the science majors, and everyone else. I don't like the atmosphere or the community. Strike 3.

Tuition went up. A lot. Strike 4.

Finally, I learn that Latin isn't simply not being offered the upcoming fall semester (I had been led to believe that I could register for beginning Latin in the Spring) but that is will not be offering any more beginning courses and will be phased completely out in the next year or so. Strike 5.

There are other, much more minor, strikes against the university, as well, but I won't list them here; this post is already long enough and I still have a bit more to say.

I feel that in attending the school a full to year, I've given it a chance and given myself ample time to develop opinions of what is best for me. As much as I'd love to say I'd like to stay at my school, I wouldn't. Granted I've made some great friend and I have a fantastic chapter of my sorority here, the education is not one I'm happy with. I love languages and want to study them above all else, but I cannot do that at my current university. The new university, should I be accepted, offers at least 15 languages, as well as Linguistics and Anthropology departments (two professions I've always hoped to go into later in life). It seems that, for me, this transfer is the best option, despite the 2 days it takes to get home. Despite the hours and the miles, my family is supportive, most of my friends are supportive, and, thankfully, my partner is entirely supportive and hopes the best for me. With his, and my family's, support I'm fully ready to take the step and apply the moment the application goes live online!

What did/do/will you study in school (if you choose/chose that path)? Have you ever made the choice to transfer universities? What went into your decision?

*Disclaimer: Both photos were pulled from DeviantART. Both have credit to the photo page under the photo. If the link appears broken, please notify me and I will correctly credit the photo. Neither photo is mine or was take by me. All rights remain with the original photographer.*