I have always had an interest in politics and government. My dad is a government teacher and being knowledgeable about current politics is a necessity for his profession. Because of the need to be in the know, we always watched the nightly news as a family. Young Bre was an avid news watcher; on more than one occasion I was at a friend's house during the nightly news hour and asked if we would watch NBC news instead of cartoons. (Still a big Tom Brokaw fan to this day!) Sure, it was bit geeky but I had few concerns about my image at the age of 8 and really just wanted to know what was happening in the world. Keep in mind this was the pre-internet and social media era so really the only way to know what was happening in the world was by watching the news. Or reading the newspaper the following day.
Well, I have request with the upcoming election season: go vote. I do not care in the slightest who you are voting for. I don't care if my party wins or your party wins. If you didn't go out and vote for your candidate you deserve no opinion in politics this season. I do not want to see you complaining if your candidate does not win and I do not want to see you bragging if your candidate won, if you did not physically go to the polls or mail in your absentee ballot. The only way to win a political race is to have most people vote for you (with the exception of the presidential election where you can win the popular vote but lose the election because of the electoral college, but that's a whole other story). Don't whine or gloat on social media. It's not necessary if you did everything in your power to make a difference.
So go vote. I don't care about your party, your views, or your beliefs. This is not a time of right vs. wrong because both sides are at fault both sides have strong points. Are they each right 100% of the time? No. No one is. That's how being a human works. I care about your right to vote and your choice to exercise it. You can only do so much to help your candidate and your side. So get out there and vote!
Here's a motivational (basically just cute) video I fondly remember watching on VHS with my dad many times during my childhood. http://abc.go.com/shows/schoolhouse-rock/episode-guide/season-01/24-im-just-a-bill
Monday, October 31, 2016
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Big Ugly #3
The third Ugly Truth I am uncovering is food. Childhoods meals were provided each night, cooked by a parent who did not have a ton of time but everything was sufficient. As people transition to college, a cafeteria provides a consistent set of options. Current college students will frequently tell you how much they despise the caf: there are always lines, the food doesn't taste the way they would like it, there isn't much variety, etc., etc. On the flipside many recent college graduates will tell you they would go back to eating cafeteria food in a heartbeat.
I never loved the caf at Luther but it certainly was not the worst in my mind. The food was above average and with a bit of creativity (aka visiting 6 different lines) I could create a relatively healthy meal I like (plus take a little fruit for the road). It was far from perfect but it was immediately available almost every night after track practice (unless practice was 7-9pm, in which case I ate at 4pm and my options were a little more limited), it was hot, and it came at no additional cost in my life (thanks Mom and Dad for paying for room and board).
Cooking as an adult is the exact opposite of all of that. I get home from work most nights just before 6 and usually have to take my dog on some sort of walk, at least 45 minutes. There is no food readily available when I come back. Some amount of prep work is always required. Food also comes at a price. Anyone that buys groceries knows that food supplies are not cheap and buying in bulk is not always practical for household of two (where one travels often) as food spoils and then gets wasted. I love the grocery store Aldi (if you're unfamiliar with the store, check it out here: https://www.aldi.us/) because everything is affordable and comes in a portion I can use. Because groceries are a bit expensive I try to plan meals so that I only have to buy necessary food at Aldi. If I plan well enough and use leftover supplies from previous meals I can spend about $35 a week on groceries for two people. I like to think this is actually pretty good but I don't know. Aldi offers great deals that make this happen and I adore them.
Another catch of buying food on your own is eating healthy on a budget. That's part of the reason I love Aldi so much, they actually have a pretty great selection of fruits and vegetables. Like any grocery store you have to check things out because some foods look like they are close to being thrown away, but I have had good luck being observant. College has a readily available salad bar and fruit selection with every meal. I don't eat fruits and veggies fast enough now to justify buying the big quantities because they expire before I can finish them. I try to shop healthy but the reality is I can make a pasta casserole that feeds me 5-7 meals and some vegetables just don't last that long and require some prep work (because who wants to eat a raw salad for every meal of their life?!).
College students, enjoy not cooking for yourself because post-college cooking can be a challenge if you aren't kitchen savvy to begin with. I was a baker but certainly no chef. I have learned how to fend for myself enough to get by and enjoy the planning and executing of a meal plan during the week. I like hunting through grocery stores, cross referencing sales flyers, trying to get the best deal; I've been known to go to 2-3 groceries in a weekend to get the best deals on everything–not even a little ashamed of that. By golly I want the best bang for my buck!
I enjoy the ability to decide what night I have spaghetti as opposed to it being my back up plan if all the other lines in the cafeteria didn't look so good. I've really taken to casseroles and crockpot meals because the ingredients are easy to have on hand and the meals can be thrown together quickly. They also create big meals that turn into leftovers, perfect for lunch at work the next day and maybe dinner the next night too. I have become pretty good at buying a set of ingredients, throwing it together, and making a decent meal that lasts for several days worth of meals. This is also great because I can eat immediately after getting back from work or exercising with my dog.
My other favorite aspect of cooking as an adult is the ability to experiment. I bought a butternut squash this weekend and will have to figure out to how cook it this week. The challenge is fun and sometimes things turn out great. Other times I make ramen because my plan fell through horribly and it's all I have time for after investing the last hour on something that failed miserably. The freedom to choose every meal is great but other times I wish everything was laid out for me. And costs money...There are no other options. If I don't buy groceries and cook them for myself, I starve.
So the call is out! Are you a young adult who has purchased his or her own groceries and needs some suggestions on easy meals?! Let's swap! I've already done this with one person (looking forward to your recipes, Sarah!) and I think my cooking ability can only go up from where it currently is. I am no Betty Crocker but I do have a couple ideas and I'm willing to throw things together and see what happens. I am not ready to cook a full Thanksgiving meal for 25 people but I have moved well above the cop out of toast and ramen from college.
I never loved the caf at Luther but it certainly was not the worst in my mind. The food was above average and with a bit of creativity (aka visiting 6 different lines) I could create a relatively healthy meal I like (plus take a little fruit for the road). It was far from perfect but it was immediately available almost every night after track practice (unless practice was 7-9pm, in which case I ate at 4pm and my options were a little more limited), it was hot, and it came at no additional cost in my life (thanks Mom and Dad for paying for room and board).
Cooking as an adult is the exact opposite of all of that. I get home from work most nights just before 6 and usually have to take my dog on some sort of walk, at least 45 minutes. There is no food readily available when I come back. Some amount of prep work is always required. Food also comes at a price. Anyone that buys groceries knows that food supplies are not cheap and buying in bulk is not always practical for household of two (where one travels often) as food spoils and then gets wasted. I love the grocery store Aldi (if you're unfamiliar with the store, check it out here: https://www.aldi.us/) because everything is affordable and comes in a portion I can use. Because groceries are a bit expensive I try to plan meals so that I only have to buy necessary food at Aldi. If I plan well enough and use leftover supplies from previous meals I can spend about $35 a week on groceries for two people. I like to think this is actually pretty good but I don't know. Aldi offers great deals that make this happen and I adore them.
Another catch of buying food on your own is eating healthy on a budget. That's part of the reason I love Aldi so much, they actually have a pretty great selection of fruits and vegetables. Like any grocery store you have to check things out because some foods look like they are close to being thrown away, but I have had good luck being observant. College has a readily available salad bar and fruit selection with every meal. I don't eat fruits and veggies fast enough now to justify buying the big quantities because they expire before I can finish them. I try to shop healthy but the reality is I can make a pasta casserole that feeds me 5-7 meals and some vegetables just don't last that long and require some prep work (because who wants to eat a raw salad for every meal of their life?!).
College students, enjoy not cooking for yourself because post-college cooking can be a challenge if you aren't kitchen savvy to begin with. I was a baker but certainly no chef. I have learned how to fend for myself enough to get by and enjoy the planning and executing of a meal plan during the week. I like hunting through grocery stores, cross referencing sales flyers, trying to get the best deal; I've been known to go to 2-3 groceries in a weekend to get the best deals on everything–not even a little ashamed of that. By golly I want the best bang for my buck!
I enjoy the ability to decide what night I have spaghetti as opposed to it being my back up plan if all the other lines in the cafeteria didn't look so good. I've really taken to casseroles and crockpot meals because the ingredients are easy to have on hand and the meals can be thrown together quickly. They also create big meals that turn into leftovers, perfect for lunch at work the next day and maybe dinner the next night too. I have become pretty good at buying a set of ingredients, throwing it together, and making a decent meal that lasts for several days worth of meals. This is also great because I can eat immediately after getting back from work or exercising with my dog.
My other favorite aspect of cooking as an adult is the ability to experiment. I bought a butternut squash this weekend and will have to figure out to how cook it this week. The challenge is fun and sometimes things turn out great. Other times I make ramen because my plan fell through horribly and it's all I have time for after investing the last hour on something that failed miserably. The freedom to choose every meal is great but other times I wish everything was laid out for me. And costs money...There are no other options. If I don't buy groceries and cook them for myself, I starve.
So the call is out! Are you a young adult who has purchased his or her own groceries and needs some suggestions on easy meals?! Let's swap! I've already done this with one person (looking forward to your recipes, Sarah!) and I think my cooking ability can only go up from where it currently is. I am no Betty Crocker but I do have a couple ideas and I'm willing to throw things together and see what happens. I am not ready to cook a full Thanksgiving meal for 25 people but I have moved well above the cop out of toast and ramen from college.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Big Ugly #2
The second Big Ugly truth I am addressing is exercise. I have been an athlete my entire life: my parents were both coaches so sports have been a part of me since day one. (Also I was a volleyball player for my first Halloween, at only a month and a half old. My dad puff painted a onesie like a uniform for me.) I played many sports throughout my youth and into high school. When I came to college I decided to join the track team as a way to meet people (successful plan there).
During middle school and high school I did not have to worry about staying in shape or worry about eating too much or junk food. Sure, I have always been a little exercise and nutrition conscious but it was never really necessary. College became a different story. Your metabolism slows down as you age so come college, I was more aware of my exercise and eating habits.
I ran track four years at Luther. My freshman year I had not fully committed to being on the team but I did a lot of running on my own during the fall because the weather is perfect for running all the time. As part of a college PE class we had to run 3 miles on the track and I was actually pretty good at it. I had convinced myself that I did not need to compete to stay in shape. Eventually I ran past the head coach's house enough on my routes that he sent me an email pointing out that I was putting in a lot of time running and joining the track team would be a good idea. Well, I joined and I don't regret it. It was a great support system and we were all doing something we enjoyed, that happened to be exercise as well. Even if you aren't part of a sports team in college, most have state of the art fitness centers where there are weights, machines, classes, and pools; you are bound to find something you enjoy. Exercise is easy in college and can be a great way to procrastinate homework and de-stress.
However, that pre-planned, easy access, support system has proved challenging after college. In college it was easy to commit a few hours of my day to track because the people were great and it was a simple way to get all my exercise needs met. (Sidenote: felt pretty good about eating whatever I wanted, within reason of course, because my fitness levels were so high.) Since college though I haven't run much. I am at peace with that. I think I've gone running 5 times since my last meet in May. The first time I ran, I tried to take my puppy but she didn't quite understand jogging so we either sprinted or walked for 20 minutes. The second time I went running it was 95ºF outside and 100% humidity. I was at the mall a few minutes drive from my apartment and locked my keys in my car. I walked home to get the spare set and ran back to the mall. It was noon–hottest part of the day and 15 minutes of torture. I decided not to run again for awhile. My boyfriend and I tried running together a few times but we were neither one really interested in it. Part of me feels at a loss because I am not working toward a goal of a time in a competition. At the same time, adulthood does not leave a lot of solo exercise time.
My puppy has exceptionally high exercise needs. (Life tip: German shorthair pointers are not great apartment dogs. Cute as a button but they need a lot of exercise and ability to run. She is making due and we visit a big dog park a couple days a week so she gets plenty of exercise.) I leave for work around 7am and get home by 6pm. By the time my dog and I get a sufficient walk in for the evening it is 7pm. I try and make a rushed dinner and soon enough it is 8pm and I'm exhausted with a dog ready to take another loop around the block. We play fetch (read: she runs after toys I throw and then I have to force her mouth open to get the toy back, but we're working on it) and she loves tug-of-war. Then we snuggle in bed and go to sleep around 10pm. As the days get shorter it is becoming even more difficult to get enough exercise during daylight hours. I am not entirely sure what we will do come November and December.
If the exercise does not help my dog, I simply don't have time to do it. There are a lot of exercise sales and programs on social media but not everyone has time for that. From a practical standpoint I don't care about "being tone and tight." I don't know how many times in my last track season someone asked what exercise I was going to take up when I was done sprinting. I always said I planned to get a dog and we were going to take long walks. I'm doing exactly what I said and pretty much living the dream: I don't feel obligated to run right now and Little P gets to go on explorations and get exercise at the same time. It's a win-win. I already get up at 5:30am to get myself ready and get my dog fed, snuggled, and walked around the block before I leave for work. I can't afford to get up much earlier. I already spend close to an hour a day in total exercising my dog. If I added even another 30 minutes of exercise a day I would feel more exhausted than I already do. I would also be eating dinner probably close to 8pm. More exercise really doesn't fit into my day. And I can't sacrifice my dog's exercise needs for my own. I can deal with being out of shape but my dog will destroy things like couches and carpet if she doesn't get enough activity.
Exercise is never easy and it only becomes more difficult after college. For those out there that have managed to find a program that works for them and their schedules, congrats! If you haven't run since your last college meet, that's okay too. From a health standpoint I encourage you to get some exercise each day because it's good for you. At the same time, if you simply can't make it work don't let it stress you out. The time will come when life slows down and you can figure things out. It all takes time.
During middle school and high school I did not have to worry about staying in shape or worry about eating too much or junk food. Sure, I have always been a little exercise and nutrition conscious but it was never really necessary. College became a different story. Your metabolism slows down as you age so come college, I was more aware of my exercise and eating habits.
I ran track four years at Luther. My freshman year I had not fully committed to being on the team but I did a lot of running on my own during the fall because the weather is perfect for running all the time. As part of a college PE class we had to run 3 miles on the track and I was actually pretty good at it. I had convinced myself that I did not need to compete to stay in shape. Eventually I ran past the head coach's house enough on my routes that he sent me an email pointing out that I was putting in a lot of time running and joining the track team would be a good idea. Well, I joined and I don't regret it. It was a great support system and we were all doing something we enjoyed, that happened to be exercise as well. Even if you aren't part of a sports team in college, most have state of the art fitness centers where there are weights, machines, classes, and pools; you are bound to find something you enjoy. Exercise is easy in college and can be a great way to procrastinate homework and de-stress.
However, that pre-planned, easy access, support system has proved challenging after college. In college it was easy to commit a few hours of my day to track because the people were great and it was a simple way to get all my exercise needs met. (Sidenote: felt pretty good about eating whatever I wanted, within reason of course, because my fitness levels were so high.) Since college though I haven't run much. I am at peace with that. I think I've gone running 5 times since my last meet in May. The first time I ran, I tried to take my puppy but she didn't quite understand jogging so we either sprinted or walked for 20 minutes. The second time I went running it was 95ºF outside and 100% humidity. I was at the mall a few minutes drive from my apartment and locked my keys in my car. I walked home to get the spare set and ran back to the mall. It was noon–hottest part of the day and 15 minutes of torture. I decided not to run again for awhile. My boyfriend and I tried running together a few times but we were neither one really interested in it. Part of me feels at a loss because I am not working toward a goal of a time in a competition. At the same time, adulthood does not leave a lot of solo exercise time.
My puppy has exceptionally high exercise needs. (Life tip: German shorthair pointers are not great apartment dogs. Cute as a button but they need a lot of exercise and ability to run. She is making due and we visit a big dog park a couple days a week so she gets plenty of exercise.) I leave for work around 7am and get home by 6pm. By the time my dog and I get a sufficient walk in for the evening it is 7pm. I try and make a rushed dinner and soon enough it is 8pm and I'm exhausted with a dog ready to take another loop around the block. We play fetch (read: she runs after toys I throw and then I have to force her mouth open to get the toy back, but we're working on it) and she loves tug-of-war. Then we snuggle in bed and go to sleep around 10pm. As the days get shorter it is becoming even more difficult to get enough exercise during daylight hours. I am not entirely sure what we will do come November and December.
If the exercise does not help my dog, I simply don't have time to do it. There are a lot of exercise sales and programs on social media but not everyone has time for that. From a practical standpoint I don't care about "being tone and tight." I don't know how many times in my last track season someone asked what exercise I was going to take up when I was done sprinting. I always said I planned to get a dog and we were going to take long walks. I'm doing exactly what I said and pretty much living the dream: I don't feel obligated to run right now and Little P gets to go on explorations and get exercise at the same time. It's a win-win. I already get up at 5:30am to get myself ready and get my dog fed, snuggled, and walked around the block before I leave for work. I can't afford to get up much earlier. I already spend close to an hour a day in total exercising my dog. If I added even another 30 minutes of exercise a day I would feel more exhausted than I already do. I would also be eating dinner probably close to 8pm. More exercise really doesn't fit into my day. And I can't sacrifice my dog's exercise needs for my own. I can deal with being out of shape but my dog will destroy things like couches and carpet if she doesn't get enough activity.
Exercise is never easy and it only becomes more difficult after college. For those out there that have managed to find a program that works for them and their schedules, congrats! If you haven't run since your last college meet, that's okay too. From a health standpoint I encourage you to get some exercise each day because it's good for you. At the same time, if you simply can't make it work don't let it stress you out. The time will come when life slows down and you can figure things out. It all takes time.
Friday, October 7, 2016
Big Ugly #1
TV shows like "Friends," "How I Met Your Mother," and "New Girl," while all wonderful shows I have binge watched on Netflix, give young adults unrealistic expectations about moving into apartment complexes in new cities. I did not choose this city because it was near my hometown or because my roommates and I decided it would be a good place to start our adult lives. Pretty sure the first time I talked to any of my neighbors was once I had a dog and they thought she was cute. They asked if they could pet her. Of all my neighbors I think I know 3 of their names.
I have a strange set of apartment neighbors, let me tell you. We have very little in common with each other, starting with stage in life and continuing into our different lifestyles. I have a little family of 4 soon to be 5 downstairs, a middle aged woman upstairs (she will talk your arm off if she sees you), a couple that works weird/night schedules and a couple of kids, two guys with a couple girlfriends/kids/dogs/ I don't really understand the dynamics of upstairs, and a revolving door of men from India in which no one lives here more than 2 months. I don't know any of them exceptionally well. They are all friendly enough to hold the door for me if my arms are full of groceries. We smile if we are in the parking lot at the same time. But we definitely don't hangout like old pals. I've never seen the inside of their units and they've never been in mine. We are amicable but not BFFs. It's probably ok this way. I did recently learn that two I work with live at my complex. I might have to capitalize on them but I have no idea how much we have in common besides a workplace and an apartment complex. Results pending.
My best friend currently lives 5 hours and 11 minutes away; my college roommates live 2 hours and 8 minutes and 7 hours and 43 minutes away. I do not live with the people I am closest too. (For now, ignore the fact that I live with my boyfriend. I'll come back to it.) I am not living with people whose presence I enjoy on a daily basis. Sure we text everyday (and the Roomie groupchat will probably always exist because we need a quality gossip spot) but that is not the same as living with each other, having breakfast every morning, and getting ready for bed each night. Every night of college is a slumber party with your best friends. And then one day you graduate and your best friends are gone. You move to a new city and have one or two friends tops; and these friends might not be your best/favorite but you take what you can get. You start a new job and find yourself with people you know nothing about; bridging the gaps can be tough. Every day of college you had friends all around. The real world has a plethora of acquaintances and very few best friends. You treasure the time you spend with the friends you've known longer than a few weeks; you eagerly anticipate and count down the days until you get to see them again.
Personally I have struggled most in the area of friendship as an adult. I know very few people in Des Moines. Sure, I live with my boyfriend but we don't actually spend much time together during the week because he travels frequently for work and we each get home late. After we quickly eat dinner, we hang out with our dog, and soon enough it's time for bed and we do it all over the next day. We value weekends where we can spend quality time together but even that gets filled with errands we can't get to during the week.
Right now I also work in a cubicle. I thought I would like it but I don't. I won't lie. A cubicle makes workplace friendships extra challenging to develop because extreme isolation develops. Not only are you a new employee but you often don't get introduced to many people in a cubicle setting. Workplace socializing is rather frowned upon (I have emails to back up that statement) so really the only times I talk to people are when I have a question or problem; I know even less about my coworkers than I do my neighbors. Sometimes I talk to the people near me because we overhear each other on the phones and we have some strange/outrageous/comical conversations. Other than that, I can go all day without really talking to anyone.
I am certainly not an extrovert but I do enjoy spending time with people I like. I would like to think I'm on my way to making one adult friend (but that's only because she was a high school friend of my boyfriend) but one friend is hardly enough to satisfy the human need to socialize. Trust me when I say I'm looking into ways to make friends. I meet lots of cool people at the dog park and I have done some research about a metro knitting club (they meet in mall food courts around the area). I am also trying to forge regular lunch meet ups at work and plan puppy play dates at the dog park. I might start going to the library writing and scrapbook clubs–don't worry they meet on different Saturdays each month so I can go to both!
So all you college students out there, hug your roommates and enjoy their presence (even when you think they are annoying and you just want some peace) because soon enough you are all by yourself and will wish for your people to be minutes away. Friendships are always a challenge but are worth forging and maintaining.
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Big Five
I graduated from college in May with a psychology degree. The "Big Five" is actually a common personality test. The "Big Five" I am referring to are a very different thing. I have lived on my own for four months now. While I spent four years of college on my own, living away from my parents, these past four months have been a very different form of "own my own" and I have discovered a few keys differences between college and the real world.
I like to call these realizations the five ugly truths. They will each be reflected upon more in depth, with a new one featured for my next five posts. These five topics were rarely a challenge in college but can be a harsh reality come living by yourself (sans parents). Here are the very basics of the Big Five:
1. Making friends is tough
2. Getting the recommended exercise can be tricky
3. Cooking everything by yourself gets old some days
4. Filling all your free time with Netflix and TV is not advised
5. Sleeping is always important and you never seem to get enough of it
College is a dream scenario: you live with your friends (or they are a minute walk away), all your food is prepared for you, you have unlimited access to exercise facilities, you can join a college club to indulge in a hobby away from classes, and you can nap whenever you have the time. Very few of these hold up as an adult out on your own. I will share my experiences on adult friendship, exercise, food, hobbies, and sleep. By no means am I the standard of adulthood but I hope I am not an exception.
I like to call these realizations the five ugly truths. They will each be reflected upon more in depth, with a new one featured for my next five posts. These five topics were rarely a challenge in college but can be a harsh reality come living by yourself (sans parents). Here are the very basics of the Big Five:
1. Making friends is tough
2. Getting the recommended exercise can be tricky
3. Cooking everything by yourself gets old some days
4. Filling all your free time with Netflix and TV is not advised
5. Sleeping is always important and you never seem to get enough of it
College is a dream scenario: you live with your friends (or they are a minute walk away), all your food is prepared for you, you have unlimited access to exercise facilities, you can join a college club to indulge in a hobby away from classes, and you can nap whenever you have the time. Very few of these hold up as an adult out on your own. I will share my experiences on adult friendship, exercise, food, hobbies, and sleep. By no means am I the standard of adulthood but I hope I am not an exception.
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