Education Abroad

When I was young, I would spend Saturday mornings on the couch just like any other kid. I curled up in the living room in my pajamas with uncombed hair to watch TV, but instead of watching the typical kid’s cartoons, my father and I watched the History, Discovery, or Travel channel together. I was always fascinated by the history of things not talked about or stressed in the average history class such as the history of other countries and the history of products that people use every day. This is when my love for history and my desire to travel the world started to blossom.

My parents ensured that our family went on a vacation every summer. It was always somewhere filled with fun, but also educational. One summer, we spent two weeks traveling throughout southern Nebraska. We stopped in Red Cloud to read about Willa Cather. We spent a day in Pioneer Village in Minden learning about the settlers of the west. We concluded our trip in Hastings during Kool-Aid days.

During the first semester of my freshman year at UNL, I took two history classes. I took Women in U.S. History and The Minority Experience. Both of them were the highlights of my day because they gave an unusual perspective on the classic U.S. history tale that is taught starting in early elementary.  They were the typical history story from the different perspective of women or minorities, such as Hispanics, African Americans, and Native Americans. These really interest me because they are often the stories that go untold or unexplored in history.   

From childhood to a blossoming young adult, I always had a love for long walks along the tourist paths. One of my strengths is being able to travel and spend many hours visiting new places. Being a soldier in the National Guard has given me the ability to always be ready to move, but to sit and wait when it is required of me. 

University of Nebraska is providing a three week trip to South Africa this summer that I am aiming to go on.On the trip, we will participate in a home-stay, historic sight-seeing, including the prison where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, spend some time on the beach, and learn about the differences in the culture of South Africa.  

This trip will help me in my future because I hope to use my degree to help families of deployed soldiers. The United States Military is made up of all different kinds of people. Having the knowledge of different cultures will help me, help them.  I am excited to go on the South Africa trip to Cape Town because it is not a topic commonly covered in history classes in school. 

I have also never been out of the country and I am looking forward to the experience of another culture that can only be gained through visiting that country. I believe that this trip will truly be a chance of a lifetime. I cannot wait to see how this trip will benefit me in the near and distant future. I look forward to learning all about the different cultures and broadening my horizons.

           I appreciate everyone who can help me with this cause because it is truly something I believe is worth my time to travel. I understand that not everyone cannot give to my fund, but I would really appreciate the people who can! I hope to see the world and experience life while I am still young.
    Take a virtual tour of South Africa to see how truly beautiful the country is right here! The beaches and ocean looks so inviting!
    Thank you very much! If you can, please Donate here!

Weigh In Wednesday

Every Wednesday I will check in with what I have been eating and whether I have success or not for that week.

This week I have been trying to eat 6 smaller meals instead of just 2-3 meals. It's been a little rough because of the holidays finishing up. With all the goodies in the house, sometimes I sneak a treat. But the goodies are pretty much gone and I am pretty sick of chocolate for right now.

I haven't eaten as good as I could have. I have been drinking a ton of water though. When I eat lunch or supper, I have been cutting whatever is on my plate into bites. Then I will take one bite and drink some water. Then another bite. 

This is a great way to eat something a little more unhealthy for you, but feel full from barely anything.  This is also a great way from discouraging yourself from going back for seconds.

Drum Roll Please..

My Weight Last Week:155

My Weight This Week: 155

So.. This week wasn't quite successful. With all of the goodies around the house and spending most of my time on the couch I didn't expect too much from this week. I will be spending a lot of time in the gym and a more time walking around.

Things I will do this coming week: 

• Spend more time at the gym/ being physical
• Get some new music for the gym
• Eat Less chocolate/goodies. More fruit.
• Don't Reward myself for working out with food.

If anyone else is on a super weight loss journey let me know and we can share ideas! 

Good luck this week!

Little Bit of Motivation

The Holidays are finally over. No more excuses for just eating one more cookie, or one more piece of pie because I can definitely tell you that I did my fair share of that.
   I have been eating a lot better today than I was the week of finals. I have been snacking often and eating better balanced meals. (finally on track again.)
   Matt has been a sweetheart and has been holding my feet while I time myself doing situps. I forgot what it feels like to be sore from a workout. (Because I have been majorly slacking off lately, but it is time to get back in the game.)
   I did two minutes of sit ups. a minute plank and a minute of pushups. I need to go for a run, but it is miserably cold outside so I am saving it for the gym at school. For now, I will do pushups, situps and other body exercises like that.


I have been working on collages for motivation to hang up in my dorm room and a collage with workouts from pinterest to take to the gym. I am pretty excited about the new semester and what it will bring for me. I am determined to get skinny because spring break is in less than 80 days. If I am going to lay on the beach with my roommate who weighs about 104 lbs. That is my simple motivation.

There is my completed collage of pinterest workouts to take to the gym with me. I am excited to workout hard soon, but since I am currently in Beatrice, I don't have a gym. Cannot wait to get into the gym. For now, it is just push-ups and sit-ups.

I have been snacking every 2-3 hours between meals. I am eating more balanced meals. I am going to get fit for spring break!

Thank you for all of the support.
Keep on reading with how I am doing it. (:

New Year's Resolution

I will be the very first to admit that I hate New Year's Resolutions. By the end of January, people forget their promises they made to themselves and go back to their old ways. People rarely lose the weight that they keep saying they are going to. People buy gym memberships that get used for a few weeks. That's why I don't like them. They never get kept..

But I have goals for this coming year..

1. I am going to the gym at least two days a week. MINIMUM. I am shooting for 3-5. One of my dear military friends said she would go with me. I will schedule it into my days to make sure that I go at the same time every week. That way I have to reason to say that I can't go that day.

2. Eat things that come from the earth more often than things that don't  I will eat more fruits, veggies, meat, dairy, and other natural products more than I eat processed foods such as chips, McDonalds, oils, and other foods that aren't good for you. I will get a blender for the dorms so I can make smoothies for some of my meals instead of eating foods full in carbs, calories, and fats.

3. Write on my blog more. Simple enough. I just want to write more. I want to document my life more so I remember what happens in my life during the year. Often things get forgotten so easily and I want to make sure that I document the "best years of my life." Eventually I want to put my blog posts in order into a photo book of the year to create a yearbook of my years.

4. Give 100% to everything I do. If I cannot give 100%, I need to quit. I often stretch myself too thin and get over stressed and go into breakdown mode where I lay in bed and sleep instead of doing my to do list of things I need. I am a Full Time Student taking 16 credit hours, A National Guard Soldier, a McDonald's Employee, A Teammates Mentor, a Research Assistant, A Girlfriend, A Daughter, A Sister, A Friend. I want to Study Abroad, and Get in Shape. I want to Spend my spring break traveling. I want to do so many things, but I need to limit myself to things that I can give 100% of my effort to when I am there.

5. I want to spend less money. I want to have savings so I can do all of the fun things that I want to do.

6. I want to be creative and being fun. I want to do some of the things that I pin on my pinterest boards.

7. I want to take a picture everyday. Of something. Not necessarily of me, but I want to complete photo challenges every month.






I don't know what this year will bring me, but I want to make the very most of this year. I want to experience life and enjoy the time I have with the people in my life. I hope the very best to everyone as this year progresses.