Adios amigos...

Wow, as I logged on today I realized that this blog has over 300 pageviews! Yeah!!!  Thanks to all of you who have chosen to follow/subscribe/just read regularly up to this point...you guys are AWESOME! :D

This past week has been the start of school for many semester colleges and universities. It's so weird to have to say goodbye to many of my friends as they head off to this next stage of their lives...and even weirder to think that it is still exactly one month from today until I start classes myself.

On Saturday, I spent the day going to move my friend Shelby into Gannon University in Erie, PA. Her sister couldn't come, so she invited me along, and I figured why not? It seemed like it would be fun. Which it was! We arrived after about an hour and a half of driving and pulled up to the curb, where her dad proceeded to throw pile upon pile of stuff onto the grass nearby. Picture flying suitcases, pillows, and teddy bears, and you pretty much get the picture. From there, the ROTC guys helped us lug (and I mean *lug*) her things up to her room, where we met her roommate and their family. A ridiculous amount of time was spent arranging and rearranging the bulky furniture in the room into every configuration possible for the 12x16 foot area we had at our disposal, only to settle on the way that it had been in the first place, and the rest of the day flew by! There was convocation, a class picture, dinner at a local restaurant, and a last-minute goodbye as Shelby rushed to her first floor meeting.

Now, Gannon is a lot smaller than Ohio State. They have somewhere around 4,000 students and the entire campus occupies a few blocks of the city of Erie as opposed to OSU's approximate 60,000 students and 3,500 acres of Columbus. So, needless to say, the atmosphere was astonishingly different. It was interesting to see how their move-in day was operated.....and obviously I couldn't help but start to imagine how Ohio State's is going to be. I got a dry run at what it's like to move in - what to bring and what not to, what I might want to do differently - thank you to Shelby and her parents, and now my anticipation can only build from here!

With three more days of nannying to go, it's unbelievable that I have so much free time for summer ahead of me. While I'm already planning some fun things that I hope to accomplish (and blog about of course!) before summer ends, I have a bit more back-to-school shopping to get done as well. Next up for BeingBuckeye? The LIST. It's an insane list that has pretty much everything I might possibly use in college, and I figure, why not remind you of what you might forget...or what you already forgot! ;D

Lessons learned:

• While an exact replica of that dorm room you see in a college catalog might look slick and put-together, don't forget the homey touches. It's amazing what some pictures on the wall and personal touches can do to make you feel at home.
• Make sure your dorm's beds can actually be lofted before you plan on putting all of your bins and storage under there, only to realize that they can't be raised at all and your dad has to run to Target for smaller under-the-bed bins...*ahem, Shelby*
• Dorm rooms are really darn small. I mean, obviously that's a given, but there was a lot less space in there than I truly ever expected. Plan accordingly!
• Nothing can fully prepare you for saying goodbye to amazing friends you've known for years. I'm really gonna miss you guys :(

Good news galore!

Hey everyone!
It seems about time for a few updates:
Since I've decided to attend Ohio State, I have found so many opportunities to get involved that it's crazy! I applied for some of these programs earlier in the year, and in the past few weeks have been able to learn the results.

One of these programs is a highly selective one called the First-Year Leadership Collaborative (often called the "LC"). Only somewheres around 70 students were selected out of five to six thousand. Yeah, you read that right! ;) I had to write several essays and submit recommendations to apply for this awesome program. Basically, the selected participants get to travel to Columbus for a leadership conference in early September before classes start, and continue to get involved in this program throughout the year through seminars and a leadership course offered only for LC participants! They also get the chance to meet influential leaders on campus and in the surrounding Columbus area - here's a basic breakdown if you're interested: http://fye.osu.edu/LC.html.

Another cool program that I discovered is the Buckeye Blog Team. This is a really interesting group of students who blog about their experiences at the university, and they're from all over the spectrum in terms of backgrounds and experiences. When I was choosing a college, I came across the blogs of these students and thought it was really cool to read about the daily life of regular students at OSU, what activities they were involved in, and what opportunities they took at the university. Actually, reading their blogs was the main inspiration for me to start my own...the one you're reading right this moment! :)  Check out the current bloggers' entries here: http://undergrad.osu.edu/buckeyes_blog/

This is where the "good news" part comes in; I was accepted into both!!!
I am beyond excited to have been given these opportunities! :D Who knew someone could be so lucky? And I can't wait to meet everyone involved as well!

SO.
If you caught the part about the blog, yes that does mean that I will be blogging for THE Ohio State University and get featured on their website!! Cool, huh? :) Butttt I also plan to continue BeingBuckeye on this website...so don't feel the need to change it up if you're liking reading about my college journey on here! I'll probably just re-post so that everyone can be kept up to date on both websites.

Other good news! (Yep, it just keeps coming!):
Well, for those of you who don't already know, I've been accepted into the Arts Scholars program at OSU, and have met some of the most amazing people before school's even begun! I even got to meet my roommate at orientation.
SPEAKING OF WHICH--->

We got our OFFICIAL housing notifications! Almost a week before, someone on Facebook leaked a link that they must have uncovered that led everyone to "unreliable" housing notifications and roommate assignments...apparently it was a test model no one was supposed to see! (It made the news: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/08/11/list-of-osu-roommates-goes-viral-in-error.html) Luckily, I received my actual assignment a few days ago, and it was still the same :) I'll be staying in Baker Hall West with a really sweet girl named Caitlyn, and it's so exciting to be able to see the actual room number, its dimensions, etc.!
Well I've gotta run, but I wanted to let you all know of a few updates...T-minus one month until I leave for OSU! :D

The beginning of the end?

As I walk into stores and see displays bursting with "back-to-school" madness, I can't help but realize that this is the beginning of the end! Many of my friends and former classmates are all headed off to college within the next two or three weeks, and the thought of that has me practically reeling. As an Ohio State student, we have an extra long summer, lasting up until move-in day on September 18th, but it seems that most other colleges are on semester system, starting somewhere between August 10th and September 1st! While I'm frantically trying to schedule in some last-minute hang out time with my friends heading off into the next stage of life, it seems eons away that I'll be following in their footsteps...

Updates on my life so far:

1. I GOT TO SEE TAYLOR SWIFT!!! Up close and live!
2. I'm busy being a nanny every day, but for the next week the kids are out of town on vacation, so the only one I have to take care of is their pet fish :)
3. Sparkles make everything better
4. I officially have a designated "college spot" in our basement
5. I'm really craving some PB & J

So. Let's count backwards, just to be difficult. :P
5: I don't know. It's late and I'm hungry!
4: It's official. I cleared away a nice little square for me to store all of my college purchases until the big day comes to load them all into the car. Look forward to a post soon including my massive list of college STUFF! I'll try to remind you of everything you ever forgot :)
3:  Really, it's true. My cousin asked to paint my nails the other day, so I reluctantly watched as she picked out a shimmery pastel pink and topped it off with multi-colored glittery goodness. They now look something roughly like this:

Anyways, regardless of the 5-year old vibe I get from them, and the fact that they sort of remind me of cupcakes (?), for some reason, they just make me happy. Actually, I think sparkles just make me happy. Hence number three on the list :)
2: Pretty self-explanatory. I'm thinking it will help me decide whether or not I want to get fish for my dorm room...we'll see.
And of course, number 1: The best night EVER! I actually cried when she came onstage. Now typically, I'm one of those people who laughs at the pathetic people who cry and actually try hard to get noticed at concerts etc., but in this case, when she came out of the stage floor in a cloud of fog, the tears welled up and I just couldn't help myself. I must apologize to all those people I have ever mocked, because it was an emotional moment :). I even made a glow-in-the dark poster (which didn't work by the way) and did myself up in typical TSwift fashion...cat eyes, glitter, cowboy hat, flowy dress, and super curly hair included! Lame, I know. But I love her! Here are some pictures from the night:

On the way to the concert! Wave-ironed curly hair,  gold glitter cat eyes, and cowboy hat? Check!

Taylor being sassy during one of her songs.

Looking gorgeous as always during the encore of her concert!

These are really my seats!!! Insane is right :) Me with my iconic TS hand-heart poster that I made before the concert. Even if it didn't glow as promised, I think it still turned out pretty cool. And seats to this amazing concert? The coolest!

Lessons learned?: 

• Using sparkles more often is a must
• I will be a Taylor Swift fan for life! <3
• PB&J, while arguably the most boring and simple sandwich, is just so satisfying sometimes.
• College is coming quicker than I thought!

All in all, I'm thinking that life is going pretty darn well. I just need to prepare myself this week to start the goodbyes...not exactly something I'm anticipating eagerly! But even though I'm saddened to see everyone get ready to go, it also pumps me up because, well...I'm NEXT! :D

Until next time,

Cassie :)

Photo credits:
Nail Art image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-5adQ7l8EJl7qFo-BtXCeRgXW-YHXWbWK6NXCnDE4KJyRCvJbHmGYBxWfuLEXfsgZUjkDnpWEkhvBNGNue_3FenpIVE6ntcFecE_dmsykwhHLFx3WV5fQmQkmnXOtHg-_kYNGSIxOxs/s1600/IMG_0715.JPG
All photos from Taylor Swift concert: Taken by me! Copyright © Cassie Stratton 2011

Sometimes the unexpected is what you really needed after all

Last night as I got ready for bed, I packed up my bag with towels, sunscreen, and my swimsuit, anticipating another blindingly hot summer day in Cleveland, Ohio (we've been having a lot of those lately). As I snuggled down into my sheets and set my alarm, I also expected to sleep in nice and late before going off to babysit for the day. However, sometimes when you're expecting the lemons everyone tells you about, life throws a handful of grapes at you and you are left doing a confused double take...

As I was saying!

I woke up at roughly 5am this morning, tossing and turning from a really weird dream I was having, and proceeded to wake up on and off for the next three hours. Then. sometime around 8am, I hear this GIANT clap of thunder, and next thing I know, it's raining outside like it's about to cause the next great flood. So much for my sunny beach day :(
While I ate breakfast and hurried out the door, I tried to think of activities to occupy the kids I babysit. While they're generally sweet, they're the kind of kids who can't stay focused on anything. ANYTHING. A project that would normally subdue my brothers for a good hour lasts approximately ten minutes on these kids. I have to admit it can be exhausting. Nevertheless, I came up with a few ideas, vaguely including movies, popcorn, and a few indoor games. But when I got there, somehow the half-hearted plans turned themselves into something greater. Here's what we ended up doing over the course of seven hours instead:

• Swimming in the lake during the time that it wasn't storming (the kids are on swim team)
• Practicing math facts and reading to prepare a little for their next school year
• Coloring! We ended up drawing ninjas and flags and butterflies, and the kids ogled over my "awesome art"
• Practicing Spanish. Er, well, I wrote and read aloud phrases and paragraphs in Spanish and translated them for the kids. Anything Spanish-related is considered fun to me, and I'm glad to know that this greatly amused the kids...maybe I'm influencing them after all!
•  Decided to rent a movie and persuaded the kids to pick out Tangled...fantastic movie by the way, if you haven't yet seen it :D
• Baked delicious cinnamon streusel muffins together, getting flour and batter everywhere imaginable
• Set up a party in their living room. Complete with streamers, popcorn and trail mix, our muffins, Capri Suns, and a "raffle" for the kids' toys, I must say it beat out some of the parties I've been to by a longshot! :P
• Invited the neighbors over and watched Tangled with 4 adorable children snuggled around me...priceless.

So I didn't exactly get a beachy tan or get to practice my strokes in the lake. My sunscreen and swimsuit never saw their way out of my bag, and while that should have been disappointing to me, the alternative ended up being exactly what I needed today.

Lessons learned:
Point is, sometimes life tricks you a bit and shows you opportunities where you never would have expected them. I think this is especially important to remember as I head off to college...already, I've been given chances of a lifetime. And I'm not even in Columbus yet! I'm beyond excited for all of the things that I already expect, of course. But sometimes there are times when the outcome is totally different than what you thought it would be, but satisfying and gratifying just the same. I guess that's life, huh? Just when you thought you had it all figured out :) And while I obviously can't expect the unexpected, I can remember to be thankful for the times when the unexpected is, in fact, perfect after all.

Bed Bath & Beyond is crazy.

I'm currently sitting in my room, surrounded by bags and packages of every shape and size. There's an insane amount of "things" I need to get before heading off to college, and this growing pile is just the beginning. Most of it is pretty small stuff, just the everyday things you don't even really think about using. I guess I'll just say that I realized that I take a lot of borrowing for granted. From the parents, from my brothers, the miscellaneous desks and drawers around our house...who knew I didn't even have a stapler? And you're telling me I need to get my own laundry detergent? What kind of a world have I lived in all these years?! Haha. But in all seriousness, there is a lot to be bought. (Many thanks to all the gracious family and friends who shoved money-filled cards into my hands at my grad party!)

So I went on a little drive to the local Bed Bath & Beyond on Saturday, and let me tell you. If there is any possible gadget that could even slightly seem to be remotely useful in your four years at college, it was there. And the choices! Incredible. Should I get a laundry basket, a laundry bag, or a pop-up laundry hamper? Decisions, decisions...

Just a bit of advice if you haven't started shopping for your college dorm yet...DO IT NOW. The way the aisles were packed made me nearly claustrophobic. Us Ohio Staters don't even have move-in day until mid September, so the waiting game is even more dangerous for us. I decided that while I'm sure by September everything will be on sale, which is convenient, all that will be left are the picked-over remnants to choose from. And from the looks of it, I'm about to be proven right.

Now I have some of the basics, including my mattress pad, comforter, and food storage (that's a necessity, right?). And I have to admit, even I was lured in by the cuteness of some not-so-basic items. A mini-fan that clips onto my bedside and then converts to a standing desk fan? Almost a necessity. A contraption that cooks pasta and rice in the microwave? Possibly acceptable. An adorable little "USB man" that plugs into my computer and gives me a few extra USB ports despite the fact that I already have 3? Probably highly unnecessary, but come on! He's pink and he even has a little smiling face. How could I resist the charm??

Photo Credit: http://smiggle.com.au/Images/Catalog/ProductImages/440764_Pink_m.jpg

Lessons learned:

• Be watchful of the crazies (parents and kids alike) who roll their carts around like it's the next Indy 500. 
• Make a list beforehand. It's tempting to give in, and sometimes a plastic-y pink, smiling geek gadget will get ya if you're not careful...

• As promising as the advertising seems, you seriously will not need everything you see.*

*Addendum: Feel free to splurge just a little :) After all, this is probably the only time you will be able to buy that fuzzy, neon-rainbow colored chair and have it be socially acceptable!

Happy shopping! :)

Welcome to BeingBuckeye

And to my very first blog post!

BeingBuckeye.

So what exactly does it mean to be a Buckeye? Does it mean I must run around sporting only scarlet and grey, buckeyes and beads dangling from my neck, screaming “O-H!” passionately at every person that I see? Must I spend the coming days crammed in a dorm room or library nook, studying until my brain is about to burst? Will I eat cafeteria food until I’m sick, until I gain the dreaded freshman 15 (which is apparently no longer fifteen pounds at all, but much more)…or will my willpower come into play and motivate me to spend time over at the RPAC combatting just that? With all of my classes and clubs, will I have time for working out anyway? How do I pick among the hundreds of clubs and organizations? What exactly are college classes like? Will I have the guts to speak out, to branch out, to lead my college career in the direction I want it to go? And on top of all that, I have to learn what it means to be a Buckeye as well?? The questions and possibilities are endless.

Well hey, come along for the ride.

BeingBuckeye....

It’s exactly what it sounds like. My life, my journey, my tales and adventures and tips and realizations as I transition into college life at THE Ohio State University. September 18^th, I will start a new chapter in my life down in Columbus, Ohio, and I really want to share it with you…yes, YOU.

Man, I can’t wait. :)