Pulling 19-Hour Days Like A Pro

While blogging is my favorite hobby, it's been pretty hard to find a bit of time around here to sit a relay all that is going on. In the midst of all of this craziness, I really need to pick a time each week that no matter what, is set aside for blogging.

ANYWHO...

So back to two weeks ago, starting with September 13th (ugh, wow, time is going by too fast). The week was jam-packed with lots of homework, dinner with friends, work, THON meetings and committee application drop-off, and my friends and I decided to live at Nittanyville for the week! For those of you that have no clue of what I am talking about, Nittanyville is the tent-camp set up outside of Gate A at Beaver Stadium. By participating you are guaranteed the best seats in the student section. Being that this was the annual week-long camp-out (they're usually only 3 nights) for the showdown against Rutgers, the long-nights sleeping on cement was more than necessary. 20 of my friends hung out for a week, jammed out to some tunes, ate some free pizza, and painted some big signs to be featured on the sidelines. What a week.

Gameday was incredible. I got to see my parents before going through the student gate, which I was super excited about. As campers at Nittanyville, we entered the stadium over 3 hours before game time. While this may seem boring, we started a section-wide game of charades, so it wasn't all that bad. In addition to our awesome seats, the stadium Stripe-Out that was perfectly executed made for an insane atmosphere. Blue and White filled Beaver Stadium to watch the Nittany Lions trample the Scarlet Knights. While I was sleep-deprived, I loved every single second of it.

After the game, I was able to catch up with my parents over foooood and I stayed the night with them in the hotel. It was so nice to have the fam in Happy Valley, even though it was only for a short while. Sunday was quite busy with saying good-byes to Coach and Mama Rei, THON Captain Mat Cleaning (we got down and dirty to help OPP out with scrubbing the mats for the floor of the BJC), a run-through of the Homecoming Parade, and a few hours worth of coding homework. While it was crazy, it was an awesome weekend.

Last week was also pretty busy (I'm sure you're surprised) between three exams, interviewing future PRCMs and preparing for another football weekend. Having five home games in a row is definitely a wild ride for all Penn State students, and the lack of recovery during the weeks is causing everyone to look pretty zombie-esque. But hey, we Staters are all about our football, so we're dealing with it.

I got to go on the field with the Men's Basketball squad before the game; being able to be up close to all of the players during warm-ups is such a cool experience. MY JOB ROCKS. I magically found my friends after leaving the field, so I was able to hang out with them during the game and watch the Nittany Lions win yet another game before some post-game tailgating.

The night consisted of some PR Captain bonding over Pitch Perfect 2 and lots of laughs. If you haven't seen the sequel to one of the greatest movies of all time, I highly recommend it.

TTYL I'M SURVIVING.

All my meal points going to coffee,
Kirst

I Slept for 14 Hours on Saturday/Sunday

AH! Another week, another whirlwind of things going every which way. At this point, I can barely remember where my last post left off, so bear with me here, people.

SO! What I can recall without looking back is that I had just returned from a fabulous weekend with the Kennedy clan and I was getting ready to go meet the rest of the Public Relations family for THON 2016! Monday night was super exciting as the 25 PR Captains gathered on Old Main lawn with our Director to meet one another, learn about our positions, and discover our theme for the year... PRomise to Dream. I'm in love.

Tuesday was a day full of classes and work that led up to our first meeting as an official Captain committee. The potluck theme sent me home with a tummy full of cookies and pokey stix, so no complaints there.

Wednesday was probably the craziest day I have ever had at State. Class from 8AM-Noon, work from 1PM-5PM, cycling class from 5:45PM-6:30PM (my behind was mad at me the next day...), India seminar from 7PM-9PM, practice for All-Captain Orientation from 9PM-11:00PM, then I finally was able to eat lunch around 11:30PM. When I say lunch, I actually mean it... I didn't have time to think that day, let alone eat. All was well once I hit up late-night at good ol' Redifer, though.

Thursday included the usual class and work schedule, with an added visit to a potential place of living for next year. Becoming a real person and moving off campus is both exciting and stressful, but that's a whole different topic within itself. The night ended amazingly with All-Captain orientation, where I wore an incredible bucket hat to meet and greet all of the THON 2016 Captains, danced around ridiculously, performed various skits and musical numbers, and did the line dance! The energy in the room was absolutely contagious and I loved every minute I spent in Heritage Hall that night.

Friday came with major peace and blessings as I journeyed downtown for a shopping date with some friends (don't kill me, Mom) and some dinner before heading out for a night of fun. It was so great to have some time to relax and not be on a set schedule.

Saturday came super early but all was well because I WAS READY FOR SOME PENN STATE FOOTBALL! I headed to Beaver Stadium in the dreary rain to work in the recruiting lounge before kick-off. I helped check in the football recruits before assisting all of the basketball recruits with check-in. I also got to accompany them onto the field before the game, which was probably one of my coolest moments as a Penn Stater. I am in love with my job.

While it literally down poured during the entire game and I felt like I was caught up in an Indian monsoon, there was no way I was leaving the game early and missing the Alma Mater. A select group of us made it to watch the Nittany Lions secure their victory over the Buffalo Bulls, sing the Alma Mater, and take some soaked pictures before heading back to our homes for a warm shower and dry clothes.

We got back around 4 in the afternoon, agreeing on a dinner time two hours later. When I was all cozy in my room, I decided to take a nap before dinner. I definitely was not aware of how tired I was. I fell asleep at 5PM and woke up extremely confused in a really dark room. It turned out to be 3:40AM, not dinner time. I didn't really know what year it was or what I was doing, but I watched some TV before falling back asleep. I'm still a little bitter about missing Saturday night festivities, but I guess my body needed the rest. My parents were super confused when I talked to them in the morning, being that I had no idea that I talked to them on the phone the night before. College, kids, it'll make you exhausted, that's for sure.

I felt like a new person on Sunday after my Atherton hibernation and I was ready for the week. I was pretty productive with a brunch date, getting all of my laundry done, writing my weekly report, and getting all of my homework done. I was pretty happy with my efforts.

Yesterday and today have been the start to yet another eventful week. Tack on the usual classes, work, and meetings, in addition to participating in Nittanyville, a week-long camp-out at Beaver Stadium to get the best seats in the house for this weekend's battle against Rutgers. While I had to sleep on concrete last night, being in the front rows of Saturday night's Stripe-Out will be AWESOME.

Okay, time for bed...LOLZ jk. Time for some more work and I should probably start studying for the three exams that I have next week.

Am I alive? Yes. Am I getting enough sleep? No. Is iced coffee running through my veins? Probably. Am I getting everything done? Yes. Am I having a great time in Happy Valley? Most definitely.

Talked to some of my Indian friends today and it made my heart smile,
Kirst

Long Weekends Are For Friends, Pokey Stix, and Road Trips

Wow, what a crazy week and a half!

Since I talked to you lovely people on Thursday, quite a bit has happened in the life of Kirst.

Friday took a turn for the interesting when my ankle swelled up like a balloon and I was barely able to walk. I was suffering from awful blisters from some really cute new work shoes, which caused me to walk like a gimp the entire week. Turns out I was walking so bad that my foot swelled up from all the extra pressure, so I ran home Saturday morning to get it checked out. While everything turned out to be fine (I'm still in a bit of pain and the antibiotics for my blisters made me throw up in class... YOLO) and I definitely could have waited to go to UHS on Monday, it was nice to see Mama and Coach Rei for a night. I also found this really cute throwback picture, please enjoy.

The week was full of all sorts of busy schedules and craziness. I'm back to seeing my friends all the time, which is super amazing. The combination of work, school, and planning THON Spikes led to a less than adequate sleep schedule, but it was more than worth it. The first event of the PR season was a total success; it was a beautiful night for baseball, we sold more tickets than ever before, and raised a good amount of money For The Kids. I love what I do.


Friday flew by with a few classes and a shortened work day, which allowed me to have a great fam dinner with some friends at the dining hall. Believe it or not, I've actually missed dining hall food, so it was nice to get back to the buffet life.

Friday night was a blast with my Co-Captains, as we all bonded over dancing and pokey sticks (pokeys are these super cheesy pizza bread things that are to die for). We had so much fun being around one another and it made me even more excited to spend the entire year working with them. Also, just an FYI, Luke and I will be dropping our mixtape soon, so stay tuned.

Saturday was lovely after I slept in almost all afternoon. Considering I hadn't slept much during the week, I didn't feel bad snoozing for awhile. The afternoon consisted of more lounging and watching the first Penn State football game. While I almost cried while watching my beloved Nittany Lions fall to the Owls, the thought of being in Beaver Stadium this upcoming Saturday created more excitement than sadness.

Following the game, I hopped in the car and headed off to LARZ's house for an impromptu visit. I was greeted with open arms from many Irish accents and my best friend, which is always just plain fantastic. It was so awesome to be reunited with Laura after two whole months apart. We spent the night catching up and celebrating her graduation from the greatest university on the planet.

Yesterday consisted of a trip to Hershey Park, which turned into a day full of laughs, rollarcoasters, Dippin Dots, and Laura almost crying as we boarded every ride. To top off the fun, we arrived home to a kitchen full of John Kennedy specialties and an adorable bulldog, so I don't think the day could have gone any better.

After saying my good-byes to the Kennedy fam, I headed back to State with a slightly swollen foot (the dang amusement park didn't exactly help the cause) and a new Spotify playlist. I already miss LARZ, but she's visiting in a few weeks so NO WORRIES.

Tonight is about to be super exciting because the rest of the PR Captain Committee is being announced. I can't wait to meet the rest of our purple family!!!!!!

Maybe I'll get around to unpacking everything I brought here two weeks ago,
Kirst