MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Just a picture or two to describe my Christmas:The tree!

My brother and father with their new hats!

Sending all my love to you and yours on this marvelous day,
Wishing you health and happiness,
Katelyn :)

10 Things I'm Looking Forward to this Break

Finally after the long grueling week of finals, I have made it safely home to central Connecticut. Now as I wait for grades to be posted, this is what I will be preoccupying my time with:

Cleaning
This is my first time home for a long time since last winter break. I've started to reorganize and go through my room, getting rid of clothes and things I don't use anymore. Considering I left my room in a disarray after packing for freshman year, this thoroughly cleaning and organization is long overdue!

Knitting
Thanks to my friend Kayley, I've picked up knitting! I brought my knitting home with me and I hopefully will get needles and yarn for Christmas (hint hint parents!)

Running
Since I don't have a job, I plan to get more in shape and start running on the treadmill and taking my dogs Bella and Mojo for walks. I'll be looking for things to fill my time and might as well get in shape!

Watching movies
Going to college makes it harder to go to the movies; granted I got to see The Help and Lion King: 3D while at school, I plan on seeing more movies at home (plus it's cheaper). Top of the list includes Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (click to see the trailer!). I'm looking forward to watching some old Disney movies as well as the classic Christmas movies too!

Traveling
This break I plan on traveling to NYC multiple times to see the city decked out in all of it's Christmas glory. I also love driving around town and looking at all the houses with Christmas lights up.

Visiting with Friends
I can't wait to visit some college friends as well as my SHA girls! It's been ages since I've seen them and we have LOADS to catch up on!

Splitting wood
My dad is basically a lumberjack. We have piles and piles of wood in our yard as we heat our house using a wood-stove. While I enjoy the warmth, the process of running the log splitter and stacking wood isn't my favorite. Needless to say we have lots of wood from trees that have fallen down from Hurricane Irene and wood isn't going to chop itself!

Volunteering
I hope to volunteer at the Humane Society that near me - I used to go there during high school and I love giving back and seeing all the animals. We adopted Bella and Mojo there and I hope that all the other animals there will have a home.

Applying for Study Abroad
My goal for the end of the break is to finish what I need to do for my study abroad application. I hope to go to Bath, England in the fall with an internship either in Theatre or History. My passport came in last week and I can't wait to get out of the country!

Last but not least, SLEEPING!
Catching up on sleep is very crucial during this time - recuperating from all that hard work last semester! It paid off as I got the best GPA yet. Let's hope this is a good sign for the future! Feeling refreshed and ready to start classes again will be goal out of this break.



Sending happy and positive thoughts to those still finishing finals! You're almost in the clear!



-Katelyn :)

End of the Semester!

Now that the end of the semester is in sight, many on campus are feeling the stress dealing with papers, projects, finals, and only God knows what else. Now is the time to take things in stride. Though it may not feel like there are enough hours in the day, everything will be okay. The last few days I've been taking it easy before the craziness of finals. Most recently the arrival of SNOW yesterday with decorating gingerbread houses, my friends Allyson, Alex, and I walked in a winter wonderland singing Christmas carols and walking through the townhouses to look at the Christmas lights. We even stopped to visit my friend Kaitlin and sang Jingle Bells for her! Tis the season!

Because of the season I've done some changes to my blog - a bit more wintery theme, a new picture from my Buffalo Trip last January, a new picture with me and my little house! I'm definitely feeling the Christmas spirit and that's what's getting me through the last push of the semester. I'm ready for a switch of classes - my next semester's schedule is more theatre-focused. Check it out! With this new schedule I'm ready to take on all that the spring semester has to offer. I've loved taking the classes I am in now but I'm ready for next semester and planning for study abroad! YIKES!

Well, I'm off to Christmas dinner with some friends, and then off to my date with Durick! The library and I have a love/hate relationship so we'll see how this turns out.

Sending all my thoughts, prayers, and love, especially to the Stonehill and Virginia Tech communities. May you stay strong in this troubling time.

Hoping this finds you happy and healthy,
Katelyn :)

HOPE Works!

Last week I was privileged enough to attend the unveiling for the renaming of the Women's Rape Crisis Center located here in Burlington. My friend Kaitlin is an events intern there and invited me to go along with her. The event was held at the SEABA (the South End Arts and Business Association) gallery, set with an art exhibit "Transcendence: Mooring the Storm". Artists Carol MacDonald and Erik Rehman worked with a group of survivors of sexual violence, listened to their stories, and created unique, inspirational artwork that embodies their healing journey and depicts a sense of hope. Pictured below is a drawing by Rehman that I particularly found interesting. If you look closely, you'll see that the buds of the tree are actually closed hands. I also liked this print done by Carol MacDonald - the print was actually layered so you can see more dragonflies underneath! Check out the link posted above for more information about the exhibit!

This event brought in a vast amount of supporters, staff, interns, Congressional representatives and even Governor Shumlin (pictured below) who provided a speech about the issue of domestic and sexual abuse. He unveiled the new name of the center: HOPE Works. This new name reflects the services that they offer and is more inclusive for all.

The wonderful staff of HOPE Works! My friend Kaitlin and I in front of the new sign.

What is HOPE Works? It is a program Ending Sexual Violence through Healing Outreach Prevention and Empowerment. Dedicated to end all sexual violence, they serve the Chittenden County providing free and confidential services such as crisis support and advocacy for those who have experienced sexual violence. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, please contact HOPE Works: 802-864-0555 or the 24-hour hotline (802-863-1236). Click the link for more information!