thanksgivukkah.

Happy Thanksgiving Break everyone!  But more importantly, Happy Thanksgivukkah!

Thanksgiving formally began(ish) way back when the Puritans were running the New World & when the most important part of the year was the harvest.  In honor of the goods of the year, the Pilgrims prepared a feast.

This is real.

Now, as an elementary schooler you probably remember that you would always have a Thanksgiving pageant, where you would get assigned a part in a play as a pilgrim or a Indian... you know, wearing that traditional bonnet & long skirt garb.  You probably also had to sing a few songs & finish off the event with a giant feast with an awesome, inedible turkey at the center.  & of course, it wouldn't be the Thanksgiving Day play without the beautiful friendship that was formed between the Indians and the Pilgrims & saying all you are thankful for.
  

But did that actually happen?  Did the Indians & the Pilgrims actually sit down to a civilized meal in Plymouth in about 1621 because of the awesome harvest?  Were the Indians really happy that their land was being invaded & that they were catching diseases from Europe?

I mean... I guess they still had that RIDICULOUSLY GREAT harvest to be thankful for, so it was worth it, & honestly... I am just glad we do celebrate it because I have a lot to be thankful for & it is nice to dedicate a day for how lucky we all truly are.

1.  I am thankful for my brothers, who are always there for me.  We may have had our disagreements growing up, but as kids go, we were pretty awesome.  I loved growing up with you guys even though I don't remember it all since my memory is a failure, but I know there were some amazing times in there.  Like the time we built the fort in Daniel's room, while Jerry was painting the walls to look like blue jeans, or all the times we played "monster under the blanket," or the times I volunteered to be Scott's personal slave so he would like me.  I mean... life would have been pretty boring without you 2 around.  Thank you for being my siblings & loving me as your "baby blister."  (Yes... I did say blister.  Don't ask... but if you want to ask, ask Daniel).


2. I am thankful for my mom, who is MY BEST FRIEND & the greatest mom that has ever existed.  She always goes above & beyond in all circumstances to make me & the rest of my family happy.  She is the role model that I strive to emulate & she is the goofiest in the most perfect of ways.  I love you & am truly thankful for you every day because you treat me like royalty even when I don't deserve it or for no reason at all.  The truth is, you are the queen & we should be treating you like royalty.  <3

3. I am thankful for my DAD, who is probably one of the most selfless humans I have ever met.  All he cares about is the happiness of his family.  Growing up my dad would bring me a glass of water EVERY night before I went to bed (the truth is... he still does it when I am home from school) & when I was younger, he would read me a bedtime story... usually "Bread & Jam for Francis" or "Where's Mickey's Red Ball."  My dad was the "monster under the blanket" as well as the "monster in the water," but he is no monster at all.  Thank you for your wonderful spirit & dedication to us.  I always say... if you had asked my dad as a child, "what do you want to be when you grow up" he would have responded with: "a father."  You are probably the best father out there. 

& 4. I am thankful for the role models I have in my mom & her 2 sisters.  They may fight & get in arguments over stupid things.  They may cry. They may get defensive & stressed out, but I know they are always there for one another.  These 3 women have some of the best memories together: the trips from Hong Kong to the states during the hot, Florida summers, the vacations in Chicago, AFRICA, watching the nieces & nephews grow up, throwing parties on the forbidden white carpet (even though Phyllis caught you), crying out for your younger sister in the night because the darkness is scary, sharing clothes (unwillingly), taking Phyllis to the Academy Awards & us watching it (& you) on TV, going to each others' weddings, the Goldsmith on a Quiet Street that NEVER existed, Tybee Island, laughing at each other, taking silly pictures, being confidants, being role models, learning stuff from one another, being "so glad we married Fred," flying from California all the time, & just being the perfect set of 3 Musketeers.  You always hear about how sisters lose touch as adults & rarely see one another, but not these sisters.  Almost without fail these 3 talk at least once a week & share a special bond.  I know this may sound cheesy, but it's the truth.  Life is hard & sadly, people tend to respect their family & close friends less than strangers.  You just get comfortable & forget to take a second to show how important they are to you.  I am so proud to have these 3 in my life because I hope to be half as amazing at keeping in touch with my brothers as they are with one another.  They are 3 incredible, independent women, who have all taught me amazing things.  I wouldn't be who I am today without the "fun Aunt," who called my "Butterfly Princess Heart Flower" until I was 3636454, the "silly Aunt," who always has something comical to say & the "perfect Mom," who taught me the importance of sibling bonding.  I may be partial to the latter, but without the other 2, you just don't have the Goldsmiths.  The LOVE is there... just don't forget.  & especially don't forget to "live in the moment" because you only get 1 family.

Maybe we can all learn a little something from the Puritans & the Indians circa 1621... even if that friendship wasn't real.
  

Ciao & Happy Holidays!

chapter 2: in a nutshell.

Right now I am in the second chapter of my life: college.

It is kind of a confusing chapter where, at least for me, you feel very unsure about the next step... aka chapter 3.  You're kind of "bopping around, not really sure which way's up" & getting smart, but really just going to classes & hoping for that positive letter grade at the end of the semester.  Chapter 2 mainly focuses on your future.  You don't want it to, & you suppress & deny it every day, but sadly, it's the ugly truth.  It's a long, hard road, but in between those readings & lectures there is always room for a good-ole-fashioned study break... 

THE LIFE OF THE AVERAGE CHAPTER 2:
-You wake up tired & uncertain what the day will bring
-You probably drink a cup of coffee (or 2)
-You check your grade on E-Learning... most likely frown because it wasn't quite high enough
-You listen to music on your walk to class
-You make it to class right on time & sit in your usual seat, probably middle-back
-You half-listen/half look at facebook/buzzfeed, while the professor instills knowledge into your already beyond capacity brain
-You take some notes, but mostly doodle
-You walk out confused & hungry
-You check your grade again to see if it changed
-You eat lunch & cram for the rest of the day with flashcards, StudyEdge, & packets, LOTS OF PACKETS
-You go to the library
-You stalk ISIS & read up on your teachers
-You stay at Club West until the neon lights burn your eyes & you start making friends with the janitor & the Starbucks staff
-You send some emails
-You laugh when you see 2 guys on a scooter on your walk home & it probably makes your day
-You eat dinner & stare at your textbook for a couple more hours hoping osmosis is real
-You look at the clock & don't know how you missed the last 12 hours that seemed to fly by
-You shower & fall asleep feeling like you forgot something
-You wash, rinse, & repeat 
-SOMETIMES you see friends & sometimes you see Midtown (but on occasion, lets be real)

THE NUTSHELL:
In life, parents always tell you, "It doesn't matter how you do as long as you try your hardest."  I can tell you with 99.67% certainty that I have been trying my hardest for almost 21 years & yes, sometimes it succeeds & sometimes it doesn't (but hey, that's life & it doesn't mean you are stupid!). 

What they forget to tell you is this: "sometimes even your hardest doesn't quite get you that 4.0 that your future seems to looks at."  But the thing is... your chapter 3 doesn't know you.  That piece of paper you hand your chapter 3, often called a resume, is just a list of things you've done & your grades.  But what your future doesn't know is your personality, what makes you so... you.  The truth is, your chapter 3 is missing out because you are pretty awesome & they don't even know that.
    
My very loving mother gave me some wise advise today, she said, "In two years, that bad grade you got on that one quiz in that silly international studies class your junior year is not going to matter."  & you know what?  She is 100% right.  It may seem like THE END OF THE WORLD today, but I promise you it won't change who you are or what you will truly become.  It is just a small hiccup in your amazing life. 

Now I'm NOT saying: "Congratulations!  All this work you do in college is stupid, so you should just quit while you're ahead & maybe possibly turn into Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg & make millions & millions by being a fantastic genius of an inventor."  Rather, I am just trying to tell you that you are more than your GPA; you are a unique individual with a personality & a bright future.  You are special in your own way.

Sometimes you have a rough day, like I did today, but you just have to remember that not only do you have people out there who love you, but that you can love yourself too.  Most of all, don't forget that your parents will ALWAYS love you & most definitely unconditionally.

The thing is... chapter 2 is more than just figuring yourself out & what you want to do with your chapter 3, it is about just experiencing life & becoming a well-rounded you.  If you read between the lines in chapter 2, you will see that the margins tell you to go out & enjoy the little things:  Make the effort to see friends when you have a spare minute or 2, go out to dinner because you can, talk to people who you have never met before, take a second & listen to Century Tower when the bells go off, get Mochi, fill out that F Book you get during orientation, eat Krishna, fall asleep in Plaza of the Americas, play Humas vs. Zombies, listen to that silly priest in Turlington because it's interesting, stop & stare at those weird blue trees, volunteer, meet someone at the French Fries, apply for EVERYTHING (but don't get too upset when you don't get it), & sit back & truly listen when someone talks to you without any distractions (i.e. no phone).

But really, take a second & breathe.  This is your life.  This is your present.  Your future can wait while you live your life.  You only get a chapter 2 once... Make it count.

homecoming.

JUST 2 OLD HIPPIES

Homecoming... aka the week of festivities where us sorority gals get to dress our best for an entire week straight.  Homecoming is truly a tradition of welcoming back the alumni from years past, but of course, Greek Life has transformed that tradition into one GIANT social.  It's just another reason to put on your hippie outfit, throw up those peace signs, & wear non-prescription glasses for no purpose whatsoever... it just makes life more interesting.  

This year was probably my favorite experience with homecoming because I actually had the opportunity to participate in the events!  You know you do it right when you get all dressed up, you dance like a crazy person with a group of your favorite sorority sisters, you get home super late, sleep 5 minutes, & turn around & do it again... (homecoming week in a nutshell).

Growing up I always had a fascination with dressing up... you know, stealing your mom's costume jewelry for a fancy tea party or finding your great-great-great grandmothers mothball smelling dresses in the back closet to drape over you when playing house.  Then of course there is Halloween... who didn't go all out for that gem of a holiday?  It was a holiday invented for us kids to let our inner freak fly outside the comfort of our own homes. Wait... am I talking about kids here or college students?  Maybe they're one in the same?  The content may have aged, but the idea most definitely has not.

I know I'm not the only girl out there who would play dress up like 47483754 times a day as a little kid & I know I'm not the only girl out there who STILL does this, often.  So... I will bring up this burning question that everyone else has been thinking too (I know you are, don't deny it)... Why is dressing up so fun? 

The answer is... I HAVE NO IDEA.  It is just fun.  Even you guys like to do it too.  Socials prove it all... sometimes they are the ones who even get most into the nightly themes.  & the truth is, it is funny because there is so much hype about Halloween each year, but when you're in a sorority, almost every week is Halloween, but it just never seems to get old.

WOODSTOCK

TAMPA DINNER CRUISE

So after a whole week of non-stop "dress up," I wrapped up the weekend most perfectly with a Gator Game... even though we lost & we aren't doing so hot this year, it is ALWAYS "great to be a Florida Gator."  Especially when I get a wonderful visit from the lovely Alberta!  This time I chose to dress as myself... one of my favorite costumes to dress up in.  It's always nice to know that during the day, after a long week, you can always go back to being a regular, old gator.  Welcome home alumni!    

Ciao & Go Gata!