Lists For No Reason #1: Why I Miss High School

Reasons Why I Miss High School:

1) Getting dressed mattered more. The best way I can explain this is by saying that clothes are one of my favorite things. They are my tattoos. They are my extra piercings. They are how I give off the vibe of funky/artsy/cute/elfin/demure/chic/fairylike/ future novelist. Which, in case I am unclear, is what I am attempting to do absolutely pulling off on a daily basis. Note: Work clothes and yoga pants do not count. I mean, I try really hard to make my work clothes reflect my personality, and it's not like I'm wearing pleated pantsuits in pastel colors every day, but honestly, there is just so much I can do with a dress code on some days. And if I'm in yoga pants, it means I have given up most of the way, but I have retained some pride in the fact that I am skinny and I have an okay little butt. So basically, I have very lofty fashion goals, but if I am not achieving them, assume that it's because my jobs or my athleticism are holding me back.

2) Activities. I want to take a free art class, be in a choir, play an instrument for which I take free lessons, be in a band for that instrument, and go see games where I actually feel loyalty for a team. (A short aside on why this would be significant: I am a terrible sports fan. Not only do I not understand or care what is happening, but when I do make an effort to understand and care, I always look at the TV at the wrong time. Like when the quarterback is tying his shoe or or the manager is squinting aggressively into the sun for five minutes while the analysts analyze what he might be thinking about. This is a chronic problem for me. High school was so much easier; you go, you play "La Bamba" on the flute, you have a band geek explain what "Fourth Down" means, and you are very very proud of the men in green and white. Because you, too, are wearing green and white. On your pep band windbreaker.)

3) Theatre people. I did a lot of theatre in high school. School plays, community plays, plays that were kind of like camp/classes that your parents paid for. I miss running around the Civic Center in a leotard. I miss singing all the time with people. I miss dressing rooms! Oh my God, no wonder I don't have any fun putting on my makeup anymore. I am just now realizing that it's not fun unless there are seven other girls squished into a mirror meant for three, your retinas are being burnt by forty light bulbs, and you're inadvertently in the background of another cast member's sixteen turned-around camera pictures. (Which are a lot easier these days with smartphones--just in time for them to no longer be age appropriate unless I'm drinking alcohol. Shame.) So really, I guess this one is theatre people/makeup. But mainly theatre people--they were the BEST. I'm sure they still are, I'm just no longer sure where to find them or how to fit them into my schedule when it's not "Rehearsal 9th period" anymore.

4) Buses. I actually love school buses. I'm not saying this to be cute or ironic. I'm aware that it's weird. I also got my license really late in life (this past July at the age of 22) and I'm sure this is something like Stockholm syndrome--I embraced my big yellow prison on wheels because I really had no control over my method of transportation, being afraid of operating any motor vehicle larger than a golf cart. But whatever the reasoning, I sincerely loved (and still probably would love) riding a school bus.

For one thing, my high school bus driver was insanely awesome. His name was Randy, he would wait for me at my stop, (yeah, before you judge me for not being outside at my stop on time, which I am defensive about even if you weren't gonna be judgmental about it, know this: I was the first stop in the morning. I was picked up at 6:50 am. Boom.) he had highlights and wore a leather jacket, was insanely skinny, smoked like a chimney, and had OCD. We talked about his kids and his need to get up at, like, 4 in the morning to vacuum every day. My mom made him brownies for Christmas. He was great. I wish I had his contact info, actually. We were real buddies by the end of my senior year.

Other than my everyday bus, I just loved buses in general. There's a very specific camaraderie that comes with using public transportation that is free and full of other people whose ages are within three years of yours. Where some people riding are actually friends, and you all know each other. And you all know where each other lives, but not in a creepy way. Where else does that happen?

5) (I always feel like I need at least five things in a list before it's legit.) I miss feeling well-known. Not that I had an inflated sense of self-importance in high school (or at least not any more than any other 14-18 year old) but that everyone kind of knew where I stood, and I kind of knew where everyone else stood. I was idealistic and smart and artsy and kind of a smart ass and I sucked at gym. And all of those things were assumed to a certain extent--people knew stuff about me. And I knew stuff about them. And as the Cheers theme song says...


Now, I would like to point out that any of these things could easily also be a reason why I don't miss high school at all. I love not feeling stressed out about not owning Hollister jeans, I love having my independence, and I am glad that not everybody I meet knows that I'm an unathletic Christian band geek who is completely afraid of boys. (Although on some level, I'm pretty sure I still manage to give out that vibe. If anyone knows any way to stop this, please let me know.) And as much as I miss the activities and the theatre, these are the most re-creatable things in this list--I could easily take an art class (though it wouldn't be free) and if I looked, I might be able to find a place to perform again. But I will probably never again be able to take free French Horn lessons with a borrowed instrument and play the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean in a band. And I am not entirely over this.

Five Resolutions

I am a big believer in New Year's resolutions. I like having goals. I like setting the bar high for myself. The fact that setting resolutions and keeping them are two entirely different endeavors can result in some challenges and frustration (such as the frustration in trying to actually finding the time to go to the gym three times a week or choose a night every week to do something new and crafty.

Even so, mine is an optimistic soul. Plus, making lists is fun.

Lizzy's Top Five New Year's Resolutions 2013

1. Visit Pittsburgh and Providence

Pittsburgh

My friend Katy lives in Pittsburgh, and so does Mike's friend Nick. I love being shown around a new city by someone who loves it there.

Providence 

Providence is such an artsy place--I was actually researching some grad schools there recently, and there are some great programs. Plus it's on water.













2. Join a book club

I feel better mentally (more imaginative, more mentally exercised, more...well-used) when I'm reading something good. Good mental health = much higher chance of Lizzy achieving dreams and goals. And a book club would ensue that I actually set a deadline for myself to read stuff that somebody else decided was good. Plus there would be other people there who like to read. So it's a litmus test for friends and books. Now, if I can only find one that works with my regular schedule... or lack thereof...

3. Sketch at least one thing per week

I already write every day, and I should really sketch every day too. But I'm trying to stay realistic here. And sitting down with my sketchbook once a week would be good for keeping me in practice.

This is from a blog about remaking $1 dresses every day. 

4. Sew/modify some of my own clothes. 

I think the blogs about this are so cool and I really want to try some of the techniques, for like turning a frumpy shirt into a sleeveless shift dress, or an old lady dress into a cute dress, or a scratched up purse into a  cool, funky one...You get the theme here.












5. Set myself a writing deadline, like one chapter per week.

This one is really important to me. I am serious about this book. And I have to make it happen.

Awesome cartoon with a freakish resemblance to my life!

Happy New Year everyone! :)

Ode to coworkers

Inspiration is a ridiculous thing to even attempt to discuss. It works in ways so convoluted and odd that it doesn't seem appropriate to announce inspiration when it does strike, as it is often the case that the person struck is the only one who sees the connection between the inspiring object, and whatever was produced by said inspiration. (Can you tell I work for lawyers now?) What I'm trying to say is that I feel like a dork when I start to write things like "I'm inspired by the colors outside today." The expression of inspired-ness often turns into a cliche because there are few ways to express the value of being inspired.

That being said, inspiration is a fact of daily life. There are triggers which inspire us to create physical objects, form ideas, start relationships, strike up conversations, and make humorous remarks. The crazy thing is that these triggers are everywhere, and often lying around unlooked-for in places buried under uninspiring and mundane facades.

To put something concrete to these ramblings, one of the things that inspires me lately is my coworkers at my retail job. (I have two jobs--one in customer service at a clothing store, one at a law office as a typist/intern.) Don't get me wrong--my coworkers often drive me crazy. In an environment in which the tone of your entire day's interactions is often set by the moods of everyone around you, it is hard not to get caught up in useless irritation sometimes. But the fact of the matter is, I am often in awe of them.

Being a writer, I am nosy as all hell. (This may seem like a non sequitur. It's not. You're welcome for the clarification.) I also tend to think I am very clever. (I am.) Through those two traits, I have cobbled together the basic pictures (some more detailed than others) of each of my colleagues' various insecurities, ambitions, histories, and daily lives. Creepy statement. But relevant, I promise.

Not wanting to be all that specific for fear of overstepping my bounds (or getting even creepier), here is what I have to say:

Working together, you can learn a lot about people. Their issues. Their tics. Their weird fantasies. Their obsessions. The things they think make them look good. The things they think make them ugly. The things YOU think make them look good or ugly. You wonder how much they've figured out about you. You wonder if they know stuff about you that you haven't figured out yet, like you're pretty sure you do about some of them. (SO MANY PRONOUNS.) You work toward a common goal but you learn about everyone's personal goals. You figure out what they do in their outside lives that affects their attitudes in the workplace. (Ew, "attitudes in the workplace"...I sound like an employee handbook. Enough of that.)

You sympathize, commiserate, and share cookies, pizza and bagels. And at the end of the day, you realize that you spend half of your life with people who are something like family, something like friends, and something like inmates. (Okay, I had to infer that last one. I haven't actually been in prison. Well, I was in one once. It was for a tour senior year of high school.)

The point is, when you work with people and pay attention you inevitably learn a bunch of crap about them.
 
And sometimes the things you learn can teach you about respect. About boundaries. About having kids. About being strong. About owning up to your bullshit. About not apologizing for the person you are and the way you choose to live, because hell, that's who you are. Sometimes the things you learn can keep you up until 11:11 (MAKE A WISH) thinking about how much you've changed for the better (and definitely for the thicker-skinned) since you descended into the scummy pit of doom that is customer relations. (It's getting late. I'm getting moody. Abort! Abort!)

Anyway, I've decided that I'm pretty lucky. I've found a place where I can be a total smart-ass and get away with it, in company with others highly skilled in the arts of smart-assery. (It's a thing. Look it up.) And I also get to be totally nosy, eat free pizza, and feel like I'm at least learning a bit about human nature (capitalism, greed, the rich, the poor, the identification of self with personal style...oh, it goes on. I think a lot.). Okay, I'm losing focus here. I just wanted to pay homage to these humans with whom I spend 20-30 hours per week in the best way I know how--rambling on paper (okay, a screen, but you get the idea). Even if none of them ever reads this (Please, God, don't let any of them ever read this. They'll think I like them or something.) I want to admit that I admire them for just showing up every day and trying really hard to do whatever they have to do to stay awesome, whatever their definition of awesome is.

I know that's a really vague description in a lot of ways, but there will be a lot more details about all of them when they show up as random fictional characters in my future novels. 

So, coworker-creatures. If you're actually reading this, stay awesome. And thanks.

My Google Search of Future Careers

What will you be when you don't grow up, Lizzy?

One of my favorite Mary Englebreit drawings

I'm in a rather cheery frame of mind regarding my future at the moment, so I thought I'd make myself a nice, multimedia list. Job descriptions, listings, and illustrations included. Kind of like a fun way of "doing my homework"?

Anyway, read on if you are interested and feel free to comment with thoughts. 

1. Obviously I will be an author. I say "obviously" because it is my dream. The occupation that I will never, ever give up on occupying. And now I've published that on the Internet, so (for those of you who didn't already know) it's official.

 It's kind of impossible to provide a job description for an author, because they/we all have their/our own methods of working, hours, etc. So here's J.K. Rowling's wiki page, 'cause she's basically living the dream, as far as I'm concerned. And here's an interview with Tamora Pierce, where she says things about fantasy that very much expresses my own thoughts on the genre. She's another of my favorite authors, who once said, either in a reading I went to or an interview I read, that she starts writing at noon every day and spends her mornings doing whatever she wants. Hello, my future.

Listing: You can't apply for author-ship. You can only write, submit, and pray. Or, write, exercise, and shower. Either way, or all of the above, but unfortunately without sending anybody your resume.

2. Journalist

The thing about journalism and me is that it's not the THING that I've wanted to do forever. You know, there's that kid who wrote for all his school papers and has already done four internships at various newspapers and watches the news like it's his favorite sitcom. And I'm just not that kid. I watch my favorite sitcom like it's my favorite sitcom. Period. (Actually, I have more than one. Specifically, they are New Girl and How I Met Your Mother. And then in the category of drama, there's Glee and Once Upon a Time. And I miss Gilmore Girls like crazy.) Writing fiction is my THING. I majored in creative writing, wrote stories starring my dolls and stuffed animals, and pranced (yes, pranced) around the house "reading" aloud something I made up out of my head while holding a book. (I have since honed my creative process. A little.) The point: I look at journalism not as a career path, but as a possible conduit for writing experience.

Listing: Editorial Intern, Syracuse, 2nd Nature LLC

3. Art director

I realize this is not a position one starts in, and this is an entirely unrealistic listing. So basically it's a pointless one. But I already looked up some stuff about being an art director, so it's getting included anyway. Plus I found a cute picture to go with it. So judge me.

Listing: Creative Director, Syracuse, Bankers Healthcare Group, Inc.


4. Public Relations

This is something I think I'd be good at on the writing side. No idea about anything else it entails, but it might be worth an internship to find out. I actually already applied to this listing, but I missed the (unspecified) fall deadline, so I'm planning to reapply in the winter. The cool thing about this one, though, is that I'd also get to work in an art museum, thus pleasing my artsy side. And actually, several of these internships look good to me as possible experiences, given that I am very open-minded about what I'd like to do career-wise outside author-ship.

Listing: Public Relations Internship, Syracuse, Everson Museum


5. Advertising/Marketing/Copywriting

Weird picture. I know. But relevant, in a tattoed-baby kind of way. (?)
Basically, my reasoning behind trying copywriting would be the same as my reasoning behind being a journalist or working in PR. It's another avenue for gaining writing experience. However, it is another really competitive field (anyone else noticing a pattern here?) in which I have only marginal interest. Basically, it would be a use-my-skills-to-pay-the-bills job until I can devote myself to being a full-time J.K. Rowling. Ahem, author.

Listing: Marketing Internship, Syracuse, Daily Orange, Corp.


6. Illustrator

Illustration by Page Tsou, more of his work here

I know this one is a bit out of left field. And it would require an education search, rather than a job search. But if I had unlimited money, this is only one of the things I would get a degree in. I love illustrations. I love art that inspires a story or a vision, that deepens the way you imagine a setting or characters. (Clearly I'm talking about book illustration here.) But again...super-competitive field. And a huge commitment, time-wise. If I were really going to be an illustrator, it would have to be my dream at least almost as much as writing is my dream. So it remains a big, fat, maybe. But it is still included in the list, as much because I want to explore a future in something artistic as anything else.


7. Something in design.

Okay, clearly, I'm getting lazy. And tired. Ouchy eyes tired. Making up words like "ouchy" and typing them out tired.

Anyway, those are the career possibilities I've given real thought to. Top choice is, as always, making up stories. Second choice would (if money were not an object) be something artsy, which would involve going back to school. (Actually, I will probably go back for my masters within the next few years, it's just that I want to do more artistically than I do now. I don't care if it results in a BFA, but my dream life includes art as well as writing. But I digress.) Third choice would be all these money-making using-what-I-learned-in-college-to-sell-stuff-to-people options.

Next time, on Lizzy's Career Decisions Lists:
Basket Weaving
Scuba Diver Instructing
Porpoise Training
Circus Motorcycle Driving

 Actually, I would love to run away with the circus...I wonder if Cirque du Soliel is hiring art directors with tons of imagination and no experience...

I'm Back!

Hallo, blogfriends.

I have been back in the USA for about a month now, and this is my first blog post, so yay!

Some thoughts on recent events (In no particular order):


The Olympics: London is so cool. I didn't get to explore much of it when I was there (IT IS ENORMOUS) but I like revisiting it through the bike races. And the opening ceremony was awesome. Also, poor Jordyn Wieber! I love watching the women's gymnastics stuff, and this is the first time I've been older than, like, ALL of them. And it must be really hard going through whatever you go through when you're 16 on top of being a world class athlete and needing to have that kind of discipline. Anyway, random tangent.

My goddaughter: I had a visit from Beth and Diana last week! For those who don't know, Beth is an old friend from church. We met when I was 5 and she was 16 and I fell in love with her peekaboo skills. Anyway, 17 years later (wow) I am her daughter's godmother. And she is the cutest, smartest, best little toddler I've ever met (no bias whatsoever). We had a great time when they were here, mostly in the pool. She LOVES the pool. It's hysterical. Anyway, we got to be quite good buddies, and she might even be able to say my name the next time I see her. (She's only 20 months, and "Lizzy" is a tough one. I'm currently Yi-yi.)

My trip to Europe: It was amazing. I stayed in hostels. I went with my friend Sarah for the whole thing and we met up with Loryn for about a week and a half of it. I went to all the cities on my previous list (to reiterate: Milan, Venice, Florence, Siena, Pisa, Rome, Florence again, Milan again, London, Paris). My favorites were Florence, London, and Paris. Venice was also beautiful and a ton of fun to explore (and shop in) but the leather markets in Florence just killed me (seriously, along with a large chunk of cash, I think I left part of my soul there).

Some highlights (Also in no particular order):
- Art exhibits in Paris on Degas' bathers and da Vinci's Saint Anne with Jesus and the Virgin Mary (one of my favorite Renaissance paintings anyway, and seeing it on this trip was so amazing).

-The beach in Pisa, where I found a live starfish and a live hermit crab, swam in the Mediterranean, built a sand castle, and learned how to duggie on top of a boulder.

-The exhibit Americans in Florence (in Florence) of Impressionists like John Singer Sargent and Mary Cassat and a bunch of others that I walked through twice because I liked it so much.

-The aforementioned leather market in Florence, which was full of color and vendors and people and where I spent more money than I had.

-The Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens in London, where Sarah and I went with Del, a family friend on my mom's side who had us stay with her (She's 84, and her late husband met my grandfather during World War II in Trafalgar Square in London and invited him over for tea). It was one of my favorite moments. I love Peter Pan and I love fairies, and the statue had tons of fairies, with Peter on top playing the flute. They put up the statue at night so that the children would think it was a gift from the fairies. I could go on about that statue for ages.

-Having 2 buses break down on the way from Rome to Florence. It took 3 buses to get us there, and we were waiting at a gas station for at least an hour in between the last 2, so the three of us had a sing-along. I think we entertained some of the older Italian onlookers.

-Gelato.

-My peaceful afternoon in Paris's Luxembourg Gardens with my camera and my kindle (soon to be uploaded to facebook).

-Getting home.

-Sketching in Venice and Florence and Paris. Sketching in a lot of places, actually.

-The waiters--We had funny ones, flirtatious ones, and some that were a mix of both and spoke imperfect English. Such as the one in Pisa who said "I know my chickens" when he was talking about the three of us. Probably meant "chicks." But we liked chickens better.

-The handmade candle shop in Siena. It was really cool to see all their candles hung up, on shelves, just everywhere. There were tons of colors, and they had melted wax in regular old spoons (probably for painting details) suspended over larger vats of wax, so you could tell they made them right in the shop.

-Fish and chips at a pub in London (now I'm hungry).

As for what I'm doing next, we shall see. I am hoping to join a writer's group that meets in Syracuse, and maybe go to some figure drawing classes (expensive) and join a book club (hopefully free). So for the immediate future, I will continue to live with my parents (did I mention that I'm completely out of money after this trip? Still working, but paying off some debt for the foreseeable future. Not exactly going on shopping sprees). And I will be trying to write. Not so much here, but I will be writing. Let's go, dream-followers. We can do this.

Ciao and cheers!

Updates on le grande TRIP

1. I am pretty sure Sarah and I are going to do a mask-making workshop in Venice. It's kind of expensive, but it's also kind of like a master craft class/history lesson through art. Sooo I'm game.

2. There will be a gelato festival in Florence while all three of us are there the first time around. Um. Thank you, gods of food, travel, and timing?

(I found a link for the festival too, but the website's in Italian. So just use your imaginations as to how awesome this will be.)

3. I'm probably not going to be blogging much (if at all) while I'm there. I don't know that this really impacts anyone, but the facts of the matter be: we will be traveling around a lot, I will be journaling, and I won't be bringing my lovely little Bertha. (My laptop. She can't help being a Bertha any more than I can help naming her.) So I will probably post about it when I get back. That, or I'll skip posting about the trip, and I'll end up posting about my post-trip anxiety about not knowing what I'm doing next with my life. (Since you ask, currently I am all back-up plan and very little Plan A. But hey. Europe's inspiring. Right?)

Holy Guacamole, I'm Going to Europe.

I'm actually leaving. Tuesday, to be precise, but today I'm going to stay with my grandma in Westchester, and I'm staying until my flight. I can't believe it. This trip still feels like a crazy fantasy, only now I feel like I'm about to drive to the house that contains the wardrobe through which Narnia is available. (Yep. It's gonna be THAT magical.)

The tentative list of cities I posted in an earlier post ended up being correct, but here is a slightly more detailed itinerary:

Milan (The Last Supper and shopping)

Venice (Tours of lacemaking and glassmaking factories, gondola rides, and the opera!)

Florence (for a couple of days--chilling and exploring)

Pisa (as in, the Leaning Tower of)

Siena (BEACH DAY and a cute b&b)

Rome (Tour of the Vatican, a night walk tour, and a tour of the catacombs!)

Florence (This time a more extended visit)

Milan (ditto)

London (Staying in a family friend's home, and being crazy tourists.)

Paris (Art art art shopping shopping shopping art. Nough said.)

Reasons I'm excited:
1. The things I'm going to see. Architecture, historical landmarks, ART ART ART, and the beaches.

2. The shopping. Designer stores, markets, the LEATHER, lace and glass from Venice, scarves from Paris; you name it, I'm psyched to bring something home from it. (Are Parisian scarves a thing? I feel like they are, although maybe that's just because one of my college roommates had some. I love scarves though, so I'll probably buy some there regardless. AAHH I'M GOING TO PARIS!)

3. The food. Pasta, pizza, pasta, wine, cheese, bread, nutella, pasta, gnocchi, and PASTA. 

4. Getting lost. I'm actually really excited to wander the streets of Venice, Florence, Rome, London, and Paris. I've heard it's the best way to see a city, and I am positive it's a great way to get inspired. Which, for me, is part of what this trip is about: inspiration for writing, art, and finding/creating a frame of mind that will help me stay happy in the next year while I figure out what I'm doing with my life.

5. The people I'm going with. I wish I could bring everyone I love on this trip, but as things are, I have two of the best travel buddies I could ask for. I'm soo psyched to be tripping around Europe with Sarah and Loryn. THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME!!!! :-D