Countdown.

It's November and November seems to be a big countdown month for me. And, if you knew me, you'd know that I love a good countdown! I thought I'd share what I'm counting down to!

Source.

1. My Internship is over in 18 days:

Not that I'm overjoyed to be done here at Post City magazines. I've learned a lot and enjoyed my time here. I'm excited that I have a portfolio that has grown immensely and I have made some good connections here. But lets be real, I'm excited to get back to a slightly normal sleeping schedule. 5-6 hours is simply not enough for me! 

2. Christmas Vacation in 40 days:

In 40 days, Jake and I fly back to Oregon for 10 days!! I'm so excited to see family and friends and celebrate Christmas. If you knew me, you'd know I love Christmas like a junkie loves smack! (I just wanted to say "junkie" and "smack." I don't get a lot of opportunities in real life.) 

3. New Years in Columbus:

I started going to Columbus for Jake. He went to college there. But over the past two years and countless trips there, I've really grown attached to it! I vaguely know my way around and have made some pretty good friends along the way. I'm ecstatic to return this year and celebrate the new year with some really cool people! And my boyfriend of course. (Psst, it'll also be Jake and my official 2 year anniversary!) 

4. EDC in 225 days:

It started as just an idea but then it grew. I am so pleased that we bought early bird tickets to Electronic Daisy Carnicval for next June! It's a 3 day festival in Las Vegas and over 300,000 people attend. It's going to be wild! I am so pumped. It's been a while since Jake and I took a vacation for just vacation's sake and even though it's 225 days away, I'm already planning some outfits.

 

Congratulations, America, you did the right thing.

There's something exciting about watching a country decide it's future. There's something about participating in it as well. I'm 24 and this is my second election. I'm proud to say I voted Obama and will support him no matter what happens. 

I never before got into politics as much as I did this year. Yes, I voted Obama in 2008 and yes, I voted Obama mainly because I was raised liberal and have liberal family and friends. While I knew it was the right choice, I couldn't tell you my point of view on any of the issues. I don't even think I could even tell you any of the issues. So this year, as the early months passed, I made a point to educate myself.

It all started with rape. It did, it really did. I woke up one morning to find Todd Akin all over my Facebook and Twitter feed. I remember thinking, 'is this a joke? is this guy joking?' But he wasn't. Then I started reading. And the more I read, the more horrified I became. Funny how educating yourself can be horrifying at the same time.

I have vowed something to myself over the past few months. I vowed that I will be politically engaged in the future. Where I live, I will read up on the local issues, I will understand how the community around me flows, I will keep up on national and even international events. I want to take an educated and positive stance on my future.

On that note, I would like to say congratulations to my fellow Americans. It was really a close race. I was quite nervous at time, I must say. Being in Canada, where the election wasn't the the most important thing on the news, it was interesting talking with people about it and getting a completely different view. I feel like I'm more in tune with how I feel about my country now.

We will move forward, not backwards. We recognize that things change and cannot thrive staying the same.