Studying Tips, Part 3

Hey friends.

And now for the much-awaited conclusion (for now) to my studying series. Buckle up and enjoy the theme of “whatever else I didn’t say before; it is unintentionally food-heavy.”

REWARDS:

Rewarding yourself when you hit milestones is so important. You’ll burn out real fast if you don’t have something to work toward and/or don’t take a break every now and then. It could be as simple as eating a treat whenever you reach the end of a page. It could be giving yourself a break every hour. Whatever it is – food, 15 minutes on Tumblr, a walk around the block – decide on it before you start and stick to it. Don’t cop out on rewards any more than you’d cop out on reaching your goals. You earned it. Really.

Importantly, though, make sure your breaks are SHORT breaks. Ten, fifteen minutes tops. There’s a fine line between mental health breaks and actual distractions.

This is pretty genius, though I’d probably use Hershey kisses. Gummy bears are kind of meh.

SUSTENANCE:

Don’t forget to eat and drink. When I get really deep into studying, nourishment can fall into the void of low priorities. It’s always good to keep a bottle of water on hand (or coffee, tea, or energy drinks, but there’s always the risk of getting too wired and crashing with those). Hydration helps with productivity. Having little snacks is good too, but avoid junk food. Those will give you a short energy burst and then abandon you in a sleepy crash.

As for actual meals, don’t skip them. It’s harder to focus and remember things when you’re hungry.

Boy, she sure has this covered.

Here’s something I do that you may not want to imitate: I set meals as a “reward.” It’s only when I’m having a lot of trouble focusing, or if I’m really cramming, or if I’m in really deep and can’t stop right then. My stomach will rumble and I’ll be like, Oh, are you hungry? Well, if you want to eat dinner you’ll have to finish this entire chapter. No food until it’s done. Are you motivated now?

It’s probably unhealthy, as I’m depriving myself of food as a motivator. But I do it nonetheless. And I can’t say it doesn’t work. I get all my work done and do really well on tests. Just make sure to follow through on your promise to feed yourself after you’re done with that chapter. I am NOT promoting starving yourself. Eating enough and eating right is so important. What I do is POSTPONE meals SOMETIMES to give myself something to work toward. I do not skip meals. Like, ever. Please don’t skip meals. Eating a good, healthy diet is especially important when you’re pulling all-nighters and preparing for tests. Good luck staying alert and focused on an empty stomach. Spoiler: you can’t.

You while studying if you don’t eat right. Doesn’t look very productive, does it?

That’s all for now! I obviously didn’t cover everything there is to know about studying. I probably didn’t even cover everything I want to say about studying. But don’t worry, I’ll probably revisit this subject in the future and regale all of you with my bountiful experience with studying obsessively and crowding out everything in your life to make room for school and academic perfection.

Write what you know, right?

I can’t say for sure when my next post will be. The class I made this blog for is ending, so I’ll no longer be posting twice a week. Yes, friends, I only made this blog because a professor made me, but that doesn’t mean our talks are any less meaningful to me! And I don’t see myself abandoning this blog. I’ll still be posting. Just maybe once a week instead of twice or something.

Goodbye for now, and good luck with your finals!

Studying Tips, Part 2

Hi friends! Hope your week is going well, especially those of you with finals going on. Here is Part 2 of my studying tips, and the theme is DISTRACTIONS.

MINIMIZE THEM

If possible, go to a completely quiet room. Libraries are better than being in your own room because the environment is specifically tailored to working and studying. Rather than relaxing and being on the Internet. I find myself more focused in a library just because of all the people around me working. Guilt-based motivation.

They will all judge you if you’re not working.

TECHNOLOGY

If you don’t need your computer, put it away. Out of sight. Same with the phone – turn it off or on silent. If you do need your laptop, do whatever you can to avoid getting on distracting websites. Turn off your wifi if you have to, even if it’s after you’ve brought up the pages you need.

If I’m typing something on Word, the Focus View option at the bottom left is a godsend. Not being able to see that Firefox icon genuinely helps kill the urge to get sidetracked. Not to mention it just feels more professional and study-ish, like being in a library.

Nothing here but your essay and…void.

PROGRAMS

It is the age of apps, and even for distractions, there is indeed an app for that. This program (for Macs) will block access to websites you choose for a predetermined amount of time. This one does the same for PCs. Here’s another one. There are plenty of others out there that do similar things, even if it’s just glare disapprovingly when you wander away from where you’re supposed to be. Hunt around for one you like.

That’s a weird looking turkey.

MUSIC

I’m conflicted about listening to music while studying, so I’ll just give you my pros and cons and let you decide.

PROS:

For some, it can help you focus. It blocks out other distracting sounds and, if you’re familiar with the music, it just melts into the background. Sometimes what you’re studying can become intertwined with the music, to the point that thinking of a song during a test can help you remember things. In high school I never did anything in silence – no matter what I was reading or working on, I always had an album playing. To this day I can’t listen to the Phantom of the Opera movie soundtrack without thinking of my AP US History class.

Listening to screamo just gets his blood pumping for that chemistry final. Click the picture for another article discussing the pros and cons of listening to music while studying.

CONS:

For some, music is a distraction. Now that I’m in college it’s become so for me. If I have to really focus I have to be in complete silence. It’s too easy to find yourself concentrating more on the songs than on the studying, especially if what you’re studying is really boring. So if you’re easily distracted, silence might be the way to go.

SUGGESTIONS:

If you’re in the music-listening camp, here are my suggestions:

Instrumental music is far less distracting. Here’s a two-and-a-half hour mix on YouTube to get you started. You’ll find plenty more playlists just like this with a simple search.
If you’re playing lyrical music, make it something you know very well.
If you’re in a quiet room, make the music quiet enough to fade into the background.
If you’re in a loud room and can’t get to a quieter one, blaring loud music in your headphones can be just as isolating as pure silence.
You can also listen to ambient sounds so you’re not in silence but you’re also not too distracted. Here’s rain. A coffee shop. Make your own mix.

Apparently the sounds of this environment are relaxing and motivating for some people?

That’s it for now! The third and last installment (for now) will be up TOMORROW, wow, so soon. It’s because I have to have two posts up by the end of Thursday for the class I made this blog for. 🙂

Until then, goodbye and happy studying!

Studying Tips, Part 1

Ah, studying. We all hate it, right? But unfortunately it’s unavoidable, at least if you want to excel in your classes. It’s finals week at my school and while I myself don’t have any exams to take (yay writing classes), I’m sure plenty of you guys do.

I probably don’t need to tell you how to study. You’ve gone to school, you know the drill. But I can at least share things that I do to help myself. At the very least, it may motivate you to get started. For me, that’s half the battle.

The sooner you start, the sooner it’s over, buddy.

LISTS:

Make yourself lists of what needs to get done. Write down all the things you have to know and tackle them one by one. Seeing everything laid out makes it less overwhelming. And it’s very satisfying to be able to cross off tasks as you get to them. Erase them from your life and move on. It’s cathartic.

I Googled “homework list” and this was the only mildly useful thing that popped up. I would’ve taken a picture of my own whiteboard, but like I said I’m already basically done for the quarter (ha) and I’d have to invent things to write on it. And we’re all about honesty here on Megan Sort of Helps.

STUDY GUIDES:

Sometimes teachers give these out, but I do my own too so I can organize the information in a way that makes sense to me. How you do this is up to you. I like to create quick-reference sheets of basic facts. For example, in my art history classes I’d write headings for all the art movements I needed to know, and put the artists, their works, and the dates under then respective movement. Nothing conceptual or in-depth here – just at-a-glance facts.

I would also make my own timelines, vocab lists, event flow charts, and, for important literature or scholarly essays, few-sentence summaries of major points.

This may seem overly shallow, but I promise that if you have a tight grasp on this minutia, you will do well on your test. These little details are what exams are made of, and they will make your essays sing. You can BS around the essential facts if you have to, but you can never BS the essential facts.

One of my simple lists for my Literary Theory and Criticism final. Notice how simple it can be – just the major categories and which writers fall under each.

This is a more in-depth but still simple page. I listed the authors and then summarized their points. Notice how the keywords are bolded. Those are the words that will show up on fill-in-the-blanks and short answers. Those are the words you throw into your essays to show you know what you’re talking about.

FLASHCARDS:

They’re a great way to exercise quick recall and precise memorization. But honestly, I never use them. I’ve never really needed them. I can get the same results by reading down my list of facts. I 100% understand the appeal of flashcards, though, and if they’ll help you study even a little bit I fully encourage you to make and use them. They’re just not for me.

Maybe it’s just too many little pieces of paper to keep track of.

MEMORIZATION:

A lot of people have a lot of different opinions on how best to recall information. In my opinion, there are only so many tricks you can pull. In the end, simple repetition is the only way to really drill things into your mind. Read down your study guides. Do it aloud if you have to – that helps a lot of people. Then do it again. And again. And again. Then do it backwards. Now out of order. Get it?

Of course, there are things you can do to help you remember – I just mean that there’s no substitute for repetition. Moving your hands as you read/speak can help. Listening to music can help, but be careful (more on that in the next post). Similarly, if you chew a flavor of gum you’re not used to while you’re studying, then chew the same flavor during the test, the taste can help you remember. Senses are funny that way.

You can come up with mnemonic devices or songs, like HOMES for the Great Lakes or the wives of Henry VIII chant (divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived). Speaking of Henry VIII, don’t be afraid to turn to pop culture for basic information. Because of The Tudors I will never forget the names and order of Henry’s wives. Just make sure what you see on The Borgias or whatever is actually accurate.

I’m sure the history is infallible here.

And that’s the end of Part 1! I know we didn’t cover a whole lot, but fear not. Parts 2 and 3 will come later in the week.

P.S. I just found this really cool masterlist of studying resources and you should check it out if you want more. It says it’s for college freshman but I’m pretty sure students at every level can find something useful there.

Stay tuned, friends, and good luck with your studying!

Handy Dandy Medicine Chart

Hey guys,

This isn’t my real post for today, but I wanted to show you this wonderful chart I found on Tumblr for over-the-counter medicines:

I’ve seen it before and kind of thought about looking for it for my What to Do When You Get Sick post, but I was sick and kind of tired and didn’t bother. But I just stumbled upon it so here you go! It’s a much better summary of what medicines to have and take than what I gave you.

I’m feeling a lot better, for all none of you who were wondering. I guess the cold was only a couple-days thing. Thank God. Don’t need that kind of negativity in my life.

A real post will be up later today. It will contain tips on studying. Fun. Because it’s finals week at my school, yaaaay.

See you again real soon!

What to Do When You Get Sick

Hi friends.

I came down with a cold yesterday. This is very fitting, since it’s almost the end of the quarter and I started this quarter with a cold as well. So this symmetry is satisfying in a way. Except it also sucks and I’m miserable.

It’s not even that bad, I’m just really dramatic.

Getting sick while you’re away from home is rough. There’s no mom to bring you water and fuss over you. Are you new to being on your own and unsure of how to take care of yourself when you get sick? Me too. But I have put together a few tips on how to cope with minor illness.

Keep in mind these tips are for colds, coughs, flus, and other mild things. If you’re actually seriously ill, go to a doctor and follow their advice and not mine. Also, I’m not a doctor or a medical student. I’m just a twentysomething who gets colds sometimes.

Drink lots of water. So much water. This is the surest way to make yourself feel better. Your body needs extra hydration and the water can help you breathe better if you’re congested. When I’m sick I have a large bottle of water and straw with me at all times, drinking from it constantly.

Also drink hot beverages, like tea or apple cider. Cider (at least the instant powder I have) has Vitamin C in it, which is good for the immune system. Certain teas are as well. The heat can help soothe your throat and loosen up the mucus in your nose.
Doesn’t she look happy and healthy with her tea? Damn healthy people.

Get lots of sleep. I know you’re in school and have stuff to do, but try to go to bed as early as you can.

When you’re resting, keep in mind that laying flat can make your congestion and/or cough worse. It’s better to try and sit up. Standing and walking will make you breathe even better, though I know you don’t want to.

Have a stock of medicines at all times for when you start feeling bad. I’d recommend:
- Cough drops.
- Ibuprofen – for fevers or pain.
- Tylenol – same, plus allergies, cold, and cough.
- Some kind of cold medicine – look for something that says nasal decongestion.
- Airborne – a supplement that gives your immune system a great boost.
- Some vitamin supplements are also useful, especially Vitamin C.

Buy a thermometer.

But know that fevers aren’t necessarily a bad thing. They’re a body’s way to burn out whatever bacteria or virus that’s making you sick. Sometimes it’s best to let the fever run its course rather than medicate it. If it’s like 101 or higher or if it doesn’t go away then definitely take some Ibuprofen, but if it’s lower you could probably just wait it out.
Suck it up, kid.

Gargling with salt water can help soothe a sore throat or bring back a lost voice.

That’s all for now. It’s probably nothing you didn’t know, but maybe something I said will help? Stay healthy, friends, and if you’re feeling bad make sure to take it easy and go to a clinic if you get worse.

Just remember: most colds get better within a week and are completely gone in two weeks! The end is in sight. This too shall pass.

Some Inspiration (Hopefully)

I’m mildly stressed out as I type this. Just mildly. Not panicking, not racked with anxiety, not overcome with frustration. It’s just a few coming-up-on-finals things.

I stress about school a lot, as I’m sure you do too. School is the only thing I’m good at – not just mediocre or passable, but actually GOOD. So I’ve always placed a (probably inordinately) high priority on academic performance. School overrides everything else. Friends. Family. Fun. Job searches. It’s not always good.

Are you stressed about school? Want some help? I’m not good at avoiding stress altogether, especially because I tend to procrastinate, but I can tell you what I tell myself at times like these.

It’s an ancient adage, probably Persian or Semitic in origin, a former high school history teacher (RIP Ms. Knott) told us when discussing world religion and philosophy:

It’s the frequent subject of inspirational typography posters.

I know it’s not much. But it hit me hard then and it still does now.

The idea is that every physical and material thing in this world is temporary. Good, bad, or neutral, everything will someday fade away. Your looks will fade. Your name will be forgotten. Money and friends come and go. The things that scared you as a child will be no more than dreams when you’re an adult. The happiness you feel now will not last, but neither will the sadness, anger, grief, or loneliness. Give it time. It will pass.

How is that applicable to school? Tangentially and shallowly, honestly. It’s just comforting to know that my stress won’t last forever. A week from now my projects will be finished and turned in, be they good or bad, and I will no longer have to worry about getting them done. I can worry about what grades I get if I want to, but that’s a different stress and it, too, will pass.

This way of thinking got me through my senior year of high school, especially AP test week (don’t take five AP classes at the same time). It got me through a week of all-nighters when I took Color Theory and 3D Design during the same quarter (don’t do that either). Through the frantic studying and exhausted, near-tears crunches, I would chant that mantra to myself: And this too shall pass. Even though I don’t feel ready for my exam, in just a few hours it be finished and out of my hands. There will be no more I can do about it, and that will be a relief.

So as you’re freaking out about finals this semester/quarter, keep your deadlines in mind. Not just so you get everything done on time, but also because it will help ease your mind. That deadline isn’t just a looming figure representing your imminent demise. It’s your reprieve. Mark it on your calendar and look at it every time it becomes too much. Know that you only have to hang on until then. After the deadline, you are free. Even if you don’t do as well as you’d like. Even if you don’t finish everything. After that date, you can sleep and relax and take a calm breath.

This too will pass. Your stress is temporary. Your inspiration will come, if not from your well-prepared creative mind, then from the panic of time crunch. In a week your stress will dissolve from I have to get this done to I have to wait and see how I did. And for me, that’s always easier. Writing a paper means hard work; there’s nothing I can do about a paper that’s getting graded.

Now, do your work. Take regular breaks, don’t forget to eat, don’t procrastinate, proofread your papers at least once, and set aside as much time as you can to sleep. It’ll all be over soon, friends. And no matter how tough it gets, you will survive.

Promise.

Some Great Hairstyle YouTube Channels

Hey friends!

As an addendum to my long hair posts, I’m going to talk now about some of my favorite hair-related YouTube channels. They taught me everything I know about braiding hair.

I took pride in not caring about “girly” things like hair when I was younger. I thought I was being a cool tomboy, but really it just made me hopelessly stunted that area of common knowledge by the time I hit high school. I constantly envied the other girls their braids and effortlessly beautiful hair. I didn’t do anything about it at the time – too much homework to focus on it, too self-conscious to experiment. But then I graduated and, for the first time in seven years, had a summer ahead of me without even summer homework to occupy my time.

Cooler teens would fill this free time with fun and freedom and friends. I decided to learn to braid my hair.

(I chose braiding because it’s a way to look fancy without buying expensive products.)

Though you might want at least some hairspray for the more ambitious stuff.

My mom doesn’t know much about hair, so she couldn’t help me. My sister used to be into braiding (I wouldn’t let her touch my hair, so she decked out our Barbie dolls), but she’d forgotten how. So I did what every other Millennial who needs help with a basic task does: YouTube it.

For me (and for many of us, I imagine) YouTube is like a second mom. I’ve gone there to learn about everything from hair and makeup to changing the staples in my stapler. So I spent nearly every night that summer looking up YouTube videos on how to braid, studying them like it was my job.

I would practice while watching movies. The darkness forced me to not rely on my eyes and the repeated braiding and unbraiding made me good at it. There’s no trick to French braiding. You just have to get used to it. (Though the movie thing had the unforeseen side effect of giving me the overwhelming urge to braid my hair while watching movies long after I mastered the technique.)

That’s my advice for anyone trying to learn to braid their hair. Go on YouTube and find as many videos as you can. Watch a variety, because different people use different techniques, give different advice, and address different problems you might have. Then just practice. (While watching movies.)

In a later post I might give out some general insight I’ve picked up over the years. For now, check out these awesome YouTube channels:

Torrin Paige

Probably my favorite. She has insanely long hair and her tutorials range from the most basic ponytail to ridiculously elaborate updos and styles from Game of Thrones. No matter how intricate the hairstyle she explains it so it looks easy and she’s got a bubbly and entertaining personality.

Loepsie

Sort of the young, European version of Torrin. Her tutorials range from simple, everyday hairstyles to Lord of the Rings ‘dos.

Lilith Moon

She has GORGEOUS hair and has GORGEOUS hairstyles. Want a bridal updo? An intricate braid? A simple but elegant accented ponytail? Go here.

Cute Girls Hairstyles

This is a mom with a handful of adorable girls and a vast archive of hairstyles. She demonstrates on another person’s head instead of her own, but I’ve never found that a hindrance. Her hairdos are cute, pretty, and wearable. She also has a very well organized playlist library, so it’s easy to find whatever you’re looking for.

Long Hair Problems

Hi friends! Now for part two of my long hair advice. Here we’re going to focus on the cons of having long hair. Warning: I came up with a lot. Don’t let that deter you. There are plenty of mildly annoying things about long hair, but I don’t think they outweigh the good things. This list is born from a grass-is-always-greener longing for the ease of short hair after twenty years of long, not actual malice. That being said, let’s do this!

REASONS LONG HAIR CAN BE ANNOYING:

It is ALWAYS in your way. It tickles your face, falls on stuff, obscures your vision, bunches and tangles up when you sit, etc. Not even putting your hair up is always a solution because…
There’s no way to both have it up and out of your way and still be able to comfortably lay your head back. Buns are great, but forget about leaning your head against anything with that sticking out.
Not to mention they tend to pull on your hair. Which is, you know, uncomfortable.
The very thing that makes long hair a blessing in the winter makes it hell in the summer. You’d be surprised at how much more miserable that thin blanket at your neck and back can make you when it’s hot out.
It gets caught in EVERYTHING. Your zippers. The back of your pants and underwear. Doors. Watches. Pens and pencils. Chairs. In high school I would lose a chunk of hair every time I moved my head when I sat in one of those plastic chairs with the screws in the back.
I feel you, Courtney.
It gets pinned under everything. You’ll sit on it. Put stuff on it. Other people will sit on it and put stuff on it. Pushing yourself up after laying down, or someone next to you doing the same? Hope your hair isn’t under your/their hands. Climbing onto your tall bed? Don’t pin your hair under your arm or knee.
You’ll have to perfect the technique of sweeping your hair out of the way as you swing your backpack onto your shoulders.
I’m not always sure what to do with it when I’m wearing a coat with a hood. If I drape it to one side, it gets in my face. If I stuff it down the back of the coat, it makes my neck itchy and restricts head movement.
Animals will mistake your hair for food.
Cute but also no.
Your headphones can get caught in it if you’re not careful.
Hair touching your face, especially if it’s greasy, causes acne outbreaks.
More hair = more maintenance. My showers are long because it takes forever for the conditioner to wash out. It takes forever to dry. I brush it several times a day because my hair is straight and thin and prone to tangling.
When you get out of the shower and don’t want to dry your hair, you can either let your wet hair hang loose, soak your shirt, and drip on the floor or wrap it up in a clunky towel turban that hurts your neck and falls down if you move your head at all.
It also invites ridicule, because mine are never as small and flattering as this one.
You’ll often find your hair in places you don’t want it to be. Like in your food and drink. In that cup of paint. In the mud. In power tools. On the desk of the person behind you at school. This ranges from inconvenient to embarrassing to actually dangerous, in the case of the tools and machinery.
Be careful about swinging your hair over your shoulder. You might hit someone in the face.
Dangerous.
People think it’s okay to play with your hair all the time, often without asking permission. I don’t know why.
Sometimes when you’re wearing a t-shirt or a bikini or something, your hair can unexpectedly tickle you in a place you can’t see and it’ll scare you.
Windy days SUCK, as do car rides with all the windows down. It just flies all up in your face, in other peoples’ faces, EVERYWHERE, it’s impossible to subdue, and it’ll get hopelessly tangled. Ponytails don’t really help – French braids and buns are the only things that slightly do.
Reality.
All your hair won’t fit under wigs, swimming caps, and the like. Not inconspicuously, anyway.
Everyone notices and comments on your hair, which can be nice, but it can also be weird. People mostly say, “It’s so long!” How do you respond to that? “Thanks?” It’s not like growing your hair took special effort. And if you’re like me you’re not good at conversation anyway, so the attention might be unwelcome.
If you have really thick hair, keeping it long might be uncomfortable. I have a friend who gets headaches just from the weight of her hair if she grows it out past her shoulders.

This list could probably go on for days, but I’m going to stop there.

I know that sound pretty negative, but like I said before, I love my long hair. In the past couple years I’ve gotten really curious about what it’s like to have short hair. Daydreaming about it, even. But I will probably never actually cut my hair off. Not all of it, at least. First and foremost because I’m a coward. Secondly, long hair is part of who I am. I’d miss fancy braids; I’d miss the feel of hair swinging down my back. Maybe someday I’ll have short hair, or shortish hair. But for now I am Long Hair Megan and I like it.

Good luck with your long hair, friends! And fellow long-haired girls and guys, feel free to share your experiences as well. I know I haven’t covered it all.

Long Hair Life

For those of you who don’t know me in real life (if you’re even out there, strangers), I have really long hair. Not sure if you can tell from the pictures of myself I’ve posted, but it’s about hip-length.

Long enough to get in the eyes of my poor cousin, who was kind enough to make me feel like a child on someone’s shoulders again.

I’ve had or aspired to have long hair my whole life. Looking back, I have no idea why it was important to me. When I was little I couldn’t care less about my appearance. I guess I just got it into my head that having long hair was some kind of status symbol, so I took pride in it.

And it means you can do this for your senior homecoming dance.

I love my long hair, but you can imagine there are downsides to having a two-foot-long curtain of material swinging off your head at all times. So, are you considering growing your hair out? Want long Rapunzel locks? Do it! I encourage you! But don’t do it without getting an idea of what it’ll be like. As a lifelong longhaired person, I offer you the following pros and cons to having fairy tale-like long hair. Today’s post will cover the pros; later will come the cons.

REASONS TO HAVE LONG HAIR:

It’s very pretty.
Obviously.
You can do any braid/updo you want. There is literally nothing stopping you from being any Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings character right now.
I had Legolas hair for the Desolation of Smaug premiere, but I won’t show you because I don’t have a good picture and it didn’t turn out that great anyway.
People are always impressed with it. Everywhere I go, my hair is the first thing people notice. “It’s so pretty!” “How long have you been growing it out?” “It’s so long!”
People call you a Disney princess.
I related really strongly to Rapunzel.
Your ears, neck, and shoulders are always warmer. I don’t know how you shorthaired folks cope in the wintertime without a little blanket over your ears.
Shy? Don’t like something about your face? Hide it behind your hair!
Just make sure your character development includes putting on a headband and saving your brother from mooks with machine guns with your invisible force field powers.
You can hide stuff in it. Mostly headphones, but feel free to get creative.
There’s some kind of weird, instant community solidarity between you and fellow longhaired folks.
You can whack people with your hair when they’re annoying.
I don’t know, to me it’s just cool. When I stick my head off my bed or couch my hair can touch the floor. I can feel my hair tickling all the way down my back when I’m wearing a bathing suit. That’s immensely satisfying to me, for some reason.
Not to mention all the braiding opportunities.
Though technically crown braids like this are easier to deal with when you have shoulder-length hair.

Oh hell yes.

There are plenty of reasons to love your long hair, but I’m going to stop there for now. Don’t want to start repeating myself. Having long hair isn’t always easy, but chances are you’ll love it. With a little TLC your long hair will be sleek, beautiful, and elegant like a princess’. Have fun with your fairy tale hair, friends! The cons of long hair will be coming up soon, because I love you and want you to be fully informed before taking drastic measures with your hair.

Have a good weekend!

How to Get to the Airport When Your Road Hasn’t Been Plowed

My traveling series will now conclude with a tale of misfortune. It’s the story of how I got to the airport this January to fly back to school.

If you live in the continental US, you’ll know we’re having an unusually harsh winter. I have been spared the worst of it because I go to school in the sunny South, but my family in West Virginia has been spared nothing.

Taken yesterday. Reilly there is very happy to be able to guard his own home again. Chin-high snow isn't conducive to guarding.

Taken yesterday. Mom and Sis spent two days shoveling to achieve this. Reilly there is very happy to be able to guard his own home again. Chin-high snow isn’t conducive to guarding.

My winter break lasts from mid-November until the first week of January, so I missed the worst of it. Except the one day that I actually had to get out of the house and go somewhere. It was January 4. Guess what happened a couple days before?

Full disclosure, this was actually taken on December 10. But it was just like this. Except a little more.

There were several inches. No snowplow came, at least not to our mile-and-a-half stretch of road. Our road has never been a priority to the highway department. But I had to get to the airport. So I had to walk.

This has happened to us before. Our road may not always get plowed, but there is always work and school and flights to catch. To compensate, when it snows we park one of our cars two miles away along a busier, always plowed road. That way we can walk down safely and get out.

Doing that while carrying two suitcases and a heavy backpack is an unpleasant experience.

When the morning of my flight dawned and the snow on our road was still untouched by anything but a brave soul’s tire tracks, my parents and I rose, strapped my suitcases to a sled, and set off down the mountain.

I swear, guys, I could not make this up.

It was a miserable march. It was only five degrees and I had a cold. I fell four times.

My back and shoulders ached under the weight of my backpack. Once the sled got away from us, hit Dad in the calves and took him down.

There were several smaller hills on the way and one catastrophically long and steep hill. It was a sheet of hard, slick ice. I had to walk in the snowy ditch beside the road because I couldn’t stand up on the pavement. Trying to resulted in three falls.

We made it, of course. Once we reached the car we brushed off the snow and dug it out. Fortunately, on the lower levels of the mountain the plows had done their job. Once we got the car out it was a smooth drive to the airport.

I was exhausted for the rest of the day. But I made it back to school. And at least I wasn’t my parents, who after dropping me off had to make the walk back up the mountain as well. Ouch.

At least it wasn’t like this. Taken three days ago, pre-shoveling. 20+inches.

It was a terrible ordeal. Because of my cold combined with the frigid air, I lost the ability to speak by midnight that day. It didn’t fully come back for almost a week – I had to attend my first few days of classes unable to talk to friends or professors. The next day I could barely move because of my sore muscles.

But there’s something to be learned here. If you ever have to travel on foot in the snow with luggage, remember:

Strap the luggage to a sled! Very easy to tow.
Wear your heaviest boots and coat for the trip. You can always change into more convenient attire in your car. Also, make sure they’re actual hiking or winter boots. Fashion boots are too smooth at the bottom and aren’t waterproof.
Yeah, the deeper snow gets in your boots, but it’s safer to walk in that than the ice.
Wear a scarf over your nose and mouth. I didn’t and that’s probably why I lost my voice.
Make sure you have a shovel and ice scraper in your car to dig yourself out, or bring them on the walk with you. If you’re having trouble driving out, floor mats, blankets, and towels under the tires can give you the traction you need.
Gloves, bro. Frostbite doesn’t take long to set in.
Be careful! Icy roads can make for nasty falls. Go slow and watch out for black ice.

Happy traveling, friends. I hope this never happens to you.