CAVS WIN! Best local news moment ever.

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But suburbs are so boring...

For eighteen years, I hated living in my rich, upper-middle class, heterogeneous suburb. I wanted nothing more than to free myself from the boring oppression that was Beavercreek, Ohio. But now... I miss it. Of course I miss my family, but it's more than that. I don't just miss the people. I miss the place; I miss the lifestyle.

I miss being able to jump in my crappy white and gray Buick Regal and drive down the road to go to the mall with my friends. I miss high school football games and the sense of camaraderie when your characteristically-horrible team wins. I want to be able to walk down the dim, crowded hallways at Beavercreek High School and recognize the faces around me. I want to go back to a place where I knew the life stories of the people I came into contact with.

I love Ohio University, don't get me wrong; I'm just afraid that I will never have that same sense of belonging again. I want that level of comfort and familiarity that I had in Beavercreek. But can that ever be attained in a place with 20,000 people? Can I ever feel at home when I have to reestablish myself in a new dorm each year?

Now of course this blog sounds like a whiny, homesick little girl who doesn't want to step out of her comfort zone; and that was exactly the type of message I was hoping to avoid.

I'm not really homesick in the sense that I want to go back, because I don't. I want to stay here; I want to succeed here. I'm simply contemplating how surprised I am that I actually miss a place which I hated for years. I'm the classic example of someone who thought their suburban childhood was torturous, until they were free.

I'm ready for the next step in my life. I love that, in college, you are able to establish strong friendships quickly, because you're essentially together most of the day, every day. I am so excited, and slightly overwhelmed, by the abundance of opportunities around campus. The number of speakers and inspiring people I've been able to meet is amazing, and I've only been here for a month. OU is amazing and I can't wait to continue my life here.

Photo by Nathan Bartell.

The Semi-colon.

Why is it that no one uses semi-colons anymore? I feel very out of place using my favorite punctuation mark in a world where it has become almost obsolete. Periods make writings look choppy, while commas can make a sentence seem long and unreadable. The semi-colon is perfect because it breaks up a run-on sentence while still keeping a good flow, without the finality of a period. While working at a newspaper over the summer, some of the editors attacked me for daring to use semi-colons, while others embraced what it brought to my writing. Our society so often misuses commas; proper semi-colon placement could fix all of that.

The Beginning.

Ever since the days of Xanga popularity, I've enjoyed blogging. Regardless of whether or not people actually read my thoughts, it's nice to know that I can come back, years from now, and get to know my past self. I look back at my old Xanga blogs and I am able to recall memories, some good, some bad, and I am able to think about lessons I learned, days I cherish, and situations I regret. I look back at the comments left by friends, enemies, aquaintences, and I find myself thinking about how much better everything is now, but I also think of how I never could have gotten to this point without those experiences. Three years ago, my freshman year of high school ended, and with it, my daily blogging. I've tried many times over the years to get back to it, but with little success.

Recently I started a music blog. I was working at the newspaper in my city and I was in the Metro section, writing breaking news pieces. Don't get me wrong, I was completely ecstatic about the internship, but I've always been an entertainment girl, and the paper didn't offer that outlet. So I started an entertainment blog where I could review CDs, talk about music, movies, whatever. If you wish, you can check out that blog at www.fragilecapricorn.blogspot.com. Bear in mind, however, that poor college students can't afford many CDs, so reviews will likely be few and far between.

This blog was created a few weeks ago to post vlogs by my friend Brenna and I. Those videos are now posted solely on YouTube, and this blog will be used to discuss journalism, the media, life as an OU j-schooler, etc., as per the suggestion of Prof. Stewart.

If you like it, read it; if you don't, that's okay to.