A photo depicting a wall decorated with photographs, posters, and other found objects. The wall is almost compltely full

Confessions of a Paper Hoarder (The Inspiration Wall)

February 17, 2020October 22, 2022 Maggie2 Comments

My family would probably be the first to tell you that I am a notorious paper-hoarder. Physical objects usually end up in the “donate to Goodwill” pile at some point, but I still have movie ticket stubs from 2012 for some reason. Eight years ago. And I assure you that’s not the oldest paper product in my possession.

At one point, I wanted to cover an entire wall of my bedroom with corkboard, or some equivalent. I insisted that it could be done. My parents told me I needed to calm down and got me to settle for three large bulletin boards, which did just as well.

13 (3) — My bulletin board wall, which hasn’t changed much since my high school years.

And then I went to college. Obviously, I could not take all of my ticket stubs and theatre programs and postcards with me. It was a real shame too, because the walls in our dorm rooms came equipped with corkboards.

A photo of the Eiffel Tower in Paris at twilight

Un Bon Voyage: France Recap

June 24, 2019October 22, 2022 Maggie2 Comments

And we’re back! Thanks for sticking with me the last few weeks everyone – I promise this will be worth the wait!

In case you missed it, I spent the last three weeks on a “cross-cultural” trip with my school – basically, a three-week term in another country with the goal of providing a more hands-on learning experience. Our trip took us to Strasbourg, France, located in the eastern region of Alsace (practically sitting on the German border). Most of our trip was spent in Strasbourg and the surrounding area, with a final three days in Paris.

Right before we left, I wrote a blog post about the things that scared me and excited me about going on the trip. I’m pleased to say it was just as exciting as I hoped, and nothing was nearly as terrifying as I feared! But I’ll save the details for later – I promised a recap of the trip, and a recap you shall have.

But hey, if you’re pressed for time, I understand – you can watch the special edition of my 1 Second Everyday project for the three weeks I was gone!

A photo looking out of an airplane window. Clouds can be seen outside

Going on a Scary/Exciting Adventure

May 27, 2019October 22, 2022 Maggie4 Comments

When I was a kid, I was terrified of flying in airplanes. Not because I didn’t like heights, or because I thought we would all crash and die or anything. I knew that was highly unlikely – my dad used to explain to me how planes had a gazillion safety features, and how they could land anywhere, even in the water, if they needed too. So, in the event of a bizarre aircraft malfunction, I knew that I would probably be fine.

No, what I was terrified of more than anything was losing my favorite stuffed animal in the event that our hypothetical flight had to make an emergency water landing. I was incredibly distraught when I learned that luggage usually did not make it out of situations like that. So I, at whatever young age I was, resolved to never, ever fly in an airplane, especially over water.

I am pleased to report that I did eventually overcome this (perhaps irrational) fear. I actually took my first flight when I was in middle school for a class-related trip, and it was without my parents if you can even believe it. I survived. And I’ve taken plenty of flights since then, the Florida, California, Arizona, and Montana. Now, I’ve learned that of all the things to complain about on a flight, safety is usually not one of them. You can complain about the cramped seats and you can complain about the food, but ultimately, safety is not usually one of the main concerns. And I’m glad about that, because of all the things that I have to be terrified about for this upcoming trip, I’m glad that flying is not one of them.

An academic library with several tall stacks of books. A few study desk can be seen in between the stacks. There are so many books it's almost overwhelming.

My First Semester of College (As Told Through GIFs)

December 26, 2016October 25, 2022 MaggieLeave a comment

I pronounce it with a hard “g,” by the way. Not trying to start a fight here, but it’s very helpful if you need to distinguish between moving images and a brand of peanut butter.

As you probably know, I just wrapped up my first semester at Messiah College a few weeks back, and what better way to tell you about it than with a bunch of GIFs! I also wanted to give myself a bit of a break from writing such long blog posts, since, spoilers, I’ve got a big one planned for Friday.

Not much else of an explanation is needed, so on to the GIFs!

(none of the gifs are mine unless otherwise noted. I’ve just been collecting them for a while)

A photo depicting part of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA

Arizona Adventures

May 27, 2016October 25, 2022 Maggie4 Comments

Hey, look who’s back! It feels like forever since I’ve written something here, although that isn’t the truth. I guess it just feels so long since it’s been two weeks since I actually sat down at my computer to write a blog post.

In case you missed me mentioning it in previous posts, my family traveled to Arizona two weeks ago! I’d intended to tell you all about it last week, but between catching up on school work and preparing for finals, I didn’t have a chance to sort through my photos and put a blog post together.

Anyway, now with finals out of the way (whoo!) and my pictures all sorted, let me tell you about my adventures in the Grand Canyon State!