So...

I'm moving to Philadelphia!

"Why in the world are you moving to Philly?" you may ask. That, my friend, is a legitimate question. I'm definitely not a city girl -- besides that weird stint in Moscow (complicated, and I was 8), I've mostly lived in the burbs. Public transportation kind of freaks me out. I'm used to people smiling and saying hello when they pass on the sidewalk. I don't really want to be mugged. Buuuut I just graduated (hallelujah) and it's time for me to get a big girl job, and I got offered a pretty sweet one at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (called CHOP...really). 

It's one of the best children's hospitals in the country, and I'm still waiting for them to call and tell me there's been a mistake and they didn't actually mean to hire me, but until then, I'm going to fake it 'til I make it. I get to do speech therapy and diagnostics with kids with autism (my love). I start in June. Holy crap.

I'm sure I'm going to be learning a lot of things (usually the hard way) when I start this new phase of my life. Here are a few nuggets I've realized in my past few visits:

1.The liberty bell is smaller than you think it will be.

2. Camden, NJ, one of the most dangerous areas in the US, is right across the river from where I'll be living. Yes.

3. I need to get a cute little dog to walk around town if I ever stand a chance of fitting in.

4. Everyone honks their horns. A lot.

5. Ben Franklin was kiiind of a player.

6. People will look at you funny when you say y'all. But I continue to stand my ground: it is a very useful word. What do you want me to say? Yous guys? Blehhh.

7. Cheesesteaks should be ordered with cheez whiz, referred to as just "whiz." I would never eat whiz in any other context, but holy crap, it is so good.

8. You have to have cash to buy said cheesesteaks.

9. The cheesesteak workers will make fun of you tirelessly if you don't have cash.

10. Sometimes your hotel won't have water. Then you'll have to go take a shower at the local Y.*

*This may not be a common occurrence in Philly, but it's happened 1/3 of the times I've been there, so it's hard to say.

Oy

Some pretty big life updates coming soon. In the meantime, enjoy this video. I wish I was this girl.

Night to Shine

I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty sure I had more fun on Saturday night than you did.

This is kind of a roundabout and boring story, but basically I found out that UNC's homecoming queen was putting together a prom for people with disabilities for her service project. She contacted local high schools, advocacy groups and group homes to invite people with varying types of mental and physical disabilities to do something they don't get to do often enough - have fun and be themselves.

I'll admit something to you. At about 4:00 on Saturday, I was less than enthused. The past few weeks have been unbelievably busy (less than 2 months until graduation!) and I had spent the morning running all over the Triangle assessing kids for a research project (yet another thing I agreed to do without really thinking how little free time I already had). Anyway, I was definitely regretting my choice to give up the gorgeous sunny day to hang up Christmas lights in a stuffy room.

But two hours later, when these awesome individuals started to arrive, I could not stop grinning. It was obvious that some had taken all day to get ready - the girls had their hair curled and looked beautiful, the boys looked so dapper in their tuxedos. I loved peeking out the windows and seeing them exchanging corsages in the parking lot. The moment that gave me the chills was when Monica, the queen, came out in her crown and sash and immediately put them on each girl to take a picture - they were the real queens of the night!

I spent the rest of the evening cutting a rug with a bunch of studs. It's okay, you can be jealous.

So long, Chick-Fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich...

I'll see you after Easter, my love.

I'm giving up fast food*/fried food for Lent. It's not that I eat a ton of it, but it's definitely something that I should cut out of my life. And I do have a tendency to swing by Chick-Fil-A when I'm running late and need to grab some lunch. Lent is such a nice time to rid yourself of something you don't need, because it gives you a reason and a timeline. In the past few years, I've cut out soda, facebook, and sweet tea, respectively, and been relatively successful. After living for 40-plus days (unlike some people, I do count Sundays) without something, I usually find myself not really wanting it anymore. Although that obviously doesn't last, because I consume soda and tea on a regular basis and probably checked facebook about 20 seconds ago.

I miss you already fried chicken, cheeseburgers, and fries. I hope I can keep this up!

*You might be wondering what constitutes "fast food." Just kidding, you probably don't care. But in case you were, don't worry, I've set boundaries. Fast food = a restaurant that typically has a drive-thru. This includes the McDonalds on Franklin Street (even though that particular one does not have a drive-thru). It does not include the likes of Subway and Chipotle - a girl's gotta have something to eat, right?

The End of an Era

Get ready, it's another sentimental post comin atcha.

Today is my last basketball game as a student. As lame and unimportant as that might seem to some people, it's pretty meaningful for me. I've been at this school for the better part of six years, cheering on the Heels during all that time, so the thought of not being able to waltz into the Dean Dome for most of the home games of the season (for free) is a little distressing. To commemorate the occasion, I decided a new t-shirt was in order. Given the fact that I could easily do an entire load of Carolina blue clothes every time I do laundry, it was probably unnecessary, but it gave me a chance to walk through campus on this Saturday afternoon.

I was thinking a lot about Eve, who died 3 years ago today, and her quote that is now hung up on hundreds of walls across Chapel Hill:


"I love UNC. I love the quad in the spring and the arboretum in the fall. I love the Pit on a sunny day and Graham Memorial Lounge on a rainy one. I love Roy all the time. But what makes UNC truly special is not our beautiful campus, our distinguished reputation or even our basketball team. It's us - the student body - who makes UNC what it is."

As I walked through campus, I thought of all the memories I have from every part of it. The pit, where I heard the Clefs sing, watched an Indian wedding ceremony (?), and couldn't help but stop to listen to the Pit Preacher. My favorite part of the quad to lay on a blanket with friends on a perfect spring day. The desk on the sixth floor of Davis with "KB" written on it (not by me) where I spent too much time looking at facebook and whispering and not enough time actually studying. The spot where I stood and hugged strangers and sang "Hark the Sound" at the impromptu memorial service for Eve.

I was sad at the end of my senior year, but I knew I would have two more years to soak up Chapel Hill. Now I feel like I've overstayed my welcome. I have no idea where I'm going to be three months from now, but I know that where ever I am, I will be cheering on the Heels.

God bless them Tar Heel boys!

This Time Next Year...

I have a tendency to get really sentimental around the holidays. Okay, let's be real: I get really sentimental all the time. But honestly, tearing up when you hear a Faith Hill Christmas song is probably not normal. 

Ever since my senior year of high school, I've thought "This time next year, I'll be...[fill in the blank]." For some reason, I had this idea that once I went to college I'd never see my family again, so I got really sentimental because I thought it would be my last Christmas at home. "This is the last time I'll ever hang up this ornament," etc etc. Surprise, that wasn't true at all; I've spent the past 6 Christmases pretty much the same way I always had.

But this time, I can safely say that next year will be different. This time next year, after 18 consecutive years in school, I will finally be truly on my own. This time next year, I will (hopefully) be in a job that I love that pays a real salary (!!!). This time next year, I will probably not be able to come home for 3 weeks of leisure time around the holidays.

It's scary, but I'm ready for it. I've loved every minute of my time at UNC, but after 6 years, I think it's finally time to be a big girl. I've got two big comprehensive exams in the next couple of weeks, and then the huge job hunt starts. How do you even look for a job? How do you do a real interview? Gah.

The Best of the Worst

I love Christmas music as much as the next girl. Okay, probably a lot more than the next girl. From Black Friday until Christmas day, it's all Christmas music all the time. Christmas radio stations are set as favorites in my car, and awkwardly awesome Christmas albums like those by Hanson, Mariah Carey, and *Nsync can be found in my CD player. This year I've added two albums I'm pretty thrilled with: Glee Christmas and (wait for it) Clef Hangers' "Carols from the Hill." Holy cow, this Tar Heel is overjoyed.

But let's be honest, not every song is as good as "All I Want for Christmas Is You" or "Last Christmas." But even the worst songs hold a special place in my heart. So, without further ado, my list of the top five most awesomely terrible (or terribly awesome?) Christmas songs ever:

5. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

How disturbing is this? Santa breaks into your house and then kisses your mom? I would be thoroughly freaked out if I came down the stairs on Christmas Eve and saw this. Santa, don't you have toys to be delivering? (Sidebar: who knew this was the name of a movie starring Zack and Cody?)

4. A Baby Changes Everything - Faith Hill

Oh Faith, what a play on words! It's a teenage mother! But wait, it's Mary? You trickster! A baby does change everything, just ask Amber.

3. 8 Days of Christmas - Destiny's Child

"On the 8th day of Christmas my baby gave to me/a pair of Chloe shades and a diamond belly ring." That's poetic genius right there, folks.

2. Baby It's Cold Outside

Everybody's favorite song about date rape. "What's in this drink?" Is anyone as sketched out by this as I am? This girl is trying to leave. No means no, Dean Martin.

1. Christmas Shoes

Hands down the best of the worst. This song makes me feel terrible whenever I hear it. Especially when they throw in the children's chorus at the end. I think the best thing about this song is the wonderful youtube videos that accompany it. I think this one is my favorite. It's just so literal.

My name is Kate, and I'm a Gleek

I admit it, I'm totally on the Glee bandwagon. 100%. I've watched it religiously since the pilot. It's just THAT GOOD. It's funny and silly, but the writers aren't afraid to sneak in some really serious and relevant issues. Plus, I'm a total nerd and I love broadway/a capella music. Needless to say, the latest episode wrapped all my favorite things into one. The gay bullying plot line was timely and they approached it from a really cool angle. (And whoa, this totally caught me off guard!)

Holy crap, I'm obsessed with Darren Criss. And I just learned that he's straight in real life! Cue unreasonable celebrity crush.

Swoon.

Working on my Fitness

So I officially stopped dancing about a year ago, which left me with a serious lack of enjoyable exercise in my life. At least when I was practicing 2-3 times a week I could count on getting my blood flowing every once in a while, but now I have to make a conscious effort to get off my butt. Bleh!

My apartment complex has a gym, but it takes a lot for me to muster up the willpower to go do the elliptical for 30 minutes and then pretend like I know what I'm doing with dumbbells for 20 minutes. And then there's the whole awkward who-gets-to-control-the-TV situation. I mean, I love to watch Cash Cab while I'm working out, but does the 40 year old man on the bike next to me? Anyway, needless to say, I haven't had too much success on that front. I'll go through bursts where I'll work out nearly every day, but then I get busy/sick/bored, and, you know the drill, all of a sudden it's been two weeks and I'm spending my free time watching episodes of ANTM I've seen 800 times instead of motivating myself to exercise.

This semester I've been trying really hard to branch out and try some of the group exercise classes at Carolina. I used to do Pilates and Yoga every once in a while, but I was way intimidated to try any of the cardio classes. But I've conquered my fears and found a bunch of classes I really like! Group exercise is good for me because (a) it's at a set time so I can put it on my calendar and treat it as non-negotiable like a class or a meeting and (b) peer pressure forces me to try harder than I would if I was alone. Here are some classes I've found:

Cardio Funk and Pump: It has a silly name, and I feel silly doing it, but man am I sore the next day. It's basically a hiphop-ish dance class, but she works in some crucial cardio/strength training intervals (hello there squats, nice to see you). The teacher is really fun and the time flies by, which is rare. Who loves doing silly dances to Jai Ho? This girl.

Step Challenge: Ahh! A class with "challenge" in its name is never a good sign. I actually went to this on accident, and the first time I was super confused. What the heck is "knees corner to corner" or "around the world"? What about the V step, I step, L step, K step, etc etc? I didn't know any of the lingo - apparently I missed the memo and "challenge" is for advanced steppers who know the terminology. But it's pretty easy to pick up. Plus I feel like I'm in an 80s exercise video because I get to use one of these babies:

Cardio Kickboxing: I feel very BA in this class because I get to use all my punching/jabbing/hooking skills. Kickboxing is great because it really works your arms, which is something I struggle with. But this one incorporates more cardio, so I really work up a sweat.

Zumba: Oh Zumba, you are my love. I sure do love to shake my booty while simultaneously burning some calories. One time I took a Zumba class in the Pines, and boy that was a culture shock. I was the only person there under the age of 60 and I saw some serious gyrations coming from those grannies.

Up next on my list of classes to try: Absolution (eek) and Ballet Sculpt.

Running for Eve

Yesterday was the Eve Carson Memorial 5k. It was 40 degrees and raining when we woke up, but Amy and I put on about 10 layers of clothes and tried to get pumped, as this self-timer picture depicts.

We had planned to walk it but ended up running a lot of it out of peer pressure and because we were so cold. I have to admit it wasn't the most fun experience, until close to the end when they had this quote spread over a whole bunch of signs as we neared the finish line:

"Study hard and work hard, play hard, keep an open mind, take pride in yourself, in your school, in what you produce, and the way you help others, if you make mistakes make sure you learn from them and never give up, stay strong to the finish." - Eve Carson

So then I crossed under those big balloons with a smile on my face. If only I had motivation like that every time I went for a run!

We miss you, Eve. Can't believe it's been two and a half years.

Soul Mates

Meredith: She could be your soul mate.

Dwight: No, not likely. There are 3 billion women on the planet. Most of them live in Asia. So the numbers just don't add up.

I Like Pretty Things

This is a pretty thing.

I'm About to Rant

Watch out, dear readers (ha!), but I'm about to rant. Sorry, but that's what I'm entitled to as a real-life blogger, right?

I can't stand Jenny McCarthy. She's even more frustrating to me than Nickelback (which is saying a lot; see below). I saw this video with her and Perez Hilton last week and it brought back so many reasons that she makes me crazy. I don't really care about her status as a celebrity/Playmate/comedian, what I care about is her position as an advocate for autism.

I guess I should preface this by saying I've pretty much decided to spend my career working with young kids with developmental disabilities, particularly autism. I've really only had a taste of it and I know it's going to be an incredibly fun, challenging, and rewarding experience. I am all about increasing autism awareness and funding to try to figure out what causes this thing. I also know a lot of amazing people with autism, and know how incredibly hard even the simplest things can be for families living with this complicated disorder.

Jenny McCarthy has a son with autism who has apparently been "cured" through some pretty controversial therapy techniques (I'll get to that later). The main reason I can't stand her is because she is telling people things that are not supported by any credible scientific research. She has gone on tons of talk shows, done countless interviews, even written books saying that autism is caused by vaccines. That is just not true. Well, I should clarify that statement - all of the research studies that have investigated it have concluded that there is no link. The only study that I know of that linked autism to vaccines was retracted this year due to unethical and unscientific research techniques; namely, the study was partially funded by lawyers representing parents looking to sue vaccine companies. To top it off, the researcher forced kids to endure painful and unnecessary procedures like lumbar punctures.

Besides spreading false claims about the cause of autism, Jenny McCarthy also loves to talk about how her son was "cured" of autism with controversial and dangerous techniques including chelation therapy and a gluten and casein free diet. Some people are saying her son might not even have autism at all, but some type of seizure disorder.

So maybe you can see why I think it's completely irresponsible of Jenny McCarthy to take advantage of her position as arguably the most prominent parent of a child with autism by spreading inaccurate information to the public. Parents are so desperate to "fix" this, and will take any advice, especially if it comes from a seemingly reliable source. Even if said source is a former Playboy model.

Side note: If you want to do something small to support autism, check out www.communicationshutdown.org.

Current Musical Obsessions

At any given point, I'm usually obsessed with at least one song. Like, I cannot get enough of said song and whenever I'm in the car I'm secretly hoping it will come on the radio so I can belt it out. Right now, I can say I feel that way about 4 songs.

1. Like a G6 - Far East Movement
Whenever I hear this song I get an uncontrollable urge to dance my little heart out. Also, I enjoy rapping Asians so it's really a win-win. I don't really know what a lot of the lyrics mean but that's okay.

2. Stuck Like Glue - Sugarland
This song is just so darn peppy. I saw them in concert recently and realized that Jennifer Nettles is adorable and I want to be her when I grow up. So I listen to this song and for 4 minutes and 7 seconds I can pretend I'm a country singer with a cute haircut.

3. Enrique Iglesias - I Like It
I may change my mind about this soon, because it's super overplayed. BUT my first exposure to this song was in Guatemala where I saw precious Guatemalan children performing a choreographed dance to it in the middle of the street. (I think this was their PE - I wish I got to dance in the street for PE!)

Yes, that is a volcano in the background.

4. Whatever You Like - Anya Marina
Okay, I don't actually hear this bad boy on the radio. But I just love it! I have a special place in my heart for good covers/remixes and this definitely falls in that category. My only problem with it is that it sometimes makes me think of this scene on Gossip Girl. Can you say threesome with Lizzie McGuire? I felt so violated. But, I can't hold that against this gem of a song.

As much as I try to keep an open mind about music (I feel like I have relatively eclectic taste), there is a certain type of music that I despise. It's called Nickelback. Creed and Daughtry are also in this category. Sorry Chris, I know this is probably un-North Carolinian of me, but your music blows. Also, if I ever hear that California Gurls song again I'm going to take it upon myself to take Katy Perry out with that whipped cream bra.

Boots

I love shoes. I just love the way you can put on a different pair of shoes and totally transform your outfit. I also love that I've been the same shoe size since I was 12, so I can dig out an old pair of shoes and they still fit perfectly (can't say the same for clothes). I have a habit of buying expensive shoes I never wear because I never have an occasion to wear them. I also have a habit of buying pretty heels that I never wear because I'm a giant.

I've recently been pining for a pair of these bad boys:

I think it's the fact that fall is in the air and that it's been raining like crazy lately. But dude, they are precious. I had a pair just like them when I was in preschool - my mom called them my "puddleducks." That's an example of something I thought everyone said until I realized that no, it's just a mom-ism.

In any case, these puddleducks are going to set me back a pretty penny. Christmas?

Blogging is dumb

I've always thought blogging was dumb. I mean, who wants to hear about the humdrum goings-on of someone else's life? Who needs to know that I had leftover macaroni for lunch or spent the morning in class or wore my new rain boots today? Maybe that's it. Maybe blogs are supposed to be for people with more interesting lives.

With that said, I've decided to try it out. I like to read blogs, and maybe someone else will like to read mine. I'm going to try really hard to make this less of a play-by-play of my everyday events, and more of a place for me to muse about the big questions in life. Which, for me, typically involve pop culture, shoes, and food.