My boyfriend on my block after one of the many blizzards this week!

I have lived in the north my entire life but in recent years I have found that every time the winter rolls around I end up getting a bout of the blues. After doing some research I realized that I suffer from mild seasonal depression. It’s not that I can’t get out of bed (even though some days I really don’t want to) it’s just that I don’t feel like myself and I have zero initiative to force myself to. I like to think of myself as a bear hibernating. The problem with my bear activities are that I normally gain weight and feel blue. The past few winters I have tried to find different ways to beat the blues and become a human year round!  Here are my tips:

1.       Exercise

           Exercising really improves your mood! I am not the world’s fittest person and I have had a hard time sticking with it but since I have been I noticed a huge improvement in my mood. Just try and find what works for you. I found that buying a few different exercise tapes and rotating them has really helped me because they aren’t too long and I don’t get bored.

*An added benefit to exercising is that I feel warmer due to increased circulation!

2.       Get on a normal sleep schedule

           I am a college student and a night person so my sleep schedule can get out of hand. I used to stay up on average until 2 or 3 in the morning. On weekends I would sleep as late as 1 in the afternoon. I knew that my routine wasn’t exactly healthy but I had no idea how much energy it was taking out of me until I got myself on a regular schedule. The improvement is amazing! Now that I am sleeping better I have more energy to do things which leaves me feeling accomplished and happy!

3.       Practice Yoga

           I used to be skeptical about yoga because I had done a few tapes and got nothing out of it. I recently tried hot yoga because I wanted to try a new form of exercise and it was probably the best thing I have ever done for myself. I used to be crabby and moody but now I feel calm and centered.

4.       Have dinner parties

           You may not have any motivation to go out into the cold but who says you have too? Inviting friends over for dinner can start a passion for cooking or just help you feel connected instead of feeling like a lonely bear! This is one of the first changes I made and what probably got me to continue searching.

5.       Take walks

           I started forcing myself to take walks every day no matter what the weather. I found that by bundling up (hat, gloves, scarf, and coat)the weather didn’t seem so bad and the fresh air left me feeling refreshed!

6.       Cut down how much television you watch

           I used to be a “TV dud” a nickname lovingly bestowed upon me by my cousin. I love television but I realized I was watching way too much and that by watching other people live their lives I wasn’t living mine. I bravely canceled my cable and it was the best thing I have ever done. I still watch television online or at other peoples places but I am not mindlessly watching it for hours anymore. They say that television can turn your brain into mush and I seriously think that my mind was.

7.       Listen to music

           When I got rid of my television I destroyed the background noise that I need to feel comfortable. I have been living alone for almost three years and I am still not used to it. I have found that listening to good music puts me in a good mood and I have read that singing along can also increase your good mood. If you really want to get crazy like me, you can sing and dance around your place which always makes me feel good!

 * I use pandora.com which allows you to make a radio station that only plays music that you like!

8.       Eat Right

          Since I have been working out more consistently I have been more aware of my body and how it feels. I realized that on days that I didn’t eat so well I would feel dizzy or get headaches and my body wouldn’t perform as well. I started cleaning up my diet and noticed a huge improvement not only in how my body felt but in my mood as well!

9.       Pick up a hobby

         Get involved with something. It is so easy to just go through life and do what you have to do but having an outlet where you can do what you love to do is important. It helps your mind relax and focus on something.  A hobby doesn’t have to be some big ordeal for example my hobbies, other than this blog, are writing in my journal, writing poems and fiction, playing Sudoku and reading.

                I suggest doing picking up any hobby that doesn’t involve any form of technology i.e. video games or something on the computer because staring at a screen for too long a period of time is not good for your mood, in my opinion.

10.   Curl up with a HAPPY book

         Reading is a really nice way to escape. I used to feel that I should read whatever my professors thought was intellectual and good literary work but then I realized that sometimes the best books are fluffy and meaningless. Don’t get me wrong a lot of well respected books are enjoyable and some fluffy books can be smart but my point is pick out a book that will make you laugh or at least smile. It will improve your mood and make you feel good!

XOXO,

MMQC

PS. Another trick to happiness is reading this blog so stay tuned! ; )

Alexandre Bilodeau is just another example of why the Olympics is so great because you may always root for your country but you can also get to see that there are people all around the world who have stories that you can relate too or they have excelled so much in their sport that you can’t help but cheer when they win.

XOXO,

MMMQC

If you haven’t gotten it already I’m pretty one track minded at the moment. I just wanted to say congratulations to all those who have medaled so far( Apollo Ohno, J.R. Celski who won silver and bronze in a stroke of luck during the men’s short track speed skating race and Johnny Spillane who won silver in the men’s Nordic Combined ) . But a special congrats to Hannah Kearney who won the first gold medal for America and beat out the Canadian favorite Jennifer Heil . Rounding out the bronze in ladies moguls was another American Shannon Bahrke. Congrats to all of the medalists and good luck to all of the competitors in the 2010 Winter Olympics!

 XOXO,

MMQC

                As much as I love the Olympics I was truly disappointed by the way NBC handled Nodar Kumaritashvili death. For those of you who did not hear about what happened yesterday morning around 10:30 am, Nodar Kumaritashvili, an ice luger from Georgia died during a test run of the Vancouver games.

                My disappointment lies in the way NBC showed the entire video of Nodar bouncing out of the track and hurling at 90mph into a metal support beam and then they went further to show medics working on the bloodied up and most likely already dead athlete. I understand that they feel that people should see it all but should we? Do I really need to see this poor young 21 year old die? I mean are we still in the days of the coliseum where people watch someone die for the sensationalism.  

                In NBC’s defense they did post a warning that the images were graphic but does that absolve them of showing someone’s death on television. I just think there is a line between news coverage and a ratings boost.

                On a more positive note, it was touching and nice for the opening ceremonies to be dedicated to Nodar Kumaritashvili. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

XOXO,

MMQC

I am obsessed with the Olympics! I think that everyone should watch them! Here are my top  five reasons for those skeptics out there:

1. It gives a sense of national pride.

I love America. And unlike what some of my professor’s say there is nothing wrong with that. I think that the Olympic team is a great reflection of that. If you look at a lot of other countries teams the people look very similar but then you look at America’s team and everyone is so diverse. America is kind of like the Olympics because it is made up of people from around the world. Plus it is one of the only times that you can cheer for your country.

      2. It inspires you to be a better person.

All of the people competing in the Olympics have been living the virtues of discipline and dedication for years all to be the best they can be and achieve their goals. We all may not dream of being a gold medalist but everyone has a dream and seeing these people work this hard makes me believe that I can do it too.  

     3. It shows that world peace is possible.

Even if it only lasts for two to three weeks the Olympics brings the countries of the world together in a celebration of athleticism and being citizens of the world.

    4. It’s educational.

The Olympic coverage is actually very interesting. They do a wonderful job of showing off the host country and the history of the games.

     5. It’s truly riveting entertainment.

You’re watching real show stopping television. This is history being made. Years from now no one will remember what happened on the Hills or the Real Housewives of New York City but the events of every Olympics will be rattled into the hopeful minds of those who are desperate for gold and the people who will inevitably set and brake records.

GOOD LUCK TEAM USA!!!!

THANKS CANADA FOR HOSTING!!!

Xoxo,

MMQC

I think that I am that kind of person. I have these grandiose ideas and I am going to do it and I am going to be the best but I never allot the time that would be required to be the best. The trick that I have learned is that if it is actually worth the time and effort I always come back to it.

 That is how I feel about writing in general. I loved to write when I was younger. I remember in preschool I used to tell myself stories while the other children napped because I couldn’t fall asleep. My passion grew until I was 10, when I wrote a newspaper for my grade. I put the whole thing together with cross word puzzles and a vote on what the most popular beanie baby was. But the pièce de résistance of the paper was the interview that I had done with the principal. When I brought the paper into school (I had made 64 copies for everyone in my class) I couldn’t wait to hand it out. My teacher had made me wait until after recess because the principal had wanted to look at it before it was given out. As I happily bounced through the doors of my class room, my fingers ready to grab the towering stacks of paper, my teacher parked herself between me and the stack. Before a word passed either of our lips she took one of the papers from the stack and ripped it in half right in front of me. She continued ripping the papers in half as I begged her to stop. She bent down so that her face was close to mine and she screamed at me that the principle was furious with me. (Apparently I had misquoted the principle because when I asked her the hard hitting journalistic question which grade is your favorite: she responded the third grade because they are so “sassy” well I had put prissy. I had written down prissy. And was prissy really all that bad that she had to rip up my hard work in front of my entire class with everyone looking at me eyes wide and mouths dropped. *you can tell I have really let go of this*) Anyway the screaming went on for at least twenty papers and from five on hot tears were streaming down my face. I will never forget her saggy cheeks wagging at me as she fervently shook her head and scolded me. She then sent me immediately down to the principal’s office. I will never forget how scared I was as I sobbed my way down the stairs to the principal’s office I thought for sure I was getting suspended. When the principal saw me come through the doors of her office crying she hugged me and told me everything was going to be alright. But for days after that I couldn’t speak about it. I was sick thinking that my parents would find out and ground me forever.

Looking back on it obviously that teacher was nuts but it stopped me from writing for six years. I still wrote in a journal but I had no hopes of being a writer. I dabbled with it again by writing a novel based off my friends and our lives. We all loved it but that was because we were the main characters. Then as I applyied to community college I thought why don’t I try writing again I have nothing to lose and it was the best thing I have ever done for myself.

 I may never be the best at anything but I have found what I am passionate about trying for.

XOXO,

 MMQC

XOXO,

MMQC

            Classes started back up Monday so it is about time I get back into a routine of writing again. I have big plans for this fall and even bigger plans for this year. I will cover a lot of things in my blog entries and hopefully most memories will be fond and triumphant. I am hoping to transfer schools and move to Florida. I think it will be nice to go to a big University. I am in need of a change.

            -Back to what I promised. I said that I was going to do all of these blog entries on all of the fun things that I did in New York this summer but then I didn’t write. (I’m sure everyone that has read this blog was completely devastated. All two of you.) Well it is actually kind of interesting/ ironic. Instead of writing I went to New York and hung out with my aunt, uncle, and cousin, Stephanie. Now I did not actually go to Manhattan for this trip I went to Brooklyn, Bay Ridge to be exact. 

            I love Bay Ridge. I think it’s fabulous. Some of my most treasured memories have been made there and I know that it will continue as long as I go back.

            This trip was really relaxed which was nice. My cousin Stephanie did a lot of bonding over cheesy reality television and loads of delicious food. My uncle is a chef and he makes the most delicious meals in no time. I was truly spoiled. Although I was very pleased with the wonderful meals I ate I did actually eat far too much. (If you ate my uncles cooking you would under stand my lack of self control. Although I rarely have self control when it comes to good food. lol) I helped walk off my over stuffed stomach by shore road which is truly breath taking. Stephanie and I made it down there when the sun had disappeared but the sky was still lit and it was glowing with purple and pink. The water glistened, with a million sparkles of light reflecting off its small waves.

My first time there was not quite as magical. I went down to the pier with my other cousin, Natalie, and some of her friends. It was a dark, frigid, winters night and the water didn’t seem to sparkle. I remember one of my cousin’s friends was smoking a cigarette and I was terribly curious to try it. Smoking always fascinated me because I felt that it must be good if all of these people do it despite its harmful effects. I was in eighth grade at the time, which now seems terribly young, but at the time I remember feeling really mature. (Come to think of it I don’t remember a time in my life that I didn’t feel mature.)

 I expressed my curiosity to the other girls, who were delighted to teach me how. They were a year older, so they were more than willing to show a younger girl the ways of the world. They handed me a lit cigarette because they rightly thought it would be far too challenging for me to light it myself. Then I took my first puff. I say puff instead of inhale because I wasn’t quick on the uptake and didn’t realize I was supposed too. They noticed my obvious inability and instructed me to breathe it in down to my lungs. To which I replied: “Why would I want to do that? It’s bad for your lungs.” They laughed. I tried. It felt like I was swallowing fire. I handed it back. It wasn’t for me. Then I started smoking when I was seventeen. Go figure, I’m an idiot.

XOXO,

MMQC

Ps. I stopped smoking when I was twenty. ; )

            The majority of my time is now spent hanging out with close family and friends. Lame, I know, but I’m really starting to love it. I think it’s because I didn’t appreciate my family until now. I was definitely a rebellious teenager. In the years that going out, was the only thing that mattered, the thought of spending one second longer than necessary with my parents was terrifying. Thank God I am over that!

            Recently I have been going on many different family excursions mostly with my father and older sister. We have frequented New York City, playing the tourist card happily. I used to cringe at the thought of looking like a tourist in my beloved city, New York. Twenty-one has also brought me the maturity to realize that it doesn’t matter what people think.

In reality I have always been a visitor, endless the countless summers I spent in Brooklyn count.  Although I did intern there and I can navigate myself around Manhattan like the back of my hand. It still has names me a resident of New York, no matter how much I think I possess honorary residency.

I know I will eventually live there when I finally finish school (whenever that is). But I fear that I will become jaded about New York as I have become with Philadelphia. I try to reason with myself that the pitfalls in Philadelphia are not the same as New York. The complaints I have really don’t hold up if you put them next to New York.

I think the thing that has been really creeping me out is how much I love being back in the suburbs. My greatest fear is to never live in Manhattan. It has been my life long goal, right up there with writing multiple New York Times best sellers, and being a good person.  

I took this picture of the sky line on my 21st Birthday Cruise.

     Because I have been in such a New York state of mind lately my next few blogs will be about a few fabulous places that I have discovered this summer in New York City.

XOXO,

MMQC