Carpe Diem, and all that jazz.

It's that time of year again when hot, sticky July transitions into unpredictable August. When your mailbox is littered with "back-to-school" coupons and ads from stores you've never heard of, trying to coax you through their doors with "2 for 1 notebook" deals and backpacks half off. That time of year when you can't watch television without stumbling upon at least a dozen commercials for back-to-school sales at Target, Khol's, or Macy's.

Back-to-school is my very favorite time of the year, when everything is brand new, just waiting to be graffitied with pictures you drew during class when you were bored to tears, or notes passed to someone in the desk behind yours.

And since I've been bombarded with the back-to-school hubbub, I've naturally had the upcoming school year on my mind.

It's hard to believe that I'll be entering my junior year at James Madison University in a measly 20 days. It feels like just yesterday I pulled up to campus, the van filled to the brim with clothes, fans, bedding, and whatever else I could possibly need during my freshman year at College, made my way up to Fredrikson Hall, and sheepishly met my first 29 friends at JMU. Now, my academic career is almost half over, and then I'll step out into the real-world, sheepishly meeting my first group of high school English students ever. I'll finally make the leap from student to teacher. "Make the leap", "take the plunge"...either way, I'll be entering the reality I've set up for myself.

Of course, the uncertainty of it all is a little staggering...so, having preoccupied myself with my future, I've decided to make the absolute most of the rest of my time at school. A sort of academic bucket list :)

1. Take an astrology class. To those of you rebuking me for my aspirations, I insist. I don't care how hard it is, but I've always been fascinated with astrology and I plan on taking one no matter how hard it may prove to be.

2. Have my fortune told. There are two fortune tellers in the Harrisonburg area, and so I definitely plan on hitting that up before I graduate. Preferably soon, so I have time to take whatever my future supposedly holds into consideration before I graduate.

3. Publish something in The Breeze. I don't think I'll ever actually make it as a writer, but I'm pretty content with being a writing enthusiast if I can get only one thing published in my lifetime. And since real-world newspapers are on the decline, what better vista is there for a college-age author than their own school newspaper?

4. Get into an a cappella group. Friends...I know that I can do this. I just get terribly, terribly nervous every single time before I audition. I've made it to callbacks numerous times already, but then I get bundled down with nerves and I can't squeak out any notes. It's really rather humorous to watch. But, I'm determined to audition again and again until a) they feel so sorry for me that they just let me in or b) finally overcome my nerves and make it on my own. Anyway, wish me luck :/

5. Leave something behind at JMU for someone to discover. I've done this once every year, and they haven't worked. Freshman year, I planted some flowers outside of my dorm, and dutifully watered them every single day second semester. Unfortunately, nothing became of my efforts. I'm pretty sure I don't have a green thumb (which would most likely bring my grandfather, an avid-farmer since 15, to tears). Then, sophomore year, I left five dollars in Mrs. Green's, but the students at JMU are so bloody honest that some girl who took my table when I left grabbed it, sprinted after me up the stairs, and gave it back to me with a, "Hey, you dropped this". Anyway, one of these days I'll be successful and leave something behind to make a future JMU student's day :)

6. Study Abroad. I don't think JMU offers it as of now, but I desperately want to study abroad in England. So much so that I'd practically do anything to get there. I have three whole years to make it happen, and then it's bon voyage!

Thanks for listening!