{Keep chugging along, Keep singing your song}

"Put the plow in the ground till the daylights gone
When you look back over your shoulder
At everything you've done
Put the good times in your pocket
Let the bad ones make you strong
Keep chuggin' along"
 

***

I have been counting down the weeks and days of the quarter since the very first day of classes! And never have I ever been more excited to be done than I am right now. This week was CRAZY! I have had quite a lot of homework, and (like a bad girl) I waited until the last minute. So, here it is Thursday night as I'm trying to finish it all. Technically, it wouldn't be that bad, and I would actually be ahead of the game if it wasn't for an incredibly busy weekend coming up:

• Vince Gill concert
• Hillary's engagement shower
• Church
• Heading to Anaheim Sunday night
• Monday...DISNEYLAND!

I honestly haven't even had much time to think about it, because I've been so stressed out. Now, that the load is lessening, I can start getting pumped and being happy again. You do not want to be around me during the school week. (Just ask my mom).

This week was such a blur! I did homework, watched TV, caught up with friends, tweeted, wished for some exciting news on Friday (one step closer with my journalism dreams), freaked out several times-wondering if I'm where I'm supposed to be or whether I could be doing more and whether I'm going to fall flat on my face, started planning for next quarter, wrote for fun a little more (something I've missed A LOT), listened to Katy Perry's new CD (GET IT, if you haven't already...It's so fantastic. I also had a mini dance party), daydreamed, found out the results on my midterms (GULP) and watched a foreign film. 

Also, for my interpersonal communications class, we had to talk to someone we didn't know from our class; get to know them and study their body language, then talk about those things with them. That was, uh, interesting and a little weird...But, a good weird. It made me realize how I need to be when it comes to interviewing and made me more aware of how I act in new situations. Then again, it's always weird when you know you're being watched..I tend to freak out more. Definitely an experience! 

I also keep realizing how grateful I am for right now. I just keep taking deep breaths and remember to be thankful for the people that are in my life at this moment, not the ones that aren't. Right now, I'm learning. I don't know everything, and I'm not going to even try to pretend anymore that I do. I think that takes some of the pressure off. And I'm trying to remember to not procrastinate. It seriously does nothing but freak me out, and that's just good for NO ONE. Also, I need to get rid of distractions... :0

Oh, you know...Just talking to my Twitter besties! ;)

This was such a nice surprise! 

See why I need to move to Nashville SOON?!

Just four more weeks, and I am trying to keep the faith alive to keep pushing on. I'm so excited about this 4 day weekend I have this week for a mini vacation to get finish this quarter off with a bang. I'm so glad I get to spend the next few days with some pretty awesome people that mean a lot to me, too. Should be a freakin' blast! 

Well, I am so tired and I hope this isn't too frazzled or a bunch of rambles....

Song of the Day:

Chuggin' Along--Luke Bryan

That's all for now,

Shelby :)

{There's always gonna be another mountain, I'm always gonna wanna make it move...}

I guess there are always going to be people and roadblocks standing in the way between you and your dreams. It's not your job to fix them or to even make them see things the way you or to even remove them from your life completely. Those things are going to help you, whether it's gaining perspective, learning to speak up or figuring out what YOU can do to make the situation better. It's your job to figure out how you can still get to the finish line despite those who might not see your vision and the plans that you might have. It's in your heart for a reason. So, trust your instinct and pray with everything in you that it works out. If not, just keep trying to find a way until you find something that works out.

With the classes I've been taking involving communications (which is all of them), I've been learning a lot about people and the way they work. But, more importantly, I've been learning about how I need to take action and how I can respond to those things. I have been given a voice to speak up about the things that are important to me, whether it's in class or whether it's working on stories for the newspaper. I want to tell the truth and I want to focus on things that are important to me, where I know other people can relate, whether it's with music, TV, or the bigger things in life, like, not giving up when you feel like you have every reason to just throw in the towel or when you're lonely, because friends always seem to forget about you.

I just want to say you are NOT alone and that's one thing that I want to help people with. I've had moments of loneliness, but you can't let those things hold you down for long. Give yourself a few minutes to acknowledge it, listen to Katy Perry's "Roar", and get back on your feet as soon as possible, because there is too much to be done! A lot of little moments from feeling overwhelmed with what classes to take, changes at the paper, and so much homework has made me that more focused on what I want to say and what I want my place to be. Challenges can only make you stronger, right?

Alright, I'll get off my pedestal now and let you all carry on with your day.

That is all,
Shelby :)

Song of the day lyrics: 
The Climb-Miley Cyrus 

{You wanna give up cause it's dark, we're really not that far apart}

I think it's healthy to freak out and to have a slight mental breakdown from time. It's okay to not know exactly where you're going to end up, even if you have your dreams and plans It's okay to not know what step to take next. I think days of feeling lost can actually be that push you need to ultimately snap you back into the game and getting back to your passion.

Yesterday, I had a meeting with my adviser, after a bit of a frustrating afternoon. I was already feeling..Not overwhelmed, but already feeling a ton of things piling up that I wanted to say something about. I was feeling like I had no idea what classes I even needed to take or if I'm on the right track, but really I think it was just me starting to second guess myself for the sake of it. I came out of my appointment, walking on campus in a fog, not really seeing much of anything. It was like an out of body experience.

But, then a recent Taylor Swift quote popped into my head,

 "I've questioned everything about myself, every step of the way. 

You have to have the same amount of fear and self-doubt as you do hope and blind optimism."

 //

it reminded me that you have to have those moments of doubt, because without it, I don't think you can appreciate the success when it comes, because it just naturally happened. If you get everything you wished for, do you cherish it as much or do you take it for granted? I think we all end up doing the latter.

Well, life doesn't work that way. You have to start at the bottom, if you want to get to the top. That's something that our culture or maybe just our generation has a hard time wrapping their minds around, but it's the truth. Life isn't fair. Sometimes, you're going to work your butt off and some people are only going to do the bare minimum and know the right person who will open the door to everything for them. But, hang in there.

I just have to believe that God always gets us to where we need to be as long as we're doing our part, working hard and trusting His bigger plan. Everything happens for a reason and you will ALWAYS end up where you're supposed to be.

That's all for now,
Shelby :)


Song of the day (also quoted title):
Compass-Lady Antebellum

"If I could change the world..."

Eric Clapton "Change The World" ReImagining Grammy series

So, the Grammy organization is doing this new "ReImagine" web series on YouTube. It's where artists reinvent or cover versions of other songs, with hopes that it will connect the Grammy past with the present. Well, Chris Young is the first country artist to try it out and completely blew his rendition of Eric Clapton's "Change The World" out of the water. 

I've never really been a huge fan of the song, but the way Chris changes up the progression of the song just a bit, really made me hear it for the beautiful love song that it was intended to be. His voice reaches new heights as he goes into his falsetto in the chorus. It kind of makes you want to melt into a pile of mush, ladies! If you haven't watched this video, you should get on that, uh, RIGHT NOW!

If I remember correctly, he also has some sort of technical training with classical music, too, and that shows with some of the well thought out notes and chords. It will never stop driving me crazy over the fact that he never gets nominated! He has one of the best voices out there (definitely my favorite male vocalist) and is consistent with hits. Maybe A.M will finally get him the recognition he truly deserves! 

Like this video, watch the heck out of it and share it with your friends :)

That's all lovelies,

Shelby 

Taking life one day at a time...

Life has been keeping me extremely busy lately. There's school, trips, keeping up with my favorite shows, friends and working as a staff writer for Pop Wrapped and the schoool newspaper. There have been many moments of doubt, lack of confidence in myself and I've been extremely frustrated with still getting into a groove. Plus, let's not forget claiming a minor and figuring out which department is the right one to talk to, depending on the situation. I've been driving myself crazy, but I'm trying to give up having that control, because God already has everything planned out. I just need to do what I need to right now and let the rest of the story write itself, rather than trying to get so far ahead that I just get paralyzed with fear.

The Beach//

A couple weekends ago, my parents and I went to the beach with my aunt, uncle, cousin and some family friends. It was an absolute blast! I've been feeling so overwhelmed and my mind has been so focused on the media, writing and so many ideas swirling around in my mind. Needless to say, it was good to unplug for a little bit. I forgot all about everything else, at least for awhile.

We sat around the campfire at my aunt and uncle's campsite, we had lunch with our family friends, we visited a pumpkin patch at the Avila Barn and picked up some treats, and just visited with one another, which was my favorite part. I did not want to come home at all, especially because the weather was so perfect. As soon as we came home, I was REALLY sick all night and a little under the weather the next morning. I think stress and exhaustion caught up with me, but you just keep going.

High School Homecoming Game//

Friday Night Lights...

Last Friday night, I went to my old high school's homecoming. That always brings such a broad range of emotions for me; happy that I'm seeing what's outside of those four walls, sad that I'm suddenly an adult and things are changing, and just recalling who I was from 14-18 years old. I felt incredibly sentimental watching all of the younger kids, most that I had no idea who they were, as they wonder who they want to be; meeting up with friends and trying to make the most of the next four years. I met up with my best friend, Marissa, and we ended up hanging out with a couple other friends. 

We also had a really nice chat with our former Bible teacher, which I found really insightful. We talked about how strange it feels to be back, but it still feels like no time has passed. And we talked about how different your life usually turns out to be than when you're in high school daydreaming for the future. I told everyone how I thought I'd be in Nashville, singing at The Grand Ole Opry by now, but that definitely hasn't happened yet. My former teacher asked us what we were all up to, and then it came to me. But, he started to guess before I told him, "You're gonna be a singer.." I was like, "No, I'm a journalism major..The second best thing. That way, I still get to talk to all the stars and don't have to deal with the crazies." He agreed and thought that fit, then he joked about how I'm always posting about who I've met, "Oh, here's me and Dolly Parton," and he posed cheesily like pretending to be me. I laughed and told him I wish I had met Dolly, but he usually asks me who I've seen or met since the last time we talked! HA! 

It was just really good knowing that I'm not alone, and being 21/22 years old is totally fine to not be exactly where you're supposed to be just yet. We're all going to get there in time. I definitely appreciate high school so much more now, and I'm hoping that knowing what I know now...I can take the time to appreciate college while it's happening, instead of waiting until after I graduate to look back at how good I had it. All in all, I had a really good time and I'm so glad I continue to go every year...I think it always reminds me of where I come from! :)

  
Tehachapi//

Last Saturday, my parents and I went with my aunt up to Tehachapi (a small town about 45 minutes from where we live) for the apple festival event that was going on. Last year, my parents and I had just missed the apple season, so we thought we'd try it this year...And we just barely made it in time to get apples this time around.

We walked along the main street, which was charming and quaint, and the air was cooler. It's a magical little town, especially during the colder months, so I always enjoy exploring the shops and being curious about the people around. Then, after checking out the booths on the main street and some of the exciting things they had set up, we tried to find an apple shed that was actually open and eventually found a cute little one on the outskirts of town. We found the right apples to make an apple pie and took some pictures of the gorgeous trees turning from green to those rich orange(y) colors that I love so much!
We stopped at McDonald's for McFlurry's, then made the journey home!
My dad and I went to the movies later on that night to see Gravity, because I was writing a review of it for my school's newspaper! It's a really great movie...A bit intense and my heart was pounding a good portion of the time, but I think everything about it was just brilliant.

Other random things that have happened the past couple weeks:

The Cory tribute on Glee, where we all bawled our eyes out... :*(

Got my "Pioneer" necklace (designed by The Band Perry) in the mail!!!

Hanging out at school...

THE DODGERS ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!!! AHHHH!

Sandra Bullock is just one of THE coolest people! I LOVE HER!

Upcoming

• Midterms (TOMORROW...AHHH!)
• Working as a staff writer on The Runner (my school's newspaper)
• Working as a staff writer on Pop Wrapped
• Plenty of homework...
• Meet with counselor/sign up for winter classes
• Claim minor...Oh, and I have to make sure I do this BEFORE I sign up for classes
• Friend's engagement party
• Vince Gill concert
• Disneyland with one of my best friends to celebrate her 21st birthday that was earlier in the month.

That's all coming up this month, so like I said...I'm keeping busy...All while trying to keep in that creative zone; working on editing videos, keeping up with the blog, and whatever story ideas come up. Not going to lie, it's a little tough, and sometimes I just feel like I have no idea what I'm doing or whether I'm on the right track, but I don't have anywhere that I HAVE to be just yet, so things are good, life is good. I'm enjoying the ride.

That's all for now,
Shelby

"I've apparently become the victim of growing up, which apparently happens to all of us at one point or another. It's been going on for quite some time now, without me knowing it. I've found that growing up can mean a lot of things. For me, it doesn't mean I should become somebody completely new and stop loving the things I used to love. It means I've just added more things to my list."

 *Taylor Swift*

21...Young and free!

Life Is Crazy...And I'm Loving Every Second

So, my dad took vacation last week, which is always great! He works so many hours, so I don't always get to spend as much time with him as I'd like, except for on the weekends. It threw things off a little, seeing as I'm back in school, but it was great getting to hang out and watch TV together and to eat earlier, which is something we rarely get to do.

Anyway, last weekend, we went to LA to see Keith Urban at The Hollywood Bowl and the last two home games of the regular Dodger season! L.A is tied with Nashville for me as far as favorite cities go, because I'm still such a city girl! Any chance we get to spend a little more time there is always incredible, and this time around, we got to spend two nights there.

Friday:
We left earlier in the morning, because we had planned on watching the taping of E! News, which they usually film in the courtyard every Friday! I was so excited to see Jason Kennedy and possibly Giuliana Rancic, because they are two people in the journalism department that I really admire. We waited outside for awhile, after using the restrooms and double checking at the front desk inside. It's a really nice building! After waiting awhile, some people that were sitting next to us said they decided to cancel the courtyard Friday taping at the last minute, so that was a disappointment. We still waited around, hoping something would happen, but it never did. We did see one of the correspondents and Ali Fedotowsky (The Bachelorette) walking around, though.

We picked up our tickets and parking pass for the concert that night, then drove near NBC Studios, since we knew Sandra Bullock was supposed to be on that night. We didn't see her or anything going on for that matter, so we had lunch at Claim Jumper by Warner Brothers Studio. After we finished eating, we went to our hotel room to freshen up and to get ready for the show. 

We made it to The Hollywood Bowl, headed straight to our seats and had nothing but time to kill. It's such a strange set up for the seating! We had never been to the venue for a show, we've only driven past it a thousand times, so it was weird seeing it all for the first time. We got a snack and something to drink, and pretty soon the show started!

Dustin Lynch was the first opening act; he was pretty good, but he should not sing Justin Timberlake...Sorry, haha! Little Big Town was up next, and even though I've seen them several times before, they blew me away. They have such a way with production and visual effects, but they have the power in their harmonies and music that really draw you in. Finally, the stage was set for the main event, and Keith randomly walked out and got the show started. I love that he doesn't make a big deal about production, he's just all in it for the music, which is really a beautiful thing. He sang/played for about two hours straight, he came out into the audience a couple times to get more personal with everyone, and even read all the signs in the audience. I think it's really cool that he takes the time to do that for the fans; recognizing all the time and energy they've put into those things.
It was the perfect evening for an outdoor concert and I was lost in the music for that time; forgetting about school and whatever worries were on my mind, as Keith told his stories through song and instruments. He always puts on a fantastic show, but most of all, I love his genuine nature and love for the music. That's what it should be about.

Let's just say getting out of the parking lot was not a fun time...Moving right along. We had a midnight snack/dinner at Bob's Big Boy! I had the most healthy option of Chilli Cheese Fries and a salad! LOL! Then, we drove around for a bit and headed back to the hotel since we were all wiped out.

Saturday:

We got up and ready pretty early because we had a pretty full day to get to! We drove into Pasadena, because I wanted to see Adam and Kristina's house from Parenthood. Only it was incredibly awkward to find out that someone actually lived there, so I took my picture in front rather quickly. We had an earlier lunch at The Grove's Cheesecake Factory after that! I had a new pasta dish that was really tasty! We didn't really look around much, drove in the Beverly Hills area, then went to the Getty Museum, since it's something we've talked about doing forever. It was such a gorgeous day and there was so much to see! We wandered around a lot outside, and looked at a couple of the exhibits in the buildings. We didn't get to spend a lot of time, but it was worth it just for the view!

We headed back down on the tram, then made our way over to Dodger Staidum! It was a fun game, but unfortunately, they didn't win! When we got out, we had another (almost midnight) snack at Bob's Big Boy! This time I just had regular fries and a chocolate shake..Yum! After, we went back to the room, all totally wiped out from a long (but awesome) day!

Sunday:

Again, we got an earlier start and packed up our stuff, then had breakfast at one of our favorite places, Paty's, which I'm sure you've heard me talk about before. I had a waffle, which was pretty tasty, then we drove around the area for a bit and waited around for the store, It's A Wrap to open. It has a ton of costumes that have been used on TV shows and movies over the years. We saw things from Desperate Housewives, 90210, Disney shows, and even a sweater from Reba! It was really exciting and pretty affordable, too, if I wasn't completely broke. We finally made our way over to Dodger Stadium for the very last game, but it was really hard to leave that store. I could have spent a couple hours over there. The game was a blast, since it was fan appreciation day, and they were giving out prizes. I was bummed we didn't win Justin Timberlake tickets (or anything for that matter), but it was still a great time. The last few years, I've become so emotional over the last game. It's almost like graduation day, saying goodbye to all of the friends you've made along the way! Even though they lost again, they have come such a long way, and I'm glad that my family got to be part of that journey! It was also cool getting to see Arsenio Hall give away some prizes!

After the game ended, we had dinner at Ernie Jr's, then headed home! It was such a great weekend, it was hard to start preparing for the school week again, but it's gotta get done. So thankful for these moments and getting to spend so much time with my parents :)

That's all for now,
Shelby