[There comes a time in every girl’s life, (usually after a third or fourth martini), when she realizes “Damn, I need to do something… travel to Europe, take up Chinese, get married…someeeething! I need to change my life.” Finding myself in one such rut and without the cash-flow for a capricious jet-set to France, I decided to live by the book, take the plunge, and tackle the Benrik challenge.]

Week 8 – Task 1

Day 220: A huge meteorite is about to hit the Earth, blasting it into smithereens. The world’s main governments left weeks ago for a secret base on Pluto, leaving their look-alikes to keep the populace placid. Only owners of the Book are allowed to be in the know, so please keep this information to yourself. 

Alllllllright… I’m just going to go with this one.

Options: There are four main ways of reacting to the news.

I. Go on the rampage

Wait. By “rampage “do they mean that I should pillage like a pirate and  steal all the loot?  Why would I want to spend my last night in jail? That just doesn’t seem like the greatest idea.

II. Have sex with everyone

Great, so just before I get to the Pearly Gates, I am going to build up a reputation of being a slut? I can hear all of the “fallen angel” jokes now.

III. Prepare for the afterlife

Does this mean I have to go talk to a priest or something? Do they listen to lunatics that think just because something is written down in a book it must be true? Oh wait, maybe they do…

IV. Sit in front of the TV in numbed disbelief

Done.

Week 8 – Task 2

Day 329: Choose your motto and live by it

“The only rule is, don’t be boring.”

Week 8 – Task 3

Day 14: A Day of Compliments

They say that flattery can get you everywhere and I am here to tell you that they, whoever they are, are absolutely correct. People LOVE being complimented. Just from a little bullshitting (“Gosh you look lovely today” and “Have your eyes always been so sparklingly blue?”) I got a free meal, two tickets to a local concert, a new job opportunity and like twenty new “best friends.”

And let me just take a moment to mention how much I appreciate my readers. You, as a collective group of people, are brilliant and beautiful!

Week 8 – Task 4

042 yaD: Today do everything backward

 Today’s Schedule:

7:00am: Put my PJ’s on, brushed my teeth, and took my contacts out

7:05am: Watched from prime time television (recorded from the night before)

9:00am: Enjoyed a decaf coffee and some mints

9:30am: Had some dinner (pasta and chicken), along with a glass (or two) of Pino

10:00am: Convinced some friends to join me for cocktails at the bar

12:00pm: Lunch hour! Enjoyed feeling normal for a second…

1:00-3:00pm: Had Skype conferences about today’s agenda and goals

4:30pm: Said good morning to everyone I come across

5:00pm: Checked today’s news and enjoy some eggs and toast

7:00pm Went through morning emails

8:00pm: Put on some make-up and style my hair

9:30pm: Took a shower

11:00pm: Get out of bed and stretch

Week 8 – Task 5

Day 12: What is your type? Write it down today as a reminder at drunken parties.

My ideal type of man has a Mediterranean look, but an American personality. He is incredibly intelligent, hard working, and even though he has money, he rarely spends it. This man can get muddy playing soccer with his boys, but also looks sharp and sophisticated when he takes me downtown to the ballet. He treats me like a princess during the day and a deviant at night. He is cocky as hell (and has every right to be), but he still feels damn lucky to be with me. (And believe me, I feel damn lucky to be with him too.)

[Catch up on weeks 1-7 right here]

[There comes a time in every girl’s life, (usually after a third or fourth martini), when she realizes “Damn, I need to do something… travel to Europe, take up Chinese, get married…someeeething! I need to change my life.” Finding myself in one such rut and without the cash-flow for a capricious jet-set to France, I decided to live by the book, take the plunge, and tackle the Benrik challenge.]

Week 7 – Task 1

Day 109: Test the foot you get out of bed on – Right

I always knew there was a risk of getting up on the wrong side of the bed, but I didn’t know that I had to deal with a “wrong foot,” as well. And so, to begin this journey, I decided to put my right foot down first, instead of my left. There was strategy to this decision. First of all, I am left-handed so I have always been partial to the left side. Then, assuming that the left foot would give me a luckier day, I decided to save it for Friday – a day I had some high hopes for.

But it turned out that I had a perfectly fine day. There were no storm clouds and I had a fun night out. So I figured, maybe there isn’t anything to this “lucky foot” thing either way…

Week 7 – Task 2

Day 110: Test the foot you get out of bed on –Left

Butttttt, I was wrong. Turns out I do have a lucky foot, and it isn’t the left. Everything went wrong after leading with the left foot; All my plans got canceled and I lost twenty bucks.

I vow to always lead with the right foot for now on. What is YOUR lucky foot?

Week 7 – Task 3

Day 309: Millionaire!! Act like you’re worth millions today. Only your bank manager will know the difference. 

Today was a great day (probably because I started off on the right foot!) I dolled myself up in my best apparel, borrowed my mother’s Mercedes, and took myself out for a spin. I ended up meeting a few of my friends at a nice seafood restaurant by the water and, being the baller that I am, I picked up the tab.

When I got home I put on my PJs and went back to reality. Ramen noodles, anyone?

Week 7 – Task 4

Day 137: Does Cheese Really Give You Nightmares?

So according to the authors, eating a lot of cheese right before you go to bed insures that you will have nightmares. The book asks me to eat 100 oz and frankly, that just isn’t going to happen. However, I did have brie for dinner, which supposedly would trigger nightmares about falling from great heights.

I didn’t end up dreaming about great heights, but I did have a nightmare that a block of cheese was trying to eat me.

Very unsettling.

Week 7 – Task 5

Day 196: Mannerisms Day – Try to be aware of what your body is saying to those around you: don’t let them betray your innermost feelings.

I am usually pretty good at reading body language – crossing your legs towards someone means you’re into them, playing with your hair means you are insecure, etc. – but usually I am reading other’s body language, not my own.

And so I did my best to take notice of my own body language. Throughout the day, I noticed the following:

-Nail biting (a personal weakness): Insecurity/nervousness

-Fiddling with items: Boredom/impatience

-Looking upwards and to the left: Use of the creative side of the brain

-Looking upwards and to the right: Recalling a memory

-Bouncing foot: Boredom/impatience

Take notice! What signals are you giving other people? 

[Catch up on weeks 1-6 right here]

It’s a new year, and you know what that means; it’s time to start working on those New Year’s resolutions. But before you start jotting down those promises take a minute and really think about this. New Year’s resolutions almost always involve giving something up, and making sacrifices. And that negative approach makes you all the less likely to keep them. Not fun  and definitely not productive. So instead, I’m offering you something a little bit different. Ten New Year’s resolutions that are actually attainable.

And even better, ten New Year’s resolutions you’ll actually want to keep.

10. Be more organized. In order to make any of your other way more interesting New Year’s resolutions happen you should probably commit to this one. Get a planner, or if you prefer, use a Google calendar, or your BlackBerry. (Or I’m sure there’s and iPhone app for that.) Keep track of dates. Make lists. Write down your goals. If you know what you want it’s so much easier to make it happen.

9. Do something you’ve always wanted to do. Everyone has a bucket list, something they’ve always wanted to do but have never had the time, the nerve or the money. This year, make it your resolution to make it happen. Get a tattoo. Learn to speak French. Have sex in the stacks. Whatever it is you’ve always wanted to do, make it happen.

8. Enjoy your family and your friends. We college girls live pretty busy lives, and that makes it difficult to stay in touch with people, even some of the people that matter most. This year, try not to let that happen. Make an effort to do more than just Facebook comment. If being in the same pace at the same time isn’t an option, try a Skype session. Or something they use to do way back when – a phone call.

7. Step outside of your comfort zone. I’ve already told you to do something you’ve always wanted to do. Now I’m telling you to do something you’d never thought you’d do. Grab a friend and go sky diving, or you know, skip a class if that’s more on your level. Just do something different.

6. Make healthier choices. Every year women makes resolution after resolution about losing weight, cutting out the carbs, and exercising every single day. But crash diets don’t work, and denying yourself something only makes you want it more. That doesn’t mean you should live off of Cherry Garcia and Raman noodles either, though. So start small. Exercise three times a week. Switch to whole wheat breads. Limit your ice cream intake to one night a week. Just make simple, healthier choices.

5. Stop counting calories. So now that you’re making healthier choices, one of the best resolutions you can make is to stop counting calories. It’s tedious and impossible to keep up with and takes all the enjoyment out of going for drinks or eating out. So stop with the calorie counting. You’re making healthier choices and that’s the more important thing.

4. Find some fabulous female role models. Nothing against, LiLo and co. but most of the women that are in the spotlight these days aren’t exactly role models. So start searching. Find some old school actress, some kickass women in the political sector, some awesome business women. Or even someone you already know. (Hi, Mom.) Get inspired by their accomplishments and set your own goals to work towards.

3. Splurge on something extravagant. Well, maybe not so much splurge, but rather save up for it. Instead of spending that hard earned money or that quickly pocketed holiday cash on little things, save it up for something substantial. Then, three months, six months, nine months, or even a year from now you’ll have the money saved when you really, really want something. Like those cute boots, that new i-Pod, or if you’re really ambitious, that new laptop. So save first, and then splurge.

2. Focus on you. A little shallow? Maybe. But also just a little bit necessary, and completely attainable. Stop the distraction and make sure you indulge in a little me time every now and then. Go for a manicure. Take a bubble bath. Shut off your cell phone for an hour. Everyone needs a little time to recharge. And after some rest and relaxation it will make it so much easier to focus on everything else that needs to be done.

1. Enjoy yourself. All the time. Alright, so the “all the time” part might not really be all that attainable. (I mean, you can’t exactly be expected to enjoy yourself during a three hour lecture.) But you should try to enjoy yourself whenever you can it. Be a little irresponsible. Do things you probably shouldn’t because you’re in college and you can. It will be over before you know it (Spoken as a second semester senior.), so enjoy it while you can.

What are your resolutions this year?

But that being said, I’ve recently realized how many new things I’ve tried since calling Matt my boyfriend.

Most people think that once you’re in a serious relationship, your fun and adventurous days are over. Well that, like most other generalizations, isn’t true!

When you love someone, you trust someone. And when you trust someone, you tend to be a little more willing to try weird things that used to make you want to barf. Those could be things that you never once considered (snowboarding), or things that you considered at one point, tried and vowed never to try again (Taquitos from 7-11). It just comes with the relationship territory; not only do you want to love the things your significant other loves, but you also know that if he or she enjoys them, maybe they’re not so bad after all.

Take food for example. About a year ago my boyfriend got me to try sushi for the first time. Being from West Texas there wasn’t a single sushi place in my hometown. Matt, however, has 3 relatives that have all lived in Japan at one time or another, so he kinda looked at me funny when I said I’d never had sushi. So I agreed to try it. I mean, if he loved it so much, it had to be OK, right?  The first few bites were a bit difficult to swallow (literally), but the more I ate the more I loved it. And I have the BF to thank for my new favorite cuisine.

And I’ve been getting Matt try new things as well. Why, just sitting here with him while I’m writing this I found out that he’s never seen any of the Back to The Future movies, aka my FAVORITE movies from when I was a kid. Guess what we’ll be doing this Christmas break?

Now, I’m sure to some of you these don’t sound all that exciting, but that’s not really the point. The point is that good relationships expose you to new things (whether it’s a new movie or jumping out of an airplane…) and push you out of your comfort zone a little bit. You can’t just do everything that YOU want to do in a relationship; you have to share experiences and hobbies, even if your boyfriend or girlfriend is a little hesitant about trying them. If things turn out well, you have something that the both of you can enjoy doing together. If they turn out not-so-well, you two have something to laugh about. (Unless not-so-well means broken bones or a bad case of food poisoning; those things are a bit harder to laugh about.) Either way, you are a closer couple in the end.

If you can break out of your comfort zone for someone it’s a huge sign that you love them. And at the end of the day, if you enjoyed that California Roll or not, isn’t showing some love the most important thing?

You will agonizingly weigh pros against cons: “I’ll focus so much more out of my comfort zone”/”But what if that guy who sings along with his iPod sits next to me?”, “I’ll have access to all of the books I might need”/ “But WHERE am I going to park?”, “I’ll escape my roommate’s detailed story about last night’s hookup.”/ “But I might have to listen to the same story if I sit next to an obnoxious group of girls.”

You might make the decision, ultimately, to pack your belongings for the day or evening and reluctantly trudge to that haven of Starbucks, guilty Facebooking and stress ridden speed-reading. Or you might opt to keep your PJ clothed butt right where. it. is — sometimes the best decision. When you need to get studying done, but don’t have time or patience to commute to your campus library, just remember these helpful hints and you’ll be on your way to an A++ (oh yeah, they give those. To SPECIAL PEOPLE).

Nix the Noise. Some of my friends swear by rocking out to their iTunes while they run flashcards or do algorithms, but unless you’re rocking out to Bach, music is only going to detract from your attentiveness. If you feel overwhelmed by silence and need that background noise, keep your playlist tuned to soft, slow songs that you know by heart (so you won’t be pondering the true meaning of Jason Mraz lyrics instead of your philosophy textbook.)

Absolutely turn off the TV. Again, I know the noise in the background makes some people feel like they’re more alert, but eventually something is going to catch your ear or eye and will momentarily take your focus away from whatever is you’re studying. Even those 3 seconds will throw off your train of thought and make it more difficult to get back into your study groove.

Get Chunky. The most effective way to study and retain info is to study in 20 to 50 minute segments, then take a 5-10 minute break before your next chunk. I personally like to up the chunky ante by adding a little bit of “monkey” and grabbing the biggest spoon I can find…no one wants to learn on an empty stomach, am I right?

Feng Shui. Okay, not necessarily literally (although if you must, you’ll need sharp leaved plants, a cactus, wind chimes and windows to your left), but by creating a space that allows you to comfortably focus you’ll be a lot more productive. Your best bet is sitting at a desk. Make sure your chair is comfortable with a high back and isn’t too high or low for your writing surface. Eliminate clutter. If your desk doubles as a vanity/DJ table/cocktail bar/ or art canvas, clear away anything that isn’t VITAL to your studying (pretty much everything but a lamp, your book, computer, paper and pencil). Now settle in and crack those books.

Get Comfy. Don’t snuggle up in your favorite blanket or tuck yourself into bed (remember Feng Shui!), but allow yourself to get ready to settle into studying. Get a headband or clip if your hair is going to be in your eyes. Turn your air up or down to a comfortable temperature. Have water nearby and change into something comfy (the best part of skipping the library is avoiding the people watching—take advantage of this and rock your flamingo boxers if you must).

Turn Off Your Phone. If you can’t bear to do this, put it on silent and someplace where you can’t see it. Even if you don’t plan on responding or answering, a missed call from a friend can leave you distracted, thinking about them or wondering what they were going to tell you. Opening texts will definitely throw off your concentration, and stressing about answering will take your focus off your assignment. Just lose the phone for a few hours and your studying will go smoother and quicker.

Plan Your Schedule Accordingly. Set aside time to study for specific classes. If you have 2 or 3 really difficult classes, schedule regular time to read and review (not just before a big test or paper). The best time to study is during daylight hours, and the earlier you start, the better off you’ll be. Plan on setting aside at least 2 hours of reading or reviewing for each hour that you spend in class. Stay up to date by having assigned reading done one class in advance—not after the date on the syllabus, which is probably when you’re going over it in class.

Shying away from the library defies the picturesque image of a college bookworm, but don’t let that influence your study habits. If it is simply more effective for you to study in the comfort of your own home or dorm room, just stick to simple study tips and you won’t have any issues with your test—or noisy neighbors, overly-caffeinated Shakespeare enthusiasts or closing time at your campus library.

You don’t truly realize the invisible lines that are drawn in society until college. You don’t have your own beliefs questioned so much as you do in college. You don’t have to push your own mental and physical limits so much as you do in college. And you (hopefully) never have to live in such close proximity with others your whole life, outside of college.

You will, invariably, encounter some things that are strange to you and you’re just gonna have to learn to deal…but here are some tips.

Open Sexuality

Maybe you’re not that sexual. Or maybe you’re just moderately sexual. Nonetheless, you’d better be OK with seeing naked bodies and hearing people do the humpty dance on the bunk above you, because sex is more than just a past time at college. From girls shaving their coochies in the ladies room to walking in on sex in the stairwell, my first year of college certainly reminded me that I wasn’t in Kansas anymore…and it’ll probably do the same for you.

Absurd Drinking Games

College, especially the first two years, is prison for your liver. Even if you enter college straight edge, like I did, you just may come out a little crooked (like I did). No, you don’t have to be down for every ridiculous and far-fetched drinking game that your new friends invite you to partake in, but at least be prepared to say NO or YES when your roomie dares you to finish a bottle of wine in the shower. (I said yes once and only once to that challenge.)

Fire Alarms From Hell

Fire alarms used to wake me up at every hour of the night. They were so invasive and annoying that my ex-boyfriend once hid in a closet instead of going outside for the drill at 4am. The downside to that? At the school where I went, I would have been fined $100 if he had been found. Fire alarms are simply part of the dorming experience. Make the best of them and take your pillow, or homework, with you.

Drugs

To put it plain and simple…college may very well be your first time encountering some drugs. I knew people in high school who did coke, but in college, it was simply everywhere. I’d walk into someone’s room to borrow notes for a class and they’d be doing a line on their desk. Of course the drugs aren’t always as common and they certainly aren’t limited to coke. You should, however, be prepared to be around drugs that you have never been around before. And if you want to make some quick enemies on campus, tell the R.A.!

Absense of Absolute Truth

No matter what you think, you’re going to meet people at school who think differently. You might think they’re going to hell, they might think you’re going to hell. You might believe in free love, they might believe in abstinence. WHATEVER. College is the breeding ground for free minds because it forces you into a situation where you have to be civil with people who believe things very different from you. So be open minded or…drop out.

College is a wonderful experience, but it can definitely be overwhelming at first…especially the 180 turn your surroundings are about to make. Be nice to everyone, always be honest, and have a good time.

(Photo from: collegepublisher.com)