Gotta Get This Out...

Classes have started, and I'm slowly getting into the swing of things. I'm taking an online course called Organizational Leadership in order to satisfy a random degree requirement. Well, I've never taken a class like this, didn't really know what to expect, and I wasn't sure how much it would really apply to becoming a teacher. I mean, yes, obviously guiding a group of children every day requires some degree of leadership (ok, a certain mastery of leadership), but this course is not specifically in the college of education, so it's not geared towards teaching. 


Anyway, before I get off onto a tangent about nothing, I received a lesson in teaching already that was very unexpected and unintended by my professor. Our first assignment was just to write up a page about ourselves so that she could get to know us, since we won't ever interact in person. I slapped some stuff into a Word document and uploaded it, not really putting a whole lot of effort into it. When I saw my feedback today, here was my professor's one comment: "Well written introduction, Leah-the first I have read that didn't require editing."


Let me make myself clear by saying that I am in no way trying to toot my own horn or show off. My point with this is that, really, writing a commentary about YOURSELF is a simple task, no? How hard is it that no other person submitted a paper yet without any errors? I mean, I really hope this doesn't come off in a snarky way, but it does take some effort and accomplishment to be admitted into ANY institution for higher education, be it ivy league, state school, or community college, and each and every person who does this should be commended. That being said, why are we falling short in doing something so simple as writing about yourself? Especially in a world where you can't type on a computer anywhere that doesn't have spell-check, this just saddens me.


I realize that many of us, myself included, often use short-hand when texting/emailing family and friends. However, this class is taught by a professor who has written over 140 books and contributed to 16 scientific journals in her field. I just don't see why it would take so much effort to proofread a one-page introduction that others just choose not to do it.


I also realize I may be *slightly* overreacting, but my whole reason for writing this is to point out that somewhere along the line, a lot of teachers have been snoozing on the job. If we have reached a place where college students cannot use the English language properly, there is a problem. Maybe teachers are lazy, or maybe they don't know the proper usage themselves. Either way, a simple comment from my professor has made me realize that I have my work cut out for me, and makes me all the more anxious to learn to be the best that I can be for the sake of my future students.

This Weekend...

...I was in Chicago! Aaaannnddd it was a blast. I got to visit Carl and his family, and we had a great time!


On Friday night, Carl and I went to the Sox game. There was a rain delay during in the middle of the 7th, so that was a first for me. They ended up resuming the game over an hour later and won, so Carl's nasty streak of going to games where his team loses is finally broken lol. Here are some pictures of that night:

A before shot, which I enhanced. My camera doesn't produce this nice of a picture on its own ;-)

It was Elvis Night! We're both not huge fans, but it was fun.

The view from our seats. We were a ways up, but at least we were under the covering when it started to rain! 

On Saturday, we went jet skiing and tubing at a lake by a friend of Carl's dad. I had never met the couple before, so it was fun talking to them and enjoying the sunshine. They had the cutest house right on the lake, and I actually drove one of the jet skis myself! Tubing was also a blast, but I'm definitely sore from one or the other. It's interesting how clenching onto a jet ski or tube for dear life can take such a toll on your body the next day!

Here's the view of the lake from their yard...so pretty.

Yesterday, Carl and I just went shopping for some odds and ends I needed. Overall, it was a very relaxing weekend. I wish I was still on the lake!

How Many Miles?

24,884. That's how many miles Carl and I have driven to see each other since becoming long-distance 2 years ago. And yes, I'm a dork and actually sat down and tried to figure out an exact number. And thus, my blog title was born :)


But, I think it's kinda cool to know. I mean, we have both spent a lot of time in the car driving between Chicago, St. Louis, and Iowa. It's a sign of our commitment to each other, because I know that long-distance is not for everybody and sometimes, it doesn't work out. But when we started this journey, we already knew that we wanted to spend forever together (sounds cheesy, but true), and we decided that what wouldn't tear us apart was only gonna make us stronger. And as that mile total has grown, our relationship definitely has as well. 


I don't take him for granted, that's for sure. The summer after we started dating, we literally spent every free second together. And since we had just started dating, it was still exciting, but I know that had we continued that way, things might have lost their flavor after a while. That's where distance has its perks...After I left for college, I quickly realized that we were blessed to be together for over a year. Now, I cherish every moment that we are together, since I know that it might be a few more weeks before I see him again. And distance has a way of keeping things fresh, too. I mean, I feel like a seven-year-old on Christmas morning when I know that Carl is driving to see me and I will soon be wrapped in one of his bear hugs :) It doesn't get much better than that, people.


Don't get me wrong, I know there are people out there who endure much longer distances than Carl and I do, and for much longer time. And to those people, I give major props. It's hard. It takes work. But it has made me love Carl more than I thought possible, and it will make life that much more sweet when we get to be in the same zip code again.

An Intro

Hello, blogging world! My name is Leah and this is my first attempt at a blog. I've read others and have been inspired and enlightened along the way, and while my goal is to do the same, I'll probably just end up embarrassing myself... 

So, a little bit about me. I'm currently sitting in my apartment that I just moved into, getting ready to start my junior year at the University of Iowa. I'm studying elementary education, and hope to someday end up teaching back where I grew up, in the suburbs of Chicago. That's where my boyfriend is...his name is Carl, and we have been dating for over 3 years. We met in high school and have since endured 2 years of long-distance-ness (I frequently make up words), since my family moved during my freshman year of college. While it hasn't always been a fairytale, Carl is my rock and I cannot imagine my life without him. But, I'm sure you'll hear plenty more about him later!

Right now I just wanna talk about this lovely apartment. Let me tell you, after 2 years of dorm living, this is pure bliss! Don't get me wrong, my freshman roomie and I got along well enough to live together, and my sophomore roomie and I were already friends. So it wasn't torture or anything, but I'm super excited to take on this responsibility and have my own space while still living with some awesome girls. It's actually the cooking part that has me nervous, since I've been extremely spoiled my entire life with a mom who has amazing skills in the kitchen. I tried to collect recipes over the summer, so we'll see how this goes. Let's just say that I don't want to resort to eating junk food, since I also have some weight loss goals. 

Anyway, there's a quick intro into the life of me. Hopefully I didn't bore anyone, and I promise that these will get more interesting as I get used to this and find my voice in the blogging scene.