I think my college experience was a bit different than most other people's. While most college experiences are about the classes you take and fun you have with friends from campus, I found my fun in another way. Don't get me wrong; I met some amazing people at school, and still cherish their friendships to this day. There is just one experience that has always stood out for me.
When I was in my second year of college, I moved into an apartment building on campus that required anyone living on my floor to complete a certain number of volunteer hours. Through a little research, and what I consider to be a whole ton of luck, I found a spot at Strides to Success. It is a non-profit organization in a small town west of Indianapolis that offers equine-assisted learning and therapy for special needs adults and children. They use horses to teach lessons and help people cope with issues in their lives.
In my mind, it was just as therapeutic for me as it was for the clients. In fact, I feel a bit selfish for the amount I benefitted from my time there. From the first day I stepped on the facility, I was hooked. It started as a visit two times a week. Then it progressed until I was there every chance I got, even for entire days at some points. Every person I met there - client, employee, or other volunteer - was beyond fantastic, and I consider myself lucky to have been allowed to spend with them what little time I was able.
This facility had a central theme of continuity and consistency for their clients. Because of this, and luckily for me, I was able to work with the same clients through my three years there. I was able to continue with the same clients and see them grow in their learnings. Each one of them touched my heart, and I honestly will never forget any one of them.
Some people may question the actual effects of equine-assisted learning, but I will be the first to tell them, it works.
It works well.
As an example, one autistic student I worked with over three years would not speak to anyone except his parents. Over his years at Strides, he began slight verbal communication with his teacher. When I started as his volunteer, he wouldn't even look at me. When I said good morning to him, he would run to the nearest corner and cover his face. Through the years I worked with him, we worked past that. He shook my hand. He laughed with me. He smiled at me. But he NEVER spoke.
Then, on one of my last days at Strides, when I was obviously struggling with the fact that I wouldn't be working with him any longer, he spoke to me.
It wasn't much; just a word or two, and I really don't even remember what those words were, but he spoke actual words to me.
Trust me, it is just as amazing an experience as it sounds. And that was all I could ever need. Just recalling it makes me want to find another equine-assisted learning volunteer opportunity in this area.
Someday, I will. Maybe even tomorrow :)
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Not Everyone Gets a Three-Day Weekend.
Since when is President's Day anything besides a make-up day when you have too many snow days in a school year? I'm pretty sure nobody had President's Day off last year. This must have something to do with Obama.
Anyway, because not all of us get 3-day weekends, I had a wonderfully normal weekend spent having a TON of fun with Jon and friends at a Toby Keith concert and PBR event!
If you're thinking to yourself, "Another PBR post?"...you would be correct. This event deserves a post all its own because it's going in the books as one of the most exciting events I've been to thus far.
To start, it was in the Cowboys Stadium, which, despite whatever criticisms you have about Jerry Jones, his money, his power, and his use of said power and said money, that stadium is amazing.
After a late start due to time spent waiting on a MAN, and some confusion about parking, we fought our way to the entrance about 15 minutes after Toby had started singing. In all actuality, he was probably just taking shots those first 15 minutes because he wasn't sounding his finest last night.
How he sounded didn't really matter to us since we had plenty of entertainment from the people sitting around us. There was an adorable little baby boy trying to steal Jon's Miller Lite and hamming it up to everyone surrounding him. Then of course, there was the large, older man seated in front of us and decked out in full-on cowboy gear, breaking it down to every song they played, even the music they played later during the PBR, including Justin Beiber's greatest hits. Why they felt that PBR fans would catch Beiber-fever, I will never understand.
Of course, the highlight for me was the bull riding.
Duh.
This event was set up as a bracket system, pairing riders against each other to advance further in the competition, ultimately vying for $50,000. In the last few match-ups, it came down to the home-town favorite, who is not normally the winning type, versus the golden child of Brazilian bull riders, who is not normally the losing type. They both bucked off, and it seemed that the Brazilian had taken it. But in a last second challenge and slow-motion review, the Fort Worth boy pulled it off by just a few hundredths of a second. Every person was standing and cheering him on through the final rides, making the atmosphere great. He went on to finish it off with a $50,000 check under his arm as he walked out of the arena in his home town.
All in all, it was a great night spent with amazing company :)
Thanks for going with us, guys!
Anyway, because not all of us get 3-day weekends, I had a wonderfully normal weekend spent having a TON of fun with Jon and friends at a Toby Keith concert and PBR event!
If you're thinking to yourself, "Another PBR post?"...you would be correct. This event deserves a post all its own because it's going in the books as one of the most exciting events I've been to thus far.
To start, it was in the Cowboys Stadium, which, despite whatever criticisms you have about Jerry Jones, his money, his power, and his use of said power and said money, that stadium is amazing.
After a late start due to time spent waiting on a MAN, and some confusion about parking, we fought our way to the entrance about 15 minutes after Toby had started singing. In all actuality, he was probably just taking shots those first 15 minutes because he wasn't sounding his finest last night.
How he sounded didn't really matter to us since we had plenty of entertainment from the people sitting around us. There was an adorable little baby boy trying to steal Jon's Miller Lite and hamming it up to everyone surrounding him. Then of course, there was the large, older man seated in front of us and decked out in full-on cowboy gear, breaking it down to every song they played, even the music they played later during the PBR, including Justin Beiber's greatest hits. Why they felt that PBR fans would catch Beiber-fever, I will never understand.
Of course, the highlight for me was the bull riding.
Duh.
This event was set up as a bracket system, pairing riders against each other to advance further in the competition, ultimately vying for $50,000. In the last few match-ups, it came down to the home-town favorite, who is not normally the winning type, versus the golden child of Brazilian bull riders, who is not normally the losing type. They both bucked off, and it seemed that the Brazilian had taken it. But in a last second challenge and slow-motion review, the Fort Worth boy pulled it off by just a few hundredths of a second. Every person was standing and cheering him on through the final rides, making the atmosphere great. He went on to finish it off with a $50,000 check under his arm as he walked out of the arena in his home town.
All in all, it was a great night spent with amazing company :)
Thanks for going with us, guys!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
It's a Small World....Even in Texas.
Texas is a huge state.
Gigantic. Massive. Amazingly large. A whole-ton-of-people-everywhere kind of big.
So, is anyone able to explain to me how, of all the cars in this really big state, I ended up behind a car from Ohio this morning?
A buckeye.
It's like they are drawn to me. I leave the tri-state area in Indiana, thinking I'd never have to deal with buckeye drivers again, and it seems that Texas has this little surprise up its sleeve for me. Darn you, Texas and Ohio, teaming up to mess up my morning commute.
At first, I made myself think that maybe, just maybe, someone was looking down on me at that exact moment and the buckeye wouldn't fall into the same pattern of poor driving skills shared by every other holder of an Ohio driver's license. But, no. The universe couldn't be that kind. So, of course, this guy had no idea how to operate a motor vehicle and drove just like all other buckeyes that I've had the displeasure of driving behind. Besides, if this buckeye could actually drive decently, there would be an obvious imbalance in the universe.
Shocker - they also had a vanity plate. Yes, that's right, just like .EVERY. .SINGLE. .OTHER. buckeye in the world.
I know what you're thinking. "Lani, stop being so stereotypical. I'm sure not every buckeye drives like that." But you know what, I can stereotype if I want, for two reasons.
1) Stereotyping is just recognizing patterns. I have a degree in Sociology and spent 4 years learning how to recognize these patterns. You say stereotypes, I say patterns. Tomato [toe-may-toe], tomato [toe-mah-toe].
2) This is my blog, and I can say (write) whatever I want. So, there. Justified.
However, I do recognize this may upset some people from Ohio. Just to be nice, I'm sorry if you are from Ohio and this offends you. All the same, though, this is my blog, so I win :)
On the same note, for all you buckeyes still reading this, take this as a friendly reminder - look at the front of your car the next time you walk past it. Is there a vanity plate there? Yes? Keep reading....
GET RID OF IT.
It's not cool. Especially when everyone else in your state has one too. I'm just trying to help you out.
Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, I did make it to work on time. I guess someone was actually looking out for me.
P.S. I love you, my friends in Ohio :)
Gigantic. Massive. Amazingly large. A whole-ton-of-people-everywhere kind of big.
So, is anyone able to explain to me how, of all the cars in this really big state, I ended up behind a car from Ohio this morning?
A buckeye.
It's like they are drawn to me. I leave the tri-state area in Indiana, thinking I'd never have to deal with buckeye drivers again, and it seems that Texas has this little surprise up its sleeve for me. Darn you, Texas and Ohio, teaming up to mess up my morning commute.
At first, I made myself think that maybe, just maybe, someone was looking down on me at that exact moment and the buckeye wouldn't fall into the same pattern of poor driving skills shared by every other holder of an Ohio driver's license. But, no. The universe couldn't be that kind. So, of course, this guy had no idea how to operate a motor vehicle and drove just like all other buckeyes that I've had the displeasure of driving behind. Besides, if this buckeye could actually drive decently, there would be an obvious imbalance in the universe.
Shocker - they also had a vanity plate. Yes, that's right, just like .EVERY. .SINGLE. .OTHER. buckeye in the world.
I know what you're thinking. "Lani, stop being so stereotypical. I'm sure not every buckeye drives like that." But you know what, I can stereotype if I want, for two reasons.
1) Stereotyping is just recognizing patterns. I have a degree in Sociology and spent 4 years learning how to recognize these patterns. You say stereotypes, I say patterns. Tomato [toe-may-toe], tomato [toe-mah-toe].
2) This is my blog, and I can say (write) whatever I want. So, there. Justified.
However, I do recognize this may upset some people from Ohio. Just to be nice, I'm sorry if you are from Ohio and this offends you. All the same, though, this is my blog, so I win :)
On the same note, for all you buckeyes still reading this, take this as a friendly reminder - look at the front of your car the next time you walk past it. Is there a vanity plate there? Yes? Keep reading....
GET RID OF IT.
It's not cool. Especially when everyone else in your state has one too. I'm just trying to help you out.
Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, I did make it to work on time. I guess someone was actually looking out for me.
P.S. I love you, my friends in Ohio :)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Turn the Radio Up!
Today was a gorgeous day in North Texas! What goes better with gorgeous weather than driving with windows down and the radio up?
Nothing. That's what.
Of course, I have a few tried-and-true favorite songs that are on some sort of good-weather radio speed-dial in my car. It's like my brain automatically tells my hand to skip all the other songs and go directly to the best ones. Coincidentally, they are all country songs, which makes me think that I relate driving with loud music to the Indiana country roads.
So here you have it - my pretty day driving play list.
1) How Forever Feels - Kenny Chesney.
2) Jackson - Johnny Cash.
3) Blue, Clear Sky - George Strait.
4) What Kinda Gone - Chris Cagle.
5) Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not - Thompson Square.
6) Groovy Little Summer Song - James Otto.
7) Rumor Has It - Clay Walker.
8) Calling Baton Rouge - Garth Brooks.
9) No Reins - Rascal Flatts
10) Favorite State of Mind - Josh Gracin.
These are some of my all-time favorite songs that can either make a bad day not so bad or make a good day even better!
Listen and enjoy!! :)
Nothing. That's what.
Of course, I have a few tried-and-true favorite songs that are on some sort of good-weather radio speed-dial in my car. It's like my brain automatically tells my hand to skip all the other songs and go directly to the best ones. Coincidentally, they are all country songs, which makes me think that I relate driving with loud music to the Indiana country roads.
So here you have it - my pretty day driving play list.
1) How Forever Feels - Kenny Chesney.
2) Jackson - Johnny Cash.
3) Blue, Clear Sky - George Strait.
4) What Kinda Gone - Chris Cagle.
5) Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not - Thompson Square.
6) Groovy Little Summer Song - James Otto.
7) Rumor Has It - Clay Walker.
8) Calling Baton Rouge - Garth Brooks.
9) No Reins - Rascal Flatts
10) Favorite State of Mind - Josh Gracin.
These are some of my all-time favorite songs that can either make a bad day not so bad or make a good day even better!
Listen and enjoy!! :)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
"Uhh, Excuse Me...Can I Touch Your Arm?"
Some people love football. Some people love shopping. Some people love painting.
I love to watch bull riding.
Go ahead - laugh all you want. It won't be the first time I've been laughed at for it. It won't be the last time I'll be laughed at for it. And I definitely won't love it any less.
I'm utterly obsessed.
:)
For years, I have watched Professional Bull Riding (PBR) on TV and travelled thousands of miles all over the country to watch it live.
In Tulsa, which happened to be a trip for my 21st birthday, we got to meet the riders. That's right - cowboys. And lots of them. We were as excited as....well, as excited as cowboy-loving 21-year-old girls getting ready to meet a bunch of bull-riding cowboys. In fact, the title of this post is a true-life-not-even-kidding-you quote from my best friend, Ashley, to her favorite bull rider. We have no shame. We even had the stereotypical cheesy [read: awesome!!!] shirts that we hand-made to bring with us to the meet and greet for each of the riders to sign.
{Yes, it is framed in my closet. Don't judge. At least it's not hanging in my living room.}
This year, thanks to the BEST SISTER EVER, I get to go to the event in the Cowboys Stadium!!! I am beyond excited, as if you were not able to tell by my use of underlining, bold print, capital letters, and exclamation points.
So here is your challenge: I dare you....no, wait. I triple dog dare you (yes, I went there) to turn your TV to a PBR event, and try to not enjoy yourself. I don't think it's possible.
A bunch of cowboys (in cowboy hats, no less) riding 1500 pounds of crazy, bucking, twisting, fiery-eyed beast for eight terrorizing seconds - who wouldn't love this sport??
I love to watch bull riding.
Go ahead - laugh all you want. It won't be the first time I've been laughed at for it. It won't be the last time I'll be laughed at for it. And I definitely won't love it any less.
I'm utterly obsessed.
:)
For years, I have watched Professional Bull Riding (PBR) on TV and travelled thousands of miles all over the country to watch it live.
In Tulsa, which happened to be a trip for my 21st birthday, we got to meet the riders. That's right - cowboys. And lots of them. We were as excited as....well, as excited as cowboy-loving 21-year-old girls getting ready to meet a bunch of bull-riding cowboys. In fact, the title of this post is a true-life-not-even-kidding-you quote from my best friend, Ashley, to her favorite bull rider. We have no shame. We even had the stereotypical cheesy [read: awesome!!!] shirts that we hand-made to bring with us to the meet and greet for each of the riders to sign.
{Yes, it is framed in my closet. Don't judge. At least it's not hanging in my living room.}
This year, thanks to the BEST SISTER EVER, I get to go to the event in the Cowboys Stadium!!! I am beyond excited, as if you were not able to tell by my use of underlining, bold print, capital letters, and exclamation points.
So here is your challenge: I dare you....no, wait. I triple dog dare you (yes, I went there) to turn your TV to a PBR event, and try to not enjoy yourself. I don't think it's possible.
A bunch of cowboys (in cowboy hats, no less) riding 1500 pounds of crazy, bucking, twisting, fiery-eyed beast for eight terrorizing seconds - who wouldn't love this sport??
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Gosh, I Feel Old...
My little, baby brother is turning 20 tomorrow.
TWENTY.
He is no longer a teenager.
Honestly, I find it hard to comprehend that he is (for only a few more hours) a teenager, let alone is becoming (in only a few hours) a non-teenager.
I'd say adult, but I guess that's really when you turn 18, unless you want to be specific and say that you have a be a legal adult at 21 to be considered a true ADULT.
Anyway, back to the point.
This boggles my mind. I still think of him as this:
TWENTY.
He is no longer a teenager.
Honestly, I find it hard to comprehend that he is (for only a few more hours) a teenager, let alone is becoming (in only a few hours) a non-teenager.
I'd say adult, but I guess that's really when you turn 18, unless you want to be specific and say that you have a be a legal adult at 21 to be considered a true ADULT.
Anyway, back to the point.
This boggles my mind. I still think of him as this:
{Sorry, Ad-man. I just had to.}
He was always this annoying little boy that I could trick into trading me a dime for a nickel. Not only is he too smart for that now, but he is almost as smart as I am! I know, I know, that's hard to do. Side note: He learned how to be modest from me as well. I digress again.
Anyway, he is growing up. **TEAR**
But, you know, that is okay by me. He is so much funnier today than he was above. Unless, of course, you include laughing at his wardrobe in that picture :) Really, though, he is hilarious now. Just to give you an idea, one day I got this text from him: "Lani, I just saw a midget with a weed-whacker, and now I can't stop laughing. If you are going to say this is mean, go find a midget, give him a weed-whacker, and try not to laugh." See what I mean, folks? Hysterical.
[Insert all of the politically-correct objections to this joke]
I don't care. This is hilarious.
So, Ad, this post is for you, mostly because I didn't get you a birthday present this year. Before you say anything, you remember, I got you a real life giraffe for Christmas. That counts as three gifts at least.
My point, in all of this genius rambling, is to wish my precious baby brother a very happy birthday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ADAM!!!
Love you, bud.
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