Being Okay Being Myself

Well the chagim are over and I probably gained like 5 pounds! Soooo many yuntif meals its insane! At least now I'll lose it all eating sushi and salad again. Challah is like my waterloo.

Over the chagim I thought about a lot of stuff, like how much has changed over the passed year. Last year I was in Israel at the beginning of my shana aleph and now I'm in Stern and I feel a lot older.

One thing I've come to realize is that there are a ton of different ideas out there and it's easy to get lost, but you have to choose a path and stick to it. there's no point feeling guilty for being yourself. What I mean is, for example in Isreal I started feeling bad about watching movies and listening to non jewish music and stuff, and I stopped for a while, but I started again because I like it, and you need something to keep you interested and take your mind off things sometimes! So why should I feel bad for it? In stern its very normal, and even though some girls still dont most people do, a lot of girls who are frum and tznius and learn mesilas yesharim and everything still do, and I think its okay. I dont think I should have to feel guilty, I should be able to find my own path and be ok with that, right?

Omg it's been so long!

Wow, this is really weird - I haven't written in this blog in a really long time. It's a lot more work than I thought it would be to maintain a blog! Lol!

The semester is like really draining. I know I'm taking fewer classes than I did in high school but the workload is just the same, if not more! Ugh! I really like being in Midtown though, we are close to really good shopping.

It's funny though, because I like college and I was really excited to come, but sometimes I feel like i don't really exist and that it's all a dream, like, it's all fake and when I wake up nothing will be the same. I know this sounds really weird (and I promise you I'm not psycho or anything), it's just that I guess I still need to adjust or whatever.

Labels and Stereotypes

I've been browsing around the blogosophere a little bit, and I've noticed that there seem to be a lot of posts about the issue of labeling. I think its time for me to take a controversial stand, so here goes:

What is the big deal?!?!?!?

I mean, everyone goes on and on about how bad it is to have labels and stereotypes and how no one fits into a box, blah blah blah. Well, thats very nice and all, but how many of you people can tell me, in complete honesty, that you dont use labels? I mean, honestly? Of course you use labels! Everyone uses labels! Labels are pretty! Labels are convenient! We cant get along without them! Everyone wants to think that theyre the special ones, that they cant be labelled: well, let me tell you--as Barack Obama says--yes you can!

Let's try it and see:

You? Youre an out of towner bais yaakov rebel. You? Youre a right wing modern orthodox girl who doesnt admit to her frummie friends that she learns gemara. How about you? Youre a flipped out sem girl who wants to marry a kollel guy and your parents are about to disown you for it.

See? That was easy!

I can look around at all these girls in Stern and talk to them for just a few minutes, and I can already put a label on them. Now, dont get me wrong, that doesnt mean that there isnt any more to them. But the label isnt meaningless, and it isnt incorrect either--its useful and important. Then its our job to look past the label and find out whats unique about everyone.

I'm just starting to think about shidduchim, and how in the world could anyone answer the normal question: "What are you looking for?" if they didnt use labels! Youve gotta have 'em!

So how would I label myself then? It's only fair, after all, right?

Ok, no problem: I'm a centrist modern orthodox in towner typical stern girl.

In other words, I'm normal. :P

The elevators

Woah, I'm already posting again! I like this whole blog thing, I think. I already have a complaint about college. Stern has two buildings and they both have a hideous elevator situatoin. The worst part is that the professors don't seem to get that and they penalize you if you are late to class, when maybe it isn't your fault because the elevators were TOTALLY JAMMED with people and you couldn't get in and so you had to take the stairs (or wait for ever for an elevator). It's really annoying. The dorm also has two elevators for like 20 floors and it's insane trying to get upstairs at the end of the day.

Other than that things are good. I looooove the sushi bar in the cafeteria (and the cafeteria is so cool! All red couchy things and cool silver tables and these retro chairs!)!!! I just love sushi. Someone said that the prices went up, but I wasn't here last year, so what would I know?

Okay, bye!

Welcome to "My Personal Bubble"

Ok. So here I am, where I never thought I'd be, in that dreaded of all places, the so called blogosphere. But in my college (unnamed but it probably won't take so long for you to figure out where, lol) there's never enough space. I mean, have you seen the dorms! Come on, seriously. My dorm in sem was nicer, even. That's why this blog is called my personal bubble--because here in college--ok, I give in, I'll just tell you, it's Stern--there's always people in my bubble. Especially in the elevator. Talk about claustrophobia. Woah. But I don't want to start of all complaning. My first week in college hasn't been too bad, and since I have a bunch of friends from sem here, and like every person from camp I ever met in my past, it's fun enough. But anyway, exciting intro to sociology homework is waiting for me, so more later! Bye!