You know what they say about absence...

...Unless you are one of those people who subscribes to the "out of sight, out of mind" theory. Regardless, I've returned to the blog realm just in time to announce that I'm terribly bored with my layout and I'm working on a new one. Also, blogging tonight gets me out of cleaning my room, which has become both a pseudo closet and limbo for leftover Christmas gear.

I've been in a productive, over-achieving funk today so I'm prepared to get right down to business. First things first - the inevitable New Year's Resolution(s) paragraph:
#1. Work out (not "more" so much as "period"): Since I only have about seven more pounds left to lose, the typical "weight loss" resolution has been relegated to second-class status (a January resolution perhaps?) and I've decided to make working out my number one priority. It takes a lot to get me to exercise, but I figure if I ever want my flabby tummy to see natural daylight then I'd better start some kind of regimen.
#2 Take better care of myself overall: This includes (but is not limited to) eating healthy food whenever possible, remembering to take my vitamins every morning, flossing (yikes!), not letting my hair get out of control, getting enough sleep, wearing clothes that actually fit, and keeping my nails manicured (my dad was absolutely aghast at the sight of the black nails that I'm currently sporting. I believe he called them "YUCK!". Perhaps I should have just stuck to Chick-Flick Cherry at home and debuted the black in a college town that's a little more culturally in-tune than the church people and hospital personnel that I currently see on a daily basis?).
#3 Read!: This one kind of comes with being an English major, but I'd like to start reading more than just what is required. Honestly, I don't know how I expect to accumulate an arsenal of glitzy vocabulary words or any kind of respectable writing skills if I don't crack open an example every once in a while.

In that same vein, I'm still tickled pink about being a new English major. The honeymoon's not over yet, folks. When I tell people that I changed from design to English I'm usually met with, "Oh wow! That's a big change!" but I really don't see it that way. A big change, to me, would be from design to biomedical science or something along those lines. I just changed from one creative outlet to another. I mean, "starving artist" really runs the gamut from architect to graphic designer to writer doesn't it?

Friends and family used to be kind of lukewarm toward my intended career, but now when I tell them that I want to write they proclaim, "Oh how great! I can totally see you working for a magazine/writing novels/doing free-lance/etc. You've always enjoyed that!" My parents were never particularly enthusiastic about my design stuff, but my mom now tells everyone she knows that "Sarah's a really great writer. You know that update that we posted on Clark's website about his progress? Yeah, the one that everyone thought was so well-written? Well, Sarah wrote it! It's so great to have a creative writer in the family!" (debatable, but I'm just quoting here).

I do believe that I've found my niche. So if you catch me smiling at inappropriate times, don't feel compelled to ask. Just know that I'm probably still in awe of the fact that I'm studying something that I'm incredibly passionate about.