USA! USA! USA!

Where were you when you found out about September 11th: Mrs Exner's english class, 6th grade

Where were you when you found out about the death of Osama bin Laden: International Relations class in Newcastle, Australia, 1:00 p.m. May 2, 2011

I wish though that I could have been celebrating back in the States. Luckily, my younger sister Andrea was at Ground Zero, celebrating on behlf of me. A picture of her was taken and is now going to appear in TIME Magazine! The photo spread sent chills up my spine.

Photograph by Lauren Fleishman for TIME

I love being American!

Cheers for now,

Kim

The Fabulous & the Outrageous

I'm so excited to announce that today is my first guest blog post EVER!

Head over to blue-eyed belle and check out all things Kentucky Derby.



{Here's a hint of what my post is all about}

Cheers for now,

Kim

Living Arrangements Down Under

Today I got a Facebook message from one of my sorority sisters Haley. She is planning on studying abroad in Australia next spring. How exciting to have another KKG Down Under! She asked a very important question about where to live when she is abroad.

--

Q. I'm trying to figure out what my housing situation would look like in terms of costs and everything. Can you tell me what kind of place you're living in right now and how much it costs?

A. I would definitely try to live on-campus or college as Aussies call it. It's the best way to make Australian and other international friends. College life is way more relaxed than dorm life at South Carolina.

I live in Evatt House and it is the best! I do a lot of activities with my block. Also Evatt competes against the other two houses on college, Teds {booo!} and IH {our friends at the International House}. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the coveted Collegiate Shield. It's a little like Harry Potter and the House Cup.

I loved the fact that I knew exactly where I was staying before I got to Australia. It's scary enough going to a foreign country but having no idea where you are staying just adds anxiety. Plus you don't have to worry about leasing an apartment in a different country.

 I am not on a meal plan at Newcastle though at Ted's you are required. So it just depends on what college dorm you end up living on. I spend about $30-$40 on groceries a week and my accommodation for the semester is $3,170.

My one fear about living on-campus was that I would be with all freshmen students. Evatt has just as many if not more returners than first year students.

I believe. Let me know if anyone has questions about studying abroad in Australia; I'd love to help. Click on the Evatt label at the bottom to see how much fun I have living on college.

Cheers for now,
Kim

Guest Blog: Karen's Mint Julep

Wow I can't believe that it's already May! Time flies when you are having fun.

Today is the start of Jennifer's blog series on the Kentucky Derby. I'm so excited because my lovely Mother is starting off the week with a post on making the perfect Mint Julep. This is her blogging debut so make sure you check it out. 

{How precious is she!}

Later this week, I will be contributing to the series and posting about the FABULOUS Derby hats.

Cheers for now,

Kim

Motivation

Or should I say lack of motivation.

Lately I've been really unmotivated when it comes to certain things. When I was in New Zealand, I did a lot of outdoor activities which made me realize how absent exercise has been in my Aussie life. Newcastle has a wonderful gym down the street which I can get a free week membership at. I've been thinking about doing a half marathon this fall. Yet I've been completely unmotivated to work out or run. Every morning I plan to wake up early, I just end up hitting the snooze button ten times. I am just having a hard time starting.

Also with Uni work, I've been procrastinating till the last moment. Prime example, I have a 2,000 word paper due tomorrow and yet I'm writing this post about motivation. {Irony, yes.} It's really hard to push myself to do work because all my classes in Australia are pass/fail. So as long as I get above a 50%, the class credit will transfer back to South Carolina.

{via weheartit.com}

Reflecting on the sad state of my affairs makes me think of a saying my dad has told me since I was little. In his office, he has a card that reads 'DIN DIP' which stands for 'Do It Now; Do It Properly.' This has always served as an inspiration to me when I just can't get over that hump of actually starting something. It really does sum up what I need to accomplish and how. Thank you Dad for that one! Dad got the DIN DIP phrase from Austrailian pro golfer Greg Norman. Go Aussie!

Even at church, motivation has been a key theme. Tonight at UniChurch, sermon started off with this question: What motivates you in your Christian faith? This is kind of a deep question. Most times I go to church not really looking to grow in my relationship with God, but more to grow as a person. I want to use the Gospel to better just myself. Although that's not a bad thing, I need to look beyond just me.

The Scripture verses included 1 Corinthians 15:58 which reads "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." The preacher hammered home the fact that being a Christian isn't easy. Labor is an uncomfortable word because we associate it with fatigue and exhaustion. Completely sacrificing your life to God is a hard thing and if you don't have the motivation, you will most likely fail.

Knowing that I have God on my side makes me realize that I can accomplish everything that I put my mind to. . . even this International Relations paper on the dropping of the atomic bomb. {Zzzz} Oh well DIN DIP. **Update: God truly is amazing. I just looked at my email and our teacher gave us a two day extension on our paper!**

{via weheartit.com}

Where does your motivation come from? Do you have an mantras that keep you motivated?

Cheers for now,

Kim

This verse from Chapter 16 really stuck with me and I wanted to share it with you.

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do EVERYTHING in love."

{1 Cor. 16:13-14}