To Do Lists, Internships, and Travel Tips

Hey hey!

In my last post I mentioned that it had been a crazy busy semester; this entry is taking a bit of a break from travel and the outdoors to show you what I've been up to (and why I've been too busy to post anything since August). 

Below is what a typical To Do List for a given week might look like.

Looks like I'm finally getting around to that last item..

At my school it's pretty typical for students to be involved in a huge variety of clubs and extracurriculars.

Here are a few shots from the Activities Fair for freshmen to show you a few of the groups I'm a member/on the board of.

Clubs

 Muhlenberg International Relations Council (MIRC)
A forum for students who take interest in international affairs to gather and discuss past and current events in the international sphere, as well as organize panels and guest speakers for the campus at large.

Muses Magazine:

Muhlenberg's student-run arts and literary magazine, published every Spring, showcasing student art, poetry, and prose. More below!

    

Above left: Fellow board member of MIRC, Mahsheed, cheesin' with our huge sign up sheet.

Above right: Carrie, president of the Muhlenberg Theater Association (MTA), letting students know that they don't need to be theater majors to get involved in the department - good news for the both of us!

This photo was taken at the Students for Reproductive Justice table, one of the many clubs on campus dedicated to equal rights/social justice.

Muses Arts & Literary Magazine

 Muses doesn't only publish an annual magazine - we aim to provide a space on campus for students to share their story and their art. Here are a few shots from various open mics offered over the course of the semester.

 Muhlenberg students: to submit your work to Muses, email your submissions to muhlenbergmuses@gmail.com for consideration!

Muhlenberg Theater Association

I've also served as the Studio Productions Coordinator of our theater department for the past two years - definitely one of my biggest (and most rewarding) commitments. 

In addition to our mainstage productions, Berg produces a number of student directed works, such as the one pictured above.

Below is another example of a student-produced performance, but this one I didn't have to organize - I got to be a member of the awesome cast!

Shout out to my awesome assistant, Sean Watkins. 

Good luck taking over the Studio next semester when I'm abroad!

Internships 

I somehow found myself with not one, but two internships this semester, helping out two campaigns in the midterm elections. Above is a shot from the rally my friend Chris and I helped organize on campus. That's Wolf Chief of Staff and former DEP Sec. Katie McGinty, who came to speak, greeting attendees and volunteers!

    

Above: two shots from our first and last week as interns; on the left, 

Chris poses with a Tom Wolf for Governor sign at the first Day of Action we planned, and on the right is a sneaky shot I took of him while canvassing one last time on election day!

 Partners in crime with the big man in charge, Governor Tom Wolf himself!

Other Internships

One of the undeniable highlights of my semester was being flown to Iowa with the amazing group of people pictured above to staff the last annual Harkin Steak Fry with my internship from this summer.

 Above: Being interviewed by NBC News about the event!
Below: Canvassing in Des Moines for Iowa politicians running in the midterm elections.

Fun in Philly

I was somehow given a number of amazing opportunities to travel for free this semester. My awesome boss from one of my internships gave my buddy Chris and I Friday night Phillies tickets -- an awesome excuse to borrow a friend's car and explore Philadelphia, which is only an hour south of school.

Above: a shot of me with my first Philly Cheese Steak ever, which leads me to:

Travel Tip #2: Travel (and eat) Guilt-Free
For many this mainly means calorie-wise, which I totally stand for. Don't miss out on a cultural experience because you're worried about your waistline for a week -- chances are you're walking more than you realize and are burning more calories than a typical day at home anyway.
I'm also encouraging guilt-free eating for vegetarians; I've avoided meat most of my life, but I am all about experiencing a city to the fullest, the way it should be experienced. Where better to try your first cheese steak than at Pat's, right in the heart of Philadelphia?
This being said, exercise caution if you're trying things your stomach isn't used to -- maybe a footlong steak sandwich covered in cheese and habanero pepers isn't the best way to reintroduce meat to your stomach...

 

 Above: Chris and I in front of Citizens Bank Park after the game.
Below: Chris eagerly waiting for his first Insomnia Cookie in front of the truck.

Travel Tip #3: Mind your Manners

Traveling for free almost never means actually traveling for free; Chris and I borrowed a car to get to Philly, stayed at a friend's apartment overnight, and were given our tickets to the game. Hella low-cost, yes, but we were careful to ensure that we weren't placing our avoided costs on our friends.
If you're borrowing a car or crashing at a friend's place, be sure to fill up their tank or spend some of the money that they are ultimately saving you on a gift for them -- a nice bottle of wine or dinner is a heck of a lot cheaper than dropping the cash on a hostel or train ticket, and keeps your friendships in the clear!

Free Time (lol)

When I was living in D.C. this summer, I dedicated nearly an entire post to making your house a home - same goes for dorm rooms!

I don't spend much time in mine, but having a place to come home to from the library that has a little touch of you in it is super comforting.

 Another awesome (and free!) way to pamper yourself is to join programs like Influenster. When you don't have much time or money to go shopping for yourself, coming home to VoxPerks like exclusive coupons or even VoxBoxes loaded with freebies (pictured above) is nothing short of awesome.

This VoxBox happened to have samples of a Softlips Cube, OPI nail polish, erasable Pilot pens, Airheads candy, and way more. Leave a comment if you want to know more!

 Always important to take a second out of a busy schedule to play with a puppy in a pet shop or read the news paper with a friend.

Looking Ahead

I told you it's been a crazy semester - it feels like that wasn't even the half of it.

Now I'm armed with this bad boy, and there isn't much stopping us. (I've already gotten to use it - blog post to come!)

Thanks for stickin' with me, even in my four-month hiatus. Keep adventuring, friends!