Three Sixty Five

I started Project 365 on my birthday last year as a way to keep my mind off of the crud that accompanied my first year of college. No cool story about improving my photography or documenting my life for posterity or keeping family and friends informed. I just needed to have something, anything, to look forward to every day. I needed an occupation. In all honesty, 365 was my saving grace.

Some days were easy: game days, dinner parties, concerts, costumes. Some days were hard, and I wound up taking pictures of flash cards or bookshelves or iPhone screen shots. Naturally, I tried to avoid these days since they made me look like a total lame-o to my parents who, at the time, were the only people I could imagine being interested enough to look at the album. I found myself participating more. I sought out things I could do that would make an interesting picture. I plucked up courage to ask for pictures that I never would have otherwise - and some of those pictures are the best memories. As sappy as it sounds, my life was definitely altered by 365. I began to enjoy all of these things I was forcing myself to do just for pictures. I began to realize that I did actually do more cool stuff than I ever thought. I began to like college.

As the days progressed, more and more people started to ask me about 365. It was neat, but also sort of unnerving to have my life available for anyone to browse.

Now that it's over, I still find myself on the lookout for things to photograph that will make my days look interesting. Then I breathe sighs of relief when I remember that I'm not accountable for documenting every day anymore.

One thing's for sure: I would never have completed 365 without all of the people who let me awkwardly take pictures with/of them, the people who refrained from pointing out how strange I was while taking pictures of me when I asked them to, the people who leapt up at midnight when I exclaimed, "I haven't taken a picture today!!! Quick, do something cool!", the people who suffered my demands of "I need a picture today, so we better do something cool.", and the people who actually looked at all of these pictures and made me feel validated. Thanks for thinking 365 days of my life were worth 365 pictures!

The whole album resides here.

Classes

Registration has made me its mistress this go around, but it all worked out. Sort of. I finally got into the only pesky fluids class that would fit my schedule (HUZZAH!), and I finally got into an English class. Because if I didn't sign up for English the Institute would have put a hold on my registration. Bullies. Here's the rundown: my thermodynamics class is taught by an Italian woman. She's pretty awesome and tall. My fluids class, that I stressed over and submitted multiple overrides for before getting into, is taught by a Russian man. He's skinny and tucks button downs into jeans. My English class is called "Understanding Television". We were instructed to write summaries beginning, "Our assigned reading was ___, and it was about ___". My circuits class is taught by a doctoral student. He has a full beard, a beer belly, and a huge tattoo on the back of his head. My NRE professor speaks at about 4 decibels*. We started an Occupy Row Three operation, but he came in with a microphone and temporary disbanding of the movement ensued.

In other news, nothing really cool has happened to me, except.......muh birfday is tomorrow! Which means today is my very last day of 365. Weird, huh? Reflections to follow.

*a normal conversation takes place at about 40-60 decibels. A jet engine is 110 decibels. A vuvuzela is 120 decibels.

Announcement

Signing off of Facebook right before a massive tornado was unintentional poor planning on my part. I assure you that I am still alive, if you can call spending the 18 or so hours of the day that I am awake either in class or studying at the library "living". Yes, I realize that I'm being a tad dramatic about finals, but they've kind of got me in a tizzy. And I also realize that I frequent other social networking sites besides Facebook, but it's the biggest time-sucker and therefore the only site I felt was necessary to put on hiatus this week. 365 will hopefully be kept up via Flickr, and this little bloggy will get along, during study breaks.

Packing Some Action

Day 014, 26.01.2011
After months of being M.I.A., Robert finally resurfaces! I've missed this kid. (Some day soon my friends will all stop Skyping me out of fear that I'll take a screen shot without telling them and it will end up on this zany project.)

Day 015, 27.01.2011
Thanks to following Paula Deen and Real Simple on Twitter, I found that today was National Chocolate Cake Day, an event that must needs celebration. Cue the Publix run for a fluted cake pan and other baking necessities.

Day 016, 28.01.2011
After a delicious dinner, a relaxed browsing of Ulta, and Grace having an anxiety attack because of Super Wal-Mart, we were approached in the parking lot by high school guys wanting to be slapped for a scavenger hunt.

Day 017, 29.01.2011
EL Spring Retreat at the GT Leadership Challenge Course! So much fun.

Neither snow nor rain nor heat...

Day 009, 21.01.2011
An exciting evening of Chipotle, Shakespeare, and Yoforia.

Day 010, 22.01.2011
"So, what's your picture going to be for today?" "Probably the screen shot that I took a few minutes ago." "...what?"

Day 011, 23.01.2011
Door decorating is probably one of my favorite things about college. Belle and Tiana were added today.

Day 012, 24.01.2011
Rejoicing in my new slippa's.

Day 013, 25.01.2011
Mail! It came! After 3 grueling weeks of arctic conditions, the post office at GaTech is back in the saddle again.

Pop that Corn!

Day 006, 18.01.2011
Dinner with some EL folks before the meeting. They are all kind of awesome.

Day 007, 19.01.2011

Celebrating National Popcorn Day with the roomie. She burnt the popcorn, but it's really the thought that counts.

Day 008, 20.01.2011
We braved an evening of fraternity rush, only surviving by banding together. Plus, there is a guy who wears Ugg boots in my Physics lab named CC. Irrelevant, but interesting nonetheless.



A Ramblin' Wrecky Few Days

Day 004, 16.01.2011
Meeting Buzz at the GT vs. UNC game with Brown 3rd Floor.

Day 005, 17.01.2011
Today, I learned how to code like a champ. And it's all thanks to a CS party with Ruth.

On that Midnight Train to Georgia

Day 001, 13.01.2011
A birthday showing of Beauty and the Beast, my all-time favorite Disney princess tale, at the Fantastic Fox Theatre, Atlanta.

Day 002, 14.01.2011
Lunch with Dad at the Varsity after class. What'll ya have?! Orange Drank, and make it frosty.

Day 003, 15.01.2011
All aboard the Midnight Train! Destorying napkins, one at a time, at Gladys and Ron's (as in Gladys Night, y'all) Chicken and Waffles.

I've run into an issue with this Project 365 mumbo jumbo. Some days, I just take more than one cool picture! But, alas, my dad is not in Atlanta every day, so the coolness factor of my days will probably decrease after tomorrow. Not shown in the pictures from January 14th is me officially becoming a Zipster and driving my first Zipcar - in Atlanta, to boot - and a really neat, artsy type movie theater where Dad and I saw The King's Speech. Two thumbs way, way up. Plus, I carted home a free Javier Bardem poster. Not shown in the pictures from January 15th is exploration of Atlanta by foot and by car, a visit to CamiCakes cupcakes (deeee-lish), and an impromptu hall birthday party.

I think FoodNetwork should create a checklist of all the restaurants they feature. I could check off quite a few. And Heaven knows I do love checking off lists.