Alright, here's the deal...

I wasn't going to continue this blog, but I got a text from my friend Sara Mouw (hey Mouw!), and she asked if I was going to keep blogging. My answer was "uh....maybe?" Well, I thought I would give it a go again and try to keep some people updated on the sweet stuff that's going on in my life.

Well, school's started. Ew. And volleyball! Yay! Our first match is tomorrow night, and I'm super excited to get back on the court. I feel like it has been forever since I had the chance to play competitively, well, since last November. School is off to a rockin' start. Who knew that I would actually like my science class? Go figure. And volleyball has been going for a little over two weeks now. We've had something like 20 practices in less than 14 days...absolutely ridiculous! It's all worth it though. Due to all of the serving I've done in the past couple of days, I have some tendinitis in my shoulder, so that's kinda sucky, but once it's rested up, I'll be good to go.

So, I thought I would share that the London program for the fall starts in a few days, and all of the people on it left today. I keep seeing Facebook statuses that make me wish I could have stowed away in a suitcase. Ah, well, can't always get what you want. Even though I want to go back really, really, really, really, really (you get the picture) bad. Also, good news, I got 140 prints of my pictures from abroad! I'm going to hang them up all over my room. It will be a constant reminder of where I am not. Sad. :(

I will, of course, have to change the title to the blog, but until I figure a new one out, it's going to stay as is. Well, I do have tons of homework to finish, and unfortunately, it will not finish itself. Trust me, I've tried that.

Signing off. Night all. :)

Eat Pray Love

The movie Eat Pray Love, was adapted from a book by the same name. It is the true story of a woman named Elizabeth Gilbert (Julia Roberts) looking for her word. Who is she, and why is she here? After suffering from a divorce, Liz decides to do something for herself. She jets off to Rome where she eats and tastes some of the most delicious looking foods! She lives in Rome, learns Italian, makes friends, and discovers that moving up a size in jeans isn't the end of the world.

Next, she moves onto Dehli, India. She joins an Indian ashram where she must learn to forgive herself through prayer and meditation. Not only does Liz find her spirituality, she makes friends along the way that admire her. Liz changes their lives by helping them learn to love and forgive. She finally ends her year traveling in Bali, Indonesia. Here Liz learns to balance her life through a medicine man named Ketut. She runs into many different people, but in the end, she must find her balance in life while learning to love a man she meets in Bali.

The main reason I wanted to see this film was because it involved travel. What this woman did is something that I wish I could do. She was incredibly strong to travel on her own, and to meet people the way she did. I feel like Julia Roberts captured the spirit of the movie perfectly. I wanted to take her place. I have been missing Europe so much, and this movie did nothing to qualm my "Europe-sickness." When Rome came on the screen, I think I sighed. I know a little bit how this woman felt, and I think anyone that has lived in another country for any amount of time will understand what I'm talking about. It's like you are a puzzle, and discovering yourself in another country is like putting a piece of the puzzle into place. It's so satisfying. You feel good about yourself, and you find out what you can accomplish.

This movie made me realize that I can't settle with what I am doing with my life. I want to travel, see something that I have never seen, and I want to experience a life that is uncertain. I want to feel something more...do something exciting. I want the universe to rush in and make me live life. I want to discover my word. Will I ever get to do that? I don't know, but I sincerely hope that I can. See, that is what this movie did to me! Goodness, I've become sappy and travel-happy. But, if I could spend my life like Liz did in the movie, I would be a very happy woman.

Recommendation: Now, the movie wasn't the most spectacular thing ever created. In fact, it didn't get very good reviews. But, I truly enjoyed it. I thought is was well acted, inspiring, and funny. It is a chick-flick without the tear jerking moments (for the most part). If you have traveled, and wish to do so again, this is a movie for you. There's romance, humor, and some great looking food! All in all, a nice night out at the movie with a girlfriend. Watch out for this line: (mixtape playing) "Darling...it's time." Funniest. Line. Ever. :)

Trailer:

Sports - Peyton Manning contract

I like to watch football, and I cheer on the Colts because I am a Hoosier through and through, but I'm not a huge sports fan. Mostly just football and volleyball. Peyton Manning's contract is up after this year, and there is no doubt in my mind he would leave the Colts, but everyone seems to want to know what's going to happen. How much is he going to make?!? My answer: who cares? Seriously, Peyton is definitely more focused on other things, like winning the Superbowl. Here's a quote from Peyton talking about how he will not discuss his contract:

“For one thing, it keeps another thing from clouding your mind. It’s served me pretty well. I don’t see much reason to abort that now. I’m under contract. I’m in a good frame of mind mentally. I’m excited about this team. It will work out. I don’t get into the numbers or see how that has any affect on me. I’ve got too much football to deal with.”

Peyton is such a class act. He seriously has to be one of the most down-to-earth football players out there. And that is why I love him. Not to mention his rocket, golden quarterback arm. Peyton is looking to the future. So what, they lost to the-team-that-must-not-be-named (as my brothers call them these days). It's in the past, and the Colts are looking up. Imagine what they could do with a full healthy team!?! If I were any other coach in the NFL, especially a defensive coordinator, I would be shaking in my boots. Yeah, the Colts are coming for you.

To read more of the article, click here.

Trailer - Vampires Suck

Okay, I saw this trailer on TV the other day, and I thought I was going to die of laughter. I am a big fan of Twilight and the books, but even I can admit that the movies can be a little over the top with the acting and plot. I am definitely going to have to see this movie...it will probably be so bad it's good. Love those kind of movies!

Trailer:

A Very Potter Musical and Sequel

So, I was really bored the other day and was watching YouTube videos. I stumbled across A Very Potter Musical which is a fan-made spoof musical about Harry Potter. It is absolutely hilarious! If you are a fan of HP you will love it! They are both pretty long; I'm just posting the first part of each musical, but there are 23 parts to the first one and 31 to the second. These videos are at least PG-13, so be warned. When you have a bit of time to kill, check them both out. It's "totally awesome!" :)

A Very Potter Musical:


A Very Potter Sequel:

Inception

Inception is a movie of deceit, love, secrets, and awesome CGI. In the world of advanced technology, it is possible to enter the dreams of another person and steal their darkest secrets through extraction. To get himself out of an unwanted situation a thief, Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), performs his most difficult and almost impossible task to date, Inception. With the help of his team, Cobb must outsmart his subconscious as well as forgive himself. It's a story of redemption, and all Cobb wants most is to see his children.

I have to admit, seeing the previews, I was not convinced that I wanted to see the movie, but my brother and dad went and said it was fantastic, so I had to go. And I'm so glad that I did. This movie is complicated with a brilliant story line. The dream within a dream within a dream within a dream sequence is just the tip of the iceberg. Chris Nolan is back with an even better movie than The Dark Knight. I know, seems highly unlikely. But, I think it is safe to say that Nolan has done it again. Inception has not made as much money as The Dark Knight, but it is thriving on word of mouth. The hallway anti-gravity fight sequence alone was worth the price of admission, and to think that the entire scene was done without CGI!

There are so many clever things throughout the movie, for example, the spinning top. If you have seen or might see the movie, you will know what I mean. Such a small object, yet essential for the overall storyline. The acting was brilliant on all accounts. DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt really brought the story to life. Chris Nolan obviously only demands the best of his actors. There were only two small things that bothered me; first, the timeline. While in another person's dream, five minutes in the real world equals about an hour in dream time. This felt like it was overlooked in the final sequences. Also, the motivation was clear for DiCaprio's character, but the others were risking a lot for just some money. Minor details, but it still all worked out.

Recommendation: Go see this movie if you haven't already. And if you have, go see it again. It is a fantastic film, probably the best of the summer. I would be surprised if it didn't earn a few nominations. It should, in my opinion, but since when does mine matter? It is a complicated movie, so go with your thinking hats and an open mind, and you won't be disappointed. Spoiler alert! Highlight the following text if you want to read. I was told that if you can see if Dicaprio is wearing his wedding ring in the final scene it will tell you if the ending was real or not. If he has it on, it's not real. If he doesn't, it is real. Apparently that's how it was the entire movie.

Trailer:

Salt

There is more to Evelyn Salt than you think. When I saw the previews for the movie, I thought I knew what was going to happen in the movie. I couldn't have been more wrong. At the very beginning of the movie, we find Salt (Angelina Jolie) being tortured in North Korea repeating the line, "I'm not a spy." She is released by a German national, and we find out she works for the CIA. Two years later, she is married to the man who helped release her from North Korea and is still working for the CIA. As she is leaving from work, a man comes in claiming to have some information on an assassination attempt. Evelyn interviews the man, and he tells her that an agent trained in Russia as a child is going to kill the President of Russia at the vice-president's funeral. He names Evelyn Salt as the assassin. Of course, she denies it and tries to find her husband. She goes on the run claiming she's been framed. But has she?

I have to say that this movie kept me wondering what was going to happen next. Who's the bad guy and who's the good guy? If you pay enough attention, you should be able to figure out the ending. I didn't because I'm horrible with that kind of stuff. Jolie was excellent as Salt. Absolutely believable (except some of the stunt work; we all know that action movies take it way over the top). And to think that this part was originally for a man! Jolie is the new it-action star. With movies like Tomb Raider, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Wanted, she has taken the top female action star spot easily. Liev Schreiber was amazing as well as the rest of the cast. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. Basically it was just an Angelina Jolie ass-kicking fest which was great!

Recommendation: This movie turned out to be much more than I thought it was going to be. It will make you think and wonder about what's going to happen. I had a great time at the movie; it was absolutely worth the money! At certain points in the movie I seriously thought Jolie was the good guy. And at other times I seriously thought she was the bad guy. See the movie so you can find out for yourself.

Trailer: