meredith!

I really highly recommend clicking on this link and reading this woman’s story - it is absolutely horrifying (but unfortunately not super surprising). I’m sitting here crying over my computer after reading it, and I’m also feeling really empowered, in my job as someone who sometimes works with survivors of sexual assault or rape, to keep advocating for them and listening to them and doing everything in my power to help. I’m lucky that I’m in a job that has extensive training and procedures on how to assist survivors, and that I have coworkers who have a ton more training on this than I do and are really, really good at giving this type of support. 

But it’s not just about job training and following procedures. There is a bigger responsibility that so many ignore to not only support survivors, but to make this behavior truly socially unacceptable and perceived as disgusting as it really is. Next time somebody makes a rape joke or a sexist joke or something similar, call them out. If one ever pops into your mind, don’t say it, and call yourself out and think about why you thought it and why it’s not okay. It’s never okay because if it’s okay to joke about it, it’s more okay to brush it off when it really happens, as so many people clearly did in this situation.

so I went to see Brandi Carlile last night for the 5th time in a year, and I took this video. She blows me away every single time. (also, I got there SIX hours before doors even opened to get my place in line, and I was still this far away.)

so clearly the inevitable happened - I started some semblance of a blog and immediately gave up. My friend Kylee requested that I start back up again and here I am. She has an awesome blog that you can read here so maybe that will serve as some motivation to actually do some updating.

There’s not a lot going on in my life - July and August are the months where I work a good 12-15 hours a day, so all I really have time to think about or do is my job. Luckily, this busy time is also my favorite time of the year. I love the amount of time I get to spend with my co-workers and with the staff I supervise. This year I work with 2 grad students over one 18-person staff and I am seriously loving it. It reminds me of my experience as an RA on a staff of 24, which I always liked better than being on a small staff. This seems counterintuitive, but everyone feels a lot more connected. My staff has a really amazing attitude and are excited about their jobs and so good at their jobs. There were literally times on move-in day when I would start tearing up just a little bit because I’m inspired by the students I work with and how well they connect to their residents and how much they love creating those connections.

It can be easy for me to feel burned out in my job, but this time of the year is so refreshing and energizing. I am really lucky to have the job I have and the friends and coworkers I have. 

Also, when I do have a long and tiring day , there’s maybe nothing better than unwinding on my couch with a few tivo’d episodes of Friends. Best show of my life.

I LOVE this. Trying to decide if it would be a bad idea to drill a bunch of L brackets into the walls of my residence hall apartment…

mildlyinterestingadventures:

Invisible Bookshelf | May December Home

These invisible bookshelves can be so expensive, but all you need is some L brackets and the ability to use a hand drill! Haha! I love the way the shelves are down the wall like a floating bookshelf. Easy and awesome!

Oh god. That huge light blue slice is hitting me hard.

From ilovecharts.

— Santana Lopez

I like James Franco and Zach Braff too much for it to be considered ironic fandom. I can’t help it.

Whoever made this forgot to pay attention in science class. Yikes.

So. I LOVE Brandi Carlile. I really just got into her music less than a year ago, and I’ve already seen her live 3 times (and I have the ticket for my 4th time). She’s easily in the top 3 live artists I’ve ever seen, and I go to concerts all the time. She might be number one. I can’t speak highly enough of her music and her ability to perform and her stage presence and her ridiculously incredible voice. Oh, she’s also like the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

Do I sound crazy yet? Probably. Anyway, she is releasing her first live album next week (on May 3rd, my dad’s birthday—guess what he’s getting from me). Paste Magazine is streaming the album for the next week. You need to click the link above and listen to it. It’ll change your life, I swear. (yes, I like to pretend I’m Natalie Portman in Garden State). But seriously, do it.