It's amazing what warm weather can do.

Seriously Stevenson: the weather hits 66 degrees and immediately there's girls walking through the hallways in jean shorts and Uggs. There's more sunlight than we've seen in months and teachers feel the need to pile up homework to prevent us from being physically active outside. And, apparently as the temperature increases, crime rates do too. I guess spring just brings out the best in all of us. Anxiously awaiting summer and with spring break around the corner, I cannot wait to see what is in store. 14 weeks until I'm off to the beautiful and amazing Peru. A week in the Amazon, a week in the south east, a week in the mountains, and a week on an island in the middle of a lake - those will really be the memories.

Does it go both ways?

Someone once asked me: "Does happiness require love or mean love for that matter? And does it go the other way too?" To be happy, is to be excited and enthralled in your surroundings- to be consumed with positive energy and a desire to make others happy too. To answer the question does happiness mean love, I'd have to look at what makes me happy. My friends- they make me happy and I love them without a doubt. Ice cream- oh my favorite! I can't deny my love for ice cream. Getting the grades- happiness is an understatement when you receive the grade you deserve after hours upon hours of hard work, and I sure do love it when this happens. Warm, sunny days- the sense of happiness you feel as you ride your bike down the street, through the park, and around the corner... being outside and active instead of inside and bum-like. All of these things make me happy. And all of these things I love. To be honest I cannot think of anything that makes me happy that I do not love or cherish. But to answer the question does it go both ways; now that's a tricky one. I would have to say to much extent it does. When you love something, generally it brings you happiness. But what about the bad break up or the sick friend. You may love and cherish someone who doesn't necessarily bring happiness to you if their condition is unfavorable. You may love desserts, like me, yet you know in the back of your mind that it is not what you should be eating. Any who, I think it's safe to say happiness and love run hand-in-hand. Or at least, I hope they do. 

The Powerhouse Begins

So, it's been decided.

These next few weeks need to be an academic powerhouse. Full focus, full effort - these weeks will make or break so much. Take the junior research paper for instance; it's due thursday and worth much of my 6-week grade. My 6-week grade then affects my semester grade, and the semester grade affects my G.P.A. My G.P.A. then affects what schools I will get into and the scholarship money available to me. No pressure or anything... In english in addition to the essay we are reading "The Great Gatsby". It takes place in NY which very ironic.

In AP US history we are still working on projects on the home front preparations for WWII. And, in spanish class we are working on projects about spanish artists; my group has Salvador Dali. All of this in the midst of learning how to graph myriad calculus expressions, how to create motors and electromagnets, writing essays about and creating short choreography pieces, preparation for the Student Council event, spring fling, which I am the coordinator of, and so so so much more. To a healthy week, love love love, Jane 

Painful Bliss

There's nothing quite like waking up in central park to quaint cafes and a bright sun. Today started around 9:30, Ollie and I walked around the corner to Columbus Cafe and grabbed breakfast sandwiches and fresh squeezed orange juice. From there I was off to Steps on Broadway: a professional dance studio that offers walk-in classes and brilliant teachers. I took the 11:30 Contemporary Jazz class and danced among truly amazing dancers. The teacher was very friendly and impressed with my movement. There was something different about her choreography, something so inspiring and beautiful - different than anything else I've ever done. As I left the studio, I walked down Amsterdam ave. and enjoyed the warm weather. It reached 53 degrees today around 1:30 pm. Ollie and I came back to the house, showered, and dressed for a day on the run. Our afternoon began with a 15 minute subway ride to 42nd street: Time Square. We walked through the bright lights and odd displays to find M&M World... inside of the 3 story building was a wall of every color and flavor M&M in existence. Let me tell you, there was a plethora of colors to chose from. Our next stop was the Central Park Zoo. We walked about a mile through the zoo and on the other end was the Metropolitan Museum of Art. After making a $20 donation to enter the Met, we walked through the Roman sculpture exhibit, then the African history exhibit and onto the paintings of Picasso, Miro, Dali, etc. By then both Ollie and I were exhausted and had totaled over 7 miles of walking. So, we said goodbye to the Met and headed home. Sitting down on Ollie's bed had a whole new meaning to me just then. My feet were shaking and my knees were sore; but, I got to spend the day in NYC with my brother and that - that was bliss. 

Ollie's Building View From Central Park

Nasdaq in Times Square

73rd and Broadway - one block away from Steps

Tonights dinner - rice, beans, & vegetables made by Nicole (Peter's daughter-in-law)
Tonights festivities - UNC vs. DUKE basketball game 


Love, love, love,
Jane Samantha

A new defined independence.

You know you are independent when....
1. you wake up at 5:30 am on a day off of school
2. you travel alone starting from the security line to a new city
3. you survive a tour of NYU w/o anyone else there to keep you company
4. you find random centers and restaurants in a city after being there for approximately 4 hours
5. you are staying in an apartment owned by 3 people you have just met
6. you walk along the Central Park reservoir and listen to the sounds of cars and wind, not voices and conversation
7. you are going to take a dance class tomorrow on your own at a studio you visited a few times two years back and havn't been to since
8. you realize that in about a year, you will know where you are going to spend the next chapter of your life studying both in and out of the classroom away from what you have always known to be home

On that note, good bye BG. HELLO NYC!

Thunderous Thursday

Before 4 days off of school, Stevenson teachers sure know how to make you earn your weekend. My day started with a treacherous and monotonous precalculus lesson on graphing cosecants and secants with asymptotes. I have never seen so many of my peers flat asleep in class. In student council, we had the usual thursday meeting and accomplished a lot. Third period -English- wasn't too bad. We peer edited each others Junior Research papers and the bell rang before I knew it. Physics may have been the highlight of my day; as everyone walked into class Mr. Hager gave us our new term seating arrangements and since Rachel (the friend I went to Peru with), Megan (my neighbor), and I had been well behaved since the beginning of the year he let us sit next to each other! It really is the little things that make life so great. In U.S. we worked on WWII projects; I was assigned factory conversions. Really mr. mazz? I am not enjoying this. Finally, 8th period spanish came around. And of course, we took a quiz on the future and conditional perfect tenses aka "would have done" and "will have done". Any who the school day ended and it was home, sweet home, to pack and print. I'M GOING TO NYC TOMORROW!! For now, it's packing time. Oliver: here i come. To a better tomorrow-
lots of love,
Jane
P.S. Aunt Robyn, I love you.

Why I'm writing.

I am starting this blog for one purpose: showing each and everyone of you my life, from my view. I intend to share my journeys, experiences, travels, new life lessons, and more. This, I hope, will be a place for you to learn about me. So, lets see what happens. We'll start slow, daily encounters, achievements, and findings of that sort. Heck, we learn something new everyday don't we? I hope you enjoy what I have to say! 
Love love love,
Jane (inspired by Autumn Rizzio)