Pages

Home About Me Contact Me Categories

Thursday, June 30, 2016

How to GOMO vs. FOMO



When it comes down to spending money, I think of it like this: I could either have that expensive but super cute new top, or I could be screaming along with my best friends to a hot summer concert. (I could also save money too, but where is the fun in that?) 

I would chose the concert almost every single time because of one single phrase: FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). When you're sitting at home by yourself in your super cute top that nobody is going to see while your besties are off having the time of their lives, you are going to have a MAJOR case of FOMO as you scroll longingly through the following day's Instagram and Facebook posts.

So, how do you end the FOMO and start the GOMO (Going Out More Often)?

Thanks to self-service ticketing platforms like Eventbrite, it is far from impossible to spend money on affordable summertime adventures with your guys or gals. Below are some of my tips on how to GOMO vs. FOMO:

1. Save a little from each paycheck. 
 
Bills, student loans, savings accounts. All of these things want to eat your soul and take away all of your money. It is true, as you get older it is harder to willingly spend money when you have so many things for which you are supposed to save. However, I started setting aside about $25-$50 from each paycheck (depending on how much I have earned) to be put into a "Fun Fund." It is scientifically proven (okay, not really) that everyone should have a Fun Fund in order to prevent insanity and FOMO. Just think about how much extra money you would have set aside to indulge in those summer concerts and random pottery workshops with your friends. 

So. Much. Pottery.

2. Pick 3

Take time at the beginning of your summer to sit down with your friends and plan out three major events/concerts/activities you all want to do during the summer. Believe me, I am all about being spontaneous, but planning out three events in the very beginning ensures that everyone will at least be at those chosen events together. If you leave everything up to spontaneity, some of your friends may flake or not have the funds (even though you should have plenty in your Fun Fund!). 

3. Not Every GOMO Outing Has to Be Expensive

Sure, concerts can be crazy expensive. However, not every outing you and your friends participate in has to break the bank. Go out for ice cream downtown, go to a movie, take a hike. If you save your money for your "Big 3" events, there are plenty of low-cost and free events you can chose to do with your friends. Remember, this summer is all about making memories and getting out more often! 

There you have it, my friends. With your Fun Fund, your Big 3 and low-cost spontaneous friend dates, you are going to have the best summer ever. Stop complaining about how much you are FOMOing and get out there. LIVE a little! Didn't a famous rapper once say that You Only Live Once? YOLO. Back at it again with the acronyms. 

Until next time,
Leah

Thursday, March 10, 2016

$20 Outings When You're Poor AF



No matter what stage of life you're in--college, recent graduate, mid-life crisis--we've all been at the point where we look at our bank account and cringe. One moment we thought we struck gold, and then overnight some goblins came in and snatched at you for all you're worth. Meanwhile everyone you know wants to be social (because, you know, life is social and all) and you're cowering indoors like a newfound homebody because you don't want to face the truth: the whole money situation is pretty rough.

So, what do you do?

Believe it or not, you don't have to hand over your life savings every time you go on a date or spend quality time with family and friends. In fact, I am going to introduce you to five ideas for things to do for $20 or less in the Maryland area (You can adjust the Maryland suggestions to your own hometown).

1. Annapolis Strolling + Storm Bros. Ice Cream



As Spring rolls right around the corner, it is the perfect time to act like an Annapolis tourist and stroll by the water and soak in some sunshine. Whether you're on a date or hanging with your friends, this day allows you to actually enjoy being with one another. I recommend finishing your Annapolis stroll with some Storm Bros. Ice Cream, which in my humble opinion is the best ice cream Annapolis has to offer. The catch? Storm Bros. only accepts cash - so make sure to hit the ATM before purchasing some creamy goodness. A single scoop is only $2.55, or you can be daring and get a whopping triple scoop for only $4.95 - still staying way under your allowance of $20. You can get a sneak peek of their popular flavors and other dessert options by visiting their website HERE.

TOTAL: $4.95


2. Buy a Kite + Fly It



Yes ladies and gentlemen, it is time to bring out your inner child. This idea is perfect for a date because it allows you to unleash your playful side and not worry about the stiffness of the infamous dinner date. Head out to your nearest open field and try not to make a complete fool of yourself, though I can't promise that you won't look ridiculous. 

You can purchase the glorious kite above at Walmart for only $18. Not only are you staying below your $20 limit, you're making a bold patriotic statement as well. Kudos to you, you proud American.

TOTAL: $18.00

3. Patapsco State Park + "Classy Picnic"



Maryland is home to a beautiful park named Patapsco. It has some great hiking trails for a variety of difficulty levels, so whether you want to go on a casual stroll or a strenuous adventure, you're set. I am amping up this hiking adventure with what I like to call a "classy picnic." Before you set off on your wilderness adventure, stop at your grocery store for a loaf of French bread, some cheese and wine. At Walmart, a loaf of French bread is only $1.00. You can get a fresh mozzarella ball from BelGioioso for $5.99. Finish your purchase off with a bottle of Fish Eye Pinot Grigio (which pairs very well with mozzarella) for only $11.50. Once you hike to a pretty spot, whip out your "classy picnic" and enjoy.



TOTAL: $18.49


4. Pretend to be Tourists with a Disposable Camera



Maybe you've lived in your town for a long time and never truly experienced it like an outsider or tourist would. This is your chance! Grab your friends or family and sightsee around a local hotspot, even stopping at various landmarks. Before you set out, pick up a disposable camera from a drugstore. The Kodak One-Time Use with Flash costs $7.99. Capture all of your day's memories and then drop the camera off to get them developed. This may seem like a ridiculous idea, but in the end you will have the best time goofing around. For all my scrapbookers: you'll getting a day's worth of scrapbook pictures. Although, I guarantee that somebody in your group will ruin at least 10 of those photos. 

TOTAL: $7.99

5. Discount Bin Movie Binge Day



You probably already know what I'm talking about: those big, five foot deep bins at Walmart overflowing with discounted movies that most people forgot even existed. They may slightly resemble death traps, and you may even be afraid that miniature clowns are hiding at the bottom. Fear not! These forgotten wonders are some of the best finds and will provide the entertainment for your day. I'm talking a MOVIE BINGE DAY! Buy 3 discounted movies from the Walmart movie bin at around $5 a piece. You can check out Walmart's website HERE to get a sneak preview of which movies are currently discounted. Then, buy some Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter Popcorn ($2.28 at Walmart) and a pack of Skittles ($2.55 at Dollar General). Now sit back and relax, because you've got the perfect movie day ahead of you.

TOTAL: $19.83

--------

I hope these suggestions help you venture away from your cave of a home and towards quality time with the people you love. There are so many things you can do without breaking the bank, so get out there and try them! 

Or follow the example of Harry and Hermione and have an awkward dance party in your living room.



Until next time,
Leah

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Unfortunate Subway Interactions: Overcoming Awkward Eye Contact



You've done it. You've passed the point of no return. You made eye contact with the person standing across from you not only once, not only twice, but THREE inexcusable times. It's over, right? You should just change your name, move to Antarctica and live among the polar bears.

WRONG. Don't pack your snow shoes just yet. This is one of many unpleasant interactions you will positively encounter when traveling via subway in New York City and all of them can be resolved (with the help of New Girl GIFs).

The Triple Eye Contact

We're starting off this Unfortunate Subway Interactions series with a basic, everyday subway embarrassment. If you have traveled by this underground means of transportation before, you will already know that the game of finding a place to look while going about your ride is not only difficult, it's downright impossible. No matter how hard you try, there will come a time when you accidentally make eye contact with someone.

The first time, you'll both probably look away instantly, embarrassed that you were caught looking at another human being. It is an unspoken code of the NYC subway system that you don't look at anyone, ever.



The second time you lock eyes with the same individual, the awkwardness has escalated tremendously and your gaze may linger on their's a second longer as you give a sympathetic smile that says "I am an absolute idiot and a horrible New Yorker. Please forgive me and go about your day." Then you'll immediately look away once more.



If you make the unforgivable third eye contact, (as I did on the subway yesterday) you will find yourself grimacing in their direction, mad at both yourself for making contact again and at the other person for continuing to make contact with you as well. At this point, you should just turn around and face the other direction.



So, how do you avoid this?

"Oh, I know! I'll just stare straight ahead of me!" This is a rookie move, my friend. Without a doubt, there will be a fellow rider standing directly across from you no matter where you're standing (especially during rush hour traffic when everyone is packed like sardines). This person will think you are hardcore staring into their soul, and that makes the ride a little less comfortable for everyone involved. As humans, we are naturals at being easily distracted, so even if you've found that one spot on the wall across from you where nobody is standing, you will still make eye contact with another individual if anyone moves, falls over, coughs, sings, chants or snores.



"Okay, then. I'll stare up at the ceiling!" If you're not worried about people thinking you are an absolute lunatic, then feel free to use this suggestion. However, I have personally tried this method myself and thought I had a broken neck for the rest of the day. You've been warned.



"Fine. I'll stare at the ground." For my fellow ladies with long hair, if you don't have it tied back somehow, your hair will fall in front of your face and you will look like the creature from The Ring. I have also found that the people around you think you are staring at their feet and will glare at you as they shuffle around and try to escape your downwards gaze. Again, as long as you don't care what people think (which you shouldn't, most of them are self-absorbed New Yorkers) and aren't afraid of being hated by everyone standing near you with deformed feet, feel free to use this method.



"Can I at least read the advertisements?" Yes! This may seem like a simple solution, but this method actually requires strategic planning. There aren't going to be many advertisements in your eye range, especially on a train during rush hour. So, your plan of attack is to pretend that you are the slowest reader in all of human existence. Stare at a single advertisement for at least five minutes before moving onto the next one. This way, you will keep yourself occupied and won't be tempted to make awkward eye contact with others.



Whatever you do, avoid letting them talk to you at all costs. Sometimes when you make awkward eye contact, people see this as an invitation to communicate verbally with you. If they start to ramble to you on the subway...well, that's another unfortunate subway interaction altogether (to be continued).



If all else fails, just do what I do and bring a book. I'm usually so invested in the story that I almost miss my subway stop. #Casual.



Until next time,
Leah

Friday, October 9, 2015

"Welcome to New York!" Oh, Thanks, TSwift.

**Author's Note: I am listening to Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York" while writing this post. It may or may not be on repeat. It seemed appropriate.

Four weeks ago today, I moved to New York City. Um, what.

Just the casual view from my apartment. NBD.

I'm sitting here trying to process the idea of summing up four weeks into one blog post and unfortunately I've come to this realization: you simply won't know everything that happened to me in the weird, fun, bizarre, frustrating, eye-opening, heartbreaking, amazing weeks I have had thus far.

But I'll give it my best shot.

Four weeks can sound like a short or long amount of time, depending on how you look at it. And let me be frank... a lot has happened in these four weeks.

Four weeks seems like a long time in terms of my job. It has given me the time to grow as a Social Media Intern for The Knot wedding magazine and exponentially increase engagements and followers (no big deal or anything). It has given me time to learn what works and what doesn't. So basically I'm a Kung Fu master when it comes to social media. Just kidding. I'm literally a 22 year-old post grad living in a brand new city. The most I've mastered is how to make a bowl of cereal.

Actually, now that I think about it I'm pretty sure my milk is expired, so I guess we should renege my cereal expertise award. I'll settle for a bronze star.

But I have learned what "adulting" is like in the professional working world, and (I must admit) I am pretty much loving it every single minute. It's like I'm a real person now. Kind of. Sometimes. Only on Tuesdays.

Here is me pretending to adult at work:

The woman made my ID, looked down at it and said "Sorry 'bout it." I legitimately look like a bandit.

Adults take selfies too, right?

And on Thursdays, we drink. Thirsty Thursday @ the office, ladies and gents. Literally everyone gets drunk and goes home early.

(Featuring Social Media Intern #2 Abby) We actually put this on The Knot's Snapchat account that I run. I'm really not sorry about it. 3 strangers saved it to their phones. I'm somewhat concerned.


Four weeks can also go by in a blink of an eye. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was with my best friend from home watching our daily dose of The Bachelorette? We would end every night saying, "See you tomorrow," because we would, in fact, be seeing each other the next day. And the next day. And the one after that. It's weird to be without her. I also recently lost a friend and I can't seem to find where he went. Wasn't it just last week when we were talking and everything was fine? I don't know just how we screwed it up. If you end up finding him, be sure to let me know. I miss him.

Despite the trying events I've put up with during these four weeks, they have challenged me to "find myself" (as cheesy as that sounds). I literally went to a movie BY MYSELF. It was the most freeing experience. I managed to dart in and out of the theater without people realizing that I was a complete loner (I'm in my third month of CIA spy training). I wandered around the city and even found a bookstore that I fell in love with. If you know me, you'll know this is a very bad thing because I read more than a normal person should. "It's okay," I told myself. "Just browse and don't buy anything today. You have to budget!"

I left the bookstore with three books that day.

I like to call this masterpiece: "Money Pit"

In the heroic quest to find myself, I also decided to buy myself Sprinkles cupcakes one day, because why not? I wanted four. At the same time, I knew the workers would judge me if I straight up ordered four cupcakes for myself, so I pretended like I was buying them for my work. 

"What flavors would you like?" the guy asked me as he brought out one of the boxes. I was literally about to spend $15 on cupcakes for myself. 

"Hm, let me see what flavors my CO-WORKERS want because I'm getting them for WORK," I emphasized as I pretended to look at a "text" from my "co-workers." I was actually just flipping back and forth through the apps on my home screen. Then I proceeded to order four cupcakes for myself. No ragrets. Not even one letter. 

Ignore my special, deformed friend in the top right. He had a rough night.

Things are continuing to look up for me. Something cool I was able to do yesterday was attend a product event at Ladurée. You know, the events that only the best-of-the-best's get to go to in order to publish articles and promote them. Serious stuff. My boss had me go and pretend to be a full-time employee in order to learn more about the new bridal collection for which they were releasing new cakes and venue options. I networked like nobody's business. I became friends with the coolest lady who runs the wedding blog Fab You Bliss. She was originally a wedding photographer until she found she was making more money with her blog. I truly envied her. Overall, people thought I was really cool (at least I'm 85% sure). It was kind of a big deal for me. ALSO: I learned that Americans spell macaron wrong. It's not macaroon people. Stop with the double o's. 

Check it out: 

The new wedding cakes from Ladurée's bridal collection.

A really cool box. It's new. It holds one macaron. 

A closeup of one of the cakes made entirely of macarons.

Cake topper from one of the three-tiered wedding cakes.

Cool boxes. They hold macarons. Also stackable. 

A traditional French macaron cake (According to the French marketing woman. She seemed legit).

Pretty mini cakes! It's pink, what's not to like?

My favorite cake from the event. Gorgeous.

On September 8th I thought I was moving to Los Angeles. I had a roommate, she found an apartment and we were going to move in October. The next day I got a job with The Knot. I moved up two days later and found an apartment the same day. It has been a whirlwind of an adventure ever since. 

Still a view from my apartment. I will never cease to be amazed by what is surrounding me.

But, hey, it's only been four weeks. There's still many more to go. I can't wait to fill you in on the shenanigans I get myself into. After all, it's me we're talking about. And that's an adventure in itself.

Until next time,
Leah

Friday, September 4, 2015

Why I Shouldn't Be Watching Horror Movies


I created a mental "Horror Movie Checklist" last night when I was lying frantically in my bed unable to sleep because of something my mother told me.

I was watching Paranormal Activity for the first time yesterday, and my mother said, "Oh my goodness I will never watch that. When you watch that, you open yourself up to the demonic spirits."

Crap. As I lay there, I realized that the spirits and ghosts were definitely onto me now.

She continued, "The more afraid that you are of them, the more you are opening yourself up to them."

I was practically hyperventilating in my bed. My ceiling fan rustled some papers in my bedroom and that's when I knew it was all over. I was never getting to sleep. This whole situation is ironic, because my favorite TV show is Supernatural, and I have yet to be haunted by any demonic spirits (knock on wood).

So, as I said, last night's experience led me to create a mental checklist while watching scary movies in order to prevent another episode of "Help: Leah Can't Sleep." A simple list of just four points, this is my thought process as I lay in bed after watching a scary movie.

1. It's Just a Movie
This may seem like a no brainer, but it's very difficult to do sometimes. Especially when you watch a creepy girl with black hair crawling through your television in "The Ring," or when a mysterious hand comes out of the girl's head in the shower in "The Grudge." I'm going to be honest, I had to do continuous circles while showering for an entire month after watching "The Grudge," and I kept my hands on my head at all times. Merely safety precautions, of course. I clearly knew it was just a movie. Totally.


2. Other People Have Survived After Watching "Insert Horror Movie Title Here"
My brother was the one who told me about "Paranormal Activity." He's still healthy and kicking, and I don't believe he is currently being haunted as far as I can tell. In fact, my brother has seen the entire "Paranormal Activity" series. He might not be afraid of them, but when the first film is claimed to be the scariest movie of all time, I'd like to respectfully disagree.

3. If I Die Tonight, I Have Lived a Wonderful Life
If the monsters or creepy ghosts from the movie come to life and bring me to my doom, I've decided that I have lived a great life so I can't complain too much. So long, and thanks for all the fish.

4. I'm Watching a Comedy Next Time
Yep, definitely not going through this again.

Until next time,
Leah

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

10 Tips for Dating in Your 20s

Let's face it: we've all had our share of scares and "wtf" moments while dating. It's inevitable. Nobody has it together in their 20s. I'm still exploring and discovering things I like and dislike in relationships, and I still crack up with my best girlfriends over the latest "oh no" moments when it comes to men.

It's been a while since my last blog post, so let me refresh you all with who I am. I am 22 years old. I am unemployed. I am about to move to a new city across the country, yet technically I am still homeless without an apartment. Oh, and I will have an entirely new sea of men to explore, for which I am particularly enthusiastic. 

In honor of starting this exciting yet horrifying new chapter of my life, my best friends Emily and Victoria and I have compiled a list of some vital dating tips to get you through your 20s. So, sit back, get ready to laugh at our misfortunes, and prepare to learn a thing or two about how to survive dating in your 20s (and how I've decided to embrace being single). 

1. If he is interested in you, he will text you.
And no, Snapchat does NOT count. Ok, I admit that this was partially taken from the movie "He's Just Not That Into You," but I have learned this the hard way. I have always made excuses for why a guy hasn't texted me. "Oh, maybe he is sick." "I think he's really busy with work this week." "He probably died." If a guy truly likes you, he would be interested in talking with you. Bottom line. A snapchat takes less than 2 seconds to take and is usually sent out to a mass audience. If getting a snapchat from the person you're interested in makes you feel appreciated, I'm sure the other 15 people he/she sent that to must be feeling the same way.

2. You can't create chemistry over time.
If you are on a date with someone and you find yourself wanting it to end, you're simply not into it. This may seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes people try to be polite and find themselves hoping to find chemistry somewhere down the line. Don't let yourself get swept up into the idea of dating someone solely based on the idea that you will be dating someone. If there is no chemistry, don't go on a second date to "just see" if there's chemistry later on. It won't be there.

3. Are we on the same boat?
"Some idiot ended a relationship with me through a letter. I was very confused because I didn't think there was any kind of official relationship to begin with." (-Emily) It is important to make sure you are on the same page with the person you are dating. Establish clear expectations with your relationship in order to avoid awkward moments, such as when someone tries to break off a relationship that never existed. Yikes.

4. "Get out, right now, it's the end of you and me." - JoJo
 
Don't be afraid to end things when it isn't working out. Don't let the other person guilt you into staying with a relationship that is sinking faster than the Titanic. Some horror stories include a guy that told his girlfriend that he had cancer in order to make her stay in the relationship. Needless to say it still didn't work out, and he had to deal with the awkwardness that follows when your ex-girlfriend finds out that you are not sick with cancer. If you do not see a long-term relationship, don't bother continuing to waste your time or their time. 

5. Three is not the magic number
If a guy brings a friend to your date, this could mean one of two things. 1) It's not a date in his mind or 2) he views you only as a friend or someone he wants to get into his bed. He shouldn't even have to ask if it's okay to bring a friend, because if he was really into you he would want to focus on spending time with you and not juggling his attention. Sorry, but that's the cold-hearted truth. 

6. Fool me twice, shame on me.
"There's an old saying 'fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.' Don't let anyone make a fool out of you. If he screwed you over once, okay maybe be forgiving. If he screws up twice? Don't give him a third opportunity because it is likely he will do the same exact thing again and again until you stop letting him." (-Victoria)

7. If it's going down, I'm yelling "TINDER!"
disgusted
In this day and age, people are more frequently turning to apps and online dating websites to find that possible connection. While I am in no way diminishing the success of online dating, it is important to be careful and stay smart while using such services. Pictures can often be misleading, so when getting to know someone via the internet or a dating app just realize that the person may look different when you meet in person. "One time I matched with an attractive man and went to the bar to meet up and he looked completely different. He was also half of my height." (-Emily) Awkward.

8. Comfort level: 0
You want to feel comfortable with the person you are dating, right? You want to be yourself and honest with this person. Here's a tip to decide how comfortable you are with someone: if you aren't comfortable enough to tell the person you are dating when they have spinach stuck in their teeth, then you are not comfortable enough to date them. "I went on a date with someone and didn't tell them they had spinach stuck in their teeth, and looking back it never would have worked out." (-Emily) It may seem like a silly guideline, but it helped me determine with whom I was just being polite and with whom I was actually connecting. Plot twist: this guideline can also mean you like this person A LOT and are too nervous to tell them because you don't want to be rude. 

9. All the Single Ladies
"One of the newest trends seems to be settling down and starting a family when you're young. My advice? Live your twenties to the fullest. I'm not saying you should break up with the man you think is the love of your life, but marriage entirely changed the dynamic of a relationship. Go ahead and spend your twenties together if that's what you would like, but don't feel rushed to get married. If he's the one, he's still going to be by your side 5+ years down the road. If not? Screw him. Take advantage of your youth and explore the world, get to know your adult self, set new goals for yourself, etc. Take this time to be selfish and love yourself! And don't be afraid to be single, either." (-Victoria)

10. If it's meant to happen, it will.
At the end of the day, I believe that if you are meant to be with someone, you will be. When you find that person with whom you can 100% be yourself, make weird jokes, laugh way too loudly, tell all of your secrets to, be unashamed of who you are, admit all of your weird fetishes, and miss immensely whenever they are away, then you'll know. The timing is never perfect, and you usually find said person in the most inconvenient of times. However, when you find this person, don't let timing or other circumstances make you give up. Don't let them go. If it's meant to happen, it will. 

As for me and my best friends (who graciously helped author this blog post), we are happily single at this time. They're my people. You know, the ones with whom I can 100% be myself, make weird jokes, laugh way too loudly, tell all of my secrets to, be unashamed of who I am, admit all of my weird fetishes, and miss immensely whenever they are away. We have learned the art of being happily single.

Until next time,
Leah, Emily and Victoria

Friday, January 30, 2015

Days 6 and 7: Leah Finds Luck in a Hopeless Place



On Wednesday I learned a couple valuable lessons that most people should keep close to heart:
1) People with good morals still exist in this world
2) When good karma comes your way, make sure to return the favor.

A group of seven of us took to the slopes and spent the majority of the day skiing or snowboarding. Seeing as the few times I tried snowboarding I spent the majority of my time scooting down the hill on my butt, I stuck with what I know (skiing). I truly enjoyed having a day of exercise and fun, a day not spent holed up in a dark theater (though don’t get me wrong, I have been loving my times in the theater just as much). Though I haven’t been skiing in six years, I was ecstatic to be able to get back onto a snowy mountain and work my way back to the level of skiing I used to brag about.

Standing above a Black Diamond

Unfortunately I never made it back to a level of skiing that was worthy of bragging. In fact, I wiped out two times too many, and my knees hate me for it. The first time I wiped out I had been skiing down the slope gracefully, impressed that I was doing so well, when I realized that my legs were tired. Boom, it was all over. I flipped over my skis two times, causing one ski to fly off and the other ski landed in a way that caused my knee to bend unnaturally. My poles were easily twenty feet away. I was completely alone on the slope. I laid there for a few minutes before realizing that I had no feeling in one of my hands because I dropped my glove off the chairlift on the way up.

Life: 1. Leah: 0.

Too foggy to see; probably why I fell the second time

Since we would be buying lunch and I was unsure if we would need our licenses for the rentals, I brought my credit card and license with me in the zipped pocket of my ski jacket, which also happened to house my cell phone. It seemed like a safe place to house two of the most important items that enable me to get around and function in society. However, this assumption was entirely wrong. During that first wipe out on a "Green" slope called "Homerun," I took my cell phone out to snap a quick picture of the beautiful scenery after gathering myself, not realizing both my credit card and license had escaped in the process.

Of course this would happen to me, I'm Bad Luck Leah. We were all having such a great day and I didn't want to let these circumstances ruin the rest of my ski day, but I was grumpy and had no idea how I would replace them. I felt bad because people on my trip aren't used to seeing a version of Leah that isn't smiling or laughing 24/7, but I was completely bummed about these turn of events. However, I am pleased to report that as my friends and I were leaving the ski area, I received a call from the lost and found. A woman found my credit card and license on the “Homerun” course and was wonderful enough to turn them in! I have decided to take my good karma and return in when the time comes, because it is important to spread the happiness around.
Sigma Kappa takes on Utah

Utah mountain selfie

Holly and I taking a break on the slopes

Today was another day of movie watching, starting off with the film "True Story," starring James Franco and Jonah Hill. Personally I thought it was okay, but it definitely intrigued me to research more on the relationship between Christian Longo, who was convicted of murdering his family, and Michael Finkel, New York Times reporter. Personally I thought Jonah Hill was exceptional in this film, further demonstrating his acting abilities and range.

In the afternoon I presented the research I've completed at Sundance to my classmates and J. I chose to explore the question: Do actors drive the success of movies? With the obsession and fixation on celebrities that is especially seen at the festival where an enormous amount of well-known industry personnel are walking around, I thought this was an important topic to cover in determining how a movie is cast and whether it determines its success. I thought I was clever and titled my research "Do A-Lists Make A-Plus Movies?" It is clever. You cannot deny it. Overall I think I did fairly well on the presentation and enjoyed hearing everyone else's work too.

I also saw "The Witch" again tonight with my friends as promised. I'm still scarred and it still scared me immensely. So that was a lot of fun.

Until next time,
Leah