on my radar

It feels like so long since I've done this, I barely even remember how. I used to spend a lot of time reading other blogs, shopping online, etc. — so I always had a lot of fun, bloggy stuff in my On My Radar posts. I spend so much time working in the office and spend so little time doing things that aren't high up on my to do list, so it's nice to see how my priorities and interests have changed since the last time I might've written a post like this. 

1. This beautiful column in The Daily Tar Heel today by a friend and coworker of mine. "Do not be like me and let past experiences dictate your idea of self-worth," he writes. 

I have spent 22 years often looking back at what happened to me in middle school, high school, early college — and I have let that dictate how I think, how I speak, how I talk. I have felt inferior at the age of 22 for a slip-up in a conversation from seventh grade or a rude name someone called me for being "bossy." Tyler's words are so, so, so important and remind me of something I sometimes forget.

2. This weather. I think it's supposed to cool down again soon (I would imagine, anyway) but for now, it is toasty and golden and warm outside. It's truly the greatest thing. Pat and I went to Weaver Street Market in Carrboro to eat our favorite lunch (the $6.79 pizza special from Amante's, yum) while he tried to take photos of people laying out in the sun for his photojournalism class. The pizza was a perfect 10, as was the interpretive dancer and the man who brought some sort of flute. Only having 45 minutes before we had to return to work and fluorescent lights, not so much.

3. My To Be Read pile is still up in the air for February, and I am in desperate need of books to add to it. My great friend Mary Tyler bought me "Fates and Furies" for Christmas (she knows me) and I downloaded "The Siren" to my Nook the other day. I haven't started the first, and the second is … meow. Not great. Looking for advice on what books I should read next. 

 

4. I am so in love with my job this week. We hire new staffers, mostly first-years, at the beginning of every fall and spring semester, and on Saturday, we held orientation for about 75 new babies. 

This was my seventh and last orientation, and I'm definitely feeling a lot of nostalgia and love for this amazing year. It's been wild and emotional and so frustrating, but also so rewarding. For anyone reading who is starting college or knows someone starting college, encourage them to take a step and join their college newspaper. Even if you don't want to be a journalist, there's something beautiful about contributing to your community this way.