Anywhere but here...

Springfield is boring the hell out of me. Don't get me wrong-I love my Springfield friends dearly, and am always sure to have a great time while I'm out with them, but I sincerely feel like I'm out of place among the cornfields and capitol building. Ye Olde Land of Lincoln will always have a dear place in my heart; however, I am feeling (day by day) the overwhelming urge that I don't belong here. Example: I've always wanted to intern in Washington D.C., and eventually start my career out there. However, over the past year and a half, I've put it off thanks to other opportunities that have come up. I don't have any regrets from the way I have done things in college (except one, but it had nothing to do w/ schooling or internships and we won't get into it now). I'm a person who has adopted the motto CARPE DIEM and I don't believe in regret-it gets you nowhere-we learn from all experiences and (hopefully) become better people and make better choices because of it. However, I don't want to graduate this year, find a job, fall in love, and just SETTLE. And I'm sincerly afraid that if I stay in Springfield, this is going to happen to me, and I am certain it would result in unhappiness and possible resent-both things I plan to avoid at all costs in life. So, in an attempt to follow my dreams and experience all life has to offer, I do believe I'm going to finally plunge right into life in D.C. following my graduation this year. Maybe it won't be forever, maybe I'll decide it's not the right life for me-but I'll still have the experience-and that will make it all worth it. It's about time I've done something just for ME and not just because my parents/family and/or friends think it's a good choice.

And that's just the career plans. I've also made another vow, this one having to do with relationships:

I, Amy Hodges, vow to NEVER hide my feelings (due to fears centering around embarassment/rejection/etc.) for a person ever again, because I've learned that the worst feeling of all is not embarassment, or rejection, but REGRET. And wondering "what might have been"-constantly replaying events in your mind and wondering how it would have played out another way. Like I said, there's only been one (regret). And I swear if I've learned one lesson, it's to never let that happen again.

From this moment on...I'm living my life for ME. Because in the long run, that's the only way I'll be truly happy.

Carpe Diem.

good quote from a friend's profile:

"I've learned one thing, and that's to quit worrying about stupid things. Relax. You'll never remember class time, but you'll remember the time you hung out with your friends. So, stay out late. Go out on a Tuesday with your friends when you have a paper due on Wednesday. Spend money you don't have. Drink 'til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does." -Tom Petty

You can say a lot of things about that girl A.L., but one thing you can't say is that she didn't have a damn good time in college. And if I had the chance, would I do it all over again? You had better believe it! (P.S.-what do you think grad school is for?!?)

Hey everyone! I'm FINALLY back online, and quite happy about it. Not much is going on-class, work, the usual-things are going pretty well, not much new-but I promise regular posts now that I'm back online.

Hello all. Sorry, I know it's been awhile. But the good news is we are having digital internet installed next week (we've been putting it off until we received our first full-time paychecks), so hooray.

A lot has happened since last time I posted, but I'll try to sum it up briefly:

Class is going really well. It's my seminar in Comparative Constitutional Law, for all of you who don't know what I'm talking about, it's just what it sounds like: comparing the laws/constitution of the U.S. with those of other countries. Fascinating-really, it is, I'm not being sarcastic. All of you non poli-sci/law groupies can stop yawning now.

Going out-same as always, but last weekend we tried something new, the jazz bar at the top of the Hilton. It has proved to be quite a fun time-mixes things up a bit. Other than that, it's been Stella Blue and 11 West as always-Stella was particularly fun the other night thanks to the live music, and entertaining because of my run-in with a fellow Centralia High School alum! INSANE-this world seems smaller everyday. It took us awhile to approach each other, but when we finally did we were laughing about how much we had changed since then. I certainly look more grown up, and he had changed as well. Springfield is still, well, Springfield, but I have no shortage of friends to hang out with now, which is nice.

Speaking of friends, I ran into Matty McDiller at UIS-who was there for a student trustee meeting, so we got to hang out for a couple of days, which was great. I miss that kid a lot-you don't find that many people who are as great a friend as he is. Good times, as usual.

Some sad news, one of my favorite teachers from CHS and a close friend of the Hodges family, Mrs. Oletta Klein, sadly passed away on Friday to colon cancer. I'm going home for the visitation and funeral tomorrow. I am pretty upset about it-I couldn't begin to express what a wonderful person she was, what an impact she had on everyone she met, and what she did for me personally (in terms of being a motivator/friend/etc.) You couldn't ask for a person who loved life more than she did, and it's impossible to believe that she is gone, but surely she has left this life for a better place, and for her impact on my life I will always be grateful.

With that, I end this posting, reminding everyone to live each day to the fullest, leave nothing unsaid, and have no regrets-because you never know when you or the ones you love might be gone forever.