MEGA BLOG

As I have been really busy with finals and family drama, I have not had time to finish several blogs that I have started over the last two weeks. So, consider this me making up for lost time.


Topic 1: Sarah Dessen
Last Wednesday, the lovely librarians at The Bookworm, an independent bookstore across the street from my school hosted the wonderful Sarah Dessen. My writing group meets in the basement of the Bookworm so I have met these lovely ladies and can personally tell you how fantastic they are.

Anyway, back to the main point.

The Bookworm is this tiny little store that could very well not hold all the people that Sarah was sure to attract. Instead, the signing was at one of the local branches of our library. I had to drive half way across town during rush hour but it was sure worth it.

Sarah just released What Happened to Goodbye, a story that focuses on Mclean as she moves to another new town and falls into the persona of someone she isn't quite used to: herself. It was a good book and I was so happy that Sarah would be stopping here on tour so soon after I had read it.

At the signing Sarah read the first chapter from her new book What Happened to Goodbye, had a trivia contest, and had Q&A. She was very sweet. I bought my favorite book that she's written so far to date: Along for the Ride and had her sign it. Because I never go anywhere without my camera, here are some pictures:

You should look up Sarah here: @SarahDessen, Website/Blog

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Topic 2: A Super Secret Secret


So, I am not supposed to tell anyone about this until next week but I am really tired of keeping secrets from everyone, so I am telling you all.

Ready?

I thought so.

My parents bought a house.
.
..
...
..
.
It's not final yet, the seller accepted their offer, and they close in a month.

You mat have noticed that I keep saying "them" and not "us". That's because the house that we have in Minnesota, whether it be this one or the next will never feel like home to me. I really don't feel like I ave any home at the moment, which is really sad.

Anyway, I don't know what they house looks like. My dad has been the only one to see it. My mum and little brother are going up there on Sunday to look at it, sign papers, look at schools, etc. Also, my mom has an interview for a teaching position.

Exciting, yes? (Well no. The answer is really no, not at all.)

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So, that's basically the two biggest things that have happened in my life over the past two weeks. Finals are over and "summer" has officially started.

Yep.

The Power of Nerdfighteria

So I was just over hanging out on Your Pants and was thinking about how Nerdfighters and nerdfighteria has changed my life.

Now I could go into the whole story of how I became a nerdfighter, why, when, blah, blah, et cetera that a lot of people tell...But I'm not going to.*

I am going to get down to the heart of what I really want to say.

Nerdfighters can and have changed the world. And that is just so freaking amazing.


Nerdfighting lives by the model "Decrease World Suck, Increase Awesome", but what I've come to learn during the last year and a half that I have be apart of the Nerdfighting family is that it is more than that.

Because of Nerdfighteria: Project for Awesome completely took over Youtube for a day, Vidcon, 5 planes were sent to Haiti after the earthquake with supplies; Ester Earl will forever be remembered as the star that won'to go out, and such, and so, so much more, I'm met and made friends with someone from Isreal, I'm learned that I am truly not the only nerdfighter in the state.

What it comes down to Nerdfighting is whatever each individual nerdfighter wants it to be. Over the four years that John and Hank have been making videos (and leading us), Nerdfighteria has grown to an international family.

There are over 23,000 members on Your Pants. The Vlogbrothers YT channel has over 500,000 subscribers. Nerdfighteria runs a record company (DFTBA Records). Countless vlogs, blogs, and other collaborations have been started through this community.

What it comes down to is that Nerdfighteria has shown me that anyone, even two brothers and a group of the nerdiest people on the internet, can impact each other and the world.

And that's what being a nerdfighter has taught me thus far.

Sami

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*Okay fine. When: 18 months ago. Why: I don't remember. Comments: See entire post above.

Lost Awards and Sickness

While today may be Thursday, it feel likes Tuesday for me. This is only my second day at school this week and it's a little disconcerting. Monday, as you know, was State Journalism; Tuesday was the first day I was at school; Yesterday I was sick; and today I came right before third mod.

So, not only am I very, very behind in all of my classes, I keep going to the wrong classes because I am so confused on what day it is.

[That was pretty boring. Onto something I care more about...]

Tuesday night was Freshman-Sophomore awards night. Basically, it is when each department gives awards for the best and brightest freshman and sophomores. So, as Lit is my strongest and favorite subject I naturally expected to get an English award. It was just an expectation. I was so sure that I was going to get one, I was joking about not getting one.

And then...I didn't. Now, I generally frown on people who stereotype but: all the people who won were the preppy, suck up, favorites of the teachers.

There, I said it. I did something that I always bad-talk people for doing. But it's done and, well, it's true.

I seriously deserved that recognition of getting that award. But I didn't. And now I am rather angry at the Lit teachers. And my Lit class. And everyone who tells me to stop being angry.

So...a lot of people. I have mild angry problems.

Anyway, I think I deserved an award, and I wasn't given one, and now I'm rather pissed.


Also, I really wish it was summer already so I could be done with all the formalities of school.

Sick and Angry,
Sami

P.S. As I write this Lit class, a group of people have randomly decided to attempt rapping. It bad. I dislike this class.
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EDIT: For some reason this unpublished and reposted today. Original post date was Thursday, May 12

Eurovision

As an American I wasn't really sure what Eurovision was, but on Saturday afternoon the internet (namely Maureen Johnson on Twitter) was screaming about it so I decided to watch it.

The only conclusion that I can draw from this is that it was the most awesome thing I have ever experienced. I understand Europe a little bit more now.

Eurovision = awesome.


That is all.

P.S. My vote would have gone to Moldova. Because of their hates. And the fairy on the unicycle. Nothing can match that.
P.P.S. Somebody explain to me what "Jedward" is. My mind wasn't able to comprehend them.

The Anticipation of the End

You know that feeling you get right before finishing a really good book? You next the next page is the last page and though you really want the author to write another sequel and continue with the characters stories you know that the end, the true end, is coming soon.

I love that feeling.

I just finished The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson. It is an incredible book, and worthy sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes which is what I remember as officially selling me on YA Fiction. (If you haven't read either of these books, you definitely should. They are witty and entertaining.)

On the second to last page of  LLBE I got that feeling of anticipation. As Ginny was sitting on that train, thinking about what she would do next, outlining her future, I knew that this story was really ending. I didn't want it to. I wanted another about what would happen to Ginny in college, who she would meet, and what would happen with the guy she chose. (What? You thought I was going to tell you who it was? You wish.)

But I knew that I wouldn't get anymore. Ginny's story of adventure with the little blue envelopes was over, and the rest was left for us, the reader to imagine.

Which kind of sucks, to be honest.

I have always thought that was the hardest part about being such an avid reader: Getting to the end of the fantastic books.

There have been times when I did not want a book to end so much, that I set it down and never read the last page or chapter. But I don't do that anymore, because that is almost harder in a way. Waiting so long for an ending, almost getting there, and then stopping. It's just so...painful. Not letting yourself reach the ending is just being cruel to yourself. (Let's not develop masochistic tendencies boys and girls.)

The best books always have the best endings, even if you want them not to end. Read the last page, end the story. I promise it will be worth it.

The last sentence of The Last Little Blue Envelope is"It's always easier to say good-bye when you know it's just a prelude to hello." That sentence definitely applies here as well. Say good-bye to those good endings, and say hello to new ones.

State Journalism

This is my first year on Newspaper and I miraculously qualified for State. It was held at the the school of Journalism at the University in Lincoln. Going into the day...I really had no idea what to expect. At the end of the day, well, I did.

First off, we had to leave school at the unholy time of 7.15. The competition started at 9 and it is a 45 minute trip. Why must we leave so early?!?! It's Monday! Of course, Howe is a morning(-ish) person and was fine while he had his coffee cup.

We rode a bus. Although, we all unanimously agreed that it was unnecessary and excessive to get a bus for 9 nine. Nine. But, hey...we just let Howe do what he pleases.

When we got to Lincoln, we sat around for a while until the first round of competition began. The people who didn't have a session first round (including me) walked the three blocks to Starbucks. Mmm...coffee.

After wasting an hour there we walked back to the School of Journalism and prepared for competition.

Showtime.

I walked into the room - a computer lab - and sat down. The proctor took role and made sure we were all in the right place. Then we really began.

We had one hour to write a news story based on the notes and interviews we were given.

I don't write that fast...ever.

So, needless to say, it was an interesting hour of me typing furiously and trying to absorb all of the information from the interview and background information we were given. I did not like it much because I had no personal connection to the interviews, no sense of who the subjects of the story were so I felt really disconnected from the story. Also, the topic was boring.

When the hour was up, I breathed a sigh of relief, and went off to lunch.

We went to Noodles and Co. It was delicious.

After lunch we sat through a really long and boring awards ceremony. I ended up placing 6th in the news category, which was a big honor and a surprise as most people up there were seniors and I am a first-year newspaper student who is a sophomore. I got a medal...it was shiny.

We left the ceremony early because it got really boring and tedious. It was hot and humid outside and the bus was nearly unbearable. I got all sweaty and gross on the ride back to school, and literally ran into the air conditioning to cool off when we got there.

I had originally planned for this to be much more interesting, funny, and include pictures, but unfortunately I am drowning in school work because I am three days behind.

So, I have to go back to History and Math projects now. Until tomorrow lovelies!

And...GO!

I've been planning on starting a blog for several months now on recommendation from professionals telling me to start archiving my writing, internet suggestion, and personal interest. So, here it goes.

Me in one very long sentence:
I am a writer, reader, and journalist who just happens to be pushing herself to graduate from high school in three years instead of two because her family is moving to Minnesota, who loves the internet more than all of the 525,600 minutes in a year, can't decide what she really wants to do with her life, and thinks that most of the people she knows take much too many things for granted.

:deep breath: There.

That is the basics of my life. I have one more year left of high school (which I am dubbing jusenior year) before I will be carted off to the lovely frigid Canadian neighbor of Minnesota. Because of this though, I have to have an extremely full class load next year and take summer school as well.

I will be using this blog as a social commentary of my high school and life; a lasting archive of my articles published in the school paper; a book review; the main trials and tribulations of graduating early, looking for colleges, and moving across the country, and day-to-day activities and information that I find interesting.

For example: Tomorrow is the State Journalism competition that I will be at all day. Expect a post on all of the craziness experienced there.

See you then!

P.S. Follow me on Twitter at @SamiSalvo.

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On a side note: I decided to name this blog after the lyrics from my favorite rock musical RENT because I want to store the events of my ever changing life and be able to look back on how I spend all 525,600 minutes of each year. (Okay...maybe not every minutes, but you get the point.)