I've always been more of the letter-writing, phone call type. So, back in 2006, sitting in a restaurant with two of my closest high school friends, I was rather skeptical when they talked with me about a new social networking site called Facebook. The whole thing sounded rather stupid to me. What was this Facebook? But my friends convinced me it was the new in thing, so I tried it. At 18, it was fun. The rules back then were simple: go out, get drunk, take pictures. Meet hot guys, take pictures. Post to Facebook so that you impress your friends. Rinse and repeat.
Years after that I traveled abroad and stayed on Facebook simply because it was easier to stay in touch with family. But recently I've gotten tired of constantly being in contact with people that I don't necessarily care about, and this whole Facebook thing has gotten to a point of insanity. People communicate almost solely through an online social network. You may not see your friends for months, but you feel you're still connected b/c of their status updates and private messages. That's all well and good, until you meet up with them for the first time in forever and have absolutely nothing to say to each other. Getting married? Facebook already told me that. Oh you and your fiance have created a gift registry? Didn't I read that somewhere? Oh yes, on Facebook. That sex change your brother is having? Yes, I've read all about him becoming a new woman on Facebook. You see these statuses, these links, and they are for everyone to read. There is nothing personal about them.
How is E-mail different? E-mails tend to be more like letters-they are sent less often and tend to be more personal. Facebook is more like putting your life on display for everyone that is on your friend's list to judge. All of these things have lead to my most recent challenge for myself: 3 1/2 months without Facebook.
The past 1 1/2 years have resulted in amazing changes in my life. I've traveled the world, developed more self-confidence, and lost 19 pounds, and become the person I've always wanted to be. So why not say goodbye to Facebook for a while and see if that allows me to have more time for things/people that matter?
Which brings me to another point. Those that are my true friends will still e-mail, still call, and still find ways to communicate with me other than via Facebook. Those that don't didn't matter in the first place. I'm excited to see what will happen ;-)
-Molly
PS-To contact me over my facebook break e-mail me at Molly.Rowland@hotmail.de
;)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Alles hat seine Zeit.
It really is very true that there is a season for everything. I wasn't sure why I had to go back to Ohio to complete the second year of my master's, but I'm beginning to understand. So far this year has allowed to reconnect with my family (I've gotten a lot closer to my siblings), think more about what direction I'd like to go in life), and to allow me to improve myself. I never thought I'd love going to the gym regularly or reading Reklam Bücher, but that is what has what happened to me this year. I'm changing. I'm still me, "just enhanced" as Madame Simone would say, a character from my favorite lifetime movie.
Alles hat seine Zeit.
Love from rainy Ohio,
Molly
Alles hat seine Zeit.
Love from rainy Ohio,
Molly
Molly's Weight Loss Tips
After losing 10 pounds slowly I decided that I'd like to share my weight loss tips with you:
1) Do not set yourself up for failure by starting a diet when you have big issues in your life that need to be dealt with first. I myself dealt with other things in my life before I tackled those pesky extra 10 pounds that I was carrying around. (This is not, however, and excuse to put off weight loss indefinitely if you really would like to lose some weight. I'm going to a family party next week is not a good excuse. Life happens during weight loss. You have to deal with it).
2) Start small. I started by attending yoga classes 1 time a week and walking around my apartment complex. It was only a couple weeks after making the effort to exercise that I started to change my diet. And by that time I increased my physical activity and try to go to the gym 3-4 times per week.
3) Eat more fruits and veggies.
4) Eat less carbs.
5) You can eat everything you love (wait, what?) just in moderation, and not on the same day. Restricting any food completely will just make you crave it. On the first day of my diet I told myself: no chocolate. By the end of the day I was ready to raid the kitchen (which was never my style before. I ate too many sweets but never had more than a few cookies or a candy bar at a time). I realized then that I had to simply cut down on the sweet foods. So I started savoring the few pieces of dark chocolate I allow myself to have everyday. I don't stuff it in my mouth. I sit and enjoy it and feel satisfied.
6) Have a special day each week where you can splurge a little bit. (We're talking 250-500 calories here on an alcoholic beverage or a piece of cake, not going crazy and eating 3000 extra calories. You won't lose weight that way). It will make it easier to stick to your diet the rest of the week if you know that you can enjoy a cocktail with the girls on the weekend.
7) Sometimes you will have to say no to that extra piece of cake or pizza. And that is hard because you may not see the results on the scale the next day or the day after that. But if you keep eating healthier you will eventually see results. And the best feeling in the world was when I put on a pair of jeans that had been too tight for me all last year...and suddenly they were baggy on me. That's just priceless :-)
8) Eating badly one day doesn't mean that you should stop trying. Last night I'm pretty sure I had 3,000 crackers (and by 3000 I mean probably a good 300 calories worth. Needless to say that wasn't within the parameters of my diet), but today I compensated by eating a little less and a little healthier.
9) Don't get obsessed. After measuring things out for a bit things will become more like second nature. Soon you won't have to look at the calorie count before you eat something. It should be a change in lifestyle that should lead to a healthier you. The goal here isn't to become the next "Twiggy." Remember that there are also more important things in life.
1) Do not set yourself up for failure by starting a diet when you have big issues in your life that need to be dealt with first. I myself dealt with other things in my life before I tackled those pesky extra 10 pounds that I was carrying around. (This is not, however, and excuse to put off weight loss indefinitely if you really would like to lose some weight. I'm going to a family party next week is not a good excuse. Life happens during weight loss. You have to deal with it).
2) Start small. I started by attending yoga classes 1 time a week and walking around my apartment complex. It was only a couple weeks after making the effort to exercise that I started to change my diet. And by that time I increased my physical activity and try to go to the gym 3-4 times per week.
3) Eat more fruits and veggies.
4) Eat less carbs.
5) You can eat everything you love (wait, what?) just in moderation, and not on the same day. Restricting any food completely will just make you crave it. On the first day of my diet I told myself: no chocolate. By the end of the day I was ready to raid the kitchen (which was never my style before. I ate too many sweets but never had more than a few cookies or a candy bar at a time). I realized then that I had to simply cut down on the sweet foods. So I started savoring the few pieces of dark chocolate I allow myself to have everyday. I don't stuff it in my mouth. I sit and enjoy it and feel satisfied.
6) Have a special day each week where you can splurge a little bit. (We're talking 250-500 calories here on an alcoholic beverage or a piece of cake, not going crazy and eating 3000 extra calories. You won't lose weight that way). It will make it easier to stick to your diet the rest of the week if you know that you can enjoy a cocktail with the girls on the weekend.
7) Sometimes you will have to say no to that extra piece of cake or pizza. And that is hard because you may not see the results on the scale the next day or the day after that. But if you keep eating healthier you will eventually see results. And the best feeling in the world was when I put on a pair of jeans that had been too tight for me all last year...and suddenly they were baggy on me. That's just priceless :-)
8) Eating badly one day doesn't mean that you should stop trying. Last night I'm pretty sure I had 3,000 crackers (and by 3000 I mean probably a good 300 calories worth. Needless to say that wasn't within the parameters of my diet), but today I compensated by eating a little less and a little healthier.
9) Don't get obsessed. After measuring things out for a bit things will become more like second nature. Soon you won't have to look at the calorie count before you eat something. It should be a change in lifestyle that should lead to a healthier you. The goal here isn't to become the next "Twiggy." Remember that there are also more important things in life.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Salzburg
Studying abroad is a strange thing. The journey doesn't end when you return home. It's just beginning. I don't think I'll ever stop reflecting on my life-changing year abroad. I may appear the same to my family and friends: they all see what they want to see. But the truth is, I feel forever changed.
Next September I will spend a month back in Salzburg, this time without the pressure of university or fitting in. I'll hike up Kapuzinerberg, walk around the city, take pictures, eat ice cream, and just enjoy life in Austria. I'm really looking forward to it.
Things in Ohio are going well. Getting one's master's involves a lot of deadlines and other pressures, but I'm taking it all in stride. I am learning a lot and I feel like getting this master's has been worthwhile in many ways. Living with a native Austrian is also very interesting. From a cultural standpoint we are so incredibly different, but in other ways, we are very similar.
I'm looking forward to seeing what direction my life will take in the next couple of months.
-Molly
Next September I will spend a month back in Salzburg, this time without the pressure of university or fitting in. I'll hike up Kapuzinerberg, walk around the city, take pictures, eat ice cream, and just enjoy life in Austria. I'm really looking forward to it.
Things in Ohio are going well. Getting one's master's involves a lot of deadlines and other pressures, but I'm taking it all in stride. I am learning a lot and I feel like getting this master's has been worthwhile in many ways. Living with a native Austrian is also very interesting. From a cultural standpoint we are so incredibly different, but in other ways, we are very similar.
I'm looking forward to seeing what direction my life will take in the next couple of months.
-Molly
Monday, September 26, 2011
Friends
Leaving for a long period of time and coming backs has its drawbacks. I ended up losing more friends than I ever expected to. However, I suppose I'd rather have a few good friends than lots of superficial ones. So today, I'll just be grateful for my true friends, and my wonderful family. You know who you are :-)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Home
Here I am, sitting in my room in my apartment in Bowling Green, Ohio. My mind, however, is in a completely different place. I currently miss my host families and friends in Germany and Austria terribly. Normally I am okay with being home, enjoying school, etc. But today is just one of those days. All I want is to see the people that helped make German-speaking Europe my home for 13 months.
I am constantly reminded by people here that I am back in the US of A, but they don't understand that it's difficult to readjust. I am certainly happy to see the people that I missed for so long, but at the same time, my life in Salzburg was simpler. It was not reality. Using savings, scholarships, and loans, I was traveling every weekend, buying fresh bread from the bakery, and living the good life. I realize that this is not the way one lives every year. However, what made my time there special to me wasn't the trips or the small amount of material possessions I acquired: it was the people.
Right now I am trying to figure out how to get back there next year. My hope is to be able to teach English in either Austria or Germany for 2 years. At that point I can figure out what I want to do in the future, and where I actually want to live. Will I spend the rest of my life in Germany/Austria, or in America? Only time will tell.
All I can say is that right now, I have a hole in my heart where something is missing. On most days an e-mail from a friend, an episode of a classic tv show, or a piece of chocolate will fill the void. Unfortunately, today I'm looking for something more.
Where is home??
Love, Molly
I am constantly reminded by people here that I am back in the US of A, but they don't understand that it's difficult to readjust. I am certainly happy to see the people that I missed for so long, but at the same time, my life in Salzburg was simpler. It was not reality. Using savings, scholarships, and loans, I was traveling every weekend, buying fresh bread from the bakery, and living the good life. I realize that this is not the way one lives every year. However, what made my time there special to me wasn't the trips or the small amount of material possessions I acquired: it was the people.
Right now I am trying to figure out how to get back there next year. My hope is to be able to teach English in either Austria or Germany for 2 years. At that point I can figure out what I want to do in the future, and where I actually want to live. Will I spend the rest of my life in Germany/Austria, or in America? Only time will tell.
All I can say is that right now, I have a hole in my heart where something is missing. On most days an e-mail from a friend, an episode of a classic tv show, or a piece of chocolate will fill the void. Unfortunately, today I'm looking for something more.
Where is home??
Love, Molly
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