It is bittersweet that I am flying home in two weeks from today.
xoxo
Shannon
How is it already May? I swear that college makes time seem like it is flying so fast. This weekend was all-society formal and it was such a fun night! It was so nice to be able to take a break from studying and spend time with Dani and my friends. I am so grateful for the people I have met this year including all of my sisters in the Agora Society. They are some of the kindest and most impressive women I have ever met.
It is bittersweet that I am flying home in two weeks from today. xoxo Shannon
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Finals...what more can I say? However, I hope this song brings as much energy to your life as it does to mine! I have exciting blog updates coming soon (New York trip, Society Formal and my upcoming trip to Florida!). For now, I will be locking myself in the library with my computer and textbooks.
xoxo Shannon This weekend was a blast! On Friday, I became an official member of the Agora Society! We had our Initiation Ceremony and then went to China Town in Boston for a fun night of Karaoke. On Saturday, Dani planned a surprise date for us and we went to the beach! I had no idea that you could access a really nice, sandy beach from Boston. Even though the weather was not ideal, we had a fabulous time! Then, to end a great weekend, we cheered on the Boston Marathon runners! Although it still is not super warm here, I can tell that Spring is slowly on its way! I can't believe that in just a month I will be in Salt Lake City, Utah for my summer internship! I want these next few weeks to slow down as much as they can. It is a Boston Marathon tradition and a Wellesley tradition for Wellesley girls to cheer on the runners and kiss them for good luck (hence the Kiss me signs!) Wellesley is the half-way point of the marathon!
xoxo Shannon Yesterday was the best Sunday I have had in a really long time. My family went and explored Red Butte Gardens-it was such a beautiful day! After, we headed to my favorite Mexican restaurant, Red Iguana. I had been craving good Mexican food for months! If you are ever in the Salt Lake area, definitely check it out. It is worth the wait! After, my friend Rachel brought me to meet some of her friends from school who are in Park City over Spring Break. It was so good to see her and the view from their house was gorgeous. It is so good to be home. I am really enjoying the beautiful weather in Salt Lake!
xoxo Shannon Today I am sharing my favorite quote of the week as well as my favorite song! Enjoy and have a lovely Tuesday!
This weekend was the perfect mix of fun and rest. On Friday night, we had our Big/Little reveal and I found out my big is Madeline! Madeline is one of the smartest, kindest, and most beautiful (inside and out!) people I have ever met. I am so honored to be her little. Then we had a mixer with another society on campus (Phi Sigma) and met up with two MIT fraternities. Saturday night Lauren and I went to the Benny Golson concert on campus and Sunday I had tea/brunch with a few of the Agora girls.
On February 22nd, I received my acceptance letter to the Agora Society! I couldn't be more excited to be a part of such a wonderful sisterhood. People ask me why I decided to "tea" Agora ("teaing is my school's closest thing to rushing) and my answer is simple: The women in Agora are the most amazing mentors and role models and they are just genuinely fun and easy people to be around. The best part of all of this? I get to share it with eight other beautiful ladies! Pictured below is our initiate class (aka Cloud 9). I am beyond excited for what the next 3.5 years will bring. But, if it is anything like the last two weeks, I think it is going to be pretty great. More to come soon. Also, I should be posting more regularly now that the semester is in full swing and I am back into a routine!
lots of love, Shannon Snow and gray skies and sub-zero temperatures. What more could a girl want? This time of the year it is easy to get bummed out because of the weather but here are five things I am thankful for that are keeping me happy during February! 1. SNOW DAYS! What is better than no school and lots of fun snow to play in? Especially with your good friends. 2. Having a clean room and no dirty laundry (let's be honest, that will last a day). But actually sometimes the little things like clean sheets and towels instantly boost my mood. 3. The "Stress-Relief" scent from Bath & Body Works...AMAZING. And it comes in candle, lotion, hand-sanitizer and soap form. 3. Music! Both playing it and listening to it. This semester I am participating in the Chamber Music Society on campus. My chamber group is playing a beautiful piece by Brahms linked below. 5. The gym! We now have a brand new field house and gym. It is so nice and the equipment is so shiny and clean! The hardest part is making the trek all the way to the sports center when it is snowy and cold. But a nice workout and then twenty minutes in the steam room definitely makes any day better! Happy snowy days!! xoxo Shannon We had a great trip visiting my brother and his family. My niece is so sweet and has the cutest personality. I can't believe that the next time I see her she will probably be walking and starting to talk. I really understand the saying "they grow up too fast" in a whole new way now. I only have a few more days in SLC before I pack up and go back to Boston. Very bittersweet.
xoxo Shannon There are things I wish I knew last year that I learned throughout the college application process. Here are five of them and I hope you find them helpful and informative! 1. Look for schools that meet 100% of your financial need:
Let’s face it. College is super expensive and sometimes not even merit scholarships cover enough of the cost. While private colleges that meet 100% of your need have an expensive sticker price, most students are not paying nearly the full cost. These schools look closely at your family’s financial profile to make sure that you can afford to attend if you are accepted. Here is a list of schools that meet 100% of your demonstrated financial need: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2014/09/15/colleges-and-universities-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need 2. Chose your reach schools wisely: Don’t just blindly apply to schools because of their ranking. Take time to research each school you apply to (both your reach and safety schools) in order to make sure each school seems like a place you would love to attend. 3. You don’t have to apply to 10+ schools! Actually, please don’t. I did and it was not only exhausting but also frustrating. While it did give me a lot of options, there were 3 or 4 schools that I could have easily cut off the list even from the start. Plus, with application fees averaging $50+, you can save money if you decide to cut some schools that you don’t really want to attend in the first place. 4. Write down all your college passwords/usernames so they aren’t in multiple places (another reason to follow #3) With an inbox that is completely full with college emails day after day, it is really hard to manage it all. When you apply to college and receive your username and password duo to check your application status, write them all down in one place so that when you need to access your online portal, it is easier and faster (and then when you are checking your admission decision, you aren’t frantically searching your email for your password!) 5. Perfection does not exist: Somewhere out there is a school that will be a really great fit…but remember nothing is perfect. You may find something you don’t like about your dream school and that is OK. Make sure that the school you decide to attend has all the major things that you want (certain location, special program, certain department) but remember that the small things may not be as important (restaurants nearby, proximity to coffee shops, social life on campus). Keep in sight what is really important to you and don’t be too distracted by the minor details! I will be posting more of these "College Lens" posts in the future! xoxo Shannon I am so excited to announce that I am now a Smart Girls Media Sister! In the words of the Smart Girl Foundation: "Digital influencers have the power to change the world with their voices. We want to give them the microphone to do so. " As a Smart Girl Media Sister, I provide blog and social media content that is uplifting and encouraging. What is Smart Girls Group? "Smart Girls Group is a family of brands that unite, empower, and inspire ambitious women and girls. We are creating a trusted space for the world’s female trailblazers, catering to their unique needs, while redefining what it means to be smart. To do that, we arm smart girls with the tools they need to succeed in all facets of life. Whether she wants to run a marathon or run for President, we want to help her get there." -www.smartgirlsgroup.com
I encourage you to check out their website to find out more! I am honored to be a Smart Girls Media Sister! xoxo Shannon I've had so much fun the last few weeks being able to take some pictures of friends and family while I've been in SLC. Here are some of my favorites.
I spent most of today listening to music and exploring Pinterest to find the perfect pictures for the new planner that I just designed for 2015 on www.personal-planner.com (I will be sure to post about it when it arrives in a few weeks!). Here are some of my faves:
Happy 2015! I hope your year is filled with happiness, love and joy. Cheers to new beginnings. xoxo Shannon Have I mentioned yet how much I love Christmas? Snow, cookies, warm PJs, cozy blankets. But the best part is the people you share it with. The friends and family that sing loud Christmas carols, laugh and celebrate together. I realized that Christmas means something different to me now. It's no longer about the presents. The greatest gift I received this year is being able to spend the holidays with the people I love.
My family was sweet enough to save getting the tree until I got home because they know how much I love it. Tonight as we walked through the mostly empty Christmas tree lot, we came across this beauty. The worker informed us that it would be dead by Christmas day (not a good sales tactic if you ask me). So what did we do? We bought it. Sure there are some branches missing and some dead spots but it looks really bright and beautiful in our family room. Our tree doesn't smell like a tree. Good thing we have this candle (now I know what a magical frosted forest smells like).
Bright lights, warm hats and lots of smiles. Not to mention spontaneous dancing on the sidewalk and Starbucks hot chocolate. It is good to be home.
Well folks, I survived my first college semester. The minute I finished that last final I did a little dance as I walked out of the science center. So in honor of being done, I want to post a little recap of my semester and the top 5 things that happened this fall (in no particular order):
This semester was awesome and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Now it is time to pack and get ready to see my family and friends in SLC!!
xoxo Shannon Two weeks until I am home-I can't believe it! With the stress of final exams, papers, final projects, juries (violin evaluations), and concerts I am already pretty worn out. I have officially experienced the weird weather of New England (65 degrees one day and snowing the next??) and all I want is the snowy Salt Lake mountains to make it feel like Christmas time. Delaney and I have been dancing in our room to Christmas music and eating our chocolate advent calendars (thanks Mom!) to try and get in the holiday spirit. I am really looking forward to this weekend though-despite my long to-do list I have a lot of fun things planned! Now, off to the music building for my date with the practice rooms.
xoxo Shannon I can officially say that I have worn a coat and boots on the beach. Nantucket Island is so cute and charming, even in November! Thanks so much to Melissa, Peter and Nick for hosting us over Thanksgiving break. We had a wonderful time. xoxo
Shannon Today was my first Thanksgiving away from home and while it was different, it was still filled with my favorite traditions and with people I love. I still watched the Macy's Day Parade in my PJs and ate pumpkin pie but I also visited the beach with Delaney, my cousin and his friends. As the day was winding down, I found this beautiful picture on the Free People blog (http://blog.freepeople.com/2014/11/solo-thanksgiving-celebration/?crlt.pid=camp.od16rimwxea) . I really relate to everything it says.
More pictures of the trip to come! xoxo Shannon I recently stumbled upon a really great movement/company called Be Bona Fide. Here is their mission: "Lets get real- we are not perfect. The social media world is all about painting that perfect picture. Perfect kids, perfect vacations, perfect makeup, perfect body, and so on. Nowadays with technology at our fingertips we are all striving to portray that flawless image of how we want others to view us. That is not real life; having struggles is real life. Those struggles have molded us to the people we are today. BE B O N A • F I D E is a company started by two girls who have constantly compared themselves to that “perfect” social media world." Moving to college has not been perfect. These last three months have been some of the most challenging I have ever been through. There are late nights where all I want to be is home in Salt Lake. There are times when all I want to do is hug my parents. There are tests that I didn't do well on even though I studied harder than ever. There are times when I simply felt like I didn't fit in with the people around me.
But through it all, I have learned some really important lessons. I have learned that I am independent and I can navigate the world on my own. I have learned that despite being states away, my friends and family love me and will drop anything to talk to me. I have learned that making friends and feeling like you belong takes time and you shouldn't rush it. Above all, I have learned that life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful. Because "perfection" is such a subjective word. My messy, tiring and thrilling life is perfect in its own imperfect way. The struggles I have been through have molded the person I am today and I wouldn't trade these last three months for anything. So I encourage you to check out http://www.bbonafide.com This movement is important because no one should feel pressure to portray perfection xoxo and happy thanksgiving <3 Shannon
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Welcome!Welcome to my little piece of the internet. Here you will find college, lifestyle and photography posts. I am a twenty year old blogger living my dream in Boston, MA. Latest on Instagram:
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