hello, it's me again

Hello, friends! I feel like I'm saying this all the time, but it has been so long! I've really slacked on the blogging, but if acceptable, do you mind if I make a comeback?

I don't know why I stop blogging. I do love to write...
As a kid and growing up, I always thought writing in a journal was kinda cheesy. Still, I would spew my thoughts into a little notebook with a cat illustrated on the cover. Everyday I would write down every single detail of my pre-middle school days. Quickly, I'd get bored and throw it in my desk. In seventh grade I picked it up again and did the same tedious process, to once again get bored, and put it in my top dresser drawer. I later found it in high school and threw it away. *regret* Ironically, twelve years later, I have resorted back to writing my deepest thoughts down in a journal. Only this time, I have found the experience incredibly liberating and has brought me down a path towards self love and tranquility. Pretty cool write? Ha. See what I did there...
Anyways... why has my passion of writing changed so drastically? Maybe because I have developed an appreciation of writing? My own voice came to surface? Perhaps it is because I've entered the years of becoming a twenty-something? Who knows. Maybe I'll find out as I word vomit my love for writing all over the lines of a Five Star notebook.

Talk about word vomit. Weren't we talking about the blog?

I think I needed some maturing, some seriousness instilled into my brain. I need planning and dedication. A rad layout and some sick material. You dig? I'm ready to grab blogging by the horns. I have some issues to sort out yet, but I'm confident I'll reach my goals!
(My next step is adding pictures, hehe.)

None the less, I have been quite inspired lately and I am here to get And She Was back towards taking its first couple steps towards a bright future.

I look forward to see what is in store!

-Shan

Here I am in all my glory!

I wrote this profile for a class I have. Thought I'd share it with you guys! Just a creative take on myself.

Jumping into a lake in Switzerland

      I’m a feminist. I’m also a vegetarian. I’m that person that is a total tea junkie, has far too many plants to count, is somewhat spacey, and would classify Classic Rock as their Tumblr fandom. Yeah, that’s me. Hope I’m not coming on too strong! I stand a mere 5 feet tall, and have loose curly hair that I plan to grow out to my belly. Glasses are my calling card and also my favorite accessory. Born and raised in Milwaukee, I drink from a bubbler, root for the Brewers, attempt to sneak to the top of the US Bank Building every now and again, and attend Summerfest more than my wallet can handle. 

      I’ll be honest; school was not my thing for quite some time up until college. Math was worst nightmare, science following not too far behind. But there were other classes to compromise. I love the past. History has always been a passion. I adore old music and films and the desire to learn about them has yet to burn out. Then of course communication arts was equally as wonderful. I loved reading classic novels and learning about European literature in particular. Writing essays especially came natural. My biggest regret in high school was not taking AP Literature. However I did take AP Studio Art and AP US & Comparative Governments! I remember countless nights staying up for those classes. No sleep but plenty of frustration. Not to mentioned many eraser shreds, balls of tape, and colorful stains on the carpets from chalk pastels. Something my mother will forever hold against me.

Now the nights I didn’t stay up frustrated from elements of art and the Russian government, you could finds me snuggled in bed on a date with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and Netflix, or my boyfriend. It was one of the two and still is today. I have been dating my boyfriend, Joe, for two and a half years. He is a swell guy and is over a foot taller than me, so that’s always fun. Often times when we watch a movie, I’ll always want to watch the same old movies, The Goonies, Back to the Future, or sometimes I sprinkle in a John Hughes film. I adore movies. I’m big into cult films and would like to work for the movie industry one day. Paired with my major I would like to help market films and run their official social media. I also consider writing screenplays. Those are just thoughts in my noggin. Otherwise, I would really like to write for a humanitarian group. Right now my focus is school. I have a goal for a GPA of 3.5 or above, which I know I can achieve. Also I have an online class, which I need to give aplenty of love. Online classes tend to be my weakness, as in I tend to procrastinate. Procrastination, yet another thing to work on! 

While movies and past pop cultures are a huge passion of mine, I enjoy myself a good adventure. Traveling is a beautiful opportunity I can never pass up. In high school I went on an amazing trip to Europe. I can say I’ve been to France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the smallest country in the world, Lichtenstein. Oh, I’ll throw in Canada and I have been to every Great Lake.  In a month my brother will be teaching English in South Korea. Already there is talk of my family visiting him. Also next year I plan on studying abroad, once again visiting France, maybe Switzerland? Even if it’s a trip up north or an escapade in downtown Milwaukee, I am always excited to try and visit new and random places. Although I love to travel, when it comes to driving places, I want nothing to do with it. Something really special about me is that I am a horrendous driver. I have gotten two speeding tickets, one parking ticket, have smashed a mirror, and completely destroyed my back windshield. I promise I don’t try to do these things. All I have to say is watch out for the red Montero.

      I’m a pretty diverse individual. I take something’s very seriously. I am very supportive of human rights. I have the goal to one day become a vegan, for both health and ethical reasoning. I want to help people to understand what it truly means to be a vegan and a feminist, what it means to me. I just want a happier Earth and a happier Shannon, that’s all. But whenever I have an issue or need to vent, I let it flow through writing. I use this blog as an outlet. It is new and still pretty rough. I am finding my voice as a writer and am excited to see where my voice can take me. 

Snuck a shot of my brother and his boyfriend at a pride march in Chicago, 2013. 

-Shannon

UPDATE: I got another parking ticket.

5 things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is here! We have worked our way through the year and have finally landed on the gloriously delicious and family oriented holiday. Of course as a kid, Christmas was always favorite. But as I get older I begin to appreciate November 26 a little bit more. It is pure in it's meaning, a special day set aside to gather with those close to you and give thanksgiving for what the universe has brought to you. With that said, I would love to share five things I thank the universe for everyday.

1. Family// I would say after being a father for nearly 40 years, my father has gained so much insight and knowledge about life. I can say the same for my mom. I have the most crazy, fun, movie-quoting siblings a baby sister could ask for. I don't think I've ever seen a group of people "do"themselves more than my family. Definitely made me who I am. Thank you mom and dad for all the opportunities you have given me!

2. Joe// My boyfriend, my rock. Has helped me in ways he probably does not even realize. Cheers to many more thanksgivings with you, my love!

3. Music// Especially a good 60's or 80's tune or anything vinyl. Praise! 

4. Travel Opportunities// This one is also on my parents. They have given me the awesome opportunity to go the Europe for three weeks in high school! Also I will be studying abroad sometime within this next year. Nothing that truly satisfies my soul more than adventuring to new places!

5. The Simple Things// Tea, candles, the cold part of the blanket, plants, post-it notes, working out, etc. These are the things that make my daily life special. I've slowly been learning to focus on the simple things and they help me learn what it really takes to make me happy, and the reality is, it is not much! Something I constantly need to remind myself!

On that note, what are you thankful for?
Hope everyone has a truly wonderful Thanksgiving!

-Shannon

Review of "Duolingo"

Hey everyone! I know a decent amount of people are already familiar with this app, but I recently discovered it and my mind was blown! So the app is called Duolingo. Essentially it is an app that teaches you a new language. So for example, I chose German and French. Naturally, anything that teaches you a a new language that is not a class, seems skeptical, but I learned many basics of the language in one day! The app tracks your progress and gives you a certain amount of work to do everyday based on the level of intensity you choose to learn the language on. They keep track of your "streaks". So in other words, how many days you religious practice the program. Some of the languages you can learn are: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Irish, and Danish. Plus they keep adding new languages with software updates.

When I first started using this app, I thought "yeah it's pretty cool now", but how much is a FREE, that is right FREE, app going to teach you? That's when I discovered these grey charts. Each bubble is a new topic, and within each bubble is anywhere from 1 to 10 lessons. (By the way, there is another page of lessons, I unfortunately deleted it.) However I took a moment to add up every lesson in the German language and it came to a grad total of... 403! Would you believe that an app could offer you 403 lessons of a language free? (Sorry for poor quality photos, enlarging screenshots here... risky business)

 

 

      

 

 

Of course you start at one bubble and work your way up through rest. For each lesson you get four "hearts". So if you get a question wrong it takes a heart away. If all your hearts get taken away, then you have to start the lesson over and are kept from advancing to the next level.

Guys. This app is the real deal! It's easy and effective, and a pretty awesome app to have when you feel like chillin' yet want to do something with your life.
 Definitely worth the download.

Some Fall Adventures

Hey Guys!
I am really going to reiterate that I've been slackin' on this blog, which I still have a deep affection for. SO PLEASE DON"T GIVE UP ON ME. Also I have not quite met my goal of posting twice a week... well good thing there are still two more weeks left in October!
So where I go to school, no season can beat the beauty of fall. It is honestly the best, and if I have not made myself clear in my previous post, I LOVE FALL. I have been enjoying every aspect of nature, as I always do. So with the beauty of nature at the tips on my fingers that calls for some adventures!

 I took this picture up at my friends cabin in September. The yard was full of mushrooms and moss. This is probably one of my favorite pictures that I have ever taken.

 Here is my Joe, us adventuring down into a valley after fetching some Taco Bell.

Then one weekend my brother and his boyfriend came to visit, and we went to a natural landmark near my college with my boyfriend.

 Probably my favorite picture from the trip ^

 a family picture.

 Later I went on a build (we build houses)  for a club I am a member of with my friend. Unfortunately the safety glasses wouldn't stay on with my glasses...

 Then as I was biking to a meeting and was passing by one of the oldest building on campus and could not resist a picture.

Then this past week my boyfriend and I went on an adventure down a nature trail, wondered off of it a bit,  and it was incredibly beautiful.

 

 Being a goon.

 Hope you have been having just as wonderful of a season as I have been having!  I am excited for more to come.
-Shannon

Ahh yes! October, my single most favorite month out of the 12. The leaves, the rain, the chilly weather. Everything about it. However, as much as I love this season, I won't lie, I have been riding the struggle bus way too much lately. I have been very unmotivated and have been taking way too many naps. With that said, I must make some goals!

1. No more naps// pretty self explanatory. 

2. Finish a book// I have so many great books started! I'm really into Cyndi Lauper's memoir, and Stephen King's 11/22/63. As good at AHS and The Walking Dead are, I need to exercise my brain a bit.

3. Find a job// This one is probably thee ultimate goal. College is expensive and I like to treat myself more frequently than I should. Let's just say my funds are running low.

4. HIIT & lifitng// I have goals for my body. I'll either lift or do HIIT, I need to do both of them together to get better results. I'm just a tad lazy.

5. Get above a 90% on a French test// I could be doing better in French. It is very fast-paced, but if I plan to be fluent as possible, I need to study a bit more. 

6. Finish all homework before Sundays// It would literally be a miracle if I finished all my homework before Sunday. My weekends would be so much more enjoyable if I did not procrastinate. 

7. Limit dairy// I hope to give it up by the end of the holidays, but I should only allow myself it once a day or every other day. One more step to being vegan. 

7. Write two blog posts a week// And She Was has been neglected. MUST STAY MOTIVATED.

8. Go to bed by 11// Sleep is so underestimated. I need to get at least eight hours of ZzZzs.

Quite a few goals, but I need to get myself back on track. It is not even on option. It's only October! Best of luck to me!

An ode to small blogs (Hang in there)

You know, blogging can be incredibly discouraging at first.
I mean, you put a great amount of time into publishing a post, you know?
First you go through the struggle of deciding what to write about. Sometimes it comes easier than others, but generally not so much. Then you slave over your computer and exert a great amount of energy into writing fabulous content. But some days you lack flow and inspiration, and thus, discouragement begins.
Then not only do you have the pressure to have bomb content, but amazing pictures. So you whip out the DSLR expecting glorious shots. But you just can't seem to get one damn decent picture. After a lengthy amount of frustration, you compromise with VSCOcam. Thank God for filters. You upload your pictures and organize your blog post, mostly likely add some tags and bam, ready for the publish button. However in the midst of hovering over the button, you get this rush of doubt.
Quickly you question your last couple hours.
What if nobody will read it? Can they even relate to it? Will somebody comment, unlike the last post? Is this even my style of writing style?! The anxiety runs high, but you decide to click publish and then view you blog. You read it once more through. Slightly mediocre, but you then you walk away trying to calm yourself from all the build up of emotions, while you wait for a few stats.
Maybe a few hours go by and your beyond eager to see if people care what you have to say. You go straight to audiences to see where and how many readers you have.  You scroll your eyes down the page... United States: 3
Three. A mere three people read what I had slaved over for hours. "This is some sick cruel world", I think to myself. "I'm giving up. Too much time and love put in to be let down like this."
But then my eyes scroll a little further. Turkey: 29
Holy man. Quickly I start cheesin'. This is amazing. Twenty-nine glorious human beings over in Turkey care what I have to say. While I am completely overjoyed of the increase of people reading my blog, I get a twinge of guilt.
My original goal of creating a blog flashes through my mind. To write and expand my horizons as a writer. I sometimes become too caught up in the views that I lose my own voice. I forget who I originally started writing for and why.
No wonder I "slave" and lose interest in blogging. I write for others which makes my goal foggy because I've become so focused on views and followers.
I sigh, shake my head, and stare at the screen for a moment. Inside I feel the emotions flowing through. That's when an idea hits me. An idea all my own. So raw. So real. So, my voice. Quickly I start writing a new post. My fingers typing away as if I were Bruce Almighty. Not too long later, it is finished. Without a doubt I publish the post and once again view my blog.
There she is in all her glory. Suddenly you become overjoyed with self satisfaction. You smile and read your post eight more times because it's THAT GOOD. Just kidding. It just becomes so satisfying to hear your own voice finally come through. I mean that is what blogging is about, after all.

This is not a test.

This is the real thing. It is happening, it is finally happening. I am here, I am blogging, and this post is PUBLISHED. That's right, my first published post. My very first, and hopefully only, awkward post that I will share. I mean it only took me months to get here... but look how far I've come! I finally created an appealing, non-tacky nor basic blog. I've decided to head down the road of class, and invest. Plus with the help of Pinterest, Bloglovin', and the stalking of manymanymany (yes, that many) blogs, I have gained a beautiful insight about the game of blogging. However I am still new to it and excited to learn more.

Welcome to and she was, a blog created by Shannon: author, thinker, artist, girlfriend, daughter, photographer, adventurer, and anything else she was and wanted to be.