Highlights of 2015

 A lot of shit happened this year...

 My pants fell down while performing at a Pistons basketball game

              Got hit in the face by a soccer ball and got a concussion

 

Became a DECA state champion     

 

 

Received 2^nd place at the DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida

(My hair does not appreciate humidity)

Went to Disney World twice

Became a vegan

Got accepted to my dream school

Asked my best friend to prom

Twerked on stage at prom with said best friend

Graduated high school (and almost fell while walking across stage)

Spoke to multiple classes at my high school about mental health awareness

Attended a hippie music festival

Fell in love with Michigan State University

                                                   Attended my first college football game

Watched my cousin’s marriage finally become official

Spent a semester being a teacher’s assistant at an East Lansing elementary school

Squatted with frat guys on my back

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  Turned 18 

Got my second tattoo 

 

 I would say I had a pretty good year.

What My First Semester at College has Taught Me.

Good news guys, I survived my first college finals week! Now I get to enjoy the holidays at home and most importantly, I’m reunited with my puppy. Now that I am officially half way through my freshman year, I decided to share the top ten things my first semester of college has taught me.

1.    You’ll discover who of your high school friends are really your friends.

 

Since beginning college, I’ve lost touch with a lot of my friends from high school,

however, I’ve remained close and even grown closer to others. People come into and leave your life for a reason and college has really taught me that.

           

        2.    There is no room for slacking.

College is hard. No matter what, there is always shit to get done and nobody nagging you to get it done. So throw your senioritis out the door and get ready to work hard.

3.    Taking care of yourself is SO important.

Whether it’s going to the gym or taking an hour to watch Netflix, relaxation is important. If you don’t take the time to take care of yourself, stress will eat you alive.

4.    Whatever you enjoy, there is a club for it.

Enjoy squirrel watching? There is a club for it. Passion for hammocking? There’s a club for it. Really interested in politics? There are a shit-load of clubs for it. Getting involved on campus in something you are passionate about is so easy!

   5.    There are even more fuckboys in college than in high school.

They are everywhere.

   

   6.    Being open-minded is crucial.

You are going to be meeting people from backgrounds

 so different than your own. You don’t have to agree with  them in order to respect them.

7.    There is so much to learn in the world and so little time/money.

There are so many things I want to major and minor in, it’s hard to choose. I’m still overwhelmed by all of the programs MSU has to offer that I didn’t even know existed!

8.    Naps are God’s gift to human kind.

I was never a nap lover until college. Now, every day I look forward to my nap and they are the only reason I’m still alive.

9.    Uber will be your best friend.

God bless whoever created Uber. Whether you are trying to get your drunk friend home at 2am, or it’s just really cold and you don’t want to walk all the way to the frat party you’re going to, Ubers are a blessing. If you’ve never used the app before, use this code for a free first ride: alliee97ue

10. High school doesn’t matter.

I did not have a lot of friends in high school. As a matter of fact, I didn’t find a good group of friends until my senior year. But guess what…nobody gives a shit about that in college. I have already met great friends at MSU and I don’t even know how their social lives were in high school. Going along with that, nobody cares about your high school GPA and ACT score so please do not brag about them.

What has college taught you? Leave me a comment or tweet me @allieetzin.

xoxo,

Allie

Why I Lift Weights

            My love affair with the weight room began six months after I was released from partial inpatient treatment for my eating disorder. My doctors granted me permission to return to the gym, but advised me to avoid cardio machines that may cause weight loss and trigger a relapse. I followed my doctors’ orders and asked my brother how to begin weight lifting.

            Fast-forward two years later to today. I can leg-press 820 pounds, do squats with a 210 pound fraternity guy on my back (don’t ask) and I am the most confident in my body I have ever been. Despite my passion for lifting heavy shit, the weight room has not always been such a happy place for me. When I first began lifting, I constantly felt judged, watched, objectified, and less than everyone else. I would compare myself to men lifting twice as much as me, and women with what I thought to be the “perfect body”. So how did I develop self-confidence and an IDGAF attitude in the weight room? It was a long process.

Over time, I had to learn everyone is at a different point in their journey. Because of this, comparing yourself to others is absolutely pointless. Also, as cliché as this sounds, all bodies are different. I have weak af ankles because of anterior tendinitis and sometimes squats hurt like a bitch. It is possible to accept your flaws while still working to be the best version of yourself you can possibly be.

Something I had to learn is working out for the right reasons is crucial. When I spent all of my time on the treadmill trying to lose weight, I was miserable. I hate running and probably always will. I only did it to improve my physical appearance and self-esteem (side note: that shit didn’t work). But now, I have found workouts, both cardio and strength-training, that I love! People always seem to be confused as to why I work out if I am happy with my body. I do not work out because I hate my body; I work out because I love my body. I love my body so much that I want to treat it right. I want to fuel it with nutritious food and make it sweat daily.

On a similar note, the human body is an amazing thing, and it is so cool to get to know your own body. Lifting has taught me so much about myself. First and foremost, I am SO much stronger than I thought; both mentally and physically. My body can do amazing things that I never thought possible. Who the hell thought a 5’0 girl could lift 820 pounds with her short ass legs? I didn’t that’s for sure. So with that being said, why the hell should I hate this amazing body I’ve been given? Once I began thinking this way, my whole perspective on my body changed. Just ask my roommate; there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t spend five minutes looking in the mirror appreciating my butt. However, this goes much further than aesthetics. I have pushed myself mentally to levels I never imagined possible. My perseverance and dedication is endless, and when I put my mind to something, there is no way I cannot accomplish it.

What has your passion taught you? Leave a comment or tweet me @allieetzin!

xoxo,

Allie