Day 2: What Stresses Me Out

What stresses me out... hahaha yaaa. Ok, the question that would lead to a shorter post should be "what DOESN'T stress me out!" As stated in my 15 interesting facts blog, I suffer from anxiety. As diagnosed by myself, and that's pretty legit.  I think I have always kinda be a "nervous" or stressed person to an extent, but ever since I've moved away from home to a new city and new country, started an accelerated dental hygiene program, got a calling at church, won the Mrs. TSTC pageant, and had to learn to live on my own... I feel like my stress level is slightly more elevated. Recently, I had to write a paper on a "special needs" patient that we would see in clinic, and I chose anxiety disorders. There is some crazy stuff that I learned that I can apply to myself that can help me cope or deal with being a basket case!! It is legitimately a disease, and it is so common that many many people have it, but are not even aware. Anyways, so ya. I have that. I think. So, lets discuss some things that stress me out! :)

As can be expected, school in general stresses me out. We have a lot of classes and tests and projects, assignment, etc, etc, and that's fine. But it is the clinic portion of school that stresses me most. We are responsible for completing a certain number of patients each semester, which is stressful enough, but it's the fact that we have to FIND OUR OWN patients that kills me. First of all, we don't know anyone down here other than fellow dental hygiene students, and second of all, not all people are running each other over to try and get to sit in our chair for 3 hours and have their teeth scraped at by amateurs. It is a huge service we are doing for these people, but they have no idea. Anyway, so ya. THAT stresses me out. NOT only do we need to have a certain amount of patients, but we are required to find pt's that fit certain requirements in order to pass, as well as completing numerous amounts of competencies. This is something I've signed up for, so I am not complaining, but just saying. It is a wee bit stressful.

Other than school, I'm pretty much good. Although I am an anxious person, for some reason public speaking doesn't do much to stress me out.  Be Mrs. TSTC comes with a lot of public speaking and doing stuff in front of a lot of people with no preparation or written out stuff. It's weird because you would only assume that stuff like this would stress out a stress case... odd. I also get stressed out for other people. When someone I know has to speak in front of people, or sing, or do something that's stressing THEM out, I get all nervous and panicked. It's ANNOYING!! Seriously. Lame sauce!

People say being stressed is "all in your head," which it is, but it has such a great affect on our physical selves that it is really important that we try and limit stress in our lives. Most every single disease is caused, or made worse by stress, so basically by being stressed out all the time is dooming me for later!!
There are some things that I try to do to help deal with this lame-o disorder :) Eating a healthy diet is really important. Which is hard when I get stressed the last thing I think about is eating anything. I usually won't eat much of anything when I'm all wound up, and then later realize that I'm weak and tired and should eat something!! It's a working progress. Exercise is really good for relieving stress, so running, pilates, etc is really helpful.Not that I'm always gung-ho to do it. Running's boring.
Oh! Another thing. Something that doctors say is to avoid caffiene, including coffee (easy, I'm not a coffee drinker), sodas (also easy, not a big pop person), and chocolate.... Oh NO they did NOT! That is the hardest thing for me by far because chocolate and me go together like PB & J, Christmas and snow, babies and chubby-ness!! Soooooooo yes.. I still try. Actually, no, no, that's a lie. I don't try :)
If I am going to be stressed out about things in life, then I WILL continue to eat my chocolate and feel great about it!

Keep it real y'all!

15 Day Challenge

Alrighty! So Maryn just started this "15 day challenge" that sounds kinda fun! Seeing as I am just a baby blogger, this actually is a perfect day to start!  Maybe.. She told me to try it so here it goes!!

Day 1- Self portrait and 15 interesting facts about you

Day 2- Something that stresses you out

Day 3-Your siblings and parents

Day 4- Something you're looking forward to

Day 5- pictures of things that make you happy

Day 6- A song that makes you cry and why

Day 7-Favorite movies

Day 8-A place you've traveled to

Day 9- Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

Day 10-Something you're afraid of

Day 11-Favorite tv shows

Day 12-What you believe

Day 13-Goals

Day 14-Some pictures you love

Day 15- pictures of your Dream house

Day 1

Ok, so 15 is a lot of facts to try and come up with, but I'll try ma best!!

1. I am a drama queen. I have always been told this in a number of ways. "Outgoing", "obnoxious", "loud", "over-dramatic", "annoying", "passionate", etc, etc. You get the idea. I don't mean to be, but for some reason everything is a big deal :) And NO, that is not ALWAYS a bad thing.

2. As cliche as it sounds, I am a chocoholic. And you may argue that "Kaitlin, come on, almost every girl is a chocoholic", but you would be dead wrong. I am the QUEEN of chocolate loving. (yes, that's me being dramatic about this) If I need chocolate, it does not mean in a "few minutes I'll want some", or "it would be nice to eat some chocolate right now", or "mmm chocolate sounds good, but I really shouldn't.." No. It means I NEED chocolate RIGHT NOW. No questions asked. It makes me happy.

3. I love babies. I want babies. Pretty self explanatory.

4. I love music, and everything musically related. I played piano for 8 years, I played in concert and jazz band in junior high. I played the french horn, percussion and the electric bass :) Hahah gosh, good times in band.

5. Along with music, I love to sing! I don't really love singing in front of people, but I like to sing songs, and I love to hear other people sing! My mom is a great singer :) Music has a way to send a message in a way that other things simply cannot.

6. I am the current Miss TSTC. Yes. I am the ambassador of an American school, when I am not even a citizen , nor of a legal age. Hmm. I am the very first "white" girl to ever win this scholarship. And yes, it is not a beauty contest, it is a scholarship program :) I have been fulfilling my as such princess duties since March of 2009, and my time is almost up! I pretty much have to be at every single school event and do anything from  setting up, taking down, MC'ing, welcoming... bla bla bla whatever. I have a huge crown that is a joke. There is no way I could even wear it without suffering sever neck and back injuries. I have gained the nick name "Princess KK". Thanks to my girls :)

7. Biggest pet peeve: PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW HOW TO MERGE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously. Go back to driving school. Or I will run you down.

8. I have a new found love for candles. They are unbelievably soothing and lovely. Smells can hold memories and feelings and its great to be able to place a memory with a smell!

9. I have a leaky spirit. Practically every single emotion I experience comes out as water through my eyes. I cannot even help it. If I'm sad, I cry. Duh. If I am scared, I bawl. If I am happy, I cry. It's weird.

10. I hate cats. I like dogs, although I've never had one, cuz when we were growing up my mom would say "when Savanna goes to kindergarten, we can get a dog." Then she had another baby. So no dog :) But ya, cats, are gross. My other roommate Becca LOVES cats, so when she moved down here so bought Walter. A shmaggy kitty that just needed some love. And boy does he get it from her! Haha that's the thing. There needs to be people like Becca to love the cats,  so I don't feel bad that I would rather be shot in the face that have a cat. Love you Walt!

11.  I love my family! There are 8 of us kiddos in the fam, and we all have a  great mamma and dad. As well as extended family and grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins! We like to be together a lot. I love it. Couldn't ask for better!

12. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, aka "Mormons", and couldn't be prouder! I can't imagine my life without the gospel as a huge part or it, and thank my Heavenly Father everyday that I am so blessed in so many ways! I have a calling in my family ward down her in Texas. I teach the 9 and 10 year old kids in primary and I love their little rambunctious selves!! They drive me absolutely crazy, but I wouldn't change them for anything! They teach me so much every week, probably more than they get from any of my lessons.

13. As much as I love living in a tropical paradise in south Texas with a beach only 45 minutes away, I couldn't live here forever. I miss the seasons, fall, spring and winter. I love winter!! The snow, the cold, the hot chocolate, the skating and sledding, the WHOLE CHRISTMAS SEASON!! Love love LOVE it!!

14. I suffer from anxiety. I have self diagnosed myself from WebMD, but I think it's legit. I get anxiety attacks just thinking about getting an anxiety attacks! haha It's pretty annoying. And stress is literally the etiologic factor in every single disease in the whole world. So.. great. I'm doomed. 

15. I love to laugh. I love funny people, or people who aren't funny on purpose, but still do funny stuff. Laughing is contagious and outrageous! I need funny stuff in my life fo sheezy, or else I think i would go crazy.

My very first blog!!

Ok.. sooo.. Yes. I am now a blogger! Let's just see how long this last! I told my roommate and bff Maryn that "I don't think that I will like blogging.. it's like writing in a journal, and I don't like that either!!" But I love reading other people's blogs, so I guess I'll give it a try!

So I live in Harlingen, TX, but my home town is Edmonton, Alberta Canada! I go to Texas State Technical College, and I am in the dental hygiene program. I have been down here over a year now, coming to the end of my fourth semester!! It seems unreal that we have been here that long. I have got to learn so much about myself, and about life since moving away from home and onto my own! Deciding to leave home right after high school was never really the plan, but, one thing lead to another and I an 4/5ths done my journey to my career! Career. Weird. I never really planned on a "career" really, I just wanted to get married and have babies. But I definitely DO NOT regret this choice,( so far), because education is something we all should continuously try and gain more of!

Well, I plan to try and keep up with "Kaitlin's Korner" (hahah yes, witty, I know ;) ) as best as I can. I'll be filling it with random stuff about my life and my days, which may just bore some of y'all to death! I feel like this blog will be more beneficial for me so I can keep track and document  my life. My online journal. This is also for my mom, because she continues to try and encourage me to "write in a journal", so mom, this is a start right? So wish me luck!
Keep it real y'all!