In my personal life, I really enjoy travelling and hiking. There's just something about seeing the top of a mountain that makes me want to climb it! Living in Oklahoma makes it a little difficult, but the Wichita mountains are enjoyable and nature walks are a great substitute.
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| A personal photo of my sister and I hiking in Red River, NM: March 2015 |
I also am a huge music enthusiast and will basically listen to anything and everything. I played piano for several years off and on, but I could never really commit to making it a focus in my life. Instead, I listen and appreciate from the sidelines. My French minor has also led me to several French artists. A recent favorite is Fondu au Noir by Coeur de Pirate. I've linked it if you would like to listen. Also, I recently got to see my favorite band in concert in Chicago and it was incredible.
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| A personal photo of Marianas Trench at the House of Blues in Chicago, June 2015 |
Some other things I enjoy are the typical categories of movies, books, TV shows, and video games. My favorite movie that came out this year (because I can't choose a favorite of all time) is Mad Max: Fury Road. I also can't choose a favorite book, but the one I'm reading right now is a book of Celtic myths and folklore and it's very interesting. My new favorite TV show is How to Get Away with Murder and my favorite video game is The Last of Us.
Finally, I have an amazing family who lives in Oklahoma City. I only have one sister, but I also have a half brother and sister who are quite a bit older than me, so I have three nieces and two nephews. I also have a cat named Scarlett who I got on my eighteenth birthday, but she can't stay with me because my apartment doesn't allow pets. So, I miss her, but I can visit her when I go to visit my family.
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| Personal photo of Scarlett, August 2015 |
So, that's kind of a summary of my interests and hobbies. I've never blogged before, but I'm enjoying it so far! Feel free to ask a question or leave a comment.
Oh, your Scarlett is a very pretty cat, Natalie! I have two cats: one grey-and-white and one black-and-white, but when I was little, I had an all-black cat with eyes just like Scarlett's.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am excited to have an anthropology major in this class! Although the focus of the class is on the epics and imaginative storytelling, there is also so much to learn about India itself from the epics, especially since they continue to be so incredibly important in India today. One of the authors to choose from later in the semester is Devdutt Pattanaik, and I am guessing you might really enjoy his work. I included one of his TED talks in the announcements, so you might see what you think of him:
Devdutt Pattanaik — India is Not Chaotic
I think he is marvelous... and he is very prolific too: lots of books to read and videos to watch too. I'd be curious what you think; he has a strong interest in what we would call anthropology, although he calls himself a mythologist. :-)
Hey Natalie!
ReplyDeleteThis may sound weird, but I'm so happy that you're an anthropology major! I feel like most of the people here are engineering majors so I told myself I would comment on someone's blog who isn't an engineering major (for diversity) and I found you! I love hiking up mountains, and it makes me sad that Oklahoma is mostly plain... But you're right the Wichita Mountains are neat! I'm not much of a cat person but Scarlett is pretty majestic!
I think it is so interesting that you are an anthropology major. I am a psychology major but I can relate to you about changing your mind with your majors. Only instead of realizing it, I completed an entire associates in EMS and started working as a paramedic only to realize I had no interest in it so that brought me back to OU to finish my psychology degree. I wish I had been able to realize that sooner. Good luck with the semester! It sounds like you really did find a major that works for you.
ReplyDeleteI never meant an Anthropology major. I took Organic too and it almost killed me. I have never had to memorize so much material for a class. I love hiking too! I was supposed to go hike at the Wichita mountains a couple weeks ago but plans dropped. I used to play piano as kid too but funny thing is that i forgot everything after i went on trip to india.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is super cool that you are an anthropology major! I also think it is neat you are minoring in French. I actually studied abroad in France this past summer and I will say, I know absolutely nothing about the French language. I could understand people a little as time went on, but I do not have the accent to pronounce the French words properly! Needless to say, the French people found my attempt at speaking to them humorous! I hope you get to go and have a wonderful time there!
ReplyDeleteNatalie, thanks for posting such a great introduction! I feel like I learned a lot about you. I also love the great outdoors. I go to the Witchitas occasionally, but I’m hoping to go to Yosemite sometime next summer as a kind of senior trip! I also love music; I went to the House of Blues for a Ben Rector concert one time.
ReplyDeleteHi Natalie! I find it inspiring that you are so passionate about nature and learning about other cultures. And I have always found anthropology to be a very interesting subject so that's so cool that it is your major! I have taken Organic Chemistry as well, and I surely didn't enjoy it either! I love music and learned to play the piano as a young child but since I stopped taking lessons, I've pretty much forgot everything I learned then. I hope to become a nature lover one day and do some camping and hiking myself! I hope you get to do more things that you love and good luck in your future endeavors!
ReplyDeleteHi Natalie! I understand your sentiments towards Ochem. I had a lot of friends take that class and I saw them struggle like crazy. That's awesome that you're minoring in French! My dad's side of the family are all from Cannes, France. I studied abroad there this summer. My grandma from over there was visiting Oklahoma a few years ago for my sisters high school graduation and I took her to the Wichita Mountains, she was super suprised to see something like that in Oklahoma
ReplyDeleteOMG Natalie,
ReplyDeleteHow have I not met you before?!? You and I are very similar. Before switching to the field of anthropology I was a microbiology major and my dreams in that field were crushed to tiny pieces by organic chem! I also took french to fulfill my foreign language requirement, but I did not keep it as a minor. If I may, I might recommend you look into a minor in international studies, if interested. I found that the minor is SUPER compatible with anthropology and the course you take with it are usually very interesting! For example, this course we are both in is my final requirement for that minor :)
My favorite french artist is Christophe Mae! Here is a link to my favorite video by him! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwv1djaV6Fc
Hope you have a good semester! Maybe I will see you in one of the ANTHRO classes sometime! :)
Hi Natalie! Travelling and hiking are probably two of my favorite things as well. I'm constantly dreaming about new trips and looking up prices for flights, trains, and buses. For instance, did you know that you can get roundtrip bus tickets from Norman to Houston for as little as $4.50? Have you ever been to Big Bend National Park? There is some amazing hiking there, especially if you like backpacking. For something in Oklahoma, the Ouachita National Forest is only a few hours away. Thanks for posting the link to Fondu au Noir. That really is a beautiful song. Have a great semester!
ReplyDeleteHey Natallie Collins! Being biology major, I can see how organic chemistry could kill your interest in Chemistry. I am glad you found your true passion in anthropology though. Hiking and travelling are also some of my favorite things to do. I checked out the link for the music you posted and I liked it. Also you have a cute cat.
ReplyDeleteHi Natalie! I totally understand the whole being burnt out on chemistry thing, I myself am a Chemical Engineering major. I'm glad you have stuck with pursuing your own personal interests though and that you have found the major that you are truly interested in. That picture of you and your sister in New Mexico looks like an incredible time! I bet that was an awesome trip. My family is originally from Ruidoso, a small mountain town in New Mexico, and I absolutely love going back to visit.
ReplyDeleteHello Natalie,
ReplyDeleteI love climbing mountain like you do! The most beautiful mountain I climbed was Mount Hua in China. I started climbing at sunset, and arrived at east peak before sunrise. Shortly after that, I could view the magnificent sunrise. It was worthy.
I however did not climb anyone mountain yet in the US. I may do it after my graduation or finding a stable job. If you wish to climb the 5 famous mountains in China, do it before July 1st. Your travel experience will be ruined otherwise.
I enjoyed ochem, at the same time I also hated it! You took ochem as a freshman? That is pretty impressive. It is always nice to have many siblings. I only have one sister and she is amazing. I have also changed my major. My major first was biochemistry and then I switched it to Biology freshmen year. You should defiantly study abroad. I regret not doing that.
ReplyDeleteHey Natalie! I love the cats and I enjoyed being able to see a picture of your fur baby, Scarlett. If you like a lot of french musicians, I recommend Jacques Brel and La Femme. Brel was a huge french pop star back in the ‘60s and La Femme is a french psych/cabaret band with a lot of energy. My boyfriend also plays the Last of Us and I really enjoyed watching and following the story line. It’s a different way to tell a zombie outbreak story and I can appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you Natalie!! I think that it's great that you're studying Anthropology and at one point it was my minor, however I ran out of time to take the classes in addition to my two majors. Ancient history is so amazing and I think that everyone should have to study it at least once in their life!! I also thought that Mad Max:Fury Road was an amazing move, my favorite part was the guitarist with all his amps, super amazing!
ReplyDeleteWow, Natalie, it sounds like you lead an exciting life! First, I love the picture of your cat, she seems like a sweetheart! I also think it's really cool that you're studying anthropology. That was one of the majors that if I hadn't chose engineering, I would have seriously considered. I played piano for ages, but also had a hard time really putting my all into it. Instead, I've chosen to dabble in several instruments, including guitar and violin. Jack of all trades, master of none, I suppose! Have a great end to the semester, finish strong!
ReplyDeleteHey Natalie!
ReplyDeleteLike you, I did not enjoy Organic Chemistry. I actually kind of struggled in that class. It made me change my major and track. I was originally pre-med coming into college but once I took Organic Chemistry, I changed it and my major. I am not a psychology major, doing the pre-pt track. I am currently applying to physical therapy schools right now.
Hi, Natalie! I’ve been down the same road with having to choose a major. It can be a struggle sometimes. It’s great that you have found something that you’re passionate about. I love mountains too. They’re an awesome sight and I love the different kinds of plants and animals you can see there compared to life on the plains. I too enjoyed Mad Max: Fury Road; the original Mad Max films are some of my favorite films. Good luck with the rest of your studies!
ReplyDeleteHi Natalie! It sounds like we had very similar paths in college; I started as a microbiology major but hated the classes here and decided to switch into French and Linguistics. I really hope you get the chance to study abroad! Being able to live in another country will help your language skills tremendously. If you have any questions about France or studying there, feel free to ask me!
ReplyDeleteHey Natalie! I can definitely understand how living in Oklahoma could be difficult to someone who likes to climb. I live(d) in western Oklahoma and we don’t really even have trees so any change of scenery is appreciated. I love how learning new things isn’t the end of the road, there is always something new that you can branch off of something previously learned. I am sad you didn’t like chemistry because I think it’s fascinating, but I can understand if you took Ochem freshman year.
ReplyDeleteHi Natalie,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have had an interesting college experience. Anthropology seems like an interesting major. I bet it is fun to learn about past civilizations. The song Fondu au Noir by Coeur de Pirate was a cool song. Thanks for sharing it. The Last of Us is on my list of games to play but haven’t gotten around to it yet I heard it was really good though. Good luck on the rest of your semester.
Hi Natalie! How cool that you are minoring in French. My cousin is in first grade and in an elementary school program that will have her nearly fluent by 5th grade, and I have to say I am so jealous. Learning another language has always interested me, but I am not very good at any of the languages I have attempted to study. Studying abroad in France would be such a great experience, you should definitely try to do it!
ReplyDeleteNatalie,
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to go backpacking and mountain hiking, so I am a little jealous of you in that sense. I have been trying to get in How to Get Away With Murder because I hear that it is a good series, but I am one of those individuals that have to watch something from the very beginning to watch it. I have just recently got into watching Criminal Minds and I love it.
Hello, Natalie! I enjoyed reading your introduction, and you are one of my last introductions for the semester, so I feel like this is weirdly belated. I really enjoy anthropology as field and I’ve actually considered it for a major or maybe even for my master’s (I’m about to graduate with a degree in Russian). It was nice to see that you are into hiking as well! My favorite spot in Oklahoma are the Wichita’s and I go there fairly often. Good luck with the remainder of the semester and finals!
ReplyDeleteNatalie, I am really surprised I have not read your introduction yet! I am glad you are on a major you liked, even though it took a little bit of time to get there. My roommate was a Health and Exercise Science major before she made the switch to Anthropology and now she loves her major! Scarlett looks like a great cat! I work at a pet hospital, so I am always interested in hearing about people's pets. Good luck with finals!
ReplyDelete