The Five Coolest Winter Olympic Sports

Of course I had to get an Olympics post on here before the Games end! I will admit, I'm more of a Summer Olympics fan (mostly because I love gymnastics but also because of the greater variety of events), but any Olympics are awesome in my book! So, without further ado, I bring you the five coolest winter sports (in my humble opinion). Pun intended! ;)

That time I fell off a ski lift in Switzerland.

Welcome back to Travel Tuesday! Today I'm sharing a pretty hilarious story about that time I fell off a ski lift in Switzerland, like I promised to do back on Christmas Eve. Whoops! But I'm here now! And I hope you enjoy. :)

Note the helmet! This is key.

Looks like a perfectly pleasurable day on the slopes, right? Wrong! This photo was taken before my brother and I managed to fall off a ski lift, hike all the way up to the top of the mountain, and fall off another lift before we could get back to the car. Sheesh! Here's how it went down....

24 Before 24: Run a Half-Marathon

I think I already mentioned this on the blog once, but in case you missed it: I ran my first half-marathon last month! In fact, this was my first "real" race ever. (Unless you count the two-mile "Friendly Frolic" run at my grandma's practically-retirement-community lake every Fourth of July. I don't.) Anyway, running a half-marathon was #1 on my 24 Before 24 list and also #7 on my Life List, so that was pretty exciting to cross it off both lists. (To be completely honest, my Life List originally said "run a marathon" because I wanted to do one with my sister, but then she saw it and told me she never planned to run a marathon again. So I was perfectly happy downgrading to a half-marathon haha.)

Why did I decide to run a half-marathon? I have never been a runner. I enjoy being active and working out, if that means: playing sports, cycling, lifting weights, doing sit-ups, hiking, swimming or skiing. I do not enjoy running. My mom and sister, on the other hand, have run numerous half-marathons, and my sister, Abby, also ran the Chicago Marathon a few years ago. Abby has been wanting me to run a race with her for quite some time, so when I got engaged, she finally convinced me to train for a half-marathon as a way to get in shape for my wedding.

Fall Friday: The Football

I already shared my love for fall foliage, fall fashion and more fall fashion. This week, I wanted to share one of my greatest loves in the autumn season: football! More specifically, college football. Even more specifically, Tiger football.

Mizzou Football Tailgate by mcszr3

I know the Tigers haven't been performing too well this season, but I don't mind. The way I see it, no one expected us to perform well in the SEC. When we lose, no one is surprised. When we win, it will be awesome and everyone will be impressed! I like to set my expectations low so they are harder to disappoint.... Well, with my sports anyway. I always root for the underdog. :)

Which team are you rooting for this season?

Friday's Fancies: Week 9

This week's Friday's Fancies is a little painful for me. It was a great idea, {av}, but it would be a lot more fun if my team were still in the tournament. *sigh* I even thought of skipping this week or doing a different theme because I was so heartbroken over Mizzou's first-round (and very unexpected) loss last Friday, but then I remembered this:

Even if the Big Dance didn't go quite as we had planned, I still love my Tigers, and I'm still proud to be a Mizzou student alum (I almost forgot)! (As evidenced by the fact that I wore my Mizzou headband on the slopes the day after our loss, despite seeing quite a few Jayhawk beanies.) As much as I wish I were getting ready to watch my boys play Marquette tonight instead of Florida, I will be a Tiger fan until the day I die! Plus, we're taking that Big 12 championship with us to the SEC ... and no one can ever take it back!

P.S. — I pinned quite a few Mizzou items on Polyvore when I was creating this outfit, so if you're a future/current/former Tiger — knock yourself out!

Things that make me go "hmm."

Source: hoosierhomemade.com via Marie on Pinterest

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Here are some interesting links I found this week:

If you learn one thing today, let it be this: It’s St. Paddy’s Day, not St. Patty’s Day!

Check out this magical combination of two of my favorite things: geography and college basketball. This game is addicting!

Types of books found in a bookstore. (If you like Letters or Note, you will love Lists of Note!)

In case you were wondering what the heck the Ides of March is and why we still recognize it. 

Have you always wondered what a hipster was? Now you know. (Essay from my favorite recent addition to my Google Reader: Thought Catalog.)

Chop Suey: Culinary history’s greatest prank?

These aren't photographs; they're paintings. Say what?!

Talk about a poor sport. What sort of example are we setting for our children? Sheesh.

What are you up to this weekend? Any fun plans for the holiday? I'm spending the weekend in Vail, Colorado, on a staff retreat. I can't wait to share my pictures with you when I get back! 

P.S. — In case you missed it yesterday, check out my outfit inspiration for St. Paddy's festivities.

Things that make me go "hmm."

Happy weekend, everyone! I wanted to start your Saturday off right with this adorable turtle picture. My friend Caroline posted it on my Facebook timeline for my birthday, and I just cannot get enough of it! It looks like it's saying: "GIMME A HUG!"

Source: Uploaded by user via Megan on Pinterest

Now, on to the interesting links I found this week:

Happy birthday to me!

Source: weheartit.com via Soraya on Pinterest

In honor of my 22nd birthday, I was going to share with you 22 fabulous things that have happened to me in the past year (inspired by the lovely Jessica at Lovely Undergrad). Then I realized I already shared most of them (and more!) with you last October when I posted about my favorite college memories. So instead, I'm going to share 22 random things about me that you might not already know:

A weekend in Angel Fire.

Last weekend (Feb. 11 & 12), I went skiing with a group of the other interns and some of their friends from Santa Fe at Angel Fire Resort. It was my first time skiing in two years (Northern California didn't any good snow this winter), and I had a blast! It was also a really good time to get to know the other interns beyond just passing each other in the office.

1 & 2: First views of the slopes from the lodge.

3 & 4: Gorgeous views from the slopes.

5 & 6: I skied until the lifts closed!

7 & 8: The resort at the base of the slopes, where we stayed for free in the press rooms! Score!

Things that make me go "hmm."

Happy weekend, everyone! I was pretty busy at work this week (making cool stuff like this), so I don't have as many fun links from the week as I usually do, but I hope you enjoy what I've found!

Source: adayinthelifeofblakey.tumblr.com via Megan on Pinterest

Random picture of the week: Did you ever play airplane with your parents when you were little? I think this is such a cute reminder of that (but not with your parents, obviously).

The world's first ski-in/ski-out Starbucks opened at Squaw Valley last week! (You have to scroll down the page a little to find the story.)

A sweet love letter from my new favorite website.

Robots riding camels? Yes, it's true. And has been since 2005.

Introducing: The best (and easiest!) egg sandwich you'll ever have.

Is sportsmanship dead?

Man has heart attack at Heart Attack Grill. You can't make this stuff up.

The new, environmentally friendly slogan for Mardi Gras beads? "Catch and release."

Things that make me go "hmm."

Time for week two of my new series - "Things that make me go "hmm." Enjoy the little tidbits I've gathered from across the web over the past week! But first, this video:

 Don't feel like you have to watch the whole thing, but watch about the first minute or so and
then skip ahead to 2:15. You won't want to miss it!

  

A beautiful argument for the written word (and against book-banning).

Did you know: LeBron bikes to work "all the time"!

Looks like students aren't the only ones who obsess about higher SAT scores.

Your community doesn't have to be rich to have a good library system. Good to know!

This was quite funny to me, considering I read Jonathan Franzen's Freedom on my Kindle and hated it. But somehow, I don't think that had anything to do with the fact it was an e-book....

30 travel terms that don't exist but should.

And finally, the most relaxing song of all time. You're welcome.

Bulldog traditions: University of Georgia.

My brother and I on the UGA campus.

"You yell 'Go Bulldogs,' and then you bark," my brother told us.

"Like, really bark?" I asked. "Ruff ruff or ark ark?"

"Megan, you sound like a seal." (This from my sister.)

We were trying to learn the University of Georgia student chants and cheers before the football game on Saturday, and all Michael could tell us was that we had to bark like bulldogs. Well, let me tell you, during Georgia's 19-10 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats, we perfected that bark. And it was more of an "hoo hoo hoo," but in a deep canine-like voice, if that makes any sense.

After learning to be a Georgia football fan, of course I wanted to learn about the other traditions and/or superstitions around campus. When we returned to Athens after Thanksgiving to drop Michael back off at school, we took another tour of the campus.

First, Michael showed me this arch, which is rumored to be cursed. If you walk under the arch, you won't graduate in four years. Well, I was arrogant enough to walk under it because I'm not graduating in four years, so ha! I beat that system. Michael says he hasn't walked under it yet.

After the arch, we visited the bell tower. After the game the previous Saturday, there had been a huge line, so I figured I would just wait until our return trip to participate in this particular campus tradition. Unfortunately (as you can see in the below picture), the rope was tied up so I couldn't ring it. :( But I did get to read about the history of the tower on a nearby plaque, which is included in the below caption.

Originally used to call students to classes, chapel services, and special events, the University of Georgia chapel bell was cast by George Holbrook of Medway, Massachusetts in 1835. The bell's arrival on campus is shrouded in mystery, but it is believed to have replaced an earlier bell between 1903 and 1911. Now primarily used to toll Georgia football victories, the chapel bell has weathered stolen clappers, rivalries, and a brief career as a World War II air raid "siren." The bell has been housed in its present location since circa 1913. The tower and bell restoration were completed in August 2008.

Note: I have recently added a new goal to my "bucket list": to visit 100 college campuses (#21). It's fun stories like these that make me so interested in visiting universities, so I hope I am able to share many more posts like this in the future as I complete this new item on my list!

My first SEC game.

As you might know, the University of Missouri recently moved to the Southeastern Conference. This means beginning in 2012, my school will be playing my brother's school, the University of Georgia, in the SEC East. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend my first Georgia game, which is also the second-to-last football game during which Georgia can be my favorite SEC team (because of course, beginning next season I'll have to root for my Tigers).

My sister, dad and I all flew into Atlanta on Friday night and drove out to Athens to start our Thanksgiving Break. (The school is much further from Atlanta than I had previously thought - almost 80 miles instead of a mere 45 minutes.) We picked my brother up bright and early the next day (bright and early for a college freshman, that is) and headed to Waffle House for breakfast. Kickoff was scheduled for 12:20, and we made it into the stadium only a few minutes late.

My brother, Michael, headed off to the student section while Abby, Dad and I headed up to our seats in the nosebleed section ... on level 600. I had heard Missouri would have to do a $40 million renovation to our stadium to be in the SEC, but I wasn't sure what that would entail. Now I'm wondering, maybe that entails building our stadium a few levels higher? These seats were insanely high. The stadium also seats well over 92,000 people, so I'm sure the seats have to built that high just to fit around the field. When my dad sent his girlfriend a picture of the field from our seats and joked about how awesome our view was, she texted back:

"Yeah, you and the Goodyear blimp."

As you can see from our view, my dad's girlfriend was pretty accurate.

I loved the pretty autumn colors outside the stadium.

I'm happy to say Georgia won, 19-10, despite the few obnoxious Kentucky fans that were heckling the crowd in our section and periodically announcing the score of the Kentucky basketball game, in which the Wildcats were faring a little better (wrong sport!). The game ended just in time for me to follow the Missouri vs. Texas Tech game on my phone while we went to dinner (more about that later), and I was able to watch our victorious end back at the hotel! We also watched Oregon lose to USC, so those few games combined with Oklahoma State's loss the night before made for one heck of a college football weekend and a great start to Thanksgiving break!

Unfortunately, we didn't quite leave ourselves enough time in the morning to attend an actual tailgate outside the stadium, so I can't cross that off my list yet. But, I can cross attending an SEC football game off #20. Whoop!

Does this mean Missouri is Southern?

I woke up this morning to a text telling me the event I was supposed to attend at 4 p.m. had to be rescheduled "due to the press conference at 4:30."

What press conference? I thought. I assumed it probably had something to do with Mizzou's much-anticipated move to the Southeastern Conference, but why hadn't I heard anything about it before now?

Well, within 30 minutes, I had four different emails conveying the same message:

MU Chancellor Brady J. Deaton

invites you to join

Athletic Director Mike Alden,

University of Florida President Bernie Machen

and

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive

For a celebration and news conference

on the occasion of the

University of Missouri’s

admission to the

Southeastern Conference

Sunday, November 6, 4:30 p.m.

MU Student Center

One was from the chancellor himself, one from Greek Life, one from the Student Recreation Complex where I work and one from the Mizzou Alumni Association.

Quidditch players wanted!

I was poking around on Outside Online today, the online counterpart to the adventure/fitness monthly magazine Outside, and I found this great opportunity. If only I were going to be in New York on Oct. 29, I would definitely stop by Central Park and try to catch a Snitch in my mouth.

Photographer: Courtesy of Pioneer Library Stream

Without pasting the entire article, here's my favorite part:

If you're an athletic muggle, male or female, come show us your best. It will not be easy. You'll be asked to perform push-ups, run suicide sprints, and throw a medium-sized rubber ball into a trash can far away, all while holding a regulation broomstick between your legs. But the rewards could be immense. Top snitches will be offered the chance to bring glory to the OMPIQWCT at the 100-team World Cup finals on Randall's Island, November 12-13. 

Come. Be great!

It only happens once in 100 years.

This past weekend, Mizzou celebrated its Centennial Homecoming. Although the term "first homecoming" is debatable, the University of Missouri is widely recognized as the founder of homecoming, dating back to when the athletic director invited alumni home to Mizzou for the Missouri-Kansas football game in 1911. Without getting too scholarly here, I will acknowledge the opposing faction that claims Mizzou was not the first. An Associated Press story published last month said, in part:

Tigers faithful have spent decades claiming former Missouri football coach and athletic director Chester Brewer's invitation for graduates to “come home” was the start of the tradition. School leaders know better — and are now more vocal in dispelling a well-worn myth whose adherents included Brewer himself.

“We try to be a little more careful about it,” said Missouri Alumni Association executive director Todd McCubbin, whose organization used to promote the school's homecoming as “the first and finest.”

The Oct. 15 game vs. Iowa State, preceded by a week's worth of activities, is now simply the school's centennial celebration.

“Certainly, our graduates feel like we're the first,” he said. “Sometimes perception is reality.”

So basically, what I'm saying is I'll still claim Mizzou as the originator of Homecoming. And we're still recognized as the largest student-run homecoming in the nation!

This is what Greektown looks like the night before Homecoming! (Right outside the ADPi house.)

Go Tigers! Moving on ...

72 Days at Mizzou.

Photo via Pinterest

1. It's been a while since I've written a post about my
impending graduation and subsequent limited time at Mizzou.

2. I bought my cap and gown for graduation today. Eek!

3. With only 72 days left, I don't anticipate I'll accomplish

much more during my undergraduate experience.

Due to these three items, I decided it was time to write a nostalgic piece about my time at the University of Missouri. I don't know if you can be nostalgic about something that isn't actually over yet, but I'm going to do it. So there. This will be mostly photos that represent my most memorable and/or proudest moments here at Mizzou. Enjoy!

Extra innings.

Well, it was really only one extra inning.

But we continued our streak of let's-get-out-of-the-house-and-do-something-fun activities tonight with an Atlanta Braves game! (Btw, we did end up going out last night, so we've successfully tried something new every day this week!)


If you're ever looking for something fun and reasonably affordable to do in Atlanta, I would recommend a baseball game. The baseball stadium is pretty easily reached by both driving and parking by the stadium or taking the MARTA (we did a little of both tonight), and student tickets are only $10. So bring your college ID, buy a foam finger and practice that tomahawk!

Go Braves!