Happy 30th Anniversary Mom and Dad!

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It’s a day late, but yesterday was my parents’ 30th anniversary!

ImageThey ate at my favorite restaurant (and old workplace), Oceans, back home in Little Rock.

I want to take this time to thank you for putting up with me for so many years and supporting me with whatever I do, whether it was those five years I wanted to be an actor or the other five careers I’ve thought about in the last two. You are the reasons I am able to attend a great school like Northwestern, the reason I was able to traipse around London and Europe for three months, and even the reason I have boxes of Girl Scout cookies and Jiffy cornbread mix in my house.

I know I don’t take the time to thank you enough, and sometimes I forget to text back or call about my insurance or other things you ask of me, but I appreciate every opportunity you have opened for me.

Happy anniversary. I love you both so much.

Figuring out my boundaries

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I’ve had my facebook for almost seven years now, and most of that time has been filled with some quiet fear of what it means to have a social profile. In high school, people who posted suggestive photos or foul comments were called to the principal’s office and suspended. We were told, “potential colleges are going to see what you post.” And now after getting there, it’s my future jobs and internships I have to worry about. But I’m not really even sure what it is I’m supposed to be censoring anymore.

At this point, I’m 21 years old. I’m not passing out drunk at parties or getting in arguments on Facebook. I do, however, indulge like any other college student. I go out, have drinks and dance. I can’t imagine that any average adult thinks there is anything wrong with this. So why is it that I have some ridiculous fear that my future employers are going to reject me at the sight or sound of alcohol? The idea that I might be doing what every other college student is doing?

I think the problem is that when we were younger, no one told us about when our boundaries end. They just told us that we had them. And now that we’re growing up, it’s hard to figure out what exactly is okay to do at the cusp of adulthood. We feel like these boundaries no longer exist, yet we still feel an innate need to keep them.

I think it’s time to move past these arbitrary boundaries. We are old enough to stop having to pretend we don’t like to have fun and old enough for everything not to seem so “bad.”

So here it is. Here’s an image that would have “ruined my chances at college” but is maybe, just maybe okay now. Here’s what I’ve been monitoring with acute detail all these years. Here’s my Friday night:

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Entering “professional”

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I’m graduating in December. I think I’ve mentioned this before. This basically means that in the next nine months, I’ll be applying for graduate schools AND real world jobs. I’m not sure which one is going to come first, but I’ve got time to search out options and choose the best one. Hopefully, I can take some time off to do some temporary work and start graduate school (in London, hopefully) late next year.

Essentially, it’s time to get it together.

I’ve been applying for internships, which has involved changing my resume every other day and writing cover letter upon cover letter. It’s been a mix of marketing internships and LGBT activism internships, and hopefully I will start hearing back from them about interviews and such within the next few weeks. 

This has been a great learning period for me where I have gotten to teach myself some professional skills (with lots of guidance, of course) and feel like I’m constantly getting things accomplished. Today I built a basic professional website (not from coding, which I am attempting to start learning), which means I have been sitting on my bed all day and haven’t eaten a thing. I would like to go grocery shopping so I don’t have to order out so much, but the who knows how many inches of snow on the road right now are keeping me from doing that. I think I’m feeling Thai food.

Anyways, that’s essentially the reason I haven’t been updating much. I’ve just been doing lots of schoolwork, applications, and now I’ve got this website thing to work on. I went to an Alpha Phi date night over the weekend that got me out of Evanston for a little bit, which was really fun.

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I also went bowling with Zeta. I guess I am basically either a recluse or a sorority girl’s dream man these days. I’m fine with either, depending on the day.

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Well, if you haven’t clicked the hyperlink, you should check out my new website brennansuen.wix.com/home and tell me what you think. Hopefully I can find some more stuff to put in the portfolio section instead of random pictures, but I’ve got time. Portugal is coming up in a couple of weeks, so I’ve just gotta get through finals to get to paradise. Thanks for reading! 

 

 

Mom’s visit

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My mom just left yesterday from a four-day visit, allowing me to get to do a lot of the things I normally wouldn’t, like eating at Friends Sushi and seeing Book of Mormon! And, of course, I got to spend time with my mom and pretend like I didn’t have a ton of work to get done… Work that I should be doing right now…

Anyways here’s a rundown of some of the stuff we did:

Day 1: Downtown

Pretty much the second mom got here, we headed downtown to eat at our all-time favorite restaurant, Friends Sushi. If you haven’t been there before, you haven’t been living. Their fusion sushi rolls are extremely creative and flavorful. The first time I had their Friends Maki, I tasted a familiar yet mysterious tartness only to realize that there was thinly sliced green apple in it. Hopefully that gives you an idea of the kind of sushi you can expect to enjoy here. 

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We tried the Fire Cracker appetizer, which were basically Asian-fusion nachos. Raw tuna and salmon, avocado, red tobiko (fish eggs), and creamy wasabi sauce on shrimp crackers. Also known as RIDICULOUS.

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We ordered the Fujiyama Maki for the first and definitely not last time. Crab meat, imitation crab, shrimp, and spicy mayo topped with king crab, red tobiko, and tempura crumbs. Totally decadent.

We made our way to go shopping, because what else is there to do downtown when it’s freezing? Oh yeah – I forgot to mention that after a nice, 50° Monday, it decided to drop to 15° when mom came. So of course she vowed never to come back in February. It’s definitely the month in Chicago to skip if there is one. The stores had some good sales, but it didn’t take a lot of un-layering and relayering and carrying huge coats around before we were ready to head back to Evanston.

We grabbed a quick bite to eat and then went to see Argo, which was as good as I expected it to be. Ben Affleck was snubbed from the Oscar nom AND WE ALL KNOW IT!

Day 2: BOOK OF MORMON

I had class all day on Wednesday, so we were only able to grab breakfast at Le Peep during the day. After class ended, mom and I headed downtown again to see Book of Mormon. I made my mom take the el there and back so she would see how we cheap college students do it (and save like $100). 

Book of Mormon was the best musical I have ever seen (well maybe tied with Avenue Q). I was thrashing with laughter the entire time. It was so funny that halfway through the first act, I stopped laughing because literally everything was funny. I’d actually become habituated to the humor – and then it got funnier. Performances, script, and production were all top notch. Definitely go see it. It’s a blast.

Day 3: Pajama Game

Mom and I had lunch at Bat 17 before I went off to class until 5. We had dinner at Bravo and then went to see Jonny’s show, The Pajama Game. I’m always so impressed with how talented the students at our school are!

Day 4: Saying goodbye

Friday was short and sweet. We had lunch at Chipotle and then said our goodbyes. I’m hopefully going home in April to visit again and see everyone, because I probably won’t get to go home this summer. It’s always nice to see my mom, but it was time for me to get back to work – homework and more internship applications are on the horizon!

Smooth(ie) moves

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I had two midterms yesterday, so the entire last five days have actually consisted of nothing but me studying. I’ve never studied so much in my life, but it was definitely worth it. Gotta keep up that GPA if I wanna go to grad school!

Aside from studying, well, I haven’t done really anything outside of my normal routine. So I’m gonna talk about part of that!

I make at least one smoothie every day because 1. they’re delicious and 2. they’re cheap and 3. they make me feel healthy. So here are some pictures of one of them. This one has frozen mango, frozen berry blend, a banana, and yogurt. I also really like one with OJ, banana, and frozen mango in it. You don’t ever have to add ice, just buy frozen fruit (or freeze your own). I use a hand blender because it’s easy to clean and really quick.

Experimenting with new flavors is always fun too. Woo!

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Putting in the fruit.

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Adding in some yogurt.

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My favorite college purchase – a Cuisinart hand blender!

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Pure deliciousness.

Those people you don’t know but probably met once

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So I’m sitting in Norris trying to come up with something to blog about (there’s been a lack of excitement in my life just studying and trying to stay warm) when I see this girl sit down a few tables away from me. Now she can’t see me — huddled behind a large support pillar at my two-top — which is probably good because she’d probably find it weird that I’m writing this.

This girl is one of those people. 

I see this girl at least three times a week. We have classes together; we both frequent Norris. Even though our paths cross often, under normal circumstances I probably wouldn’t have any idea who she was — except for the fact that at the beginning of the quarter, as she walked past my seat in class, she gave me a recognizing wave and a “Hey! How ya doing?”

Oh no.

Who was this girl? I knew immediately that I was supposed to know who she was, but I didn’t. Had we met at a party? Was she a friend of a friend? Had I met her sometime last year and the eight months away from NU made me forget?

It’s one of the most shameful, awkward moments you can have as a college student. You try desperately to act normal and pretend that you totally know who that person is. You feel like a total jerk because you’re obviously so self-obsessed that you forgot another human being. Like totally forgot them. But it’s also just a flaw of the human memory — blame psychology, right?

Now, after a month of seeing her so often, I’m often the one initiating the smile, the wave, and the “Hey! How ya doing?” She’s become a regular presence in my life, and even if I have no clue who she is, I actually enjoy running into her. She’s got a contagious smile — and she’s not some ass hole that forgets people she should know…

I think we all have one of these people, or more than one, and after a while it feels like you do know them — that they’re not so much strangers anymore. It’s these people that encourage us to at least try harder to take the time to recognize each other, and not just each other’s faces. I think you probably get what I mean.

It’s time to un-adjust

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I’ve been back at NU for enough time to feel like I’ve readjusted to life here. In a weird way, it’s been easy and hard at the same time.

Easy in that I just fell into my new class schedule, re-joined my old extracurriculars (NU Intel, Project SOAR), and slowly and steadily got back in touch with my good friends. Studying for my first test in almost eight months wasn’t even bad, and my Micro problem sets are surprisingly fun to do. 

So it feels like I have it all together, and in a sense, I do. I’ve got a pretty solid two-year plan that ideally involves getting a summer internship at the Human Rights Campaign in D.C., graduating in December with a double major in Theatre and Psychology and my newly declared Integrated Marketing Communication certificate, getting a job somewhere for the first half of 2014, and finally, starting a year of graduate school back in London.

And I guess that’s part of what makes it hard. I’ve got five more months before my next big step (hopefully a summer internship), and that’s a huge gap to just fill with schoolwork (and of course a trip to Portugal, which I am endlessly excited about). Sure, I’ve got work to do, but there’s a lot of time in five months and I want that time to be fun. I’m coming back from a place where I was making huge personal discoveries and growth on what felt like a daily basis, and part of that was rooted in the fun I had – the interpersonal relationships, travel, and overall adventure. If I learned one thing over there, it’s that living in the moment is maybe even more important than living for your goals.

So I guess that is what’s hardest about readjusting, and part of the reason I think it’s time to un-adjust a little bit. I’m too young to get so caught in the motions. 

A Case for Drinking Tea

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I’ve enjoyed three cups of tea (in my Union Jack mug!) in the last few hours while working on my Micro problem set. 

I’ll go ahead and be annoying and mention that I developed a real love for tea over in England, where they really do drink tea all the time. There’s a stereotype for a reason, chaps! Anyways, I’ve realized that aside from its deliciousness, the warm-me-up-from-the-inside feeling I get in my freezing cold house, and its apparent health benefits (see this for more info), drinking tea also regulates and encourages my study schedule!

I fix myself a nice mug before starting my work. It’s a good transitional phase from whatever I was doing (in today’s case, laying in bed for hours) to hard workin’. Now that I’ve got a warm, comforting cup of my favorite drink, I’m zen and ready to get to work.

As I carry on with my work, I sip slowly and diligently, enjoying my work more and more with each delicious mouthful, and then OH MY GOD THE TEA IS GONE WHAT DO I DO?

Well obviously I fix more.

At this point, I’ve probably been working about 30-40 minutes; it’s a great natural time for a break. I leisurely fix my next cup for 10 minutes and then get back to work. It’s like the perfect study-to-break ratio, and at the end of the break, my mind is rested — and I’ve got another cup of tea to get me through the next work session!

So if it’s not for the taste, or to curb your appetite, or for the antioxidants, drink tea for your mind. I assure you – homework is much more enjoyable and finishes much more quickly when you’re sipping on tea.

Eating Well as a College Student

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My house is 1.3 miles from the nearest grocery store.

For the first week and a half back here, I couldn’t get myself to take the trek and not even be able to carry that many things back with me. Luckily, Jonny let me borrow his car on Friday, and I was able to make my biggest independent grocery run ever.

Mom, I’m a real adult now.

Anyways, I’ve realized that I don’t quite have the time (or ingredients) to make that Lobster Corn Chowder I’ve always wanted my mom to make or even the Parmesan Chicken and Red Wine Alfredo I made my grandmother once. And because of this lack of time (or really lack of wanting to make all that effort and then clean all of it up), I’ve been learning some quick and yummy and healthy recipes. And in that vein, I’m going to pretend like I’m cool enough to have a food blog and post some of the delicious stuff I’ve made!

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The (almost-as-good-and-third-the-price) Zaza Salad and Sandwich

Ingredients:
A handful of spinach leaves
A handful of sliced strawberries
A smaller handful of candied pecans
Some crumbled goat cheese
Vinaigrette
Turkey (for the sandwich)
Sandwich rounds

Mix everything up salad style, except leave out the turkey and bread (obviously, you idiot). Then spread some goat cheese on a sandwich round and throw some turkey, spinach, and vinaigrette on it and you’ve got a delicious sandwich. You can even make it into a tasty melt.

I used to pay $10 for just the salad!

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Spinach Tortellini with Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Vodka Sauce

Ingredients:
Spinach Tortellini
Spinach
Goat Cheese
Bottled Vodka Sauce (it’s so much easier than trying to actually make your own…)

Hopefully I don’t have to explain to you how to make this one. Just put it all together (after cooking the noodles, again, obviously). To make it easier on yourself, just spoon out some sauce and put it in the microwave instead of making it on the stove. Who needs to have their pasta “tossed in the sauce” outside of a restaurant anyways!?

… and the best for last!

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Penne with Goat Cheese Alfredo, Tomatoes, and Spinach

Ingredients:
Penne
Goat Cheese
Halved Cherry Tomatoes
Spinach
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar

Okay so there’s totally a pattern with goat cheese and spinach, but both are pretty yummy and versatile (and I had to use them before they went bad!) To make this one, put the cherry tomatoes and spinach in a bowl, sprinkle some salt on them, and then put the olive oil and vinegar on top. Mix it all up and let it sit and get all juicy.

Then make the penne and just stir in a ton of goat cheese. You can add some milk if you want, but goat cheese is a gift from the heavens and secretly melts into a perfect sauce without you having to do anything but stir. Throw all your other stuff into the pot and excite your tummy tums.

Again, mom, I’m an adult now. And I’m sorry I ever let you make something on the stove instead of the microwave, asked you to put meat in everything I ate, or made you take me to Zaza all the time when I could have made the salad myself. Thank you for making me lots of delicious meals —

and I miss your lasagne.

Workin’ my way back to you (and by you, I mean internships)

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Being back at Northwestern, I more than ever feel the need to be a pre-yuppie. I think high school Brennan would be very surprised that I no longer am trying to run around in costumes while singing on stage and instead am fighting hard to end up stuck behind a desk, in a suit, making an intern fetch me coffee —

Okay well that’s not really the goal either, but if you’re reading this future employers, I’m totally willing to get your coffee and think you look great in that suit!

Which brings me to my new favorite pastime: applying for internships for the summer. So far I’ve updated my LinkedIn like 10 times in the last week, got an account on internsushi.com, e-mailed the Equality Federation about internships at Equality IL, and e-mailed a few contacts about possible opportunities for before the summer.

Hearing how accomplished all of my fellow students are and feeling behind from my seven months off-campus makes me feel very idle, which I do not like. I’ve been so used to have stuff to do all the time, and since I can’t casually fly off to Italy to gain some introspective-and-yet-worldly-self-growth, it’s time to buckle down and grow in less-fun-but-equally-important-professional-career-blah-blah-blah ways.

Secretly, I’m really excited about it.