"it's hard to beat the system, when we're standing at a distance "

With THON just around the corner, I thought I’d pick the mug that reflects the importance of community service. In the beginning of high school, I didn’t really understand the power of community service. Yes, I did volunteer through my school’s Key Club and Honor Society, but I’ll admit I was doing it for all the wrong reasons. I was only doing it for the requirements of the clubs. However, in senior year my motives changed. In my economics class we were presented with various service hours we can attend for extra credit and for the first time I found myself intrigued for a different reason. I attribute my inspiration to my economics teacher Mrs. Fritch. She is one of the most influential and motivational teachers I have ever had. She had a way of conveying the need for volunteers without sounding preachy. She genuinely enjoyed what she was doing and it came out in everything that she did. Her view of the world was incredible and she made me want to do more to help. The best part is that she truly made you believe you could make a difference as well. She organized majority of the service events at my high school and senior year I became more involved. The projects were not only rewarding but also so much fun. From a haunted house that benefitted Habitat for Humanity to a fashion show that benefited Breast Cancer, I was having a blast while giving back to my community. I participated in bake sales and attended walks but the one project that really clinched my love of service was my first Habitat Build. The fact that I actually helped build, not only a house, but also a home with my bare hands, was a feeling I could not describe. From then on, I knew I wanted to be involved as much as I could. We put up sheetrock that day but even after all the leveling and hammering and sawdust it was amazing to see that I had created that room.

I was so excited to go to a big school because I knew the opportunities the university would provide me to were endless. The second weekend into fall semester I signed up for FreshStart, which was one of the largest freshman service day. I was assigned to help out at a local thrift store. My group and I were asked to unload the storage room by sorting, tagging and hanging the clothes. When we first stepped into the storage room it was filled to the brim with donated clothes. I didn’t think we’d even be able to make a dent. At the end of the day, we had got a lot accomplished but I still felt as if there was so much to do but regardless the owner was moved to tears. It’s such a humbling experience to see a grown man cry over what I thought was only a little help. It really showed me how much he needed our help. To show his gratitude he told us to look around the thrift store and that he’d give us a 50% discount. As a symbol to remind me what the power of lending a hand can bring, I bought this mug. 

Service doesn’t have to go as grand scale as building a house, it could be as simple as helping a friend in need or even a smile. The smallest gesture can unite us in tough times. So as I make myself a cup of tea in this mug, I think of how excited I am for my first THON experience, knowing I have the opportunity to provide some hope! Afterall, it’s For The Kids!

 Cutting out the door frame for the closet!

Holding the sheet-rock in place for the wall. (I was too short to hammer)

My group in front of the Habitat House!

"there may be something there that wasn't there before"

"tale as old as time"

At the end of a really bad day, the one thing I know I can look forward to is a nice cup of Chai Tea. Nothing soothes the soul quite like something hot. Whether I’m feeling blue or down on my luck, it always does the deed. But the days, which I found are the trickiest to cure, are the days when I actually get mad. Now, these come few and far between but when they come, they come with vengeance.  On occasion, I can get irritable and snap when I don’t really mean it. Sometimes it’s at my mom, my brother or I, even, catch myself talking back to the TV. It usually occurs from some frustration that manifests itself until it finds a scapegoat.

I find though, if I don’t blow off my steam, I always feel full to the brim, ready to bubble over. That’s when I discovered a ritual that usually breaks me out of every funk. Chai Tea and a Disney classic. I channel my anger towards the villains, Gaston, Ursula and Scar. Childish, I know, but who can be mad at Timon and Pumba, or Mushu? A silly cure that was developed by accident.

My family and I spent Christmas Break at the happiest place on earth, Disney World. However, the turn of events weren’t so happy. We all had high hopes that we would be able to escape the New York blizzard to sunny 70-degree weather, but unfortunately we were faced with a cold front. We woke up to 23-degree weather, the coldest it’s been since the 1973, a fact that my dad made sure to tell everybody. The first day I moped around at little bit, disappointed that I couldn’t wear flips flops or enjoy the sun.  That’s when my mom, cousin grandma and I went to Down Town Disney to do some retail therapy.

That’s where I discovered the perfect mug:

 

That morning I was a beast. I woke up to an empty hotel room to find my family had left to eat breakfast without me and gazed outside to see the Palm Trees covered in blankets. But instead of letting it grow, I let it out the minute it happened and began to move past it. This mug is so perfect because it reminds me that sometimes it’s okay to be a beast and have a bad day, but at the end of it all you should be able to see the beauty of the situation. Looking back at that vacation, I had a great time regardless of the weather. And even though, I was wearing a hat and gloves in Florida, I was with my wonderful family in the most magical place on earth and that was the beauty of it. So when your having a bad day, remember that it’s okay to be a beast at times, but when you’ve let your fuel out, kick up your feet, pop in an old Disney VHS and enjoy the beauty of life.

My grandma, cousin Bella and I in front of Hogwarts!

 My family at the Gaylord Palms.

"Keep Calm and Carry On"

My Cup of Jo(anna)

"I believe in the sand beneath my toes"

Last night, I woke up to the bells and whistles of the plow outside my window. 3 o’ clock in the morning; I lazily scrambled to the frosted pane hoping to see a winter wonderland that would force the university to close down. To my despair, there was barely 2 inches. Why in the world did they need to plow the roads so earlier in the morning, if they weren’t too terrible to begin with? I slouched back into my bed and wrapped myself into my blankets knowing I’d have to bare the winter wind. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the winter snow. I love the way it looks after it has just fallen and gives me a great excuse to act like a kid again, rolling around in the snow and cuddling up afterwards with a cup of tea and a good book. However, STAT 200 did not put me in the “snow angel mood” and the way the snow turns a nasty brown after a while was not helping the situation either. It did, on the other hand, still call for a cup of hot chocolate.

Ironically, I choose my Jones Beach mug. Winter is wonderful but summer is fantastic. I live on Long Island and is blessed with being 10 minutes away from the beach. My house in the summer has a permanent trail of sand from the front stoop to the shower. (Even to my mother’s dismay and countless demands for me to rinse off outside) For me the beach is the backdrop to a lot of memories. It’s where I grew up. When I was little I stayed at Field 6, the family section. We’d pack our cooler and blankets and trek off to the beach. We always put the “sand” in sandwiches. As I got older, Field 4 was where I spent my teenage years tanning and laughing my friends. I even spent my first date walking the boardwalk at sunset. When I was old enough to drive, I invested in a beach pass and every day I didn’t spend working, I spent at the beach. There is everything from mini golf to beach volleyball to everything in between. So when boredom set in, escape was only a couple of miles away.

In the winter, it feels as if summer is ages away but with Groundhog Day right around the corner, there is a little glimmer of salvation. Regardless of if he sees his shadow or not, I sip some coffee from my Jones Beach mug and the warmth brings me back into the sun. 

 

 My friends and I on the life guard stand.

 

Sunset by the rocks.

"Keep Calm and Carry On"

Cup of Jo(anna)

"We Are..."

I figured what better mug to start with than my trusty Penn State mug. I got this mug when I visited the school during Spend a Summer Day in August, a year before I would eventually go here. As everyone knows college applications can be one of the most stressful experiences senior year. The agony of picking the best school that fits your personality is tough! It's a big decision to decide where you want to spend the next four years of your life. I knew one thing I wanted, however, and that was spirit. I wanted a college that I can be proud of and that would be proud of me and so my search began! It wasn't long until I stumbled upon, what I believe to be one of the most spirited colleges out there not to mention it's academics were up there as well. It was the perfect fit. I still remember that December morning, waking up to the mail. I've always heard the rumors that big envelopes meant acceptance and small envelopes meant rejections, but I still didn't put two and two together that the large white envelope that was entitled ADMISSION OFFICE could be my acceptance letter.  I nervously ripped open the seal to reveal a folder entitled "Welcome to Penn State". At that point, the sheer joy I felt pushed out any doubts I had about making the right choice. Penn State was for me and I let everyone know that that morning when I screamed that "I GOT IN". Little did my Dad knew, who flew down the stairs to find my mom and me in tears: he expected the worse. But to his surprise it was tears of joy...expensive tears but of happiness nonetheless. From then on began my journey as a college student. There is something about being in Beaver Stadium with "110,000 of your closest friends" all cheering on your school that gives me the chills to this day. I love passing my fellow students to my classes and spotting blue and white everywhere. It is so important to take pride in what you do and that is what I feel Penn State is trying to convey. It unites so many different types of people. Every time I drink out of this mug it reminds me of that day I received my letter and the happiness I felt comes rushing back because I am so glad to be where I am. So even thought my double major workload sometimes get me down, I have a cup of tea and remember the reason why I choose this school.

 My first Penn State football game with my boyfriend Nick (who also goes here).

 

Parent weekend with my mom and dad.

 

My birthday weekend with my mom, dad and Joe Paterno.

 

The white out game being lifted for the touchdown!

"Keep Calm and Carry On"

Cup of (Jo)anna

 

Behind every collection is a story and here is mine:

"My Cup of Jo(anna)" (notice the pun!)

I collect mugs from all the different places I have been and this blog is an account of the individual story behind each mug that I own. Some were gifts and some I bought, but each mug comes with an unique background with a special meaning to me. My collection first started with my love of coffee and tea. Every since I was little my mother had introduced to me to the world of caffeinated beverages. We'd sit down at night with our favorite flavor of tea and spend time bonding together. At first I started off slow, only sampling a simple lemon tea with honey (my mom's favorite) but my palate began to branch to other berry flavors, chai (my personal favorite) and eventually to coffee and with that our bonding grew too. It was my mother's cure all and our timing did not just become limited to night. Now away at college I still look forward to coming home on breaks to enjoy a nice cup of tea with my mommy. I found myself always drinking out of the same mug because of it's aesthetic appeal and dreaded when I was presented with the old ugly looking mug. When the "pretty" mug was in the dishwasher, I was left disheartened, which then sparked my collection to buy more mugs that I like drinking out of. This blog will document my growing collection featuring one mug each time in no particular order or preference. Each mug represents a part of me I'd like to share and as you read I hope to open you to my world a little.

"Keep Calm and Carry On"

Cup of (Jo)anna