Trump Trumps and I'm Sick of the Hate

If you haven't heard, the new president of the United States has been decided and Donald Trump will soon begin his four year term in office. What started as an elaborate joke (that the whole nation laughed about) turned into one of the most contentious races for the Oval Office that this generation has ever seen. World wide, the reaction to Trump’s victory has been (almost hilariously) intense.

To me, it still doesn’t seem real. I voted and walked away immediately feeling dirty, as though I had picked my side, and could never come back from it. I did not regret voting, or who I voted for, but I felt an overwhelming and surprising surge of shame the moment I logged onto the web. There wasn’t a place I could go that wasn’t tainted by the election. Facebook was full of last minute pleas to “do the right thing” and angry rants as to who would “doom us all”. Instagram pictures were captioned with heartfelt essays as to how this election would affect their lives. Snapchat stories were nonstop negative campaign ads that got more malicious the later it got.

And then, the results came in.

I didn’t stay awake to find out America’s future. I didn’t wake up and immediately search for results. I simply went about my routine, opened up Twitter and was instantly overwhelmed by hate.

I mean… people. Please. PEOPLE. Seriously?!

I want to take this break to clarify something; I dislike Donald Trump. I do. I don’t hate him, though, because I don’t know him. I’ve never met him, so how can I say I hate him? He is a racist, a sexist, xenophobic, homophobic man. He has made that clear over the course of this election, but I don’t hate him; I pity him.

And I pity those who let their fear drive their actions and influence their words. Instead of coming together and offering kind words of encouragement and building each other up, people began to cast blame and tear each other apart.

We had sucky candidates. We knew we would have a sucky president. But do we have to be sucky people?

So, here is my call to action. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything.”

This includes lamenting about the results, saying you’re “disappointed” in people, stereotyping the voters; really anything negative shouldn’t escape your thoughts. Be kind to people, do something nice daily, post uplifting comments, and upload some pictures of puppies. If it’s positive, it’s post worthy.

I won’t tell you not to have opinions, not to use your rights, and to just shut up and take it. I won’t tell you not to feel fear. I will tell you not to let fear and anger be your motivation. Be a positive person, and you will see positive change. 

PHT 101 What have I Done?

I'm chuckling to myself about the title because it rhymes.

Well, well, well, looks like I haven't perished in a freak boating incident (in large part due to my fear of boats)! The reason for my absence is actually incredibly normal; school. Yeah, school is in full swing now, as well as a potential part time job, and a potential secret opportunity that equal parts scares me, makes me sad, and excites me. More on that later.

For now, I wanted to give you guys a sneak peak of what I've been doing in my second favorite class, Photography 101!

Each week, we are assigned to shoot 50 photos by next Tuesday. Every new week, we have to work on something new such as angles, framing, etc. It's all so artsy and amazing! Well, it's week five, and here are my top picks from each week:

If you guys want to see more of my photos, my Instagram is @joybaylee or you can request I put more up here! Keep in mind, I'm still an amateur, and none of these photos are edited (because she wont let us even crop them, it's agony). Hopefully things will settle down for me and I can come back and post more regularly.

What Am I Doing?

This is all way harder than I expected it to be.

So, I have been blogging for about a month now, and I have around 8 posts and a little over 1,000 page views (cue celebratory party sound). On top of that, I recently started vlogging on my YouTube channel, Baylee Joy , and so far I've loved every minute of it.

The problem I didn't ever think I would run into has turned into my most common and infuriating problem to date; I don't know what to talk about.

I'm always talking, so how is this an issue?! I'm told to shut up more often than I am to speak up and yet some how my brain has managed to shut down and become a conversational black hole that swallows up every good idea I've ever produced! What's up with that, huh brain?

I am the master of rambling and the demi-god of tangents. I crack people up on the regular. I've even cracked myself up (sadly). Then I step in front of the camera, or put my fingers to the keyboard, and suddenly I can't find my personality. If you asked my friends, they'd tell you I'm a hyperactive moron with an above average IQ who enjoys the sound of her own voice too much to be healthy. On camera, I'm this awkward hippo who can't find her light and stumbles over basic english.

There are a lot of directions I can move my vlog into, including beauty vlogging, serious discussion, comedy channel, sketch channel, topic discussions, pop culture, blah, BlAh, BLAH. If we're being real, I'm not much of a beauty guru, and I can't hold a serious conversation for more than 2 minutes.

Part of my problem may be that I keep comparing myself to other established YouTubers. Through research and observation, I'm learning what people want and I'm finding myself rather lacking.

So what am I doing?

Well, no one starts out perfect, and I told myself I was going to pursue this. Maybe I'll never reach a million subscribers or even touch 100, but I'll be incredibly grateful for the few that I'll have and I'll continue to make content even if I only ever have 10 subscribers. It would be really encouraging if y'all could watch and like my videos though (#ShamelessSelfPromotion) and tell me what you think.

And if you have a channel, let me return the favor and encourage you to keep doing what you're doing!

What? Another Vlog?

Hey everyone!

That's right, I've posted another vlog! I have finally kicked my butt into gear and took my own advice; not to be a hypocrite. For years I've been telling people I was going to start my own YouTube channel and be one of the greats like Shane Dawson, Julian Smith, or Ryan Higa. I think the first time I said aloud that I wanted to be a YouTuber was my freshman year of high school.

It took me around 6 years, but here I am now, with two channels and bursting with video ideas! This time, there are no more excuses! So prepare your selves for the Reign of Baylee, be prepared for sensational... okay, I won't quote Lion King.

But here is a link to my new vlog, check it out and head to my other channel as well!

My First Vlog!

My first vlog is out!

Week One and Done

It's finally the beginning of the fall semester for us poor college kids! The Freshmen are pouring in and wandering the campus in their confusion. The Seniors are already working on term papers and searching for jobs. And then there's me, living it up for one more semester before I officially gain my associates degree!

I still remember my first week at college. Sure, I didn't have to move into a dorm, but the shock of jumping from the rigid structure of high school to the freedom that comes with a college campus was overwhelming at first. There weren't teachers roaming the hall and ushering students from class to class or a bell ringing and warning me to rush to my next course. No one was there to tell me I couldn't wander around outside in my free time or simply pack up and skip. In the classroom was even stranger. Professors don't have time for you to ask to use the restroom, or say you need a nurse. If you want, just hop up and walk out.

Well, amidst all of this chaos, I was on the hunt for a spot to call my own. NVCC Woodbridge is a small campus. We have three buildings (four if you count the tiny one next to the bookshop) and each one is packed with places to hide and sit for a few quiet minutes. This is great since sometimes I had to wait up to 3 hours before my next class would start. On one memorable occasion, I waited 6 hours. 6 HOURS! So it's important to find your own quiet spot to recuperate. Mine happened to be the old cafeteria in the crappiest building. It's also the perfect people watching spot, but that's just a side note.

While I got used to the campus, I also learned that the first week (or two if you have dynamic courses) is the time to determine who are the good students, the fun students, and the least likely to come back for week 2. This is crucial if you have a professor who likes group projects.

The Good Student
The good student is always on time. They show up with the printouts in a neat little stack and any assigned homework completed. They take meticulous notes that can sometimes be color coded. They are always down for a study session, though beware the Grumpy Good Student, because they only work alone. This is the student you want to befriend, because they will be your key to success in a class you may not understand.

The Fun Student
The fun student is mostly on time, with the exception of having to stop for some Chipotle on the way to class. They show up and make the class laugh, often cracking a smile from the professor. They have creative minds, but sometimes can't back it up with talent (but that's okay). You can always count on them to be friendly and outgoing. This is the student you should strike up conversations with because they'll always have an interesting story on hand.

The Least Likely to Return
Don't get attached to this student. They may not be coming back, no matter how awesome a person they are. They may even normally be a Good Student, but this is not the class for them. Usual reasons for leaving include:

• They found out they don't even need this class anymore, so why waste the money.
• The professor is their least favorite person in the world, and they'd rather not deal with them.
• They showed up day one to get the run down, then don't return until the finals, where they find out if they don't get a perfect score, they'll have flunked the class

Really though, people are crazy and unpredictable. Make friends with who you want to and have a great time learning together.

So with all this learned and primed for use, I think this "Week One" was a success. I felt little to no stress and managed to enjoy observing other peoples week ones. It is oddly fun to stalk people's social media in the first week of school.

*Side story*

So this relates to the topic of week one because this happened to me this past week. I'm taking 5 classes this semester in an attempt to not come back in the spring; Photography 101, ITE, Interpersonal Com, Art History 2, and Cultural Geography. Well, all but one of these classes started without a hitch. So Tuesday, I exit my IT class and head for Cultural Geo, only to be stunned by an email I received on the way. My professor had emailed the class 10 minutes before it was scheduled to start to say that he would no longer be teaching the class and that we should seek out the Dean to find a new professor.

WHAT THE HECK!?

Keep in mind, this was after having 2 of my classes cancelled 2 weeks before school started, so, I was beyond pissed. I was on my way to yell at a councilor, when I noticed a large mass of students heading in the same direction. Turns out my Geo class had formed a mob and were headed for the Dean. I joined in and we had to navigate our way across buildings 3 times before we were finally told that they would find us a new professor by Thursday.

In the end, they did get us a new professor, but that just goes to show, your first week could be worse.

Fantastic Fiction

Fantastic Fiction (and where to find it).

Get it? Like JK Rowling's new movie "Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them" except not nearly as well written nor as anticipated. Unlike Rowling's movie, my new blog will not be filled with famous actors and action packed wizard fight sequences. Actually, it might, because my new blog is going to be an eclectic compilation of poetry, short stories, scripts, etc.

That's right folks, I write. I write a lot actually. More than most people ever want to. The problem is that none of my manuscripts ever see the light of day (much like myself) and remain hidden on my laptop. Yet, I love my stories and the insane way they're told. And so, as a gift to all of you, I created my new blog:

Much Wow.

Alright, now that that announcement's out of the way, let me tell you why I haven't been posting.

STRESS.

Stress from work, stress from the upcoming semester, and a lot of stress from organizing my schedule. I am in my last official week of the internship I have been a part of for 3 months. Literally all summer long! It's been equal parts great and horrible. Great, because making money is always great. Horrible, because I lost my entire summer to copying and pasting documents in an office without a window.

I'll admit that I learned a lot while working for InfoReliance. They taught me how and why the government uses contracts. I learned more about Word and Excel than I ever have. Really, it taught me a whole new skill set that is required for working in a professional office environment. My coworkers were all incredibly friendly and totally ready to help me whenever I needed it. And there was free food. Lots of free food. They had multiple kitchens stocked with snacks, soda, coffee, HOT CHOCOLATE, etc. It was like a dream come true. There were also the typical down sides.

While it was a novel idea having an office of my own during the first week, I quickly came to resent the cramped death cubicle. There was no window, and for some reason it was perpetually hot like a dry day in the desert. The work I was given was exciting at first, until I realized that all I had to do was copy and paste from one document to another. All summer long. My fingers are traumatized. Add on 3 hours of driving - minimum - a day and that just equaled a lot of crying and repeated One Direction traffic parties.

Seriously though, it was totally worth all the headaches and morning crying sessions. 9/10 would recommend.

The best thing to come out of all of this is that it solidified my determination to never work in a traditional office environment. It's something I think everyone should do once in their life time, but dear Lord, no one should want to willingly spend the prime of their life surrounded by beige everything! SO MUCH BEIGE!