The WHY of the Tiger

Dear Loyal Readers and Fans,

I know the 10 of you probably clicked on my blog link because you heard rumors that there was a picture of a cat doing karaoke. Uncle Jesse did get slightly intoxicated and gave his vocal chords quite the workout. In fact, he didn't even speak for a week after that night-- I think he might have lost his voice. But never fear, this morning he was in my face making awful cat noises that indicate "let me drink from the sink before 8am."

Don't worry. This blog won't be about my cat.

I'm still kind of trying to figure out what I am doing with this blog. I'm currently in a year-long course about memoirs, so maybe this can act as a self-indulgent memoir in the making... you know, so I can think I'm cool now, and then reflect on it in 10 years while I laugh about how lame I was... or cry about how awesome karaoke with Jesse was.

Whatever the case may turn out to be, I like to write about things I know. I'm terrible with fiction. Travelwriting and memoirs are more my speed because then I don't ever feel like I'm lying (this could be some pyschological thing that someone should analyze: for example, if I know I woke up at 9:58, I will not tell someone I woke up at 10... because I would have known exactly what time it was... so I would be kind of lying... you can judge me for this).

So I think this blog will be kind of a storage space for my personal writing, my personal rambling, current stories I want to remember, and maybe things like concert reviews and the random adventures I go on. Because I kind of go to concerts a lot. And I kind of have random adventures a lot. But just remember that I can't write fiction.

So WHY, Kristi? Why must you blog about your life? Meh... I don't know. College is a funny time. I should try to remember as much as I can from it.

So here's the Cliff's Notes on everything that has happened since I have been at UMass:

Freshman year: I get stuck living in my last choice of residence area. I am sad to leave my longterm boyfriend. I decide to suck it up and meet as many cool people as possible. I make a good amount of friends. I party too much; I don't go to class enough; I work really hard at the end of the fall semester to pull of a 2.6GPA. Whoops. The spring comes and I move to the wrong residence area. I party moderately/too much; I manage the 3.0 this semester. I run away to New Jersey for my first Skate'n'Surf Fest in Asbury Park. I eat White Castle for the first time, and I am not impressed. As the weather gets warmer, college becomes incredible. I get myself into some sticky situations. I eat ice-cream instead of dealing with the truth (South Park, anyone?).

Sophomore year: I end up living in the best residence area, in the best hall, with my best friends. I take a yoga class for 2 credits. I start doing well in my classes. The Red Sox win the World Series, and I drunk dial my whole family ("Mom, you probably don't care, but the Sox just won the World Serrriiiiesssahhhhhblah blaha!!!"). My friend Mike approaches me in the Dining Commons. He wants to move off-campus with Jason and Dan... do I want in? I say "yeah" and that's that. People think I am going to hate living with boys, but we have an incredible time. It is probably the most insane time of my life. We move into an apartment building of all students. This apartment complex will never house a building of all students ever again. I run away to New Jersey again, and this time the White Castle tastes amazing. We throw the party of the century. Once again, I get myself into some more sticky situations and choose the ice-cream.

Junior year: I get into a bad car accident with my best friends and probably should have been hurt really badly. I'm not. So we get tattoos. I move in with girls. I am scared of the girls. I become friends with them. They become friends with my friends and all is good. My grades climb higher and higher. I party too much, but even it out by working hard in classes I actually like. I become a tutor in the Writing Center and find a passion in it. Sticky situations keep coming back even when I run away to New Jersey and don't even bother with the White Castle this time. We wish there was a Sonic more closeby. I turn down a summer internship with the Warped Tour because of my mom and am somewhat devastated. But I go to Sicily and am in love with travel and writing. I intern with a travel website. Corporate writing is not my style at all. I run away from sticky situations by living in Amherst for the summer. A boy lives on our couch. I deliver chicken for Wings Over Amherst. I find new sticky situations and don't eat ice-cream.

Senior year: Now. Now. Now. I make a ridiculous amount of money delivering chicken, but I have to quit because I have too many hours in the Writing Center and too much work in my classes. I turn 21 and run away to Vegas. I drink excessively, party too much, but still manage to pull off a 3.97 (who does that? you couldn't have gotten that +.03?). I make some changes in my life to stay out of sticky situations, but life remains just as interesting. I feel kind of old. I stay in Amherst for the winter and take a couple classes. I take a bartending course and ace the exam. I set up the karaoke machine my mom got me for Christmas. Our neighbors must hate us. Everyone else has an easy last semester; I take a full, difficult courseload and a blogging class. It is freezing cold, but we're still ready for fun. I await the stickiest of situations that might involve ice-cream.

And don't forget this guy:

GET INTO IT.