My giant suitcase is packed. My to-do list is all checked off. I’m officially ready to get up tomorrow at 4Am to catch my 6:30Am flight to LA and then sit around LAX until 10:30PM when I’ll board my 15 hour flight to Melbourne. Yep, that’s about 36 hours of straight travel, but hopefully I’ll be in a Tylenol PM induced sleep for the better part of that 15 hour flight, and at the end of it, I’ll be able to see Sarah’s lovely, smiling face waiting for me at the airport Love Actually style. (This is for real: Sarah told me the Melbourne Airport has big double doors like at the end of Love Actually. I told her I’d sing God Only Knows to get the full effect.) Plus, most of the sitting around time at LAX will be with Sharon, so we can keep each other excited. 

Don’t worry, though. I’m not leaving you all here high and dry. My sister will be blogging in my place  for the next few weeks. She’s attempted to blog a few times at her own little space, but she is hoping this will motivate her to start doing it regularly. She’s pretty much my twin, so you might not even notice a difference. Right now, she is also in the midst of moving to LA, but to pursue a job in television (just like I used to be doing!) So..yeah, be nice to her.

I may try to post a bit while I’m gone, but I don’t know what my schedule or computer access will be like, so I don’t want to promise anything. Don’t blog too much while I’m gone, or I may  have a google reader related breakdown when I get back! Happy Holidays!

Today, I officially finished college. Well…I had my last class on Thursday, but today I put the finishing touches on my (horrible) plays for playwritting, which I have to mail into my professor tomorrow. Thus, I consider today my last day. And I’m not quite sure how I feel about it.

The last few days have been tough, to say the least. In fact, yesterday, I ended my day by crying for a half an hour at a Mexican restaurant by my parents’ house, after snapping at my dad. I think I had been teetering on the edge of being really sad all day, and him spoiling the season finale of Dexter for me was somehow the final straw.  

Thursday night I had a little party at my apartment with a lot of friends I wanted to say good-bye to, where I drank entirely too much champagne, then headed out to the bars, where I got a nice confidence boost from a very drunk UMass student in the form of ridiculous compliments. 

Friday was spent packing until my parents came to pick me up for dinner with my uncle and cousins. I almost cried twice at dinner thanking them for giving me a place to call home in Boston and basically being my surrogate family for three and a half years. My immediate family has never lived close to my extended family, so getting to see my little cousins regularly for the last few years as really been a treat. Plus, they let me get off campus and have a home-cooked meal without having to fly home. I’m really going to miss my night’s out on the town with my uncle and getting to spend an afternoon playing with my cousins…and I’m going to make myself cry now.  After dinner, I went to Harvard Square with Jillian and Megan for a relaxing last night out at John Harvard’s and Grendal’s. It was nice to have a quite, very Boston, last night out. I, perfectly enough, only ordered Massachusetts local beers. Mmm…

Saturday, my dad came to get all my stuff. I said good-bye to my little sis from the sorority (and one of my best friends), Lynn, and my other favorite sorority gal, Ali. Both are going abroad next semester, so even if I work out staying in Boston next semester (which is looking possible…stay tuned), I won’t be in school with them again. 

Finally, it came time to say good-bye to Jillian. Even though I know I’ll see her soon, I was still in tears. With moving so much, I don’t keep friends (physically) close for very long, so knowing Jillian for over three years and living with her for two and a half is quite a feet. (We met in writing class and at Bay State freshman year, lived together sophomore year, went to LA together junior year, and shared an apartment this year.) She was truly the perfect roommate. We’ve never fought. We both clean like crazy, and she’s unbelievably considerate. She’s an amazing friend who makes me do things, even when I don’t want to, that turn out to be super fun. She listens when I complain. We hate all the same people, and she’s the only reason I know what’s up in the world of celebrity gossip. I don’t know how I’m going to survive in LA without her, because the only reason I ever knew about good restaurants and cool bars was because of her. It’ll be tough to adjust to living with anyone else. She says I have to add Pop Sugar to my daily routine to even attempt to replace her. 

I really can’t believe I’m done with college. I can’t quite process it yet. I want to write a wrap-up of everything I’ve learned in college, but I don’t have enough space from it to do it now. The problem is if I wait until I get back from Australia, that’s obviously all I’m going to talk about. Maybe I’ll attempt it tomorrow. Luckily for my sanity,  it’s looking like I might not have to mourn leaving Boston just yet. My uncle has offered to let me stay at his house next semester, which isn’t going to replace living on campus, but it’s SO much better than being in Wilmington, friendless save for my parents and pets. (My parents moved here my sophomore year of college, so I don’t know anyone but them. So staying at “home” is not the ideal living situation for the next four months.) The details would still need to be worked out in January, so I don’t want to say it’s definite, but I really want it to be. 

So…now onto the next thing. AUSTRALIA! IN TWO DAYS! Yep, now I can actually be excited about it without thinking about all the stuff I have to do before I go. Sarah called me last night, and all I could say was so “Oh my god, I’m so excited!” Tomorrow I’m officially packing, so wish me luck! I’ll say a proper good-bye tomorrow.

Today, after getting one last email from an LA program director, I went online and clicked the confirm button.

I’m now officially a member of the 2009 Teach for America – Los Angeles corps. 

It’s going to be a crazy two years.

LA bloggers: you better have as good of get-togethers as the Boston Bloggers do.

This morning, I was hoping to sleep in until around 11, as Friday is my only day when I have absolutely nothing to do. However, at around 8:15, my phone started ringing. I was mildly annoyed until I answered and heard the voice of one of my best friends, Sarah from Australia! Obviously, she can’t call me often, and the time difference makes it mildly tricky. Despite early morning Amanda being no match for one-in-the-morning Sarah, we had a wonderful conversation about the horror of Nights in Rodanthe and my everyday blogging. Once we hung out up, I realized I should start explaining my friendship with Sarah here, as I’ll be talking about her more and more as my crazy trip to Australia is coming up in about a month! (Commence freak out!)

I first met Sarah in the Summer of 2006 my first summer working at camp. (You can read my ridiculously long ode to camp here.) She was the drama instructor, which was the job I had originally applied for, so I thought we’d get along pretty well, but then, as camp went on, we never really talked. We were always in different villages, and as Sarah had been at camp before, she had friends…wait…no…she was friends with EVERYONE. Seriously, this girl owned camp after one year. Everyone knew her and loved her. I had just gotten there, and I could already see that. She was this amazing presence of positivity and fun. Even though we didn’t really talk, I knew we could be great friends, and I was sad I never got to be a part of her inner circle of pals that first summer. 

My next summer at camp, I was the drama instructor and for some reason, had to get to camp early  to plan for my activity. The only people at camp were specialists and international staff, which included Sarah, who was working as a general counselor for the first time. For some reason, despite our lack of interaction the year before, we gravitated towards each other in the first two days we were there. Maybe I asked her for some drama advice or we both discovered our love for guitar hero, but however it started, by the end of those two days, we were mildly inseparable. We just clicked in a way I don’t think I ever have with anyone else. I couldn’t believe we’d made it through an entire summer without really talking, because I felt like I knew this girl for years. By the time our mutual (awesome) friend, Sharon (who I’ll have to dedicate a separate post to…) got back to camp, our group instantly solidified, and I began one of the best summers of my life. 

There are way too many memories from that summer to recount. Making “Hazzah” t-shirts at my house over intercession. Hanging out by the fire in Noar Village each night. Running to Wendy’s on night’s out. Running to each other across the village after a day off. Laying on the Ohalim Rec together thinking about the craziness of camp and our friendship. Saying good-bye to each other in Times Square and trying not to cry as I descended into the subway. Sarah made me laugh, made me feel welcomed, and yes, made me develop a thick skin by constantly making fun of me with Sharon. 

When Sharon and I started discussing going to Australia to visit Sarah, it seemed like one of those amazing things that would never actually happen, but then something weird happened. All our parents said yes. All the dates lined up, and we booked some plane tickets. And now it’s only a month away. After showing Sarah around my country, she gets to show me and Sharon around hers. It’s hard to believe that I only really knew Sarah for 8 weeks and that I haven’t seen her in over a year, because I feel closer to friends who live down the street from me. Whenever she emails me or calls me, it makes my day. Whenever she tells me about her accomplishments at work, I feel so proud. She’s halfway around the world, but she’s one of my closest friends, and I cannot WAIT to walk out of that airport terminal to see her smiling face waiting for me and Sharon. 

I think my favorite comment of the night came from someone on CNN. They commented that the Republicans liked to say that rural, white America was the “real” America. Looking at the crowd at Grant Park, however, you could see people of all ages and all colors celebrating together, and that, they said, seems to be the real America. 

I’m so happy the real America won tonight.

Yes we can. And yes we did.

What can I say here that hasn’t already been said, debated, argued about, screamed about, cried about,and or  ranted about on the internet 1,000 times before? I guess what I can say is THANK GOD THIS IS OVER! Has this election been going on my entire life? Because it’s truly starting to feel that way. Or has been feeling that way for well over a year. Especially since I sent off my ballot three weeks ago and have since been mourning my loss of voting rights in Ohio. (Damn my parents for moving to Delaware, where my vote lacks the same power it once held…not that my Kerry vote made much of a difference in ’04. Ohio – don’t disappoint me again! Ok…tangent over.)

Not that I haven’t enjoyed the election at times.

See, even though I don’t post about it much here, as it would turn into a million word rant that would be sure to offend many and make me look like a raving lunatic, I am a very politically opinionated person. Thus, I’ve been following this election very carefully. And while I’m a registered Democrat, I did, with much nudging from my father, investigate McCain’s positions. (With lots of help from extensive commentaries by guests on “Fresh Air” and “It’s All Politics.” Thanks NPR!) I try to watch and/or read the news daily. I always watch “The Daily Show.” (That counts as something, right? Right?) What I’m trying to say is, I’ve stayed informed. I’ve researched the issues, and the only political message I’m going to spew here is that I hope you’ve done the same.

Truly, no matter who you vote (or voted) for, just do it knowing what you are actually voting for. Know where candidates stand on everything that’s important to you, not just the stuff the pundits chose to talk about. I know it’s too late now to actually be giving this message, but I still feel like putting it out there, because I think it’s the single biggest problem with our democratic process. (And a note to my mom: You can tell me who you decided to vote for! I won’t yell at you like that time you told me you kind of liked Sarah Palin. I promise!) 

Now, onto the fun stuff. TV Coverage! Sadly, I have to be at my TV show taping until 9, but I’m sure we’ll be following the returns in the control room…or at least, I’ll be shoving people out of the way to get to a computer to watch the returns. When I get home, I think I’m going to start with a little buffet of news channels, just to see what everyone’s got to offer. I mean, how can I decide now if I’ll be in the mood for America’s Election HQ: Election Night (Fox News) or Decision 2008: Election Night (NBC) - Election Night in America (CNN) or You Decide 2008 (FOX). They all sounds so enticingly news filled. Although, I’m sure if I see Anderson Cooper’s face, I’ll be sticking with CNN. Then, of course, I’m tuning into The Daily Show/Colbert Report Fake News Live Extravaganza…or whatever they decided to call it. 

So, there you have it. Go forth and vote! And I’m sure I’ll be back (hopefully early-ish) with a happy post about the outcome. Fingers crossed! Go America!

Yes, today is indeed my 22nd birthday. Here are a list of things that make me happy about  my birthday:

• 4 Birthday Voicemails (Thanks dad, Sarah Mac, Jonah, and Uncle David!)
• 1 Birthday Text
• 2 Birthday phone calls
• 25 (and counting) Birthday Facebook wall posts
• 2 Happy Birthday Twitters
• One Birthday card (Thanks, Jillian!)
• One birthday dinner (and cake!) tonight

Holy freakin’ ridiculousness, Batman!! HE DID IT!!!!! EIGHT GOLD MEDALS!

Now, this is probably the first and last time I will extensively blog about sports, unless the Steelers go on some ridiculous winning spree this season, but I have been SO into the Olympics this year, as it seems everyone around me has, and to be able to watch someone achieve something so incredible is just truly inspiring. And to know that I got to watch something happen that will be talked about for years is pretty cool. I just can’t BELIEVE he actually did it. 

I almost stood up and cheered on that last 50 meters, but the other people staying at this Inn may have been frightened, if they weren’t already, by my enthusiasm, so I had to settle for a big high five from my dad. I was literally SHAKING by the end of that race; I have never wanted someone to win so badly in my life (again, except for maybe the ’06 Super Bowl! Kick ass, Steelers!) It took me a good 15 minutes to calm down.

Is it sad that I take great pride in the fact that I watched every race live? Like that somehow makes me more a part of it? I think I’m just trying to use this as a way to end my summer on a high note without having to actually do anything. So while 8 gold medals is pretty cool, I have to thank you, Michael Phelps, for attempting to single-handedly turn my summer around. It’s a noble effort that few could have accomplished. And also congratulations on your thousands of Facebook friend requests, as noted by Bob Costas. That is really the biggest accomplishment of the day. (He passed J. Timberlake for Pete’s sake!)

(Oh, and quick PSA: Don’t forget to enter my contest for some fabulous fat free brownies!)

From time to time, I come across something truly awesome and amazing that I need to share with the world. Thus, I have decided to share these with the blogging world, and today is the inaugural post! Can you feel the excitement? I thought so. Here goes: 

When Lynn and I moved into our apartment, many things were not so wonderful (dirt, bugs, a stove that was always weirdly warm…), but the one thing that was wonderful was something we found in the cabinet: half a box of NO PUDGE BROWNIE MIX. At first, we read the box and scoffed. Brownies made with yogurt? No fat? Please, these have got to be disgusting.

Now, I consider myself something of a brownie connessouir. I have very high standard. No cake-y, dry brownies here. Nope. I’m all about the melt-in-your mouth, fudgy squares of deliciousness. There was NO WAY this box of brownie mix you can cook in your microwave could be any good.  

Then one fateful day, after tiring of getting ice cream from Emack and Bolio’s all the time, we decided to test out the brownie mix. While there are directions to make the whole box at once, we opted for the single serving option. It seemed more fun (and was 10 times quicker…)

So we spooned four tablespoons of the No Pudge Mix in a bowl with two tablespoons of non-fat vanilla yogurt, mixed, and microwaved for two minutes. What came out, I have to tell you, was close to brownie perfection. If you tasted these things without knowing where they came from, you might think they were real life, butter and egg filled brownies, but no! These babies will keep you slim…er, and they taste simply delicious. 

Best of all, while researching for this post, I’ve found that their website has tons of recipes to spruce up the mix, in case you aren’t a big fan of plain, right-out-of-the-microwave brownies. I, myself, enjoy microwaving these babies up in a big bowl, then toping the steaming hot bowl-brownie with carmel pecan soy delight ice cream. Mmmm….

So where can you pick up this wonderful little brownie mix? I found some at Trader Joe’s, the Mecca for cheap-grocery-loving gourmets like myself, but my mom also found them in her local supermarket (and was equally impressed with the results). To check out if the mix is available near you, check out their website. 

Luckily, if you don’t feel like looking, I’M GIVING SOME AWAY! That’s right! As part of this inaugural Amanda Recommends post, I will give away two boxes of No Pudge! Fat Free Brownie Mix in two different flavors to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment with your favorite dessert, and you’re entered! Easy enough, if I do say so myself. I’ll close the commenting Monday, as that is when I get home and could actually buy some Brownie Mix for all you people. 

Now, if you don’t want a brownie after all that, I don’t think you have a soul…or a tongue.

Welcome to the new home of (Life) In Development!!! (Note: name change due to stupid lack of domain availability…but it’s growing on me.) 

First of, I must pay homage to the wonderful and talented Jess of Delicious Design Studio for giving me this wonderfully fantastic new design! I know I’m like the 8,000th person to say this, but if you need a new design, GO TO HER! She was so wonderful, and responsive, and helpful, and did I say wonderful? She gave me exactly what I wanted even though I could barely coherently explain what I wanted. That is talent, my friends. Plus, I was just so sick of that dark blue design with the thrown-together-at-four-in-the-morning header that in no way represented who I am or what I attempt to do here. This is SO much better. *sigh*

Second, I must request that anyone who has linked to me change your link and/or update your RSS readers to reflect this monumental move. 

Third, there are still some kinks being worked out as I get used to this whole not-being-on-wordpress.com thing, so bear with me if some pages or entries look a little funky. 

And fourth, what do you think? Fantastically fantastic? Extremely magnificent? I thought so.