Christine's Column

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Martini Monday

This past Monday was my friend Libby’s 22nd birthday, and like any good friend with a serious case of FOMO, I wasn’t about to miss it. I met Libby last summer through mutual friends, and we immediately clicked. We kept discovering more and more shared connections, the kind that make you wonder how your paths hadn’t crossed years ago. Libby works as a nail technician in Bowling Green, and once I met her, she quickly became my go-to nail tech. She’s talented, creative and consistently delivers the best sets I’ve ever had. So when she invited me to join her and a few others for dinner and drinks to celebrate, I already knew I was saying yes—even if it meant a long night. I had work Monday morning, then had to drive to Perrysburg for the celebration, and afterward make the late trip back to Ada because I had class early Tuesday. Still, the fear of missing out won, as usual. We went to Bar Louie at Levis Commons, one of my favorite spots for happy hour. I decided to try a new drink, the...

Halloweekend!

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. From the decorations to the costumes, there’s something magical about getting to be someone else for a night. In college, that excitement only grows during “Halloweekend,” when the entire campus comes alive with parties, themed events and plenty of creative costumes. Last year, my friends and I had to skip the festivities. My roo mmate’s dad got married that same weekend, so instead of celebrating, we traded costumes for formalwear and spent the weekend at the wedding. It was still fun, but it wasn’t quite the same as being on campus surrounded by pumpkins, lights and laughter. That’s why, this year—our senior year—we knew we wanted to make the most of it. It felt like our last big Halloween together before graduation, and we wanted to go all out. Two of our friends, Lilah and Ethan, attended Ohio Northern University with us freshman year but transferred after that. They live about three hours away in Indiana, so we don’t get to see ...

Working With Puppies!

This past week was relatively uneventful, so I decided to focus on something that’s been both fun and meaningful — my group’s client for this class, Osborne Family Retrievers. The business is a family-run dog-breeding operation located in Alger, Ohio. On Tuesday, I visited their property to capture photos and videos for future content. While it was technically a work visit, it was also one of the most enjoyable assignments I’ve had yet — mostly because I got to spend the afternoon surrounded by puppies. A new litter had been born only a few weeks ago, and at just five weeks old, the puppies were small, playful and full of energy. We let them run around for a while, tumbling over one another and exploring their surroundings. Eventually, after all that excitement, every single one of them fell asleep in a pile of wagging tails and tiny snores. Lydia even let me stick around afterward for some extra puppy cuddles, which was the perfect way to end the visit. While I was there, Lydia ...

October Rush

How is it already Oct. 23? It feels like October just began, and now I’m getting ready for Halloween. I love that time seems to be moving quickly, but with that comes the reality of senior year stress. Right now, I’m deep in the middle of several big projects across all of my classes. Between Capstone, semester-long assignments and client work, every week feels packed. There’s always something due or something that needs my attention, and sometimes it feels overwhelming trying to keep it all straight. Still, I remind myself that this busy season won’t last forever. In just a few more weeks, many of these projects will start wrapping up. I keep telling myself that if I can just push through this stretch, things will start to feel lighter. It helps to remember that once Thanksgiving break hits, the hardest part of the semester will be behind me. By then, I’ll hopefully be on autopilot, coasting into the end of the semester with a little less stress and a lot more relief. What’s kee...

After a Week in Tallahassee, a 16-Hour Trip Home

After a week in Tallahassee, it was time to come home. In my last blog, I was in the airport about to start fall break; this week, I’m leaving the airport as my break comes to an end. I had a great time in Tallahassee. I ate good food and had some much-needed R&R. It was a great trip—until it was time to leave. My boyfriend flew back with me because his lacrosse alumni weekend happened to fall right after our break. We woke up at 3 a.m. Wednesday, which sounds dreadful—and it was—but I knew that by the time I got back to Ada, it would only be around noon. I’d still have the whole day to reset and get ready for classes again. For context, there are no nonstop flights out of Tallahassee, so we had a layover in Atlanta before landing in Columbus and driving back to Ada. While waiting in the airport, our first flight was delayed 60 minutes. That was fine since our layover was two and a half hours, giving us plenty of time to make the second flight. A few minutes later, though, ...

Typing This as I Sit in the Airport

It’s 3 a.m., and the world is still asleep. My alarm goes off, and for a second, I debate hitting snooze—but not today. Today, I’m heading to the airport to see my boyfriend in Tallahassee, where he’s finishing his MBA. We’ve been doing long distance since the spring semester ended in May, and between work and school, it’s been nearly two months since we last saw each other. Knowing it’ll be another two months until Christmas makes this trip feel even more special. The drive to the airport was quiet and calm, the kind of early morning silence that makes you feel like the world belongs only to you. Once I got through security and found my gate, I opened my laptop and dove straight into homework. It wasn’t exactly the most glamorous start to fall break, but I knew I’d thank myself later. My goal for this trip is to actually relax—the last thing I want to think about the next few days is school. As I was typing away, I couldn’t help but think about what Aggie shared in class last week...