It seems that as you get older, the years start to fly. Just think about it. The year is almost halfway through! I feel like it was only yesterday that I was counting down the new year.

With all the things going on in my life, the last thing I need is that overwhelming feeling of not being at my best potential. When you major in a field that requires internships and “hands on” experience, and the only hands on experience you’ve had so far is reporting for a required class, it’s easy to think things like “I'm not good enough,” “I'm never going to amount to anything,” and “Oh my God! How did she get an internship and I didn’t?” I can speak from experience, trust me.

Ever have those mornings when it comes down to the decision of sleeping an extra 10-15 minutes or actually getting up and attempting to look semi-appropriate for society? Every morning shouldn’t bring what seems like a life altering decision, but this is my reality.

In a world where you keep up with the Kardashians, watch bad girls go crazy and observe the daily lives of basketball wives, you’d think there was absolutely no hope for good television. I’m not going to lie, I do find myself a victim of RTD (Reality TV Disorder), but the first step is admitting it, right?

It’s that time of the year again. Time for the athletes around the world to take part in a collection of competitions history calls the Summer Olympics. Dating back to ancient times, the 2012 Olympics will be the 30th modern Olympic game to date, and with the hosting city of London, England, it’s been greatly anticipated.

When we were little we chanted, “Step on a crack, break your mama’s back.” I knew that if I stepped on a sidewalk crack, my mom would be perfectly fine, but I still avoided them anyway. “Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck” is another one that had us picking up every penny in sight.

Growing up on the north side of Chicago, I attended George B. Armstrong Elementary of International Studies. I pride myself on learning everything I have today because of that school. When I was in elementary school, Black History Month was the only time we would ever learn about Madam CJ Walker, Maya Angelou, George Washington Carver, Harriet Tubman, Garrett Augustus Morgan and Jackie Robinson. Not only did we know their names, but we spent the whole month of February learning about the lives and history of African Americans. We had assemblies, made poster boards, and even played trivia games on the subject of black history. At a young age, I knew that these people played a huge part in not only black history, but in history–period.

We’ve all been there, and we’ve all had that feeling. “It’s a new year, a new start, a new me,” right? We all know that sentiment of righteousness, the feeling that we can accomplish anything we set our minds to because of a “fresh” start. We can all identify with feeling as if each year brings another opportunity to start over.

When the leaves start falling and the weather starts to get a tad bit cooler, then you know it’s that time again. The holiday season starts up, bringing in the warmth we need to escape the chilly weather. With football season, Halloween and Thanksgiving all leading up to Hanukkah Kwanzaa and Christmas, it’s definitely a time full of cheer.

When you’re a kid, summer vacation means endless possibilities of fun. Sleeping in, hanging out with friends and no school work. The list goes on and on, but once you grow up, the endless possibilities turn into endless responsibilities. Summer jobs, summer school, waking up early and rarely seeing friends is what the summer starts to look like. I was never really excited for summer vacation because I never got the chance to experience the vacation aspect of it. Yes, I had my fair share of “family vacations,” but a real vacation to me was actually getting away from the family. I was determined to find the true meaning behind summer vacation, and this past summer, I finally accomplished my goal.