Good Riddance

Another turning point a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist directs you where to go
So make the best of this test and don't ask why
It's not a question but a lesson learned in time
It's something unpredictable but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life


As 2010 draws to a close, everyone in the world takes a moment to think back on the last 365 days: what was great, what went wrong, and what we'd rather forget. Based on conversations I've had with dear friends, and the status of literally everyone I know on Facebook, it seems as though everyone had the kind of 2010 that I did... that is to say, we are all ready to say "good riddance" to 2010 and ring in the new year for a fresh start.

2010 got off to a rough start. New responsibilities in Theta. Juggling VP-ship with friendship. Killer hard classes. Family health problems. Girls deliberately making my life hell. Major Taylor Swift moments (not the adorable kind). Thanks, 2010. Most appreciated.

That's not to say that there weren't wonderful things that have happened to me this year. I got a new internship. I was selected to be in Phi Beta Kappa. I was awarded a generous and prestigious scholarship. I aced the MCAT. I got another internship (three total -- yes, I'm nuts). I turned 21. I am writing a senior thesis. I found out I will be presenting this research at a national conference to very important people. I have people offering to write letters of recommendation for my medical school applications. A job opportunity just fell into my lap. And I have done it all with friends and family by my side. Laughing together. Crying together. But always always together.

As you can see, the "my 2010 sucked" paragraph is significantly shorter than the "my 2010 rocked" paragraph. Any logical person would then assume that I came out on top.

And I did.

Everyone has to deal with their own crappy days, crappy weeks, crappy months. We all get dealt a worthless hand every now and then (seriously, what am I going to do with a pair of two's?). For awhile, the sucky stuff took over. You know, when it rains, it pours? That kind of situation. But I found that when I adjusted my attitude and stopped caring about things I couldn't change, everything started going right. Really really right. I can't make people like me, I won't let a bad grade get me down, and I refuse to let an emotional and complicated situation get the best of me.

So to the people who helped me get through some rough times: thanks for being the same people that made the great times truly grand :)

Cheesy shout-out time (in alphabetical order):

Annalyse: Thank you for sending me a simple facebook message that sparked a friendship. And for being a constant support and source of inspiration in the form of short and sweet text messages. And a source of laughter (remember that email? I do ;) And thank you for introducing me to Jack's Mannequin!

Emily: Thank you for not allowing me to feel bad for venting... frequently. And thank you for buying me coffee when I desperately needed it. Anyone who has the patience to interact with a caffeinated panicked person is a saint in my eyes. And thank you for listening, always listening, and saying "that was music to my ears!" because we both know it was :) And for introducing me to Afroman :) HB2K10 will always be a beautiful, ridiculous and fond memory! Can't wait for 2K11!

Jessica: Thank you for keeping me sane through the MCAT, for always making Tacos and Beer the only lunch option worth considering, for listening to my random bouts of hysterical venting, for sharing with me your random bouts of hysterical venting, for convincing the world that I'm in love with Justin Bieber, for being my beloved next-door neighbor and most of all for being weird... with me :)

Katrina: Thank you for offering to do hilariously terrible things to the people that wronged me. It is nice to have a friend so fiercely loyal... and shameless :) Thank you for comforting me until 4am, and for picking up the phone when I needed a friend. And for giving everyone beads on Houseboats and being the best damn El Capitan. And for making "Kelly is done with the MCAT" jello shots. And for telling that creepy guy at Froggy's that it was time for us to go. That was a clutch move.

Lindsey: Thank you for coffee dates and jokes about Snuggies. I treasure our dates so so much and I can't wait to hear more of your stories. We live such sexy lives, don't we :)

Mia: Thanks for being you :) "Shut the f*** up, girlfriend!" Need I say more?

Michele: Thank you for being the sarcastic beez that I love and adore. Thank you for Giants games and wine coolers in the summer, for Gilmore marathons and presenting me with a plate of cookies when I didn't even realize you were baking them while I was having a terrible day. And thank you for the New Years Eve that is about to occur that we will never forget :)

Mom and Dad: You already know.

And to everyone who made my 2010 a little bit less than perfect: You should've known better ;)

So Cheers! Out with the old, in with the new! Happy 2011 everyone :)

Here's hoping you don't have a "brain hemorrhage" in 2011!

Party on, Garth.

Speak Now

Don't say yes
Run away now
I'll meet you when you're out of the church at the back door
Don't wait or say a single vow
You need to hear me out
And they said "speak now"


After a two month hiatus, I'm back... at least for awhile. I can fill you in on the last two months, but nothing super exciting happened. Fall Quarter, studying, midterms, papers, internships, turning 21 (oh, that one was kind of cool :), finding out I will be presenting our Cardiology study at a national conference (oh yeah, that's pretty cool too)... So hopefully you can forgive me, dear reader, for my absence; I've been a little busy.

Once again, Ode to Joy claims to be a music-inspired-ish blog. So I'll give the dirty deets on my life another time. But first I should do myself justice by talking tunes.

Every once in awhile, I get into music "moods" I guess you could call them. Moods where I only listen to about 10 or 15 songs on repeat until they make me want to vomit (or was that from one too many rum and cokes? After all, I am 21 now... just kidding, mom). Recently I've been in a Taylor Swift mood. Call me tween. Call me girly. Call me whatever you want, but homegirl knows what's up. (I've also been in a bit of a Darius Rucker mood, which led me to discover Hootie and the Blowfish... developing obsession, will discuss in future blog). Miss Swift is a 21 year old Pennsylvania sweetheart who has had her fair share of love troubles; pick up any issue of Entertainment Weekly from the past 3 years if you don't believe me. She proves that the pen is mightier than the sword through her songs - whether she is getting back at a girl for stealing her man or saying sorry to a boy for breaking his heart, she proves that there really is a song for every love story, happy ending or not.

So naturally, being a girl and therefore susceptible to troubles of the heart set to snappy pop-country beats, I've become obsessed with her latest album Speak Now. And I plan to review it for you :)

Track 1: Mine
Do you remember we were sittin' there by the water
You put your arm around me for the first time
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter
You are the best thing that's ever been mine





Okay, so besides the fact that this is the most adorable music video I have ever seen, the song has a good message. Love always starts off wonderfully and full of butterflies and puppies and rainbows, but the honeymoon phase is not supposed to last forever. Bills pile up, fights happen, and sometimes things feel like they are falling apart. Love is not easy. And anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool. But Taylor reminds us that if you can remember how you felt about that person the first time they put an arm around you, if you can remember why you love them in the first place, that you can make it last. Love is never easy, but if you are with someone who can also remember how they felt about you that very first time, then you can work through it and be happy together. Now isn't that sweet?

Track 2: Sparks Fly
Drop everything now
Meet me in the pouring rain
Kiss me on the sidewalk
Take away the pain
'Cause I see sparks fly
Whenever you smile


This is far and away my favorite song from this album, and fortunately it is not a hit yet because I know exactly what will happen if it becomes one: every radio station will play it incessantly to the point that I want to rip my stereo out of my car and throw it out the window on I-80. And I don't want that to happen to my favorite song. Anyway, this one is about meeting someone that absolutely captivates you... even though he may not be the best idea. It's about not listening to what your mind is telling you. At it's core, it's about attraction. None of us are immune to it. Sometimes your mind knows best, but what fun is that? It's cute, it's upbeat, it's relatable. And frankly, the idea of being so attracted to someone that sparks fly whenever they smile at you sounds pretty hot.

Track 3: Back to December
So this is me swallowing my pride
Standing in front of you saying I'm sorry for that night
And I go back to December all the time
It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine
I go back to December, turn around and make it alright
I go back to December all the time




Cue depressing breakup song. We all knew it was coming. Okay, I knock it because it's pretty standard Taylor, but I truly enjoy this song. It hit me like a ton of bricks the first time I heard it because it sounded very familiar; I was not in her position, but I've actually been the subject of a storyline much like this one. Rumor has it this song is about Mr. Taylor Lautner (aw, Taylor and Taylor). Apparently, she broke his heart last December and she regrets it. It might be a little too late now, Miss Swift, but it's nice to hear her sincerity. Not everyone gets an apology when a relationship ends terribly, so I hope Taylor Lautner considers himself lucky. And how can any normal person's apology remotely match up to a Taylor Swift apology? She has a freaking orchestra and a recording contract to back her up. No fair.

Track 4: Speak Now
I hear the preacher say "speak now or forever hold your peace"
There's the silence, there's my last chance
I stand up with shaky hands
All eyes on me
I am not the kind of girl who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion
But you are not the kind of boy who should be marrying the wrong girl...





For the most part, this song is really stupid. I won't hide my feelings about it. It says things like "wearing a gown shaped like a pastry" and "the organ starts to play a song that sounds like a death march". Well, her lyrics can't all be winners; clunkers happen even to the best of songwriters. That being said, this song is on my Top 25 playlist on iTunes. Why, you ask? If you think the lyrics are dumb, why do you listen to it so much? you ask. All valid questions. I answer you with this: do you have the pelotas to stand up at a wedding, or at any time really, and say what you really feel? I don't either, which is why I admire this song. It encourages you to not let a word go unsaid, because you never know when, or even if, you will get the opportunity ever again. So Taylor, I applaud you. Arguably one of your dumbest songs is inspiring. You have a gift.

Track 5: Dear John
Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with
The girl in the dress cried the whole way home
I should've known


Skip it. Skip this song. It is annoying. I adore Taylor Swift, and I love John Mayer's music. But every woman on earth knows what a womanizer he is, so I have a hard time feeling sorry for Tay. Yes, you should have known. So please skip this song if you don't want to be frustrated. And using his name in the title? A cry for attention much?

Track 6: Mean
Someday I'll be living in a big old city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?


Apparently some music critic said some pretty mean things about Taylor, so on the surface that is what "Mean" is about. This is also not one of my favorite tracks, but I will choose not to berate it in favor of the stronger message it sends. Many gay teens have committed suicide recently due to bullying and these stories have taken over the headlines, inspiring the "It Gets Better" project. This project is a pledge to end hateful and intolerant speech. Though Taylor was inspired by a mean ol' guy who criticized her music, this song can be an "It Gets Better" message to people that are bullied, letting them know that someday they will be successful and all a bully will ever be is mean.

Track 7: The Story of Us
Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room
And we're not speaking
And I'm dying to know is it killing you
Like it's killing me
I don't know what to say since the twist of fate when it all broke down
And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now





If I have ever heard a song that almost every girl can relate to, this is the one. I don't even know what to say about this song because it speaks for itself. The awkward run-in with the ex, the not wanting to admit that you were wrong (because of course you weren't), the dying to know how he feels... we've all been there and we all know how much it sucks. It's like you're standing alone in a crowded room. She really hits the nail on the head with this one, so I don't want to say anything more to screw it up because I can't really do this song any more justice than has already been done by its simply existing.

Track 8: Never Grow Up
Oh darling don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh darling don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple


I am way to close to graduating from college to listen to this song. It hits way too close to home, because come June 10th, 2011, I have to grow up :( It's bittersweet because I have an amazing life plan and I can't wait to get started, but change is hard. So, I recommend skipping this song until further notice.

Track 9: Enchanted
This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you
Please don't be in love with someone else
Please don't have somebody waiting on you




I love this song. I absolutely love this song. It is so full of raw emotion and longing and I can't help but blast it in the car and sing at the top of my lungs. I can't quite relate to this song, because clearly Miss Swift lives an enchanted life wherein she meets beautiful boys that captivate her and aren't super sleazy. Well, I live in a college town. The closest I get to such an encounter is meeting a boy out on the town and chatting for a bit before figuring out that he's a sleaze looking for a hookup which he will not be getting. Much less romantic. Regardless, listening to this song I can almost picture Taylor (or myself for that matter) meeting an enchanting boy and walking home in New York City dancing and blushing and full of butterflies. It is a powerful image that I think every girl would love to experience.

Track 10: Better Than Revenge
She's not a saint and she's not what you think
She's an actress
She's better known for the things that she does
On the mattress
Soon she's gonna find stealing other people's toys on the playground
Won't make you many friends
She should keep in mind, she should keep in mind
There is nothing I do better than revenge


Is her bark worse than her bite? A multi-million dollar recording contract does make that bite a lot juicier, that's for sure. Taylor barks pretty loud in this song about Miss Camilla Belle, a young actress who began dating Joe Jonas shortly after Swift and Jonas split. I would not want to be on this girl's bad side, that's for sure. "Better Than Revenge" is catchy and ballsy and I love Taylor Swift all the more for it.

Track 11: Innocent
It's alright, just wait and see
Your string of lights are still bright to me
Who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent


Skip it. Spoiler alert: she forgives Kanye West for his horribly rude interruption at the 2009 VMAs.

Track 12: Haunted
Come on come on don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Something's gone terribly wrong
You're all I wanted
Come on come one don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Can't breathe whenever you're gone
Can't turn back now
I'm haunted




Taylor proves that she is not all sugar and spice with this song. Like "Enchanted", this song is so powerfully full of emotion that you can't help but feel something huge when you hear it. I think every girl has a relationship that haunts her for awhile, and Taylor Swift manages to capture that feeling of loss, confusion, and desperation perfectly and, well, hauntingly. I won't try to explain further because everything this song means is already so perfectly encapsulated in the track itself.

Track 13: Last Kiss
I never thought we'd have a last kiss
Never imagined we'd end like this
Your name forever the name on my lips


Cue super depressing breakup song, part two. As a song, it's fine. A little slow, but it's sentimental and sad and emotional and painful and relatable. So I guess it's a good song, all things considered. The line that gets me the most is "how you'd kiss me when I was in the middle of saying something / There's not a day I don't miss those rude interruptions". (Side note, boys, that's ADORABLE. If you want to earn points with your girlfriend, start watching chick flicks. That shit is a goldmine of adorable gestures that are completely unrealistic. We ladies have lowered our standards significantly because we have experienced that most guys are jerks and we are impressed if he even holds open a door. So if you pull off some "27 Dresses" or "The Notebook"-type stunts, you're in. But don't follow my advice if you don't want to; just keep doing what you've been doing and let me know how that works out for you). Back to the song: going through a breakup is hard, and thinking of all the little things you'll miss makes it even harder. It's been my experience that the hardest part of a relationship ending is not the "big picture" -- the "why" of why things ended, because everyone involved usually can cope with the "why" -- but rather the "what" -- the "what" that is now absent. The little interruptions. The jokes. The nicknames. The random text messages about nothing more than letting each other know that you are thinking about them. What Taylor fails to mention is that it gets better, and that hole in your life becomes a distant memory when you move forward.

Track 14: Long Live
Long live the walls we crashed through
All the kingdom lights shined just for me and you
I was screaming long live all the magic we made
And bring on all the pretenders
One day we will be remembered


Aw, this one is about her band. That's sweet. But apparently they are a band of time-traveling warriors or something because they fight dragons and tear down walls and stuff. Oh, that's all metaphorical? Ohhhhh, got it. I tease. This song is really cute and very powerful; I get the sense that she legitimately loves her band. Once again, I don't have a whole lot to say about this one because it pretty much speaks for itself, but I'm glad that a girl with so much to be grateful for gives credit where credit is due. She reminisces about their journey together from baseball cap and ripped-up jeans-wearing small town kids to stardom, and she revels in their journey together. Yeah, this one I can't relate to so much, as I am not an international pop superstar. But I like listening to it, so I guess she has got the appeal thing figured out.

Wow, this post is long. I did review an entire album that I listen to pretty much every day track by track, so I don't feel bad about it, although I can't help but feel like I didn't do it justice. After all, I'm just a college student with some free time that likes to write about my life and my favorite music. I'm really no one special, but I've been listening to this album so much lately that I thought there was no better way to jump back into my blog than to review it. It's nice to be back. Fall Quarter was incredibly hectic. I think my diet consisted of 90% coffee and 10% jelly beans because I was always on the go, so it is nice to sit down after finals and just throw some ideas down on... computer? (Writing cliches was a lot easier when pen-and-paper was still fashionable). And now my senior year is 1/3 over. Shit. (Pardon my language, mom). There is no other word to describe what I'm feeling right now. Excitement for the future, yet afraid of leaving the past behind me. Ready to be out on my own, but not ready to leave the comfort of the college bubble. I have resolved to make this year the best one yet, because I won't ever get this chance again. So not only should I Speak Now, but it is even more imperative that I do now, because who knows if I will ever have the chance to be this young, this free, ever again. Thanks for the lesson, Taylor ♥ I'm going to go do something now :)