The Write Track

Hey all! I know, I know. It's been a whiiile! I just wanted to stop by and wish you a Merry Christmas! I'll be back at the end of December with some EXCITING news, so stay tuned to The Write Track by subscribing so you don't miss the next post! Warmest wishes!      ♡  Olivia

⬥⬩⬥       Hi, Reader. If you're anything like me, you overthink heaps of things on a daily basis.        From what to eat, to what errands to run, to just how long it will take to run to the store while the soup is on the stove, to be back in time for it to have come to a perfect boil--only to overthink that choice and then think through the pros and cons of leaving something to cook while you're not home.       Yes, this is kind of a silly example of overthinking, and it isn't quite the kind of overthinking I'm going to talk about in this post. But it's a good example of feeling torn between two options, and knowing full well deep down which is the right one; of how often we spend all of our time thinking about doing something, and either we never do it, or it takes so much thinking for us to do that thing, that our head is spinning once we get to it.       I want to encourage you to try something new this week.        I'm sure there'

⬥⬩⬥        For as long as I can remember, I've heard the adults in my life say, "I can't wait for vacation!"        While this seems innocent enough, and we can all agree that we look forward to beach vacations and road trips to fun and relaxing destinations, this phrase was almost always accompanied by something like: "I cannot WAIT to get away from work," or "I need this trip SO badly," or even "Lately I hate everything, I just need to get away!"        My parents have been saying this for years, and even I have felt like a vacation from life and school and my friends would be time well spent.        But what if I told you that this mindset, where you hate what you do and feel like you have to escape from the everyday, is one you created for yourself a long time ago? What if I said you are actually (yes, really!) completely in control of your life and how you feel about it?        Well, you so, so are. You have a

❖❖❖       There's not too much to explain here!        Everyone's got their slew of must-haves during a regular work day... whether it's your thermos of black coffee that gets you through every meeting, your favorite watch that saves you an eyeball from the teacher every time you're caught looking at the clock, or a snack at your desk for when the 3pm slump rolls around.        For me, there are 10 things I know I couldn't sit at my desk for a day of at-home work without. Check them out!        1. My laptop              This one's kind of a given... since I currently work from home as a freelance writer, I pretty much NEED my computer to function. I've got a ton of emails to answer each day, and it's where all my important saved documents and notes are for work and internships. Lately, my laptop is equipped with my iTunes playlist at the ready, a word document always open and blank, and about a hundred tabs open on my browser with

✍     When you have a minute, feel free to click the link below and check out my very first article on Odyssey!     Many more articles are to come, so be sure to follow me on Odyssey Online, but I will continue to post updates on all my social media as new pieces are published, including right here on The Write Track!     Leave a comment, like, and share this post!     Enjoy!     ♡ Olivia https://www.theodysseyonline.com/attending-teaching-school-ed-major

⬥⬩⬥       Sometimes you feel unmotivated. Sometimes you wonder how long you can put off a monotonous project. Some days you awake and think, "I've got time, there's no worries," and that that "thing" you have to or want to do will get done eventually . Just five more minutes. Then, I'll get up and do that thing.       Sometimes we take advantage of the time we've got, and sometimes we move too fast, rushing to get things done around the house or do that one thing we've always dreamed of doing (moving to a big city? Drool.) before we lose the nerve to act.       But we have to remember that time is on our side if we use it wisely.        There is no rush to grow up. There is no rush to get through your education. There is no rush to do the things you want to do so you can just get to that point in life as quickly as possible, and then maybe you'll finally be happy. And there is no reason to keep putting important things of

❖❖❖       Since I revamped my blog last month, I've gotten quite the surge of new viewers to The Write Track! Most of you know me pretty well, but in case you're wondering a little about me because you don't know me well, get ready to dive in! (But really, it's so hot here today I could canon ball into my neighbor's pool.)       1⁕  I have never broken a bone before.                Most people have at least sprained a body part during their lifetime, but I've only ever so much as knocked my ring finger too far to the side while catching a kickball in fifth grade. Maybe I have a high pain tolerance and when I've gotten really hurt, I just let things go back to normal naturally. Or maybe I'm a cyborg. I'm probably a cyborg.       2⁕  I used to be a janitor!                                When I was 18 I got my first job at an amusement park in park services. My team was Housekeeping--essentially the park's bitch. For almos

⬥⬩⬥ Here's one I've been thinking about for a while recently.  I think once you graduate from high school or college, or realize a new passion, or feel like there's just something in life you've been called to do, you also may think to yourself... "Holy crap. Those are BIG dreams." You know what they say, bigger IS better! When it comes to doing what you love, there are no boundaries. There are no dreams too big to accomplish, there is no goal too large to tackle. So long as you plan, set, and act toward your goals, there is no way you can fail. But sometimes, even I get the feeling I'm being too ambitious. I see myself making all these plans to be a freelance writer for the next couple of years, working my butt off from home by day blogging and making tons of content for companies from the comfort of my own laptop and couch. I dream of working the rest of my time at some little publishing company, being an assistant editor or a proofre

❖❖❖           I've certainly been asked--at least once per year of my college career--"Why did you chose UMF?" During class introductions at the start of courses, on campus surveys and evaluations, even on some job applications, I've been prompted to talk about what brought me to the University of Maine at Farmington--especially since I'm from Connecticut, and the 5-hour drive up into the mountains is a vacation of its own.           To help answer this question for friends and family, too, who have inquired of my decision to move hundreds of miles from home, I've compiled a list of reasons why UMF was my top choice.             🏫  It had the program of my dreams.           U. Maine at Farmington was one of the nation's top-ranked liberal arts colleges, and it had a Creative Writing Program to match its credentials. I'd heard the program was competitive to get into, challenging to take on, and it sounded perfect for me.          

       ❖❖❖            One of my favorite things to do is make a cup of coffee and sit down with my phone or laptop, and pull up YouTube. Even though I don't actually make videos--or post anything at all--I LOVE watching other peoples' videos. A common question those close to me ask is, "what do you watch?" I've compiled a list of my favorite YouTube channels I view on a regular basis.             Keep in mind, I'm subscribed to a variety of channels which post different content...check out my go-to YT creators!        Lifestyle Videos               Kalyn Nicholson            I've been following Kalyn for a few years now, and I love her channel! She does everything from vlog-style "Coffee Talks," advice and Q&As, DIYs and How-Tos, style and beauty videos, and takes us with her around her apartment in Toronto. I always find something encouraging on Kalyn's channel, and she preaches embracing change, fear, and succes