The world around us is consistently changing. It experiences death but then creates life in a matter of seconds. There is constant growth and discovery and the same things never happen twice. Why, then, does it amaze me every time my own life changes? It could be because many times I don't control the change. Yet I have come to see that the greatest amazement comes from the results of my own decisions.

Life. 

Friends move away, family members pass, and we go on. But the minute we decide something that ends in a way we didn't expect, all is lost. The familiarity we had is no longer- our world slowly begins to crumble and then it all collapses. There is still hope, somewhere, but we can't find it. There is air to be breathed, places to be discovered and people to meet, yet we are incapable of seeing and feeling anything outside the physical pain this one, single decision has caused. 

It sucks. 

So what do you do? Do you stop making decisions and hope the world can make them for you? Do you shut yourself out completely and close off to everyone and everything that makes this world good? Maybe you continue with the world, but you become so incredibly cynical towards anything related to this decision that you are unbearable to be around.

No. 

You cry. You scream, you yell, you throw something (preferably not at someone). You talk to yourself because "no one understands you." You listen to sad songs so that you can cry some more. You fall to your knees and pray with all your might. And then, you pick yourself up. You wonder around aimlessly for a while, but you figure it out. Maybe you write about it, or paint, sing, dance, yodel, ANYTHING. 

You breathe.

You embrace the next opportunity you have to make a decision because not everyone in this world has the luxury of options. You chose, whatever it is your heart tells you to. And when you pick the wrong one... again... you start from the top. 

-J

Letters to Passengers on Flight 1581

Dear 11C,
Because of your inability to read the departure time on your plane ticket, we had to wait an extra 10 minutes for you and now I am stuck sitting on an airplane for more time than I intended.  I'm sure you're too self absorbed to care but I hate flying. Even more than flying, though, I hate sitting... on an airplane... that isn't going anywhere. My ass is now going to hurt for a longer period of time. Thanks a freaking lot.

Dear 10A,

I realize your daughter is only two years old, but I would really appreciate it if she would stop screaming. I mean, it's 7am and no one should have to hear something so shrill this early in the morning.  We are allowed two carry on items, but screaming children are strictly prohibited (it's in the fine print). She may take up less room than some of the carry ons, but if she's gonna scream the whole time, maybe you should have checked her with the suitcases... Just a thought. 

Dear 11E,
I'm very personable and can typically strike up and hold a conversation with anyone without issues. If someone wants to go out of their way to talk to me, I'm more than willing to comply and entertain them with small talk. But for the sake of all things holy, STOP TALKING! It's 7:30 in the morning and Satan's offspring in seat 10C has been screaming for the past 30 minutes. The last (and by last I mean the thing right before everyone on Earth dies) thing I want is to hear about your teenage grandkids that don't appreciate you. That's a little heavy, especially since this is a rather short flight, don't you think? My suggestion? Get a journal... or maybe even start a blog.

Sincerely,
11F

"Drift"

12:17 a.m.
My mind races, my hands shake.
Unsure of the night, I sit. I wait.

1:39 a.m.
My thoughts heavy, my fingers light.
Words pour out, I smile. I relax.

2:23 a.m.

My heart slows, my body melts.
Awaiting my dreams, I breathe. And then

drift. 

-J

"Hudson"

I sit in silence; searching

The cars hum by, lovers walk in hand

The stars twinkle and the bridge lights echo

The crisp October air chills my skin as jazz fills my soul

Slowly, words begin to pour onto an empty page

My thoughts streaming like that of the Hudson

And there it is...

Inspiration

I wrote this in October of 2010. I remember exactly what I was doing, wearing, thinking, feeling- my sense where on fire! I swear I wrote this yesterday. My how the time flies!

-J

Katelynne Fissore

My roommate goes by the name of Katelynne Fissore- also Kate, Katie, and Carl- and after this mornings incident, I feel she is worthy of her own entry in my blog (cause it's such a big deal).

Kate is five feet six inches tall, has long curly brown hair, blue eyes and is obsessed with the gym. (I have come to the conclusion that she actually hates working out, but loves being in the vicinity of other individuals who drive themselves to death by way of the treadmill.) The conversations we have with one another are like none you have ever heard.

For example:
Kate: "Jess, did the fill the Brita Machine?"
Jess: "No...."
Kate: "I asked you to do ONE thing and-"
Jess: "It's NOT a MACHINE!"
And:
*Kate puts on a Steelers beanie and it covers all of her hair*
Jess: "Kate, do you want a cute hat to wear?"
Kate: "This is a cute hat."
Jess: "Yeah except you look like a boy."
Kate: "Fine... I'll put on some lip gloss then."

However, the most recent- and my favorite BY FAR- occurred this morning at about 8 am. Kate got back yesterday from a long weekend at home, where unfortunately, she got really sick. So, at beforemyalarmclockwentoff this morning, this is what happened:

*Kate stands at the edge of my bed, trying to wake me up- which takes forever by the way. Finally, I wake up*
Jess: "You okay? What's wrong?"
Kate: "I don't feel good."
Jess: "Oh no. Are you going to throw up? Can I do anything for you?"
Kate: "No... I just wanted to let you know."
Jess: "Ummm... okay. Eat some protein?"
Kate: "Like what?"
Jess: "Eggs? Turkey? Peanut butter?"
Kate: "I'll eat some almonds."
*grabs a handful, goes over to computer, sits back down.*
Jess (to herself): "Good talk, Kate. Good talk."

God bless my roommate.

-J

Jessica Danielle Nordberg

Hey guys. This is my first post and appreciate that you are reading it. I created my blog so that you (whomever you may be) can do more than read a simple status update on facebook. Within this blog, I promise to be honest, straightforward, and somewhat entertaining. I do not, however, promise to display writing that can be defined as "grammitcully correkt," deep or even insightful. It will be filled with thoughts and stories of my time in New York and wherever else life takes me. I would like to start out with some basic facts about myself. After all, this blog is about me...

1. I hate cherry flavored anything but love cherries.

2. I have an older sister whom I hold very close to my heart.

3. Family matters (not the show).

4. I drink anywhere between two and six liters of water daily.

5. I listen to the same songs over and over again.

6. I have an extensive list of places one should not fart.

7. I'm too school for cool.

8. Before any sort of scheduled performance, I must brush and floss my teeth, gargle with mouth wash, and then chew a piece of mint flavored gum for at least a few minutes.

9. I shower daily.

10. I think Nutella is gross.

11. I laugh at things that aren't funny, including my own jokes.

12. My parents are hands down the BEST parents I've ever had.

13. I believe friends are replaceable so don't mess things up.

14. I've been told I'm extremely blunt and sarcastic in my ripe age of 19 but I strongly disagree.

15. I have an obsession with Carrie Underwood.

16. Singing truly makes me feel better.

17. I write. A lot.

18. I enjoy the food network.

19. My dream role is to play a zombie.

20. I like to dye my hair different colors. 

That's enough for you to read for now. Please read, comment on, and ask questions about me or anything that you read. I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I will enjoy writing it.

-J