This Time Last Year

Wow, so it's going to be April already! I guess I was confused by the snow that's still blowing around outside of my window. April means that in about a month, I will have been graduated for an entire year. If there was one piece of advice I could give myself for this time last year, it would be very simple: don't be afraid to make a plan.

I spent the last month of college counting down the days until I no longer had a plan, or heath insurance for that matter, instead of focusing on creating a new one. I looked for employment before graduation, but stuck mainly to online listings and was very picky where I applied. I had a vague idea of what I where I wanted to live after graduation, but was too scared to commit.

Making a plan after graduation is terrifying for many reasons, but for me, it was mostly because I was so afraid on missing out. I was afraid of choosing the wrong city, falling into the wrong job, and ultimately not being happy. It took me literally until my graduation day to realize that making a plan in pursuing it can also be very exciting. When I finally decided to move my life to Rochester, NY, I ended up feeling more relieved than I had in months.

Here's the thing about plans.. you can change them. I remember talking to a friend once who was deciding whether or not to move across country with her boyfriend. I told her that if she didn't like it, she could always come home, but she'd probably regret it if she didn't take the chance. This seemed like such a revelation for both of us. I realized, after months of agonizing, that if I didn't like my post grad life plan in a few months, I could change it.

So, to any senior college readers we have out there, try to stop being afraid this month. Start planning and start being excited about the next steps in your life. Oh, and remember to finish those last few assignments before senior week- you've still got to graduate!

Yogurt and Interning

A few days ago, I was grocery shopping and overheard two women bragging about their daughters. They were talking about how their daughters had just graduated and landed these fabulous jobs, while their friends were only interning.

This got me thinking about my past internships, and how if I hadn't happened to find my current position, I would likely still be interning at this stage of my career. I wanted to walk up to the women and tell them that interning after graduation can actually be a great way to further your career, but instead I grabbed my yogurt and fled the scene, pledging to compose a passive aggressive blog post about these ladies in the near future.

Most people who have completed internships throughout their collegiate careers realize that internships are truly what you make of them. Often times, supervisors will promise the world to their interns, when in reality many interns end up making copies and coffee for nothing but academic credits... that they pay for. If you want to get exposure or try a new task, you have to persistently make it known that you're available.

Internships in the post grad world are a bit different in that there is much more at stake. In college, after your summer internship you head back to classes with some experience of the "working world" and hopefully a few contacts.

As a post grad, there is nothing following the internship. You either have a job offer at that company, or it's back to the job hunting drawing board. This doesn't make your internship any less valuable (yup, I'm talking to you yogurt ladies). It just means that you really must make the most of it to see any type of result.

Here are some tips for making the most of your post grad internship:

-Ask questions- This is actually true for any level of interning, asking questions shows that you are willing to learn and genuinely interested in your work. Want to help write the next press release the company sends out? Ask. Your interest and willingness to try new things might be what prompts the company to offer you a job.

-Be sure to communicate everything you've learned- Let's say that your current internship doesn't end up offering you a full time gig and you find yourself interviewing for other full time positions. While every job might not require the same skill set, I bet the personal growth you experienced through your internship that can stretch over many fields. For example, in my interview for my current full time job, I spoke about a video production internship experience that was less than ideal and how I handled it. While video production is not a part of my current job at all, I know the problem solving skills I learned will be valuable for any position.

-Be aware of your finances- Do not accept unpaid internships after graduation unless you are financially able to do so. Plain and simple.

-Don't let rejection get to you- When I was rejected after my first post grad internship interview, I felt like my degree was useless. It seemed like the perfect position, a blend of marketing writing, and social media. It was even paid with room for advancement! I allowed myself one night to sulk and then continued job hunt the next day. Within weeks I landed my current full time position. Ironically, I now have the same job title as the woman who interviewed and rejected me for the internship.

What about you readers, any tips for post grad interns? We'd love for you to share!

Musical Monday: The Limousines

This week for Musical Monday I came across a real gem. I first heard it on Stereo Mood, so just music, no video. There I was trying to explain to a co-worker, in the nicest way I could muster, that they are an idiot, and this song came on. Internet Killed the Video Star by The Limousines. It was so catchy I was bobbing my head. That probably took away some of my authority while lecturing, but I'm okay with that. When I got home I youtubed the actual video. It is creepy, to say the least. But I can't take my eyes away from it. Chubby zombie women in bikinis? Yup, you're really seeing that. Enjoy!

Our Weekend in Lewisburg

Shikole and I in Lewisburg!

The street our hotel was on with the most random shops ever

Our hotel courtyard

Me in front of the Susquehanna river looking patriotic....?

Shikole in our huge room!

More of Lewisburg

Shikole at Bucknell

A pretty view from the Bucknell campus

It was so awesome to see Shikole this weekend and enjoy everything that the town of Lewisburg, PA has to offer. We walked around the quaint town, visited Bucknell University (which is huge!), ate, drank, and relaxed. I'd say these photos sum up our stay nicely. Also, if by any chance we have readers that go to Bucknell, be sure to be on the watch for our business cards, we definitely put them everywhere around your campus!

Could Today Get Any Stranger?

Today has been one of the strangest days of my life. It started like an ordinary day, with my alarm going off, me groaning and blindly reaching in the direction of the noise, and rolling out of bed. I went to take a shower as usual and BAM.

No, literally, BAM. I stubbed my toe. I yelped from the pain and let out a few choice curse words as I half stumbled the rest of the way into the shower. Then I looked down and saw blood. My toe was bleeding. Profusely. I showered very quickly because standing on it wasn't all that pleasant.

When I got out of the shower I examined my injury. (This gets a little graphic, don't read if squeemish) The nail was split down the middle, part of it coming off, a large piece of flesh was dangling. Pulling the flesh hurt to the point of tears, taking it off was not an option. There was still blood everywhere. I decided to just put some band-aids on it for now and revisit the issue later.

So I get in the car to go to work. I'm running about 10 minutes late because of the toe incident. 5 minutes down the road I get stuck behind a car going 20 in a 35 and I was getting pissed. The car pulls over to let me pass and I go on my merry way. Less than a minute later I see flashing lights in my review mirror.

Unmarked police car purposefully going slow, can you say entrapment?

Anyway, the Officer comes up to my window and doesn't even ask if I know why I'm being pulled over. I thought they had to do that. Apparently I was wrong. This man just started to list the offenses I had just committed, even though most of them were bull.

1. Tailgating. (Not guilty. As previously mentioned, 20 in a 35 is entrapment)
2. Rolling through a stop sign. (Ok I did that. He had me there)
3. "Speeding" at 33 mph in a 25 mph zone while going down a hill. (Not guilty. Ever heard of gravity? You tend to speed up going down a hill.)
4. Dice on my mirror (Not guilty. Since when is it illegal to have dice???)
5. Failure to provide proof of insurance (My fault. It was renewed last week and I forgot to print the new card out.)

After lecturing me, he wrote me just one ticket, for the insurance thing. So glad he realized the rest of it wouldn't hold up if I fought it.

After those great experiences that began my morning I finally arrived at work in one piece. I was on the phone with a client, explaining to them how to change their voicemail recording when my personal cell phone starts lighting up. The screen shows me an international number and I assume it is my hotel in Istanbul confirming for my trip.

Then the number called me 4 times in rapid succession. I did not answer because I was at work. They finally left a voicemail. In the meantime, I had googled the country code and discovered the call was coming from Iraq. I don't know anyone in Iraq.

At this point I'm confused. So, like any person would do, I listened to the voicemail. It was an Iraqi male, who knew my name (said it in the voicemail). He claimed he found me on Facebook, saw my number listed, and wanted to be friends. There are a couple problems here. First, I don't have my number listed on Facebook. Too many crazy Exes that I don't want to contact me for that. Second, my Facebook profile is set to private and unless we are already friends, you can't see it.

At this point I was no longer confused, I was freaking out. It wasn't even noon and my day had been more eventful than the last 3 months, not in a good way. I still don't understand this peculiar phone call, or why a police officer would list 5 offenses and give me 1 ticket, or how I could manage to make my toe bleed after being awake for only 15 minutes. I blame the SuperMoon phenomena that scientists have been talking about.

Guess What

This weekend Shikole and I will be meeting up in Pennsylvania! Since we both started working full time, we haven't been able to see each other at all due to our limited time off and the lack of college breaks. Since D.C. is 7ish hours from Rochester, we wanted to make things easier on each other and decided that we would meet in the middle! (Just like the Diamond Rio song, "I'd start walking your way and you'd start walking mine, we'd meet in the middle....") Okay.. no one else's parents made them listen to country music when they were little? Moving on...

After some intense google mapping we settled on Lewisburg, P.A. ,which is apparently right near Bucknell University and exactly 3.5 hours from both of our homes (to the minute).

We're hoping to spend our weekend relaxing and walking around the presumably cute college town, maybe window shopping a little, doing some blog networking, having a few drinks in the evening, and just getting away from our normal lives for two days.

Since we will be in the same place, we are going to take lots of pictures, and maybe even some video for you guys to see! I know I'm always so curious to see what bloggers sound like in real life, plus I have this flip video camera that I barely use.. so... we're making one!

I know that it's only Tuesday and we have a few more days before this little trip, but we are both overly excited and in need of a break from our respective cities. Do you guys look forward to weekend getaways as much as we do? Let us know in the comments. :)

Grad Meets World Guest Post

Hi readers! Today we bring you a guest post by Amanda Abella from Grad Meets World. Amanda is 20something language instructor and freelance writer based out of Miami, Florida. As a self-described personal development junkie, she is fascinated by post-grad life and hopes to help other 20somethings achieve their goals. She blogs about her adventures and shares her knowledge over at Grad Meets World. Enjoy her post on financial savings goals!

3 Steps for Setting up a Financial Savings Goal

As a post-grad you may suddenly find yourself with a few surprises. You are now responsible for your own life, your income, and any bumps that may come along.

Take me for example, not even a year out of college and I have a day job, I’m trying to run a side business, and I have surprise expenses piling up.

Amidst the surprises, I have been able to save up enough money for two of my financial goals for 2011: open up a brokerage account and open up an IRA to start saving for retirement, both of which I did last week and it’s only March.

Now I have a couple of more expenses to plan for: two weddings that will be taking place in California later this year, for one of which I am a bridesmaid. I must admit that I started shopping around for plane tickets and ended up suffering from a severe case of sticker shock. Both tickets may cost me about $1000, and that’s not including the days which I will be staying.

However, instead of panicking and thinking, “Holy crap how am I going to afford two trips to California this year?!?!” I am taking the same proactive approach I did with my previous goals.

How to Set Up a Financial Goal and Nail It

1. Don’t panic. Ask yourself “What can I do to make extra money?”

There are lots of ways you can make some extra cash. I personally enjoy freelance writing; however there are several other money making projects you can take on as well. (For a great list read The Smart College Grad’s 5 Ways to Make Extra Money in Your 20s).

Whatever extra cash you make then gets split between your checking (hey we’ve got bills to pay) and your savings goal.

2. Set up a separate high interest savings account with your specific goal in mind.

“But Amanda, I already have a savings account with my current bank!”

I’m sure you do, but do you know what you are actually saving for or are you just automatically allocating random funds once a month? Better question, how often do you dip into your regular savings to buy something? Or even better, have you checked out your bank’s miserable interest rates lately?

I have several different savings accounts at online banks with specific goals in mind. For instance, when I was saving up for my IRA I opened up an account at Emigrant Direct and nicknamed it “Retirement” so I would know exactly what I was saving for.

Online banks usually earn you up to 5 times more interest than a brick and mortar bank which is reason enough to start putting your money elsewhere. But the real winner for me was the following: if I ever feel the urge to waste money on something I don’t really need, it would take at least three days for the online bank to transfer the money back to my checking. By that time my urge is gone and I actually saved my money.

There are several online banks out there and all it takes is a little bit of research to see which one is best for you. I personally favor ING Direct, Emigrant Direct, and FNBO Direct.

3. Split your check into percentages and pay yourself first.

I actually got this idea from one of my favorite personal finance books, The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed. The concept is simple: split every check you get into percentages and PAY YOURSELF FIRST.

For instance, 10% of every check I received, whether it was from my day job or freelancing, went into my savings account labeled Retirement. This ensures that you save some money every time you get paid.

By following these three easy steps you’ll be sure to reach your savings goal in no time!

Bastilla - the Moroccan Way

My latest culinary endeavor was dreamed alive after a friend and I went to a Moroccan restaurant for dinner. While the entire meal was fantastic, I was blown away by a dish called Bastilla. Friend even asked the waiter how to pronounce it correctly. Apparently the double L does not make a Y sound like in Spanish.

Anyway, we embarked on our Bastilla mission as soon as we arrived back at Friend's apartment. We googled recipe after recipe. None that we found seemed like it could really be for the amazingness we just ate. But alas, you should never judge a dish by its recipe.

Ingredients:

- Phyllo Dough

- 1 bag Sliced Almonds

- Chicken Breasts (5 or 6 maybe?)

- 8 eggs

- 1 Onion

- 1/2 cup sugar

- cinnamon

- ginger

- pepper

- salt

- some melted butter

You will also need:

- Large oven-safe frying pan (you can put tin foil over a plastic handle and it still works fine)

- Food processor or blender

- Large Bowl

1. Boil chicken and onion in a pot of water that just covers the chicken for 45 mins to 1 hour. Also make sure your cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper are added before boiling. Spices are to taste, but don't worry if you use too little, there's a chance later to add more.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Cut up the chicken into small-ish pieces when tender. Put in a bowl. Set aside.
4. Scramble all 8 eggs with 1/3 cup of the water from the chicken. Cook them but make sure you don't over cook them. They will be baked later.
5. While cooking eggs, use a blender or food processor to grind up the almonds, sugar, and some cinnamon.
6. When eggs are done, add to the chicken mixture. I recommend putting the mixture into the food processor but it is not necessary.
7. Start to layer Phyllo dough in the pan. The dough should cover the bottom and start to go up the sides to fold over later.
8. Layer in the chicken mixture, then almond mixture, then more phyllo dough until you run out of mixtures. The faster you do this the better so the dough doesn't dry out.
9. Fold the dough over the top and "seal" it all together with melted butter.
10. Bake for 30 minutes
11. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar and cinnamon

I know it all sounds unconventional, but it tastes superb! It is the perfect mix of sweet and savory!

The Move

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it on this blog before, but on May 1st, I will be moving into a new apartment! I've been excited about the move for a few months, but it became very real to me yesterday when I signed an official lease with the property manager that this move is actually happening.. and soon! The photos above are of the outside of the apartment and the building's rooftop deck!

The move is a milestone for me for a few reasons.

1.It's my second post grad apartment. Which pretty much means I am no longer a new college grad. This is almost as terrifying as being a new college grad.

2. It's my first time living alone. I will have a space that is all my own. I am responsible for every dish left in the sink and every piece of furniture.

To celebrate my upcoming move I took a trip to the hub of affordable interior decorating, also known as The Christmas Tree Shop. I've mentioned my love for this store in a previous post, but today as I walked around with a shower curtain liner and candle holder (both under two dollars) in hand, I just felt very adult. I love decorating, so expect to see many more pictures of my apartment's interior to come. It will certainly be a work in progress and a challenge to complete on my post grad budget.

Maybe this post grad thing is finally starting to fall into place. Hey, it's the little things, right?

Friday

Since tomorrow is Friday, I thought I would take a break from our normal programming and present to you all this hilarious song that hopefully does not represent where the music industry is headed. However, this girl is only 13 years old, and I've got to admit, if I was still 13 I'd be allll over a song like this. For all of our readers that are past their teen years (which is all of you I'm assuming!), it's still fun to start off the weekend with a good laugh! Enjoy!

Words of Wisdom: Ayn Rand

"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." - Ayn Rand

Words I live by. If you know me at all you know that when I get an idea in my head there is no stopping me from making it happen. This quote by Ayn Rand felt like it was meant for me the first time I read it.


Now I can not yet compare to Ms. Rand. I have not had a book published *cough* yet. And when I do I don't think it will be nearly as historic as The Fountainhead was, but a girl can dream. Literary success aside, I admire Ms. Rand for her attitude towards life.

When we were kids most of us had to ask a parent or guardian permission to do things. Either that or get grounded often. I was in the middle of these. I was a good kid (and no I'm not just saying that I promise) but I challenged my mother to try and stop me at every turn.

I wanted to go far from home for college. My mother had no intention of making that easy. But I navigated the FAFSA and the applications and loans and orientations and I made it out. I wanted to stay in DC after I graduated but couldn't afford to do so unless I got a job, and fast. 1 week after graduation I was officially employed. Allie and I wanted to start this blog, and look at us now!

Now if only I could talk those pesky police officers hidden on the highway not to stop me I'd be set. Just kidding, kind of.

Break Time

Walking is my absolute favorite lunch break activity. It gives me the chance to get away from my desk and out into the sunshine. Any of the stress from that morning goes right out the window during that half hour of freedom. Sometimes I just walk around the city blocks here, but more often than not I head to my favorite destination: High Falls.

High Falls is a small historic area of Rochester that happens to be located a few blocks from my office. The waterfall looks like it's exploding from the cityscape, and the streets surrounding the falls are cobblestone with quaint buildings. Today I remembered my camera and snapped some shots during my break, enjoy! By the time I walked back to my office it was too warm for my winter coat. Maybe spring has finally decided to come pay us a visit?

The Kodak building is on the way to High Falls from my office. Definitely a Rochester landmark.

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Extreme Couponing

Did you guys know that there is a t.v. show called Extreme Couponing on TLC? Neither did I until one night when I was flipping though channels and saw a lady purchase 250.00 worth of groceries for 6 dollars..all thanks to coupons. The woman explained that extreme couponing takes a keen eye and lots of patience (and a good pair of scissors I'd assume).

Oh, TLC.. you've done it again. Since most of us do not have the same amount of coupon dedication as this woman, I thought that it might be fun to share a few of my favorite online "couponing" websites for those of us who are less dedicated to the craft but still love a good deal!

Groupon- Click the link for deals on amazing restaurants, spas, golf lessons (for our guy readers), and pretty much anything else you can think of. Sign up for it!

Living Social- Similar to groupon, not sure who came first. Awesome deals!

Retail Me Not- Codes to get discounts on your online shopping purchases.

Etsy.com- Not a discount website, but it is a great place to find unique& handmade jewelry and crafts at low prices!

Also, be sure to ask if there are store discount cards for whatever local grocery store you shop at! They are free to sign up for and truly save you hundreds of dollars over time.

What are some of your favorites?

Something to Remember

Sometimes I feel that in the post grad world, niceness is just thrown out the window. I understand that life can't be sugarcoated, but I also believe in common decency at any age.



Thankfully, this gif is always here to remind me that some people just aren't nice, and it's okay. It doesn't matter what age you are, "haters gonna hate". We've just got to suck it up, keep on smiling, and marching on like this guy.

I Lost My Train of Thought

As it often does, my train of thought has decided to depart without warning. This happens to me at the worst possible moments, like in the middle of explaining to my boss why I have not yet finished that impossible spreadsheet he asked for just 5 minutes ago. Or when I finally get up the energy to walk downstairs and forget what amazing culinary concoction I was about to whip up.

This time, Post Grads, it affects you. I had an awesome post planned in my head. I spent my entire drive home from the office thinking about it. The title, the content, what picture I would use, the links I should include, everything.

THEN, as soon as I get home, and take my coat off to come share my brilliance with you all, BAM. It's gone. All gone. I really hope that my train of thought will return to me sooner rather than later, but for now I thought I would share with you all a small annoyance that is a part of my life.

Happy Birthday Shikole!

Shikole turns 23 today- everyone wish her a Happy Birthday! To celebrate I thought I'd fill you guys in on how we met!

Shikole and I first met and became friends in 7th grade when we were alphabetically seated next to each other in French class. Since we both took honors classes, we quickly realized that we had pretty much every class together. This continued into high school where we again had multiple classes together and partnered on many, many projects. 1920's themed fashion show for english class? Yeah, that happened. She and I seemed to magically fall into this great group of friends that all still talk to each other today- five years out of high school.

Our senior year, Shikole and I both participated in a law internship program (ha) and got the chance to carpool to our internship placements and to class together. We had tons of adventures that year and many more since then, including skipping classes to eat ice cream on our local tressel bridge, living together for a summer in d.c. and driving into Virginia just for Taco Bell, expressing our shared love for pickles (we liked them before you, snookie!), eating nerds rope in various parking lots to de-stress in our small town... I'm beginning to realize that most of our fun times involve food...

Regardless, she is one friend that I know I can always count on for an honest opinion, a fun time, and apparently, good food. I wish I could be there to celebrate her birthday today, but I will have to wait until we meet up on Pennsylvania at the end of the month! (More on that exciting trip to come!)

Happy Birthday Shikole!!

Musical Monday

Hey guys, Shikole and I are planning to incorporate more videos, photos, and music into our blog. Since Monday is normally a rough day for all of us 9-5ers, I thought it might be fun for all of us to share some of the music we've been listening to lately!

Here are a few songs I'm loving lately:

The Weepies- Be My Thrill: A great song for car rides!

Brett Dennen- Darling Do Not Fear: The best de-stress song!

Ke$ha- Blow: Throw some glitter make it rain.

Please share some of your recent favorites in the comments!

I'm Booked

Remember my post a few months ago about wanting to go to Istanbul? Well, Readers, I have booked my trip and it is official. My tax refund came in yesterday, which is one of the things I was waiting on to do this. The other thing was permission to take time off from my boss.

I emailed him as soon as the refund came and he was surprisingly supportive. He actually called me to talk about the trip and tell me of places I should go while there. So once I got the green light from work, I logged onto Expedia.

I will be going from April 6 through the 11th, and of course you will all be kept informed with posts and pictures of my adventures. I booked a couple tours with my itinerary including a visit to the Blue Mosque and the Beylerbeyi Palace.

Now that it is official I have also been trying to find some good books to read based in Turkey. The Museum of Innocence looks good but I can't seem to find a free e-book for it. I may have to break down and spend the $12 to get it on my Nook.

I think that learning a few Turkish phrases can't hurt either. The Nook has a free 25 language phrase book I've already downloaded. I think knowing how to say things like "bathroom," "how much?" and "thank you" would come in handy.

If any of you have been to Istanbul I would love recommendations on places to go!

GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Hi guys, thank you so much to everyone who entered the Wiwicoco vinyl wall art giveaway! Wiwicoco is being extremely generous and told us that if anyone of you who didn't win the wall art were interested in purchasing it, they will give you 10% off if you mention The Real Post Grad at checkout!

And now....

Drumroll please!

The winner is..........

Also known as commenter number 3, Katrina!!!! Congratulations! Contact us at therealpostgrad@gmail.com and we will put you in contact with Wiwicoco to claim your prize!

Thanks again for entering everyone! Stay tuned for our next giveaway coming up soon!

Are You in a Good Mood? 5 Ways to Make it Happen

I can't put my finger on why, but for the last two days I have been in a strangely good mood. At first I thought sunshine might be the reason, but it was plenty sunny last week and my mood was foul. Then I thought maybe it was because I had the luxury to work at a normal speed instead of warp for a little while. (I'm not convinced this isn't the reason. )

It got me thinking, though, what can always, no matter what, put you in a good mood? A couple of mine are below.

1. YouTube video of baby laughing hysterically. This just came out so it is a recent addition to my list, but how can you not start laughing with her?
2. A great meal with great people. Last night my roommates and I went to BDs Mongolian BBQ for dinner. It was fantastic to get out of the house, away from work, and enjoy great food with people I enjoy being around.
3. A pedicure. (Sorry, this might be just for the women) Foot massage and pretty toes. It's relaxing and I'm always in a good mood afterwards.
4. Sunlight. All winter Allison and I complained about it being dark before work, dark again after work, and not getting any sunlight. Going outside just for a few minutes in the sunlight will make my mood infinitely better.
5. I know it sounds corny, but donating always puts me in a better mood. Whether it's clothes to Goodwill or $20 to St. Judes, giving always helps my mood.

What puts you in a good mood?

Giveaway!!!! Extended!!!

Just because we love you guys and want everyone to have a chance to enter, the giveaway is extended to Friday at 5pm!!!

Vinyl Wall Art- 50 dollar value- adorable designs- check it out here!

Don't Think Twice

Yesterday I read in an article that Suze Rotolo had passed away. This name probably doesn't ring a bell for you... but how about Bob Dylan? I bet you've heard of that one! I'm not a huge Dylan fan, but I do love his song "Don't Think Twice It's Alright". He composed this haunting song after his girlfriend at the time, Suze Rotolo, left him to go to Italy.

I first heard the song during the very beginning of my freshman year in college. I was so nervous about what the next four years of college would bring. I was in a floundering relationship with my high school boyfriend, having a tough time meeting nice people, and just all around missing home. When I was sad, I would trek to the piano practice rooms in my college's music building and play this song to feel better. Five years later (and on the other side of my college education), I still flashback to those first months of school when I hear this Bob Dylan song.

If you're interested, I've attached the song below. Do you all have any songs that bring back such vivid memories? Tell us about them in the comments!