Step 19: Feel Like a True Professional

Not going to lie, this post is way more geared towards future writers, but really the idea is the same for everyone. We all want to feel like we're all grown up the minute that we get that diploma in our hands. Some of us may, but a lot more of us still feel like a bunch of kids. And relatively speaking, we are, but I won't get into that right now (I'm sure there'll be other posts about how our 20's should be used to explore and have fun).

Anyways, the first time that you accomplish something professional (and when I say professional I mean something that has to o with your chosen career path - something that has to do with your dreams), it feels great! For a would-be-author, your first professional accomplishment probably was a long time ago - the first rough draft you ever finished or the first story that you ever had published in your school's magazine. But for me, what really made me feel like a true author, a true professional, was talking to someone I'd never met before and asking for their help with my story. Why? Because that's what true authors do, and I guess a part of me never thought I'd have the courage to do that (I'm a pretty shy person). If I can do what other authors can do, then I have a shot of being a true author too.

And this could go for any career field. You just have to find out what the successful people in your chosen line of work do and then do it yourself.

So my question to you: What was something that you did that made you feel like a true professional?
And my challenge to you: Do something that makes you feel like a true professional.

Step 18: Clean Your Room

I know! The lamest thing I could possibly tell you to do! And quite possibly one of the hardest steps, especially if you're like me and instead of neatly putting away everything the moment you got back from school you just threw it into piles in both your room AND the spare room. It's a disaster field that's just had more and more stuff piled on during the past two months, and after two days of pretty much nonstop cleaning I've still only got half of one room clean and 1/4 of the other room cleared out. Agghhhh!!!!

But, on the plus side, I found $200 dollars sitting on my dresser that had been buried there for God knows how long!

So my question to you: What's the coolest thing you've ever found when cleaning your room?
And my challenge to you: Clean your room while listening to random songs on YouTube - it makes the experience so much more fun, and if you're like me and only use YouTube to favorite songs that you like, maybe throw in a couple weird videos here and there, then playing through the older stuff that you favorited can be real crazy - why I favorited a guy dressed up as Sora from the video game Kingdom Hearts dancing to "Stand Out" from A Goofy Movie, I'll never know...

Step 17: Celebrate the 4th on the 5th

The 4th of July couldn't have fallen on a more perfect day. We've been getting a lot of rain recently, so that meant that there wasn't a burn ban like last year PLUS it wasn't ridiculously hot like it normally is. The only downside to this was the fact that it was so muggy that the smoke from the earlier fireworks hung in the air and completely blocked out the grand finale at the show that I went to. :(

But there was another upside to the date that the 4th fell on - it was a Thursday! I know, who care's about Thursdays? Thursday's are boring days. BUT, with the 4th falling on a Thursday, that meant that the next day all the firework shops would have their discounts just in time for the weekend! Yup, Friday and Saturday nights were blaring with the sounds of fireworks, and I'm happy to say that my friends and I contributed to the disturbance of the peace. :)

Some of the best new fireworks that we had were "The Desert at Night," this little rocket thing, and a Tiki fountain. Of course we had the classics - mortars, "Jumping Jelly Beans," the "Bees," and what we've lovingly named "Rememberalls" (they're actually called "Wonder Balls," but they reminded us of Rememberalls from Harry Potter ^-^). Sadly, we weren't able to get our favorite, "What?! No Beer?!" They were all out. :(

So my question to you: What's your favorite firework?
And my challenge to you: Go to your local firework shop and stock up now while the deals are good!

Step 16: Watch the Most American Superhero During the Most American Week

Today I went and saw Man of Steel with my mom and my grandma, and though I will admit I'm more of a Spiderman fan (1, 2, and re-boot - not that crappy third movie), the movie was pretty good. Maybe not good enough to pay ridiculous ticket prices... man I want my old job back at the theater - I can't handle $6.50 for every matinee I go to... but I digress, (plus my grandma payed this time, so thanks Grandma!). If ticket prices were just a little cheaper I'd say definitely go see the movie in theaters 'cause the big screen makes the fight sequences really cool. The story itself, I've been told it veers from the original Superman legend, though the way they use flashbacks to show us Clark Kent's childhood is cute (though the way they use it to show us his young adult-hood, eh, that's more a confusion of "are we in the present or the past?"), but being more of a Batman fan (the Christopher Nolan trilogy) and not knowing much of Superman's original story, I found this particular story interesting (if somewhat rushed).

Basically, as more of an Iron Man fan (you know which ones I'm talking about), this Superman movie did get me more interested in Superman's story, just like Spiderman 2, The Dark Knight, and Iron Man. And that should be the goal of ANY movie, let alone a superhero movie. 'Cause the more you can get people interested in the story, the more of the story people will want, and thus sequels and prequels and spinoffs and books can be made.

So my question to you: Who's you're favorite superhero?
And my challenge to you: Check out Man of Steel when you get a little extra dough (or when it comes to Redbox).
Bonus challenge! Not that I'm on a Starkid kick (see last post), but if you are a superhero fan or even if you're just a fan of musical parodies, check out Holy Musical B@man! on Starkids' YouTube channel. Not only do you get to see Batman and Superman duke it out, but you get to see them duke it out while singing!

Step 15: Have A Very Potter Musical Marathon

Warning all non-Harry-Potter-fans - you should probably stop reading this post because it's basically a geek-out fest. z8)  <--That was my poor attempt at doing a Harry Potter emoticon.

If you are a Harry Potter fan and you have never watched any of Starkids' Very Potter Musicals, you cannot call yourself a true fan. There are three of these musicals, and all of legit musical length (2 hours, if not longer): A Very Potter Musical, A Very Potter Sequel, and A Very Potter Senior Year. The best part - all three can be found on YouTube!

Below's Part 2 of Act 1 which gives you a great introduction to many of the hilarious characters and has a ridiculously catchy song! (Though I will sadly admit, you don't get to see Voldemort until Part 5 of Act 1 - so skip to that video to see how awesomely they pull that character off!)

The truly amazing part about these musicals, though, is the fact that these kids who put on this musical (and when I say "put on," I mean they literally wrote the script, music, and choreography; designed the costumes and sets; and put in hours of rehearsal) started out as regular college students. The first Very Potter Musical was created and performed while still in school (in fact, I believe it was created and performed as a school project). These performers created something so fun and formed such a bond with each other that they bought their own studio and continue to create and perform various musical parodies. And though some of them have gone on to other jobs (the young man playing Harry Potter is none other than Glee's Blaine, and if your as much of a fan of Ron as I am, you'd know that the young man who plays him in the musicals is... on the Disney channel... yeah don't judge! I love Joey Richter!), most of them managed to come back for the final Very Potter Musical. These guys are living the message that J.K. Rowling wrote in the Harry Potter series - with your friends and some hard work, you're able to accomplish great things.

So my CHALLENGE to you: Have A Very Potter Musical Marathon with your friends (with your friends is the key part - it makes it that much more fun)! Or, if you don't have time to watch all three (because it WILL take you all day), then at least watch the first one. 
And my question to you: What did you think of the musicals?

Bonus Challenge!
If you're a true Harry Potter fan and have already watched all three musicals, have another marathon with your friends and make a drinking game out of it! But be safe! Everyone spends the night, no one drives unless they haven't drank, if your under 21 don't drink alcohol (Kool-Aid with a crap ton of sugar can work just as well). Below are the rules (remember, you've got to start out slow - you've got three musicals to get through).

• A Very Potter Musical
• Whenever Ron has food - drink!
• Whenever Ron has a drink - drink!
• When Ron's eating his Hershey bar - drink!
• A Very Potter Sequel
• Whenever Red Vines are mentioned - drink!
• A Very Potter Senior Year
• Whenever they reference this being the last musical - drink!
• During the three songs about endings - chug!