Hi! I decided creating a blog would be an easy way for friends, relatives, teachers, or whoever is interested to find out what is going on in my life. As of right now, that means watching Gilmore Girls and deciding on a template for my blog, but hopefully I will be able to post more interesting information later. I finished my finals at Iowa State University yesterday, and my dad picked me up for Christmas break this morning. I feel incredibly relieved the semester is over. It was great, but I am ready for some relaxation and family time before I begin new classes.

I named this blog Nautilus Shell after my favorite poem, The Chambered Nautilus, by Oliver Wendell Holmes. During one of my English classes in high school, I was assigned to read the poem, a poem I initially found confusing but eventually came to love. After reading it several times, I saw the connection the author had illustrated between a growing nautilus and the mind of an intellectually hungry human. Each year, the two grow “more stately mansions . . . nobler than the last [.]” Anyway, something clicked, and it has remained a comforting reminder of how exciting life can be, how much we have to learn, and how our journey does not end on this earth. I wish you a merry Christmas! Be on the look-out for more posts.