A Wintry Trip to the Minnesota Zoo
A Wintry Trip to the Minnesota Zoo

Because I'm a biology nerd who loves animals, I love going on "dates" to the zoo or aquarium. One of my all-time favorite memories of my semester abroad in Europe was a wintry visit to the Dortmund Zoo in Germany with Ryan, and that zoo earned my top spot for its South American giant otter exhibit and a free-ranging sloth. Now that Ryan and I are long distance once again, we needed to make a tradition out of our off-season zoo trip and check out the nearest one in my new locale: the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, MN.

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Nature, TravelHannah Schultzminnesota, minnesota zoo, apple valley, otter, otters, sea otter, river otter, asian small-clawed otter, wolves, wolf, bear, lynx, bald eagle, caribou, camelsComment
Teaching College Students is Hard: Compassion in Hindsight
Teaching College Students is Hard: Compassion in Hindsight

Never did I think teaching was as difficult as now that I can see it from the other side. So here are some facts from a student-turned-college-teaching-assistant about things you might not have considered about college professors before

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EducationHannah Schultzteaching, college, students, student, university, universities, teach, teacher, instructor, professor, compassion, hard, difficult, undergrad, compositionComment
Welcoming Fall Michigan-Style: Sugarloaf Mountain and Morgan Falls
Welcoming Fall Michigan-Style: Sugarloaf Mountain and Morgan Falls

If you know me (or if you've taken a look around this blog), you know I love Kentucky. I love fall in Kentucky and going to pumpkin patches, picking apples from the orchard, and having evening bonfires. But ever since I first spent time in the north during the fall of my senior year of high school (we went on a college visit to Vermont), I've been enamored by autumn up north and everything that comes with it: the chilly temperatures, the vivid reds, oranges, and yellows of the trees, the morning mist and gray skies. So how could I pass up an opportunity to see one of my best friends and witness the height of the fall season in a lakeside vacation town? 

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Hiking, TravelHannah Schultzhiking, fall, waterfalls, sugarloaf mountain, morgan falls, michigan, marquette, autumn, north, foliage, travel, us, usaComment
How to Surprise a Very Suspicious, Intuitive Person: The story of my 22nd birthday
How to Surprise a Very Suspicious, Intuitive Person: The story of my 22nd birthday

This is my fiancé's favorite story to tell anytime anyone brings up surprises: I ruined our one year anniversary with my nosiness. I'm not the type of person who you get away with surprising. I was a spy in another life and love to snoop. Furthermore, surprises mean I am not in control, and I am a self-confessed control freak. So, when Ryan made the mistake of telling me he was planning a big surprise for our anniversary last year, what did I do? I couldn't be patient and not know what to expect, so I looked at his phone and ruined the whole surprise. (Sorry, babe) In my defense, I did feel really bad about it and told him immediately afterwards. 

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LifeHannah Schultzbirthday, surprise, intuitive, suspicious, snapchat, doctor, photosComment
Taking Down Kentucky Stereotypes (Or: Things Kingsman Got Wrong About Real Kentuckians)
Taking Down Kentucky Stereotypes (Or: Things Kingsman Got Wrong About Real Kentuckians)

Recently, I've discovered a serious problem. People seem to be very confused about the type of place Kentucky is. They don't understand the people, the cities where they live, or the climate. I've noticed this problem popping up more and more since I moved up north. Kentucky often gets lumped in with all southern states, or it gets stereotyped into unidentifiable oblivion. Two examples from the past two weeks come to mind:

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Thoughts on: [Things]Hannah Schultzkingsman, golden circle, Kentucky, louisville, lexington, fall, seasons, winter, snow, country accents, accents, appalachia, midland, cowboy boots, saloon, horses Comments
Hamilton in Chicago: The Dangers of Idealization
Hamilton in Chicago: The Dangers of Idealization

I'm the type of person who can't remember the lyrics to a song I heard five minutes before. Unless it's "All Star" by Smashmouth, chances are I don't know the lyrics. But then, I saw Lin-Manuel Miranda's Saturday Night Live monologue last year, and I was hooked. The monologue was based on "My Shot" from Miranda's musical, Hamilton, which is based on the American Revolution and the politics of early America. So, of course, I listened to the real version of the song. And then the rest of the musical.

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Travel, Thoughts on: [Things]Hannah Schultzhamilton, chicago, an american musical, idealization, zoo, buckingham fountain, navy pier, bean, lin-manuel mirandaComment
We the Explorers
We the Explorers

We liked to test our limits in those early days. We drove plastic four-wheelers through the grass of the backyard, tearing up the hillside as we tested how hard we could push the whining engines. When the wheels spun uselessly on clods of clay, we sunk our fingernails into the ground, collapsing ant colonies and earthworm holes in our search for buried treasure. Once found, we clutched the arrowheads close to our little chests like the precious and exotic artifacts they were. 

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LifeHannah Schultzwe the animals, justin torres, nostalgia, brothers, siblingsComment
Getting Stuck in a Bison Herd: A safari-like trip to Minneopa State Park
Getting Stuck in a Bison Herd: A safari-like trip to Minneopa State Park

My favorite thing about this park is that it is home to a bison herd. Back when the American plain bison were nearly hunted to extinction, conservation groups like those at Minneopa stepped in to create herds in order to save the species and protect the ecosystem. Minneopa's herd both lends to the conservation of a magnificent creature and helps maintain the prairie landscape. 

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HikingHannah Schultzminneopa state park, bison, American plains bison, wildflowers, Mall of America, Lego Store, Minnesota's Largest Candy StoreComment
Dolomite Cliffs, Wildlife Sightings, and a Floating Walkway: A hike in Rasmussen Woods
Dolomite Cliffs, Wildlife Sightings, and a Floating Walkway: A hike in Rasmussen Woods

This weekend was anxiously awaited for in my little apartment in Mankato. Why? Because my fiancé drove the 12 twelve hours up from Kentucky on Thursday so that we could spend Labor Day weekend together. Life is just better when Ryan is here.

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HikingHannah Schultzdolomite, cliffs, deer, frog, floating walkway, hike, rasmussen, woods, mankato, minnesota, Minnesota State UniversityComment
5 Observations from a Southerner About Living in the North
5 Observations from a Southerner About Living in the North

So I've been living in Minnesota for an entire month now! And let me tell you, I've been a fish out of water. From the lack of normal grocery stores, to the accents, to the prairies, moving away from Kentucky has been quite a lifestyle change. Here are five serious (or not so serious) observations about living closer to the Great White North than the Bluegrass State.

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TravelHannah Schultzsoutherner, south, northerner, north, Mankato, Minnesota, Minnesota State University, krogerComment
A Summer Engagement Photoshoot: Florals & Pastels
A Summer Engagement Photoshoot: Florals & Pastels

And that is how we found ourselves in the Arboretum during a humid, cloudy morning, jogging through the wet grass in our fancy clothes as my mom took pictures of us. Honestly, I can't stop looking at these gorgeous photos. Who needs a wedding photographer when you've got a mom who's been practicing for this day since your first homecoming dance?

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Photography and VideoHannah Schultzengagement, pictures, Photoshoot, arboretum, lexington, kentucky, garden, pastels, flowersComment