What's in a Name?

A lot apparently. I have been trying to come up with a name for a blog on and off for a very long time. I finally settled on “Academily”. So why the name? Well, first of all, my name is Emily. As Emily has been in the top 10 of names since 1991 (it was number one for 12 years straight), it’s a little bit of a daunting task to come up with a blog domain using my name. I love my name, but geez.
Anyway, the academic part came in because it has shaped who I am today tremendously. I have lived my life in semesters since I was 5 years old. I recently graduated with a Master’s of Higher Education degree with an emphasis in student affairs, and I have worked in a University setting since I was 16. So many good things in my life (my friends, my boyfriend, my job, my Delta Gamma sisters, my love of sports, I could go on and on..) come from my pursuit of academics. Moreover, I LOVE learning. I love reading. I love having weekends and special holidays off (this doesn’t include summer–I am NOT a teacher, nor do I want to be). One of my top five strengths in StrengthsQuest is “Learner.” Also, my boyfriend will be in school forever. Okay, not really, but it feels that way sometimes. He just finished his first year of medical school and because he attends UAMS and I live/work/went to school in NWA, school has forced us to have a somewhat long-distance relationship for two of the four + years we’ve been dating. This isn’t my most favorite thing school has ever done for me, but they keep saying it’ll be worth it in the end–I agree, I just don’t like it all the time. :) 
So that’s what “Academily” means to me. I started this blog 1) because I’ve wanted one for a long time, 2) because I finally came up with a name (and if I don’t like it, I’ll change it later), 3) because I finally graduated and don’t have to type a million papers every week, and 4) because I have a lot of exciting things coming up that I wanted a way to share easily without Facebook/Twitter overkill–so this is it! I’m looking forward to making it pretty and getting it organized. Hope you enjoy!
-Emily