A Day in the Life

A Hike is Worth a 1000 Words

2010-07-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday I had the day off but that definitely did not mean I got to sleep in. After setting my alarm for 7:30 am I drifted off to a short but pleasant sleep while watching Paris Je T'aime. Dad and I grabbed Starbucks before heading over to the Haley's to meet up with the rest of our happy hikers. After an intertaining 2 1/2 hour car ride out to Leavenworth, the 4 Haleys, 3 Evans, Brian, Sara, and Adrian commenced one epic day hike up Mt. Stuart. Andrew made delicious sandwiches and pleasant conversation was fluid as we ascended some 3500 ft. The final destination was simply stunning--an alpine lake surrounded by the largest open face of granite in the lower 48 states. Everyone took a dip in (time actually spent in the water varied) the lake and I myself was launched in by Andrew and Aidan. Once I was in the air there was absolutely no turning back. The frigid water definitely rehydrated and cooled me off after a long couple of hours of hiking. We re cooperated up at the lake for an hour or so and began the descent back down to the trailhead. After all meeting up back at the cars we made our way to the Heidleburger to regenerate the lost calories from the hike :) I cannot remember a time where I wanted to consumer a milkshake more than anything...but due to my lovely lactose problem of late, that desire was quickly squelched. After dinner, the "kids" aka under 30s of the group decided on a whim to try out a mini golf course across the street. 18 holes later, Andrew came out victorious however I was a mere 8 strokes behind him! We finally left Leavenworth a little after 10pm and were all sunkissed and misquito bitten on the way home. Car games and music kept us all awake and Andrew and I enjoyed a brief but much needed night's sleep at the Forier's. Sunday afternoon Lauren and I finally enjoyed our first tubing session together of the whole summer! I think this was a record in late starts for tubing. Less than 4 years ago we were chomping at the bit to get the boat in and tube attached in May...how times can quickly change. I went for a quick run before working Sunday evening. I was pleasantly surprised by a short shift! I was able to make it home in time for Sunday Dinner with Jan and Cathy (something I haven't attended for several weeks on account of work :/) which was a nice way to end the weekend.

Today, I babysat in the morning then went straight to work until 4pm. After work I met up with Lauren and Linds and we laid out and enjoyed the incredible weather down by the lake. Dad and I had a late dinner followed by a relaxing evening. I have another early morning tomorrow--I honestly can say I do not remember the last time I slept in was...not okay considering the way summer tends to go for me but oh well! Preparation for my early lab this fall every Tuesday I suppose.

As I was driving home from work Sunday evening I came across a quote on a bulletin board of a business near by my house. "Listen and silent have the same letters." I found this to be a very curious observation. While it typically takes one to be silent to listen, I had to slightly disagree with this quote. One does not always have to be silent to listen--isn't there such thing as "active listening?" I find myself never truly being silent but instead formulating thoughts and ideas based on what I hear in conversation. While someone may externally appear to be silent, I believe listening is not defined by silence...just a thought I wanted to share :)

In summer, the song sings itself

2010-07-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

Last night I was spoiled enough to be taken out to dinner by one of my best guy friends, Connor. After a long day of playing "Cinderella" at work I was exhausted. I buzzed over to Megan's house for a couple of hours...it was a gorgeous day so we soaked up some rays :) Meg and I paddle boarded around American Lake for some time, catching up and enjoying one another's company as usual. I got to catch up a little more with Lauren--there was so much she hadn't known about from the Fall when she was abroad--but more catch up is definitely in order. After that I managed a quick but satisfying Kickboxing workout before getting all spiffed up for my dinner date! Connor took me to the Lobster Shop down on Ruston Way. We had a late dinner and attempted to fill one another in about the last two weeks or so. Both of us have been super busy this summer so our Ruston date was long overdue. We watched the sun set as we finished our delicious meals (Halibut topped with fresh King Crab and a super delicious Mexican Shrimp Cocktail!) and then we went for coffee at Bertillino's in order to continue our conversation that really could have been never ending. Overall, an amazing summer day and I am looking forward to cramming in as many of those days as possible in the next 7 weeks.

Summer is where the girls go barefoot and their hearts are just as free as their toes.

The summer night is like a perfection of thought. -Wallace Stevens

Almost a Month Later...

2010-07-17T15:27:00.001-07:00

Apparently summer has captivated me in ways that had been unimaginable to me a mere month ago. Time has flown, as it always seems to do, and I sure have been having a lot of fun. From a spontaneous outing with friends up to a Mariner's game, to days spent lounging by and in the lake, to a quick jaunt up to Seattle to spend some time watching the World Cup final and go boating with friends from school, I have been full speed ahead for some time now. While a lot of this summer has been centered around the "play" aspect, work has definitely come to the foreground more recently. Last week I started nannying for an almost 1 year old. He is absolutely adorable and I get to spend one more week with him. We have fallen into routine--eat, sleep, walk, and play. On top of morning/afternoon sitting (in three days I clocked in 24 hours of baby time!) I have been hosting at Red Robin as well. Lets just say I miss Starbucks...a lot. I have had several rough days at the "home of the smiling burger" and continuously remind myself that I am refinancing my upcoming year and am home for only two more months. However, I have never felt incompetent and idle as I do at this job so we will see what happens in the weeks to come.

Mom left for Africa last Sunday and will not be back home again until after our little family reunion in Bethany Beach in August! She will have left our nest for a total of 5 weeks before returning back filled with amazing memories and experiences I am eager to hear her share. Aunt Ann is with her as well so I am 100% sure we will not miss any important details in their recounting of their trip come mid-August. Speaking of trips, CASEY COMES IN 13 DAYS and MARIAH COMES IN 20 DAYS!!! I cannot wait for the two of them to be here and to show them home :)

I am sure I'm not the only one of my high school friends who feels this way but this first summer back is definitely a transition. There is no longer that ease or expectation of hanging out every day and knowing what everyone is up to. While I feel like it has been nice to get away from a lot of that unnecessary involvement in some people's lives it is also rather isolating--a feeling that has never been present when I have been home. I guess this is a sentiment of growing up and having "split homes" now and various worlds that make up my own. As one of my all time favorite movies says, "Seasons may changeWinter to Spring"--I guess what I have always taken from this is that time is inevitable and constantly melts and falls around us but there are some things, like love and friends, that never change simply because they are deeply rooted within us.

Catching Up

2010-06-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

First and foremost a belated (but only by two days) HAPPY GOLDEN, 19th BIRTHDAY TO EMILY!!! I know you are holding down the fort in the Clara just fine and cannot wait to be filled in on every single detail about our new freshies :) LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH and wish I could have been there to celebrate ♥

Secondly, Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there but especially my amazing father. We had a nice morning spent together sipping Starbucks and cruising down memory lane and attending our old church out in Puyallup. Dad and I sometimes do this and it is always a pleasant visit out to the very first place I called home. We had a delicious family dinner brought to us by Andrew's amazing, creative, and inventive cooking which I somehow managed to assist him with. We opened presents, Andrew and I perused through old, family photo albums and reminisced about our youth together. Overall, I would say we shared a very enjoyed day celebrating the fabulous father we share with the world.

Thirdly...catching up! Since my last post I have become re-employed, attended a moving on ceremony, and day and night with friends. Earlier last week Lauren had friends over for a bonfire. What was originally a four person get together quickly turned into a nine person rabble rousing tournament of Catch Phrase and smore roasting. I hadn't gotten to hang out with my boys from high school like that probably since Christmas so it was really refreshing to be all together like that again. Friday, Mom and I made our way north to watch Audrey (my dance teacher's daughter who is like a younger sister to me) move on to the 4th grade. I cannot believe this year she will be entering double digits, learning log division, and be that much closer to middle school! AHH I finally understand how it feels to be "old" but young at the same time. We had a lovely day up in the Renton area enjoying each other's company and going to the Microsoft campus for lunch. On our way home Mom and I stopped in at Red Robin (I turned in an application the day before) so I could try and connect with the manager. Long story short, I walked out 45 minutes later with a hostessing job! I am eager to start the job and on Saturday I had orientation with another new member and get this...he is going to SCU in the fall! Later that day Lauren and I made our way back to Puyallup to Meeker Days where my dance school was performing. It was unfortunately rainy (as it has been for what seems like forever!) but we still had a great time. That evening Mom, Dad, Andrew, and I went to Toy Story 3 and then to Red Robin for dinner. The movie was soooo cute and dinner was delicious. My AGM gave us our meal for free and brought out those huge but delicious Mile High Mud Pies to "welcome us to the family." This job is looking promising already :)

Missing everyone from the Clara as always and loving being around everyone at home ♥

One Year Later

2010-06-13T01:02:00.000-07:00

HAPPY GRADUATION CLASS OF 2010! YOU MADE IT! ♥

So a little more than a year ago, one year and four days to be precise, I along with 81 others made the leap from high school to the real world. Tonight, I sat in the audience as an Alumnae of CWA and watched some more of the people I have grown up with join me in the "life after high school" realm. I experienced a variety of emotions prior, during, and after graduation; anxiety, fear, excitement, nervousness, happiness, and nostalgia. I couldn't believe it had already been a year since I had reached this milestone and made the drastic transformation from youth to adulthood. I was overcome with such joy and pride to see some of my friends such as Megan receive their diplomas (and awards in Meg's case!) and cross the bridge and leave Charles Wright. That very feeling still felt so fresh and apparent in my own being so it was quite the experience watching it happen to others.

I have been home and done with my freshman year of college for 3 days now and I am still not fully transitioned. I have spent every waking hour with my best friend, Lauren but have tremendously missed all my closest friends from the Clara. I believe I still feel as if I can walk down a couple flights of stairs or phone them up and be able to see them in less than a minute. I truly do not believe it has sunk in that I will not be seeing the majority of them for quite some time. Wednesday night, Lauren picked me up from the airport, I had dinner with my family and friend Laurel, and then I went and saw Lindsay and met some new people as well. Lauren spent the night and we talked well into the night and it felt like I had never left home. The next day, I had a dentist appointment, had lunch with a friend two years older than me, and went back to Lauren's to hang out some more. Around 4 o'clock, my good friend Matt picked me up and we went to the Sounders game up in Seattle which was a blast! I missed the city so much and we had a fun night of catching up, eating hotdogs, and watching a sad game that was only action-packed the last three minutes. Friday morning, Mom and I hit some sales at the mall and came out with a few bags to say the least. Lauren got her wisdom teeth out so of course I spent the rest of the day with her watching movies, napping, etc. That night, I hung out with Andrew, watched a World Cup concert and Chicken Run, made Whirly Pop, and crashed at his place. I woke up this morning, went for a much needed run, and picked Megan up for a Graduation morning coffee/catch-up sesh! It was so good seeing her and finally catching up. The phone just does no do our conversations justice. When I dropped her off I saw her sister Lauren who it was so so good to see! I cannot wait to see more of them both this summer :) I proceeded to head to Linds', lay out with the girls, then start getting ready for grad. Overall I feel as if I have accomplished a lot in the short 72 hours I have been home and I already have a feeling (knock on wood!) this is going to be a great summer. With a sunny forecast for the next week, I can predict many lazy days on the lake missing my Clara girls like mad but soaking up every second with those I love at home ♥

Final Countdown

2010-06-06T00:45:00.000-07:00

What a week. First off it flew by seeing as it was only a four day week. Time has literally been passing like the speed of light and I have no idea what I have been doing with the spare time I have been lucky enough to find. Friday marked the end of Freshman year classes, such a weird thought. I cannot believe an entire year of classes has come and gone and only a mere few hours separate me and SUMMER 2010! I have a final Monday morning, Tuesday morning, and a website due before I leave on Wednesday. I started packing to try and minimize stress during finals week and it is seriously such a weird feeling. My bed had to be lowered, I have a huge suitcase of clothes, boxes filled with items I'm planning on storing at Nana and Gaffers, and all my photos and wall hanging have been taken down. But enough about that, Casey and I already had a mental breakdown about leaving for the summer haha. Anyway, yesterday we celebrated the end of Freshman year as well as Samantha's birthday. Her birthday is technically Monday but due to the fact that is the start of finals week we decided to celebrate early. We had a "Rep Your Roots" party at a house called Happy Hour and everyone either dressed up and repped their hometown or heritage. I chose the heritage route and wore a plaid kiltish skirt along with my shirt that says "Made in America from Imported Parts" and has a Welsh, Irish, Scottish, American, and Union Jack flags. Everyone looked absolutely adorable! Needless to say breakfast this morning was filled with fun and hysterical memories from the night. Everyone is trying to get motivated for studying for finals so I decided to self-isolate and do work. I typed out all the text for my final website but tomorrow I am in desperate need of actual study time. As a reward for a hard days' work, the girls and I walked to Chipotle...some place I had never been. It was about a 2 mile, 40 minute walk but the weather has been amazing so the air was still pleasant even at 8 o'clock at night. I had a chicken burrito that was to die for but now I feel as if I'm housing a small child in my stomach! We had a relaxing evening and I decided to call it an "early" night.

Wishing I was home to watch my brother's reproduction of ILLUSIONS OF GRANDEUR but sending him positive vibes. I know he has invested so much time into this so I hope everyone appreciates his hard efforts as much as they should! Break some major leg and cannot wait to see the film!!! LOVE YOU ANDREW!

Cannot believe this time four days from now I will be at home...definitely bittersweet and not looking forward to saying all my goodbyes. xo

Memorial Day

2010-06-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY JAKE! I cannot believe I have known you for fifteen years now...what a thought. We have been through so much and share so many memories together and you are seriously one of my best friends of all time bud :) Just like you said earlier today, the next time you're "something" will be when you're 30 so here's to the next 10 and many more to come ♥

This last "relaxing" weekend of school before the final's cram begin was indeed relaxing. More than 8 hours of sleep every night and each and every hour spent in good company was the best weekend I could have asked for. Friday night we went out simply because it was one of our last nights to really go out with carefree spirits. We hung out at the Bellomy Ghettos where the boys will be living next year which was super fun. It's hard to imagine that next year that will be a legitimate hang out and somewhere where we will feel at home. Saturday there was one final big day party that we went to and it was an absolute blast. We had a slow start in the morning and didn't make it out until 2pm. However, festivities were in full swing. Before we knew it we were thrown in the pool...not so sure how sanitarty that was but in the hot, hot, heat of the weekend it felt amazing :) I left early and was picked up by Gaffer for a belated dinner with the grandparents. I packed a couple of boxes up to store in their garage and it finally began settling in that I am leaving here in less than two weeks. My room is slowly emptying and I wanted to get a head start so finals weekend isn't too rushed. It was such a surreal feeling knowing those things I packed up wouldn't be coming back to campus for another 3 months. Seeing Nana and Gaffer was a nice break from campus an Sunday was another opportunity for escape. You may wonder why we're all trying to get off campus so close to the end of the year but seeing as we will be cooped up for the next week in final classes and final studying in the library it was nice to go out in to the world of Santa Clara for one of our final times of Freshman Year. Sunday was a day at the pool seeing as we finally were recipients of that gorgeous sunny California weather we have been promised all Spring Quarter. That night we went out to a delicious dinner at Pizza Antiqua on Santana before seeing Shrek the Final Chapter with Case, Jacq, Ter, Sam, Jack,David, David's friend Jacob and his little sister Elisa. The movie was super cute and I absolutely adore Shrek in the first place so it was bittersweet to see the series coming to an end. We came back to campus, turned on Sweet Home Alabama, another one of my faves, and I was out like a light within 20 minutes. This morning we woke up, had breakfast, I attempted to go for a run, and procrastinated most of the day before finally starting homework. We ended the evening by getting dinner at Benson and froyo and finally watching Dear John...definitely put me in a physiological/melancholy mood. It is so weird and definitely bittersweet to think I will be in the comforts of my home in 9 days but leaving behind all the memories of Freshman Year and the amazing friends I have made in a mere 8 months. I know we all will make the most of the next week and half and cram in some more memories in these next couple of days. The countdown til home has definitely commenced but that also means the countdown to finals is rapidly approaching as well, AHHH!

What A Week!

2010-05-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

This week was absolutely insane, and when I use the word insane I mean it in the most positive way possible! Monday I could barely sit still in my only class of the day (dance got cancelled so I was done at 10:20!) because I knew Lauren was en route to SCU!!! I ran from class to meet her outside of Benson and from there on out the week only got better :) I showed off my best friend to anyone and everyone who would meet her and I literally couldn't believe she was finally here in Santa Clara for more than 10 hours. Later that day Connor arrived and the three of us went out to dinner at Pasta Primadora in Santana Row and celebrated the three of us being together again. We came back and had less than an hour to get ready for the Spring Concert...SHWAYZE&IRATION!!! We had an absolute blast; this concert was a lot smaller and more intimate than the fall concert but nonetheless so so fun! We came back in time for the 12:01 countdown and literally it was an experience filled with so much love I can't even describe it. Casey started the countdown at 30 seconds and I was surrounded by so many of the people who I love to death and have made an impact on me these past 8 months at school. While it was weird not being at home and with everyone I grew up with being around all my best friends from school made me not think about missing everyone else. We stayed up and had a dance party before going to bed...we were all passed out by 1:30. The next day I had class for far too long (seeing as it was my birthday haha) and I was absolutely exhausted. When I came back from my first class Lauren and Connor had ventured out and gotten me flowers and balloons which was really sweet. After my second class I came back to a decorated door and Casey, Mariah, Lauren, Connor, and David in my room which, was also decorated!, and even more balloons :) Lauren, Connor, and I went to this place called SkyHigh which is essentially a warehouse filled with trampolines on the floors and the walls. We jumped for an hour, captured many photos and videos, and were back for a late dinner. Everyone was swamped with work so we had a Benson dinner well equipped with homemade cake...Case did me proud hehe. The next day I got out of class at 11:35 and by 2 o'clock Lauren, Connor, and I were on our way to the city. We made our way down to Fisherman's Wharf, wandered the Pier, watched the adorable sealions, ate at Boudin, and finished our day with some sundaes at Ghiradelli Square. It was a great last day seeing as Lauren left Thursday morning. We met some of the gang (Case, Mariah, Emily, David, Noah, Jack) at Jasmine Thai--one of my favorite restaurants and had a celebratory dinner. Not everyone could make it so uh oh, birthday celebrations might have to be extended haha just kidding. I had the greatest birthday ever all thanks to my amazing friends :) While everyone worked on homework etc. Lauren, Connor, and I soaked up all the time we had left together. The three of us went to the premiere of Sex and the City 2 which was amazing. I must admit I prefer the first one but it was so fun to see it at midnight and we had such an animated audience in our theatre which made it all the more amusing. Lauren had an earlyish flight yesterday, and without fail we managed to have another tearful goodbye. I seriously couldn't believe she was here for four days and the time completely flew bye and she was gone. I miss her so much already but on the bright side I get to see her, and everyone else, in 12 days!!! I cannot believe the year is wrapping up so quickly; all the lasts of Freshman year are beginning to ensue and before I know it, I will be a big old sophomore...scary thought!

HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY TO MY BEST FRIEND, LITTLE SISTER, CARPOOL BUDDY, LOVE OF MY LIFE--MEKENZIE DOLLY ♥ Welcome to Adulthood little one...not so little anymore! Wish I could be there to celebrate but tear up the town tonight :) LOVE YOU!

Home is Where the Heart Is

2010-05-21T23:31:00.000-07:00

Last night I woke up on the plane just as we were about to take off (obviously a quick little power nap as we taxied but still I woke up ha) just in time to see the infamous guiding, red light that belongs to Swig--my home for the past 8 months. I could see campus drift away as I was homeward bound, or should I say original homeward bound. After having taken many flights in and out of Seattle and now San Jose I truly have rooted myself in two separate geographical locations. Obviously there is that sensation I get everytime as I see the Space Needle on the approach to SeaTac but I am beginning to get that same sensation upon seeing that glorious little, flashing, red light. 8 weeks after Spring Break, I find myself returning back home...like home home, for a long weekend. My family and our close family friends have had a tradition for as long as I can remember called May Birthdays. There are 5 of us with birthdays that fall in May and out of both families that is a large percentage. However, with passing time there are four of the five people still celebrating. Popeye (my grandparents' best friend and a 3rd grandfather to me) passed away two summers ago and his birthday is today, the 21st. Today I have found myself thinking about him and the amount of life he brought to these celebratory events and just how much I really miss him. I am sure everyone is thinking these same thoughts today of all days and so I just wanted to remember him and honor him in this time of celebration. As I started this post I had no intention of leading the discussion this way however, I suppose it is appropriate because not only is home where the heart is but also home is wherever you find yourself loving those around you. I have definitely developed a new home in Swig and Santa Clara in general but there will never be a feeling that replaces that of Lakewood. Lauren picked me up and I felt as if time had stopped and as soon as we were reunited in our home state everything picked right back up where it left off. We had a sleepover, talked until 1:30 in the morning, and found ourselves driving anywhere and everywhere in our old stomping grounds. Life fell back in to place and I cannot believe I have to leave so soon. I know I come back in a mere 2 1/2 weeks and I cannot imagine the goodbyes that are going to take place but I am reconciled everytime I remember the place and the people I get to come back to. I feel almost like a secret agent, living two separate lives that rarely clash but I love every second of both of them separately and together. As the year comes to a close I have found time to reflect on the changes that have occurred over the past year. I cannot believe the amount of activities and memories that have been created, good and bad, for better or worse, in the past 8 months! And I have an een harder time imagining I potentially only have 3 years left in this newly establish home. I am learning to savor every moment and take in every second of every day while enjoying the ride 100%. Even though a mere 24 hours ago I landed in raining SeaTac, I am currently in Portland, OR but surrounded by those I love and care for deeply celebrating the miracle of life. Happy Birthday Popeye, I know you are watching over us and celebrating extra hard up above ♥

2010-05-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

WOWOWOWOWOW...I have been horrible about consistently posting so when I do they are like mini novels. Lets see...this past week has flown by and now I have started the 3 week countdown until I am home for summer! Definitely a bittersweet subject and we all got a little choked up and changed the subject at dinner tonight. But anyways, updates are in order!!!

Lauren finally made it to my home in Santa Clara on Wednesday day after a long and delayed day of driving. While this time I didn't cry saying goodbye I definitely shed some tears of joy when she got here. Everyone else has had the opportunity to show off our amazing school to their best friends from home except for me so I was utterly overjoyed when she arrived. Lets just say it was a scene that only best friends know how to make :) After the shortest and most surreal 10 hours of my life her and Jordan packed up and were on the road again. It literally did not feel real that she had stayed the night, cuddled, and spent time in this new place that has developed into home for me. However, even though that visit was short and sweet Lauren will be flying back down here this Monday and she is all mine until Thursday!!! Greatest birthday treat ever :)

This weekend was yet another absolutely insane but memorable weekend. Mariah and Emily's best friend from home, Chelsea was here, as was their other best friend from home Cassie. Cassie has visited before but seeing the four of them together and seeing that dynamic of old friends was incredible. I was jealous, excited, nostalgic etc. that they got to clash two worlds into one. We had some fun nights with the girls and Saturday night we prepared for Sunday aka one of the longest/craziest/memorable days in history. Friday night we went to Safeway to get snacks and breakfast for Bay to Breakers the next morning. I have seriously never seen a Safeway that crowded in my entire life except for on Thanksgiving/Christmas Eve. We made sandwiches and got bagels for an early morning. We all tried getting to bed early but to no avail and were up in 3 short hours starting to get ready for the big day. Bay to Breakers is an annual race in San Fran where everyone dresses in absolutely insane outfits (some really hard core people go in the nude...but not us) and make their way through a 7.83 mile course. My dad has run this before and asked several times if that was what we planned on doing. Lets just say we maybe made it 2 miles haha. We made our way over to the CalTrain stop around 5:20 am and lets just say if we had been there 10 minutes later we would have either a) Been trampled to death trying to get on the train or b) not made the train. Luckily we were up near the front but literally I have never seen such a mad scramble to get on any form of transportation. At one point or another all of us were pressed up against the train and literally had no control over our movement. I was the last to get on the train out of my friends and thank God I did. Complete and Utter Chaos were the words of the day. There were 1500 people on our train and whenever I've taken the train into the city there are maybe a 100 so quite a different experience. The train ride included chants, people doing illicit things, and at one point I climbed over the railing to say hi to Curtis who was in town for the weekend as well! Once we got off the train the chanting continued and there was a huge party outside the station. We finally made our way to the starting line (after I adamently made someone get doughnut holes with me :) ) and we were off! Long story short we didn't make it to the "Breakers" or the beach but made it to Swig Sweet Swig around 1:30. We were all passed out until about 4 and it was amazing. I am still definitely recovering as is the rest of the school because literally it seemed like everyone was there.

On a side note...yesterday was my high school's last day of school for the seniors. I was talking to Megan and we were reminissing about how strange a feeling it is to be done with such a huge part of your life. Especially for us due to the fact we were at the same school for 13/14 years, you go through such a rush of emotions--many of which still feel so fresh to me. CONGRATULATIONS TO MEGS AND THE REST OF THE CLASS OF 2010...one step closer to graduation and starting the next chapter of your lives :)

After such an amazing weekend I have home to look forward to. I need to make it through the next day and a half and before I know it I will be home for a long weekend!!!

The rest of the year is going to fly by; I know I've said this before but after coming back from being home Lauren will be here and so will Connor!, Shwayze&Irration, BIRTHDAY!, Memorial Day Weekend, then last week of classes and finals, and home ♥

Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived

Cinco de Mayo and Then Some

2010-05-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

So the last week+ has been crazy busy and has flown by with unexpected speed. Wednesday was Cinco de Mayo and the school was buzzing with excitement and festivities. Benson, our cafeteria, was filled with decorations and Mexican food left and right. We celebrated with margaritas, churros, and other assortments of Hispanic food that was absolutely delicious! That night we all hung out in my room, which we usually don't do, but we had a blast! The rest of the week passed with relative ease and I didn't stay in my room from Tuesday night up until last night...Jules was out of town and Jacqueline's roommate Sam was gone so Jack and I bunked up so we didn't get too lonely. Thursday night we had a very relaxing evening of just hanging out in the dorms and ended up staying up and talking very late in to the night which none of us expected. To me it was completely worth it. I am a firm believer that nights like those are ones you take with you for longer than you expect and help to form tighter relationships that are more firmly rooted. On a less sentimental level, Saturday was absolutely wild. There was a big "Ocho de Maples" block party that was so much fun! We were out of the dorms by 11 and didn't come back until 4:30ish. We were ready to leave for Nana and Gaffers at 5:30 and the girls and I had a lovely 24 hours there. We were all so tired from the previous week and crashed by 9pm and didn't get up for breakfast until quarter til 10! Much needed R&R was gained from that day away. We drove into town, wandered around, called all of our Moms for Mother's Day and were back to campus by 4 in order to get all our work done.

The year is evidently winding down...round two of midterms are more or less over and more of my friends than I would care to count are updating statuses etc. saying they are already home or homeward bound. While I am so jealous, I also can't imagine packing up and leaving Santa Clara right this instant. However, I know the rest of the year is going to fly by. WEDNESDAY LAUREN WILL BE HERE...yes this is finally happening!!! I can't contain my excitement even if it is for one night. Her and Jordan are driving up as soon as she finishes her last final and I cannot wait to see them! Then Curtis will be here Thursday night which will be another exciting visitor as well. This weekend is Bay to Breakers, a week from Thursday I will be home, two weeks from tomorrow is my birthday and Lauren will hopefully be back for that as well!, and then after that only two more weeks until summer!!! I'm letting the good times roll, always remembering my camera to capture the memories, and loving life in sunny California :)

Wonderful Weekend

2010-05-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

Finally after an exhausting week and lots of work, three days of pure bliss. I was done with class at 11:35 on Friday and from then til now I have been in complete weekend mode and loving every second of it. Friday night we finally celebrated Mariah's birthday the right way and ventured to Valley Fair for a birthday feast. Even though we had to wait over an hour, the girls and I feasted and toasted to Mariah's 19th at California Pizza Kitchen. Mariah had never been before and our waiter gave her the ultimate birthday treatment...free Shirley Temple and birthday sundae :) After that, we all came back and a fun girl's night out on the town. The next morning we all rolled out of bed, had a delicious breakfast and laid out in the Rose Gardens on campus. This was the nicest weekend of the year by far and I would say a solid 8 hours of sunshine were clocked in total. After laying out for a little, Terra and I went over to some of our senior friends house. We met them through dance and they are so nice, welcoming, and friendly. We hung out in the sunshine with them and enjoyed spending some time off campus (I mean it was a two minute walk but still off campus is off campus haha). After that Mariah, Case, and I took the longest but greatest nap of all time--all three of us in one bed! We woke up, were completely energized and who knows what we did next! We played some Mario Kart with the boys, hung out and since it was already so late popped in The Patriot down in Sam and Jacqueline's room. I had so much energy I stayed up until 2am and decided to walk in Relay for Life with Katie and Mariah from 2-3 in the morning! It was so peaceful and serence on campus and there was a group of 5 of us walking together, enjoying each other's company, and clocking in some quality rounds of KFM. After that I crashed until 10:30, put away my laundry which was much needed, and then laid out all day long. Needless to say I bronzed myself quite nicely today but maybe a little to much on my backside haha OOPS! Anyways, this weekend provided me with some much needed R&R and I'm looking forward to the nice weather this week claims to be bringing! Bay to Breakers in t-minus 2 weeks, Home&May Birthday in 3, and home in 6 ♥

Short and Sweet

2010-04-28T00:25:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY LAUREN!!! (April 25th)

Oh my goodness I cannot believe this day is finally here! I hope you had the greatest day ever filled with lots of celebrations and memories...can you say carpool/soccer buddies?? You are one of the most genuine people I have ever met and am lucky to have you in my life. I have always looked up to you and we have shared some priceless memories in our years of friendship. I cannot believe you are practically a senior...all over again! Here's to you, birthday girl, with many more celebrations to come in the future. Happy Birthday babe, love you so much :) xo.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIAH!!!

To someone who deserved to have the best more celebratory birthday in the whole entire world. I love you dearly and am so lucky to have met you this year. I am blessed beyond words to have been privileged enough to get so close to you and consider you as one of my best friends. You are an amazing person who anyone is lucky to know. You radiate goodness in all you do and most importantly, you are you :) Happy birthday MDAWG xo.

The happiest people seem to be those who have no particular reason

for being happy except they are so.

-W.R.Inge

A Nice Warm Shower to Soothe the Soul

2010-04-21T18:00:00.001-07:00

So currently I am smack in the middle of Week 4 in my quarter...aka midterms. Somehow I lucked out and really only have one which was my Math 11 midterm that I finished this morning at 10am. However, I have had a decent amount of work in my CTW which I am kind of considering a midterm, no fun. After my math exam I mosied on over to the theatre for my dance class. I have never felt so animated and excited about a class like I do about this one. Dancing again has been so much fun nd I have an amazing Jazz teacher that has only made me want to dance forever and always :) We are working on our second dance of the quarter and this song is so upbeat and filled with energy--a true workout! Today we incorporated our "cha cha" move with a partner so Case and I were really getting a kick out of that! After class I had a nice long work out (much needed after lots of snacks at our CC's Monter's Inc movie night! PS won a $5 Blondies gift card which I am totally stoked about :) ) and decided to be proactive and lay out gear for tonight's match against Stanford. Soooo I gathered up all the equipment, embarrassed myself trying to haul it up Leavy's stairs, and made the voyage out into the rain and to the locker room. When I got out to the gates, to my pleasant surprise they were locked. Fabulous. I tried calling one of the coaches and a girl on the team but no one answered. By this time the rain had escalated to monsoon status and I was on the verge of tears. I called my mom, yes I am proud to admit I am a momma's girl :), and when I was on the phone with her the coach called me to say the game might be cancelled but to "sit tight." I do not even know how to describe to you my emotions at this point in time. So I made the long haul back to Leavy, dropped off the gear and booked it back home to Swig. I was in desperate need of shower therapy. After the longest, warmest, most perfect shower ever I felt collected once again and headed back to my room. I blasted music and was overcome with the desire to clean...very unusual for me but hey, I'll take it when I can! I reorganized, put clothes away, and took out the trash. I feel completely rejuvenated and refreshed which second to my dance class this morning is the best I've felt all day. I was so inspired to get my work over and done with so I spent the next hour or so in the library and am more or less done with work for the night! I'm about to head to dinner, SO HUNGRY! and then who knows what the night will bring :) EXCITING NEWS: SHWAYZE IS PLAYING OUR SPRING CONCERT on MAY 24th...THE DAY BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY!!! I am so so so so excited if you couldn't tell! That weekend before I'm going home for May Birthdays and I'm pretty sure Lauren is going to fly back down with me which is going to make for such an awesome birthday week. Anyways, just wanted to share and hopefully this whole rain business is going to go away soon!

Denial/Nostalgia

2010-04-18T23:48:00.000-07:00

So this is going to be your "stereotypical" blog post if you will. While my posts are generally just discussing the ongoing adventure of my college life thus far, for whatever reason I just needed to vent my emotions here tonight so bear with me...
So this past weekend was Prom at my old high school. My two best friends who are still in high school posted pictures and they both looked absolutely stunning! As I reminisced about my own Prom experiences with my friends here at school I was overwhelmed with a feeling of nostalgia and almost a sense of sadness that I would never get to experience that same feeling only prom and high school events can provide an individual. I have always been the first to say I am so happy I'm not stuck in high school anymore but it's instances like this where I truly do miss that level of comfort in having events like Prom, soccer games, plays etc. offers. I was talking to Lauren earlier on the phone and we both agreed that we missed it...or we thought we did. What we ended up concluding was that we are jealous people. The way I described it to her was this: No longer is it OUR graduation year, no longer was it OUR last Prom, no longer was it MY last soccer game...the school no longer belongs to us and we have truly separated ourselves from the institution where we grew up and created so many memories. So maybe it's not jealousy, maybe it's just growing up. For a while I was questioning whether or not I am a jealous person because I have always claimed not to be, or at least I have denied it. At times, I do recognize I am jealous but I quickly suppress those emotions because I do not see them as worthwhile emotions to have. I will build a bridge and get over whatever these feelings are that I am currently having however, for now, I will admit it...I miss high school and everything that came along with it. Yes, each and everything that came along with it--the good, the bad, and even the ugly.

LD.LE.MR.KP.MK.MH.JW.EK.CB.MG.AG.MG.CI.CD

Live, Laugh, Love

2010-04-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

e.e. cummings has a saying that states, "The most wasted of days is one without laughter." I truly believe this and am so lucky to have people in my life that allow this to be true! Today was a pretty awesome day filled with lots of laughter. Although the week has been passing kind of slowly, today proved that even during slow weeks a little pick me up makes it worth it all in the end. After getting out of class today at 11:35 (ahh one reason I will always have a fondness for Wednesdays), I had a quiz in Math and an awesome dance class, I had the tedious task of doing game laundry for the women's team. Lets just say I absolutely dread doing this. I was locked down in the basement of Leavy Center for almost two hours. The sun had been shining when I had gone down into the dungeon but upon emmerging I had to put my jacket back on...something I was not too pleased about. Terra called me and we decided to go to the gym which upped my endorphine levels which therefore made me happier (something I learned from Legally Blonde :)). Afterwards we made a quick jaunt to to Safeway and then back to Swig. I got some homework done but as I was looking out my window the beach volleyball court called to me...half an hour later Sam, Jacqueline, Terra, Alex, and I were out playing for nearly an hour! We were welcomed by another group of people already playing so we had a 5 on 5 game for some time which was an absolute blast. Our team, Team Sandcastle so named by Alex, made a comeback in the end and were victorious! I'm sure they thought we were absolutely insane due to the fact we were literally overcome by fits of laughter every minute. I nearly smashed Terra's face with the volleyball, Jacqueline's first serve barely travelled three feet, and Alex is always just plain hysterical. Lets just say I am sure many more beach games are in our future. Now I am off to meet Mariah in the Bronco for Sushi Wednesday before she has to catch a movie with her CTW class. The day is young but I have proven this day not to be a wasted one :)

Kappapalooza!

2010-04-11T15:08:00.000-07:00

Firstly, I forgot two very important birthdays last week...Monday (the 5th) was David's birthday. We made a cake and decorated his room which was fun. HIm and Case are going to the Taylor Swift concert tonight to celebrate too so I'm sure they are going to have a blast. Secondly, Terra's birthday was on Wednesday!!! I was done with class at 11:35 so I met up with her for lunch and we proceeded to lay out in front of Swig for the next four hours. Needless to say I went to bed that night feeling a little crispy with some gnarly "tan" lines. We surprised her later that night with a little birthday party. We ordered pizza, made a cake, decorated, and were clad with party hats and birthday blowers. We played party games and had balloons so it literally felt like a Lower School birthday party and I loved every second of it :) So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY you two...love you both!

So this weekend was absolutely insane in terms of activities etc. I was officially in weekend mode as of 2pm Friday afternoon. We clocked in three solid hours at the pool that afternoon and you seriously could not see more than a 4 foot space of concrete around the pool. After a quick workout with Jacqueline and dinner with everyone we started getting ready or our night. Friday night there were literally at least 4 themed parties and all of them seemed fun and exciting. We party hopped a little but I was absolutely exhausted from the week and made it an earlyish night. I got up Saturday morning, worked out, grabbed food and headed to the first preseason/spring soccer game the girls had against Fresno St. The girls played really well and I enjoyed the company of Mariah, Casey, and David in the booth where I film the games. Last night the classy ladies of Kappa (Mariah, Katie, Berkley, and Katie are all Kappas) hosted a philanthropy event called Kappapalooza. Pretty much it was this huge dance party/rave in St. Clare Hall that everyone wore bright spandex/crazy outfits too! SO SO SO MUCH FUN! I felt like I was at a high school dance (in the most positive way that you could imagine) and we literally danced for two hours straight! It was so great to know our $5 bid was going to families of cancer patients as well so we did in fact "shake it for the cure" like the girls shirts said :) After Kappapalooza we came back, made a quick trip to the Bronco, and then just hung out. This past week was pretty hectic/long week so we all were down to chill. We started watching Center Stage and I had forgotten how much I adore that movie! I even woke up this morning and watched a little more :) My dance class this quarter has really revived my love of dance. While last quarter's modern class was interesting and a way to get back into dance, Jazz this quarter has really re-sparked my love to dance. I am excited each and every day, well MWF, to get to class and put all my energy and passion into both warm up and across the floor movements. I have never taken Jazz before and at this rate I hope to continue with it and fine tune the skills I am learning now! This week ahead should be pretty low key: Week 3 already so midterms shouldn't be until another week or two. The weather made a turn for the worse this weekend which is too bad considering it is Preview Weekend. I gave a "private tour" to James--the son of my mom's best friend from high school--which was a lot of fun! He is a senior looking at SCU and didn't want to deal with the hassle of the official preview weekend so I took him around for an hour or so. It was great seeing him all grown up and getting ready to graduate!...I literally have this image of him being a little middle schooler so it was fun to see him in a new light and actually have real conversation with him. The girls and I are going to have relaxing night, maybe watch a movie or something which I am looking forward to as a way to start the week :)

Happy Birthday!

2010-04-08T23:47:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAUREN! I cannot believe this is the first birthday I have missed in 19 years, 6935 days, 166440 hours, etc. We have been through so much and birthdays were just an annual even that allowed us to celebrate our time knowing one another in an even more special type of way. So even though we're separated by 340 miles know that I have been thinking about you every second of the day. I know the girls down south showed your a marvelous birthday and I cannot wait to celebrate together the next time we see each other! Live it up, best friends forever and always. Love you to the moon and back and here is to your last teenage year :)

Springing into Spring Quarter

2010-04-07T23:52:00.000-07:00

Two words, absolutely insane. This week flew by, partially because it was a four day week (so two days of each class), but also due to the fact everyone was so excited spring quarter had finally arrived. I went to a date dash with Jacqueline, Terra, and Casey on Monday night, Diane visited and stayed overnight on Tuesday, Caitlin visited during the day on Wednesday, there was an ABC party that night as well, and before we knew it our three day weekend had already arrived! Thursday night we were all exhausted so we bought two cartons of Ben&Jerrys and watched movies into the wee hours of the night. Friday, Gaffer picked me up mid-morning and we had a little adventure down to our favorite bakery, Gayles, in Capitola. We gorged ourseleves with delicious sandwiches and desserts and brought some home for later consumption. We tried to see the seals down on the pier at Santa Cruz but the weather has not been as nice as it usually is so their arrival is still much anticipated. Nana and Gaffer have taken me to Gayles as well as the pier countless times so I consider them "our spots." Gaffer and I had a lovely dinner at the Club and I stayed overnight Friday as well. The next morning Gaffer made delicious french toast from the Challah we purchased from Gayles the previous day. I was definitely spoiled during the 24 hours I spent with Gaff! I went to Torrah study with him before heading back to school and got to see Norah and Elly which was a pleasant treat. I was fascinated by the study of the book and the number of people who attended and offered varying insights. In an hour they managed to only cover 8 lines. Gaffer dropped me off right after Torrah study because my friends and I had planned a camping trip down to Santa Cruz. Long story short...we ended up camping in Nana and Gaffer's back yard. Gaffer was gracious enough to let 11 college students infiltrate his home and lets just say we didn't last out in the wildnerness. We all came back to school in time for an Easter service and Casey, Jacqueline, and I drove back to Nana and Gaffer's that afternoon for Easter dinner. I was so happy to have family near by to share Easter with. Being away from home on any holiday is hard so I was happy I could bring some friends along to share in the Easter festivities. Needless to say many memories were generated this first week of Spring Quarter and I know many more are to come.

Spring Break Updates Pt. 2

2010-04-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was my last day on the East Coast. Case said I absolutely had to have Chick-Filet-A before I left the east coast so we picked some up on our way to the airport. Even though I was going to see her a couple of days, it was a sad goodbye that an onlooker teased us about. After that, security lines were short so I amused myself by reading, calling other friends, and goodness knows what. It was an extremely long flight home; I think the anticipation of finally being home and getting to see more of my loved ones made time pass more slowly. Andrew picked me up, a kind of role reversal from when he was in college: I would always pick him up when he came home from Brown so I guess he is just paying his dues. Everyone was up to greet me when I got home which was exciting but nothing sounded more appealing than passing out in the comfort of my own bed in my own home.

Thursday I got up relatively early to bring coffee to Mekenz at school. I didn’t actually go into school itself (I didn’t want to be “that girl” who everyone wonders why she comes back so frequently) but I really wanted to see Meka. We had a nice hour long conversation in the car in the Visitor’s parking lot and I bumped into a few people who were walking past us which was nice. Later that day I met up with Eric who was also home on his spring break. It was good to catch up and hear how he had been doing down at Willamete. Later that afternoon I picked Mom up at school and we started our drive down to the Buys’ in Portland. This drive may have been the worst I ever remember. The rain created a near grey-out and I even pulled over and had Mom take control of the wheel. Finally after close to three hours of driving we arrived at the Buys’. It was so good to see Rob and he seemed in good health and spirits after his surgery. We finally got to watch Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a movie Rob had bought for me nearly a year ago. I promised I wouldn’t watch it without him so we finally got to enjoy the classic together.

Friday we had a lazy morning and had a quick lunch before making our way home. Our trip home consisted of a few pitstops: I had to buy Jazz shoes for my Jazz class and we also stopped by the Nike Outlet where we made away with some awesome bargains. Tonight was our only strictly family dinner which was nice to have but I was definitely antsy because I got to pick Lauren up at the airport (she almost missed her flight…again and I would have killed her if she had been delayed another day. Our time was limited as it was already!)!!!

Saturday was another early morning. Lauren and I helped Mom and Dad out a Science Fair hosted at PLU. We were a team of judges for the Kindergarteners who were absolutely adorable. There were a few we just wanted to put in our pockets and keep them there forever ☺ After that we went to see Remember Me which was an extremely amazing movie however, Lauren and I left feeling quite depressed. So we remedied that by making delicious homemade brownies. Over the years I have found chocolate and baking are the cures to anything. That night I got to see Malkolm, my former drama teacher and his family (he has a 2 year old son who is as cute as a button!) and Aunt Ann arrived that night as well.

Sunday I had an early goodbye with Mom, Dad, and Aunt Ann which was sad but quick due to the early time of day. I woke up an hour after they left to go to Palm Sunday Mass with Lauren and her family. Laur and I treated ourselves to the famous Lakewood Donut Shop’s sprinkle donuts and we proceeded to take a 3 hour nap while “watching” Hook. Lauren drove me up to the airport and we proved once again there has yet to be a time since we have both been in college that when we say goodbye we cry ☹ It was a sad departure but I was uplifted during my arrival back at school to a different set of loved ones!

Spring Break Updates Pt. 1

2010-04-02T23:01:00.000-07:00

Friday: As of 10:35 AM I am officially done with Winter Quarter and on SPRING BREAK! What a surreal feeling, I am seriously so ecstatic right now it is one of the greatest feelings ever! Case and I had an afternoon flight out to the East Coast so by the time I finished my final I had to pack (oops forgot to do that! But in my defense I was up until 2am studying) and we took a cab to the airport! The flight to vegas,was quick and Case and I chatted the entire way there. Neither of us could grasp the fact we were going back to Maryland together and that I was going to get to see her home. However, the quick connection in Vegas separated us on our long flight to Baltimore. Both of us were passed out within the first hour and at one point I looked back a few rows to see Casey almost leaning on her neighbor with her mouth half open HA! Finals week definitely wore us out. We landed around 11:30pm east coast time and were greeted at the airport by both of Case’s parents. We had a pleasant car ride home and I couldn’t wait to see Maryland in the daylight. We were greeted with wet doggy kisses and a delicious pizza when we got home. It still hadn’t hit me that I had never seen Casey’s house before. Finally I got to see the place she called home and it was a very special feeling.

Saturday: Saturday morning we got up early and make a trip to the DMV for Case to replace her license…after that we headed to the Amish Market aka my new favorite place. After going there I 1) am obsessed with the Amish people and their culture, 2)broke my Lenten promise of giving up sweets and 3) probably gained twenty pounds. We had warm cinnamon rolls with luscious cream cheese frosting for breakfast, followed by a completely unnecessary but nonetheless delicious fresh baked pretzel, and just in case we got hungry later we bought a pound of chocolate covered strawberries and a pumpkin/cream cheese log. I was stuffed to say the least. Even though we were both so full we managed to meet four of Case’s friends down town for lunch a couple hours later at a sushi place called Joss. I have recently discovered, I would say in the past two years or so, that I do enjoy sushi every now and again. This sushi was absolutely divine and I managed to split a small meal of teriyaki chicken and some sort of traditional sushi with Case. Meeting some of her high school friends was an added bonus and I found myself simply listening to conversation and seeing the wheels of high school friendships begin to churn again which I absolutely loved. After Joss we drove to Severn, which was Casey’s school from 6-12 grade. Like the rest of Annapolis it was amazing to finally put an image to a place that I have heard so much about already. It truly is such a quaint, adorable, and precious town that I could have wondered around all day. Getting to see all these places of great importance to Case made me anxious and even more excited for her to visit this summer so I could show her all the places I am so found of back home. We met up with her friends again and took advantage of the gorgeous day and laid out on her dock for several hours. I got to know Katherine and Philip a lot better and I loved getting to interact with some of Casey’s closest friends from high school. Throughout the day we took advantage of having absolutely nothing to do and took two naps. If you knew me before I am sure you are about as surprised as I am at the number of naps I have taken thus far in my freshman year. I guess the college life will do that to you J We had a delicious dinner of chicken ceasar salad (something light was much needed after an entire day centered around eating heavy foods) and the chicken itself was actually from the Amish market! What an amazing introductory day to Annapolis.

Sunday: Sunday morning we had a bit of a lay in which was much needed and so nice. We had fresh bagels (they were still warm!) from Navals bagels before bundling up and boating into Annapolis. On our way in there was a Regatta so literally hundreds of boats were out on the harbor as we tried to make our way in to port. We circled around them and in doing so I had a better view of the immense Chesapeake Bay. What a perfect day to boat in; clear skies and good company. Case and I shopped around and I got to explore Annapolis a little more. We shared a sandwich, which was absolutely delicious, and sat by the water before getting picked up in the convertible by her parents. Dinner tonight was absolutely insane in the best sense. We went to Cantlers—a true MD experience. Lets just say I feel as if I am a true resident now J Between Case and I we had 12 medium size crabs covered in Old Bay, some onion rings, clam strips, and fries. I was stuffed to the brim but felt like I truly belonged in MD now. When we got home we decided to try and be active and took Casey’s dog Daisy on a run. It was right before sunset so the river was glowing with color and the air was perfect for an evening run. For the first five minutes Daisy bolted and Casey and I could barely keep up with the frantic pup! She quickly got in the swing of things and only lurched when a squirrel or bird was spotted in the distance. After a much-needed shower, we ventured over to her friend Kate’s house for a bonfire that reminded me so much of last summer in the PNW. I smelled of bonfire which made me anxious to get home and be with friends down by the lake enjoying the sunset while roasting smores in the fire before a rousing game of Catch Phrase J We started to watch GG but I quickly passed out and before I knew it I was dreaming of de-shelling crabs and walking along the streets of Annapolis perhaps passing a Navy man or two!

Monday: Today was our DC Adventure—Casey and Lindsey take DC as we liked to refer to today. We took the metro into the city and nothing was going to rain on our parade—except for the rain unfortunately. But even that was not too bad. We got off the metro at the Smithsonian stop and as soon as we breached the stairs I could see the Washington Monument and the Nation’s capital. This was really special for me because the last time I had been in DC was in 5^th Grade on our trip to Williamsburg. 7 years later my level of appreciation for every site, monument, and historic place we visited was heightened so much more that I could have imagined as a measly eleven year old girl. Our first stop was the Natural History Museum. We saw the Hope diamond, the human evolution/animal development exhibit, and we b spotted the infamous whale in the marine exhibit (I was able to recognize this enormous beast from watching Night at the Museum hehe). We didn’t’ have as much time as we would have liked however, we were meeting Casey’s parents at Central for lunch. My only knowledge about this restaurant before stepping foot into it was that Oprah had hosted an Inauguration party there in January—that was enough to impress me before taking a bite of food. But let me tell you, I am so glad I had a healthy appetite that day. We started with these delicious cheese puffs that were like taking a bite out of air and tasting the best tasting cheese ever. We also had a bacon torte that was so thing and delicious it literally melted in your mouth. I then had a chicken-lemon burger that was the definition of perfection and somehow Case and I managed to consume an entire Banana Split to bring our meal to an end. One lady looked over at us and started laughing because we were so content and apparently it was clearly evident on the looks our faces had when the banana Split was presented before us. After our beyond delicious lunch, we went to the Vietnam War Memorials and saw the wall as well as the two separate monuments honoring both the men and the women who served in Vietnam. I remembered visiting the Wall in 5^th grade and locating Chuck Wight’s name (a young soldier affiliated with my K-12 school) and I wish I had paid my respects to him this time around. However, I was obviously thinking of him and the great service he paid to our country and the fact he is still remembered at school back home. After the Vietnam Memorials we traveled across the city to the Air&Space museum where Katherine met up with us again. We watched the Hubble 3D movie, which was completely captivating, located the projects Gaffer worked on while working for NASA, and went in one of the weirdest “Celestial Roller Coaster” simulators ever. We then took a cab over to the White House, which was stunning to see. So many people from all the country and world come here and it is truly hard to fathom I was standing in front of the residence of our country’s president—what a cool thought. After a long day of wondering and exploring we made our way back to the metro and back home for a lazy night. Lets just say we were a little loopy and ended up with chocolate on our butts—a long day leading into a delirious night of pure hysteria was an amazing day filled with memories.

Tuesday: My last full day in Annapolis. Case and I had a leisurly morning—we had literally been on the go since touchdown in Maryland on Friday night. We got up around 11, watched some TV and headed over to her Grandma’s for lunch. Casey has gotten to meet Nana and Gaffer so it was fun to finally meet the notorious “Grammy” who has sent many delicious care packages out west. We went back into Annapolis after lunch and did some shopping after lunch. Case and I both made some adorable spring purchases as well as a spontaneous stop into a paint your own pottery shop where we both painted matching mugs for our room next year! I am very excited to see the final product J That night, my last dinner with the Cronins, was a delectable pasta followed by a yummy homemade apple pie provided by Grammy. Conversation was absolutely hysterical and we all shared stories and past memories that had us all rolling in fits of laughter. Case and I caught a late night flick of Alice in Wonderland 3D—I have already professed my love for this movie so all I will say in the 3D version only allowed me to feel more as if I was a part of the movie.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

2010-03-18T00:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone! What a pleasant way to wake up today; the sun was shining and it looked like it was going to be a perfect day! I looked out my window and saw a flourish of people wearing green which for some reason made me really happy! We said our goodbyes to Meredith this morning at around 3am...I am so glad I get to see her on Saturday because it had been so much fun spending time with her on the West Coast but in a few days time we will be living it up East Coast style! A lot of people have finished exams now so it is going to be that much more difficult to buckle down and get all the studying done I need to for my Friday final.

Today was a much needed day of rest and relaxation. I woke up around 10, worked out, and laid out by the Adobe wall with Katie for a couple of hours. We have been so blessed with 70 degree weather and having nothing to do all day on a sunny day makes for an awesome combination. After laying out for a bit, we had to listen to the final poster presentations our fellow students in our Ethnic Studies class were making. That class was seriously amazing and got me a lot more interested in Ethnic Studies and the importance of generating access for all people to higher education. Our professor, Erin, was the greatest and brought in delicious egg rolls which were to die for (obviously the posters were all right too haha)! After that we met up with Terra, Sam, and Emily and made our way to the pool. The concrete surrounding the pool was covered with fuzzy beach towels and pasty students trying to add to their tans. It was so relaxing just to lay out, soak up the sun, and enjoying the company of friends. Unfortunately, notorious me got a little burned but nothing I haven't seen before!

After coming back from the pool, all us girls had a celebratory dinner in Benson...HA! and came back afterwards to get ready for the nights' festivities. However, before hand Casey, Terra, Em, and I took a little cruise on the longboard. My obsession with longboarding started yesterday when we toured Mere around campus for literally 45 minutes. I took a bit of a spill which was a little discouraging but I felt so California cruising around campus on a longboard. Campus was so peaceful and the weather was tank-top/short weather. Lets just say we all have found a new love :)

Everyone looked so cute in their various shades and patterns of green all day long. It really reminded me of being home and always having such an easy time dressing up for St Patty's Day due to our school colors. I left so much of that at home but was lucky to have been given a flashing clover pin by Andrew last week :) We all went to a dance party at a house called Bermuda and it was seriously so much fun! So many of our friends were out and we ran into many more at the party. EVERYONE was dressed up and there was such a sense of unity in all the green-clad people. I danced the night away for a little while but just made it back to the study lounge to get a bit of reading/studying in as to lighten the load tomorrow.

Only a little more than 24 hours until Casey and I are MD bound! Gotta power through studying tomorrow then a 9:10 Friday final and I'm home free, literally :)

4 down, 1 to go!

And come January we're frozen inside
Making new resolutions a hundred times
February, won't you be my valentine?
And we'll both be safe 'til St. Patrick's Day

-John Mayer

One Down, Four to Go

2010-03-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

Finals week, enough said. This weekend was full of study and beginning to feel stressed about all the work and effort this week is going to consume. The only light at the end of the tunnel is the fact that come friday I will officially be in Maryland and on SPRING BREAK!!! I officially started finals last Friday with a presentation on Latino access to higher ed for my Ethnic Studies class. Katie and I got to work together which was a lot of fun and another bonus was one less final this week! I had my French final this afternoon, and I have Comm and Dance Tuesday, presentations to attend Wednesday, and my last final Friday morning. We are all trying to keep one another sane and so far so good.

Friday night after finishing our last classes of the quarter, a group of our friends celebrated by going out to dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant, Jasmine Thai. David's friend John was out to visit so there was even more reason for celebration. Case and I split Vegetable Fried Rice and fresh Spring Rolls...so yummy! We out for a little that evening which was a fun way to wind down Winter Quarter. I cannot believe that after this week I will be 2/3 done with my freshman year of college! Time truly does fly by.

Casey's best friend from home, Meredith, arrived on Saturday evening and Mariah and I had the privilege of picking her up at the airport with Case! We picked her up from the airport and headed into Santana for a late dinner at Sino. I haven't been to Sino since move-in weekend and it was absolutely delicious! Since we were there so late the restaurant had turned into a club making us feel like the four girls in Sex and the City--the under 21 version therefore we were sipping on Diet Cokes opposed to Cosmos. We had a leisurely dinner and didn't get back to campus until close to 9:30. I finished a draft of a paper that was due today before meeting up with the girls again and we proceeded to have a wonderful night and we were definitely still up when the clocks sprung forward with Daylights Saving. Sunday was a full day of studying and before we knew it the day was over! However, not before an amazing jam-sesh with Jack and Mere behind the guitar. It was seriously exactly what we all needed before running head first into finals. We sang Taylor Swift, Ben Harper, and some good old country tunes. We are now so stoked for Spring Quarter when we can hopefully make a trip to Santa Cruz and have a sing-a-long and bonfire. Not only was our "campfire" in Cases' room relaxing and the perfect way to enter finals week but it also once again reaffirmed all my friendships here at school. We truly have generated such a family here at school and its times like these that I truly feel I have found a home away from home.

Daylights Saving right before finals week does not make for a good combination. However, the day was not over before my girls and their basketball team, the HotShots, won their intramural league championship!!! CONGRATS LADIES! So proud to be #1 supporter from the sidelines :)

Well just wanted to drop a quick blog before the rest of the week gets crazy but hopefully I will find time before leaving for MD to fill y'all in (Mere goes to school at Clemson so her little southern drawl is wearing off on me :) ) Good luck to everyone taking finals and have a safe and fun spring break to everyone who is enjoying the leisurely break that comes this time of year!!

4 days 'til MD & 9 days til home sweet home :) xo

“No fine work can be done without concentration and self-sacrafice and toil and doubt”
-Max Beerbohm

Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

2010-03-06T18:14:00.000-08:00

So this weekend was pretty relaxing and rather productive! After getting out of class on Friday afternoon, Terra, Emily, and I navigated the bus system and found ourselves in Santana Row by dinnertime. We were hunting for a formal dress for Terr which was successful! She is going to look absolutely stunning this weekend :) We shopped around a little more and finally found ourselves wasting time before our movie outside this cute little Mexican restaurant. The three of us shared some of the most delicious guacamole I have ever had (it was prepared right in front of us at our outside table!) and talked about some of the most random things. We all reminisced about high school, particularly our last days of high school. What memories were brought back and I quickly found myself sitting in silence listening to the other two missing everything about home. How quickly conversation can turn into memories that draw you back to times you didn't realize how much you miss. After more than an hour of people watching and conversation we mosied our way across the street to the movie theatre. Katie met up with us and we watched the premiere of Alice in Wonderland. It's official, I'm obsessed. I have been looking up quotes all weekend and cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of the book. Everything about the movie captivated me and for whatever reason I left the movie with such a sense of empowerment and contentment. Maybe it was because at that moment in time everything just felt right...I am so happy and blessed to be where I am in my life and while I recognize this each and everyday it is something that is easy to take for granted. I have less than two weeks left in Winter Quarter and before I know it I will be done with my freshman year of college. But lets not get too ahead of myself. I have dead week to get through and of course finals. Then Case and I will be jetting off to Maryland!!! and in 17 days...HOME♥Lauren just told me that she is going to be home that Thursday night so I get to see my best friend in 18 days, after having spent 6 whole days with my other best friend...pure bliss.

I think this morning was the epitome of a perfect Sunday morning. Katie, Terra, and I had yet another sleepover and this morning Katie and I decided to start the day with a nice run around the Campus Loop. I took it nice and easy due to the fact after not having gotten to work out for nearly three weeks due to illness I feel completely out of shape. It has been so nice getting back into the swing of things in terms of working out and the last two times i've gone on a run it has been a beautiful day. Terra and Mariah met us outside of Swig when we were done with our run and we had a nice leisurely walk across campus to the Starbucks across from the main entrance. I felt like such a soccer mom; going on a walk, picking up Starbucks, and grabbing a bagel from Cramer's, and soaking up the gorgeous California sunshine (not to mention I had my sweatshirt tied around my waist on our way back :) ). The four of us talked about our families and childhoods which put me in such a good mood. I got that much more excited to see Andrew on Wednesday--I have found myself missing his terribly the last several weeks and cannot wait to see him even if it is only for a couple of hours. We came back to campus with uplifted spirits and very little motivation to do work. I put in a solid hour of work before cheering my girls on into the Championship next week for Intramural Basketball. The Hotshots won a very exciting Semi-Final match against some sophomore girls which leaves them playing in the Finals next Sunday. After watching the game we spent the next several hours enjoying the peace and quiet of the St. Claire room. We left feeling somewhat accomplished, picked up dinner to go, and watched the Academy Awards. I have a little more work for the morning but don't have class until 2:15! I wound down the night with a lovely and much needed Skype session with Mekenz who I have missed dearly and am about ready to shower and call it a night :) Wishing myself luck in Week 10!

You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are. -Alice in Wonderland

In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:

Ever drifting down the stream --
Lingering in the golden gleam --
Life what is it but a dream?

-Through the Looking Glass

Feeling Angsty & Sentimental

2010-02-26T12:05:00.000-08:00

“Friendship is like a glass ornament, once it is broken it can rarely be put back together exactly the same way”.

Trust can take years to build, but only a second to break. Unknown

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart."

If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. but the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. i'll always be with you. -Winnie the Pooh

2010-02-25T21:01:00.000-08:00

Wow, Week 8 has almost come to an end. Where has time gone, freshman year was not supposed to pass this quickly! We have to submit our housing forms starting March 1st; how crazy is it to think I already am planning on living arrangements and beginning to move on from the newness of being a freshman...guess I'm a Veteran Bronco now :) This week was filled with papers, papers, papers which meant a lot of time spent in my room by myself and the library. I had a 10 page Ethnic Studies paper due on Wednesday along with a 1 page poster prospectus for the same class. While one usually gets feel relieved and celebrate after turning in such a daunting assignment I instead got to write a 5 page paper for my Comm class to turn in today. When I was talking to Lauren I said, "JRP, no big deal. Too bad I didn't hit a cop car this time!" :) On top of it all I have been battling a horrible cold consisting of congestion, slight sore throat, lack of tasting, and a horrible chest cough that makes me sound like a man. This week has been a treat to say the least.

Tonight I had my French discussion group and we began watching Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulin, I have not watched this movie since I was probably 14 or so and I am definitely loving it that much more this time around. The cinematography is so beautiful and I am loving being able to understand that much more of what is being said without looking at the subtitles. Also, Casey and I were asked to participate in the Chicken Toss at the Women's Basketball game versus Gonzaga! We dragged a cheering group along with us and I stood out on center court with a baseball helmet with a bucket attached on top while Case threw rubber chickens at me. It was humorous to say the least (and don't worry, we videoed the whole thing). Unfortunately, we were not victorious however it is one thing we can cross off our "Santa Clara Bucket List." Ironically enough we had been talking about how badly we wanted to participate in the event just this past weekend. Our next goal is to make it to the big times, the men's basketball game, and come out with the W! Terra and I are planning on watching The Holiday tonight to treat ourselves. Nothing sounds better than snuggling up with a cuddle blanket, some nice, hot tea, and Jude Law :)

Wishing Andrew an amazing time up at the Olympics and Lauren K. a safe trip home for spring break...wish I could be there with you :)

Finally, Back to the Blog

2010-02-23T00:17:00.000-08:00

So it has almost been two weeks since my last post, my apologies! I finished midterms, was very pleased with my grades and am now in the final stretch of Winter Quarter and am already finding myself counting down the days until Spring Break!!!

The last week and a half have been a blur. After coming back from visiting Lauren and Linds I hit the ground running...and fast. But lets not skip over the good stuff :) Valentine's Day weekend was perfect with only a minor bump in the road. I got down to Thousand Oaks on Thursday night and after a joyous reunion with the girls at the airport we were go, go, go for the next four days. That night we attended an improv group's performance on campus which was absolutely hysterical! I have yet to go to anything like that back up here so it was a nice treat to experience their campus' weekly activities. The next morning I slept in while the girls had class and then we headed out to visit Linds' mom and Anth at their house in Hidden Hills. I felt like I was taking a private tour of the Hollywood lifestlye; to our right was JLo's house, further up the road was the Kardashian's, and directly across the street was the house where John Mayer had been living for the past year...no big deal. I was so excited to see Lori and Anth (and Bo and Brady of course!) and we had a pleasant couple of hours out there. That night we spent some time with their friends and enjoyed our Friday night together. The next day was a simple day of sun, lounging, and reading trashy magazine. It was 80 all weekend which was a pleasant alternative to our temperatures that have barely been pushing 50. Lori and Anth cooked up a delicious dinner of personal mini chickens, green beans, and rice and we all indulged in Dibs for dessert. I got to spend my Valentine's Day soaring through loops and corkskrews and screaming my head off at Six Flags Magic Mountain. I had never been and it was seriously one of the most amazing amusement parks I have ever been to! X2 was by far my favorite ride but Superman, Goliath, and the Viper definitely gave us some thrills too :) I had a romantic evening stuffing my face alongside my two best friends at a movie theatre where we watched the romantic comedy Valentine's Day. A good, corny, and somewhat predictable movie that had us all crying in the end. I couldn't have asked for a better last day with the girls. The next day was an early morning and quick and sad goodbye to Linds. I got to spend some extra time with Lauren in the car on our way to the airport. We stopped at Jamba Juice and Noah's Bagels on our way which was a nice treat to end the trip. After a tearful goodbye I was on my way back up to the Clara--home, sweet, home.

Since that weekend I have kept busy with papers (I have a 10 pager due Wednesday...wish me luck) tests (I had a french exam today...oui, oui!) and of course spending time with friends. This past weekend was parent's weekend so I got to see Mom again and finally see Dad! We had an amazing time at a big family/friend dinner on Friday night, smaller lunch at Wrap This (one of my new obsessions) with Mariah&Casey and their families, a weekend getaway to Nana and Gaffer's that was fueled with Gaffer's famous french toast Sunday morning and salmon Sunday evening. I was spoiled by my loving parents and we went to Cirque de Soleil's performance of "Ovo" in San Jose. What a treat that was. I have only been to Cirque de Soleil one time prior to this and that was for my 17th birthday nearly two years ago. Andrew had seen this performance in Montreal with Erin and had loved it! The spectacles were amazing and made me wish I could contort my bodies in the way many of the performers did or do crazy tricks on trampoline walls. We wrapped up the weekend with another amusing intramural soccer game that Mom and Dad were able to watch. I'm pretty sure they got a kick out of watching us all play :)

After having been spoiled with the company of my loving family over last weekend and my two best friends the weekend before that, it is easy to find myself missing home. Only a couple more weeks until Spring Break where I will embark on my journey across the country to Maryland then finally, home. I will try and be more consistent with posts but this week ahead appears to be a busy one so no promises! xoxo

SoCal Bound! :)

2010-02-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

After a busy, busy week I am finally about to embark upon my Southern California adventure! I am currently sitting at the airport about to board my 5:55 flight and I couldn't be more ecstatic! I feel as if this trip has been building up for far too long and finally the day has arrived. This week consisted of four midterms in three days, MOM'S BIRTHDAY!, and copious amounts of pre-Valentine's day cuddling and celebration with my girls :)

Mom was down over the weekend and it was so good to see her. I had been coping with a minor bout of homesickness and seeing her for a couple of days was exactly the remedy I was in need of. We went out to lunch and did some shopping (just the two of us :)) and then she treated me and some close friends to a delicious dinner at Maggianios. We all had doggie bags to take back to our rooms which we all indulged again a couple nights ago for a late night snack. Mom helped me study for my Comm midterm and I felt like it was high school again, having my parents at the ready and using them as an amazing study tool! Ahhh how I missed someone else motivating me and being able to push me to study those extra fifteen minutes...kinda hehe. I was sad that this was the first birthday I hadn't spent with her in probably 18 years but I am looking forward to seeing both her and Dad in exactly a week! Happy Birthday again Momma, LOVE YOU!

Over the last week I have received some lovely care packages from Virginia, Jan,Cathy, & Kezzie, and just today I picked up a little package from the Currans. There was the cutest card that I plan on keeping for forever in which they recorded a personalized message! Audrey is too cute, she wrote on the chocolate lips, a Valentine's treat they sent down as well, "To: my big sister Love: Audrey." I couldn't stop smiling and even had a little tear come to my eye and Casey said she got the chills. Cannot wait to see them hopefully over spring break when I am home and all those thoughtful care packages made me miss home and family that much more.

On a lighter note...I get to spend the next 4 nights and 5 days with

MY TWO BEST FRIENDS!!!

I cannot wait and have been antsy all day long! I have my camera charged, bags packed, and myself ready for what I know is going to be one of the most amazing long weekends EVER! My flight appears like it is going to be slightly delayed :( and I want to run down the runway and hop in the cockpit to speed up the process...however, I really want to make it down to Burbank not in handcuffs and behind bars so I'm managing to restrain myself for the time being.

Wishing everyone at SCU and home a wonderful, fabulous, and amazing weekend full of love and laughter. Cannot wait to share my stories with you soon :) XOXO

Long Time No Post

2010-02-06T22:45:00.000-08:00

So this week flew by in a very unexpected but appreciated way. I definitely was super busy and had something going on every night. I was looking forward to the weekend and now that it is here, I know it's going to pass way too quickly! Before I go any further I have to give a couple birthday shout outs...

Happy Birthday Curtis (Feb. 3rd)!!! I cannot believe this is the first birthday either of us have had where we haven't gotten to celebrate together...we have been through so much it's crazy to think there are so many things we no longer get to share such as birthdays. I know deep down we will always be the "three stupid otters" and I know I will always cherish those memories. One last year of being a teenager, make it count! Love you bud and keep flying towards those dreams :)

Happy Birthday Chase (Feb. 5)! Awesome time last night and so happy to have met you! Glad you enjoyed your night and lets keep livin' it up here at school!

This week one of the things I realized was just how much I have missed dancing. I was laying on the floor during class this past week and for some reason was overcome by such a yearning to hear bagpipes and be back in Leanore's studio. We went through the combinations and I got chills just thinking about how I had missed my last year of dance and just how badly I want to get back into it and keep pursing my love of dance. This desire was augmented after attended the SCU's Images performance on Friday night. There were eight pieces performed and each and everyone incorporated such a positive energy and passion that made me envy all of the girls and guys up on stage. I was talking to a fellow classmate and we both agreed there is no better feeling than being up on stage. I felt as if my blood was boiling and there was nothing I wanted more than to be up on that stage performing for an audience. I have my dance midterm on Tuesday so hopefully I can translate all this energy into class Tuesday!

Thursday night was StarSearch, a philanthropy event hosted by one of the sororities. 24 groups performed and several people I knew got on stage and were "shaking their thangs" in front of hundreds of people. The room was packed with hundreds of people and it was such a high energy crowd, definitely something fun to be a part of! Besides the creative, hysterical, and fun dances performed there was such a sense of unity in the St. Clare room that night. I have felt that positive connection to school on several counts now; certain soccer games, big basketball rival games, and Thursday night at StarSearch...that "proud to be a Bronco" feeling was definitely radiating from everyone and I felt at home :)

Friday, I got out of classes early and after reviewing for my French midterm with my professor I met up with a friend from my Ethnic studies class and we got to bake and make a home cooked meal! She was having some Rugby boys over to help her with a favor and she knows how much I love to bake so she invited me over. Not having been able to be in a kitchen and bake whenever I please has been something I have adjusted to however, when I get back in a kitchen there's no stopping me. It was the perfect way to start my weekend. After that, I went to Images with three girls from my dance class and four other close friends. We went out afterwards for our friend's birthday and I was able to release some of that pent up need to dance while we were out. I had a sleepover with Mariah and we turned on the OC and fell asleep before the opening credits finished. This morning we had a lazy day and got parfaits, brought them back to her room, and continued watching the OC. Somehow we were inspired to go for a run before both of us had to start getting ready for our respective events tonight (Kappa formal and soccer banquet)...what a perfect morning!

I had the Soccer Banquet tonight which was a lot of fun. Seeing all the girls dressed up, watching highlight clips, and seeing pictures of all the departing seniors through the years was such a great way to end the season. Even though I have only known these girls for a few months they have really brought me under their wings and made me feel like part of the team. I myself even got choked up when the seniors were making their final remarks in part of knowing it was their final season here at SCU but also because I had forgotten how much I have missed playing soccer. Being part of a team and playing with a team are two very different things and the banquet made me very nostalgic of my many years of playing soccer, especially in high school. Hopefully intramural can help with these feelings of longing but sometimes you just have to feel sad to realize how much you truly care about it...

Next week I have 4 midterms in 3 days...ugh. I have French on Monday, Comm and Dance on Tuesday, and Peace and Violence on Wednesday. This all makes for an extremely busy week...however come Thursday nothing can bring me down because I GET TO SEE LAUREN AND LINDS!!! It's official 5 days until I get to see my two best friends and believe me, Thousand Oaks isn't going to know what hit it :)

Momma comes tomorrow for a couple of days so I am really looking forward to seeing her and getting to spend some quality time with her. I will get to see both her and Dad parents weekend in two weeks so a lot of exciting visits coming up this month! Especially after having been so nostalgic these last couple of days seeing familiar faces is going to be nice. Time to focus and get through the week...

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. -The Wonder Years

VamPKE, Buck the Zags, Dormal Formal

2010-01-30T11:16:00.000-08:00

So despite my belief that this week would pass by slowly it sped by like lightening! After I hit the Wednesday hump, things went downhill (in a positive way!) from there. That night I went to a fraternity social with a friend from WA which was vampire themed. While I was a little nervous and uncertain about what to expect I ended up having a really fun time and got to meet some new people. Thursday night was our big rival game against Gonzaga so my friends and I purchased our "Buck the Zags" ahead of time. Unfortunately, when we got to Leavey we were told we had to turn our shirts inside out because they were inappropriate. Apparently last year at the Zags game there was an issue with our fans "keeping it classy" and trash was thrown on the court so I think they were being very cautious about what went on at the game. We played hard and were up through most of the game but in the last seven minutes apparently we only scored 3 points...oh well, it was a good game and we're playing Portland tonight so I'm sure it will be another battle this evening. Finally, last night we had a campus wide formal dance called Dormal Formal, what a catchy name! Casey and I helped set up and we were so efficent and completed our tasks within twenty minutes, we had some getting ready to do :) It was so much fun dressing up and getting ready for a formal dance it definitely brought me back to high school. I wore my senior homecoming dress which obviously was sentimental and we took homecoming style pictures in our dorm before leaving for the dance. Jon, a grad student who does something official in my dorm, was the DJ and we seriously danced from 10:30-12:30 straight! So so so much fun! With three super busy days and nights in a row, I am looking forward to this weekend to relax and catch up on some much needed sleep.

Mariah left to go back to Idaho so she is continuously in my thoughts and I am so happy you get to see Max. Enjoy family time and know that we are all looking forward to seeing you on Monday. Love to you and your family.

Lets get the Pilots tonight Broncs, to a restful&productive weekend with some fun squeezed in somewhere in between! 12 days and counting...

Happy Birthday MATT!

2010-01-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

First and foremost...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!!! I cannot believe this is the first birthday I don't get to spend with you in four years! What memorable times we have had; junior year tolo :) and senior year JA come to mind of course...wishing I was with you at Redlands but wishing you the happiest birthday I can all the way from Norcal. One final year as a teenage then off into the abyss of growing up. Like I said to you tonight on the phone, "age is only a number, not the way we act." Go prove me right :) LOVE YOU!

So this is the first birthday of a close friend from high school where I haven't gotten to be with them to celebrate. So many of these "firsts" continue to pop up unexpectedly and it's crazy how many memories they cause to be provoked...

Community council meeting tonight--we have a campus wide "Dormal Formal" this weekend so I'm sure we will be discussing that as well as our next Cyphi (my dorm) Olympic event! Last week's event was a success and we had a great turn out so hopefully we can encourage even more people to come out for Flag Football the week of the Superbowl!

Today was a productive day filled with class, working out, soccer practice, more class, and of course homework. Everyone is slowly recovering from their respective sicknesses so hopefully after my meeting and some much focused attention on homework I might be able to sneak in a cuddle/OC sesh with the girls :)

Time Flys

2010-01-24T21:52:00.000-08:00

This weekend sure passed quickly! I cannot believe it has already been a week since the boys left SCU and headed back to Claremont. I'm sure this week will pass more slowly even though we only have one extra day of classes compared to our glorious four day week last week. I had another productive day today however somehow it seems so much later than 10pm. I have been trying to finish up my OL application which is due this Wednesday...what a relief it will be once I submit it and the decision is out of my hands. While I am nervous I realize that if I don't even try in the first place I will already know my answer so why not give it a shot! This week is going to be a busy one; I have a Community Council meeting tomorrow night, a book report due Tuesday for dance, a 6-7 page Interview analysis for Ethnic studies due Wednesday, and a 3-4 page Comm paper due Thursday!! Wooo trying to not stress out when I type that but what a week I have in store. Not to mention SCU is playing Gonzaga, a huge rival, on Thursday night! I will have to use that as motivation to finish all my work so I can enjoy myself Thursday evening.

I can hardly believe I am entering week 4 of my Winter Quarter, almost half way through my second quarter of college. So much has gone on and I have had so many "firsts" within what seems like such a short period of time. As of now I am currently missing an craving home-cooked meals, someone to do my laundry, and the comfort of walking down the stairs to a stocked fridge and pantry...hmmm primarily centered around food, funny how that works out. Hopefully the girls and I will be able to find another weekend to escape to Nana and Gaffer's this quarter for some Chef Chu's and grandparent lovin' :)

I skyped with Lauren and Linds this morning and am planning on having another Skype date with them tomorrow. Let me tell you I got so incredibly seeing them I don't know how I'm even going to contain myself for the next 18 days!!!

We were scheduled to play in our first intramural soccer match tonight at 9 but due to the horrible weather we had all last week the fields were closed. I am super excited to get back in my cleats and on the field again...not in a managerial position. Watching the women's soccer team practice and play has made me nostalgic and has made me miss being on the field and a player on a team. Intramurals are going to be hysterical and our team, team INTENTS (get it?? like intense but tents?? funny I know :) ) isn't too serious about the game I'm in it to have a good time and get some exercise on Sunday evenings.

Only one more week until Mom comes down to visit, two and half until my Socal adventure, and three and a half until Dad comes for parents weekend. Winter quarter sure is going to fly...xo

Focus&Relaxation

2010-01-24T00:14:00.000-08:00

What a productive day...actually!! I was up around 10:30 and doing homework by 12!! I finished all of my homework for Monday, well pretty much, and still had time to treat myself to froyo at Blondies with David and Case. We ended our night again with another movie night and surprise surprise, I fell asleep within half an hour. I have really enjoyed spending so much time resting and finally catching up from all the lost sleep time from ast weekend. Although its been weird seeing so many people out and about I couldn't be happier snuggling up with some snacks and a movie with some friends on a somewhat rainy weekend night. Juliana, my roomate, and I have gotten to spend a lot of time together in the room which has been nice because a lot of the time we're not in there together. Unfortunately, it is due to the fact she cracked her rib and it popped or something not fun like that yesterday. Hopefully her pain will subside soon because she has her first real lacrosse game this Friday! Tomorrow I plan on attempting to have just as a productive day so I can start my week ahead. I would love to finish up or get close to finishing my OL application which is due this Wednesday...definitely nervewracking but can't know unless you try right?? I am lucky enough to be getting a massage from David as we speak, what a lucky girl huh. Nights like these make me realize how much I appreciate the close friendships I have formed in such a short period of time. Now I am planning on calling it a night, probably falling asleep to Grey's Anatomy like last night, what a way to end a wonderful evening :)

Lazy Days and Lazy Nights

2010-01-22T21:20:00.000-08:00

So after a day hiatus, the Internet on campus is working again! Not a whole lot has happened however Casey came back from isolation!!! I slept in her room with her so she didn't have to have a third lonely night's sleep with no one else's company...unfortunately she is still sick and she "tossed her cookies" (apparently another way of saying throwing up??) tonight. Poor Case :( Everyone else is still recovering and I am finally feeling close to 100% Last night was my first substantial meal which was pretty exciting. I am still pretty exhausted and tonight has definitely been a very lazy night. Emily and Mariah headed home for the weekend and after class Casey and I decided to call in Jasmine Thai for her, me, David, and Noah. We walked over to Franklin Square and brought back the food to David's room to enjoy :) We turned on Anchorman and after eating I found some way to fall asleep! How cool am I, falling asleep before 9 o'clock on a Friday night haha. We all just changed into our pj's and are about to turn on Forest Gump and I'm pretty sure I will be passed out in a matter minutes. Looking forward to a weekend of re-cooperation and work, and of course some fun as well :) Hoping that laughter is truly the best medicine prescribed by the best doctors, friends.

20 days and counting...!!! xo

First for Everything

2010-01-20T00:05:00.000-08:00

So while this might not be the most pleasant update I got physically sick for the first time at school. I have no clue what happened but am assuming it was a bout of food poisoning. I wasn't feeling well after dinner and was laying in bed attempting to do work but had the worst stomach ache ever. After talking to some friends on the phone I attempted getting out of bed to go to my community council meeting but was unable to even make it to the door! I climbed back into bed but soon found myself hovering over the sick. Thank God for good friends, Katie and Kerry came and took care of me and luckily we were able to have a good laugh at the situation. Unfortunately I woke up again in the middle of the night and got ill around 1am. Needless to say today was a rough day. I felt lethargic and weak all day and was desperate for an early night...something that obviously didn't happen. Everyone seems to be getting sick so it's important for me to try and stay healthy by eating well and getting a good night's sleep every night. I don't plan on going out much if at all this week; this past weekend really wore me out but I wouldn't have done anything differently. Sometimes it is easy to forget to take sometime to yourself and simply have some "you time." I hope everyone is able to stay well and healthy in the weeks to come! Wishing Lauren and Linds an amazing first day of classes tomorrow (29 days and counting...!!!) and hoping Case comes home tomorrow :) Still looking forward to Mom's visit in early February and again when Dad comes a few weeks later for Parent's Weekend! Love to everyone at home and wishing everyone a healthy rest of their week! xo

We Only Part to Meet Again

2010-01-18T15:24:00.000-08:00

Jake and Connor left this morning in what I would define as a flurry--up at 10:05 and out the door by 10:20! We celebrated our final night together and had a late night filled with lots of talking and reminiscing about the past. The three days there were here flew by and we crammed in so many different activities. After a late arrival Friday night, they were introduced to far too many people for them to remember. We had a nice lazy morning, breakfast at Benson, then a spur of the moment trip down to Santa Cruz. Unfortunately the weather was not amazing but then again it is January. We found ourselves running from Swig to the CalTrain station only to arrive ten minutes early. We continued to navigate the public transportation system and arrived in Santa Cruz only to be greeted by a pleasant drizzle reminding me of springtime in Washington. We wandered down the the beach, strolled along the boardwalk and took pictures from the pier. After a late lunch/early dinner, we followed our tracks home and had a fun night mainly inside the dorms with a bunch of friends. After yet another late morning we decided to take it easy and watch a movie in bed. We didn't really get our day going until the late afternoon when we all decided to take a much needed shower and head into Santana Row for a delicious dinner at The Counter--my favorite burger place I've encountered here so far! After a lengthy dinner we all headed back to campus and enjoyed our final evening together.

I cannot believe I can genuinely say I do not know when I will see those boys again. While I will definitely see them come June, the uncertainty of our next encounter made for a nostalgic goodbye. With prospects of seeing them in a couple weeks when I visit the girls I was able to not get too sentimental as I have during previous goodbyes. Saying goodbye has truly been something that has never been easy for me. However, this summer was a true testament to the reality that some goodbyes are harder than others. Unfortunately I have found myself becoming almost numb to the act of leaving simply because leaving home or leaving school is now a frequent occurrence in my new, college life.

The weekend has really worn me out and with several friends coming down with mysterious sicknesses I need to ensure I am getting plenty of sleep and treating my body well. These next couple weeks will be filled with papers, OL application forms to fill out, and I'm sure countless hours of other homework. Before I know it Mom will be down for the weekend and a couple weeks after that is Parent's Weekend so a lot is going on and time I'm sure will fly.

Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends. ~Richard Bach

The Boys are Back in Town

2010-01-15T18:05:00.000-08:00

I AM SOOOOO EXCITED! Connor and Jake are at the airport and are heading down south in less than two hours! I didn't let myself get too excited all day because I had so much to do and so little time! After talking to Jake and hearing he was at the airport and through security got me super excited and I can barely contain my excitement!!! I cannot wait to show them off to all my friends even though they know so much about them already. It's been a couple of weeks and hopefully I will get to see these two fellows who mean so much to me when I visit Lauren and Linds but for now this is our weekend :)

After a rather unproductive night last night and an early morning to start the day, I was ready for a nap after my morning class. But it definitely was a power nap because I had to study up for my first quiz of the year en francais...I was proud of how focused I was and come quiz time it wasn't all that bad so fingers crossed! The afternoon passed rather quickly and just having finished up on final assignment for the day I am ready to turn it in, head to dinner and anticipate the arrival of the boys!

Thanks to Megan who is the cutest thing ever, I have already eaten two cookie bars, am loving the look of those bracelets around my wrist, and am planning on wearing our twin shirts to be tonight :) Missing you...

Here's to a weekend with all my friends, missing everyone at home and can't wait to fill you all in about this weekend's adventures.xo.

“Even though we've changed and we're all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face, we'll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not all still friends.”

Make New Friends but Keep the Old

2010-01-14T17:42:00.000-08:00

So it's official, I am totally able to survive without media for 48 hours. While this may sound silly and something anyone can do it's a lot more difficult when media truly does surround us in the 21st Century. I submitted my first paper of 2010 this morning and have my first quiz tomorrow afternoon. Classes are going so well and I'm really finding I'm more passionate about most of them compared to last quarter. French is definitely going to be difficult but it has been so nice getting back into the swing of things in terms of language. I really need to do the same for math and probably science but that's what Spring Quarter's for, right? Also, I am absolutely loving dance!!! I forgot how much I have missed being in the studio and even though it is by no means the same I feel back at home.

This week has flown by and I was convinced it was going to be a slow one. With the anticipation progressively building throughout the week, tomorrow is the day two of my best guy friends will be here with me on campus. I absolutely cannot wait!!! One of Casey's best friends from high school, Caroline, is here visiting and everyone loves her! I feel as if we've been friends our whole lives it's so exciting to have that kind of automatic connection with someone!! She goes to school with Jake and Connor which shows it truly is a small world after all :) It's about to be an amazing weekend with new and old friends and luckily I have a replacement camera to capture all the memories we're about to make!

Having Car here makes me that much more excited but impatient to go visit Lauren and Lindsay in a few weeks time! It has made me so happy seeing Case with someone she has known forever but now they both live in new environments and have made new friends. I have been slightly anxious about how visiting Laur and Linds would be and meeting all their new friends in their new environment but from what it seems like the meshing of friends is a relatively smooth process.

29 days and counting my lovely besties, cannot wait to have the weekend (and Valentine's Day ;) ) of a lifetime <3

I'm looking forward to the three day weekend and will hopefully be able to catch up on some much needed sleep. Besides catching up on sleep I cannot wait to show Jake and Con what Norcal is all about :) I have absolutely loved meeting new people on an almost daily basis, something I rarely got to experience back home. Within all these introductions I have found myself valuing my old friendships even more than I could ever imagine but still loving the excitement of new, fresh starts. But as the saying goes, the more the merrier :) :) :)

Media Fast 48 hours and Counting...

2010-01-10T23:20:00.000-08:00

What a busy, busy weekend! Friday night there was a basketball game versus USD. How weird is it to think I almost went there?! Would I have made the journey up north to support the Toreros if I had been down there at school?? What a weird "what if" situation. I feel like these sorts of things make you realize how happy and fortunate you are in your current situation. I am truly so happy here and times like these really make you realize how everything really does work out for a reason. While I believe it's not what happens but how you deal with the situation, I am lucky to be where I am today.

While last week was a rough transition, I finally am feeling settled and back at home. I think having a fun and carefree weekend with those who matter most to me here at school really helped me to feel back at that normal feeling of comfort--that same feeling I had before we left for Winter break. After the game Friday night we had a night out on the town, my first time going "outside the bubble" since coming back last week. The next morning, Casey, Emily, Mariah, and I spontaneously ventured to Santana Row. We were so grubby looking it was hysterical! As little kids sauntered past us more decently dressed on the sidewalk and we walked past players from the Redwings Hockey team we couldn't help but laugh at our appearance. We went to the movies and watched Sherlock Holmes which was amazing! I highly recommend it to anyone who loves thrillers and mystery movies. We couldn't stop talking about how amazing it was for the rest of the day. We didn't really feel up to much of a dinner due to our consumption of two jumbo tubs of popcorn and a quesadilla from Wahoo's Fish Tacos, surprising?? After an epic cab ride/experience back home we began to get ready for another night out.

Another night of hanging out with friends and dancing the night away in the Bronco really tired me out. This morning was a lazy morning that turned into a lazy afternoon. Homework and laundry consumed the rest of the day and now I am mentally preparing for a 48 hour "media fast" experience. For my first paper of the quarter for my communications class, I have to abstain from any use of media unless it is for homework purposes. As sad as this sounds, this will be a mental test...being technologically disconnected from the world. I was spoiled today getting to catch up with friends who had been out of the country (one for three weeks and another for a mere three days) and I want to keep talking to them to hear all about they adventures abroad. I had to plan ahead and I know the next couple days are going to be challenging. The small luxuries in life go unnoticed until you phycially take them away and are no longer able to use them...no IPOD when working out, no movies to fall asleep at night, no phone to call my friends, family, and loved ones. As you can tell I am soaking up every last second of media use. I am sure I will have many updates pertaining to the challenges and hopefully excitement I experience over the next 48 hours! Until Wednesday...

Full Speed Ahead

2010-01-05T17:10:00.000-08:00

Hit the ground running, back in action, full speed ahead. I am officially immersed in my second quarter as a college student. I have gone to all my new classes and need to begin homework that is already due tomorrow, yikes! It has been so good seeing everyone again, catching up, and simply enjoying the constant company my Swig sweet Swig and campus provides. I finally am taking some "me time" in order to truly buckle down and focus on what needs to be done. Yesterday I had an early morning (well...8 am) and found myself sitting back in a class room at 9:15. I was nervous I wouldn't know anyone in any of my classes but I was surprised to see a friendly face in all five of my classes. After two back to back classes Monday I treated myself to a little nap--a very rare occurrence for me--then made my way to my final class of the day. Hanging out with friends, relaxing, and falling asleep to a movie was the perfect way to end my day.

After a bit of a lie in today, I had my Intro to Mass Communications class for the first time and I am truly jazzed about this class. My prof has focused her studies on the media's impact on youth development and who doesn't love kids. She is having us keep a "media journal" these next two days and so far I almost have a full page of entries. It is fascinating how the new millennium has generated a sense of dependency on technology and our surrounding media providers. Also, today I had my first ever modern dance class! Not having danced all last year was hard for me so being back in a studio was exhilarating and I can already feel my muscles yearning to be fully back in action.

I am missing home a lot more than I anticipated however, when I reflected on the matter I realized I spent 1/3 of a quarter back home over break. I really must have re-acclimated myself to the subtle privileges of living at home. I know with time these feelings will pass but for not it is just another thing to cope with as I readjust back into my college life at Santa Clara.

I'm looking forward to another amazing quarter at school and cannot wait for more unexpected adventures to pop out of no where. With friends arriving in a little over a week's time, I'm sure those adventures won't be too far away...

A New Year, A New Decade

2010-01-01T23:26:00.000-08:00

Hello 2010! As a New Year's Resolution I decided to start a blog to document my many adventures in college and life in general. I was inspired to do this by a friend who has been blogging about her college adventure and I have been an avid follower of her for the past year. So thanks Lauren for your inspiration :) As much as I love the concept of keeping an a diary, I have attempted to do so many times and eventually stop making entries after several weeks. While you lose the personal connection writing and personally inscribing your stories with today's technology I felt like this would be a lot easier to actually maintain. So here's to a new year filled with what I hope to be many exciting stories and memories.

What a weird thought, we are no longer in one of the most memorable years of my life...my graduation year. No longer is this "my year," it belongs to the many classes of 2010 worldwide. As I was driving up north to a New Years Eve party with my best friend Lauren, we reminisced about the past decade and the many milestones represented by each passing year. 3rd grade and our first stay-away trip with school, the earthquake that occurred during our 4th grade year, enter middle school, 8th grade beach hike, high school, siblings leaving for college, first relationships, first kisses, first loves and heartbreaks...and the final climax ending with graduation. It is hard to fathom that what has been one of the most prominent days of my life happened nearly seven months ago. How time flies. Since that date (June 6th, 2009 in case you were wondering) I have endured one of the hardest summers of my life, said several difficult goodbyes, and started a whole new life and adventure at Santa Clara. I have made new friends, had many new "firsts," and have fully

taken on the role of a university student. I am hoping this blog will help me to never forget about all these exciting times all of which I am sure I am never going to want to forget. Here's to another amazing year and decade, making new friends but keeping the old, and living life each day as it comes.