four months; no suitcase

Touching base

Has it really been almost a month since I last posted? Wowzers!! Well, I have been quite busy to be sure. Not a crazy amount of homework or tests, but all Art majors and minors have to submit a sophomore project. This has been my life for the past month. I’ve spent around 70 hours on this thing, and I am proud to announce that it is done!!!! It’s such a relief and I’m so glad I don’t have to look at it anymore! I’ll post a picture of it after it goes up at the show (at the end of this month) I am pleased with it, though. There are parts that still frustrate me, but oh well! Not my problem! Hahaha. Haven’t used that in a while.
Speaking of in a while, my Friday schedule is over and I’m on Spring Break now!! But I’m not going home. I’m going to Mexico!! Missions trip to Ensenada! And guess what I’ll be doing…did you guess?….I’m on the haircutting team! Yes, that’s right, I’m going to be cutting hair in Mexico. I’m really excited. I haven’t cut too many people’s hair, so I’m excited to get some good practice in. So…if you want a haircut anytime after a week from now, let me know!!
Maybe you want details of the trip? My group (Med/dent) will be leaving from Santa Barbara around 5:30. We will caravan to San Diego, where all of us (like 200 some people on this trip) will be crashing for the night in a church. Then my group will get up early tomorrow, cross the boarder, and set up camp in Mexico! I’m excited. My team consists of 5 other girls, 2 of which I went to Europe with, so I can already tell that this is gonna be a really fun time.
But don’t worry guys, I’ll be safe. The people leading this said that the danger is about as far away as Texas from California. We are a huge group, and also, I’m not stupid so I’m not gonna go wandering around by myself or whatever. You must keep in mind that I went to Israel, including the West Bank and right next to the Gaza strip, so I know I will be fine. I’m not worried. You shouldn’t be =)
I’ll post another blog when I get back, but I’m not bringing electronics cuz obviously we’re not gonna have Internet in out tents =) ok so my prayer requests would be for safety of all our group as we drive and live in tents with probably now chance to shower for a week ahaha. That will be fun! Also, that even though my team will just be cutting hairs, that we will still be shining God’s light. My praise would be that I’M DONE WITH SOPHOMORE PROJECT!!! And that I get to have a week off and get to get to know new people on road trips and tent talk =) you can send me your prayer requests too, and I’ll be praying for them when I get to them next Friday. Love ya all! Ttfn!

Don’t slam your head into latters cuz it really hurts!

What’s the prettiest sunset you’ve ever seen? Tonight’s could definitely be a contestant. I’m sitting at my desk, doing something, and I glance up and see a beautiful purple sky with bright pink/orange clouds across it. Stunning! If I weren’t a human, I’d want to be a sunset =)
If only I were at the art building cuz it has the best view of sunsets ever. But I was there all weekend. It’s craziness, but this weekend was four days and it feels like I was in class 2 days ago! Where did it go? I can tell you… 16-18 hours in the painting studio and probably just as much playing Mafia with some people who were here during Four day. So that’s basically what I’ve been up to lately. I have a sophomore art project to do, so I pretty much started it this weekend and am 2/3 done, I’m guessing. When I got done with art, I would go to the lounge and play this game for hours and hours. We would finish around 2 or 3 each morning and then I would wake up at 8 so I could go running, shower, get ready, and have breakfast before heading to the painting studio at 10. When there weren’t other people painting, I was able to stay until about 7pm, but when people came to work on their projects, I would feel like uncomfortable and not be able to work as well, so I left after only 4 or 5 hours…anyway, this whole cycle would repeat for the entire weekend. Unfortunately though, tonight we will not be having a game of mafia. I’m super sad. It’s my new favorite. I have gotten to know so many new people and started a bond with them that it’s sorta sad our little 4-day mafia fling is over. I miss them!
For those of you who don’t know what mafia is, let me try to explain. And you must forgive any confusion I give you cuz I just slammed my head into the my bed latter and I’m not thinking perfectly clear. So there is a narrator, a few mafia, a doctor, 1 or 2 sheriffs, and the rest are civilians. The numbers of these characters change depending on how many players there are. So everyone is instructed by the narrator to close their eyes or “go to sleep” and calls first for the mafia to awaken and choose someone to kill. They usually choose a good player or someone who they think is suspicious of who the mafia may be. They silently tell the narrator who will die, and the narrator then asks the sheriff to awaken and silently choose someone they suspect as mafia. The narrator silently tells them yes or know. Then narrator calls for doctor and he or she has to point to someone they think the mafia may have targeted. Then the narrator tells everyone to wake up and announces if there was a death or not (and usually there is unless the doctor is super clever). Next people start accusing people for being mafia and they have to defend themselves. We all vote to kill or keep in the game. And this whole cycle continues until there are no more mafia or more mafia than innocent people. It’s super fun and addicting and it’s great playing with a large group. I met so many people! Strangely, but ok with me, the westmont ratio was flipped! I don’t know. Maybe something about the idea of killing people isn’t as appealing to girls as it is to guys. Hmm. Either way, it was nice for me. At one point I was the only girl out of like 15 people. I got pretty good at e game if I don’t say so myself. I’m still a noob, but steadily improving =)
Well, I feel like all my posts are sorta getting boring, but life in one place just doesn’t seem to be as exciting as it was last semester when I was constantly moving around. Ok. So I just decided that like I start all blogs with a question, I’m gonna end with prayer requests. I have a few tonight that I would really appreciate for if you think of it. 1. I had that job interview last week and don’t find out til next week. I want a different summer job, so pray I either get this one or find another. 2. My head still hurts from hitting it. I’m being a baby about it, I know, but I don’t take pain well. 3. That my sophomore project will turn out well. I’m kinda frustrated with it now, but that’s ok, because a professor told me that I don’t have to have a master piece at the end of each day. 4. I’m starting to stress a bit about all the little things I need to get done, like New Testament readings, art research, Spanish studying, art scholarship application, etc. I know it will all get done, but just kinda not happening at the moment and I want it to be done instantly. Ok enough complaints by me. Praises: it was a four day weekend and I got to see Mom, my sister, her husband, and my brother for a few hours, I got so much painting done, I made so many friends, pinterest is finally letting me load my pictures, only 3 days of classes this week, and I really like wearing jeggings!
I also want to pray for you! Send me a message and I’ll be sure to keep you in mind!! Have a beautiful Wednesday!

Pricing-guns

Have you ever stepped on a crunchy leaf in the fall and were like, “Yes!” out of excitement of the satisfying crunchy-leaf feeling? When I am running and there are a lot of leaves on the ground, I always do my best to step on all of them. I’m sure I look like a freak, running with a really long stride here, and a bunch of tiny strides there….but it’s worth it when I get a really good leaf. Anyway, enough with the leaves. Next topic: pricing-guns. Yesterday at work, the bookstore was kinda slow so I my boss told me I could price sale items! It is the little things in life that make me the most happy =) it was so much fun! It’s an older gun, so you have to manually rotate the wheel thing to set the price, and it is just great. I love that noise and had so much fun. And then to stick the price tag on an item, you just pull the trigger and slap the sticker on! Sooo much fun. The feeling of the trigger clicking in my hands was like stepping on a perfect leaf every time. Everyone else I was working with was laughing at my love of pricing things—except my boss who was making the most out of this strange girl who actually squealed when more pens were brought out to price. But what can I say, I live life through colors and touch. I pet flowers, stomp on leaves, click pricing guns…it’s a great life!  Anyway, other than that, nothing too exciting has been happening in my life. I need to go study for my valentines dates =)

What is your method of procrastination? Is it cleaning things that didn’t seem important for the past 3 weeks, but now as you need to study for the test tomorrow, you realize you can’t think unless your room is clean? That’s what I do…that or roll (on my foam roller) or eat powerberries, rationalizing it by telling myself that I can’t think with a sore back or a hungry stomach. Sometimes I blog…. =) but don’t worry. I don’t have a test tomorrow. I actually don’t have anything due tomorrow, but I need to get stuff done so it doesn’t pile up.
Anyway, that question has nothing to do with what I’m talking about tonight. I said in a post a few days ago that I’ve been writing things down throughout my day so I don’t forget to tell you all about them. There is a huge list so I’m just gonna talk about all of them with no hopes of eloquent transitions; get over it.
2 things I realized while working in the bookstore:
1) I will go fix clothes, organize shelves, or check the food stock when the day is slow and there aren’t any customers. When people do come in, I’ll stop where I am and politely smile and say hello. Nothing too bad about this…unless they don’t realize you work there and conclude that I’m a strange girl that pops her head up when she hears the door open and seems really excited to see who it is. Everything gets explained to them when it comes time for me to check them out (talking totaling their bill and taking their money; don’t be thinking I’m checking out all the people who come in =) )…well, I hope they connect the dots….
2) The way the store is set up, there is a front window and and 2 cash registers in front. So that means when I work the register, my back side is viewed by everyone who walks past. And the store is elevated which means my bum is perfectly eye level to the lucky people outside. Ah good times, good times.
Two more things semi-related to each other, if you make a stretch. I like lists so here comes the 2nd outline of the night…
1) I like to entertain people, so one day I decided to stick a post-it note on the inside of the bathroom stalls labeled “Thought while on the Pot” followed by a profound question regarding toilet-paper prints or 2-ply or what not. It’s great. I change the thought every once in a while. I bet the people I share the bathroom with are wondering what kind of crazy girl moved in at the semester. Oh well! Not my problem =)
2) I decided to make an effort to compliment at least one random person a day. It’s actually really fun. One day I was wearing a skirt and someone who I’ve never seen before walks past me and told me she loved it. It made me really happy and I still remember it. And then I got to thinking that what if I could be that kind of person. You don’t know what someone is going through that day and maybe a kind word is just the thing to get them through it. So that’s my goal. I failed today, I realized, but I forgot cuz I just started this thing last week and the weekends I never see anyone but my friends since everyone is asleep. I could compliment my friends, but it’s not as affective—I dont know if that word should start with an A or E, so I’m leaving it. Friends always compliment each other, but no one ever compliments someone they don’t on. One time I said a lady had beautiful eyes and she lit up and said I made her day. Ironically, I don’t take compliments. They make me feel awkward and that is one awkward situation that I don’t enjoy, and I love awkward moments; they make me laugh. But when that lady said I made her day, that in itself was a compliment. I would really recommend complimenting people—even if it’s a small thing like, “I like your hair” or “you have nice eyelashes”. Try it! Embrace the awkwardness of telling a random person you admire something about them, because they will appreciate your words =)
And now 4 more things that update you on the happenings in my life. Here comes list number 3!!!
1) Have you ever wanted to pop the pills that are made of fell and are squishy? Well I have, but i’ve never wanted to waste one. But now I have a tub of 400 fish oil pills so I figured I could spare one. It was surprisingly tough to pop. I thought they were gentle things, but nope! They are feisty little buggers! I had to twist and squeeze that hung for like 5 minutes, but it eventually popped. It was satisfying. Like crunching on a dry leaf in the fall. It squirted all over the sink and my hands. It was great…and then I realized I had the President’s Ball to go to in an hour and my hands smelled like I just went deep-sea fishing. Oops! I scrubbed and lathered for a few minutes and drenched my hands in nice-smelling lotion (which I don’t have any, I realized. I had to take some of Julia’s). Eventually the fishy smell wore off and I was able to go to the ball without a stench following my phalanges.
2) What a lovely transition to Saturday night. I went to the first dance of 2012! The presidents ball is a dance in the gym where people dress up and jump to the beat. There is a dance competition where like 5 couples compete with their skill of dance moves to all kinds of music: ball room, swing, modern, etc. it was a lot of fun. I stayed about an hour and a half after the competition was over and everyone danced to the songs. It was a strange DJ, but the songs weren’t inappropriate most of the time. Yeah, that’s all I’ve got to say about Pres Ball.
3) The next day was Sunday and that means Super Bowl! Ken and Kim invited everyone they know to their house for tri-tip and cookies. I went for the cookies. I normally vote for the team with the least slutty cheerleaders, but I never saw any so I just voted for the team with the better color scheme. So that would be the blue team. They had silver pants and they seemed well dressed, for guys wearing padded tights. The other team had dull grey pants and they just didn’t stand out well. Also the grass was dull and the lighting was harsh so it didn’t make them look too great. I don’t know who played or , although I think someone said something about giants and patriarchs. I thought the giants were a baseball team in california? Oh well! Not my problem. The cookies were good, as usual. I didn’t have tri-tip, obviously. Then I went home to do homework. I don’t know who won. But I did see some funny commercials. Love them!
4) And today was interesting too! I kept thinking it was Tuesday or Wednesday cuz it was so along, but alas. I had a lot of small errands to run so I didn’t get lunch. (ps. For breakfast I had a Jamie Lee Curtis yogurt. All you Harvard Sailing team Fans can appreciate that). Anyway, so I got to work and was starving. I only had 66¢ in my wallet and let me tell you, there is nothing nutritionious in the bookstore for 66¢. I ended up with 5 York mints to hold me off til 3:30. After work I went to the DC and got a small bowl of cereal and stole 2 apples and 2 bananas for later. Back in my room, I checked emails and Facebook and what not until Megan announced that Yogurtland was giving out free yogurt cuz its national yogurt day! Yay! So immediately I texts all my friends who have cars and asked if they wanted yogurt and to. Drive me, Megan and Jess. So I had Yogurtland for dinner! It was great. They had smaller bowls, but you got whatever you could fit in it, so why not pack it in!? Good times! I have the best adventures with Yogurtland. It is always a spontaneous excursion. Love it. Oh! I also had my first Wetzels Pretzels after Yogurtland. Not free, but something more that sugary frozen yogurt. After that fun died down and we go back to school, I did some homework and decided to blog. Thus all this.
Tomorrow I’m taking my professor to lunch in the DC. Just cuz. Westmont gives students passes to take a professor to lunch. They really encourage student/teacher bonding. It’s great. Charlotte is going with me too cuz I don’t even on this guy, but want to get to know him so I don’t get too scared for his test. I find I feel better about tests once I get to know the teacher, especially if he remembers—next week when he has to grade the test—that I asked him on a date =) don’t worry guys. He’s married and likes country music. Not going for that kinda guy =) anyways, I should get back to studying like a good little girl. I need carbs. Wish I had some toast. Ps. Toast is my favorite word. Along with Chicago. Night!

Laundry and butterflies on a Saturday morning

Two embarrassing short stories that happened to me before it was 10 this morning:
1. I screamed on the way to breakfast when a vicious butterfly tried to bomb dive me. I don’t think anyone other than Jess heard my high-pitched outburst, but it was still embarrassing since I also sorta crouched and hid behind her…..
2. It’s been 4 weeks since I school started and add a couple days since I got here, and I finally ran out of underwear, which means laundry day!! I’ve never been in the laundry room and got lost trying to find it. You should know that it’s in the basement of my building…..
Anyway, that’s it for now. I have a lot to talk about and have been writing them on random scraps of paper, but there is a school dance tonight and I have to get homework and whatnot before I can go. I’m in a very productive mood so I am getting a lot done. Just took an after-lunch break to inform you of my morning embarrassments =)

Have a beautiful day

What is something you’ve done in your life that you are super proud of? I didn’t get to run very much in Europe or Israel, so by the end of last semester, I was craving it as much as I crave powerberries. True story. The first thing I did as soon as I got off the plane and parked at my house was change clothes and go for run. Talk about jet lag =) well ever since that day, I have been running everyday. It’s basically my drug. Now that I’m on a more strict schedule—what with school and the beach (well, let’s be honest, they are basically the same thing)—I have decided to give my body a rest and only run 6 days a week. It’s not a crazy run where I end up on top of a mountain or at the beach. In fact it’s only like 15 minutes, only one counter-clockwise loop around the campus. I think I’ve gotten it down to like 12 minutes now. But the other day I decided to live on the edge of life and mix things up a bit. I did a clockwise loop around campus! *gasp* no but really. You should gasp. There is a hill from the bottom of campus to the top that gets super steep by the library. I’m talking like 45° slopes here.
I’ve been wanting to push myself harder, but have been so stuck in the daily routine of life, that I haven’t bothered to try running up the slope, and honestly, I hate failing, and didn’t want to risk failure.
Spoiler alert: this is where I get all preachy and what not =)
One day after my personal conditioning class, I was heading out for my daily run and a truck was blocking my path to my normal running route. So I was forced to go the other way….meaning UP THE HILL!! The slight incline from the track field to the art building wasn’t so bad, but then I was faced with this enormous hill in front of my face. I felt like the slope was so steep that I was basically parallel to the ground as my legs struggled to raise up and make the next step. But the whole time, I wouldn’t let myself see how much farther I had to go to get to the top. I remembered seeing the guys cross-country team running up the hill during a race last year and the pain in their faces and sweat dripping from them made them look miserable, and I was so glad that didn’t have to ever go through that. And now I find myself in the exact same situation that they were. I was panting and my legs were burning. I wanted to just stop and walk the rest of the way, but I kept pushing myself. Never looking up. Taking one step at a time. It kept getting steeper. Don’t look up. Look at the next step, not a bit further. Don’t look up. A few more steps. And then! Lo and behold! I made it to the top! The next day I was super sore and tired, but I was proud of myself, felt great, and was that much stronger.
As I was running, I got the strongest sensation that this whole situation is a parable of life. Everyone has his own daily schedule, just going through it like the day before, but sometimes there is something unexpected thrown into your path, and you are forced to go an unexpected direction you were avoiding. It’s harder than what you are used to, and it hurts. You wonder if you will be able to make it through, and are constantly worried about the future—wanting to look ahead of the present, which seems only to be getting harder. Will it ever get easier? Is there even an end? But let me tell you, there is an end!! I’ve seen it!
Life’s trials are hard and uncomfortable, and afterwards you may be worn out. but you’ll get through them, you will be so proud of yourself, feel better, and be that much stronger. Don’t give up and walk the rest of the hill cuz its only going slower up the same trial. Give it your best and don’t let it take you.

Just a spoonful of powerberries make the fish oil go down!

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what food would it be?
I have thought long and hard about this one and I have decided on Powerberries that Trader Joe’s sell. I seriously would have no trouble living life on those alone. They are my favorite food. It has plenty of antioxidants and good berry juices and — above all — dark chocolate. If I had a boyfriend who was about to propose and he gave me the option of powerberries or a diamond ring, I would have to think about it for a significant amount of time. If I ever went to jail (on false pretenses of course) I would be perfectly fine living there until the world ended as long as they gave me powerberries.
Anyways, if I think about this any more, I’m gonna eat the whole bag that Mom brought me today! That’s right! Mommy came to visit me!! I was a happy camper. She also brought me my roller skates, barbed wire for my art project, paper work I have to fill out, face wash, brownie cups with marshmallows on top, my teddy bear I forgot at home, and calcium and fish oil tablets….more of those to come, but first let me just say how excited I was Mom came! I don’t get homesick at all—not even in Europe did I ever feel a pain to be home. A couple times I wished I was in my own bed or didn’t have to climb another freakin’ israeli tel, but I never was to the point that I wanted to leave (although Israel was the exception after the hike of death…refer to 4months1suitcase.tumblr.com to read about last semester for me). But this semester I have had a hard time adjusting and knowing where I fit in. Am I best with friends from last year, the friends from Europe who just had the same experience as I did, or am I supposed to blend them and make westmont a huge family party where all my friends know everyone else and that makes us all BFFs? I don’t know. Either way, I have been feeling a bit confused lately. Prayers in that department would be greatly appreciated. Anyway, so seeing Mom today made me super happy and i loved walking on the beach and eating lunch and collecting sea glass with her. I love her so much! Thanks for all that you are to me Mom!
Speaking of personal conditioning, my instructor recommended us to take multivitamins, calcium, and fish oil. So that is why Mom brought me those yummy tablets. I’m basically wanting them because I’m pretty sure Rupunzel from the movie Tangled took fish oil to make her hair so perfect. And from now on, I will be taking 6 pills a night: 1 multivitamin, 2 calcium, and 3 fish oil tablets. Yum!
Ok here is my next perfect transition to the next topic: “so that’s my life from present to future, now let’s discuss the past!” amazing wasn’t it? Anyways… (oh you should know I love putting s’s at the end of words, especially with anyways and oks) I haven’t blogs since the 25th and it is now the 29th! Time flies doesn’t it? Basically, I did a lot of school and work and homework and application writing in the past 4 days. I have a Spanish test on Wednesday which I’m pretty nervous for, so prayers for that please, and I’m still not in the homework mind frame—unless it’s art or “rolling” for personal conditioning—so prayers for that, work is awesome and I love it, so praise for that, and I’m applying for a job at the college this summer, so prayers for that. So basically westmont never takes a break and have groups here in the summer and need people to help work at it, so I’m applying for it. I really want this job. I’ve been working at the same camp for 6 years on minimum wage and I’m ready for a change of duties. This job is not the ideal job of my summer life, but it is at my second home and that’s good enough for me =) so yeah, if you could keep that in the back of your mind and send a prayer to the Big Man uptop anytime you think of it, that’d be great!
Ummmm….I have a few more things that I’ve been wanting to say, but don’t think I’ve said them yet. I tell the same stories so many times that I forget who has heard them. So skim this if you’ve already heard it, but I’m writing it anyway… 3 things about my Spanish professor: 1) she will comment on my foam roller everyday I have it in class. It’s not something I can discretely hide next to my desk. Nope. She makes a point of letting everyone know I have it and am a sporty, fit person. It’s so funny. I love her! 2) you know how in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding the father always relates every word back to the Greek origin? Well this is my Dr. Cardoso except with Spanish. “give me a word and I will tell you it’s Spanish roots!” 3) one of my favorite quotes of hers is “if you’re not a little crazy, you never laugh.” she is awesome. She’s just another fact that westmont has the best everything!
Anyways, I have a tv show loading and want to watch it so I can sleep. So night! Don’t forget to take your daily vitamins and powerberries! =)