Monday, September 21, 2009

     Ahhh... SUCH a crazy good weekend! I don't even know where to start. Katrina's friend Arnie came into town from Douglass on Friday, and after they spent the entire afternoon together, the three of us all went to Coldstone!! I can't even remember the last time I had ice cream from Coldstone... it was very satisfying!! Ha... Meeting Arnie went fine enough, and after Coldstone he hung around the dorm for a whle. We all played Phase 10 (at which I dominated, may I say ;D), and Katrina and I went to bed seriously excited for the weekend we had planned :).
     After sleeping in much longer than intended on Saturday, Katrina and I met up with Arnie, who took us to the Tucson Mall! I delighted myself with the purchase of a new pair of Vans and a couple of new tops from Forever 21... then, after a much hurried exit from the mall, we headed to Target to do some essentials shopping, after which we rushed back to the dorm so Katrina and I could change and make it back to Broadway to be on time for our 7:30 pm reservaton at the Macaroni Grill... of course, we were fifteen minutes late. Haha. We met Katrina and Arnie's friends there for dinner, Luis and Maritza. I was a little nervous about the whole dinner arrangement... I felt like I was going to be the one big city girl in a group of people who all came from the same small town. Anyways, they were so welcoming and accepting and we had such a nice dinner... their other friend Jon showed up just a little late, and it ended up being sort of like a triple date (unintentionally, of course)... Luis and Maritza, who are actually together (and SO cute!), Arnie an Katrina, and Jon and myself.
     It was honestly some of the most fun I've ever had! Jon was incredibly attentive and sweet, and he and I had some very nice conversation :). All of us did, really... and then, when the waitress came after dessert (Oh LORD the tiramisu!!! Ahhhh...) and asked us how she wanted us to split the bill, Jon just picked mine up, so suavely, no problem! I was so shocked... that has never happened before! But as Katrina told me later and as I continued to learn throughout the night, those Douglas boys are real gentlemen. I'm still impressed by the chivalry of it all... but really, they are some of the nicest people I have ever met!
     After dinner, we all headed back to our dorm, where I met up with Sam and Garrett!! It was so so so good to see Sam after such a long time (I missed him!!) and Garret too! Katrina and I changed out of our fancies, and then we all headed over to the bowling alley :). Sam, Garret and I rode in Sam's gorgeous Mustang- they gave me shotgun, of course ;) and when we got there, Jon paid for me AGAIN! I was seriously so swept away by him the entire night. I've never met guys who are such gentlemen before-- and that's how ALL of Katrina's friends are! But anyways, we had an incredibly amazing time bowling- Sam and Garret kicked so much butt I'm pretty sure no one in the alley had theirs left when the game was over. Haha... and I definitely found out that I SUCK at bowling! I even threw the ball backwards at one point... I know I keep repeating how much fun I had, but after being cooped up on campus for a whole month I think it's allowable. Sam and Garret left a little early, which I was pretty sad about, but I got a little better at the game after they left (ha!).
     Around one, when cosmic bowling ended, Katrina, Arnie, Jon, and I all went back to Luis' apartment and just hung out for... well... a LONG time. Once again, I was astounded by the kind of guys these guys are! When we got to Luis' apartment, he was doing dishes and cleaning his kitchen! All of his rooms are very nicely decorated, and he keeps everything so clean and nice. I was VERY impressed. So we all talked and hung out and watched tv and other shenanigans, and just being out of the dorm and around different people was probably some of the best therapy Katrina and I could have had :). After getting to bed around, oh I don't know... 5:30 am or such (ha!) and having a tour of the apartment complex (it is SO nice... Katrina and I are considering living there next year!) Katrina, Arnie and I went to the Park Place Mall.
     On a slightly less jolly note, today I was again reassured that God really does have such a specific plan for all of us... that everything really, truly does happen for a reason. I'm so thankful for those moments when parts of God's plan for you are totally and completely clear, and I only hope and pray that He gives us the wisdom to make the right choices to carry it out.
     Anyways, it was an absolutely fabulous weekend :). New clothes, new friends, OFF campus, good food... it couldn't have been any better. Tomorrow (well, today, really!) I don't have class until noon, but I have my first Chemistry exam at five o'clock. Which I am going to ACE! haha...
     Dobranoc.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Stop and Stare...do you see what I see?

     I am so incredibly happy with the path my life is taking lately. I feel like I've learned so much recently, like I've grown so much and become a different person- for the better! I've become more responsible- moving out and living on my own has turned out to be a much more positive experience than I was bargaining for. I'm not having trouble staying ahead in all of my work, I'm not feeling overwhelmed, I've created a wonderfully structured schedule that I'm reveling in... I'm not used to being in complete and utter control over the way my day runs, and I love the way I've chosen to make it. I miss my mom and grandparents and home like crazy, but I feel like being away and having that longing to go home and be with my famly has only made me learn to appreciate the things I value even more.
     I feel so proud of myself- I'm accomplishing so much, and I can't see anything but success down the road. I could never bear to disappoint my family... they've given me so much in life that I couldn't begin to repay them (but then again, that's what family's for, right?). I think that doing well and taking positive advantages of the amazing opportunities I've earned is what I owe them, at least. And I'm happy to work hard for that!
     I'm loving college so much more than I thought I would! Of course, as Chelsea so blatantly points out to me in contrast to her own sparkling social life, I hardly ever do anything- meaning, I never go out to parties, or come in from a night on the town at two o'clock in the morning... but in all honesty I am perfectly content with my quiet order of things! I love waking up early to get ready for class every morning; I love going to class and learning and participating and interacting with so many of the people whose company I've come to enjoy so much; I love taking the free time I have in between class to nap or catch up on my reading; I love coming home to my dorm at the end of the day to a roommate that I couldn't imagine being more compatible with to do my homework and study and relax. I'm so perfectly content with being a studious, relaxed, laid-back Honors student :).
     Katrina and I do get along amazingly well, though. I feel like I've known her for years and years! I was so worried that I'd end up with a roommate who insisted on keeping habits detrimental to the success of my own... but the things in common that I share with Katrina constantly surprise us! Despite the fact that she sleeps a little too late for my taste, things couldn't be going better. Our one-AM burrito snack sessions never get old (or less fun!) and I giggle whenever I think of how many times we've stayed up until four in the morning, talking and laughing and doing what friends do. I feel so lucky that I'm able to say that I'm friends with my roommate. It's going to be so wierd to live with someone else next year! And quite fitting to the fact that she's three years older than me, she takes very good care of me! I was sick a few days ago, and she made sure I was eating well and practically forced the orange juice down my throat! And then, tonight (which is the one-month anniversary of our living together!) she took me out for my inaugural Highland Market breakfast burrito! All I can say is this: perfection! I've never eaten a more delicious breakfast burrito in my life :). I've also introduced her to the wonder that is Gilmore Girls- she's addicted! She's also much more dedicated to studying (in the purest form of the word) than I am, which has been a lovely influence on me, I might add.
     To add to the goodness that just keeps on going, Sam is coming to visit this weekend! I am so excited to see him- I think it's important to say here that I was truly blessed with amazing friends in high school, and I'm so glad that I've been able to call Sam my friend since junior high! We're going cosmic bowling on Saturday night with Katrina and her friend that's coming to visit her. It should be a jolly group :D... I know I'm becoming a bit repetitive, but I'm so excited! Katrina and I have also planned to celebrate our one-month-roommate-anniversary by going SHOPPING! We're going to go schmooze around the Tucson Mall, and hit Target and Safeway for some essentials! Then, next weekend, Katrina invited me to go home with her! I definitely think I'm going to take her up on her offer... it should be so good to get out of our little bubble on campus!
    

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Leave me paralyzed, love...

     So, everyone knows that no matter who you are, where you come from, where you go, and who you meet... there is always going to be someone in your life that you can never forget. Someone that leaves such an impression on your life; someone who affects you and grabs hold of you in a way that won't ever allow you to let go. It doesn't matter in the slightest bit that you only knew this person for a few months, weeks, days... that you never kissed them or spent the night with them or went to one of their family parties and met their second-cousin-thrice-removed. It doesn't matter if you never knew their favorite color or who their favorite football team is; it wouldn't even matter if you knew everything about them in every way, shape, and form that you could know those things. I think that in life, some people just attack who you are- not in a violent, I'ma-tough-kid-who-puts-you-down kind of attacking, here... they challenge you, inspire you, feel you, understand you, fit-into-who-you-are-as-a-person puzzle-piece you. And the people who do that... how can you ever forget those relationships? The effect that their simply being can have?
     That's the kind of person that leaves you paralyzed. Completely hypnotized; stuck in a moment in time that you can't escape from. How entirely fair that is can of course be tossed completely to hell, but there's no way to walk away from something that once had you so completely locked down and never let go again. It's like you walked away but left everything that meant everything there, in that one place... and how do you get it back again? And there's no way to prove that it's really that one person holding you in that place... which begs the question of how exactly you're supposed to accept the consequence of that part of your life, and to grasp movement and move on. How do you untwist yourself, unentangle yourself from something that never gave you the okay to let go? How do you keep it from brushing against every other thing you ever try to accomplish after it, without it completely pulling you back again?
     I'm quite sure that I'm rambling now... Adieu.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

And That's What You Get When You Let Your Heart Win...

Head under water, and you tell me to breathe easy for a while...
Jeez it's been a bit since I've so interestingly updated the world on my life! Since August 30th, my lazy last post, lots of shenanigans have gone on! I went home for Labor Day weekend, which was simply amazing. I had SO much fun! I got home around seven o'clock, and la familia took me out to dinner at Village Inn- I forgot how good it could be! Then, after much laughing and remembering how much I missed home, I went to the football game at Desert Ridge! It was nice to be back, and I saw some wonderfully familiar faces (Sam! and of course my little senior babies, Gabby, Katie, Samantha, and Rachel!) and overall, had a grand old time remembering how much fun high school was. It did make me realize how ready I am to accept that high school is over, though!
Then on Saturday, I went to Costco with my grandparents- always fun! The highlight of the day was dinner with Chelsea, though. We went to Nando's for dinner and BJ's for dessert (mmm... pizookie!!)- I forgot how much I missed her!!! Then on Sunday, Chel and I went and got a pair of THE most amazing pedicures we've EVER had! Thank God for our normal place being closed on holidays! Ha. Then, Sunday night, I went to Chel's family's Labor Day party... Oh so much fun. I can't even describe how much I love being part of their family like I am :). Leaving them all that night felt like leaving my OWN family- even Chelsea's parents' friends! I guess that over all the years that Chelsea and I have been best friends, I've just wiggled my way into my own little cozy spot in their lives. They really make me feel like another daughter... I feel so blessed to have TWO such amazing families!
School has been alright lately as well. I figured out that I do NOT, in fact, enjoy my Honors Quest class... I get frustrated even thinking about it! My professor is ridiculous- the way he speaks is so obscure and he just rambles on and on about things that all of us are pretty sure are irrelevant to getting our assignments done. And then there's this INSANE thing called The Institute that has a huge part in running the course- it's so vague and mysterious and confusing that I sometimes have references to The Company, for you Prison Break/Heroes fans. What if it's a conspiracy to brainwash us?! I wouldn't be surprised- Ha! Tomorrow they're sending us out on a scavenger hunt in small groups for points... and we're all still about 85% confused about what exactly it is that we're doing. Wish me luck!
On a more depressing note, I'm finding myself lately becoming re-entangled in the emotional mess that was my life junior and senior year in high school... and in all honestly I'm NOT enjoying the dramatic reminiscences at all. I hope I can find a way to resolve all this convolution soon, and in a much pleasanter way that I did in high school. One of the things I was most looking forward to about college was leaving all that silly romance drama behind and just being able to be happy... I hope I can make it that way again soon. All this junk is making me realize, though, how utterly and completely lost I would be in life without those amazing people that I am blessed enough to call my friends. :). I've also been reminded of the catharsis that is good music... subscribe to the gift, people! ;)
And on that odd note... I say, bonne nuit.