i am FINALLY at an ihs seminar.
in an effort to maximize my time with brittney, she, her boyfriend, and i made a pact to stay awake for something like 2 days straight. that worked out well until early this morning, when we couldn't even keep our eyes open, so we went to bed at 4:30 am with very intention of waking up an hour from then.
at 9:30 am, spider (brittney's boyfriend) ran into my room freaking out over my train, which had left the raleigh station hours before. nope, not even close to what time i needed to wake up. we three all just overslept, through our alarms and all.
brittney stepped up to the plate by being an AMAZING friend and drove me all the way to winston-salem from raleigh. i think this makes me forever in her debt. ;)
so, now i'm at the ihs seminar. it's all right, i guess. the subject matter of the lectures is interesting, and wake forest university is a gorgeous institution, but i still feel a tad uneasy around my fellow student. however, i came all this way, so i'm keeping an open mind.
speaking of which, i've realized that i seldom take the "easy" path in life; i much prefer the "difficult" one. however, i've decided that i am more than okay with this. i may have chosen a difficult major at a school that's burying me in debt, but honestly, how boring would life be if i always opted for the easy choice? a lack of challenge would be, simply put, dull. my life as i know it will be much more interesting for me to watch on the videotape in heaven than one had it been easy. :P
i guess i'm going to try to get some sleep. my first lecture is at 9 am tomorrow, and i'm terrified of sleeping in too late. :( more on the ihs seminar as it comes.
31 May 2009
29 May 2009
if i could start again, a million miles away, i would keep myself, i would find a way
i'm currently torn between lamenting my poorly made decisions within the recent past (most of which stemmed from me being overly wound up and bitchy) and throwing my hands into the air in resignation.
specifically speaking, what i should have done this summer is skipped my cousin's bar mitzvah and the no doubt concert in bakersfield, postponed my jury duty until june, lived in that apartment in arlington with paul until after the ihs seminar, taken the train to winston-salem to attend the ihs seminar, and not go back to california until mid-june.
however, i was not able to do this because:
these are all stupid reasons that demonstrate my lack of research where it was necessary, but it is what it is. currently, i'm conflicted between dwelling on these and trying to move on from all this. i'm going to south africa soon... i want to put all of this behind me. unfortunately, however, i can't.
that all being said, north carolina is great. i am having a fab time with brittney. it's too bad my mind is so preoccupied, though. oh well... we nonetheless managed to go out tonight and went to this gay club. definitely the lamest club i've ever been to. the music was nothing i'd even ever heard (even on 80s night! ugh), there was a serious lack of people, and the people who were there were either straight or 50. gross.
tomorrow, we're (hopefully) going to the natural sciences museum, then we're partying it up for her boyfriend's birthday. i love how popular i am in north carolina! ;)
specifically speaking, what i should have done this summer is skipped my cousin's bar mitzvah and the no doubt concert in bakersfield, postponed my jury duty until june, lived in that apartment in arlington with paul until after the ihs seminar, taken the train to winston-salem to attend the ihs seminar, and not go back to california until mid-june.
however, i was not able to do this because:
- i'd already promised my family i'd attend my cousin's bar mitzvah
- i'd already bought the tickets to the concert in bakersfield
- i didn't know i could postpone my jury duty any further
- i didn't think i'd be able to afford living in paul's apartment (even though money's way worse for me right now because of not having a job)
- i didn't want my family getting upset with me
these are all stupid reasons that demonstrate my lack of research where it was necessary, but it is what it is. currently, i'm conflicted between dwelling on these and trying to move on from all this. i'm going to south africa soon... i want to put all of this behind me. unfortunately, however, i can't.
that all being said, north carolina is great. i am having a fab time with brittney. it's too bad my mind is so preoccupied, though. oh well... we nonetheless managed to go out tonight and went to this gay club. definitely the lamest club i've ever been to. the music was nothing i'd even ever heard (even on 80s night! ugh), there was a serious lack of people, and the people who were there were either straight or 50. gross.
tomorrow, we're (hopefully) going to the natural sciences museum, then we're partying it up for her boyfriend's birthday. i love how popular i am in north carolina! ;)
26 May 2009
i'm a geek
as a result of my escalating concern over my parents' belief that i am going to south carolina tomorrow, i spent a good portion of today writing them this e-mail. i was so proud of myself for having written it that i am now passing it on to you, my faithful blog reader.
∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
Hi Mom and Dad. Here is a recapitulation about my upcoming trip to North Carolina.
May 26
∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
that managed to kill a lot of time today. also, i created my flight dossier, which you can view by clicking here. (i think that all i've got missing is a few flights from when i was a kid, as well as my seat assignments for some of my earliest flights. i did, however, research the types of airplanes used for each of my flights, and this information is included in my dossier.)
all in all, a very geeky day.
∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
Hi Mom and Dad. Here is a recapitulation about my upcoming trip to North Carolina.
May 26
- Transportation to LAX Airport: Dad is driving me in the morning. We're leaving the house at 10:30 am.
- Delta Airlines 152: Leaves LAX at 12:55 pm. Arrives at ATL at 8:21 pm.
- Delta Airlines 1612: Leaves ATL at 9:24 pm. Arrives at RDU at 10:54 pm.
- Transportation from RDU Airport: Brittney is picking me up and driving me to her house, where I am staying.
- Brittney's address: □□□□□□□□□□, Cary, NC 27513
- Brittney's phone number: (□□□) □□□-□□□□
- Spent with Brittney; staying at her house.
- Spent with Brittney; staying at her house.
- Spent with Brittney; staying at her house.
- Transportation to Raleigh Amtrak station: Provided by Brittney.
- Amtrak - Piedmont Line #73: Leaves Raleigh station at 6:50 am. Arrives at High Point station at 8:40 am.
- Amtrak - Thruway Bus Line #6073: Leaves High Point station at 9:15 am. Arrives at Winston-Salem Transit Center station at 9:45 am.
- Winston Salem City Bus #5 (Outbound): Leaves Transit Center at 10:00 am. Arrives at Wake Forest University at 10:25 am.
- Check in for IHS Seminar from 1:00 pm - 2:45 pm.
- IHS Seminar: Wake Forest University, Luter Hall, 1834 Wake Forest Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27106
- Contact person: Kyle McNeel (seminar director)
- Contact phone number: (□□□) □□□-□□□□ (for non-emergencies); (□□□) □□□-□□□□ (for emergencies)
- IHS Seminar; staying in Luter Hall at Wake Forest University.
- IHS Seminar; staying in Luter Hall at Wake Forest University.
- IHS Seminar; staying in Luter Hall at Wake Forest University.
- IHS Seminar; staying in Luter Hall at Wake Forest University.
- IHS Seminar; staying in Luter Hall at Wake Forest University.
- Transportation from Winston-Salem to DC: Via private car, driven by Neal Rivera.
- Neal's phone number: (□□□) □□□-□□□□
- Accomodations in DC: Staying with Joe Henchman.
- Joe's address: □□□□□□□□□□, Arlington, VA 22201
- Joe's phone number: (□□□) □□□-□□□□
- Spent with Joe; staying at his house.
- Spent with Joe; staying at his house.
- Spent with Joe; staying at his house.
- Spent with Joe; staying at his house.
- Transportation to DCA Airport: Washington metro.
- Delta Airlines 8996: Leaves DCA at 9:15 am. Arrives at LAX at 11:48 am.
- LAX Flyaway Bus - Union Station Route: Leaves LAX at 12:30 pm. Arrives at Union Station at 1:00 pm.
- Metrolink - Ventura County Line #109: Leaves Union Station at 1:10 pm. Arrives at Moorpark station at 2:20 pm.
∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
that managed to kill a lot of time today. also, i created my flight dossier, which you can view by clicking here. (i think that all i've got missing is a few flights from when i was a kid, as well as my seat assignments for some of my earliest flights. i did, however, research the types of airplanes used for each of my flights, and this information is included in my dossier.)
all in all, a very geeky day.
24 May 2009
jury duty and no doubt
i've been meaning to write for a while, but i've actually been busy... quite a feat for me as i am currently in ventura county! however, last week was chock full with doctor's appointments (for vaccinations), visa application paperwork madness, reading for the impending ihs seminar, and (the least common of these) hanging out with old friends. i'm quite proud of myself for staying so busy, and in fact i wish i had a little more time to relax and get stuff done before i leave for north carolina on tuesday.
speaking of which, here's a more comprehensive list of my upcoming schedule:
anyway, since arriving back in california, in addition to all the aforementioned activities, i attended the bar mitzvah of one of my cousins, as well as jury duty and a no doubt concert. the former was actually fun and turned into me spending the entire weekend down in long beach. my family is totally crazy, and i think i am going to write a book about them all some day. but, that's what makes them (us?) amazing. :)
jury duty was, well, jury duty. i probably would have been more willing to serve if i didn't have my impending north carolina trip, doctor's appointments, and a job interview (which fell through anyway, so don't even ask). people are interesting with regards to what lengths they'll go to in order to escape getting placed on a jury ("your honor, i have a list of reasons why i shouldn't be on a jury. want to hear them?" "yes." "uhh...").
the no doubt concert, in contrast, was AWESOME. bakersfield (where we went for the concert) is still a shithole, and they didn't come on until over 2 hours after the concert after the concert began (thanks to the 2 opening bands and technical delays), but once they did get going they kicked ass. they are so amazing to watch live. gwen is so energetic and interacted with us (the audience) so well. she even ran out into the audience at one point... i nearly died of excitement! my only complaint is she didn't perform any of her "rare" songs (you're so foxy being my favorite of these), but i guess that's to be expected at a comeback concert like this one.
in the near future (that is, before tuesday), i need to not only finish up/submit my visa application, but finish my reading for ihs as well. i'm gonna make an ass of myself there. i feel like such a retard. :(
nevertheless, for now, being home is withstandable (and, dare i say, enjoyable), and i've still got a few more days before i leave for raleigh in order to accomplish all of this. i need not to procrastinate, though, which for me might be asking for the stars. ;)
bed.
speaking of which, here's a more comprehensive list of my upcoming schedule:
- may 26 → to cary, nc to spend some time with brittney
- may 30 → to winston-salem, nc for the ihs seminar
- june 5 → to washington, dc to spend time with my friends up there
- june 10 → back to thousand oaks, ca
- july 13 → to cape town, south africa (arriving july 15)
anyway, since arriving back in california, in addition to all the aforementioned activities, i attended the bar mitzvah of one of my cousins, as well as jury duty and a no doubt concert. the former was actually fun and turned into me spending the entire weekend down in long beach. my family is totally crazy, and i think i am going to write a book about them all some day. but, that's what makes them (us?) amazing. :)
jury duty was, well, jury duty. i probably would have been more willing to serve if i didn't have my impending north carolina trip, doctor's appointments, and a job interview (which fell through anyway, so don't even ask). people are interesting with regards to what lengths they'll go to in order to escape getting placed on a jury ("your honor, i have a list of reasons why i shouldn't be on a jury. want to hear them?" "yes." "uhh...").
the no doubt concert, in contrast, was AWESOME. bakersfield (where we went for the concert) is still a shithole, and they didn't come on until over 2 hours after the concert after the concert began (thanks to the 2 opening bands and technical delays), but once they did get going they kicked ass. they are so amazing to watch live. gwen is so energetic and interacted with us (the audience) so well. she even ran out into the audience at one point... i nearly died of excitement! my only complaint is she didn't perform any of her "rare" songs (you're so foxy being my favorite of these), but i guess that's to be expected at a comeback concert like this one.
in the near future (that is, before tuesday), i need to not only finish up/submit my visa application, but finish my reading for ihs as well. i'm gonna make an ass of myself there. i feel like such a retard. :(
nevertheless, for now, being home is withstandable (and, dare i say, enjoyable), and i've still got a few more days before i leave for raleigh in order to accomplish all of this. i need not to procrastinate, though, which for me might be asking for the stars. ;)
bed.
16 May 2009
come fly with me
i realized today that, in the past year, i lost roughly $350 to the airlines due to my not purchasing my flight reservations for the correct dates, then having to purchase new reservations due to certain airlines' lameass rules preventing refunds. that doesn't even count the time i had to buy a last-minute ticket from dc to california that time i missed my flight. in other words, my finances are a mess, and i'm afraid it's all my fault.
that all being said, i arrived back in california today. hopefully, i can save some money by not having to spend it on 2 months' rent, thus "recovering my losses" vis-à-vis the aforementioned flight travesties. actually, however, i'm enjoying myself so far... i know, i've only been here for a few hours, but hey, i'm usually sick of it by now. looking at my schedule, i'm due to be really busy while i'm here, which will be nice with regards to giving my life a sense of purpose. i have an interview at a temp agency on tuesday, too, so hopefully if they can give me some assignments i can make some dough in that way.
i've come to the conclusion that, even though i don't like actually flying in practice, i like the concept of flying. i realize this a very white thing of me to do, but it makes me feel important. ;) i mean, if i didn't go to school so far away that i had to fly, i'd probably still be flying as seldom as i did before college. instead, i feel all businessman-like and awesome! :)
speaking of which, on may 26, i'm flying to raleigh to spend a few days there with jack before i go on to the ihs seminar in fabulous winston-salem (that's sarcasm... they sent us a "list" of things to do and there were all of 2 bullet points). afterward, i'm hitching a ride up to dc, where i'll get to see everybody for a few blessèd days before i take my 5-month leave of absence from the national capital area. now that's gonna be weird.
so, as you can tell, this all involves a lot more flying for me. i'm not enthralled that this is where all my money seems to go, but what else can i do? i'm currently bicoastal, and i can't seem to escape that until i'm through with my undergrad.
my flights (baltimore to burbank via phoenix) today were okay. southwest is a weird airline.
anyway, my 20th birthday was fabulous. thanks to all for the great birthday wishes. on wednesday (my actual birthday), i went to black cat with joanna and saw the thermals. definitely a great show. at the end, i shook the bassist's hand and told her that i loved her, and she told me that she loves me back! yay! ♥ yesterday was my 1990s-themed party, which was fun, albeit bittersweet. i'm definitely going to miss that crew (and, in fact, i already do). pics will be on facebook soon.
all right, i'm falling asleep... it feels so much later than it is. will write more later.
that all being said, i arrived back in california today. hopefully, i can save some money by not having to spend it on 2 months' rent, thus "recovering my losses" vis-à-vis the aforementioned flight travesties. actually, however, i'm enjoying myself so far... i know, i've only been here for a few hours, but hey, i'm usually sick of it by now. looking at my schedule, i'm due to be really busy while i'm here, which will be nice with regards to giving my life a sense of purpose. i have an interview at a temp agency on tuesday, too, so hopefully if they can give me some assignments i can make some dough in that way.
i've come to the conclusion that, even though i don't like actually flying in practice, i like the concept of flying. i realize this a very white thing of me to do, but it makes me feel important. ;) i mean, if i didn't go to school so far away that i had to fly, i'd probably still be flying as seldom as i did before college. instead, i feel all businessman-like and awesome! :)
speaking of which, on may 26, i'm flying to raleigh to spend a few days there with jack before i go on to the ihs seminar in fabulous winston-salem (that's sarcasm... they sent us a "list" of things to do and there were all of 2 bullet points). afterward, i'm hitching a ride up to dc, where i'll get to see everybody for a few blessèd days before i take my 5-month leave of absence from the national capital area. now that's gonna be weird.
so, as you can tell, this all involves a lot more flying for me. i'm not enthralled that this is where all my money seems to go, but what else can i do? i'm currently bicoastal, and i can't seem to escape that until i'm through with my undergrad.
my flights (baltimore to burbank via phoenix) today were okay. southwest is a weird airline.
anyway, my 20th birthday was fabulous. thanks to all for the great birthday wishes. on wednesday (my actual birthday), i went to black cat with joanna and saw the thermals. definitely a great show. at the end, i shook the bassist's hand and told her that i loved her, and she told me that she loves me back! yay! ♥ yesterday was my 1990s-themed party, which was fun, albeit bittersweet. i'm definitely going to miss that crew (and, in fact, i already do). pics will be on facebook soon.
all right, i'm falling asleep... it feels so much later than it is. will write more later.
08 May 2009
4 finals down, 1 to go
i'm determined to be a better blogger, so i'll type this up before i go to bed.
well, folks, i've made my decision. as shocking as it may be (it's sweeps month, after all), i've elected to spend my 1 ½ months leading up to south africa at home in southern california. i know what you're thinking. i complain incessently about being home when i'm there, and thousand oaks is the king of boring.
BUT...
if i don't go back, i'll be missing out on 2 weddings, 2 graduations, 4 concerts, a bar mitzvah, over a dozen birthdays, countless parties, and myriad "hanging out" time.
and you know what? i miss attending these events. and for a bit, just a little bit, i want to not miss out on everything that everyone else gets to go to.
that being said, i'm sure 7 weeks will drive me crazy, so once i get back from south africa, it's time to permanent-ize myself as an east coaster. that means moving the last of my belongings over from the golden state. ooh, i'm also breaking up the boredom with a ~2 week trip to the east coast, not only in order to attend the ihs seminar, but to spend time with peeps as well.
oh, and thank you to a very special person who helped me remember the importance of family. ;) (i forget that sometimes.)
anywho, i'm planning trips to san diego and san francisco while i'm home. davis might have to happen too, depending on when peeps there have exams. dc peeps are obviously encouraged to come visit/harass me while i'm in the golden state (or in south africa, for that matter).
i'm also looking for a temporary job in california, so if anybody has any leads, please pass them on to me. ;)
time for bed! william and i are going to spend tomorrow checking at least a few of my dc sites of interest off my list. at this point, i have only 8 days left to do this, so i'd best get a move on!
well, folks, i've made my decision. as shocking as it may be (it's sweeps month, after all), i've elected to spend my 1 ½ months leading up to south africa at home in southern california. i know what you're thinking. i complain incessently about being home when i'm there, and thousand oaks is the king of boring.
BUT...
if i don't go back, i'll be missing out on 2 weddings, 2 graduations, 4 concerts, a bar mitzvah, over a dozen birthdays, countless parties, and myriad "hanging out" time.
and you know what? i miss attending these events. and for a bit, just a little bit, i want to not miss out on everything that everyone else gets to go to.
that being said, i'm sure 7 weeks will drive me crazy, so once i get back from south africa, it's time to permanent-ize myself as an east coaster. that means moving the last of my belongings over from the golden state. ooh, i'm also breaking up the boredom with a ~2 week trip to the east coast, not only in order to attend the ihs seminar, but to spend time with peeps as well.
oh, and thank you to a very special person who helped me remember the importance of family. ;) (i forget that sometimes.)
anywho, i'm planning trips to san diego and san francisco while i'm home. davis might have to happen too, depending on when peeps there have exams. dc peeps are obviously encouraged to come visit/harass me while i'm in the golden state (or in south africa, for that matter).
i'm also looking for a temporary job in california, so if anybody has any leads, please pass them on to me. ;)
time for bed! william and i are going to spend tomorrow checking at least a few of my dc sites of interest off my list. at this point, i have only 8 days left to do this, so i'd best get a move on!
06 May 2009
don't let it go away, this feeling has got to stay
i love how i spent the entirety of this semester anticipating spending the time between finals and south africa with my family back in california. less than 2 weeks out and i'm still vacillating. how very "me" of me.
seriously, why is it so hard for me to make summer plans-related decisions? i seriously must be the weirdest college kid to get stressed out over SUMMER. fml.
that being said, i didn't make any decisions today, but i did check out a great apartment in crystal city (provided i do stay) this evening. it's only a block from the metro, a 15 minute walk from work, the apartment is fabulous (i'd get my own bedroom and bathroom), the roommate is friendly (a friend of a friend), and the rent can't be beat. paul (the roommate)'s lease ends on the same week that i leave for south africa, so it works out perfectly.
i'm also applying for some internships (both paid and unpaid) in washington to give my life meaning and perhaps supplement my income. trying to find an internship in southern california is a lost cause for me since i'm not a marketing major. there's some really interesting ones out there right now, but i don't know how any employer would feel about me skipping out 7 weeks into my internship (even if it were unpaid... ugh).
on the lighter side, pablo moved out today, which led to me doing a fabulous redesigning of my room's layout. i've pushed the beds together to create a double bed for myself; other developments include monopolization of the closet space as well as the expansion of the "dining area". this will be great for my nineties party (for which i bought romy and michele on vhs today as my first party decoration).
state and society in developing countries, forensic anthropology, and professional communication are officially done for me as of today. thank goodness. i can't even think about how i did. i'm just relieved. (it's funny how i had the final exams for all my favorite classes on one day, and now i'm only left with my 2 less enjoyable classes to complete.)
i ate macaroni and cheese on 3 separate occassions today. by accident.
i guess some things in life never really change because, even though i've pushed pablo's and my beds together, i'm still adamantly staying on "my" side. and even though i say i'm planning on coming back to california, i'm still adamantly trying to figure out how i can continue my stint as a washingtonian for as long as possible. and even though i buy groceries, all i ever eat is macaroni and cheese. i think that one day, i will just turn into a big bowl of macaroni and cheese.
great, now i'm hungry again. :(
seriously, why is it so hard for me to make summer plans-related decisions? i seriously must be the weirdest college kid to get stressed out over SUMMER. fml.
that being said, i didn't make any decisions today, but i did check out a great apartment in crystal city (provided i do stay) this evening. it's only a block from the metro, a 15 minute walk from work, the apartment is fabulous (i'd get my own bedroom and bathroom), the roommate is friendly (a friend of a friend), and the rent can't be beat. paul (the roommate)'s lease ends on the same week that i leave for south africa, so it works out perfectly.
i'm also applying for some internships (both paid and unpaid) in washington to give my life meaning and perhaps supplement my income. trying to find an internship in southern california is a lost cause for me since i'm not a marketing major. there's some really interesting ones out there right now, but i don't know how any employer would feel about me skipping out 7 weeks into my internship (even if it were unpaid... ugh).
on the lighter side, pablo moved out today, which led to me doing a fabulous redesigning of my room's layout. i've pushed the beds together to create a double bed for myself; other developments include monopolization of the closet space as well as the expansion of the "dining area". this will be great for my nineties party (for which i bought romy and michele on vhs today as my first party decoration).
state and society in developing countries, forensic anthropology, and professional communication are officially done for me as of today. thank goodness. i can't even think about how i did. i'm just relieved. (it's funny how i had the final exams for all my favorite classes on one day, and now i'm only left with my 2 less enjoyable classes to complete.)
i ate macaroni and cheese on 3 separate occassions today. by accident.
i guess some things in life never really change because, even though i've pushed pablo's and my beds together, i'm still adamantly staying on "my" side. and even though i say i'm planning on coming back to california, i'm still adamantly trying to figure out how i can continue my stint as a washingtonian for as long as possible. and even though i buy groceries, all i ever eat is macaroni and cheese. i think that one day, i will just turn into a big bowl of macaroni and cheese.
great, now i'm hungry again. :(
05 May 2009
zomg finals.
i have an exam in 6 hours and another one in 12. i really should be going to sleep but i've already been up so long that i'm figuring to hell with it, i might as well update my blog.
i guess the most exciting development in my life is my acceptance and matriculation as a study abroad student at the university of cape town. for me, this marks a realization of years of preparation and longing. however, after a long and drawn-out application process, i'm finally confirmed to study at uct next semester. i can't even articulate how excited i am. i'll be at africa's top university, in one of its most vibrant cities, in one of the most fascinating countries. for all the culture shock (not to mention gastric shock) that i expect, i am so thrilled to be partaking in this opportunity. as a political science major, i'm looking forward to studying apartheid/post-apartheid policy in the country's legislative capital, as well as international relations throughout sub-saharan africa; as a social creature, though, i'm looking forward to a diverse and beautiul city of 3 ½ million. the day i got my acceptance, i bought several guide books and a street map; i look through them constantly. my friend/classmate/neighbor melissa got into her program in durban, too, so i'm looking forward to visiting her. :)
indeed, this has definitely turned out to be my best semester at gw so far. perhaps this is because i anticipate leaving for south africa in the near future. nonetheless, i'm loving my time here, too: i absolutely love my state & society in developing countries and forensic anthropology classes, and i wish they weren't ending (especially the former... definitely an underrated professor!). my other courses are manageable, though. socially this is my favorite semester as well. i feel, more so than ever, confident in the stability of my core circle of friends. i've spent a lot of time with joe, william, and andy this semester, which was in retrospctive a great move on my part. special shout out to amanda, too, who i've also spent some great time with as a result of our being in political science 2w together (misery loves company). it's going to be extremely difficult to say good bye at the end of the semester.
speaking of which, i continue to vacillate on leaving dc at the end of the semester and not coming back until november/december. i'm very hesitant to do so. i'll miss my friends, i don't have a job in california (unlike here... dsw turned out to be a great gig after all), and i have mobility thanks to the existence of public transportation. on the other hand, spending the 6-7 weeks in california leading up to my departure to south africa would give me time to spend with my family/high school friends (which i feel like i ought to do), attend events involving said family/friends, and save money by not having to pay for rent. there are a lot of complicating factors, such as: i'm not attending (read: wasn't invited to) as many weddings in california as i'd anticipated (dc + 1); i'd need to find another job in dc in order to supplement my income (ca + 1); i'm attending the ihs seminar in north carolina in early june, which requires me to return to the east coast anyway (dc + 1); i renewed my driver's license, so i could in theory borrow jeffrey's car (ca + 1); i hate the heat (dc + 1); i hate the humidity (ca + 1); there's a lot in dc i want to see before i leave for south africa (dc + 1); dc becomes infested with tourists in the summer, which makes going sightseeing unbearable (ca + 1); i was upset last summer with my experience staying in dc (ca + 1), but that was mainly because of boy drama, and now that i've abdicated from that, i'm more confident that i'd enjoy my time in dc (dc + 1). oh, and there's the fact that i have about a week and a half to make a decision so i ought to hurry up.
help. :(
hmm, what else? oh, i went on a blind date. you can read about it here. that's right, i went on the date as a part of the column for the hatchet, and now the entire school knows i'm a total bitch. i definitely enjoyed my 15 minutes of fame, what with gdubbers coming up to me to (a) congratulate me on my honesty and/or (b) ask if they'd printed the truth. they did. i can't say i was a fan of the bloke. oh, and the whole same last name phenomenon? definitely not my cup of tea.
i went to a couple of free seminars on urban planning at virginia tech, as preparation for my later career in the same field. the content itself was extremely interesting and renewed my desire to enter that field, but i really wasn't impressed with tech's northern virginia campus. i think i'd rather go to a real school for my master's degree. of course, i first have to get through my undergrad... it looks like i could graduate as early as summer 2010, but i'm worried i won't be able to get in all the courses i need by then. also, i've grown graduation-phobic due to the absence of available jobs out there. fuck the economy.
i went to a demitri martin show with joe a few weeks ago, which was amazingly funny. in a few weeks, i'm going to a no doubt concert with my mom, which should be fun as well (despite being in bakersfield... fml). i'm also contemplating going to the thermals concert at black cat on my birthday with joanna. speaking of which, i need to finish (or, rather, start) planning my 20th birthday party. i've decided it's going to be 90s-themed, in response to my upset over the hot topic in wheaton placing green day's first album in the "classic rock" section. i definitely died a little on the inside when i saw that.
all in all, life is great. stressful (of course), thanks to finals, and nerveracking (as expected), thanks to my ongoing "should i stay or should i go?" decision, but truth be told i'm feeling pretty good about things. my grades are high. my friends are close. and pablo is leaving for madrid tomorrow, which means i have 11 days of having the beds pushed together to make a faux double bed. :)
that all being said, in preparation for my impending departure from dc (on may 15), here is a list of places i want to visit before leaving (that is, places i haven't been to yet):
what can you add to this list???
that's it for now. hopefully i'll have time for another entry soon. no promises, though. :(
i guess the most exciting development in my life is my acceptance and matriculation as a study abroad student at the university of cape town. for me, this marks a realization of years of preparation and longing. however, after a long and drawn-out application process, i'm finally confirmed to study at uct next semester. i can't even articulate how excited i am. i'll be at africa's top university, in one of its most vibrant cities, in one of the most fascinating countries. for all the culture shock (not to mention gastric shock) that i expect, i am so thrilled to be partaking in this opportunity. as a political science major, i'm looking forward to studying apartheid/post-apartheid policy in the country's legislative capital, as well as international relations throughout sub-saharan africa; as a social creature, though, i'm looking forward to a diverse and beautiul city of 3 ½ million. the day i got my acceptance, i bought several guide books and a street map; i look through them constantly. my friend/classmate/neighbor melissa got into her program in durban, too, so i'm looking forward to visiting her. :)
indeed, this has definitely turned out to be my best semester at gw so far. perhaps this is because i anticipate leaving for south africa in the near future. nonetheless, i'm loving my time here, too: i absolutely love my state & society in developing countries and forensic anthropology classes, and i wish they weren't ending (especially the former... definitely an underrated professor!). my other courses are manageable, though. socially this is my favorite semester as well. i feel, more so than ever, confident in the stability of my core circle of friends. i've spent a lot of time with joe, william, and andy this semester, which was in retrospctive a great move on my part. special shout out to amanda, too, who i've also spent some great time with as a result of our being in political science 2w together (misery loves company). it's going to be extremely difficult to say good bye at the end of the semester.
speaking of which, i continue to vacillate on leaving dc at the end of the semester and not coming back until november/december. i'm very hesitant to do so. i'll miss my friends, i don't have a job in california (unlike here... dsw turned out to be a great gig after all), and i have mobility thanks to the existence of public transportation. on the other hand, spending the 6-7 weeks in california leading up to my departure to south africa would give me time to spend with my family/high school friends (which i feel like i ought to do), attend events involving said family/friends, and save money by not having to pay for rent. there are a lot of complicating factors, such as: i'm not attending (read: wasn't invited to) as many weddings in california as i'd anticipated (dc + 1); i'd need to find another job in dc in order to supplement my income (ca + 1); i'm attending the ihs seminar in north carolina in early june, which requires me to return to the east coast anyway (dc + 1); i renewed my driver's license, so i could in theory borrow jeffrey's car (ca + 1); i hate the heat (dc + 1); i hate the humidity (ca + 1); there's a lot in dc i want to see before i leave for south africa (dc + 1); dc becomes infested with tourists in the summer, which makes going sightseeing unbearable (ca + 1); i was upset last summer with my experience staying in dc (ca + 1), but that was mainly because of boy drama, and now that i've abdicated from that, i'm more confident that i'd enjoy my time in dc (dc + 1). oh, and there's the fact that i have about a week and a half to make a decision so i ought to hurry up.
help. :(
hmm, what else? oh, i went on a blind date. you can read about it here. that's right, i went on the date as a part of the column for the hatchet, and now the entire school knows i'm a total bitch. i definitely enjoyed my 15 minutes of fame, what with gdubbers coming up to me to (a) congratulate me on my honesty and/or (b) ask if they'd printed the truth. they did. i can't say i was a fan of the bloke. oh, and the whole same last name phenomenon? definitely not my cup of tea.
i went to a couple of free seminars on urban planning at virginia tech, as preparation for my later career in the same field. the content itself was extremely interesting and renewed my desire to enter that field, but i really wasn't impressed with tech's northern virginia campus. i think i'd rather go to a real school for my master's degree. of course, i first have to get through my undergrad... it looks like i could graduate as early as summer 2010, but i'm worried i won't be able to get in all the courses i need by then. also, i've grown graduation-phobic due to the absence of available jobs out there. fuck the economy.
i went to a demitri martin show with joe a few weeks ago, which was amazingly funny. in a few weeks, i'm going to a no doubt concert with my mom, which should be fun as well (despite being in bakersfield... fml). i'm also contemplating going to the thermals concert at black cat on my birthday with joanna. speaking of which, i need to finish (or, rather, start) planning my 20th birthday party. i've decided it's going to be 90s-themed, in response to my upset over the hot topic in wheaton placing green day's first album in the "classic rock" section. i definitely died a little on the inside when i saw that.
all in all, life is great. stressful (of course), thanks to finals, and nerveracking (as expected), thanks to my ongoing "should i stay or should i go?" decision, but truth be told i'm feeling pretty good about things. my grades are high. my friends are close. and pablo is leaving for madrid tomorrow, which means i have 11 days of having the beds pushed together to make a faux double bed. :)
that all being said, in preparation for my impending departure from dc (on may 15), here is a list of places i want to visit before leaving (that is, places i haven't been to yet):
- american history museum
- archives
- holocaust museum
- arboretum
- mount vernon
- congressional cemetary
- anacostia museum (at the recommendation of professor bowie)
- fort reno park
- roosevelt island
- baltimore aquarium
- annapolis
what can you add to this list???
that's it for now. hopefully i'll have time for another entry soon. no promises, though. :(
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