Going 10 for 10: Thankful Thoughts

I'm always one to remember to count my blessings, and Thanksgiving season is no time for exceptions! Although this post is a bit late, I thought it was fairly appropriate to end this month with a post on the things I'm very thankful for.

My Absolute Best Friends Who Are Basically My Siblings // First of all, I really have to thank my lucky stars for my best friend and brother, Theatre Geek. He has literally been there for me throughout this whole semester and I am so proud of him for landing his first big role - Young Scrooge and a Narrator in Hale Theatre's A Christmas Carol! He gave me a ride home Wednesday night and I surprised my family, who I had told I wasn't coming home for the holiday! Also, my wonderful best friend and sister, JT, was able to come down from Las Vegas and meet me for brunch on Saturday morning! Even though we're many miles away, we are always texting or on the phone with each other - she is definitely my rock and I'm not too sure what I would do without her.

My Wonderful New Friends // I love my friends, and I am thankful for each and every one of them. Natalie (whose blogs you can find in my Blog Roll!) even offered for me to come home with her for the holiday! They are all absolutely wonderful people and I am so lucky to have met them all - we have become such good friends in such a short amount of time, it makes you wonder how much closer we will all get over the years!

My Fantastic Family // My family has done so much for me, it is truly difficult to put into words the deep appreciation I have for them and all the love and support they have provided for me, especially over the past year. This photo  is a little memento of an almost perfect moment. Earning the right to call myself Valedictorian of my high school is and will forever be one of my proudest accomplishments. Most people only work towards this aim in the four years of high school, but I had aimed to earn it since I was in elementary school. Graduation was such a happy day for me, and I am so grateful my family was there to spend it with me.

My Dog // Yes, I had to do it. I have missed her so much while I've been away at college, and I love how much she's been sticking by me! When I came home and was hiding, she actually stood by the door and refused to move when my dad tried to call her away. Even as I'm writing, she's laying next to me. She is so adorable and I really wish I could bring her back to school with me!

American Football // I love football. Today Arizona State University played University of Arizona for the 88th annual Territorial Cup. The SunDevils played hard (shoutout to Bercovici and Strong!), but ultimately we just couldn't get it together at the end. I'm definitely disappointed that we've lost the cup, but am confident that we will win it back on our own turf next year!

The amazing one-handed touchdown!

Netflix // As crazy as it sounds, Netflix has been a rock for me over the past year - a strong constant throughout the many changes that have been happening in my life. Discovering new favorite shows and movies is amazing, but having all the episodes at your fingertips just makes it the slightest bit better. Thanks to Netflix, I've kept a large portion of my sanity.

Delta Sigma Pi // As far as my extracurricular activities at the quite fabulous ASU go, finding Delta Sigma Pi has been the best thing that has happened to me! I've found a large group of like-minded people who care about personal and professional development as well as community service and just having fun. It is so nice to have found a group of people that I feel I can be both my personal and academic self around. I am so thankful for all of my new brothers!

Only a portion of the Gamma Omega chapter!

Swing Dancing // Although I've honestly been slacking on attending Swing events lately, I think I can still say that Swing in general has definitely left its mark on me. I may not be the most talented (or coordinated, for that matter) person, but I've always loved dancing. I really love the feeling and setting that Swing takes you back into - to think that it originated about a hundred years ago is crazy!

My Lilly Planner and iCalendar //  My calendars are my life - I simply cannot function without them! I love color-coordinating my schedules and I put everything in there. Some of my new friends thought I was crazy for writing in every single one of my classes and deadlines for major essays and assignments, but doing so can actually be quite helpful! Continuity is important in preventing scheduling conflicts so keeping my phone, computer, and planner together has been tedious but worth it.

Colton Haynes // Okay I know this is a silly one but I have my reasons! First, Arrow. Arrow has been one of my favorite shows since it first aired on the CW, but the development of Colton's character, Roy Harper, has just given the show an extra little "-oomph". On top of that, he is just a really awesome person! When I watched his Instagram videos on Black Friday shopping, I couldn't stop laughing!

#ColtonsBlackFriday @allymaki @travisatreo @travisvandyke

A video posted by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on Nov 11, 2014 at 10:45pm PST

So what are you thankful for this year?

xx
Catch you next time

A Trip to the Art Museum

Okay so a few weeks ago, some friends and I took a trip downtown to visit the Phoenix Art Museum! It was actually a lot of fun - it was so big, we spent hours there. Anyways, this post was supposed to go up back then, but I guess I just never got around to it? Oh well, here are just a few pictures of my favorite things! If you ever have the chance to go visit, I strongly encourage it!

Have you ever randomly taken a little field trip anywhere? Living in a big city means doing something I've never before - spontaneous trips to places!

xx

Catch you next time.

Delta Sigma Pi Initiation

 

Initiation was amazing beyond words! All I can say is that I was extremely nervous but I now realize how worthwhile the work I have done in the past nine weeks has been! I am so proud to now call myself an official Brother of Delta Sigma Pi!!! I know this post is a wee bit (okay, a week, but still!) late, but it's always hard to round up the best pictures from everyone's different cameras and angles.

We threw our Pledge Mom into a fountain!

My AMAZING Big and the beautiful paddle she made me!

I LOVE my pledge brothers <3

Very excited to be a part of such a wonderful chapter, Gamma Omega!

Ended the night with a Toga Party!

This was one of the longest days ever, but overall it was spectacular and I wouldn't have traded a minute of it for more sleep!

xx
Catch you next time

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One

Last week, I participated in the Barrett Mentoring Program's Glow Scavenger Hunt! It was a lot of fun, I met a lot of different people, and I had the chance to get to know my campus a little bit better. We were far from winning the actual hunt, but we did win "Best Team Photo" and received the best prize of all: VIP tickets to an advanced screening of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One!

The screening was on Wednesday night, and Natalie, Liz, and I went with fifteen of our other friends! Let me tell you, organizing for a group of approximately eighteen teenagers to carpool and go to the cinema is a bit harder than it sounds! For the most part, we all live on the same floor and over the past few months, we have all just bonded really well. (For the record, I did try to take pictures of our group, but we were just too big!). Anyways, it was definitely more than worth it. I mean, come on, free advanced screening for one of my favorite movie series? It is an a well-done film and if you weren't in line to go see the multiple premiere screenings last night, then I strongly suggest you go see it as soon as possible.

xx
Catch you next time

Going 10 for 10: Blog Roll!

I know, I know, I have been way too busy lately - it's been a little while since I've posted, but I have definitely been keeping my eye on the different posts popping up in my Blog Feed. Here's a little Blog Roll of some of my favorite blogs, enjoy!

Adri Abroad | This is my awesome cousin, Adri, as she makes her way through Europe on her year studying abroad! She has visited so many different places, and the pictures she's taken have been breathtaking.

A Law Student's Journey |  I really want to go to law school in the future, and Kitty's blog is awesome with not only answering questions, but shedding light on the experience - it has definitely made me more excited!

Broke Millennial | Many people in my generation are learning the hard way that managing your own money isn't easy. This is a great blog about financial literacy, with a lot of tips to help you ease yourself into the pool.

Could've, Would've, Should've | This blog is run by a new friend I met here at university - she's really cool, down to earth, loves to read and write, and an interesting person to be around. She found a book which has inspired her to write about anything and everything, and she doesn't plan on stopping.

Smart Girls Group | When I learned about the Smart Girls Group, I was really excited to find it and read more about them. They work towards female empowerment in life as well as business. Women are taking the business world by storm and the Smart Girls Group is great in helping them learn how to.

The 365 | This blog is run by another lovely friend I've met here at school! She's super awesome and just started writing. Every writer needs some love, especially the new ones so go over to The 365 and say hi!

The College Prepster | One of my favorite blogs ever. This was the first blog I ever read, courtesy of my wonderful friend Beccy. I love everything about it -> Read it -> GO READ IT!

The Happily Ever After Project | I stumbled upon this blog a couple weeks ago, and I fell in love with it immediately. She has traveled so many different places and tried so many different things - she definitely shows how to enjoy life and create your own Happily Ever After.

The Sorority Secrets | I know I'm technically in a Business Fraternity, but however you roll your bread, it's still Greek Life as I usually explain to my friends and family. This is a great blog with different tips on crafts, makeup, and college.

Writing My Own Story / One Day at a Time | A friend of mine has two blog! The first is the one where she often puts up her original short stories as well as little posts about life while the second is where she is currently doing a blogging challenge. It's a lot of fun and she's pretty great - go check her out!

xx
Catch you next time

Birthday Recap

Yesterday I turned eighteen and a whole bunch of different things happened!

Helped clean up a park // I did not have the luxury of sleeping in on my birthday. Instead, I had a fabulous time cleaning up a local park with my pledge class! Ideally I could have done without having to get up early part, but I still had a blast. A group of us raked up enough leaves to fill two large garbage bags! We really wanted to dump them all out into a huge pile and jump straight into them like in one of those cheesy movies, but alas, we couldn't. On top of having such a fun-filled morning, one of my wonderful pledge brothers brought me cookies and a card, how sweet!

Spent time with my family // My family surprised me by coming down to visit for the weekend! We spent almost the entirety of Saturday at the fabulous Scottsdale Fashion Square. It was so nice to walk around a mall and see some of my favorite stores again! We had lunch on Sunday (between my pledge events) at one of my favorite restaurants before they left. Because of the magnitude of my celebration last year, I told my parents that I didn't want to make a huge event of my birthday. Somehow I was still surprised that the waiter brought out my favorite dessert with a candle!

Had my last official pledge meeting // The past seven weeks have been absolutely amazing. To quote many of the actives from my chapter, this experience has been "the most fun you will never want to have again." My pledge brothers and I have all grown immensely in such a short amount of time, both personally and professionally. We have come together as a close-knit family and bonded over homework, interviews, and studying for our quizzes. The national exam is coming up this next weekend and I know we are all going to ace it with flying colors!

Was reminded of how beyond amazing my friends are // This weekend, my suitemate flew to Portland to visit one of her best friends from high school. I came home from my last pledge meeting to find my room decorated with balloons and plenty of cuteness! I hadn't had much of a chance to spend time with my friends the whole day, but the fact that they were willing to do this for me nearly drove me to tears. I am beyond blessed and lucky to have such wonderful people in my life.

Watched my friends' intramural basketball teams // Because I didn't know when my last pledge meeting would end, I wasn't able to go to the Suns vs. Warriors basketball game last night in downtown Phoenix. Although I was a little bummed about not going to the game (it turned out that I missed the "free transportation" group by half an hour), I still got to watch some basketball! A few of my friends are on two different intramural teams, so some of the girls (all three of who were involved in my birthday decoration surprise) and I went and cheered them on. We had the best seats - we literally sat on the bench! Both teams lost their games (BOO!), but they played well, had fun, and I can't wait to go to their next games. Our little cheering section is planning on making some very cute *but still manly* signs, so it will definitely be a fun time.

xx
Catch you next time

The Big One Eight

Photo credit

Wow. It is so hard to believe that I am now eighteen years old. My seventeenth year of life was definitely a milestone all on its own: I had a debut, graduated high school, started college, and had plenty of new and fun experiences in between. I've made and, sadly, lost friends. I've grown closer to my family though we are a couple hundred miles apart. I was already independent in high school, but I have started to learn what independence really is. By law, I'm officially an adult. I can go out and buy myself Sharpies and register to vote! I know this next year will be filled with plenty unique experiences all on its own and I'm ready to see just what life has in store for me.

Here are a few of the highlights of the past year:

I had my debut a year early // In Filipino tradition turning eighteen is a really big deal. Similar to debutante balls in Western tradition, debuts are a coming-of-age party. I'm approximately six months to a year or more behind my cohorts age-wise. Knowing that I would be turning eighteen in college (and that I really love the number seventeen, but more on that later!), I talked with my parents and we decided to have my debut a year early. It was a very large event held in the ballroom of a local hotel; planning and preparing for it was almost as fun as the actual party! I bonded with my closest friends as we took weeks of ballroom dancing lessons together - they weren't too excited about it at first (especially the boys!) but by the end of it, we all loved it.

I graduated high school and started college // The transition from high school to college is a huge step, not only in a physical sense but a mental and emotional sense as well. Living on your own emphasizes the independence you have already developed and the areas in which you need to further develop. Although they may remind you over the phone, your parents aren't always there to remind you to move your laundry from the washer to the dryer or to vacuum your floor. Luckily, if your parents constantly reminded you about everything you needed to do as you were growing up, then maybe you find yourself repeating the kinds of things they would tell you. There are so many little things that affect the overall picture of our lives that we don't realize until they're gone.

I've grown closer to my family // I absolutely love my family, they are wonderful, amazing, spectacular people. There are just no words to truly describe them. Being away from home and on my own these past few months has fine-tuned my appreciation for them and all of the things they have done for me, including their unending love and support. Sometimes you can find yourself in a scary situation where all you want to do is curl up in your bed, watch Netflix, eat chocolate, and ignore it until it goes away, but that never, ever does anything to make it better. Living on my own has taught me how to open up more with my family about problems and ask for help.

I'm learning how to let go of parts of my past // I have always known that losing friends happens, whether it be over a fight or just losing contact. In college, you have the opportunity to discover who you are, try different things, and meet so many different people. BUT you simply cannot take advantage of this opportunity if you cling to all parts of your past with all your might. I believe that I have found a healthy balance of my old friends and my new friends. I have a class with Theatre Geek twice a week, and we often have lunch or dinner twice throughout the week as well. I call my Twin at least once a week, and we text each other every few days, even if its just an interesting picture from Instagram or a hilarious gif. As much time as I devote to keeping contact with my two best friends in the world, I am constantly on Dean's Patio (a huge patio/meeting area in the Business school) with people from my Fraternity between classes and I try to have meals with different people on the same day. You are not going to grow as a person if you confine yourself only to the people you have known for years.

I find myself learning how to be more open-minded // With the enormous number of people in this world, you can guess that the number of different perspectives is infinite. I have always considered myself to be somewhat of a creative thinker, sometimes capable of churning out an out-of-the-box solution. Life can take you so many different places if you just let it. Part of being open-minded is learning how to adapt in a non-self-destructive way. Life can get pretty crazy, so it's up to you to decide how much crazy you can handle.

xx
Catch you next time

Pinterest Party: Having Patience

Lately I have found myself constantly at my wit's end and unsure of what to do other than sit, stretch, count down slowly from ten to one, or procrastinate. Yesterday, when I was really frustrated over a Calculus problem, I decided to try something similar yet different. I set an alarm for ten minutes and logged on to Pinterest because I thought I could distract myself for a little bit, miraculously figure out how to finish the problem, and finally feel a smidge of satisfaction. Although I did not find the answer to my Calculus problem on Pinterest, I did find some wise words to help me relax and remind me that it is okay to get frustrated, but it is not a great idea to let myself stay that way. Here's a little Pinterest roll with some of the quote pins I absolutely loved!

Kelsey Scott

PrincessRose Sahial

Amber

 

Carolyn Soto

Patience Eargle

Carolyn Soto

Kat DeVaney

Patience

Hollie Beynon

What is your favorite quote on patience? What do you do to help yourself become more patient in frustrating situations? Let me know!

xx
Catch you next time

Freshman Five: Laundry Etiquette

College is a huge milestone for many people not just because it is a huge step for their education (though I am definitely not discounting it, it is a huge milestone and deal for everybody!), but because it is the time in *many* people's lives where they really start to become independent and discover what independence really is. 

As I have discovered over these past several weeks, many college students did not learn how to do their own laundry until a few weeks into the semester! Doing laundry in a shared/public facility is a bit different from doing laundry at home so here are a few tips on doing laundry in college!

Sort Your Clothes Ahead of Time // It may be a small inconvenience to take the time to sort out your loads in your room, but when the laundry room is crowded and you have to wait in line for a single machine when you need multiple, sorting out your laundry beforehand is a small release for you and it keeps your hallmates from becoming severely irritated with you. Some people buy laundry hampers that they can separate their clothes when they put them in, but oftentimes those can be difficult to transport up a few flights of stairs.

These tall, slim hampers are really nice for fitting into closets.

This is a really cute DIY way to go about it.

Wash and Dry Full Loads // Many universities, including my very own, offer free laundry services for their students. To help with the perpetuation of these programs (and once again, minimize the amount of irritation other students can have towards you) and helping out the environment, try to wash and dry full loads of laundry. I'm not saying to fill the washer to the brim with towels, but to be mindful of what you are washing and adjust. This can mean anything from putting in your three black shirts with your colorful load or drying lights with long previously-washed darks.

Extend the lives of some of your more delicate clothes by hang-drying them!

Don't Let Your Laundry Load Build Up // In college, you would be hard-pressed to find somebody who never puts off anything. Laundry is often the kryptonite to those who are always busy and almost never in their rooms. It can be really easy to say "Oh, I still have enough clean clothes to last me a couple weeks," but the fact of the matter is, the longer you wait, the more you will have to do. Letting your laundry build up over a month can take you anywhere from two and a half to five hours or more, depending on machine availability. Doing laundry not only gives you the sense of being clean once you are finished, but it also relieves a small piece of your mind that was worried about getting one more thing done.

Set a Timer for Yourself // If you do laundry on an off-night, this may not be as important. However, if you do your laundry on the stereotypically-busy nights (i.e. Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday) and you prefer other people not touch your clothes, setting a timer (or even simply keeping an eye on the time) is a really good idea. In my building, the laundry room is right next to a lounge, so oftentimes my suitemate Sara and I go do homework while doing our laundry. This is really convenient and a nice way to keep an eye on your clothes just in case anybody tries to steal them (which, for the record, has happened).

The right song can make anything a little more exciting.

Leave Notes If You Move Somebody's Laundry // It is always preferable to not touch another person's laundry, but when those clothes have been sitting for a long time and the owner has not come in to either move them or take them, you may opt to move said clothing. If you choose to do this, leave a note of some sort, whether it be a sticky note or a laundry tag. Be courteous because you never know when you may end up in a situation where you forgot to transfer machines or pickup your loads.

They always say, "A little bit goes a long way!"

A little laundry room fun while waiting for previous loads to finish. . .

Always do work with a smile on - you will have so much more fun!

Sara proudly approves of this blog post!

Do you have any special tips for doing laundry in general? Let me know!

xx

Catch you next time

Kicking Off November

Wow, has this whole year really been flying by. It is so hard to believe that the end of the year is already approaching us. So many different things have happened all in the same span of time, making it seem as if the days are longer, but the weeks have been passing through like the breeze. I am so excited for all of the things life has in store this month - there are just so many things to love about November, from the cool, crisp weather to the countdown to Christmas (to the fact that my birthday is coming up soon) and a lot more!

Here are a few of the amazing things that have already happened these first few days of November and what is coming up!

Homecoming // Homecoming in college is definitely a lot different from the Homecoming I knew in high school. It does not immediately involve everyone - if you want to be, you need to get involved! It is such an experience to get to know so many different alumni and talk to them about how they are doing. To top it off, ASU beat Utah in our Homecoming game 19-16 in overtime!! It was an amazing game and I am so happy to say that I was there!

The game was very anxiety-inducing, but exciting!

Intramural Volleyball // I recently joined my pledge class' intramural volleyball team, and most of the people who know me are and have been shocked. Although I have played some sports, many people are aware that I am not the most athletic person out there. But one of the great things about being surrounded with strong, supportive people is that if you are willing to say that you want to play and get better, they are more than willing to help you. Tonight my pledge class beat our rival Fraternity's pledge class (YAY) and our next two matches are against the same rival Fraternity's active brother teams. This is going to be an interesting season!

Team Victory photo!

Birthdays // In just a few short days, I will officially be another year older. And legally able to buy myself a ladder. Only a year ago, I was in high school, getting ready for my big birthday party and stressing over college applications. Today, I am in college, getting ready for papers due in the next week and stressing over more homework. AND I PRETTY MUCH LOVE IT. There are so many new opportunities and responsibilities that come with growing up, sometimes it can feel overwhelming. I am a bit scared of the future, but I know that with all of the love and support I have, that I will be just fine. On top of my own birthday, my little brother and a few of my friends have November birthdays as well!

Blowing out my seventeen candles!

Speech and Debate // A few weeks ago, I officially judged at my first speech and debate tournament! But now, I get to gear up to not only meet my alma mater's team but to judge for them at the tournament I debuted my Speech and Debate career four years ago! It is so insane to think that four years ago, on this very day, I had been agonizing over the cases and evidence that would help me place second out of ninety-eight competitors at my first tournament. I miss high school speech and debate so much, and I wouldn't trade a second of the time I spent on it these past four years for anything.

Bobcat Bonanza February 2014

Smallpools and Magicman // I love Smallpools (Dreaming is my jam!) and I'm so excited to see them and Magic Man this month in Phoenix! My newly-discovered appreciation for concerts infinitely heightens my level of excitement for this. Making it even better is that I get to go with some of my dear friends who I adore, but are just as busy as, if not more than, I. Not being able to spend large and frequent chunks of time together can be a downer, but the greatest friendships are the ones that you can pick up no matter how much time has passed.

More Pledge Fun // This month marks the end of our pledge process - initiation is set for the end of this month! It feels like only a few days ago that I awkwardly walked down the stairs of one of the business buildings and worried if I would be politely told that I had not been offered a bid. I am so thankful for this thrilling process and how it has helped me bond with my pledge brothers as well as with the amazing actives in Delta Sigma Pi. As long as everything goes well this month, each of these next seven semesters is going to be better than the last.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday // Who is ready for turkey, cranberries, and more stuffing than you can possibly stomach? I love how Thanksgiving brings family together (with the help of amazing food) and helps strengthen bonds over two very popular activities in our country: football and shopping! Now that I am officially a SunDevil, Thanksgiving has that much more excitement. Duel in the Desert is the big rivalry game between Arizona State University and the University of Arizona! #forksup

What is your favorite part of November? What are some of the events you are looking forward to this month?

xx

Catch you next time