Appreciated

It has been a long, hard quarter full of midterms on midterms and essays on essays. Thank goodness Women's Appreciation came around, and for one night I was able to leave the stresses of school. Women's Appreciation is an EPIC event where the brothers organize an event for the sisters in appreciation of our beauty and amazing nature, who are we kidding, it's mostly our beauty. In all seriousness, I have never felt more appreciated in college before this event, and the hard work the men contributed really shined through. The church screamed 70's/80's, complete with a tattoo station and a tutorial on the Hustle. I felt like I bought a one-way ticket for a ride in an old VW creeper van all the way back to a boogie wonderland. The effort in the videos, performances, food, decorations, and every other detail was so apparent, and it definitely did not go unnoticed. THANKS BOYS!

 

Midterms are a Stressful Thing

One thing I have never been good at is test taking. Oh the bitter taste in my mouth when someone mentions the SAT or AP Tests. College is a second-guesser's worst nightmare, and let me tell you, I am the biggest second-guesser the world has ever seen. Maybe thats a bit of a hyperbole, but I am pretty close to it. I am resentful towards B pluses.  I strive to get good grades, however, I feel as though I strive to please my parents, rather than God. My parents will love me and are proud of me no matter what I do, and I have realized that I need to do my best to glorify God, following His plan for my life. I feel like the only thing I have been doing in college is eat (a lot.. freshmen 15? More like freshmen 15 hundred), sleep, and study. Freshmen year is half way through, and I feel like I have grown so much already, adjusting to school and the schedule that comes with it. Despite the lack of Korean food, Cal Poly, and SLO, has blessed me in so many ways. Great church, amazing fellowship, encouraging friends. Isn't that all you need? I have realized that, though grades are, of course, an important part of school, it shouldn't be the only thing. College is about the experiences just as much as it is about classes, and I know I would be miserable if all I did was lock myself up and study for days (not that I can do that anyways). Do your best, strive for excellence, but live a little, and do it, most importantly, for God. Happy Midterms Week!

A New Quarter Has Arrived

Coming back to school after a month long break was probably the hardest thing I've had to do in a while. Not only did I have to leave my family, friends, and the familiar aura of my hometown, but I had to come back to top bunks, stinky public bathrooms, and emptiness. Sure I've made a couple of really good friends last quarter, of which I am so grateful and blessed to have, but we have different schedules, and, to be honest, I didn't want to seem like a clingy leech of a person. Thankfully and, at the same time, not so thankfully, I have a busy schedule of classes this quarter, including 7 am -__-, to keep my mind off of the loneliness I started to feel during the beginning weeks of school. Thank goodness for my wonderful Bible study leader, Olivia, who was able to reassure me and give me the confidence I needed to tackle upcoming quarter. Not only did Olivia give me confidence, but we had an EPIC event this past weekend called Women's Time, where we shared our testimonies and ate yummalicious food. I found that the other girls were experiencing similar, if not completely the same, feelings and trials as I am going through in my life right now. Listening to each other's stories made us grow closer to each other as sisters in Christ, and I am so thankful to God that He has placed each and every girl in my life. Things are finally looking up this quarter, and I hope it stays that way.

Winter Break Reminiscing

Hello!
I haven't been blogging because of finals and what not, I don't really think enough people read these enough to care lol. I am on winter break, however, and I believe I owe it to myself to write something since I started this thing in the first place. I've been home for 6 days and I'm already bored watching Boys Over Flowers on Netflix all day, even though, let's be honest, it's the most predictable thing I've ever watched. Hopefully, I'll find something to do. Something crafty. Something of epic proportions. Maybe I'll write a book. Or maybe I'll just eat. Freshmen 15 has no problem creeping up on me. With the potlucks and late night waffles, it would be crazy if someone eats that much and doesn't gain weight. Every day I tell myself "Eat everything you want, you're not trying to impress anyone," but, let's be honest, that doesn't make me feel better after finishing my chai cream cheese donut, food baby bulging out in all it's glory. I cannot believe first quarter zoomed past me that quickly! Though the first week of school was lonely and difficult, I've met more amazing people than I could have imagined. Bonding, sharing laughs, eating more food, oh, and studying. I'm not saying it was all fun and games, but I definitely didn't think I was going to enjoy school as much as I did. Did I mention I LOVED my public speaking class? I thought I was going to pass out, throw up, and die on stage, but I somehow managed to get out of class with my first college A. Personally, I'm just thankful I didn't end up on AP (not the good high school AP, but academic probation dun dun dunnnn). This blog is a throw up of random ramblings, but that's kinda how my first quarter was, a whole lot of everything squished in three months.

In the Meadow We Can Bui- Oh Wait... This is California

Winter. Ever since I was little, winter was the only season I looked forward to. The hot chocolate my dad would make for me everyday before school, the lights around the trees in every shopping mall, and the Uggs that give my feet heat flashes. Maybe I even listen to Christmas music all year round... just maybe (Michael Bublé's Christmas album? Beauteous). I love every aspect of the season, except for the fact that Southern California's bipolar weather prevents me from wearing layers and layers of clothes and scarves and hats and gloves. Ridiculous. I want to bust out my earmuffs and get slapped in the face with some frozen water drops. Is that so much to ask? Any whos love is supposedly in the air, but pshhh... I have my Eeyore stuffed animal and Justin Bieber singing me Christmas tunes, it's sufficient. Have I mentioned I absolutely love giving? I really don't know why... receiving is, of course, nice too, but there is such deep satisfaction in finding a gift that'll make that certain person laugh or smile. Totally cliche, but it's winter, and that's excuse enough. If I wasn't on a college budget, I would give until my heart's content, but my parents wouldn't like the fact that they're ringing in the new year with a huge credit card bill. Needless to say, I can't wait for some yummy in ma tummy and Christmas lovin in ma veins.

An EPIC Success

In all my lonely bitterness the first week of school, I decided to peruse my school's club showcase. I've heard about the many Christian clubs on campus, but walking down the religion section of the showcase, I ran into a wall of people asking me to sign their contact cards. By the time I got to the end of the aisle, not only was my hand cramping, but their names were already out the other ear and around the corner. With a stack of info cards in my hand, I was excited that I would finally be a part of some human interaction, ANY human interaction. Monday came around. I looked through my info cards and saw that EPIC had a dessert potluck. I do not mean epic the adjective (though EPIC is epic), but rather, an Asian Christian fellowship on campus, and if you know me, you know that dessert, actually food in general, is my weakness. All day I had been contemplating whether or not I should go. I'm one of those people that hates going into an unfamiliar situation by myself. Hate it. Burning passion. I was the girl who was scared of going to the bathroom alone until like high school (don't judge me, I thought something was going to come out of the toilet and kill me, its reasonable). 7 o'clock hit, I felt a tug, and I reluctantly walked to the PAC where we were being picked up. Immediately, I was sucked into surface level conversations, reciting my name, major, dorm, and whether I was norcal or socal (HOLLA AT THE DODGERS). Personally, I expected, by the 230948573452th person I met, to be burnt out and tired of shaking people's hands, but the upperclassmen were so incredibly welcoming, it was hard to stop. For the first time since coming to school, I smiled so much my cheeks were sore. Not only was I filled to the brim with ice cream and cookies, but I left the potluck hopeful about my future at Cal Poly. If I hadn't taken that leap of faith, I would have never been able to meet such amazing brothers and sisters in Christ. Through this experience, God showed me how he works when you least expect it. His push led me into a fellowship I feel connected with, not only in the sense of community, but spiritually, as well. Proverbs 3:5-6.

SLO It Down...

College. During the summer I was aching with anticipation. I fantasized about moving in and realizing that the girl across the hall was my soul mate best friend forever and ever. Needless to say it didn't work out that way. Week one: WOW. According to the school, WOW, Week of Welcome, is supposed to be the greatest week of freshmen year, full of exciting activities and friendships that will last a lifetime. Instead, it was easily the loneliest week of my life. I felt as though my chances of being accepted by the girls in my hall were out the window when I decided not to go out in a LBD and party. It is so hard to connect to girls that I have virtually nothing in common with. However, through this struggle, I realized that God put me in this dorm for a reason. We are to be the salt and light of the world. How am I going to do that in the bubble I have created for myself? Obviously, this is not an easy task. I have grown to be so comfortable in my Christian circle back home, but God didn't call us to mingle within ourselves. Little steps first. I learned that by just reaching out to the girls in little ways, such as, asking "how are you?" can eventually shed a positive light on Christianity. Starting college was an overwhelming slap in the face, but calm down and make most of the situation handed to you.