Busy Bee!

WOW where has time gone? Sometimes I feel like there are not enough hours in the day to complete everything I need to AND get to bed by 10:30 (which still feels past my bedtime...). My friends joke about me and my bedtime, saying that 11pm is like 3am in Avery-time. Well it IS! I need my sleep like plants need water, and when I don't get it.... well let's not go there.

This weekend was so much fun! Friday was Girl's Night! We dressed up cute and headed downtown to the Gas lamp District to RA Sushi. Well, I am not a huge fan of sushi, but thankfully they had a chicken and noodle dish that was to DIE for! Oh, and the pineapple-cream cheese wantons were pretty incredible as well. My friends enjoyed their sushi, so if you like Asian foods (sushi or not!) you have to give RA a try! Afterwards, we saw Dear John. Let me just say this- it made me cry like nothing before! Sobbing with tears of sadness and happiness, Dear John really pulled on my heartstrings and made me want a man in uniform of my own! :) Thankfully, my friend Iliana was prepared with a box of tissues to hand around, and we filled up our emptiness with Yogurtland right afterwards. MMMM there is nothing fro yo can't solve!

Fro Yo for Dummies

For those of you who don't know what I am talking about when I say fro yo, here is a mini lesson for you. Don't feel bad, I didn't know what the hype was until I got here!

1. get your bowl

2. fill it up with as many flavors as you want! Some stores have TONS to chose from, like chocolate, Nutter Butter, cake batter, and all the fruits you can name.

3. add your toppings! (my favorite part) I usually pile on the gummy bears, cheesecake bites, mochi, captain crunch, and caramel sauce. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

4. pay! its real cheap, usually 30-45 cents per ounce. WAYYY less than ice cream!

There you go. FRO YO!

Anyways, Saturday, my friend Maya and I went to the beach. It was 70 outside, but a tad windy. But hey, I loooove the beach! That night we went with our friend to Sigma Phi Epsilon's Bid Night. We danced the night away, much like at our Kappa Presents dance. Sunday was Valentine's Day! I joined my hall and RA for a beach clean up to not only give back to the community, but get some free Disneyland tickets as well. That night, the men of Intervarsity had asked us women to be their Valentines by passing out roses at our last large group meeting! They acted like such gentlemen, opening up doors for us and serving us a delicious home-cooked meal and dessert. We danced around the living room to "Everything" by Michael Buble, and then took a stroll around Sea Port Village with some of USD's finest men on our arms. What a night!

This week has just been a mess of homework, although I have snuck in a few hours at the pool here and there, soaking up the sunlight! It is such a foreign concept to me- 70 degree weather and having a tan... in FEBRUARY! It's snowing at my home in Colorado today... Weird. Can't complain that is for sure!

The last thing to report was Ash Wednesday took place yesterday. Even though I am Protestant, not Catholic, I wanted to check out mass and get my ashes. It was an incredible, renewing, peaceful serive in beautiful Founder's Chapel. I am giving up Diet Coke... Wow this is going to be tough! I made it back in time at night to watch Shaun White's gold medal half-pipe run. Can you say incredible? Well have a good week, and come visit sunny USD over your Spring Break!

Much love :)

Black & White

It is hard to believe that I have only been back in class for a couple weeks! I got right back into the swing of things as though winter break was nothing but a far off dream. My new classes continue to be challenging, with quite a bit more work than I had last semester. On top of that, I am even busier with all my new Kappa commitments. Thankfully, I enjoy being busy! Where do I begin???

On Wednesday, I went out to dinner with my first Sapphire Sis, Liz. A Sapphire Sis is Kappa-speak for a sophomore girl who takes you out to lunch/froyo/dinner/something fun in order to get to know each other and find your potential Big Sis in the sorority! We ate at a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican food place called J.V's. I had the BEST burrito! It was the size of a small child, but cheap and delicious. On Thursday's Inter Varsity large group meeting, the speaker talked about making the most of everyday moments. He said you don't have to have extraordinary moments happen in order to make your life a fulfilling one. By just getting to know the people around you and serving them, you can start a chain reaction that makes the world a little bit better. His words really resonated with me, so I have been trying to reach out and get to know the strangers I sit by in my classes. Friday was such a fun night. It was Kappa Kappa Gamma's Presents dance! All of us new girls dressed up in our white and the active members in black. Beforehand, I got ready with some of my friends in the Vistas, which are the sophomore on-campus apartments. It was fun to have the older girls help us get all dolled up! Cameras flashed as we laughed and bonded before the buses whisked us away to a night full of dancing. Sunday was Super Bowl Sunday! The RAs of Maher set up a fun party in Frank's Lounge, where we ate free Rubio's Mexican food, watched the game on giant screen TVs, and laughed at the commercials. It was a good time even for those of us who are not the biggest of football fans...

Before I sign off for this week, I am going to share with you a little secret. Today, I discovered Career Services and all that it has to offer. I stopped in during its drop-in hours in order to fix up my resume for an RA application I am currently filling out. Not only did I get assistance in making a professional resume, I learned loads of valuable information about applying for internships, what skills are needed to be a part of today's competitive job market, and where to look for internships. USD really helps its students out not only with post-college careers, but internships and summer jobs as well!

The First Week Back...

Busy, busy, BUSY! Welcome back to a new semester! Last week zoomed by in a flurry of textbooks, fun, lack of sleep and homework...

So far so good.

I am enjoying my new classes so far, with the exception of Chemistry. I have never been a huge science fan, but according to the general education requirements, I must take a couple classes in the sciences. Oh well. In a way, it is very nice to get back into a routine and actually use my brain again, and I haven't minded the amount of work I had last week.

The weekend was AMAZING!!! Friday night, I went with my new Kappa sisters to the new member retreat! We had a big, old-fashioned sleepover complete with food, funny games, Kappa cheers, and lots and lots of girl talk. I am making some great friends in Kappa and having the time of my life! It really is such a good fit for me. I have met a lot of unique girls, and I can be my goofy self with them which is exactly what I needed.

Saturday, my friend (and new Kappa sis!) Maya and I went hiking in Torrey Pines State Reserve. It was beautiful! The trails clung to the bluffs and cliffs that dropped right into the ocean, and the sun shone down on us from a perfectly blue sky. It was peaceful and serene- a much needed break from the hustle and bustle that was life last week! It is really neat that there is a little nature getaway like that so close to campus. Only about a 15 minute drive! The good day traveled into an amazing night. I went with my good friends Lauren, Chad, and Eric, who I have met in my hallway, to my friend Iliana's cousin's first birthday party! She has a large Hispanic family and everyone got together to celebrate. There was delicious Mexican food, a DJ, and lots of laughter. I let loose with my friends out on the dance floor, letting all my tension slip away. It was such a good night I will never forget. I loved experiencing a culture that is not what I am used to. My friend Lauren tried to teach me Salsa dancing, and I did what I could, but thankfully we could all laugh together at my lack of skills. I was surprised that Iliana's baby cousin kept her eyes open as late as we did! I was so tired from the dancing and late night that I slept like a rock.

Monday was nothing exciting to report, and today was busy! I went from class to class to Ambassador's Club meeting, to lunch, to the library! After all that I burned off some steam (and enjoyed the eye-candy) at the gym. Now, I am trying to crank out some homework before going to celebrate my friend's birthday at the Hard Rock Cafe tonight! Whew!

Have a good week all. Much love.