Finishing the First Week

The first week of college is officially done! Woo!

There are a few things I suppose I've learned from being here:

1. It is a lot bigger (Duh)
2. It feels like everyone already knows everyone
3. Sorority is a big deal here.
4. Classes are pretty much all based on exams. Hurrah.

I suppose that list isn't that great, but it's really all I can say for now. As for Sorority... I've been thinking about it. Honestly, I'm not apposed to the idea. (Even though my sister quit, saying it was not great.) The only thing that makes me not want to do it is how much time it takes, and money. Especially the money. If I'm going to be paying big bucks for something, I want it to be studying abroad. Not friends.

Well, I'm off for the night. First weekend at school... Huh. Let's see how this goes.

Changing Expectations and Roommates

It looks like it's going to be just a tad bit later of a night for me. Yes, I'm very dependent on a sleep schedule, sue me.

The week is coming to a close, and I'm glad. As you might realize, I am so ready for the weekend. For now, I just need to finish up this assignment that's due tomorrow.

It's funny how things sometimes just don't turn out the way we think they will. I say this because I am surprisingly understanding Economics quite well. Then again, we'll see when it comes time to the first test. Hoo boy.
The one class that I thought would be fantastic for me, but isn't turning out so great is my Human Physiology class. The thing is, I work really well with textbooks. Now I'm not bashing on the fact that I was able to save money by not getting a textbook, but here's the thing. Our homework is pretty much "look up the information. I'm not really going to talk about anything useful in class, except how exercise=good." Well, that's how the first few classes have been. I am not amused. Plus, I'm very type A. I like to have structure, and this is not it. Welp, what can you do?

The rooming situation... it's weird. My original idea was that I could become friends with my room mates. Have connections. Um... yeah, probably not going to happen. I can barely get a word out of either of them, let alone a conversation. And that's not just because they hardly know English, it's because it's just awkward talking to them.
I'm also pretty much positive that they're in a relationship. Why? Well, for one thing, last night he went into her room and didn't come out again until the next day. Just sayin'. I'm just glad I haven't heard noises.
But tonight? Tonight was weird. I think they were having a fight. I had no idea what they were saying of course, but I heard Lu's tone of voice... Not sounding very happy. So it's just weird.

What's a weird rooming situation you've had? When have things changed from your original expectations? Was it for the better, or worse?

Getting Into the Swing of Things

So the roller coaster that has been my week is starting to chug on back to the station of sanity. Wait... what? Okay, let's just do a recap of what's been going on so far in my life during this week. Okay? Okay.

Indeed, I've had of list of things to do for the week that seems to be growing but at the same time, is finally starting to feel like things are getting marked off. For instance, I was able to get a chance tonight to put things up on the wall. They've been sitting on my desk in a pile mocking me for the past week, so it was nice to clear off some space. Funny thing is, I've been doing little things all week to get my area all organized. It just feels like it's pretty much there. Here's a peek, and please ignore the fact that I'm still decorating like a preteen. I just need things on the wall.

Yes that is a Harry Potter poster. And shut up, don't judge.

In other news, I have been keeping myself busy not just with organizing the room. Yesterday I wandered over to the rec center to try out a fitness class with my sister. Y'know, now that I'm here it's kind of nice to have a sibling at the same school. She knows how things work, and at least I have a bit of a connection.

Speaking of connections... My loserness is coming out like crazy it seems. It's just so hard getting to know people at a completely new school, especially since I don't have the dorm connection with anyone or anything. It's a bit troublesome. But I am trying. I'm trying to find out information about clubs, all of that jazz. That brings us to something I stopped by to check out today called the Alpha Phi Omegas. They're a co-ed fraternity thing that does a lot of volunteer work. It sounds interesting, but at the same time I don't think I'm that good of a person. I'm not the type who usually goes out to volunteer, but who knows? I'm also going to check out some other things, such as an information meeting tomorrow about running club.

So there's still a lot that I'm still trying to figure out. Starting out at a new school, along with a wave of hormonal emotions (you know what I mean), it's just been a little scary. Having my printer jam at 10pm last night didn't help the nerves either.

As for tomorrow, I have one class that starts at noon. Nice. However, I have to run and get a decently sized assignment done for Friday tomorrow as well. Perhaps I'll have time to finally organize the living room? We'll see.

What types of groups did you join in college?

Life Unsettled

Day two of school! Which included Economics. And it's already got me stressing. We've already started going through the information super fast, although at the same time, I'm pretty sure I understand the information. It's just when you have a class that's graded only on exams and quizzes, you start to worry.

Really, I can't think right now. Nothing in my life is settled. My room isn't settled. My apartment isn't settled. My classes aren't settled. Nothing is completed right now, and it's stressing me out. I just want one thing to be done, that's all. One little thing checked off of my list. But the list keeps growing, and I can't keep up. I'll be more interesting tomorrow.

Back to Classes

I'm ready to pass out, and it's only 10. Geez, I feel like an old person. Especially since I hear people whooping and all energized at this time of night.

Today was the first day of classes! And somehow, I feel like I'm a freshman again. It's not because of the new setting either, it's because I'm in all lower level classes. All of my classes are 101s except a 201, but 90% of the class includes freshmen. Ah well.

One of the things I kept on doing today was simply looking behind me at all of the people sitting in the big lecture halls. Compared to a small school like WOU, seeing something like that is incredible.

As for the home front, things still aren't finished being set up. I know, I know, but I've been running errands and all that jazz. Cooking dinner alone took out a huge chunk of time. Then again, I do have what appears to be enough chicken to last me for a week. Feeds four? Maybe with smaller chicken breasts. (I have issues with cooking, we already know this.)

For now, I must sign off. Economics at eight? I'm just scared about the Economics part.

Did any of your years in college feel a lot different than the others, or did they all feel similar?

A Recap of The List

Now that school is actually here, it just doesn't feel right. Alas, school starts tomorrow and a whole bunch of new is throwing itself at me. Once again, I'm just worried about waking up on time. The fear about classes has died down a little, but some of the big classes are making me freaked. Like Economics. Just a tad.

Since it is the first day of school tomorrow, I think it's time once again to bring out the list! The list that this blog originally started on, but now is pretty much a place for me to ramble on. See, there I go again. Back to the list, starting with:

1. Get a Degree.
Obviously I'm not there, but I feel like I'm moving closer and closer. I've been trying to apply for Pre-J status online, but it's not letting me. So there's that. However, I have classes that will work towards my hopeful major.

2. Not Gain the Dreaded Freshman Fifteen.
Yeah, I'm not a freshman anymore, but that doesn't mean I can't gain the freshman fifteen. Heck, I thought I might gain it this summer. My training has been kind of messing with my metabolism I think, but hopefully it will get back to normal.

3. Study Abroad.
Because I'm at a new school, my GPA won't get me studying abroad this year. Which is fine, since I was hoping to next year. I have to wonder how that will affect the classes I need to take. I asked the Journalism department advisor how likely it would be to graduate in 4 years, and she said very likely. How does studying abroad affect that though? I'm not quite sure.

4. Stay Out of Debt.
The average amount I've spent every month since October has been $179.20, and that's not including books. Oof! I have to pay for rent and groceries now, so it's time to start spending smarter. Then again, I don't know if that is as much as I think. Maybe I'm just frugal. (Or maybe I'm a crazy spender and just don't know it.)

5. Get Good Grades
I'm still a bit nervous about this, just because the teachers at WOU were so good. Another reason is because I've been hearing horror stories. I'll work as hard as I can, and just try to get the best grades I can possibly get.

6. Make Friends.
I've been talking about this one a lot. It's scary being a new kid in a town where people have already gotten to know their friends! However, I will not be a wallflower. I'll put myself out there, and I'm hoping to get involved! Yep indeedy! I sound like a camp counselor now...

7. Blog Every Day.
I've been pretty good at this one... for the most part. I officially missed one day, but other than that I've done a post for each day. I'm thinking about changing this one though, who knows? I mean, if I don't have anything to say, why post? My main goal will be to try to post about interesting things, and not complain. No one wants that!

I'm also going to throw a few mini goals in here for now, which might change up.

• Get Toned! I mentioned this before, and I'll admit I haven't been doing very well with it. (I have been doing pretty good with the less sweets though.) I'm hoping that after the race I'll kick my butt into gear and get some stuff toned up. They also offer non credit classes here at the rec center, so those might be fun to check out
• Get Involved! I tried to do this at Western, but I guess I could have tried harder. I know for a fact they have a running club here (running capital of the country), and I've heard you don't have to be the best to be a part of it. Sounds good!

That's it for now. Now let's get ready for tomorrow! (Self pep talk. Just what I do sometimes.)

Do you have any "new school year" goals? How are your current goals going?

Learning About the Political Game

It's Saturday Night Live!

Yeah, I'm back at the house, for one last night. Back to school, actually starting Monday. Guh. Now that it's here, I'm freaking out. I'm going off track though. What was I talking about? Yes, SNL.

It's the new season of SNL, and as you know (or not), I adore SNL. Or I just love comedic actors. Well the first sketch of SNL is usually a political sketch of some kind. Of course, it was about political debates about the potential presidential candidates. That got me to thinking about, well the 2012 elections.

Yes, they're more than a year away, but advertisements are already starting up. This is my first year for voting for the president. What a wild responsibility! Sure, I'm just one person but each vote (sorta) counts.

Being able to vote should mean being able to make an educated decision on who to vote for. However, a lot of people don't get the knowledge they should about voting. Is it because they don't have the access to the appropriate knowledge? Or maybe they don't want to make an effort to get informed. I just don't want that to be me.

So I've got to ask y'all: Where do you get informed about presidential candidates, and their views?

I know many news sources are biased, but what are some good ones that aren't as biased? There's got to be some out there, right?

Other than that, I'm starting to get addicted to Words With Friends on my phone. It's pretty much Scrabble with people you know. Yeah.

Getting Ready for the School Year

Things are looking up. Once again, a post was almost forgotten due to another football game, but I digress.

What I'm talking about is the fact that the apartment is getting clean. That the roommates are working on it. Now that there's less stress about the apartment, giving me time to worry about the fact that school starts on Monday. It's just a wild feeling. Today I timed how long it takes to walk to my classes from my apartment, the nerd I am. I'm surprising close to all of them, but compared to WOU, it's far. Speaking of which, the media advisor called me today.  Yes, the WOU one. He was calling to give info to all of the sophomores... while I walked through the entrance of the main U of O building. Talk about awkward. 

I'm not quite sure how to feel about the new school year. Am I supposed to feel like a freshman? Or just that I've done this before. Really, I'm just hoping to get involved with some groups. I'm not sure of the greatest way to make new friends, but that's got to be one way.

So two biggest concerns: making friends and doing well in school. I suppose all I can do is try.

For any transfer students: His did you adjust to your new school? For the rest of y'all: How do you make friends?

Acting Your Own Age

I just realized that it's exactly a month until I turn twenty. That's weird.

What happens when you turn twenty? Since you're no longer a teenager, are you officially an adult? I don't really know.

I've been thinking about my age a lot lately, and it's not because of the fact stated above. It's because of 1. When I see other college kids and 2. The amount of help I get from my parents.

Let's start off with the college kids thing. Even though I guess I'm a full-blown college kid now, I just don't feel like I am. To me, the other college people look like they're so much older than me. That's what I think in my head, but I've been assured that I look college aged. However on the other side of the spectrum, I feel older in personality. I don't like a lot of the trends that people my age like. I don't text often, and I hardly care about Facebook. I feel like I don't fit in with my age group. I want to, I just... don't. I have a cousin who fits perfectly into the age group, but I don't want to be like that. I dunno.

The other part of thinking about my age comes from help from my parents. Mostly my mom. I think that I get way too much help from my parents. Sometimes I ask for it, but a lot of the time it seems like my mom just can't stop. I want her to, but at the same time I'm scared to have that happen. There are things that I need to be responsible for, and sometimes it feels like I don't get the chance to be responsible. It also could be that I don't know how to accept help, and I should grow into that. Hell, I don't know. I am still a teenager (for now).

So, that's just me for now in a nutshell. Needs to become more independent, too afraid to do it. Feh.

What age do you feel like you are?

The Truth About the Apartment

"You can only go up. You can only go up from here."

That's what I keep telling myself. Because I've been denying it, and blocking out the negative thoughts. The truth is, my apartment isn't that great. As soon as someone else said how bad it was, I realized that they were saying all of the things I was saying in the back of my mind. I just didn't want it to be true.

There are some good things, like I have a lot of closet space and my own bathroom. On the flip side, the apartment reeks. The main reason for that is that my room mates are slobs, and bigger than my last one. They leave food out, they stink up the apartment... I'm Febreezin' that junk up.

Why did I choose such a bad apartment? Mainly I was scared of not having a place to live for school. It had taken me so long to find out if I was actually accepted, I wasn't sure if there would be any places available. Honestly, I don't know what the hell I'm doing.

So my room is clean. I just need to decorate it. I'm just stressed and tired. And gosh darnit, I've been trying so hard not to complain here, but I'm just letting my thoughts fly.

Have you ever had a crappy living arrangement? What did you do about it?

The Clean Up Experience

Well, I'm here. Here as in sitting on the floor of the room of my apartment, trying not to get distracted by all of the things that still need to be done.

The transformation of becoming my mother is happening once again. I've become a crazed cleaning machine.

Since the last time I came up to the apartment, the pile of  "do I actually need this?" grew and grew. Currently I have a couple of multiples of things that aren't that necessary while I'm missing things I use everyday. My organization skills were not up to par on this whole moving experience.

That leads to coming in to my apartment today, still not having anything organized, and having more random crap to bring in.

The bottom line is I've been cleaning for about 7 hours. It's not just organizing my stuff either. It's cleaning the bathroom floor, scrubbing the toilet, cleaning the kitchen counters... Goodness. I haven't even finished my room, nor decorated, nor gotten the kitchen supplies put away. Then again, I probably should have started before three...

People tend to not believe me when I say that I like to be organized. However, as you can probably tell by now, I do. I don't like to stop until everything's set up the way I like... but I'm about to pass out.

The organizing spree will continue tomorrow! And hopefully by then, I'll have everything done so pics can occur.

Do you like to be organized, or messy?

The Elementary School Way

I've known that most people are already back to college town, but I sure didn't realize how bad it was until I biked over to the library. The sun made a little guest appearance today before hiding away for the rest of fall, which was alright in my book. As I made my way to the library, I noticed that the town was empty. It was like WOU four days of the week!

Seriously though, there was no one around. Until school got out.

It's a little strange to me seeing elementary school kids. They just seem so... different. I rode by, and saw outfits that high schoolers should be wearing. As you can see, my crotchety side is coming out but I'm serious. What happened to only people my age wearing knee high boots? When I have kids, I just know I'm going to have issues with how they dress. I'm probably going to end up dressing them like kids from the 1940's, in little suits and dresses.

Even though these kids dress like they're my age, I still tried to set a good example as I moseyed on by. I stopped at the cross walks. I let others pass. I would have gotten a Warm Fuzzie for my behaviour. (It's something from my elementary days).

One of the most interesting things I saw was the cross walker Rosa. The reason it's interesting is because she was a cross walker when I was in elementary school. I can't believe she's still doing it! And on Fridays, she would give out treats. Ah, memories.

Tomorrow I head off to campus for good. At least then my company won't be all under 12 years old.

What's something that you see in elementary school kids today that seems bizarre to your elementary school self?

Just a Few Little Things

Welp, I suppose I have a few things to talk about, so let's get started shall we?

First of all, there is an epidemic going on in the blog world. (In the blogs I read, anyway.) First there was Ashley, the very sporty blogger who got into a terrible accident on her bike. Now Kat, who was training for a marathon has been injured! It's scary seeing people who inspire you to reach for big goals get injured. It's not like they're not human, but still it feels like it shouldn't happen.
But seriously, if you're blog-savvy, you should go wish them well.

Today was the Race for the Cure, and it was quite lovely. Cold, but lovely. Truth be told, my favorite part of the race is seeing the huge crowd of people running in the street. It's just a wave of people.

It's strange to be home still, because the majority of FB statuses that I've been seeing have to do with moving in and such. Did I catch on the wave late or something? Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I've been in school all summer. Well, I'll be there by at least Wednesday.
Wait a tic... School's already that close? Goodness, I don't feel ready at all!

I know there were other things that I was going to talk about, but right now I'm completely exhausted. I think I'm going to sleep in forever tomorrow.

I hope everyone ends up having a lovely evening!

Family Closeness and a Race

I can't believe that it's already so late. Gosh, I'm tired.

Today we all went to a potluck. By we, I mean my cousins and I. The potluck involved relatives that I knew... sorta.

I have a good relationship with most of my family. I'm really close with quite a lot with my cousins. However, there are some family members that I'm not that close with. You see, I've got a huge family if you count all of the second cousins and all that jazz. Therefore, it's hard to get connected with all of my family members, especially since there are some family members that I don't even realize are related to me. It gets confusing. Heck, I can't even remember all of the names of all of my second cousins. I can't even remember the names of people that I meet everyday. It's a problem.

I know the faces, just not the names. Am I the only one with this problem?

Well, the other big plans for this weekend is a race tomorrow. Nothing big, just a 5k. It's the Race for the Cure, and my family has been doing it for years. It's odd, because I have to run two extra miles afterwards for my running schedule... so there's that. Also, we have to wake up at 5:30. Augh.

Are you close to your extended family?

The Last Long Run

As I ran through a town with paths unknown something came to my realization: I didn't write a post for yesterday. Goodness, what is wrong with me? Personally, I blame football games. Last time I messed up on posting was because of long run stress. Last night? I plum forgot. So football=forgetfulness.

For today? Two posts will occur. You have been warned.

The first post is about running. Because that's how I work.

Today's run was my last long run. That means the taper has officially begun. Weird. The original plan for today was to run at least 18 miles. This would also be my first long run in a non-hometown setting, and I was worried. I don't know why, but I've been a bit worried about running on paths other than my normal ones. Because I know my distances? I'm not sure. But I took off, and had a fantastic run.

As for 18 miles, that idea was thrown to the wind. Today? Today I ran 21 miles. That's farther than I've ever run yet! But now? Now I must taper, and that's a bizarre thought. Hopefully I can go into more details later,  but for now I cannot.

Family Comparisons

I'm still thinking that it's August. Not really a good thing, eh?

The moving extravaganza ended today, for I moved into my apartment. Hmm. I suppose that's a lie, because I still don't have a bed there, and I'm currently back at my parent's house. Yuppers.

Earlier today, I was thinking about comparisons. Not like the comparison I've talked about before (grades, skills, etc.), but when other people compare you to someone else.

Personally, I hate being compared to other people. When I was younger, I would tell people that I wanted to be the original, don't compare me to that person. Honestly, I think it's still a good way to think about ourselves. For instance, there are plenty of quotes out there explaining how there's no other person like you, so why be someone else? ...Or something along those lines. I'm getting off topic though.

The point is, comparisons are not my thing. I'm fine with being compared to my mom- I get why I'm getting the comparisons. We're very similar. However, there are times when I really don't want the comparison.

"Oh, that's so like          , haha!"

You recoil back in horror. Really? Like that person? What if it's a person you really don't want to be compared to? Ever? I saw this happen to my sister, and saw her eyes grow large in terror. Did they really just say that? Yes. Yes they did. And they find it to be a loving comment. Which you do not agree with.

And I know this horror, because I've had it happen myself.

You can't say anything either, because they'll know your true bitchy thoughts.

I'll admit it. I'm a bitch. I know it, but I also know proper etiquette. And that means don't say that you hate their comparison.

The one comparison I surprisingly don't mind? When my cousin calls me Alicia. It's just funny.

Like, whatever!

Have you ever been compared to someone you wished you weren't compared to?

A Turn to the Cold

Oregon has gotten the memo that it's fall. This is something that isn't a great thing to us Oregonians. We tend to spaz when we finally get sun, and when it disappears... we freak out.

One of the things that we always try to avoid when the weather gets cold again is going into hibernation mode. As much as I hoped to avoid it, today the hibernation sucked me in.

I moved slowly. I sat next to the heater. I looked at things that I needed to pack, and huddled into the couch once more.

This? This needs to stop. I'm sure that I'll be less hibernate-y once school starts, but doesn't it feel weird when it's cold again? Like we should go like the bears and rumble into caves? Why is that?

All I know is that if the patterns continue, I will become a blob encased in an over sized sweatshirt. Ridiculous.

Welp, apparently the cold weather is affecting the way I write as well. Therefore, I'm signing off for the night.

How does the colder weather affect you?

Pre Move-In Jitters

This week has officially become the week of moving. This time, it was moving my sister to her apartment. Yes, fun times.
When helping friends move, there are usually a couple of benefits. Maybe some lunch or something, right? Moving family means you do it, or you're a bitch. It's just how things go. What can you do?

It's weird going from a room mate that you've known for years to room mates that you didn't know until you decided to room together. I mean, I'm not even living there yet, and I still don't know how to correctly interact with them. When hearing the two of them talking in Chinese the few times I've been there, I wonder what they're talking about. Is it something I did?

How is it going to be when I move in, you know? I have no idea.

I started thing about this when seeing my sister interact with her room mate. Now, she's not close with her room mate, but she at least had connections with the person before moving in. I suppose it's all part of living with other people.

Who's the strangest room mate you've ever had?

Digging through the past

I was so close. Close to having a good chunk of my things packed up. Close to actually having walking room on the floor of my bedroom. Then I got to what I call The Art Box. Packed up in a specific box last summer, the art box contained quite a few sketchbooks, and hundreds of pieces of paper. All with drawings on them. Somehow, this lead to a cleansing of the pile. Every so often (it's about every year), I go through the pile of drawings, and look to see which ones I don't like anymore. Sure, I see plenty that have awful proportions but that's not what matters. What matters is if the drawings bring out certain memories and such. Some do, some don't.

As I've said before, I used to be a major art person. I even became art student of the year at my high school. That's what makes it so weird to think I never draw these days. I mean, it was a huge part of my life for years! Where did that go?

Most of the time, I don't think about it but going through the pile made me miss it. Along with drawing, there were multiple characters I created and some had very detailed stories. Sure a few of them were ridiculous, but I grew attached. ...it's an art kid thing.

There are some things that I don't think I'll ever return to from my past, but hopefully I can get some of my art self back.

What's something you used to do all of the time that you never do anymore? Why not?

Prepping for School

I move into my first apartment in a couple of days. That thought is bizarre to me.

The difference between how packed and ready I am this year as compared to last year is wild. I remember that I started packing up for college as soon as that graduation cap flew off my head last year, and was all done by the end of the month. This year, I've hardly got anything done. I packed a few things earlier, but the majority of my packing just started this evening. Preparation at its finest, eh?

It's weird because it feels like it should be a new start since it's a new school, but... at the same time, it's like I've already done this before. There are just a few tweaks. Like a much bigger school. Plus not in a dorm. Plus I won't know anyone. Honestly, I'm not sure how to feel about the whole situation.

Other than that, my room looks like my closet threw up everywhere. (classy) That's what happens when you're in the process of organization. Still, I feel gross being in a gross room. Ah well.

Did your college prep change each year? How did it change?

Road Trip Recap

I can't believe it's already Saturday again. I didn't feel like I was gone for about a week, but here we are.

Now that I'm at my own computer again, I can write posts that have (some) sense in them. Truthfully, while I was on my trip I didn't want to be writing at all, but the whole thing involved a lack of planning. Anywho...

If you've seen any of my gibberish from this week, you might have known my sister, mom and I road tripped it up towards the north. On our first day, we ended up not actually getting to, you know, road trip status. We went to where I pretty much go every weekend, my cousins' house. The reason we ended up staying the night was because we ended up being part of a cleaning spree that happened in my grandma's room while she was away. I don't know if it's age, or collecting tendencies, but if my grandma lived alone she might end up having a house on Hoarders. I found a ton of empty containers, a good amount of toothbrushes... Ridiculous.

Our next stop was in the next state, Washington. As I said, drivers up there be crazy! We talked about how maybe the cops don't care as much about speed laws because they have sales tax, so money distribution with taxes is different. I dunno.

I don't know who out there is from Washington, but we've decided y'all are scrappy. Along with your zippy cars, my mom and sister spotted signs that apparently said "Don't litter, or we will hurt you." Something along those lines.

We were able to stay the night at my aunt's house up there, which was really nice. They live by some pretty nice houses. (Their house is nice too.)

While we were in Washington, we spent a day in Seattle. I've never been to Seattle, (except when I was really young), so it was fantastic. While there, I bought a nice cheese. Then my mom bought me two more, some salami, and a mini baguette. Another nice thing about traveling with family? I think so.

Buying my cheese.  It was called... Manchego? It was from Spain! Delish.

Oh, and a trip up the Space Needle!

Geez, I need to start wearing some color on my lips. And cut my hair. And other stuff.

It's funny how dependent we are on technology. While we were on our trip, we used our phones for directions, looking up places to go, information... until we crossed the border. Once we passed that border, it became: "Would you like to pay a fortune on phone usage?" I think not.

My comment on the people of Vancouver still stands. Obese people do not exist up there, and there are hardly any slightly overweight people. It was a bit intimidating, but at the same time kind of motivating. So if you want to stay thin, go to Vancouver and live there.

Being on a running schedule is kind of weird on vacation because you have to plan around it. There were times that I hated it because I felt like everyone was waiting on me to get my run done to do anything, but I'm glad I did. Running in Washington was extremely hilly, but not a bad run at all. Then there was my run around Stanley Park in Vancouver, which was fantastic. Seriously, if you're a runner and you go up there on vacation, go there. It's about 6 miles, but if you take a wrong turn and keep running on the beach, you can get your 8 miles in like I did. Another nice thing about my Stanley Park run was my sister rented a bike and went along with me. I've been running alone all this time, so it was really nice to have some company.

A lot of this trip involved visiting markets of some kind. They were cool markets!

Good gosh, I love cities. I told my sister to punch me if in the future I don't end up living in a city for at least a year of my life.

I could go on and on, but I should get going. I had to drive the car home from my cousins' house last night, so the mom and sis do not have a way to get home... Yeah.

In other news, today's run was good. 20 miles running, then a 2.8 mile walk/jog back home. Did not plan very well for that. Still, I just wanted to get 20 miles in, and I did. Yes!

What was the last trip you took? Was it with family or friends?

Getting Back Home

Welp, I'm back in Oregon.

After being in a car for about 12 hours today, I'm a little drained. Why is that? I didn't do much driving, yet I'm quite tired. It shouldn't be like that since I didn't, you know do anything. Eh. That's life.

So, I have to get ready for my run tomorrow, meaning there's not much time to talk about things. Boring, I know. I'll be back up to par tomorrow!

Travel with Friends or Family

One of the factors that adds into if a vacation is going to be enjoyable is who you end up going with. Earlier, we were talking about how if it was a trip with friends instead of family, how factors would change. When I'm with family on vacation, I can be a bit lame and go to bed early. The reason? I'm not going to want to spend time in clubs or things like that with my family, I do that with friends. On the other side of that argument, it's nice to be able to wake up early on trips with family. Most of my trips are with family, so I wonder how much I would like it with friends? I dunno. I'm just rambling. Good night to you all!

Do you prefer trips with friends or family?

Oh Canada!

The thing about vacation? There's no time to blog, and no one really wants to. Unfortunately, I did not plan ahead so I have no one else to write. (or pre-written posts). What can you do, eh?

Speaking of eh...

Currently I'm in Canada. Even though it shouldn't be a culture shock, there is still a bit of it. My sister was commenting on how there are no fat people here. ...I don't think that's what culture shock means, but still it's odd.

So we're off again. What kind of post is this? I dunno. It's just seeming like a travel log without pictures... which isn't fun! There will be pictures when I get back, don't worry!

Adventures in Seattle

Goodness. There are many things to talk about, but it would be better if I had pictures. Ah well. Let's summarize the day, shall we?

• Went on a run through the hilliest landscape I've ever seen
• Explored Seattle, including Pike Place
• Bought a vendor an ice tea
• Had a sandwich leak in my already dying bag (need a new one)
• Bought fancy cheese
• Went to the top of the Space Needle for the first time in my life
• Walked all over Seattle
• Went to the original Nordstrom
• Had a delicious dinner of fancy cheese, bakery bread, and nice salami
• Finished off the night with a slice of peanut butter chocolate pie.

Really, that's all I can say for now. Tomorrow, we go farther up north yet again!

Have any fun events during this week?

The Way They Drive Up North

The adventure continues up north, and now we are hanging out right outside of Seattle.
The driving habits of other states are strange indeed. In Oregon, it's easy to get pulled over by the cops. Speeding? Don't even think about it. Today, we ended up having a situation none of us ever thought would happen. My mom, first of all likes to speed. She was only going five miles over when she saw a cop. Sure that she was about to be pulled over, she immediately went to the speed limit and moved to the far left lane so the cop could move over. The cop moved into the left lane and said through his speaker:
"Please move over to the next lane unless you are going to pass."
The main point is my mom pretty much got sassed by a cop for going too slow. That's ridiculous for my mother.
It's crazy how many people we saw going ten, twenty miles over the speed limit... and not being pulled over. What is this? Maybe that's just how Washington rolls.
The plans for tomorrow? Not quite sure. The idea is that we're going to explore Seattle, which I am excited for.

What's something that you've found strange while in a different state?

Impromptu Vacations Ahoy!

What happens when you, your sister, and your mom hastily decide to go on a road trip? With no officially planned paths, destinations, and a rough amount of time set out, we were out on our adventure.

...Which ended up putting us at cousins' house on the way up. Not really a road trip, but still fun. However,  our road trip is still a go. The idea of a road trip has been floating around for awhile, but nothing official was planned. And still, it's not really planned, but we'll see how things go. We're just going on north!

Have you ever gone on an impromptu road trip? Or any other impromptu vacation?

The Posting Schedule

You may have noticed that I didn't write up a post yesterday. Yeah. So much for my write a post everyday goal.
However, I will (try) to post everyday continuing on as usual.

Why wasn't there a post yesterday? Well, there was a lack of planning for one thing. Another thing is, lately I haven't really known anything good to write about. Heck, I might have not known what to write about tonight if not for missing yesterday. Besides, I was having a mini breakdown by the time I got home at midnight, so writing a blog post was not on my mind. (My schedule was off, my mind went into a frenzy of things I'm not doing right... It wasn't pretty).

It's like a diet. If you fall off the horse, you're not just going to go pig out because you messed up. You get back on that horse! Then again, it's a freaking blog. Not a big deal.

In other news, just came back from a family friend's wedding. It was really lovely, in a vineyard. Also one of the shortest ceremonies I've ever seen. Honestly, it was about ten minutes long. Wild.

That's really all I have to say right now!

Do you have a specific posting schedule? What do you do when you have trouble completing it?

Unwelcome to the Week of Welcome

I know I said this yesterday, but I still can't get over the fact that it's September. That just makes me think of all of the things I need to do before school starts! Moving in, getting books, getting everything together for the first days of school... So much to do! One of the things that isn't really at the top of my "School is here" to do list is Week of Welcome.

Most colleges that I've heard of have a Week of Welcome, where activities for new students happen. These events are created for freshmen and transfers, but honestly they're mostly for freshmen. Which is why I'm not participating in the activities during said week.

Another part of the thing that makes me not want to go has to do with Facebook. Apparently, a lot of the people in the grade below me decided to attend this school, and I keep seeing statuses like this:
"Ohmigosh, Week of Welcome is gonna be SO COOL."
"I know! We'll make it awesome, and we'll hang out even though we never hung out in high school! Woo!"

I don't really want to hang out with the high school class below me. It would just be awkward.

Still, the hanging out with all of the younger high schoolers isn't the only factor of me not going. I also know how these things work, and they're not that amazing.

During my New Student Week at Western, I was happily screamed at by PLUS team members. I met people in a rush during "meeting games", and instantly forgot their names because there was no time to think. I listened to a lot of weird speeches, many with points about being raped as a child and overcoming it. More than I needed to hear. Also, what did they have to do with college? Nothing. It was just strange.

I don't need to go to sessions on being in college, I went to those last year. Despite some weird things, it was alright my freshman year. I just don't need it this year.

Did you participate in a Week of Welcome for your school? What was it like?