Les Misérables

Oh my gosh. Love.

Presents in this Galaxy

I meant to write this yesterday, but I didn't get around to it... 

***** 

Belated Christmas present from Shu! Pretty awesome - Book of Secrets + Khet: The Laser Game. Came back from shopping to a huge box on the porch. Which had a huge bag in it. My mom and I were so confused haha. In any case, thanks blearghle! 

Also got my Galaxy SIII activated! It's insane how much stuff I can do on here! I need to get music though... Sucks that I'm super lazy and sort of busy... Maybe over Intercession? Or you know, if anyone out there wants to make me a mixtape -nudgenudge-. 

Also got my puzzle ring in the mail! It's the right size now haha. =] I can actually wear it everywhere now - super happy. It does make washing my hands a bit annoying though - I don't want to get it wet, so I always have to take it off. Ah well, whatever. It's a minor setback to always having something I can fiddle with.

Merry Christmas! =]

My face still hurts. -sighs- Lasting reminder of how horrible I am at ice skating, haha.

Shopping Spree!

Went on a nice spree to Nordstrom Rack - two of them. Spent so much money today, but at least I got some nice things. =] It was pretty hectic, but nice to actually find stuff I liked. Then sobering to realize it costs $80. Ah well, I get treated every once in a while I guess.

Got a pair of boots, sandals, and a really cute pair of heels. That last phrase doesn't come out of my mouth often, so that should give you an idea of how cute I thought this pair of heels was haha. Best buy of the day definitely had to be a dark brown leather jacket though. It was like $100, but also marked down from $500, which made it a teensy bit more acceptable. It's amazing though, and I love it. =]

In any case, I suppose I have a slight excuse for going on a shopping rampage this break, since I don't really have an opportunity to shop otherwise...

Catching Up

Had a super fun day yesterday. I really need to start studying for finals, but seeing friends again and hanging out is so much more enjoyable...

Met up with Eric and Peter at Iceland for some intense skating/falling. First time falling in this rink = completely wiping out and smashing my face against the ice. It's still sore... I also have a really nice crescent shaped mark on my middle finger - I have no idea where it's from...
Went to Fuddrucker's for lunch, where Tommy decided to join us. Mmmm burgers. Guac on burgers is actually delicious. Actually, guac n everything is delicious.
Headed over the Dublin Bowl for some intense gutter-balling. Until we got bumpers. Awh yeah. Anyways, Pikatu, Tsaichu, Caterpete, and Ponytom were pretty awesome. Yeah, we're that cool. I somehow managed to win overall two games. Don't ask me how that happened, but it did haha.
Chilled at Tommy's for a while - a few games of Hearts, a few of Deuces, a few of Palace. Tommy and Eric had a pretty intense game of Stratego after Peter had to leave too. I also ate most of the grape tomatoes in the house. Ah well, what can I say. In any case, I've missed these guys. We need to get the whole gang ("nerd bus" haha) together and play Publish or Perish...

Grabbed some pho with Jung (just lots of noms today =D) and had a pretty intense 3-hour conversation about our colleges. It was super fun just to catch up and stuff though. I've really missed friends from back home - it's hard to realize until you meet them again...

I guess since the world didn't end, I still have finals. Ah well.

Hexagons

My over-break orgo pset had an octagon in it. I just have to say it takes quite a bit longer for me to draw an octagon than a hexagon, and it still ends up looking questionable. I guess we know which shapes gets used the most in orgo...

In other news, sent off presents today! Yay! Can't wait 'til they get them. =]

It's nice being back.

Catching up with friends, seeing teachers. Walking around San Ramon. And getting a little ego boost when people are impressed you go to Princeton =P. But it's nice seeing how everyone's doing. Being out of the Orange Bubble is relaxing. Though I do have to say that now I'm hating we have finals after break, since all of my friends are done. Blah. Oh well. Hopefully I'll do decently on them... I should study... 

 Finished Matterpie's present! Super excited - going to ship it tomorrow. I want to post a picture but I can't do that until he opens it. In Maryland. So like, in a week. Ah well. =]

Hey There California!

Back in California! I don't even know what to expect... It feels like I haven't been here in forever but it also feels like I just left. Wow. 

I got really randomly emotional near the end of the flight - I guess it was a mixture of excitement for being home again, and sadness for leaving Princeton and all the friends I've met there. In any case, I actually started crying a bit; it was weird. 

The actual flight went really well. Two rolling luggages are extremely hard to cart around on public transportation, but I made it! A nice guy helped me put my super heavy carry-on into the overhead compartment too. =] 
Watched "The Social Network" and "Premium Rush" on the plane - both were pretty good/interesting, but not particularly stunning. Though speaking of movies, I'm super psyched to see "The Hobbit" and "Les Miserables"!!! 
Successfully got my bag down from the overhead compartment and my check-in from the carousel with absolutely no problems. Sitting in the airport as of now, waiting for my parents. 

 In any case, I can't wait to see all of my friends, and my parents and sister and kitty! And to visit my high school, eat actual Chinese food, make late night runs to MadFish with Clarie... =] 

 As for all of you Princeton peeps, keep in touch and I'll see you in three weeks! =P (Facebook or Skype!) 

[Also, how do I still have so much crap to do over break?! Whatever, not thinking about it now.]

*****

Edit: OMG I CAN EAT IN-N-OUT. IT EXISTS HERE!

Going Home!

For the first time since September. Wow. I still can't really believe it.

I'm a bit torn - I really want to see my family and friends from home. To sleep in my own bed, pet my kitty, go on MadFish runs and watch movies at Regal. Bike around, visit teachers, chill in SF... But at the same time, I'm happy here. I've made some amazing friends who I won't be seeing for three weeks now. It's going to be different, since I essentially live with them. It's bittersweet in a sense, but I'm excited. I still can't completely process that I'm going home though. Home. California. Wow.

I MISSED CLASS!

It's a pretty big deal, considering it's NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. That's right, I've never been absent from class - at least, not for an unexcused reason, that is, other than a field trip or competition and the like. 

 I'm sort of freaking out right now haha. Not in a bad way or anything, just that I'm still trying to comprehend that I missed class. Like, I. Missed. Class. It's okay though, since I can get notes from someone, and the professor pretty much said she expected most people to be gone (and actually, there were like five people in class apparently). 

 In any case, since I slept through math, I guess break really DID start yesterday! xD

Wishes and Meteor Showers

Orgo today was a bit rough, and I was just so insanely tired up through being able to take an actual 40-minute nap after writing sem. Everything got significantly better after classes though. =]

LH102 reunion at Twist today - it was super fun. We did rose/bud/thorn and everyone seems pretty happy here, though the general consensus is that classes are hard, and writing sem sort of sucks right now.

TASAnta was amazing. Cathy got me and she found this glass mug that's pretty much a beaker with a handle. It's absolutely awesome and I LOVE it. I completely didn't realize until she pointed it out, because I saw KitKats and I love KitKats haha. But this was completely amazing, and I totally wasn't expecting something this fabulous considering TASA is huge and I didn't know who would get me. In any case, it was super awesome.

Dropped by DO to help people with "gingerbread" (chocolate chip) Catan. All of that orgo has, at least, made me able to cut nice hexagons. I didn't get to stay and play Catan though - holiday party/Marantha's birthday party with the suite!

Our suite Secret Santa was pretty awesome - everyone seemed super happy with their gift. Rory got me and her package didn't arrive in time, but she made this adorable small origami box and put M&Ms inside, so seriously, I would have been happy with that. The box is possibly the cutest origami thing I have seen haha.

Matt and I went to stargaze at Poe Field, and we saw a ton of meteors - it was amazing. I've never seen so many in my life, and a good number of them were bright and long-trailing too. We talked a lot about random things from our lives - scary moments, best friends, surprises and nicknames... It was just nice to look for shooting stars and talk for a few hours.

Despite math tomorrow, I think I can say that break has started. =] I just need to be super careful when packing tomorrow - can't leave anything here! =P

"What happened??? Exam average was 50! We have to talk."

That awkward moment when it seems like your entire orgo class has disappointed the professor. But also that moment when you're just relieved you didn't fail as badly as you had originally thought.

Edit: I give up. I obviously just suck at orgo.

Three More Days!

I'm super excited to go back and see all my family and friends from home again! And my kitty and my sister's new puppy! I'm going to be so busy over break still, just with studying and Dean's Date assignments, and internship applications (agh internship applications) but it's three weeks of no classes and less stress. =] I'll be back Saturday night (my flight lands at like 8pm) and I'm leaving on the 5th? 6th? of January. In any case, hit me up and let's get together sometime! 
[Clarie - Yogurtland and MadFish runs? There's pretty good froyo here but the sushi places aren't as good and dining hall food is free... xD And Quickly - the boba here is sadly lackluster.]

On another note, I have an insanely strong support group here. All of my roommates, my friends, even strangers sometimes - they all care and they're always there if I need them. So guys back home, rest assured that I'm well taken care of here, and despite my stress with grades and not feeling good enough at times, I'm happy. =]

Matt - I'm still really sorry I made you walk everywhere looking for me. You're one of the sweetest people I know, and thank you so much for being with me during this past weekend. I really don't know what I would have done without you - as broken and confused and tired and stressed I was when you saw me, I would have been much more so had you not been there.

Life Doesn't Usually Work the Way We'd Like

And orgo almost never does. 

Just a shout-out to Matt for making my night significantly better after the test, because I was pretty much in shambles for a while. You're an amazing person, and I owe you so much. 

Also, today's XKCD pretty much epitomizes my life.

YEAH 7AM COURSE REGISTRATION!

This is insanely moving on so many levels... People care.

My Friends Keep Me Sane

Quite literally. I'm beginning to think the reason I'm so talkative and love meeting people is that without them, I would be completely lost and just devastated all the time. 

I had an absolutely horrible episode last night - just laying in bed, ready to go to sleep when this urge to just cry washed over me, with these absolutely horrible irrational thoughts. And before I knew it, I was sitting in the closet with my stuffed animal and my phone next to me. Then I hid under the covers because it seemed slightly more normal should my roommate walk in and be completely freaked out that I'm hiding in the closet. But that wasn't good enough - I wasn't invisible enough - so I crawled under my bed in what little space was left there and stayed there for about an hour. I can't say I didn't realize how much I rely on my friends, but I can say that last night's episode, or whatever it was, definitely reaffirmed that fact. I really couldn't survive without them.

I actually think there might be something wrong with me.

Sometimes I Just Like People-Watching

And looking at the faces of all these people who will most likely be more successful than me. It's calming in a sense, to know that the world has so many people to rely on to make it a better place. In the bigger picture, I guess I don't matter.

Thank you.

Harry Potter-Themed Dinner!

First Study Break Organized!

Organized my first study break for the Wilson Council! Not singlehandedly of course, and it was really just a matter of e-mailing people, but I still feel proud. 

On the other hand, Colorguard is looking VERY real. Eleven people with interest, so we should have a good group! This is much more exciting than multi or orgo haha. =]

Colorguard!

I think I have enough interest to start one at Princeton! Super excited!

Default Mode

It used to be that I was always happy until I had a reason to be sad. And even then I bounced back relatively quickly. 

It's not that I default to a mode of sadness now, it's just not happiness like it used to be. I just tend to be sort of mentally drained and a bit melancholy. In a mood of wanting to sleep all day even without actually being tired/needing the sleep. I don't like this. Two more weeks then I'll be back in San Ramon - maybe it'll do something for me.

You Are the Apple of My Eye

TASA movie night! A much needed break from multi studying. I can't tell if that movie was happy or sad though. Maybe a bit melancholy but also inspiring.

What am I doing with my life?