Keep calm and carry on (literally)

I'm sick of studying, so I'm focusing on my trip for next week. Now the fun part of traveling: packing. Not only will I be leaving for two weeks as opposed to usual study-abroad trips, but we have to deal with customs and all that fun stuff since we're leaving the country. I found this great website for packing:
 http://selectstudyabroad.com/2012/01/top-ten-tips-for-packing-luggage/
This has some really good tips, such as rolling your clothes to pack instead of folding them. I love the tips about how to protect liquids and keeping everything fresh. I'm just praying everything will be able to fit! Here's what I've been able to pack so far:

I know for sure one thing I absolutely need to pack: sunscreen. even though i was only outside for a few hours yesterday during our Soccer tournament, my face got fried (definitely not as bad as my friend Katie). I'm also a little worried about the mosquitos, I'm usually a food magnet for them during the summer. But I've been taking my malaria pills and I'm packing plenty of bug spray.

The Cab Day

Happy Sunday! Trust me, this was a much needed day of rest. After staying up until about 6:30 am this morning, my parents coming down to move nearly half of my belongings home, and IM Soccer tournament, I'm exhausted. On the plus side, our team won the championship! It was a good start to what will be a very long week due to exams and my excitement for leaving for Africa. In addition to the fact that it's one week until I leave for Africa, it's also The second annual The Cab Day. It's the four year anniversary of the release of their first album, Whisper War. Calling all fans of The Cab! The band has overcome so much this past year, such as getting dropped by their label and releasing their sophomore album, Symphony Soldier, independently. This is a day to celebrate.

 

I first heard of this band last summer. I went to an All Time Low concert and they were one of the bands traveling with them. I thought they were okay at first, but I truly fell in love with them last fall, when they appeared in Grand Rapids as a part of Art Prize. They are very loyal to their fans, even staying after their show to meet their fans. My friends and I were so giddy after meeting them. It was a little embarrassing, but can you blame me?

If you've never heard of this band, go check them out right now! Some of my favorite songs by them include (but not limited to):

Angel with a Shotgun

La La

Bounce

Vegas Skies

I'll Run

Intoxicated

Endlessly

Temporary Bliss

Can you Keep a Secret?

It's 4:00 am, more time to study

It's officially Finals Week, and I'm still awake on a Saturday night at 4:00 in the morning. This is the only week during the semester when our college's library is open 24/7. As part of a tradition, my friends and I study all night on the first night it's open. Usually this consists of random activities, such as chair racing, video posting, sing a longs, and dance parties.
Most people think we're nuts for doing this, but it's a great bonding experience. None of us are in the same class, but seeing others study gives me the motivation to study. As of now, I've finished a take-home exam, written two pages each for separate papers, prepared study guides, and worked on a packing list for Africa. Usually at this point I'm so tired, but with how much I've finished, I'm still going strong. I deserve a break, which for me means a blog post and watching a movie or something.
Well, I'm going back to working on homework, or procrastinate a little bit more, or maybe sleep.....

This just got real

I decided to take a mini-break from blogging so I can sort out what exactly I need to do to be able to pass all my classes, which means studying, a ton.

But the days are dwindling down; tomorrow, I will be in the single digits until I leave for Africa! It's hard to believe. I just got my International Student ID yesterday, and my group is already packing.
I've been asked to provide an interview. Some of the questions are pretty basic, such as major, how are you involved on campus, how did you hear of the program, year, etc. But some questions I really need to think about: why did you want to study in Africa? What do you hope to bring back? What has Aquinas been like so far?
For the first question, I have two reasons:
The first: I've always wanted to study abroad, but with expenses and how close I am with my friends and family, I was positive I couldn't study abroad for a whole semester (especially with the fact that my majors wouldn't let me qualify). My cousin currently attends Westpoint and was able to study abroad last year in Egypt. Of course this was during the riots and he had to be relocated to Morocco.
The second reason: since both of my brothers have made their names known at Aquinas, I had to make my mark somehow. I'm part of the first group of students from Aquinas College traveling to Africa. My input is vital since I will be providing feedback for future trips. I want to make a difference (I know, I'm using Aquinas' slogan, but it totally applies!)
For the second question, I hope to bring back more of an understanding of developing countries. I'm not sure what to expect exactly, but I'm keeping an open mind (as well as a charged camera battery to document my trip!)
And the last question, well, I'll save that for another day. It's almost time for Africa!

Journey of Life

Serenity Prayer:

"God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannto change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference."

It's the start of Exam Cram. I'm not as worried about my exams as usual. I'm getting more worried about other useless things: flying on a plane, finding a job for next fall, and of course, my accounting class. I spend most of my time worrying about the future that I sometimes forget how far I've come in my life so far, especially from one year ago.
At this time last year, I was getting ready for my oldest brother Mike to graduate, trying to grow my hair out from a previous bad haircut, preparing for my first summer away from college, that kind of stuff. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do that year in the future, but let's be honest, I wasn't expecting much of myself. I got cocky, assuming everything would work out without putting much thought or effort into ii. I was very reluctant of my summer job (as my manager put it "bitter", ugh I hate that word) and having to live at home away from my friends in college. Of course I had hopes and dreams, but they were nothing compared to now.
Looking back on all that has happened so far this year, it's hard to believe how much I've truly changed in just one year. Everyone says the first year of college is when you start to grow up, but for me, I don't think that was the case at all. It was mostly this year, my sophomore year, when I realized what I have to offer the world and what I want to potentially do with my life. I've been more grateful for things in my life, and learned that not everything is going to go your way. People have always said that but I'm starting to realize just how true it actually is. Don't get me wrong I still don't fully know what I want to do with the rest of my life, but I do know what I don't want to do and that I need to be my own person, so that's a start.....
Of course I have had some difficult times this past school year: a horrid living situation the first part of the year, losing some good friends, not getting to be on court for Michigan Apple Queen, accounting (yes it's that bad), losing my dog Mac, having my brother move all the way across the country for a job, etc. But even through those hardships, my faith in both God and myself have guided me through those difficult times. I've met new people in my life who not only challenge me, but also teach me to be a better person. With God's help, I've grown (and will still grow) in courage, wisdom, and acceptance.

Hakuna Matata

It's the start of Exam Cram. I've realized I've had so much to do before, but it seems to all pile at once. You can definitely tell the end of the semester is upon Aquinas College. Part of the stress is not only all this last minute work for classes, but also the challenge of applying for scholarships and finding a job for next semester (no luck so far, keep me in your thoughts and prayers for finding employment!).

I know I'm stressed, but I need to remember one thing: Hakuna Matata. Stress tends to get the better of me every time it comes up. I have so much to look forward to after the semester is over, especially going to Africa. Which is more of a reason to think of "Hakuna Matata". I need to focus on school, but I can't go crazy over it and stress myself out even more. Although my stress levels at an all time high, I will continue to update my blog as usual, but if you don't see any recent postings or they're not as long or insightful as usual, don't be alarmed....I am still alive, just busy.

Remember: Hakuna Matata

Whose Troupe is it Anyway?

I went to the In Case of Emergency Improv Show last night after my rehearsal. It was their last show of the year and they had Alumni from previous years of the Troupe join the cast. It went like any other Improv show, game here, laughs everywhere, you name it.
My personal favorite was them performing an Irish Drinking Song. I love that game! It's from the TV show "Whose Line is it Anyway". Basically they have to make up a song one line at a time about a certain subject, like so:

Even with bringing back "Irish Drinking Song" that wasn't even the highlight of the night! Their final game was "The Proposal", which has a couple (in this case Chris Skurka and Katie Rogala) with the boyfriend trying to propose, but various obstacles and random strangers interrupt. About hallway through the game, one of the alumni, Sean Fahey, takes Chris' place as the boyfriend and completely goes off track from the story Katie and Chris created. She had no idea what was about to happen: he pulled out a ring and proposed to her right onstage!

All of the girls in the audience were, well, acting like girls, and going "awwww" (myself included). She said yes!

Now that was a great way to end the year for the Troupe! It was a joy going to their shows this year, and I can't wait to audition next year and see what the Troupe will have in store for next year!

The newly-engaged couple :)

We're the Parisian Marvels, and none of us are French

In honor of AQ's 125th anniversary, the AQ Theatre Program proudly presents a world premiere of this steampunk fantasy loosely inspired by a smattering of minor novels by Jules Verne (author of Around the World in 80 Days).

For those grumpy gills about there....

As mentioned earlier this week, I just got back from my bike retreat. Honestly, everything and anything that could go wrong pretty much did. Rain came, I found a hole in my water bottle, lost one of my keys on my keyboard, and a rosary I hung in a tree for good weather was stolen :(

What can you do in 20 seconds?

In my humanities class we just finished reading a narrative called "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass". The narrative is about the life of a former slave, Frederick Douglass, in the 1800's and how he became a powerful leader of the abolishment of slavery.

Arete 2012

Rain or thunder couldn't stop me this weekend! I managed to bike over 40 miles and grow personally not only in my own life, but in my life with God.

Rain rain stay away

I will be leaving for the weekend on a bike trip to a nearby town called Rockford. This will be the second year I've done Arete, which  is an annual bike retreat possible through Aquinas College. Arete means excellence of any kind or being the best you can be.

It's for the orphans....

Last night I volunteered at a benefit concert for Casa Hogar. I'm currently the Treasurer of a student club on campus that supports two of the orpahns and pays for their scholarships.

10 Canine Commandments

I received some terrible news today: my dog Mac who's had arthritis for a few years was put to sleep this morning. He couldn't even stand up. My family first got him in 2007 when one of my classmates couldn't keep their dog anymore. My family adopted Mac and he became a part of the family just like that.

Travel List Challenge

27 days left! It's flying by soooooo fast. And speaking of flying, I've been searching pretty much anything and everything related to traveling online these days. I've also been talking with people who have traveled abroad previously to get tips from them. One of them was my chiropractor who traveled to India: he told me to practice showering with my mouth closed. The reason why is because even though the water is clean enough to shower, it might not be safe enough to drink. You'd be surprised how often your mouth is open in the shower.

Jesus Christ is Risen Today

Happy Easter! As mentioned in my earlier posts, I can't believe how fast Lent has gone by. 40 days without coffee is 39 days too many in my opinion. Remember what this day is truly about: Jesus Christ who died for our sins has conquered death and saved us. Now, get off the computer and go enjoy this glorious day!

What a good friday

Muli bwanji?

Today I had another meeting for my trip to Malawi, Africa in May. We had two guests visit the class: Provost of Aquinas College Chad Gunnoe and Rev. Gerald Guduli. The Provost wanted to speak on behalf of the college how excited they are for us to be given such a unique opportunity and wanted to wish us safe travels.

April showers

How short is too short?

My senior prom (I'm in the short blue dress). Hopefully you don't think my dress is too short or tight 

Africa is a continent if you're a geographer

Happy Palm Sunday! And Happy April Fool's Day. Can you believe it's already April? Lent has gone by so fast. Not that I'm complaining, I decided to give up coffee realizing that being more empathetic wasn't enough.