Thank You Father

Thank You Father for... everything.

Week 15

• Debating whether to go back to USF tonight or Tuesday morning, no class for me today.
• Camp is this week! Gotta gear up and prepare myself.
• No secular music, cussing, etc. 3pm prayer each day, plus the rosary, and daily mass if I can. Gotta go to confession, and work on my share, and catch up on writing letters to each member of the service team. 40 candidates, whoooaa excited!
• Last speech for Public Speaking on Tuesday! Persuasive speech to not text while driving.
• After my speech, the only thing separating Winter Break and I is a Career Portfolio, revisions for my 8+ page paper, and a Bio final.
• Rescheduled internship interview on Tuesday.
• I will not be returning to Milpitas until Winter Break. 2 weeks and a day away from completing my first college semester!
• I think I got to kick it with almost all my friends this weekend =) 
• Dang, got me all giddy feelin', heh.

Silent Night

Yay, my hair looks like it's getting longer! Yesterday was the calmest Thanksgiving I had in my life. Woke up and watched Pleasantville (Paul Walker....) in my sister's room, then ate when my sister's boyfriend got to the house. We watched Disney + home movies of all our cousins when my cousin came over, and I ended up just playing games on my phone for the rest of the night. Every year I'm used to spending Thanksgiving at my cousin's house, having a ton of fun being surrounded by all the cousins and fam, but all my cousins, except one, went to LA, and this year was the first time my sister wasn't here because she's in Florida. Definitely a change... but still thankful for everything nonetheless. And now I will be happily snuggled up warm in my bed while people go bananas for Black Friday. Haven't gone for the past 4 years and yep, I'm proud. Saving that $$$$.

HOLIDAY SEASON STARTS TODAY!

Thanks.

It never takes me until Thanksgiving for me to realize what I'm thankful for, but it gives me a day to actually gives me time to put it into words on a blog (unfortunately, hahah).

Thank You Jesus for waking me up each day to breathe a day full of blessings. Some things may definitely come by easy, but I've learned to look at each trial as opportunities to learn and grow stronger. I thank you for my family who has been my support system since the day I came into my mama's womb. I thank you also for all the friends I have, who bring an aura of joy and good times to my life, and pick me up whenever I'm down in the dumps. I am thankful for the friends who have drifted from my life, because they still helped shape my life in some way and I still love them no matter what, and for the new friends that enter my life that I look forward to getting to know more. I am thankful for the education I am being given, and the opportunity to go to such a great school while being in the perfect program for my career. I'm thankful for the food on the table that nourishes my stomach, and the water to quench my thirst. I'm thankful for all the possessions I have, as well as the roof over my head that I must unfortunately say others don't have. Thank You for keeping me strong and helping me learn through my struggles, and keeping me safe day to day.

Okay, I feel like I can write a whole essay, but this is just the quick summary of what I'm thankful for. Enjoy your Thanksgiving y'all; enjoy the presence of those around you and eat your hearts out.

Week 14

• Moving in tomorrow with my high school friend.
• Only 2 classes this week.
• Interview for an internship.
• Going home Tuesday evening.
• Visiting my high school teachers.
• Reuniting with faraway college friends.
• THANKSGIVING! (foooooood...)
• Black Friday?
• Class Officer Reunion
• HOMEEEEEEE. FAMILY!!
• Don't need to go back to school until the 29th =)
• ONLY 3 MORE WEEKS!

#6

#6 on my Top 25 Most Played playlist on iTunes. I love(d) Princess and the Frog! A love song with a fairy tale touch? It can't help but to make my heart want to prance around =P Yeah, that's a dumb way to put it but I don't know how else to explain it hahah. 

My Ambition

As the semester is nearing a close in 4 weeks, I'm really glad I chose USF and found the teaching program here -- it's absolutely perfect for me. I'm really into the teaching classes here so far, which I'm glad to say I am able to excel in because they're graduate level. I love the benefit of having the nicest advisors ever who basically make your schedule for you, in fact, I actually have my classes for the 5 years I will be here all planned out already. And the priority scheduling... I don't have to stress out and worry like everyone about getting my classes. I really thank God for helping me find this opportunity; I'm really happy with it.

As I plan out my next semester, I'm determined to work my butt off. I applied for an internship, they emailed me back saying they really felt I was suited for it, and I already got scheduled for an interview for it next Tuesday, which will definitely build up my resume for becoming a teacher. I would be definitely satisfied if I was able to find a job here, but I applied for 5 on-campus jobs this semester only to be empty handed.

This brings up my next point of how I am considering stacking my classes next year and commuting to school instead. The cost of dorming here is roughly $12,000, and after doing some calculations, commuting would cost me somewhere around $1,000. If I were to commute, I'd be saving myself over $10,000. Of course, it'll be a pain having to wake up hours before class to commute instead of rolling out of bed and 10-15 minutes before and walking to class, but my whole tuition is out on loans, under my name. I'd be willing to go through that struggle to save all that money, because if I'm going to become a teacher, it'll be definitely hard for me to pay all of this off. If I commute, I'd be able to find a job back home, which I solely want to have to start paying off my loan, because if I start paying it off now, it'll actually end up being cheaper. I think the fact that I'll be able to pay the loans off myself would make me extremely more happier than having to look to my parents for help.

Now, I'm starting to heavily consider minoring in Hospitality to satisfy this desire that's been in me for awhile to become an Event Planner, or more specifically, a Wedding Planner. As a class officer in high school, I really enjoyed planning all the events, and even planning the little get togethers and events my friends and I have.

At this point, if I pull through with all of this... majoring in Psychology, minoring in Hospitality, and in the Dual Degree Teacher Preparation program, I will have so many career opportunities that I'm interested in. A school counselor, a wedding/event planner, and a teacher.

Right now, I'm just feeling so motivated and ambitious... I know that it won't be easy. Things are definitely easier said than done, but I'm willing to put myself through the struggles because I know success is waiting for me at the end. That breath of fresh air that I will take in as I gaze upon rows of black graduation caps in 2016 will be a darn great one. I declare it.

Benefit of a Fool

So far, my favorite off BIIM's "Twenty"; a feeeel good kinda jam.

G&Y

I've noticed how I've been repping my high school on campus more than my current school, so I decided to get some more USF apparel especially they finally had my size in this crewneck I've been wanting. Going from the Blue & Gold to Green & Gold. Tomorrow is Opening Night for our basketball team and I'm pretty darn excited, over 1000 are expected to attend? It's our best sport, hahah but I wish we had a football team. Yay for my desk lamp giving cool lighting.

S2

As I went through my baby pictures again, I came across this picture and I remembered how my sister and I were stuck doing everything together, while my oldest sister was usually out doing her own thing. Getting dropped off and picked up at school together, making up dumb games like Driver's Ed on Crazy Taxi and The Simpsons Road Rage, and as we got older, we often lied to my parents and said we were going to Target but in reality we went to eat sushi. Now, she's working really hard at AT&T and I'm off away from home in college. She's turning 22 in 3 days, and here I am, 18 years old, and the socialization between us begins to decline. Darn growing up... the bittersweetness of life.

Hidden

Sometimes when it comes to love, I can't help but to feel rather... unlucky? Is that the word? Hmm, probably not. I mean, I walk around campus and see couples walking around with hands intertwined, or I'm browsing through my Twitter or Facebook feed and see what most people call "puppy love" between young high schoolers or even middle schoolers. I mean, love is just everywhere, it's inevitable, and it's what brought us all to existence. Love makes the world go around. But when you haven't quite felt it for yourself ever in your life, and you're surrounded by it everywhere, you can't just help but wonder why. Maybe there's something wrong with me, or everyone's way better than me?

With all the hustle and bustle in the city, yeah, one can get lonely once in a while. Of course, it'd be nice to have someone. I just really think to myself why I am the few people I know who has yet to experience any of this in the past 18 years of my existence. I guess I can blame the fact I have really high expectations, and I'm a picky gal. I don't give in to things easily, and my mom even calls me a tough cookie. Blunt too, in fact. The problem is, the very few occasions where I actually let someone in, I was left behind in the cold, only to fear for the next  time. Now that I look at it, I'm glad that they left. They made me stronger and definitely gave me wisdom for the future. I just look at it as a way of God telling me, "No. I don't want to give you that. I want to give you something better." I don't like settling for less. It's just times like this, especially during the winter, where a single girl can feel more alone than usual. C'mon, who wouldn't mind the nice company of someone to go to Christmas in the Park with to sip some nice holiday Starbucks drinks, to go iceskating with, or to just enjoy the festive settings?

I don't need someone to be dependent on to make me happy, because trust me, I honestly love alone time and actually do in fact work better independently. It's just one of those things where you think, "wouldn't it be nice?". I got nothing to do but to just keep sippin' on this hot cup of coffee and keep going with the school grind, 'cause I know God's got something planned out for me in the future. And 'til that day, I'll be praying that God is keeping him safe and blessed.

Thousandfold.

What I've come to a realization is that lately I've been leaving my faith to be corked only within myself instead of spreading it like I used to. Sure, I may not be always talking about God outloud with people, but always throughout the day, I talk to God. From the moment I wake up, before I eat, while I'm walking to class, during class, before I sleep, etc. I am not ashamed to acknowledge Him, especially when it comes to eating at the cafeteria around other people. Yeah, I get stares, but what's there to be ashamed of?

I really do believe in the fact that in giving all the thanks you can to Him will always come back to you in the end, whether you realize or not. It somewhat peeves me when people talk about how blessed they are, but cannot even sacrifice at least one hour a week on Sundays to go to mass. Yes, we are all busy, but is God ever busy to provide us with the life He had laid down for us?

I don't know, these are just thoughts lingering in my mind I kinda wanted to draw out, but as the Christmas season nears, it's always good to come back to the reason of all the spirit.

I'm not saying we should be absolutely pure to the max or whatever, but let's just give some acknowledgement to the reason you're breathing right now.

Week 12

5 more to go until CHRISTMASSSSSS.

Can't.

It's those times when you want to say so much, but you just can't. These emotions are pumping through my mind and heart day and night, and just want to leave my system through the words I would speak. I know what I want to do, but I don't know what I should do. I could say so much... but the best thing I know I have to do is to keep my lips sealed.

Yompz.

Everything is just going so darn SWELL in life right now. =)

#happycamper