One-way Ticket

Around 8 months ago, I was sitting in this exact same spot staring at the pixelized arrow hovering over the "send" button. It was that impending click that would steer my future towards a path that I had always dreamed of, but never really took seriously. It was the dream of living in New York City someday.

I was in love with the city life. The constant stream of people walking by, the steady line of cars, the constant turn of natural and artificial light. I loved Seattle and would have been content staying there, but there was that part in me that wanted to explore the rest of the world. Little did I know that I'd be taking a huge step by spending the next four years of my life living in what is undoubtedly the biggest and most well known city in the world.

Four years ago, it was my ultimate dream to study in New York. And I guess that I did get what I wished for. In less than 35 hours, I will be on a plane heading towards New York (via LAX) with my first ever one-way ticket. In less than 35 hours, I will be leaving my beloved Washington and will officially become a West Coast transplant. I am a bit anxious, a little nervous, somewhat scared, but my excitement for what is to come over the next four years is what makes up for my second thoughts.

I always knew that I wante to live in New York some time in my life, but I never thought it would come so soon. I still feel like a kid. Heck, technically I still am. Sometimes I wonder whether I can take care of myself in such a large city. I've never been anywhere by myself. I don't have any family over in the East, which is slightly unnerving. Everything will be so new and unfamiliar. But I guess that this is the ultimate test.

So, I guess that this is probably my last post before I head off to college. I will miss everyone so much. My two best friends have already left for school, so I'm basically waiting around for my turn to go. I still can't comprehend how far I will be from everybody. It almost feels like it's a whole 'nother world. But I guess I will sign off for now. Hopefully, my next post will be full of the exciting college events that await me!

From the Cascades to Puget Sound

Today marked the last of my Seattle-ings as a pre-college student. This day spent in Seattle was like a small trip down memory lane.

After eating at that one huge Chinese restaurant over on Lake Union, my parents and I headed over to the Ballard Locks to watch the rich people anchor their yachts while waiting for the gates to open and to stare at the salmon swimming up the ladder. Then while driving through the Ballard/Fremont area, I excitedly pointed out certain memorable places such as Sonic Boom, Sunset Tavern, The Paradox, certain Thai restaurants, and the place where my friends found $20 on the sidewalk. Oh, that little Nordic neighborhood adorned with little boutiques, an array of restaurants, and a statue of Stalin (which had a cone comically placed on its head). There are so many memories that took place in Ballard: going to various shows, walking for what seemed like forever just to find a Thai restaurant and then smuggling that well-earned meal into the venue (though I had to sacrifice my soda), reenacting the Indie Asshole Clerks sketch, and hoarding all of the free stickers/posters/flyers at record stores. Takk fyrir, Ballard!

Then it was over to downtown Seattle. We drove by the granary over by Elliot Bay which is the farthest point that Ben and I walked to during our Seattle day. I wanted to go to that park again, but then I noticed, as we were driving by, that the infamous Hemp Fest was going on. So, instead we went over to Pike Place Market to be touristy. And then it was off to Macy's for some last minute college things.


And that was my last Seattle day in a nutshell.

Oh, and there's nothing more awkward than being hit on by a random stranger while your mom is right there. :/

Goodbye, Seattle! I LOVE you! I will always heart you more than New York.

Ol' Washington Weather

I woke up today and it felt like a school day. It must be the weather.

A Two-day Recap

Tuesday: We headed out down to Ocean Shores for what was possibly my last family getaway escapade as a kid/pre-college student. And I loved it. I haven't been down to the coast, particulary Ocean Shores, since I was still a wee child. It only seems like yesterday that I was scrawling my newly learned-how-to-spell name with a stick in the sand. I completely love the ocean! And I found a intact sand dollar which really made my day.

Wednesday: Seattle-ing with my mother! Ha, I'm too lazy to write more....I shall update this later.

I fail at blogging.

At this point, I'm calling it quits on daily blogging seeing as I have not been able to update this darn thing everyday. But I can guarantee you that it'll be updated every week, if not every few days. As of two days ago, life is still the same. Boring. Until I head on over to college!

So, as I reach the stage in my life where independence will be soon bestowed upon me, my mother has been taking every advantage of what time she has left (just under two weeks) to shower me with words of wisdom. I am essentially taking a crash course in the Mother's Guide to College Life. But of course, I am a naive young adult who still questions her parents' authority. Teenagers...think they know everything, don't they? But all is well. I am slowly maturing and learning to listen to my mother.

My mother's college tips:
1. Don't go to too many shows. (This is my mother's #1 concern since it is what I would most likely be partaking in)
2. If you do go to shows, go with a group of friends, preferably with a guy in the group. (My mother thinks that all guys are manly and can beat up dangerous knife-carrying strangers)
3. Don't leave money laying around your dorm. (Simple enough)
4. Don't walk around the Columbia campus at night by yourself. (That is why I love Barnard. I feel so safe there. And she secretly fears those Columbia boys)
5. If you can, avoid those raucous parties. (Ok)
6. When at a party, never leave your drink unattended. (This actually my mom's number one #1 concern. It is her greatest fear that someone might drug my drink. She's given me this advice only about 50 times)

Estaba comprando cosas para la escuela

So, what's my next excuse? I spent a day shopping for last minute items. Mainly toiletries. I also bought a few shirts/sweaters/dressy things. We apparently have this Red Carpet Affair event going on during the last day of orientation week. I'm still a bit wary of that event. It's another one of those Lerner Columbia/Barnard parties. I went to the one during the overnight, and it was a little less than fun. Plus, one of the current Barnard girls told me and a group of other girls that the Lerner party is usually lame anyways and that most people just head out into the city where there is a vast array of fun-seeking opportunities. Besides, how are they going to fit everyone in the Lerner basement? Considering the size of the room, I don't find that all too possible.

Over Heard in New York. Oh, that satirical site filled with random, amusing quotes heard throughout the city. Minus all the ones that are a bit racy and filled with sexual innuendos--albeit, still rather funny, the quotes are hilarious and makes the thought of spending my time in New York even more exciting. My dream is to one day be able to post a quote! Because we all know my obsession of jotting down quotes in a notebook! (i.e. "Stretching it like a fat kid wearing spandex." - Courtesy of Amanda)

Taken off the site:

Blond Tourist Bimbo: I've never even heard of the G Train.
Blond Local Bimbo: Yeah, it's a ghetto train.
Blond Tourist Bimbo: Where does it go?
Blond Local Bimbo: Nowhere.
Black eight-year-old boy: Except my home, bitch.

Hobo: Can you spare a quarter?
20-ish guy: I'm broke. I owe the government 70 thousand dollars.
Hobo, after a pause: Would you like a quarter?

Suit to hobo holding sign reading 'End apartheid in South Africa now!': They already ended apartheid in South Africa. They also freed Nelson Mandela.
Hobo: Shit, nigga, I gots to get me some CNN or some shit.

Mother: Don't you ever do that again! [slaps child hard]
Child, calmly: Well, are you happy with yourself?

And last but not least, a quote from my future neighborhood (listed under "Classic Quotes"):

Guy #1: I'd totally hit that.
Guy #2: Dude, I'd hit that so hard whoever could pull me out would become the King of England.

--College Walk, Columbia University

Oh, god. Once again, the Columbia boys have tarnished their reputation. ---->

Uh, hold on. What reputation?

Excuses, excuses

Ok. So, after my post about my paranoia of missing a blogging day, I already broke it. But I have a good exuse! I was out all day in Seattle with Ben. 7:15 am - 9:00 pm. (The Sounder is amazing.) Tons of walking and going to every single sight seeing place that that wonderful city has to offer. We started at the Pier and stared at the jellyfish. Then we climbed up the stairs to Pike Place where we had breakfast at Le Panier. Then it was off to the Seattle Center/Easystreet Records. And then pizza at Zeek's. Then back to the waterfront where we threw rocks at various pieces of driftwood around Elliot Bay. Then back to the pier (where we were gipped by a $10 bike ride, oh well), Pike Place, and Westlake Center. And we only took the bus once! And that one time was to get back home. Ha! I'm so ready for the streets of New York!

But yeah, then it was time to say goodbye which was hard to do.... The walking away part was even harder. And then I sort of just broke down once I got in the car. But my momma was there to comfort me! But I think she even started to tear up.

Thanksgiving seems pretty far away.

Bad Sleeping Habits

Before looking at the date, I was convinced that I had missed a day, thus breaking my goal of posting a daily blog. But thanks to my sleeping habits of going to bed around 3:00-4:00ish, only one day has passed even though it really does feel like two. So, my successful daily blogging is still on! ROUND TWO...FIGHT!

(Oh, and a small note on the new google run Blogger, I must say that it is considerably easier to post blogs than it was previously. It's nice not
having to wait for the system to update the site index. Just thought I'd say that after maybe criticizing the site too soon in my previous post. Kudos to Google. But I still hate Yahoo...)

Alright. So, dorms. I got my seemingly non-official official rooming assignment. I'm going to be rooming with two wonderful girls named Salwa Chowdhury and Rachael Tice, both of whom hail from NYC. It's rather comforting to have native New York roommates. My chances of getting lost in the labyrinth that is the city are slimmer. I'm going to be staying inthe lovely Brooks Hall. Barnard's oldest dorm hall, it is full of character, as many say, since some dorms, like mine, have fireplaces and bay windows! But even though it is old, I would like to proudly interject that it has the best bathrooms out of all the dorm halls! I've seen the white-tiled-gone-yellow Sulzberger and Reid bathrooms and they don't even compare to the shiny, silver bathrooms of brooks. Seriously, I never thought I'd be this excited about a bathroom.

I finally packed up everything that I need for college and I've pretty much finished buying everything that I need for my dorm. I'm set on school supplies. I packed six purses, one backpack, and one messenger bag. As far as books go, I was advised not to bring anything. But I did bring along some reference books and Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal. I chose not to bring any of my cds since everything is on my iPod. However, I'll be missing the clear quality sounds of wav 43oo kb. I'm a stickler when it comes to sound quality. I packed all of my scarves....ALL of them. And people who know me know that I have a lot of scarves. There are shoe people and there are scarf people. I'm one of the latter. I've also taken down some of my posters and magazine clippings so that I can decorate my dorm with them. It's rather odd seeing the blank wall spaces. And just in case I have a sudden urge to be creative, I brought some stenciling supplies. And as far as photo taking opportunities, I opted not to bring my cherished Nikon D40x over. I mulled over the idea and decided that it was best to get situated with the city, you know, learn how to be a New Yorker, before I decide to bring something that people would like to steal. So, I'll be bringing my trusty Canon PowerShot sd700. It will have to do. Small, compact, easier to carry especially since I plan to use it a lot during orientation. But once I return to New York after Winter break, I shall be bringing my d40x along and guarding it with my life!

And other than college updates, how about a summer one. Since I only have less than 20 days left here, I've been trying to go everywhere with my family. Yesterday, we went to Snoqualmie Falls and hiked down to the river again.

The Return

Holy cheesecakes, Batman! I'm back! But an exceedingly long absense from blogger/blogspot has caused me to naturally forget necessary information needed to access my account. And not only did I have to deal with that annoying case of having to click through several pages in order to reopen my account, I was also bombarded with the announcement saying that google has taken over blogspot. Oh, how I loathe the encroachment of large website companies over the smaller internet domains. Take, for example, the Google/Youtube extravanganza, or the Yahoo taking over Upcoming.org ordeal. And let's not forget about the one that I am most furious about: Yahoo owning Webjay, which I have just checked only to learn that Yahoo closed down my beloved Webjay site promising to come back with a cooler Yahoo! Music playlisting project. No, Yahoo! I do not want to be hassled with your confusing layouts and false links! Alas, there goes the site that introduced me to some amazing songs and talented bands. If it weren't for Webjay, I wouldn't have been able to Talk About Spaceships or watch Hooplas Involving Circus Tricks. I also wouldn't have been able to clap my hands whilst saying "yeah" until the press told me to.

But back to the blog. Yes, I am back. I have been inspired by Lindsey's ambitions to try and post a blog everyday. I may try that....again. The only problem with these blogs is that they do seem to be a bit time consuming. Posting pictures, thinking about what else to write, knowing that I should really go to bed. I pretty much fucked up my sleeping habits and waking up for college classes will be interesting. And keep in mind that I will be thrown into a time zone three hours ahead.

College. College, college, college. Yes, I'm on my way, as Ben Kweller would croon. I'm on my way to New York, or New Yawk as I like to call it. I've pretty much finished dorm shopping and I've got nearly everything packed (I'll post pictures up when I don't feel lazy). Today I get my official room assignment! That should be exciting. Then I'll be able to rave about it in another post.

Geeze, blogging is tiring. I think I'll call it a night.