Dare to chase the dream?

As cliche as it may sound, I have never imagined myself having a career where my name isn't in lights...

Every time I have a photoshoot I think of it:

I imagine walking the famous red carpet, going on popular talk shows, and of course, being on the cover of  magazines.

I've always dreamt big and now my dreams are just getting bigger. I am coming to the second half of my junior year of college and I wonder if all of my dreams will come true...

If I decided not to continue working towards my degree, I would load up my Mazda3 hatchback and hightail it down to Los Angeles.

I fantasize about going to casting calls, auditioning for hundreds of commercials, and seeing my first television debut.

Then I would dance in a few music videos to show my performance skills. I imagine dancing back-up in my first few, then being the feature in a few more. After seeing my face around enough, a big-time director would ask me if I would like the leading role in his next feature film.

E! News would ask me for an interview about my new movie and they would see how passionate I am about journalism and ask me if I would like to host for them when I have free time.

I would become the face of some lovely smelling perfumes and appear on billboards promoting various makeup brands, you know, just a few minor things.

Sadly, I know that I could never leave school at this point. I have always been a full-fledged nerd and I am proud of it! School has always been my number one priority. I strived for excellence...I remember getting a "B" one semester in high school and I was so devastated I ripped up the report card, ashamed.

What I have come to realize is that people hold brains higher than they hold beauty. I have also realized that certain careers paths are more respected than others...

Don't get me wrong, I love to write and hope to become an established journalist, but that is not my "big dream". If I do not achieve fame, I know that I will not be happy.

I truly admire the dance and theatre majors out there, they have way more confidence in themselves than I do in myself. I am the type of person that needs that backup plan. I need that degree because I cannot pursue fame without my degree to help me.

An education is what gives me the confidence I need to just go for it. My brains will not go to waste and I will use them to devise a fool-proof plan to stardom!

A time when a vacation in Mexico wasn't synonymous with a death wish...

As I think back to all the vacations I have been fortunate enough to have taken in my lifetime I remember one place that was a big part of my childhood..it was just south of the border...

Mexico was our hotspot. We vacationed there usually twice a year, once in the summer and once in winter. My parents would rent a house in Las Gaviotas, which was comparable to a housing development on the beaches of southern California, but probably half the price.

It was beautiful. I remember waking my dad up in early in the morning and walking down to the beach collecting all the sea critters we could find, which were usually little crabs and some sea anemones ( I had to recall Nemo struggling how to say that to remember how to spell it just now).

We even spent Christmas down in Mexico one year and it was so much fun..besides the fact that on the first night my dad couldn't get the fireplace going and forgot to turn off the gas so we had a close encounter of the deathly kind...

I have so many memories from our time in Mexico. We're actually secret heroes down there in our go-to shopping center  Puerto Nuevo...

As my parents enjoyed their lobsters and Margaritas, my sister and I noticed a man across the street from the restaurant selling puppies. My dad saw the excitement in our eyes and immediately said  "no way!" I watched as each of the Rottweiler/Pitbull/other viscous dog breed puppies get sold one by one...

I was beyond depressed and made it very known! We finished our meal and walked down the streets of the marketplace. Suddenly a man walks up to us with a little black sock in his hand and it's wiggling around...a puppy was inside!

"PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PRETTY PRETTY PRETTY PLEASEE DADDDDYYYYYY??????"

Put a little (or a lot) of liquor in my dad and he can be swayed to buy us things!

Mexico was all about haggling and after my dad got tired of hearing us beg he gave in. It went a little something like this:

"How much for the dog?"
"$60"
"Is it a boy or girl?"
"girl"
"How big is it going to get?"
"uhmm...err...it will stay this small!!"
"well, I only have $40.."

my little sister jumps in..
"No daddy! You have $60! I saw you put that other $20 in your pocket!"
She wasn't keen on the idea of haggling yet.

This is Nnenna...at this point I believe she was barely a week or two old. Her eyes were not even completely open and she was definitely not ready to be separated from her mamma.

As we headed back to San Diego in my mom's then-brand-new Magnum I discovered something horrifying...she was covered in bugs! I began trembling, but knew I couldn't say anything because my mom would freak out as well...I wrapped her in a towel and we set our major puppy heist plan into action!

The moment of truth came when we reached the border...I felt like they would know I had a puppy under my blanket if I didn't pretend to be asleep so that's exactly what I did...when the coast was clear I smiled at the little bundle of joy that was our new addition to the family.

After a few baths and some food, Nnenna became very active. She loved to jump:

Oh, and if you were wondering, that guy totally didn't lie! Look how she stayed the same size and is truly a teacup Chihuahua  -__-

And this is from her slender years! She's quite the chubster now...I'm guessing she is in between a teacup and a normal sized Chihuahua.

When I look at her I think of all of the fun times I had there and how I will probably never get to enjoy it like I did before..

My relatives in southern California tried to go down there soon after news broke of the violence and beheadings and were shocked...Puerto Nuevo was a ghost town...Las Gaviotas is no longer renting out houses...

It's crazy to think that in 2003 my parents renewed their vows down there, thinking that we would all be vacationing there every year.

I'm glad I got to enjoy it while I could and the roughly five years we vacationed down there were some of the best moments of my life. :)

Yummy yummy in my tummy!

That was the perfect balance of honey and chipotle!

Chili's used to be my favorite restaurant. I would meet my mom there when I had breaks between classes and we would eat there at least once every two weeks.

Our favorite meal to devour was their "honey-chipotle chicken crispers". These chicken strips were amazing! They were smothered in sauce and were the perfect balance of spicy and sweet.

We enjoyed our lunch time vacations from our everyday lives and couldn't imagine it any other way.
Our roughly hour-long visits included wonderful conversations with a friendly staff and quick refills of our strawberry lemonades.

Each time we placed our orders the excitement was greater and each time we received our food it tasted even better.


Suddenly, everything changed...

We went to our Chili's and ordered our delectable bites of chicken heaven. The anticipation, as always, was building as the waitress set down our plates...

WHAT?!

They were... dry! Someone decided to get stingy with the sauce and the taste of this meal was ruined. We stared at our plates waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out and yelled that we were getting punk'd... but he didn't show...

We went to that Chili's in Tracy a few more times, hoping everything would be restored, but the beautiful feeling of paradise had already been tainted. What was once our dream escape became about as desirable as someone suggesting that your vacation to the Bahamas be changed to a "staycation" in your boring hometown...

Last week, my mom came to visit me and we were contemplating where to eat and I suggested Chili's. We were both skeptical, remembering our heartbreak from the Chili's that had betrayed us before, but decided to look for one nearby anyways.

There happened to be one on Arden Way, only 10minutes from my apartment.

It took some mental preparation and strong will, but we made it out the door...

We arrived at Chili's and were promptly seated.

Dare we order our fantasy dish? Yes.

Deja vu hit me and my stomach churned in nervous anticipation as we waited for our meals to arrive.

When they finally did it was as though the Chipotle gods themselves showered their amazing sauce all over our plates...there was even enough to dip the fries in!

The fissures of my once-wounded heart sealed back together as I took a bite of my meal.

The service was fantastic. It was as if they knew how the other Chili's had wronged us...

Chili's on Arden Way ( 2100 Arden Way, Sacramento, CA 95825) is the BEST Chili's location to go to for the Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers!

For just $9.99 you can enjoy a piece of chipotle heaven as well!

Monsters+werewolves+vampires+cops?

In the last few years we have seen almost any imaginable combination of vampires, zombies, werewolves and other supernaturals, but there has been one combination that hasn't been seen very often:

COP + SUPERNATURAL !



Friday night, NBC aired the pilot of their new series "Grimm". This show gathers inspiration from the stories of "The Brothers Grimm"and the pilot revealed that each episode will focus on one of the stories.

This episode was based on the story of "Red Riding Hood". The main character is a homicide detective named Nick who begins to notice strange things in the people around him. When he is walking out of the courthouse a woman walking by him turns in to a zombie-looking monster, but only he can see it.

It is not explained why he can see these things so for the first half of the show it is easy to believe that this man is losing his mind.

We find out that he has just bought an engagement ring for his girlfriend and plans to propose when he gets home. When he arrives a relative of his is sitting at the kitchen table saying that she has something important to tell him.

This elderly woman talks him outside and they are attacked by what looks like the grim reaper. Nick shoots him and the monster turns into a normal man and his relative goes into a coma after telling him that what he has been seeing is real and that he must continue the fight.

This moment was meant to be suspenseful, but it was painfully easy to see coming.

All Nick knows is that he is now a "Grimm" and starts searching his relative's trailer for more information. The next day he meets a werewolf, or rather a "blutbaden", who turns out to be a "good guy" and tries to help explain that Grimms hunt for creatures like him.

The two team up to find a kidnapped girl and when she is rescued Nick realizes that he must embrace this new found power and continue the fight.

This trailer pretty much sums up the entire pilot and it's way more intense than the actual episode. Take a look:

Overall, this was not a complete waste of an hour. I am not itching to see the next episode, but I will probably watch it.

This has been a rough year for new series, as Drew Barrymore's reboot of "Charlie's Angels" was cancelled after its pilot and NBC's "Playboy Club" lasted only three episodes.

I haven't seen any rave reviews for this series so we'll see if it lasts longer than than the others.

www.buzzsugar.com reviewed this show as well and found it more favorable than I did. This review, however, was similar to mine by the way of noticing some of the bland parts.

"The premise has a lot of potential, but there's so much supernatural setup to get through that we don't get much character development. Nick seems vanilla at best, and you can't build a must-see series around a forgettable leading man"


Their full review can be read at: http://www.buzzsugar.com/Grimm-Pilot-Review-17861034


If you have nothing to do on a Friday night, or your DVR has a free hour of space, check out this show. It is not the worst thing to hit the small screen this year so it deserves a chance. You can watch "Grimm" Friday nights at 9pm on NBC.

Hope is a woman, and she's gorgeous!

Why is life full of so many ups and downs?

I have written about my hopes and dreams in a few of my previous blogs and different emotions have been attached to each one.

There are always the high points, such as when I see a makeup ad I fall in love with, or a fashion spread in a magazine that is unique and refreshing. When I see these amazing images my modeling engine is kicked into high gear and I feel more confident then ever.

Then there are the low points when I realize that I am not yet where I want to be in my modeling career...

Just as I grab a spoon and begin to dig into that pint of "Chubby Hubby" that has been sitting in my freezer I see an article on Barbie. Yes, the doll we all grew up.

This article is featured in the November issue of O Magazine. I can explain what the article is about, but this image is stronger than any words I can type: 

The dotted lines resemble what a surgeon would have to do to this woman's body to make her look like a real-life Barbie doll.

I knew the measurements of Barbie were unrealistic, but I did not know it was this drastic. 

I continued to read the article and it began to talk about the model in the picture, Katie Halchishick. This young woman has been through the same struggles I have. She had struggled to find modeling work because she was not the standard sample size (00 to 2) and not plus-size (12+). 

Katie has started her own modeling agency called Natural Model Management and, of course, I submitted some of my pictures and crossed my fingers in hopes that I was what they were looking for.

The very next day I got one of the nicest emails I have ever received in my entire life...

I embody their message!

I could not be happier! 

Earlier today, I spoke with Katie on the phone about getting me started. We talked all about the agency and its project "Healthy is the New Skinny" (http://healthyisthenewskinny.com/) where models will travel around to different schools spreading a positive message about body image.

Their goal, well now OUR goal, is to show young girls that being healthy is important. Beauty does not have a weight requirement!

I know that I have struggled with my body image for many years and I am more honored than I can express that I can be a part of something this special. 

This is something that will truly change the world..

Life is full of so many ups and downs because we need the low points in our lives to truly appreciate the high points...    :)

Look here MISSY!

David's Bridal informed me that I am not a woman.   (extreme frown)

Looking for a wedding dress is one of the most exciting moments in a woman's..well in my case "missy's" life. This ordeal can be quite confusing with there being so many different designers with spring lines, fall lines, winter lines and fantasy lines.

There are even more different types of gowns, ranging from the traditional ballroom gown with the huge skirt, the mermaid gown that clings to every part of your body, the Grecian gown that loosely drapes over you, and numerous variations of each of those styles.

With there being so many different options out there, I decided to look around online to get an idea of what type of dress I was looking for instead of entering a bridal shop and quickly becoming overwhelmed with all of the choices in front of me.

To some, being engaged at 19 is young.

"why now?"

"wait a few years.."

"travel the world"

or flat out "you're too young"

I am not actually getting married until I am 21, which is apparently a more acceptable age. I don't think marriage at a young age is as much of a hot topic as having children at a young age is these days.

Don't worry, this isn't the part where I say my two kids are going to be a part of my ceremony. (They are non-existent if you didn't catch that)

Back to the real issue here. I go to the David's Bridal website and begin my search for the perfect dress. They just added this interactive application called "Dress My Wedding" where you have a figure for each person in your bridal party and you, you guessed it, dress them!

It is probably very helpful if you have a lot of the details already figured out, but I just tried it out to see if it gave me a better look at the dresses.

First you create a profile, picking various features such as skin tone and hairstyle. None of the choices matched me to my liking, but that wasn't a surprise. Just before I clicked "Save and Continue" I saw this box next to my name with two choices: Missy or Woman.

What could this possibly mean? At first I thought of department stores like Macy's or Nordstrom's where they have a "juniors" section which is basically for teenagers or younger women. These items have a young feel to them. The clothes are typically tighter than the women's section and the jeans are usually cut lower.

I pondered over which box I would check. I was a woman right? Getting married was definitely an adult thing. After all, I didn't want my dress to look too young, that'd just be tacky. So I checked "woman" and this is what happened:

WHAT?!

Now let's see "missy":

This is some kind of cruel joke, right?

This is something I have had an issue with for a long time. I understand that our nation is heavily overweight and that the average female is a size 14 or above, but this is getting out of hand.

I understand that no one wants to wear "extended" sizes. And when they made the change to "plus" that wasn't all that appealing either, but to say that "real" sizes are 14 or above is wrong.

Now I have to be overweight to be a woman? Come on.

There are a lot of creative brains out there, I'm sure someone can come up with a better name than that.

Why do I have to be a "Missy"? That seems young and childish and I might just throw a temper-tantrum!

Is there a vacancy?

OWS!

More poster-board! More markers! More stencils!

You! Yes, you! Haven't you always wanted to be a part of a protest? Of course you have!

Take one of these signs right here and stand outside a city office, okay?

Repeat whatever you hear the people around you shouting and you'll do just fine!


This is what I imagine is going on at many of the protest locations.

The Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement/ protest/ rebellion/ camp-out/ ____ (any other synonym for what this is) is somewhat of a mystery. Sure, we know that they stand for finally slaying the beast that is corporate greed, but what does that even mean? And how in the world do you do that?

I have heard people talking about this movement over the last few weeks and decided I would rather find information online then ask people about it because the internet would surely have some solid and clarifying information on the subject, right?

Wrong.

Every website was vastly different, but that is because no one is sure what to go off of. One article that I found interesting was on Forbes.com. This article attempted to define the movement and brought up the point of it being utterly mysterious.

The columnist, Peter Cohan, did a great at expressing the questions many people have about this movement. He broke down quotes that have been released and tried to explain the movement to the best of his ability. Take a look at the article if you still have questions about the movement...wait, of course you do. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2011/10/10/what-is-occupy-wall-street/)

"Rebellion will not stop until the corporate state is extinguished."


This quote is taken from the Occupy Wall Street Journal, the source for all things OWS. This publication shocking released a second issue, which can be read online (Issue #2). Many people thought the movement would have fizzled out before a second issue would be released, but oh were they wrong! 


The paper has a visually appealing layout and the bright red coloring definitely catches your eye, but does it answer any questions?


A big question I have seen often in regards to this movement is "what are the demands?" and I have the answer!  


Drum roll please....

Um, huh?


This movement is growing in numbers by the minute and it is increasing the chance that somebody will actually know what it is that they are trying to accomplish. With the growing support, this can possibly be something powerful.


I find myself still at a loss as to what OWS hopes to eventually accomplish but maybe that will change soon. Who knows? Maybe even by Issue #3.

It's not over yet

Tattoos + modeling = NO WAY! / unheard of / not gonna happen!

That is the common belief and typical response I get when I am talking to someone about my aspirations to take my modeling to the next level.

I get it. I really do...to some extent. Modeling is an art. The model is a canvas and most canvases are blank...

However, tattoos are an art form as well. They are a mean of expression and while some people choose to express some not-so-savory feelings on their bodies, some tattoos are truly meaningful.

For too long modeling gigs for women with tattoos were sparse. Sure tattoo magazines would give you a spot in their magazine, but you had to have "enough" tattoos. You couldn't be on the cover of a magazine featuring people with sleeves and full chest pieces when all you have is that butterfly on your ankle you and your BFF got to match and that script of your favorite quote.

What is out there for the tattooed model?


In fashion, one of the most important things to do is to keep things from clashing. Some people feel that tattoos clash with an image and prefer to use models that do not have any tattoos. This is why many people feel discouraged when wanting to pursue modeling if they have some ink.



In a time when Photoshop is so popular I don't see how covering up a tattoo could be so hard, but apparently to some it is too much extra work. I have worked with a variety of different independent photographers and some love my tattoos, while others just cover up whatever little piece shows.

I am gathering the courage to see what a large agency has to say about my tattoos, but that's for another time...

I lose hope on occasion, but then something happens to pick me right back up.

This season of "America's Next Top Model" features the show's all-stars. These are women who competed in previous seasons, but did not win. While watching one of the episodes, I noticed that almost all of women had tattoos! Not hidden ones or ones that could easily be concealed either! (and no, the tattoos were not the reason why they didn't win!)

Now I do know that this does not mean that the entire fashion industry has changed and that all photographers and designers will work with women that have tattoos, but it is a start..

Soon after I saw this episode, I noticed tattooed models more often. This particular one was the much needed jumper cable to my dead battery of hope and dreams:

Those are tattoos on her arms! The "Maybelline: Fit Me" commercial featured this woman and another with a large tattoo of script running down her back. A national campaign! A makeup commercial!

In a world that is constantly changing, it makes sense that the views of those mystical creatures that make the rules of the fashion industry would change as well!


Tattoos + modeling = finally happening?

Despite his name, this column doesn't blow

Pick a column, any column.

This week's assignment was one that caused me to search for a type of idol I had never imagined I would be looking for. I was used to admiring fashion models I wanted to be like or actresses whose roles I would love to have. Never had I thought I would be in search of a column writer who I wanted to emulate...until about a month ago when I enrolled in this course.

After searching the web for columns that would hopefully catch my attention, I stumbled upon a few that outright had me dozing off as well as some that made me want to email them this course number along with my professor's name in hopes that they realize they are in dire need of a refresher course.

Some time later, I ended up on the New York Times website and began scrolling through the lists of current columnists. These were politically based columns and ones that I was not used to reading.

"Rise of the Fallen?" was the column that caught my eye out of the exhaustive list of the most recent editorials.

This editorial was about president Obama's speech on September 3 to the joint Congress. Typically, I would click the back button on my browser right after learning that the topic was yet another "monumental speech", but the fact that the author felt the same way intrigued me.

He wrote about what a great speech the president gave and how inspiring everything sounded. He praised his delivery and passion then had a moment of deja vu...

"So why does it feel as if we’ve been here before? Why does it feel as if we’ve heard him “give it to them” before only to have him lighten up and give in later? Because we have, that’s why."

Yes! How did he know that's exactly how I feel? That is the reason why I cannot watch those speeches or read many articles on them! This column is one that I would recommend to anyone who has felt or is feeling like all that glitter and confetti that was surrounding Obama in 2008 has lost its luster.

Take a look: Rise of the Fallen?
If you want to see more of his columns, they are published every Saturday.

So who is Mr. Charles M. Blow? Well, for starters he has been writing for the New York Times since 1994. He is currently the visual Op-Ed columnist for the paper. When he first joined the paper he was a graphics editor and achieved many things in that position.

From winning a best of show award for his graphics coverage of 9/11 to becoming the graphics director, this man has learned the ins and outs of this trade. 

As for education, has a B.A. is mass communications which he received from Grambling State University. What was most interesting to me was the fact that he is so involved in graphics as well as the writing aspect of journalism.

I watched some of an interview he had with C-SPAN about his journey as a journalist and found it rather hopeful. He talks about some of his current topics and what he has encountered over the years. Here is a link to the interview: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/298466-1 (It is almost an hour so seeing bits and pieces was the route I took when watching it).

Overall, this column helped me see that politics do not always have to be stale and even if you have a stale topic to write about, it is possible to bring life back to something that appears expired.

BMI, the ultimate confidence crusher

"Once you go big, you never go twig".

Caught off guard? Slightly amused? I know I was when I heard one of the women from the show "Big Sexy" say this about having "a good time" with a plus sized woman. To get an idea of what goes on in the show, watch the clip titled "Thunder Thighs Contest" by clicking the attached link. (Warning: this is not for the weak of stomach) If you want to see more of these "big sexy" women the show airs Tuesday nights on TLC. The time sometimes changes so check your local listings to make sure you don't miss a second!
 Thunder Thighs Contest

Most of the women on the show are plus sized models. On the last episode I watched, one of the women came close to losing her contract because she had gained a few inches around her waist. One very interesting point the show brought up was that plus size models still have to be within a weight bracket. This bracket is a lot higher and more lenient than the weight for a high fashion model, but the restrictions are still there.

The featured women are somewhat successful in the fashion industry due to the rise of plus size and "full-figured" stores. Terms such as "curvy" and "thick" and being used in all the wrong places and obese women are self-proclaimed "real women".

Plus size modeling is mostly catalog work consisting of catalog books for various clothing stores and advertisements in magazines. Most high fashion gigs for runway shows carry only the smallest size (usually zero). There is much debate about this as many people think it is the root of a lot of the negative pressure many models feel they are under. Many designers will say that small sizes are made because they use less fabric. For expensive designs using as little as possible is the most cost effective thing to do.


The root of my frustration comes not from plus sized models nor the rail thin runway models, but from the fact that there is a gray area of modeling that I, unfortunately, fall into.

Gray area you say? Yes. My BMI, or body mass index, is of the seemingly boring "normal" range. In terms of unimportant things such as my health or longevity this is great. However, in the modeling industry it is undesirable.

This is the dilemma of many people I know trying to get into the modeling industry. We are too big to fit the 0-2 size range for a high fashion/runway model, but we are too small to fit the 10+ size range for a plus sized model.

What to do, what to do....

Forget about that thing called food and try to drop down to the underweight range in the BMI scale...?

Or

Forget about everything else but food and gorge myself until I'm tipping the unhealthy, obese range...?

This chart depicts my current options:

If you are now wondering what your own BMI is after looking at this chart, I would suggest a Google search of "BMI calculator". There are so many different ones from different websites and although they all do the same thing (you simply enter your height and weight and get a number) I have found that there are some that I just don't like, as crazy as that may sound. These calculators have been known to shatter the self-esteem of even the most cocky of individuals so take a deep breath before you hit the calculate button and let the computer send out the mortal blow...

College=?

Oops. A glass of sarcasm seems to have spilled all over my keyboard. I wonder how long it will take to evaporate...

Let's see. College. College. That's it!

There are so many good things about college. Where do I begin? One of the BEST things about college is the amount of debt you leave with! Who doesn't love knowing that they will spend a large portion of their adult life paying off 2-4 years of higher education? Increases in tuition each semester? Bring it on! Negative amounts in my bank accounts are great! Do you know what makes this debt even better? It's not the interest rates nor is it the payment terms. It is the fact if you didn't have a social you could go to school for free! How amazing is that? It's pretty darn amazing. The fact that people who are here illegally can receive help paying for college while I pull my hair out trying to figure out which student loan is right for me just warms my heart. It is a little known fact that college students absolutely adore massive amounts of stress.

Random fees are great. Especially the $100 fee I'm charged each time my loan money is dispersed to me.

What else is great about college? Books! The books that cost over $100 that are used for only 4 months. These are books that weigh too much. These are books that have over 30 chapters for no apparent reason since you will only read ten at the most. Who needs extra cash anyways, right?

Good thing Sacramento is so hot right now. That sarcasm dried up quickly. Now let's take a look at what's really good about going to college. College is that lengthy transition to the "real" world. The courses that are taken in college are courses that prepare you for a career. College provides the building blocks for the rest of your life. (Get ready for a poetic analogy). College is the basic cupcake recipe. The chosen major is the flavor of the cupcake and each individual course is that special ingredient that makes it the best cupcake ever baked. Just like any recipe, there is always room for personalization.

College is different for every person, but the vast majority of us are here for one reason: to better ourselves. As we all know, going to college is a choice. Attending classes is ultimately optional. I have found that in my two years of college experience I have a drive that continues to grow. I can see myself earning that degree and really starting my life.

It can be seen all across the campus as well. Take away the droopy eyes and walks of exhaustion and it is obvious that the students on campus want to be there. Many of us complain about our classes and our crammed schedules, but deep down we want to be there. Growing up, we are all but conditioned to believe that without a college degree we will end up working a drive-thru station for the rest of our lives, forever smelling of grease and bad food.

Besides avoiding a life of minimum wage, college provides some of us with vital connections that will help us throughout our entire lives. With opportunities such as internships and work experience, a student can get a preview into the field they wish to devote their life to. Doing well during an internship period can potentially set you up with a dream job. What's that saying?

 "Have a job you love doing and never work a day in your life"?

83 miles to adulthood

As I sit on my couch with my mug filled with Lucky Charms and my laptop displaying a blank blog, I consider all of the changes that have occurred over the past few weeks. One of the biggest is that I am alone, except for my cat Coraline. I am in MY apartment. I no longer just have a space I can call MY room.  I have my own kitchen, my own bathroom, my own living room, and even my own balcony...

August was the month of change for me. The 83-mile trip from Tracy to Sacramento was a life changing one. I entered the realm of "young adulthood". As I pulled into my designated carport I felt the transformation begin. Simple trips to the store became ordeals as I adjusted to my new surroundings. I was introduced to the horrible words that are "rent" and "SMUD". As I got used to my new place, I began to prepare for school. I have just about completed my first week and it was far different than I had anticipated.

Let's start with Monday: I rode a bus by myself for the first time in my life. I was nervous to say the least. How dirty was it going to be? Will I be safe? Am I going to remember what stop to get off on? All these questions and more circulated through my mind as I made the 5-minute walk to the bus stop by my apartment complex. Once on the bus, I began to calm down. It was surprisingly clean and not crowded, yet. By the time we got to the CSUS stop the bus was packed with what I was sure was more people than the allowed capacity. This day would start at 9am and end at 9pm. It was torture. I arrived home drained and weak, but also accomplished. I had completed my first day as a college junior.

When I woke up Tuesday morning I was anxious to begin my journey to campus. As I passed through the rush week set up I thought about how much I wanted to be a part of a sorority. I looked at the various booths on my way to class and pictured wearing a shirt with Greek lettering; I could pull it off. As my second day came to an end I realized that I had not made the plethora of new friends I thought I would have by now. Was I not the social-butterfly my small town living had caused me to believe? Troubling thoughts filled my head on the crammed ride home on the bus.

Wednesday marked the middle of the week. The first week of anything is usually stressful, whether it is the first week at a new workplace or the first week in a new city so I didn't let me bring it down. The first week of school was a section in this new chapter of my life and I was determined for it to be a light comedy rather than a tragedy. My classes went well and besides the bus arriving late I got home before dark.

That brings me to today and glancing over to my "Sac State" mug and seeing that my cereal has become soggy and that the milk has become colored I realize that I have been writing for awhile and that I have just completed my first assignment as a journalism major!