november feelies

Whenever I thought about November, I always thought about crisp air, leaves turning different colors, having the fireplace on at all hours of the day, being able to snuggle into my comfy clothes and sit in a corner with some hot chocolate and a blanket... but no, I live in Southern California, where my air is sometimes crisp, but only for a couple of hours because that blazing sun comes pouring in at 10 AM, and suddenly the wind dies down and you can spot heat waves on cars from miles away; the leaves are still changing but the grass is fading and insects are now scouring homes for shade in the middle of November, no less. 

Moving onto more exciting things to talk about other than the weather...

Finals are coming up! Finals are sort of exciting because they always mark a stepping stone, a time where everyone stresses together and when it's over you sleep in and always feel like even that is a waste of time. But it will be hard earned, the sleeping in part. I'm looking forward to next semester because I'm taking on 14 units-- my biggest semester yet! I have to meet up with a counselor soon so they can provide some insight as to how much farther I have left until I can finalllllly transfer! I'll also be working, but I'm looking forward to it.

Thanksgiving has passed and now Christmas is here... which means I now have reason to bring out the Christmas piano books and sing "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" without receiving dirty looks from people. Oh yeah, the sun is still out. I wonder if it'll ever go away...

CHRISTMAS IS UPON US

1 month

It's been exactly a month since I last posted! That's probably better than most times I've tried to keep up with this silly 'ol thing. 

WELL.

Exciting things have happened! School started, it's going great, I'm procrastinating as usual and now I've managed to have two tests built up for the week, a midterm due, a shortage of funds for doing things I'd normally do thanks to being sick and not working, and just a plethora of "woe is me" things. 

I'm currently sitting at my desk, which isn't clean in the least... I put this bright yellow table runner/cloth on top of it in hopes of providing me with some inspiration to keep this area more neat. Clearly, that doesn't work. My mind works like this: I'll notice a mess, I won't acknowledge it for weeks at a time. I'll finally notice it and get disgusted. I'll write about cleaning it, and then follow through with cleaning. And then it will get messy. And the cycle repeats! It's terrible. I'm going to be 20 in FOUR days! That's ridiculous. I'm ridiculous.

I'm also very hungry. Ridiculous and hungry. 

Moving onto more interesting things...

Last night I was in Santa Ana with my best friend to watch one of my favorite bands! It was a great night spent with awesome people and I got to meet the singer and hang out for a little bit. I even got a shirt! I'll post a picture soon. I really should be cleaning. I really just wanted to post about what's happening tomorrow. I'm going to Universal Studio's Halloween Horror Night and let me just tell you one thing about me: I HATE HORROR. My parents are telling me to go and to enjoy myself but I don't know if I can! I mean, bloody clowns, incessant screams all throughout the park, adrenaline rushes, I don't know if I'm ready for it. I'm terrified. But I'll do my best to make the most of it, I suppose. I just hate horror. Maybe I'll make a follow-up post after tomorrow... It goes until 2 AM and that ...does not sound promising. I'm currently frowning. 

Here's to hoping it doesn't traumatize me! 

Getting farther

If anyone's been around me in the past month or so, they'd know that I'm definitely unwell. Immune system-wise. I contracted some strange bug that started me off with laryngitis, before evolving into what I think is bronchitis.
I have all the symptoms for bronchitis but I haven't actually gone to get a diagnosis from a doctor. I've gone to two doctors but to be honest, only one really helped. But ever since then, I haven't gone back since. Yes, she's a good doctor. But I had a very uncomfortable experience and I would much rather not go back and have to endure that again.
I'm on three prescription meds, and honestly nothing has really changed. I've gotten worse, and she diagnosed me with "post-nasal drapes". Whatever that means. I have the internet, I can totally look it up.

But bottom line is that I'm sick. Grossly sick.

And I'm so frustrated because I want to get better (Bleachers, yeah!) and it's been an uphill battle since day 1.

Maybe this is just the beginning. I hope not.

there was once something interesting, then I deemed it "not interesting" a few months later.

please enjoy this rather wonderful picture that I have created in this post's place




: )

I started my third year at a junior college and I'm only getting closer and closer to my goal: to transfer to a four-year college, preferably UCDavis.

I passed my online math class from summer semester and now I'm in my third week of school (already!) and I'm taking another math class. The only thing keeping me from transferring earlier are all of these math classes...

It'll all be over before I know it and I'll be surrounded by fellow psychology majors and friends and family.

I also still have to clean my room.
I'll go do that now.

random burst of energy at 10 pm on a rather uneventful Thursday night

let it be known that

1. I am terrible at :
-keeping a blog slash any sort of commitment (lest it's a relationship, or friendship. I'm pretty good at those.)
-keeping my room clean for more than 3 hours.
-eating breakfast on a daily basis.
-fiber intake. You already know where I'm going with this one.
-keeping track of my contact lenses.
-avoiding consuming large portions of hot cheetos, salt and vinegar chips, and boba.
2. Waking up at a reasonable hour on the weekends doesn't happen.
3. I buy a lot of candles and never really burn them all the way.
4. I hoard cups in my room and take them downstairs to wash 2 or 3 days later.
5. I really should be doing something else besides this.

I am so, so good at procrastinating. I'll clean my room in the next 20 minutes, and by clean, I really mean speed clean.
And then I'll get to the dishes that I told my mother I would do.
I told her I would do them almost two hours ago.

I HAVE TO GO TO BED AT A REASONABLE HOUR TONIGHT.
But I had coffee ice cream. . .
I cannot show up for work half-asleep. Or sleep deprived.

songs of the summer time

Here's a list of the most recent songs I've enjoyed so far:

• Beta Love - Ra Ra Riot
• And When I Dream - Ra Ra Riot
• Rock N' Roll Mountain Troll - Miniature Tigers
• Bullfighter Jacket - Miniature Tigers
• Classic - MKTO
• I Wish You Love - Rod Stewart 

more life updates!

These last two weeks have been something out of a dream, I feel like I've been walking on a cloud because of how wonderful everything's been going for me lately.

Exactly two weeks ago I was in Northern California where I spent almost a week with my cousin and her family and every day was completely family-filled as well as adventure-filled.It was the first time I had flown anywhere alone and been away from my family for such a long time. I'll admit, I was completely unsure of what to expect on the plane ride, but I kept to myself and made sure I didn't talk to anyone. I definitely slept for more than half of the plane ride, which was totally fine by me since I had just scarfed down a breakfast burrito I got five minutes before boarding. 
I had such a fun time catching up with family, meeting new people, eating fantastic food and spending every one of those days with so many people. Almost every day was a "boba day" due to the existence of a shop right down the street from the house where I stayed. The most important reason for my being there though was for my cousin's graduation. The post-graduation parties were definitely my favorite, right alongside the fact that I got to share her special day with her and several others. 
I also got to see my best friend at UCD where I spent about an hour with him and it was the first time I had seen him in five months. Good times were had where I was surrounded by people who just make me the happiest in the world, and if I wasn't eating, singing, or sleeping, I was laughing. What more could you ask for? 
I flew back on the morning of Father's Day even though I wasn't ready to come home. 

The following morning I had work and I had to get back into the swing of things. From there, the week flourished with excitement as I was surrounded by supportive friends and family at both in the workplace and at home. My best friend was home! And so was I, and it was about to get real. I honestly can't recall a single day where I wasn't spending time with him and my other friend, or planning a day where we would spend time together. Being at work from 8-11:45 every morning, and then either spending the rest of the day with them or at home, was completely relaxing. Also, we went out and had boba a lot. I have consumed SO much boba this month, I couldn't tell you how many times I've had it because I've lost count. I'm still trying to decide whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. I'm on the fence about it, but I'm leaning more towards "good thing". 

Well, it's now the 24th and things are coming to a halt in California, but that's only because the fun is about to begin. On Thursday morning, I'll be on a plane to Hawaii where I'm to spend seven days in paradise in a hotel room with my sisters and my cousin, where my parents will be right next door. It's definitely going to be an interesting week, but I have no doubt in my mind that it will be memorable as it will be fun. We'll be going to a graduation party on the 29th for my cousin who also graduated from high school earlier this month. I remember when I had a graduation party with two of my other cousins who had graduated with me in 2012, and yes, the party was in Hawaii. There are so many things I'm looking forward to this summer, and it's only just started. 

This is going to be the second summer where I'm single and to be completely honest, I'm totally okay with that. I don't feel like I'm tied down and I don't have to keep up with anyone and I'm free to spend as much time with the people I want to without feeling like I'm being selfish in doing so. I don't know, it's kind of nice not being in a relationship, but I'll always be thinking about my own happiness either way. And as of right now, I'm happy being without a significant other or any of the sort. I wouldn't mind a summer romance though, but that isn't in the cards and I have a lot of other things I'd like to focus on before thinking about regularly seeing someone again. 

REAL TALK-
Carne asada fries were put on this earth to watch me burn. Ever since Makaila and I drove to the middle of nowhere to try them, we've gotten them weekly followed by a trip to Cha for Tea right across UCI. It's a pretty damn good mix, I'd say. Boba + carne asada fries? Hella. 
I just incorporated two very, very "bay area-esque" words into that section of this post. No shame. Absolutely none at all.

Exciting news: I HAVE A SUMMER JOB. 
I'll be working at the school right across from my neighborhood from late June to late July. It's going to be fantastic, because I'll be doing the exact same thing I've been doing since January. Nothing is going to change, really, which is great news for me because I take a couple days to adjust. But the best part is I'm not a substitute this time; I'm an actual aide! I'm so stoked to work with these kids and be at a school I'm very much familiar with and it's just going to be a fabulous experience overall. 

And finally, I enrolled into an elementary algebra class for the summer and it's completely done online except for the midterm and final which are taken on-campus. But I have no complaints. The program that I use to do my homework and study from is by far the most helpful and convenient program I have ever used in my 20 years of life. It's incredibly helpful with it's incessant forced-review program (pretty self explanatory - It makes sure you know your most recently learned lessons by having you practice a couple problems until you've mastered it.) Then after you finish an entire unit, you take an assessment test to ensure that you've got it down pat, and whatever portion of the unit you haven't grasped is to be practiced again and then you advance onto the next unit. I have high hopes for myself and this math class, and this professor is proving to be reliable and approachable. Which are two very key things I look for in all of my professors. 

Basically, this summer is rad and it's just the beginning. 

#SUMMER2k14

a friendly weekend

friday : may 31

I started my Friday morning with work followed by a lunch/dinner with some of the people I work with, as well as meeting the lady I substitute for. Overall it was a very friendly lunch/dinner and two hours were spent with delicious Mexican food and very interesting topics. Later that night, I met my friends at Rachel's house, where we played Saboteur, ate kumquats, played Cranium and made homemade pizookies (cookies + ice cream). We also ate the pizookies.
Saboteur is always fun, but this was especially fun because Matt had never played before and finally did! As always, friendships were lost and then re-kindled over the next games.

A majority of the game went like this:
"BLUE TEAM!"
"No, I want you to pick a new card."
"Okay, fine."
*picks new card, looks at it*
"BLUE TEAAAAM"
"YEAAAHHH"

The other times it went like this:
"You're the saboteur!"
"I'm blocking your ass."
"I'm NOT THE SABOTEUR"
"I was the saboteur."

It was only 10:30 when the game ended, but we didn't want to go home so we decided to play Cranium and Rachel fed everyone frozen scones (they were scones put in the freezer and they were edible) and I may or may not have had three or more. Rachel then made a homemade pizookie and we would take breaks between our game of Cranium so we could gather around a small iron-cast pan to gorge on chocolate chip cookie and vanilla ice cream goodness.

The game of Cranium was a fun one, as it always is, and I have come to conclusion that Brittany will always think abstractly, no matter what it is I'm drawing/acting out. The "universal sign" for roller coasters really is the wave thing, but of course she said 'waves', and not 'roller coaster'. Still my best, regardless. #teamyellowteamdefeated
Rachel and Evan won in the end, and it was definitely a good game. We all headed home around midnight only to meet back at Rachel's house again the next day.

saturday: june 1

Everyone except Matt met up at Rachel's house where Evan and Jacob drove to Aliso Beach, over by a few neighboring beaches and we had a picnic on the shore with sandwiches, lemonade, chips, cookies, and potato salad! It was six hours of a fun filled day and I actually went into the water! It had been the first time I'd been in the water for over two years and so I was not only having panic attacks, but I wasn't sure how to tread water for a long period of time.
I ended up doing well in the water, especially since I was surrounded by people who really cared about me and made sure I was okay by checking up on me. After getting out of the water, I wanted to lay in the hot, sweltering heat because that's the logical thing to do. I applied sunscreen all over though, so I'd like to think I didn't get burnt.
Later that night, was again spent at Rachel's house. We decided to watch "Wolverine", but unfortunately I didn't think the movie was that great. I guess that's how I seem to think of those movies lately. I'm not a movie junkie, never have been, most likely never will be. Then after that, a late night trip to Tapioca Express was made and then I didn't go to bed for another three hours.
It was fantastic.

Davis VS. Orange County

I just want Thomas to come home from college because I really, really miss him. It's nice having Skype to talk to him, but it's just not the same. I can't wait for him to come home because then I can drive twenty minutes to see him and we can grab lunch and spend three hours at a boba restaurant (??) talking about life and laughing at everything. The last time I saw him was in October, when he and I were having smoothies at Juice It Up and we bought window paint so we could write "UCDavis bound" on the back of his mom's car. I almost cried when he left because I knew it would be a long time before I would see him again. It's been 7 months and all I want is for him to come home. I miss Thomas.

Life updates: These happen a lot since I don't update regularly

Well the highlights of this month have included the following:

• Arrivals of both Evan and Matt who are home for the summer
• The end of my second year of college (however, this is community college and so I feel a bit different than all of my four-year friends in some small, insignificant way)
• A consistent job position working as an instructional aide at an elementary school close to home
• Maintaining good grades the whole semester 

That's about it for highlights. 

Evan and Matt are both home! It's been about five-ish months since I last saw them, and that was during Christmas/Winter break. We had Festivus in December and then a few weeks later, they both left for college. We all stayed in touch via Facebook, Snapchat and some Skype calls. Nothing beats having them in the same state though. All of my friends basically hate when I take pictures but I can always sneak a few in. I JUST LIKE CAPTURING MOMENTS, OKAY. 

My second year of college ended so quickly, in fact I feel like it went a lot faster than last semester adn that was a pretty long semester. This semester consisted of a couple of oral presentations and a lot of writing. Last semester I hardly had any homework and this semester I was neck deep in it. The nice part of it all was being able to relearn a language I once knew in high school and actually writing paragraphs/essays in Spanish. I also got an inside look into the complex world of research methods for psychology. My favorite unit was probably the ethics units, where we got to see just how messed up some people actually were and how they went out going through with these experiments. I also wrote a 17-page paper, which is a lot of writing for me. Overall the semester ended strong and I'm happy to say I finally know what I want to major in. 

I started working as a substitute instructional aide for my good friend's mother's classroom and it has been nothing but fun and work in the classroom. The environment is such a great place for learning and growth, it really touches my heart to know that someday these kids will be all grown up and hopefully they'll remember me in their small memory. 

I seem to have kept up my grades this semester, but that doesn't mean my head's in the clouds. I have to come back down to earth and make sure I keep those grades up so that I can transfer in the next year or so. Here's to saving up for the summer! 

Goals

So it's pretty clear I can't keep up with this, oh well! I'll do my best to update this as regularly as I can, whether it be with life updates or just adventures shown in the form of pictures, I'll make it happen. I have a lot of free time now and I don't see why it isn't doable. That being said, I'm about to post a long entry about how things have been going for me lately, as there have been several days filled to the brim with happiness. 

18/100

Today was super relaxing. I did nothing for a good half of my day and then I got around to organizing my bookshelf and it looks really nice right now. It's not done yet, but I'll wake up early and clean the rest in the morning. Besides cleaning, my parents brought home groceries and there were so many wonderful things they brought home, like caramel, honey mustard pretzels, sourdough bread, etc. Dinner tonight was delicious as well - sinigang! A sour, tamarind based broth with chopped vegetables such as okra, bokchoy, eggplant, green beans, and radish (a korean twist). Usually served with cubes of beef in the broth, we substituted the beef with fish. However, I did not eat the fish. I had a couple of korean side dishes. Ah, the fusion of korean food and filipino food during the same meal never fails to make me smile. 
After dinner, I received a phone call from the lovely Julio and we talked for about two and a half hours. A plethora of subjects were touched upon. 2048: DCI Edition is my newest internet addiction. **You cannot merge two tiles together unless they are the same. This is very important to know when playing any 2048 game! 

Some really interesting topics we talked about were:

• Is it actually right or wrong? Is there such a thing as right and wrong?
• Would you rather be a skilled drummer who cannot perform, or a drummer who is highly able to perform but lacks skill? 
• I really don't know anything about parties.
• I can place my glasses in fairly hot water and let it steep for a minute, then chill them quickly in cool water and allow my glasses to conform to the shape of my head. 
• Personality tests are seriously the coolest things. 
• I memorized Julio's number.

I miss Julio.

Question 18

How would you prefer to die?

My stock answer is always that I would prefer to die in my sleep, but as of lately, I've given it more thought. How peaceful is dying in your sleep, exactly? Would you wake up before you died, and start suffocating in a panic? Would a part of your body fail and wake you up? Would you even be aware of this? 

New Music

I always look for new music weekly, I feel like music discoveries are one of the greatest things to look forward to. It always fascinates me when I find a new artist, because it's a whole new world for me to be a part of. It's almost crazy to think of all the different genres, and sub-genres of music that exist. It still continues to grow.

These genres are in no way related (or maybe they are, I haven't given myself enough time to dissect and analyze these songs) and don't fall under any particular category. 

1. Be - Daley
2. Gasoline - Alpine
3. Something Good - altJ
4. I Can Make You Love Me - British India
5. Let You Down - Hungry Kids of Hungary
6. La La La - Naughty Boy, Sam Smith
7. Crave You - Flight Facilities
8. Overdose - Little Daylight
9. La Femme D'argent - Air
10. Fireside - Brett Brixby

days 13-17/100

Monday - Friday

Typically on Mondays, I start my mornings off with work at about 8 AM, until noon, then I pick my sister up from school since her Mondays are short. Then, I go home and scarf down lunch before meeting my mother at 1:30 to switch college parking permits and then I head to class for 2 hours and 20 minutes. 

Tuesdays and Thursdays are a lot more slow-paced since I have only one class and I don't work these days. However, the parking wars occur from 11:40 AM-12:15 PM and I am in survival mode at these times. 

Wednesdays are about the same as Mondays, except I don't have to pick my sister up so I have a little more time to relax once I get home. 

Fridays are my favorite because I go to work in the mornings until noon and then I come home and sleep forever. 

Wednesday was an adventurous day this week because I not only went to work and class, I also drove to Westminster during rush hour and had some OG boba. The dankest of the dank, to put it lightly. I got to my friend Alexis's house and she drove me everywhere.

I ordered a drink called "Day & Night" which was a strawberry and mango slushie, essentially. Then Alexis ordered taro milk tea and it came in a cute little vase/glass. My phone died shortly after these were taken, but after our boba stop, we decided to go to Snow Monster where we conversed and ate thai tea ice cream with macarons. 
I also watched White Chicks for the first time this day, had homemade mexican food and got to enjoy a papaya for the first time in a long time.
I went home around 10:30 PM and came home feeling tired. It was definitely a day well spent and I'd definitely want to go back. 

Questions 13-17

13. In your opinion, what are the most important qualities of a good friend?

• Honesty - I appreciate it when people are brave enough to call me out on my flaws as a human being and are respectful enough to be honest with me. 
• Trust - I would prefer to have a person to confide in, in which they would be not just a friend, but a good friend.
• Understanding - It's always nice when someone takes the time to try and see things from your perspective. 

14. If you could be a founding member of a space colony, with the caveat that you would never be able to return to Earth, would you go?

I have no idea how I'm supposed to answer this question. I probably wouldn't go, considering I don't know how I would keep this colony alive on another planet. 

15. What is your favorite superpower? Why?

I'd have to say my favorite superpower is invisibility/telekinesis. The ability to disappear at any given moment sounds like such a luxury, and telekinesis just sounds crazy and fun. However, I'm sure there are limitations to these superpowers so maybe they're not all that great.

16. If you were a book, which book would you be?

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. This book tore at my heart in the 10th grade and it contains so much symbolism about colors. My English teacher was able to give us a clear understanding of how to dissect this book, how to analyze every paragraph, every page. This book was so much more than book, it was a work of literature that holds the life of one of my favorite stories. 

17. If you found out that your life was a book, and you met your author, what would you say to them?

Why did it take me so long to make up my mind about my lifelong career choice? Why did it not occur to me earlier in life?

12/100

Easter Sunday! This day was a lot of fun and spent with family. Lots of good food, good talks, and good company were had this day. 

First, there was a big church service in the park, where I snacked on pastries with my sisters. I got to dress up this day, so I was careful not to spill anything. After the service, we went home to get changed and then we had lunch at Lunar over in Irvine. Four out of 5 people ordered jjajjangmyun and it was so delicious! Perks of being Korean, I'd say. 

After lunch, we all trekked a whole 30 feet to the small coffee shop on the corner called "Sootha Coffee". They have some fabulous green tea ice cream. I'm definitely coming back for more! My family and I sat and chatted for a bit while drinking coffee/tea/boba/eating ice cream. It was a great bonding experience and then afterwards, we headed home and got ready for the week again. 

It was definitely a great Easter Sunday.

Question 12

If offered irreversible immortality, would you take it?

This means I would never die and I would stay this age forever... Hmm, no, I think I'd quite enjoy going through the natural course of life and living life to the fullest. There isn't much to being 19, in all honesty. I'd much rather stay 27/28 since that's when the most exciting parts of your life occur. 

11/100

I really have no idea what happened this day except that I babysat and relaxed.
That's a pretty good day, I'd say.

Question 11
Choose one: You will never misunderstand the meaning of what someone is saying OR nobody will ever misunderstand what you say.

I choose the former because I think to have that much knowledge about what someone is saying, to grasp the concept without fail, it sounds lovely. 

10/100

THE GREATEST THING HAPPENED TODAY AND IT WAS CALLED NO SCHOOL AND NO WORK AND A DAY TRIP TO LA 

     

  These are just a couple of the pictures, I didn't use my phone a whole lot for battery reasons. I took some nice pictures though, when I did end up using my phone. My friend drove all four of us in his car and we explored both uptown and downtown parts of Los Angeles, as well as the more upscale parts of LA, such as Beverly Hills. Those houses are absolutely gorgeous, I couldn't stop drooling over them. 

All in all, it was a very adventurous and friendly day that ended with some quality time at Lollicup. Tyler actually ended up coming and meeting us at Lollicup so it was good to see him. It'd been a while since we'd gotten to spend time, if any, with him since he'd started to get really busy with both school and drumline on his plate. 

Question 10

Rewrite the end of a fairytale

Instead of Hansel and Gretel surviving the Old Witch's house, they were instead captured by her and forced to be her slaves for the rest of eternity, until they plotted to poison her in her sleep. Cannibalism was indeed recognized by the witch and so she changed her ways and decided to feast upon the sugars that her house was made of and in turn, she became obese and unable to move, leaving her bed-ridden. The children then set her on fire, and now they no longer needed to poison her.

She died.

The end. 

9/100

Again, I can't remember what I did this day. 
I did a lot of laundry... A LOT. I spent almost two hours on the phone with a fabulous human being, and then I started The King's Speech. It was nice because we got to talk way longer than usual, and it was full of depth and laughs and it was just a nice time overall. Hearing his voice brings me a lot of happiness.

Yeah, that's about it. I wish I was more interesting. I probably should stick to writing these on the day of, instead of three days later. 

Question 9
What is something you've never changed your mind about?

Marriage. I still do want to get married and I hope to think this way in years to come! 

8/100

** I'm totally late, I know. I'll do my best to make sure this doesn't happen as often as it has been. 

To be completely honest, this whole week has been a giant blur for me, and I've enjoyed not being able to recall what I did a few days ago. I guess I've been busy! 

The highlight of this day was probably the outing I had with my friends. We ate in-n-out. And it was delicious.
I also got to talk to a very special person on the phone for half an hour.
That is all.

Question 8
What is something you have changed your mind about?

I have recently decided that I'm going to permanently ink a part of my body. I remember telling myself that I wouldn't get a tattoo unless it held deep significance and since it's going to be a tattoo of my parents' wedding anniversary, I think it's pretty important. 
I'm thinking about doing it in small roman numerals in solid black ink. I'm excited. I'm going to start small though, first with henna to see how I like it, and then if everything goes well, I'll have my first tattoo by mid-July! 

7/100

Driving at 70+ mph on the 241 N with my sisters in the car, with the wind carelessly blowing through my hair, with "Cleopatra" playing on repeat, by sharing a special moment with my sisters,

that's what made me happy today. 

Question 7

What is the best compliment you have ever been given?

When I was a senior in high school, I had always dreaded playing Clarinet 1/Clarinet 2 in Wind Ensemble, let alone being a part of wind ensemble because I was afraid of the amount of time and effort I'd have to put into the class, whereas in Symphonic winds nothing was challenging and I was almost bored half the time. I was forced to audition for Wind Ensemble by my music director not because he wanted to make me suffer (mostly), but because he saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. He didn't compliment me the day I auditioned, but when I saw my name next to a list of people who had made the cut, that was the greatest compliment anyone could have ever given me. 

6/100

Honestly today was such a good day:

• I managed to get a lot of my chores done
• My make up was very clean looking and I apparently looked like a hipster
• I started my day off with earl grey boba & a quick lunch with my mom and sibs
• 93 minutes of my day were spent on the phone with a great guy 
• I re-watched The Book Thief

That's all I can say about today, really. I like when my Mondays start off productive and end with relaxation. Hearing from Julio for the first time in a week (his voice) is easily one of the more better parts about my day. 

Question 6: What is the ultimate gesture of trust?

I'd have to say that it would be when I ask a favor of them and they're willing, without reason or question. And of course vice versa, if I were asked of a favor, I'd do it without hesitation. 

a series of thoughts strung together by unrelated topics and rambles

4/11/14 6:59 pm

I don't even know why I feel like this right now.
I feel fragile and that I could break at any moment, if someone comments on my hair or my face or asks me  a question of looks at me funny
I don't know why. 

4/13/14 11:48 am

important things to remember

your body is a sanctuary
your room is a sanctuary
your mind is a sanctuary

treat it with respect and handle with care
keep an open mind and appreciate everything
stop having
plan everything and follow your plan [for most situations]

know what your goals and dreams are
write them down where you can read them every day
never leave your walls bare

brush your hair
wash your makeup off
do your nails
part your hair different

go to the park twice a month for two hours
and write about how you feel
discover new music
organize your bookcase

take a bath
scrub the dirt away every weekend

live
laugh
love

nail that piano piece
get a haircut
go through your keepsakes box 

weekly clean
light a candy and be silent

take your vitamins

buy more jewelry that's to your liking

4/13/14 9:46 pm

current expenses: 
McDonalds
In N Out
Target
Saddleback College

things you said you'd do and you've completed:
-pay college fee
-cancel Disneyland pass 
-deposit $$$ into savings
-buy a candle

It’s just something I’ve pondered about the last few days, is all. We get so attached to things and people that inevitably change and despite that we allow ourselves to be delved into with all of our personal feelings and opinions and then that person or thing almost becomes a part of you but not because you can function almost fine without them and yet you cannot. people are inconvenient predicaments and relationships are inconvenient but we physically and psychologically need them to survive in society. Like I don’t want to become attached to a physical being and feel like I’m obligated to do all these things because of said attachment because when they leave it’ll all feel like a waste and people are a waste of time and yet we long to know everything about them

more exciting things

i am keri

3,4,5/100

I'm not late, I just combined the entire weekend into one! 

The things that brought me happiness this weekend was hearing that my favorite drumline groups were making it through WGI Prelims, Semifinals and then Finals! 

Orange County Independent, Riverside City College, and Pulse Percussion are the drumline groups that traveled to Dayton, OH to perform in the WGI Championships. A few of my friends are in those groups so it was really fun to watch them progress through the different competitions. 

This weekend was mainly about drumline to me, and even though I didn't perform, my friends mean the world to me and being able to support them and cheer for them for three whole days really made my entire weekend.

It's incredible; I was at home on a couch in California watching a LIVE webcast of all the groups in Dayton perform. 

Absolutely mind blowing. 

Questions 3, 4, and 5

3. What is your favorite time of day? 
10:14 AM/PM

4. Name a celebrity you find attractive. 
Rachel McAdams

5. What is one of the best pieces of advice you have ever received? 
Don't be hurt when someone says no. 

2/100

Dinners with my family always make me happy. Instead of ordering the usual burger/calamari dish, I opted for a platter of ... potato skins. Then, my sister ordered a side of fries. More potatoes. Then of course I had a cream soda and a pizookie for dessert. You can't go to BJs and not order a pizookie.

"This is very Irish of you!"
"My middle name is Irish, so yeah I guess it fits!"

Sometimes the most random conversations come up at dinnertime. It's been a while since more than two of us at a time have sat down at the same table, at the same time.

- Sans one, fundraising dinner at BJs with my youngest sister! 
   Photo creds: my mother

Question 2:

What is a goal you recently met?

I've had straight As in my classes for almost two months now! 

WHAT?

In addition to the 100 days of happiness posts, I'll also be answering one of these a day! This will definitely keep me on track. (Or it should.)

1. If there were one word which was automatically to your name in Google searches, which word would you want it to be?
2. What is a goal that you recently met?
3. What is your favorite time of day?
4. Name a celebrity you find attractive.
5. What is one of the best pieces of advice you have ever received?
6. What is the ultimate gesture of total trust?
7. What is the best compliment you have ever received?
8. What is something you have changed your mind about?
9. What is something you’ve never changed your mind about?
10. Rewrite the end of a fairy tale.
11. Choose one: you will never misunderstand the meaning of what someone else is saying OR nobody will ever misunderstand what you say.
12. If offered irreversible immortality, would you take it?
13. In your opinion, what are the most important qualities of a good friend?
14. If you could be a founding member of a space colony, with the caveat that you would never be able to return to Earth, would you go?
15. What is your favorite superpower? Why?
16. If you were a book, which book would you be?
17. If you found out that your life was a book, and you met your author, what would you say to them?
18. How would you prefer to die?
19. What is your favorite paradox?
20. Tell us five facts about your first love, or, if you haven’t had one yet, invent the story of meeting your first love.
21. If you could live anywhere for a year, where would you live?
22. If you could visit anywhere for a week, where would you go?
23. You can only read one genre of books for the rest of your life. Which genre do you read?
24. Define “love.”
25. Define “justice.”
26. Define “truth.”
27. Define “art.”
28. Define “good.”
29. Define “obscene.”
30. What one thing in the world would be hardest for you to give up?
31. What is one thing you regret?
32. What is something that you have done that you are proud of?
33. Is it easier to talk or to listen?
34. When are you vulnerable?
35. If you met God, what would you say to God?
36. Would it be harder to tell someone you loved them if you weren’t sure how they would respond, or have to tell someone that you didn’t love them back?
37. Excluding romantic love, when was the last time you told someone you loved them? Who were they to you?
38. What is your worst quality?
39. What is your best quality?
40. What is your most immediately noticeable quality?
41. What is the first thing you notice about other people?
42. Describe one of your closest friends, and explain why that person is such a close friend.
43. What happened in the last dream you remember?
44. What was your most memorable dream?
45. Two truths and a lie.
46. If you were having a baby with the love of your life, and they insisted that the child be named after a place, what would you name your child?
47. What is the last lie you told?
48. Is it possible for you to love someone you don’t trust?
49. What motivates you most?
50. What is your favorite narrative trope?
51. Describe the ultimate dystopia.
52. What story (book, movie, game, etc.) have you learned the most from?
53. What is something you wish other people could know about you without you having to tell them?
54. Describe a moment you experienced something unexpectedly beautiful.
55. What is the biggest challenge you face when trying to form relationships with people?
56. How close do you think your perception of yourself is to how other people perceive you?
57. What is something you used to be afraid of, but aren’t anymore?
58. What is the most important emotion?
59. Do you think humans are any different than very advanced organic robots? If so, how?
60. If you had to move somewhere else, what would you miss most from where you are now?
61. If you were a videogame character, what would your iconic weapon be?
62. What is an aspect of your personality now that would come as a surprise to your younger self?
63. If you could eliminate one event from the last month, which event would it be?
64. If you had to forget the entire last year except for one 24 hour period, which day would you chose to remember? (Other people would remember, and you would have anything you wrote down or recorded during that time period - you would just have a form of amnesia.)
65. What is the most upsetting thing anyone has ever said to you?
66. If you had to pick only one ideal or cause to work toward, what would it be?
67. Are there any unforgivable actions? What are they?
68. Under what circumstances is keeping information secret acceptable or morally required?
69. What is one of your favorite ways to relax?
70. What is something you find difficult to talk about, even though you know you should?
71. What is an easy, default topic of conversation?
72. What is your favorite sort of conversation?
73. What is a version of you in an alternate reality doing right now?
74. What was the last adorable thing you saw?
75. Would you prefer for people to hate you or for people to be completely indifferent to you?
76. Would you prefer to be yelled at or ignored?
77. What is your favorite word and why?
78. What is your dream job?
79. What is the most difficult thing you’ve done this month?
80. When was the last time you were really scared?
81. What do you want most?
82. Describe an ideal day.
83. If you could speak to any real (non-fictional) person, living or dead for one hour, who would it be?
84. In general, are you happy with the person you have become?
85. Do you want to be a parent?
86. What is something unusual about you that not a lot of people know?
87. What makes you you?
88. Are you lonelier when you’re with people or when you’re alone?
89. What makes you feel safe?
90. What was the last bad decision you made?
91. Who is someone you have utmost respect for, and what is it about that person that makes you esteem them so highly?
92. What was the last thing you laughed uncontrollably at?
93. Your friend tells you that they are suicidal, and asks you not to tell anyone. Is it more of a betrayal to tell someone, or to keep silent?
94. What song speaks to you most? Why?
95. What basic values or principles do you turn to when faced with moral dilemmas?
96. If you had a tagline, what would it be?
97. If applicable, what do you look for in a romantic partner?
98. Who is your favorite author?
99. Who is the one person you know who is most similar to you (in terms of personality, beliefs, attitudes, mannerisms, etc)?100. What are you most excited about right now?

1/100

Please enjoy a list of my favorite songs as of late:

• W.D.Y.W.F.M. - The Neighborhood
• Swimming Pool Blues - Miniature Tigers
• Garden Grays - Wildcat! Wildcat!
• Cardiac Arrest (WoodysProduce Remix) - Bad Suns
• Black & Gold - Sam Sparro
• Paris - Magic Man
• Comes and Goes (In Waves) - Greg Laswell
• Honolulu - Last Dinosaurs
• Signs and Wonders - Animal Kingdom
• Black Out Days - Phantogram
• You've Got Something - The Jungle Giants
• Coming Around - Hungry Kids of Hungary

Question 1:

If there were one word which was automatically to your name in Google searches, which word would you want it to be?

Enigma. I learned this word in 11th grade during one of the extensive units of vocabulary in English class and this word really caught my eye simply because I can't think of another word that sounds just like it. I'd like to think I'm somewhat of an enigma myself, a mystery that even I can't solve. 

ONE HUNDRED DAYS OF HAPPINESS

Just like the title says, that's right! I'll be participating in the "100 days of happiness" trend that's been going around, except I won't be doing it via Instagram, like everyone else. 

I don't use this blog nearly as much as I'd like to, so I figure this is a fantastic way to not only document the things that bring me happiness, but help me post regularly and use this blog for its intended purpose! 

I haven't figured out how I'd like it to be laid out but I'll get to that sometime soon.
Preferably in the next two hours or so.

Some pretty exciting things have happened, in fact far too much has happened for me to remember it all. I'm not really good at keeping up with these sorts of things especially since I tend to post things in the moment, and I prefer to save the big stories for the blog posts on here. I'll do my best to gather my bearings and tell the stories in the most non-confusing way possible. It doesn't seem feasible though, since a lot of what has happened happened a few weeks ago-- I'd just been putting this post off for weeks and weeks. 

So first off, 

I've met a wonderful guy. I mean, wonderful doesn't even seem to cut it. It seems like too much of an understatement to even try and limit all the words that could describe him. I do apologize if this seems like a ramble, I'm currently listening to music and I tend to write better when I have someone singing in my ear. It's also 12:05 in the morning and I've just finished two cans of Arizona green tea, so I'm hyped on caffeine. Probably not the best thing for me especially since I have work at 8:20, but I'm known to function just fine on 4-6 hours of sleep so long as there's coffee provided prior to working. 
-
Getting back on topic: 
His name means July in Spanish, he has curly black hair and a cute smile along with a rad personality to match. I've only known him for about 2-ish months now, but I feel like I've gotten to know a lot more about him in those two months than I have with anyone else. Our first date is in two days, and I'm more than sure that it's going to go great. 

Moving onto another topic, I've found some fantastic music. I'm sure I'll post a list of some of my favorites soon. It's only 12:30 right now, so I don't think I'll get to that soon but maybe sometime this week! 

I saw "Miniature Tigers" in concert at The Observatory in Santa Ana two nights ago with my sisters and it was definitely a night to remember. The first two bands that went on did not impress me and I remember feeling bored at one point. I was only two people away from the stage though, so I decided to make the most of it and pretend like I was a drunk at one point. It was a lot of fun. As horrible as it sounds, it was entertaining and I enjoyed myself. I actually got to stay for the encore, which was a first for me, and it was definitely worth enduring those two bands. On the way home, we made a boba stop at Cha for Tea by UCI and then a McDonalds run. 

Yesterday, I left my house at 12:15 AM and came back at 2:30 all because my friends and I wanted boba. So my best friend and I piled into our friend's car at 12:40 AM and made it there with 13 minutes to spare. Then we talked about school for a bit in the courtyard before heading back to where we left our cars. Unfortunately, we had to make four stops for someone who forgot to use the bathroom so that was an adventure all on it's own. 

I've recently become obsessed with this game called, "2048" and the objective is to get the 2048th tile, by combining other tiles together that add up with each other and overall it's addicting and a huge life ruiner. I recommend it if you have nothing to do.
Speaking of having nothing to do, I just finished my spring break!

Basically, all spring break I went to work in the morning, and then skyped Thomas who was also on Spring Break at UCD. Cool part was that all his friends had gone back home so it was great to catch up with my brother almost every day. I did some cool things here and there, like on Thursday when I went to Rutabegorz with the Knights in Old Town Tustin (I believe that's where it was) and I had some gourmet nachos. After dinner, we took the party to Taylor's house and I (for whatever reason) took a video of the whole ride back. It's pretty funny looking back on the sassy conversations exchanged between Jacob and I.

"That was so great, I'm going to go get a milkshake!" I JUST REALLY WANTED A MILKSHAKE.

Snickerdoodle cookies are so good, and I'm so glad Taylor's mom makes them in large amounts. I've come to the conclusion that I still can't play video games as well as I'd like to, but that doesn't stop me from playing.

So this concludes my spring break, I've left all my studying materials on the floor and I'll have to get to that in the morning but right now I'm just going to hit the sack. Or maybe listen to some more music for another 10 minutes, then call it a night.

Skype - a staple in my diet, aka my life

As of last week, I haven't exactly been in the best mood... I went through some sad days where I didn't really talk to anyone, and shut out a couple of people. But as the week went on, I slowly came out of hiding and began to talk to a few people about what had happened, and through that, I felt a weight being lifted off my shoulders. The more I talked about it, came to terms with it, and accepted it, the easier it became to move on from my sad place and on with my life. 
 -Relationships are still something I'm trying to master, and it's definitely a work in progress! 

For the past week or so, I have been Skyping with my best friend, Thomas, who is far away in college land. Through these continuous Skype calls, I've managed to stay positive and take my mind off of what was saddening me and distract myself with basically anything. 

The other day, we streamed "AHS: Coven" and of course we were Skyping while this was happening. 
Some days, when I'm feeling low, I'll tell my story or memories just for the sake of getting them out of my head, and he just listens. He never really says much back, and I appreciate it. Sometimes I just need someone to listen to me.

He even blasted "The Whisper Song" while I was out cold. I had fallen asleep around 3 AM, and by this time it was 4 AM, so of course I heard nothing.

Our longest Skype call was 13 hours. THIRTEEN! I'm just glad I don't have to spend all my hours alone.

However, Thomas is far far away, and I have friends who are within driving distance. Usually, we spend our time together celebrating the end of the week with dinner and boba! 

This group of friends keep me afloat, so that I'm not treading waters, but enjoying the crisp air and taking it all in.