30

Your highs and lows of this month.

Lows: Working 6 days straight.  Waiting for my Berkeley decision.

Highs: Getting paid for working 6 days straight.  Being employed.  Going to the Giants game.  Celebrating my Eric's birthday.  Having my weekends (mostly) back.  Finishing this 30 day challenge!

29

Goals for the next 30 days.

In 30 days, the date will be May 21st.  That's the first out of two days for my last finals at DVC.   One of my obvious goals is to pass these finals.  Also, in regards to school, I plan to figure out where I'm going to school for my bachelor's.  It shouldn't be hard though; if I get into Cal, then I go there.  If not, well, I've got only one back up.  Another aspect of the college thing that I want to figure out in the next 30 days is my living situation. Eric and I have already said we want to move in together, but I definitely have to make sure with the important parties, including him, that it's not going to cause too much turmoil.  Another goal I would like to achieve in the next 30 days is starting and actually adhering to another 30 day challenge.  Ironic, I know. 

28

Something that you miss.

I miss daycare.  I miss having a set nap time and a set snack time.  I miss playing in the backyard until lunch.  I miss the simple lunches we had that were so amazing and delicious.  I miss getting dropped off and wanting to go home, then wanting to stay longer when my parents came to pick me up.  I miss being taken care of.  This isn't a very creative post, but I can't help it.  I miss almost every aspect of daycare.  We went on field trips to Marine World and the Jelly Belly factory.  We also went to the park often, and there was always something to do.  There were definite rules, don't get me wrong, but it never occurred to me to break them.  It didn't seem worth it to get in trouble and have precious play time taken away.

27

A problem that you have had.

I've said this before, but I've had a problem about internalizing my problems.  I never liked telling my friends, I wouldn't tell my parents if something was bothering me, and even when I started dating, I didn't tell my boyfriend.  For me, this led to a lot of tossing and turning at night, the inability to vent, and I ended up writing a lot.  Writing helped, but I never got the feeling of the other person sympathizing or empathizing with me.  I never liked bothering people with my problems because they didn't feel important enough for them, but I realize now that that's what friends do.  Boyfriends are useful for venting and crying to as well.  Having a great support system has been pivotal in my post high school life, and I know I'd be pretty broken if I were still internalizing today.  I still do, but it's not anywhere close to what it was before.  Being with Eric has really almost cured me of keeping all my problems to myself.  I don't know if that's for the better, but he seems to enjoy hearing me talk and vent.

26

What kind of person attracts you.

I'm extremely attracted to intelligence.  I love guys who can keep up a conversation about things that are relevant.  Current events, developing technology, foodie things.  I also like a guy who is well-mannered.  It's extremely important that a guy gets along well with my friends and family, and common decency to all human beings is too.  I couldn't be attracted to anyone who is rude or arrogant.  Confidence is great, but confidence to the point of cockiness is repulsive.  On that point, confidence is extremely attractive.  When a guy is good at something or really just comfortable enough in his own skin, it's admirable.  It's not just desirable in guys, but in people, as well.  Looks help too, but a guy can be really hot and really arrogant, and I wouldn't be interested.

25

Someone who fascinates you and why.

Dumbledore.  This is extremely geeky of me, but this man is very mysterious.  JK Rowling explains very little about him in the actual books, and even in the press, she doesn't reveal everything about his character.  I have always liked the Harry Potter series, but the character I've been most interested in is Albus Dumbledore.  There isn't much more explanation for my fascination other than that there is a lot of mystery that surrounds his life.

24

Your favorite movie and what it's about.

I don't know about my favorite movie, but one movie that I will watch whenever it is on tv is A Walk to Remember with Mandy Moore and Shane West.  It's about a typical "bad boy" who ends up working with the typical "good girl" at school.  He falls in love with her when she tells him not to, and he finds out she has leukemia.  It's a Nicholas Sparks based movie, so it's a huge tearjerker.  It's not even the love story that gets me bawling in this movie, it's the scene between Shane West's character and his father.  Seeing men cry is probably my biggest weakness in movies, especially between fathers and sons.  Those moments are rare in movies, and even more so in real life.  A Walk to Remember seems like one of the ultimate chick flicks.  I know most of the women in my family and my circle of friends will stop to watch it too.  There have been times when I mention watching it the night before, and my mom or aunties will say they watched the exact same time. It's just one of those movies.

23

Give 5 pictures of guys who are famous who you think are attractive.

Oh boy, this was a fun one.  I've actually been in the same vicinity as three out of five of these wonderful guys.  Adam Levine! I went with a couple of my girls to a Maroon 5 concert, and we staked out his bus post performance.  We scored a couple close up paparazzi shots and autographs on our concert tees.  Daniel Radcliffe, not only because I am obsessed with Harry Potter, but also because I saw him on Broadway in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.  He was amazing, he sang, and he's just wonderfully talented and British.  David Tennant is awesome in Doctor Who.  I'm attracted to the quirky intelligence of his character.  Plus, he has great hair.  Jackson Rathborne was at Discovery Kingdom while I was working.  He and the actor of Katara were interviewing near the dolphin exhibit, and he walked by my caricature stand.  I waved like a fangirl.  He looks great when he's not all pale.  Last, but certainly now least, Matthew Lewis.  One million and fifty point to Gryffindor because this guy has aged so well.  His character in Harry Potter has his admirable moments, and he is great as an actor.  I also noticed that I'm partial to a little scruff on guys in general.  Yum!

22

How have you changed in the past 2 years?

These past 2 years have probably been the times of most radical change for me.  I started college nearly 3 years ago, and that alone has been the catalyst for a lot of personal development.  Going to college and having this new kind of educational freedom is really stressful and liberating at the same time.  I have the choice to go to class, to study certain subjects, and to really just shape my own education.  No one is telling me what to learn for any standardized tests or anything that limits what the teachers are allowed or supposed to teach.  It's opened my eyes to a lot of problems we don't learn in public school, and these problems feel much more real than what I'd been taught previously.  I feel a lot more responsible for myself and what I contribute to society.  There's a whole hell of a lot of things that people do and ignore that are simple things that could better themselves and everyone else.

Another thing being in college has helped me with is socializing with others.  I was shy.  I didn't initiate conversations with people I wasn't comfortable with and I certainly never hung out with people outside of class.  I didn't find myself interesting enough to initiate these things.  I never felt like I would have enough things to say or that I wouldn't be able to entertain people.  Now, I love planning parties.  I love playing hostess and being the leader.  I've settled into my role as the event planner and organizer.  I'm comfortable inviting people to kick it, and I'm never worried about lulls.  Not to be cocky, but I know I'm an interesting person.  I have confidence now that I didn't have 2 years ago.  I know not to settle for being under appreciated at work, and I know that I can accomplish things on my own.  It's probably the most radical personal change I've gone through so far in life.  

21

One of your favorite shows.

I've always been a fan of Monk on USA.  I pretty much grew up watching it, and it was so bittersweet to see it end.  I liked that he had his gift and curse, and I loved Natalie and Sherona.  Monk has such a special relationship with his assistant, and they are very entertaining to watch.  The fact that it is based in San Francisco is pretty fun too.  I like picking out the scenery or restaurants around the city that I know.  Anytime there's a Monk marathon and I'm home, that's what I'll watch.

20

How important you think education is.

Education is so important.  It's not just having a degree that matters, but the experiences you have in the classroom and on campus.  School for kids at a young age encourages reading and cultivates good social relations with their peers.  Honestly, a lot of how I deal with other people has to do with what I learned in kindergarten.  I realize now how a lot of what we learned throughout elementary and middle school prepares us for how to deal with classes after public school and in the workplace.  Getting along with others is so important, and school helps kids learn how to deal with people, especially the difficult ones.  Really, I think the social skills we learn in school are way more important than the actual book material.  For any job, you'll end up learning the job-specific tasks.  Being agreeable and "playing will with others" is something no one can really teach, it's something you learn by actually doing it.

19

Disrespecting your parents.

This is one of the biggest pet peeves I have.  I understand getting mad about some decisions they make, but it's uncalled for when you're outright rude and disrespectful.  I really don't like disrespect toward anyone really, but toward one's parents is even worse.  Why would you be rude to the people who clothe you, feed you, and love you unconditionally? Yes, they're strict at times, but usually it's for a good reason.  I've never had a bad relationship with my own parents, and disrespect has never been a problem.  My brother, however, is so bad about appreciating our parents.  One of the worst things to see is him being disrespectful to the two people in the world I definitely need.  I get annoyed just thinking about it.

18

Your beliefs.

Oh boy, this one's a toughie.  Well, to begin, I was raised a Catholic.  I liked the teachings all throughout high school.  They all sat pretty well with my perspective, and it seemed like they were based on pretty basic principles of respect and just being good.  Then, in college, I basically overextended myself and dropped religion altogether.  I studied different beliefs in anthropology and occasionally discussed basic Catholic beliefs in debates now and then.  Other than that though, I only went to mass if there was a special occasion or my parents insisted that we go together.  It's been a strange time because I like the Catholic church.  The community is great, and the golden rule of treating others as you would want to be treated is essentially how I function day to day.  However, it must be through simple life experience that certain things the Catholic church has been opposing just doesn't make sense to me.  Restricting marriage to just a man and woman seems unfair. Having only male leaders in the highest positions of authority bugs me.  I still believe that there is a certain standard of behavior that is considered good, but over time, I think the image of good is flexible.  People are multidimensional.  I don't think other religions are better or worse or even that Catholicism is the best religion out there.  I believe in being ethnocentric, aware and nonjudgmental of other people and cultures.  I believe in respecting others, regardless of color, gender, age, beliefs, or political preference.  I think the thing I believe in most is just not judging anyone else.  It's hard, but it works.  I get to know people on a more genuine level rather than using a label to decide how I interact with them.

17

Your highs and lows of this past year.

Hmm, since last April, my lows have been there.  My grandparents occupied the first floor of my house, which strained my relationship with my boyfriend and my parents.  I was ridiculously stressed out at work and horribly underpaid.  I was unemployed for 7 months.

But definitely, my highs have outweighed and outnumbered the lows.  I quit my stressful job.  I got a 4.0 GPA. I spent a week in New York with my boyfriend for my birthday.  I got a job at Cold Stone.  I got to spend another New Year's Eve with my boyfriend.  I got back into crafting, and it's a great outlet.

16

Your views on mainstream music.

When I think of mainstream music, I think of any song that might be played on the radio.  And most of what is played on the radio is made for profit.  Mainstream music tends to consist of catchy beats and things that are easy to remember.  I don't think it's a complete waste of time or anything, but most of it is just nonsense.  I feel like performers take something that at least part of the population can relate to and sell it.  When I don't want to have to think about anything, I turn on the radio and turn off my thoughts.  It doesn't take a genius to understand what the songs are generally about in mainstream music, which is often just having a good time.

15

Your favorite Tumblrs.

Honestly, I've never consciously visited Tumblr.  I remember reading creepypasta, but I'm not sure if that counts. So, this particular entry has no substance.

14

Your earliest memory.

This one's just a snippet, but I remember climbing in a playground at Marine World back when it actually featured animals rather than rides.  It was mostly made of net and that weird cloth belt material, and the sun was out.  I can't remember who I was with, but I know I was following a bigger kid or an adult.  There's not much to the memory except being in that outdoor, cloth tunnel.  It's funny knowing Marine World like that and knowing Marine World as a Discovery Kingdom/Kaman's employee.  The contrast between the obvious joy and lack thereof between the two is enormous.