'Growth' // The Creative Collective

Melyssa from the Nectar Collective has started The Creative Collective. She brainstormed 23 creative activities for bloggers to participate in throughout the year of 2014.  I'm really excited to participate in this collective and actually made my collage almost a week early because I was so eager to start!  The first prompt, for January 15th, is to create a collage of materials in your home which embodies the word you want to focus on in 2014.

For 2014, I have decided upon the word 'growth'.  This word will remind me to grow with change and work on my intellectual growth.  With my freshman year in college fall 2014, change is going to happen and I want to be okay with that.  I think the word growth will remind me that with every change comes an opportunity to better myself too.  Another aspect of growth is intellectual growth.  It takes a lot of effort to sit down and read nonfiction instead of just going to sleep or turning on the computer.  However, I feel more accomplished by finishing a book than a TV series. I hope the word growth will help me remember to further my education outside of school.

My collage is made entirely of college pamphlets.  I have been sent at least a pamphlet a day for the past year and a half which has added up to a large pile of paper.  For some reason I have kept all of these letters but there are no magazines my house! I actually find the use of college pamphlets very fitting as college is what a lot of my growth will be centered around in 2014.  It is also incredibly easy to find inspirational images in a college look-book!  I really like the combination of reading and adventuring in my collage.  I think they're both valid ways of expanding your worldly knowledge which is my main goal this year.

While searching through the mass of leaflets, I found these great quotes in a letter from MIT.  Unfortunately, the did not fit on my collage but I just pinned them up underneath it.  These quotes are great inspiration to begin your dreams.  My favorite has to be "The most effective way to do it, is to do it." which Amelia Earhart said.

I'm really excited about this series of posts for 2014.  Creativity is a great thing to foster and can easily be lost in the day to day.  If you decide to participate in the Creative Collective make sure to visit the master list of days and prompts on Melyssa's blog (link) and comment below with a link to your post!

Trinidad, California // Car Adventures

The other day my friends and I went on a drive and found this wonderful vista point.  We were driving along the coast in Trinidad and just decided to park at this random turnout.  It had a little path which lead from the turnout to  a rock that jetted about 500ft into the ocean. It was really cool to be up so high and have waves crashing all around you.  Plus it was absolutely gorgeous even with the misty rain coming down.

I really love finding places like this in my own backyard.  No one has to travel hundreds of miles to find something exciting or beautiful.  If you look hard enough or just travel outside of you're comfort zone, you'll find something amazing. I used to be frustrated by living three hours from a decent mall or movie theatre but recently I've accepted that certain entertainments are not available where I live and I need to appreciate the ones I do have, namely nature.  

Now that I'm looking at where I will live next year for college, the idea of being away from the ocean worries me.  I go to the beach at least twice a month and drive past the bay every single day.  Living in a non-coastal town will be different, to say the least, but I want to make sure I appreciate the ocean while I have it.

 

18 Goals for 18 Years

My adorable 18 year old selfie

Last year, on A Beautiful Mess,  I stumbled across the idea of yearly assigning goals in accordance with age. I quickly formulated 17 goals and now, a year later, I'm back with my new 18 resolutions. I'm really excited and scared for the new challenges I'm going to face and happy to set such reachable yet engaging goals!

1. Develop Better Relations With My Parents

I am moving away Fall 2014 for college and I'm worried that I without seeing my parents everyday, I will not stay in contact with them.  To remedy this, I want to create a better relationship with my parents so they will become people I want to talk to rather than people I have to talk to.

2. Be More Enthusiastic and Supportive Towards My Friends

I have a bad habit of not caring about what my friends are doing. Oh, you're in a play? Good luck with that.... NOT ANYMORE! I will be supportive and encouraging toward my friends.

3. Learn to Cook? Develop a Specialty

With college just around the corner, I don't want to be stuck only being able to make packaged pasta and premade pizza.

4. Utilize a dictionary

Recently my English teacher mentioned that he had a personal dictionary in which he would mark every time he looked up a word. I was intrigued by this mini time-capsule and I want to start my own.  Plus a better vocabulary is never bad.

5. Read more non-fiction and classic literature

I find more fulfillment from these types of books than my usual YA novels or best-sellers so why not read more of them?

6. Throw Shit Away

I want to be able to take everything I want to college and as I'll be flying to school, that will be difficult. I'm hoping that by thinning out my items even more, I can take all I want to college next fall.

7. Do more volunteer work

Right now I volunteer at the public library once a week but I'd love to do more to help my community.

8. Cut down on internet and television

I don't feel good after scrolling though tumblr or watching TV for hours.  I always feel that I lost the opportunity to learn or do something that will lower my stress levels. Ultimately, I want to cut down to maybe 3 TV shows and almost no wasted time on social network.

9. Utilize the Opportunities Presented To Me In College

I will not allow myself to sit in my dorm studying. Grades are important and will always come first but I also want to be involved in volunteer organizations, clubs, and other things presented at my college.  Get off your butt and go to everything!

10. Actively Blog

Looking back through my blog this winter, I discovered that I am really proud of what I've done here.  I'd like to continue and get better at updating so there are no longer weeks of major activity and then weeks of nothing.

11. See More Live Music

Though I have been to many cons with musical performances, I have been to very few concerts.  I'm hoping to rectify this and already have some events lined up!

12. Moisturize

Though the word just reminds me of Cassandra from Doctor Who, I think my skin would benefit from being moisturized.

13. Learn How to Shoot in Manual

I really want to learn how a camera actually works.  Plus I'm excited to get pictures that look the way I want them to look rather than how my camera wants them to look!

14. Stay in Touch

When I moved and left middle school, I lost many of my good friends.  With graduation in 6 months, I don't want the same thing to happen to my high school friends. I want to make a conscious effort to stay in touch.

15. Eat Well and Exercise

I feel so much better when I take the time to eat something besides pasta and head over to the gym.  I need to work it into my normal routine.

16. Buy Less Shit

I hate feeling that I'm a cost to my parents.  I want to find away to cut back on the little things I buy almost weekly.  For example, sandwiches from the local grocery store for lunch.

17.Thrive to be Tidy and Organized

Wow, so many of these are about college.  Anyway, I want to be more on top of my chores and mess.  A nice desk, vacuumed carpet, and clean bedding please!

18. Have A Good Year

With the IB tests and freshman year of college this next year, I'm stressed out just thinking about it.  Therefore, I want my last goal to simply be to have a good time.

The cake my parents got me to celebrate.  Apparently I'm still 8 to them!

6 Things You Should Know About Me

It may be slightly narcissistic but I like to answer questions about myself. It makes me think about who I am, how I became the way I am, and can alert me to things I want to change in myself.  I've seen this post floating through various blogs for about a week now and I figured that I would join in. I have spliced together 6 questions from 2 different bloggers (one, two) to answer in this post.

1. You're road tripping across America, what 3 cities, landmarks, or touristy sites do you have to see?

I thought this would be a difficult question but my three answers came quickly: Alcatraz, Trinity Bomb Site, and the National Mall in DC. Alcatraz has always been that place there is never enough time to explore when we are in San Francisco.  I can't wait to finally set foot on that island.  The Trinity Bomb Site is where the first atomic bomb was detonated and, even though it is now just a memorial obelisk, I would love to stand there.  Finally, I would love to revisit the National Mall in DC.  When I visited before I barely had time to stroll through the Air and Space Museum.  I'd love to go back and see everything the Smithsonian has to offer.

2. If money were no object what are 2 things you would buy yourself right now?

If money was not an issue, I would get myself a phone contract for an iPhone and a new car.  The iPhone is something I've wanted for a while and struggling through with knock-off blackberries is something I can't wait to put in my past.  My second choice would be a new car because there is a car in my family that is about to fall apart and it would be very nice to replace it and no longer worry about dying on the way to school.

3. How did your blog come about?

Back in 2011 I came across various book review blogs and, seeing all the books they received for review, I thought I would give blogging a shot myself. At that point, I was reading tons of young adult literature and constantly on the hunt for new books. Since then, I've left and come back on multiple occasions and right now I like the idea of using this blog to keep track of my life for myself, similar to an online diary.

4. One goal you would like to achieve before 2014?

I have many goals for these coming months but since most of them are necessary, for instance college applications, I would have to say that my one true goal is to get through these next 4 months and still be as happy and as excited about the future as I am today.  My goal is to get through the tough times ahead by making new memories with friends, when we have the time, and, above all, staying positive.

5. What hobby would you love to pick up?

Lately, this question has been on my mind quite a bit and I've slowly been changing what I want to do into what I do.  However, the list seems never-ending.  There is one hobby that, though I would love to get back into, there never seems to be time for; reading.  I rarely read outside of school anymore and I hate it.  I would love to start reading for pleasure again.

6. If you could tell the blog world one thing, what would it be?

I would like to tell the world that, in my experience, nothing is as as hard as it seems.  Yes, there may be a huge, overwhelming project lying in your to-do pile but if you make yourself chip away at it everyday, it quickly becomes as manageable as taking a shower everyday. 

If any of you reading this would like to answer some questions yourself, I officially tag you. Here are 10 questions from you to chose from! Leave a comment if you decide to write a blog post of your own!

1.  How did your blog come about?

2. What is your favorite movie and why do you love it so much? 

3. If you could know research in depth and gain deep knowledge about one subject which would you choose?

4. What were your favorite and least favorite novels you had to read for school?

5. When was the last time you truly felt a sense of belonging?

6. Favorite writing utensil?

7. Is this how you imagined your life would be?

8. What is your go-to outfit?

9. If you could have any magical item from any universe existent in a book or a movie, which would you choose?

10. What would be your dream job?

Halfway-ish There

7 months in and I suppose it's time for a check in.  Back in January I wrote a post called "My Birthday List: 17 Goals for 17 Years", since it has been a little more then half a year since that post, I thought I would update you with my progress.

1. Decorate my room so I love it [✓]
This goal is finally finished!!!! I just finished painting my room a couple weeks ago and besides one papasan chair, it is perfect!

2. Grow out my hair [✓]

It's on it's way, a little more than shoulder length at the moment.

3. Bake from scratch [ ]

I made some banana bread. Does that count?

4. Take ceramics all year [ ]

Okay, this one I have failed.  I've only taken one class so far this year.  I plan to sign up for another when school starts!

5. Declutter and buy less [✓]

SUCCESS! At last everything I own has it's own spot.  Nothing is too crowded and I've been on vacation this summer and haven't bought a single item.  I throw new things out all the time and I love it.

6. Spend spare time on test prep books [✓]

Yes, I'm that kind of girl.  There are about 9 test prep books laying around my room unfinished.  Some of them are from tests I'll never take again! However, with the SAT, ACT, and subject tests staring me in the face, they're getting quite a bit of use.

7. Read a fatty cold war book [ ]

Kinda.  I have been reading books on Stalin and that era for my Extended Essay this fall but I have yet to finish a complete book.

8. Take a picture everyday [ ]

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA yeah right

9. Go camping [✓]

Done it twice and planning a third!

10. Eat more salad [ ]

I think I made myself a salad less then 5 times this year. I'll try to eat more salad when school starts.

11. Spend less time on the internet [ ]

Counting the time spent on the tumblr app in bed, I can't say I've been spending less time here.

12. Make Christmas cards [ ]

13. Swim [ ]

This was going pretty well until summer came, since June I've gone less then 10 times...

14. Stay hydrated [✓]

I have been really good about this one.  I can't even remember the last time I stood up and my vision went blurry.

15. Write in a journal [ ]

I'm still using the same journal that I started in September 2012, so no.

16. Make sushi [ ]

17. Use reusable bags [✓]

I've started to carry one around with me and I always opt to carry my food from the grocery store.  My friends in Boston thought that was really strange.

7/14 not bad.  Maybe I will become the person of my dreams! What do you want to start doing?

National Student Leadership Conference

Last summer a went to a student conference for Intelligence and National Security in Washington DC through the National Student Leadership Conference.  This is a program for teens entering junior or senior year the following fall.  I went the summer before my junior year and while most of the students were a year older then me it was one of the best experiences I've had.  

The National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) has been around for over 20 years and offers students experience on a college campus, leadership skills, information on a chosen topic, and time to explore the area around you.  I experienced all that plus fun and friendship which made it all the better.

College Experience

Every NSLC event occurs on a college campus.  I stayed at American University in Washington DC.  Our food was provided by the college so we got real experience with dorm food, it wasn't too bad.  We were also given a schedule and allowed to wonder around the campus as we pleased, as long as we were at the right activities at the right time.  This allowed me to explore the campus and play a game of soccer with some of the boys during my visit.  This time at AU has helped me decide what I want in a college campus, like large dorm rooms!

Leadership Skills

Every night, after dinner we would all gather in a lecture hall to learn about leadership.  What it means to be a leader, different personality types, and how to work together.  These lectures really turned us from about 100 individual teenagers into one cohesive unit that could work together.  If there is one thing this conference taught me it was how to work together on a common goal.  That has to be a helpful quality!

Information

I went to the NSLC event for intelligence and national security where the main focus was on the US Government's National Security Council.  We even had a mock council. They separated all of the students into different teams and assigned them different roles (I was the Director of Intelligence) with one college student as the president.  We were then informed of a Security Crisis and chose how to fix it.  I have to gloat that my group kicked some serious butt! Our president never walked out on us in anger, no fictional citizens died, and we did not go to war with Iraq.  Couldn't have been better. I don't know what happens at other conferences but I had a great time learning about national security.

Site-Seeing

Another amazing attribute of this program is the to see the sights.  During my stay in DC, the program took us to all the monuments, the Smithsonian, Arlington, The National Mall, International Spy Museum, the CIA, the Pentagon, and to a ropes climbing course. So many amazing opportunities.  I loved each of these trips away from the university campus.  We saw all the national monuments in the dark which I thought made them more powerful.  We were allowed to wonder around most of these stops on our own which allowed for even more friendship building. The most amazing trip was to the CIA.  I still can't believe that I've been there.

Sorry for the long post guys but I really wanted to illustrate all the great things that happened to me through this program.  If you're high school aged and receive a letter in the mail from NSCL, I highly suggest taking this opportunity if you can!

Local Sand Sculpture Festival

This past weekend I went to the annual local Sand Sculpture Festival with my parents.  I went in the early afternoon and was amazed by both the sculptures and the amount of people who showed up.  In my town, you're lucky if 10 people show up to an event, there were at least twenty times that number on the beach for the festival.  It was very shocking.  Usually one has the beach to themselves. However, it was a nice change. Here are my favorite sculptures! Beware, picture heavy.

Bathing Beauties

Some sort of Hippo? I have no idea but I love it.

Turtle

Creepy face but cute toddler.  It's really easy to take pictures of children that aren't yours....now I sound creepy

Huge Octopus.  There were actually a few of these but this one was by far the largest.

Amazing Catfish

Non-native Caterpillar.  All the plants used for decoration are invasive species.  

This was my dad's favorite. A dwarf in the side of a mountain

Just a sun chillin'

This one was HUGE! To me it looks like a cross between a rat and a whale but apparently it's a sturgeon.

This was the only sandcastle so it stands to reason that it is the most intricate and impressive sandcastle I've ever seen.

I can't wait to visit again next year and see all the new creations.  It may have taken us a few years to attend this event, but I'm really glad we stopped by this year.  If you know of a sculpture festival in your area, definitely try to check it out for a good dose of culture, think of it like an art show!

Summer To-Do List

I can't do anything successfully without a plan.  Therefore I have made a list of what I want to accomplish this summer.  While I'm already almost 4 weeks into my summer, it's never too late to start.  So without further ado, here is my summer to-do list!

• scavenger hunt
• picnic
• camp
• go on a hike
• blanket fort
• baseball game
• all Harry Potter movies in 24 hours
• concert
• sunrise and sunset
• water fight
• hula hoop
• fern canyon
• beach bonfire
• learn to make sushi well
• bake a pie
• learn to make good mexican rice
• make a jar of lucky stars
• play pattle tennis with my grandmother
• finish painting my room
• continue to take pictures most days
• visit the zoo
• throw even more things away
• tie-dye some clothes
• drink a virgin margarita
• get a tan
• learn a new skill
• make new friends
• do something i'd never do
• hunt ghosts
• skinny dip
• play ulitmate frisbee
• take the dogs on walks
• no caffeine

Look like a solid summer to me. Wish me luck! 

University Of California, Santa Barbara

I am quickly approaching my senior year of high school.  I can already see the college applications on the horizon.  Being lazy, I had not thought about college until my mom took me to visit her alma mater University Of California in Santa Barbara (UCSB).

This was my first college tour, so I had no idea what to expect.  I was worried that I would be the only kid so all the energy would be focused.  Thank God that wasn't the case.  There were at least 50 kids with their families so it was easy to blend in.  Unfortunately I didn't take very many pictures so most of these are from the University's website but I can validate that it does look like this in real life!

"Is that really what my hair looks like from the back" (10pts if you know that quote) oh dear look at that tan line...

The tour started at 11am with an hour long presentation about what UCSB has to offer.  Somehow, I was not bored once.  The admissions worker giving the presentation was perfect for the job.  He recited all the important information but kept it fun with stories and an energetic personality.  He definitely loved UCSB and wanted students to apply if they felt a connection with the campus.  If not he wanted the student to find the best college for them, which I think is a great attitude to have toward prospective students.

During this presentation I learned what I would have from the website.  However, having never looked at the website it was extremely informative.  The main points that the presenter stressed was to put yourself into your application as much as possible and that UCSB is a fabulous university for students who want to participate in research as an undergraduate.  Apparently there are few graduate students at UCSB so the programs typically reserved for them at other universities are open to the undergraduates. Which is awesome in every way possible!

After the presentation we went on a tour of campus guided by a student currently attending the school.  I LOVED my tour guide.  I may just feel connected because we were both from North California, but he was also just fun.  He was easy to connect with and it never felt like he felt like he was just reciting pre-arranged words.  If you decide to visit UCSB and he is one of the tour guides, pick him, you won't regret it!

His name is Brennan by the way! You can thank my mm's ninja skills for this slightly creepy photo...

Something I really liked about UCSB was their lack of greek life and sports. Don't get me wrong, these are both fine institutions, they're just not for me and knowing my college doesn't spend too much time or money on them sounds like a bonus to me.    In fact UCSB doesn't even have a football team!  Their most popular sport is soccer where they have a tradition of throwing tortillas onto the field!!! Now this looks like fun to me.

Last, but definitely not least is the food.  Now, I didn't try any, but it sounds soosososososososo good. Our guide claimed that sushi and mexican food are a daily occurrence.  You can't get better than that!  It was also nice that everything at UCSB is in a centralized location.  It seems as if everyone on campus has a bike and uses it daily and with that instrument getting to all your classes doesn't seem too difficult. UCSB also has an amazing campus. A lot of the campus has direct access to the beach and there are beautiful hills in the other direction.  I feel that at UCSB I would never have an excuse for holing up in my room.  There is just so much to see and do. Ugh can I just go already!

Important Facts:
Average GPA: 4.07
Average SAT: 1922
Average ACT: 28
Population: 18,620
Undergrads to Faculty: 18:1
Application Available: Oct 1
Application Due: Nov 1-30
My Major of Choice: Anthropology BA (Cultural and Biological), Classics BA (Archaeology)
Application Fee: $70
Total Tuition: $32,233 (in-state)

Favorite Photo // 17

Favorite picture of myself, eh? How about this one?  I like it mostly because all of my features are showcased in a way that actually makes me look okay! My friend just said, I quote, "u have so many pictures where u just look like dead lol" so this is definitely an improvement.  Plus it reminds me of my first camping experience sans parents.  We made our own card game, awkwardly slept together and more.  It was a wonderful experience that I can't wait to repeat.