Senior Retreat

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to go on retreat with my academic program to the beautiful Applegate in the Sierra Foothills of California.  We stayed at the Jesuit Retreat Center and it was an absolutely magical place.  The buildings were of fairly modern construction, yet simple enough to really feel as though we were getting a "natural" experience (if that makes any sense).

They had a little chapel on site, along with a recreation/cafeteria building, a gathering hall, and a few different dormitories.

We were only there for one full day, so we really tried to cram a lot of activities in.  We began the day with some guided meditation and reflection and then headed out to enjoy the great outdoors.  We started off playing kickball...

A few members of our group had been on retreats there before, and planned on leading the rest of us on a short hike to visit the local river.  We were all packed and excited, when a random thunderstorm decided to descend on us!

We ended up sucking it up and going on a short walk anyways, but our completely soggy shoes forced us to turn back.  We ended the day with a pasta dinner (yes, the food is very good!) and an interesting Japanese film.

Hope you guys enjoy the pictures and video!  Have you taken any weekend trips lately?

Weekend Train Ride

Hello, friends.  I cannot believe that it has been so long since I last wrote.  It's actually kind of funny, because when I originally decided to do that 30 Day Drawing Challenge, I thought it would be a good way to revitalize this blog and get me back in the swing of posting regularly.

What I didn't expect was that I would completely use up all of my creative juices for nearly a month.

But now I am back with a fun story of my weekend.  On Saturday, Justine and I braved the rain and wind and took a trip south to Stanford.  I needed to visit the Cantor Arts Center to write a report about their Rodin collection.  I knew that I was going to see some amazing art...

But what I didn't expect was that the journey would be the best part!  This was my first trip on CalTrain, and I was amazed at how easy it was.  Justine and I decided to sit on the upper level, and I can only describe the entire trip as filled with lively music in my headphones and beautiful scenery outside.  Palo Alto itself is a beautiful city, and as Justine had lived there recently, she showed me around.  It was an amazing adventure of a day, filled with sculpture, palm trees, gelato, playgrounds, and wind!

Can't you feel the wind?  In other news, I have finally managed to break my countless-month-long writer's block, and am currently in the process of crafting a young adult novel, partly inspired by the amazing Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  That woman is a genius.  Look for a combined book and movie review soon.

Thanks for sticking with me everyone!

Home Sweet Home

I haven't posted in so long that it may qualify as a case of neglect. But never fear, I promise to make it up to you.

Last weekend was fall break, allowing me to go home for the four day weekend. I didn't realize how many little things I missed until I was able to use them again. Like not having to wear flip-flops in the shower, getting to use my own toilette, and good breakfast food. I didn't do too much; rather, my family treated it as though it were any weekend. I got to help with chores, go shopping with my mom, and eat dinner with my family. The normalcy and simple household tasks made me feel completely relaxed.

I also got to see the tree in my backyard drop some of its leaves as the season changes.

I flew back on Tuesday night, and it was weird being back on campus. My dorm room is, however, really beginning to feel more comfortable. According to my mom, that's simply because it's becoming my reality. I personally think it's because I'm really adding my personal touch and making it reflect me, which makes it just feel right. I've started a sort of collage/collection on my wall:

Maybe I will post more pictures as the collection grows.

Today marked a landmark in my college experience so far, as it was the first Friday that I actually went out at night to do something. A large group of my friends and I took a trip to Market Street to see the movie "Never Let Me Go." It's based on the amazing book by Kazuo Ishiguro, and although sad, was a very good movie. It felt good to go out at night, even if it was just for something as simply as a movie. Quite frankly, I'm proud of myself.

The ride back to campus was a little more eventful. When our bus stopped at one of its designated stops, a homeless man got on the bus and refused to pay the fare. Of course, he also refused to get off the bus, and the driver ended up calling the police. He declared the bus temporarily out of service until the cops showed up.

Needless to say, we got off the bus to avoid the trouble that was brewing. Our group ended splitting up; three of my friends ended up taking a cab back to campus, while the rest of us decided to "rough it" by sticking to public transportation. Of course, the bus we ended up taking was so crowded that we got stepped on, sat on, and temporarily separated. But we got off okay, and had a good story to tell our friends.

Everyone needs at least one crazy, late night experience on the bus.

The Journey

Today we all climbed into the car and made the journey from Orange County to San Francisco. Most of my dad's family lives in SF, so we make this trip fairly often. It was a fairly easy trip, despite the fact that we managed to cram four people and two dogs into an already packed car.

We made our first stop after two or so hours, at a Petro truck stop called The Iron Skillet. I know how that sounds, but this is actually a very cool place, especially for the road-weary. Not that two hours in a car is really that long... but back to what I was saying. Inside this truck stop there is a cafe, a Baskin Robbins, a gift shop, a game arcade, small movie theatre, and a laundry mat. They even offer a place to take a shower. As my mom says every time we stop there, it's a truck driver's heaven. 'Course, we all like it, too.

Our next stop was at the hotel and restaurant the Harris Ranch, that sits just off of the Interstate 5. It's a fairly large hotel for where it is situated, and a great hotel at that. The Harris Ranch is known best for its amazing beef, and I personally believe that they make some of the best steak I've ever had. Of course, if you're more into sweets, they also make killer chocolate chip cookies. The hotel's decor is country-western, with an extra emphasis on cow print and fur. It's always a good place to get out, stretch your legs, walk the dogs, and maybe grab a bite to eat or a bit of gas before heading off again. In the past, my family has actually stayed there a few times. They have a nice pool, although it's so hot there that the only time you ever really want to come out of your room is at night.

Our last stop was in a suburban city called Dublin. How to describe it? Well, it reminds me a lot of Irvine back home. The houses are very uniform looking, all of similar designs and complimenting colors. There is a nice shopping center there with an absolutely huge Safeway (which is the Northern California equivalent of Vons) where we use their decently clean restroom. So far, I have yet to see anything truly exciting happen there, but maybe next time.

From there we went on into the city, to the Richmond District where my grandparents live. Normally we stay with them, but this time we are staying with my aunt on account of other family members staying with my grandparents. We were welcomed with a delicious spaghetti dinner and allowed to practically take over the house with our excess amount of stuff. Good thing some of it will be staying in San Francisco with me when the rest of my family drives back home.

I am supposed to move into my dorm on Thursday, and this is also when orientation starts. I'll admit it, I'm nervous. Will I get over it? Yes. But for now I'm just taking things one day at a time.