Finally finals are over and it is time to relax and enjoy the weather. My first year at Fontbonne was amazing. I had a great time; I made a lot of new friends and did really well in school. Now I am looking forward to hanging out with my high school friends and going to Colorado to see my boyfriend and his family. Which is in 11 days, but who is counting? I will be there for two weeks! That is definitely the highlight of my summer. My best friend had her baby boy on May 7th, so I was able to see him yesterday. His name is Ben and is so cute. So far this summer I have been hanging out with some good friends and watching hockey; sorry Saint Louis — I love my Blackhawks. To me, it feels really weird to be back home in the Chicagoland area. I am actually anxious to come back to school because I am so close to graduation. I only have a year and a half left. I am going to go out with a bang!

Last Friday, April 12, was Fontbonne Day, which is our community service day in mission together. On this day, faculty and students joined different service projects in the St. Louis area.  First, we gathered together for reflection and discussion in the morning of Fontbonne Day. There was an introduction and an interfaith panel on Catholic social teaching. Then, we left campus to do our different group service sites in the St. Louis area.

One of my graduate classmates, three Fontbonne faculty, and I joined the service project for SarahCare Adult Day Service, a day care
organization for disabled adults. They have over 20 clients in their organization, and different adults have different needs to be taken care of. Our group did many activities with the adults. We played puzzles and games (candy land, Bingo) together. I’m not familiar with American games, and this was my first time to play Candy Land and I played with adults. It was so much fun.  I also assisted them with walking, lunch, and anything they needed. During the day, I’ve learned I need to pay more attention to listen and chat to those with special needs.

I remember one of the clients kept telling me “I love you, you are pretty and sweet. Everyone here loves you so much.” She told me over 10 times in just 1 minute. Since she has dementia, she forgets easily what she said. Every adult in this organization had different needs, but they’re so cute and very open minded to express their love. They gave me many hugs and kisses, even though I just stayed with them for a few hours.   Aw…, they’re so sweet to me. Even though they have some disability, their heart is so lovely and sweet.

For me, Fontbonne Day is a really meaningful day to contribute to the St. Louis Area. I will get involved in more volunteer and service opportunities in the future.

Welcome back from our “Spring” Break! I know it started off more like a winter break, but it did get warmer.

I hope everyone is doing well, now that we have to get back to our school mode. I can actually say that my break was pretty good. Of course, I worked the whole week but got to hang out with my siblings on the first Monday, then hung out with my sister and two friends yesterday.

My two friends were Kim Dang and Nga Tran, and they’re both international (Vietnamese) students at Fontbonne. Mary (my sister) and I are St. Louis residents so we hung out with Kim and Nga to show them around. We were planning for a tour of downtown St. Louis, but time didn’t work out. Anyways, our first trip was to Bubble Tea, a little Asian cafe in the Delmar Loop. It’s one of our favorite places. We ordered their popular boba drinks and ate some food, too. Yummy!

Afterwards, we just took a tour down the loop. We wanted to check out Craft Alliance but they’re closed on Mondays. Ha ha. So we stopped by Star Clipper, a comic book store. The main area we looked at was the Japanese manga section. We’re so Asian for that! And because we’re big fans of manga and anime. I found the new editions of Sailor Moon and decided to buy the first two volumes. Mary and I actually used to own the old versions of Sailor Moon, but we threw them away because they were torn (what a waste!). However, I’m going to start collecting them again, slowly. I also found the Bone series! Not the scary drama series, but the ones with the cartoon guys who are going on adventures and such. I’m planning to collect those as well! So excited!

Mary chose a Soul Eater manga book’s first volume. When we were about to check out, we saw little phone links at the front desk. They have Hello Kitty, the Chinese Lucky Kittens, a cow head, etc. They were so cute! We all looked at them and wanted to buy them, too. Mary and I asked Kim and Nga which ones they like, so we bought those for them. A meaningful friendship has begun!

After that, we continued to tour. Soon, we reached the end of the loop so we turned back to head to the mall! At the first light, we crossed to the other side (the motivation was because of the sun). As we walked, Kim and I noticed a store that also sells art work. As you may already guessed, we went in! Wow, what a beautiful store of work. So many pretty things made by local artists. I thought we were only going to look around, but Mary and I bought something: she bought a necklace for herself, and I bought presents for my friends’ birthdays that are coming up. If you’re wondering, the store is called Componere (with a ^ above the o). We’re definitely coming back.

Finally, we’re back to the car! Then headed off to the Galleria Mall. We visited a few stores, like Hot Topic, Love Couture, Wet Seal, and Victoria’s Secret. Mary and Nga actually bought some things at Wet Seal. Their prices are very affordable. I’m still waiting patiently before buying anything else (need to save up!).

We continued to stroll then stopped by the American Cookies spot and Mary bought red velvet brownies for us. We ate and chatted then headed back out. Mary and I dropped Nga and Kim off at Fontbonne, then headed home.

It was such a fun day before going back to school. Again, I hope you all had a great break! Don’t forget to register for classes this week! ^_^

Tonight, like every Tuesday night, between 9 and 10 I am always in the same spot. That spot is glued in front of my television watching one of my favorite shows “Smash” on NBC. I put aside all homework and cozy up with a cup of coffee. My roommate and I are captivated for an hour with the show each week. “Smash” follows the life of theatre in New York City. There’s three musicals to follow this season, but the main is a musical about Marlyn Monroe called Bombshell.

I love watching the show because I love Broadway and drama. The show features stars such as Anjelica Huston, Debra Messing, and Katharine McPhee. There’s something big that happens every week, so I’m never bored with the show. They act, they sing, they dance. Can it get much better than that?

The show is set in New York City, which reminds me that I will be there in just 7 days! While in New York, I’ll be seeing a Broadway show. I just bought my tickets today. I’m so ready for this trip. There’s a lot to do but a lot to be excited for!

I haven’t posted for a few weeks because I wanted my blog to be a happy place. Last semester it was full of sad stories: I hated living alone, I got a bad grade, I missed my family. But the thing is, my blog isn’t a ‘place’– it’s a reflection of where I am. And to be honest, I’m NOT in a happy place. Sure, my grades are great, my job is amazing, and I have a killer group of friends. It looks like everything is wonderful, but that is far from the truth.

You see, 2013 was supposed to be a fresh start. Everything that I was holding onto that rattled my brain during my sleeping hours was supposed to be flushed. I wanted to be DONE dealing with ugly memories from my childhood (and the past few months). I was over it impacting every second, every breath, every ounce of my being. But just like I wasn’t in control of my childhood, I’m not I’m control of how the past is impacting me (which royally sucks).

I’m sure you’re wondering, ‘What happened?’ I wish I could scream the truth from a rooftop for all to hear, but I can’t. My heart doesn’t allow me to hurt people in the ways that they hurt me. What matters is that some people and events have lead me to such a dark, heartbreaking place. And I have to deal with it.

I think it’s less hurtful if I explain where I am with someone else’s words (maybe I’m cowardly?). So, I stole some from my favorite blogger’s, Sarafina Bianco, post “5 Things an Abused Woman (this woman) Wants You to Know”:

“I won’t get over it…soon.

I can’t get over it because my life has been forever changed. Downplaying the severity isn’t helpful; it’s denial. Acknowledgment and acceptance are necessary.

Some days are easier than others; I know it’s getting better. Yet there are days that I’m crying before I get out of bed. I don’t want to leave my apartment. I’m angry and sad and scared. The world isn’t one that seems to hold opportunity on those days. It’s a place that swallows me whole. On those days I have to remind myself that I was in such a devastatingly bad place a year prior. I have to allow myself to cry in the shower, so that I can keep it together during the work day. I have to be angry on the way to work, and I have to remind myself that I wasn’t allowed to feel anything for two years of my life. I wasn’t allowed to be human, so how can I expect myself to act like I am human?

Every week I feel stronger, even though I’m digging into the issues further and further in therapy. I do feel better…but just because my recovery doesn’t fit your needs doesn’t make my small steps any less significant for me. I am moving forward. If you can’t handle the pace, then just don’t say anything at all. I will get there. Your doubt and criticism prolong the recovery process.”

That’s exactly where I am.

Hello everyone!

Wow, isn’t it a beautiful day today? Aside from the scary ice and snow hanging around, I hope everyone is warm and safe out there.

It was pretty unexpected to have a day off, but at the same time, it was also expected. Anyways, I was able to sleep in a little more than usual because I’m always up early for school or for work. Earlier this week, I was so busy and was so caught up in things that I felt like I was going to go crazy. I slept pretty late and had to get up early which made me even more tense and tired than usual. Of course, I don’t usually let myself get agitated to the point of treating people in a negative way. As for my day off, I guess it was okay. I caught up with homework for the most part. Oh, it was also nice to just be home with the whole family.

Today, both of my morning classes were unexpectedly cancelled! I came to class and a few of my classmates were already there, but our instructor didn’t show up. After ten minutes from the start time, we all got up and left. During that time until my next class, I just posted flyers around campus for one of my student organizations. If you’re wondering, they were flyers for Fontbonne In Service and Humility (FISH)’s Open Meeting next Wednesday. If you like to get involved with volunteer opportunities, service trips to other cities/countries, and planning fun events, then please join us!

Now back to my other class. Again, my classmates and I were waiting before the class time but outside of the room. One of the security guards came by and told us that our instructor was stuck in his driveway (poor guy). He said that he probably won’t make it but didn’t clarify whether class would be cancelled or not. We were thinking Seriously? and asked if we should just wait. The security guard calls him then he went to talk with the biology department. After about five minutes, a woman came and asked us if we were BIO 108–we said “Yes”–she asked “What time does class start?”–we said “11:20″–she asked “What time is it now?”–we said “11:25″–then she said “Okay, go home.” So basically, I have no classes today (bummer). I still have work-study, so I had to come to school anyway.

Overall, enjoy your day and be safe. Don’t be too grumpy about classes being cancelled or not. I actually hope that my instructors are okay, too. Have a great weekend!

To be more specific, who likes international potluck? I do!

Yesterday, Fontbonne International Students Alliance (FISA) just hosted another one of our potluck! Basically, our members brought food that were homemade and are from their specific countries to share with our campus.

Our meals ranged from Vietnamese, Chinese, Taiwanese, Kazakstan, Mexican, and a few American, too! It was a great event, and we enjoyed dining together and also meeting new people. This event is hosted once every semester. If you missed it this time, please come to the next potluck in the fall! Good food and good people.

This past week I have felt so encouraged by my friends, my boyfriend, and God. I feel so loved every single day. With it being Valentines day this week, so many surprises came my way. For one, my boyfriend surprised me by sending me flowers. It totally made my day, even though I couldn’t be with him on Valentines day. I have felt that lately God has been helping me strengthen my relationship with him because I am sure he knows I have been unsure about my faith. Without these people plus my family I would be lost and I am glad they are all close to me, except my boyfriend since he is in Colorado. This week has just been perfect, I hope more weeks like this come more often. I know God is on my side! I am excited about this weekend because I am volunteering at the Magic House. One of my favorite places in St. Louis. Also I am going to be busy writing for the Fontbanner but I am very excited that I can be a part of a great group of people.

It wasn’t all that long ago when nerds were deemed ‘uncool,’ ‘unpopular,’ and just plain ‘geeky.’ I definitely consider myself to be a nerd; I am thoroughly interested in biology, and, though I prefer microorganisms to thermodynamics, I’m not scared half to death when someone asks me to balance a chemical equation (which happens more often than you’d think). And as a self-proclaimed nerd, I’m happy to say that those of us who are somewhat nerdy are becoming more valued and understood by society, in part due to shows like ‘The Big Bang Theory.’

This week, Fontbonne will be celebrating all things nerd with the first-ever Geek Week. During this nerdy spirit week, various aspects of ‘nerd life,’ such as science, math, and video games, will be explored with fun games and activities. On Bazinga Day, there will be ‘Big Bang Theory’ marathons all day long in addition to a ‘Silly Science Fair’ with fun science demos presented by yours truly, and on Friday, which will be sponsored jointly by CAB and Gaming-2-Gether, students will have the opportunities to tour a video game programming facility, participate in a video game tournament, and watch the new movie ‘Wreck-It Ralph.’ Add in days devoted to hipsters, Muggles who yearn to be witches and wizards, and the superhero in us all, and this will surely be an unforgettable week.

In one especially memorable episode of ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ Leonard said, ‘Twelve years after high school and I’m still at the nerd table.’ This line will definitely apply to me one day, and I have to admit that I’m happy it will. Happy Geek Week, everyone!!

The first semester of the school year is almost over! I can hardly believe it, partly because I have too many tests and projects to complete in the next week and a half. I’m not sure if it’s even possible to do as much as I have to, but I’m sure every other college student feels this same way this time of year. I’m not going to complain. I’m just going to buckle down and get it done because after all the tests and projects are finished it’s Christmas break!

I am so looking forward to this break. Getting so much time off can be somewhat of a bad thing because after a month of being out of school I find myself not wanting to go back, but other than that Christmas break is wonderful! I will be spending some time on campus and some time back at home this break. The Griffin Girls do not rest, and are continuing to practice throughout break so I will be experiencing some of the holiday season at Fontbonne. I am excited to be home and spend quality time with my family, friends, and others I have not really seen since the school year began. I will be spoiling my cats with cat treats daily, making sure they receive lots of love because I absolutely adore them!

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I cannot wait to get a tree to decorate and do all that Christmas shopping I have yet to start! I love the cold, and hope that we do see some snow this season. Snow on Christmas is delightful. I have a positive outlook on this holiday season, and I hope it does not disappoint!

Wishing you a Happy Holidays (and luck finishing this semester)!

Until next time…