January
January was only the peak of a year full with adventures, mountains, and accomplishments. This month I was in my Senior year of high school. It was the beginning of the second semester: new classes, new year, and new teachers. I was very excited to finish this school year with a BANG!
It was also the month that the Major Motion Picture, "Les Miserables," came out in theaters. My sister and I love watching opera/ musical films/plays like "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Hairspray." Since we wanted to watch it so bad, we decided to go to Berkeley, a city in the Bay Area because there was a movie theater just a couple of blocks away from BART (public transportation in the Bay Area). We planned this on a Saturday because both of us had previous engagements on the U.C. Berkeley campus. My sister thought to invite one of her friends, to go to the movie with us and even though he goes to our school, I haven't had the chance to meet him. He was a year younger than my sister, but like every underclassmen, they were all taller than her. After watching the film, it was amazing! I was blown away by Anna Hathaway and the talent she has-- the whole cast was amazing!
February
This month I turned 18, the year that meant I'm an adult! An age that was considered legal in the eyes of the government!
These are all my lovely friends who came to my house
to help celebrate my birthday with me :)
to help celebrate my birthday with me :)
This month was also the start the softball season as a senior!!! I have played softball for all 4 years of high school (1 year on JV and three years on Varsity). It saddens me that it was my last year playing, but I feel that because of softball, I have been able to make lasting friendships and to keep in shape physically. My positions were pitcher (my favorite position), 1st base, and left and right field. My coach turned us from girls into athletes, which I am thankful for. I can say that I have endurance and is stronger than the average girl. I also think that my coach has prepared us for life after high school because he treated softball like a job. My softball coach has been a huge influence on me, I think he is one of the most important people in my life. My softball coach has believed in me and encouraged me to do my best academically and on the field. It was also later in the month that my weeks were filled with softball games, practices and family obstacles, but through it all the Lord has been my salvation.
Fun fact: For some reason, it wasn't until my freshman year of high school that I realized that there was an "r" between the "b" and the "u" in FebRuary. Given the fact that my birthday is in February, I always used to spell it: Febuary. *sigh* I know... *shaking my head*
March
This month, Softball has become my life; it was softball and school. When practice was cancelled, it only proved that I didn't know what to do with the free time. Practice is an hour and a half and looking back, I begin to realize how much I miss it. I miss the way my muscles feel after pitching, the sound of untouched dirt crunching under my cleats, the slap of the ball when it's thrown in a glove, and the ring of the bat when it hits a ball. As I write this, three different gloves reside on my shelf by my bed of my dorm room and a yellow unused softball that bear the farewell messages from my awesome, crazy, encouraging, and inspiring teammates. Although, I can still go out and play catch with other girls who played softball that attend Simpson, I guess a part of me wishes that I were catching with my teammates in high school. Nonetheless, I am completely blessed to have made new fiends who I can play softball with (I do not play softball at Simpson, I don't think I would be that good on the college level).
April
This month (besides softball and school) on the weekend I was able to go to my first live play at a rep. center in Berkeley, CA. Two plays were featured, both written and directed by high school students. One of the directors for one of the plays was my dear friend, Elia. She is a year younger than me and she is a fantastic writer, although she didn't write the play she directed, it was nonetheless amazing!! Later this month, this month, the theater department at my high school put on their first play in 20 years, a rendition of "Little Shop of Horrors." It was an amazing production. Students who I had in class were a part of it, they sang and one actress in particular who had the part of Audrey, was a freshman and had to sing and talk in an accent: my mind was blown. I think the month of April was graced with the theater aspect of my life. Watching plays and listening to live orchestra performances is one of the things I really enjoy doing. Ever since I was on middle school, music from a violin can bring me to tears. I also submitted the $100 tuition fee for Simpson, so it was official, I would become a freshman this coming fall at Simpson University!!! :D
May
During May the softball load began to get lighter as I only had games most of the week, which meant I could hang out with my friends more often. At El Cerrito, CA there is a shopping center that was only about 5-7 blocks away from my school, so me and my friends would eat at the Panda Express, chill at Barnes and Noble, or grab some Jamba Juice. I also took my written test at the DMV, but it took me three times to pass. This was also the month that my softball season came to an end :( Me and my senior teammates had a great little ceremony. After the season ended I still hung out with some of my teammates and we'd occasionally play catch or pitch on the softball field.
June
Not only did my softball season come to an end, high school did as well. During this month I meditated a lot on college and what my future would look like. Doors were closing, but hopefully more doors would open. I began to wonder what God had planned in my life and thinking about what it might be like for my family when I was no longer at home because I was going to be staying in the dorms. I prayed continuously and lifted my future to God and hoped for the best.
This month I was going to graduate form El Cerrito High School!!! Me and my friends were anxious to graduate! We had this whole idea that when we graduated from high school, our lives would start. I began to think about my freshmen year attending E.C. and I think kids have an idea that their life is just school, school, and school. When students come to their senior year it hits them like a slap in the face that unless you're going to college, there's no more school. This is it, this is the last year that you are required to attend school. During this month, for me, there was a lot of meditation, thinking into space, and enjoying the time when I could look around me and take mental pictures of the amazing, funny, blissful, adventurous moments that will never end, teachers that inspired, and memories that will forever be within the walls of this school. When graduation came my mom threw a partywhich many of my family and church members came to my house. The grace of God will forever blow my mind because this was just one of the many times that he always willingly brings blessings into my life that words cannot describe how thankful I am.
After a couple of weeks from graduation, my friends and I attended a radio station event called "Alice's Summer Thing" around late June. This is the event where I saw Finish Ticket. Ed Sheeran, Sara Bareilles, and Ginny Blackmore perform. I was a great day to start the summer off and getting to hang out with some of my closest friends was really fun.
July
For the 4th of July, my family and I went to Anaheim, CA to go to Disneyland!!! :D Growing up, Disney has become a way of life. Pimped out bedrooms with your favorite Disney character, glass figures, and Disney parties; all that have happened in some point in everyone's life. So it was a lot of fun to go back to your childhood memories and remember seeing all the Disney characters, rides, and parades. We spent a whole week in L.A. visiting old friends who have moved there, shopping (of course), and exploring the city.
During this month, after we came back home to Richmond, CA. I also spent a lot of time trying to find a job before I left for Simpson. I applied to Target, which was my first interview for a job and I was so nervous. I didn't know what to wear, my dad dropped me off, and I went through this long process of who was going to interview me. It was really cool because one of the workers took me to the back of the store where all the offices were. After about a week I received an e-mail that said that I didn't get the job. But I then understood that God didn't want me there.
August
This month was filled with preparations for my freshman year at Simpson University!! I shopped at various places to get all the necessary things that I needed. I also wanted to take my driving test before I left for Simpson and it took me two times test before I passed. I assure you I'd like to think I'm a good driver... Just Kidding! On a serious note: I was nervous on my first try and I felt that the guy who was testing me didn't like me :/ Second times the charm!
I also went to a Finish Ticket concert with my sister and her friend Jasmine. It was the first big revenue that Finish ticket headlined and it was sold out!!
It was later this month, on Friday, August 30th that I started my first semester of my freshman year at Simpson University!!! I left my home, packed my bags, and drove 203 miles/ 3 hours with my family to Redding, CA. Me and my family left home at 6:00 a.m. exactly and "the feels" were written all over that day. I was nervous, but excited and scared, but courageous, and most of all confident on the Lord that he will be with me.
All I wanted to do was skip to the end of the day because I knew and my whole family knew it too, that we would all cry when the time came to say our "good byes". Just thinking about it on the car ride there, my eyes would start to water and swallowing them back made it even worse. This was going to be the longest and farthest distance I have ever been away from my family. I was going to miss my mom's cooking, my dad's compassionate personality, my youngest sister's quirks, and my young sister's, who is a year younger than me, way of making me laugh. Not laugh at a funny joke laugh; the kind of laugh where your side hurts because the air has been knocked right out of you. On this day at Simpson I got to meet my roommates who are two independent, beautiful, funny, courageous, and passionate individuals, who I dearly care about. Later that day after we were separated in our F.Y.E. (Fist Year Experience) groups, which is where I met three awesome, sweet, crazy, and sincere young women of God, all who I have grown so close with. (Of course, I also have gotten to meet new people throughout the semester and they too have reminded me of the many blessings God has so voluntarily done on my life.) This weekend there was also the F.Y.E. Games which each person was given a color, kind of like a high school rally, but in order to win, we would have to get points and in order to get points we would have to cheer each other on. I was one of the most funniest, amazing, and inspiring things I experienced considering it was only the second day at Simpson. I knew that this semester was going to be amazing.
September
September 1st marked the third day at Simpson, everything was still new to me: being away from family and getting used to living in a new place. The friendships I created in F.Y.E. are still going strong and my roommates have been the best. I called my family about two times each day, but I learned to keep it to a minimum. I couldn't wait to start classes which was on Tuesday, September 3rd and it was during the weekend that I attended The Stirring, a church only 2 miles away from the Simpson campus. On the first day there, I really enjoyed it and continue to attend the Stirring to this day. I liked The Stirring's community and the message given, it was very refreshing. Me and my group of friends also got to go to the Stirring for a special event that was being held there After three weeks, I had to go back home because I missed my family and it was also the weekend that Finish Ticket was playing in San Francisco. Just like every Finish Ticket concert they don't disappoint, it was so much fun, getting to see them and this time getting to meet them. It was incredible and I actually got to start conversations with them, they are such sweet, funny, and crazy guys! After the amazing, blissful, and food-consuming galore weekend ended, I went back to Redding.
October
This was the month that we all got to celebrate one of my friend's birthday! We all celebrated by going to Apple Bee's and ate delicious food! It was a lot of fun! As I've probably mentioned, I am such a HUGE fan of Finish Ticket, I follow them on every social media platform and this moth, they went on their first East Coast tour! I was really happy for them. Because I wanted to know where they were going to play, I had ALL the places and shows they were going to have on my calendar. It was also Halloween and I dressed up at Bat Girl. I found this Batman onesie at Target and I knew I had to get it and it came with a Batman cape, so I instantly fell in love.
November
This month, I sadly was not able to celebrate my mom's birthday with my family because I was 3 hours away and without a car. I am so thankful to have her as a mother and she is a complete blessing to me. :D I called her and we all thought it would be really cool if they went to Olive Garden to celebrate, I would also go to the Olive Garden in Redding so that it would seem we were all having dinner together, but sadly I wasn't able to do it. Nonetheless, I celebrated with a tray of pasta and garlic bread in the school's cafe.
Before it was time for Thanksgiving Break, my roommate thought it would be a cool idea to have Secret Santa's! The Posy agreed to do it because we would all save money that way. We were all broke college students and getting each person a gift would be too much to handle, so we decided each person would get one present and receive one present. We drew names before Thanksgiving break so that we could get our Secret Santa their gift so that it wouldn't seem that obvious if we shopping in Redding. :)
December
This month I was in the last two weeks of my first semester of freshman year and within the last two weeks contained mostly of finals, Dutch Bros., and late nights studying. An upside to these two weeks was my roommate's birthday was coming up on Sunday, December 8th, which is also my dad's birthday. I was also my roommates birthday and when it hit 12:00 a.m. on December 8th, I took two measuring cups that came with the NyQuil and DayQuil medicine, filled it with water and (luckily, my roommate was still awake) gave her one of the cups and we toasted! We took water "shots." It was great! My dad's birthday is another birthday had to miss because I was still in Redding. I was sad to miss it, but I called him and I was glad to hear that he enjoyed his birthday. Later that day, we celebrated my roommates birthday at a Mexican restaurant, which is also where we exchanged our Secret Santa gifts.
It also snowed!!!! Now living in the Bay Area, we don't get snow at all. When I was witnessing falling snow for the first time, it felt like I was finally in Narnia.
As the year came to an end, I haven't really established any New Year resolutions, so I just told myself that I would do a lot better than I did last year in every aspect of my life: spiritually, mentally, physically, academically, etc. I also am very optimistic of the year 2014! I just pray that God's grace is filled and overflowing throughout this year and that I continue to grow on my path with God.
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