Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've written here, so here's an update. My first two days I had vball tryouts, and if you haven't heard, I got cut. It sucks, but I'm actually doing a lot better than I thought. I knew it was coming, because there were already three girls on the team that played my position. Though there were at least two girls that I don't think should have made the team. So, since then, I've been hanging out with two other girls who also got cut. The day after we got cut, we had nothing to do, so we crashed the international student orientation. Mucho fun. We met a bunch of guys (they were mostly guys for some reason), and a few were even cute, especailly this one guy from Germany and another from France. They were all really nice and everything too. I tried some French with a guy from Cameroon, which is half French and half English. Anyway, we went with them to the Museum of Art, which was ok. I'm not a big art person, but it wasn't too bad. We split up with them when we got back to campus, but we saw them while we were getting dinner at the Student Center. The next day, we headed to the Museum of Science, which is pretty much like the Tech, but a lot bigger. Actually, like the Museum of Science in Chicago (the Tech sucks really). Then we went to the mall and did some shopping. I got a visor and sunglasses from Old Navy for $2.50. And today, we were tired of wandering Boston (too much walking and too much money) and a lot of people were arriving for Orientation (finally! there was hardly anyone here for the last few days), so me and one of the other girls hung outside our dorm to meet the new freshmen moving in, and we ended up talking to some sophomores and getting some very useful and honest advice. We also found out where to get drunk at a party. Then there was a dance for the freshmen, but it was really dumb (imagine middle school again), so we saw the international guys and dragged them to a hypnotist that was performing, but that was equally as dumb. Thought the hypnotist we had at ND for class day junior year was bad, this was even worse. Back at the dorms, I finally met my roommate. Her name's Ruth from Gerogia. She seems nice. She's into political activism, which is really cool, because I can't find anyone here who's into politics. There was this documentary that was playing, Roger and Me, by the same guy who made Bowling for Columbine, but I couldn't find anyone to watch it with me. I think they thought I was a little weird to want to watch it. At the dorm, we went around looking for new freshmen to meet and bribe with cookies to be our friends, but there were hardly any. Boring. We did hang out with a few that are here, and now I'm back in my room, doing this. So that's my first week at "college" (quotes because I'm not in school yet).

I finally got to go and check out my school today. My temporary dorm room I'm staying in is huge! Too bad it's just temporary. I move again in  a week and a half or so. So, in the dorm I'm in, the rooms are arranged in suites, usually three or so rooms in each suite, sharing a kitchen, bathroom, and common room. But in the suite I'm in, there's only my room in it, so basically me and whoever my roommate is (she's probably not arriving for another week or so) have two rooms (our bedroom--which on its own it pretty big--and the common room), a kitchen, an bathroom all to ourselves. Sweet!

So after "moving in" (which just consisted of dumping my suitcases in a closet since I'm stil spending one more night at the hotel with my family) we drove around campus since my family was being lazy and didn't want to walk, and then went out to take some pictures and see the student center. Went to Church and made friends with the priest since it was a small church where everyone was white and old, he knew we were visitors. Then did some shopping and more shopping. My dad insisted on buying me locks for everything (including ones for the closet in my dorm room, which already is locked up). Then he writes my name on everything. Ahhh I feel like I'm in second grade. my dad is seriously paranoid.

OK, so right now like I said, I'm at the hotel for one last night with mi familia. Tomorrow night I'm moving in for real.

I'm really really ashamed to admit, but I am very happy that Xanga is finally back up. Yeah I know its bad enought I even have a Xanga, but I've been wanting to update it for a few days, and its been driving me nuts that I can't, because, well, I'm egocentric like that and I actually think people care about every little detail of my life. Hey, that's why you're reading this, isn't it? Anyways, on to the latest:

Saturday: In going with this egocentric theme, I threw myself a going away party. I just wanted one more chance to see everyone, and worked. Sorry, there wasn't a trampoline, but we had a good time hanging around. Anyway, it was fun, and thanks to everyone for coming.

Sunday: Last soccer game. I'm really gonna miss those games, it was definitely one of the highlights of the summer because 1. I got to hang out with my friends, 2. I got to work out, 3. I got to score goals, and 4. I got to meet a bunch of new guys. Well this game kinda sucked because so many people game and it was a little crowded, and I kept trying to kick the ball and completely missing like an idiot, and we got our butts kicked, but of course it was still fun.

Monday: Went to Monterey with my mom and brother. Didn't really do much.

Tuesday: After sleeping at 3am, I woke up a scant three hours later for a full day of Santa Cruz fun. Justin picked me up because my car's tire is flat, and we had to jet back to his house because he left his boogie board, but finally made it to Bellarmine, and we weren't even the last ones there! Oh! But first, I was presented by Megan Wong, who Justin picked up earlier, with "The Greatest Book Ever Written" bound, covered, and everything! It even had pictures and a dedication page. Awww thanks Megan. I LOVE it. So back to Bellarmine. Janice, the other driver, is (of course) the last one to get there. We load up the cars, and head out. Our car was Justin, Meghan, Anne, Megan, and me. Man, we had some interesting times trying to get people to come and cursing other people that we thought were coming. We get ridiculously lost in Santa Cruz, but eventually get to the beach, rent some surfboards and wetsuits, and head off to the waves! Except one problem: there were like no waves. Well, there were a little, but for the longest time there was nada. It was me, Justin, Steven, Anne, and Meghan trying to surf, but only Justin knew how, and he tried very hard to teach us. Then out of nowhere, there was a series of huge waves that came, but I got pushed to near the rocks and couldn't get back. Hmmm...not very safe, let me tell you. Steven and Anne almost died with me, but we all made it out OK. Then, no more waves again. Finally after almost four hours, we paddle back to the shore, and try out luck near the beach. It was a little better there, and at least there was sand and not deadly rocks. I finally caught a wave. It was really tiny, but I was able to finally stand up and stay standing. I eventually gave up, and went to go hang out at the beach. When I took off my wetsuit, my feet and hands are really dark and the rest of my body isn't. Yeah, I have the opposite of a sock tan. We heard for the boardwalk later for 60 cent sodas and hot dogs, and 60 cent rides (which actually turned out to be 50 cents thanks to Kati Wu, who organized us to get the 60 ticket package). We scarf down our food and head to the Giant Dipper, my favorite roller coaster ever. after that, we decided to start our bonfire, so we head to the other beach, stealing some wood along the way, and find a fire already made and abandoned. What luck! Unfortuntely, we realize that we don't have any marshmellows, the most important part, so we're a little bummed. Then Jackie calls and tells us she's coming, so we tell her to bring some with her. In the meantime, some homeless guys start talking to us, and freak us out a little, but nothing happened. Then we get kicked out of the beach--before the marshmellows arrive. While we're packing up the car, we find Jackie, or actually Jackie finds us. We go back to the Boardwalk and ride the Giant Dipper two more times, and on the third time, me and Justin are sitting together and we decide with Steven and Tina that for the picture, me and Tina are gonna "flash" (we had out bathing suit tops on) and the boys are gonna look shocked and point. Oh it was a good picture, but I wasn't gonna shell out $9 for it, so you're just gonna have to make a mental image. On the way home, Meghan's, Megan's, and Anne's parents all call them wondering where the heck they are. It was amusing to see how everyone tried to explain why they weren't home yet. Then, at Bellarmine, I had to say a bunch of goodbyes and ended up crying. I'm am not good with goodbyes at all. Especially when we went to drop off Megan at her house. Ha! I even got her to cry! Good thing I didn't have to say bye to Justin, since I'll be seeing him soon here in Boston.

Wednesday: Packing day. Of course, leave it to me to wait until the day before I leave to pack to the next year of my life. It didn't go to well either because I was so tired from the beach and I just wanted to go to sleep. Carlos and my cousin dropped by to say bye. Then later on Leah and Danielle came by, which was cool because I haven't seen much of them all summer. Especially Danielle, who, despite the fact that I bailed on her three times this summer, made me this awesome gift. Then I talked to the guys for a while on the phone, and before I know it, it's past 1am and I'm still not really done. haha, that's so typical. I had to transfer a bunch of stuff from my computer too, and by the time Ifinished that and packing all my stuff, it was 5am. I had my TV on the whole time and realized I was gonna be screwed when the early morning news show started coming on.

Thursday: I got two hours of sleep, then Eillen came over before she had to leave for work. Oh my sister! I'm gonna miss her. Then Janice came, but I was starting to fall asleep. Another tough goodbye because we've spent the last 12 years together. Then Meghan, Anne, Danielle, and Kati came. Luckily we were joking around and I think I was cried out by then, because surprisingly I didn't cry when I finally had to leave. Our flight left at noon, and I stayd awake just long enough to watch the take off and see my house from the plane, which was really cool. Then I slept almost straight through until we arrived in Chicago for our stopover. While we're eating in the airport, there was CNN on one of the TVs and there was a huge blackout in the northeast, so I started freaking out. Luckily Boston wasn't affected. I was freaking out that there was gonna be another terrorist attack or something. I slept again in the plane, but wake up just before I land, so I got to look at all the lights in Massachusetts, and I start getting really excited about going to college and everything. At the airport, there were tons of people on cots, stranded because of the blackouts. While I'm waiting for our rental car, I called Megan and then Meghan, who was throwing a pool party. You know I couldn't bear to miss out while there was a party going on. We finally get to the hotel, then we get some dinner at McDonalds at 2am, and finally get to sleep.

Friday: Did some shopping for dorm stuff at Costco and Walmart, and finally dropped off my film, which I can't wait to get back. At night, we met up with my uncle and his roommate, who also happen to be in Boston vacationing, for dinner. We met at harvard square and had to walk through Hah-vahd to get there, so took some pictures, just like tourists. Now I'm back at the hotel, which thankfully has free internet access. I also got sunburnt for the first time in my life at the beach, so now I'm starting to peel. yuck. Tomorrow I'm moving in, but I'm not spending my first night there until Sunday. Then volleyball tryouts start 8am Monday morning. Wish me luck!