Always Sunny in San Diego

Seeing Green

2011-07-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, sorry if it seems as though I have deserted you! The end of the year brought a flurry of busy-ness as I prepared for finals and said goodbye to San Diego- until Spring semester 2012!!! I can hardly fathom the thought of not returning to USD until late January... However, the excitement of STUDYING ABROAD IN IRELAND (!!!!!!!!!!!) has made the sad goodbyes a bit easier... If you would like to follow my summer adventures as well as my Irish and European travels, please click here to go to Some Blissful Thinking , my Tumblr blog where I will be uploading pictures and other details from my journey!

Hope you are having an amazing summer! See you on the other side of the pond!

Much love,

Avery

Catching Up

2011-04-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

The past month has seemed to speed by faster than a speeding bullet! Tests followed by essays followed by more tests consumed my life recently. As the year draws to a close, it seems like a never ending wave of exhaustion and busyness has been breaking over my head! Through the overwhelmingness of it all, I have learned that there are a few people that are there for you no matter what. I have learned to rely on the kindness of my roommates, helpfulness and understanding from my professors, and love from my parents, 1000 miles away.

Kappa Province Meeting

During one April weekend, I attended the Kappa Kappa Gamma province meeting! This was a time where representatives from southern California and Arizona Kappa chapters and Alumnai met to learn a bit about Kappa history, leadership, and get great ideas to take back to our chapters. It was so fun to meet Kappas from all over as well as speak to alumnai about how much Kappa still means to them 30, 50, and even 70 years later!

Breastival

Each year Kappa puts on our biggest philanthropy event to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. We put on a carnival during the day with fun games and then held a dance competition, or "America's Breast Dance Crew". We held a raffle with amazing prizes to raise money for breast cancer research.

Kappa Initiation!

Finally, our new pledge class went through initiation to become official KKG members! We are so proud of them! <--Here is one of my little sises Jessica and I with a blanket I made for her.

Class at the Beach

One of the amazing benefits of school in San Diego: my lab for Physical Aspects of the Oceans class was held at the tidepools at Pacific Beach. We spent a warm, sunny afternoon examining all the little creatures that call tide pools their home. One of my favorite class memories ever!

Study Zone

I will admit that this Friday I decided to forego any social activities in exchange for spending the night with my computer and notebooks... I needed a head start on all of my homework (including a short story for one of my classes) for next week! To get off campus, I drove to Old Town (five mins away) and stopped in to The Living Room, an adorable coffee shop with warm yellow walls and comy mismatched chair. I claimed a table in a quiet corner, ordered up an ice tea and lemon bar, and wrote to my heart's content!

Stop and Smell the Flowers

The landscaping at USD is somewhat infamous. Many joke that 50% of our tutition must go to the gardeners who individually hand-cut each blade of grass. While that is quite a stretch, the flowers are sure no joke! On my way to class I stopped and snapped a picture of all the gorgeous yellow flowers growing along the path. I slowed my pace and began to look around with a bit of a fresher perspective. I thought back to my first tour of the campus and when I began to fall in love with USD and all it has to offer me. When I think about it, I am truly blessed to attend one of the most gorgeous campuses in the world.

Thoughts

2011-03-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

Take a Moment

In light of all that has happened in Japan, it seems appropriate to pause and take a moment to think about just how precious life is. In only a few seconds, everything can change. Some say that college is the "best four years of your life". Well, I wouldn't go that far, because I sure hope to have many wonderful years afterwards, but it does make sense to really live out each moment because they go by so quickly. Count your blessings and take time to look back and enjoy everything that you have experienced, good and bad, because they make you into who you are today.

On another note... Here's what I have been up to these past two weeks! (Besides studying for midterms that is...)

Big/Little Revealing

When I got in Kappa last year, I got my Big Sis Tracy! This year, its my turn to be the Big, and I got two Littles! (also called twins!) I left them clues attached to goodies such as candy, cupcakes, and decorated jewelry boxes the three days leading up to revealing. On the actual day, we all went out to celebrate at Cheesecake Factory with the rest of my Kappa family! The purpose of Bigs and Littles is to create closer bonds to the girls in your sorority. In and out of Kappa, Tracy is one of my closest friends. She is a mentor, someone I can talk to and go to, and someone fun to hang out with! I am so excited to now be a Big to my Twins, Cora and Jessica. Both of these girls sure know how to make me smile and laugh! We already have a great connection that I just know will grow more and more throughout our Kappa years and beyond.

Dessert First

Dream in chocolate? Sprinkle sugar all over everything? Shudder at the mere thought of vegetables? Sweet lovers fear no more! San Diego has a million different restaurants to satisfy even the most sophisticated of palettes. My boyfriend Erik and I satisfied our sweet tooth at Extraordinary Desserts for our six month anniversary. This little gem of a place serves mainly desserts along with coffees, teas, and some appetizers. Prepare yourself before you walk in though; loads of colorful, decadent cakes, pastries, and chocolates are displayed as far as the eye can see! Half the fun is picking just one! We settled on the four berry cobbler, a lemon bar, and a single scoop of salted caramel ice cream. MMMMMMMMMM!

There's a Rumble in the Jungle!

The Thursday before Spring Break, we finally got a break from midterms to have a little bit of fun before all going our separate ways for break! Kappa paired with the fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha for a fun night of dancing! Everyone was dressed in their animal prints finest.

Now here I am at home, enjoying a week of relaxing with my friends and family back in beautiful Colorado! I'm looking forward to doing some snowboarding, sleeping, yoga, and hanging out. It's a well deserved break before finishing up the last part of my sophomore year!

Until next time,

Avery

Counting My Blessings...

2011-02-24T23:07:00.000-08:00

***Wanna know more? Follow me on Twitter! @Avery_Johnson***

There are a few words out there that I would use to describe the blessings that I experienced in these past two weeks....

LOVE

Exactly one year ago, my close friend and KKG sister Maya and I put on our white dresses for Kappa's Presents Dance after we were both accepted into the sorority! Here we are, trying out the same photo one year later, in our black dresses reserved for active members. It is funny to look back and see all that has happened in one year...

Presents Dance is Kappa's first dance of the spring semester. All of our lovely new members dress up in white, while all of the active (initiated) members wear black! Everyone sparkled in their black and white best as we danced the night away!

PASSION

My roommate Lauren has an incredible passion for competitive ballroom dancing. Last Friday, my other roommates and a few friends of ours had the honor of driving up to Irvine to watch her compete in the California Open Dancesport Championships! It was such an experience! Glittering costumes, hair spray, and fake tans were everywhere when we walked in the door. After sitting down at our table, we turned our heads to watch the couples out on the floor. It is amazing how one can evoke such emotion just by moving one's body around on a wooden floor under bright lights. It was amazing! Lauren did such an incredible job and we were so happy we could go out and support her. I was inspired by her passion and the hard work that she put forth to get her to where she was.

EXPLORE

San Diego truly a one-of-a-kind place to be. USD is a prime location, situated only a few minutes from the beach, downtown, Old Town, Hillcrest, and La Jolla, among other places. There are so many places to travel to, and driving only a few minutes in either direction will take you to a new place full of things to do, see, and eat! For Valentine's Day, my boyfriend surprised me with a delicious dinner out at a restaurant in Little Italy. This is the place to go if you loooove Italian food! This past weekend I got the opportunity to head down to Point Loma and see amazing views of the city. I also drove up to La Jolla and spent a day at Birch Aquarium! We headed outside to their back deck to see amazing views of the La Jolla shores and cove. I also recently discovered a little hidden gem in Hillcrest that I just had to share with you all: Babycakes! Babycakes is an absolutely adorable little restaurant/bakery/coffee shop that makes delicious cakes, but they are best known for their cupcakes! I walked in with my friend and we just about died trying to make a decision as we perused the selection of flavors. I finally settled on Lemon Bavarian Creme. MMMMMM! I will sure be heading back so I can try alll of the flavors eventually....

Don't be afraid to BE SILLY!

Last week, Kappa Kappa Gamma attended the fraternity Phi Kapp's Bid night! The theme was "Yoga and Toga". Everyone dressed up in their yoga and toga best and enjoyed getting down on the dance floor, even busting out some random yoga poses in the middle of the room. It was a good time had by all! I absolutely love just being my goofy self with my Kappa sisters. We can sure have a good time dressing up in crazy costumes and just enjoying the music and good company!

WEATHER

I was on the phone the other day with Rachel, one of my best friends from back home. We were talking as she was attempting to park her car- yet almost hitting a snow bank. I was explaining how this week seemed so cold even though it was sunny. I was also complaining about how we were expecting rain this weekend. She just asked, "Avery. Now tell me, how cold is it?" I replied it was about 60 degrees. She just started laughing at me and telling me how lucky I was because she had to walk to class in blizzards! Even though I am a Colorado native and LOVE my seasons and snow, I couldn't help but think, "Hey, I guess I don't have it that bad..."

Everyday I walk to class with a view of the ocean. I have good friends that have become a family, and I have the opportunity to receive an education not many in this world will ever have an opportunity to. Overall, I would have to say I am pretty darn blessed....

Until next time,

Avery

p.s. I know most of you are coming to the point where you are getting back acceptance letters and the idea of college is suddenly becoming real! It's both scary and exciting at the same time. PLEASE feel free to email me at AveryJohnson-13@sandiego.edu if you have any questions about USD or college in general :)

Just Gotta Be a Double-K G!

2011-01-31T08:12:00.000-08:00

Winter break flew by so fast! I'm already through the first week of classes, and I noticed that the adjustment from break mode to school mode was a bit more difficult than I thought it would be. But what a fun and busy semester it's going to be between classes and new baby Kappas!!!

(above: our new Kappas!)

The two weeks leading up to school were preparing and executing Sorority Recruitment 2011.... It was a flurry of late nights, early mornings, high heels, matching outfits, songs, dances, and small talking. LOTS of small talking, or "girl flirting" as it has come to be known. One does not truly know what to expect from rush unless one has experienced it from both sides. Growing closer to my Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters and getting a wonderful new pledge class made it all worth it. Though my toes are still numb from walking around (and dancing around) in heels for several days straight, I am looking forward to the new ideas and energy that our Kappa "babies" will bring to our chapter. During the week, I lived on Mission Beach with my Kappa "Big Sis" and a couple other girls from the chapter. I felt like I was on vacation, waking up and looking outside to a gorgeous view of the glittering Pacific. It made me so excited to move to the beach! (hopefully next year!)

(above: Me, my big Tracy, Megan, and her big Katie)

Before the craziness of rush, I enjoyed the rest of my winter break with family and friends. My boyfriend got to fly out to Colorado and visit my home! My friends and I all spent a couple days in the mountains snowboarding, sledding, and playing games by the fire. It is really fun to make friends from different states in college, because you will always have someone to go visit, or show around your hometown!

(my friends and I on the slopes in CO!)

This past week has passed by quickly in a blur of syllabi, new textbooks, meeting new professors, and homework..... Lots of it! As an English and communications double major, I have my fair share of reading and writing assignments. I have always fostered a passion for writing, and I am excited to be able to perfect my skills in the classroom. My favorite class of the semester so far is Reading Like a Writer. My first assignment was writing a short story! In class we would discuss our favorite books and authors, read each other's work, and learn how to grow in our own writing. During class last night, I remember looking around and thinking, wow I am really in class right now? I'm really enjoying myself! USD offers so many different classes that can help you discover your passions and develop them to the fullest.

Speaking of passions, I am currently learning a new one!!! I have been trying out surfing this year. It is something I have always wanted to try, and now that I am living this close to the beach it seems silly not to try it! I went out in the water on Sunday and was greeted with a sudden down pour of rain and choppy waves. Needless to say, I did not do well that day, but I had fun any way.

Well, It's time to tackle all of my reading and papers for the week. Take care and go try something new this week!

Much love,

Avery

The Most Valuable Gift

2010-12-21T19:36:00.000-08:00

I am currently sitting at home back in Colorado, the glittering Christmas tree to my left, my sleeping golden retriever to my right. Right now, my thoughts are examining the past semester as I contemplate where time has gone.

Here's a brief recap of what I have been up to!

DISNEYLAND WITH MY KAPPA SISTERS!

We spent a day at the Happiest Place on Earth for our Sisterhood event!

SPREADING CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

My roommates and I took a break from studying for finals to build this lovely gingerbread house creation....

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY!

One of my best friends Colleen and I are pictured above with our dates at Kappa Winter Formal!

ENJOYING THE BEAUTY OF SD

I took a walk on Black's Beach and reveled at the beauty of the area even when shrouded in fog!

Other ramblings:

I recently decided to go ahead and pursue a double major- English and Communications. After many long talks with my father, my roommates, myself and my wall, I decided to go with a double major. Why? Well, both subjects interest me. The class descriptions seem pretty fascinating for the most part, and both can be applied to my possible future, whatever that will be.

The questions, Where do you see yourself in 5 years? and, What do you want to do when you graduate? absolutely terrify me! I used to think I had everything figured out. I had my plan ready to go: my three easy steps to perfect happiness ended with a career, husband, and eventually, children.

College has a funny way of turning you and who you think you are, inside out. In a nostalgic moment reminiscing with my current roommates about our first impressions of each other move in day freshman year, I became aware of just how different each of us had become. We had all grown up and matured after living on our own and dealing with life without Mom and Dad down the hall. Now, I won't say that I am completely changed; I still enjoy The Office, baking, and going to bed early among other things. Rather, what has changed resides a little bit deeper in the core of who I am. I learned to think differently, opening up my mind to the world around me. I learned to communicate clearly, handling conflicts with gentle words and truly listening to the other person. I also learned that college is so much more than what the movies portray to us. I truly value the education that USD has been giving me.

Another thing I realized I value most is time. Now, time is a big thing in life: it encompasses everything from what time you eat, what time you sleep, what time you study, and what time you need to wake up for that 8am class... Being on time is of utmost importance, and giving your time is the most precious gift you could give to anyone.

It is so easy to tell someone, "Hey I'm sorry, I really don't have time today to meet up, can we reschedule?" Sometimes we find ourselves too busy to even ask how someone is and wait around for an answer more than "good". We barely have enough time to eat between studying for finals, so how could we even be expected to do anything else?

What I have learned is how much of a difference five minutes can make. You can tell someone you love them. You can make plans. You can place a quick phone call, or even just send a text! You can smile at someone who looks sad. You can hold the door. You can let that car that won't let you into the other lane pass you. These five minute (or less!) acts of kindness not only turn someone else's day around, they can benefit you as well. We should never be too busy to care about one another. Without friends and without family, where would we be? We can keep these relationships alive and help ourselves (and others!) to truly enjoy life. We aren't made to be continuously rushing around. Sometimes, yes, we may be hurried. But at the end of the day, what matters more? Five minutes wasted here and there as you rush around, or five minutes it took to talk to your friend, your mom, or your sister? At the end of the day, what truly matters is our relationships with others and ourself. We need to always keep that in mind.

During this holiday season, I urge you to take a deep breath. Look around. What could you do to make someone's life better? What could you do to help yourself? Let go of the anxieties that may grip you. Enjoy the time spent with family and good friends. Maybe you just finished finals and need a break. Maybe you are finishing up college applications. Maybe you are finally hearing back from schools! Maybe you are trying to figure out what to do after graduation. Wherever you may be in life, breathe in and breath out. Remember the reason for Christmas. God gave us the greatest gift of His son Jesus. He lived his life and died for us. Are you trying to find that perfect gift for your mom? Try giving her your time. Now, think to yourself: What could I do for someone in five minutes?

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year :)

With love,

Avery

Beach Weather November

2010-11-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

The leaves are changing, the snow will be falling soon.... back home in Colorado! As for here in San Diego, after a weird rainy week, the past few days have been hot hot HOT! It has been bizarre yet very enjoyable to spend my afternoons at the beach even though it is already NOVEMBER! Here's a little what I have been up to during this past month.

Founder's Day Tea

It's the time of the year when all Kappas across the nation celebrate our chapter's founding day! Happy 140 years, Kappa Kappa Gamma! Our Tea Party was a wonderful afternoon full of alumni speakers, sisterhood, and good food. It was really incredible to see women in their 70s talk about what Kappa still means to them. Above is a picture of my wonderful Kappa family: (left to right) my cousin, aunt, grand big, great grand big, big, and me, the little!

Home Sweet Home

I also got the chance to go home to Colorado for a wonderful weekend with my family. I got to see some of the beautiful changing colors. What a sight!

Greek Getaway

I am part of the Greek Intervarsity leadership team here at USD. I started a Bible study in Kappa here. During fall break, I joined about 40 students from USD, SDSU, UCSD, and CSUSM for a weekend at Catalina Island, at Intervarsity's Campus by the Sea. We had a wonderful time talking about leadership and what it is like to be a Christian in the Greek system. We also got to enjoy the beauty of our surroundings by hiking and snorkeling!

This year has sure been moving by quickly in a whirlwind of midterms and and late nights and fun times. It is hard to hold on to each moment and realize how brief this time of my life is!

Until next time,

Avery

Get Off Campus!

2010-10-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

Another couple of busy weeks here at USD have flown by. I have been doing a lot of exploring around the San Diego area, discovering all that it has to offer. It is so nice to be able to get off campus every now and then and try out some new things!

Girl's Night

I helped plan out a wonderful night out last week for the women of Intervarsity. It was a wonderful time that allowed us to grow a little bit closer to each other. We enjoyed amazing ice cream treats at Ghiradelli's downtown and wrapped up our night watching 27 Dresses.

Shooting

Sport shooting happens to be a passion of mine back at home. To my joy I found out that I can do it right here in San Diego! Some friends and I drove about 30 minutes south of school to South Bay Range and had a little bit of target practice.

Miramar Air Show

Plug your ears and hold onto your hats! The air show is not for the faint of heart. With F22 planes flying by twice as fast as the speed of sound, it is quite the rush! There were so many things to see and do. The air show ran all weekend at the Marine base just 20 minutes from campus. Admission was free! It was an amazing display.

Carrie Underwood Concert!

My wonderful roommates and I saw Carrie Underwood in concert at Sports Arena on Friday! It was an amazing show, and she is an awesome singer! It was nice that the venue was so close to school.

Other than those exciting adventures, I have just been studying hard and preparing for midterms. College is not easy that is for sure! But the wonderful activities sure balance out all of the studying.

Running on the Beach

2010-09-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

Beach Bonus

I have adopted a new passion: running on the beach. I have always dabbled in running as I was growing up. It was a good way to stay in shape during my swimming off-season in high school, and during the summers I would wake up before it got too hot and take a morning jog. After coming to San Diego, I discovered the joys of running along the water's edge. There is something so refreshing about listening to the waves crash and seagulls cry as your feet pound into the soft sand. What a bonus living by the beach offers!

All Set Up

I remember looking at colleges and being curious about what the rooms and living situations look like. I have posted here a picture of my side of my dorm room! It is super easy to get creative and make your space your own by adding some well-placed picture frames and other details. Some of our favorite places to shop: Ikea for furniture, Michael's for crafty decorations, and Target for lamps and other accessories.

Hidden Wonders

I'm in my second year here in San Diego and I still feel like there is so much to see and do around here that I haven't yet! My roommates and I headed down to a little hidden beach in La Jolla last Saturday for some rest and relaxation and were pleased to discover that we only had the company of a few scattered couples and a flock of seagulls. We enjoyed the peace and the chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of our weeks at school.

Sisters Reunited

Another bonus about being back at school is finally seeing my beautiful Kappa sisters at meeting! We had a fun BBQ event on Sunday with Lambda, one of the fraternities here at USD. I am very excited for all the fun events to come this year.

Intervarsity

We had Night on the Town this Friday for Intervarsity. About 35 of us split up into cars and drove around San Diego, exploring some of the wonderful places that it has to offer, such as Balboa, Seaport Village, Gaslamp District, and In-n-Out! We ended our tour with a bonfire in Mission Bay. What a way to kick off the year and get the word out about Intervarsity, the Christian club here on campus.

Shakespeare

For my Intro to Shakespeare class, I attended The Taming of the Shrew last night at the Old Globe Theater in Balboa Park. The play was wonderfully done and it was so good to see what I had been studying and reading in class really come to life on the stage. I love the way that USD professors inject some creative ways of learning into their syllabuses!

Goodbye Colorado, HELLOOO SAN DIEGO!

2010-09-08T17:54:00.001-07:00

We LOVE Colorado!

Whew! The summer sure passed by in a whirlwind of vacations, work, friends and family. I can't believe I am back in San Diego already! It is almost like I never left. Here's a brief rundown of my summer:

Lotsa Mountains!

Being a native of lovely Colorado, I spent most of my summer enjoying all the wilderness has to offer: hiking, biking, rafting, and much more. My friend Caiti and I even made the long trek up the tallest peak in Colorado, Mount Elbert. At 14,443 feet, it was quite the feat! My family and I also took a backpacking trip. We climbed another 14er (a peak in Colorado that is higer than 14,000ft above sea level) and stayed a couple nights in serenity under a blanket of stars.

Cowgirl Up!

My friends at home and I absolutely adore country music. To me, a country song explains life better than anyone else ever could. I love the boots, the hats, the blue jeans, and the warm fuzzy feelings a well-played guitar and fiddle give me. My best friends from high school and I road- tripped up to Cheyenne, Wyoming for Frontier Days, where we watched Clay Walker, Miranda Lambert, and Dierks Bentley work the crowd and play some of the best tunes there are.

Back to San Diego!

I put in my two weeks notice at the restaurant I hostessed at, packed up my car, and said goodbye to my friends and family. My dad and I drove 1000 miles over the prettiest wide open spaces you ever did see and ended up back here in San Diego, with the Pacific glittering sapphire in the sunlight and palm trees dancing in the light sea breeze. I moved into the Vistas, the sophomore apartments here with three of the most wonderful ladies ever. My roommates and I organized, decorated, and settled in to our room. We cooked dinner in our kitchen and just about died from the excitement for the year to come! Classes started last Wednesday, and so far so good! This weekend we spent some time at the beach, and Intervarsity took a trip to Coronado on Labor Day where we spent some quality time with the sun, sand, surf, and each other. Basically, I am just very happy to be back and to see all my friends. You become a little family in college, and I sure missed my little family when I was gone :)

The End of the Beginning...

2010-05-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that this is the last post of my freshman year! It's been good. Let me do the quickie update of this past week:

LAST FULL WEEK OF CLASSES!

That was exciting. I still had a paper left to finish, but for the most part, it was just learning about what the finals would cover.

EXPLORING SD

My dad came into town for a medical conference downtown, so I got to join him for a couple of days. We toured the USS Midway, the huge aircraft carrier. It was really neat to see what it was like on the inside! I also spent a lot of time in Seaport Village doing some people watching, shopping, and eating. I ended my mini-vacation wandering the beautiful parks around the marina and reflecting on everything that has happened this past year. Below, I pose by the beds in the Midway. Thankfully, dorms have a bit more space :)

BEACH DAY!

My friend Caiti and I spent all day Saturday down at Mission Beach. In the morning, we tried our hands at surfing. The waves were HUGE! I for sure need some more practice but it was a lot of fun :) I took my boogie board out later and had a blast catching the waves and riding them into shore. No beach day is complete without a nap in the sand and a good ol' sunburn. Check and check! Glad I invested in some aloe....

CONCERTS

Last night was so much fun! Lupe Fiasco and Shiny Toy Guns played a rockin' concert to benefit Invisible Children. Much of the school turned out and enjoyed the pounding bass and energy.

THE END

Two days of class, two study days, and finals begin, then it is time for SUMMER! I am really excited to go home and spend some quality time with my family and friends. I have enjoyed keeping you all updated on my life and showing you a little but of what life is like at USD! Hope you have a fabulous summer!

See you next year,

Avery

Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night

2010-05-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

We are now down to the last full week of school! I know I say this every week, but I still am amazed at how quickly time flies! Here's the lowdown of this week's festivities:

Girl's Night Out!

Sometimes you just need a dinner out with the girls. We headed downtown to RA Sushi for an amazing meal on Friday night. With all our busy schedules, sometimes it is hard to find time to see my friends! It was nice to be able to relax, laugh, and share stories with each other. Above, Lauren, Kirsten, me, and Lindsay smile after a goooood dinner.

Strawberry Festival!

All week there were amazing strawberry-themed foods and drinks at each of the eating places around campus! I tried strawberry lemonade, strawberry chicken kabobs, strawberry shortcake... The final event was the festival held on Thursday. There were booths set up with FREE strawberry delights such as shortcake, ice cream, yogurt parfaits, and more! My friends and I snatched up the free food along with a basket of the berries themselves and delicious jam! Above, Colleen and I pose with our free berries!

Intervarsity!

This week, our speaker Mark talked about loneliness and how Jesus meets us in that empty space. This talk was very relevant to life because I feel that in college, especially as a freshman, you will experience a time of loneliness. It is important to create a support system of people you can talk to or call when you are feeling alone. Intervarsity has been such a rock in my life here at USD. When I didn't know anybody, they were welcoming. A lot of the people I met during community group are my closest friends! Some of us went out to breakfast together on Saturday morning at the delicious Cafe 222. I enjoyed their famous banana bread french toast!

Kappa Formal!

What a night! I had so much fun dancing the night away on Saturday with my Kappa sisters and our wonderful dates! Everyone looked so gorgeous all dressed up. It was a night I will never forget! Formal's end was a bittersweet reminder that the end of our first year is near.

Well, I hope all of you have made up your decisions on where you are going to college! Get ready for an exciting time. I wouldn't trade the times I have had (both good and bad) for the world!

Love & Sunshine,

Avery

A Few Things I Have Learned In College Thus Far...

2010-04-25T17:55:00.000-07:00

1. Learning can be fun

School is not all tests and papers and lectures. Sure, there is a lot of that, but one thing I have discovered is how interesting class can be! I learn new things every day: random facts, statements that make me think, and discoveries that challenge my beliefs. I no longer dread class like I used to because I know that my education is a blessing and I have found that love of learning.

2. It's ok to be a goof

Wednesday, for RHA (Residence Hall Association), we provided the good ol worms and dirt dessert to our dorm. It was so much of a success that we ran out in a matter of minutes! Turns out everyone loves to be reminded of the good times from kindergarten with a yummy treat with gummy worms in it. This Friday was Kappa's exchange with the fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha. The theme was "High School Cliques" and many nerds, cheerleaders, goths, hippies, and preps made an appearance on the dance floor. It was fun to dress up in fun costumes and dance the night away!

3. Laughter is the best medicine

I saw Disney Nature's Oceans movie on Saturday night with my good friends Kirsten and Lauren, and Kirsten's little sister who was out to visit! Now this was no ordinary documentary. Maybe it was the late night or the lack of sleep from the night before, but we were laughing up a storm! Some of the sea creatures and their mannerisms were so funny. Who knew an educational film could be so entertaining?

4. Mexican food=amazing

Friday night after the dance brought on a late night run to JV's, a hole-in-the-wall Mexican food place with a couple of my friends. Our burritos were the size of small children! HUGE! Another wonderful thing about JV's: cheap + delicious=amazing when you are in college and a bit strapped for cash. And it is close and open late!

5. There is no place like (a) home

On Saturday night, some of my good friends and I drove to our friend Iliana's house for a delicious home-cooked meal. We got to play with the dogs, pick tangelos (tangerine-oranges) right off the trees, and eat some amazing food! Iliana and her mom had prepared salsa, guacamole, and enchiladas that were to DIE for! It was so nice to be able to eat food not from the cafeteria and spend time with a family in a home after being trapped in the dorms for so long. Oh and who could forget dessert? Iliana made her famous red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Yum!!!

6. Marketing ploys DO work on me

So I have a punch card from Fiji Yogurt. I thought it would be fun to try to get all ten punches by the end of the year so I could get a free fro-yo! Well, pretty soon this became a big game between some of my friends and I, and we have all been racing to fill up our cards. After my FOURTH trip to fro yo this week I realized we had fallen hard for this marketing trick. But hey, fro yo is incredible and I will miss it when I get back to CO, so sometimes you just gotta be ignorant and use that punch card!

7. The library is your friend

Sometimes you need pure silence to get your work done. The Legal Research Center (law library) has become my home away from home here at USD. I spend hours in here at a time on Sundays catching up on my homework and occasionally during the week when I have a big paper or a test to study for.

8. Mr. University is one of the greatest shows on earth!

Theta, another sorority on campus, puts on the Mr. University pageant every year to raise money for their philanthropy. This year it was on Thursday. Mr. U is a different sort of pageant, where boys from clubs/fraternities on campus compete for the title. They are judged on formal wear, swim wear, and talent. They can get pretty creative! This year there was a Disney melody sung, a lot of funny dances, and even some really impressive backflips! All in all it was a successful show that brought the entire audience to laughter for most of the time. Congrats to the winner, Mr. Cross Country!

9. Bowling is not my sport

On Saturday I went bowling with some of the girls for Kappa. We had a blast even though most of us seemed to get a lot more gutter balls than others....

10. Friends in college are your second family

There is always someone there whenever I need an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on or someone to celebrate with! I have made a few friendships this year that I know will last a lifetime and I am so grateful for every moment I have experienced, both good and bad. They are shaping me into a better person.

Hope your week is full of laughter!

Avery

Now I Know Where I Get My Good Looks...

2010-04-18T17:11:00.001-07:00

Life is all about who you share it with. In college, you will develop new friendships that will carry you through the good times and bad, lasting throughout your whole life. You will realize how important those who look out for you are. In college, your friends become a part of your family and your family becomes a part of your rock-solid foundation, supporting you as you head into your future.

Sharing is caring...

During Intervarsity on Monday night, instead of having our usual community group where we go over a Bible passage together, we went to Yogurtland! After filling up our bowls with the most delicious combinations of flavors and toppings, we dragged our chairs together in a circle and we talked. We shared our biggest struggles of the year, our summer plans, our excitement for break, and our sadness to leave USD behind for three whole months. With our year coming to a close, it was good to have a time to really look back on everything that happened, both good and bad.

Looking back...

When I arrived on move-in day, I knew nobody. I had to put myself out there, attending club meetings and other events where nothing was familiar. At the time I was so nervous and just downright scared out of my pants! As the weeks went on, I got to know more and more people, some better than others. I started off a stranger going to Intervarsity, and now a lot of my closest friends I made through that group of wonderful people. As you get ready to leave home and start something very unfamiliar, be ready to be open minded, put yourself out there, and GET EXCITED! Remember that everyone is going to be in the same position as you. You will all be able to look back and laugh at how awkward your first moments together were after you travel a few months down the road. One of my best friends here (and sorority sister), Colleen, and I always joke about how we were hardly friends at the beginning of the year and how the rest of us girls were jealous of her because the boys loved hanging out with her! Now here we are a few months later swapping boy stories, fashion advice (hers!), and laughing our brains out together over what dorks we can be.

So what have I been up to last week? Besides school work that is....

I spent a lot of time in Aromas sipping my iced green teas or caramel macciatos and trying to get whatever homework I had done. Most of this time got interrupted when my friend Marcus came over and sat down and we would talk about everything from what animal we are to the Bible to logic class to healing from heartbreaks. I love Aromas because there is almost always someone there that I know who can sit down and just talk with me or sit there in silence as we both study (though silence is a rare occurrence). Monday was community group like I said earlier, and my weekly Kappa meeting. Tuesday was my day of relaxation because I wasn't feeling all too well: I hung out in bed a lot and watched a few episodes of Greek on Hulu, made a friendship bracelet for fun, and read some Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. On Wednesday I had ritual review for Kappa Kappa Gamma. While I can't tell you the details of that event, I can tell you that it was a neat experience to learn more details behind the history of my sorority that has been around since 1870! I also had an RHA (Residence Hall Association) meeting where we finalized some plans for fun events for our dorm before the end of the year. Thursday was Intervarsity large group where our guest speaker Scott Schimmel talked about how to chose your career path and make the most of your life. We finished out the great night by heading over to Fiji yogurt and just enjoyed each other's company and continued to talk about what we had learned that night. Friday was the best of all.....

KAPPA MOM'S WEEKEND!!!!!

My mom and two sisters Kendall and Sydney arrived bright and early on Friday morning from Colorado! (That is my mommy and I in the photo above!) I showed them around the school so they could see where I study, sleep, eat, and play. I also introduced them to my friends and we spent some time hanging out back in my favorite campus spot, Aromas. For lunch, we headed to none other than In-n-Out Burger (where I also discovered they are bringing in a Colorado favorite, Noodles&Co, right across the street!). That night we had a delicious Mexican food dinner at Casa Guadalajara in Old Town with the other Kappas and their moms/friends/sisters. Below: Colleen, Audrey, and I pose with our moms and my sisters Kendall and Sydney after an amazing meal.

The next day was quite an adventure! We went down to La Jolla where we went sea kayaking! It was so much fun, gliding over the ocean and looking at sea caves, sea lions, and the view from the water. Here we are just floating our cares away in one of the most beautiful places in the world, no big deal ;)

On Sunday morning, we enjoyed a nice stroll along La Jolla shores, taking in the scenery and watching the surfers ride the waves. I then took my mom and sisters to my church, Flood. We finished up our time together with a yummy lunch in Seaport Village and a walk along the waterfront there, followed by another Yogurtland run. I love San Diego... Below: Us in Seaport Village. A cute little doggie is trying to jump in our picture! (His head is by Kendall's leg on the right)

It was such a relaxing weekend, taking a mini-vacation from school and spending some quality time with my mom and sisters (both blood related and sorority!). Now its time for some homework so that I can get a head start on the week to come! Good luck to all as you finalize your college decisions, I hope USD is your school of choice :)

Love & Froyo,

Avery

College Nerd Moments and Nostalgia

2010-04-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

As another weekend comes to a close here in beautiful SD, I am overwhelmed with nostalgia. Why you ask? First of all, "When I Look At You" by Miley Cyrus is playing in my headphones and it is giving me goosebumps. Now, I'm not a huge Miley fan, but hey, this song is not too shabby...

Second of all, I just finished counting how many weeks I have left here before summer time: not even five weeks, then finals.

AHHHHHH WHERE HAS TIME GONE????

I remember in elementary school, middle school, and high school counting down the seconds until summer began. With college it is a different feeling. My heart is in the middle of a tug-o-war between being so EXCITED to go home and spend time with my old friends, but at the same time I am going to miss my USD family as we all disperse around the country. If you would have asked me at the beginning of the year if I considered SD home, I would have laughed in your face then maybe cried because I was pretty homesick at times. Well, college forces you to grow in many ways, and San Diego is now my "home away from home" and I have a place here. A routine. A life. A family. Basically, a lot to think about and miss as I pack up and drive the 18 hours back to Colorado in May.

Well now that all my sappy emotions are purged, I will update you on what I have been up to! School has been keeping me working very hard as I finished up midterms. A couple weekends ago I went down to the beach to watch the sunset with some of my friends. It was spectacular! We ate burritos from a hole-in-the-wall Mexican food place (there are a lot of those places around here yummm!) and watched the sun dip into the ocean. A couple of us were daring and dashed out into the freezing water!

The next weekend was Easter Break! I went home again Wednesday through Monday and enjoyed spending time with my good friends in CU Boulder and spent the holiday with my family and my doggie, Star. Above, my sisters and I dye Easter eggs, one of my favorite traditions.

This week has been full of late-night study sessions and dates with my poetry book. I have been working long and hard on an explication for my poetry class, which is basically just a paper where I write about a poem that I have analyzed. I actually LOVE this assignment, I am having so much fun digging into the words and finding a deeper meaning. Just another college nerd moment :) I promise, you will have some too!

As for the fun stuff, this weekend I participated in the Maher Campout! The Outdoor Adventures club put on a lovely night filled with fun lawn games, smores, and Dutch oven desserts! My friends and I sat around the fire pit just talking and laughing for most of the night.

Saturday night was the "K is for Kappa and B is for Beta" dance with my sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and a fraternity, Beta Theta Pi. We all had so much fun dressing up as things that started with "B" or "K". Above, my Big Sis in the sorority, Tracy, and I are dressed up while our friend, Colleen, a Komodo Dragon, lurks in the background! Below, my friends Colleen and Audrey and I take a break from dancing.

As the time to make your college decision nears, I urge you to GET EXCITED. Really think about all the possibilities that are out there and just how many doors an education opens up to you. But please, cherish every moment you have left right where you are. A lot changes in college, but don't you worry! They are very good changes :) No matter where you go, go with all your heart.

Love and best wishes,

Avery

p.s. FEEL FREE to email me with any questions! About anything! I would LOVE to talk to you and help you in any way that I can. averyjohnson-13@sandiego.edu

All In This Together...

2010-03-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

WHEW. I am currently taking some deep breaths and counting down to nap time after one of the busiest weeks of my life! Spring Break wasn't near relaxing enough to prepare me for the flurry ahead...

MIDTERMS. While exciting, (hey you are halfway through the semester!) they are daunting (hey its a test!) and kind of freaky (hey you are almost done with your freshman year...). I had mine last week and this week, so my days were spent studying hard.

HAITI. Last week Thursday I went with Intervarsity to the Haiti Benefit Concert in the UC (University Center). It was such a neat experience. A variety of performers were there. There was a drum circle, solo artists playing guitars and harmonicas, a band, and much more. There was free pizza AND a raffle in the back for free plane tickets! The money from the raffle ticket purchases went to benefit Haiti. It was such an amazing experience. The lights were low, and while some people just stood there and listened, others moved their feet, clapped their hands, and danced along to the beats.

INITIATION. While the details of this event are secrets passed down in Kappa Kappa Gamma since we were founded in 1870, I can tell you that Initiation was a time that I will always remember. My pledge class and I are officially Kappa members as of 3/21 and are so excited! We finally get to learn all of the secrets and what all our symbols mean. Afterwards, I celebrated with my Big Sis in the sorority, Tracy, and some of my other sisters at brunch down at Olive in Mission Beach. Best pancakes of my life! Above is a picture of my Tracy and me. She gave me a big basket full of Kappa goodies and a pillow for Initiation!

GREEK WEEK. This lovely week is full of fun and some friendly competition between the Greek chapters here on campus. There is a relay, tug-o-war contests, fundraising for different organizations, skits, and a dance! Every day starting last Saturday, my sorority (Kappa) and our fraternity pair for skits (Beta) have had skit practice every day for several hours at a time. Even though it was long and exhausting, it was so much FUN and I really got to know some of my sisters and the awesome Beta boys. Now the theme is superheros, so some of our lovely Kappa sisters choreographed an AMAZING dance for us about telling about when Super Beta and Kappa Woman came to the rescue! We danced our hearts out during the presentations last night, and WON FIRST PLACE!!! It was so exciting that all our hard work payed off. We celebrated at a dance that was held for everyone, where there was a DJ battle and free Red Bull! Above is some of my Kappa sistahs and I, all ready to perform! We received roses from the Betas for being partners. Awwww!

SUNSHINE. Now the sun is shining, the flowers around campus are blooming, the temperature is rising, and the beach (or at least the pool!) is calling my name. Gotta looooove San Diego!

Sunshine, laughter, and love,

Avery

Spring Break and Back to Reality

2010-03-18T11:53:00.001-07:00

Hello all! So back to reality here again after a wonderful, relaxing spring break. I went back home to the lovely CO to see my family. My sisters had no idea I was coming back so it was a nice surprise for them! We went up to the mountains for some snowboarding and skiing, and I loved being back on the snow! I also spent a couple nights with one of my best friends, Katie, up at CU Boulder. It was fun to meet her friends, see her dorm room, and catch up. College can make staying in touch all the time difficult because of how busy we are, but it is nice to know that we can always come back together like nothing has changed at all. (Yet at the same time, it is crazy how both of us have grown up SO MUCH since we said goodbye in August!)

So I know that a lot of you out there are anxiously awaiting and receiving acceptance letters from colleges, and I truly hope that USD is one of them! Here are a few hints that should help you in making the Big Decision:

1. VISIT the campus!!! There is really no other better way to get the feeling for a place you could spend 4 very important years of your life at. Look into dorm rooms, class rooms, ask questions. Take a tour! Stay overnight with a student if you can to see the life of a student. My fellow Ambassadors and I are hosting overnighters these next couple months and YOU could be one of them!

2. LOOK at what it has to offer. Clubs that tailor to your interest? A Greek system? Community service? Make sure that the college has opportunities for you to develop your passions- and discover new ones!

3. MAJORS are important. So you may not have a clue what you want to do, or maybe you have your life planned out. Make sure that you have good class options, and that majors you could even remotely be interested in are offered.

4. CLASS sizes make a difference! Some people like smaller classes, others don't mind large lectures. Also, think about how accessible you want your professors to be? USD has smaller classes and the professors all have office hours to meet with you. I know for me that has been very beneficial.

5. SIZE of the school. Small? Big? Giant?? Look at the number of undergrads at the schools.

6. LIVING options. What are the dorms like? Do people have to live on campus a certain number of years? What is the community like? Where you live plays a HUGE role in your college experience.

GOOD LUCK! Also: feel free to EMAIL ME with any questions you have about USD or decision making! I would love to answer them :) Averyjohnson-13@sandiego.edu

So as for me and what I have been up to: I have been battling a cold, so I am trying to get as many ZZZZs as possible. I am also studying hard for all my midterms. As for the fun stuff, I am so EXCITED for Kappa's initiation this weekend! I will finally get to be an active member of the sorority. I also have been spending a lot of time outdoors, because the weather is BEAUTIFUL! I love to take my books up to the pool and sit back in a lounge chair poolside while I read. It's like vacation (almost...)!

Until next time!

Love & Sunshine,

Avery

Countdown to Spring Break...

2010-03-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

Life has been like a runaway train for the past couple of weeks, and I always feel like I am running to catch it! Thankfully, spring break is just around the corner. One week! Just a brief rundown of what I have been up to:

1. Applying to be an RA! I sent in my application, made it through the group process, and had my interview! Now the wait begins... Wish me luck! I find out whether or not I make it later in March.

2. Lots of homework... Second semester has been a whirlwind of exams, papers, and readings. Thankfully, I do enjoy (most of) my classes, so it hasn't been too hard to catch up. I just have to manage my time very well so I can get some sleep at night.

3. Movie night! One of the perks of USD is the Box Office. You can buy tickets to movies, theme parks, even Disneyland, for a discounted price. Even better, you can use Campus Cash (thanks Mom & Dad!). I saw Valentine's Day last weekend with some friends. It was a good mash up with a bunch of big names. The debate is still going on about whether or not Taylor Swift can act...

4. Big Sis/Little Sis with Kappa! The clues are pouring in as I try to figure out who my Big Sis in my sorority is! On day one I received some beautiful flowers, candy, and a stuffed owl (our mascot). Last night a couple of fine gentlemen delivered me a beautiful heart shaped cake! mmmmmm....

5. Saturday Night Live! No, not the TV show! Our school has some pretty rockin' bands come and play on Saturday nights. I ate my dinner while listening to City Walls. Those guys are amazing! I heard they are playing a gig in Orange County next week, so if you are in the area, check them out.

6. Cowtown Throwdown! Kappa Kappa Gamma and Sigma Phi Epsilon put on this hoedown to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Tons of clubs and sororities/fraternities set up carnival booths for the guests, while some pro square dancers taught us all to do it country style! We danced the night away and all the proceeds went to UNICEF. Helping can sure be fun :)

7. Rose's Donuts. This little gem of a place is open 24/7.... well, really late that is. My friends and I satisfied our late night sweet cravings for less than a dollar at this shop right off campus. There were so many varieties of donuts, and they were amazingly delicious.

Well, I am now writing an explication on Robert Frost's "Mending Wall" for my poetry class. My professor has agreed to meet with me in an hour to go over my paper and fix it up! One of the many bonuses of small class sizes at USD. Back to work!

Springtime Looooooove,

Avery

Busy Bee!

2010-02-18T13:57:00.000-08:00

WOW where has time gone? Sometimes I feel like there are not enough hours in the day to complete everything I need to AND get to bed by 10:30 (which still feels past my bedtime...). My friends joke about me and my bedtime, saying that 11pm is like 3am in Avery-time. Well it IS! I need my sleep like plants need water, and when I don't get it.... well let's not go there.

This weekend was so much fun! Friday was Girl's Night! We dressed up cute and headed downtown to the Gas lamp District to RA Sushi. Well, I am not a huge fan of sushi, but thankfully they had a chicken and noodle dish that was to DIE for! Oh, and the pineapple-cream cheese wantons were pretty incredible as well. My friends enjoyed their sushi, so if you like Asian foods (sushi or not!) you have to give RA a try! Afterwards, we saw Dear John. Let me just say this- it made me cry like nothing before! Sobbing with tears of sadness and happiness, Dear John really pulled on my heartstrings and made me want a man in uniform of my own! :) Thankfully, my friend Iliana was prepared with a box of tissues to hand around, and we filled up our emptiness with Yogurtland right afterwards. MMMM there is nothing fro yo can't solve!

Fro Yo for Dummies

For those of you who don't know what I am talking about when I say fro yo, here is a mini lesson for you. Don't feel bad, I didn't know what the hype was until I got here!

1. get your bowl

2. fill it up with as many flavors as you want! Some stores have TONS to chose from, like chocolate, Nutter Butter, cake batter, and all the fruits you can name.

3. add your toppings! (my favorite part) I usually pile on the gummy bears, cheesecake bites, mochi, captain crunch, and caramel sauce. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

4. pay! its real cheap, usually 30-45 cents per ounce. WAYYY less than ice cream!

There you go. FRO YO!

Anyways, Saturday, my friend Maya and I went to the beach. It was 70 outside, but a tad windy. But hey, I loooove the beach! That night we went with our friend to Sigma Phi Epsilon's Bid Night. We danced the night away, much like at our Kappa Presents dance. Sunday was Valentine's Day! I joined my hall and RA for a beach clean up to not only give back to the community, but get some free Disneyland tickets as well. That night, the men of Intervarsity had asked us women to be their Valentines by passing out roses at our last large group meeting! They acted like such gentlemen, opening up doors for us and serving us a delicious home-cooked meal and dessert. We danced around the living room to "Everything" by Michael Buble, and then took a stroll around Sea Port Village with some of USD's finest men on our arms. What a night!

This week has just been a mess of homework, although I have snuck in a few hours at the pool here and there, soaking up the sunlight! It is such a foreign concept to me- 70 degree weather and having a tan... in FEBRUARY! It's snowing at my home in Colorado today... Weird. Can't complain that is for sure!

The last thing to report was Ash Wednesday took place yesterday. Even though I am Protestant, not Catholic, I wanted to check out mass and get my ashes. It was an incredible, renewing, peaceful serive in beautiful Founder's Chapel. I am giving up Diet Coke... Wow this is going to be tough! I made it back in time at night to watch Shaun White's gold medal half-pipe run. Can you say incredible? Well have a good week, and come visit sunny USD over your Spring Break!

Much love :)

Black & White

2010-02-09T19:52:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that I have only been back in class for a couple weeks! I got right back into the swing of things as though winter break was nothing but a far off dream. My new classes continue to be challenging, with quite a bit more work than I had last semester. On top of that, I am even busier with all my new Kappa commitments. Thankfully, I enjoy being busy! Where do I begin???

On Wednesday, I went out to dinner with my first Sapphire Sis, Liz. A Sapphire Sis is Kappa-speak for a sophomore girl who takes you out to lunch/froyo/dinner/something fun in order to get to know each other and find your potential Big Sis in the sorority! We ate at a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican food place called J.V's. I had the BEST burrito! It was the size of a small child, but cheap and delicious. On Thursday's Inter Varsity large group meeting, the speaker talked about making the most of everyday moments. He said you don't have to have extraordinary moments happen in order to make your life a fulfilling one. By just getting to know the people around you and serving them, you can start a chain reaction that makes the world a little bit better. His words really resonated with me, so I have been trying to reach out and get to know the strangers I sit by in my classes. Friday was such a fun night. It was Kappa Kappa Gamma's Presents dance! All of us new girls dressed up in our white and the active members in black. Beforehand, I got ready with some of my friends in the Vistas, which are the sophomore on-campus apartments. It was fun to have the older girls help us get all dolled up! Cameras flashed as we laughed and bonded before the buses whisked us away to a night full of dancing. Sunday was Super Bowl Sunday! The RAs of Maher set up a fun party in Frank's Lounge, where we ate free Rubio's Mexican food, watched the game on giant screen TVs, and laughed at the commercials. It was a good time even for those of us who are not the biggest of football fans...

Before I sign off for this week, I am going to share with you a little secret. Today, I discovered Career Services and all that it has to offer. I stopped in during its drop-in hours in order to fix up my resume for an RA application I am currently filling out. Not only did I get assistance in making a professional resume, I learned loads of valuable information about applying for internships, what skills are needed to be a part of today's competitive job market, and where to look for internships. USD really helps its students out not only with post-college careers, but internships and summer jobs as well!

The First Week Back...

2010-02-02T15:59:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy, BUSY! Welcome back to a new semester! Last week zoomed by in a flurry of textbooks, fun, lack of sleep and homework...

So far so good.

I am enjoying my new classes so far, with the exception of Chemistry. I have never been a huge science fan, but according to the general education requirements, I must take a couple classes in the sciences. Oh well. In a way, it is very nice to get back into a routine and actually use my brain again, and I haven't minded the amount of work I had last week.

The weekend was AMAZING!!! Friday night, I went with my new Kappa sisters to the new member retreat! We had a big, old-fashioned sleepover complete with food, funny games, Kappa cheers, and lots and lots of girl talk. I am making some great friends in Kappa and having the time of my life! It really is such a good fit for me. I have met a lot of unique girls, and I can be my goofy self with them which is exactly what I needed.

Saturday, my friend (and new Kappa sis!) Maya and I went hiking in Torrey Pines State Reserve. It was beautiful! The trails clung to the bluffs and cliffs that dropped right into the ocean, and the sun shone down on us from a perfectly blue sky. It was peaceful and serene- a much needed break from the hustle and bustle that was life last week! It is really neat that there is a little nature getaway like that so close to campus. Only about a 15 minute drive! The good day traveled into an amazing night. I went with my good friends Lauren, Chad, and Eric, who I have met in my hallway, to my friend Iliana's cousin's first birthday party! She has a large Hispanic family and everyone got together to celebrate. There was delicious Mexican food, a DJ, and lots of laughter. I let loose with my friends out on the dance floor, letting all my tension slip away. It was such a good night I will never forget. I loved experiencing a culture that is not what I am used to. My friend Lauren tried to teach me Salsa dancing, and I did what I could, but thankfully we could all laugh together at my lack of skills. I was surprised that Iliana's baby cousin kept her eyes open as late as we did! I was so tired from the dancing and late night that I slept like a rock.

Monday was nothing exciting to report, and today was busy! I went from class to class to Ambassador's Club meeting, to lunch, to the library! After all that I burned off some steam (and enjoyed the eye-candy) at the gym. Now, I am trying to crank out some homework before going to celebrate my friend's birthday at the Hard Rock Cafe tonight! Whew!

Have a good week all. Much love.

KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA!

2010-01-27T12:22:00.000-08:00

Blisters, sore throats, tears, curling iron burns. These are the battle scars that accompany the Rush process. But before you hang up your sorority ambitions, keep in mind that the outcomes are much better: laughter, new friends, a place to belong.

I am now a proud new member of Kappa Kappa Gamma!

Bid day was full of excitement as we all tore open our envelopes that held the cordial invitation to the chapter that we could finally be a part of. I ran over to join the Kappas along with the rest of my pledge class. We posed for some large group pictures and then were whisked away for a fun day full of fro yo, Build-a-Bear, an amazing dinner, and sisterhood bonding.

Sororities at USD are a little bit different than the stereotype. They are more involved in philanthropies, leadership positions, fun events, and friendship. Tonight, my new Kappa sister Maya and I are going to our first Greek Intervarsity meeting! It is the same concept of regular Intervarsity, which is a Christian fellowship, but composed of the men and women involved in sororities and fraternities here on campus. It will be a great way to meet people that share a lot of the same values that I do.

Right now I am sitting out on the balcony that my room opens onto, soaking up the sunshine and gazing at the beautiful blue skies. It is a glorious 65 degree day, with a light ocean-scented breeze. I'd have to say, I can sure get used to this! :)

Ready, Set, RUSH!

2010-01-20T19:14:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year finally, RUSH time!!!

I came back a week early from winter break to join the other few hundred girls who all want to join sororities. USD's Greek system is different than what you may believe- since it is a lot smaller and there are now actual houses, the sororities are all friends with each other, not just like exclusive cliques. They seem to be more interested in their philanthropies, core values, and sisterhood rather than the stereotype. Today was DAY ONE! We went from chapter to chapter, meeting with a few of the girls and trying to get to know each other while trying to get the feeling of each chapter. It was EXHAUSTING. I was so happy that I wore flats, because I was up on my feet all day, talking my head off. I now have a sore throat & sore feet. Other than that, it has been so much fun to see the incredible things that each chapter is accomplishing while meeting truly incredible women here at USD. There are six sororities here at USD: Alpha Chi Omega, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta, Alpha Phi, Alpha Delta Pi, and Kappa Alpha Theta. After going from meeting to meeting, I met with my Sigma Rho Chi leader, who is a woman that has disaffiliated from her sorority for Rush in order to assist all of us with our decisions. Tonight, she helped me talk through my day and decide which one sorority to cut from my list. It was tough! I had so much fun talking to all the girls.

For now, I will be resting my feet and listening to the rain that has been pelting down all night. It's like a hurricane out there! More updates soon!

Let it Snow!

2010-01-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I am finally winding down after one of the craziest breaks of my life! Finals breezed by, and thanks to studying almost NON-STOP, I got some pretty decent grades I was very proud of. Sure shows that your hard work WILL pay off!

I have been back home in Colorado for the past few weeks. I took a trip to San Jose, California to visit my extended family there over Christmas, but other than that I have just been running between home near Denver and up to the mountains, where I have a cabin. My family and I enjoyed some skiing and snowboarding together over New Year's, and then some of my friends from back at USD flew out to see what all the hype was about with this Colorado snow! We spent a couple AMAZING days in the Vail powder, and some very sleepy nights back at my cabin, where we were usually exhausted and falling asleep around 9! It was very fun to have my friends come and see my home and where I play when I am not back in San Diego.

I'd have to say that it takes leaving and being away from home to really show you how blessed you are and how much you loooove home. If you are a senior, ready to graduate and get out there and enjoy some freedom, do NOT take for granted the time you have right now with your family! Really savor where you are in the moment- trust me, in a year, you WILL miss it! It took me 1000 miles and a couple months to realize that I absolutely LOVE Colorado, and that I wouldn't trade my childhood spent hiking, biking, and skiing for ANYTHING! I also realize just how great it is to come home to Mom's home cooking, Dad's love, and my sisters' crazy habits. Oh, and of course, my doggie's unconditional love!

The rest of my time at home will be spent with various lunch dates to catch up with friends, lots of sleeping in my own, big, cozy bed, cuddling up to the fire with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and some good ol family time.

Home, SWEEEEEET home. It sure is good to be back.

2009-12-20T10:08:00.000-08:00

Stress.

It tends to lurk about in dark corners, just waiting to pounce and slam into you like a big brick wall.

Welcome to college finals...

So before you cue the scary music and horror movie sounds, they really aren't THAT bad. Sure, you may have to do some more work than you are used to, or give up going out on a Saturday night like my roommates and I did, but it's one week out of your whole year, then you go HOME SWEET HOME for a whole month of NO WORRIES!

Monday was our last day of classes, and Tuesday was what they call "Dead Day" around here. This day is the calm before the storm. I ate the BEST breakfast I have had in a loooong time at Cafe 222 with some of my friends. Any time you are in the downtown San Diego area, definitley make a stop over there and try the French toast. Afterwards, we enjoyed relieving our stress with therapy dogs that USD had brought in. We got to cuddle and pet them, and they were so sweet! The rest of the day was spent studying in the library until that night, when Finals Feeding Frenzy took place. Frazzled USD students pigged out our cares away with FREE Chipotle, Pizza Hut, Fiji Froyo, Chick-fil-A, and Krispy Kremes. The night ended with SNOW that RHA had brought in for the Winter Wonderland celebration. There was sledding, snow ball fights, cookie decorating, and pictures with Santa. A night to remember for sure before the stresses of the week took over officially.

The rest of the week has passed by in a blur of study guides and text books for the most part. My one surprise is that we got a new roommate! Our room is a quad, and we only had 3 people in it. Our fourth roomie just moved in, and despite the chaos of moving, she is all settled and we are so excited for a new addition! Nothing like making new friends again and again. That's one of my favorite parts of college! Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to take advantage of the 70 degree December weather and perfect my tan by the pool while studying before heading back to Colorado's Antarctic conditions....

Happy Holidays everyone!

Rain, Rain, Come and Stay

2009-12-14T13:59:00.000-08:00

So this week was a dreary one. It started out on Monday morning. I awoke to the sound of rain pattering against my windowpanes and wind rattling the palm trees around. Now, all of this made it very difficult to get out of bed and go to class, but I did. And I also got soaked in the process. I do have to admit that it was kind of exciting to have some weather that even remotely made it feel like winter here! I proceeded to call my friends back home in Colorado and tell them about how freezing I was. Their reply? "Avery, it is ten degrees here. TEN. What is it there? Sixty? That is shorts weather!" Though I am very excited to head home for the holidays in ONE WEEK, I am not looking forward to dealing with sub zero Antarctic conditions after developing a very thin skin here in San Diego.

This week was relatively low key, as it was the last week of classes before finals begin! Tuesday I saw a fantastic Tara Donovan exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art. It was amazing the things she does with straws and styrofoam cups! The rest of the week was spent enjoying the cold(er) weather by bundling up in sweats and staying inside.

This weekend was a lot of fun. My precept class was invited by our professor to go out on Friday. We ate some AMAZING deep dish at Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria and then followed it up by an improv comedy show. It was a good night spent laughing with people that I had not previously hung out with outside of class. Saturday, some of my friends and I ate dinner at Rico's, a Mexican food where I spent less than $5 on the most amazing enchiladas north of the border. We then drove around the horse race track at Del Mar's Holiday of Lights. A ton of animated lights were set up, and we ooohed and ahhhed at the glittering displays and then took pictures with Santa. Sunday I finally attempted to get down to work and start organizing my notes to prepare for the finals to come. This will definitely be an interesting week as I learn how to study for my very first college finals! Let me leave you with a bit of holiday cheer and wherever you are, stay warm and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmastime is here...

2009-12-06T22:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas has exploded. It has taken over our room. Christmas is draped all over the ceiling in 50 feet of red & green paper chains, on top of the refrigerator in our poinsettia plant, decking the walls in strings of bright & colorful lights, and filling up the corner in our REAL Christmas tree. Yup! Standing at about four feet tall, draped in lights and dripping with glittering ornaments, smelling like childhood excitement and fresh pine is OUR TREE! Christmas comes but once each year, and because my last two finals fall on December 22nd, I do not get to enjoy many of the pre-Christmas festivities that usually happen at my house. To brighten our moods, my roommates and I decided to go all out, pulling out all the stops for Christmastime in our dorm room.

This week was pure chaos. When I wasn't adding to the Christmas decor that was filling up our room, I was constantly moving about, studying, or at some meeting or other. Monday was full of practicing my persuasive speech for my public speaking class. Because I had just gotten back the night before from spending five days with family for Thanksgiving, needless to say, I had a LOT of work left to do on it. Ten pounds were lifted off my shoulders after I presented it (nearly) flawlessly (I hope!) to my class. I then got to study study STUDY for my Christianity test on Tuesday. I took a brief break and attended my weekly Intervarsity community group bible study, where we are continuing our series on prayer. I absolutely LOVE community group. It is a wonderful gathering of people. I always feel much better after I go, relieved of stress. Tuesday took the stress of my test off my shoulders. I went into my professor's office before the test, and he really helped me out with learning about the terms that I had questions on. It is also really interesting to just talk to my professors and hear about their lives and what they did before they decided to teach. Wednesday was the large group meeting for RHA, and we began to brainstorm a ton of really fun events to put on for our dorm including the upcoming door decorating contest. Already I am watching the competition build! On Thursday, I went to the bookstore's Christmas sale. I got to munch on cookies while I picked up USD sweatshirts at 25% off for Christmas presents. That night I went to Intervarsity's large group meeting, where there were prayer stations set up all over the room. I chose the drawing one, and just relaxed to amazing worship music as I lost myself in drawing my feeling out onto paper while practicing a different form of prayer than I am used to. I came back to my room and watched the best Christmas movie of all time, Elf! On Friday, I went to the Mecha Club's Salsa Night with a few of my friends. It was so fun! I tried to learn how to salsa with my two left feet and discovered just how fun trying things you NEVER EVER thought you would do can be! We ended the night by replaying Elf while making more Christmas crafts. (Catching onto the theme here?) I hung many 3D snowflakes from the ceiling. Saturday was a much needed day of rest. After coming back from brunch at eleven, I continued to spend the rest of the day holed up in my room in cozy sweats (yes, it can get chilly here at times!). I did some homework, took some high quality naps, and watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall with one of my roommates before we were finally dragged from out our cave at seven pm to get some Chipotle! MMMMMMM there is nothing that compares to a delicious burrito bowl with some guac! I finished off the night with some Fro Yo and cosmic bowling before finally getting back into bed for much needed sleep.

Now, Sunday deserves a paragraph of its own! I woke up early this morning to take a run in Tecolote Canyon, which is right below campus. The fresh, slightly chilled air felt amazing in my lungs and refreshed me inside and out. After that, my roommates Sarah, Emily and I headed to Sarah's aunt's house for a day filled with Christmas baking! We turned up the Christmas mix and sang along as we baked and baked and baked for about five straight hours! The products of this sugar-love fest include: holly crispy treats, toffee, Funfetti cupcakes, brownies, and sugar cookies. I even got to make a spaghetti dinner! I absolutely LOVE the kitchen. Cooking and baking are definitely my forte. It was very nice to spend some time in a house with a family. I miss mine so much after being away from them for a while. College really makes you realize how much you really do love your family, friends, and being home. It makes finally being able to GO home that much better. Two weeks and two days til WINTER BREAK! Until then, time to get studying for those finals! AH!

What I am thankful for...

2009-11-24T13:50:00.001-08:00

I am SO EXCITED right now! I am sitting in the airport anxiously awaiting the plane that will take me back to my lovely family and the chilly air back in Colorado. This week was lost in a whirlwind of my excitement. I got to experience all the joys of registering for next semester's classes, and by joys i mean STRESS! There are so many classes to pick from, but because freshman are the last to register, a lot of the classes were full. I did, however, manage to get into all of the classes (mainly required cores) that I needed. Time is sure passing us by! I find it hard to believe Thanksgiving is only a few days away, and that I am almost halfway done with my freshman year! Thursday was a fun evening. I joined my friends at an Intervarsity International Thanksgiving potluck. I got to try some delicious food from around the world while making construction paper hand-turkeys and gabbing about all the things that we are so thankful for. These ranged from the traditional family and friends to rainy days (not many here in SD!) and In-n-Out Burger (mmmmm!).

My night ended at 3:30am when I finally snuggled under my covers and turned the lights out. Why so late? Well my reason involves hot vampires and warewolves with eight-packs. Yes, it was the midnight showing of New Moon that led me to stand in a line full of crazed fans for three hours. I love movies and the energy and excitement of midnight shows, so I had a good time. The Red Bull I chugged earlier that evening sure added to my enthusiasm as well. Friday I went to Intervarsity Girl's Night! Now talk about a good time. We all got dressed up to enjoy the FINEST desserts this side of the country at Extraordinary Desserts. It was so terribly hard to decide between strawberry-raspberry coffee cake and flakey coconut white cake (strawberry won out in the end...). When our stomachs were considerably fuller and our jeans slightly tighter, we headed to a house to watch The Proposal. I would have to say this movie is one of my all-time favorites! We flexed our creativity muscles by painting some pretty picture frames to take home. Saturday I gave back by participating in a Justice Event. We headed to City Heights, a very diverse neighborhood. We hung out with people from all over the globe at a community center and helped move furniture into a woman's room in a senior home. After that, we headed over to God's Extended Hand, a homeless soup kitchen and shelter. We gave the sanctuary eating area a fresh coat of paint. My jeans still have the evidence of my good deeds all over them! It was a really eye-opening experience to see all of the need in downtown San Diego. I go to one of the most beautiful schools in the nation and receive one of the best educations, and I am blessed with so much. Some people out there really do have nothing. It is important that we realize this so that we never take anything for granted. By Saturday night I was wiped out, so my roomie and I put on Transformers 2 and watched that. The smell of popcorn traveled down the hall and brought in a few of our friends to join the movie night. All in all, it was a very productive and rewarding weekend. Now I just can't wait for that plane to bring me back to my mountains! Happy Thanksgiving!

Birthday Blast

2009-11-17T07:14:00.000-08:00

WOW last week was sure a busy one! I had a paper due in my Contemporary Social Issues class and a test in Christianity and Its Practice. Thankfully those both were done at the beginning of the week,so my stress level had time to go back down to normal before the weekend. On Thursday, I went to the Intervarsity Large Group meeting, where we had a guest speaker come and speak to us about justice, and how we can do our part to make change happen in the world. I signed up for a service project to participate in on Saturday, and I am really looking forward to that! On Thursday, I got to venture off campus and visit the San Diego Museum of Art with the rest of my art history class. We looked at the Asian art collection and had to pick one of the art pieces to describe in detail. Friday brought the excitement of the basketball season kickoff! AND FREE FOOD! (no college student wants to pass this up. EVER.) My friends from my hall and I enjoyed our free Chipotle burritos before the fans started piling in. We all cheered the Toreros onto victory against Stanford. Final score? 77 to 64. Good game boys! Saturday night, we went down to La Jolla Shores and had a bonfire at the beach to celebrate my 19th birthday! After chowing down on the best burgers and fries at the famous In-n-Out, we roasted smores and huddled around a blazing fire with the waves crashing in the background. It was one of my favorite nights here. My Papa drove down from Orange County on Sunday to take me out to lunch for my birthday. We went down to Seaport Village and walked around before enjoying some really amazing pizza. It was wonderful to see him, and the weather was perfect as we walked along the water. Oh, the joys of living in San Diego! Yesterday (Monday) was my birthday! I woke up to pink and purple streamers and balloons EVERYWHERE! My lovely roommates had decked the place out, and it made my day. I was so happy to get mail too, and find all the goodies that my relatives had sent me as well! And, of course, my phone rang nonstop with all the well wishers calling to say "Happy Birthday!" and then catch up on our busy lives. It reminded me just how fortunate we are to have loving families and friends who still care about us and love us, even though they are thousands of miles away. At night, I ordered some pizzas (mmmmm stuffed crust anyone?) and we had a little girls night, watching The Ugly Truth and stuffing our faces. Then, my friends brought out a cake for me, shining with 20 candles! (19, plus one for good luck!) I was so excited to make a wish and blow them out. My night ended at my community group Bible study, where my friends there too had brought some treats and made special signs to celebrate. It's very nice knowing that no matter where I am, no matter how far from home, I still have a support system of people who really care. They are what made my birthday so special.

Lessons in saying YES

2009-11-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

I got to experience a few new things this week that I never would have otherwise if I had not said one teeny three letter word, YES. In college, there is a plethora of new experiences crouching around every corner, waiting for you to cross their paths. This week, I discovered quite the variety of them.

It began on Friday, October 30th. I decided to attend the Costume Dance that Greek Life put on in honor of Halloween. I love Halloween. It is the one night you can be WHOEVER you want, no matter how mythical, humorous, or real you would like. I dressed up in my Gryffindor cape, tied on my maroon and gold tie, grabbed my wand, and then placed my still tender shoulder into its lovely, very fashionable blue sling. I went along with it, hoping people would think my injury was from a Hippogriff or spell gone wrong rather than dodgeball. I headed down to the dance with some of my friends and we had a blast for a couple of hours, meeting new people and marveling at the creativity that some students put into their costumes. It was nice to know that there were safe, alcohol-free options for fun on one of the biggest party weekends of the year.

One thing you will find out in college is that you can NEVER turn down free food. Pizza is offered at almost every club's interest meetings and events. Another lesson to learn is that Sunday is homework cram session day, when you realize that oh yea, tomorrow IS Monday, and NO, you can't stop it from coming. Since Sundays are usually stressful, my fellow RHA (Residence Hall Association) members and I decided to treat our dorm to Sunday Sundaes, a nice hour away from studying that was filled with socializing, laughs, and you guessed it, FREE ICE CREAM! It was a smash success (surprise surprise), and we decided that it is to become an event to happen every other week.

My next new experience of the week came as quite a surprise. My roommates and I headed down to the coffee shop Aromas for some delicious caramel macchiatos and quiet study time on Wednesday night. About a half hour into our homework, our eardrums were met with the cringing sound of microphone feedback that signaled the start of the Black Student Union's Apollo Night. This is basically an open mic night, full of dancing, singing, and guitar playing. There was even some funny rapping going on, and a sudden dance-off between some audience members. Despite the fact that I didn't get my work done, I actually enjoyed watching some of the acts. My eyes were opened to the fact that WOW, my fellow students sure have some talent!!!

Thursday night was much more serious. I participated in InterVarsity's Hunger Banquet. I sat at a table with four other people, and we were each handed a utensil and a challenge- we had to use that utensil and that utensil ALONE to get our dinner from the buffet. One girl was handed a single chop stick, while another was handed a ladle. I had a plastic spoon. We went up to the line and tried to scoop up our dinners of pasta, marinara sauce, salad and breadsticks. It was so difficult! After we ate, the hosts of the banquet informed us of the reasoning behind the madness. Those with the single chop stick represent the 20% of our world that lives on $1.25 a day OR LESS. That made my mouth drop. My eyes were certainly opened up to the serious issue of food shortage in parts of the world. I am blessed with so much: a fantastic education at a top-ranked university, a wonderful and loving family, and more food than I could ever need. It got me thinking about looking into one of the many missions trips that USD has to offer, or maybe going abroad into an underdeveloped country to help out.

This weekend was much more laid back. I explored beautiful La Jolla with my roomie Sarah, and we navigated our way there by using public transportation! The bus system was actually easy to figure out, and only $5 for a day pass. We got to watch the seals down at Child's Beach, and walked along the streets window shopping. It was a nice little getaway. Saturday night was spent with a couple of girls from my hall who I haven't really hung out with. They invited me to go with them and a few others to watch a preseason basketball game. I agreed, and enjoyed the squeak of the players' shoes, the thump of the ball against the court, and the cheers of the fans. It got me so excited for this coming Friday's opening game against Stanford! GO TOREROS!

So now here I am, in the library, working hard on all of the studying that I put off for movie marathons this weekend. I am getting really sleepy, and I am considering achieving the impossible tonight: going to sleep before midnight!!!

Count your blessings,

Avery

2009-11-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

Oh hey! Want to hear about why freshman LOVE USD? Click HERE!!!

The Dangers of Dodgeball

2009-11-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! Finally, my midterms are over! I have spent the last two weeks in a tizzy trying to balance studying for four big midterm tests and a ton of reading dumped on me by another class while still trying to remain normal and at least have a glimpse of a social life. I got to breathe a big sigh of relief at 9 o’clock this morning as I turned in my blue book containing what I hoped to be the correct answers to my last midterm, world history. I do not find that class to be very interesting to be honest with you. The rest of my day I spent relaxing, minus the hour and twenty minutes I learned about mosques from the Ottoman Empire in Art History class. Anyways, enough of the academic hodgepodge. This past weekend I got to experience all the fun of Homecoming! On Friday, the thumping of bass as the speakers were tested for that night’s concert by Milkman and Sean Kingston rudely interrupted my nap. My groggy irritability soon melted away as I began to get excited for the night’s festivities! My roommates and I went to the concert early so that we could enjoy free ice cream bars, mess around in the photo booth, and watch the mechanical bull dominates our friends. Around seven PM, DJ Milkman, a mash up artist, began to spin. This guy was good! He mixed a lot of the popular songs and some amazing beats together that made the whole crowd move. I just know he will be the Next Big Thing, and USD was among the first to experience his awesomeness. Next up was Sean Kingston himself. He sang his top hits, ending with “Fire Burning” that left the whole crowd dancing in the street and everyone’s ears ringing from the pumping bass.

All that moving and shaking left my friends and I starving, so we pooled together some money to order some pizza and Cinna-stix, and hunkered down to watch one of the greatest girl-power movies of all time, She’s the Man. All in all, it was an amazing night.

On Saturday, we went down to the Homecoming tailgate. I found it so weird to see some of the USD alumni wandering about, wistfully remembering their own college days as USD’s current students imagined their futures and enjoyed the all-you-can-eat buffets. My roommates and I watched as a few strolled about our dorm, pointing out where they enjoyed their freshman year about twenty years back or so. Then the USD family of past and present united as we cheered on our Toreros in a football game against Drake, which we unfortunately lost. My friends and I all celebrated anyways, hitting up the infamous Yogurtland for some delicious fro yo that is all the rage here.

My exciting adventure of the week involved some mad dodge ball playing skills that landed me an ambulance ride to the emergency room so that I could have my shoulder put back in place after a major dislocation. I heaved that ball at my opponent and tried to throw my arm apparently instead... I got some strange looks from the doctors as I tried to explain how this happened while I was wearing my knee socks and black face paint that was the uniform for my team, Las Mapaches (The Raccoons). Needless to say, my dodge ball career has come to a sudden and saddening stop forever I do believe. But please, don’t let my misfortune stop you from getting excited at all the exciting intramural sports that USD has to offer! You too can start your very own dodge ball or intertube water polo team.

Well my parents are in town this weekend for family weekend, so I am going to enjoy some fabulous dinner down in Seaport Village! Oh, San Diego, how I love all the amazing food places you have to offer me…

Peace & Love til next time, Avery