Friends; Some Gained, Some Lost, Some forever

You will only encounter a few people in your life that will remain your friends through thick and thin. One of the times you realize this will be during your transition from high school to college. Many of the people you thought were your friends during high school will prove that they were never ‘truly’ real friends when you both take your separate paths and go off to college. For me this was entirely true.

Now I don’t mean to write this blog to bag on failed friendships or to say that I was never the person who didn’t hold up my end of the bargain with a friendship, because that isn’t true. I am writing about this stepping-stone in life because I think it is an important part of growing up. It doesn’t mean that either you or the other person in the friendship, are bad people, or that you didn’t care about that person at one point. It means that you are mature enough to realize that people grow apart. Of course you are going to draw away from people in your life because as life goes on you start to figure out who you are and what your goals are in life. Everyone has different aspirations in life and sometimes when you begin to engage in creating a future for yourself you grow apart from friends soley because they are doing the same thing in there life.

I just think it’s very important to acknowledge that growing apart from people isn’t always a bad thing. You most likely learned something with that friendship or even relationship. It is part of growing up, an inevitable part of life—and you must encounter lost friendships to find the right ones, right?

Just some food for thought (:

New York City

Going to New York City with one of your best friends to visit your other best friend is probably one of the best trips you can go on in your lifetime.

Central Park!

On Thursday Parris and I headed to New York City to see our best friend Riley that goes to NYU. We basically almost missed our flight because the TSA at security decided that our carry on bags were too big...so we had to wait in line to check our bags. Parris went behind me and all of the sudden I look back and she has half of her clothes on the ground trying to get her bag to fit in the carryon box..nope, it still didn't fit. So we ended up paying $25 to check these tiny bags that could have definitely been considered a carry on bag. Had we known we would have brought a bigger suitcase so we would have been able to fit more clothes in it if we knew we were going to have to check our bags!



Anyways we finally made it to our plane. Once we got on and realized there was tv's on the back of all of the seats we were super excited. .....Until I try to use mine and it's broken-just my luck. The plane ride was five hours but it seemed to go by pretty fast!

Yesterday's Adventure:
Riley had class so Parris and I decided that we were going to try to take the subway to the Statue of Liberty. Well I bet you can imagine how that ended up. We got tired of waiting for the "R" line so we decided that it would be fine to take the "Q". That was until we realized that the "Q" was taking us an hour away to Coney Island. Once we realized we got off and got on the "N" train which was suppose to take us back towards Battery Park so we could catch the ferry to Ellis Island. We ended up getting off at China Town instead of the Battery Park stop. At this point we were getting a little nervous that we weren't going to make it back. We got back on the "N" line and the driver announces that the next stop would be the last stop. At this point I am also in tears and Parris is getting extremely mad. We got off at the stop and we here the subway next to us announce that the next stop is "14th and Union Square" (which is where Riley's dorm is). We ran as fast as we could and barely made it on before the doors closed. Basically, we spent $30 on subway passes to make it right back to Riley's dorm....

Despite our subway mishap, we went to the natural history museum, central park, and Times Square!

Stay tuned for more on the adventures endured on the NYC 2015 trip.

The Luria Library

The most beneficial place on campus: The Library.

I have to admit my first semester of college I didn't utilize the library at all. In fact, I didn't even step foot in the library until this semester, and that was only because I had a two hour break in between my classes and I wasn't sure what to do with myself.. Well I have to tell you, I am so glad that I decided to start to utilize the library!

For those new to utilizing the library:
When you first walk into the library, there are round tables set up for studying. This is a great place to do group work or have a study session with friends. Right behind these tables are the computers. (Keep in mind that if they are all full, there is most likely a line that starts over by the printers. Yes I was the person who just jumped in and took over a computer with out standing in line because I had no idea that there was even a line...and got I yelled at by one of the workers haha.) Behind the computers is the cafe, which let me tell you, comes in handy especially when you've been at school for over five hours already. I love their lattes <---yes I know, typical white girl. Lattes are lifesavers. But the cafe also has a variety of other drinks and pastry type snacks.  Next to the cafe are the study stalls. This is where I usually go to take notes or finish my math homework. Although its a great place to finish up some homework, it's not the best place to go if you need to concentrate because it is kind of loud being that it's right next to the cafe. Now to my favorite part of the library: "The Quiet Zone." The quiet zone is down stairs. This is where I always go to read or study for an upcoming test.

The library is such a great place for a variety of reasons. The staff is willing to help you find anything you need. You can check out books, and also take out a text book for two hours that teachers put on reserve. You are free to use the computers for any type of homework, research or essays. There are printers available, although you do have to pay a small amount to print. And the most important thing, in my opinion, is the fact that everyone in there is studying and working on homework; it is definitely a great learning environment and has really motivated me to study and get my work done at school, so by the time I get home at night, I can take time to myself and relax!



Spring Semester Hours:

Monday- 7:30am-11:00pm
Tuesday- 7:30am-11:00pm
Wednesday- 7:30am-11:00pm
Thursday- 7:30am-11:00pm
Friday- 7:30am-4:30pm
Saturday- 12:00pm-5:00pm
Sunday- 11:00am-11:00pm

My Favorite Class

Well, this being only my second semester of college, I can't say I have too many classes under my belt to chose from... However, if I had to chose from the classes from my first semester and now my newly added classes, I would definitely say psychology is by far my favorite class that I have taken here at Santa Barbara City College. Dont get me wrong, I liked my other courses as well. All of my teachers have been absolutely awesome! But psychology is so different from any class I've taken so far. 

When I walked into class on the first day, I have to say I was a little intimidated because the classroom was set up like a small lecture hall. However, the professor ended up being sick and wasn't able to make it to class so we had a sub. A few days after the first class,  our professor Gina Bell sent out an email regarding her absence. In her email she also stated that this class wasn't going to be one that you can expect to zone out in. She really highlighted the fact that she expected the class to actively participate and this was something that made me in the slightest bit nervous-only because I am typically not the type of person who likes to speak up in class. 

During the next class, we all finally got to meet our professor and she proved herself to be my absolute favorite professor so far! Her teaching style really helps everyone to feel comfortable in class and I am never afraid to speak up. She is a very helpful teacher but she still leaves room for you to learn and expand your mind on the subject that is being taught.

My main reason for writing about my favorite class is to tell you that when you're picking out your courses for the semester-take chances! I had no desire to take a psychology class but I ended up adding it just because I wasn't sure what else to take...however, I've only been in the class for two weeks and I'm strongly considering changing my major to psychology!

Roomie Love

As you may know, I moved into Tropicana Gardens last Sunday. I've heard plenty of crazy roommate stories so of course I was a little hesitant, being that I was diving into a living situation with five other girls while I had just spent the previous semester living alone in a studio. However, a few weeks prior to moving in, I got my list of roommates and with the luck of the draw, I actually got put into a room with the girls I had met when I came to take a tour of Trop.

There is three rooms in my suite. Bedroom A is empty, as one of the previous roommates moved out and the spot is yet to be filled. Bedroom B (my bedroom) has two people in it: me and my roommate Jess, and Bedroom C has four girls in it. I can honestly say I got really lucky being put in suite 257. I really love all of my roommates. They've really helped me adapt to Trop.

With that being said-for everyone that is planning on attending SBCC next fall, I highly recommend living at Tropicana Garden. The food may not be the greatest but it is honestly one of the best places to meet people and obtain the 'real college experience'. It's crazy how many people you meet. I've been here for one week and have already met so many people. You may think that you'd rather get an apartment with friends or you may even think you want to live alone... but college is a time to put yourself out there, and gain new experiences. Tropicana Gardens has already proven to be a great choice! Plus they have a great 24 hour study lounge- which has already been one of my most used amenities, a heated pool- a great area for tanning as well, and a gym!

Todays adventure...

Today my friends and I decided to take a mini break from Santa Barbara and head to Malibu for the day!

Our first stop:

Malibu Farms on the Malibu Pier. I don't know if you've ever been to Malibu but it is a very upscale area. Let me start by saying the food at Malibu Farms is phenomenal. I really recommend it to everyone! I got the breakfast sandwich which was very delicious. They have an array of very unique items, such as persimmon salads and fried egg sandwiches. Also, if you do happen to stop by Malibu Farms you have to order one of their unique lemonades or juices served in these cute mason jars! Aside from the good food, Malibu Farms is known to serve some very famous celebrities. Today my friends and I sat right next to Orlando Bloom. What are the odds? Of course we didn't want to seem like crazy fans so we just nonchalantly said hello and continued on with our lunch.... Now I am sitting here wondering why I didn't ask to get a picture with him... Oh well, it's the memory that matter right?!

 After we finished lunch, we headed to a private beach to get our tan on. If you ever want to beat the crowds while you're down in Malibu look for a row of condos right at the top of the canyon and you'll see an almost hidden white stair case. If you park on the side of the free way there's a little trail through the brush that will lead you to the stairs. There is just enough sand to be able to lay a towel down for some tanning, along with some rocks a few hundred feet down that make for some beautiful scenery and a very cool backdrop for pictures.

After we finished tanning and taking pictures, we decided to head to back to Santa Barbara. We were about ten minutes into our ride home when we look over and see a Mercedes G series. While we were admiring the car and dreaming about one day being able to own one my friend Chynna blurts out "Wait, pull up!!" As we crept forward we realized that the driver was in fact Robert Downey Junior! That's two Celebrities in one day. I have lived in California for almost seven years and I have yet to see any 'big time' celebrities..until today that is. So if you would like to get some shots of anyone famous I would highly recommend visiting Malibu! I'd say the odds are pretty good!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back fellow Vaqueros! I hope everyone had a great break, I know I sure did.
Just a quick recap of a few of my festivities over break:

• I went home to Minnesota for the first two weeks. My best friend Parris actually came with me for the first week. Highlights of my trip home included: multiple trips to the Mall of America, Snowboarding for the first time, family game nights and Christmas traditions of church and presents. I had a great time at home but I was excited to get back to the California weather.
• A few days after I got home I headed to Bakersfield for a week. I stayed with my best friend Parris. We had a lot of fun going shopping and eating at all of our favorite restaurants. We also made sure we had time to party a bit, and visit her sister in Long Beach.
• After I went to Bakersfield, Parris came down to Santa Barbara for a little last minute fun before the semester began. We actually met some friends playing volleyball and joined in on the fun, but thats another story.. haha. We hung out at the beach and did a few last things downtown before we began to pack up all of my things for my big move to Isla Vista.
• On Sunday, my old tutor and family friend drove down from Bakersfield and helped me pack up my remaining things and we hauled all of my things to Tropicana Gardens in Isla Vista. I was excited to find out I actually knew my roommate, and my other suite mates are really cool. The only thing that isn't my favorite is the food at Trop. But other than that I think it was a great decision to move!

I'm not sure why but I was honestly ready to get back in the swing of things this semester. I was really excited for all of the change and to just be closer to other college kids in Isla Vista. It is definitely a big change from downtown, but I think it is a very positive change for myself!

I'm really excited to see what this semester has in store, It's definitely going to be a great one!

Have a great first week of class everyone!