College

I'm in college. It's now definitely part of my identity. It's weird. It's so weird. I'm currently home, my last day off before I resume classes, and I'm procrastinating (as always) on a term paper I have due in just a few hours. But the weird part is... I keep accidentally saying I'm going "home" when I talk about heading back to school. School is my new home. That tiny dorm room, backed to the brim with stuff, is my home. And my friends, my roommate... we make up our own little at-school-family. 

(my bedding's from robertarollerrabbit) // RIP TO MY TAN & my clean room

School is hard. It's hard having to be an adult. Doing my own laundry: surprisingly really not that hard. But there're so many little things that I have to think about when I'm living away from my parents that I didn't have to think about while I was always living at home. But I love it. I honestly do. I've had so many great days. I've met so many great people: and it's just November. I cannot wait until I am in a sorority (in just a few weeks, really!) and getting closer with some people who I don't even know right now. I'm so excited to feel more settled next semester... and hopefully my annoying bout of mono will be gone by then too. Because yeah, I'm a basic college student and contracted mono within the first few months of school.

But yeah, anyways. I love it. And over Christmas, I'll talk about it a bit more.

XX.

Nantucket Summer 2015

I'm back from ACK!

My family spent a great two weeks on one of my favorite places in earth: Nantucket, Massachusetts. While on island, we ate at some of my favorite restaurants (see an old post about them here), shopped, went to a concert, and hit the beaches.

For the first time ever, we some of our family friends joined us. It was fun to show them around the island that my family loves so much.

It's going to be weird that in a few weeks I will no longer be living at home with these goons!

Now, with only 17 days left at home, I'm busy working, hanging out with my friends before we leave for school, and preparing for my dorm! Cannot believe my last summer before college is almost over. Pretty unreal.

X,

Simple Banana Acai Bowl Recipe

During the winter, I eat a bowl of soup everyday. During the summertime, I love smoothies, but they don't always fill me up. My in-between of these two is an acai bowl, which is basically an acai based smoothie topped with fresh fruit and granola. Widely dubbed as a super fruit, the Mayo Clinic has stated that the berries contain antioxidants, heart-healthy fats, and fiber. However, the superpowers of this fruit are not scientifically proven. However, I love the depth that this fruit brings to my lunch. Here's one of the easiest acai bowl recipes that I have created: the Simple Banana Acai Bowl.

For the acai smoothie base of the bowl, you will need:

• one banana
• a half cup of Sambazon Acai juice
• 8 frozen strawberries
• a half cup of frozen mango
• a quarter cup of frozen raspberries

I prefer some frozen fruits to fresh when making smoothies, especially for fruits like raspberries that will quickly mold in the refrigerator. They also help keep the smoothie base cold without using ice. If you have plenty of fresh fruit on hand, go ahead and use it! But add a half cup of ice. 

The first thing you should put into your blender is the banana. I break it up into around 1 inch pieces with my hands. 

After the banana, I add the acai juice. 

Then throw your frozen fruits on top.

Go ahead and start blending the smoothie base. It might take a few minutes, depending on the grade of your blender. I use a Magic Bullet. While you are waiting for the smoothie to blend, go ahead and start preparing your toppings. My family goes through fresh fruit really quickly, so the only fresh fruits we had were bananas. Depending on what's available, I also like to use pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, or mango. Really it's all about preference and availability. 

As you can see above, I like to dice my banana pieces pretty small. 

Once the smoothie base is gone, go ahead and put it into a bowl.

Then add your favorite toppings! I love using a ton of granola in my bowls. My favorite is KIND Maple Quinoa Clusters with Chia Seeds. It tastes amazing, and not too strong (unlike some other maple-flavored granolas I own!)

And there you have it! A great, healthy meal that tastes like heaven, and is basically fruit soup. Enjoy!

X.

Venturing Out

"Let's not travel to tick things off lists or collect half-hearted semi-treasures to be places in dusty drawers in empty rooms. Rather, we'll travel to find grounds and rooftops and tiny hidden parks, where we'll sit and dismiss the passing time, spun in the city's web 'til we've surrendered, content to be spent and consumed. I need to feel a place while I'm in it."

-Victoria Erikson

Yesterday my friend and I decided to go biking in one of our nearby state parks. 

 I loved just being outside and being active. It was a great way to get rid of stress and de-connect from all the technology and problems that might be constantly on your mind. 

Later in the day my friends and I went to a screening of a documentary called "The Search for Freedom." It was all about different action sports and what the professionals of that sport get from their experience doing what they love. It covered everything from base jumping to surfing to mountain biking. It was interesting seeing people do crazy things on bikes after my day doing a much less dangerous version of the activity. If it's playing in a theater near you it might be an interesting thing to watch. The quality of the footage was insanely good.

X.

the times they are a changin'

It's done. The diploma now sits on my mantle. It's done. And honestly it's freakishly weird and hasn't quite hit me yet. I think it'll slowly wash over me, or maybe it'll hit me like a thunderbolt and tears will fall uncontrollably. I'm not sure. 

The last day of school was weird. Being that close to everyone, the small class of 2015, in our tiny little senior locker area. The music was blasting. It's all surreal that its done. But as soon as the final bell rang, we were gone. I didn't sleep in my own bed for at least a week. I floated around, not ready to come home. I lived out of my LL Bean tote bag, slept on couches, on shared beds, on back-breaking floors. I became a beach bum. I found out that I really cannot bowl. I danced and danced and danced at the best concert I've been to. I reconnected with my favorite people. I've started and quit my internship. I've just begun to apply to new opportunities. I've turned my winter blues into a summer bliss.

Can't wait for what's coming next.

X.

THE END

I've spent twelve years at my school, which here I'll lovingly call simply "Academy." Now, my time is done. It's surreal to me that I have spent the majority of my life attending this institution. But it absolutely baffles me that I will never hear another senior speech; that I'll never play another intense rival game out on the varsity field; that I won't ever have another class. All of it.

My school is one of my favorite places in the world. We have a similar relationship as I do with my younger brother. I can insult it all I want--and trust me, I have--but anyone but an alum better not speak a word of contempt. I hold this place dear to my heart. The teachers who have supported me... oh my goodness. I cannot thank them enough.

 I would not be the person I am today if I hadn't gone to Academy, not even close. This school set me on a path, at the young age of 6, that has made me morally strong, enriched me to be academically curious, and pounded into me the highest level of respect.

_______________________

Things I've learned from high school:

Be nice: The simplest advice; the hardest advice; the advice that I need to remember for the rest of my life.

It's not easy (for good reason): It's not supposed to be easy. And trust me, it won't be. You will spend hours working on projects into the dark of night. You'll cry with anguish when someone you despise gets everything you've ever wanted. (It'll happen) Work hard and push yourself. If it was easy you would never learn anything, not about yourself or anything else.

You don't have to stay the same person you've always been: ... and you won't. Explore all of your interests, and recognize when something is no longer important to you. It's not a bad thing if your friends change because of it. It'll make you stronger, it'll make you you. 

It doesn't define you: High school is important; it's an important stage of growth. But high school will not define your future. Don't sweat the things that don't matter, because in the future they won't. You will always be changing and there is so much more to come. Revel in that. 

_______________________

A current college sophomore who went to my high school, inspired me to write this post on the end of high school. On her similar post, she featured this quote: 

"You get a strange feeling when you are about to leave a place. Like you'll not only miss the people you love, but you'll miss the person you are now, at this time and place, because you'll never be this way ever again." -Azar Nafisi, from her book Reading Lolita in Tehran

I'm scared for college. I'm scared to leave my comfort zone. I'm scared to see how college will change my relationship with my friends. But, I'm also excited. I'm ready to move on, because my school has ensured that. They've been preparing me to leave since I walked in the doors. Now, it's time to go.