August Rush(ed)

So August is almost at a close and it came in a rush.

Just like the title of this post implies.
So, I will try to be short and sweet.
Okay scratch that; just sweet.

I haven’t written anything since the end of July for a number of reasons.
1) I had to pack for my Junior year of college.
2) I had to squeeze in all the “hang out with the folks” time that I could.
3) I roadtripped up to school with my best friend and his girlfriend (stopping at Uncle Tom’s on the way).
4) ResLife (Residence Life), or my group/community of other RAs and RCCs has officially taken over.

So let’s begin: I’m a Junior in college. It’s my third year. And what have I figured out? That I love the classes at this university. Again, I find myself SO overwhelmed, excited, and enamored to be back on campus and almost starting classes. Being here early for ResLife training (more about that in a bit) has been amazing. It’s surreal to do all the behind the scenes work, then check all the freshmen in, and all the while my fellow returning students are trickling in all around me into their respective on/off campus residences for the year.

That’s sort of a jump ahead. So I’ll recount a bit of the beginning of August: I spent my last night in town with the best group of people ever. Gavin, Mooney, Cailynn and I went to Abbott Kinney on that Friday night (Aug 6th) because apparently LA has been satiating a food-truck fetish since I’ve been at school. We heard there would be a bajillion and one trucks there that night, so naturally we had to go; we’re alllll about good eats.

I had: 2 carne asada tacos con guacamole, pico de gallo, y cebollas (onions), half a serving (and it was huge) of fries with steak, green onions, cheese, and a bunch of other way delicious things, 1 cupcake (that I ate later) that was a Peanut Butter and Banana cupcake (banana bread with PB frosting *drool*) and then to top off the night, part of a chocolate chip cookie with blueberry cobbler ice cream sandwich. IT WAS EXTRAORDINARY. There were real bits of cobbler and blueberries! So delicious (and well worth the 45 minute, or longer?, wait).

Gavin and I left the next morning, bright and early, to head to Manteca, where his grandparents live. We had sushi for lunch (and guess what! I ENJOYED IT. I’m definitely a new fan) then had Italian for dinner, and spent an hour or two digesting in the jacuzzi. We picked up Emily in SanFran, saw our friend Daniel for lunch and a walk (best sandwich ever: mozzarella and turkey pesto panini on sourdough) with Gavin’s dog Joe Cool (a very well behaved mutt).

Anyways, we took the coast (101 and the 1) to Uncle Tom’s. Let’s just say that I won’t be taking that drive again for a long time (hopefully), but nevertheless I’m SO glad we did it. It was beautiful and amazing and well worth the extra hours it tacked on, but very windy and very slow. I got to take the midnight to 4 am shift through the redwoods. I’d like to see them in the day time, but the truck headlights lit up the trunks of the trees and I could feel their enormity and their presence. It was truly humbling. Such a beautiful sight.

We made it to Uncle Tom’s, slept the night, and when I woke up to use the bathroom in the morning at around 06:30 he asked what time we got in, and when I told him 4:15, he said “I’m surprised you’re not still knocked out. Well when he left for golf, I hit the sack again.

He left a note on the counter with cereals and bread and jam out for us saying “it was lovely to see you. Have a good rest of the year. -Uncle Tom” and to that note I said, well I’m not ready to only have 2 minutes with him, so we waited on his porch til he came back from golf. =]

Actually, we went to Applegate Lake (BEAUTIFUL!) for the afternoon and when we got back, the Oregon family had planned a dinner for us all at Uncle Tom’s. He was glad to have us be staying longer (even though he totally tried to get rid of us with that note!) =D

We stayed up til 10 or so talking, laughing, and having a good time. We were told to come back soon (which I think will be Thanksgiving!) and then we all retired for the night.

We arrived in Tacoma the next day in the evening after 8 hours of driving and a few road-trippy meals (artery clogging for sure) and helped move Gavin’s stuff into his room. I crashed on his couch for the night and then the next day moved into my room in Trimble! (the upperclassmen suite-style residence hall on campus) in which I am one of 6 Residential Community Coordinators! (Basically the same as an RA, but we have a slightly less traditional style, so we have different expectations and ways of doing things.

Welcome to Junior year, is all I can say. It’s gonna be a whirlwind, and I think I’m ready.

Sincerely,
Junior-Girl-in-Like