a dorm's-eye view

April 7, 2011

2011-05-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

In fact, they're everywhere. I believe you would be quite hard pressed to not encounter them in your daily life. I challenge you to even try. (Who can resist a challenge?)

Vanilla Latte or Chai Tea? Non-fat or skim milk? Sit inside the cafe, or out? Bring my management textbook to study, or bring Water for Elephants and enjoy an hour of pleasure reading?

Of course, the opportunity cost of each decision must be considered as well. From my cozy spot in the corner of the coffee shop I may be missing out on that incredible tan the suns rays outside are just waiting to give me, or I could be avoiding that all too probable sunburn. As I delve into the captivating world the author has created I must consider that in depth character knowledge won't help me much in my exam as I attempt to illustrate the Myers Briggs Personality Types.

(Organizational Management is actually incredibly fascinating. I LOVE the class. Want to take a guess at which personality type I am? I don't think you would be too surprised!)

Choices are indeed everywhere. Each tiny choice sends us a step or two off or the path we're walking on as we continually weave through life.

It's the momentous choices though, the ones which send us in completely different directions, that are truly worthy of reflection.

You bright young lads and ladies have just under one month to make your college choice: snowy New York or Sunny San Diego. You could mix and match the previous two colleges to your hearts content and yet you still are led to the same result, you have choices. In light of these upcoming choices, I have a view thoughts to share (though isn't that what this entire blog is about?)

College is a time for you to fall in love. Fall in love with a subject, a class, a club. Find a passion, and find the right path. It's a chance to discover truly inspiring people, and to be inspiring. You could attend the greatest college in the United States, but if it's not the right fit for you, you won't discover half of what you would in an environment that cultivates you.

So hurray for opportunity, for direction, and for choices.

Choose the university that you've fallen in love with. Choose the university that made you feel at home. That was USD for me, and I won't deny that I do hope it is for you too.

March 31, 2011

2011-04-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again...

In the midst of such a fundraising frenzy,

I couldn’t resist diving in myself

Take a look at some of the flyers, posters, and shirts I designed as the

Head of Mr. University’s Public Relations!

I loved getting so involved this year; my Theta ladies really did do an incredible job

After all was said and done

(And Mr. Crew was crowned King of the Jungle)

Mr. University raised over $27,000 for CASA!

*I wrote a news article about the event – get to know a little more about Mr. U and CASA by clicking on the link below!*

February 14, 2011

2011-04-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

January 30, 2011

2011-03-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

Florence, Italy

The wine, in gold and ruby hues, sparkled in our glasses, a perfect background to our meal of rich Italian sauces, freshly made pasta, cooked al dente, and pizza piled with globs of melting mozzarella cheese and perfectly ripe tomatoes.

Dantes quickly became our beloved pizzeria as it was where students of Florence University dined as friends of the owner, enjoyed wine free of charge, and walked out the door adorned in complimentary Dantes’ shirts and hats.

By the time we left the restaurant that first night there, we had witnessed a wedding proposal and the owner, Honey, had invited us to his personal table to toast to the chef’s birthday.

A perfect memory from a perfect adventure.

I could inundate you with pictures and stories from this incredible intercession trip, but I think I will do Italy justice by leaving my post beautiful and simple.

My advice: Attend USD’s second year experience, and tell Honey I say hello!

December 26, 2010

2011-03-24T01:39:00.000-07:00

December 10, 2010

2011-03-24T00:02:00.000-07:00

The phrase tall, dark, and handsome described him quite well. He was muscular, a giant in comparison to those around him. From where he sat above us, we knew that he was going to play hard to get. It was too late though, we had our minds made up, and our hearts set on him.

This is the story of H.

There were four friends, Kaitlin, Sam, Sara, and Will, who set off on a wintery Saturday night to attend one of the greatest events San Diego has to offer:

December Nights

This incredible event takes place during December in Balboa Park , a place that deserves it’s own moment of recognition.

Balboa Park is one of the gems of San Diego. Ranked as one of the best parks in the world, it encompasses more than 1,200 acres of land, has been the home to two World’s Fairs, has over 16 distinct museums, and houses the 12^th best rose garden globally.

Needless to say, the only thing that could make Balboa Park any better is if it was decked out head to toe in Christmas cheer.

Cue December Nights.

For one weekend every December the city of San Diego shows its gratitude to the city’s residents by opening the doors of every museum for free. The entire park is filled with Christmas trees, shining lights, vendors, performers, choirs, and volunteers.

The international village, a portion of Balboa Park which includes houses modeled after the common styles of over 30 different countries, becomes one of the centers of activity. Every house serves authentic food from the country it represents, with volunteers from that nation working hard in the kitchen to produce INCREDIBLE treats.

Hot Chocolate from Denmark.

Apple Pie from the United States.

Swarma and stuffed grape-leaves from Lebanon.

Potato pancakes from Israel

Crepes from France.

The only thing I wished was that for once my eye’s weren’t bigger than my stomach, and my continued taste-testing would take me around the world culinary-style .

Unfortunately, my list of the foods I tried only consists of the above (yes, all of it….)

Luckily, I have two more Decembers here in San Diego to make my way through every country.

(Quick must know fact: In two nights over 325,000 people visited December Nights! Meaning, there is A LOT of traffic on your way there! Luckily, after moving one mile an hour for 45 minutes, deciding to give up and go back to USD, accidently turning into a military access only building and parking structure, and then realizing Sara has a military ID, we found parking right by the park. Easier route: just leave early!)

Now, in my passion for Christmas, free museums (I’ll include a link to all of the ones the park has to offer – some of them are SO interesting to visit!), and amazing food, I seem to have led you astray from the original reason for this story.

Who, you may ask, is H? Who is that certain someone who stopped us in our tracks as we journeyed through this Christmas wonderland?

Meet H.

Unbelievably gigantic, without a doubt too big to fit inside the compact car we drove in, and the most outrageous souvenir to bring back to our dorm room, he was perfect.

As four intelligent, driven, and logical college students, we met the challenge, and claimed our prize.

Well, sort of.

Meet our not-as-impressive-or-attractive, but the only-monkey-we-could-win-without-spending-more-than-twenty-dollars-on-the-game prize!

While everything didn’t exactly go as planned, we had an amazing time, and got quite a lot of high-fives from people on our way to the car with our bounty!

Enjoy the holidays – Love Kaitlin, Sara, Will, Sam, and our new giant friend.

October 31, 2010

2011-03-23T23:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

Here's a snapshot of mine which included the Scooby Gang, British accents, the USC vs. U of O football game, and the absolute coziest flannel (mirroring as a lumber jack costume...).

From San Diego to LA and back - this was definitely a weekend to remember!

My Roommate Sara and I - even our parents confuse us at times! (Though by switching Halloween costumes halfway through the night we definitely didn't make it any easier on people)

I had to support my home team, the Trojans, by wearing red - even though we lost to Sam's Oregon Ducks! (U of O's mascot, Puddles, was one of the game's highlights!)

Luckily with themed sorority dances in the future, I don't have to wait until next year to get creative with costume ideas!

October 30, 2010

2010-11-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

On the eve of one of the year's most frightening weekends, it should be no surprise that the concept

of fear is heavily present within my mind. The notion of fear in question, however, isn't one comprised of spiders, chain saw carrying

masked men, or hauntingly scary ghosts (though i won't deny my intense fear of them all) but rather a fear of the future.

T minus 3 days until spring semester class registration.

In other words, t minus 3 days until I need to officially decide my major and plan

my courses for the next 2 1/2 years.

In simply one word, AHHH!

I've spent the past year

fulfilling my GEs as well as all of the lower division requirements for the Business Major, all the while changing weekly just exactly what

type of Business Major that may be..

Business Admin with a communication minor, or when I'm feeling creative, Marketing

and perhaps an English Minor instead, then there's the practical Accounting major lets skip the minor, or, on those ambitious days, Double Major! with the American

Humanics/Leadership minor too! USD's extensive course

catalog has given me the ability to mix and match to my heart's content with hopes of finally finding the perfect match for me. With the time

limit on this matching game running out, I suppose fear on my mind isn't exactly a ridiculous thought. Right now, I think I'd much

rather go out and take on the world of bewitching costumes and black cats. Wishing you all a Happy Halloween as you do the same!

Kaitlin

Speaking of black cats, I thought in light of the upcoming holiday I'd share mine with you! His name's Mr. Peabody...

and I have to admit I miss him quite a lot (sadly, the only thing he misses is dinner when it's a few minutes

late)

Sweet Home San Diego

2010-11-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

Last night as I packed up my 250 page binder of Accouting handouts (my new favorite book/personal lifesaver for the semester) and gathered together a collection of pens and an overly filled planner, my cell phone lit up with the number of an all to welcome caller.

"Hey mom, just leaving class"

"At 7pm? Nice to know you're actually doing some work over there in between going to the beach! Where are you off to now?"

"Going home, finallyyy"

Pause.

Did you catch it?

Home. In an entire year of being down here I fall guilty of stating my destination as school, my dorm, my room, and every other synonym in between. But, home? I stand by the notion that home is where the heart is, and I have to say I really have fallen in love with San Diego. Exciting revelation... and one that hopefully sets the tone for the year to come...

SOPHOMORE YEAR!

Moving back to USD was a surprisingly easy trip (a short caravan of my parents and my cars from LA), and now that the boxes are unpacked,classes have been sorted out, and life is completely settled, my new home and schedule are finally post-worthy.

Living in the Vistas (on campus sophomore apartments) has been a blast so far! The entire community is nothing but my class of '13 and we happen to be adjacent to the school pool and gym (a 30 second walk back from volleyball practice is highly appreciated).

Sharing an apartment with my three best friends has been amazing, from decorating (including building our own shelves!) to trying experimental new recipes and hosting dinner parties to 2am study sessions paired with ice cream runs. Pictures soon to come so you all can take a look around!

Having the community lounge and study room right down stairs from us also happens to be quite the advantage, considering the amount of work I took on this semester!

18 units ... which include Accounting, Business Stats, Satire, Philosophy, Spanish, and Global Studies. (Plus .5 unit classes of club volleyball and surfing!!)

Whew, it's going to be a busy semester! Luckily, I actually enjoy every one of them so far (two of my professors even have British accents... Yes.)

Talk to you all later!

Kaitlin

Dear Kaitlin, / Love, Kaitlin

2010-07-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from a letter

Dated: August 27, 2009 Delivered: June 11, 2010

As a self-proclaimed veteran of the Catholic school system (I’ll have survived 17 years by the time I graduate USD) I admit I didn’t think twice about venturing on University Ministry’s Pre-orientation retreat last August. The last day of the retreat we were told to write letters to ourselves about anything or everything that was on our mind - letters to be delivered back to us at the end of the school year.

Just above lies a piece of my letter.

It’s a moment frozen in time forever. My exact mentality the week before I started USD as a college freshman. Looking back, it’s my To Do list that stands out the most. One year. Five rather ambitious tasks. My letter in hand and a pen ready to go, hopefully I’ll find that quite a few check marks are in order here…

I have to say this was the most daunting task upon my list. Just 9 months to find those kinds of friends? Friends I would travel across the country to visit and who wouldn’t mind trading shoes/clothes/cars/ basicallyeverythinginourlives.

Luckily, USD is a fairly small school, so meeting these sought after people wasn’t (hopefully) going to be a drawn out journey. In fact, I met one of them, Heather, my very first day at USD.

Meet Heather Sam & Sara.

Sam, we found her! And Sara… she found us. (I really hope you recognize the television reference here! Oh 90s cartoons….)

I even visited Heather in her hometown of Fredericksburg, Texas just a few weeks ago... and she spent a few days at my house in Los Angeles last weekend!

With so many sororities on campus this was definitely one of my easier tasks (minus the pain from wearing heels all of rush week!)

My final choice: Kappa Alpha Theta!

I can’t help but tell the story of my Big Sister Sarah (to clarify, in a sorority a sophomore will choose a freshman girl as her “little sister”, hence bigs and littles… and grandbigs… and great-grandbigs… etc.)

Sarah was the first person I met at USD, ever. As a senior in high school I set off on my overnight trip to San Diego, a chance to stay in the dorms with a current freshman and really experience college life there. Sarah was my overnight host and I couldn’t help but love her, the school, and her sorority stories. 14 months later, we’re inseparable as Big & Little : )

Moral of the story (kind of): Definitely come visit for an overnight! You never know who you might meet.

“The Alcalá Club is a service organization of men and women who work with the president of the University of San Diego as official representatives of the university.”

To put it simply, members work with the President of USD and attend University fundraisers and alumni events. Out of 1000 freshman each year, only four men and four women are chosen as the newest members of the club.

Interviews, personal essays, and letters of recommendation – getting in is no easy feat. Which is why, truth be told, I’m still SO excited about it!

I’ve only been a member of the Club a few short months and already I’ve had an icecream party with USD’s President, escorted VIPS at Alumni Honors night, and dined at Club 33 in Disneyland!

Here’s a closer look at what the Alcala Club is all about:

http://www.sandiego.edu/usdmag/?p=445

Alumni Honors Night! A chance to chat over dinner with USD's best and brightest from decades past. Amazing company, amazing decor, and amazing food - I'm already looking forward to next year.

The eight of us Freshmen are lucky enough to make up the newest Alcalas. I already love them all! As you can tell from our pictures (taken at the annual Etiquette Dinner/ White Party and at New Member Initiation) it's going to be a great four years together!

Oh, and the other brunette in the pictures... It's my roommate for next year Sara! Who would have ever guessed we would both be accepted? (We already have plans to hang the blazers on our dorm walls as decorations.... kidding)

Ah my check marks had to come to an end eventually…. Who knew that Astronomy would be to blame? Star-gazing? Not exactly... but I definitely think venturing out and taking unique classes is completely worth the B! (shhh) Speaking of venturing out, I’m even taking surfing this next semester! Wish me luck…

Places I can successfully drive to without the help of outside influences:

Mission Beach

Fashion Valley Mall

Starbucks

Seaworld

Does that count as navigating the city of San Diego? It’s okay… we can be honest here… I accept my failure on this one…. I mean, on the brightside, I have no doubt I’ll have the freeways figured out by the time I graduate..

____________________________________________________

Finding a letter in the mail is always a lovely surprise (it's becoming so rare now with email)

Thinking about it, this just might be one of the best mail surprises I've received in quite awhile.

Reason to smile today Y:

If you're starting at USD next year... only 38 more days to go (as my roommate just texted to inform me) see you there!

Written with love, Kaitlin

My Confession

2010-07-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

From the day we met I knew there was something special about you. You listened without interrupting, you every so often left a mountain of thought provoking questions in my email, and, as my blog views grew, I knew you never failed to stop by and catch up with my life for a minute or two.

As our 8-month anniversary approaches (July 18^th, don’t worry I haven’t forgotten) I find myself faced with the realization:

I have no idea what to get you!…

and you have certainly have no idea where to begin with me.

Simply said, you don’t, in actuality, even know me.

There in lies my confession. I haven’t really given you the chance. Over time it’s not difficult to notice that our bi-weekly chats haven’t quite been the most… bi-weekly. An event comparable with tuning into your favorite television show and simply viewing a repeat from last week.

My promise to you?

When you tune in to my blog (perhaps on the commercial breaks of your favorite TV show?) you’ll stumble upon a fresh and captivating new episode (aka post). From this point on, our dates will be something memorable, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t soon develop a list of your very favorite encounters. So, how does this weekend sound?

I’ll bring the reading material...

and you bring a mind eager for conversation. Until then…

A reason to smile Y:

http://gimundo.com/news/article/lottery-winner-joan-ginther-the-luckiest-woman-alive/

She won the lottery…4 times! Impossibility…what’s that again?

Written with love, Kaitlin

If you could have any superpower what would it be?

2010-03-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

Oh the usual question we’ve all heard at every icebreaker activity ever attended. Unlike the “tell an interesting fact about yourself” prose though, the former is one I always have an answer for. Mind reading. I feel all the complications in life would be solved. There would be a question, and an answer, and really no miscommunication in between, sans the potential appearance of thoughts that aren’t quite as willing to be shared. Ah, I suppose its for the best I don’t know what you’re thinking (though I’m hoping its about attending USD! hah okay I couldn’t help but throw that in there) however, in the spirit of such possibility I’ve decided to give you a glimpse into my mind for the moment. Ready, set, think!

well, here's what I'm thinking...

think theta

Kappa Alpha Theta, that is.

Yes I rushed! and I couldn't be happier with my lovely sorority ladies. While rush week itself was quite stressful (I honestly don't think I've ever talked to so many girls in one day!) it was completely worth it. The past few weeks as a new member have been so much fun! From our bid day cruise to our theta love dance to our overnight retreat to sushi night and study dates with fraternities, there's always so many ways to be involved, theta style!

my new pledge class 2010

theta love was our first dance of the semester - what better way is there to get into the valentines day spirit!

How to figure out what on earth is going on in these pictures!

I thought you guys would need a little help decoding! (I know I did)

the kite

My sorority's symbol is a kite, hence the older girls are "kiting" us new girls, something everyone's dates decided they wanted to be a part of as well!

the theta sign

The combination of an open mouth and the sideways finger forms a theta, yes it took me awhile to figure that one out too.. but now it's second nature to see well, everywhere!

80s themed night!

My valentines day was complete with the delivery of the beautiful roses below. It's my dads tradition to give them to both my mom and I every year (though mine usually includes a completely dorkish stuffed animal as well), and though there's now three hours between us - he still found a way!

think sweets

I must admit not thinking sweets has been an issue lately. I gave them up for lent, along with coffee! If you've ever read my posts before and realized just how many times I tend to casually mention my favorite drink, you'll realize how problematic this past two weeks has been. Especially since there' s been so many reasons to celebrate lately! (celebrations that include cake of course)

February has been birthday month it seems and we've taken it as an opportunity to try out the different restaurants around San Diego. Those who turned one year older these past few weeks include Ryan (who now has an adorable pair of hermit crabs in his room as a present - lovingly named shark and liger)

and Patrick! Who's room has also gained a new item in the birthday festivities, though the life size poster of miley cyrus takes up a bit more room than the little crabs..

think roadtrip

At the moment I'm refering to the "mini" road trip I'll be making home for spring break this Friday (So excited!) but I did venture upon an actual roadtrip this semester - all the way to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The combined 12 hours of driving included singing, relating our life stories (fun fact: Kyle's been to all 50 states), and sleeping (though sadly I wasn't a part of this activity as I was the fearless driver). We decided we wanted to go to SLO at 2pm on Saturday... and left one hour later. One of the most spontaneous things I've ever done, and one of the most fun too!

think vegas

That's where I'm headed in exactly two weeks! USD's club volleyball teams, guys and girls, made it into the vegas tournament and so we're journeying there for a weekend of competition, and hopefully some fun as well!

think Florence

My best friends and I applied to study abroad in Florence, Italy for three weeks next January, and just received our acceptances! Three weeks living in this beautiful city? There's just under a year left... and my count down has already begun!

Well I feel like that's enough thinking for now (for both of us!). Hope you guys enjoyed looking into the mind of a USD student for a few minutes. Let me know if there's anything you would like to know more about here in San Diego! Talk to you soon - spring break awaits!

love Kaitlin

2010... Oh my.

2010-01-22T20:55:00.000-08:00

Pouring rain out the window, a mountain of blankets around me, and the house to myself – sounds like the perfect conditions for snuggling up with my computer and writing a new post for you guys. This one hails from lovely Los Angeles for a change, though the weather, in retrospect, isn’t exactly looking quite so lovely at the moment. I can hardly believe it’s the last day of Christmas break before I pack up my overly filled suitcase (which is a puzzle-like task within itself) and journey back to San Diego in the morning. The past few weeks have been amazingly refreshing, relaxing, ridiculous at times, and ultimately quite rewarding. With so much to share, I think it’s best to take a que from the all too well known adage, “A picture’s worth a thousand words”. Though, following that logic, I’ll admit this entry may potentially resemble a Harry Potter novel in length…

Finals week can usually be associated with long nights at the library, countless cups of coffee, and stacks of text books and notes... at USD, however, that list can also include adorable puppies- like this cutie who came along with a plethora of other therapy dogs to help ease the finals stress on campus.

Oh, and did I mention finals week also includes snow?!

Yes, you heard right. Snow in San Diego! Above are the remnants of what was once a snow covered hill just outside my dorm room (meaning I had the best view of the spectacular snowball fights and sledding that took place the night before!).

My friends and I decided that since the Christmas spirit was all around us, we might as well join in and have our own mini-Christmas in the dorms! By the way, aren't the lights on the trees beautiful?

Sharing our Christmas cheer by baking cupcakes for the guys down the hall ( Christmas colored, of course)

Ice skating with my friends - the rink was on the beach!

USD wasn't the only part of San Diego decorated for the Christmas season - Sea World looked just as lovely!

The end of finals week meant the end of celebrating the holidays at my home away from home, USD, and the start of celebrating with my family at the real thing! They went all out decorating the house this year, and I must say I can't imagine a better 'welcome home' greeting than what they surprised me with!

Winter break at home didn't exactly live up to its name... i mean, it wasn't very wintery... Los Angeles weather tends to be a bit warm... and it wasn't too much of a break in that I ended up quite busy! Either way, it was so much fun and I'm happy to share a little piece of home with you guys!

My brother and his friends took me snowboarding for the first time! Lesson number one: Jump on ski lift without falling - fail. Lesson number two: Jump off ski lift without falling - fail. Lesson number three: ... well I think you get the point....

Pictures of the city's Christmas lights at the Santa Monica pier and in Newport. There's a bit of a theme going on here in that the first is taken of a ferris wheel... and the second is taken from on one!

My best friends and I managed to have a few adventures at home as well ranging from western restaurants and bull riding to dressing up for a 50s themed party - I'm still amazed at how well we ended up looking the time period part! (And, for the record, that is my fearless friend Stephanie riding in the photo, not me! She's far more graceful, promise.)

My goodness that was a lot of information all at once. I'm thinking next time I'll update you in much smaller doses, don't fret. Hopefully you all loved your winter break this year just as much as I did! Talk to you soon... Kaitlin

Goodbye Thanksgiving...Hello Christmas!

2009-12-01T13:16:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!

I hope you all had a fabulous thanksgiving! I know personally I thought break was just way too short, though that may have been my own fault to be honest. After just two days in Los Angeles I made the drive back to San Diego as I had to work Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Yes that’s right, I’m employed! (my parents would add ‘finally’ to the previous statement’…sigh) I’ve been working the past few weeks at a Christmas store which I’m quite excited about because I love love this holiday – just hopefully I’m not tired of it by the 25^th!

Just that, school, friends, and volleyball (we took second place in the tournament last weekend!) have kept me quite busy lately. I’m looking forward to Christmas as my first real break for the semester. Speaking of which, as I was among the handful of people on campus over Thanksgiving break I had the privilege of being one of the first to enjoy the beautifully decorated USD campus. The lights, ribbons, and wreaths definitely bring a bit of the Christmas spirit to ever sunny San Diego. I’m anxiously awaiting the weather to stay permanently cold so I can officially bring out my boots, scarves, and sweaters – everything else is ready for Christmas- why isn’t the weather cooperating too! Twenty four days until my favorite holiday…is it bad I’m extremely excited already? Until next time (I promise I’ll talk about something other than the upcoming holidays!)

Enjoy my favorite month!

Kaitlin

The Countdown Begins...

2009-11-12T16:33:00.000-08:00

39 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes.
That’s about the time it takes for the newly proposed plasma rocket to travel to Mars, for the world record setting journey to the South Pole to be repeated, and for season one of the TV hit Survivor to be filmed. It also just happens to be the amount of time I have left in my first semester as a college student. Translation – not very much time! I hate to use the cliché "time flies when you’re having fun"… but I must say at the moment it seems far too accurate. With all other work put away and vanilla latte in hand (let’s be honest though when is it not...) I’m ready to finally hit pause for a bit and catch you guys up with everything that’s been going on.

Halloween! Whether you're visiting the Haunted Hotel, walking around in the midst of vampires, princesses, and witches at Gas Lamp District, or stopping by a costume party, you couldn't ask for more beautiful October weather than San Diego's to compliment this costume-filled night. My friends and I had an amazing Halloween this year. I've even included a bit of help in recognizing our costumes for those of you who have long forgotten your Disney filled childhoods.

Oh, and my residence floor (Maher fourth mid!) even carved pumpkins to get in the holiday spirit... I must admit ours came out far better than expected!

Speaking of my floor actually... Maher Olympics were held last weekend, and mid just happened to walk away with the gold- congrats guys!

Unfortunately, I wasn't there to witness this victory first hand as USD's club volleyball team had our first tournament! Waking up before the sun, realizing you're Starbuck's first customer of the day, and making an hour long drive to the all day event may not sound exactly ideal, but it was highly reminiscent of my six years of club volleyball, and I have to say I loved it! Apparently the rest of the team was in a similar mood because we started off the morning beating UCSB in our first match - last year's national champions! If that's any indication of how the rest of the season will go, I personally can't wait. Next Tournament: Sunday November 22 at USD!

Thirty nine days left really is hard to believe. I spent today planning my schedule for next semester already - cross your fingers my classes don't fill up by the time I register on Tuesday! With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up soon, there's a lot to look forward to! I've even heard that RHA plans on bringing snow on campus again this year for the holidays. White Christmas and no jacket and scarf needed... sounds like the best of both worlds to me!

Hope everything is going just as well for you guys! As always, I'm here if you have any questions about life here in San Diego ( or really just college in general).

Take Care,

Kaitlin

Sidenote: For those of you attending College Visit Day tomorrow, I'll be at the tables talking to students and their families so stop by and say hi!

Wait... it's that time already??

2009-10-18T15:57:00.001-07:00

It’s finally that time… no I’m not referring to college midterms (which I’m more than happy to announce I’ve officially just finished!), or to the fact that the weather now requires sweaters and sweatshirts to replace my staple items of shorts and a t-shirt. The time I am in actuality referencing is the arrival of parents’ weekend which, along with the visit of my lovely mom and dad, is bound to produce the timeless question, “So what have you learned in school?” We all remember it, the question we were without fail greeted with every day after being picked up from class, or as we sat down at the dinner table. In honor of this age-old question, and out of my own curiosity, I have for you a list of my top five things I’ve learned as a USD freshman so far (the first list of many as, you’ll come to find that, I kind of have a habit of making them… for everything).

USD Freshman Lessons

(keep in mind it’s been two months! I’m sure a revised list will follow in time.)

1. Torero Days (USD’s freshman orientation) are soo worth attending. They’ll be some of the best times you have on campus – everything’s brand new and exciting still - don’t miss them!

2. It’s quite hot the first week on campus – don’t panic! Even though you might feel like a chocolate chip cookie baking in the dorm, just keep in mind this is one week or so in an otherwise virtually perfect temperature location.

3. Say hi – to everyone! The first few weeks on campus you don’t know anyone… oh wait here’s the thing - no one else does either! Be outgoing - you’ll make way more friends and have more familiar faces to look out for on campus which, trust me, is never a bad thing.

4. There’s coffee available at every dining location on campus so, if you’re looking for a quick fix between classes, give the often-crowded Aromas (the school coffee café) a break and head over to one of the less frequented locations!

5. San Diego is an absolutely beautiful place to live. Take advantage and enjoy it! Grab a cup of coffee and watch the fireworks over SeaWorld, or take a walk on the beach. As a USD student you call this place home, and that in itself is a pretty happy feeling.

Taking a little of my own advice and enjoying the San Diego beach with my little brother (he doesn't look so little huh?). Can't wait to see him and the rest of my family this weekend!

Random sidenote: Any Taylor Swift fans? Check out this video! - it honestly made my morning when I saw it http://www.cmt.com/videos/shows/cmt-music-awards-2009/401599/thug-story.jhtml