Remembering UCLA Traditions

I really enjoyed linking up with Miss Shannon Page last week for Fun Photo Fridays, so guess what- I'm doing it again! But seriously, these are some of my favorite posts to write. I like to share fun little snippets of my life with you guys, and what better way to do that then sharing the stories behind some of my favorite photos?! 

This photo was taken just this past June, right after myself and some of my fellow ADPi seniors finished the last finals of our undergraduate career.

UCLA has a tradition in which you are "initiated" as a Bruin by touching the water in this fountain during your Freshman Orientation. Then, you must not touch the water again until you have completed your final classes at UCLA. Those who touch the water prior to completing their degree are said to add more quarters on to their time as a student.

The only other time I've ever touched the water- Freshman Orientation

Obviously, this is just a silly story. But it made this fountain special, and made going in to it as graduating seniors SO MUCH FUN! We went all out too. We got in our swimsuits, busted out the champagne and got all the way in the fountain; all of this happened while other students walked by heading to the finals they still had to take =)

Anyway, that's all from me for today. As for you, I think you should head over to Shannon's page and link up, I would love to see which photo's you all choose to jump back in to!

Have a fabulous weekend loves!

Weekend Update

Since I haven't gotten to go to any holiday parties this season (and I had to miss a couple of GREAT ones in LA) I am going to count the party I went to this weekend as a holiday party by default. It was actually a graduation party for my good friend Luke. I've known Luke since middle school so it was so much fun to get to celebrate his graduation from college with his family and friends. The party hosted at his parents house was lovely and we had a great time playing with all the little kids that were there (there were five little babies there ranging in age from two years old to only three months old!). I could not get over how adorable two year old Maddie was- although I could not understand a word that came out of her mouth. Seriously, understanding toddlers must be a skill that comes with being a parent... Cuz it is certainly not a skill I've acquired yet.

After the party at his parents a group of us went back to Luke and (his wife) Leena's place and continued the party there. We had a great time playing games, catching up with old friends, and getting to know some new ones! It was honestly one of the most fun evening/nights I've had since moving back home to Fresno. Of course I completely failed to take a single picture so I am waiting for Leena to put up the few that she took, but for right now I've only got this one.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! I am so excited to have only four more workdays until my Christmas break!!



What I'm Loving (This Week)

Lots of people do what I'm loving Wednesday's but I want to do it on Friday as a nice wrap up to the work week! Here are some things I'm loving this week!

1. New blog friends and people to follow! After participating in my first link up on Tuesday I was so pleased with all the people I found, followed, tweeted, and left comments for... I have so much to catch up on (seriously my Google Reader is overwhelmed) but I can't wait to read and discover more.

2. Spinning classes- I recently decided that I need to get my butt back to the gym. For me spinning classes are the best way to get a crazy awesome workout and enjoy myself at the gym. I'm not a runner- wish I was but I just don't have the natural ability or will power to make myself build it- so indoor cycling is a GREAT cardio alternative.

3. Grad School Info Sessions- A few of my friends know of my struggles between grad school and working and my inability to force myself to study for the GRE but this week I attended a webinar for the grad program I am most excited about and it has reinvigorated my desire to apply. This means I will once again be devoting myself to those GRE books in hopes to get my completed apps in by February!

4. Mid week nail polish change! This is Revlon's Copper Penny. Its a great holiday gold/copper and one of my current favorites.

5. Only FOUR more work days until Christmas and A WHOLE WEEK OFF! Which means my countdown to New Year's in San Fran with my favorites will also begin soon =)

These girls

This city

+ 

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Crazy Fun New Years Eve

6. My new video editing software- Those that know me well know that I wish I were a professional vlogger. Well I recently acquired Sony's Vegas video editing software and I had a great time playing with it and making this little compilation video from the footage my parents filmed at my graduation last fall. The vid is a little long, so check it out if you want to- I'm more putting it up for my fam to see =)

That's all! What are you loving this week?

Wait... College is Over?

I am done with college...

Finished with my undergraduate career at UCLA. okay okay graduation is on Friday... but still 

 I turned in my last final paper this morning and assuming I pass (pretty sure I'm gonna be just fine on that one) I will officially be an alumna of this wonderful university I've called my home for the last four years.

Anyone around me for the last few days has heard me proudly boasting that I would officially be finished with college Monday morning when I turned in my last paper. 

Anyone around me for the last few months has heard me say how ready I am to be finished with college and move on to something new and exciting. 

Today, when I handed that paper in and got back to the HOP (the amazing House Of Pi- my true home for the last three years) I suddenly didn't want that to be my last paper ever. I wanted to go back and do these last four years all over again.

Honestly, name another time if your life when you are going to be able to live on your own, in a brand new city, making up the rules as you go along. All while somehow always knowing that if and when you need them your family will be right there. In college you have the opportunity to make new friends, learn a bunch of stuff that you may or may not actually use later in life (still tbd), make lots and lots of mistakes, and do a lot of growing up (but not too much).

Four years ago, before I had even set foot on the UCLA campus to begin my freshman year, a friend told me "Well my dear, you're about to go on a four year adventure to a place where absurd amounts of drinking are encouraged, girls dress like sluts every thursday, and it's a unanimous belief that a morning of awkwardness is always better than a night of loneliness." Crudeness aside and remembering that college is OH SO MUCH MORE than this, it has always made me laugh and I will miss the place where this lifestyle (not saying this was my lifestyle) is somehow socially acceptable.

As high school students we thought we were moving on to the "real world" but oh how wrong we were. College is far from the real world. Realizing that, and recent conversations I've had with my friends who were forced to leave this beautiful world before me, do not make me particularly excited to move on in to the actual real world.

But... it is what it is and ready or not UCLA is kicking us out. All jokes aside, I couldn't be more proud of the person I've become and the people I've become friends with over these past four years. As nerve wracking as it is to move on to a new chapter, I am excited and ready. I think...