Time to Catch Up

Nobody at school Wed 11/25 8:25am

It's Thanksgiving Break! You all know what that means... It's time to catch up with family, your studies, heck maybe even life itself! All I know is I'm writing this blog as I'm getting ready for work in 30 minutes. Woohoo! Busy busy busy. I hope each and every one of you gets the chance to go home and visit your families for Thanksgiving! I'm thankful that I get to go visit my family that's about an hour and a half away, but it'll just be for the day. I usually have work Wednesday nights and Friday mornings. I was trying my best to get off work so I could possibly spend the entire weekend with my family. I even put on Schedulefly, "I would be very THANKFUL is someone could cover this shift for me so I can go see my family for a few days". But ya know, everyone wants their shifts covered around this time. However, I was able to switch with somebody and work Friday night instead so I can spend my Thursday night with my family. I asked them if they would like me to bring anything for Thanksgiving dinner. I was told to bring my guacamole and chips, if not, a smile. I replied saying, "Is that a California thing? Guacamole for Thanksgiving?". But hey, that's my specialty! (For those of you who don't already know, I'm professional at making guac because I learned how to at a Mexican restaurant I used to work at. So I basically have to bring guac to any get together)
Everything happens for a reason though. When I think about it and when I try not to think about it, I think about how much stuff I need to get done that I never have time to do. Well, I will have time this weekend while I have the apartment all to myself.

I had to.

So my fellow SBCC students,
Spend some quality time with your families. Stuff your face full of warm, home cooked meals. Finally before Monday, catch up on any school work and anything you need to get done. Winter Break is around the corner, but first we gotta make it through our finals. Don't get behind and stay on track! To be honest I'm slightly off the tracks, but I will be catching up this weekend, that is.... after I stuff my face. Happy Thanksgiving! And please....please stay sane on Black Friday. Thanksgiving day isn't the only day we should be thankful during the year.

My Major is...

JOURNALISM!!!

UCLA vs. Washington State Football game 11/14/15

It's sort of silly actually...all along when I would change my mind thinking I should do something else with my major, I would always go back to writing. Ever since I was 10 years old and my aunt told me I wrote such expressive emails and after I was awarded with the best creative writing in my sixth grade class, I knew. I still know to this day because whenever I finish a piece of writing including schooling, blogging, anything, I feel complete. I feel accomplished and content after I get back to the real world, after being lost in this writing zone I get into, and that's how I know. At least journalism is the basic foundation of my major. I might minor in something. I might head a graphic design route or maybe even a broadcasting route. Who knows! College is the time in our lives where we are start to figure out important things that set us up for our future. Figuring out what my major was going to be took a long time. Better safe than sorry and extra schooling and tuition though!  I knocked out a lot of General Education classes along the way to keep myself in the school zone. However, after Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Summer Session II 2015, and Fall 2015 semesters of nothing but General Ed classes with a touch of Ocean Swimming, I've realized I need to start schooling on the things I love. I was and am still sort of losing my mind with these Gen Ed classes. You know, the ones we've been taking since Kindergarten? Let me tell ya as a writing major, these high college level math and science lab classes are testing me...literally. Gen Eds... hate 'em, gotta do 'em. 

If you need help figuring out your major I have some tips and tricks for you that I've done myself! 

• Go to the Career Center. They are the specific place in the student services building that is meant to help you decide on you major and your future career. There are all sorts of tests to take that can help you realize what you're good at or may enjoy as well. Surprisingly they aren't usually busy, but you can make an appointment or just walk in! If you go in, ask for the eureka.org code, it's a website that can help you for further information at home. (PS: Keep in mind that a lot of people get jobs in which they didn't have a background major in college for. This was what stressed me out on settling on a major this whole time.)

Helpful looking book I found in the library today!

• Narrow down what schools you want to go to (but don't be too picky). I've always wanted to go to either UCSB or at the very top of my list (my dream school) UCLA. However, as life has taught me, things don't always work out the way you want them to. There's this website that's help full to visit called assist.org. It has a list of UC and CSU schools and it tells you which schools have what majors. It also informs you on what classes you'll need to take at SBCC to be considered to transfer to their school. I had visited this website knowing that I for sure only wanted to look at SoCal schools. Turns out only CSULB (Cal State Long Beach) and SDSU (San Diego State University) have a journalism major as an option. Both areas I'm pretty unfamiliar with which is kind of intimidating. However, I've let it process in my mind and I've come to realize that it is more important that I go to a school that has the major I want instead of one that doesn't. Your career is the rest of your life until you retire, the college you go to is only a couple years of your life. I'd rather have the job I want for 30 plus years rather than the school I want for just a couple!

I hope this was helpful. There will be many more updates on my transfer process as time passes by. In the mean time, I'll keep on studying on at SBCC!!

What a Week!

Let me tell you, so many things have happened within a week's time that I could blog about a million things. I wish I could've blogged a few times this week to keep you all up to date, however you will realize why I did not have time to after I explain....Since the last time I blogged I have had two midterms, joined a club, started working again after being sick so long, figured out my major, and started signing up for spring semester classes. Yeah, I know, what a week! I might just have to split this all up into a few blogs, but bare with me, I promise to start blogging more often!! Let's start off with the surprises that have occurred this week just so I can catch you up. I'm finally starting to get into the swing of things again after being sick so long, but this week just turned out to be a roller coaster instead of a swing. Trust me, I'm so excited to tell everyone about my major because it's a big step to my future, but that deserves it's own entire blog post! The roller coaster wouldn't let me stop it so I wasn't able to find a moment to relax and do one of my favorite things (blogging for you guys :)

Last Saturday I went out with two of my roommates to dinner because it was Sarah's 20th birthday. We decided to go eat at my work because my work has a gorgeous view at sunset of the ocean and Sarah could get a large sundae for her birthday. With my discount, we split the highest priced item on the menu (crab legs) with mashed potatoes (which I've been craving for forever and couldn't wait till Thanksgiving). It's nice to treat yourself once in a while, plus birthdays are worth celebrating! As we were finishing dinner, we see a bright light moving in the sky. It was on national news if you haven't heard about it but it was the strangest thing ever! It looked like a UFO and left a bright green light behind it. Everyone at the restaurant got up and was amazed! My favorite Yik Yak comment about it was someone freaking out about seeing it and saying "I swear I'm sober."

It's finally getting colder.
This means....
Bring out the scarves, leggings,
sweaters, and boots!

Yesterday at school I was walking on West Campus about to go to class when a guy stops me to talk to me. Yeah, I know right? What a miracle! That never happens these days. He asked if I had time to talk and I said sure. He then proceeded to say. "I was wondering if you wanted to Netflix and chill with me sometime?" I was like, "....Is this a prank or did someone dare you to ask me this?" He denied both things and I stared at his big blue eyes and said I would chill and Netflix with him but not Netflix and chill. He laughed, agreed to it, and asked for my number and typed in in without my name. After all that I was like...."So I didn't get your name?" He told me his name, I told him mine, and he told me I was "so beautiful" blah blah blah. I said I had to get to class and he said he'd text me. Two seconds after I left him, he stopped me from leaving and said "Hey Angela, I'm sorry to tell you, but this isn't real, I'm so sorry it's for a TV show, can we use this film of you?". See this is why I don't trust guys. I was smart and knew it from beginning and he lied! Trust your gut. That lesson applies to guys and multiple choice tests! Hahaha.


Today work was SWAMPED. I was so tired after my Wednesday night of 4 hours of sleep (science midterm probz) and my 8 hour day at school on Thursday. After sitting a customer at their table, I come back to the host stand, take a breather, look down a the reservation book, and THERE WAS A COCKROACH. My entire body jolted as my heart skipped a beat. I looked around and was worried someone saw my reaction but I didn't see anybody. I thought maybe a coworker was playing a prank on me like they do sometimes. I poked it with a pencil to make sure it wasn't real. It wasn't. I had seen so many cockroaches in my apartment recently before we got it sprayed that I did't trust it could be fake at first. A customer came up to me and told me he did it and told me to keep it!!! What? Why! I question what it is about me that people think they can mess with me. But they do!

Choices, Chances, Changes

College is full of them!

"If it doesn't challenge you it does not change you."

To be honest this whole semester I felt stuck. I felt stuck in this mindset of stressing and feeling like I just had to get things done. If I ever had any down time I would lay in bed or FaceTime my childhood friend to get the adult stuff off my mind. Well that was all fine until I got sick....again. For the first time since my tonsillectomy.

You know that feeling where everything stressful hits you all at once? Yeah,it's possible to stress yourself SO much that you literally can make yourself sick. It was either that or my poor immune system. The other Thursday (a couple days after my flu shot) I was in class and felt light headed and sick. The teacher had asked me in front of the entire class. "Are you okay?" Of course I'm not gonna say no! But in the mindset of Angela, I had to be in class because not going can be just as stressful. I went to the doctor for a regular physical later that day with a bunch of questions. All those questions seemed to raise the doctor's attention, having me worry about everything I had questions for. Having been told I once had cancer makes it hard not to question every single thing that seems abnormal. Next thing I know she feels around my neck/ upper chest/ underarms for lymph nodes...and there one was. Painful and feared.

I only had let family and friends know because I needed some positive thoughts and prayers. Nothing is harder than fighting a battle you've already fought so hard against multiple times before. The reason I haven't blog for awhile is because I didn't want to worry you all along with me. Also, a lot of changes are about to happen in me and my life. Today, minutes ago, I was just informed about my CT scan results that prove I'm still surviving. Thank you to everyone who has been thinking of me and praying for the best. I'm still fighting off a sinus and ear infection, but hey, that's easy ;)

"Surviving doesn't just mean staying alive...it means LIVING to your potential."

That quote basically explains what I mean when I say a lot of changes are about to happen in me and in my life. I have come to the realization that enough is enough. I HAVE to start living to my potential, this cancer scare really woke me up. I really think it happened for a reason. I fought so hard to get to where I am today and I just needed to be reminded of my self-worth. Updates will be coming your way. At the moment I'm working on moving out of my apartment once someone is able to take my lease. It's something I know I think I need to do to be able to move forward in the direction I deserve. A positive, healthy, passionate one.