And done... well, almost

I'm such a slacker when it comes to keeping up with blogging. The last time I wrote was before Thanksgiving, almost a whole month ago. So I'll catch you up with what has been going on since.

I went home for Thanksgiving-- the flight by myself turned out to be just fine. I was able to stream some of the Macy's parade footage onto my laptop in the airport. But it was this website called earthcam so the view and the sound were not ideal. I complained a lot beforehand about having to be alone for the first half of Thanksgiving, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I got to take a nap on the plane and when I got home my mom had warm homemade cinnamon rolls ready for me to eat. I ate way too much for dinner, as usual, and was overly-hungry the next day. We have a traditional wood stove at my house that burns real firewood. My dad made a fire after dinner and we sat, watched the fire and relaxed. I really do have so much to be thankful for in my life. My family and friends are incredible blessings. I go to a school that I love in a city that I adore. My work as an Admission Ambassador is so rewarding. It's so cheesy and cliche but I really do love everything about my life! Sometimes taking the time to appreciate what you have is exactly what you need to help you stop complaining :)

The following week I celebrated my birthday, the big 21! We had some fun festivities in the Faneuil Hall area to celebrate. The next day was the lighting ceremony of the Boston Common Christmas tree and lights. After my night class, I went with a friend of mine to the ceremony. Except we thought that it was supposed to begin at 5:00. It didn't actually begin until 8:00. After an hour or so, we figured that out. So we met up with friends, including some Ambassadors, and went ice skating on the Frog Pond. One of our Ambassadors, TJ, actually works at the Frog Pond. I had no idea how skilled he is on the ice! The funniest part of being there is watching all the people fall. It's terrible that I find humor in others' embarrassment. But it's funny and I find just as much amusement in my own embarrassment! You have to. There was this one little boy who wiped out and laid on his back for a good minute before his mother came over to rescue him. He wasn't crying or anything. I think he was just laying there in utter shock. Since we were busy skating, we missed the actual ceremony part of the lighting. I hear that Brian McKnight performed. It's ironic that we waited all that time for the ceremony to begin and only noticed it had when the whole Common lit up and fireworks went off.

The following weekend I went home again. My friend, Gina, who I have known since I was six months old, is pregnant and due at the end of the month. It was her baby shower and I absolutely could not miss it. The theme was a Winter Wonderland and the weather was perfect because it was also the first snowfall in Maryland that day. I was completely unprepared for snow. I figured that going home to Maryland for three days during the first week in December would be cold, but no chance of snow. Though I own three different pairs of snow boots, all I brought home was heels and ballet flats. Of course it wasn't just flurries or a dusting, it was an accumulation of at least two inches. Those of you from New England, two- four inches does not sound like much. While it isn't much, the capabilities of cleaning up snow are far less advanced in Maryland so it take a lot longer to get it cleaned up. My feet were wet and freezing the entire time I was home. I just felt so silly because I'm the one who lives in Boston-- I should be the one who knows how to dress properly for snow.

The baby shower was so much fun! It was held at Gina's mom's house. Three of Gina's girlfriends including myself helped to host it and make sure everything ran smoothly. Of course we ran into some bumps in the road, literally. The cake fell over in my friend's car and she arrived at the house in tears with a cake looking like someone had punched it. Luckily we were able to fix the damage, after a lot of added icing. Cake disaster aside, the day went really well. It is so good be around family and old friends. Good times!

I came back for four crazy days of the last week of class. A test, a paper for a project, presentation, and a performance of a skit for French was a lot to get through after two weekends of flying back and forth. But I survived and was able to celebrate at Suffolk's Winter Ball. Every semester one of our student organizations, Program Council, puts on a semi-formal event for undergraduate students. This semester the venue was at the top of State Street Pavilion overlooking Faneuil Hall, the Customs House tower and most of Boston. One of the best views of Boston and it was absolutely breathtaking. Almost every Ambassador came to the dance (I will put up pictures next time I'm on my computer at home). It was so much fun! We danced the night away :)

Which brings me to this week-- finals. I had four finals total. Normally I have a mix of presentations, projects and finals and never have to sit down for more than two finals. This semester I all the above: presentations, projects, papers and four finals! Three are already finished and I have one left tomorrow. I cannot wait until that is over. I am so exhausted-- this semester has been a whirlwind of activities. I feel like I was just blogging about beginning all of my classes. It is unreal to me how quickly time has flown and that the semester will be over tomorrow! People always say that time moves much faster when you get older. I never believed them until now. What is even crazier to think about is that this time next year I will be graduated from college and setting off into "the real world." That is a scary thought... so we will just leave that be and instead be excited about going home for winter break.

I head home to Maryland on Saturday for a whole month. I love being home for Christmas and New Years! It will be so nice to spend time with my family and friends at home. I will be sure to post Winter Ball pictures... until then wish me luck on my last final. I'll blog you next year :) I've always found that joke to be so cheesy yet quite funny!

Thanksgiving Plans

In my entire college experience, I have not yet gone home to Maryland for Thanksgiving. My first year I stayed in Boston and had dinner with my aunts and uncle. My brother also came up to celebrate with us. My sophomore year I went to Florida to visit my dad's side of the family. That Thanksgiving was interesting because when I left Boston it was snowing and when I arrived in Florida it was 80 degrees. We had dinner outside on the patio next to the pool. Not quite a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Last year the semester ended so early that it seemed silly to go home for Thanksgiving and then come back a week later for winter break. So I went to Vermont with my aunt, uncle and his family. My uncle's dad used to be the executive chef for the Blair House (which is where international guests of the White House stay when they are on official visits to DC). He made us dinner which was absolutely incredible! It was very quaint-- we stayed in a friend's log cabin on a mountain with only a few surrounding houses and a general store down the street. We got to sit in the hot-tub while it was snowing outside around us. So amazing.

This is the first year that I am going to Maryland to have Thanksgiving dinner in my own house. It is going to be kind of strange though because my flight schedule is really weird this year. It was going to cost over $300 to bring me home from Wednesday through Sunday. So I am flying home Thursday morning (arriving around noon) and then flying back on Saturday morning at the crack of dawn. I suppose it will be nice to miss the crowds and the chaos that is Thanksgiving travel, but I feel really strange about flying home by myself on Thanksgiving. I always fly by myself-- at least 5 times a year I am on a plane alone. It is weird to me when I actually do travel with people. But it seems like it is going to be so lonely on Thanksgiving morning! I know that a lot of people travel on Thanksgiving day, but generally they have family or friends with them. I can't have mom's traditional homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast, I won't be able to watch the parade, and I will be all by myself :(

But at least I should be thankful for the fact that I am blessed with a family who I love so much that I can go home to on the holidays. A lot of people don't have that. Maybe the travelling situation is not ideal, but I will be fine because I have so many things to be grateful for!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Thanksgiving Dinner with the Ambassadors

Kristin had all the Ambassadors over this weekend for "Not your average Thanksgiving dinner" at her apartment in the North End. We each were responsible for bringing a dish. We had baked ziti, sushi, salad, eggplant parm, mashed potatoes and garlic bread. I made a regular cheesecake and a pumpkin cheesecake (which was an experiment but it turned out deliciously). Chris made a cake and put all of our initials on it. There were only a few Ambassadors that couldn't make it. We all got dressed up and had dinner together and took lots of funny prom-like pictures. It was so much fun! Ambassador Love <3

Prior to Thanksgiving dinner, Delia and I went to the annual tree lighting ceremony in Faneuil Hall. Wally the Green Monster, the Red Sox mascot was there as well as Santa. Apparently the tree at Faneuil hall is the tallest lit Christmas tree in New England!


The one below is my favorite! All (or most of) the Ambassador girls which now includes Andrew, naturally. He came to our Ambassador girl sleepover a few weeks ago and has been included in that group since :)

Playing catch up

It seems like I haven't blogged in forever! A lot has happened... well a lot and not a lot at the same time...

We had Open House on Saturday which was great! There is one day of the year that is guaranteed to rain from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm, and that is Open House day. I can't even remember a time that I was more wet, I haven't even ever been that wet in the shower! But it was one of those things where I decided in the beginning of the day that I was going to be wet and I was going to love it! And I do think Boston is magical in the rain, so I must admit that I did sincerely enjoy it to some degree. I was really surprised at the turnout and the general enthusiasm for the day. Although the weather could be described as dismal, prospective students and their families were excited to be on campus and to be learning about our programs. Usually people are miserable when they come for tours in the rain, but everyone was in a decent mood.

I was chosen to speak at the Welcomes-- first in the C. Walsh Theater and then in the Donahue Cafe. The theater seats between 300 and 400 people, so I can honestly say that has been my biggest audience to date. I was really nervous beforehand, but everything went really well. I was very proud of myself. As cheesy as it sounds, I enjoy reaching out to students by sharing my experience with them. When I was going through my college search, talking to other students about their experiences was the most important decision factor for me. It is nice to be able to do that for others.

Thanksgiving is next week which seems unreal. I am always saying this, but I cannot believe how quickly the semester has flown by. I went window shopping the other day with my friend and we stopped in this Christmas store. Although I am so not ready for the holiday season yet, I must admit that I got really excited! A further confession, I had an eggnog latte the other day. It wasn't even that cold out and it isn't even Thanksgiving yet, but I really wanted one. It was delicious and definitely gave me some holiday cheer. I know it is ridiculous that I base my feelings about the changing of seasons on Starbucks' seasonal beverages. But what can I say? There is nothing like a pumpkin spice latte in the fall or an eggnog latte in the winter or a flavored iced coffee in the summer... Yay! It's almost winter break :)

Halloween and Such

So I must admit that I'm fairly new at this whole blogging thing. I tried uploading these photos aligned left instead of center (the way I normally do it) and this post looks like a hot mess! And I'm not sure how to go about fixing it other than deleting all the pictures and starting from scratch. That seems like way too much effort... so I hope you enjoy the mess of pictures and I promise I will make it better next time!

I spent Halloween in Salem with my aunts. We did a corn maze the night before which was fun. I've never done one before. At first we thought it was too easy, but when we got royally lost I realized how creepy it is to be surrounded by dead stalks of corn at night with only one flashlight for five people. It is really nice that my aunts live in Salem because when we got tired of all the crazies on the street, we could go back to their apartment to hang out.

My costume this year was very lame-- I just wasn't feeling the excitement of dressing up this year. Although I'm from Maryland, I am through and through a Red Sox fan. For Halloween I wore a pink Orioles hat and my aunt's sweatshirt and went as an O's fan. I made a sign that said 2010 World Series Champs with the zeros in the 2010 the orange O's logo. Lame, but it was easy and cost me no money. It's funny because when I told my friends in Maryland what I was going to be, the reaction I mainly got was resentment that my costume was mocking. But when I told New Englanders that I was going to be an O's fan, pretty much none of them got it. Most of them didn't even realize I was talking about the Baltimore Orioles. It is so sad that Maryland sports are terrible-- one day they will triumph :) In the meantime, New Englanders will fail to understand the pain that MD goes through and I will continue to be a Red Sox and Celtics fan! Anyway, the best part of going to Salem is just looking at all the crazy costumes and decorations out there. People are so creative on Halloween, I love it!

On Tuesday the Program Council at Suffolk put on an event at the House of Blues on Landsdowne Street. Sean Kingston and Girl Talk performed just for Suffolk students. Tickets were only $15! It was a lot of fun. There were glow sticks and confetti and dancing. I didn't know who Girl Talk was prior to going to the concert. He is this insane DJ who started off mixing music and was shortly thereafter discovered in New York City. He was nuts! And he had some really awesome (and I mean hilarious) dance moves. It was a good time-- I saw a lot of ambassadors and my other friends there. I love going to these Suffolk events because there are so many people there who you know. It makes it all the more fun! I always love a good dance party :)

Wedding Weekend

My aunt got married this weekend in Brewster on the Cape. It was a small wedding-- just immediate family were invited. My parents, brother, two aunts and cousin all came up from Maryland for the weekend. And they all stayed in our apartment. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but manageable. I went down to the Cape a day early with the happy couple to help decorate the house for the reception. It was actually my first trip ever to the Cape. It may have just been Brewster, but I was surprised at how much it was not like a beach town but more like suburban New England.

The wedding was at Paine's Creek beach on Sunday morning. We were so blessed with beautiful weather. It was windy which made it a bit chilly, but for late October on the Cape it was considerably warm and beautifully sunny. I was designated as the official photographer of the wedding since it was so small they didn't want to hire one. I used my old-fashioned 35 mm Nikon. These are a few of the shots that turned out really well.


The dogs were all invited to the wedding because it was on the beach. It did mean some chaos of barking, whining, and general dogs on the beach issues, but I think they enjoyed themselves :) Below are pictures of me with my youngest cousin Zac. He is young enough to be my nephew so I'm never really sure of how to refer to him. My uncle has taken to calling me his "Caunt" combining cousin and aunt, and of course pronouncing it the true Maryland way [Can't].

The other picture is all of the Smith cousins. On the left is my brother and on the right is my cousin, Gage. The funniest part of the picture is that they are both years younger, I'm wearing heels, and yet they are towering over me! I remember when people would tell me when I was a kid that my brother would be bigger than me one day. I never believed that was ever going to be possible. But a few years ago I had to start referring to him as my "younger brother" because people would laugh when I called him my "little brother."

My aunt and uncle that I live with made the cake. Isn't it incredible?! The cake itself was butter, butter and more butter. Delicious! Then they used homemade butter cream frosting and fondant and somehow got the flower to look like a gorgeous extension. My aunt is so sweet, she saved the extra frosting for me so I've been having a spoonful here and there the past few days. I love weddings!

Halfway there!

It's almost the end of October and this is the week for midterms, academic advising, and lots of project deadlines. I cannot believe that I've been in school for two months already. It seems like I just came back last week. Time flies when you're busy!

My sixth class, Management 200: Leadership and Social Responsibility ended on Friday. It was a one credit intensive that only met three times during the semester. The purpose of the course was to come up with a solution for a huge consulting project problem. It was a lot of work in a very short period of time. It feels like such a relief to have it finished! Not having to worry about that additional class has taken me from being absolutely overwhelmed to having a completely manageable workload. I had a total of four midterms this week. Two down and only two more to go! I've been telling myself since the begininng of the semester that if I can get through this week, it will be a miracle. And good news is, I'm halfway through the week, halfway through the semester and I still here! The rest of the semster should be a piece of cake :)

But no worries, I am still finding time to have a social life admist all this school work. Last weekend some of my friends from Maryland came up to visit. We went to Salem and did all sorts of Halloween activities. One of my aunts lives in Salem so I'm generally familiar with layout when walking around. I still managed to get us lost on our way from the Salem Common to the oldest candy store in the United States and the House of Seven Gables. Lost, shmost (is that how you would spell it? I'm not sure it's kinda more of a phonetic expression than a written one)-- anyway, it just added to my friends' experience of seeing historic Salem! We did a candlelit walking tour about ghosts, drank apple cider, got our palms read and did all the other fun things you do in Salem in October.

I've never had any sort of witchcraft reading done before, so getting my palm read was a first. Obviously I'm not a real believer in all of that stuff, but it was really interesting what the witch said to me. She told me that I have great influence over people when I speak (even if I don't know what I'm talking about), I have really high intellectual capabilities, and that I will be doing a lot of travelling in my future career. All of these things could be applied to anyone, but what was interesting was that she said I would go into Marketing. I didn't tell her that I'm a Marketing major. Kind of weird... perhaps even spooky! The funniest thing she told me was that I'm "restless as Hell." I found this so amusing because it's absolutely true. I love change and new adventures whenever possible. Again, I'm not convinced about palm reading and witchcraft, but it was fun nevertheless.

Next weekend my aunt is getting married on the Cape. I have a whole bunch of family coming into town for it. Should be a little chaotic but really fun. We have a total of ten people staying in our apartment with only one bathroom and it is a morning wedding. I'm so excited to see my family and my dog (my parents are bringing him up). I will have to write about the madness that ensues next week!

Web Chat

Last week Jack and I participated in a College Week Live video chat. College Week Live is like a virtual college fair where students can go online to get information about college, chat with admission counselors, and watch streamed video of college students speaking about their school. Jack and I were those students speaking about Suffolk!

It was really fun but kind of weird. Jack did all of the technical work of setting up the webcam while I decorated the wall to make it seem spirited since I'm completely clueless when it comes to technology. The video chat was half-an-hour, a combination of us talking about our experience at Suffolk and answering student questions. It was kind of strange not only being on camera and knowing that prospective students I couldn't see were watching me, but also strange watching myself talk on the computer screen for 30 minutes. Needless to say, I don't think I'll ever become an actress.

It was really fun though! My favorite part of the whole experience was that I heard an ad on the radio the day before announcing College Week Live. The ad said, "All kinds of colleges will be there, like Suffolk University..." It was exciting because basically the radio was advertising me and Jack! Fun little moment of fame :)

Something magical

I woke up this morning to the sound of rain on my window. It was gray and cloudy. And yet I knew it was going to be a good day!

So many people get down and depressed when it is raining. There is never a comment like "Oh it's a beautiful day outside" when it rains. Although I don't always enjoy dealing with frizzy hair or wet feet, I love the rain. I particularly love Boston in the rain.

There is something so magical about Boston in the rain. A gray haze settles over the city. Often there is fog that surrounds and circulates the tops of the skyscrapers. Umbrellas, rain boots and hooded jackets can be seen everywhere. The streets are not as full. The people in the streets are either scurrying to get to anywhere that is dry or they are slowly walking and accepting their wet fate. The city, although hazy, seems illuminated as car lights turn on and the lights in buildings seems to glow more brightly. The rain drops hit the many puddles in the road with a constant fascinating rhythm.

I can't put my finger on what exactly makes it all so magical, but the rain transforms Boston into such an enchanting place. I absolutely adore being out in the rain, soaking it all in! No pun intended :)

Coffee please...

I can't believe it is already the beginning of October! I'm really excited because my Management 200 course on nonprofit organizations is going to be finished as of next Friday! My European Union class will be finished as of the end of October. It is an exciting thought that in one month I will only have four classes to worry about for two whole months. I have never had as few as four classes, I don't know what I will do with all of my spare time!

I am beginning to realize the extent to which I am crazy. It's obvious that I've been crazy for a while, a known fact since high school. But I was up until 4:45 in the morning doing homework last night! Someone please tell me what is wrong with me. To my defense, I did take a nap for an hour between 9:00 and 10:00 and I slept in until 10:00 this morning. But still, I don't procrastinate (or I minimally do) so I'm not sure why I have to put in such long nights to keep up.

Part of the problem is my schedule. I have four evening classes and one morning class and work in between. I don't get home until after 8:00 every evening, so I don't start my homework until late. My advice to any student, especially freshman, is to stay away from evening classes as much as possible. One or two is fine, but four is too much.

I love school and most all of my classes, but I'm really tired. But in one week I will be so much less crazy, I might even be considered normal. What a thought :) Coffee Please!

Quite the accomplishment

Over the summer I moved from my apartment in Brookline to an apartment in Winthrop. I have lived with my aunt and uncle (who are 30 and 31) for a little over two years now. I moved in with them after my freshman year because they are still young and needed help with rent. It was the perfect situation because I needed roommates and help with rent as well.

I have lived in Boston for three years and one summer (I just say 4 years) in five different places. When I stayed for a summer before my senior year in high school I lived with my aunt and uncle on Beacon Street in Brookline near Coolidge Corner. Then I lived in the residence halls my first year of college, another apartment near Coolidge Corner, an apartment near Brookline Village, and now an apartment in Winthrop. I moved from each place for good reasons like saving money, or the landlord was selling, etc. I really do enjoy change in life and new adventures (which moving to a new place every year brings much of) but I hate moving! It's stressful and expensive and exhausting. What's funny is that I also don't forsee myself living in Winthrop for more than one year.

Anyway, my aunt and uncle had a baby in March and were looking for more room and to save money we moved over the summer to this three-bed apartment which is actually half of a house. Winthrop is east of East Boston and is in some ways your quintessential beach town. I live a five minute walk from this tiny little very New England beach. So getting to the whole point of this story...


My room was painted this mustard yellow color with bronze sponged on top. It was kind of a Tuscan look. Unfortunately everything I own is black and white. My bed is black, desk is white and everything else is black and white themed. I love the b&w prints of various scenes in Paris, pictures of old movie stars (especially Audrey) and other pictures of old. Naturally I have plenty of them to decorate with.


So the Tuscan look was not only a bit dark for my tastes, but also didn't go with anything I own. So I decided to paint! It was my first painting project all by myself so I was really nervous that I wasn't going to be able to pull it off. I always feel really uncomfortable when walking into a hardware store because I feel like I'm that girl with big sunglasses who is trying to explain her fix-it problem in girl language. But lucky for me, my dad is super knowledgable when it comes to painting so he walked me through all the details of what I needed.

My aunt and uncle went away for the weekend, so I was truly all by myself painting. First I painted everything a flat white color to cover up the dark gold and brown.

I painted in dingy clothes and bare feet. According to some of the Ambassadors, painting without shoes on is weird. But my point of view is 1). No shoes is way more comfortable, and 2). Why would I waste a perfectly good pair of shoes by getting paint on them when I can just wash paint off myself? The only problem with no shoes is that I'm ridiculously clumsy and dripped paint all over the place. My feet evidence this. Kind of a gross picture, I know.

This is the finished product! Doesn't it look beautiful!? Not bad for a first time painter, if I do say so myself. Thanks Dad for teaching me so well!

The only thing I didn't get done this weekend was my closet (and the unfortunately small-sized closet I have). That will be a project for another weekend. But I must say that I feel like this was quite the accomplishment. It was my first hands-on, fix-it kind of project and I did it all by myself. It made me feel capable and independent. I'm sure I'll have many fix-it projects in my future and it is so comforting to know that I can do what I set my mind to. I don't forsee myself fixing any plumbing problems in the near future, but at least I know I can paint a room :)

It's officially fall

September 21st has come and gone... its officially fall! I love the fall but I'm not quite ready for it yet. I was reading in the newspaper yesterday that this summer was the second wettest July in Boston's history. It seems ironic to me that the one summer that I choose to stay in Boston instead of going home to Maryland, and the one summer that I move to an apartment that is a five minute walk from the beach, is one of the coldest and wettest in Boston's history.

Considering that I have porcelin skin and the word "tan" is not even in my vocabulary, not having a lot of beach time wasn't that disappointing. Apparently it was a wet summer in Annapolis too so I didn't miss much. But regardless of all of that, I feel like I haven't had enough time in the warm weather to wear all my skirts and dresses! It sounds so girly and ridiculous, but I'm not ready to be wearing jeans on a regular basis yet.

There are always signs of the onset of fall. The turning of leaves, the cooler air, the annual Boston events (Head of the Charles, walk for Breast Cancer, Halloween festivities in Salem...) and the release of the pumpkin-spice latte at Starbucks. I love the pumpkin-spice latte-- it is the perfect warm-you-up drink on a chilly fall day. But I can't even begin to think about being ready to drink yet.

Hopefully I will be ready for fall sooner rather than later. I certainly don't want to miss it. I did have some pumpkin butter on my english muffin the other day, so I guess that is a step in the right direction.

And another year begins...

Every year when the beginning of school comes, I am both excited for another year and sad to see the summer go. This year my feeling was completely different. I spent the summer in Boston waiting tables at a local bar. While it was fun, it also grew tiresome. In mid-July I was ready for classes to start. I was excited to get back into the rhythm of classes, working in the Admission office, and mostly just being productive with my time. "Is it September yet?" was my most common phrase this summer.

Now that it is September and it is week three of classes, I'm saying "Is it winter break yet?" It's always hard to go from doing nothing but working and relaxing for four months to taking six classes. Don't get me wrong-- I love school and I love learning about the fascinating topic of Global Business that is my major... but I don't always love reading four chapters of unexciting text books before class. I think I may be developing a small case of senioritis which is not good considering that I have three semesters left before graduation! Of course, senioritis for me is not the typical malady that one hears about it. It is more like not doing all the reading before class or not going above and beyond to be ahead of the game (instead of on time) with assignments. But still-- it is kind of throwing me for a loop.

My being a slacker aside, my classes this semester are really interesting. I am taking French 101 which is so much fun. I took five years of French in middle school and high school so this is a refresher course for me. My Global Business major requires that I take one year of a foreign language. I went to Paris in May of 2008 and I never wanted to come home. Had my language skills been better, I may not have. The problem with my French education in high school was that it focused primarily on reading and writing. The college approach to languages is completely different. The professor focuses on our pronunciation (repetez apres moi) and our ability to listen which I think will actually teach me how to speak French. So be prepared for some franglais in future blogging entries :)

I am also taking Business Finance, Intro to International Business, The European Union, Marketing Research, and Management & Social Responsibility. Most of them are fairly self-explanatory. The European Union is a Griffin challenge course that runs for six weeks. It is about the history, evolution, economic and political environment of the EU. I am really enjoying it especially since one of my future career dreams is to work with the EU and business in the European sector.

Management & Social Responsibility is a one credit course that only meets three times during the semester. It is a core requirement for all business students that deals with nonprofits. In the class we are split into seven-person teams. Our goal is to act as a consulting team by proposing a solution to a problem to a real nonprofit in the Boston area. My class is working on solving a volunteer problem for The Boston Living Center, a nonprofit that provides support services for people living with HIV and AIDS. We have one month to put together a client report and prepare a presentation for the executives of the BLC. The great part about this class is that it gives Suffolk students the experience of doing real consulting work while being able to make a difference in the community. The not so great part about the class is that we have a lot of work to do in a very short period of time. But I think this will be a really excellent learning opportunity for me.

In addition to being a bit crazy with six classes, readjusting to my school schedule, and working in the admission office, I am also painting my room. I moved into a new apartment over the summer and the current color of my room is mustard with a bronze sponged on top. I have chosen a coral/cream color as a brighter and more appealing option. It is my first painting project all by myself and I'm not sure I totally know what I'm doing. But I have faith that I can do it and that it will be fabulous!

Another school years begins and I am busier than ever... A bientot!

A Glimpse of my Summer

As the first week of my senior year has already come and gone, I am amazed at how quickly time passes. It feels like just yesterday I was a senior in high school preparing for the big world of college. I can't believe that now I'm beginning to prepare for the real world!

I stayed in Boston this summer and worked waiting tables at a local bar. I went home to Maryland twice though for a visit. I think the best way is to show you a few glimpses of what I did through pictures...

The pictures are out of order, but I think it is more fun that way

The Boston skyline from the view of a boat in Boston Harbor visiting the Harbor Islands

The State House in Annapolis, Maryland-- my favorite stomping ground.

On the Harbor Island Ferry boat

Visiting my friend at school in Frederick, Maryland

We watched the sunset from the top of a mountain overlooking

Middletown, Maryland

Although this was absolutely beautiful... I'm such a city girl! Dresses, ballet flats and mountain trails aren't the best mix.

Some of my fellow Ambassadors-- Allison, Chris and I went to visit Kristin in Connecticut for her birthday. Her parents got us a limo!

Trying to make SU-- GO RAMS!

Allison and I did not plan on matching pajamas... we just love Suffolk that much!

When the weather was nice, I had a lot of picnics with the girls I worked with. This was in the Fens.

On the Fourth of July enjoying the fireworks. I was all about the flowers in my hair this summer.

On the beach in Fort Myers, Florida.

My brother came to visit after he graduated from high school. Here we are with our new cousin (and future Suffolk student) in the Public Garden.

Oh my!

 Time has flown by! I cannot believe that I just finished my first year at Suffolk. Junior year, supposedly the hardest year, is over. Thank goodness! And although I am so ready for summer and a break from school work, I am sad that half of my time at Suffolk is already over. I guess that is one of the downsides of being a transfer student. But it seems strange that the end of the semester has already come and gone. I sort of feel like I should be going back to school next week.

I went with some of our other ambassadors (Kristin, Chris, Nick and Allison) to the Spring Ball the Friday before finals. We had such a great time! We took a bunch of ridiculous prom-like pictures before at Kristin's apartment in the North End. Nick was so sweet and bought all the ladies roses. Then we went to the Royal Sonesta hotel in Cambridge for the ball. They served a really nice dinner and raffled off finals survival kits. Of course none of us won anything. But I'm one of those people who, at my own prom in high school, was one of like six people who did not win something at the after prom party. C'est la vie. So then we dance for a while.  I had such a wonderful time! I love to dance. "Just Dance" is my theme song to life right now. 

I don't know how much I'll be blogging this summer since I'll be working.  But hopefully I'll keep you posted on the ongoings of my summer in Boston! 

The last stretch

Today is my last day of class! After a presentation, case study, final paper, and 100 question final, I'm done! Although I love learning and I adore going to Suffolk, I'm so ready for it to be summer.

An actual profound thought

This is a follow up to a previous post...

I just started reading a book about Eleanor Roosevelt , and besides it being about a woman whom I find completely fascinating, the beginning is a bit much. There is a foreward, an introduction, an author's note and a prolouge. How many introductions can one book have? Isn't there some kind of book etiquette which dictates these sorts of things?

How 'bout them Celtics!

I went to my first Celtics game last week. I got a call from my uncle to tell me that the person he was going with couldn't make and inquiring if I wanted to go. "Absolutely!" was my answer. Once I hung up the phone it occured to me that the call came on April 1st. So I called him right back to say that it would be terribly mean to have me thinking I was going to a game if I really wasn't.

It wasn't an April Fools trick and I had such a great time! I don't know a whole lot about basketball, but it was probably one of the more interesting games of the season. We played the North Carolina Bobcats--word on the street (meaning a friend of mine informed me) is that they are not all that much of a challenge to play. This game went into double overtime and was won by Ray Allen in the last two seconds. The game was tied 93 to 93 at the end of the fourth quarter. Ray Allen shot a 3-pointer to get us into the first overtime in the last 6 seconds. He shot another 3-pointer to get us into the second overtime. And he shot another 3-pointer to win the game in the last 2 seconds! For somone who doesn't know a lot about basketball, I was on my feet, adrenaline pumping, cheering at the top of my lungs. I must say it was kind of an awesome first game.

Last summer I watched the NBA finals when the Celtics won. I remember coming home from working at the restaurant in Maryland and sitting in my room watching the final game. None of my family was awake because it was late. When the Celtics won I called my aunt and uncle because I felt like I needed desperately to share the excitment with fellow Bostonians. This was my introduction to basketball in that I was trying to figure out what was going on all by myself. Naturally, I was trying to decide which player I connected with the best because it is so much better to watch a team when you have a favorite player. But it was hard to tell at first since Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen all put on a good show. I did like Allen a lot because of his 3 point shots. After this game I'm proud to say that Allen is my man. Now I just have to get myself a shirt with his name on it. It's perfect because green and white are my favorite colors :)