After visiting Santa Cruz yesterday, things look different now. I visited Porter and Kresge College, my top two choices in UCSC. UCSC has a 10-college system; you affiliate yourself with a college, not based on strictly your major, but rather your interests, what you want your community to be, and your housing. I originally was leaning towards Kresge, because of the apartments and writing aspect. I also liked the idea of “Power and Representation” (it’s core course/theme) – but this was all text. Things I’ve read, people’s stereotypes and bias opinions. During the recent tour, we only saw a few colleges, not all of them, or the ones I really was considering. Yesterday, I saw those two colleges, and Porter just turned me around. Now, it was a weekend, it was quiet, barely anybody was walking around like they had been during the tours. I’m not completely sure why, but this may have affected my opinion.

My opinion is biased as most are. I liked Porter because it was more alive than Kresge. I’m sure next year if anybody reads my blog and reads this entry (Oh hi future friend!) they might disagree with me, or think I’m being stupid. Sorry, this is my view. Or maybe, I felt more alive at Porter. It just seemed so much more friendly and colorful. It is supposed to be the ‘artsy’ college. Kresge was artsy too, but in a different way. I felt more in touch with nature at Kresge, but I didn’t want that. That would be a huge transition for me. Porter felt like the transition itself, a mix between suburban sidewalks and mauled to death by redwood trees. Kresge felt too quiet, almost eerie. It felt like everyone was in their apartments, living. Which is fine, but I suppose at Porter there was a little more life. Even then it was quiet, again, maybe it was the weekend? Or maybe sometime big was going on that I didn’t know about. Oh, and I do know there is some construction, and probably will last through next year, but I don’t mind. I would mind sharing a room with someone (something that was a little tiny bit less likely at Kresge, just a little) – but I’ll get through it. I’m not going to be anti-social again. I’ll try hard.

So, college-wise I’ve decided: 1) Porter, 2) Kresge, 3) College 9, 4) College 10, College 8. I originally had Crown in there, but I’ve considered it, and realized it’ll lead me to being more anti-social. I want some fun at college, and Crown may be fun, but I feel like it’ll be too similar to the life I’m living now. (Again, sorry if I’m disrespecting any future friends who go to any of these or any colleges)

After my visits, I went to downtown Santa Cruz, and I freaking loved it. That life I saw a glimpse of at Porter was all over the place in downtown. I know I’ll be there a lot throughout next year. At first we went to a nice restaurant called Kianti’s (it reminded me a bit of Tomatina in Dublin) at which I had garlic cheese bread and a custom pepperoni-sausage-tomato calzone. So good! Then me and the parents walked further down Pacific Ave, visited some stores, and then went to a nice little Café called “Cafe Delmarette” – I got myself a Cafe Latte and Strawberry Scone:

[View more photos from my Santa Cruz trips on Flickr...]

The scone was amazing, the Cafe Latte (saturated in sugar as usual) was yummy too! I’ll have to get the Mocha next time I’m there, and other items off the menu. Definitely revisiting that place again! All in all, Pacific Ave was amazing. I’m hoping to visit more before I actually live in Santa Cruz. I think going here again really has helped me like it more.

On December 7th, it snowed. It wasn’t much, and it didn’t even reach my house. It did reach my school, and I felt as if I was in a “winter wonderland” – I rarely experience snow. Last time I did was a long time ago, I was very little, and barely remember. Especially this much, and it may not be a lot to some, but it was enough to make me laugh and forget that it was cold (or maybe it wasn’t), and just to enjoy the snow. It was the start of a brilliant week.

Throughout the week, lucky things happened to me. I would be late and still find a parking spot. I’d be rather cheery, and not fall asleep in class. I became friends with new people, especially someone who’s made my days a lot brighter… it was a good week. I say it was a lucky week, even though I don’t completely believe in luck. We make our own luck, don’t we? Maybe the happiness I got from the snow on Monday spread throughout the week.

The next week was a bit more cluttered, but I was still happy. In fact, I’ve been very happy lately, more happy than normal. I may seem super hyper and happy, but really I’m not all that hyper and happy. I just am able to stand through the day without breaking down, being upset, or showing it. It’s not hard to fake a smile or laugh. But these past couple weeks, I didn’t need to. I was really happy. Smiling, enjoying things, even if I didn’t do so well on a test, made a mistake somewhere along the way, etc, I was still happy, I would be positive. “I still have two more tests! Lot’s of time!” or “I’ll study more next time!” – I mean, why on earth should I let school frustrate me? Make me so upset? I don’t even like it that much, yet it’s controlling my emotions. So no, I’m not going to start failing classes and focusing on other things, I’m just not going to let my life be controlled by school.

And today, I made cookies. I covered them and green and red/pink frosting. I drove to my friend’s house and we had a Christmas party. (though I’m not exactly christian.. I have my own religion, one nobody else has, ever!!) Amazing meal, desert, games, movies, and lot’s of laughing. Kind of a rant following, but who needs drugs and alcohol and all that when you can be ‘high on laughter’! I definitely enjoyed the laughing. :)

It wasn’t a perfect day, unfortunately. I ran into some problems, almost did break down. Mistakes aren’t fun at all. But no worries, I’m calm now. It was a mistake, it’ll pass. It may look at me in the eye for a while but eventually I’ll forget it, or not care about it so much, like my mistakes in the past.

I think the snow did something to me, made me realize wow, the world is really beautiful. Because it is, isn’t it? When everything is covered in a blanket of white… Things seem so much more… fantastic… wonderful… happy. :) So enjoy the holidays, be warm and drink lots of hot cocoa (or coffee with cocoa in my case!). Meet with your family and friends, and be happy. Ignore all your mistakes, no matter how many you make. Who cares if it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever other occasion. It’s just a nice time where we have a vacation from work, being stressed. A time where we can spend with eachother. Happiness is key. :)

So today was Halloween, and I had a blast hanging out with a friend and making cupcakes <_< Haha, they were good cupcakes, too. I dressed up as the two of hearts (technically from Alice in Wonderland, but sadly, my guard weapon/sword/staff thing broke during school yesterday...)

It seems to be the last Halloween I'll be celebrating in my hometown (unless I don't get accepted to any colleges and end up going to DVC... which sounds a bit depressing, but not bad on the whole). Scary how in a year from now I'll probably be somewhere completely different. A month from now, I'll be done with college apps. And a little over a few months from now, I'll know which colleges I've been accepted into.

Scariest part of Halloween: College apps. So, what did you dress up as, and what did you do today?

Before seeing the movie, I had an interesting “lunch”. I wasn’t all that hungry, so I decided I’d get a chicken salad, and instead, I got a chicken greenhouse. The salad was HUGE. I know, ironic, how I wasn’t hungry so I expected the salad to be not so filling. Unfortunately, I didn’t want to waste the food, so I tried, and I emphasize tried, to finish it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t. I also got a yummy strawberry smoothie thing from jamba juice. :D

After the movie, bubble tea! Coffee milk tea w/ small tapioca balls. I think I prefer the big ones. Or as someone specific put it “I like big balls better than small ones.” …. Sigh.

An interesting day, a good one :)

First we had to park, apparently I really am a tourist in SF, cause parking required helped from a random stranger… It basically went like this:

Dad: “How on earth do these machines work? Wheres the dollar slot –”
Random Stranger: “Oh hey do you need change? Here.”
Dad: “Oh thank you”
— Few minutes follow, trying to stuff coin into slot —
Random Stranger who reappears: “Here this is how you do it…”
Me: “*speechless*”

And yeah. So thank you random stranger who taught us the ways of coin slot pushing awesomeness, because we really needed that. Stupid machines. They’ll take over the world one day.

This followed with us eating an interestingly named restaurant named “The Plant”. It smelled like gardening/dirt. I was afraid it’s food would taste that way as well. It didn’t. It was actually okay, too organic for me though. It didn’t even have coke. It had some fancy “organic” cola. It tasted healthy. Tomato pizza was pretty good too.

And then I had coffee. Which led to me telling someone (you!?) I had a day “full of good coffee”… She assumed I had created some sort of weird phrase (because I would do that sort of thing), when in actuality I hadn’t. I actually had a day full of good coffee. Anyway, that led to the naming of this blog. Full of good coffee. When life gives you bitter coffee in which you have to saturate with sugar. Lots and lots of sugar.

And blueberries. Which are apparently the fruit in “chocolate fruit dipping.” I expected fondue. I was disappointed. That’s right, “The Plant”, I’m very disappointed in you.

That is all.