Wish You Were Here

An Ode to the Roommate

In college, everyone has a different living situation – and plenty of different stories to tell about it. And mine has definitely been unique in an interesting way: I’ve had four different roommates, one for each year of school here.

The first thing to talk about is just how you get a roommate in the first place. The housing questionnaire asks you a bunch of questions to filter you in the right dorm situation for you. First, they’ll ask your preference of building and if you would want a single, double, or triple room. (Insider’s tip: perks of a single include privacy; perks of a double include an instant friend to tackle orientation with; perks of a triple include a cheaper room and board fee.) Second, they ask lifestyle questions, like what you normally use your room for (studying, socializing), how you like to listen to music, when you usually go to bed/wake up, if you would prefer substance-free housing, how often you tidy up the place, etc. Except if you’re on a sports team and your coach wants your teammates to live together, these are the details that Hopkins uses to match you with a roommate.

My corner of Wolman 504B, freshman year!

Third, there is a section of the form that asks if you would like to request a roommate. As long as both people choose each other mutually, you’ll get that roommate and will already be set coming into school. At that point, I started to worry a little: did people do that? Am I going to be the only one being matched up with some rando? And after four years working with Hopkins Interactive, I’ve found that this is an extremely common question for a lot of people, not just with me. (Some people even try to recruit roommates via the enrolled students Facebook group because the thought of being randomly assigned stresses them out.) Luckily, it turns out that people rarely request a friend/family member to live with. I got mine just like nearly everyone else did: in a random draw, based on a few key habits. So, just as some preliminary advice: RELAX! The housing office has been matching people for years and, with a few dramatic exceptions, it all works out in the end. I promise.

And that leads me to my first day on campus, when I met my very first roommate.

Me and Kathleen!

To my freshman year roommate: You were the first person I have ever had to share a room with…and, if I’m being honest with myself, it probably showed. I know when I came to college I was a little uptight, a little moody, and definitely homesick. And by the end of the year, your ringtone, your morning crunchy apple snacks, your texting away on your cell  phone (click click click click click) got on my very last nerve. But it was the natural response to being cooped up in a ~180 square-foot room with another person I barely knew and now, three years later, I can’t help but realize that my first random roommate experience was actually really positive. I remember the good stuff, like going out to the Den and ending up at Uni Mini together, studying late into the night for our ridiculous Fluid Earth final, and roasting marshmallows on our electric stovetop. I took things too seriously at the beginning of freshman year, and I thank you for helping to loosen me up. Thank you for asking me to go out even when I didn’t feel like it. Thank you for teaching me patience, tact, and respect. And thanks for being a reminder of a year in which I grew more than I ever thought was possible: freshman year was a turning point in so many ways and you, freshman year roomie, were a big part of that.

My wall in Charles Commons during sophomore year.

To my sophomore year roommate: Jessica, Jessica, Jessica. How lucky I was that we were both looking for a roommate at the same time freshman spring. How lucky, again, that both of our previous housing plans had fallen through and that we could come together to go through the housing lottery together. How lucky I was, still, that we got a lottery number in the 70′s and had the pick of virtually any room/building we wanted! Our suite was epic and I thank you for that – the fantastic top-floor view of the Inner Harbor, doing homework at our dining room table, and cooking side-by-side at our kitchenette were all made better because I had an excellent roommate to share them with. It’s hard to believe we lived together two whole years ago – I have no idea where the time has gone! But it has been a pleasure to see the adventures you’ve gone through in the meantime, from working and studying abroad, to becoming leader of the Public Health Student Forum, to earning an impressive post-graduation job in Vietnam. We throw this compliment around between each other a lot, but I sincerely wouldn’t mind being you when I grow up. You’ve got it all: drive, passion, intelligence, tolerance. Now I’m just glad, if I’m not still your roommate, that you remain an amazing and loyal friend.

Me and Jessica, Roommate 2.

Me and Jill!

To my junior year roommate: In April 2009, with Jessica going abroad and planning to graduate a semester early, I was desperate for an apartment. I had no idea who I would live with, what building would be home, or even what area of campus to look in for these things. And then I got an email from a friend who was moving to her own little apartment and needed someone to take her bedroom at her old abode. That was when I met you – you, a strong and silly ROTC almost-senior who I had never met before, showed me around the place and humored me as I fell in love with my massive, my gorgeous current apartment. And although we weren’t “friends” going into August, you were there for everything – to help me through a rocky start to junior year, to help plan my birthday party, to chat and have dinner and have fun and everything in between. It was an effortless friendship and roommateship, which continues to make me optimistic about possibly having to live with a stranger next year. Even when I got busier spring semester, I feel like we didn’t lose touch. It was a comfort to know I had a safe, happy place (and roommate) to come home to every day. For that, I thank you.

To my senior year roommate: To the only person who has ever written me a love letter (that nonsense is still up on my memo board), to the person who always took out the trash, to the person who taught me how to use dishwasher detergent, to the person who took showers insanely early (and motivated me to get up), to the person whose loud giggles I can hear all the way across the apartment…I can’t say much more than thank you for making my senior year easy, fun, and full of laughter. I can leave you with some obvious advice too, if you want it: you only have one year of college left, so you better make it count. You’re beautiful, smart, and I know you will do something outstanding in life with all that charisma and knowledge (I know, I’ve taught you everything I know). I’m going to miss your insults and the presents you left in my room, like that Easter basket that got me through some rough nights of paper-writing. I’ll miss Degrassi and That 70′s Show always being on television when you’re in the living room (or Sex and the City, in the rare event that neither of the former are on). I’ll miss complaining with you about our grouchy downstairs neighbor, and about our building’s office manager, and about the bazillion campus organizations you’re involved in. I’ll miss it all – this year was a great year, and that was due in no small part to having a kick-ass roommate to share the experience with.

Typical me and Maxi

Now, after four years and four roommates, I look forward to graduating and moving off somewhere new to (probably) my first non-Baltimore roommate. I don’t know what they’ll be like, if we’ll get along, or how our apartment will look, but I do know that I am much better equipped to handle it than I ever have been before. I’ve learned a lot of things in college, but one of the most useful was learning how to live with people: how to be tolerant of their quirks, deal with problems diplomatically, and still keep my own sense of self along the way. In fact, I’ve also learned that I personally live better with people, which is a remarkable discovery to make as an only child.

A roommate’s hug, when you’re having a rough day (or week or month), is priceless. Living with a roommate, I find myself thriving off their energy and being motivated by their choices in a way I could never have been if I lived alone. I feel a connection with the world too – a roommate, who is involved in different things, has different interests, and most of all has different friends, can broaden your horizons in so many different ways. I credit each of these four ladies for teaching me this and so much more about life and about myself. I wish them all the best in whatever they do – and I’m grateful that, for one year each, I could have had a small part in lives that are going to take this world by storm.

Spring Fever

Me and Ashlee at this year's Spring Fair.

Hot off the heels of an amazing weekend, I’ve just realized that I have never ever written in this blog about Spring Fair. I can’t imagine how that could have ever happened: it’s one of my favorite weekends of the entire year, and definitely my favorite Hopkins-sponsored event on campus. To be fair, spring at Hopkins is a whirlwind of fun events, including Homecoming, Maryland Film Festival (where I’m volunteering this year), and Senior Week. It’s exciting because there’s so much to do – schoolwork is definitely put on the back-burner because of all the fun to be had. But there really is none better than Spring Fair.

And me and Ashlee at my first Spring Fair ever in 2008!

Spring Fair is a magical three days when the entire Homewood campus loosens up, takes a deep breath, and gets outside to make some truly amazing memories. On Thursday night, there is a big kickoff party at Levering Plaza that includes fireworks, food, a mechanical bull, and a beer garden on the Latrobe Hall patio. There’s music provided by the WJHU radio station DJs and everyone tends to stay for a really long time, celebrating the weekend. Afterwards, it has become a tradition that I go to Sig Ep to hang out with my friends late into the night. It has also become a tradition that, if possible, I skip the class(es) I have on Friday, get a good night’s sleep, and head to the Freshman Quad on Friday morning ready for some good food, good friends, and good fun.

Spring Fair 2011's theme was dinosaurs! Inflatable dinosaurs were floating around all weekend.

Maxi, me, Naomi and Olivia at Spring Fair 2009

Rest is really necessary because, starting on Friday afternoon, the fair is in full swing. On the Freshman Quad are dozens of food vendors selling ice cream, turkey legs, corn dogs, pad Thai, lemonades and smoothies, cheese fries, fried Oreos, funnel cakes, and all the rest of the essential carnival foods you can think of. The Upper Quad is home to arts and crafts vendors selling jewelry, clothes, candles, paintings, soaps, homemade blown glass, and more. We also packed a lot of children’s events on the Upper Quad, like a moonbounce, a magician’s show, face-painting, and balloon animals. This year, the Lower Quad housed the non-profit section, which is usually full of student groups raising money for their various charities and efforts. Levering Plaza hosted concerts all weekend and, finally, the President’s Lawn was the location of our annual Beer Garden.

Film Society Does the Beer Garden: Alexandra and me (with Diana in the background) this year!

I really like that we have shopping, food, and games for adults/kids as well: it’s not just a college student event (though it would certainly be fun enough if it was), but really an event that brings together the Baltimore community as a whole. We even have a petting zoo that comes one day that, funnily enough, interests us just as much as it interests the kids. It’s also a huge alumni draw, since some graduates come back more often for Spring Fair than they even do for Young Alumni Weekend in the fall or Homecoming in the spring. It’s just nice to watch campus buzz with a different kind of energy for a few days. You forget about work, forget about upcoming exams, even forget about graduation coming so soon. Instead, you smile, laugh, squint in the sun, spend too much money on food, take too many pictures, and love every single moment of it all.

Crabby Family reunion at Spring Fair 2011!

Watching Chiddy Bang from Latrobe Hall with Quin.

And what’s not to love about it: aside from the food, the fireworks, the beer, and the shopping, there are also always concerts and other special events throughout the fair. This year, we welcomed Chiddy Bang and had a “Blackout Party” (think: rave) in the Rec Center on Friday night. Saturday, the Coalition of Hopkins Activists for Israel (including my friend Aliza, who works in Admissions too) organized the Falafel Ball, a charity function with DJs, a capella, food, and dancing. Sunday morning was the Blue Jay 5k run, then a smorgasbord of Baltimore-based bands played in the afternoon including Future Islands, Dope Body, and Weekends.

Me and a bunch of seniors at Spring Fair 2010.

As great as all of that is, it’s really funny how the highlights of Spring Fair are never those things you originally were the most excited to experience. Even though it rained nearly all day Saturday and the food/beer garden actually shut down by mid-afternoon, I’m going to look back on Spring Fair 2011 – my last as an undergraduate – and remember nothing but an exciting, unpredictable, really satisfying time. Even as a senior with one month left at Hopkins, I met so many new people. I danced. I spent lots of time in the sun, wore pretty maxi dresses, and got a pretty decent tan. I got to dye my roommate Maxi’s hair purple and blue to help raise money for Cuts for Camp. I had a corn dog, cheese fries, pad thai, crepes, lemonade, and (lots of) hard cider. I played Dirty Minds until 4 in the morning with some of my closest friends. Honest to goodness, at some points I laughed until I cried. And it sounds silly, but I hugged a lot this weekend – it’s that energy beating through campus, that makes everyone happier and more appreciative of everything around them. Every once in a while, we all need weekends like that.

And now, with Spring Fair 2011 finished and the vendors all packed up, all I want is to be able to do it all over again. Without fail, Spring Fair makes it even more apparent how much I love my friends and how much I love this school. I had such a blast.

The cutest little kid in a dinosaur costume, running around the patio behind the library.

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

Me and Ashley in front of St. Louis Cathedral, 2008

This year, I’m taking my spring break a little earlier than I expected. Background: during my freshman year Intersession, I went to New Orleans. Long story short, I fell in love with the place, the people, the food, the atmosphere, the experience. I left on the day of the first Mardi Gras 2008 parade and really wished I had been there to see the holiday unfold. When I came back to Baltimore and started my second semester of school, I vowed to myself that I would go to Mardi Gras my senior year – I would be 21 and this would be my last time, before getting a job, to go away for a random week in March and do nothing but have fun. JHU decided that our Spring Break would be March 21-25 this year…but Mardi Gras this year is March 8. So you can probably see how this didn’t really work out with my plans.

So, to kick off my “pre” spring break, I’ll be taxiing down the runway towards New Orleans tomorrow morning with my friends Courtney and Kayla. For the first two days, we’re staying outside the city with Kayla’s grandmother. We’ll be eating home-cooked cajun meals, visiting famous landmarks and especially plantations (I loved Oak Alley and can’t wait to go back!), and reuniting with my old penpal Ashley and her family for dinner. I’ve known her for over ten years and her family feels like the Southern extension of my own, so it feels great to be able to see them all again. She’s my official first friend to be getting married as well, which is crazy! But I haven’t even met her fiance yet with all those miles between us, so I’m excited to finally do that too.

Once in the city on Monday, we’ll do lots of touristy sight-seeing and even more Mardi Gras celebrating! I’m pumped for the parades and the music and the general spirit of the city: Ashley told me that I have no idea what I’m getting myself into, and I can believe it. This is a holiday where the entire city gets together for the sole purpose of celebrating their culture and having an amazing time. I’m so thrilled to be able to be a part of that this year.

Kayla, Courtney and me. We'll look even better when our background is NEW ORLEANS! (And not the Sig Ep basement.)

Luckily, missing all but one of my classes isn’t going to be as much of a problem as it sounds. Since I haven’t missed any classes so far, my professors were really understanding and wished me a good time. I have all of my work for the next two weeks mapped out in my agenda and will tackle it first thing when I get back. (And with just a week between my return flight and Spring Break, I won’t have too long to wait for another week off so I can really catch up – on work and on sleep!) I have a lot of movies to watch and some fiction sketches/papers to write, but I’m not worrying about any of it right now. I’m packing up my dresses, my camera, and a book to read, and heading off to the city. I’m ready to let the good times roll.

CRAWFISH. My mouth is watering just thinking about them!

although it’s been said many times, many ways

It’s no secret how much I love the holidays. I’m the friend who starts listening to Christmas music at the end of September. I’m the one who had the tree trimmed, the apartment decorated, the cookies baking before Thanksgiving. I’m the one who “Oohs” and “Aahs” over twinkle lights and the one who thinks there can never be too much tinsel on the tree. There’s just something about Nat King Cole’s smooth voice and the biting chill of winter temperatures that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

This year {just like all the others}, I had to balance my overflowing holiday cheer with a few major academic assignments. There were two Italian tests and an oral exam, a final story for Advanced Fiction Workshop, and a lengthy research paper for The Actor in Hollywood that had to be done before December 7. But I considered myself lucky, because that meant that I had no actual final exams and could go home a week before nearly everyone else! I felt mildly concerned about finishing it all but, in reality, I couldn’t complain one bit. In fact, it even added to my Christmas giddiness that I had free time to spend out of the library and on much more important things, like playing lazy Scrabble games and watching Letters to Juliet and attending my favorite a capella concerts.

My "study station" in the living room.

Because really, no matter how much work I have to do, my priority in December is always making sure I rub off on everyone around me that “warm and fuzzy” feeling I’ve got inside. I first started to gear up for Christmas this year by going home for Thanksgiving with my friend Courtney, who lives in Bermuda and couldn’t go home for such a short amount of time. We had dinner with family, reunited with my friends at home, and got much-needed sleep – all very important aspects of the holiday season in my opinion! When we got back to school, we prepared even further by going ice skating off-campus. I  figure skated seriously for a few years when I was younger and it felt amazing to be back on the ice after so long.

Ice skating with Renee, Alison, and Courtney!

The next week was a blur of fun and formals that was spent dancing the night away and pretending I didn’t actually have all that work to do. On Tuesday, Alpha Phi had our annual winter formal called the “Bordeaux Ball.” It was held at Red Maple in Baltimore, a gorgeous venue with great food and all of our favorite music playing. Though it was bittersweet as my last APhi winter formal ever, I had such a great time and can’t imagine a better last one.

Ben and me before Alpha Phi Bordeaux Ball.

Then, that Saturday was my last hoorah before I really had to focus on work: I went to the All Nighters a capella concert, then Sig Ep’s winter formal at their house, then the All Nighters’ after party. I see all of my friends at least once every week {usually more} but, for some reason, these special events make it even more fun to go out and socialize with them all.

The crew at Sig Ep winter formal.

With such a strong build-up, of course I needed something epic to do on the night before I went home for break. So my friends and I threw a big ugly sweater party in my and Maxi’s apartment. We invited all of our friends and bought lots of food and drinks for everyone. We had a Secret Santa organized beforehand and even ordered mistletoe to hang in one of our doorframes. Growing up, I always had this dream of attending swanky holiday parties with jazz playing and red velvet swishing around me. And now I finally was able to make that daydream a reality: I put my huge, charming apartment {if I do say so myself!} to use and sat back to watch my Baltimore loved ones all under one roof having a great time.

The ladies at our ugly sweater party!

And now I’m looking forward to entire month at home before I get back to Baltimore for Intersession. I haven’t had this much time home for winter break in a long time, so I’m making sure to enjoy every second. I’ve already gotten to catch up with family and friends, sleep til early afternoon, and see Santa Claus drive through the neighborhood on a firetruck decorated with Christmas lights. I helped pick out our Christmas tree {it’s a beauty} and we’ll be baking cookies very soon. I’ll have to start thinking about my job hunt and spring semester soon, but for now…wish you were here!

be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

My much-anticipated trip to San Francisco has, somehow, already come to a close. Summer is flying by this year and I can hardly believe that I’m blogging about my six day vacation on the west coast…and that in exactly two weeks, I’ll be in Baltimore! But I can’t get ahead of myself, so let’s stick to San Francisco. I knew I was going to love it (everyone told me I was going to), but I was even surprised with how much fun I had. There wasn’t a whole lot to do there – a lot of it was sightseeing and spending two full days in the city itself was perfect – but we filled the week with exciting new experiences, fun moments, and lots of laughs. I can’t even choose my favorite part of the trip!

Naomi, me, Pooja, Natalie (with Sam on the phone!), and Sophia at Crissy Field

It could be being able to welcome my friend Natalie and the rest of the Hopkins 4K team on the Golden Gate Bridge, as they finished their epic 2 month trip biking across the entire country. All in the name of raising money and awareness for cancer, the team started in Baltimore, biked the entire way stopping for only a few breaks, and officially finished by dipping the wheels of their bikes in the bay not too far from the Golden Gate Bridge. It was such a beautiful end to a wonderful trip and everyone looked so genuinely happy to have done what they did. I know we were proud of Natalie too – not that we ever doubted she would make it to San Francisco with grace and a smile on her face.

Chris and Natalie!

Or it could be the day I spent in Santa Cruz on the beach and boardwalk with Natalie, Naomi, Pooja, and Caitlyn. We rode the rollercoasters, shivered our way down the log flume, ate our weight in corn dogs/fried oreos/caramel apples/ice cream cones, hid spiked pink lemonades from the beach patrol, and were all able to unwind in the west coast sun.

The crew on the beach in front of all the rides!

It could be the hours we spent on Haight Street, popping into shops, restaurants, and taking photos of the interesting things we saw on the way. Haight-Ashbury was one of the things I was most excited to see in San Francisco – I had learned about its role in American history in middle school, so to finally be there felt a little surreal. I controlled myself and didn’t buy any weird souvenirs, thankfully – instead, I spent some money at Amoeba Music, a huuuuuge record store on Haight, buying LPs by The Velvet Underground, Baltimore-based Beach House, and Cheap Trick.

Me on Haight-Ashbury!

It could’ve been seeing the round Fisherman’s Wharf sign and feeling as if I can fulfilled a long-coming goal: my Poppop had always wanted to go there and never made it, so I felt like I did it for him in a way. Seeing the colorful boats, hearing the sea lions, and enjoying frozen yogurt on Pier 39 with the outline of Alcatraz in the distance, I wished he was there with me but made a vow to take it all in, as much as I could, just for him.

Me, Naomi, Natalie and Pooja at Fisherman's Wharf

My favorite part could be indulging in chocolatey goodness at Ghiradelli, then enjoying the night breeze and views of the water as we walked around Ghiradelli Square (which was, of course, appropriately lit with twinkle lights and bright, trendy shop fronts). Or it could’ve been the feeling in my heart when I set foot on the campus of UC Berkeley – even though they don’t really have any masters programs that intrigue me, it felt great to know that I could find a school to complete me as well as Hopkins does. It could’ve been rolling around in the back of the Hopkins 4K van as we bar-hopped around the city with new and old friends alike. It could’ve even been going to sleep exhausted every night with my legs burning from walking so many hills, knowing I was seeing every single thing in this new city that I had put on my “must-see” list when I booked the trip a month ago.

In Ghiradelli Square, right before we all chowed down!

Or it could’ve been my travel companions. I know this sounds cliché, but throughout the trip we were all so happy to be there with one another. While we were waiting for a train, Pooja realized she had never traveled with friends like this before. Several times during the trip, Natalie thanked us out of the blue for choosing Alpha Phi and being there to make the end of her trip just as fulfilling as the rest of it had been. And every day, I was so proud to be in their company. Naomi, who is working on med school applications and gearing up for a year studying toward a masters degree in the hardest program at the Bloomberg School of Public Health; Pooja, who is working in San Francisco as an intern at the Exploratorium…and who is someone so spontaneous and open-minded that we have no idea where she’ll end up or what she’ll be doing this time next year; and Natalie, who – among so many other accomplishments, like graduating and finding a job – just biked across the entire country, gosh darn it. How did I ever meet this people? What did I ever do to deserve to have friends like this? Not sure I’ll ever figure that one out.

Our new "friendship bracelets" bought from a hippie in Berkeley

It was so hard to leave San Francisco and miss these girls again, but it was a comfort to know that we’ll all be back to the grind on the east coast soon. Naomi, Pooja and I will all be in Baltimore, while Natalie will be starting a job in Washington, DC. Looking back, I guess I had a lot of favorite parts of the trip: I know I had fun because it went by so fast, I couldn’t believe I was packing up my suitcase to come back home on Wednesday night. I know I’ll be back though – and I know I have lots more places to see. I hope you someday get to see the city and, in the meantime, I wish you were here…to help me get all of my photos printed and scrapbooked, gah!

misfortunes of may

I am officially a semi-shallow person: I lost my phone on Friday night – my new, precious, baby Droid Eris – and for a solid day, I sat here legitimately missing it.  Though I feel better now, talk about being overly dependent on material things…beautiful, functional, shiny little things.

It might not sound like a big deal, to be phoneless.  I have dozens of friends who lose their phones left-and-right, then just head to the Verizon store the next day and buy another one.  Easy peasy.  But I have never lost anything electronic before.  I’m super careful because I know there won’t be replacements – this phone was expensive and I got it for free after rebates and discounts, and that is the only way I would’ve been able to afford it.  That means there’s not going to be another new one.  I was able to get a pre-owned phone that will be in Baltimore soon, but after a pleasant month and a half together, I’m sad to say we had to part…and that some rando in Baltimore is probably going to be using my beautiful phone for his own socialization in a few days. Makes me sick to think about.

First thing my friends did after finding out I lost my phone? Call it. Second thing? Take a photo.

Anyway, enough of the pity party.  Now to address this actual “no phone” issue…it’s weird, but if you push aside the fact that I basically left $500 in the back of a taxi cab, physically not having a phone is actually kind of pleasant.  I have to make all of my plans with friends through Facebook message, chat, or actually in person {gasp!}.  Things have to be planned down to the very specifics – I am going to meet you here at this time and these people will be there and these plans will NOT change.  I rely on my friends to call shuttle vans, contact other friends, and check the time for me.  It’s so easy not to constantly be available, 24/7.

It was also refreshing to wake up and not check my phone the past couple mornings.  That’s normally the first thing I do before I even get out of bed.  But honestly, when have I ever received a text that was that important?  Before, not having my phone {leaving it in the apartment when I went to class or keeping it at a friend’s place before I went to a frat party – for safety’s sake} would make me feel so cut off from the real world.  But this time, I feel more a part of the real world than I ever have.  I can completely focus on what’s at hand.  When I lost it on Friday, we were going to Sonar for a dance party.  I didn’t have a phone I could keep checking for my texts, emails, missed calls, or even the time – I just danced and had fun.  On Saturday, even though I missed out on going to Preakness and a trip to Ocean City, NJ because I’m phoneless, I met up with my friends to picnic in the Tulip Garden and watched Preakness {mint juleps included as a shout-out to the Kentucky Derby} on television.  For the past two nights, I went out and helped friends celebrate some of the last nights we’ll all be here together.  And I haven’t once been bogged down by technology or constantly checking to see how late it is.  I can’t know any of that – I’m able to BE with my friends, 100%.  That’s the way it should be.

{In other news, I am DONE my final exams, papers, projects, and other assignments.  Stay tuned for my next post about my exciting summer plans!}

the final countdown

During the week before finals, almost every college in America is thrown into a tizzy.  Students are frantically flipping through textbooks in the library, staying up late, quizzing themselves with stacks of flashcards, drinking too much caffeine, and overall just letting themselves go.  We normally say that the Hopkins curriculum is what you make of it, that if you can manage your time and work hard, you won’t get too stressed – and normally, we mean it.  But I’ll be honest: during finals, our campus is pretty tense.

And really, it makes sense.  Some finals are worth over 50% of your ENTIRE GRADE.  Some finals are cumulative, meaning you’re expected to spout out all of the information you’ve learned over the entire semester.  It makes my heart beat a little faster even thinking about it.  My biggest final is worth 30% and is not cumulative – so, with a good grade going into the exam, I’m not too worried.

Even so, I’m still searching for that balance between work and play.  I’m not a believer in burning my energy up in order to get a good grade and THEN having fun afterwards as a reward – I need a smooth balance to keep me motivated.  I think this week’s work/play pendulum swung a bit too far to the latter, but I feel so much calmer because of it!  Here are some of the things I did to relax this past week.

Ways To Stay Anxiety-Free
{Even During Final Exams}

The Beach

The best escape from work is some time – whether it’s a whole day {my favorite} or even just a half hour – on the Beach, the grassy lawn in front of the library.  We head out there with towels and iPod speakers to relax, get some sun, and hang out with friends.  Everyone always brings a textbook or notebook in an attempt to study, but don’t be fooled – you will most likely get NO actual work done.  You will, however, end up with a great tan.

On the Beach with Naomi!

A Night Out {with Friends}

At the All-Nighters concert in Bloomberg

Saznin and Jackie!

I’ll be the first to admit that I probably spent too much time out and about this week.  I had a fun-filled weekend going to a capella concerts and after parties with my friends, then on Tuesday we had our Alpha Phi formal, and then most of my friends went to the Sig Ep formal on Thursday as well.  Friday was spent at the Maryland Film Festival seeing my professor’s film Putty Hill and a theater semi-formal afterwards.  It sounds kind of exhausting {and it was}, but I always love a chance to get dressed up so I was really excited for this week to get here.  Plus, hanging out away from campus and, most importantly, away from the library is an incredible opportunity to keep your mind OFF work and stress.  Sometimes I have to force myself to get up, put the books away, and go out at night, but I never regret it.  In the long run, these are the nights that will matter most and make the best memories – not the nights spent overly-anxious about exams.

Family before Alpha Phi formal

My date, Matt

Me and Mike, before Sig Ep's formal

A bunch of Alpha Phis!

A Night In {with Yourself}

Last night, I intended to spend all night in my apartment.  I was going to stay in, get studying done, and go to bed early.  Instead, I spent the entire time watching chick flicks {The Holiday, The Devil Wears Prada, Father of the Bride} and chatting with friends online.  I felt a little guilty when I didn’t get any work done beyond printing out a review sheet that I needed, but it was a great way to unwind and get a good night’s sleep.  I was cozy and comfortable, still socializing, and getting some much needed relaxation at the same time.  I went to bed happy and perfectly-sleepy – it was just what I needed.

Potluck Brunch

Everyone has different study habits and schedules so, sometimes, it’s hard to get a group together to have lunch or dinner during exams.  I’ve found that the best time to share a meal with friends is brunch – that window between 10:00am-noon, before people have made the trek to their favorite study spot, is PERFECT.  We assign foods/supplies to each person, then meet up to have a great meal and swap stories.  It’s a great way to kick off the day – although leaving with a full belly does sometimes make you just want to take a nap.

Eating and cooking at Pooja's apartment

Spring 2010: The Tunes

A new playlist is a must!  It’s only the beginning of May and I’ve gone through 4 versions of my “Spring 2010″ playlist – but I keep finding songs that pump me up and make me feel really determined, so I have playlists to suit my mood.  I play them while I’m studying, getting ready in the morning, getting ready to go out at night…whenever I need a little push.  This just a short list, but some of my songs for spring are:

Little Boots

“Can’t Touch This” – Ricki Lee
“How to Hang a Warhol” – Little Joy
“See the World” – The Kooks
“Wild Young Hearts” – Noisettes
“Store Bought Bones” – The Raconteurs
“When They Fight, They Fight” – The Generationals
“Dog Days Are Over” – Florence & the Machine
“Mass Romantic” – The New Pornographers
“Never Had Nobody Like You” – M. Ward
“Don’t Know You At All” – Blood Feathers
“2080″ – Yeasayer
“Back in Time” – V.V. Brown
“New in Town” – Little Boots

Texting

Sometimes you just need a short little break to clear your mind.  A new perspective from a friend is the best way to do this.  Texting to see what a friend at another school is doing, how a classmate’s studying is going, or checking in with mom/dad or a sibling will help you stay connected to the outside world, even when you’re the most wrapped up in work.  It’s a slippery slope though…so I always set a texting limit {i.e. send texts during the next half hour, then shut off my phone} to make sure I don’t get too distracted.

These are just a few of the ways I stay calm during finals.  Warm showers, trips to Coldstone, voyages off-campus to vintage stores, and planning on how to decorate my apartment next year are also solid choices, but either way it’s all about giving yourself a complete break from the mountain of due dates you have in front of you.  It’s tough to separate sometimes, but it’s so worth it – you come back rejuvenated, relaxed, and ready to try your best.

it’s sort of like hearing the birds chirping in the morning light

Spring has sprung in Baltimore!  Actually, it felt more like summer for a while there: for two straight days, we’ve hit 90 degrees, then dipped into uncomfy lows, and now we’re back at pretty standard conditions for spring again.  Students are permanently parked on the Beach in front of the library, I see shorts and skirts and pretty sandals everywhere, and all of the work we have to do seems slightly less of a drag now that the warm weather is helping us through. Spring is arguably the best time to be at Hopkins and for the entire year, I couldn’t wait for all of the springtime fun to arrive.  This week has been jam-packed full of enjoyable things – and there are even more in store for the rest of April!  {And ok, I admit it – that subject heading is lyrics from a Chris Brown song.  Guilty as charged…no pun intended…}

Concerts

Last week, four of us headed up to Towson to a small theater to see Dum Dum Girls and Girls {two different bands – one is actually made up of girls and one is not} perform.  It was on a Tuesday and it was great to get a little break from the week!  Then on Wednesday of this past week, I and five of my friends drove downtown to Rams Head Live to see the Arctic Monkeys concert.  There was also an Alpha Phi date party that night so it was the first one ever that I had to miss {which was sad}, but this concert had been about 5 or 6 years in the making and was absolutely FANTASTIC.  They’re one of my favorite bands so it was definitely worth it…even though I had a paper due the next day that I hadn’t started.  But that night I wrote a 6 page paper in about 2 1/2 hours, which has convinced me that Arctic Monkeys and/or concerts are magic.  Probably a bad conclusion to draw from that but I am staying optimistic.

Picnicking

Last Wednesday at Girls Life, while Baltimore was gearing up for some beautiful weather, some of the interns and I decided to have a picnic.  We wouldn’t be able to eat outside or anything since we’d actually be at work, but we decided to go all out and plan a fun, springy lunch for ourselves anyway.  So we finally had our grand picnic – and it was great!  We got a turkey/ham/bacon/avocado wrap, pasta salad, and regular salad from this sandwich place called Evergreen {which is near Loyola}, plus chips, onion dip, and fig newtons from the Safeway down the street.  We loaded up our plates with a variety of all the different options and enjoyed one of the best lunches we’ve had in the past few weeks.  It’s always a lot of fun to do stuff like this, but especially at internships – it’s so nice to feel like you’ve settled into a community at work and really enjoy hanging out with the people you work with.  And plus, what says spring more than picnics?  Exactly.  We also spent some time sprawling out on the Beach this week, both in between classes and on the weekend after the lacrosse game {more to come on that}.  Spending time with friends is always a good thing, but there’s something about laying around in the sun on the Beach that makes it even more relaxing.

Homecoming

This weekend was Hopkins homecoming!  We had all sorts of stuff planned: a big breakfast, a barbecue and tailgate with a bunch of alumni friends, and finally our big Homecoming lacrosse game against Albany {we won}.  It was a lot of fun to have a bunch of older friends come back to campus and to spend an entire day with friends, wandering around campus, eating way too much, and being happy in the sun.

Um, And This…

And then we played Candy Land.  If this doesn’t prove that it was a fun-filled week, then I don’t know what will!

that’s the way this wheel keeps working now

I don’t think it comes as any big surprise that the state of things over the past few weeks has made us all recognize what is truly important in life.  At the top of that list {though it sounds like a cop-out during exam season, I know} was definitely not tests, homework, studying, or classes.  Though we all got pretty far behind in terms of our schoolwork and other obligations, I have spent so much valuable time with my friends lately that it’s, beyond a doubt, worth the game of catch-up I’ve had to play over the past week.  I bring some photos to demonstrate:

{Hanging out and being silly on the Beach; Food and drinks at CVP.}

{A zombie, peacock, and Legends of the Hidden Temple;
A bunch of Alpha Phis and Jacob!}

{Olivia getting sassy while watching the Phillies; A genie and a peacock;
And a peacock and Legends of the Hidden Temple}

{First two come from Casino Night 2009; the second is from the
Brandon W. Boger Walk/Run 5K, which was in Doylestown, PA on Saturday morning}

{From our date party on Wednesday – the theme was Things That Used to Be Cool.
We went as roller skating.}

Outside of fun and friends, I have actually been pretty productive.  I’ve taken three exams and done well in all of them {got my first A+ ever at Hopkins on one of them – deserves a celebration!}, interviewed for an internship and GOT IT WOOO {more on that later}, and planned out my entire spring semester in terms of classes and work.  That’s kind of my process whenever bad things happen – I spend a couple days being honest with myself about what happened and letting myself react however I need to, and then I jump into obnoxious, all-consuming, ultra-planning mode.  You obviously can’t do anything to change what has happened, so my theory is that you might as well get proactive about what’s to come.

And to reassure you, I promise I will be back to writing normal, non-photo blogs in the near future.  Up on deck is my newest internship tale, musings on my multiple final projects for this semester, and plans for the holidays.  Til then – wish you were here!

it’s a party in the usa

While planning for my birthday this year, I sincerely thought that I, like pretty much all of my friends, would need some time to mourn my teenage years.  I thought hitting an epic number would terrify me – thought I’d go through an “Oh. My. God.  I’m old, what am I doing with my life?” crisis.  But really, as a quick report from the other side: 20 doesn’t feel much different than 19.  So don’t worry.

I rung in the start of my birthday dancing around my apartment with Jill and Jackie.  Though we had grand plans of celebrating my first few hours as a non-teenager at a rooftop party, it got broken up as soon as I arrived {I promise I’m not bad luck…even though it’s the second time this semester that’s happened} so I settled for passing a canister of Pringles back and forth and hanging out with some of my favorite people in front of Subway on St. Paul Street.  In just a few hours, I got up for that early trek downtown to give a presentation for NACAC {but we got a free breakfast and lunch, plus some swag from the vendors’ hall and that excellent photo of Daniel in a crab hat}.  After coming back to campus, I took a much needed nap, then spent the afternoon blowing up TONNNNNNS of balloons {a.k.a. making Josh blow up tons of balloons}, watching 101 Dalmatians {and I’m an “adult” now}, and getting ready for my party.

Since I’m over the hill now, I decided to be lazy and not go bouncing all over Baltimore for my birthday: I would throw a party and make everyone come to me.  It was a great choice because I got to do all the things I really enjoy without making too much of an effort.  I dressed up, got to be a hostess and invite everyone to my home, and spent my night surrounded by so many people that I love.

{Me with some of my balloons, and in my “cupcake” outfit!}

{As part of Naomi’s present for me, the AllNighters – an all male a cappella
group on campus – came to sing “Happy Birthday” to me!}

{Me with: most of my Alpha Phi family- Lindsay, Natalie, Naomi, and Olivia;
Jill, my wonderful roomie; and Maxi!}

Long story short, I had an incredible time with everyone, got some beautiful gifts, and went to bed that night feeling like one very, very, very lucky 20 year old!