Happy 1 year blogging anniversary!

Well its been about a year of blogging! So I decided, Hey! Im going to mess with the blog, change the layout, the colors, the font.. ya know jazz it up a bit. Well I spent an hour messing around with it just to realize that there really isn't much I can do and I already like the way it looks haha.

Finally slogging through the end of my application process. Let me tell you, it is a royal pain to apply to graduate school, much less 10 of them. Essays, Letters of rec, GRE scores, filling-in-the-blanks, research proposals. Im glad this is almost done, because its definitely taken a lot of my time and energy. This quarter is quickly coming to a close. Im pretty much done with my classes besides 1 powerpoint presentation this Tuesday and then some papers.

I finally bought the Roger Federer racket this past week.. so stoked about that. I played with it for a couple hours but I have shin splints so couldn't do much. Got some greaty poly strings on it, I also bought new shoes (K-swiss) and an actual tennis backpack for my racket. Hopefully later this week my shin splints will be gone and I can play.

Thats about it... Still playing Dragon Age a bunch.. great game. Still thinking about buying some winter clothes and some books. Take care all.

Hi All

How is everyone? Good hopefully. Im doing well, starting to get very busy though. Halloween was low-key although I did win 100 bucks playing black jack at a casino. I got a new video game to be my distraction about a week ago after beating bioshock (excellent game by the way), called Dragon Age Origins. This game is utterly massive, Im already 32 hours in and maybe a third of the way through. I love fantasy RPG games sigh... I literally played all day today.. its all I did.. really... Anyways, everything school-wise is coming together quite nicely. I got my Letters of recommendation all lined up, so pretty much im done with my US applications, I need to upload transcipts and write my research proposal for the UK schools and I will be done with those as well. Tomorrow I'm hoping to be productive since I was utterly unproductive today. Playing a bit of tennis lately which has been nice, although my legs killed when I played yesterday, must be time for new shoes.

Biggest news is that Im going to NYC, Boston, and CT in December, Ill be gone from 12/11 to 12/16 visiting friends and doing some stuff. I might make it up to a Patriots game, which would be glorious. Im starting to get excited for Thanksgiving as well since I will be going to Northern California for a few days and that is always a good time. School-wise I am down to a presentation, a 10 page paper, and a 25 pager. Then I have my independant study papers, which hopefully Ill finish 2 of those before the end of the quarter.

For some reason, I have had an urge lately to go clothing shopping. I can't really afford it, but I want some new WINTER clothes... problem is.. not much of a winter in southern california. I really do need a peacoat/coat thing though, so I might just go ahead and get one. I have a jacket and plenty of sweaters and long sleeves. My shoes are getting a bit beat up.. I don't think I will go with airwalks again.. I've had these a year but they just seem weird I don't know. I've also had a strong urge to do some recreational reading, but between playing Dragon Age and school work, I have plenty to read.. hmm...

Ive been thinking a lot lately... just about the future and what I want. I think im really excited about pursuing a PhD and its coming quick. I hope that I get in somewhere, and also I think I really would be ready and prepared to move to England. Something about that just feels right to me... I don't know how to explain it. Also, have been thinking about Africa a lot... I really feel like I made the right decision in choosing to specialize in it. Its just such a massive, diverse place that is super important. It almost has a magical aura to it, although Im pretty sure its just because I haven't been there. Also, I get this charity magazine and it had a bunch of articles on it.. I don't know just excited and anxious to do more research on it. I really feel like I am ready to move on and advance myself academically. I just hope I get the opportunity.

Anyways, like usual, missing my friends a bit. Its been tough not having a lot of friends around. Just got to suck it up a little longer. Well, I guess thats it.. Don't want to ramble on too much haha. ^_^