Back in San Diego!!

Hello, hello!!

It's been quite a minute. After six long weeks of winter break at home, I am officially back in San Diego. It has been a shock of a transition: moving into a new room, classes back to sizes of about 20, and figuring out that life kept trotting away as I was on my adventure.

I talk about studying abroad multiple times a day. I have my scripted line of what to say when someone asks me, "How was being abroad?" I miss it. So so much. I created a picture book capturing all of the adventures I had. This is such a fun keepsake that reminds me of the transformative time of my life.

I was looking back at a video I took of me and my friends and… what a time.

It was hard being back home for Winter Break after the experience of a lifetime, but I got to hug my brothers so tight, spend time with cousins, and share a few giggles with Granny. It was a beautiful reminder of the love and connection we share as a family.

Got to be so goofy. I loved it. I watched Charlie's basketball games and witnessed his team be undefeated. I hung out with cousins and reminded them that I am still, in fact, a fan of Taylor Swift… And I always will be. And I will never shut up about it. I spent time with Granny and helped her move into her new place.

And before I knew it, I was back to school!

My new living situation is quite different from what I'm used to. I have my own room, I share a bathroom with one other girl and a kitchen and living room with three other girls. They're all so sweet, and I'm enjoying getting to know them. My room has a view of the baseball field, and I can even see the ocean in the distance. It's the perfect spot for watching the sunset.

And, of course, I had to quickly get over to the beach to watch the sunset up close.

One of the things I definitely miss while abroad was all the walking I did. I was getting over 15,000 steps a day. I try to get to the beach often because that is my favorite place to stroll, and the view of the ocean is… chefs kiss!

Let's see, what else? I'll just attach a picture for this next update ;)

Nope, didn't hurt. Just as if my two cats, Milkshake and Panther, were scratching me.

My classes are challenging, and I have a lot of homework, but I'm really enjoying them.

One of the highlights of my semester is a creative writing class. It's hands down my favorite class I've ever taken at USD. The professor is not only hilarious but also so down to earth. We've been focusing on writing non-fiction stories for the first 5ish weeks, and I've been loving every moment of it. In the following 5 weeks, we'll be diving into fiction stories. It's a lot of work, with one paper every week, but it's the kind of homework I look forward to. Below is the sweet note my writing teacher left me on my writing piece. The prompt was to write about a hard choice I've had to make. I was pretty proud of my piece and it meant the world that he thought so too :)

I'm also diving into social psychology, which, by the end of this semester, will finally mark the end of my psychology journey. I'm also exploring music in Latin America and delving into Equity and Advocacy along with humanities, two of my teaching credentials classes.

It's a busy semester, but I'm also looking forward to catching up with friends and making the most of every opportunity.

I'm just finishing spring break and enjoyed the chill week celebrating my 21st birthday, having my mom visit, taking advantage of the warm weather at the beach, and cozy moments inside during heavy rain storms.

Anyway,

So long!