Back in business

Ok people, the blog is back.

After a year-long hiatus, I feel like writing again, and I could not be more thrilled. I apologize to everyone (especially Alli and Jen) who faithfully read my blog and have been nagging me since my last post. I have missed "siempre de moda," but now I feel refreshed and ready to once again pour out my strong opinions. In future blogs, I will return to posts of a more topical nature (theories about society, opinions on celebrities, things that I love/detest), but I think I will use this one to catch my readers up on my life.

So many things happened in the past year. I spent a wonderful school year living with Joel "JoelCat" Richardson, and interviewed at seven different medical schools, traveling to Omaha, Hershey (PA), NYC, Iowa City, Rochester (MN), Chicago, and Milwaukee. Four of them wanted me, and in the end I decided on the University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine. Right before Christmas my paternal grandfather died, and he has now been singing in the celestial choir for six months. In May, I graduated from Grove City College with a BA in Spanish and a BS in Molecular Biology. Laura Bush spoke at my graduation. I also receive the Robert H. Sisler award from the Modern Language Department for my commitment to modern languages and "joie de vivre."

Since I last wrote, I also have learned many new things. I gained a working understanding of the German language, and made paella, tortilla, and ensaladilla rusa for the first time. I learned how to be a better friend and worked on putting others first. Dad taught me how to cross country ski, and I was trained to work in the GCC Admissions office. At graduation, I also learned how to say goodbye and have been trying to learn how to be a better long-distance friend over the past few weeks. Currently, I am learning how to be content by myself and how to be self-driven with a less rigorous schedule.

Like any summer, I have several goals and projects to keep me busy. I am once again committed to physical fitness and have been working out every day. Ideally, I would eat healthier too, but my 22-year love affair with Mac n Cheese is hard to end. I am working on attending as many friends' weddings as possible and hope to make it to as many East of the Mississippi as I can. Since I sleep in a basement at home, have a deep window well instead of a normal window. I have hated this window well since I was a child, but this summer I filled it with potted plants and am even growing tomatoes in it. My shopping list for the summer includes a car, laptop, apartment, and backpack. I also want to work on my Spanish and keep learning German.

My parents bought me a Nook Color for my graduation present, and I have used it almost constantly since receiving it. I have been devouring books and highly recommend anything by Stieg Larsson. Next I plan to check out the Hunger Games or reread some Harry Potter. On my Nook, I have also been playing a ton of Angry Birds, surfing the web, checking my email, listening to music, and doing sudokus. For those of you who do not know, the Nook Color is basically a Kindle but cooler and more useful.

I can sense that this is the point in my blog posst where I tend to start rambling, so I will end things before that happens. For the eighth summer of my life in a row, I am working at the Hospers Pool and thus have plenty of time to think up new topics for blogging. You will be sure to hear from me again in the near future.

Until then, love from me and my PC!