Thank You, Daddy

When I think that Father's Day is going to hit on the same day I walk at my last college graduation, I can't help but tear up. I can't think of a better gift than hopefully making you proud, Daddy... and finally giving you an end to the exorbitant tuition you've been paying since I started kindergarten. I have so much to be thankful for... Seventeen years of schooling and unconditional support... I couldn't ask for a better dad and I'm quite sure I don't tell you that often enough.

Daddy, you've always encouraged me to do whatever makes me happy and to do it well. Both you & Mom have been so amazing to let me major in whatever I wanted and not push me into something that gave you two better bragging rights. I know that Comm & Psych aren't the easiest major choices to explain when all the in-laws and well-meaning friends ask you, "What's she going to DO with that?" and I'm so grateful that you've put up with it for four years. It can't be easy. And I thank you.

You've given me such freedom during college and have really let me figure out my own way. You don't always understand why I do what I do {interning all the time when it's during the school year and it's unpaid and I have to spend lots of time traveling to and from} and you may highly encourage me to just concentrate on school and friends, but when I continue to do it anyways, you always keep me company on the long bus rides home.

You've been the best walking buddies I could ever ask for when I hike back to the apartment from across campus. It doesn't matter what time it is, you're always willing to take time out of your day and let me ramble on about nothing and everything. It means the world to me. Even when we do end up grumping at each other about applying for jobs or getting apartment stuff done. I'm still glad I called home.

I haven't been the best at keeping you guys updated on what's going on in my life and I fail when it comes to calling you on a regular basis. Letting your only kid go 300+ miles away for nine months out of the year must not have been the easiest transition, but you handled it better than anyone I know. If it means anything to you, college has taught me what being homesick really means and I experience it every time I have to come back after breaks. You never really appreciate what you've got if you've never experienced life without it. If I didn't get anything else out of college, I'm glad I learned what homesickness feels like because it made me realize just how much you both do for me every day. Although... I guess for your sakes especially, I really hope I got more out of college than just that...

Who else has parents that they can text in the wee hours of the morning and still know they can get a response? I probably've never said this to you, but I'm glad you both live on college student hours. Cause so do I. My night owl tendencies are inherited and it makes me smile that we all stayed up past 4 AM this Christmas, cooking and deshelling crab. What other parents do that?

Who else has parents that text faster than they do? Or that cancel a snowshoeing trip because their kid decided to make an impromptu trip home? Or are willing to hold the cell phone up to the dog's ear so she can hear the kid say hi? What other parents don't freak out when they get a late night call from their kid's roommate saying she's in the hospital with a busted chin and instead tell the newly stitched up one that she's fine and that face wounds just tend to bleed a lot?

Who else has parents who know to call or text the best friend if their kid hasn't answered her own phone in a while? Or sends articles especially for the bestie since they know that she'll be interested? What other parents tell their kid to go out and play more and get enough sleep and stop studying so hard when she's tired during college? And don't blink an eye when she sends emails or writes blog posts at five or six in the morning? Or text giant scenes from TV shows that they know their kid hasn't watched yet, with the note that she really needs to watch last night's episode?

Does anyone else have parents that are willing to find a special hotel that houses dogs, just so their kid can be reunited with the family canine for a week during the quarter? That are willing to help return two tons worth of research books to YRL from the dorms freshie year cause their kid had been avoiding bringing them back herself? That take it in stride when their kid asks them to bring a small travel-sized fish tank to her at the end of the school year because she just adopted a hermit crab?

I could go on and on, but basically, it all boils down to one thing. I have the bestest parents ever. And I can't think of a better Father's Day gift than to go up to you on Sunday, Daddy, and just say, For you. Because while you put me through college for me and for my future, I just want to return your investment with interest by making you proud and showing you that it was worth it.

I know you don't understand why I'm interning again this summer instead of coming home, but it's an opportunity that opens a lot of doors. And I am considering the future when I make these plans. I want to make these past seventeen years of schooling worthwhile and sometimes, and especially in this economy, it means a small delay in achieving the end goal. I'm lucky to know that even when you don't fully get it, you still will listen and be excited with me when I call you about something cool that happened at work. That you'll push me to go exploring more and adventure with friends during the summer, not just spend all my time indoors. That you'll continue to send me potential job openings that I may or may not actually apply for... *sheepish*

This Father's Day, Daddy, I just want you to know that the thirteen plus years of driving me to and from school every day are not forgotten. That the four years making that six plus hour drive up and down the California coast are appreciated. The years of making and packing lunch for me the night before are remembered. The reminders to go to sleep during high school when I stayed up past three to finish homework still make me smile. The countless "I love you" texts make anything and everything better. The ridiculous amount spent on tuition still makes me wince. And the unconditional support always reminds me that I am loved.

Thank you for everything and I can't believe this chapter's almost over. See you tomorrow, Daddy, and I'm so excited to see you.

PS: Please don't cry at graduation. You'll make me cry.

Adventuring // Return to Huntington Gardens

I've fallen in love with Huntington Gardens. Steph and I went with a few other friends and some of her family on the free day last month. Her mom had extra tickets, so we made a day of it. This month, we decided this adventure needed a repeat.

Since Steph and I knew our finals would end Wednesday of 10th Week, I signed up for five free tickets for the month of June. How the free day works is:

1. On the first day of the month, exactly at 9 AM, you sign up for tickets online or call their phone number. You can get up to five, but you have to sign up early. Anytime after 9 AM, you're taking a chance of tickets running out.

2. An envelope with actual paper tickets arrives in two-ish weeks to the address you supplied when you signed up. Don't lose it.

3. On the first Thursday of that next month {so if you signed up on May 1st, you can go June 6th}, pile your friends into a car and make the drive out to the Gardens.

Parking is free when you show your tickets to the attendant. Make sure you don't lose your car... their parking lot is a bit of a maze. After parking our car, we actually got confused and ended up entering the Gardens through a side gate. Oops.

This time around, Tommy and Jean joined us on our adventures. We tried to fill that last spot, but everyone was still taking finals. *sigh* 

GOC Spring Banquet 2013 // Great is Thy Faithfulness

Spring Banquet. The annual GOC event that signifies the school year is truly coming to a close.

The senior class always hosts Banquet as a thanks to GOC for four years of fellowship, teaching, and discipleship.

This year, we couldn't hold Banquet in the gym where it normally occurs. The church is remodeling the area this summer and right now, it's undergoing demolition. Not the best atmosphere to have a Spring Banquet. Not the safest either...

Foodie Adventuring // 5i Indochine in Culver City

Last Thursday, after babysitting for a family in Westwood for two hours, Steph and I came back to her apartment to find Evelyn waiting for us. Lunch & banquet dress shopping? Okay, let's go.

Evelyn wanted pho, Steph wanted pad thai, and I didn't really care where we went, so as per normal, Steph scrolled around Yelp to find a place that was near Westfield Culver City since we wanted to go shopping post-lunch.

She found 5i Indochine and, to be honest, we missed it the first time we drove past. It's in a small strip mall on the corner of Sepulveda & Sawtelle, between a saloon and an aquarium. Which is a weird combination, if you ask me...

The exterior of the restaurant is still in progress; right now there's simply a banner that has the shop name in small print. But the interior is pretty and simple and the food itself is good.

I ordered the Hot & Sour Soup which came in a much larger bowl than any of us had expected. Delicious, but since one of the main ingredients is vinegar, you have to remember to pace yourself. You don't want to strip your throat of all lining, cause that really hurts.

These kids. They're funny.

Dress shopping was unsuccessful {which I expected since all the stores have now switched from prom dresses to summer music festivals}, but we had fun wandering the shops. Yay for impromptu outings. :)

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Sidenote: Getting full-blown sick during 9th week Spring Quarter senior year really, really, REALLY is the worst. *sigh*

BruinLife Banquet 2013 // Layla Cafe

Towards the end of spring quarter, BruinLife Yearbook has a banquet for its staff where the year's accomplishments are lauded and awards are given. This year, banquet was held at Layla Cafe in Santa Monica.

Look at that exterior. Whew. That door gets me every time.
 

At ninety-five percent freshmen, we ran into some issues in terms of transportation. The three or four drivers we did have had to make two or three trips from the dorms to get everyone to the restaurant. A perk of being one of the few seniors? Catching a ride with Evelyn from the apartments and not having to walk out to the dorms. Love that girl {with or without the ride there}.

Layla Cafe is gorgeous, by the way. The staff very accommodating to our large size and boisterous crowd. We reserved the entire restaurant-- I was really impressed with how BruinLife went all out with this Banquet thing.

It is my first one; when I had gone over to Apt 213 to meet Evelyn, she was dressed to the nines. We both stared at each other for a few seconds in confusion since I was wearing business casual. Turns out, previous banquets were formal events, but this year, we were a little more toned down. Yay, us!

You Know You're a Night Owl When...

You know you're a night owl when...

+ hearing the birds start to chirp outside means you should probably go to sleep soon.

+ your concentration is actually better and your focus more keen.

+ your productivity levels shoot sky high after 2 am.

+ dance parties of one happen around 4 am more often than you'd think.

+ silence is the best study music.

+ your roomies are asleep when you come in to the apartment and usually asleep when you leave, too. {At least this year, since my roomies both go to sleep super early. Last year, the entire apartment consisted of night owls so we kept each other company during those frequent all-nighters}.

+ going out to play around 11 pm is normal.

+ your least functioning hours are between 3-6 pm.

+ you write blog posts at 6:15 because you don't want to go to bed.

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I really probably should go to sleep though. Have to be somewhere with Steph at 9 am tomor... today, so. G'night, friends! :)         

Foodie Adventuring // Four Leaf Tea Room in DTLA

Super spontaneous foodie outing due to an expiring Groupon voucher Steph's older sister had for this place. Basically, I got a call that went: Doing anything? No, why? Downtown LA for crepes and boba? Okay. Outside in eight. Yep.

  

This is Steph's concentrated-on-driving face. She gets super nervous anytime I lean forward while in the passenger seat. Like I'm going to fly through the windshield or something. I tell her I trust her driving more than that. She replies that she doesn't.

It took us a bit to figure out where this place was since there's a tree that sits almost directly in front of the storefront. There's very little parking and we were in a hurry to get back before Steph's small group, so she dropped me off and I dashed in.

It's the cutest place. Lots of green and those shelves along the wall held all sorts of things that were fascinating to browse while I was waiting for our crepes and drinks to be made.

 

Steph had looked at the menu beforehand online, so she knew she wanted the Japanese Explosion crepe {green tea gelato, red bean paste, mochi} and the Matcha Milk Tea with Boba. While the girl behind the counter started putting together Steph's order, I stared at the menu, trying to decide what to get. So many choices!

 

I finally made my choice-- same drink as Steph, but with the Snow White Crepe {apple cobbler, pie crumble, vanilla bean gelato, cinnamon caramel sauce}. Unfortunately for Steph, they were out of green tea gelato, so she got her crepe with vanilla bean gelato instead of green tea.

Just for future note, crepes in travel-sleeves do not photograph well. Just so you know.

Our drinks were HUGE. For about the same price as we pay for milk tea in Sawtelle, which is normally about a third smaller than this, we... well, we got this. Needless to say, Steph was quite excited.

I forgot to ask for no ice since we still had to drive back to Westwood under the hot afternoon sun, but it didn't really matter since the girl behind the counter only gave us that top layer anyways. It was just enough to keep our drinks cool all the way home.

We didn't touch our crepes until we got back to Steph's apartment-- Steph because she was driving and couldn't eat and me because I just KNEW these things were going to be messy and there's no way I was going to try eating it in the car.

It was a good decision. Because crepes are so. not. first date. food. {Not that we were on a date... unless you consider this a bestie date. In which case, a lot of normal dating rules don't apply. My point is that crepes are messy, you have to concentrate while eating them so you don't get gelato all over yourself, and since you're concentrating on eating, you can't/don't talk. Not good date food. No matter how delicious they sound}.

Anyways. Four Leaf Tea Room. It's amazing. You should try it. With people who don't care that you're all sitting in silence, frowning at your food while trying to decide how best to eat it.