College has been great. Actually, it hasn't been the most stressful I've ever been in my entire life, but I've never been so busy for so long before. I'm a lab assistant at the medical school, I'm a sales representative for a NIH conference organizer, I'm a staff writer for the newsletter, Relay for Life team captain and entertainment committee member, and I'm a double major in biology (b.s. degree) and writing seminars, pre-med.

So busy!

But hopefully next year I can handle a semester of 19 credits and maybe even the added load of being a writing center tutor. Maybe. Well, you're only in college once, right? Might as well do everything you can!

I don't draw very often anymore. It's mainly more doodles in the margins of my notes. I am redesigning a lot of characters in my stories to make their costume more realistic for the time period...so it's interesting to see the people in my head in new clothes!

I am currently obsessed with the Olympics. Hey, they only come every four years (the Winter Olympics are a compleetely different type of excitement haha).

But what I love about the Olympics is how people from all over the country meet and become friends and grow to represent, despite their differences, one country. And then the world coming together and putting its differences to the side to engage in mostly-friendly competition? Awesome. Russia attacking Georgia and the happenings in Tibet aside, the Olympics are a vision of what world peace could be, and I love it. And I love watching people win and seeing them so happy; it makes me happy too.

Did anyone see the BBC Olympic Monkey video? Apparently the creators of the Gorillaz have started an opera of Journey to the West, only one of the best adventure stories EVER. Some of the music is amazing!

Sooo it's only a few more days before college and I am so excited! Although financial worries are annoying. I have to apply for a credit card and then harangue Maryland for the money they gave me this semester so I get it before the due date. Aaand dorm stuff. Among other things. Like textbooks. Aaaugh books should never cost so much!!!

And I want to finish Cousin Bette and start reading other stuff but it is SOOOO LONG.

GO USA!!!!!

I am waaay too lazy to go tag people.

It's the 8-random things again.

1. My fish's name is Captain Spanky.
2. Eel is one of my favorite foods.
3. I don't get High School Musical. Why the obbsession?
4. I'm good with a slingshot.
5. I don't get the Jonas Brothers either. They all look like girls!
6. I haven't played my violin in months.
7. I can make wontons!!
8. I like this weird new format.


OK GO DO IT
OR WHATEVER

That last entry was SO depressing.

COLLEGE IS SO EXCITING!
But...

Summer is going by too fast!


But it's fun!

I got back from Vietnam this week, and all I can say was that it was ridiculously hot, even though it wasn't as hot as it was our last trip. Still the sun was evil, not shining enough to give a nice tan but burning enough to make us wish we could shower 20 times a day.

Also, people in Vietnam are very forward, no time for flattery or half-compliments. So all through Vietnam relatives were all saying: "How charmingly...plump you are."

"You're getting rather round, there!"

"You're much bigger than the last time I saw you. Same height, though."

So for the first time in my life I am now uncomfortable in my own skin, not confident with who I am. Looking in my Vietnam pictures all I see is a person with my face, and a body like a barrel. For the first time ever, I am envying other people for being skinny and perfect. And the sad part is I also know I am not fat, just a little chub.

This Vietnam trip has dealt the most severe blow to my self-esteem ever: high school never did anything like this to me. This was a rather personal entry, but there's really no one I feel comfortable telling this to, and I know not a lot of people read this anyway. For those who did read it, thank you.

My top goal this summer is to lose weight. Don't worry, I won't spend any of it over a toilet bowl, puking away. But I would like to leave all of the past two weeks behind and enter college a new person.