Semester Down

Well, mimicking the many Facebook statuses I have seen recently, I have survived my first semester of college! I returned home on Friday after a six hour bus ride from Oxford. 

First thing after I returned, I attended my brother's holiday band concert. I was glad to see so many of my friends there who are still in high school. After then, it was clear that my dog, Maggie, clearly missed me again as well. She has not been as attached to me as during Thanksgiving break, but apparently she has just been more attached to everyone in general since I left. I made her a more snuggly dog somehow!

While I am home for four weeks, I will be back to work, turn nineteen, and see plenty of people that I have not seen for months. I already had one day of work and I have begun to visit some of my old high school activities. 

So far, I love visiting everyone! Yesterday my friend Krista and I went to visit the newspaper we worked on, but it was their deadline night so they were too busy to stop and talk (as we expected). We just wanted to say hi anyway. Today I stopped in at Student Council's holiday party, and when I walked in, everyone that I knew from last year were so excited to see me! There was literally a line to come give me a hug. Now if that does not make someone feel special, I do not know what would! They were having a gingerbread house making contest, and they made me the judge, haha. I am so glad I chose to go. I am also planning on stopping in again tomorrow with a group of alums. Hopefully they will appreciate this surprise visit!

It is still the beginning of my break and I cannot wait to catch up with everyone and relax. This is my first winter break in four years that I do not have any homework! I can also officially relax now since I was able to view my grades yesterday and I finished my first semester with a 3.57 GPA! It is not official yet, but I think that is Dean's List qualifying! I am so happy and glad that I took it easy my first semester so that I have a nice cushion for my GPA before I have to take more challenging courses. 

Anyway, I am ready to sit back and relax at home, but I will definitely be video messaging Ashton and Courtney during break, I think I may miss them too much if I do not at least once during this month!

~ Valerie 

Home Again

After living in Ohio since the end of August, I was so excited to finally go back home. I had already made some plans with my friends beforehand, and I was so ready to see them again!

I took a bus from campus all the way to the various oasises around Chicago last Tuesday afternoon. I was very impatient along the ride since I did not have enough motivation to do anything besides listen to music.

When I finally arrived where my parents were meeting me, I was thrilled to see that they brought along our dog, Maggie, to meet me there as well. I had missed her so much! And the way she was clinging to me the entire time I was home, it was clear she missed me too.

Along the course of the break, I was able to see my friends Robert, Megan, Krista, Hannah, Daniel, and Gaby. It was so nice to see everyone again!

On Saturday specifically, Gaby, Krista, and I went to go get piercings. I got my ears double pierced, Krista got her tragis pierced, and Gaby got her belly button pierced. Mine did not hurt too bad since it was not cartilage, but now I want to get a cartilage piercing so that I can wear earrings like this that connect to a cartilage piercing! That would be so cool.

Even though it was nice to be home, I was ready to come back. Being the abnormal roommates we are, Ashton and I were so happy when we got to see each other again! We even decorated our door for the upcoming holidays! I also put up some lights in our room while Ashton was working on a project. We're cool, haha.





















Now, unfortunately, I have to focus on all of the essays, assignments, and exams coming up these next couple weeks. Only three weeks until winter break and we will all be home again!


~ Valerie  

Counting Down

I literally cannot wait to get home. Ever since I finally received my bus ticket home via email on Thursday, I have been very impatient for Tuesday to come.

Going home is going to be so surreal, I already have plans with my friends on three of the days I'll be home, I'm so excited to see them again! Some students have already gotten the chance to go home this year, but I have not. I haven't set foot in my house or driven a car since August! I'm going to be so anxious on that bus ride home, it's crazy.

Especially since all of my big tests and assignments due before break were due last week, now I just have to choose what to pack, and survive.

Blah, well I just have to be patient and wait for Tuesday to come. There is still some work I can try to accomplish before then, so I guess I'll try to keep myself busy.

Side note:  My friends and I went to Kroger yesterday and all bought ourselves these little rubber animals, I thought the picture was too cute to resist adding.

From left to right: Chantel, Ashton, Courtney, Lindsey, and me. I'll miss them all, but right now, we all just want to go home. 

~ Valerie

Hockey and Birthdays

Well, it's about time something worth writing about happened in my life! I have basically been taking things day-by-day, nothing too exciting.

But! Finally, I had a pretty eventful weekend!

First of all, some of my friends and I went to a hockey game on Friday. For Courtney and I, it was our first game; but for Ashton, it was her second since she is in the pep band. Since Miami is a major hockey school, I had fun in the student section. It is way more intense than football here! Plus, Courtney and I sat right next to the pep band so that we could still talk to Ashton. Even though most of the cheers that get started are derogatory, I could tell that the players were used to it. I still felt bad for the opposing team's goalie, though. So many negative cheers are directly aimed at him...

...Oh well, we won 5-2! So that made it better.  



Since Saturday was Ashton's birthday, Courtney and I were going to leave the game early to go decorate my dorm room door, but the game would end too early for that plan to work, so we asked our friends Lindsey and Chantel to do that for us while we stayed with Ashton. Also, since we went to the student center directly after the game to watch "The Dark Knight Rises" at 11pm, by the time we got back, it was Ashton's birthday. So the plan worked out well! She was sufficiently surprised.

On her birthday, instead of being the norm and going out to the bars, we went Uptown to eat dinner and go to the movie theater to watch "Pitch Perfect."

Even though she could not go home for her birthday, she said she had fun. I'm glad we could make sure that she did not have to spend the whole day wishing she could be home!


~ Valerie 

Wake Up Call

Throughout high school, I always tried to be as studious as I could (actually... I couldn't help it, it was in my nature to be crazy about my grades), and the one goal keeping me going senior year was to have one of those honors ropes at graduation. My Grade Point Average was far from receiving the Highest Honors sash that my friend Daniel earned, but I was in between the Silver Honors and gold High Honors ropes, so I could not let senioritis get to me because I was so close to the gold one! Luckily, all of my hard work paid off, and my crazy studious tendencies led me to the gold High Honors rope for graduation!

However, now with college upon me, I fear that that nature has temporarily changed (although I can't let it persist). With all of the distractions of having friends literally a hallway down and in my room, I have not been able to focus or let myself worry about grades as much as I did at home. I mean, at home, I would just be texting my friends, but it was simple enough to just say that I had to study and then I was alone. In college though, being alone in your room studying all the time, it is much more difficult to get that concentration, and besides, who would want that?

I still do not procrastinate and of course I still do all of my homework in a timely fashion, but studying... not so much. I have been pushing off the fact that I have gotten a few Cs on exams because not all of my teachers actively update their grades online, so I do not see proof that my grade could be falling. However, today when walking back from a class, I really started to recognize and evaluate this problem and I am going to do my best to get back into my old scholastic habits despite the closer distractions.

On a related note, I have not experienced much legitimate home sickness, but last weekend during "Fall Break," (I put it in quotes on purpose) when everyone left and I stayed, I was starting to get really sad that I could not go home. Even now, this weekend, some of my friends from home are leaving their colleges to go home, somewhere I have not been since before I moved in. I mean, I could have gone home, but our "Fall Break" was only a three day weekend, so I didn't think it was worth the transportation cost. True, I do love how Oxford looks in the fall, but I really would not mind going home either. I have been gone for so long!

Although, Family Weekend is next weekend! So I'll finally be able to see my mom, dad, brother, and aunt again! I'm so excited. Even though I will not actually be going home until Thanksgiving, having them come down here will be a taste of home in itself.





~ Valerie 

"Miami Takes Manhattan"

Well, I figured it would only be appropriate to follow up on my previous blog post about prepping for the New York trip, I cannot just leave that hanging!

After leaving Thursday morning for an unbearably long bus ride (we were in that bus from 8 am to 11 pm, with some stops), we finally arrived at our hotel! It was located in New Jersey, right across the water from New York City so we had to take a ferry to get there. The level of independence we had was crazy, especially for a bunch of college freshmen.

Friday, the Symphony Orchestra was the only group to not have rehearsal that morning, so my friend Stephanie and I set off at around nine in the morning since we had all day to explore the city. I basically had a "go-with-the-flow" mentality, which I realized that I should not ever have again when it comes to trips. I like structure and organization, so I'll keep that in mind for the next time I travel. Stephanie had some idea of what she wanted to do that day, so I was fine with whatever she wanted to do.

Anyway, we took the ferry and walked to Times Square, then to Central Park.  After we explored those two areas for a bit (feet already dying), we decided to try to take a taxi to China Town and do some shopping. We survived the taxi ride, but our experience there was much more questionable. For anyone who has not been to China Town or any sort of area where the store vendors actually bargain prices with you, this would be a crazy experience...well, it still was for us, but still. We went to this one store and Stephanie was only looking at their perfume stock, so a lady working there basically tried forcing her to buy some perfume even though she did not have enough cash on her. It was getting pretty intense, so she said she would show us where the ATM was so we could get more money and she could buy the perfume. While we were doing so, I noticed that the guy who was working that store was waiting outside to make sure would come back and buy the perfume. That is when I was getting a little scared, but when we left the store we booked it away so fast and we heard him yelling after us. Nothing like that ever happened when I went to China Town last time with my orchestra in high school!

After visiting a couple more stores, we caught a taxi back to Times Square and spent the rest of the evening there. I realized all day that Stephanie had tickets to a Broadway play for that night when I did not, but she claimed that her friend had someone who I could go back to the hotel with, so that concern was merely in the back of my mind. However, when we met up with them later so that they could go to the show, there was a miscommunication and everyone had a ticket to play but me. Long story short, one girl ended up not going and coming back with me. This, however, included going on the subway and finding ourselves going on a train in the opposite direction than what we needed, getting out, going into a TGI Fridays to have someone help us get a taxi, and (somehow) safely arriving back to the hotel. There were some honest moments there when I was concerned about getting back, but I tried to stay confident and to not freak out that we were basically lost in New York City.

Saturday, luckily, was not as crazy. We had rehearsal in the morning and then spent the day at the Natural History Museum (with a successful subway ride this time) and Times Square shopping. I had this amazing Thai food dish that evening for dinner though. It was definitely I nice change from dining hall food.

Sunday, the big concert day! We had a very structured schedule for that day, in contrast to the complete freedom the days prior. I was so amazed when we arrived, Carnegie Hall is an amazing concert hall, and playing there was definitely something I will never forget. There was a point when we were performing that I was legitimately having fun, and especially when we played Miami's Alma Matar to close the concert and I briefly looked up to see the entire audience standing and singing along, it was just amazing. I'm so greatful to have been allotted this experience. Not everyone can say that they performed in Carnegie Hall!

Monday was just another entire bus day, and I was going crazy as usual. Oh well, I somehow survived two independent days in the city that never sleeps, but now I must work to catch up with my school work. Especially for a midterm that I have tomorrow!



Valerie 

Carnegie Bound

Well, the time has finally come to leave for "Miami Takes Manhattan"tomorrow!! This banner picture is on the home page of Miami University's website, it's kind of a big deal.

In the Spring, when I realized that the Symphony Orchestra would be going to New York city within the first two months of school, it had me hesitant to try out because I was not sure if I would be adjusted well enough at that point. Right now, though, I'm really glad I chose to go for it anyway because I'm really excited! Carnegie Hall is one of the best (if not the best) concert hall, and I get to play there! It's amazing, and I'm not even a music major!

Starting in the summer, I started practicing some of the music for auditions, but more kept piling on once school began. Ever since then, we have practiced three times a week for the purpose to blow New York City away!

Yesterday we performed in a preview concert designed to have us perform our music for an audience before Sunday when we play in Carnegie Hall. Also, then college students and professors could see us perform without having to go to New York.

The Symphony Orchestra is not the only group going. The Chamber Singers, the Collegiate Chorale, the Jazz Ensemble, the Choraliers and the Men's Glee Club are also in the upcoming concert. We will be hosting a caravan of eight buses for all of us, that will be a sight.

Even though we have the main event, the Carnegie Hall concert, on Sunday along with a dinner cruise, we have some free time in the city on Friday and Saturday. I am still not sure what I will be doing during those times. I mean, when I went to New York with my orchestra junior year, we had a set schedule the entire time, so it will be weird being independent in the city, choosing how we want to spend our time.

I'm also supposed to get some pictures for The Miami Student while I'm there with my phone and point-and-shoot camera. We'll see how that goes, I don't want to be too much of a creep.

Until then, though, I must finish packing and prepare myself for a 12-14 bus ride at eight tomorrow morning. Hopefully I will be able to convince myself to get some work done over sleeping the entire trip!




~ Valerie