TRAVEL: Future trips

One week until Colorado! 

I've never been there, unless you count the times I went to the Denver International Airport (once to change planes to Nashville and another time to change planes to New York City).  Nice airport. It'll be nice to actually step out and explore the Mile High City.  However, for this week long trip, we'll be spending time in Colorado Springs area.  

Not only that, my family and I will be attending my cousin's wedding, so the whole fambam - cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. - will be there to celebrate!  It'll be good to see everyone because we haven't seen each other in awhile.  :)

I'm not sure what our exact itinerary holds, but I'm positive that we'll have some excellent adventures, seeing that Colorado is surrounded by wondrous natural sights, especially within the Rocky Mountains.

I'm really excited about heading to Colorado! YAY! :)

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In other travel news, I booked my flight today with Southwest (thank goodness they have awesome sales), and I'll be heading to Portland, Ore., for a week or so in August to visit my friends at the University of Portland.  I know they'll be busy with Orientation and getting ready for the beginning of the fall semester, but it'll be nice to see everyone before they are swamped with school work and such.  Another exciting trip ahead! Sweet!

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 Interesting fact about these two places:

Both of them were listed in Yahoo! 

as the top summer destinations. 

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I'm hoping for some more travel opportunities in the future.  Still need to make that travel wish list...

MOVIES: Toy Story 3

I love Toy Story 3! 

If you haven't seen it yet, you need to see it! It was AWESOME!  It was an excellent closing to the Toy Story trilogy.  Pixar did a fantastic job bringing back the beloved characters, while introducing new ones.  The storyline was great too!  It definitely takes you on a ride, trying to figure out the welfare of the toys as Andy prepares to go to college.  I'm not going to lie; I teared up at the end of the film.

I was just reminded of how I used to play with my toys and what happened to them once I out grew them.  Some of them were handed down to my younger cousins, while others were sold in garage sales or given away to family friends or children in the Philippines.  However, some are still in the house...somewhere.

I know that my Peter Pan doll is in my room.  He sits on my dresser.  I used to carry him everywhere.  I loved Peter Pan so much when I was a kid that I was him for Halloween one year.  Kinda like how Andy dressed up like Woody or Buzz. 

After watching Toy Story 3, I wondered where all my Barbie dolls went.  I think I probably played with them the most with my sister.  We enjoyed changing their clothes and creating different scenarios of families and friends.  It was fun.  I'm glad Ken was introduced in this movie.  I found it funny that he had a whole closet of clothes.  I'm pretty sure my Ken dolls only had swim shorts and if we were lucky a suit.  Pixar made some additional shorts with Ken, including Groovin' with Ken (found below) and Ken's Dating Tips. 

As we grow up, there will always be a special place for those things we grew up with - toys, childhood friends, places and more.  I'll never forget those things or the memories I made with them.  I'll always be a kid at heart. :)

BOOKS: Wuthering Heights

If there is one thing I missed while being in school, it's definitely reading for pleasure.  

I haven't been able to get into the groove of reading for years because each book was connected to a homework assignment - book reports, summer English Honors homework, chapter summaries, essay questions, papers, etc.  As much as I enjoyed reading some of those assigned books, I felt that I was often looking for that deeper meaning, instead of just enjoying the author's written word, taking in each description and truly appreciating the masterpiece that was written. Probably why I'm not a huge fan of Steinbeck (memo to self: try re-reading his work).

This might sound crazy, but even reading Harry Potter seemed like an assignment.  That was my fault though.  In summer 2007, I was determined to read the whole series before the seventh one came out.  I was a week off and then actually had to dive into the last installment.  I really enjoyed reading the whole series, but at some points of that last book, I was just like, "Man, they're still in the forest. *sigh*"

Well, with school done (for now), I've decided to try hitting the books once again and just reading for the joy of reading!

The first book on my list was Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.  I think I only have this book because I was supposed to read it for class but never got around to it.  Just kidding.  I started reading it but never passed the first two chapters because I was having difficulties following all the characters.  Finally, I read passed those first two chapters and found it to be an interesting yet complicated story.  The story follows and intertwines the lives of three generations of families living on the moors of England - lots of family drama, combined with romance, friendship and loyalty.  The relationships of the characters can get confusing at times, but I liked it.

I definitely feel accomplished after reading it.

Looking on my bookshelf, I noticed that there's actually several books that I haven't even opened.  I plan to read those books and then check out other books around the house.  Yeah...basically going to go through all the books in the house like Matilda.  Then it's off to the library! ;)

Speaking of the library, if you haven't already, you should check out this other blog I write for with my friends at UP: http://adventuresofrickandtarra.blogspot.com/.

I'm so excited for reading again! :D

WORLD CUP: USA vs. Ghana

Sad day for Team USA as they are defeated by Ghana, 2-1, in the Round of 16 in the World Cup.  They played with lots of heart and definitely made our country proud!  They certainly seemed like the underdog in some of the group matches but made it on top.  It wasn't an easy journey as they gave goals away early in the matches but found a way to equalize the score in the end.  Unfortunately, they were unable to do so today.

Although they will not be advancing in the World Cup, they have ignited an interest for soccer across the country.  Hopefully, that support for the sport will continue after the World Cup!  Before American jumped on the World Cup bandwagon, soccer didn't seem to be held at the same caliber as other sports, like football, basketball and baseball.  The rest of the world is stoked about soccer, and I really hope the sport reaches that same level as other sports in the US.  With this gathered support, maybe we can bring the Cup back to the US.  That would be pretty awesome. :)

Anyway, still a bit sad about the loss, but definitely proud of our team!

Love ya, Team USA! :)

JOB HUNT: Interview with Henry's

Henry's Farmers Market is a Southern California-based grocery store that is expanding their market into Northern California, starting in Elk Grove, Calif.  With a new store opening in August, a job fair was held to accept applications for every position. I definitely decided to take up this opportunity, since I'm really up for anything in the job market right now (well, maybe not everything but you get what I mean).

Not only were we able to turn in applications, but they were holding job interviews as well to help give them a sense of who we are and additional information to add to our application.  It will help remind them who we are when they go through the hiring process.

I hadn't interviewed for a job in a while, so this was a bit nerve-racking.  I tried to answer the questions the best to my ability, gathering skills and such from experiences I had in CPB and ASUP among others to relate to the tasks required for a grocery store employee.

I thought it went well for the most part, but there's still that one question that boggles my mind: Why should we hire you?  Especially since you're a college graduate, working at a grocery store?

I know it doesn't really make sense, but I need to start somewhere, right?

We find out in the next couple weeks if we make it to the next round. I really hope I do, but in the mean time, I'm going to continue the job search.

BEAUTY: Haircuts & Tans

Every time I get a haircut, I'm not so sure about it.  There's this uncertainty about it just because I'm not used to it.  This time was exactly like every time.  Although I gave specific instruction of how I want my hair done and knew how the final product would feel and look, I was thinking twice about the cut on the drive home.


But after washing it, I like it! It's exactly what I wanted. 

Now I just have to try to prevent split ends because I'm growing it out for who knows how long.  I'm not really sure how long I want to grow it, but we'll see how long I can go without getting frustrated and chopping it off!  I'll definitely donate it if it's the proper length. :)

P.S. You probably can't tell I cut my hair in that picture, but it's an inch shorter with fixed bangs and new layers. :)

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You also can't really tell in that picture that I'm a lot darker than when I was in Portland. Thank goodness for the California sun in the summertime!  LOVE IT! :)

Tanning has a really interesting history.  It used to be fashionable to be pale because it meant you were part of the higher classes and had the luxury of staying indoors.  On the other hand, people of lower classes were hard at work outside under the sun, causing them to tan. Somewhere along those lines, it changed, where having a tan is socially acceptable, especially in American culture.  However, some cultures still follow the tradition.

But yeah, I just like swimming and running outside...so that's different right?

WORLD CUP: USA vs. Solvenia

My daily schedule has revolved around the FIFA World Cup in South Africa since it started on June 11.  I enjoy watching the live games in the morning.  Makes me wonder why they don't show live coverage of the Olympics. It would be more fascinating to watch it right as it's happening.  That's the best part of the World Cup.  Everyone around the world is watching the action on the field at the same time.  Truly amazing! The world shares this experience together.

Today was no different. Woke up early to watch the USA go up against Slovenia.  The first half was a heartbreaker with Slovenia ending the half with 2 goals and USA - nil.  Not many teams come back after being 2 down, however, Team USA made it happen!  Donavon and Bradley score the two goals to even out the score.  Then coming off a corner kick, Edu shoots the ball into the net, giving the US a 3-2 lead.

However, the goal was called back because of a foul by an American offensive player.  Looking at all the replays, what foul?!  American fans and even the ESPN announcers are bewildered by the call.  No one can spot the call, whether it was a foul or offside.  It was a clean goal that should have given the US a win!

I was appalled by the call, like other Americans watching the game.   I just don't see where the foul was.  Throughout the game, the Mali referee made some ridiculous calls that were unnecessary for both teams.  A handful of yellow cards were handed out, even though some of the calls were just not there.  This ref may be a highly qualified ref for the African Conference, but this is the big leagues! You can't make these kind of calls at the World Cup!

This has definitely got to be one of most controversial calls ever.


With the England-Algeria match ending in a tie, USA still holds the 2nd place spot in the group with hopes of advancing to the top 16, if they defeat Algeria in the next game on June 23rd.

LET's GO USA!!!

JOB HUNT: Day ∞

 Basically. Story of my life right now.

Honestly, I have no idea how many days I've been looking for a job, but I know it has definitely been a while - probably even before summer vacation. *sigh* I know I've been applying for jobs since March, but I haven't had any luck yet. I also don't know how many jobs I've applied for. :\

So here's what is going down for my job/internship search:

• I'm trying to gain experience in journalism, public relations, event planning, or even marketing (somehow that connects with all the other fields).  
• This experience will help me narrow down what I want to focus on in grad school.
• I can also use this experience as writing material for applying to grad school as well as some stellar recommendations.
• As much as I am willing to relocate for a job, I'm looking for a job in California, particularly the Sacramento and San Francisco areas. 
• I want to find a job with a reliable company.
• Right now, I'm not too concerned about money but I probably should be. 

So far, the jobs/internships I have been applying for have fulfilled all my expectations, but I'm worried that some of these companies may be too large for them to consider a college graduate as an employee. Doesn't really make sense, does it?  After applying to all these open positions and not hearing back has been frustrating. 

This whole process is overwhelming.  Not only am I frustrated with the silence, but I'm getting overwhelmed with some of my searches.  I'll get on a roll with finding jobs, but then make a list of like 10+ job descriptions that I'm certain I am an applicable candidate for.  However, the thought of writing all those cover letters and going through the application process stresses me out! 

I really just need to get organized with these job searches and knock out each opening one at a time. 

These are some places where I've been looking for and applying for jobs:

• Time Warner
• Google
• Maloof Sports & Entertainment
• National Geographic
• Disney
• Paramount Pictures
• The Sacramento Bee
• Capitol Area Development Authority
• Oregon Metro
• World Pulse

What do you think?  Should I continue looking for jobs with big companies or focus more on local companies?  Or should I look for a basic part-time job for the time being?

Dear Family & Friends...

As much as I love telling you all individually what's going on with my post grad life, I figure it might be easier to just blog about it, but I'd love to keep in touch with you too.    :)

This new chapter in my life is quite different from the rest.  I'm so used to knowing what's coming next and what to expect later, but now, my future seems to be a big question mark.

So back tracking to high school, my goal was to get stellar grades and participate in a ton of extracurriculars to get into college. Then major in Communication Studies to become a journalist. After graduating college, it was off to grad school to further enhance those journalism skills.

My original plan was right on track until I got to after college graduation...and that's where this blog begins.

It has been 1 month, 13 days since I graduated 

from the University of Portland in Portland, Ore.

In my graduation announcements, I announced that I got an internship in Portland, Ore. Unfortunately, that is not that case. I was qualified for the position at this public relations (PR) agency, but due to my lack of reliable transportation in the city, I was turned down.

Side note:  During my senior year, I increasingly became interested in PR and event planning as a possible career. However, I'm still fascinated with journalism. Needless to say, my options just widened by a lot.

So I'm at home, searching and applying for internships/jobs (more about this later), but no such luck.  It feels like summer vacation, and I'm still in the mind set that I won't be here after August, even though I will.  As much as I love this infinite summer feeling, it has been frustrating that I haven't found an internship or job yet.

I really want to gain more experience so that I have something to work off of in grad school. Yes, that is still part of the plan. It's just a matter of figuring out what I want to focus on.

Well, that's my current scenario in a nut shell.  This blog will record my post grad life, including updates on the job hunt, future goals, adventures with family and friends, random thoughts and more.

Until next time...