I know I’ve been totally missing in action from blogging/commenting for three weeks, and I’m sorry! Sadly, my laptop decided to have a hardware meltdown, and I’ve been without a computer. Eeep!
I can't believe I forgot; on February 16th former President Jimmy Carter came to my environmental studies class! It was a class of about 25 and around 10 faculty members or so, and he talked about his life and his different environmental efforts before opening up the floor to questions. And guess what? I asked one! I asked about his stance on nuclear energy (I was doing a project on it at the time), and Yucca Mountain repository, in particular. It. Was. So. Cool.
On Thursday my friend Whitney and I went to Rainbow Natural Foods for some goodies, and afterward the sorority watched Mulan together! It was super fun singing "I'll make a man out of you" and making fun of all the shirtlessness in the movie.
Friday my big, Megan, and I went to Alex’s house for some fantastic food! She made a delicious, simple salad and some phenomenal macaroni and cheese! We also got to sample some super yummy homemade jam from Tupelo Honey Cards’ Etsy
On Saturday I got up super early to go on a Tour Guide Training retreat! I’m almost an Emory Tour Guide! It was a lot of fun; we listened to a hysterical speaker, ate tasty pizza for lunch, and then played a scavenger hunt around campus, complete with silly activities like races and chugging Coke. That afternoon and night my old roomie, Emily, and I hung out. We walked around campus taking pictures and chatting, which was so much fun!
Sunday I got breakfast with my friend Lindsey at Rise n’ Dine; Nutella and bananna pancakes are a sure way to win my heart! Afterwards, I helped to run a volunteer project called the Water Oak Commons Clean-Up Project, where a class I’m in is working with the Southfork Conservancy to restore a section of creek by Emory University. It was a lot of hard work picking up trash and cleaning plant debris, but it was super rewarding!
This past week was a blur of papers and getting to know new members of Gamma Phi Beta, as we just handed in Big/Little selections! The way it works is that you select ten new members you want to be your Little, and they select ten current members who they want to be their Big. The Bigs then find out who their Littles are, and plan a week called Clue Week where they give their little tons of gifts and fun stuff, all while their Little doesn’t know who they are! At the end of the week is “revelation”, and it’s all super fun. I’m going to find out my Little soon, and I couldn’t be more excited!
Anyway, on Wednesday night we had big-little speed dating, which turned into a red velvet cake-fest, and on Thusday night there was a game night where we made cookies and played board games! I couldn’t stay for long because I had a group project, but my friend Rachel made me some adorable cookies, and the ones everyone else made came out super well!
Friday night I went to classes and packed for spring break—March 5-12—and then The Boy and I went to Farmburger, where I got a super yummy grass fed burger with arugela, roasted garlic, caramelized onions, and fries. It was delicious, and afterwards The Boy and I watched 30 Rock before calling it a night. Pretty much the perfect evening!
Saturday The Boy took me to the airport bright and early, and I headed to Phoenix, Arizona, meet up with my parents and sister and visit my dad’s family during spring break. After a long plane ride, I finally landed and my dad and I headed to South Mountain Park, where we drove to the top and saw all pf Phoenix before taking a little hike. We also went to Sprouts Farmer’s Market to pick up fresh veggies and whole-wheat pasta for a family dinner, which was awesome.
On Sunday my dad, sister, and I visited my grandparents and then went to the Heard Museum for their Indian Festival. We browsed art stalls with Native American crafts, saw dancing and bread making, and visited the museum, which had some really interesting history and art exhibits. We also grabbed lunch at Macayo, a funky Mexican chain my dad ate at as a kid. On Monday we actually visited the ER for an ear infection I have (I'm fine!), and then my family and my Uncle when to El Bravo for lunch, a little family owned Mexican restaurant my sister was dieing to go to. It was probably the best Mexican food I've ever had! That night my family went to True Food with my Great Uncle Rob, who I haven't seen in years. The food was super good (I got panang curry), and it was nice to spend time with family.
Tuesday we dropped my sister at the airport and then my parents and I drove to Sedona, Arizona. On the way we saw Montazuma's Castle and Montazuma's Well, an old Native American settlement and water supply sink hole. We also visited Arcosanti, an "urban laboratory". It looked an awful lot like a Star Wars set!
On Wednesday my family went on hikes at Doe Mountain, Boynton Canyon, and Slide Rocks at Oak Creek in Sedona, which was really fun!
Thursday we went on two other hikes in Sedona, visited some Native American ruins and a little hillside town, and had some phenomenal pie at a roadside store (I got rhubarb, my mom got coconut, and my dad got pecan-jack-daniel's) before arriving back in Phoenix, Arizona. Whew!
Do you have a “spring break” this year? What are your plans? If not, what would you do if you had one?
Do you have a “spring break” this year? What are your plans? If not, what would you do if you had one?
Listening to:
sunday best – augustana
