An Update On Life: October 4th 2012

       So it’s been quite the while since I’ve last updated my blog. Why does this not surprise me? Well, for anybody who is interested, I am officially a college student! And it’s hard. I mean, I know they all tell you that beforehand, but I’m still so used to having my high school teachers hold my hand and guide me toward those regulatory A+’s. Unfortunately, that is NOT the case here. You have to work your ass off in order to keep up. I have to take Sundays off of work now so that I can actually spend the entire day doing homework (okay, and maybe I sneak some episodes of Bridezilla and Here Comes Honey Booboo in, occasionally). Basically, college is difficult. I’m struggling. I’m stressed. But most importantly, I’m doing.
       As for personal life, I’ve honestly been too busy to have much of a life. Or I guess you could just say my life is a busy one. I work every day that I don’t go to school, and go to school on the days that I don’t work. My schedule on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is when I have school, and then Tuesdays, Thursdays AND Fridays, and Saturdays for that matter too, is when I work. BUT. My workplace has hired over the past six months a lot more younger people who are within my age range (17-20) and I AM SO HAPPY NOW. I never knew how much fun I could have at work until these people were hired. We all get along so well, we are constantly cracking jokes, I mean, I even hang out with them outside of work! One of my coworkers Kate, who is 17 going on 18 very soon and is a senior in high school, has become one of my best friends. We’ve hung out about three times outside of work, and she is just someone I absolutely love talking to. We both understand each other so incredibly well, we’re extraordinarily comfortable with one another, we drive the same car (shout out to all the fellow Ford Escape drivers!), and we have a similar sense of humor and are always making each other laugh. I tell her my work gossip and she shares hers, and we’re constantly giggling over the most ridiculous things. And I absolutely love the fact that we are so open with one another. Let me give you a short little example.
Me: “I’m not even going to lie, I’m prettier than her. I don’t know what he was thinking.”
Kate: “Oh my gosh, I feel the same way about my ex. When I saw the girls he’s been dating, I’m like ‘Ooh honey, that is a downgrade.”
THIS IS WHY I THINK WE GET ALONG SO WELL. We’re just not afraid to admit things, as conceited as it sounds, but it’s true! And also, she and I are both really bad parkers. We’ve witnessed each other’s parking firsthand and agree with one another. I think I just love how honest and comfortable we are with each other, and I feel so blessed to have met her, she’s become one of my greatest friends in such a short period of time, and I am so fortunate that I get to work with her three times a week!
So going back on track, I have an extraordinarily busy life now. Let me give you a breakdown of how this week went/is going to be.
Tuesday October 2^nd 2012:
8:00 am: Gym.
10:00 am: Go to my old high school to see my journalism babies, but more importantly, get in on the potluck.
12:00 pm-5:00 pm: Work work work bleh.
5:00 till Lord knows when: Meet up with good friend and classmate Brynna to work on our speech presentation.
Till Lord Knows When- 11:00: Work on other homework.
Wednesday:
9:00-5:00: School all day. Hip Hip Hooray.
5:00-6:00: Drive sister home, touch up
6:15-7:00: Interview with a family that wants to hire me as a babysitter
7:00-11:00: Go to a school play.
Thursday:
10:00-5:00: Work
6:15-7:15- Pilates class bleh
7:15-8:30: Dinner with the Bro-in-law
7:15-11:00: Homework bleh
Friday:
School from 9:00-2:00
2:30-9:00 Work
9:00-11:00 Hang out with Kate
Saturday:
12:00-5:00: Work
5:00-12: Homework
Sunday:
11:00-3:00- Work
3:00-7:00: Homework homework homework.
7:00- Possibly dinner with Caden
AHHHH SOMEONE KILL ME AND GIVE ME A MUCH EASIER LIFE PLEASE. I’m so tired I just want my old life back );
Sigh. But complaining will do me absolutely nothing. As for other updates, I’ve been looking around for different quotes, and I have my mind set on one that I really like. I’m going to wait for a few months, but I definitely think I’ll be getting a tattoo near the end of this year. I was always anti-tattoo, but lately I’ve just been so mesmerized by the artistic value that tattoos can have, and the meaning behind them. I don’t want to get a tattoo just because I think it will look “cool”, but rather as a reminder for myself to continue holding the determination that has gotten me this far. My determination, motivation, and craving to succeed is incredibly important to me, and I want to be reminded everyday where I feel like something is impossible, that it most certainly can be achieved as long as I put my mind to it. Thankfully, my two sisters (out of the three, haven’t talked to her yet) support me as well as my brother in law. They’ve even insisted on coming with me to the tattoo parlor when I am ready to make an appointment! J
And other than that there hasn’t been much going on… just the fact that I’m ridiculously busy. I have absolutely no time to do just nothing anymore, and as much as I love being productive, I really miss doing just nothing. Sigh. Till the next I have five minutes to spare!
-Caroline

My Wonderful Friend Caden

Also known as "The Most Interesting Man in the World". My life has changed these past few days meeting him, and even though to some that may sound weird, I never knew how a very random and short encounter could have such an impact on my life.

Last year, we ran into Caden at the Nerd HQ. He was running the photobooth and he was so flawless looking and seemed so incredibly chill. Basically, he was cool. And I decided that I needed a picture with this cool dude, so my sister and I got one with him in the photo booth.



We didn't really keep in touch, just an add on facebook, but I don't know when it happened, but we weren't friends on facebook anymore. I learned this the day before SDCC'12, and so I thought we've pretty much lost all communication with him.

Well, that changed the next day. We were waiting in line at around 5:30 AM for the exhibit hall, and right when I look up, guess who's passing us?! Obviously Caden haha. So I shouted out his name on impulse and he was shocked to see us just as we were to see him. We gave each other brief updates on our lives, and he's just been doing incredible things. We allowed him to stand in line with us, and then when it came to moving actually inside the Con (but still waiting for another 3 hours to go into the exhibit hall) he began the best unintentional comedy show I've ever experienced. His stories, his jokes, his facial expressions, oh man I nearly died and peed in my pants. He was honestly the funniest person I've ever met in my life. From Acorn Festivals, Yodagirl, pretending to be a cook when you really used takeout and apparently have a "heated trashcan", to "The Face" and "Bronies", we all just clicked. I never knew how much humor and entertainment this guy we had just thought of as "cool" last year could contain.
                                                                     

Unfortunately, the rest of the time at the Con we had to split up. He had his things to do while we had ours. Elaine and I were on a mission with our list in one hand and granola bar in another. We were able to meet up with him two days later at the Nerd HQ for a brief moment, and the stories just came rolling out once again. We also got our official look at the infamous Yodagirl, finally. We also made plans to meet up in line the next day, at the whopping time of 3:30 AM.

So Sunday morning, I learned more about Caden than I would have guessed. It also made me realize how much of a successful individual he is, and there truly is more that meets the eye. I'm not going to go in detail, but he's without a doubt become an inspiration to me, and really enforces the saying you must work hard to play hard. We went out to lunch later that day, and we got to know more about our Comic-Con Bff who now stands as one of my greatest friends. It’s amazing how in such a short period of time you can create everlasting friendships, the ones that are the rarest to find. He is such a remarkable individual whom I had the honor of meeting and bonding with, and we can't wait to see where the future takes him, us, and our friendship.

Comic-Con 2012: 4 Days to Remember

Here goes my annual Comic-Con rant, ready? Let's do this.

Day 1:

Wow, I've had such little sleep that I can't even remember what happened this day. Okay, well, my sister and I both got up at 2:30 AM, left our house at 3:30 AM, and arrived to the Con by 4 AM. A weee bit later, my sister's friend Ren met up with us in line (we were in line for the exhibit hall) and while they were talking I got bored, so I just plugged in my earphones and listened to my music. WELL (don't get too excited, I didn't encounter a celebrity), at the exact moment I decided to look up, Caden, the guy we met at the Nerd HQ last year whom we lost nearly all contact with, was walking right past us! You can never forget a face like Caden's. Well, here's the weird, but slightly funny part. Caden added both my sister and I on facebook. Well, the day before Thursday, Elaine and I went to go look at Caden's facebook page to see if he was going to the Con, and it turns out he deleted us! So we were like, "Wow, obviously we're not cool enough to be his friend. REJECTED." and we figured we were never going to see him again. But that all changed that gloomy Thursday morning, and I was debating whether or not to shout out his name (cause you know, he did unfriend me) but I finally called out "Caden!" and he looked over and was just as shocked to see us as we were to see him! And we chatted for a while, caught up with what he's been doing within this past year (amazing things he's doing btw) and we gave him a brief update, and we let him sit with us because we didn't want him to go all the way to the back of the line. And from there, my life has changed. It deserves a whole separate post all together, so I'll save that for later.

I'll talk about the Con experience now. Well, I first met Lucy Lui and Johnny Lee Miller (hotttie). I know this is going to sound super corny, but whenever someone says I look remotely similar to Lucy Lui, that is my absolute favorite compliment. And the fact that she is so incredibly sweet, well, that just means she's perfect.
Also, I got a signing for the "Breaking Dawn part 2" cast, and my sister and I were both super excited but then after waiting 2 whole freaking hours in line, it turns out that it's the most pathetic signing I've been too. I didn't know ANY of the people signing. Not a single one. Way to play us, Summit. Way to play us.

After that, we saw Jerry Trainer from ICarly, and even though it was quick and crowded, I got a picture and an autograph! Yaay!

                                                                             

                                                                             


And I think that wrapped up my opening day at the Con.

Friday:

Friday was fun as well! Got to the Con at 6, and my sister and I split up for a brief moment and I toured the entire Con by myself. I found the one booth in the 3600 area that a lot of C-List actors were signing autographs and taking pictures for 30 dollars. Well, that's BS. So I made friends with the security guard Jesse (cool dude, very cool dude) and he allowed me to talk to Kevin Sorbo! He was the lead actor in a Lifetime movie called "Last Chance Cafe" and in an episode of Psych. He was so nice!

And then after that, I met the model with all those tattoos. His name is Rico, and he models for Tonner... I believe? He was extraordinarily kind too!

Once I was done with that, I went to go find my sister, and I see the cast of "The Walking Dead" signing autographs! I don't watch that show, but I've heard so many good things. And so the main guy went to the side to take a few quick pics with fans, and I fought my way to the front and got one!

After that, I met up with my sister, and we went to lunch. After that, I met up with Caden at the Nerd HQ because he had a ticket to go get an autograph for Rico the model guy and I guess he loves him but he had to work at the Nerd HQ, so I went to go get the autograph for him.

And then out of no where we found out that Anthony Bourdain was doing a signing for his new book, so it was only normal that we just HAD to meet him!

Oh! This part is so embarrassing, but long story short, I thought Eddie Mcclonick was this guy:

When he's really this guy:

Oh, I also met Lou Ferrigno who was very sweet! But pics were 40$$ -______-


Day 3:

Saturday I got to the Con later than normal. 10:00, I had to sleep in guys! And so my sister and I kinda just roamed around a bit and then at 2:00 we headed over to the Nicklodean booth and we got to meet the Power Rangers! Helloooo Hector David Junior (yumm).

Oh! While we were waiting in line to meet the Power Rangers, my friend Steph spotted out Ben Schwartz from "House of Lies" so we started following him and then my sister tapped him on the shoulder and he was so willing to take a picture with us! He was really sweet and cute.

I also met Nicholas Brendan for like, the fifth time. He was so sweet (as always) and let me take a picture with him, free of charge!

After that, we went to the Nerd HQ because I had to go give Caden his autograph and camera back. We met up with him there, and our intention was to stay till 6:30. Well, we ended up leaving at 7:15. Why? Because Caden is the funniest human being on this planet and his jokes and stories had me going literally for 30 minutes straight. It would have been longer, but we had to go!

Sunday Day 4:

I MET MATTHEW GRAY GUBLER AKA THE LOVE OF MY LIFE. I'M SO HAPPY AND HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON ON MY BUCKET LIST OF PEOPLE TO MEET. I LOVE HIM. THE END.

My Official Plans For When I'm 30

Thirty, flirty, and thriving. That's what I always think about when I think of the age '30'. It seems so far away from now, as I'm still currently a senior in high school who is just on the brink of graduating. But everyday, without fail, I can't help but think what my life will be like in five, ten, twenty years from now. Am I going to be that lonely woman surrounding herself with a million cats? Well, that's automatically out since I'm allergic, but you get the picture. Will I be dead broke living in the middle of no where, strangely content, or will I be that successful, independent woman who still craves happiness? I know what I want, which is, yes, to be successful, but to also be happy. I don't think that's too much to ask for, I just need to work extremely hard. Right now, my life could be a lot better, but do I have any right to complain? I know a lot of people emphasize how screwed up their life is, and it's something I can relate to too, because my life IS difficult. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be able to escape it. But I know deep down that there are far worse situations that other people are in. So I can't have that perspective on life and make myself a pity party, because honestly, it's not fair. I just need to continue working hard and do everything I can in my power to become that successful individual I constantly challenge myself to become. It's going to take a lot of time, patience, and determination, but I'm willing to put in everything I possibly to gain what I want. Because it is attainable. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.

Sorry, I just had to vent a bit on that. Like I said, I'm going through a difficult stage in my life, but I keep on reminding myself that if I just continue chasing after my dreams (as cliche as it sounds), I can give myself that life I've always wanted. I can be that independent woman I've always wished to become. I can gain the respect of my family members and friends who have regardless always believed in me and wanted nothing more then to see me succeed. I just want my dream, and I'm never going to stop until I get it.

How this relates to the title of the post, I suppose you're wondering? Well, for those who don't know, I plan on pursuing a career in the broadcast journalism industry. More specifically, I want to become a news anchor. There's just something so appealing to me about the job that makes me understand and want it. Perhaps it's the inner news junkie I am, as I am currently the news editor for my high school newspaper, or maybe it's the fact that I watch the news nearly every night because I feel entitled to be informed about the important events that are happening in the community. I want to be that person informing my viewers about such events that can effect-maybe even change- our lives. Ever since my freshman year of high school, I knew it was what I wanted to do. And I'm doing it. I've already been accepted into college, and am scheduled to enroll in communication courses focused on broadcast journalism/liberal arts.

By the age of thirty, I'm hoping to accomplish this. I hope to have not only my career in full swing, but also my life outside of my job. I want what nearly every girl wants. I want the caring, passionate husband who will go through all lengths to look after his family. I want the children who drive me insane but still love with all of my heart by the end of the day. I want the entire nine yards, settled, stable, and loved. I can't see myself any other way by that age, and if for some reason my life is not how I'm setting it up to be, there better only be one reason. And that's because I didn't get to live, but lets just hope that's out of the equation.

Okay, joking aside, I've been watching all these adoption stories from the Rivers of Hope Foundation and how these wonderful and amazing individuals and couples have made an addition(s) to their lives by adopting a child in need. It truly did touch my heart. All of these innocent kids want nothing but a loving family who can provide them with what their biological parents never could. I want the ability to do that. I have officially decided that by the age of thirty, as long as I am in the position to care for another person, I will adopt a child. I don't care if I'm married, am able to have kids or not, already have kids, or if anyone I love is against it, I just want to be able to give that special child a new home full of love and joy. Hell, I'm still in high school yet already want this. It's just that I could feel the love radiating from these families who were able to pour their love and kindness into the unfortunate life of a child, and turn it around for the absolute best. It's incredibly beautiful to me, almost ethereal how much love one could give. I saw this woman, a single mother, who adopted three children in an addition to the three biological children she had. She is an inspiration, and I respect her more than she could ever imagine. I want the ability to do such, because changing someone's life so drastically and forever creating it with yours, I bet there is no better feeling. And I'm not leaving this earth until I am able to experience this feeling at least once.  I'm hoping that by that time, I'll already have children of my own, so they can join me on the journey of offering love, patience, and most importantly, a family, to those who search everyday for what people like myself are willing to give.

-Caroline

Random Question Tag!

I love these, so I'm just going to answer these questions made by Suwan before I my tutoring session starts :)

1. What was your most embarrassing moment in high school(or just school)?
   Probably my sophomore year of high school where I was walking up the bungalow ramp to get into my classroom. It was raining and very wet all around, so my teacher was standing there making sure everyone got up okay. As I was walking and just about to pass him, I all of a sudden slipped into mid air and landed flat on my back. The worst part? I heard a huge thud from the classroom and all of a sudden 30 heads were popping out of the window whispering "It was Caroline who fell!" and my reaction was this -____-
2. Is there a song you don't like but can't stop singing?
   Whatever K-pop song Jacob plays.
3. What attracts you to a guy?
   Wit, Humor, Kindness, Good looks (not to be shallow or anything), and their ambitions.
4. What makeup product do you have to have with you at all times?
   Lip balm. Always.
5. What is your favorite type of clothing?
   Cardigans. Definitely cardigans.
6. What is your favorite makeup brand?
   MAC
7. Have you met your Prince Charming?
   I wish.
8. Do you still have Dial-up internet? Lol
   Fortunately, no.
9. What camera do you think has the best quality?
   A Cannon DSLR
10. What's your favorite soda/drink?
    I don't drink soda, but something similar would be Black iced tea. In general, I love water.
11. What's the newest kind of food you've tried?
    This Thai Chicken Wrap from a local sandwich shop.
    
    And that's pretty much it for my answers! That was quite easy and fun to do :)

A New Year, New People to Meet

Today I went to dinner with my close friend Ariel and hilarious friend Grady and their Australian exchange students Haylee and Meten, who happen to be boyfriend and girlfriend! They're such a cute couple. We went to get a comforting bowl of pho and had some really good laughs. It was Grady and the Aussies first time having pho and they were very satisfied. Ariel and I just knew it would be a success ;)

Afterward, I treated all of them out to ice cream. If you're going to come to the states, you have to get Rite Aid ice cream! Hahaha, good old Thriftys. Grady has such a huge appetite, he downed two scoops in like, five minutes. After that, Ariel dropped me off and now I'm here giving a brief run down of my day. I'm really thankful to have had classes with Ariel this year, otherwise I know for a fact that we would never have been more than acquaintances. But because we suffer through Public Speaking and Marine Science together, our tradition has become getting a bowl of pho and discussing any random though that comes to mind. I adore her, and am so glad to have her as a friend.

As for the Australians, they were just too cool for me. Their accents, their style, ahhh I just can't handle it! They're all just so adorable, oh how I wish I was from Australia. But anyway, that concludes my night! I hope you all had a fabulous one as well :)

2012 Resolutions

I have a really hard time sticking to these, so I'm not making any promises by any means, but I will do my best to apply myself to these resolutions, because it's all for the better. Here are my top three resolutions.

Resolution 1- Stop be so stingy.
I'm pretty frugal when it comes to money, mainly because I'm saving up for a car and I know there's going to be a lot of expenses that come with it. But, I work pretty hard for my money and I deserve to spend it the way I please! So with that, I'll treat myself more often than I already do and sometimes even pay for others, just because I feel like it.

Resolution 2- Get over my fear of starvation.
I know, this is lame, but because I have this fear I like to eat. A lot. So it's very easy for me to overeat and that's not healthy, so now I limit my portions and eat about three times a day. This is going to be a hard one to stick too but for the past five days I've done an exceptional job.

Resolution 3- Stop gossiping.
Honestly, if Merriam Webster knew me, he would list my face as the definition of 'gossiper'. I gossip because I like to vent and talk about others who I'm not fond with. Some people deserve it, while others I'm just doing it in spite of the person, and that's honestly not fair.  Also, gossiping can change your life in an instant. Friendships change and you're automatically looked at differently, in a not-so-good way. I hope that I can take this seriously, because 92.148 % of the people I know don't deserve someone to talk behind their backs. It's an immature action, and unfair to others. The remainder of that percentage, however, well... no comment.