After 3 Months...

To: San Diego

In September, I posted about my cousin, Tyler, who left for Marine Corp Bootcamp in San Diego... It's officially three months later and I'm so excited to say that he's finally back, right in time for the holidays!

On Thursday, my family and I drove all the way down to San Diego to attend his graduation which would be taking place at the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot. As we were exiting Santa Barbara, the rain was pouring and the roads had tons of water sitting on them. During the whole road trip, I spent time editing photos and videos, haha. We decided to take a break from traffic when we arrived in Los Angeles and stopped in Thai Town to eat at a Thai restaurant called Ruen Pair. The food was SO delicious! We had papaya salad, chicken curry, Rad Na (pan fried flat rice noodles mixed with gravy and greens), and more..

Weather Conditions: Poor

We finally hit the road again and arrived at our hotel in San Diego at 11:45 PM. I was reunited with my beloved Asa! We talked, caught up and discussed our happiness to see our brother, cousin, nephew and grandson the next day. The following morning, everyone quickly got ready, excitement and anxiety lingering in every hotel room we stayed in. Today was the day we would be bringing home a Marine.

When we arrived at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, the skies were grey, rain was coming down and it was windy, no day where it should have been. One disappointing factor on Ty's graduation day was the weather. Twelve weeks of hard work, dedication and struggle should have been celebrated with the Marines marching on the stadium they deserved to walk on. My family was praying for a miracle that it wouldn't rain, but unfortunately, the rain came down harder than I've ever seen it come in a long time. We waited around two hours for Ty's platoon to be presented in the indoor theatre and the time finally came. My cousins and I filed into the theatre which was pitch black, the only light reflected on the audience members' faces coming from the stage. As different Marines were being presented the across the stage, my family and I were on our toes, waiting to hear the next clue about our Marine. Then, the drill sergeants took the stage. They would be giving the last command to their platoons. As they yelled out, "Platoon #____, Dismissed", the dismissed platoon shouted in return,

Brothers, Cousins, Chey and so much love.

voices unanimously together, filling the room. The hope, relief and hidden excitement in the mens' voices as they knew they would be headed home could be heard and clearly struck a chord. My heart was so uplifted after realizing how much every single Marine in that room had gone through. From the day those boys walked onto the bus, wondering what they had gotten themselves into to the day they walk out from the ceremony, men and proud of their every accomplishment. Without knowing it, my eyes were filled with tears and they spilled out, but only filled with pure joy. We left the room, ran towards the barracks to meet up with Tyler. And the moment we'd been waiting for, we saw our dude covered in bags and in his uniform, smile plastered on his face and everything. Hugs and "I miss you's" were exchanged. With a ton of hesitation, my Santa Barbara family departed and we were on our way back home. ALL of us, waiting for December 22nd, the day we'd all be reunited again (in Fresno, of course...).

See you next post,

Chey

Currently listening to You Bring Me Home by Imaginary Future

I Love Winter Break.

Atop the Water Tower

The title is the most simple way to express my feelings about this winter break. We've already been on break for a whole week and I've already done so much, which is so so exciting. So many people identify break as being a time where you get to stay home, do nothing, sit, breathe, blink, not shower for a day or two (maybe more, whatever works for you...) and no school! I personally think that break should be a time where you spend your hours doing things you couldn't do while school is in the way.

I've already seen so many people that I been wanting to see and I know I'll be seeing more! My friend Sam just got home like an hour and a half ago, I'm so excited to see her face! I haven't seen her since August and I really miss her, haha. Brenna, Sam and I are planning to have a Christmas hangout party and homecoming party because Sam's flight was cancelled and delayed for 24 hours and we were supposed to be attending a concert in SLO tonight, but it just felt so incomplete to go without Sam...

Just me trying SO HARD to be a photographer.

As for what I have already done, I've hung out with Maya twice and we both went on our fun photography adventures to Franceschi Park, which overlooked Santa Barbara. We have so many hidden gems in the 805 area and this is exactly what I think my break should be spent doing: exploring, enjoying and living. It's not that recently I have been into photography—I've always loved it—I just don't have time for it and have recently become more active in the art. Especially with Maya, it helps having someone who enjoys doing the same activities as you. We obviously have to tell each other to pose or wait for people to pass by and do awkward things together, but it's so much less awkward when you're just having fun. The following day, we drove out to Lizard's Mouth, which is off of Highway 154. We stopped at the water tower and took a bunch of artsy photos there, posed, danced, goofed, haha. After that, we decided not to do the Lizard's Mouth hike because we would be missing out on the sunset, so we stayed at the water tower for a bit then drove down 154. Literally two minutes after we pulled onto 154, we pulled off onto an overlook where the clouds were rising and rolling up the mountains ALL while the sunset was happening! I was so taken aback by the beauty... We were above the clouds!

Rising Clouds!

HOWEVER... All good things must come to an end and just like that, our weekend was over! I spent the next couple of days just working, running errands, cleaning like CRAZY... But seriously, a lot of these things, I don't really get to spend a lot of time on while I'm in school. I don't think I've ever been so grateful to be on break... I'm already dreading the end of it!

See you next post,

Chey

Currently listening to 널 사랑하지 않아(I Don't Love You) by Urban Zakapa

What Did I Do?

How did I spend the first day of my winter break, you might wonder? I had an incredible amount of fun from the moment I woke up until right now, 12:16 AM. Starting off my morning, I got up at 7:30, stayed in bed for a good thirty minutes and to simply put it, I just felt good. After I got out of bed, I started cleaning up my room, slowly, but surely. I don't know what it is about having a clean work and living space, but I feel like my focus increases immensely after I clean. Like I have told so many people before, my room is an accurate representation of my life's current situation, haha.

After cleaning my room, I took some time out of my day to get up and out of the house. I got dressed and headed straight to the gym, which I loved and didn't really expect to. I haven't been in what seems like ages, but after going, I realized how stiff my entire body had become as a result of the everyday stress I experience. I was a bit too focused on how I would do on my exams and studied like a maniac for them without taking my mental and physical health into consideration...

Post-gym I came back home to relax for a little bit and then went out to dinner with my good friend, Kim! Kim is flying back home for the break this Sunday, so to spend a little extra time with her, we decided on Choi's Oriental Market for some delicious, authentic Korean food. We enjoyed ddeokbokki, spicy rice cakes, along with some fresh cucumber kimchi and napa cabbage kimchi as well. Something really unexpected happened while we were there! We both spoke with the owner and he asked about my ethnic background and country in which I replied, "Hmong and we don't have a country, but many of us live in Laos." He mentioned to me that they have a new employee there who was also from Laos, but he wasn't sure... so he asked his wife. She said the new employee was from Myanmar. But I looked at the name, and it was SURELY a Hmong name! It turns out, the new employee is one of my relatives! It was seriously such a small world, but wow, I was absolutely stunned, haha. The owner treated us to extra fresh cucumber kimchi and some sweet bean ice cream popsicles.

Overall, it's been such a successful day and I can't wait to experience what else this break has in store for me.

See you next post,

Chey

Currently listening to She's American by The 1975

Fall 2016

Amateur Photography by Chey

So, 6:40 PM on Thursday, December 8th marks the official end of my last fall semester here at SBCC. As I was walking out of my economics class, I felt a sudden rush of joy throughout my body and needless to say, that joy came TOO soon. Finally arriving at my car in the parking structure on West Campus, I try to start it, only to find out my battery isn't working... So, I did what any girl (who doesn't have much car knowledge) would do and called my dad to come check out the scene. I was a bit curious (and paranoid because what if someone tried to steal my battery?!) so I popped up the hood and I knew enough that I wasn't supposed to touch the battery with my bare hands, but I knew something was loose. Finally my dad pulled up and we opened the hood of my car again and turns out, I was right! One of the washers came loose on the terminal and I totally felt proud of myself for knowing that, haha. I was back to being super excited when I got home! I had dinner and was SO happy that I cleaned. I know a lot of people my age hate cleaning, but I find so much joy in living and working in a clean space, haha.

Anyway, to kind of close up , here are ten things that I loved and enjoyed this semester:

1. Being an Ambassador. I know I've discussed this a bunch of times, but when I'm passionate about something, I get really attached and I have to say, being a part of this program has allowed me to improve as an individual, meet so many great people who have become my friends and be more in touch with SBCC.
2. The library. I don't know what to say about this. It's kind of my second home, really.
3. The Bus-Comm building! I worked a ton in there this past semester and got to know the employees and faculty. They're all SO sweet and it's seriously just like a big family. From never-ending sweets and snacks to the latest SBCC news, I always enjoyed working in there.
4. Photography. I'm always in search of a way to be creative and photography has given me the chance to explore new events, places, and meet a lot of individuals (who all has amazing stories, by the way). I've definitely found a deeper love for photography this past semester.
5. Sleep. My sleep schedule has been kind of grandma-ish lately, like going to bed early and waking up early, but man, I really love it. I feel more energized and awake when I'm supposed to feel that way.
6. Skype and FaceTime. With another two of my friends, Brenna and Sam, gone since the
   
   beginning of this semester, these two apps have let me hear their beautiful voices and see their beautiful faces. It's definitely really hard to keep in touch and find a schedule, but we always somehow manage to make it work and we've talked an incredible amount this semester.
7. Seeing family. Family is always a huge priority in my life, but for some reason, this past semester, I felt like I just missed everyone so much. If I could, I'd drive straight out to Fresno to my family and buy a ticket to Colorado to visit my new neph-puppy, Zeus!
8. Performing at SoHo. It's hard to call yourself a musician when you hardly perform. I thought I had lost sight of who I was, but this opportunity with AYWW 2020 has definitely sparked that energy that I needed to continue doing what I love.
9. Coffee. I don't think I'm an avid coffee drinker, but wow, that stuff's good if it's not straight black coffee, haha. I need some cream and sugar in that cup before I can have it! My tastebuds are slowly shifting towards coffee, but I think I'll stick to my tea for a little while longer.
10. MTD. I know a ton of us are commuters, but just to let you know, you already have to pay for a bus pass when you register for the semester! So why not take advantage of it and take the bus! You can avoid finding parking, worrying about traffic and all you have to do is wait 10-15 minutes for your bus to arrive. Especially my fellow commuters from the IV/Camino Real Goleta area, the 15x is straight, to and from school. :)

More amateur shots!

Wishing you all of the best and the greatest this holiday break and season! Enjoy your five weeks of vacation...

See you next post,

Chey

Currently listening to Like You by Tatiana Manaois

Family Photos

Fall 2016 -- SBCC Ambassadors

This weekend has been incredibly busy... and I love it.

On Friday, the SBCC Ambassadors and the International Office gathered for a luncheon at Casa Blanca down on State Street. Friday morning, I got up, studied for about two hours, drove downtown and met with everybody at the restaurant! It was my first time eating there and I absolutely loved the food. All of the us were probably seriously hungry because as soon as we were seated, we dug into the chips and salsa! I know I wasn't the only one who and skipped breakfast because we were going to have an early lunch, haha.

All of us were talking about what schools we had applied to, our plans for winter break, and our stress levels for finals. There was so much positive energy in one room at the same time that honestly, I even forgot that we had a bunch of exams next week. Talking about positive energy, I was awarded the SPARK! Award which my fellow Ambassadors voted me for. I was so surprised when my name was called (I didn't even hear my name because of applause from my friend Cris who also got the same award!). I always pictured myself as kind of quiet in the program, but it was such a self-esteem booster to know that so many of my peers see me as this ray of sunshine and kind of kick start their day. Afterwards, our waitress came around and took our orders and I wanted some yummy chicken enchiladas! It was extremely delicious. Afterwards, my friends, Isabella, Claire, Kim and Brianne walked up State and decided to grab some McConnell's and dashed to SBCC to attend the Ambassador meeting!

This Ambassador meeting was the last of this semester, last meeting for some of the Fall 2016 Ambassadors, and the first for the Spring 2017 Ambassadors. It was so cool to meet the new students who were interested in the program! They all seemed truly happy to be there and it just puts a smile on my face when I meet individuals who all are excited about what's to come. I can promise that this will be a program you will never forget!

I swear I heard to be silly...

After the meeting, the majority of Fall 2016 Ambassadors met at the Winslow-Maxwell Overlook, where I set up my camera on a tripod and we took our long-awaited Ambassador group picture! After about a whole year of not updating our Facebook page, we finally have a new profile picture. I woke up this morning, around 9:30 AM (went to bed at 2 A.M. because I was excited to edit photos), edited for about 2 and a half hours, sent out pictures... and then I did some more studying for the rest of today.

Good luck, do great things, be great!


See you next post,

Chey

Currently listening to Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by *NSYNC

I'm So Emotional

So, it's December, everyone!

I just remember waking up this morning, turning off my alarm only to stare at my phone re-reading the word "December". I had so many mixed emotions run through my mind—and that may be due to the pressure of finals week—which was so weird for a Thursday morning. As a lot of my fellow transfer peers' know, the deadline to apply for CSUs and UCs were last night at 11:59 P.M. and I think so many of us are burnt out from the semester that we feel so much relief when we see the date December 1st. I couldn't make out my feelings though.

I kind of caught myself off guard because just one week ago, I was exclaiming how excited I was to leave Santa Barbara and finally start on my journey of independence (rent, bills, buying your own groceries... doesn't that sound like such a jazzy time). But as I read my e-mails congratulating me on applying to the various schools, my heart sank a little. I KNOW it's going to sound cheesy and cringe-y, but without realizing it, I have already started my journey and the fact is I was so ungrateful that I didn't even take the time to embrace and enjoy my life as much as I should have. Let's take a flashback to this blog: Dealing With Separation. At this point, I was so lonely and felt like I wasn't going to be anybody in college. I was determined that I was going to sit in class, keep to myself, do work, go home and be by myself. That was no way to look at life.

If you asked me last year what kind of student I aspired to be, I would have simply answered, "One that can transfer ASAP." But me NOW? I'd pour out all kinds of cheesy jargon and feelings about how much I love my school and how much Vaquero pride I have. So I woke up feeling guilty in addition to relief; sad because my third semester here would end next Thursday, anxious because of finals, supported because the friends I've made here will send me encouraging text messages at the dead of night, and happy because my journey will take a new turn soon. I just really love SBCC, haha.

Oooookay, let's pause here before I enter the twilight zone of feelings, but I think I'm just really worked up for the holidays and the fact that we'll have five weeks of break.

 See you next post,

Chey

Currently listening to Simple Life by Casey Abrams