I GRADUATED

Yes, I am blessed.

It was such an honor to have the people who were there for me throughout it all present at the ceremony.  I got to graduate with 20 other Anthropology majors and a ton of Behavioral Science majors.. It has truly been a treat, and I can't wait to see what's next. 

Bye for now,

Nadine 

My Megz' 23rd

Such a fun time to celebrate such a great person.  We went to The Melting Pot in San Mateo and it was absolutely delicious.

My outfit for the night 

 Vines 

Beverages

Delectable kinds of appetizer fondue (GREAT cheese)

Meg's uncooked meats. 

Smores fondue..... die 

Happy Birthday!!!

Bye for now,

Nadine

I'm DONE with College Forever (For Now)

Oh my god.  I finished.. I actually made it all the way to the end.

Many days and nights felt bleak, and I didn't know that I would have the drive to make it to the end.  To many, it is not a big deal, but to me it is.

I did not have the best grades in middle and high school because I never put all my effort in my work. That definitely changed once I found direction and interest in school, and I finished my undergrad work at San Jose State in the projected two years! I thought it would take me a little longer than the expected time.. and it did at community college (but really, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get out in two years, especially from De Anza and Foothill).

Since I only took classes I was interested in (some were not as great as others obviously), I really excelled and put my all in my work.  Of course I had to sacrifice a lot of other things, such as personal relationships, my sanity, etc., but it's worth it.

There is nothing more valuable than the education that I have received.  I am blessed.  If you have been contemplating about school, just persevere, it'll all be worth it in the end.

(Me after my last final on May 20, 2014) 

Let's see, what's next? Oh yeah, graduation! 

Bye for now,

Nadine 

Lifestyle Change

Well, Hello to whoever is out there reading this right now.

So in about 3 days, I will be finishing up my undergrad degree in Anthropology at SJSU, and it is such a daunting thought that my life of going to school, and having this routine that I have followed for the past 20 years of my life is done.

I moved back home with my parents last week for a number of reasons

• MONEY
• Obviously I can't afford living on my own in the Bay Area on a nanny's 2-day/8 hour a week salary. 

• Travel 
• I have a handful of travel things coming up in the next 6 months.  In July, I am chaperoning and participating in mission by building a house in Mexico! (Did it four years ago with a bunch of college-aged friends).  Then in October-November, I am going to Cambodia with a group of anti-trafficking advocates and look into organizations that have helped rehabilitate women who have been a part of that vicious crime.  Following that, I am going to the Philippines with my parents to visit family and celebrate their 25 years of marriage and my 23rd birthday! Obviously, since I'll be gone for a handful of months, paying rent for this time is just not worth it.. (back to point 1)  

• Direction
• I have no idea what I want to do with my life after getting this degree.  I do have high hopes to apply for a grad program in San Francisco, but do I REALLY want it? I don't know. It's a good time to discern my direction while living at home. No pressure (maybe). 

So with these new transitions,  and this time that I have dedicated to my studies, I have had low self-esteem about my physical appearance.  Thankfully I have a boyfriend who compliments me on a daily basis about my appearance, but to me I want to be 100% confident in the skin I'm in.  I was negligent about the food that I ate,  and no exercise at all.  I gained about 15 lbs since the time I moved out of my parents house (which is typical, I know), and as a person who loves to dress up, and take care of my physical appearance through make-up and fashion, I think it's time to take care of me all in all.  

SO, I decided to invest in a lifetime membership at ToneItUp membership to hold myself accountable because I invested this money into something, so I can better my self-esteem and better my lifestyle.  

We'll see how this goes. 

Bye for now,

Nadine 

RECONNECT

- I legitimately do not see myself partying or heavily drinking which isolates me from others my age.  I'm not saying that everyone my age does this, but I feel that it is most definitely one of the primary ways people my age tend to bond.

- I have been in a committed relationship for 5 1/2 years (whew) but I feel that because a mix of the long-distance compensation and school, I have distanced myself from my friends and do not really know how to re-connect with some people that have moved on and done so many different things.

I love life. I love how my life is progressing, but this year is the year of reconnection, and new beginnings with many people.  I am excited.

Bye for now,
- nalovita.

Young Adult Struggles.

So, I am a young adult.. barely there at the ripe age of 21.

There are a plethora of things that I am learning about myself now that I am independent, finishing up school, working, etc.  With this learning thing I am facing some struggles that are anything but preferable, but nonetheless a part of growing up.

Of course I am not going to air out my dirty laundry on the internet, but for reference for myself later on in life, this is the time where I was kind of shoved aside.

The bright side is nice, and I know I have learned from these experiences.. but in the moment IT SUCKS!  The question comes up again, when things aren't going my way, how do I handle the situation with grace, charisma, and compassion?

Honestly, all I want to do is scream my face off and stay in my room and let things pass.  If I do this, I won't learn, and I will create a routine of not facing my problems which will ultimately bite me in the booty later.

Right now, this sucks.. in a few years it will be a great experience to look back on and see how much I've grown from this moment.

Bye for now,
-nalovita.

Well Hello!

I realized that the last time I blogged was before we left for the British Isles! Holy Crap! That was a month ago!  Well... I just want to shoot a little update before things get crazy in Nadineland.

JustiX 2013 Tour..

I will probably have an extensive post on this later, since it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  I spent 2 1/2 weeks chaperoning my former choir, Starfire, as they preformed seven shows throughout the U.K. and Ireland.  I had a lot of fun documenting the trip video blogging, which I realized I miss so much! If you're interested check out http://youtube.com/starfiresingers to see all the shows and vlogs!

Fun fact: Dylan and I were able to celebrate our 5 year anniversary on this trip! What a ride.. coming back for the group that brought us together :)

School!!!!

School started this week.  I am now a senior at San Jose and hopefully by this time next year I will be graduated!

This semester I am taking a hefty set of classes

Ethnographic Methods, Race Gender Inequality and Law, Human Origins, Anthropology Upper Division Writing Workshop, and Reconstructing Lost Civilizations.

Hard and challenging but I am excited! There are some upcoming projects that I am anticipating during the semester as well! 

So here I am, on my day off just basking in this stillness, it is great.

Bye for now,

-nalovita.