Destination Fresno: Achieved!

We're here. Finally here. My first prediction was that it was going to take 9 hours. It actually took us 8. Started early. Got to Sarah's sister's apartment at around 6pm. Altogether, it was a fun day. A really fun day. But now we're ready to collapse.

Here are some pictures. Enjoy!



















































I'm pooped.

Till tomorrow!

So Long San Marcos!

We're headed North today.
No,
Not only to Fresno.
But the four of us...
We're headed straight to the top!

Miss us hard!

Last Night At Home & This Is On My Mind

I don't usually find the need to change something about myself. I'm comfortable with being in my shoes. But sometimes I feel that getting out of that comfort zone and putting yourself out there in unknown territory is at times the best thing to do to renew or recreate something about yourself.

I don't like to cry. I hate crying. The last time I really cried was when I had just hurt my foot and for the first time had to sit out on my dance class. But I believe in emotions. I am a very emotional person. I just have a severe tendency to keep things inside. Which is worse than crying. I'm prone to becoming depressed when I keep feelings locked inside.

Sometimes I'm misunderstood. People think i'm a cold person; that i'm insensitive. Trust me, i'm far from it. You just have to get to know me. Break the ice. There's more to me than some dry, solemn faced girl. I have a heart and it beats for new confrontations. Have some patience with me. I tend to surprise people better that way.

I say things without thinking. It just pops out without an ounce of thought passing through the brain to the mouth. I tend to hurt people this way without ever meaning to. I never have meant to be a jerk. I don't like jerks. I don't like being a jerk. It's my mouth. It doesn't think. It has a communication problem with my brain. Go figure.

I don't believe age determines wisdom. I just don't believe it.

When One Bag Became Four

So I'm about done packing.
One bag became two bags when I need to take my blankets and towels in another bag.
Two bags became three bags when I had more clothes to take with me.
Three bags became four bags when I realized I needed to take my computer.
Than I also have my yoga mat bag which TAMARA made for me! It's beautiful! I love it.

So all together 5 bags.

Tomorrow we're leaving. It should be fun. I'm quite excited actually.

I cleaned my bathroom this morning. I have to wash my pillowcases before I go. I'd like them to be clean when I sleep over there. My room isn't going to be that clean when I leave. I wanted it to be clean but it looks like there's not much hope in this small space. I will miss my bed though. And the hanging bras that i've yet to pack are quite the decorative punch.

You know what i'll miss most? Tennessee. My guitar. She's my everything and she's going to be stuck in her case for 2 weeks without any hands on her. Without my hands on her. I hope I find a piano so I can have some outward musical expression.

And I came to another realization right now... I'm going out today and I have nothing to wear.

Packing is a Bitch

So I have to pack tonight. And i'm having some difficulty. Two weeks worth of dance clothes, normal clothes, and nice clothes are all piled all over my room. Not to mention the laundry that needs to be done before hand.

Here was my reasoning: Pack for one week and then do the laundry there on the weekend. Simple. Easy.

NOT!

I have to pack towels, sheets, and blankets among the piles of clothes I have to take.

Guys have it easy. But we are GIRLS. And what girls wear to dance, is kind of complicated.

We have your basics: sports bras, tank tops, shorts, pants, capris, sweats, tights, leg warmers, and leotards. Times that by 7 days and you've got A LOT of clothes. Then add on a pair of jeans and another pair of pants for normal occasions, about 5 casual tees, 3 skirts in case we go to shows, about 2 nice tops, a bathing suit, and extra clothes that could be used as costumes if needed-- you've got an extremely bad case of suitcase overflow.

So here's my current solution to my messy problem:
I'll start by doing the laundry. Then I will pack my clean dance clothes, towels, and everything else that I don't need for the next day in my suitcase. I'm bringing my dance duffle with me, so i'll stuff my sheets, extra clothes, bathroom necessities, and anything else I missed. I'll carry my laptop and purse in my backpack, and then carry my blankets and pillow by hand. Holy Mother of COWS.

I have too many things. I feel as if I'm going back to church camp. And even then, I only went for one week. This is a bitch.

Packing is a bitch.

Blood Drive Madness

Gusta, Sarah, and I had an appointment at 2:40 to donate blood at the North County Mall. We were there on time and read through our packets and we all had the same nervous look on our faces. Then half way through our packets Gusta finds out she can't donate blood cause she lives in a foreign country during specific years while the mad cow disease ran rapid.

So Sarah and I gave blood. They screwed up my paperwork and said I was a male. So mine took super long. Than we both had fainting spells a few times. And then we were out of the bus a little before 5. Not to mention the girl who kept throwing up in the same bus as us, and the crowdedness that seemed to happen right as we were about to get pricked. So with all the madness, we survived, and Sarah came out a new woman with a lot of free snacks.

We got our Backstage Warped Tour passes which also included a free cd and a free pint of BASKIN ROBBINS! Yum.

So we saved a life. But my lesson learned today:

I will never do it again... unless they're giving away something a lot better than warped tour backstage passes.

What a day... what a day...

Fresno Reasoning.

So I realized that if someone read this and didn't know me, or didn't know I was going to Fresno, than the last post might have been slightly confusing.

Here is what I'll be doing in Fresno.

I was given a full scholarship to go to a 2 week summer dance intensive through the CSU school system. The program is called Summer Arts and i'll be dancing 24/7 with my 3 favorite dancers from CSU San Marcos. We've all been given full scholarships and for that I thank our wonderful professor Karen Schaffman. We love her to pieces. The two weeks will not also be a great learning experience but will also count as 3 units. In the end, it becomes somewhat like summer school but without the blackboards and desks.

What kind of dance?

Glad you asked!

It'll be contemporary and modern. The people teaching us are from a company in New York called Daniel Leichter Dance Company. They fuse street, hip hop, and modern into one unique style. We'll be learning from them and also creating our own pieces to perform at the end of the two weeks.

The best part is on the 4th and 5th of July the one and only MIA MICHAELS from So You Think You Can Dance is coming to teach a few special classes to us. I'm super stoked about that but she has also made extremely good dancers cry on occasion, and for that... I will have a tissue at hand at all times.

Our only day off is sunday and I believe we are going to take a trip up to San Fransisco. Take a trolley... eat some awesome seafood... you know... all that good stuff.

Everyday we'll be starting off with a yoga class which will then be followed by our technique class. After lunch there will be our composition class and then finally our repertory class. It's the same each day except for when Mia Michaels teaches.

What's there to do in Fresno?
NOTHING.
What else will I be doing in Fresno?
NOTHING.
What will be left in my bank account after the 2 weeks?
NOTHING.

But it's all good. Cause i'll be becoming a better dancer. It's all for the name of DANCE. And the fact that I will be sharing this experience with 3 other girls whom I love is the icing on the cake.

I hope to push myself and keep pushing. I'm sort of hoping that I break during one of the weeks so I can become stronger by picking up the pieces. It's easy to seep through the 2 weeks and have them pass by without really learning anything. But I have my heart set on concentrating on my weaknesses rather than my strengths. I want to see puddles of sweat beneath my feet at the end of every class. I want a shower to feel as if i've never taken one before. I want my whole body to be sore and my feet to blister. I want to conk out at night because I had worked so hard. I really want to be dedicated and surrender to the art of dance.

This may all sound extremely... extreme (for the lack of a better word) to you. And it just might be. But how do you think dancers get to where they are? They struggle.

I'm not afraid of a challenge. I'd rather struggle than find peace in a mediocre life.

Hola!

I have decided to make a blog. A Fresno Blog. And perhaps this blog will remain a blog post-Fresno. We shall see.

4 days left till we embark on our journey.

Madge
Gusta
Sarah
Me

I will try to post as many interesting things in here. And figuring that there are going to be 4 fabulous girls traveling to Fresno together and spending 2 weeks on end at each other's side-- i'm thinking there is going to be plenty of interesting moments to share.

Thus far, our last few days in San Diego are being spent on organizing, buying necessities, and relaxing.

Sarah and I bought 4 half gallon jugs today. I am going to decorate them with puffy paint, which is no longer called puffy paint for those of you who are crafty-oriented or disoriented. It is now called FOAM PAINT. Go figure. I refuse to say FOAM PAINT. Puffy is so much better. Anyways, I'm planning to put our names on them along with FRESNO 07. Nothing like a good half gallon jug to remind us how much water we drank in Fresno.

We've also come to realize that it's very hard to find yoga mat bags. I was going to make one but time is of the essence and my room is a mess as it is.

Sunday was our meeting and we've decided to take one car. Sarah's mom is driving up at 4 in the morning on Saturday to take Sarah's younger sister to Cheer practice or something like that, so she has kindly agreed to take or bigger luggage up. That way we can take the other stuff in gusta's car. Gusta will pick me up, then we'll get Madge, and then we'll go get Sarah (hopefully by 10..knowing us, it'll be about 11...) and then head on our way.

Saturday we'll be spending the night on Sarah's older sister's floor. The next day is the first day of the creative madness so we'll be shopping for the little things we've forgotten and then making our way to CSU Fresno.

Now that i've blabbed on about all the hoopla, i'm going to go work on those jugs. HAH! Water jugs...

Till tomorrow!

ck

PS: tomorrow gusta, sarah, and I will be giving blood. Help me JESUS!