bittersweet yet sweet and all things good

there are two more days until we conclude our first year of freshmen year of college once and for all. it's so bittersweet seeing most people pack so soon. i'm going to miss long beach, but summer is just around the corner and i cannot wait to see what life has in store for me. i'm looking forward to my family garden project, vegan commitment, guitar/ukelele self-teach lessons, tennis time, more exercise time, summer school sessions, yoga, getting better at the flute and piano, and a whole lot more. just can't believe how much has happened these last two semesters. things moved by so darn quickly.

most of my knick-knacks are packed, but my room is so messy. there's my favorite ikea cup with an old tea packet from an hour ago sitting by the window, bits of little trash on the floor begging to be vacuumed, books scattered, random scratch paper lying everywhere, objects not in place, things crooked, etc etc etc

yep this is finals week.

today me and john went out pretty much all day. heh actually our jane and john adventures began again after the history final yesterday. finally tried cafe ambrosia (greek food) yesterday as well.

this morning, i made myself a large fruit platter as usual. with my 1 grapefruit, 1 orange, lots of pineapple, honeydew melon, watermelon, strawberries, and banana slices all cut up in pieces. fresh cravings.

then for brunch, we took the d bus and went to shillelagh's on 4th street, where i ordered this heavenly customed vegan waffle with peanut butter and banana toppings and syrup and goodness mixed on top of one another. it was just a sweet tooth party in my mouth.. i haven't had waffles in awhile, so it was just nice to know that they could make any dish vegan.  awesome possum. i also shared some seasoned fries with john... and i dipped them in the syrup. i have a seriously terrible sweet tooth. we had the discussion about buddy the elf's spaghetti-syrup-skittles-covered meal. i have tried that before in the dining hall, really.. (when i brought my own skittles in the dining hall after halloween and let me tell you, i liked it a lot. like a lot a lot). most people cringe after hearing that, so feel free to cringe and disagree. but i'm truth telling.

after, we took the bus and went straight to main street seal beach. there, i went in the sea shells shop and hapa collective store one last time before i'm not able to go back anytime soon. i purchased a handmade recycled wallet that is made from cambodia. heh, made a conversation about how my dad was born there, and the man who worked at the store ended up telling me a brief story of his journey to cambodia/thailand with his wife a few summers ago and i found that ultra fascinating. i also ended up purchasing an all natural acai berry lip balm before i left the store. i couldn't control myself. the best part about supporting local artists' items is that you get to know more about how they are made, where they come from, and the people who create it all. it's a shame that sometimes one-of-a-kind items lack acknowledgement and appreciation. there are honestly so many beautiful gems hidden out there. even i wish i could see it all.

for dinner, me and john grabbed a delicious dinner at whole foods. honestly, one of my favorite things to do is getting boxed dinner at any organic foods market and sitting inside the store eating it right after. whole foods just knows how to win everyone's heart with new menus everyday and all. vegan and vegetarian options are always labeled with all of the ingredients neatly organized and listed in pretty text. there could be few mistakes of picking up the wrong items. tonight i tried a bunch of different exotic flavorings and what not. i really enjoyed the grilled veggies and lemony lentils with my zesty kale and spanish/mushroom rice.

we eventually caught the bus back to school and immediately went back to our rooms to change to go to the rec center. today, john and i played tennis after a long time of putting the rackets down. we played at the perfect time, with the sunset nearing and the air just breezy enough for sprints and hits. it felt like a warm summer night.

after, we were ready to grab a plate of refreshing salad or fresh fruits at one of the dining halls, but we arrived at closed doors. so instead, we walked to trader joe's and finally bought some of those mini soy vanilla sandwiches we've been longing for quite some time.  those bad boys are the best things you'll ever have when you are craving for something cold, chewy, and savory after a sweaty workout. we sat outside of target and shared our box of treats.

i carried my 96 sociology notecards everywhere today and reviewed them at the bus stops, restaurants, and stores for quick study sessions. i'm exhausted. i was out having fun in the sun pretty much all day and now i'm ready to lay down, but i probably should not.

i'm going to miss john, the one friend i managed to keep up with all year long through spontaneous adventures, college talks, and all-things-jane-and-john-related.