catching up over crepeville and cupcakes

Over the weekend, I had a chance to catch up with some friends I haven't seen in a while and I am reminded of how blessed I am by the friendships I made in college. First was a Crepeville brunch date with Rachel, a dear friend of mine who was stolen away by UCLA's Masters in Public Health Program! She's a nutrition rockstar and is learning how to save the world, one gram of fiber at a time! Then on Sunday, I was able to see another good friend, Brea, who flew out from Boston just so she could have a bridal shower with all of her California friends! In my world, bridal showers are synonymous with ADX reunion and are always a fun time of getting caught up with so many girls who I don't get to see that often. Now that a lot of my friends are dispersed over many miles, I really savor the times we're all in one place!

Of course, pink cupakes for Brea's shower

Two brides to be and me

The ADX crowd

all shook up

Interviews give me huge knots in my stomach. I stress about them for days, trying not to let my nerves get the best of me. Although I consider myself a fairly articulate person in most normal situations, I tend to stumble over my words when it comes to being interviewed. Since I'm one of those weird people in their 20's who hasn't switched employers multiple times (I've been in the same department since 2005), I've only had two post-college job interviews. I'm thankful for this but at the same time, I realize how this means my experience with interviewing is lacking.

So with that said, I got an email a week ago from the graduate program I applied to letting me know that I had made it to the second step, an in person evaluation. The email was very vague and said to also bring a pen or pencil and dress professionally. Would this be a group interview or a one on one chat with the faculty? Would we be asked theoretical questions about counseling theories or informal questions about what we like to do in our free time? I felt slightly overwhelmed at all the possible questions that could be asked, knowing there is no way to prepare for every possibility. Driving to the interview yesterday, I just tried to breathe and not let any rays of doubt crack through my confident exterior. But this is hard for me to do.

Well the 'interview' turned out to be TOTALLY different than I expected. I wouldn't even call it an interview really. All the applicants were put in a classroom and we were given four different prompts to write about. Two of the questions related to a video the faculty had us watch which portrayed a counseling session. I was ecstatic about this format because my writing skills under pressure are far superior than giving verbal answers under pressure. Then each person was given one minute to share why they wanted to be a part of the program and it was interesting to hear everyone's answers. The faculty facilitating then opened it up for people to ask questions about the program and then told us we would hear back in the next few weeks. Praise God for not having to wait forever.....whatever the outcome, I'd prefer to know sooner than drag it out. I'm just glad it's over with and don't have to deal with my anxious emotions anymore. And thanks to all of you who gave me encouraging words and support leading up to yesterday, I really appreciate it! Now I wait and see which path my life will take...which surprisingly, I'm not anxious about at all right now.

Where I'm From

For the last six weeks, I have been part of an adult ed class at my church called "Race, Faith, and Community" that has explored how issues of race impact us individually, as well as the unity and effectiveness of the church as a whole. As part of the class, we were each asked to complete a poem exercise that would help us explore the culture and experiences that have helped shape our ethnic identity. The poem was in a "Mad Libs" kind of format, where we had to fill in the blanks using words of our choice that corresponded with the chosen topic. Here's what I came up:

I am from snow covered driveways.
From Disney movies and piano lessons.
I am from the track homes of Tracy, homogenous floorplans, white walls, and a pool in the backyard.
I am from the North Davis greenbelt with it's quirky sculptures of dominoes and dogs.
I'm from bedtime stories and loud conversations.
From Kay and Don.
I'm from the 'let's talk about everything' philosophy and the importance of family vacations. From having my grandpa use the term "Japs" to having a cousin engaged to a Vietnamese man. I'm from lifelong Republicans who were surprised yet supportive when I voted for Obama.
I'm from three distinct places that shaped me: Englewood, CO; Tracy, CA; Davis, CA.
From my Grandma's white chococlate chip cookies and beef brisket with mashed potatoes.
I am from feeling like I have no ethnic identity because British ancestry equals boring.