measuring the world

• running is a lot harder than i expected.  i’m trying to do my running program in half the time since i want to run the 5k on memorial day, but i’m not so sure i can continue at this pace.
• in other news, i started getting more into crafts.  i bought a bunch of art supplies and i’m working on a few random projects, which i’ll show pictures of soon.
  
   
  
  
• i’m reading this book called imagine, by jonah lehrer.  it’s a self-help/personal growth book that explains how to use science to be more creative.  so far, i think it’s really helped me with problem solving and learning how to increase productivity.  
• my first photography class was today; i’m really excited for the course because there’s only a few students and the teacher seems really knowledgeable.  my first lab is tomorrow and i’m looking forward to shooting some cool stuff this term.
• i’m continuing to work on campus, which has been a challenge because we are severely understaffed for the summer (aka i’m the only one working and half the time my boss doesn’t show up).

in my last post, i mentioned that i want to set more goals for myself now that i’m home.  well, i set a pretty big goal that i’m not really sure i can accomplish, but i sure as hell am going to try.  running is something that i have never enjoyed.  even at the peak of my athleticism when i was doing a lot of gymnastics and tumbling, i never felt that i had the strength to run long distances.  i used to be envious of people that ran because i wished that i had the desire and the motivation to do so.  i decided that i want to be a runner and my long term goal is to be able to run a half marathon.  i’m not sure that i can run that distance or that i will even want to as my training progresses, so i’m starting off with the simple goal of running a 5k on memorial day.  from there, i’ll train for a 10k, and maybe even a half marathon after that.  tomorrow marks my third week of training, but i still have a lot of work to do if i want to run the 5k next month.  before i started training, i hadn’t run a mile since 7th grade, so this is definitely a challenge for me.

“The best day of your life is the one in which you decide your life is your own.  No apologies or excuses.  No one to lean on, or rely on, or blame.  The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it.  This is the day your life really begins.”  - Bob Moawad

I’ve literally been watching Dance Moms since I woke up today.  I’m a sucker for these kinda shows, and I find this one particularly entertaining.  Although I’m definitely enjoying my Dance Moms marathon, in the back of my mind I can’t help but realize how unproductive I’m being.  Ever since I left London, I’ve been feeling uninspired and unmotivated.  I set so many goals for myself while I was in London (bucket list, photo challenges, academic objectives, etc.) and now I don’t have any.  I’m on summer break and I haven’t challenged myself to accomplish anything.

I found some quotes to help inspire me and help me realize the importance of setting goals and having a direction and purpose:

“If you are not making the progress that you would like to make and are capable of making, it is simply because your goals are not clearly defined.” - Paul J. Meyer

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or even seriously consider them as believable or achievable.” - Denis Waitley

“The most important rule is to formulate, clearly and precisely, the goal to be reached, and then to retain it unswervingly in mind throughout all the stages of the execution, which are often long and complex.” - Roberto Assagioli

Now that I realize the importance of having objectives to work towards, I just need to think of a productive use of my time this summer..

well, i originally started this blog as an online journal to kinda document and reflect on my year abroad.  i never intended for anyone else to read it.  i simply created it for myself, so that i could look back on it and remember how i was feeling during the events that shaped my year.

the blog started off slow with infrequent updates, since i didn’t necessarily care to document my unhappiness.  once i got to london, this blog became so much more than i ever expected.  i was updating constantly with pictures, goals, and reflections.  other people started reading it, and some of the entires i posted even became the root of discussion between me and my faculty mom.  

when i was ending my semester in london, i had every intention of continuing my blog throughout my time in college.  i’ve been home for less than two weeks, but i’ve already realized that i’m lacking content to post.  this was a blog about traveling, which is something i won’t be able to do in the near future.

instead of deleting or neglecting this blog, i decided to revert back to my original idea of what this blog would be - a personal journal.  i’ll be posting things that matter to me, mainly quotes that inspire me.  i really like using quotes as a way to motivate myself and overcome obstacles.  like i said before, this blog is for me.  i don’t mind other people reading it, but i’m not trying to please anyone. 

I took the bus to Santa Monica yesterday. On the way back, the bus driver missed our stop by campus and ended up dropping us off at Malibu Seafood (almost three miles from campus). I couldn’t complain too much since the walk on PCH was beautiful.

Today, I went to the annual Chumash Festival in Malibu.  I had never been before, but I really enjoyed it.  There were vendors selling handmade Native American jewelry and performers in traditional Chumash costumes.

Sometimes I take Pepperdine’s beauty for granted.

I took the bus to Santa Monica yesterday, and it’s definitely a different experience than taking the bus in London.  On most LA busses, the passengers are generally from the lower class.  In London, you see people from every class riding public transportion.  In my experience, LA busses are not as clean either, but a lot of them have TVs so that you can watch the news instead of reading the paper.

I also went to Subway and tried to order a chicken tikka sandwich, only to find that they don’t make those in America.  I had a chicken tikka sandwich almost everyday in London, so that’s pretty disappointing..

I went to the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica yesterday, and it made me miss London a LITTLE less.  It’s kinda similar to Covent Garden in that they both have a ton of shopping and dining options, as well as talented street performers.

Naia Kete was performing yesterday, she was a contestant on The Voice (Blake’s team).