First day away from home.

Last night in AZ....

Well this is it... I spent the last 72 hours enjoying my time here at home. I have seen just about everyone that I could, old teachers, spent time with siblings, sat with parents, laughed and reflected with friends, and come 9am tomorrow, I start a new chapter. As I look back at my novel of life thus far, I reflect with a smile. The adventures I have had, the mistakes I have learned from, and the memories I have made.

Its hard to say i'm ready, but I am. There are new adventures to begin, more nooks and cranny's to explore, and my academic career to continue. I leave Arizona knowing it as my home, to always be as such. I question if I will actually ever live here again, but I will have to see where the wind blows. I am glad to see friends in Rhode Island, and find comfort in my friends and family back home. I will work hard, I will mess up, I will do something stupid, I will do something great (hopefully). To my friends in New England, hello; to my friends of Arizona, I'll see you soon. :)

My flight leaves tomorrow at 9am, and its 1am now. I'm packed, pressed, liquids in ziplock bags, outfit layed out ready. I will be waking up early to spend as much time as I can with dad, Jeanna and the boys before I depart.

JWU Ripta Trolley

So I have been asked by alot of people how I plan to get around the city in RI. Well freshman can't bring cars, and parking for upperclassmen is even limited. But I have been told its not necessary to take my own transportation, as RI has one of the best bus and trolly services out there, the RIPTA service. I ride all buses for free, so I am not too worried. To ease the concern some people may have, this video will show you the advantages of public transportation! :D

Budget

So I am doing this crazy thing where I watch how much money I spend. Its pretty easy to do when you spend 0.0001$ a week, but soon I am gunna have to start spending it. I need clothes for winter, I need to furninsh my dorm room, pay for school, phone bills, I might want to have a social life... I mean, I went into sticker shock for college and cut my spending to NOTHING. And honestly, it sucks. But by creating a budget I can see what I have to make and it catalogs my spending and saving. I thought it would be easier than this, as I have created atleast 5 diffrent excel spreadsheets. I still havent found the one I want, but i'll get there, I see a date with coffee and my laptop tonight.

I kick myself for not saving sooner, but I guess this is the price I pay. Right now I am just doing everything I can to try and set up a job in Rhode Island, preferably in a fine dining restaurant serving. I'll do what it takes to pay for college, but I also want to enjoy my time there. I'm hopeful that I can get something ASAP, because this is kinda stressful! Like a lot!

Nostalgia

So I am flipping through my old, 8th grade yearbook and looking up old friends, people that I had class with, and the people I did not like (some of them got fat so I was happy >:] ) And seeing how everyone has grown up is interesting. The people you said you would always be with, you naturally grow apart. And the people you wouldn't have expected you become so close with. Its interesting to me to look back and see how trivial everything was, and the little dramas which ruled our worlds were self-inflicted apathy. I look and smile, the micro worlds of grade school and secondary education were the norm. I am interested to walk into another micro universe of college, but lets see what happens. Jr High got rid of lines and one class, high school got rid of allot of rules and presented individuality and strong friendships, now college... hrmm. :)

Work

So I just got off work from Native, ew. Having two restaurant jobs sucks, but its what it takes to goto Johnson and Wales. I bus and host at Native New Yorker, and Host/bus/cook/all-in-one at The Gilbert house. Its going to be hard to leave The G house in a few weeks, those people have become family to me and really mean something to me. Its that kind of place where it really doesn't seem like work, and I just want to do anything in my power to help out there, on and off the clock. Since I have started working there I have learned so much from Susan, the owner. From business ethics to tricks to cooking skills she goes beyond what she must and actually wants me to learn. The girls I work with are fantastic, and the like, 3 guys are too. Its tight knit and I think that is what makes that place go so well.

Orientation

So I just got back yesterday from Connecticut, where I stayed with Amanda and her family. We went out to a local seafood restaurant, and it was fantastic. The morning after we headed out to Rhode Island, about an hour and a half drive. It was beautiful, really.

Our reason for going to Rhode Island was for orientation; the whole overnight, learn the rules and such kinda get together. It was a lot of fun, meeting up with friends and making new ones, exploring the city a bit, and getting ready for the fall. I got fitted for my uniform, learned the school, and really fell ready to move in. The weather was superb, a little humid and warm, just comfortably so. All in all it was a good trip, flew for the first time on my own, but I made it. :D

High School

Well that was fun! Four years that I thought would never end, ended!!


 I was the president of my chapters FFA, had struggles with that but at the same time had some great achievements. I made some great friends, did some phenomenal things, and over all, had a successful experience.

Final GPA was around 3.3, so thats good enough for me!

For many months I studied classical french food for a cooking competition I did called C-Cap. This was a rigorous and precise competition, with about 130 students from Arizona competing in the preliminary round. For this round, I made a classic french omelet , anyone who knows french food should know how precise these must be, as well as a cucumber, tomato, and bell pepper salad.

I advanced to the final round, where it was narrowed down to 30 of us. The competition was on, as I was surrounded by profession chefs who were judging and my competition was good. I made Sûpreme Poulet Chasseur avec Pommes Château or Hunter’s Chicken with Turned, Sautéed Potatoes, a chicken dish that had a complex sauce with fantastic depth. I also made Crêpes Sucrées, dessert crêpes with a cream filling and chocolate sauce. It was tough, but in the end I placed 4th, receiving a full tuition scholarship for the associates to attend The Art Institute of Atlanta. I was thrilled, but ultimately I declined this scholarship, as the school I planed to attend, Johnson and Wales, would match the scholarship somewhat. I learned so much, and am so grateful for the experience.

I stayed active throughout high school, sometimes too active and often over booked myself. So, looking forward to college, I would like to continue to be active, but maybe learn how to balance it a little better and actually understand my limits.