My Alternative Spring Break Journey: Getting Around

Sunday provided us with the free time to explore the area around house. And of course, we couldn't help but take advantage of that fact, especially with the sunny and warm weather.

On our free day, we traveled to Kill Devil Hills, NC, where we visited sand dunes and Jennette's Pier. Both locations served as prime locations for scenic tours and picture taking.

The view from the top of the sand dunes.

Walking barefoot up toward the mountainous sand dune and hiking up the dune allowed me to entangle my feet in the sand and explore nature's wonder.

I made it to the top!

Of course, climbing up the sand dune was difficult, but the view from the top was breathtaking. The crisp, Spring air and soft, warm sand brought me a bit closer to the feeling of Summer.

Exploring the land of sand dunes

Afterwards, our journey led us to Jennette's Pier, where we saw the ocean traveling beneath our feet at the end of the pier. Jennette's Pier is a hot spot for fishers who are seeking to catch a variety of fish. The pier is lined with bench chairs facing toward the sea and with engraved stone pathways leading to the center.

Jennette's Pier

Today's journey gave me just what I needed to clear my mind and get motivated for tomorrow's busy work day. My encounter with the ocean provided me with a calm peace of mind and allowed me to begin my journey to seek new knowledge about nature's wonders. I much appreciated the ocean and the sunlight on the pier.

The view from Jennette's Pier

Of course, tomorrow will be the beginning of a busy week that will push me to step outside my comfort zone.

All photos are my own. 

Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015

Wishing everyone a healthy, safe, and charitable New Year! What are your plans and resolutions for 2015?

Photo credit: http://123greetingsquotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Happy-new-year-greetings-2015-wishes-images-wallpapers-pics-pictures-messages.png

JUMPSTARTing My Way to College

One of my most memorable moments of freshman year at Ithaca College was being a participant of the Jumpstart program that is offered through the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs.

The program, offered for incoming freshmen, allows for students to arrive a week early to campus, settle into their housing assignments, and participate in one of four activity tracks over the course of three days. These tracks, which are designed to help freshmen transition to life at college, provide participants with various activities and exercises revolving around their selected theme. The tracks are Lead-In, ECHO, The GREEN Tour, and Community Plunge.

I decided to join the Community Plunge program because it combines my love for helping others, meeting new people, and exploring a new community.

The girls of my Community Plunge group

One of the many activities through Community Plunge included helping with the local State Theater renovations. Here, my group and I organized the box office, re-painted the stage area, and cleaned up the basement. We then proceeded outside and weeded the alleyways and even managed to work together to paint a large fire escape. That was hard work! 

Here I am sweeping the basement of the State Theater

While standing outside under the blazing hot sun and then bending over to pull out the weeds, I learned that even the smallest and most mundane tasks are a big help to the community. Not only that, but I came to realize that uneventful tasks, such as cleaning and sweeping, can be a whole lot of fun with a group of friends. Tasks undertaken at the State Theater allowed me to appreciate the need to clean, reorganize, and paint because those actions become the stepping stone to a productive and hard-working day.

Another location my group served is the Finger Lakes ReUse Center. The ReUse Center takes used, donated items and refurbishes them to resell to the community. It acts as a thrift store for many pieces of unwanted furniture, hardware, and appliances for many residents of the community. Here, our duty as a team was to sort the store's heaping pile of donated items and then organize them by category so we can help the employees price the items for sale. 

My group working hard at painting the fire escape

Although the tasks of the ReUse Center required us to be tedious, organized, and patient, I learned the true meaning of team work. Since we had to work together to sort items and price them, we got to learn about each others' preferences, interests, and background. Needless to say, it was here that I truly felt we connected and started to adapt to the Ithaca community. We discussed our previous experiences, high school memories, and the excitement of starting our journey as class of 2017 at IC. 

During our time in-between activities and group lunches with the other Community Plunge teams, we got to meet other people and connect with them as well. I would often talk to those around me when many of the teams waited together for the bus that would transport us back to campus. As a result, I was surprised to learn that the Community Plunge program sent so many students to a plethora of locations around town, including local elementary schools and public sites like the library. 

I am happy to have participated in the Jumpstart program because it has allowed me to connect with a diverse group of people and has given me the ability to explore the Ithaca community. Today, I still keep in close contact with those whom I have met through Jumpstart, whether they were a part of my team or not. Community Plunge has helped me meet the people I call my best friends, all of them who were on a different team than I. 

My Community Plunge group after a day's work at the State Theater 

Photo credits: All of the photos are my own and the quote is through http://messages.365greetings.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/teamwork-quotes-image.jpg

Thanks, Summer!

As July ends and August arrives, keep this in mind as "Back-to-School" season approaches! 

We should always be grateful for the fact that we have the opportunity to go to school and receive an education. Getting an education is exciting because it allows us to expand our knowledge, grow as an individual, and learn new things. 

Not only that, but no matter how your Summer went, we should be grateful for the memories we have made with family, friends, and with the community. Every Summer has a story, and we should be thankful for each one of them.

Happy August! 

Photo credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrEYWjU78mwd2wakAyJ8oiQKommW-kj0FxP3krFG0dVAlH8BRntaG3yWa0FUpi5TX_CDwTP7IhQq18PF5brwMtLJygWeaukl_WsWvePapJ2JmrDE2SiVbsGI1BcptwtRTUz1A-_twfQwo/h240/10367158_766905273381181_1982363053446511905_n.jpg 

Moving Out

What a busy past few weeks! As I finish up my last semester of freshman year at college, I first wanted to give a shout out to all of the wonderful people I have met throughout the year. From orientation to the end of freshman year, I have been blessed to meet amazing friends who I know I can always count on. I thank IC for giving me some awesome opportunities over the past two semesters, and for helping me find a passion and happiness in giving back to the community! 

As college students prepare to move-out of dorms and return home for the summer, I have decided to compile a list of ways to help out fellow peers and families pack up for the trip home. 

• Visit your friends and offer a helping hand - It is always best to ask if they need help packing, even if they turn you down. By offering your time and lending a hand, it will make the move-out process go way faster.
• Load items into their car - No matter what, everything in the dorm needs to go, so why not help pack up a car? This will allow friends to pack more efficiently and effectively.
• Provide refreshments and snacks - Packing always makes you hungry and tired! Bring your peers a snack or offer some refreshments. 
• Be conversational - With so many families coming in and out of the dorm, the room can become crowded and awkward. To suppress some of the awkwardness, provide conversation with your friends' families -- chances are, you've met them a couple of times, so it won't be too awkward.
• Give thanks to faculty - As we prepare to say goodbye to friends for the summer, be sure to also give thanks to those who have been your leaders and mentors throughout the year. Whether it is a custodian, residential assistant, or professor, everyone has taken care of you in some way. Be sure to thank them before officially moving out.

Moving out is always bittersweet, especially when you've grown accustomed to calling your dorm "home." Best of luck to the graduating class of 2014 and I hope everyone has a safe and happy summer! 

Photo credit: followpics.co

We Thank This Day

I was scrolling through facebook today and came across this post from a page by Positive Truths. We all get annoyed by the chores we do and the daily tasks we have to complete, but in reality, we should be thankful for these tasks. The daily nuances are what make up life. If not for these, what is life?