crystarlet

[crystarlet]

Better late than never?

So far this break I have applied for my first credit card and gotten my driver’s permit. Lord knows I’ve been meaning to do these things for as long as I can remember. I mean I’ve been independent since my junior year of high school really, when I started getting scholarships. But I don’t know why I’ve procrastinated on either of those two things. I guess the consequences either of them could have on my life (and that of other’s) are fairly large, and that sort of pressure scares me a bit. I bet it has to do with the uncertainty of the future, but I’ve lately settled on taking things a bit slowly to try and soak in life and knowledge. 

Anyhow, another first, is my purchase of my very own down sleeping bag. During this break I have committed myself to try and go to every national park in the country. Not sure what exactly brought me to this other than watching the national park series from NatGeo on Hulu (lol I am a loser, I know). But I remember washing the dishes, not really paying attention to the screen, when I heard the narrator wonder how long some of these animals will remain alive as climate change threatens their habitats. I don’t really know how I’ll accomplish it, or how long it will take me, but I think I will be a more whole and complete person if I take in the beauty of nature and store it somewhere in my soul. Perhaps I am romanticizing the dangers of the weather and wildlife, but I truly think my heart will do like the grinch and grow a whole three sizes if I’d be able to sip some tea while overlooking beautiful trees and flowers. Hopefully this sleeping bag will keep me company on this journey, though it’s a tad too big for me, maybe it’s big enough for my dreams. 

[crystarlet]

My break (li)bros

So far this break I have read:

1. Man’s Search for Meaning

2. Lab Girl

3. Treasure Island

4. Anne of Green Gables

I really enjoyed them all, though I think I liked the latter two more for pure childish enjoyment than anything. For some reason, I’ve taken a liking to these old, classic novels. Anyhow, I’m not sure what’s next on the list, but you can be sure I’m going to download some more on my trusty ol’ iPadcito. 

[crystarlet]

EDIT: Before leaving for the summer, I finished Checklist and When Breath Becomes air. Woot woot!

My LiBROS

*read in Beyonce’s Drunk in Love voice* 

I’ve been reading… I’ve been reading…

Here’s what I’ve done so far, and there’s more to come!

1. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

3,4. Star Girl and Love, Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli

5. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

6. The Book Thief by Mark Zusak

7.  The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros 

8*. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

9. The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright

10. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Currently being read:

1. The Looming Tower

2. Brother, I am Dying

3. The Checklist Manifesto

4. The Jungle

I won’t even write down my future book plans because let’s be real, I have to finish these before I talk about any more. I will say though, that this summer I have read far more books than I’ve read in a while and I am so happy. I love books. I love how they feel and how they make me feel. 

UPDATE (8/14): I have now finished both The Looming Tower and the Jungle. Not much progress on two and three though…

I am reading two more books though!

When Breath Becomes Air and The Count of Monte Cristo :o

[crystarlet]

So far so good

The end of the year is coming so quickly, and I must say, the end of the year hasn’t been all that bad. This year as a whole, actually, has been pretty great. Although I was rejected from a lot of programs I applied to in the early part of 2018, I still managed to do research and make some dineros over the summer. That being said, I was also able to invest in a good ole iPad, which has served me many wonders this year. 

This summer also marked one year of being together with none other than my favorite nerd, Anthony. He was far far away from me in New York, but I think we did a great job of keeping in touch. On the brightside though, I did live with my very best friends this summer, Ariel and Juj. We had so much fun and I don’t think I’ll forget all of our silly times. Not to mention, I got to go to Alcatraz this summer, which was actually my very first ~national park~! 

Now that Junior year has begun, I’ve been RAing, and it is amazing. I love my hall so much and they bring me so much joy. I hope these next two quarters work out well for them and for me, but God knows I can only pray and hold my tongue. Life isn’t perfect right?

In the middle of the quarter, I applied to an Oversea Seminar and a Faculty Initiated Program and got into both! The OS is a bit more difficult bc I have to learn to swim yikes but I think I can do it. Either way I’m happy to be a potentially traveling Crystalina. 

During break, I’ve gotten to read three books so far, which has been nice including Man’s Search for Meaning, Lab Girl, and Treasure Island. I’ve been listening to Ann of Green Gables, but I’m starting to think I should get started on some readings for next quarter. We’ll see how this goes, I guess. 

xoxo,

crystalina

[crystarlet]

[crystarlet]

Bookworms

Today I’ve been reading one of Anthony’s books, and though I definitely appreciate the story, I find myself getting a slightly distracted by a dogear or two. It makes me wonder what his brain must’ve been thinking when he came across those pages that rest in my hands.

Suddenly, I feel closer to him already.

[crystarlet]

Ariel and I had a friend date at the exploratorium :)

[crystarlet]

Just keepin’ swimmin’

Ah, short life update: 

Today I went to the pool, and I was able to swim like 5 feet without the kickboard! I was using the good ole hands and I was taking breaths above water. Unfortunately, I didn’t use goggles, so I couldn’t really see where I was going under the water. That being said, I was forced to sort of watch where I was going just as I came up. I think that was a “w” for the crystallina, or at the very least a “p” for progress. 

[crystarlet]

#Alcatraz

[crystarlet]

My LiBROS

*read in Beyonce’s Drunk in Love voice* 

I’ve been reading... I’ve been reading...

Here’s what I’ve done so far, and there’s more to come!

1. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

3,4. Star Girl and Love, Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli

5. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

6. The Book Thief by Mark Zusak

7.  The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros 

8*. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

9. The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright

10. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Currently being read:

1. The Looming Tower

2. Brother, I am Dying

3. The Checklist Manifesto

4. The Jungle

I won’t even write down my future book plans because let’s be real, I have to finish these before I talk about any more. I will say though, that this summer I have read far more books than I’ve read in a while and I am so happy. I love books. I love how they feel and how they make me feel. 

UPDATE (8/14): I have now finished both The Looming Tower and the Jungle. Not much progress on two and three though...

I am reading two more books though!

When Breath Becomes Air and The Count of Monte Cristo :o

[crystarlet]

Byeatis

This is be saying bye to my hiatus. Get it? BYEatis? 

 Anyway, I’m actually nearly done with my summer here for the VPUE summer program, and I’ve spent countless hours in lab and got through an additional SLAC run. I’ve been thinking a lot about my future, particularly this next year since there’s a lot of change coming my way. Looking back, I did not really think I was going through a difficult time adjusting to Stanford as I was going through my first two years. But there are certain things that simply escape your detection because there is so much to take in. When I walk around parking lots here I see more BMWs than I’ve ever seen in my entire life, and sometimes its just daunting. Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than thrilled to be here, and I’ve had some of the happiest days of my life at Stanford... but it’s much easier for me to pick up on the smaller things and look at life with a critical eye.

So far this summer, I’ve gone to Alcatraz, which was interesting because I love to think about the past. I went with Gleb, a sophomore I met the night before. We talked about the generation of children that grew up on the island–their parents would be the guards that lived there–and what that might have been for them. Most of the cells were empty, but a few were decorated with examples of personal belongings which definitely help bring a human aspect to the whole thing. That day was also my very FIRST time on BOAT (or “ferry” whatever you people call it). I’ll include some pictures in a bit.

In addition to that, I went on a hike with some people for the VPUE program which was also very good for 1) making my butt sore from that steep incline 2) bonding with these random people I’ve barely even met. As I walked back down the mountain by myself I felt very at peace, and I looked at the trees all around me. For some odd reason I always feel drawn to them and I feel like they’ll play important roles in my life at all times. Maybe it’s because I grew up climbing my “treehouse” and sitting up there for hours at a time or perhaps it’s because I go to a undergrad institution that flaunts the tree? Anyhow, I swear those trees inspired me to travel and take some time off of Stanford to see the world before I commit to years of grad school. I’m not sure where this will lead me, but I’m grateful that this seed has been planted in my mind. I hope it turns into a nice big maple tree :) (figuratively) (also those are my favorite kinds of trees).

Also, friends and I went to go see two movies at the theater! Juju and I got to see Jurassic World for ~FREE~ but it sucked so I won’t say much more. Then about a week after, we went to go see Mama Mia 2... which also sucked. However, the quality of the film itself has nothing to do with how iconic the film is itself. Catch me singing Dancing Queen for the rest of my life. 

Today, I got to go to Great America for the first time too. It was a Thursday, so the lines were pretty short thank goooooooooodness! We got through most of the rides, and had some very expensive and not too great for you amusement park food. But it’s also great because we’re getting reimbursed for the expenses! *woo* 

Other fun shenanigans for the summer include baking cake, making banana great, playing board games, playing quiplash with friends, and going to the gym. Oh also side note I am learning how to swim #yay. Overall, I think it’s been a pretty active summer, so I am looking forward to going home and going camping with the one and only Anthony “my favorite nerd in the world” Degleris. 

[crystarlet]

Summer Fun(ding)

Ah, what was that now? All the pain and anguish is over now?

You heard right folks! I got a VPUE grant through Civil and Environmental Engineering (say whaaaat) to cover my expenses during the summer. 

Oh and Ariel and Juju are going to be on campus too? I feel a Chipettes adventure already coming along!

I’m pretty excited for a few things, namely getting to know everyone in the lab a bit better, reading papers, presenting at lab meetings, and presenting a poster in the fall! I guess I will also have more time to relax after work and practice self-care before next year. I imagine staffing will be super rewarding, but nevertheless tough and time-consuming, so I am stoked to have some fun in the fun (;

[crystarlet]

Y’all better hold on to your horses for what’s coming next. #lifeupdates

[crystarlet]

Every thought has a trajectory. Every step has an impact

The floor at Y2E2 Coupa

[crystarlet]

hm.. this is some fishy business.. 

[crystarlet]

Guess what I found in my backpack today? A BANANA!

Anthony (nerd)

[crystarlet]

Weak 10

Get it? Bc week 10 has me WEAK. 

The past two weeks have been incredibly busy, and I expect the same to follow for this week. Some updates however are due:

1. No go for MD/PhD summer - although this is sad, Crystallina has since moved on and is looking for more options

2. No go for Zurich summer - turns out Crystal has fallen victim to the Stanford Flake epidemic bc she didn’t even turn in the application!

3. In the midst of all these doors closing, I’ve been selected as ROBLE RA! I am super excited about next year. Not only do I get to live in Roble again, but I am living with 8 people from last year as well! Fam reunion or whaaaat? And of course, you already know I am trying to build up a lil Roble fam <3

4. Major Grant: I submitted my first ever research proposal/grant! Even though I have done some research here, it has not been of my own undertaking right, so it was a great experience to just think about a little project of mine. This might not end up working in my favor and there are a lot of moving pieces in my life at the moment, but at least I got it done!

5. STEM Fellows Program: Your girl was nominated by someone - LORD KNOWS WHO BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH AND GOD BLESS YOU - for this program which would fund me for this summer and during the academic quarters here at Stanford. Did I mention GRE prep and such? Application is due on Friday, so I am working on it tonight. 

6. ~FINALS~ As per usual, I really have to try and perform well on these finals to save these grades, so sleeping isn’t really happening for the first half of the week. Alas, como dice mi papá, hay que ser la más chingona que pueda. That being said, I must leave you all for it is time for the annual MIDNIGHT BREAKFAST on this Monday of week 10.