"You should keep in contact with your family, you wouldn't want your phone to get cut off again..."

If you all remember that crazy Labor Day weekend when I saw my parents...I would say that it didn't end on that weekend. So that week, I can't remember a thing. The only thing I remember is that Sunday because it was the day of the Ying Yang Twins concert and coincidentally, right after, my father called. He began questioning me about why I hadn't called my mother and proceeded to give me this lecture about the importance of calling the people who had cared for me for 18 years. Well as soft as I am, I felt bad and I didn't know what to say. Honestly, I couldn't even tell him what I had done that week cause I'd forgotten! So I asked to speak to my mom, and we did for a little while, and maybe that Wednesday also. The rest of the week went by normally...until one day, maybe Thursday or Friday, I noticed I couldn't call anyone. I was pissed. I didn't know what happened. I assumed my parents hadn't paid the bill yet. Nope. Maybe Id gone over my 500 texting limit. 200 away, but nope. I had no clue. I called my parents several times, asking if they knew what was up. Of course, with confused voices, they answered "no." Although my mother did comment that this was the most she had heard from me since I left...Well...that weekend was not fun, having to continually ask people for their phones, not knowing what happened. I think it was Tuesday when I tested my phone, and to my delight, it called my friend. I called my mother to let her know my phone was back on of course. To this she replied, "You know, you could keep in contact with your family. You wouldn't want your phone to get cut off again."

(In conclusion, I vowed to call my parents at least twice a week!...no matter how weird it may be to share my feelings...
... In fact, my mother is coming quite soon...)

Dancing my calves off

So this weekend was slightly crazy! Well not crazy, just...FILLED! So Friday, my friend Puja and I came up with this bet. We were talking about the movies that mad us cry and some how, Pride and Prejudice came up. I remembered the last part where Mr. Darcy kisses Kiera Knightley's character and calls her Mrs. Darcy. Puja swore this did not happen and thus a fiery bet was born! So we watched the movie Friday night and Puja fell asleep, missing the ending part! Well, end the end, lets just say she's paying my fee the next time we go to a party!
Saturday was la Fiesta del Pueblo. I went with the Spanish Club, la Tertulia, to the state grounds but I was not able to volunteer so I ended up staying the whole day! But it was sooooo much fun! We saw so many Meredith people, including Mr. Green. There was so much food, and I had...a fajita and my friend Jessica and I had a pupusa, a corn tortilla with chicken and cheese. (...I sure wish they'd put the food prices out in the open..My fajita was $10 and my lemonade was $6!!)It (the pupusa)was weird at first, but then I wanted more! AND WE HAD FUNNEL CAKESSSS! There was also this Youth Fair where they had dance lessons and competitions. We did el merengue, different types of la cumbia, (which I ...need help with!) and salsa! My friend Melissa reviewed and taught me different types of the salsa...We were in the middle of the room, non-stop dancing, but I didn't even care, it was so much fun! And there was a dance contest...Jessica was in it at first, but she left, and it was just me and Melissa at the end and we won!...which was funny to me....but anyway, I met a guy, or a man rather, named Edgar from Colombia and I think he only spoke Spanish. He asked if I was from Colombia because of my bracelet and thus our conversation started! So that was good practice...I was so happy afterwards...I probably looked like such a nerd I was so happy! At the end, they had this band come and play all of these Aventura and bachata songs and so we danced bachata until we left! Jessica brought her guy friends from State...OMG guys! Haha..not to mention the several cute guys we saw at la Fiesta!
Sunday began slowly...until 6 o'clock when I walked outside looking a hot mess not realizing so many guys would be there! Then the Ying Yang Twins/ Liquid Pleasure concert started at 7, and by my title, you should be able to understand that I had fun!
So...those were the important or...fun things from this weekend. Now I have a little bit of homework to catch up on...

...and my calves still hurt!

My third place ....

Well...I'm not exactly sure where my third place is. Heck, now that I think about it, where is my first and second place? I suppose my first place is my room...and my second place is....my friend's rooms that are right across from mine. I could say my third place is home in Charlotte...or maybe it's in Johannesburg, South Africa because I was on cloud nine when I was there...or maybe it's in Puerto Rico because I cannot get that place off of my mind! Or can I say my bed...? I mean what can compare to a mattress pad, three pillows and a few blankets?

Sleeeeeeep:)

To me, the video on sleep was really interesting although I felt like some of the information is learned by our sleep patterns. Anyway, for my age group this video is important because most of us stay up without a second thought, thinking that late night studying will help for the next day. Well...this video confirmed that that technique doesn't help! I stayed up late for AP Studio projects all the time senior year of high school so I got pretty used to it. Of course it got so 'bad' that I would sneak to do my homework...! I'd be working and if I heard any movements, I'd turn off my handy-dandy lamp, then resume work! Sounds nerdy, huh!
When they talked about the effects of sleep deprivation on our health, I thought of my boyfriend because he never likes to sleep or he can't...:/ One of those... But who knew that sleep effected your memory! ...I think I should tell him that little known fact..!
The part about the animals was certainly interesting too....the fruit fly part made me laugh....poor fly...lol!
The part with the students was...weird! The group of girls looked silly...!! I thought the woman from France was crazy...she looked like she was about to fall over...No ma'am you cannot drive me anywhere!
Oh, and that reminds me...I couldn't believe it when they talked about the reasons for accidents in the past that occurred over sleep. Seriously? Your lack of sleep e ends the life of 11 people? FAIL. I just thought that was sad...
click on this link...it should make you smile...It reminds me of our Asheville trip!
http://www.nutritionhighway.com/sleeping-5_pop.html

Back in the Q-City

Back in charlotte!...WARNING…this is long. ..just saying. So enjoy!

So…Im back in Charlotte! I must say, it is nice and I am happy to be home, but getting here was…a trip! My mother booked a last minute train ride to Charlotte for 11:50 Friday morning. Being in a new city and without a car, I was kinda stressing about how I’d get to the nearest Amtrak. Lucky for me, I had my handy-dandy computer and this thing called ‘mapquest.com’ and ‘Amtrak.com.’ The calculated distance was 9 minutes and I had a bus route just in case, so I was prepared to go! So Friday morning comes and I check to see if Campus Security could drop me off since I didn’t know where the station was. Well, that plan failed. Pondering my other options, I went to my friend’s room where I found out that yes, the station is 9 minutes by car, but an hour walking. Okay, I was freaking out at this point. It was around 10 o’clock and my dad was calling too! I’ll save the embarrassing  stuff for later, but somehow, my friend JoAnna found a girl on the 2^nd floor with a car and no class ‘til 12. I won’t give her name, but this girl is a life saver and she knows who she is. Anyway, I rushed as quickly as I could to meet her by the Heilman Residence Hall docking area and soon we were off. While chatting and laughing on the way there, I quickly realized why the route was an hour long by foot; through State’s campus, through downtown… In about 10 minutes, we had arrived at the station, and I couldn’t thank her enough. The station was smaller than I expected; I was thinking about the stations in Washington, D.C. that I used to ride. After printing my ticket, I found a seat next to this very kind family and read another Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel to eat up the hour waiting time I had. After mass confusion about which cart was for Charlotte, a group of people and I found our seats on a nice looking train.

The ride was nice. The scenery was beautiful and the clouds were amazing. Although my trip by no means compared to the circumstances in this movie, I thought of this indescribable movie I saw called ‘Sin Nombre’ about some of the experiences Hispanic immigrants face coming to America.

On the train was a large group of Shaw University students and I think a few NSCU students. Everything was quiet for the first hour or two, but towards the end, the back of the train lit up. Rap music was blasting and several of the guys even danced in the ailse. I found out that most of the Shaw kids were from Charlotte; one from East Meck, close to me, two from West Charlotte, (or Dub C) and one from Olypmic High School. After finding out that we knew many of the same people, they said that I was  ‘certified Beatties Ford’ because I was there every day, all day.  (if you’re from Charlotte, you may know about Beatties Ford Rd) I couldn’t believe it when I heard that Shaw didn’t have their own football field and other things. I told the guy next to me that I attended Meredith College and of course, I was asked why I liked a women’s college.

Anyway, it was almost 4 o’clock when I arrived in Charlotte and I met my mother at the station. Boy was it hot, but as we drove on past Independence Rd with the awesome Compare Foods, McDonalds and other stores, I realized I was happy to be home. I had actually missed Charlotte. The same feelings came when we reached the house, but I decided that I’d secretly have to come home. But my parents couldn't know! I’d play it off like I didn’t miss home, you know? Ha. Anyways, I really enjoyed being home and I can’t wait to get back… We’re up in Asheville on a ‘last vacation’ of sorts; don’t get me wrong, I love the mountains, but we don’t have wifi…!