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		<title>AOL RED Blogs: Project: Freshman</title>
		<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/</link>
		<description>AOL RED Blogs</description>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 8 Dec 2007 10:58:19 PST</pubDate>
		<lastBuildDate>Sat, 8 Dec 2007 10:58:19 PST</lastBuildDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[Another Gorgeous Day]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/another_gorgeous_day/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 8 Dec 2007 10:58:19 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[So, somehow, I ended up falling asleep at like 8pm on a Saturday night here at college.&nbsp; Wierd I know, but amazingly refreshing it was.&nbsp; I was able to wake up at 7:30 am, which i have not done naturally all semester!&nbsp; Now, looking out my window I am so excited for the day.&nbsp; There is a limitless amount of things I could do.&nbsp; I really want to go to the beach and work on my tan, but I also want to go on an exhilerating hike! I could call my mom and go visit her on the North Shore, or I could hop on a bus and check out the other side of the island! &nbsp;Unfortunatley, all of my friends are still sleeping, so I guess I am going to have to wait for them to wake up... :(... in the mean time, I think I will clean my room, it has gotten pretty messy, and at the end of this week I have to move out, so I better get started! ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[mean people]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/mean_people.3/</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:13:41 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[So school is going great, I have been studying hard, doing well in my classes, and sort of figuring out a route i want to take in the next four years.&nbsp; I have been working out every day and doing fun, healthy things with my friends.&nbsp; My room mate and I have been getting along really well, we joke around alot and are understanding eachother better.&nbsp; Things here are great, and I really have no complaints, or anything stressing me that I want to vent about.&nbsp; &nbsp;However, since I am dedicated to my blog, I will express some thoughts that I have. It has become apparent to me, particularly&nbsp;based on comments I have recieved that people are mean.&nbsp; I am aware of the condition of our world, I know that my problems are insignificant specs in the big scheme of things, but this is my outlet to express myself, and if you don&#39;t like what&nbsp;I say, then don&#39;t read it.&nbsp; Saying something cruel and insensitive may be humorous and light for you, but to me it is hurtful.&nbsp; &nbsp;Mean people suck.&nbsp; No one wants to be friends with someone that is negative all the time.&nbsp;&nbsp;I would much rather spend my time with someone that laughs, smiles and reaches their hand out to you, than a mean, irritable&nbsp;snob.&nbsp; The easiest thing in the world is insulting someone.&nbsp; Really think about it, it is so easy to come up with mean things to say about people.&nbsp; But if you turn that negativity upside down, it is&nbsp;just as easy to be nice.&nbsp;&nbsp;When people are mean to others it is because they are jealous and weak.&nbsp;&nbsp;When you call someone&nbsp;out for being mean, they will&nbsp;always so, &quot;Whatever, I dont care&quot; or &quot;well i can&#39;t stand her&quot; or &quot;she&#39;s annoying and stupid.&quot; But really... if that person doesn&#39;t care, why the hell are they&nbsp;talking about her? ? ? &nbsp;Everyone just needs to realize.. we are all&nbsp;in this together.&nbsp; That girl that you think you HATE... could turn out to be the best friend you&#39;ll ever have.&nbsp;&nbsp;Never let appearances determine your feelings, and give people a second chance.&nbsp;&nbsp;One of my best friends upon moving to RI asked me, &quot;were the boys in Hawaii hot?&quot; I could have judged her.. and said .. wow this girl is a boy crazy dumb ass... but i didn&#39;t.&nbsp; I kept listening to her... day after day and week after week. she ended up being one of the smartest and deepest individuals I have ever met.&nbsp; &nbsp;we all sometimes feel like talking about people behind their backs, but now.. when i feel like doing that.. i think about why i feel that way.. Usually it is because I am jealous or in lighter terms.. wish i could be in her shoes.&nbsp; That is okay though. Jealousy is normal, as long as you register it and don&#39;t become negative due to it. &nbsp;So..to all the people that like to live negatively.. be nice..&nbsp;i am what i am and if you don&#39;t like it take your negativity somewhere else, because life is short and you will end up with really bad wrinkles at 30 if you don&#39;t stop frowning all the time!&nbsp;peace .. love.. happiness]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Thanksgiving]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/thanksgiving.10/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 25 Nov 2007 13:05:18 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[So this was my first Thanksgiving away from the east coast in a long time. Back in high school, We would usually go up to my aunts house in Massachusetts and spend the day with all of my cousins, aunts and uncles on my moms side.&nbsp; The day would consist of long, meaningful conversations with my aunts, a few athletic competitions, such as wrestling matches with my cousins, some moments of bonding with my sister, and a huge feast followed by a lengthy nap.&nbsp; Some of my favorite memories are from Thanksgiving&#39;s at&nbsp;my aunts.&nbsp; &nbsp;This year was different.&nbsp; We went to my&nbsp;grandparents on my step dads side where my cousins and aunt and uncle were too.&nbsp; The day consisted of watching football, running around with my cousins and feasting upon a plethora of food. Afterwards we went over to my &quot;auntie&quot; Linda&#39;s house for dessert.&nbsp; &nbsp;I hung out with her sons, who were like my brothers growing up and we had a blast.&nbsp; I realize that Thanksgiving is not about where you are, it is about who you are with.&nbsp; As long as you are with people that you love and that love you, there is no way that you can have a sour time.&nbsp; I am very fortunate to be surrounded by people I love in many places.&nbsp; &nbsp;I miss my dad and step mom in New York, and my sister and her boyfriend are too far too. . . I think that what I am taking from this experience is, that there are some people in this world that are very precious, and you should not live without.&nbsp; By living far away you are not proving anything.&nbsp; You should surround yourself with people that make you feel alive.&nbsp; Unfortunately for me, this would be impossible because my family is split across the country. ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Ending of 1st Semester]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/ending_of_1st_semester/</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:41:59 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[The past months have flown by and it feels so crazy to think that my first semester at college is almost over.&nbsp; I am so excited to go home to Rhode Island and see how all of my friends&#39; first semesters went.&nbsp; I talk to my best friends about once a week, and I know that once we are together again it will feel like old times, but at the same time I am sure we have all changed and grown up a little bit. &nbsp;I know that I have grown up in a few ways, I notice it in myself.&nbsp; I think that I have become a lot more patient with people.&nbsp; I listen and think before I speak.&nbsp; Back in high school I would be very quit to disagree with people, and I pretty much enjoyed confrontation.&nbsp; I always had to have things go my way, and if they didn&#39;t I would be a brat.&nbsp; After coming to college and meeting so many different people, I feel like I have become a more amicable person.&nbsp; I enjoy listening to others opinions, and I do not jump to disagree with them.&nbsp; &nbsp;I also have become more aware of my existence here in Hawaii.&nbsp; I remind myself constantly how lucky I am to be here. Here at college, here in Hawai&#39;i and here in this world.&nbsp; I want to take advantage of what has been put in front of me.&nbsp; I want to be actively involved in my environment. I want to be remembered.&nbsp; &nbsp;I guess that is probably the one thing in me that hasn&#39;t changed.&nbsp; ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Classes]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/classes.10/</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:17:00 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[So this past month I have been putting forth a conscious effort to do better in school, and it has payed off.&nbsp; My grades have picked up, my energy levels have been higher and I have still been enjoying my time with my friends.&nbsp; I have found that it is all about time management.&nbsp; Since high school I have had this weird habit of making &quot;To-Do&quot; lists, and they are coming in so handy here.&nbsp; I schedule my classes, time for meals, time for studying, time for working out, and any other extras I squeeze in where there is time.&nbsp; If there is no extra time, I just practice a little control and say I&#39;ll do it next time.&nbsp; &nbsp;Clubs and parties will be going on all the time, but you don&#39;t get too many shots at college.&nbsp; I only have a few weeks until the semester is done, and I intend on scoring well on all of my midterms.&nbsp; Studying and focusing on school has been great for me this month, and I intend on continuing this way!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Loving Hawai'i]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/loving_hawaii/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 10 Nov 2007 23:48:08 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[So today I woke up bright and early at 7:30 am to meet up with some class mates to work on a project for my Hawaiian Studies class.&nbsp; We are required to do a learning service project where we volunteer our time and do a Hawaiian cultural activity.&nbsp; Some examples would be working in a fish pond, or cleaning invasive plants out of a forest. Today, we went over to Kahana Valley on the opposite side of the island and worked in a Lo&#39;i.&nbsp; A Lo&#39;i is a place where the plant Taro is grown.&nbsp; Taro was a staple crop to ancient Hawaiians.&nbsp; We had to go into the mud pit where the plant is grown and pull them out.&nbsp; The work was rigorous and DIRRTTYYYY!!!! But at the same time it was a total blast and I am so glad that I did it!&nbsp; We were in the middle of a valley between two beautiful mountain peaks and I truly felt at one with nature.&nbsp; It was really neat to see the sorts of things that the Hawaiians did in their every day lives before foreigners came in and robbed them of their culture, land, and ways. It was a beautiful experience and I know that i could only get it at The University of Hawai&#39;i. ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[missing home]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/missing_home/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 4 Nov 2007 21:29:49 PST</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[So this weekend was kind of rough for me. Friday was my best friend Rachel&#39;s 18th birthday and then today is my best friend Torie&#39;s 19th&nbsp;birthday.&nbsp; I wish I could be in Rhode Island with both of them to celebrate but I am here.&nbsp; I love Hawaii and I am content with my life here sometimes it bums me out when I think of my friends back home.&nbsp; &nbsp;It is weird, sometimes I just don&#39;t feel like doing anything.&nbsp; I think a lot&nbsp;of people get the same way.&nbsp; You miss home and your known life so much that you almost become numb to everything around you and you just want to curl up in a shell and hide from the unfamiliar.&nbsp; I am so thankful that I have my mom around to console me when I am down.&nbsp;&nbsp;I find that I am desperate for people who truly know me. &nbsp;I have found that I am becoming the mother figure with all of my friends.&nbsp; If we are out and one friend is having a bad night and wants to go home, I am the one that has to leave with them.&nbsp; Or if my friend is off campus and needs help, I am the one that gets called.&nbsp; It is frustrating always being on call, I wish responsibility was distributed a little more evenly amongst my friends here. &nbsp;I hate to be so brief and miserable sounding, but it is a Sunday and I am allowed to wallow in self pity on Sundays! I miss my friends, bed, dad, sister and high school. . . I want a car, money and A&#39;s in all of my classes.&nbsp; These things are all completely feasible if I put forth the effort to make them happen.&nbsp; I do not have a doubt in my mind that I can make all my desires realities. ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Living Alone]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/living_alone/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:17:43 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[When I first decided to come to UH, I was planning on becoming a dentist.&nbsp; I wanted to start off doing work with a group like Doctors Without Borders, gaining experience and helping those that need aid the most.&nbsp; However, I got here and it hit me like.. Wow, if I go through with this, it will be 8 years of intense school, and I will be stuck in that field for ever.&nbsp; So, I started thinking about other fields.&nbsp; With a business degree, you have the ability to make as much money, if not more than a doctor, you can help people in need&nbsp;(if you choose to), and you have a lot more flexibility with the kind of job you get. For these reasons, I am strongly considering going into the Business College here. &nbsp;I am not completely sure what I want to do with my future, however I know that I want to have plenty of options.&nbsp; I used to think that I wanted to live in Hawaii after graduation, because this is my favorite place in the world, however I am finding that I miss all the people that have been involved in my life in the past.&nbsp; I wish there was a way that I could get all the people that have impacted my life together, to live around me for my whole life.&nbsp; Selfish that may sound, but I think everyone wants that.&nbsp; &nbsp;Being here has taught me that being a strong, independent person doesn&#39;t mean you are able to live far away and take care of yourself. It means that in any situation you are set in, whether in your high school cafeteria with your best friends, or in a packed college lecture hall where you know no one, you know who you are and you are capable of standing up&nbsp;for yourself.&nbsp; An independent person will fight for what they believe regardless of the consequences and may appear to be alone in their ideologies, however, at the end of the day we all have a mom, and no matter how hard our exterior may seem we all&nbsp;want to go home. &nbsp;When I came to college I thought it&nbsp;was shameful to go home on weekends or to call my parents everyday. Now that I am alone, I long to go home, lay on the couch with my mom and have her rub my head and play with my hair.&nbsp; &nbsp;The advice I would give to a senior in high school right now, would be... enjoy every second with you parents, siblings and friends, because after this it will never be the same. &nbsp;Someone told me a quote the other day, &quot;You will never be as young as you are today.&quot;&nbsp; Every day you are growing and changing, and things will never go back to the way they were, so cherish every second that you live through, because you will never get it back.&nbsp; ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[College Life]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/college_life.3/</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 17 Oct 2007 02:57:57 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[So it has been a while now, and I am settling in to college life.&nbsp; I have developed a pretty good balance between the amount of time I spend sleeping, studying, going to class and socializing.&nbsp; The self control that I lacked during my first month of school has returned, and I now only go out when I know that I have no responsibilities early the next day.&nbsp; I stay active and go hiking, or to the beach on a regular basis. It feels good to be productive and healthy, rather than tired and sick all the time! &nbsp;I have realized that the entire feud with my roommate was completely unnecessary.&nbsp; Had I been a bit more mature, and just spoken about the few things that were bugging me, we could have avoided a lot of awkwardness.&nbsp;Sure we may not be meant for each other, but she isn&#39;t an axe murderer or a kleptomaniac, so really, what am I complaining for? Although it would be nice to be able to lay around in my underwear, eat piles of&nbsp;food&nbsp;and not feel guilty.&nbsp; Actually, what am I saying? I do that anyway!&nbsp;My roommates friend was actually upset with what I had written about them in my previous blog.&nbsp; She actually confronted me, in a somewhat intimidating manner in what I perceived an attempt to get me to coward down. I took this as a challenge and for a few days threw daggers with my eyes every time I saw her.&nbsp; Slowly though, I realized, we all live together, we are all basically in the same boat, why not get along?&nbsp; Since then, we have played games together, had mature conversations, and I am actually starting to like her.&nbsp; It is funny, when you let your guard down people are so much more pleasant. She still bursts into our room every morning at like 7am speaking at the loudest possible volume, but once again, there are worse things that could be occurring in my life! &nbsp;I am making more friends every day, doing well in my classes (finally), and enjoying the environment I am in.&nbsp; I have found a great balance, and every now and then I do something crazy to spice it up! Things are going well and I can only hope that they continue this way! ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Friends]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/friends.10/</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 5 Oct 2007 01:37:59 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[So I have been here at UH for a while, and I am starting to develop a few friendships that I consider the real deal.&nbsp; It is such an amazing feeling, because I spent the first month feeling like there was&nbsp;no one&nbsp;here that I could trust like my friends back home.&nbsp; In a desperate attempt to feel comfortable, I searched for people that reminded me of my best friends back in Rhode Island.&nbsp; I was completely let down however.&nbsp; Every human in this world is unique, and it is impossible to fill the void from one person with another. &nbsp;My best friend John is one of a kind.&nbsp; When we are together we laugh for hours, cry for minutes and constantly challenge each other to rise to new levels.&nbsp; I miss him so much.&nbsp; He was a huge part of my everyday life back home, and I sometimes feel empty without him. Fortunately, through technology, it is easy for us to keep in touch. But, I still long for his company. &nbsp;My sister, Britt, who is one of my best friends as well, has been calling and trying to keep in touch with me as much as she can.&nbsp; I feel horrible. She is a senior in college, her future at her feet, decisions to make and a serious relationship to consider, yet she spends so much time calling me and writing to me.&nbsp; Unfortunately, I am always sleeping, or in class, or too busy to talk to her.&nbsp; My sister is amazing.&nbsp; She is the girl that you see out in public and whether you are a shy, timid girl, or an obnoxious&nbsp;skater guy you think, &quot;Wow, I want to be that girls best friend.&quot;&nbsp; Her positive energy lights up the darkest corners of any room and her considerate heart is capable of anything she sets her mind to.&nbsp; I wish she could be here with me everyday.&nbsp; I owe her a phone call.&nbsp; &nbsp;My other best friends Rachel, Alex, Julie, Torie, Ashley, Jane, and so many others flash through my mind every second of the day.&nbsp; I think of them and long to be around people like them.&nbsp; Sometimes I wish that my senior year never ended.&nbsp; Those truly were &quot;the days.&quot; But like Nelly Furtado says, &quot;All good things come to an end.&quot; Or like that band from the 90&#39;s, &quot;Every beginning comes from some other beginnings end.&quot; Wow, I could quote songs all night long! &nbsp;I started writing this on a positive note, thinking about my new best friends here that make me feel at home, but ultimately it just reminded me of the pieces of me I left in Rhode Island.&nbsp; &nbsp;I know I will never find people to replace or even substitute my old friends, however, when you give people a chance they can turn out to be a huge part of your life that you never knew you needed.&nbsp; Becky makes me laugh until it hurts, Megan and Kirsten stand by me when I am down, and Carlo looks out for me like only a big brother could.&nbsp; My UH family is beginning to develop and I couldn&#39;t be happier with its progress.&nbsp; However, John, Britt and the rest of the RI crew will always linger in my heart. ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Crazy Weekend]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/crazy_weekend.3/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:19:38 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[So this weekend was probably the craziest I have encountered since landing on the island.&nbsp; Friday night our school hosted a big concert with a couple local bands. We went to a party in one of the apartment buildings on campus with some older friends I know from elementary school.&nbsp; Around 11 pm we headed over to Campus Center to watch the show.&nbsp; It was a blast! Everyone was singing along and dancing.&nbsp; It was such a relaxed and chill environment I almost forgot that I was at school.&nbsp; The show ended around 2 am and we headed back to the dorms. &nbsp;The next morning I slept in late, woke up and realized I had lost my student ID the night before. Losing your student ID is one of the worst things you can do at college. That tiny plastic card allows me access to everything on campus, including the building I live in and the cafeteria.&nbsp; I brushed it off, deciding I could get a new one on Monday. &nbsp;So, I went about my day as normal, however this was not a normal day.... the legendary band, Aerosmith was playing on the baseball field outside my dorm.&nbsp; I guess Toyota paid the school to use all of our facilities so they could have a car show and concert for the big wigs of their company.&nbsp; It was amazing! We went up on the roof of our tower and watched the concert for free! &nbsp;After the concert, which ended around 10, a few friends and I decided to go out to a club.&nbsp; We first went to O Lounge, then left and went to Lulu&#39;s for a while.&nbsp; It was a total blast, however this morning I realized I lost my room key! I am a walking disaster! So now, I have no student ID as well as no key to my room/building/elevator! It is awful! Tomorrow I am going to be running around campus trying to retrieve all the things I lost this weekend! &nbsp;Overall it was a fun time, but many lessons have been learned! For example: be more responsible with&nbsp;valuable belongings!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[a long week]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/a_long_week.2/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 23 Sep 2007 21:17:37 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[So this week has probably been one of the most hectic weeks of my life.&nbsp; Its midterm season here at UH and I have been studying more than I&#39;ve ever had to in my life.&nbsp; Since I am an undecided major I signed up for all general education requirements, thinking it would be good to get a feel for everything. The classes I am taking though are painful.&nbsp; Philosophy is another language to me. Political Science, which I thought was something I was interested in, is not at all what I expected. The teacher dancesin circles but never actually gets anywhere. I have 1 page of notes from that class in a month of attendance. My other classes aren&#39;t horrible, just, things I&#39;m not interested in.&nbsp; &nbsp;So, classes have been&nbsp;weighing me down, and on top of that I have been doing the project freshman filming.&nbsp; At the same time, there has been some stressed involved in the social aspect of my life. As friendships are still in the developing stages, it&#39;s hard to truly trust anyone.&nbsp;I have been trying to bea positive person that people want to hang out with, however&nbsp;I am having a hard time remembering to have a back bone and not let people walk all over me.&nbsp; It&#39;s an awkward time, and I just hope that the friends I have made so far are the friends I will be with all year, because I have a great time with them. &nbsp;My roommate and I live in complete awkwardness. We rarely talk, and if we do it is to tell the other person to get out of the mirror, or me asking permission to go to the fridge(which is cramped in her corner of the room). Her friends are the group of girls that you look forward to graduating from h.s. so that you never have to see them again. I really thought that in college everyone would be chill, and the cattyness that rules high school would diminish. Maybe we are beyond that, and my roommate is that one exception that is still cliquey and mean like the little girls I thought I was through with.&nbsp; &nbsp;I don&#39;t mean to sound miserable. Life is amazing. I wake up to the smell of gardenia&#39;s in the cool mountain breeze every morning.&nbsp; I walk out of my dorm and the heat of the sun strikes my body filling me with warmth and energy.&nbsp; There are kids in the courtyard playing hacky sack, someone hopping on their bike with their surfboard hanging over the edge, and best friends laughing together everywhere.&nbsp; I have air in my lungs and shoes on my feet. I have no real worries right now, but on lonely Sundays it is easy to feel like your world is crumbling apart and you have to&nbsp;desperately work to rebuild it.&nbsp; ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA["Everyday is the beginning of the rest of your life."]]></title>
			<link>http://red.blogs.aol.com/sarahhawaii11/project_freshman/everyday_is_the_beginning_of_the_rest_of_your_life/</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 18 Sep 2007 03:09:11 PDT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[So it&#39;s only been a few weeks, and I have already experienced more emotions at college than I have in 18 years.&nbsp; I flew out here alone from the town I&#39;d lived in since I was 12, Westerly, Rhode Island. I stayed for a week with my Grandparents in Mililani, Hawaii, where I lived from 2nd to 6th grade. On move in day they dropped me off and I was officially on my own.&nbsp; In the first hour of my new independent life, I blasted my music, walked around in my underwear and ate more candy than an eight year old on the day after Halloween.&nbsp; My roommate was staying off campus with her mother so I had the room to myself. &nbsp;I decided to start decorating my room in the few spare hours between drop off and dinner.&nbsp;I began pulling picture frames and cards out of a box, worn from the 6000 mile journey it had made.&nbsp; The images of my friends, who are&nbsp;still all together, made me queezy.&nbsp; We looked so happy together at concerts, parties, football games and high school dances.&nbsp; I came to Hawaii to prove my independence and to quench my thirst for adventure, but was it the right decision? Could I handle being this far from home? Was I feeling homesick already? It had been only an hour!&nbsp;I brushed the emotions off as just nerves and discomfort due to major change... I convinced myself that I would be fine.&nbsp; &nbsp;My room was looking good, and my moral was rising, then I stumbled upon the letter my dad gave me when I left.&nbsp; The note was a typical graduation card, with some cheesy Hallmark saying, and the Isreal Kamakawiwo&#39;ole version of &quot;Wonderful World&quot; playing in the background.&nbsp; However the note my dad wrote inside meant the world to me.&nbsp; First though, you must understand a bit about my dad.&nbsp; My father spent my senior year commuting from our home in Rhode Island to his job in NY, 3 hours away. He never missed a volleyball game and&nbsp;he always called to make sure I was behaving.&nbsp; During my college search, he hoped I would look at schools in New York. When I brushed those off, he became a fan of any school on the East Coast that I was accepted to, including James Madison University, University of Connecticut and the University of Rhode Island.&nbsp; When I chose the University of Hawaii, I know it wasn&#39;t his happiest moment, but like any great father would, my dad supported my decision.&nbsp; So, back to the card. Inside, in his sloppy, barely legible writing he said, &quot;Sarah, Everyday is the beginning of the rest of your life. I hope they are all wonderful. It is entirely up to you to make it so. Love, Daddy.&quot; To me, this note shows that he has faith in me to accomplish my goals.&nbsp; He is passing me the torch that lights the path of my life. The torch that he has forged through unbroken barriers and kept lit all the way for 18 years.&nbsp; All I have ever wanted to do in life is make my father proud of me, and although my decision to come to Hawaii may not have made him dance with joy, I know that i can flourish here and become someone he is proud of. Even today, weeks after I received and reopened that card, it makes me tear up.&nbsp; &nbsp;Back to my first day.. I set the card along my wall of memories, washed the tears from my face, put on a cute outfit, and I went down for my first college dinner.&nbsp; With a bright smile and an open mind, i quickly found a group of kids to sit with.&nbsp; Thoughts of my friends and family back home soared through my mind as I ate the crunchy meatloaf and mushy lasagna. I listened with half an ear to the discussion at hand, but instead focused on all the phone calls home I would make after the meal was complete.&nbsp; It took a few days to realize, but calling home, and staring at my wall of pictures was not going to change the situation at hand.&nbsp; I had to put the memories from home in the back seat for a while, to allow space for the &quot;now&quot; in the front seat of my mind. For the next few days I pretended to be confident and comfortable in my new environment. Shockingly, people were attracted to that, and I made a ton of friends.&nbsp; The once false projection of confidence became real, and I truly became comfortable in my new world. &nbsp;All in the first day, and almost every day since, I have felt thrilled, afraid, lonely, happy, and anxious for what is to come.&nbsp; I have learned in this brief time that all these emotions, even the most painful are essential to my growth as a person.&nbsp; The ability to cope with change is a skill that all successful people have.&nbsp; I am pleased to say that I have acquired that skill in my few weeks here at the University of Hawaii. &nbsp;I&#39;ve got at least four years here.... imagine all the other skills I can pick up!? Maybe even a degree or two! lol .. I for-see ups and downs in my future, but overall I am sure it will be bright. Like my dad said, &quot;Everyday is the beginning of the rest of your life.&quot; It is what you make it, and I intend on making it the best it can possibly be.]]></description>
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