An interesting weekend

I had an interesting week/weekend to say the very least. Second week of classes meant doing real work and getting back on the grind of classes, homework and a little less playtime. Classes have been going really well so far this semester! I'm taking 4 classes that are spread out nicely over the week. I don't have any classes on Mondays or Fridays and I never have class before 2pm. Ah the beauty of being a second semester senior ;) The classes I'm taking this semester are super interesting and really fun. I'm having a good time learning about some new stuff and realizing that the new path of the media industry isn't all that bad. Here are my classes for this semester:

• Multimedia Design - a class dedicated to learning more about programs like Photoshop and Flash
• Evolution of Jazz - a seriously badass class about the origins and history of jazz music
• Ethics in Journalism - a stimulating class based on ethics, morals and all things opinion-based
• Social media - learning more about using social media as it pertains to both the marketing world and the mass communications world

However, it's not been all fun and games when I'm out of class. Those who know me, know that I can't just have a bunch of free time to sit around and do nothing....duh. So I am proud to announce that I am officially interning with MTV Latin America this semester! I had my interview on Friday and I start working on Wednesday, hooray! I'm very, very excited to be working with MTV again. Last summer being in NYC and working with MTV Networks in the international department was one of the best experiences of my life. (Quick big shout out to my bear for helping me get to my interview Friday morning...stupid car broke down Thursday night... but I will save that story/rant for a different post.)

On a completely random note, here is a really cool website that my friend Hillary sent me about a month ago: CLICK ME!
It's a photo story project done by TIME using a bunch of photographs taken at an FSU chemistry lab. Although I am a die hard UM fan and I'm supposed to hate all things FSU, these photos of crystallized alcoholic drinks are just absolutely beautiful and I'm going to Kinko's as soon as I get my car fixed to print out copies and put them up in my apartment. Enjoy!!

xx Bear

Aaaaannnnddd I'm back

So after a semester break from blogging (for which I apologize but my entire life last semester was schoolschoolschool) I am back and better than ever. As per my tradition, I spent winter break having crazy adventures all over the world. So that will be the focus of my blog post today.

For the holidays my family and I made the trek out to INDIA!! However, this trip was unlike any of my previous trips to the motherland because I put my foot down and told my parents that I must see more of the country that I supposedly come from. You see, I've been going to India every one or two years since I was about 3 years old. That's a good 18 years. In those 18 years I have stayed primarily in Mumbai and New Delhi and even my visits to these two major cities have been clouded and smothered with visiting family and friends. Don't get me wrong, I love my family and friends, but India is a country with so much to see and experience beyond the big cities. Granted, my parents did take me and my little brother to see the Taj Mahal when we were younger, but still. I have always craved the real India and have had this burning desire to travel more and see more and see the rich culture and tradition that exists in my homeland. So this trip, I told my parents "I'm going...whether you fund it or not, whether you come or not, I. AM. GOING." At the end of the day my parents were uncomfortable with me galavanting off on my own so my mom planned a tour of Rajasthan and came with me, and we had the best time. Ever.

Timeline of my trip

So instead of typing up a bunch of information about the three cities in Rajasthan I visited, I figured I'd just include some links here that I found because, well frankly, these people do a much better job of describing the places than I ever could. And I'm quite lazy. My version of my trips is to come in a later post. But right now I'm just anxious to share pictures with you all.

For more information on Udaipur, click here.
For more information on Jodhpur, click here.
For more information on Jaipur, click here.

AND NOW THE PICTURES!!

Marble carvings at a palace

Traditional turban of Udaipur

Beautiful mirrored ceiling

Stone carvings on a temple

Fountains powered by gravity

Making bangles in Jodhpur

Secret passage under Amber Fort

Traditional Rajasthani dancers

Snake charmers

I mean, I have plenty more photos and stories, but I think that's all for now. More coming soon.

xx Nikki

I'm an...adult....?

Finallyin my new apartment! Thank god! Moved in last Wednesday and have beenscrambling to get myself nested and settled while managing a very heavycourse load and a very packed social life. Let me tell you ... growingup is hard.

That being said, growing up is also the most awesome feeling and the weirdest feeling in the whole world....at the same time. Being a senior on campus has definitely been a huge reality check. After three years of university education, I can finally say that I feel smarter and more prepared for the real world. All my classes make sense and are super interesting (which is good because if they didn't make sense and they weren't interesting I probably would have slit my wrists by this point due to my intense work load). I'm taking one freshman level class this semester and it's funny to watch the little ones scramble and bang their heads against the wall for an intro level course. Bahahaha. Silly freshmen.

At the same time, I've got my own 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment with the cutest little balcony in an Asian-themed apartment complex run and occupied by all Hispanics. Could this place be more perfect for me? Probably not. And here is the best kept secret about getting your own place: GO TO SALVATION ARMY FOR FURNITURE. I got the cutest little love seat and a dining room table with 4 chairs for under $300.... price included the delivery to my door (which is a second story apartment in a building with no elevator... big shout out thanks to the delicious man meat that carried all my furniture up to my apartment).

Decorating is probably one of my all time favorite activities. Especially in the first space that is entirely my own. My friend Hillary calls it the 'nesting period' and she's right. As soon as I got my keys I went to target and spent 2 hours and an embarrassing amount of money on plates, bowls, mugs, kitchen towels, aprons, tablecloths, wine glasses, chopping boards, a bath mat, a toothbrush holder, a shower curtain, a desk lamp, side tables, mirrors, picture frames, etc. etc. And I swear to god I came all over the place when my kitchen and bathroom were completely set up. It's a wonderful feeling to have a place that is entirely your own - your space, your decorations, your thoughts and dreams and hopes manifested into one tiny little one bedroom apartment. It's the little things in life. I built my bed by myself (again) and started unpacking boxes of clothes and got my closet organized. I hugged each article of clothing and told it how much I missed it because everyone knows that clothes look better on you when you talk to them and tell them how much you appreciate them. And this weekend I will be having my first official house warming dinner and game night for all the lovely ladies that housed me in my time of need. Many thanks to Hillary, Stacey, Lauren, Leigh, Lana and Sierra. xxx

But there's more to being a grown up than having your own apartment and being cooler than the freshmen. It's about time management and confidence. Confidence in what your doing and how your doing it. Confidence in your goals and morals and life plans. Confidence in who you are and who you want to be. I see it in the smallest of events in life. Everyone I meet is suddenly an equal to me... whether they are 21 or 51. I realize that, yes as you grow older you gain wisdom, but once you reach a certain age (20-22) you realize that those people called 'grown ups' are really just as confused as you are about what the next step is going to be.

Suddenly, the system has decided "Okee dokee.... last stop, senior year of college, everyone get off the effing bus and figure it out for yourselves from here on out." And that's what the real world is. Whether you are President of the United States or starting at an entry level position in a major corporation, you're really just trying to figure shit out on your own: how to pay the bills, how to save enough money for that awesome trip to the Bahamas you've been dying to go to, how to find a boyfriend, how to keep your parents from killing each other, how to this, how to that. Society brings you to a certain point and guides you saying "Well first you go to preschool, then elementary school, then middle school, then high school, then college and by then...by the time you have lived on this planet for 21 years...well then you can start making your own decisions without a wag of the finger and frowny face from big brother." Well. Thanks society. I'm glad that you have guided me this far and then are dropping me off completely bewildered into a neverending sea of people who are just as smart as me and just as ambitious as me and just as cute as me. Awesome. I think I just crapped my pants.

Just when I thought that I had seen it all and was completely prepared for anything and everything, I realize just how scared I am of leaving this sanctuary known as 'college'.

Still no Internets at my apartment so posts will be less frequent but stay tuned as little bear tackles the big effing world.

xxxxxx

Hello friends and lovers! Sorry it has been a while. Since my departure from the great Manhattan life has been a little bit crazy. 2 days after moving out of the city I left for California for my PADI X marketing internship training and open water dive certification. Returned from that little trip and left almost immediately for a weekend vacation with family friends to Montreal. They call me the jet setter for a reason.

So to give a little recap of my adventures: SCUBA DIVING IS AWESOME! It was by far the most physically and emotionally challenging thing I have ever done but also the most rewarding and fulfilling experience of my life. The 4 days I spent learning how to breathe and dive 20 - 60 feet underwater were incredible. There is something so serene and peaceful about being on the ocean floor - all you can hear is your breath and your body sways back and forth with the current. You are left completely alone with your thoughts in a state of meditation and relaxation. Inflate your BCD with just a little bit of air and you hover right above the ocean floor, suspended in water effortlessly. But the time I spent in California was more than just an individually moving experience. The people I met there and worked with for 4 days became a mini family to me. We all supported each other through the good and the bad, had a lot of laughs and a lot of really deep conversations. I guess I should've expected it to be a group of awesome people since we were all there for the same reason - to learn to scuba dive.

PADI X August 2010 <3 forever in my heart