Commencement

Last night, my family had a little celebration for me & my sister Michelle.

We both graduated college this year!

We had a lot of fun. But we always do :)

Our house was filled with fruits galore, tons of snacks, and we had a taco truck in the backyard!







Sooooo gooood!


Michelle & I strung up Christmas lights so our backyard was really pretty!
Or maybe it was just Jazzy :)



And with that, I finally feel it is time to cross off another goal on my list:
#091: Graduate college
♥

College in Review

Alright alright, don't get your panties in a bunch -- I didn't finish college yet!

To make it official I have to take my final exams next week

and then spend 6 wonderful months in Chile

(which, c'mon, totally does not count as school).

So how would I sum up my college experience? As Borat Sagdiyev so eloquently put it:

There were some good times

and there were some shit times.

Mostly there were shit good times.

hehe.

Don't get me wrong, there was a time when I really loved being at UCSB,

it's just that the absence of some people made it really hard to be there

and the presence of others only made it harder...

I am so excited to be free of all that next week! I plan to:

- be a better blogger & do sooooo many Day Zero

Project goals that your head will be spinning!

- get a job in the LA/OC area so I can make some

money before I study abroad

- catch up on all the reading I was not able to

do this crazy, hectic quarter

- celebrate the holidays with my favorites!!!!!!!!!!

Me, at Hannah's apartment last week celebrating Hanukkah!

The Quarter to End all Quarters

Tomorrow is the first day of my last quarter at UCSB.

YESSSSSSSSSSSS.

I mean, this place is great and all, but it is hard to feel nostalgic for my 

soon-to-be-over college experience when I know that I will be spending

 the following six months exploring all of South America. 

I  just cannot wait to live in Chile and spend my days...

 perfecting my spanish by talking to complete strangers, strolling around the outdoor fruit markets in Santiago, traveling to exotic places like Ancient Machu Picchu in Peru, taking wild bus rides through the insanity that is Bolivia, and living it up during Brazil's legendary Carnival.

Oh yeah and studying. Hah.

Did I mention Chile is famous for its wine? 

There are still plenty of things I am looking forward to during the next four months in 

Santa Barbara. Here are some Day Zero goals I hope to accomplish before I leave:

093. Vote in an election
095. Read an issue of the New York Times, cover to cover
086. Touch a giraffe
084. Do a handstand
077. Enter a contest
005. Cook a meal for a large group of people

073. Make another music video

074. Spend an entire day without speaking

075. Make a toast

063. Spend the day with a child
045. Take a ballet class
055. Read a novel in Spanish
054. Memorize a bible scripture that I love
041. Make myself a scarf
039. Do the UCSB Undie Run
033. Throw a huge party
028. Visit San Francisco
014. Go on a hike
020. Have a picnic
016. Play paintball
003. Eat at an upscale restaurant alone

Speaking of my Day Zero Project, here is a little update: I have accomplished 37 goals in 332 days. 

A little over a third of my goals in a little under a third of the time I am alloted. Perfect!

 The downside: this means, according to goal #100: Deposit $5 in my savings account

 for every goal I DO complete, I should have 185-Day-Zero-dollars saved up. HAHAHA. 

The problem with having money in my bank account is that... I spend it! It is wayyy to easy to just swipe my card and voila-- dresses/makeup/lattes/groceries! To solve this issue, I have decided that I am going to keep a jar full of my Day Zero Project money. No spending allowed. I am not sure yet what I will do with the cash once I am done... save it? give it? spend it? (spend it!) 

I guess that is something I will decide on Day Zero. 

♥