A pleasant Sunday.

I always dreaded Sundays, because it indicated the end of the weekend. And worse: it indicated that school was the next day. Not fun!

Even during the summer, I'm usually not fond of Sundays. But today is different...the usual summer sun feels a tad bit brighter, time goes by a little slower (in a good way), and the air is slightly more refreshing. I wish I knew exactly why things are this way, but I'm enjoying it!

After a hectic weekend, I can relax and do things I've been meaning to do all week. I suppose one day of productivity is better than none.

What I especially love about today is my pleasantly easy-going start in the morning. I had my stack of reads, my iced coffee (expresso + sweetened condensed milk + lots and lots of ice), and my ritual blog reading. My productivity after breakfast even gave me time to make a delicious lunch of croque-monsieur and tomato with vinaigrette. If only I could enjoy my days like this more often, but perhaps today is some inspiration to find things to do around the house and feel more productive and fulfilled.

How do you like to unwind on Sundays? Or on weekends in general?

Sunday edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer + May issue of Glamour UK + Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential"

My (almost finished) croque-monsieur

Perrier with Teissiere sirop de fraise...refreshing!

A month later.

I've been on summer vacation for a month now. It's a bit crazy, since it feels like I've been back for much longer! While it's nice knowing that there are still three months of relaxation left, I'm growing a bit restless knowing that I have done very little in my first month of summer. Sure, I began working on my résumé and  read books that I actually wanted to read. But I'm yearning for a bit more.

When I'm not working, I'm lounging at home in a sundress. Except I'm lounging on my couch in front of my laptop and TV, rather than outside in the warmth. Doing nothing was fun (and much needed) when I first came home, but now it's boring. And I'd rather be busy at work than sitting at home and browsing the internet.

Unfortunately, I'm not working as much as I'd like to be, and saving money is rather difficult. Instead I sit at home, thinking about my boredom What's an adventurous, fun-seeking girl like me going to do?

I still need to tackle that boeuf bourguignon recipe and crack open my numerous Spanish textbooks. Perhaps I'll start one of those today, if not tomorrow. Who knows, but I'm running out of ideas! I'm also running out of blogging ideas as well...the problem with being at home all the time is that I have very little blogspiration. What's there to say? What's there to do? Someone needs to help a sister out! A month of trying to find inspiration has been fruitless.

Jenny Crocker and the crock pot?

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I love cooking. However, I don't cook nearly as often as I bake. And even though I am home with a readily available oven and (more or less) adequate counter space, I haven't been doing any baking lately. I'd like to blame my inherent laziness for this unfortunate fact, but I've never had emotional blocks on my baking before. If anything, my strong emotions usually encourage me to bake, whether my problems concern a less-than-desired soccer result or just another quarrel with my parents. My life as of recent has been filled with both, so what am I doing moping on Twitter and not putting any effort into a chocolate cake?

There is an abundance of creative and delicious cupcake recipes out on the internet. I have a cute little recipe book as well! But perhaps I need a change. Maybe I should try cooking actual savory meals more often. I have many other cookbooks that are not being put to use. But despite the new and exciting recipes that I could try out, I think emotional cooking should involve a dish that does have an emotional pull on me. And what better than my favorite dish: boeuf bourguignon.

I usually get bored of eating the same things over and over again. I can bare one night of leftovers, and any more is dreadful for me. But I can eat boeuf bourguignon for a week and not ever be bored of it. It's simple yet delicious, and honestly...how can you go wrong with a pot full of beef?

Whenever I have some, it's when my mom is up for making it and popping open a nice bottle of red wine. My mom is a great cook, but as the "reality" years of my life are being imminent, it's only appropriate that I make a greater habit of cooking. I could try to cook all sorts of dishes this summer, and maybe I actually will. But for now, my little goal is one thing: to perfect a nice pot of boeuf bourguignon.

I'll admit, this is kind of daunting. Where do I begin? What cut of beef should I use (this is very important), what wine? Are pearl onions really necessary? How do I let the wine condense without drying out the beef? If I'm going to perfect this, I need to know the specifics. And it might take time, but I'm totally up for it.

This dish will do for now, and trust me, this might just be enough for me to handle. After all, I did mention something about not biting off more than I can chew in my previous post. Though I think with boeuf bourguignon it may be difficult for me not to do so.

A {school} year gone.

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I've been home for almost three weeks now. And it already feels as if I've been home for months.

Needless to say, I'm missing city life. A lot. I could go without the infinite amount of essays and articles and deadlines and obligations, but I miss having the independence and liberty that I did at school.

I came home a different person. I'm a little wiser, but perhaps not as cynical. I figured out a bit more about the person I want to become in the next three years. Not to mention, I learned a lot about myself as well as some things to live by.

Little tidbits acquired from the first year of college:

Don't be a pushover. I tried so hard to please everyone, yet still try to keep true to myself. It's a difficult balance, and quite frankly, staying true to myself is more important to me for now. It may seem a tad selfish, but I want to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground by my rules. As time passes by, I realize that I cannot be a happy person with people walking all over me. It's about time I establish some ground rules for my life, and people need to take note!

Keep my word. In this crazy world, being loyal is sometimes the strongest quality in a person. I have made some mistakes in biting off more than I could chew, but I've learned that a kept word can speak a thousand words about a person.

There's nothing wrong with dreaming. Deep within my goals are big dreams, things that I've always wanted to accomplish but was too hesitant to act upon. And why not? It never hurts to try. If I don't get my feet wet, I'll never be able to swim. Even if my bigger-than-reality plans don't work out as planned, as least I'll have a hobby I can latch onto.

Take better care of myself. I need to be healthy and happy both internally and externally. One compliments the other. One small change in lifestyle can make a significant difference. Whether it be exercise, eating habits, or just mental outlook, a proactive, healthy me is a happy me. It's a nice thing to think about when I opt for water instead of a can of Coke.

With that all said...I should get my bum off the internet and do something, right? Fix up my résumé, find fall semester internships, maybe even take up a craft? I'm already regretting doing every little in my first weeks back home, I hope that I can find inspiration to be more productive in the months to come.

Youthful mind.

A little piece of truth for any high school readers reading this blog: There is not a miraculous jump of maturity level from high school to college.

In college, people still leave chewed up gum underneath chairs, make crude, sexist jokes, and publicly proclaim their drunken escapades in hopes of obtaining bragging rights.

It's something that I have to face and deal with day in and day out. And it's something that I'm not particularly fazed by, especially not after my own high school experience.

But it's vastly unfair to generalize, isn't it? Today in my American State & Local Politics class we were having discussions questioning whether or not certain things, such as healthcare, sexual education, and state universities should get more funding from the government. It was probably the longest and most interesting discussion we've had in that class yet (and trust me, the material is anything but riveting).

What made it truly interesting for me is how much students in my class knew and cared about these issues. I learned so much from my classmates, and it was incredible to see how much my own peers read, watch, and listen to what is going on in our society.

It's not fair to say that young adults don't care about the community, just as it is not fair for me to assume that all college students have the mind capabilities of a spoon.

Happy Vernal Equinox!

After a rough and temperamental winter, warmer weather is finally around the corner. Sadly, the gorgeous 70º weather from Friday won't entirely reflect the first week of spring, but anything is better than the horrible snowstorms we've had this winter.

I've always loved winter, but having to walk everywhere in crap weather really gave me some perspective. I've never been SO happy to have nice weather again.

I plan on celebrating the first day of the new season with free Rita's water ice (mango flavor, always),  Spanish homework, and a Harry Potter marathon. Not the most exciting way to spend the first day of Spring (or a weekend, really...) but a little relaxation and peace is what I truly need these days.

Spring also means that I have to start thinking about Summer! I know that I'm going back to my part-time job back home, but if I don't get as many hours as I'd like at work, I want to find other things to do as well. I considered interning in the city, but it would definitely conflict with my work schedule. I was also suggested to find a second job or volunteer. I don't have much time to really think about it, but we'll see how it goes

Quite frankly, just having no academic obligations for almost four months will be good for me.

Words to live by today {and always}

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With that in mind...

...come on you gunners.