Hello! I hope you’ve been doing well and keeping safe.

Is it just me or is it still march? Oh my goodness its insane that the dumpster fire that was 2020 is almost over. Of course, just because the year is changing doesn’t mean it won’t still be chaotic. With that being said, let’s talk about my month!

My November was all over the place but let’s start from the beginning.

The very beginning of the month was relatively uneventful. Work was probably the most interesting thing that happened. However, around the second week I flew down to California to help my aunt drive her car to her new house in Florida. That was…something. The trip wasn’t awful. We made a couple stops to rest which made the whole ordeal a bit better. We stopped in El Paso, Texas to see my family. I haven’t seen them since I was two, so I was essentially meeting them all for the first time. It was pretty amazing. We also stopped in Houston, but really it was just to sleep. Other than that, it was empty roads and gas station’s with people who weren’t wearing masks. Yikes.

After my trip across the country, things returned back to normal. I figured after traveling and being in states where masks aren’t mandatory, I should take a covid test. I stayed home until I got the test results back and they were negative! I went back to work and life carried on as normal. Thanksgiving was interesting this year. Usually, we have my entire family in one house, but this year was a lot more quiet. While thanksgiving isn’t my favorite holiday, I am willing to argue that its food is top tier.

I am trying to enjoy my last months of freedom before I go back to school. I am all signed up for classes for January, which is pretty exciting. Though I do appreciate this time to relax a bit and for lack of a better word get my life together haha!

Anyway, I’ll talk to you in a month! Stay safe and wear your mask!

-Alexia 🙂

Hello all, I hope you’re doing well and staying safe!

We have yet another demonstration of COVID being the worst. Today is Halloween and I have never had a Halloween like the one I had today. Normally, I would spend the whole day very excited to dress up and go to my aunts house. There, we would have a huge bonfire, eat chili and drink hot apple cider. Later in the evening, we would take the kids out trick or treating. But this year couldn’t be any more different. Recently, a couple family members of mine had tested positive for COVID, which means no time with my family. I spent this Halloween at home, watching scary movies in my pajamas with no chili, no hot apple cider or bonfire. While im not thrilled to not have chili, or hot apple cider I really do think that was the responsible choice.

Speaking of responsible, I went and voted a couple of days ago! It was a pretty quick process. Well, I don’t mean 5 min quick but it was much faster than the DMV! I had decided to go in person just to be sure my vote counted on time. I hope you got your vote in as well! Before I had voted I went and got a covid test. After getting tested and voting, I though “hey look at me kind of being a grown up”. But then I remembered I still need my mom to make my dentist appointments. Sigh Im getting there, slowly but surely.

Well its been great catching up. I hope you stay safe! Ms. Rona (COVID) seems to be overstaying her welcome so please wear your mask!

Talk to you soon!

-Alexia 🙂

Hello!

Welp, its fair to say that things have changed immensely both for me and the rest of the world. For me, I have been dealing with a job, new school and my utter hatred for online schooling.

Firstly, I have a job working at my grandma’s hair salon. My job isn’t very glamorous, I’m the cleaning lady/ receptionist. It’s a job and on top of that I get to see my family everyday which has been very lovely. Working there has been pretty interesting, it seems like there’s always a lot going on. The pharmacy next door burnt down, the salons been broken into three times, and that’s only a few things. Never a dull moment. Of course, we follow the rules about masks for everyone’s safety, which, thankfully, hasn’t been a problem. The only issues we run into are people forgetting their own masks and having to use a disposable one. Thankfully, we haven’t had anyone refuse to wear a mask knock on wood.

Secondly, I impulsively transferred to Metro state. Im currently taking two classes: philosophy, film and the meaning of life and abnormal psychology. Its been ok, but it definitely ties into my final point which is that I hate online school. I was initially thinking about taking a semester off, but I got worried that I would feel behind, so I enrolled. Last year, I was learning how to be a college student. I was figuring out how to manage different classes and how to get my homework done. I found that I loved going to the library and staying until I had finished my work. That’s not really an option for me now, which has been a challenge. I’m a bit apprehensive to go study somewhere outside of my house. So my solution was to clear out a room and I had been storing my instruments in and turn it into an office space for me and my mother. So far, its working ok. I still get distracted, but at least I have a sperate space to work.

Other than covid taking its toll on everything, I think I’m getting better. I like many other people am doing my best to make it work. It’s all a learning experience and were all just rolling with the punches so to say.

Any who, stay safe, wear a mask, and enjoy the weather before it gets too cold!

Talk to you soon!

– Alexia 🙂

Hello all! I hope you’re all doing well!

Wowowow. It really feels like a whole year has gone by, but it was only January!? I already feel so exhausted, and the weather is not helping! I have a few things to discuss today, so lets get into it shall we?

First, I’d like to begin with school. So far, for lack of a better term, its been a real doozy. I’m taking a math class, college algebra, which seems really straightforward, except I seem to have forgotten math complacently. Luckily, I have some wonderful and helpful people in my class who are really smart and willing to help. We have a group chat called “Math buddies :)”. I am also taking a geography class. I was trying to take a geology class, but instead asked for this one by mistake. The best part it, this is now one of my favorite classes. My professor is amazing and he makes learning super fun. Another favorite class of mine, is public speaking. We get to choose our topics and learn how to improve our public speaking which is surprisingly fun! I also made some good friends in that class, which really helps. I am taking another class (into to sociology), but as of right now, its not on the favorite list. I was hoping it would be really interesting like the psychology class I took last semester, but that just isn’t the case. The material were learning isn’t that difficult to understand, its just the teaching style, not for me.

Second, I wanted to talk about what my month is looking like and a little of what Im hoping for soon. In terms of workload, this month isn’t looking to shabby. A few larger assignments here and there, but overall, very manageable. I am looking into getting a job, which I really need. My aunt help me find a job that is super flexible and pays well, which is exactly what I need. More to come on this when I start working. Also, a little bit about myself, I have always wanted to do two things: 1- play music and 2- learn how to skate. Now I know these sound silly and maybe a bit dumb, but these two things are things that I have always wanted to learn how to do. I have been pretty intimidated to do both of these things ever since I was a kid, but I came to a realization a while ago. I’m not getting any younger, so why be scared when I have things I really want to do? So I have decided that I am going to try to practice guitar/bass/drums at least 3 times a week. I am also planning on going to Cal Surf (a skate shop in Minneapolis), and putting together my own board (once I start working of course).

Last but certainly not least, its black history month! In honor of this time to celebrate and recognize achievements made by African Americans, here are just some of the many influential and important African american figures throughout history.

1.) Jimi Hendix – “He was hailed by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as “the most gifted instrumentalist of all time.” The rock legend has posthumously earned multiple Hall of Fame Grammy Awards, including the Recording Academy’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.” – Via The Undefeated

2.) Zora Neale Hurston – “Hurston had published more books than any other black woman in America, she was unable to capture a mainstream audience in her lifetime, and she died poor and alone in a welfare hotel. Today, she is seen as one of the most important black writers in American history.” – Via History.com

3.) Kobe Bryant – “Professional basketball superstar Kobe Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers since 1996 when he came to the team as an eighteen-year-old, the youngest player in NBA history, until his retirement in 2016. Bryant was a long-time philanthropist, using his well-known name to raise funds for a number of causes.” – Via Blackpast.org

I hope you all have a wonderful February, see you next month!

~Alexia 🙂

Hello all! I hope you had a great new years! Things have officially starting picking up speed and oh boy… But before we get into that let me tell you about my break.

So, the day after Christmas, I went to Arizona with my family. This trip was off to a great start, because the hotel we were supposed to stay at, caught on fire and we had to stay somewhere else. The hotel that we ended up staying at was nice, so it wasn’t a huge issue. My mom brother and I end up getting there around 4 am, so we got a room the was close to the house keeping closet, so it was very loud, very early. We ended up switching rooms, so it was ok. The weather on the other hand, wasn’t that great. It was colder and it rained, which was really annoying. Also, most of my family got sick, so that was pretty unpleasant. When everyone got better, we all went horseback riding, which was incredible. Before I went on this trip, I was terrified of horses. My mom, her boyfriend and my brother went on a hike at camel mountain, which was incredible. Over all, I would say the trip wasn’t that bad, it could have been worse.

After Arizona, I spent some time in California with my aunt and uncle. We went on a few hikes and went on some bike rides as well. Nothing particularly exciting or new. However, it was so wonderful to have the sun on my face, I missed the heat. My only issue with my California trip was the daunting reality of coming back. I was really excited to go back to school, but there was a lot of preparation that was getting anxious about. It wasn’t the actual preparation that I was anxious about, it was being so far away and having little time what I needed to do. So my last few days in California I anxiously awaited to come back and cram a weeks worth of activities in two days. Which could have gone worse, but it was sleep or preparing, and I chose to sleep. I had some people I needed to say goodbye to, a lot of laundry to do, get prepared for school, and try to fix my sleeping habits (it didnt work that well).

I am back now and I am simultaneously excited and wrestling a bit of fear with this new semester. While I generally always feel optimistic doing something, there is something about these last few weeks where it feels like I have a rock in my stomach (everything that’s happening in the world defiantly doesn’t help). I am hoping that by doing well in school, that I can tame that fear a little bit, sort of distracting myself for a while until summer comes.

To end on a better note, things will get better. 2020 has only just begun and I am optimistic. I will leave you with the most relevant and inspirational quote:

“And I knew exactly what to do. But in a much more real sense, I had no idea what to do.”- Michael Scott

~ Alexia 🙂

Hello! Welcome back to my blog! November is over, how in the world did that happen so fast? At various times this month it felt like November would never end, and at other times it flew by, especially at the end of the month. I had a pretty good November, so lets get into it!

Probably one of the biggest highlights of the month was when one of my favorite bands, Mötley Crüe, announced they were getting back together and going on tour in 2020. Words cant even describe how excited I was. It felt like I had one the lottery. Im not sure when they are planning on touring, or even if they come to Minnesota, but I am definitely going! While I’m on the topic of rock ‘n’ roll, I recently purchased three new books. The first being The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx (the bass player from Mötley Crüe). The book is basically a year in his life while he was really struggling with heroin. I recently started it and so far I really like it. The second book I got was Acid for the Children by Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This is a memoir by the bass player, talking about his life as a young man and moving around when he was younger. The last one is a book called Lust & Wonder, by Augusten Burroughs. This book isint related to rock ‘n’ roll, but it is the second book to his memoir Running With Scissors, which is one of my all time favorite books. I bought all of these at Barnes and Noble, where I found a whole section of books by my favorite artists, I cant wait to spend all my money on them 🙂

On another note, the holidays were very fun! I got to see my family and eat some really good food. I got to see a few of my friends that go to college out of state, which was absolutely amazing, because I missed them very much.

In terms of school, I am pretty optimistic about finals, almost excited. I feel quite prepared honestly. I got to class everyday and I am familiar with the content, so I’m not that worried. Also I’m mostly excited for what comes after finals. I think I mentioned this in my last blog post, but my family is headed to Arizona for new years/my grandmas birthday. We are planning on going horseback riding, which would be totally fine if I wasn’t afraid of horses. “What? Why are you afraid of horses? Thats a weird thing to be scared of!” Listen, I know its stupid, but hear me out. They are huge and they know when you are scared of them. They could kill you! I had to look it up, but horses weigh 840 – 2,200 lbs!! Thats a lot!!! That could crush you. My family thinks Im weird for being scared of horses, but I think its pretty reasonable. Anyway, after Arizona, Im going to California which will be super fun, because I get to hang out with my aunt and uncle who I never get to see. Then after I come back to Minnesota its back to school, and start my spring semester.

That pretty much sums up my November and a bit of my December. I cant wait to tell you how my December goes! Talk to you soon!

-Alexia 🙂

Hello!

Wow, where in the world did October go? There were point where it felt like it was going so slow, and here we are already into November. Halloween was fun, it was a bit chilly, but over all, it was a great time! The week before Halloween I watched some scary movies, to get into the spirit (pun intended) but didnt actually pick out a costume until Halloween (oops). Though, I didnt go trick or treating, but I did manage to get some candy from my brother (dont worry, I asked first).

Something that I want to share is that I withdrew from my math class, which was a challenge. In a previous blog, I wrote a bit about how my math class was just ok and I was thinking I could do it if I kept trying. But I ended up meeting with an academic advisor and talking about getting out of that class and what my options were. He said I didn’t need it, and that I could take a different math class next semester and I would be totally fine! So I got out of that math class! Yay!! A part of me really wanted to keep at it and try harder to understand the material, but I was just not getting it! The concepts were to abstract and I just wanted to do formulas.

The end of the semester is coming up and I am getting really excited. Not only am I excited to say that I got through my first semester of college (yay!!) but I am excited for whats next. I have had my eye on a psychology class called ‘abnormal psychology’ since I registered for fall classes and really want to take it next semester. I am planning on registering for classes some time this week, and hopefully I get it!

A bit of a side note: I get excited about tests and exams which has never happened to me before. I get excited to take them and be done with them. This might be because I am more confident in my test taking abilities or it might be because I want to be done with a unit. Whatever the case may be, I just wanted to share my new weird excitement for tests.

Though I will admit, I have had a bit of a rough patch the last month. I just didnt feel as motivated or excited about things. I could feel my time slip away from me as due dates came and went. But I am working on getting better. I am setting (manageable) goals for myself and have tried walking outside more. I am getting there and I hope my optimism will carry me through this dark and lonely winter!

One more fun thing before I end this blog, is I am getting very excited about thanksgiving and my winter break. Thanksgiving means good food, but it also means my friends are coming back for a few days! And boy have I missed them! My winter break, though it is a month away, will be very exciting because my family and I are going to Arizona for my Grandmas birthday! Im not sure the details on the trip yet, but I will be very excited to share what Arizona was like. I will be sure to take some pictures and put them on my December or January blog.

Thats all for now! I will talk to you more on December 1st! Unless something really exciting happens before then.

Talk to you soon!

-Alexia 🙂

The month has flown by, but time flies when you’re having fun! I have been working really hard in school and its definitely paying off. As I had mentioned in my last post, I am taking 5 classes, and so far I absolutely love most of them. Not only do I like most of them, I am getting good grades in all of them. Here are a few highlights from the month: I got an A on my psychology and biology exam, got a ‘high B’ on my first English paper and I got a 22/20 on my biology presentation. I am loving school right now and cant wait for the rest of the semester. Though, I am a bit anxious about going to the U of M after Normandale. Its not so much the people I’m scared of, its the classes. I’m worried that the classes will be too hard and I wont be able to keep up like I am at Normandale. I am trying to focus on the positives for now and work hard while I’m here.  

Lately, my mom and I have been talking about looking into a studying abroad program, and learned that it is something I definitely want to do, and am starting to look into. I’ve learned that Normandale has a study abroad program and they work in collaboration with EGL (Education of Global Learning). I have a long list of places I would want to study abroad in, but here are a few: Spain, Italy, Australia, and the UK. I love to travel and I enjoy school, so it would only make sense to combine the two.  

I cant wait to tell you more about my classes and potentially studying abroad! 

Talk to you soon! 

-Alexia 🙂 

I have just completed my very first week of college, and so far I am optimistic. I am taking 5 classes at the moment, which is a total of 17 credits. Im taking freshman composition, environmental biology, math for the liberal arts, into to psychology, and into to painting. My main goal for the school year is to stay on top of my assignments and come to class prepared as much as I can. So far, I really like my teachers, they are all really nice and they seem fairly optimistic as well. My only real concern for the year for the year is forgetting and procrastinating. It happens to the best of us, but sometimes my forgetfulness and extreme procrastination drive me up the walls. So this year, I am going to do my very best to get my assignments done and be proactive about the things I need to do.

Other than school, my life has been pretty uneventful. I have been saying goodbye to a lot of my friends who are heading off to different states for college. That has been a bit sad, but I have been trying to think about it not so much a goodbye, but as a ‘see ya later’. I also went to the fair, which was absolute chaos. I keep telling myself that ‘oh this year it might be better than last year’ or ‘maybe it wont be so busy today’. I continue to set myself up for disappointment, because its just as bad every year and I dont like it just as much, if not more, than the year before. But I do enjoy the food and the rides, so I guess its ok.

To end on a more positive note, I am excitied for school and cant wait to tell you more.

Talk to you soon!

-Alexia 🙂

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton