i've found my Mind...

Simply Stunning

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 05:30:56 -0400

So, I’ve been in Oxford for 3 days now and it is simply stunning! Before I came, a good friend of mine gave me some really good advice about studying abroad; she said: “drop expectations and just love it as is.” The thing is, Oxford is even better than I thought it would be. The city/university is very traditional with subtle touches of modernity. The people I’ve met so far are some of the coolest/nicest people I’ve met - especially the other students in the program with me.

The architecture is, by far, my favorite thing about the campus and the city. Each building is crafted with such detail and care that it makes me wonder how they were able to do it even though they didn’t have the technology we have today. The Radcliffe Camera is my favorite building. It’s a huge reading room for the students at Oxford. Since we’re just visiting, we can’t go inside, but it’s a pretty neat place to look at.

I even had my first pub experience here. Simply put… it was great! I had a meat pie for the first time (mine had chicken and bacon in it) and it was yummy! Even though I don’t like beer, I tried a pint and let’s just say it was interesting.

The children here don’t actually seem like little kids either. They’re like miniature adults. This one kid yesterday was sitting on his dad’s shoulders talking to him about a job. And there was another little boy walking down the street almost as if he owned the place. And their accents make it really cool to hear them talk.

So far, I’m really enjoying my time abroad. It’s a really cool place to be. I can’t wait for this weekend though. Midnight showing of Harry Potter in London!!

"One cannot have wisdom without living life."

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 11:17:37 -0400

““One cannot have wisdom without living life.””

- Dorothy McCall

"Love doesn’t make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 22:28:10 -0400

““Love doesn’t make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.””

- Franklin P. Jones

streaming live...

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 22:24:22 -0400

It’s safe to say the one thing I don’t like about writing are those times when I have absolutely nothing to write about. It’s beyond frustrating. I just sit at my desk with my laptop screen glaring back at me with the cursor doing that stupid repetitive appearance and disappearance act. I drum my fingers on the edge of the keyboard and hope something brilliant will write itself; it never does. My laptop and I just sit there, locked in an intense staring contest; each of us testing the limits of our power levels until I decide writing isn’t going to happen. I close the laptop - adding another tally to its “wins” column.

But then there are the times when my fingers glide over the keys and the cursor isn’t able to catch its breath from all of the characters, spaces, and lines it’s run through. I love those moments; they’re the most rewarding times where I can look at my writing and smile at the characters as they live, laugh, and love in the worlds I’ve created for them. These moments make writers block worthwhile; they’re the ones that make me cherish what I do.

"We do not love people so much for the good they have done us, as for the good we have done them."

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 17:47:53 -0400

““We do not love people so much for the good they have done us, as for the good we have done them.””

- Leo Tolstoy

OutKast is definitely my favorite music group. Their music is...

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 23:52:58 -0400

OutKast is definitely my favorite music group. Their music is just so unique and creative. This song just drips with creativity. Even though the group is hip-hop, they aren’t afraid to step outside of the boundaries of genres and make their music their own. The reached mainstream status, but gosh, these guys didn’t sell-out and adopt a watered down approach; they stuck to their individualism. And I love it!

"And in the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years."

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 23:39:50 -0400

““And in the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.””

- Lincoln

thewordmachine: Aw, I like this. So true!

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:03:49 -0400

thewordmachine:

Aw, I like this.

So true!

"Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In..."

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 11:57:48 -0500

“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.”

- Stephen King, On Writing (via 500daysofkissingmypillow)

just a dream...

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 21:08:56 -0500

Inception came in the mail today on Netflix!!! Of course I’ve seen it before, but it’s just so good. I’m a huge fan of psychological thrillers and this one definitely does not disappoint. There are so many plot twists and the special effects are great. Most films that have come out recently are really predictable and that just makes for a boring movie experience. But I can honestly say, Inception is definitely really high up on my all-time favorite movies list.

Excitement

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:16:57 -0500

So studying abroad is really looking like a reality for this summer. I still have a few things to go and take care of in preparation for the program, but I’m so excited. I’ve always wanted to go to England and not to mention, I absolutely love the English accent and I can’t think of a better place to study English than in England at Oxford!!! Passport application, here I come!

spread your Wings

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 22:43:21 -0500

His sharp colorless eyes stare out through the glass jar. His wings are weighed down by the humidity of the air that’s trapped inside. The jar is opaque with thin streaks of filth circling it.

The jar sits out on the third step leading down from the front porch of the house. Leaves surround the base of the jar, reminding him of the world he’s cut off from. Gentle shades of mahogany and copper and maroon are left behind in the leaves’ veins as the last traces of life scurry out of them. It’s a beautiful sight - simply amazing - but not the easiest thing to enjoy during a moment like this.

He was caught three days ago by a kid named Jake. The boy loved being outside with nature and he hadn’t intended to keep him for long. But you know how kids are. They love adventure and splashing mercilessly through puddles and forgetting about butterflies trapped behind glass walls, surrounded by leaves.

The weight of the water in the air is unbearable. His wings are soaked and dangle along his sides. His eyes shift back and forth as the wind shuffles his playlist of foliage. New leaves blow by the glass.

“This isn’t that terrible.” He says silently to himself. “I’ve always loved the outdoors;” he closes his eyes and rests his head against the glass.

A strong gust of wind ruffles more leaves and turns the jar on its side. The fresh air is soothing and dries the moisture from his body. He walks to the edge of the jar after righting himself and pulls his wings above his head. The wind catches them as he forcefully pulls his wings down in a sweeping motion. He darts through the air with a smile on his face; enjoying the fresh caress of the wind underneath his wings.

Pajamas and a cup of Green Tea

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 02:31:57 -0500

In comparison, it’s a really minute part of my life, but it’s definitely one of the most enjoyable. Sitting on the couch alone with my thoughts - everyone else has already gone to bed - listening to really good soulful music (Sade and Lauryn Hill, just to name a couple of artists).

But I love this feeling of invincibility that flood my fingertips as I touch the tip of this felt-tip pen to the solid blue lines of the sheets of college ruled paper that line this journal. The words just flow out in a steady stream of black ink. Lines and curves form various letters - each with their own weight and meaning. Those words seem to tap dance on each page I turn, creating a melodic rhythm, with harmonic singing to accompany the instruments.

It’s a beautiful moment. I love this part of life: the simplicity, the beauty of words. These are the times when I feel most alive - when I am able to take words and mold them into beautiful towering statues or miniature figurines designed for you or for me, better yet, for us.

a part of the Dream

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:02:02 -0500

This is where I want to be next summer. I love being an English major; I love the freedom that I have to write and express myself through my words. I’ve recently realized that I cannot write using my laptop, I just feel so disconnected from my words and my characters and their stories. It’s a beautiful feeling being able to sit down with a pen and pad and write, just letting my words and thoughts and emotion flow over the pages in blue or black ink. Spending a summer at Oxford University would be amazing and so fitting for what I love to do. The university has such a rich history and so many great minds have studied there: T.S. Elliot, Robert Graves, Lewis Carroll, C. S. Lewis. They all left their mark on the literary world and I hope I can do the same.

Simply. Awesome.

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:22:36 -0500

Simply. Awesome.

Simply Put

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 22:01:06 -0500

Blogging is pivotal for me… All the things I can’t squeeze into 140 characters, I can put it all here. All the things I don’t feel like saying aloud, I can scribble them down. I guess that’s writing period. I love doing this: the stories and poems and essays; it’s like they come alive underneath my pen and breath easily as the trot back and forth over their pages. It’s my safe haven, where nothing can go wrong.

"Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough."

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 21:56:35 -0500

““Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.””

- Emily Dickinson

ericcamarillo: I just said something clever and Cameron took...

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:09:23 -0500

ericcamarillo:

I just said something clever and Cameron took mock offense to it.

This basically sums up our friendship!

Dedication

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:46:31 -0500

You know how you can have those off days – when you sit at home staring at your computer screen hoping that five page essay will just write itself – and then you think to yourself is all of this really, worth, it. Sometimes when I have those days, I can’t help but think back to watching my mom with her everyday struggles and strife going to work all the time so she could give me a better life. Raising four kids by no means is an easy task. You gotta deal with four times the diapers. Four times the terrible two’s. Four times the trying to save up for kids to go to college when you weren’t even able to go. But it’s even harder when you have to raise those kids by yourself. You remember how sometimes you would go to Wal-Mart and expect her to let you have all the skittles you wanted and then you too offense when she tapped your hand and told you no. Yeah, I did that too. Or the times growing up when she would look you in your eyes and tell you that you were her “little guy or girl” and she loved you with you with all of her heart. Yeah, my mom did that too.

I think back to the day when I thought I was gonna lose her. The doctors were confused as to what was wrong. Tears poured from the corners of my eyes as I envisioned the possibility of her not being able to come back home. I cried and I cried, but somehow she was still so strong – lying in a hospital bed staring at the ceiling – I could only imagine what she was wondering. Probably about how bad she wanted to be back home with her little dumplings. My mom is foundation – my reasoning – my backbone. Without her in this world, I would be so, alone. But she’s still here. Still breathing – still working – still doing all she can to make sure her 2 big little kids and her 2 little ones at home have a better life to look forward to.

I think of all that my mom has gone through and all that she’s had to give, who am I to look at my college experience with downtrodden thoughts? How can I give up on a better life, when mine hasn’t actually started yet? Mothers are such precious beings. They give up so much for us. Their dreams, party lives, and freedom, just to make sure we have clothes shoes food and our dreams. Whenever you have those less than perfect days that put your mood in an unbearable haze; think about your mom and everything she’s had to go through. I salute my mom and I salute yours too.

Unthinkable

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:14:27 -0500

So yesterday, I read the most ridiculous story I think I have ever heard. A woman in Florida killed her toddler son because his crying prevented her from watering her plants on Farm Ville. And if that weren’t enough, she stopped shaking him to smoke a cigarette, then began shaking him again.

After reading this, at first I was sad then just ANGRY!! I couldn’t understand how a mother could kill her son. I know that these things happen on a daily basis and all of these situations are extremely sad. But for a mother to kill her son over a videogame - something that isn’t vital for your survival - something that is extremely trivial in everyday life, it is utterly depressing. I hope she receives a strict punishment. I don’t support the death penalty in any facet, but I think she deserves to be locked away for a really long time - a really really long time.