I hadn't realized I hadn't updated my journal in so long.

Been a whole year, hoo-boy. I'll try to make this short and sweet.

Freshman year of college went relatively smooth. My back went out shortly after starting, eventually forcing me off the cross country team and not joining the track & field team. I haven't been running regularly since, which annoys me greatly.

Classes were easy enough.
Fall semester I took:
Art and Architecture of Japan
Intro to Lit
Intermediate Weight Training, difficult with my back...
Japanese 101
Pacific Index (newspaper)
First Year Seminar (FYS)
Winter III I took:
US in Foreign Affairs, a three week crash course with one of the most amazing professors ever. I swear he wore a different bowtie each class.
Spring Semester I took:
Environmental Lit, we got to go camping!
Expository Writing, most insulting, boring class ever.
Japanese Culture
Japanese 102
College Algebra
Pacific Index
I'm now taking:
Humans and Microbes
Writing Fiction
Badminton
Japanese 201
Social Problems
Pacific Index Management, which I get paid $500 for.

And I get to sign up for classes for Winter and Spring 2010 in two weeks, which I've already decided on but are subject to change:
Winter:
Modern Topics in Mathematics
Philosophy of Film
Spring:
Writing for the Media
Japanese 202
Yoga
Creative Nonfiction
Jewelry/Casting I
Pacific Index Management

I participated in many Japan Club events, including two traditional Eisa drum dances. Made a handful of friends, most of which are upperclassmen. I knitted a lot--made 10-15 scarves as holiday gifts and started myself a blanket that I've yet to finish. I started watching Lost; got to season three and haven't found the time to pick it back up again.

When I was home for Winter Break, I started LARPing--Vampire: the Masquerade in downtown Mountain View on Friday nights. I play a Brujah with multiple personalities. She's lasted a LOT longer than I thought she would.

Fanime this year was a bit stressful with Dana. We ended up breaking up towards the beginning of July. It's a bit awkward still, but we're friends. I worked at the Children's Discovery Museum all summer with Zach, who was really crazy awesome. We rubbed each other wrong for a bit but I think rather highly of him. I started dating Dorian, someone I met through the LARP and joined a Deadlands game with a couple other friends on Wednesday nights. Summer past quickly and now here I am back at school...

I was supposed to be the President of the Japan Club this year (I was nominated by the previous one, Quill, who graduated and moved to Japan via the JET program), but three Seniors came out of the woodwork and assumed the position, leaving me out of the equation completely.

Working on the Index as Student Life editor is rather time-consuming, especially ever other Monday and Tuesday, when we do layout and whatnot, but I enjoy it. The office is one of my happy places.

A group of friends play D&D Tuesday nights and I join them to observe when I can, because the atmosphere is just awesome. I game on Friday nights as well, to distract me from the fact that people back home are all out as well. We've played Final Stand and Schauermarchen so far, next week is Savage Worlds. Really fun.

As of right now, I want to major in English Literature and minor in Japanese and Journalism. I realized last night, however, that I might be better suited to major in Exercise Science, so I have a lot to think about in the near future.

That still ended up somewhat long, but better than it could have been. Hope y'all out there are doing well too!

Cheers,
~AriSky