a penchant for the bizarre.

california is so different. i can't say that it's been a lonely summer, because it hasn't been, really. i've been really fortunate, moving around a lot, traveling and such. it's my first taste of "jetsetting," and i've fallen in love with it. by the end of this summer i'll have been to london, paris, rome, macerata, florence... and dallas, texas. and it's helped me realize that nothing makes me happier than experiencing different cultures, meeting new people, and surrounding myself with the unfamiliar.

and that's what california is to me--unfamiliar. i barely know my town, what i've endearingly dubbed the 'ghetto of torrance.' my townhouse is lovely, even though i've met zero neighbors since my arrival in early july. it seems there are a lot of koreans though, ones that will san-chek outside sometimes. there's a nice little...oval in the center of the townhouse complex which is great for walking and talking during the cool nights. it's where i've ranted about nonsense while enjoying father-daughter walks throughout the summer. generally speaking i've also never lived so close to so many fast-food 'restaurants' in my life. within a mile radius, i can name about 20. isn't that ridiculous?! millburn had ONE taco bell, and it was my family's haven. in fact i had my 13th, 14th, and 15th birthday dinners @ taco bell. maybe even my 12th. i mean, my fam is super classy. :)

so it comes to the point at which the summer is basically over... but it has been a fulfilling summer. there were days when i was ridiculously bored and wished i had more friends out here, but other days when the conversations i had on the phone/msnger/gchat/skype (skype!!!) minimized the distance between the coasts. and for that i couldn't be more thankful. this summer was also great for keeping in touch. i feel like i've done a pretty good job, most probably because others have been really good about it. i also reconnected with a few, which usually makes me happy. this summer is also when i realized how much i really enjoy meeting people outside of the orange bubble, because it reminds me that not everyone in the world is pretentious and brainy. not that everyone @ princeton is, but they're just... a different flavor. i'm not sure how to describe it, but it was refreshing to meet people from all over, & i feel like i connected with way more people this summer than i may have in the past two years @ college.

which is why i've made my decision to try to study abroad in the spring. i love college, REALLY, but the thought of meeting more people, thriving in a foreign land and exploring the exotic and unusual is kinda exhilerating. in a way i think i enjoy being out of my element. obviously there are degrees to which i'm capable of lasting in that kinda environment without folding into the awkward and silent hyeree (which i'm terrible @ hiding), but i welcome the challenge. so i'm thinking australia. although it was a toss up between UQueensland and U of Capetown, i figure career & interest-wise, UQ would be better because of its focus/specialties in the psych field. and c'mon, AUSTRALIA! i'd be crazy not to go there. south africa will just have to wait for another spontaneous adventure with puffs<3 (sonrisas if you're reading this!) i'm also getting pretty serious about psychology, in that i have a geuine desire to learn more about it. i've been addicted to psychologytoday blogs this month, (as well as to FML & facebook photos...) and meeting Dr. Josephine Kim (aka exactly who i want to be in 10 years) at KASE gave me hope for making a real difference...though i'll have to wait till i'm at that stage of my life haha.

so here's to the summer. i yogurtlanded, little tokyo-ed, tried japanese ramen, watched some fantastic movies (say anything, 500 days of summer?! sigh) started some hilarious shows (the office, always sunny in philadelphia, scrubs), found some cool & relaxing SoCal spots (trump trail), beached twice or so, fell in love with farmer's market, and learned a little more how to love. i might be ready to head back east soon... but not before i say hi to a few people on the other side of the world first :)