Slanted Rays

An image from Soka University of America at sunset. The image looks over a large balcony with a tree in front of it and vines along the walls. In the background, there are trees, mountains, and residential halls. Hello! I have been going through it . The Terrible, Horrible, Not Good, Very Bad thoughts that maybe I am an awful human being who has repressed their evil tendencies down so deeply that even they sometimes forget about their demon-like nature have returned in full force. Everyone asks me about study abroad and post-graduation plans. I want to give them the answers they want ("Study abroad was great! I have a plan for my post-graduation life, and I am excited for it!") Instead, I have to give disappointing answers. ("Study abroad had its ups and downs. I don't really have a plan for after graduation.") I am frustrated about having spent all this time in college only to be as sad and confused as when I started. I wish I was really passionate about ...

The view from my new dorm room's window. There are three tall, groomed cypress trees placed at intervals along the photo. In the background, there are tan residence halls with prominent windows. It is a bright, sunny day. Hello! I am writing this blog post from my very cluttered new dorm room. My plan for September is to blog at least 3 times/week, but any consistent post schedule I had planned has been foiled by the chaos of moving back into Soka. I think we'll try Wednesday/Friday/Sunday, and then regroup if that plan is unsuccessful. This is a video of all of the boxes, clutter, and genuine chaos that made up my room yesterday afternoon. Since then, I have made some progress on cleaning/unpacking, but much of that progress has been a result of shoving most of my stuff in my shelving unit. Despite the stress of returning to school/setting up my room again/unpacking all of my stuff, I am so glad to be back! On study abroad, I often found myse...

This image is titled "Illa Zink bookkeeper at Conejos County Hospital", and I found it on Wikimedia Commons . The image features a woman with graying hair pulled into a bun and a pair of half-rimmed glasses. She is looking at papers to her left, and she has her hands poised to type on a typewriter. I chose this photo because I spent some time today typing up my handwritten drafts. Hello! I started my day today by waking up just over an hour and a half later than I had intended. Awake Lydia is determined to get their sleep schedule back on track, but Asleep Lydia is defiant and insistent on sleeping through any and all alarms. After eating breakfast, taking out the trash, and taking my dog on a short walk, I began the task of finishing up my post-camp work. I edited, re-wrote, drafted, and paced around my house until I was done. Now, I am in the post-project-completion coma phase. I am currently reading Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang. I am confused and disappoint...

This is an image of my desk during Fall Semester 2018. On the right side of the photo, there is a vintage Singer sewing machine which, unfortunately, does not work. To the left of the sewing machine, there is a crate books inside. On top of the crate, there is a stack of Rookie Yearbooks with a crocheted jellyfish (wearing glasses) on top of it, and a picture frame containing a print that reads "all the time". To the left of the crate, there are a few more books. In lieu of a proper bookend, I have placed a tarot deck (stored in a black makeup bag) and a book-themed Halloween decoration (featuring book spines with the words "Potions", "Hexes", and "Spells") to keep my books from toppling over. I chose this photograph because, unlike my current desk, this desk looks like it belongs to someone who creates monthly goals. Hello! At the start of this month, I made a list of goals. As September 1 draws near, I am l...