Let the Torture (erm, finals) Begin!

1 week left of classes. 5 days left of my first semester of college. And then finals. How final is that?!
I've gotta tell you, this semester has gone by pretty fast. Of course, I say that now, looking back. I'm pretty sure back in August, I was both dreading and looking forward to school starting. On the one hand, who wants to go back to a schedule, to having to actually do something, after summer? But I was pretty ready to start college, to start a new experience. Boy, it's been an experience. Now I'm eagerly anticipating the end of this semester, so I can go back home (to a new house, no less), spend some much-needed time with my family (I've been missing them so much, especially since Christmas is right around the corner) and just chill. I haven't had tons of time to just relax, take it all in, and forget about all the worries that school brings. It doesn't help that the weekends, when I don't have much to do, have recently been spent on campus, so I can't really escape it. My Christmas break is a month long (a month--that's like twice as long as in high school!) so it really should give me the mind-clearing time I need. Only 11 days left, and I can finally leave!
But before I can do that, I've got to get through this last week of classes and of course, the hated final exams. I can already feel the stress building! Maybe it's because none of my professors have posted their finals study guide (um, get on that!) or maybe it's finally hitting me that it's not Thanksgiving break anymore and if I want to get out of here in one piece, I've gotta haul my way through five final exams, two of which are cumulative. Gulp!
So what's a stressed out girl to do? Well, caffeinate, for starters. Since Thursday, I have not gone a day without a coffee drink, be it a frappuccino from Starbucks (the caramel light frap with 1 pump gingerbread syrup--yep, I invented it and it's delish) or mixing up a cup of instant Starbucks Via in my room. I've gotta tell you, though, a Vanilla Via mixed with half a cup of chocolate peppermint soymilk really helps me push through my day. So am I addicted? Talk to me in a week! No, seriously, though, a lot of college students rely on coffee to help them get through finals and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be one of them.
Also, I'm trying to celebrate the season as much as I possibly can. I have a mini Christmas tree, a cute holiday tee my mom bought me from Hollister and I created a playlist of great Christmas songs on Pandora (one of my new addictions). Is it the same as coming home after school to see the big tree all lit up in the living room and watching cheesy holiday specials with my family? No, definitely not, but I had to compromise. It's not all bad, really, and it just makes me that much more excited to get home in less than 2 weeks and actually start celebrating.
I'm hoping all these little things help me survive this boring week of classes and the tough week of finals ahead of me. Oh, not to mention, actually studying :)

Black Friday Madness?

I'm not one of those insane people who wakes up at 3 am to hit the malls for Black Friday shopping. In fact, I've never done any Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving, not once in the 18 years I've been alive. But today I did go out with my dad to run some basic errands. So I felt like I was kind of a part of the Black Friday madness.
I've been feeling kinda sick since Wednesday. I've had some minor sinus headaches, a sore throat, a stuffed up nose and just achiness on and off, which hasn't been fun. I guess being around so many sick people in college finally caught up with me :( This morning, I woke up with another headache, I was sneezing a lot and couldn't seem to clear my nose. Around noon, my dad invited me to go run errands with him and he said I could pick out some stuff at Whole Foods to take back with me on Sunday. Well, how could I turn down a Whole Foods trip, even if it meant I had to go other, more boring stores? I tagged along, and I wasn't diasppointed.
First we went to Walmart, so my dad could pick up some Fresca (his favorite soda) and look for packing papers, since we're moving in a couple of weeks. I was surprised that the store was much less busy than it was on Tuesday when my mom took me and my sister to get Thanksgiving stuff. I guess all those insane people had already gone home after their early-morning buying frenzy. So we got in and out of there pretty quick, though we didn't find the packing papers and had to go to Lowe's to buy those. After Lowe's, my dad surprised me by taking me to Starbucks. I got the mocha light frappuccino with a pump of peppermint (just like I got on Tuesday, in my last post). And as soon as I started sipping the delicious drink, I felt better. My headache disappeared and I felt less congested. We went to Whole Foods next and their free samples, along with my Starbucks, helped keep my hunger at bay til we got home (I didn't have lunch until after 2, so I would have been pretty hungry without them). I picked out all the stuff I needed (including the delicious new Silk soymilk flavor, mint chocolate, which is a seasonal drink--I'm such a sucker for all things seasonal) and we left. I loved having the time to just talk with my dad about stuff while we made our way home.

So my Black Friday wasn't hectic like some people's, but it was just the way I like it--quality time with my family, getting out of the house for a couple of hours and Starbucks!

Sister Time



Goofing around in the CSU bookstore



Me and my almost-15-year-old sister are close. Really close. Despite the miles between us most of the time (since I'm away at college, of course), we manage to stay almost as connected as before I moved out. We get along a little better, too, because when we're around each other, we know we have a limited time to spend together, so we try to make the most of it. I'm really enjoying Thanksgiving break--we've had 4 days together already and we have 5 more ahead of us. And Christmas break will be even better, since I have a whole month at home! I'm really excited for that, but I'm also having a good time right now.

This afternoon was the first time that it was just the two of us hanging out. Our mom dropped us off at a Starbucks so she could run a few errands and we were pumped to get our Starbucks fix. We only go once a month at most so it's a real treat for us (there aren't any within walking distance of CSU and I don't have a car up there). My sister's not a fan of coffee, and I only like it if it's in latte form, but we both LOVE Starbucks. We were especially excited about the holiday drinks that are now available. My sister loves the Frappuccinos (she usually gets the strawberries and creme one) so she got the peppermint mocha frapp. I really don't like whipped cream, so when I get a frapp I always get the light version. I ordered the mocha light frapp with a pump of peppermint. I really like the combination of chocolate and mint, but I don't like too much sweetness so I just got one pump of the peppermint so it wouldn't be overwhelming.
It was a really, really good drink! Even though it was in the 40s outside (and people kept opening the door near our table so we couldn't take our jackets off), I thought my drink was even better because it was cold. Peppermint is such a refreshing flavor, and it's so much better cold. I was a little surprised by how much I liked my drink, and I'm definitely going to order it again soon. My sis loved her drink too; we exchanged sips and we both liked each other's drinks. But the best part wasn't the drinks, it was talking and laughing together, complaining about the cold in a joking way and just catching up. Not really talking about school, but just bonding. It was one of the best afternoons I've had in a while.
I know the next few days will be busy with prepping for the big day (Thanksgiving, of course), but I hope to continue to spend some quality time with my little sister. We're best friends, and I hope our close relationship lasts the rest of our lives. After all, sisters are the closest friends and the worst enemies...I hope there aren't too many 'enemy' moments!

Me (left) and my sister in Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Park
over the summer