Mardi Gras Madness

And the madness HAS officially begun. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the amazing and spectacular show you are about to see here in the city of New Orleans. No hurricane can knock this out of us– the party spirit lives on forever!

Here are a few shots to commemorate the parade experience- this parade is called Endymion, and it’s one of the biggest during Mardi Gras.






This parade for some reason went by VERY slowly, and we had plenty of time to goof off and act silly in between the floats. They had high school bands playing in it, as well as a few jazz bands, and when they played our Saints song, we went crazy dancing, as you can see!

One Year Later

It’s officially been one year since I started blogging. I remember my first entry last year was about Valentine’s Day, and about noticing my Valentine blissfully snoring on my floor. I was so excited then, so enthused about the day and everything about it. It was the only year that I’ve really celebrated Valentine’s Day with someone else.

Well let me tell you how that story ended . . . . my Valentine and I decided to part ways a few days after that. Though initially we were excited, it turned out that our personalities just didn’t mesh the way we thought they would, and we had VERY different standards when it came to what was and was not appropriate for that stage in our friendship/relationship. It was a strange way to end something that held so much promise but I can more than confidently say it was a good end for both of us!

I saw him today, in organic chemistry lab, and laughed to myself. How much life has changed in the past year . . . it made me think . . .

In the last year, what have I learned?

I learned that life at Tulane is not a piece of cake, I learned that working hard does earn rewards, and I learned that there is certainly a balance between having too much fun and not enough. It’s crucial to find that balance to survive in this college environment, and when you do, life is absolutely amazing!

And specifically, in regards to Valentine’s Day, I learned that the real Valentines are not the ones that show up at your door with roses, or serenade you with their violin, or take you someplace fancy. The real Valentines are the people that are there to wish you, hug you, and tell you they love you . . . . year after year. So here’s to all my real Valentines out there: My family, especially my mother, who called just to wish me, and my high school friends who are still with me even though they’re all far away. At Tulane, I just have one person that meets that definition.

This year, at Tulane, I just have one Valentine: my friend Iris. We celebrated last year as we will this year. Since then, we’ve become inducted into the same sorority, picked our majors, been through good times and bad, and earned the nickname “Yin and Yang” for how different we are but how we still seem to click anyways.

I’m lucky because at this school I get to expand my horizons with people like her that I’d never expect to meet but do and fall in love with along the way!

Me, Iris, and our dear friend Caroline at Bruff last year









Me and Iris now– how we’ve changed!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Exam Weekend

This weekend is exam weekend . . . much to my dismay. It’s the beginning of the Mardi Gras festivities and I find myself in my room . . . studying. Unfortunately I happen to have an exam in Organic Chemistry II and Brain and Behavior on Monday and Tuesday . . . and I’m not the only one. I know so many students in the same dilemma with several tests stacked up early next week– especially all us premeds taking two or three sciences at once.

But at least after its over, we’re home free until Mardi Gras is over. That’s one of the best parts of living in this city–people understand how important it is for us to let loose and have a little fun. And since Mardi Gras is on my birthday and Lundi Gras falls on my old suitemate’s . . .w ell we’re definitely going to have a little fun. I can’t wait til the parades . . . . all the gorgeous floats and beads and stuffed animals and more!!!

People are starting their “parading” this weekend and its certainly unfortunate that I won’t be there for that . . . but its ok. After four days of hardcore studying, I’m sure Mardi Gras season will be a well-deserved break!

And its back to the books for me . . . .

Classes get in the way of college

So this week is like Study Week 2007. It’s rather difficult to literally hole myself up in my room and refuse to move at all . . . but it’s necessary. Because without such restrictions, I inevitably find some way to get out there and socialize.

See, that’s what I like the most about a small campus. Everybody knows everybody else, and every time you step out of your room you run into someone you know, and then you stop and chat. You think it only holds you up a minute or two . . until you do it five times on the way to class and on the way back!

This weekend was a social one for me- my friend had her birthday celebration at Vincent’s on St. Charles. We all had a great time . . . and then we went back to her dorm and chilled out, played games, and talked. Unfortunately this also meant that we didn’t accomplish much else that night . . and didn’t wake up early the next day. Another friend had had a birthday party the previous night, and that was yet another night of nothing but fun. So finally . . . .the need to study has caught up with me.

What can I say? Classes get in the way of college for me! There’s just too much fun to be had!

But this week . . . my only friends are my organic book, my physics homework, and my brain and behavior notes!

Welcome to February

Welcome to February, guys!

For me its always been the month of my birthday and Valentine’s Day, and last year, Valentine’s Day was my first blog entry. Just to give an update– that Valentine’s Day, though memorable at times, turned about to be mostly a fiasco. In fact, I’m not even sure how I can top last year’s adventures this year!

But this year, February is also the month of Mardi Gras . . . . which incidentally falls right on my 20th birthday. One of my friends is going to be in a parade and promised to throw me something good from the floats. My birthday is February the 20th, and I was always jealous of those kids that had their birthdays in the summer or fall because nothing exciting happens in the middle of February. You can’t even have a pool party.

So I woke up this morning, stretched, saw it was raining and very cold outside and despite all that, cheered because it is my month of the year. And this year millions of other people will be celebrating all month long with me!

Amethyst, the birthstone for February

Car= Freedom

So today was a happy day: I finally brought my car from Friendswood, Texas to New Orleans. It was a long drive, and very arduous, but totally worth it. My friend came with me and I dropped her off at her house on the West Bank before I came back to Tulane. And as I drove away from the West Bank, on the i-10 bridge over the Mississippi, I couldn’t help but think about what having a car means: freedom.

I felt like I was 17 all over again, when I first actually got to be a primary driver on my dad’s car. It was exhilirating, thinking about the possibilities. And not that I’m going to drive into the sunset or anything, but it is nice thinking about it. It’s great to have in emergencies, great to take downtown for my upcoming job, and wonderful for doing groceries. It makes life a lot easier as I can do things on my time, and not on others’. I don’t have to depend on anybody to give me a ride, or pick me up, or take me someplace like Walmart. Walmart is now just one short drive away . . . as is everything else.

But then as I thought further, I thought about how many times I’m actually going to go off to Walmart or anywhere else with my car. The reality? Probably only when I really need to . . . . once a week or so. I don’t see myself suddenly eating off campus every night or shopping every day. I see myself usually it practically and frugally. So the best part of having a car is not the actuality . . . but just the idea of having one!!!

This is sort of what my car looks like, except it is beige!

RHA Plans

Today was the first general body meeting of the Residential Hall Association. Now probably this sounds cool, but not many readers know what it is. It’s a body literally comprised of every student living on campus. We oversee all the individual dorm Residential Hall Governments, work WITH Resident Advisors and the Housing and Resident Life staff, and provide funding for programs. Not many people on campus know who we are either . . . and right now, we’re a group of ex-presidents and vice presidents from freshman dorms that decided to keep on moving up! I’m the VP of Public Relations . . . . though really if anything, I’m part of a team of people dedicated to making life in dorms more fun!

So now its our goal to be known! My plan is to throw some kind of huge charity benefit . . . in the new UC. Turns out they have a ballroom, a HUGE one, where you can throw parties like this. In fact. another group on campus is already planning a Dance Marathon, where people will be dancing or on their feet for 24 hours!

The new UC makes life a LOT more interesting for all of us. Prior to it, there was really no place on campus where we could host a huge campus wide event. There is a ballroom in one of our dorms, Josephine Louise, but it is an all-girls dorm which makes it difficult for boys to come into the building for an event. There are various other rooms in other dorms . . . but none large enough to fit a huge crowd.

So . . . . for everyone reading this: if you have any suggestions for my big party- email me!!! The RHA would certainly appreciate it!

Andrew, the VP of Finance, Dan, the President, and Nene, the VP of Administration hard at work!