Updated Acceptances, Never Settle Rant, Salsaing

So I have recently accepted or committed to a school for Fall 2014 named CSU Channel Islands, doubting that no other school would admit me. San Francisco State has yet to email me about sending them my transcripts, which made me completely upset, but guess what happen? Cal Poly Pomona emailed me last night. Their email said something like this: 
"Dear Stephanie Reyes,
Congratulations! You have been admitted to Cal Poly Pomona for the Fall Quarter 2014 as a(n) English Major"

Cal Poly Pomona is known for their architecture
 http://www.aialosangeles.org/calendar/what-s-where-academia-practice#.UzSbbPldU8o

After I read that email last night, two thoughts ran through my head, one was how is this real life right now? and the other, I'm smarter than I give myself credit for.  Seriously, I never even considered going to this school at all and its in Pomona, two hours away from Santa Barbara. I decided I might have to keep my options open and not be committed yet, but I'm pretty sure un-committing to CI will cost me. So I'm going to kept it as is and pretend I've completely made up my mind. 

Email from CI

This is a great lesson for my fellow transfer students and future ones too, never settle! This can also be applied to other things for example:
-Never settled for relationships, because you never know when someone(the right one) might come out of nowhere and swept you off your feet.
-Never settle for a job you dislike, because there's many out there that are looking for someone with your talent.
-Never settle for grades. I know college is difficult, but if your getting a "C" in essays or tests or quizzes because you studied or did it the night before, imagine what your grade would be if you actually tried?

You get my point, just don't settle promise?  
And I'm not saying CSU Channel Islands is a not a great school, but I just want to consider all my options and being admitted to Cal Poly Pomona made me realize that. I also have to decide what school could offer me the best education, who knows maybe it is Channel Islands...

At the Dance Studio, after learning Salsa

Anyways, I hope your enjoying your break! I actually learned to Salsa dance for my sister's dance piece, obviously I won't be salsaing in it, but it was such a random and entertaining experience. I'm pretty good at it, not gonna lie. Oh yeah and I forgot to tell you guys my real name is Stephanie, (noting the email in the first paragraph) yeah don't call me that.

Until next time,

-KIKI REYES 

First day of Spring Break whats with the weather Santa Barbara?

Today is the first day of Spring Break! I hope everyone takes the time to relax and create new memories with family and friends. Make great decisions and let's all come back in one piece. I'll probably take this time to catch up on my sleep. (The picture below is a snapchat my friend Alexia sent to everyone. I was falling asleep at my friend, Billy's house)

Honestly, what's up with the weather here? I imagined myself tanning on the beach reading my American Literature novel, that I'm so behind on its crazy. Oh well, no use for complaining we just gotta make the best of it.

Honestly I can really say I'm living the Yolo life, right there.

-KIKI REYES

SBCC Summer School Photo Shoot

Today was a beautiful day to help our lovely graphic designer, Melanie Belanger (SBCC marketing department) shoot her picture for the SBCC Summer school brochure. I decided to recruit basically half of my acting class. Okay that's a bit exaggerated, but I did asked some of acting classmates to meet me at our shooting location in the afternoon and they listened to me! And let me tell you, they sure didn't know what they were getting themselves into. 

( Photo Credit: http://www.sbcc.edu/) This is not the picture that we took, but this is where it took place:)

We all met at the fountain (on the West Campus) and were quite a diverse group. Melanie's vision of this brochure could be summed up in one word "Sunshine." Some of us were on the grass, others had their feet in the fountain water, and some of us were sitting down on fountain. She took a few shots until we were done. I can not wait to see the finish product. I'll be the one in bright blue listening to my new friend playing guitar. He and I were not music compatible. I was trying to get him to play a song I knew, but I didn't know what bands he liked he didn't know my bands, it was a hot mess. His friend joked after the shoot, that we were basically set up on a really bad blind date. Hahaha! 

It was awesome to see everyone interact and talk to each other outside of our acting class. I'm glad they enjoy themselves.


Well thanks to all who made this possible and hopefully the brochure comes out soon...

-KIKI REYES

Hiking, Kayaking, Babysitting, Refresh

Left to right: Me, Jasmine, Blair, and Zoey

With two midterms down from last week, I decided to take this weekend to distract myself from the stress and just embrace this beautiful city I live in. I went hiking with my sister and a couple of friends on Friday. We took tunnel road and went up to inspiration point. It only took us an hour and a half, which is probably the best time I've done getting up and coming down. It also wasn't too hot or too cold considering the time we went was around five. It really was relaxing and such a great stress-reliever.


I also went kayaking this afternoon. At the Santa Barbara Sailing Center you can rent a single kayak for an hour, for only five dollars. You would have to show your student id card for the student discount of course. They also have paddle boarding, which I tried last year-it was pretty challenging and its basically all about balancing. I definitely prefer kayaking.

Despite me working on the weekdays, I also babysit on the weekends. That's what I spent my Saturday doing. I really love these kids though, one is a boy who's three and the other is a girl who's nine. Man, were they so filled with energy! I was chasing them around their house, then I  decided to  take them to the park so they could scream and run freely. It was a nice day out, so I took them to get ice cream and we went back to the park to sit on the grass. We picked flowers and rode around in tricycles and scooters, like cool kids. Babysitting really makes me forget about all my adult problems and makes me focus on my kids and how I can make them enjoy themselves.  They really make me laugh.

A flower my kid put in my hair :)

Well now that I'm rejuvenated, I can start off my week more relaxed. I'm ready to take down my next two midterms.

-KIKI REYES

Sitting with Strangers, Meditation, Transferring

Monday afternoon at Shoreline Park

Apparently, its considered weird to sit at a table with a stranger you don't know. I do it all the time because one, I don't like sitting alone and two, its nice to make a new friend. I was waiting for a friend, Vincent outside the West Campus Cafe and I decided I would sit at a table with someone, while I waited. I asked "Hey you don't mind if I sit here?" She said "No, its fine." This girl was studying and typing on her laptop. So my friend comes out and sits at the table with me. And later our friend Blair, whom we were meeting to study, comes over and sits. We discuss our days and complaints which results in laughter, I'm not sure what we were laughing about honestly. Vincent turns over to the girl, who we now took over her table, and says "Sorry we're being loud, wait so how do you know Kiki?" She says "I don't." Blair and Vincent look over at me and laugh hysterically, which makes me and the girl join in. After a few more moments there,we got up and headed to the library. They asked me while walking, "I can't believe you do that" and "That's so funny I've never heard of someone sitting with strangers". It's weird to think that's normal to me. 

Hey, one day your reading my blog and the next I'll be blogging about an awkward moment I had with you. Hahaha its likely. 

Wednesday Afternoon West campus 

The weather right now, in Santa Barbara, is teasing us. Right before my presentation for my American Literature class yesterday, my friend Alexia and I decided to relax on the grass and embrace the beautiful day. I laid down and closed my eyes, taking several deep breaths in and out. At that moment I felt peace.  I forgot about the monologue I had to do for acting and my decision of what would happen if I got accepted by San Francisco would I go? Am I ready to go? Well if I got accepted... All of those thoughts faded away and all I heard instead were students walking to class, birds chirping, and cars miles away. The sunlight felt so gentle on my skin, as if it was an innocent kiss. My day seem to be much easier after I took the time to mediate in the sun, but I wish I spent the day at the beach instead. Luckily, Spring Break is right around the corner! 

Ooooh also I got invited to take a campus tour of Channel Islands and meet other admitted students. Obviously, I'm there a lot so I'm probably gonna pass on that offer. I feel like the semester is going by really fast and soon I'll be moving to Camarillo and I decided if I get accepted to San Francisco State. I'll probably go there instead. Either way I'm transferring soon, which is crazy, but I think I'm ready for new experiences and to sit next to new strangers.

-KIKI REYES  

Past week, Channel Islands again, Choreographing

Hello friends and readers and readers and friends,


I've been extremely busy the past week if you guys were wondering where I was... I've been at school. So this week I have two midterms, a presentation, and a monologue. Its stressful, but its manageable. I decided to take a train and visit my sister at Channel Islands this weekend because I really needed a break from the stress here. I was able to get some work done in their beautiful library. (picture to the right, curiosity of my snapchat)

I've been helping my sister choreograph for a dance piece for an upcoming performance. Her dance piece is about cultural identity and the awesome part about it, is her music was produced by my friend and I. I went to one if the practices and saw her dancers interpret the choreography my sister and I have been working on. Its amazing! I'm so excited to see the finished product. I also get credit for helping choreograph the piece, I can't wait to put that on my resume next to driving school receptionist and Halloween store sales associate.

I'll keep you guys updated and I promise not to take such a long break from blogging :)

-KIKI REYES