New Year's Resolution 2010

T'his year my New Year's Resolutions are probably the MOST IMPORTANT ones in my entire life. In 2010 I need to move onto the real world, so my resolutions revolve around how I'm going to get on my feet after graduation and being my life. They are as follows:

1. Graduate - While this may sound like common sense, it's one of the hardest things and most important things I need to do this year. I'm taking 19 credits this spring plus an additional 6 Italian credits this summer in order to officially receive my diploma. Let's hope I can pull through.

2. Get a Job - Like any other college grad, it's a priority to find a job this summer. I'm looking at jobs in the teaching field, so none of them will start until early fall. Apparently Spanish teachers are in high demand so maybe I'll luck out.

3. Find an apartment - So, my mom really wants me to move out. She keeps telling me that I need to be out on my own and learn what it's like to be in an apartment. I think it's too soon and I'd rather live at home for a year, but oh well. Looking for some cheap apartments [and a roommate for 2010 - 2011, if you're interested, call me!]

No, I'm not gonna make a resolution to be "lose 10 lbs" because we all know that's not happening, LOL. [well maybe it will, but making it my resolution isn't gonna motivate me, trust me]. Instead, I will motivate myself to lose a few pounds mainly because I'm going to Italy this summer. Anyway, these 3 resolutions are the most realistic for me and the most crucial for me to survive this year. Bring it on 2010 - Let's do this!

Peace & Love,

Candace

So Starstruck at 3:30 am

Funny Story.

Last night I went to bed at around 1:30 am. I sleep here in my brother's room [which is actually my Grandparents room, but they're out of the country, and they have two beds in the room] because he has a TV and I don't like falling asleep in the dark. We usually stay up pretty late, but I was out cold last night. So he tells me that at around 3:30 am I was moving around and making noises like I usually do when I'm sleeping. Then, he heard that I wasn't snoring so he didn't think I was fully asleep at the moment, and he asked me if I wanted anything to drink since he was going downstairs for a minute. Apparently I turned around, with my eyes still closed, and said "so starstruck cherry cherry cherry cherry boom boom" from the Lady GaGa song "Starstruck" and then went back to bed!! By the way, these lyrics are currently my facebook status.

L O L

So, I guess now we know officially that I'm so addicted to Lady GaGa that I sing her lyrics in my sleep. Awesome and Creepy!

Peace & Love,

Candace

"I read that on your Twitter"

I joined Twitter about a year and a half ago when Alissa and Trisha convinced me that it was the new "thing." I'm always down for being in on the new social media tools before they become too popular, so of course I was on board. Since then, I've become an avid "Twitter-er" if you will, having over 3,500+ tweets and 270+ followers.

Recently the funniest thing for me has been "I read that on your Twitter." You see, if there's anything you really want to know about what I'm feeling, how my day is, the things I'm thinking about, what I'm doing these days - read my twitter. I disclose it all. So what ends up happening is when I start to tell someone a story (especially my roommate Alissa), I'll get into the first sentence and someone will end it with "I read that on your Twitter." LOL.

Moral of the story: Since I disclose most of my personal life on my twitter, I don't really need tell people who follow me on twitter my stories since they probably already know. They know more about me than I do sometimes. hahaha.

Peace & Love,

Candace

Christmas Overview 2009

Today was Christmas. Boy was it a wild ride of emotions! We opened presents today at midnight. We didn't do too many gifts this year, the economy has hit the Avalos family pretty badly. I got some deodorant, lotions, hair products, socks, some gift cards, fleece PJ pants, and a sweater. The sweater was definitely my favorite. I'm sure I'll be wearing it at least once a week for the rest of the winter. JMU is gonna get sick of this big ball of red and blue yarn, trust me.

I think we're coming to terms as a family that Christmas from now on will be very small. It's nice that the boys are starting to get it, so they aren't too demanding. The youngest is 10, so they're growing up. My mom still went out and bought gifts even though we told her not to! Erick was a little sad because he said we didn't have enough Christmas spirit, so mom went out and bought gifts. I don't think Christmas spirit = go buy gifts, but that's just me. It was good all in all, but again, like last year, mom didn't get a lot of presents - only ones from her job. I felt bad but I just couldn't afford it. I have $20 to my name, and I have a $460 rent bill due the first. FML.

Christmas day was pretty lazy, we kind of just sat around and watched movies. I mean, in my world that's a day well spent, but that's just because I can be a couch potato sometimes. Then later, my brother's MMA coach took them to watch Avatar, and then Jr texts me to say that he's staying at their house for the night. It kind of annoyed me, considering it's Christmas and that's time I believe should be spent with the family. That's a lot coming from me, considering I don't really like my family that much all the time. I mean, if there's one day of the year that you should all like each other, it's definitely Christmas. Oh well, I was tired of the Cabin Fever so I watched NINE - good movie, please watch it!

Now I'm sitting in my bed, watching 80s movies until I fall asleep. Christmas this year was pretty calm and still jam packed with emotions (mom gave me pep talks that I really didn't want) but overall I guess it was alright. Honestly, it's just another day, not too exciting really. Anyway, I hope y'all had a good Christmas!

Peace & Love,

Candace

True Life: I'm addicted to Lady GaGa

Lately I've been addicted to Lady Gaga - I can't help it. So I got to thinking, what is it that really attracts me to her? Here's what I thought up:

1. Her Beats - The tunes on her songs are so different. They're edgy and poppy and disco techno-y, it's a huge mix of beats! Plus, a lot of her song's beats are pretty different and unexpected, although she still holds a level of consistency so that it's not too epileptic sounding.

2. Her Lyrics - "Got my ass squeezed by sexy cupid"? "Vertigo Stick"? "Can't read my poker face"? C'mon, you never know what will hit you in Lady GaGa's songs! That's what I love about it, I love being surprised with a lyric, I love that feeling of going "wait, WHAT?" and having to go home and google the lyrics to make sure I heard correctly. It's exciting!

3. Her Sytle - It's creepy, it's cool, it's sexy, it's disturbing - it's everything! Anyone who has the balls to walk out of the house looking like this earns my respect (in a completely delusional way):

I love fashion that breaks boundaries. Fashion that's inventive and defiant. Fashion that makes people jealous ONLY BECAUSE they know they can't get away with it - who else can wear her clothes honestly! Beyonce tried to in her new song "Video Phone" and frankly I thought it was a disaster. Leave the kooky outfits for the GaGa.

4. Her Rebellion - Celebrities are too safe sometimes. Oh but not Lady GaGa! She'll wear leotards in public, speak openly about gay rights, curse on camera, whatever it is, it's awesome. Keep doing it GaGa, us little monsters are eating it all up!

Now put it all together and what do you get?

Peace & Love,

Candace

Emo, Punk, Scene, & Goth

People are always complaining about how no one can tell the difference between what is Emo, Punk, Scene and Goth, so I'm here to put some information out there all in one place - let's clear up all the confusion!

Of course the first thing I'm gonna do is turn to Wikipedia, my favorite researching tool:

Emo (pronounced /ˈiːmoʊ/) is a style of rock music typically characterized by melodic musicianship and expressive, often confessional lyrics. It originated in the mid-1980s hardcore punk movement of Washington, D.C., where it was known as "emotional hardcore" or "emocore" and pioneered by bands such as Rites of Spring and Embrace. As the style was echoed by contemporary American punk bands, its sound and meaning shifted and changed, blending with pop punk and indie rock and encapsulated in the early 1990s by groups such as Jawbreaker and Sunny Day Real Estate. By the mid 1990s numerous emo acts emerged from theMidwestern and Central United States, and several independent record labels began to specialize in the style.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo

Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. They created fast, hard-edged music, typically with short songs, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political, anti-establishment lyrics. Punk embraces a DIY (do it yourself) ethic, with many bands self-producing their recordings and distributing them through informal channels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk_rock

Gothic rock (also referred to as goth rock or simply goth) is a musical subgenre of Post-Punk and Alternative Rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punkscenes. The genre itself was defined as a separate movement from punk rock during the early 1980s largely due to the significant stylistic divergences of the movement; gothic rock, as opposed to punk, combines dark, often keyboard-heavy music with introspective and depressing lyrics. Notable gothic rock bands include Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Sex Gang Children,The Cure, Joy Division, Radio Werewolf, The Sisters of Mercy, and Fields of the Nephilim, among many others. Gothic rock gave rise to a broader goth subculture that includes clubs, various fashion trends and numerous publications that grew in popularity in the 1980s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goth_music

And since Wikipedia couldn't figure out what I meant when I typed in "scene" here is the definition according to UrbanDictionary.com [clearly another credible source]

The word "scene" coves a large spectrum throughout recent history, but its most modern definition is used to describe certian subcultures and movements. The most notoriously famous and targeted is the alternative music scene, or more specifically, branches of the alternative music scene such as hardcore, indie, fashoionxcore, etc. A breed of scenesters (people on the scene) has begun to come to the forefront. These scenesters are usually very music-savvy and loyal to a few specific genres (typically hardcore, metal, indie, retro, 80's new wave, classic rock, etc. to name a few), of which they dress to exemplify.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=scene&defid=1449447

Well folks, there you have it, perfectly stated. Do you get it now? Still no? Here are some videos that might help:

Well now I get it. I'm glad I did a little research to help clear the air, and I hope it helps you figure it out too. It's time the world knew the difference between these very different and complex styles of people! Class is over my friends.

Peace & Love,

Candace

The Art of Big Sister-ing

(This is Erick on the left, Junior on the right, and my mom stabbing us with smore sticks behind us haha)

As I get older and my two brothers get older I've learned more and more about the precious Art of Big Sister-ing. Being the oldest in the family is definitely a challenge as you try to be a role model but still be the "cool sister" and help your siblings grow. I am realizing now though, that this job is a lot harder than I ever thought it was...

Erick, the youngest, 10 years old, has a few problems. His self-confidence is lacking and he is a little chubby. Trying to motivate someone for problems that you personally have is not easy. As a sister you only want the best for them, and you'll do anything you can for them. But how do you give a 10 year old self confidence when they don't even know how to spell it, much less understand it?

Junior, the middle child, 13 years old, is a little trouble maker. The principal's office is like his second home and detention is playtime for him. I'm definitely learning that I don't know what goes on in the mind of a 13 year old boy. He wants to be a good kid, but he just gets tangled up with the wrong people. That happened to me when I was in 7th grade, I was a bad egg and it wasn't until I dropped my loser friends that I actually got my act together. But how do you explain to a 13 year old that they need to make a grown up decision like that?

I don't know if I'm doing a good job because honestly I'm struggling to keep these boys in check. Also, you have to realize the boundaries between what you can do as a big sister, and what the parents are supposed to do. I know my mom means well, but I can definitely understand where my brothers are coming from when she starts to act all crazy. Been there done that. I guess that's how life works though, you figure it out as it comes to you. Not much you can prepare for eh?

So, any advice?

Peace & Love,

Candace

Money in the Bank

It's official.

My loan went through for my senior year at JMU -- looks like you couldn't get rid of me!

Now that I know I can stay at JMU, I have not been spending much time thinking about how scary it is gonna be when I graduate. I'm just too happy to be here that I am not missing a single moment! I'm living life and lovin' it.

So what to do? I turn 21 in 2 weeks, that should be a blast. Gonna go out with my friends, get good grades (already on the right track for that) and rock this year in DG and SGA. This is my year. I'm a SENIOR and I'm gonna live it up! Holler.

Peace & Love,

Candace

Bands I've seen in Concert

Bands I've seen in concert: ♫ Fall Out Boy * ♫ All American Rejects ♫ Hawthorne Heights ♫ Muse [x 2] * ♫ From First to Last ♫ October Falls ♫ We are the fury ♫ My Chemical Romance ♫ Gogol Bordello [x 2] * ♫ Lifehouse ♫ Colbie Caillait ♫ Goo Goo Dolls ♫ Los Amigos Invisibles * ♫ Cold War Kids ♫ Jimmy Eat World * ♫ Paramore ♫ Red Jumpsuit Apparatus ♫ Finger Eleven ♫ Angels & Airwaves ♫ Silverchair [x 2] * ♫ Shiny Toy Guns ♫ Starting Line ♫ Dear Dear [x 4] * ♫ The Bravery ♫ Dear Future ♫ The Spice Girls * ♫ Pattern is Movement ♫ Secret Ninja Death Squad ♫ Mirrorcage ♫ Peachcake * ♫ The Helio Sequence ♫ Karate High School ♫ Foxy Shazam ♫ Third Eye Blind * ♫ Days Difference ♫ Angelo Spencer ♫ Kimya Dawson * ♫ Spoonboy ♫ Prodigal Son * = my favvves!

Ex-Vegetarian

EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT

CANDACE IS NO LONGER A VEGETARIAN

Yes, the headlines are correct. But before you start jumping to conclusions, let me give you the 411 on this decision, because it's quite loaded!

Myth: I went back because I really missed meat and I couldn't take it anymore.

Fact: My doctor basically told me that I couldn't do it anymore. I wasn't getting the right nutrients I needed because I just didn't have many options being in college and all. Plus, being vegetarian can be expensive if you really get all the right foods! I wish I could have stayed a vegetarian, but I hope to go back to it one day honestly.

Now, while I may have gone back for health reasons, don't think for one moment that I'm not still passionate about animal rights. It's something that's a part of me, and I will continue to advocate for humane rights in the meat industry. So I haven't just thrown away all my morals out the window is what I'm trying to say, so like I always say, "don't judge me" =)

That's pretty much the news in a nutshell. Any questions?

Peace & Love,

Candace

Crime and Punishment Museum Re-Cap

So today I went to the Crime and Punishment Museum today in Washington, D.C. and it was probably one of the best museums I've ever been to! I went with my mom and my brother Erick -- mom took the day off work to spend time with me since I'm leaving for school on Thursday. It was completely interactive and I have never learned so much about crime. There was so much that I just can't fit it all into one blog post, it would take up 3 pages worth! But I'll just give you a few highlights from my trip...

I really liked learning about the crime fighting animals like dogs and horses. There was a story of a man who was over in Iraq with a K9 (which apparently is a play on words, "canine"). They loved each other so much that when a bomb went off leaving the man dead and the dog seriously injured and wimpering in pain, the dog stuck to the man refusing to

leave his side when other officials tried to get him out of the action. Obviously touched by this, the family then tr

ied to adopt the dog in honor of their son. Get this -- the military wouldn't let the dog be adopted because they said "he still had 2 years of military service left" -- LOL can you believe that?! Nuts! Eventually they did let him go, making him the first dog to have early retirement from the military. It was nice that they had something commemorating these animals that while they can't speak are still brave advocates against crime -- don't you think they deserve to be recognized?

One of my other favorite displays was the whole America's Most Wanted section. I learned a lot more about it today and it was really cool. I didn't know a lot of John Walsh's stor

y, so it was interesting to learn about Adam Walsh and the "Adam Alert." Did you know that since the beginning of America's Most Wanted 20 years ago they've got over 1,000 criminals!

!! You've got to admit that's impressive! The whole exhibit about the AMW had pictures of the list of most wanted individuals, interactive displays, information and updates on crimes, etc. The best part was where you went into a roomwith a camera and a tv, you sat on a chair and next

to it was a red button. You click the red button and all of a sudden John Walsh comes on the screen and basically starts talking about a criminal that's on the loose with "25 tattoos that all say 'mom' on it" and how AMW isn't looking for them but someone is, and lo and behold, YOU show up on the screen lol! It was very clever, they talked about how you were the criminal! It was hilarious, I was giggling like crazy, and then John Walsh says "the criminal has a childish laugh" and I was like uhhh how'd they know haha! Was that programmed or did it just detect that I laugh like a little kid, OR am I paranoid about my laugh? But that's another story haha! Anyway, it was a blast and one of my favorite exhibits.

I could talk all day about all of the fun things I learned about like Bonnie and Clyde's story, Al Capone's fancy prison cell, the meaning behind gang tattoos, how some prisons help prisoners get a college degree, the evolution of guns, the dumbest criminals, everything you need to know about crime scenes, etc etc etc, but I just don't have all day to type these things out -- I do have a life believe it or not! So I'll leave you with this, GO VISIT THIS MUSEUM, if you don't you'll regret it. It's a little pricey, like $20 for adults, but it's worth it. We were there for like 5 hours and I could have stayed longer if I really wanted to but we were hungry so we went to Chinatown Garden to eat haha! Ultimate lesson: DON'T COMMIT CRIMES, Duh!

Peace & Love,

Candace

Money CAN Buy Love!

So I was thinking today about one of my recently favorite movies, "The Nanny Diaries" and how Grover (the kid) is talking to Annie (the nanny) about how when he grows up he wants to have a huge beach house. Mind you, this kid's parents are crazy rich, so living in the life of luxury is not uncommon for him. Then Annie responds, "Just remember Grove, Money Can't Buy Love" but then Grover responds "Yeah but mommy pays you money and I love you!"

At first glance you'd think, "haha, dumb kid, he doesn't know what he's talking about"

But think about it.

Let's break down this statement into an equation:

You use money for ____ and you LOVE _____ so Money does in fact buy Love

Let's take my situation. I use money to go to JMU, and I LOVE JMU, so Money buys love. Think about it! It's so true right? It's okay you can nod, I won't think you're vapid. Everyone says, "pfft, Money can't buy love" but look at that a little closely. You love your house, paid with money, you love your car, paid with money, you love ____, paid with money. Personally, if someone threw me a million dollars I'd take it an run! I could pay off my college loans and put a down payment on a home in a heart beat! Oooh how lovely life would be.

Sure, sure, you could twist it and say "well you can't buy the love of your life" as in a "partner" if you will , a husband or wife, but really that's the only exception. Family is an exception. Let's be real though, Friends aren't. If you have money you can "buy" lots of friends, figuratively speaking more than literally.

My point is, when in a lot of debt from college loans like I am, the love that my mom gives me telling me "it's gonna be okay" and consoling me is a temporary fix, but it just won't do. I need money, and lots of it. And if you try to tell me that "Money can't buy Happiness" too I'll laugh in your face because I'd be MUCH happier if I had it. Trust me. Look, what I'm getting at is stop lying to yourself! You don't have to be ashamed to admit that you'd be much happier if you didn't have negative numbers in your bank account, it's okay we won't judge you! I think it's human. What do you think?

Oh whatever Beatles, You think you know it all...

Peace & Love,

Candace

My Favorites (taken from Facebook)

Movies:

Across the Universe, Hairspray, Vicky Christina Barcelona, Matilda, Mean Girls, Juno, Crash, Slumdog Millionaire, Inside Man, The Chronicles of Narnia, 40 Year Old Virgin, Annie, Big Daddy, Dodgeball, Dream Girls, Requiem For A Dream, The Devil Wears Prada, Harry Potter Series, Legally Blonde, Inside Man, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Secret Garden, The Virgin Suicides, Little Miss Sunshine, Monster in Law, Se7en, Office Space, Knocked Up, Mulan, Fast And The Furious, The Incredibles, Waiting, Enough, She's the Man, Penelope, Panic Room, Pan's Labrynth, Rat Race, Superbad, Spice World, Stepford Wives, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 1 & 2, The Sweetest Thing, Take the Lead, Wedding Crashers, and Waitress.

TV Shows:

The Fairly Oddparents, George Lopez, Powderpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, America's Next Top Model, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Daria, Hey Arnold, Unfabulous, Caliente, That 70's Show, Family Guy, Girls Next Door, Daily 10, Doug, Chelsea Lately, Wizards of Waverly Place, The Soup, Clarissa Explains It All, Project Runway, Kim Possible, Rocko's Modern Life, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Top Chef, As told by Ginger, Sabado Gigante, Are you Afraid of the Dark, Salute Your Shorts, Tom and Jerry, E! True Hollywood Story, Law and Order SVU, Saved by the Bell, Doug, Rugrats, Ultratumba, & any Tex Avery cartoon.

Music:

Christina Aguilera, Sufjan Stevens, Janis Joplin, The Beatles, Queen, Savage Garden, Britney Spears, Mya, Jerry Rivera, Soldiers of Jah Army, Kimya Dawson, Elvis Crespo, S Club 7, Velvet Underground, Dream, 3LW, Missy Elliot, Jimi Hendrix, Destiny's Child, Aaliyah, Sean Paul, Spice Girls, TLC, Kumbia Kings, No Doubt, John Lennon, N'Sync, The Moldy Peaches, Rage Against the Machine, Muse, Salt N Pepa, Celia Cruz, 98 Degrees, Goo Goo Dolls, Selena, Journey, Antsy Pants, The Kinks, Rihanna, Sum 41, Justin Timberlake, The Eagles, The Ramones, Gloria Estefan, Blue Öyster Cult, Fall Out Boy, Backstreet Boys, Daft Punk, Pat Benatar, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, Shiny Toy Guns, The Killers, Oasis, Oro Solido, Cat Power, Dear Future, Los Amigos Invisibles, Gogol Bordello, La India, Billy Joel, Silverchair, Foo Fighters, Juanes, Bob Marley, Journey, Jimmy Eat World, Belle and Sebastian, Dear Dear, Peachcake, most 90's music, and many soundtracks to musicals.

Peace & Love,

Candace

Changing my Major, Changing my Life

Well it looks like I'm going to be making a life changing decision for my senior year in college.

What?

I am changing my major from Psychology to Spanish. I was already minoring in Spanish so I had a head start on the major, and since JMU no longer offers the Psychology minor, it looks like I'm going to lose all those credits.

How?

I have been talking with the Spanish department, and it's looking like I can still graduate on time. I have a total of 13 classes left to graduate, I can do it, it just might mean some Maymester courses after graduation, no biggie!

When?

Well, now of course! =)

Why?

I'm sure this is what you've been waiting to read...

Basically I've wanted to be a Psychology major since 11th grade in high school. I had a really awesome teacher, Mrs. Hill-Wagner, and in our AP History class she talked a lot about psychology--I was intruiged. The following year I took AP Psychology and fell in love with it. I came into JMU knowing exactly what I wanted to do, and that was to study psychology and go into criminal justice and forensics, etc.

Sophomore year, I had a revelation and changed my way of life. I decided that I wanted to go to the Peace Corps and do more service work, because I felt that it was my calling. I still feel that way, and it's been working out for me. This past year, I worked a lot with immigrant issues, gave a lot of my service to the Harrisonburg community, and decided that I wanted to become a teacher instead. Teaching ESL and Spanish, and working for the school system, and possibly in the future working for Immigration in some way or dedicate my time to non-profit work.

Now, summer before senior year I've been thinking a lot about my future. Psychology just isn't doing it for me anymore. I haven't been doing that well in my classes and I've been apathetic about the topics. My Spanish classes actually went really well this year, and I decided that since I can't double major in time, it's probably best to just major in it.  Now don't get me wrong, I still love Psychology, in theory. I love what it stands for, and what it does, and I do not regret all of the wonderful things that I've learned in my years and I am so grateful for everything the Psychology department and its professors have given me. If there's anything I'll miss the most, it will be the absolutely wonderful teachers I had. 

But...

Like I've said before, my path has changed. I want to dedicate my life to immigrant issues honestly. I want to work with education to learn more about our nation's immigrants and help them, learn about them, and do my part to make it even a little better. I've always believed that education is key (even if my grades don't reflect it always).  I think I'll be much happier. I'm already happier, honestly! I just decided all this like yesterday in the shower, lol. I've given Psychology a good run, and maybe one day I'll go back to it, who knows!

So?

What do you think? 

Thanks for reading!

Peace & Love,

Candace

Conquering my Fears

Today, I conquered my fear of injections. Now, I'm not saying that I won't ever be afraid to get my blood drawn again, but I certainly made it through today and I consider that a win.  So let me tell you what happened:

First today, I had to go to the Dental Surgeon to have a talk about my wisdom teeth surgery. I'm really not all that afraid of the removal of my teeth, I'm actually more afraid of the IV I get to put myself to sleep! They assured me that I'd get some laughing gas first to kinda make me loopy and then they'd stick me, which is fine and dandy, but still I shed a couple of tears in fear =/

Then, I was freaking out, because I was on my way to Kaiser for my blood tests.  The doctor's was like 2 minutes away from the dentist so I was really scared because my time was coming soon. I got in, the laboratory is right by the door, I check in, and I wait, Hyperventilating of course...thankfully my Dad came with me, he brought me tissues for my tears and hugged me and consoled me. He got a special lady to take my blood out, as she is the mother of a kid who plays on my brother's soccer team. They call me in.

I get into the room and I'm freaking out of course, as I can see many others getting their blood drawn too.  I sit down on the chair and the lady starts talking to me. I hate it when they talk to me because I know they're just distracting me and I don't wanna be distracted, I hate not being in control of a situation and I feel so vulnerable when I take out my blood. I grab my dad around the neck and squeeze him and breathe breathe breathe...

Next thing I know, DONE! I barely felt the needle (she told me she used the baby needle) and it took a total of 20 seconds tops. I was so relieved! This lady is truly amazing at what she does, because the last time I did this the lady got mad at me and was hurting me sooo so bad. But no, I breezed through it this time around and it felt great.

So there you have it, the day I'd been dreading for days, and it was over in no time. I'm so happy I did it too because the tests are being done for my MRI on Monday which hopefully will tell me what the heck is wrong with my knee! So then I can be off to work again to make some mula! 

I made it, and I'm happy :)

Peace & Love,

Candace

Summertime is Fun time

I'm so happy to be home for summer. Not only do I get to enjoy it with my parents and brothers, but my grandparents also came home this summer from Guatemala and I'm so excited to spend time with them! I already got a facebook invite for "Regal goes to Kings Dominion" and I'm super excited about it already! My new boss at Regal is SO nice and she looks super fun, so I actually cannot wait to start working there again! I start next week hopefully. 

I have a lot of appointments and surgeries in the beginning of the summer, but hopefully by June I can be up and ready to go. I have to get my wisdom teeth out, which might take place next week sometime. I also have an MRI on Monday and I'm praying that it's not an ACL tear so that I can go to the gym and work out my knee and make it strong again. My whole left leg is like mush, it's gross. I have to get blood drawn this Friday and at first I was really scared, and not that I'm not scared about it anymore but I feel better just because I know that in the end this is going to help me get better, and that's all I want, is to be better! I wanna dance, and move, and run, and play!

With that said, you know where to find me this summer, let's hang! I can't wait to see all of my home friends and meet up with JMU Grads and my Class of 2010 Senior friends, woohoo! I had so much fun this winter break, and I'm hoping to continue that fun this summer! Hit me up, it's Summer '09 and I'm feeling oh so fine! :)

Peace & Love,

Candace

Where did the years go?

Well it's official. I am a SENIOR in College! When the heck did that happen? Now we're the ones in charge of leaving the next legacy for JMU, and let me tell ya, '09 set the bar real high for us! It's weird to think that in Delta Gamma, we're in charge of setting it up for everyone. And in SGA we're in charge of creating change and keeping order. Who in the world left us in charge?! LOL. Nah, it will be all good, just need some time to adjust to the feeling of it all.  I'm excited though, this is the last chapter in my book of college, and it feels unreal.  Gotta start applying for Teach for America, and the Peace Corps and Americorps! Oh noooo, and the GRE's, do I need to take those? I hope not because I don't wanna. Aw man, life is coming quick, do we have enough time to prepare? I don't know! Anyway, the point is, this is our time Class of 2010, let's own it!

Peace & Love,

Candace

We are the pieces of Life

serv⋅ice

1   [sur-vis] Show IPA noun, adjective, verb, -iced, -ic⋅ing.

–noun

1.	an act of helpful activity; help; aid: to do someone a service.

That is officially what it means, but what does it really mean? For many classes and organizations community service is required. Many people see it as a drag, and you know what at first I did as well. When I walked into my Psychology of Personality class last semester, I almost wanted to drop because she required "20 hours of community service total." I thought to myself, heck no how am I gonna manage to do all that with all the work that I had? I don't have 20 hours of time to just give away for free this semester. Obviously I already had it all wrong from the beginning, and I didn't know how I was going to make it out of the semester alive.

So I was asked to be a College Advisor for some Latino students at Harrisonburg High School. I thought, this is a great time to do my service project for my class. It was one of the best experiences that I've ever had. I was able to build a relationship with these students and serve as a role model and motivator for students that needed it the most. It completely changed my mind about service and even changed my career path and life goals. I love my students so much and at my very core I understand the importance of this type of service.

Recently I was watching Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and this quote really touched me:

Norah: There's this part of Judaism that I like. Tikun Olam. It said that the world is broken into pieces and everyone has to find them and put them back together.

Nick: Maybe we don't have to find it. Maybe we are the pieces.

We often forget that we are the pieces of life, and the only way we can put them back together is by taking care of each other - reach your hand out past your family and friends! Only good can come from service. So when you wake up every morning, say out loud to yourself, "how can I help someone today?"

Peace & Love,

Candace

Why so much Peace?

During my sophomore year in college, I decided to change my life.

I came into college with a Psychology major and a Spanish minor. I was planning on going into a field of Criminal Psychology or Forensic Psychology. I wanted to end up working for the government one day work my way up through that system. It sounded like a great plan, and I decided it during the end of my junior year in high school. But then something happened that changed me.

I was sitting in a Sophomore Class Council meeting with my peers, and we were talking about our life goals at the tail end of our discussion. That's when it hit me. I didn't want to live an angry life! I didn't want to work for the government, be around very unstable people, push my family away, etc.  Would I truly be happy doing that? I don't think I would, and I realized that after that night. It's all been changing seen then, as in, the way that I view my world and how I want to live in it.

That's when I adopted peace and everything that it stands for. Right now a lot of people are very cliche and are going around throwing up peace signs and buying peace earrings and such, which is totally fine, because I definitely am doing the same thing, but it has a very deep meaning in my heart. Peace to me means being accepting of who I am and who others are so that we aren't in constant conflict. Peace means to work with others in this life through service and love, and not just look out for #1. Peace means to always choose people first, before material things in this world. Peace has pushed me to dedicate my life to service of others, and has motivated me to pursue things like the Peace Corps, Americorps, and Teach for America (I want to do all three). It means a lot to me and it has slowly been changing my world, and I love every moment of it.

So while sure it's fun to wear peace paraphernalia and walk around giving John Lennon quotes, it's important to define what it really means to you. What does peace mean to you? How do you choose to live your life? That's up to you of course! And that's just it, it's up to me to have a true passion for peace, and I choose to do so. It's the best revelation I've ever had, and I haven't looked back since.

Peace&Love,

Candace

How to Keep your fridge stocked?

I will probably be quoting this for the next couple of months, so I might as well share the actual video so that you are in the loop of what it says. It's pretty much one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen, but unfortunately...I love it. We can all have guilty pleasures right?

Peace&Love,

Candace

25 Things About Me

Learn more about me in 25 statements, easy right?

1. I love to quote things. Whether that be movies, people, television, books, eavesdropping, facebook walls, ANYTHING, I'll quote it. Anything that will help me remember something that made me laugh or smile :)

2. I really want to go to clown school, like my Mom did. She made bank by dressing up and actin' a fool for rich people, lol.

3. It's hard for me to be consistent with tv shows. I'll really like a show but totally forget to watch it every Sunday at 9 or every Thursday at 8. Besides, I like cartoons much better than sitcoms.

4. I chose JMU as my number one school before I even learned more about it or even visited. My AP Biology teacher, Wing, was a JMU graduate and she talked about it all the time. I decided I wanted to go somewhere that I would remember forever--and I've loved it since the beginning.

5. When I grow up I want to be a Spanish High School teacher. I want to be a Student Council sponsor, or a step team coach or maybe even the Foreign Language National Honor Society sponsor.

6. I chose peace almost 2 years ago and I haven't looked back since. I love everything that it stands for--throwing up the peace sign is not just a fad, it's a way of living!

7. Yes, I am a vegetarian. Why? Lots of reasons. It happened on June 21st, 2007, and so far so good. I don't really care what other people say about it, it's my decision and I'm sticking by it!

8. I love Guatemala. I talk about it all the time and I'm proud to be an Avalos. I come from an immigrant family so I'm a hardcore immigrant rights activist. And yes, I'm also fluent in Spanish.

9. My favorite foods are rice, beans, quesadillas, spicy black bean burgers, burritos, tamales, chuchitos, atole de elote, rellenitos, and most vegetables and fruits. Yes, my Grandma cooked for me for most of my life, so I prefer authentic Latino foods <3>

10. I love the sisterhood of Delta Gamma. It's nothing that I ever thought I'd be a part of, but I'm truly happy I chose the sorority life. It's not all as bad as everyone says, ya gotta try it to get it.

11. Soccer runs through my veins. I played ever since I could walk because my Grandpa taught me -- he was a professional soccer player in Guatemala. I played for my high school team as a goalie. I wish I still played, and I think about it a lot actually.

12. I have an eclectic music taste. I like everything from classic rock to merengue to emo music to salsa to Britney Spears to Gogol Bordello to Selena to indie music to country to Kanye to N'Sync. Seriously, I like it all.

13. Along with soccer, I've been dancing since I could walk. I used to go to my godparents house every weekend for their parties and dance my little booty off. If nothing else will cheer me up, dancing will.

14. My favorite colors are green, purple, and orange -- the secondary colors. I'm obsessed, most things that I own are in these colors. If you know me, you'll know that this is very true. My favorite of the three is definitely green, I mean, my laptop is green. Seriously.

15. I want to join the peace corps one day. It's been my dream for the last couple of years, and I can't wait to experience it. I've heard so many great things from other people, and I can't wait to have my chance to make a difference in the world.

16. I have a messed up family. I'm talking, crazy wacko family. But I love it all. We fight but we make up. It runs in the Avalos family. That's how we do.

17. I love student government. Ever since 10th grade in high school. It's just, my thing I guess. I don't know what I would do without it. So if you need answers, I'm your girl.

18. Psychology fascinates me -- everything about it! It's such a new science and there's so much to learn, but I just can't get enough of it. My favorite being cultural psychology. It's just fascinating to learn about how people think about culture and identity. You'd be surprised.

19. I have an embarrassing laugh. It's so loud and obnoxious that people can hear me miles away. My mom keeps trying to make me change my laugh, but it's just a part of me that I can't let go. And I find many things very funny so you'll hear it on a regular basis. I'm not ashamed.

20. I am obsessed with school supplies. I've roamed staples and office depots for hours at a time. Whenever I went to the grocery store with my mom, I would stand in the school supplies section for several minutes at a time. Organizing office supplies is my favorite thing in the world.

21. I love my cat. Her name is Muneca. She makes me so happy. I've had her ever since I was in 5th grade. She understands me, seriously. When I'm sad, she knows it, and she'll lay with me and hug me, literally, she will hug me. We are like the same person it's nuts. We have the exact same personality.

22. I have had my teddy bear Hughbert for 8 years now. I got him in 7th grade from a guest speaker that came to my school to talk about drugs. I talked to him after the presentation and told him how inspired I was by his story, and by 5th period he came back with a huge teddy bear. I've loved him ever since.

23. People often tell me I'm too obsessed with Facebook, and guess what, they're right! But I see facebook as so much more than just a social networking site. I'm actually planning on taking a cyber psychology class to learn more about the crazy things going on with our relationships with people and technology -- it fascinates me!

24. I love movies. I re-watch movies all the time. I quote movies in everyday conversation -- I'd like to think it's a talent. I also work at a movie theatre so it makes sense.

25. I am a little crazy, intense, and silly. And no, I'm not ashamed of it. Life's too short to be taken too seriously, so letting loose is one of my specialties. I take life day by day, and so far it's working out for me <3>