Begin Again

Surprise! I still exist! For a long time though, this little corner of the Internet didn't. I've decided to bring it back though, for a few reasons.

1. I'm taking a seminar called "All Who Wander Are Not Lost" about building a portfolio for a career in medicine. It's a two unit class, and I thought it would be a fun way to take a smaller class (it's only 15 of us!) my freshman year. Part of the class includes starting a blog to chronicle our first semester in college and reflect on some of the reading we'll be doing. (Hi Dr. Quinn!)
2. When I blogged regularly in high school, I always thought college bloggers were really cool. Now I can be cool too!? 
3. I miss documenting my life and reflecting on it regularly. I've tried journalling so many times this year, but nothing beats adding photos and being able to interact with everyone reading on Facebook 

I know it's been a while since blogging has been a part of my life, but I'm ready if you are. I'm ready to watch this begin again. (let me know if you got the reference in the comments!)

So hi! If you're new to this, I'm Hima. I'm 17 years old, and I'm a freshman at the University of Southern California in LA. I blogged a lot in high school, but I stopped during my first semester of senior year to focus on writing my college essays. Then life happened and I got lazy, but I'm back and better than ever (I can only hope). 

It's been a little over two weeks since I arrived on campus for move in day, and oh, what a two weeks it has been. 

August 17th, 2015. 6 AM. My closest friends from high school (including my little brother on my left) came to see me off in the morning. It meant so much to have them all there, and I was definitely emotional as my dad and I pulled away from our curb, waving at my family and closest friends: the people I love most in this world. 

350 miles later, we unstuck ourselves from our seats and began the long and arduous process of unpacking my life. It always amazes me how just when I think I have everything, my mom thinks of something that I actually desperately need. These lovely ladies above are my floormates at USC's very own rose garden! We're the only all girls floor in the building (by chance), and it's honestly been amazing. We call ourselves Beta Kappa Di, so we're a sorority, no big deal. 

My bed! I live in a triple, which is actually two doubles put together, so we have a TON of space. I'm hoping to make a bunting banner to go across the top of the room too. Because our room is so big, is tends to be the social center of our floor - there are always five or six people in here. It's fun to socialize, but I know that if I need to study, I have to go to the library or head outside. 

Every year, President Nikias takes a photo with my residence hall, which is the scholarship dorm. We all know that selfies have replaced autographs in the last decade or so, so I had to snap at least one with the head honcho 

On one of the nights, we had a spirit rally, and it was so much fun! One of the reasons I was so excited to come here was that USC has SO much school spirit, which is definitely my jam. Our first football game is this Saturday, and I know it's going to be amazing standing with so many other people who love USC just as much as I do. 

I'm allergic to cats, so I tell myself I'm not a cat person. But seriously, look at these little kittens and try not to melt into a puddle of joy and happiness. During Welcome Week, I volunteered at a local cat adoption shelter, and it was amazing, as expected. One of my favorite things about volunteering is that there is no loser- everyone wins, and everyone is happy. I've been looking for some service organizations to join on campus, but there are so many it's a little overwhelming. 

(yes, this is off of Snapchat, but hey- check out that filter!)

In my freshman seminar, we did this activity to see who could build the tallest and most aesthetically pleasing tower out of paper and tape, and this is my group's tower. At this point, we had just put third paper prism on top, and we waited with bated breath of see if it would hold. In this activity,  our team leads showcased different kinds of leadership, from uninvolved to friendly and encouraging, and it was easy to see which one worked best. 

This is from ground level, so I'm sure it would have been even more stunning from the 8th floor of a building, but when I walked outside after dinner the other day, the sky was awash with color, and our beautiful tower stood like a beacon of knowledge - it was just so beautiful and surreal. 

I instagrammed this photo last week after the farmers' market (!!), and I think my caption sums up a lot of what I'm still feeling. 

"Today has me realizing what an amazing decision I made by choosing to come to USC. In a little over a week, I've been inspired by the incredible people I've met, bonded with the best floor ever, relearned how to study (lol hi bio) tried a Nike bootcamp that was so hard I thought I was going to die, been to our on-campus farmers' market, and had more fun than I ever imagined possible. Looking forward to this semester and the next four years more than ever. #fighton"

Over the last couple of weeks, I've talked to so many people who blow me away with how nice they are. All the upperclassmen are incredibly kind and always willing to offer advice and tips on how to get involved, manage classes, or make friends. Whenever I talk to someone, I walk away with this warm and fuzzy feeling of belonging. I wasn't so sure about the so called "Trojan Family" when I heard about it, but everything I've experienced here tells me that the Trojan Family is what defines USC, and I feel beyond blessed to be a part of it. 

Until next time, 

xo, Hima

P.S. Congratulations on getting through all of that! I love you a lot for sticking with me :)