Beach House

It has always been a yearly tradition for my family to spend a week out at the beach house. It is always an opportunity for me to just relax and have fun- I only wish that I could stay longer! I enjoyed just watching the waves and sitting out in the sun- although I got way too sun burnt! I went boogie boarding while Evan went surfing-though the waves were pretty lousy. One of the nights, I had my friends come out and we had a fun taco night. We played the game of life and sat by the campfire. Sitting by the campfire is one of the my favorite parts of the day because it is a chance to wind down, have some great laughs, and get back in touch with my family.
My friend Alexis also came out to visit and we had such a great time catching up and remembering old times. We are both going to be debutantes and I'm so excited to share that experience with her!
On our last day, a pelican came onto our patio and relaxed for about a half hour. I thought he was sick because it looked like he couldn't fly- we even called Animal Control! But of course, as soon as I called, the bird flew away. I named him Earl. Go figure.
I spent much of my time painting (okay, it was a paint by number, but a painting nonetheless). I truly loved my time out at the beach and I can't wait till next year!

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Kevin Costner Visits!

Last weekend, Kevin Costner made a visit to Ventura! He grew up in our city and went to Buena High School. He had a special premiere at our theater for his new movie, "Swing Vote". My mom has a friend that knows Kevin personally, so she got to go to the premiere and attend the special cocktail parties with Mr. Costner. I even got a special magazine where he signed it and addressed it to me! To celebrate the new movie, Kevin Costner's band, Modern West, played in the middle of California and Main Street. There were a ton of people there and they put on a great show! I got to sit in the VIP section because my mom had the connection- that was awesome. It was a great night- thank you Kevin Costner!

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Project Understanding

My mom and I volunteered earlier this summer at Project Understanding. We helped sort cans and give food to the poor in the food pantry. It was a humbling experience for me and I felt privileged to help. We also donated birthday party bags for children that can't have a birthday party because their parent's can't afford it. I hope to volunteer at Project Understanding again in the near future- I love helping others.

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Chapman University

My mom and I also visited Chapman University in Orange County. I loved this campus- especially since it's so close to Disneyland! The campus looked so clean and beautiful. The library is five stories high and I loved the environment. Unfortunately, it is three people to a dorm which is something I'm not so crazy about. I'm hoping that I could work at Disneyland as a princess if I get in- that would be so much fun! I'm definitely going to apply so we'll see how it goes!

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Loyola Marymount University

Earlier this summer, my mom and I visited Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. The campus was quite spacious and very beautiful. I was very impressed with the layout and I loved the general atmosphere. The school is Catholic, which is okay, but not quite up my alley since I'm Protestant. They had an amazing gym and fitness center- it was huge! Students can have personal trainers, a massage therapist, and a nutritionist- I thought that was awesome! The dorms are newly renovated and they look great! I loved the cafeteria with a Jamba Juice next door! It was a great campus and I will be sure to apply there. We'll see!

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Pepperdine University

It's been awhile since I've written! I've been busy taking an online statistics course while taking SAT training sessions. All in all, it's been a pretty relaxing summer- although I want more time! Earlier this summer, my mom and I went on a bunch of college campus visits. Our first tour was at Pepperdine University, which I absolutely loved! Of course, it was a spectacular campus in terms of the view- who doesn't love Malibu? They have an amazing overseas program; over 60% of their students study abroad. I would love to learn in Florence, Italy- I have always wanted to go there. I'm still not sure about what I want to major in, but they have a fantastic business program if I decide to go into that. The dorms are spacious and clean and they have plenty of programs to get involved with. I love the Christian influence on campus- students are required to attend chapel every week. I'm definitely going to apply to Pepperdine- I hope that I get in!

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4th of July!

I had the best 4th of July- it was amazing! We were invited to come over to our friend's house for a beautiful day in Malibu. It was the perfect way to celebrate our country and the company made the day even more special! We all had a great time talking and eating a delicious rib dinner and we later devoured plenty of deserts. (At least I did). The fireworks show was the best that I have ever seen and my favorite part was when the smiley face fireworks appeared in the sky- very impressive! I couldn't think of a better way to give thanks for our freedom!

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