I'm writing to you from the future because exactly one year ago, I was in your shoes. Since you're all nearing the end of your journey through college and since it's almost been a year since I ended mine, I thought I'd write a letter to you collectively. First of all, congratulations! You are weeks away from wearing that cap & gown and earning your well-deserved degree. You've come so far and although it seems like only yesterday, you have worked tirelessly since day 1 to reach this finish line; to achieve this ultimate goal of yours so please dwell and bask in this moment before it slips through your fingers. That sense of accomplishment that you experience during your college graduation is once-in-a-lifetime and incomparable so enjoy it and be proud of what you've accomplished. Finishing college is a big deal and although you may not realize it, Bachelor's Degrees are not entirely as common in the real world as we once assumed. Wear that 2010 tassel with pride and know that in this moment, you are INVINCIBLE and the world is in your hands... the world is your oyster! Don't be so easily discouraged by the naysayers and non-believers who are quick to criticize and say that you can't do something or tell you that you're not going to make it. Acknowledge the obstacles and challenges that are before you but don't get weighed down by them. Do not let your fears, doubts and insecurities get in the way of your potential or more importantly, do not let them get in the way of your dreams. DREAM BIG and then plan accordingly. Turn those "can'ts" into "can's" and try to find that glimmer of hope when things don't go your way because unfortunately, life will not always be sympathetic toward your individual plights. Life will still throw curve balls at you when you're not looking so be ready to tackle and confront whatever comes your way. Don't fall into a pit of despair over not being able to find a job or get into grad school right off the bat because let's face it, these days, nothing comes easy. Keep at it. Continue to work towards your goals because even though you may not reach them today or tomorrow, you will reach them eventually. Don't expect opportunities to fall into your lap. Seek out those opportunities. Sometimes you can't rely on things to happen, you've got to take things into your own hands and make them happen. You are well-equipped for life after college! BELIEVE IT. Don't approach the job hunt with a sense of entitlement but do approach it with confidence. The best weapons for fighting those post-grad blues are Faith, Family and Friends...and a sense of humor.

Happy 22nd Birthday Alex!!!!! I LOVE YOU BROTHER!

In the midst of all the blessings & gifts that He has bestowed upon me lately, I need to remember that I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Him. I must not lose sight of what's important. I still need You in my life.

This weekend was a blast! Granted, I had to pick and choose between important events but everything worked out in the long run. Unfortunately I missed my cousin Rikki's grad lunch and my brother's last PCN but I will definitely be making it up to the both of them soon. I also spent way too much money this weekend but it was worth it! haha On Friday night, I hung out with Gen. We had sushi @ Ichiban again, caught up and went to Target as usual haha. I also went card shopping. It was fun though! Saturday morning I work up bright and early and Brenton and I headed to Chapman for Meechy's graduation ceremony! She has her Master's Degree! Woohoo Meechy :) I'm so proud of you and by the way, I think I'd wanna be a panther too. Your campus is beautiful! It was also a mini class of 06 reunion! Angie, Joe, Dean, Kathee & Cressa were all there! It was nice seeing them all again...especially Dean & Kathee who I hadn't seen in forever! I miss you guys! I'm glad I got to see you for a little bit. After Meechy's graduation, Joe, Dean, Kathee, Angie, Brenton and I went to eat at the Filling Station, which was pretty good. We even ran into Rica & Leo who bought us Mimosas :) After we said our goodbyes, Brenton and I went to Jem & Huan's baby shower and I got to catch up with even more LOG'ers! It was a beautiful day, the perfect day to spend at the park and btw if I ever got a dog, I would want one like KD's (and Julian's), Pixie is so cute!

I've dug myself into quite a big hole this weekend, more specifically this Saturday... the day when everything is happening: 2 graduation parties, baby shower in Irvine, my brother's last ever PCN, and the Glee concert at 8pm that night... to top it off, apparently I am working that morning as well...so I really have to figure things out. The one thing I'm going to for sure on Saturday is the Glee concert lol. That is my dilemma of the moment.

I'm getting into the swing of things at work. It's just all so tiring. I'm doing a million different things every day: doing my regular weekly time-consuming projects (data entry for externship timesheets), picking up phone calls & calling grads about graduation, helping students who come into the office with their letters of enrollment & health screening, proctoring for 3 days this week, attending staff meetings (3 of them this week alone!), helping out the other departments with small projects like teacher's appreciation week, and so much more! Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for all of these things because they make time go by faster. At the end of the day, I have no idea where the day went. I love the night shift because it's a lot slower than the day shift. I've been meeting new people and understanding and witnessing company politics firsthand. I guess those things exist in any company you work for. However, I've been really blessed with my department and with my boss: they are the most hardworking, honest, helpful, genuine, supportive, encouraging & understanding group of people ever. They remind me so much of my old coworkers in Irvine, whom I miss and love as well. As long as the people that I work most closely with are supportive and kind, then that's all I need to get by.

This weekend was just what I needed to end the week. Praise God for quality time with family and friends. Although I didn't get to spend as much time with friends as I wanted to, it was good to just see them and catch up even for a second.