Here We Go!

As of today I am officially a college student!!

That's right, after an entire summer of waiting, I have finally moved into my dorm at Elon University. We arrived early this morning and had to wait for our turn to unload our stuff, but the Elon students and staff was there to help and brought all my stuff to the dorm. After unpacking, running errands, and setting up my NEW room, I had my first orientation session, which I just got back from.

It hasn't even been 12 hours, and already I'm lovin being at Elon and being in college. I mean, I know I still have a weekend left of orientation before classes begin on Tuesday, but still, it's been loads of fun already. I can already tell that choosing Elon was the best decision I ever made.

It's gonna be an awesome 4 years! :D

Wisdom-less?

The picture below is of me looking like a chipmunk, 24-hours after going wisdom-less:

Yes, wisdom-less meaning that I had my 4 wisdom teeth removed through a surgical procedure. Now, I'm sitting here sore and unable to eat anything but yogurt, pudding, smoothies, and milkshakes.

When I went to the dentist about two weeks ago, he told me I needed to have the impacted teeth removed ASAP. Being that I was leaving for college this coming week, it became imperative that the surgery be done enough time in advance that I would be generally well and un-swollen for orientation a week from now.

The procedure was quick and painless, as I was put under the whole time. When I awoke, I was very loopy and pretty high from all the meds that were in me. After coming home and taking painkillers, as well as a nice, long nap, I was able to relax with minimal pain. There has been little swelling and my mouth is still sore, but I will persevere, especially if I wanna go visit my friends in Athens tomorrow!

So, my first surgery was a success, and hopefully by the time college begins next week, I will still have enough wisdom to begin that march towards my degree! :D

Mac!

Who would have ever thought that my dad (who works for HP and praises all things PC) would have bought me and my sister brand new macs?!?! I guess miracles really do happen.

Upon my Mom's arrival to the states from that land across the pond (where we have now moved into a new house for the third time since relocating to the UK), she surprised us with new computers. Let's just say I was shell-shocked. Did I mention how much I love my mother??*

Anyways, our new macs are just as awesome as predicted. They are completely user friendly and are ready for use right out of the box. I guess it's what you deserve for how blatantly expensive they are. Not only are they easy to use, but that also have so many cool amenities! I can take quality pictures from the webcam in the screen, and immediately organize them in iPhoto. I can make or mix songs in Garage Band to use for personal enjoyment and then import them into Itunes, which came already installed into the computer. I can set up an address book for names and numbers, as well as a calender for all the events and scheduling I will have to do in the next four years. The list is endless!

So, if you couldn't tell, I love my new mac, and can't wait to write many more blog posts using this awesome computer! :)

*This line was added due to my mom's complaints that I didn't blog enough about her...happy now??

Three Weeks To Go!

Today marks three weeks until my first day of classes at Elon!

I'm so excited, however it is quite a bummer saying goodbye to all my friends I've been able to reconnect with here in America. Oh well, life is just like that sometimes.

I guess all this business has prevented me from blogging....oh well. Here's a quick update:

• The last two weeks of July, I worked as a day camp counselor at my church for kids in grades 1 and 2. It was extremely exhausting, but a very rewarding and fun experience
• I saw the BEST concert of my life- Darius Rucker and Rascal Flatts. Definitely getting tickets for next years show!
• Gina is back in town along with her boyfriend, David. It's been really fun spending the last few weeks with them, because I know they are soon to be few and far between.
• HOT HOT HOT! It's so hot and humid here.....
• I'm so flippin excited to start college. I'm super jealous of all my friends who are moving in this week...

That's pretty much it. I promise to blog a bit more as I begin the new chapter at Elon!

Braves

One of the highlights of coming back to the great Atlanta area is going to Braves games. Since my return to Hotlanta I've already been able to experience two Braves games, both won by the home team and both truly exciting spectacles.

The first game I went to happened a few days before Independence Day, and what better way to celebrate 4th of July than to relish in America's Pastime. I went with Gina and our family friend Jeffrey. There was a HUGE American flag rolled onto the field, and a great display of patriotic fireworks following the game. On top of that, the Braves got an exciting win, breaking the tie in the bottom of the 8th inning to win the game. The second game occured last night, and as opposed to going with family, this time I went with about 10 friends. We all took MARTA (the metro in Atlanta) down to the game and then had a great time enjoying baseball and each others company. One of the highlights for me was seeing the great Greg Maddux have his number retired in a ceremony preceding the game. After an 11-0 win by the Braves (wooooo!) there was a fireworks display and a fun train ride home.

I absolutely love Braves games and look forward to it everytime I come back to Atlanta. Not only is it baseball, a sport that I love and someday wanna make a career broadcasting, but it's that sense of comfort I get. When I'm at a Braves game I'm surrounded by people enthusiastic and joyous for their home team (at least when they win) and being in that atmosphere makes me so happy. At the end of the day, even though the may sometimes lose, I can still be happy to be a fan of one of the best baseball franchises, the Atlanta Braves.

College Confusion?!?!

Over the past week, I have had the opportunity to visit TWO college campuses that aren't even my own! First, we took a trip to Athens (Georgia, not Greece, don't get too excited) and took a tour of the University of Georgia. Then, my friend Emily took me down to Milledgeville, Georgia to see Georgia College & State University, the college she is attending.

While the main purpose of visiting GCSU was to see where Emily was going, I wanted to see UGA not only for Gina, but to make sure I made the RIGHT decision in choosing my school for the next four years. Low and behold, I was in love with UGA. I mean, the campus was absolutely perfect. It mixed the old and new buildings, while maintaining a well organized campus and an awesome college town. Not only that, but a bunch of my friends from here in Atlanta are going there AND they have an awesome SEC football team...why did I choose Elon again??

Despite all those good things I loved about UGA, I still feel confident in my choice of going to Elon. It's a smaller school in a great state with the perfect communications program to suit my needs. AND, if after the first year I absolutely hate it, there is always the possibility of transferring to UGA. As far as GCSU goes, the campus was absolutely beautiful, and although in the middle of nowhere, it still seemed like a great college town and the perfect fit for Emily. I can't wait to come visit her there throughout the next four years.

So all this college confusion basically tells me that I made the right choice in going to Elon. I hope I still feel the same after seeing Bama next week and Auburn in early August.

Georgia...On My Mind

Now that the England door has finally closed, it's time to begin the new adventures in my favorite place:

THE SOUTH!

Hooray for sweet tea, Chick-Fil-A, the Braves, warm nights, and tons of fun

Closing Time

As I prepare to move back to the states tomorrow morning, I'm taking some time to reflect on the amazing three years I've had here. There has been times of happiness and sadness, times of laughter and tears. I've had experiences beyond my wildest dreams, journeying to far out places and learning about different cultures beyond the United States. Most importantly, I've made memories that will last forever, with people that I will certainly never forget.

In the title of my blog, there is a small blurb- "A Journey". Two words that define life for me. It truly is remarkable how this journey has changed my life immensely. I have grown spiritually, socially, and academically. I've learned more about myself then I ever thought I would, and I now know exactly who I am and what I want to be. While one amazing journey is coming to a close, a new journey is just beginning, and I can't wait to see what this new one has to offer.

Three years ago I never could've imagine how much of an impact this experience would've made on me, and while I'm so excited to move back to America, it's a very bittersweet goodbye. I've spent the past week saying my goodbyes to the people that have affected me in so many ways, and each goodbye has been a little bit harder. However, I know this isn't the end, and I can't wait to see the new experiences I will create with the people I have grown to love.

It's been a hell of a three years, and I look back at my time here with no regrets, thankful for everything that this experience has given to me. I know that in a few weeks I'll be missing the "land across the pond" but I think the Semisonic song says it best:

"Closing Time- Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End"

Peace Out England and Thanks for a FANTASTIC 3 Years

Graduation

This is it. The long awaited ceremony marking the end of our high school career and the transition into adulthood. It's Graduation, and man does it feel weird.Our graduation ceremony took place Thursday, June 18th at our school, ACS Hillingdon. The ceremony was held in the gym, where we all walked in to pomp and circumstance and sat underneath an array of flags from each of the countries represented in our class. After listening to a few speakers and some music performances, all 49 of us received our High School Diplomas, officially giving us the keys to begin our new life in University.
We then all walked out and tossed our hats, followed by joyous periods of hugs with friends, goodbyes to teachers, and photos with family. Afterwards, my family and a few other families of graduates went out to lunch and then to a couple of after-grad socials. This was all capped off with an awesome grad party JUST for the graduates.

While I was practically jumping for joy at the conclusion of the ceremony, it was so bittersweet. I mean c'mon we're done with High School, time for freedom and fun, one of the best days of our life. However, at the end of the day all I could think about was that this chapter of my life, probably the most fantastic and rewarding one yet, is coming to an end, and that in order to open the new chapter, I was gonna have to say goodbye to some of the most influential people in my life. Still, through the sadness I enjoyed the ceremony, enjoyed the festivities, and, most of all, enjoyed the company which has had the biggest impact on my life so far. Congratulations Class of 2009 and Best of Luck. WE DID IT!

Senior Prom

I'm gonna make it a conscious effort over the next few days to blog all about the fantastic end to my senior year. Wow....that's a weird sentence to write, I mean I know I'm DONE with High School but it's still weird writing it. And while it's so exciting finally being finished, it's also extremely scary.

Anyways, following the epic senior trip to Greece, I had the pleasure of having my BEST friend, Emily, come visit from the states for two weeks. This meant that she got to see the awards nights at school, got to attend my Senior Lunch, was able to see my graduation and enjoy all the festivities, and best of all: be my date to my Senior Prom.

The prom was held at the Windsor Castle Hotel, right across the street from Windsor Castle. We arrived after having the picture party at my friend Erika's house (pictures below). At the venue, we ate a deliciously catered buffet dinner and showed our awesome dance moves with the VJ (Video DJ). After the prom, we went over to my friend Sam's house for a fun after-party.

The night was super fun and I was so glad that I was able to take my best friend. While I had a blast, it was so hard to believe that this was it. I mean everyone always talks about Senior Prom and how awesome it is, which it was, but I think the hard part is that word "SENIOR". This was the thing everyone always looks forward to, the thing that is so exciting and takes so much preparation, and then it is gone in about 4 hours. And while Juniors have another one to look forward to, for us seniors this is it. Therefore, I'm glad that I made the most of my night and had a fantastic senior prom.

Now onto the pictures:

Senior Trip

One of the biggest privileges of being a senior is the end-of-year senior trip. This year, our Class of '09 went to Zakynthos, an island in Greece said to be one of the club capitals of Europe.About 2/3 of our senior class went on the trip, where we all stayed at an all-inclusive resort (that's right: unlimited food AND drinks :P) situated in the heart of Laganas, a coastal city with over 20 different clubs. The weather was fantastic (and most of you wouldn't believe how incredibly tan I am!) and the atmosphere made us all feel so great about finally graduating. While I was ready to come home by the end of the trip and sick of the same bars and clubs every night (not to mention a few of the people :/ ), I still had a great time and consider senior trip one of the best trips of my life! Yea, the nights were all very similar, but without fail there was always some sort of drama or exciting event that would occur to make that night memorable. And while the nights were exhilarating, the days were relaxing as we got to go to the beach, sit by the pool, go to the spa, or whatever we wanted at our OWN choosing. So all the hard work of organizing this trip (and believe you me was it DIFFICULT!) paid off in the end, and everyone had a fantastic time as we were able to be together and celebrate all that we've accomplished in the past four years. Now on to graduation....

Officially Finished

Today marked my very last ever AP Exam: Macroeconomics. While the exam itself was horrible and I believe I epically failed it, this marked the official ending of my high school career, highliting the end of an amazing chapter in my life, setting the stage for the beginning of yet another amazing journey.

So much has happened in the past 4 years, I mean I moved to England for goodness sake ha, and looking back, I don't think I would've changed anything. I've made friends, broke relationships, made amazing decisions, and made mistakes. I've had experiences most people wait a lifetime to fulfill, and I've learned so much as a person. I now know exactly who I am and what I wanna be, all thanks to the incredible past 4 years.

So now, as I move onto the frightening stage of independence in going to college, I'm so excited to apply all that I have learned, and fulfill the plans that God has set out for me. And to you, High School, I bid you adieu and thank you for everything that you have given me in shaping me into the person I'm supposed to be.

Almost There

I know, I know....as the weeks drag on and it gets closer to high school graduation, I have become increasingly lazy about blogging. I apologize, and promise that this is not a common occurrence and I will TRY to blog more in the summer and in college

Speaking of university, I thought I would post a bit about my plans for next year. In case you haven't heard, I have committed to the wonderful Elon University for the 2009-2010 Year. I'm super excited to be a "Fighting Phoenix". In case you didnt know:

• Elon is a small, masters-level university in Burlington, NC (about 20 minutes from Greensboro and 40 minutes from the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area) with an undergraduate enrollment of about 5,000
• They are ranked #2 of ALL Southern Masters-level universities and have won numerous awards for their study abroad program and student-teacher ratios, as well as being the #1 Up and Coming University in the country!
• They are a Division 1 school (Division 1-AA in Football!) and are in the Southern Conference (SoCon), so you all better be rooting for the Phoenix! Woo!
• There communications program (my intended major is Broadcast Journalism) is fantastic! and I will have so many opportunities to do on and off camera work beginning in my freshman year

It's gonna be an AWESOME year!....I just have to graduate first :/

It is getting closer and closer to the end of my high school career and subsequent graduation. However, these two weeks are imperative as I have the dreaded AP Exams! If I score a 4 or higher on any of the exams, I receive college credit for next year! So I have been doing a lot of studying in order to wipe out some of those tedious classes. I'm 3/5 as we speak, as I have completed my AP Statistics, AP English Lit, and AP US History exams, with AP Psychology and AP Macroeconomics ahead next week. Following the final two exams, I am FINISHED and just have to wait till graduation. Wish me luck!

Study Leave

As of Friday, April 24th, I am completely finished with ALLL my classes!!! Meaning:

NO MORE HIGH SCHOOL!

However, this also means that now begins the final countdown to AP Exams and I will have to spend the next 3 weeks studying my ASS off so that I can get some college credit! :S

Wish me luck!

Grad Pictures

Today was the first major activity for seniors on the road to Graduation: Graduation Photos. This included us all wearing intensely nice outfits (suits & ties for guys, dresses for girls) and taking countless number of pictures, both professionaly and just with out friends...I never wanna see a camera again!

The festivites consisted of a full group picture in our formal wear, then followed by us all changing into our caps and gowns. After figuring out the insanely weird graduation caps, we took another full class picture and then individual pictures (which will be used in the yearbook as our Senior Picture!). Afterwards, we thankfully got out of the caps and gowns and took a full grade picture in front of the school. This was then followed by cake and punch (a Senior tradition on picture day).

While the whole picture taking process was really tedious and got kind of old and annoying, I thought it was really neat to be preparing for graduation. This was one of the first times I actually got that sense that "wow in a few months I'll be graduating!" Right now, I really am experiencing the cool feeling of being a senior, and while I have a horrible case of Senioritis, it's nice to soak up these moments. Just one step closer to closing another chapter of my life.

March Is The BEST Month

Halfway through, and March is deeming to be the BEST month of 2009!!!

1. My trip to Atlanta was amazing. I was able to surprise my best friend Emily and even asked her to my prom for when she comes here to England in the summer. I also got to see some other good friends and eat some awesome food!
2. The Weekend/Interview at Elon went fantastically. I LOVED the campus and everything about it. Its not too big, not too small, its just right! I learned alot about the school and met alot of the students, who I found all to be really welcoming and friendly. The interview went well and I even was able to participate in an Elon class! This deifinitely swayed my decision, as I put down the deposit for my freshman year at Elon University!
3. I went on ISSTs (basically the championship tournament) for swimming. This year, the event was held in Brussels. We participated along with 12 other schools, and while we didn't win, we all had a great time swimming and hanging with each other.
4. I got a new passport today!!! So finally the fat, 7th grade picture is no more! woooo

I hope your March is as enjoyable as mine has been :)

P.S.- You can read more about Elon here

Wooooops

I guess I haven't posted in a while. My b. I think I've just been so busy that I forgot about my weekly date with blogspot.

Anyways, I mentioned in my last post my sickness and two week break....remember? Well, the past two weeks have been spent catching up with the multiple amount of work I had to do to make up for that missed week. (It was a REDICULOUS amount, I might add)

Now, I've just finished 4 out of 5 of my mock AP exams, which is really nice to get the burden off. AND I'm going to the states tomorrow! So in addition to being done with exams (and subsequently being excused from classes the rest of the week), I'm going back to the great America. Ahhhh I can smell the food already :)

So I hope my normal readers have been living without my blog, and I promise to blog more often! Especially as more and more things begin to come together to count down to the end of Senior Year!! woooo.

February Break

Its February Break, and thanks to two snow days and a three day episode of the flu, this break has turned into a 2-week one for me.

While I would generally be enjoying two weeks without school, two weeks sitting at home and doing absolutely nothing couldn't be more boring....HELP ME!

Oh and Happy Valentine's Day :)

Snow Day?? More Like Snow Week

England has been hit with its biggest snowfall in almost 20 years! (Global Warming...psh) This not only means inches and inches of fluffy, white snow covering everything, but also NO SCHOOL! Monday, our first snow day, not only provided a nice recovery from the Super Bowl festivities the night before (Go Steelers!), but also let us go out in the thick snow and have a massive snowball fight, attempt to buid an igloo, and then actually building a heart because a fort was too difficult. Later we took a walk through our own makeshift "Narnia" and then topped it off with a viewing of the movie Elf, I mean what else would you watch in the snow?!?

Tuesday, our second snow day, was more of a chilled day in the slush rather than the snow. Still, we managed to build an actual fort, eat snow ice cream (who woulda thought snow and maple syrup make an excellent dessert!?!), and watch more movies. This, however, proved to be the last of my snow escapades, as I came down with a horrible case of the flu which is still phazing me today :(

While the snow was a huge inconvenience with transportation, school, and, well, my health, I'm so glad that we've had this snow week. Not only does it make everything beautiful, but it makes everyone feel like kids again. I can tell that the mood around town is one of general nostalgia and pleasure, something that only comes those odd occurrences when the snow falls.

Homecoming!

This past week, our school decided to go American style and have Homecoming Week (except it was called Hawks Week in order to preserve the internationality of our schoool.....don't get me started). Anyways, Hawks Week was organized by Student Council, of which I'm the president, and included a spirit week, a huge basketball game, and a banquet/dance.

The whole event was EXTREMELY stressful to organize, mostly because I did the majority of the work singlehandedly. However, it all paid off and the event was a success, as people felt a sense of school spirit (which, trust me, was definitely lacking) and they had a great time participating in all the festivities.

While I don't live in America anymore, it's so cool to bring back those little things, like homecoming, and share them with those who may not have experienced it. At the same time, I feel so accomplished in my position as Student Council President. I feel like I am working for the greater good of the students and am fulfilling my duties, which is something that I know I should be proud of.

Here are a few pictures from the Spirit Week, Homecoming Game, and Homecoming Banquet/Dance:

80's Day

Pajama Day

School Color Day

Cheerleaders @ the Homecoming Game

Homecoming Banquet

Finally Finished

I am excited to finally announce that I have completed ALL of my college apps!

Yes, the lucky final school (my home state's OWN) was the last submition into the college application cyberspace.

Now the fun part....waiting

The Long Awaited Photos

Instead of posting a few select photos on here, I decided to put the whole group of pictures from my Christmas Break in Atlanta on my Snapfish account, and then post the link so you can go look at them on your own time. :)

You can view them HERE
username- michaelg1227@comcast.net
password- gaytan

In this album is Christmas, my Birthday, and New Years, with a whole bunch of stuff with friends mixed in between. Enjoy!!

P.S.- I have half-days all this week for exams (hooray for sleep) and I find out from UNC on Thursday!!!

It's 2009!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Kinda hard to believe I graduate this year...... :O

Also, in case you didn't remember my day of birth, I am now 18 and officially legal :)