Gosh, has it really been six weeks since my last post?! Summer always seems to fly by (and September too) but lately I honestly don't know where the time goes and I can't believe that Mike is already in the second year of his MBA.
Part of the reason we're feeling a bit scrambled, I think, is that Mike's internship went right through to the week before classes began so, unlike most of the other 2nd year kids, we haven't had a chance to decompress and reflect on the year that lies ahead.
I don't know about you, but when I'm feeling scatterbrained & disorganized, I make lists and then put things on my calendar. So here's what I'm really looking forward to this year:
- Living by the ocean
Did I mention that we've moved to Santa Monica? And not just anywhere in Santa Monica, but into this building right here, which is, oh, about a minute and a half to the beach. I know, it's kind of ridiculous, right? Living in Westwood for the first year was absolutely the right thing to do: we didn't have a car yet and Mike needed to be within walking distance to campus (where he spent most of his days/nights), but who knows when we'll get a chance to live by the ocean again? So here we are... and so far? So amazing.
I audited a bunch of classes on campus last year--you can read all about it here--and had so much fun learning calligraphy. I know it sounds a bit dorky (I thought so too) but I just totally got into it. I'm taking three classes this fall to learn different lettering styles and I'm really excited to do a few large pieces for our wall -- I'll post some pics when I'm done! :)
If the swanky poolside mixer Monday night at the W Hotel in Westwood is any indication of the things to come, I'm in. With two Sig-O's on the board of directors and a newly-reduced rate for Sig-O members, it's also easily the most Sig-O-loving club at Anderson (next to the Joint Ventures Club, of course). If you like wine and good company, you should join.
We really had no idea what to expect of L.A. before we moved here but I gotta say, we kind of love this city! Apart from the constant sunshine & blue skies, it's just such a cool place with so many great things to see and do. I'll have to write a whole separate post about it, but between the Getty museums, the Griffiths Observatory, free movie screenings, food trucks, concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, all the palm trees, beaches, the perfect weather and the gorgeous Pacific coastline, I'm starting to get why everyone wants to be here.
Ok, I've gotta be honest, I am not actually that psyched about the surfing lessons. We tried surfing for the first time ever when we moved here last September and it was so brutal I cried (but then again, I am a bit of a wuss). I got pushed around by the waves the whole time and felt totally defeated. But now that we live in Santa Monica and see surfer dudes go by every day, we feel like we ought to give it another try. Plus the UCLA Marina Aquatic Center has such great rates on classes--we're paying $110 for four 2-hr lessons with all rental equipment included--we just couldn't pass it up. I'll let you know how it goes -- I might even catch a wave or two at the end! :)
I don't mean to discriminate, but if you're single and going to business school, you're having a really different experience from the not-so-single people. I mean, let's face it, single people think married people are boring, and frankly that's ok -- we do like you, we just have more in common with our own people, you know? ;) The Joint Ventures Club is branching out from its regular happy hours in Westwood to Brentwood, West LA, and Santa Monica, and I'm looking forward to trying out all these new places and meeting other Sig-O's.
Because who knows when we'll get another 3-week vacation again? We're waiting for Mike's AMR group to finalize their travel plans before booking our European vacation but we're thinking snow-covered Oxford, Christmas markets, the Slovenian alps and New Year's Eve in Paris -- #nottooshabby? ;p
We helped out with A-Days last year so couldn't make it up to Stanford for the Challenge for Charity weekend where nine west coast business schools compete in sporting events to raise funds for charities but everyone who went said it was really amazing so we can't wait to go this year!
Tickets for next year's Coachella music festival went up for sale pretty much straight after last year's festival ended and even though they were uber expensive at $400 a piece, we couldn't resist checking this off our bucket list.
As much as I don't want any of this to end, I also can't wait to see Mike walk up the stage on Wilson Plaza under those magnificent blue skies and feel in his heart the pride for what he has accomplished here at Anderson. I have a feeling that Friday, June 13th, 2014 is going to be a really beautiful day.
