Categories
personal

Valley State of Mind

I always look forward to coming home on vacation. I know I have the chance to snap out of my regular rhythm, enjoy home cooking, sleep in, see my family, and snatch up various items from around the house. What I sometimes most look forward to, however, is the least predictable opportunity: catching up with […]

Categories
personal

Kevin’s First Annual Newsletter

I started this blog 6 1/2 years ago on a whim to keep everyone aware of what’s been happening in my life. It’s taken some odd turns here and there, including fiction, papers for class, food, tutorials, and more, but my life has been the core of it, with different facets of it coming into […]

Categories
personal

Getting Past Plans

After playing racquetball and eating dinner with Ben last week, I found myself with nothing to do for the evening. I pulled up my Stickies on my computer, but my green to-do sticky note was empty. My eyes drifted over to my procrastination list, and after rejecting any intensive reading, I decided to play “No […]

Categories
personal

Getting a Handle on Things

Some people have really good internet handles. Day[9]. Moot. The Numa Numa Guy. lonelygirl15. Birth names really don’t matter so much as the handle assumes most of the identity. Given that the tubes look like they’ll hold up for awhile yet, I have been wondering whether I should try to switch over to using a […]

Categories
personal

No More Excuses

As of this past summer, I am an American citizen. So far, I have learned that my life really isn’t so different. Permanent residents pay taxes, don’t have to stand in the immigration line at airports, need to sign up for selective service, and can whine as much as anyone. As a citizen, I can […]

Categories
personal

21 Days of Being 21

3 weeks ago, my 21st birthday passed. Because I don’t drink, I instead chose to do brunch and have some good afternoon relaxation. Thanks to great company and a delicious carrot cake, my 21st was the happiest birthday I have had in memory. Because I don’t drink, this specific year wasn’t so important. In fact, […]

Categories
personal

On Hoodie

Throughout high school, I never developed an affiliation with any college sports teams. With college admissions looking almost like a lottery today, I figured I wouldn’t risk the mild embarrassment of attending a rival school to my favorite team. After I decided to come to Stanford, however, I no longer needed to worry. By declining […]

Categories
personal

Wide Open Spaces

I’m fresh off Spring Break and back to school after a good week relaxing back at home in Texas. Having lived in Texas from 4th grade, I think I’m pretty familiar with the Texan lifestyle. In some ways, Texas became my characterization of the US as a whole. Although I figured that the rest of […]

Categories
personal

Homecoming

On the car ride back from the airport, my mom asked me which room I wanted. I instinctively wanted my room, but I waited for an explanation instead. “The bed is now in Nicole’s room, and there’s just an air mattress in your room,” she explained, eyes fixed on I-10 and the rain. “Well, is […]

Categories
personal

Voice: not as important as you might think

The school year has started well, thanks to a roaring start including a podcast, 3-seat couch, great faces to see on campus, and a sweet English class. Well, perhaps I wasn’t so roaring. Last Sunday, I very suddenly lost my voice after dinner. I was somewhat distressed by how quickly things got worse since only […]