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Azucena Jewels
For those of you who haven't met me yet, my name is Marah and I'm a junior here at Amherst. I'm originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and I'm a double major in Anthropology and Sexuality, Women's, and Gender Studies (SWAGS for short). I spent my entire summer here on campus working in the Admissions Office. (If you're interested in reading my blog from this summer, you can find it here.) On campus, I love singing with my a capella group (the Amherst DQ--check us out!), running on the trails around campus, hanging out in the Women's and Gender Center, playing intramural volleyball, and (obviously!) blogging for Admissions!
Alright. That's all for now folks! Please please email me (mbrub...@amherst.edu) with any and all questions or comments! (Aka please email me so that I know you're out there and I'm not just aimlessly spewing words into an empty void!) I can't wait to see what this semester holds!
On the first day of winter break, my mother made me the most incredible omelette. We are talking INCREDIBLE. Cheese deliciously melted, eggs cooked to perfection, delectible peppers and onions, flavorful broccoli, saporous tomatoes. All of this served up with a tall, refreshing glass of orange juice and a crsip, perfectly-toasted piece of bread. As you can imagine, it was pretty close to perfection!
So the next day I set out to replicate her deliciousness! But unfortunately...I failed. And I failed hard. I forgot to add water to the eggs, the eggs turned black, I accidentally burnt a hole through a towel, and the broccoli was disgusting. I even tried to persevere and eat the omelette afterwards anyway, but I couldn't manage. It was repulsive. Altogether, it was a very very large failure. It was embarassing and scary and I gave up on ever being able to make an omelette.
And so I worked for it. A couple of times a week, I would make omelettes. For me, sometimes for my family or friends too. I recruited my mom for some instructional sessions. And I made some really bad omelettes (like the first picture in this post). I burnt some towels and some omelettes too. I set off the fire alarm multiple times, accidentally cut my fingers, and undercooked far too many eggs. But, with time and patience, my omelettes slowly began to improve. They began to become a bit more bearable, even bordering on the brink of enjoyable. And then, by the end of break, I could make a delicious omelette. I learned how to do it! And while this may seem a bit trivial or not notable, I felt pretty symbolic to me. I took it as this grand lesson in learning to embrace and overcome the things you're bad at (such as cooking), in willingness to ask for assistance, in learning new skills, and in determination, persistance, and triumph! I learned how to make a delectible omelette. In the bottom picture, you can see one of the omelettes I made the week before returning to campus. Success! It's all about celebrating the small victories (:
So there you are. That's the tale of the Evasive Omelette. And if you ever want to learn how to make the perfect omelette, feel free to hit me up for advice! That's all for now. I'll write again soon!
First stop: the holidays. Over the holidays, I saw lots of relatives, ate a ton of delicious food, and got to celebrate with all of my favorite people. The first picture I have included is of me, me two siblings, my niece, and my Nana posing together on Christmas day! You have to love the holiday spirit!
For a few days right after Christmas, my entire immediate family went on a vacation to a cabin in the Poconos! We had lots of fun hanging out, playing board games, reading good books, having good conversation, preparing delicious food, and exploring the area. The picture I've included is of my niece standing on the frozen lake that we explored. We had a blast sliding and skating around! Though unbelievably cold, the Poconos are truly stunning. I would definitely recommend visiting if you ever get the chance! And of course, it's always more fun if you bring an awesome two-year old along (:
After that came New Years Eve! I rang in 2018 in my hometown with some of my best friends from high school and some new friends as well! It was great to see some of my friends again before they head out to study abroad all across the globe! Moreso, ringing in 2018 also meant the commencement of my niece's second birthday! Happy birthday Haya!
One of my favorite events over the break was getting to attend the wedding of one of my older cousins! It was an awesome day where we got two celebrate two truly incredible people! My extended family is absolutely massive, so it is always awesome to get to see everyone! I had cousins flying in from all over the country, and it was a wonderful night of dancing and celebrating together! The wedding was held on the campus of Villanova University (it was absolutely beautiful!) and the reception was at a beautiful hotel in Delaware. Altogether, it was an awesome celebration of a phenomenal couple!
Next on the agenda was a family trip to a local Escape Room! If you are unfamiliar with escape rooms, I've included the link to a description here. Basically, it's a physical adventure game where you (and a group of people) are locked inside of a room and have one hour to solve a series of puzzles and get yourselves out of the room! Each escape room has a different theme--from pirates to Sherlock Holmes to the Wild West to Zombies to basically anything else you can imagine! The room we did was at an awesome facility called Escape on Queen and we did a room theme called "The Hideout."
Right before heading back up to Amherst for the start of the semester, my boyfriend and I embarked on a road trip! I convinced him that there was no particular destination for the trip--just some random spontaneous adventuring. But after stopping at some fun-sounding stops along the way such as Eats & Sweets, the Bagelmeister, Grilled Cheese and Co., and Moo Thru, I surprised him with a visit to his older sister in Virginia! We had a great night at her apartment and even got the chance to visit her at her work the next morning before heading out to visit one of my older cousins in Maryland! It was a very fun trip to see some awesome people!
And as soon as we got back from the road trip, it was time to embark on the journey back up to Amherst. And that brings us to today! I am back on campus, awaiting the impending semester. And as much as I adore and already miss home, I can't wait to see what this semester holds!
To be honest with you, this semester was hard. Really hard. Between losing my grandfather and having mono for 2+ months, I found myself often tempted to crumple into a tiny ball and give up. When I first found out that I had mono, both my mom and doctor encouraged me to seriously consider leaving school for the semester. It's impossible to predict the severity or longevity of any given case of mono, but all signs indicated that my case was going to be anything but mild. After lots of internal debate and turmoil, I made the decision to proceed with the semester as planned. And I am certainly glad I did! Even though the semester was by far my most challenging one yet (both academically and personally), it was also the most rewarding. Somehow, I am still doing okay! Though obviously a bit stressed with the end of the semester, I have a feeling that it will all be okay. And let me tell you, I haven't always felt that way this semester! Here's to surviving and thriving!
During the fall of my first year here at Amherst, I decided to go out on a limb and audition for some a capella groups on campus. After the entirety of the audition and selection process, I was accepted into Amherst's only co-ed, secular group: the Amherst DQ! Totally unaware of what was in store for me (but thoroughly thrilled), I entered the Amherst a cappella community!
Altogether, Amherst has six a cappella groups: two all female, two all male, and two co-ed. All six of the groups range in styles, intensity, and focus! Like I mentioned, I joined the DQ (the secular, co-ed group) during my first year at Amherst, and I have been a part of it ever since. During my sophomore year, I was chosen to be one of the co-directors of the group. Directing the group was definitely one the most challenging (and rewarding!) experiences I've had at Amherst so far!
Every year looks a little different in DQ as we participate in various competitions, collaborate with groups from other schools, and host multiple shows of our own. And while being a part of an a capella group isn't quite like Pitch Perfect makes it out to be, it really is an incredible experience. The DQ has become my family here at Amherst, and I can't imagine doing life without them!
Not to study abroad (I've decided I will not spend a semester abroad during my time here--something I may write about at a later date), but to visit with one of my classes for two weeks in May! I am taking a class called "Istanbul," which is cross-listed in the departments of History, Anthropology, and Asain Languages & Civilizations. The course is one of Amherst's CBL courses--it is centered upon community based learning. Basically, CBL courses are focused on finding ways to connect the intellectual rigor of the classroom with the wider community and outside world as a whole. They're part of a broad interest in what's called "experiental learning," and they're awesome! A list of community based learning courses being offered in the Spring of 2018 can be found here.
Basically, the course is focused on studying contemporary politics and society in Turkey, and it will culminate with the 12-student class travelling to Istabul for two weeks (paid for by the college!). I CAN'T WAIT!
Today I write to announce that I have officially declared myself to be a double major! To my previous major of Anthropology, I have now declared a second major in Sexuality, Women's, and Gender Studies! Here's to lots of work, but also tons of awesome professors and great classes!
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