Azusa Pacific University

Archive for April, 2009

March and April in a nutshell

Ben Monday, April 20th, 2009

Hello again!

I apologize, as it’s been quite a while since we’ve last talked! So much has happened in the past month that I don’t know if there’s enough memory on our website to hold it all! I hope there’s still some readers that have stuck with me during the past few weeks while I’ve been away…

Well today is Monday, April 13 and Spring break has almost officially ended. Tomorrow its back to the grind as I work hard for the last three weeks of the semester and hopefully finish strong. A lot of great things are coming together for me in the near future, and the successes of the past few weeks have paved a path for me, but first let me tell you what I’ve been up to here at APU.

The last time we talked, I was preparing for my sister and her friends to come out and visit for their Spring break. We had a great time while they were here, and Kelly and I were able to show them around quite a bit! Santa Monica, Griffith Observatory, and Redondo Beach were some of the highlights for them. While they were here they even had the great opportunity to stay on my aunt and uncle’s boat at Redondo Beach for several nights. We had a great trip and it was such a blast to have my sister out here for a week.

After they left, it was time for the High Sierra Preview Weekend. As I’ve been working for the program this semester, I was able to drive up with the group and hang out at Bass Lake for the weekend! The student turnout was fantastic, and simply being able to see some old friends, relax in the woods, and eat some great food was such a wonderful time. Being back at High Sierra, even for just a weekend, and seeing potential students’ eyes widen as they explored the campus and learn about all the amazing things they’ll get to experience at Bass Lake reminded me of how amazing an experience that semester really was.

The following week was a big one for me, full of homework, presentations, interviews, and my 22^nd birthday. On Monday I attempted to celebrate my birthday, but was so swamped with preparing for Tuesday’s interview and Wednesday’s presentation, that dinner with Kelly in the cafeteria was the extent of it. Tuesday was the day I had been preparing for (and worrying about) for weeks. I was interviewing for an internship in the Admissions Office – a highly coveted position here at APU that a large number of students apply and interview for each semester. For our interviews, we were required to “sell” something to the interviewing Admissions staff. In the past, applicants have sold such things as ‘why you should go to APU’, ‘why APU is better than Biola’, and ‘why monkeys make great friends’. In my case, I decided to sell something that was very close to my heart – ‘why more bike lanes in LA are needed and beneficial to everyone’. The presentation was one I knew backwards and forwards, but still worried about. The interview went well, though, and I heard back on Friday in a very interesting and stomach-twisting second interview that I had received the position – which means that next year you might see me talking about APU at your very own high school, at a college fair, or here on campus if you come for a tour!

After the busy week had finished, Kelly and I were finally able to celebrate my birthday by relaxing, eating out at the Yardhouse (my favorite restaurant in Pasadena), and going on a couple great hikes and bike rides. She also surprised me with tickets to the Sasquatch Music Festival in Washington – something I’ve been dying to attend for years now! She really knows me well :-)

As March came to a close and April began, only one thing was on my mind: Spring break. For the past several years, my good friend Brett and I have been dreaming up the trip of a lifetime. Every time we reunite during summer and winter breaks, we talk about how amazing it would be for him to come out and visit. Just in case he would ever be able to come, I had been planning where we might go and what we might see. And then this past January, he gave me the news that a recent business transaction had given him a free flight to Los Angeles. The time had finally come for our trip!

So on Monday, April 6 I picked Brett up from LAX and we began a week of touring around Southern California. Our first day was spent here in the LA area, and we visited Santa Monica, the San Gabriel mountains behind campus, and a great Italian restaurant in Venice Beach. The next day we packed up and headed north on the 101 freeway toward the coastal city of Santa Barbara. There, we spent the day exploring the city, enjoying some great food, and, at the end of the day, camped at the amazing Carpinteria State Beach. The next morning we woke up, tore down camp, and drove up State Route 154 north into Santa Barbara County wine country. We were blessed with amazing weather that luckily contradicted the weatherman’s predictions. As it was our first time in the mountains of Santa Barbara County, we decided to spend our day driving through the beautiful rolling hills, eating a great lunch in Solvang (where Lance Armstrong and the Tour of California recently rode through), and spending the evening exploring the region some more.

After a great couple days, we made the astonishingly short drive back to Los Angeles. On our way into town, we stopped at the industrial location where the television show The Office is shot. It took a little searching on forums and blogs, but we found the exact location and it was so neat to see the “Scranton Business Park” sign outside the “Dunder Mifflin” building.

The rest of break was spent watching movies, eating great food, celebrating Easter Sunday at Sierra Madre Congregational Church, visiting with old friends, enjoying the great weather we had all week, and of course, getting a little homework done.

Now, Spring Break come and gone, I anxiously await the last day of finals. My homework load is heavy and my scholarly drive weak, I have quite the journey ahead of me. I’ll update you all in about a week here once the most of it has passed. Until then, enjoy this warming weather and study hard! And for those of you who are wondering what there is to do out here at APU, I hope this blog has shown you just a taste of the amazing things you have to look forward to!