Good Times

The first three weeks of school just went by. I’m following Intro to Business, English Freshman Composition, Calculus 1 and Interpersonal Communication. I love the Softball workouts. Three weeks in and I already feel improvement.

Because I’m a pitcher (and I pitch every day!) I get separated from the team. Therefore, my coaches want me to come a hour early twice a week so I can pitch before practice. Then I can interact more with my teammates. Lucky me, that’s on the two days we also have weights in the morning! So this is what my Tuesdays and Thursdays look like:
6.00 - Wake up, make breakfast for after weights and pack softball clothing and water.
7.00 - Morning workout at the fitness center
8.00 - Eat breakfast and put my softball outfit on
9.00 - Pitching (<3)
10.00 - Team training
12.00 - Go home tired and sore and prepare for class

Apparently I’m not an outfielder anymore. My coach wants me to really connect with my infield, because they will back me up while pitching. So I’m on first base again and my fielding is (very very very) rusty. The weirdest thing was on the second day, when we were playing scrimmage (practice game against each other). I was pitching and the ball was hit directly at me. I easily grabbed it, turned around and... Shock. Rose, the girl who would always be there, was replaced for a blond girl with green eyes. For years and years Rose would always stand there, every single practice and every single game. For a split second it was very confusing.

These weeks it has been very very hot! Apparently there’s a tropical storm in Mexico which influences our weather. It is very very hot and humid, most of the time I have the sensation of dying on the softball field. The coaches do not feel sorry for us, because the State Championships will be in Bakersfield where it is even more hot! I remember we went there a couple of years ago. Chelle and I took a sprint to the pool and jumped in immediately, because it felt like you had to put another layer of sun screen on after 10 seconds. I mis the cool wind in Almere! It has also been raining time to time, something that never happens according to Emy and Marcello. At least the clouds make a beautiful sunset as they turn red.

I don’t have school on Friday, so in the first week of school I went back to my car dealer in Irvine. When we picked my car up, it was not ready. It was dirty and they were about to clean it up, saying it would take two hours. I didn’t want to wait two hours on my birthday! That’s why I went back and they gave my car a nice wax. Surprise surprise, it only took 45 minutes. My car was so shiny and pretty (we had rain a week after! Waterspots everywhere!). I picked up Marianna (Marcello’s cousin) and we drove to San Diego.

I’m really really happy I have family nearby. It makes the move a little bit easier and sometimes I miss speaking Dutch. After all of my sleepless nights, the first thing I wanted to do was take a nap. I was so tired! I was sleeping for two hours when Tante Emy woke me up to go swimming. Swimming in their beautiful infinity pool is of course a must! BUT! I was sooooo sore from practice! I tried to swim a lap, but I was unable to spread my legs. So I just walked around moving my arms a little.

The next weekend was labour day weekend, meaning that I had a four day weekend. I was not looking forward to it. Then one day I was waiting for class on campus and I bumped into the two Japanese girls I met at the International Orientation. They said they had trouble making friends too and I asked if they wanted to hang out this weekend. Pfiew, something to do!

On Thursday my roommates came home late after practice and said they would have a few friends over. Fine by me, stupidly thinking a few was about four. But friends brought other friends and before you knew it, there was a party going on. My apartment was full of people drinking and smoking whom I didn’t know and they were some weird things going on (which I would not put on paper). With having insomnia for about two weeks, it drove me absolutely crazy! Extremely desperate and tired, I called my Coach, Courtney, in the middle of the night. She truly helped me out, I was allowed to crash on her couch. I’m so so thankful. Unfortunately, feeling safe and being in a quiet surrounding did not help me sleep. I went to bed at (I think) 1.00-2.00 and woke up before 7.00.

The Saturday I had breakfast with one of my teammates and her family, Clarissa. She is so sweet! Of course I chose the American pancakes! We ended up spending to whole day together. I went with her to her hairdressers and dentist appointment. We waited for two hours for her dad at he dentist, but he bought me lunch after! Jum jum! The next day was dedicated for homework, I thought just doing English was enough. After all, the English teacher checks homework and my Math teacher doesn’t. At night I went to Huntington Beach to have dinner with the Japanese girls (Nanami and Aoi). We went to BJ’s, a chain restaurant with a name Chelle does not approve of. It was actually really good! They had all kinds of odd meals, I had Salmon with quinoa. Afterwards I was allowed to sleep over. They have a one bedroom one bathroom apartment for the two of them. They have met a year ago at language school. I’m a bit jealous they were able to room with a known friend. The next morning (Monday > labour day) we woke up early for DISNEY! I bought a pass that allows me to go whenever I want (except for the weekend and further ‘block-out’ dates) for five months. If I go three times I have my money back. I don’t have school on Fridays, which is a good day to go because the weekend will probably be busy with school kids.

We went to the park ‘California Adventure’ only, but man it was big enough for one day. We went into numerous attractions. Sometimes we chose to wait in the ‘Single Lane’. As we were only with the three of us this would save a lot of time.

A couple of years back when I went to Disney with my parents and Chelle, they were building Cars Land and we were sad we couldn’t see it. It has turned out beautifully! I loved it so much! Entire Radiator Springs was rebuilt, with the ‘Cozy Cone Hotel’ and ‘Flo’s Cafe’ for example, all mainly for food and drinks. The cars ride was the first one we took and I loved it! At first it’s a slow storytelling ride, but then you go out on the racetrack with another car next to you! The machinery was so much better compared to the older ride from ‘Monsters and Co.’. In Monsters and Co. the mouths did not move and the movements of the robots were very simple. In Cars the robots moved, talked and drove fluently. It was as if I was in the movie. I loved it!!

But then, at nighttime when we left, I made a shocking realization. “Sh*t, I have my very first Math quiz the day after tomorrow!” So maybe I should’ve done my Math homework instead of English after all. Again, I was completely stressed out. The diary on my laptop is nicely arranged and I get a warning for these kinds of stuff, but this week my laptop completely broke down! After being a slave for me and my father for about ten (?) years it finally gave up. I bought a new one at the Apple Store, but I had to give them both away so they could transfer every file that was on my retired laptop. STUPID STUPID STUPID.

Right now I’m back at Emy and Marcello for the weekend. When Marianna and I arrived there was a beautiful lunch waiting for us. Oh how I love it on Heavenly Way! Today, Saturday, we wanted to fly (my uncle Marcello is a pilot) but unfortunately it was to cloudy. We went to Old Town, the name says it mostly except the fact that it’s Mexican. Very cute and I definitely recommend going there. Afterwards, Annieck, Marianna and I went to Fashion Valley (again!). Gezellig!
The next day we had another amazing brunch, this time right on the water (Mission Bay). Luckily it was not as hot as any of the previous days so we sat outside with a nice view. Annieck was not there because she went surfing. Afterwards Marcello and Christina went to fly their airplane, so Marianna and I tagged along! Such a nice view when you’re soaring over San Diego!! I absolutely loved it!! I had a headset so I could listen to our pilots and there was a lot of jargon. I definitely understood one thing: “We are lost, where is the map?”. Unfortunately Marianna got sick in the very last minute, we were already descending. After tidying up, Marcello asked me a shocking question: “Do you want to drive home?” I asked if he was serious several times, as he drives a SPORTS CAR! WOW! How lucky and happy I felt! Unfortunately for ‘just’ 10 minutes but I was definitely very spoiled this weekend!! Good times.