My dad is flying in this morning, he should be here any minute and we are going to go out to lunch to celebrate and then start packing! It is going to be interesting trying to pack up all of my stuff, but we'll figure it out. And it isn't raining really bad right now so hopefully it will stay like this because it will be hard to get all my stuff out safely if it is pouring!

Finals went really well, I am very happy with myself and think I will get really good grades again this semester! Hopefully!

And on Sunday I fly to Costa Rica! I can't believe that either! So I have a lot to do this week with getting every back home and to my grandparents house and then packing for Costa Rica!

Thanks to everyone who read my blog this year, I have had a blast writing it and hope you learned a lot about what freshmen year is like for a Simmons student. Have a great summer everyone! Peace - Hannah :D

But until then I have soooooo much studying to do! And I'm going to a couple review sessions today, which is so nice that the professors hold those for us, and so that should help. But I'm sick :( I got sick this week and it isn't really bad, like I can still study and function pretty normally. But my throat hurts, my nose is a little stuffed up, and I feel like I'm getting a cough, but I've been taking a lot of medicine which has helped!

And here is the photo I said I would put up of my spanish video project! Enjoy :) Until next week - my last blog! xoxo -Hannah

Today I had my last chemistry test before the final and it was so easy! I was so happy; I studied a lot, and I'm sure I had to have gotten an A on it! And I only have one more day of classes before my whole freshmen year is over! And then finals week, but I'm not as worried about them as I was last semester. I know what to expect more, and I have time to prepare and study study study so that I can do really well again!

And today it was gorgeous out! It was 80 degrees in Boston! Can you believe that! It was soooo nice! I went to the gym to walk my 5 miles, but I should have gone outside since it was so nice, but it might have been a little hot so I decided to just go to the gym.

Well I am off to dinner and then having an awesome last weekend in Boston! I can't believe this is my last weekend (besides finals weekend)!! It is sad that it is ending, but exciting at the same time. Hope everyone is well, until next time...xoxo -Hannah :)

The housing lottery got moved back AGAIN until this Sunday, so finally this Sunday I should find out where I'm living next year. There has been a lot of drama about it because they keep changing the date and then people are saying that there aren't enough rooms for everyone that wants to live on campus, and they might be making triples for sophomores, etc... so I'm just hoping I get into a good room with my roommate!

In my Spanish class this week we had to do our final project which was to write a script in Spanish and then memorize the lines and film it! It was really fun, I played a dentist and got to dress up and even drew a huge crazy mustache on my face. It brought back memories from when I used to act in high school! And that definitely came in handy when memorizing those lines! But it went really well so I was happy. And I'll try and put up a picture of some of our group members with our mustaches and makeup on sometime next week so you all can see!

Tomorrow is the annual "Simmons Cup", and all the halls compete in various activities during the day and whoever wins the most points wins the cup! And then there is a big cookout afterwards, so I'm pretty excited. It should be fun. I signed up to do the trivia game activity, I think it's kind of like Jeopardy with different categories, but we'll see if I have time to do it because I found out that my friend from home is going to be in Boston tomorrow so I'm going to be able to see him, so it's a busy busy weekend!

Well I have to go and study lots of chemistry because we have a big test this week, so wish me luck on Sunday for the housing lottery! Happy May Day to everyone :) Until next time...xoxo -Hannah :)

Easter weekend was nice. I went to my grandparents' house for a night and then had Easter brunch with some family members that I don't get to see often, so that was nice. It was weird not being home with my family for the holiday though, we always spend it with my godmothers and have a yummy ham dinner and an Easter egg hunt! So I was sad to miss all that, but I was glad I could spend it with some family instead of having to stay at school and eat at the cafeteria!

The next few weeks are pretty busy, the semester is winding down and everything is due for all your classes! But it is exciting at the same time.

And I found out I am for sure going to Costa Rica in May when school gets out! I bought my plane ticket this weekend, and am very excited about it. I'm going for 2 weeks about a week after school ends, and I'm going to stay with a host family there and take Spanish classes in the mornings Monday-Friday through a program that I heard about through a family friend! I'm a little nervous because I am going by myself, but I'm sure I will meet other people at the school and through my host family. And I'm hoping to learn a lot more Spanish which will help me when I take Spanish 245 next semester, and I also hope to relax and maybe spend some time at the beach! It's also going to be a little crazy though because I'm leaving only like 4 days after I come home from school, so I won't have a ton of time to see everyone or get settled, but it's going to be an awesome experience!

Well I think I'm going to go out and study and do some homework on the quad before I go to the gym because it is another gorgeous day! Until next time...xoxo -Hannah :)

The past couple of days have been gorgeous! Very sunny and warm out, it has been so nice. On Wednesday I went out on the quad and sat on the quilt my nana made me and studied in the sun! It was so nice! A lot of people have been doing that this week and you can tell that it is going to be a popular spot the next couple of weeks. And today and a couple other days this week I went for really long walks, about 3 miles, around Boston and down Newbury Street, because I am training to do the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk again. It is a 60 mile walk that you do in 3 days, they have it in a bunch of cities, but I am doing it in Minneapolis, and you have to raise $2,200 also! So I have to train 6 out of 7 days every week now! But it was really nice, I got to see a lot of the city that I haven't really gotten a close look at, and it was so pretty. All the trees are blooming and it feels like spring!

This weekend is Easter weekend and we have Monday off of school, so that is exciting. I have a lot of studying to do, and I have a big research paper due next week too, so I will be doing a lot of homework, but it should be a good weekend too. I'm not sure what I'm doing yet, but whatever happens will be fun.

Oh and on Monday I went to a really interesting talk on Microbicides and AIDS, and how it is affecting so many women, especially in Africa. And how Microbicides are a new possibility to prevent getting HIV/AIDS. They have actually been researching them for the past 15 years, but lately they have been trying to get the word out more, and get funding. It was at our main college building, and I was really glad I went!

Well I'm off to dinner! Hope everyone has a great Easter weekend, until next time...xoxo Hannah :)

We have exactly a month left of classes now! I can't believe we're almost done with the year - I'm almost a sophomore! That almost means that finals are coming up though, which isn't exciting, but I survived them last semester so I think it will be okay!

The spring weather has started in Boston. Last Friday it was 70 degrees and I was wearing a skirt, and then this week it has been cold and rainy! That's New England I guess.

We also find out our lottery numbers today for registering for housing for next year! That is also exciting. Rising-sophomores (freshmen who are going to be sophomores the next year) have the worst chance of getting good housing, and we don't actually get to pick until April 20th, but I don't really care where I live. There are 2 sophomore dorms, one is renovated and one is not, but I lived in an un-renovated dorm this year and it wasn't bad, so wherever I end up I'm sure it will be fine.

And last night I taught my first Sex @ Simmons presentation by myself! I've been in that peer-education program all year, and am having a lot of fun. And I'm actually going to be the co-coordinator of the whole program next year because the girl who is the coordinator now is a senior, so I'm pretty excited about that! It will be a lot of work but also a great experience.

Hope everyone is doing great, I'm going to go and watch some O.C. episodes I taped to relax from my busy day! Until next time...xoxo -Hannah :)

And my mom is coming back today! She flew in from Mpls on Monday and I went with her and my sister to visit Tufts because my sister is looking at colleges, and tonight they are coming back to my dorm to spend the weekend with me and hangout! And we'll go to my grandparents on Saturday night to hangout there and have a big lobster dinner! I can't wait!

Well I better go finish up my homework before they come, hope everyone is doing well, I am loving this beautiful sunny spring weather! Until next time...xoxo Hannah :)

Not much is new, I think I did really well on my Anatomy practical, and I found out I did really well again on my last Chemistry test, so now I'm just concentrating on Anatomy class!

I found out my registration time for registering for next semester's classes and was so happy because I got a really good time compared to most freshmen! It is exciting thinking about what classes I can take next semester, even though most of my schedule is already planned out because of nursing. But I'm meeting with my advisor hopefully sometime this week so we can figure everything out.

Well I must get back to doing some homework before my sister and I go out! Hope everyone's enjoying the first week of spring! Until next time...xoxo Hannah :)

My week was hectic and I am glad it is over with, but I still have more to come. I had 2 tests this week which went really well I think, but next week I have my 2nd lab practical where I have to be able to identify all of these muscles in the cats that we dissected in lab, and it is really hard! And then the next week I have a huge Anatomy and Physiology test which I need to do really well on, and I am somewhat struggling with how to do well on the tests, so I'm going to meet with the Professor and hopefully that will help!

Spring is only days away but it is still cold! And VERY windy! I'm hoping it will warm up soon! But the days have started getting brighter, the sun doesn't set as early, and the sun has been shining more so that's a start!

Hope everyone has a great St. Patrick's Day and weekend. Until next time...xoxo Hannah :)

This week is going to be really busy and hard though. I have a Spanish test on Tuesday, and a Chemistry test on Friday, and then tons of other homework and studying to do as well. But then my sister is coming this weekend! She's flying in on Saturday and is going to stay with me for a least a few days, and I'm going to show her around, and we're going to have so much fun. I'm so excited. And then she's going to go and see our grandparents and tour some schools out here as well, so I can't wait for that. But then next Tuesday I have a lab practical which I will have to be studying all week for, so I am not going to be getting a lot of sleep probably!

Speaking of sleep, I am off to bed now! Hope everyone is enjoying the almost spring time weather! I can't believe how warm it is getting! Until next week...xoxo Hannah :)

That's us girls all dressed up in Madison gear before the game! I had to borrow a shirt from my friend!

And that's my two best friends and I at the game!

This week has been the coldest week ever in Boston, and I have been wearing sooo many layers. I took a picture of me dressed up to walk to the academic campus and I'll put it at the end of this entry. I'm wearing a hat, gloves, a fleece on top of my sweatshirt, my down jacket, and a red scarf that my Nana knit for me! I was very warm!
But I'm hoping it will start warming up when we get back from break because it will practically be the middle of March already!

Well not much else is new, I have a lot of homework and studying to do because I have a lot of tests right after break, and unfortunately I will need to bring a little bit of it with me to study and read while I'm home, but it will pay off when I have to take the tests. And I have to go now and finish up a paper that's due tomorrow so I will write next week when I'm in Minneapolis!! Hope everyone is doing well. Until next week...xoxo -Hannah :)

Don't I look warm!

Maine was awesome. I did so much shopping!! My roommate was a great hostess and showed me allll around! I was glad because I was only there for 2 1/2 days, but I got to see a lot. We went to the Portland Headlight which is the most photographed lighthouse in Maine, and we saw the ocean, and downtown where there are a million cute shops where I bought so many little gifts, etc... and then we went to this town called Freeport and went to a bunch of outlet malls which was awesome as well! I got some really good deals! And we even went bowling one night! They had "cosmic bowling" where you paid like $12 and all night you could bowl however many games you wanted, and there are black lights and disco balls and everything glows, it was fun. And I ate so much good food, the lobster was the best, sweetest, most delicious lobster I have ever had! I really liked Maine a lot, it was very pretty, and there were so many cute places to go around the city. But the weather wasn't the best, it rained and snowed while I was there, but we still got everything done so it all worked out!
I took like 100 pictures while I was there too, and added some at the bottom for you guys to see!

And next Friday I was supposed to have my second Chemistry test, right before spring break, which I was glad about because then I wouldn't have to worry about it over break at all, but we found out today that the professor is postponing it until the Friday after we get back from break because we haven't covered all the material that is going to be on the test yet. So this week I don't have any tests, which will be nice, but then when I get back from break I'll have 2 tests the first week we're back, and then one the next week on Monday, so that will be a little hectic.

Well not much else is new, I have my simulation test on Tuesday for the self-defense class I'm taking, so I'm nervous about that! 2 of the instructors dress up in big body suits and basically attack you and you have to defend yourself using all the moves you learned, so it's gonna be tough, but a good way to practice. I'll let you know how it goes next week. I am gonna go relax and watch some TV now, hope everyone's doing great! Until next week...xoxo -Hannah :)

This and the next few pictures are all of the ocean at the Portland Headlight.

This is Portland Headlight. (The most photographed lighthouse!)

This is Goddard Mansion which is a mansion overlooking the ocean by Portland Headlight.

This is City Hall!

This is a close up of the whale wall that is downtown by the pier by the ocean. A whole wall goes along that building and is painted with whales, turtles, etc...It's so cool!

Then this weekend we have a 4 day weekend! Yay!! I'm very excited because I am going to Maine with my roommate because that is where she is from, and I've never been to Maine, so I'm excited to see somewhere new. Hopefully the weather won't be too bad there, it is supposed to rain and be kind of cold, but we'll see. And I think we're going to go shopping at their outlet malls, and then the best part is we're going to have lobster for dinner! Lobster is one of my favorite foods and most lobsters come from Maine so you can get them really cheap there, so we're having that for dinner one night and I'm very excited about it! And then I'm also going to go to my grandparent's house for a couple days and relax there and eat some more good food! But I'll have to study a lot this weekend unfortunately because I have a big Anatomy and Physiology test next week so it won't be a complete vacation!

And my Anatomy Lab practical was pretty good, the slides of different tissues that you had to identify were really hard, so I'm not sure how well I did on that, but the rest of the bones and everything I knew pretty well so we'll see how I did.

Valentine's Day was yesterday. Nothing exciting for me really, it didn't feel like a special day, but I got some valentines from a lot of people on our dorm floor so that was fun! And for the Sex at Simmons peer-education program that I'm involved in we handed out condom roses that we made to people in the main college building, so that was cool, I think people liked them.

And the Olympics are going on right now! I love the Olympics, they are one of my favorite things, so I am trying to watch as much as I can. It's really hard to watch television when you are in college because you are so busy with everything else, but some nights my roommate and I will watch it before we go to bed, and I've been keeping track of when certain events are, so when figure skating is on I'm going to watch that because that is my favorite event. But it's hard not being able to watch all of it!

Also, the Simmons Soiree dance was a lot of fun. The transportation part kind of sucked because they had these 2 limo buses taking you to the hotel, but they only came every 25 minutes cause they had to drive all the way here and then all the way to the hotel and then all the way back, and then they could only fit like 25 people on the limo, so we waited for almost an hour just to get on the bus to take us there, but a lot of people, including people from our group, ended up taking cabs there because they would have had to wait even longer and miss a big part of the dance. So that was bad cause the cabs cost like $20, and they already paid $20 to go to the dance. And then at the end of the night everyone was trying to leave at the same time and the wait was even longer, so my date and I ended up taking the T home! It was an adventure walking about 10 minutes from the hotel to the closest T stop in heels after dancing in them all night, but it wasn't too bad. I still had a really fun time, and the masquerade masks we got were soooo cute!! There's a picture below :)

Well I should go and start some homework before I go to the chiropractor! I'll write next week and tell you all about my weekend in Maine etc... Have a great weekend everyone! Until then...xoxo Hannah :)

My date Chris and I in our awesome masks!

Us again without the masks!

And I started taking a self-defense class called RAD - Rape Aggression Defense - that they offer here at Simmons for free. Some of the security guys teach it and it is really cool. It's 6 weeks long I think and at the end of the course the instructors get all dressed up in pads and pretend to attack you and you have to use the techniques that they have taught you in the past weeks. I'm a little nervous about that, but it'll be good to be able to practice it on someone. And we are learning a lot of useful moves that aren't too complicated so that's good. It will be good just to know the stuff, and I think it will make me feel more confident, even if I never have to use it!

Well my tests went pretty well this week. Like always, it's hard to tell how you did, but we'll see. I still have one more on Tuesday, it's a big one, the first lab practical for Anatomy and Physiology and so I have to spend all weekend studying for that! There are a million bones and tissues in the body that we have to memorize locations, names and functions for for it, so I'm nervous about that too!

And New York was fun last weekend except for the fact that it rained and so that always sucks. And we tried to get tickets to see a Broadway show but they were all sold out, so we just saw a movie instead. But it was good to see my cousin.

Well I am going to go and watch some TV and unwind from my busy day, and maybe even take a nap. Until next time...xoxo Hannah :)