The seaweed is always greener in somebody else's lake

Tonight is Thursday and I believe this is the first thursday this year (not counting rush) that I haven't been out. I think it's a step in the right direction though. I love going out with the sorority people, but my favorite thing was to go out Thursday nights with my Parkside suite freshman year. Most people are really busy this year and don't have time which is cool because I don't have as much time either, but I think the nights of meeting up with suitemates, taking the tram, and hanging out with everyone at dtd is over...for a while at least. I'm glad to be spending the evening in my apartment tonight, playing the role of recluse extraordinaire. I'm already in my pajamas and thinking about finishing up my homework so that I don't have to worry about taking it with me this weekend. Its incredible to think about the 180 degree turn ive made in college. I entered college with a very clear idea of sororities, how they are filled with annoying Barbie girls and how I hated them. I hated the greek system. To look at me or talk to me, you'd never think Id be involved in such a thing. But I guess over the year I realized what a big, impersonal campus this is and how hard it is to meet people when everyone is just doing their own thing. I realized that I could be in a sorority and meet nice, non-Barbie people and still keep my own personality and the same ideals...just without the cynicism of the system. I think if you just open yourself up to any opportunity that comes your way, you'll be happier than automatically judging everything. I just hope my outlook stays that way.

I am going on a mandatory house retreat Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's retreat should be fun because it's at some girl's house in Orange County and is a chance to really get to know my pledge class and apparently there's gonna be fun activities planned. Sunday, however, is an all-house retreat where everyone in the house has to sit and listen to national board members (little old ladies from georgia) talk about the rules of ADPi for 5 or 6 hours. I don't expect Sunday to be all that fun, but hopefully it'll give me a chance to meet some of the older girls. I don't have a problem with my pledge class because everyone's on the same level so Im not intimidated, but being the extremely shy, quiet person i can turn into at times, I usually clam up around some of the older girls who are by far some of the coolest people I've met. I was over at the house tonight and we made smores and ate them out on the lawn. We couldnt find any candles, so we ended up using the microwave, but it was still fun.

Tomorrow I'm going to LACMA for the first time. I'm going with my mom and this one other girl in my art history class because we have an essay to write about some classical Greek pieces at LACMA. I've always wanted to visit the museum and have heard great things about it, so we'll see. More and more over the years, Ive started to love modern art above all else. I guess maybe because it demands more thought and personal incorporation, and because it's a movement I can associate with my generation of artists. Anyway, I'll write all about it after I see it. Also went to see the Thorton Symphany Orchestra tonight at Bovard. Whenever I hear classical music, I choreograph ballet in my head. I'm slowly widdling down the mad amount of homework I have and sat on campus for about 2 1/2 hours today under a tree trying to make a dent in this "Southland" book that we're reading for politics. I have to do an oral history project for that class which freaks me out. I'm not good at talking to strangers.