Journal Entry #123: 03/14/25 - Matcha Green

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And...it's been over a month. Happy Pi day, nerds!

So...piggy-backing off what I posted last, the packages I was supposed to receive on my birthday never arrived because I gave my grandmother an incorrect address. She ended up sending new gifts to my family's house and I picked them up when I got home. Academics have been okay, and unfortunately I don't remember much when it comes to the past month lol.

Valentine's Day was alright, I received a large cookie cake from my family and cried my eyes out for some reason since everyone else was going out lol. A few weeks after that, I made these nice shamrock cookies! They were easy to make and turned out wonderfully. I may make some later (likely not St. Patrick's Day, unfortunately) sometime. I also spent some time preparing for conference (last minute!) and went to the prettiest Publix I've ever seen. But let me get to the main event:

The Conference

I mentioned it before, but I attended a conference last week. This wasn't my first conference, but this one was much larger, as it was on the national level. The first day was quite grueling, as I had to wake up quite early to board the bus that took our group to the airport. Eventually we boarded our plane and landed in Chicago. There was an issue with the rooms in our hotel, so our group had a few hours to kill. I went with a small group to try out some Korean-style corndogs (which were yummy) and some pizza from Papa John's. Finally, we got into our rooms and I took the first part of a test. So, to sidetrack, conference took place during the week before spring break (aka midterm), meaning I ended up taking two tests during the trip, one of which was in two parts and had to be proctored. I really wish it hadn't ended up this way, but unfortunately my professor for the class wasn't very accommodating. After finishing up my test, our group headed over to the opening ceremony. I had a great time, and then went up to a hospitality suite with a wonderful high-rise view of the city.

The second day of conference was the first day of the career fair. It was draining. I stood in line for a company's booth for an hour and a half due to poor line management. I eventually was able to speak to someone who handed my resume off to another representative, but I never heard back. I also spent some money on some expensive food at the convention center lol. Once again, I spent some time working on assignments. I also attended a chapter meeting that was three hours long. However, it was quite necessary, even if the length itself wasn't. I ended the second day at another hospitality suite, but mostly focused on talking with fellow members.

The third day of conference was the second day of the career fair. It was a bit better but still draining. I think I just don't like career fairs. This one was so large and overwhelming. It was cool to see some companies I hadn't been able to see in person before though. I had to take the second part of my test, and I unfortunately misread an entire question and only realized after I finished, so I'm not looking forward to seeing the grade. I ended the day at a final hospitality suite and had a good conversation with both the employees and members. 

The last day of conference I spent in downtown Chicago, since I had spent so much time committed to academic and professional pursuits. I first grabbed a pass for the train and went down to the mall with a friend. We peeked in a few stores and gasped at prices. We went to a manga store and I grabbed Yotsuba #3. They also had Scott Pilgrim and I regret not getting volume 3. We went back into a store and I ended up getting a skirt...that doesn't fit me. I may see if I can alter it some way (likely with safety pins). After that, we took the train back to the hotel and teamed up with some other members to go to a museum. We ended up trekking the city for about an hour and went to a museum. My friend and I browsed the gift shop. We then ended up stopping at Ralph Lauren, Build-A-Bear, and then got dinner at an Italian place. It was getting late, but then my friend wanted to see the Bean, so we went with our posse of inebriated men trailing behind us. Our fellow teammates recommended catching an Uber, so we did, and we chatted about the night as we were driven home.

Travel back from conference wasn't great. Nothing terribly bad happened though. After I got back to my apartment, I quickly packed my bags (and forgot a few things) and headed home. Due to the little rest I got, I found myself driving drowsy and I had to stop at a Love's. I got some coffee and some sugary snacks (yeah, I know, bad decision). Thankfully I completed the rest of my journey safely. 

Overall, conference was a breath of fresh air, but also a great depletion of energy. I ended up sleeping 12 hours the night I got back. 

All the Things and Financial Woes

I'll be honest: I've been spending too much money! But I'd like to share what I've bought/received the past few weeks. Before conference, I got this nice knee-length tan trench coat. I've always wanted one. Before I left, a few weeks ago, I got a green tank top and a green and white raglan shirt to celebrate March. While I was at the career fair, I got a lapel pin of a company logo I really like. After returning home, I received a boba glass along with a boba keychain from my family, along with a stubby green pen and small notebook. I also got my gifts that I mentioned. One was a glow-in-the-dark four leaf clover necklace which I've come to really love. The second one is this nice mini-statue of N. I've decided to leave it here as I don't have space to display it in my apartment and it is quite fragile. I also got this tank top from Target that is light blue with navy outlines. Lastly, I got some shorts from the thrift store yesterday; they have cargo-style pockets, fit me well, and are high-waisted. Lastly, a shop that I like is moving locations and decided to mark down its entire inventory 50%, so I just had to get some things. As you can see, I have more than enough, and I aim to restrict spending over the next few months.

The Weather (as always)

Since it's March, the weather is quite tumultuous. It looks like we are currently having our first major multi-day outbreak of the year here in the US. It's currently supposed to hit my location early tomorrow morning and then hit again in the afternoon into early evening. All models show high severe weather activity. Hopefully everything will be okay. It was clear to me a few weeks ago that this area is going to have quite the weather this spring, which brings about some unique challenges and will paint the season for me in a way.

Tomorrow I'll be washing clothes and cleaning up my room to ensure that when I leave on Sunday, everything's in order. Hopefully the weather doesn't get in my way. I still have a lot to talk about, but this post is already too long. Catch you in a few days.

Boa noite,

AstraGenesis ᯓ★

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