The Mature and Responsible Thing to Do

I've been thinking a lot about how my life is different now that I'm twenty (because it so totally is, and I'm not being sarcastic).  No, but f'reals, I feel a lot lately like I'm supposed to make real people decisions and be in charge of all my schtuffs.  What ever happened to safety nets?

But also I'm twenty.  Isn't that when people go out and do crazy things and learn about random new skills and meet people who change their lives and are just a tad irresponsible?
Apparently not at Stanford.  Everyone here is too busy changing the world and securing their summer internships with the Dalai Lama or McKinsey Consulting.  But I don't really like that.  It drives me a little bit crazy.  I've always been a bit of an over-planner, but I feel myself pulling back from planning every facet of my life and more and more just going with the flow.

And so Wednesday I was feeling blue.

Call it post-birthday slump, call it being hormonal, call it whatever, I was just a little down.

So being the twenty-year-old that I am, I took the high road on this one.  Meaning I bought a bunch of orange juice, skipped work for the day, and laid in bed and watched The Incredibles. Yes, I am quite the responsible adult.

Stupid life responsibilities and the way they make it impossible for me to travel my way into a bajillion debt without worrying about how I would sustain myself.  Maybe realizing I have to be responsible is enough for this year round, right?

Hold that thought. I'm off to send a billion emails to professors and write a couple cover letters and then practice climbing up the walls in my hallway.  Oh and I had cereal for dinner today.

Celebrate Good Times, COME ON!

I hope you sang the title as you read it.  That was my intention.

Recently, I turned 20 years old.  Old old old.  Okay, I'm not at all old.  I'm twenty years young.  So young, that I spent the weekend not thinking about school at all and instead taking a road trip to southern California.

While there I spent time:

• Eating with the fam

• Cruising the streets of Hollywood

• Oggling Blake Griffin

• Chilling with some princesses

• Forcing Marcus and Puke to step out of their comfort zones

• Dancing with Mr. Incredible

• Getting in powdered sugar fights in public

• and generally having a blast

By the way, Mr. Incredible is a FLIRT.  Just don't tell Elastigirl about our little encounter.  (I would also like to add that I was not overly flirtatious and that if anything, Mr. Incredible was coming on to me.  But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it.)

But TWO DECADES.  I mean, that is a looong time. Bring on two more?

Deleted Databases and Other Such Treasures

When I started my job, they all immediately liked me.  Because I was good at the facebooks.  And I am the social media expert around the office.  Little do they know I got a LinkedIn and Twitter account only a week before I started.  They were amazed by how I could stalk Stanford alumni via the internets.

Technology.  Man oh man technology.  Did you know it only takes a couple of clicks to delete a database that takes months to build?  I know that.  I know it from experience.

Weirdly, I didn't feel that stressed.  I mean, granted there was a period of ten minutes where I freaked out, thought I was going to be fired, and considered taking infinity Stanford swag from the office on my way out, but after that, I just didn't let myself think about it.  Even though it was a pretty big problem.

They were pretty cool about it at work though. "If you're gonna mess, up, you might as well mess up big, right?" No, Mr. Boss-man, there is no logic behind that.  If, however, it lets me keep my job, I will alternate between my "Oh No!" face and a smile until you leave me to get back to my work.

Also, when I got to work, this guy was sitting at my usual desk:

And I never got any sort of explanation as to what he was doing there.  Which is weird because it's not really a play pranks type of office.  And also I felt like I had to let J. Biebs take my spot all day.

I think I have a soft spot for cardboard cutouts of celebrities that I don't actually like that much.  Although . Biebs has some catchy songs, don't get me wrong.

Oh and btws this is the first time in my life where the people who sign my checks are the same people that I work for.  So maybe I should have been more concerned.  Weird.

Well, that's all folks.  I should be studying for an econ midterm that I have tomorrow, but really who needs good grades.....

I came to DANCE DANCE DANCE

I am about to post a picture of myself doing something that all Gamboa girls (and possibly just all Gamboas) do. Don't judge me.

No, I am not being really bad at posing and at the same time narcissistic (which also might be a Gamboa feature), I am in fact dancing in front of a mirror.

And while the real attention-getter in this picture might be the nast smudges on my mirror or the fact that my side of the room looks cleaner than Kelsey's (WHAAAAAA????), that's not what this post is about.

It's actually about my dancing shoes, which, predictably, are generally flip flops.

I got complimented on Saturday night on the fact that I am a good dancer (I am sure other Gamboa children have experienced this as well).  I don't actually think I'm a good dancer.  Instead, I think that I am not afraid to look stupid in front of large crowds of people, and more importantly I dance like I am having fun.  This is surprisingly rare in dancing places.  People like to watch people who are having fun, hence the compliments on the moves.  I know I'm not the only Gamboa to get made fun of for an overly expressive dancing face.

Other cool weekend activities include:

• Teaching myself several adobe software programs in order to create the new header at the top of my blog.  Did you notice?  This is my first time using fireworks, photoshop, or illustrator so don't judge. (Do I say that phrase too often?)  Oh, and I took all of the pics myself (except the first one).  I'm really proud of the sunny Stanford pic.  
• Planning next weekend's epic L.A. road trip extravaganza with one KTrone.
• Attempting to lead the VERY small ward choir.  
• Listening to Marcus' newly developed ukulele skills.  
• Shamelessly making myself a youtube playlist of Love songs for the holiday and listening to them by myself.  And not even feeling bitter. (really, I am not being sarcastic)
• and engaging in general tomfoolery.  ooh and i watched a Meg Ryan chick flick (I.Q. if you must know) by myself on Saturday night.  

All in all, a good weekend.  :)

Also, I feel like I have a ridiculously high number of pictures of myself on this sucker right now.  I promise to rectify this in the future with less pictures of this mug.  

What's in a Name?

Remember how I told you that Gigi isn't my real name.  Well, I've been thinking a lot about that.  Almost every time I tell people that my real name is actually Genevieve, they say something about what a pretty name that is.

And I've always agreed.  I didn't really pick the nickname Gigi.  People have been calling my Gigi since before I can remember.  Which is not to say that Gigi is not a great name.  It's French, and cutesy, and even a little flirty.  And it's done me well in my life.  I got into Stanford with the name Gigi.

But I always pictured myself growing up to be Genevieve.  Which is why I'm going to start introducing myself as Genevieve. Which is not to say that I am going to force you all to call me Genevieve and never say Gigi again.  I'm even going to keep this blog titled the way it is.

So even though it caused controversy, I want to change my name.  I don't dislike Gigi, I just kind of want to be Genevieve now.

I'm still the same girl, after all.

Remember Free Time?

Yeah those were the days.

The days before I went to bed at 1 am and woke up at 7:30 to finish homework.  The days before I spent about an hour and a half just walking around campus to all the places I went.  The days before I had three midterms within a week and a half of each other and I skipped meals just to study or finish homework.  The days before I gained stress-weight all the time.

I spent a lot of time today remembering those days.  They were good to me.  I can almost remember the way it felt to sit in one spot for so long that my butt actually hurt.  The way it felt to spend more than 15 minutes a day with any of my friends.

And then, of course, I felt the drop in mood that happens when you ponder how easy life used to be.  Because no matter how well things are going now, it always seems that things were easier to handle if they happened a long time ago.  And now always seems to suck.

And then I saw my first-ever pregnant student at Stanford.  Well at least she looked pregnant, and she looked like a student.  (I know, all you BYU students are wondering how it took me soooo long to see a pregnant student.  It like never happens here.)  At first I was jealous of her.  Because she probably has a nice husband named James or something.  And probably when she gets home (at like 5, not 9)  she and James eat together and ask each other about their days and tell stories about the funny things they saw walking around campus.  And maybe she mostly just has reading and she gets to relax when she gets home and put her feet on a table and drink a glass of orange juice and read something for her sociology class.

But then I thought wait a minute, it would suck if I were pregnant.  Like going to school where random almost-20-year-old-girls stare at me like I'm some freak and I have to walk everywhere with swollen ankles and an extra 40 pounds on my body, and it is frickin hot for February and I'm sweating everywhere and none of my clothes fit me right and I have no money, but in two months James and I have to figure out a way to pay for the two of us in school and baby.

So even though I'm busy and I'm a little bit tired of school right now, at least I'm not pregnant.  

Which is why they call me an optimist.


Oh, and bear with me through these formatting experiments.

Offensive

This is my friend Lena.  

Well I guess that was me and my friend Lena, but I think you get the point.

Did you know that am really not P.C.?  Because I'm not.  Like if I had to point my friend Lena out to you in a crowd, I would just out-and-out say, "The pretty girl in the wheelchair over there."

Which makes for interesting conversations with my new friend Lena.

Anyhoo, Lena and I are so cool that we spent our Saturday night together doing Computer Science homework.  We were REALLY studious.  So studious that we decided after about an hour that we had been studious enough for one evening.  but it's ok, because we're on track for A+'s in that class. Holla!

And the great part about Lena is that she's really accepting of my particular brand of weird.  And also her knees.  But that knee part is just a joke.  Seriously though, Lena ran a marathon after her paralyzing accident. It even says so in the article.  Plus she knows everything about me.  Plus she sings really well, is really modest,  and is a great listener.

So what I'm trying to say, using Lena as an example, is that it's really cool to make new friends who have lived different lives from you.  Most people have.  Because if I never knew Lena ... but that's just too depressing to even consider.

Legit Blog

This is officially a legit blog.

Know how I know?  I got tagged in one of those blog-it-forward do-hickeys by one of my oldest friends, Brooke.  (Could I say that my siblings are my oldest friends?  I've known them the longest, but I've only really been friends with them for like 7-ish years.  Weird.)

So now you have to sit through 15 facts about me.  Oh and they're supposed to be interesting?  That's just too much.

1. I've worn flip-flops basically ever day since the 9th grade, even though I'm terribly self-conscious about my ugly feet.  Rain or shine.  Also, Sundays don't count because I wear high heels.  
2. Gigi isn't even my real name.  (Haha I sound like a spy.) My name is Genevieve.  My initials are G.G. which sort of evolved into Gigi.  
3. In general, I'm pretty self-conscious physically, except when it comes to my hair.  I have really good hair.  Even on fat days.  
4. Someone once told me that my biggest skill is the ability to get things done.  Which is by no means what I wanted to hear, but it's probably true.  
5. Almost all of the life goals or expectations that I had set for myself in high school have changed since then.  Though that's not really too weird when you're convinced as a 16 yr-old that you will die old, crazy, and alone, with only your dogs to keep you company.  
6. I've never been in love.  Or really anything close, actually.  
7. I like to think of myself as being very self-sufficient and independent.  
8. I like to sing in the shower.  LOUD.  And I'm pretty sure my entire dorm hates me for it. 
9. I'll tell you most anything about me if I think you won't judge me for it.  Or unless it's still fresh.  
10. I've watched a Disney movie at least once a month (more like once a week)  since about my junior year of high school.  I know a lot of words to a lot of songs.  
11. I'm really bad when you put me in front of an audience.  Which I know is the wrong attitude to take on that, but I can't really help it.  
12. One time I did a back handspring.  
13. I have a terrible habit of carrying my cell phone in my ... in the front of my shirt.  Which gets awkward sometimes.  
14. I like the sound of the word geranium.  
15. I am at the same time shy and loud.  If I know around half the people in a group, I will be loud, but any less and I will be like shy mcgee.  But if you talk to me for like half an hour I will probably get louder and louder.  

Ok, so ... even though they might probably won't do it (and I wouldn't be offended), I tag McCall, Jacie, and Meagan.  

Some Reasons I am not Angsty Right Now

Even though I have been angsty a lot lately.  (But that's all changing)

• The wonderful Kelsey had a birthday on Thursday.  I love her so much, and it was sooo fun to celebrate with her.  Pic:

• The weather.  Did you know that I suffer from SAD?  It's Seasonal Affective Disorder, and it means that I get depressed in the winter time.  Yes, I am a California girl wuss.  But this is keeping my body from realizing that it's winter right now.  Thank you California.  
• Blogging got me a job!  Well ... Kinda.  Blogging and my superior people skills.  Like making jokes in interviews.  No but f'real, the people at the Stanford Alumni Association wanted someone who was adept with social media and it's marketing uses.  AKA, I uses the interweb and I gotz me a job.  
• I'm taking an Ebonics class.  Which is incredibly interesting to study, and which makes for great conversation.  I come back with interesting facts and phrases all the time.  This is a book I use to study, along with another picture which I don't find offensive in the least bit:

• It's February.  Meaning my birthday is coming up.  Also meaning this is week 5 of the quarter.  Also meaning I'm taking a girlfriend's road trip to LA soon.  Meaning it's practically March, and then I get to go travel the east coast.  
• I decided I don't like being stressed.  And I decided I'm just going to work really hard and then not set any grade requirements for myself.  So if I work my bee-hind off this whole quarter and get C's in all of my classes, it will suck, but I will be okay with it (eventually).  So whatevs
• I finally blogged for TUSB, which I have been meaning to do for literally 2 weeks.  
• Also, I remembered not to take life so seriously.  Like is it really the end of the world if I don't get a really legit job this summer and I end up doing office work again.  And I decided that if I'm not having fun in my music theory class then that's stupid, because I love music a lot.  And that should apply to everything basically.  
• Also, I discovered good music.  Like Mumford and Sons and Brandi Carlile and Rod Stewart (mostly joking there), and Bon Iver.

So I'm happy.  And I'm fixin to stay that way.