Welcome back to After the Rain!
        It's definitely been a while since I've added new content to the site, but I'm excited to get to work on helping this old page live up to its full potential!         The past few months of my life have been swept up in change and excitement! In August, I drove out to southern California to enter Soka University of America as a freshman. After a month-long freshman introductory class on philosophy and the enduring questions of humanity, I started my fall schedule and joined several different clubs on campus. After making the Dean's List for fall 2008 and spending the winter holidays at home in Colorado, I was ready to take on 2009 with a fierce determination to keep my grades up, throw myself into my studies, and look for jobs and internships for the summer!         SUA is such a unique school, and I feel like the experience I'm having here couldn't be repeated at any school in the country. My interest in learning the Japanese language and studying Asian cultures has been fostered by all of the great friendships I've made here with international students. I've also learned about South American culture through dancing in Salsa Club, and since SUA is such a new school (est. in 2001!), I've been helping develop the music program for string players. This semester I'm a co-chair of the graduation performance ensemble, which is a colossal project organized, rehearsed and conducted by students. I've also recently joined Humanism in Action, the first club established on campus by the school's founder Daisaku Ikeda, in order to promote community service and an outreach program for the school.
        Of course, I'm sorely missing the frosty weather and the picturesque winter landscape of Colorado, I'm having a wonderful time in Orange County, and I'm excited for the next three years of college.
        Now... you might be wondering what my plans are for the site, so I'll let you know! I'm hoping to focus more on marketing myself as a student, writer, and artist through my site. What that means is that I'll be adding a lot more original content, including my different projects/endeavors, poems, photographs, and a nicer "about me" type of page. Of course, I plan on keeping my favorite silly little pages to keep the site lighthearted and fun, as always, and I'm definitely open to suggestions if you'd like to send me an e-mail! Check the contact page for more information. :)