Life Lately // An Update From Berkeley, CA

This morning I woke up to an empty room - one of my roommates went home for the weekend and the other one spent the night at a friend's house. I think that this might be the first time that this has happened since I moved in a few months ago.

The house was quiet when I came downstairs. I made myself some coffee and oatmeal, settled down at one of the dining room tables, and proceeded to indulge in some Pinterest scrolling while listening to beautiful movie soundtracks. Needless to say, my heart feels really warm and happy right now, so I thought that this might be a good time to give an update on life to all of you out there :)

*I don't think that I have ever felt so happy in my entire life. I am so excited for each day and each day holds so much potential for excitement

* I can feel myself learning every day and it's honestly impossible for me to pick a favorite class (Shakespeare, Medieval Literature, Latin 2, Introduction to Celtic History / Culture )

* Taking Latin has most definitely been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Since we translate so much political rhetoric (Cicero, Caesar, etc.) I have seen a remarkable growth in my ability to approach literary analysis essays in English and also just my ability to express my thoughts, feelings, etc. Another consequence of this is that I have a greater appreciation for language and the meaning of words.

* I have absolutely loved living in AOII. Every morning when I walk downstairs to get breakfast and coffee before class, there is usually someone down there already. Oftentimes I'll just come and sit with them and we'll talk about our weeks or what we have on the docket for that day. This is the most encouraging, empowering, and passionate group of people that I have ever had the pleasure of calling myself a part of. They love me for exactly who I am and they compel me to follow my dreams and to reach as far as I possibly can everyday.

* I have still been able to see my best friends from the dorms last year quite often. In fact, I went and got dinner with one of them and his roommates last night and tonight I am going to sleep over at my old roommates' apartment. They bring so much light to my life and I thank God all the time that he put us on the same floor together :)

* I have been much more involved in Campus Crusades (Cru) this year than I was last year and it has been fabulous. It is so enriching to be surrounded by Christians who love God dearly, but also share my passion for academics.

* There have been many times this semester when I have had to talk about the Bible and God in a secular setting during my English discussions. The nature of Shakespeare, Chaucer, Milton, and others of that time period is that Christianity and Religion were very prevalent in their cultures / societies and therefore discussions of those topics are laced throughout their works. I have been able to talk about the story of the prodigal son in front of a group of twenty-something people and tell them about the love of the the Father in the story. I have been able to talk about how Faith is more than just following rules - in fact, it is infinitely bigger than that. Of course, I always have to be very careful when engaging with these topics because I am in a secular English class at Berkeley, but I make sure that everything I say is rooted in the text that we are discussing and has analytic significance. I would be lying though if I said that my heart didn't leap into my throat every time I prepare to speak up about God and Christianity in my classes. 

* I firmly believe that the music that you listen to can have an enormous effect on your overall mood and productivity. As of late, I have been listening to many inspiring film scores, Show tunes, Disney songs, Jazz Standards, and overall just happy, heart-felt music. It makes me feel as if the world is so much bigger than myself and that any present worries or stresses I might be having don't have any gravity in the scope of all my present, past, or future joys.

* I am still relentlessly chasing after my goal to become a Roman Archaeologist one day - preferably somewhere in the British Isles. The other day I had a really encouraging moment pertaining to this goal. I was studying in one of the sitting rooms that we have in the house, in the backs of which there are old yearbooks and mementos from a hundred year's worth of past AOIIs. As I was flipping through one of the yearbooks from the 1960's and I found a wallet-sized black and white photo of a very handsome young man. The best part however, was when I flipped the picture over and found a note written on the back. It read -

 "Dear Sue, Do you realize what French would be like without your cheerful, warm personality? Well I do. Paul is a pretty lucky guy to have a girl like you, even if he doesn't seem to show it. From one [unreadable] buddy to another, I shall really miss you after graduation. Love, John"

Hurriedly and excitedly, I ran out into the Great Room and showed the girls there what I had found. They thought that Paul must have been pretty close to perfect because John sounds like quite a catch! The picture is currently sitting on the top of my dresser and I look at it often as I'm getting ready before class. When John wrote that note, he never would have imagined that I would be reading it however many years later, yet here it is. . . on my dresser. That's exactly what I love about archaeology, except the time scale is exponentially larger. I love being able to connect with people on that sort of an emotional level thousands of years after they have died. Also, it really makes you think about the legacy that you're going to leave behind. Even though Sue was only the recipient of that sweet note, you can still glean from it that she was an exemplary young lady and John certainly thought the world of her. I wonder what people will think of me in fifty years if someone finds a note that was either written by me or for me. The moral of the story is that I can't wait to be an archaeologist and continue to explore what it means to be human and fully alive.

Well there you are. I know that this was a long post, but I also know that I have not posted in an incredibly long time! My days here at school are always filled to the brim with things to be read, papers to write, meetings to attend, and people to see, but they are always enjoyable and I enjoy being busy. It makes me feel as if I am always accomplishing something and always working towards my dreams and goals. But the bottom line is that people come first and if you ever want to chat and catch up more extensively, just let me know. I might have to delay it for a few days or a week, but I am always able to make time for the people who are important to me! With that, I must say farewell because there is much to do this weekend, but I wanted you all to know that I am doing very well and that God is forever good to me :) I love you all and I wish you luck with all of your present and future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Olivia

Getting Ready to Re-Embark

It's so hard to believe that I'm moving back to Berkeley in less than three days! This summer has gone by too fast! So many amazing memories were made though. I landed an incredible summer job that taught me a lot about myself and what I want to do with my life. I met many inspiring people - young and old - who have given me hope for mankind in a world where it is easy to find reasons to doubt it. I taught myself how to knit and am now working on my third scarf! I was blessed with a wonderful church family and I found myself discovering and re-discovering many of the things that I have come to love about God. All in all, this has been a fabulous summer and as much as I love Berkeley, there will be so many things that I will miss about this place:

* Sharing morning coffee and great conversations with my mother before work

* Driving around in my reliable little Toyota pick-up - Nothing makes me feel more empowered than rocking  the stick-shift with the windows down and some music blaring :)

* Enlightening dinner table talks with my parents

* Late night chats with very old friends

* Having the freedom to watch inspiring films whenever I want

* Journaling in my favorite coffee shops

* Being surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges and fresh air

* Reading good stories and reading them at a more manageable pace than is often required of me at school

* My room, which I have poured a lot of heart and soul into over the years

* Our silly cat, who is quite the lover boy, and always greets me when I come home

* Taking time to root around in my favorite used book stores and thrift shops, and experiencing the thrill of finding new little treasures

So here's to summer, but also to fall. Autumn is my favorite season after all. I'm excited for all of the adventures that are just over the horizon! Also, thank you for all of the wonderful birthday wishes. I'll be honest, I usually dread my birthday every year, but my nineteenth was truly the best birthday that I have ever had. I was equally blessed by my family and old friends as well as new ones, and I have never felt more loved. Thank you for that. 

Move-in Day is on Sunday afternoon at AOII and there is so much to do before then! But I will try to write a few updates in the weeks to come. I hope that you all have a great rest of your summer :)

Sincerely,

Olivia

Classics: An Overview From Yours Truly

Welcome to your crash course on what it's like to be a Classics major! Just as I said in my last post, I have been asked more questions about Classics than about any other thing since I've been home. I'm going to do my best to hopefully put some of those questions to rest!

To start things off, I will refer to the Berkeley Classics Department's Mission Statement from their website:

The mission of the Department has four major components.

• To give students across the University access to the literature, history, archaeology, mythology and philosophy of the ancient Greek and Roman world through an array of undergraduate courses on classical culture in translation. These courses introduce students to texts, artefacts, and ideas that are worth studying both in their own right and as abidingly influential elements in the imagination and history of later cultures. Such study deepens students' understanding of present-day issues by inculcating a sense of historical perspective that takes account of both the differences and the continuities between contemporary and ancient cultures.
• To enable undergraduates to immerse themselves in the language and culture of ancient Greece and Rome through its majors in Greek, Latin, and Classical Civilizations. These majors equip students with knowledge and analytical skills that can be applied in many areas (e.g., law, politics, business, biosciences, computer science and media) as well as providing essential preparation for graduate study in Classics, Comparative Literature, Philosophy, and other fields.

I only included the first two out of the four components for my purposes, but they convey the gist of what I love about Classics - especially when it says - "Such study deepens students' understanding of present-day issues by inculcating a sense of historical perspective . . . etc." I love being able to study peoples and cultures that were thriving thousands of years ago and recognize many of their same characteristics, desires, and interests in myself. 

As it said in the opening statement, Classics has many different facets under the same department - literature, history, archaeology, mythology, and philosophy (I would also include language, architecture, and art history). That's one of the reasons why I love Classics so much - the diversity of the disciplines studied. The Classics department steals from many of the other departments on campus. This occurs because practically everything having to do with Ancient Greece and Rome are diverted into Classics. For example, nearly all archaeologists and archaeology classes belong to the department of Anthropology, except for Classical Archaeology which is separated out. The same is true for Art History - there is Art History and Classical Art History. I like to think of ourselves as being the bandits of the academic world for this reason.

Also, since Classics has so many different disciplines, people who are Classics majors decide to focus on a wide variety of topics within their major. I for one have chosen to focus on archaeology - "the study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains" - as opposed to art history or architecture, etc. My fondest memory of studying archaeology at Berkeley so far occurred during one of the lectures for my "Introduction to Roman Archaeology" course last semester. My professor wanted to show us some samples of pottery that were incredibly prevalent during the time of history that we were studying that week so he passed them up and down the rows while he talked. I remember holding that little shard of red pottery that was about half the size of my palm and immediately wondering who had made the pot or jar that it had originally been a part of. I wondered what the man's name was and whether or not he had had a family. I wondered what his favorite food had been and where he had grown up. To me, that man felt so real as I held that piece of pottery in my hand and thought about how his hands had touched that same piece over two thousand years ago. At that moment, I fell in love with archaeology. I mean, if I get that ecstatic while sitting in a classroom, I can't even imagine how glorious it will be to actually be in a foreign country, pulling things out of the ground that haven't been touched by humans for thousands of years. What a special endeavor to be a part of.

So there you have it. I think this answered many of the sorts of questions that I've been asked recently. If you have any more questions or may be interested in becoming a Classics major yourself, PLEASE ASK ME! I am more than happy to answer any inquires that you may have :).

Also, I'm moving back to Berkeley two weeks from today! Crazy right? This summer has gone by so fast, and I have enjoyed it immensely, but I'm also ready to get back to the place that has stolen a piece of my heart. It feels so great to be able to love both places, and that lets me know just how generously I've been blessed :). Here's to a new year and a new adventure! I'm ready for it. Bring it on.

Sincerely,

Olivia

Lessons from a Library

I love being a librarian. This has been the PERFECT summer job for me! I am so excited to go to work every day. I love wearing long, flow-y skirts and a name tag (and people actually look at it and call me by my name!). It's a small-town library with lots of regulars who are always super friendly and cheerful.

There are also volunteers that come in to help us shelve books and my favorite volunteer is this elderly man named Robert. He's probably in his seventies and a foot shorter than me, but he always has a smile on his face and he calls me "dear". At the beginning of each week, he brings in roses from his garden so that we can have them on our desks. He doesn't know what their official name is, so he calls them his "Oh My" roses, because when you smell them, you just want to say, "Oh My!". It always makes me so happy to see him when he walks in.

And quite simply, I just love being surrounded by books. I hadn't truly realized how much I read as a child until I spent time in the children's and young adult sections and recognized titles upon titles that I had read myself! I used to go to the library often with my parents and it was fun to reminisce about those times in my life that have long since gone. There is something about books that calms me down. I was having a rough morning the other day, and then I went to work for my afternoon shift. After being there for four hours, I felt much better. I think that it has something to do with the timelessness of literature. Good stories transcend time, conflict, bitterness, and strife. Moreover, this is probably one of the biggest reasons why I fell in love with Classics when I arrived at Berkeley last year. Epics such as the Iliad and the Odyssey have been around for thousands of years, and have survived countless wars and misery, yet, for those who care to read them, they still offer inspiration and hope. Those sorts of stories are what connect us to those certain threads of humanity that are weaved throughout time and culture. Simply being in a close proximity to those sorts of stories makes my own worries and problems seem vastly short-lived in comparison.

Speaking of Classics, I intend to do a post on what that major entails sometime in the near future. That has definitely been the question that I've been asked the most since I've been home - "So what exactly do you study in Classics?". Hopefully I'll be able to put a lot of questions to rest!

Finally, I look forward to utilizing Berkeley's libraries a lot more in the years to come. I didn't venture there very often last year, but now that this library at home is becoming a sort of safe haven for me, I look forward to spending more time in the libraries at school. Next year is certainly going to be an adventure :).

Sincerely,
Olivia

A Different Sort of Independence

Last Friday, on the 4th of July, I watched the fireworks by myself. Now, I don't say that in a self-pitying way - in fact, I mean the opposite! Of course, it would have been nice to have some company, but I learned something very important about myself in the process.

I was house-sitting that weekend and hadn't been able to make plans with any of my friends to go see the fireworks, so around 10 pm, I pulled into a parking lot, hopped into the bed of my truck and settled in to watch the show. I even looked up Ray Charles' version of "America the Beautiful" and listened to it (The Sandlot, anyone?). And the fireworks were magnificent.

One of my greatest realizations of this past year is that I love having alone time, and am, in fact, an introvert. I wish so greatly that I had known this earlier in life. Growing up as an only-child, I came to detest being alone and always wished that I had siblings like all my friends. Everyone would tell me that siblings aren't that great and that you just fight all the time. However, even though I avoided sibling squabbles, I also missed out on all of the good things. It has taken me a long time to come to terms with that and be okay with simply hanging out with me, myself, and I.

But last Friday was especially important, because that was the first time I had celebrated such an important holiday by myself. And you know what, I was weirdly alright with it. It was encouraging because I know that no matter what happens in the future, I am independent enough to be content with myself and who I am becoming. As much as I want to get married like other girls my age, I realize that I don't need to have someone in my life to make holidays or special occasions feel "special" - and this is significant considering all of the years of grad school I have ahead of me! I would like to be "Dr. Graves" out-right before I get married :). And most importantly, I know that I always have God by my side, supporting me and loving me, even when I'm not being a responsible follower of Christ and don't make time for Him like I should. For that is what truly matters in the end.

So it turns out that I celebrated personal independence a little bit more than our national independence on the 4th, but I don't think that makes me un-patriotic necessarily :). My birthday is coming up in the beginning of August and that's a day that I usually end up spending by myself as well, but hopefully this year, I'll be content with whatever comes along. After all, holidays and birthdays are supposed to be "special", but they only take up a couple days out of the year, and I would much rather live with the mindset that every day is "special" and there is always something "special" to find in every day. God Bless, and I hope that you had a lovely Independence Day :).

Sincerely,
Olivia

PS. I got my first paycheck from the library yesterday! Hooray for more personal independence! I will probably be posting some humorous anecdotes about my job soon, so keep your eyes peeled :)

Lists, Goals, & Progress

The other day I felt the need to get out of my house for a little bit, so I headed over to Barnes and Noble. Even though I can't justify paying their prices for books anymore after frequenting used-book stores and working in a library, it's still a nice, relaxing place to go and think. I didn't really know what I wanted to do when I got there, but I brought my journal, some scratch paper, my current reading material (Insurgent), and my Latin textbook, to cover all the bases. When I sat down at one of the tables in the café though, I had an idea and took out a few pieces of paper. I then proceeded to write down my goals for next semester.

I love knowing that I'm a visual learner, and just a visually-oriented person in general. Once you know how you best learn, so many other things become much easier. I discovered a little while ago that I function most efficiently when I have things written down. That way, if I ever forget my goals or objectives for the day, I can just visualize the list and read it from memory. I don't know if that works for other people, but it's been a life-saver for me! But anyways, I started writing everything that came to mind as I thought about this past year and what I want to improve on in the future. Some things are small and some things are more universal, but they are all very doable to some degree. I'm sure that it will get added to in the future, but here it is as it stands today:

1. Eat a salad every week-day

2. Continue to drink plenty of water

3. Accept that I'm a slow reader - allot more time than I believe is necessary

4. Make fires in the fireplace

5. Take advantage of the libraries for studying

6. Create small goals instead of being daunted by large ones

7. Begin essays on the day I get the prompts

8. Remember why I love school when I feel discouraged

9. Fold Laundry / Put it away as soon as it's done

10. Find little ways to serve around the house

11. Write everything down / Make lists

12. Read at least one verse or devotional each day

13. Spend a few minutes picking up my belongings every night

14. Be productive even while resting / Decrease idle time

15. Go to San Francisco for the day to study

16. Take time to journal / Record special memories

17. Think of something that I'm thankful for every day

18. Keep priorities straight

19. Become a master of organization

20. Have patience with myself even when I'm frustrated

21. Do my best to keep things simple

22. Allow myself to have an adventure every now & then

23. Constantly look for ways to encourage those around me

24. Dress nicely every day - it'll be a confidence booster

25. Hike on the fire-trails

26. Do yoga out on the patio

27. Take lots and lots of pictures

28. Research new scholarship opportunities

29. Start learning about / studying for the GRE

30. Cherish the time that I get to spend with my friends

31. More confidence / Less pride

32. Always give the honor back to God

33. Strive to go the extra mile in everything that I do

34. Keep clutter to a minimum

35. Listen to inspiring music

36. Exercise at least 3 days a week; Stretch daily

37. Eagerly utilize weekends for reading / studying

38. If I become disinterested in an assignment, move on quickly and come back to it later

39. Increase vocabulary

40. Have better posture

41. Resist the urge to battle with my alarm in the morning

42. Write letters to people

43. Embrace frugality - Save money for Future Adventures

44. Persevere even when things get tough

45. Clean off desk every night

46. Continue to discover how my brain works best

47. Love passionately and unconditionally

48. Don't sleep in too late - Start the day early!

49. Establish good routines and stick to them

Now that July is upon us, I'm officially half-way done with my summer vacation. Even though I have loved being home and I've accomplished so much in a few short weeks, I'm also eager to return to Berkeley. So many adventures await me there! I know that I won't be able to meet all of these goals, but most of them only require a few minutes of my time each day. Time has become my most valuable and cherished resource as of late, but if I can rally enough self control, I think that each of these little things can have the power to make a huge difference. I shall just have to wait and see.

Sincerely,

Olivia

Proud to be a "Nerd"

This morning I was thinking about what I had missed in my list of hobbies / what-nots  that I talked about yesterday and I realized that I failed to include something very important indeed: PROUD NERD.

I think that the term "nerd" is so misunderstood and misrepresented in our society. I saw an excellent quote by John Green the other day (author of The Fault in Our Stars and one of my new favorite people):

"... because nerds like us are allowed to be unironically

enthusiastic about stuff... Nerds are allowed to love stuff,

 like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can't-control-yourself love it.

 Hank, when people call people nerds, mostly what

 they're saying is "you like stuff." Which is just not a 

good insult at all. Like, "you are too enthusiastic

 about the miracle of human consciousness."

And boy, do I get excited about things. Anyone who has had the misfortune of getting me started on Latin or Classics or Lord of the Rings has experienced that part of me. But I love how John Green's definition encompasses the heart of what it means to be a "nerd", and the idea that it doesn't matter what the subject matter is, only the passion and excitement that is exerted towards it. 

For example, by that definition, I would consider most athletes to be "nerds". They spend countless hours pouring over strategies and fine-tuning their skills, just as any "nerd" who loved a particular class would. I experienced this when I played softball my whole life, and I guess that that's one of the main reasons why I never understood high school stereotypes. It is so incredibly possible to have passions for things that are vastly different in nature. My senior year of high school I was an athlete on my school's varsity softball team, but I was also taking 4 AP classes and was enthusiastic about participating in science bowl. I loved it all and that was the only thing that mattered.

In college, I have found that these stereotype lines have been blurred significantly, yet I have thrown myself into one of the most enigmatic stereotypes there is - sorority life. Many people were surprised when I joined AOII last fall, and in some ways, so was I. I mean, who would have ever expected a mellow, "nerdy" girl like me to join a sorority - especially when most people in my hometown think of the Greek system, they think of Legally Blonde. But the truth is, the girls that I have come to know in AOII are so filled with passion for their respective fields of study, and moreover, we all share a love of community and investment in those around us. We all have a passion for serving others and for trying to make the world a better place.

So in conclusion, I believe that the answer of tackling stereotype barriers lies in the classic cliché "it's what's on the inside that counts." It is for this reason that I didn't mention any of my physical or physiological characteristics in my "Who Do You Think You Are?" list yesterday, because they are simply irrelevant. Sure, I own a couple of fancy dresses and it's fun to dress formally every once in a while, but my favorite articles of clothing by far are baseball shirts [I have three and am always on the look-out for more]. I also own a t-shirt that has the periodic table on it front-and-center and one that displays all the college crests of Oxford University. And yes, when I go back to school I will be participating with my AOII gals in Berkeley's Fall Formal Recruitment, and I will be wearing dresses and heels and my hair and make-up will all be done carefully and neatly. However, when I talk with the girls who are rushing throughout that week, I will be sure to focus on their eyes rather than their clothing, because there is nothing more beautiful or telling about a person than when their eyes light up as they talk excitedly about the things they're passionate about. And that in turn makes me so unbelievably excited in return. How nerdy of me :).

Sincerely,

Olivia

"Who Do You Think You Are?"

Some of the last few conversations that I've had with friends have involved me saying something about one of my hobbies or some little tidbit that had grabbed my interest and them responding "Who are you?!" in a joking manner, as if they'd never met anyone else like me before. I don't like to think of myself as being that extraordinary, and I truly believe that everyone should consider themselves to be unique and special in their own way. I guess I just do the things I do because I love them - and that's as simple as it is. I love being so certain of where my passions lie and in that I consider myself to be very lucky! This reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Secondhand Lions, in which Robert Duvall's character answers that timeless question of identity with such confidence and style, that you can't help but feel awestruck by it. If you'd like to watch the scene, here's a link.

 I would have to say that that's one of my ultimate goals in my life, to be able to answer that question, "Who do you think you are?", as effortlessly and assuredly as possible. So even though I'm typically a fairly private person, I thought that I would share a few fun facts with you all today, because learning new things about my own friends is so precious to me :)

WHO AM I???

Olivia Marie Graves

Eighteen years old

California Golden Bear - Class of '17

Aspiring Archaeologist / Adventurer

Part-Time Librarian

Lover of Opera, Standards, and Classic Rock

Self-proclaimed Thrift Store Goddess

Avid BBC fan (Doctor Who, Sherlock, Downton Abbey... you name it)

Future Cat Lady

Daughter of THE KING

Sorority girl

Pun Crafter

Beginning Knitter

Pinterest Addict

 Lord of the Rings Enthusiast

Latin Speaker

Puzzle Solver

Coffee Drinker

Mug Collector

Northern California Native

Lover of Words / Quotes / Etymologies

Hopeless Romantic

Dreamer of Big [and oftentimes ridiculous] Dreams

ETC.....

Of course, all of these things only make up part of the picture because my hobbies and interests don't touch on any of my weaknesses, temptations, or strengths. Obviously, those things are important too, but I think that there is so much value in taking time to notice the little things that make you who you are :). So I encourage you all to make a list, because there is so much freedom in it. How would you answer the question of "Who are you?". If you're ever interested in telling me, I'd love to hear. People are just fascinating aren't they? Every single one of them.

Sincerely,

Olivia

Home for the Summer

What a year this has been! I've been home from Berkeley for about two weeks now and it has been so wonderful to get some quality rest and relaxation after a hectic semester. Every once in a while during the last couple of months it would occur to me that I had not blogged in a very long time, but then life would catch up with me and I never made time for it. I don't have very many regrets about my first year of college, but that is definitely one of them.

Anyways, I'm here now, and life is starting to get really exciting! I have decided to alter my career path, and I am currently pursuing archaeology as a profession! The more I think about it, the more I fall in love with it. Archaeology is simply a ram-shamble of all my favorite things. I would get to travel to far away places, study and handle objects that haven't been touched in thousands of years, and continue to learn about people and cultures that I have loved since I was a little girl. Besides, in order to become an archaeologist, I would need to get a Masters as well as a Doctorate - that means that I would be Dr. Graves. How fitting, am I right? :)

In preparation, I began taking Latin last semester as many of you know, and I will continue taking it as well as Ancient Greek and German. Next summer, I will hopefully be traveling to Nemea, Greece, to assist with a UC Berkeley excavation site with one of my favorite professors! There have even been hints that we will be excavating tombs! So exciting! I also intend to seek out volunteer positions and internships at local museums in my next few years at Berkeley.

On another note, it was hard to say goodbye to all of my friends that I made on my dorm floor since we won't be living together again, but I know that we'll still see each other in the years to come :). I'm going to be living in my sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, next year and my room has a bay view! I will literally be able to lay on my bed and see the Golden Gate Bridge out my window. I don't know how I got to be so lucky.

This summer I'll hopefully be working and adventuring! My best friend is coming home in less than two weeks and I am so stoked to be reunited with her after spending six months apart! Other than that, I'm just going with the flow and seeing where God takes me next. I love you all and I want to thank everyone for your support and well-wishes throughout this past year! There were certainly a lot of changes but they were mostly amazing, and I'm looking forward to all of the great things yet to come!

                     
                     
                     
                     
                     
                     

Here are some of this year's snapshots via my Instagram. You can follow me at @oliviamgraves, if you'd like! More news to come! Thanks again for all of your love and support!

Sincerely,
Olivia

Lessons in Latin (and Life)

My big sister's room in AOII has a view of the Bay. It also has a window seat, and today I sat there and read the beginning of Turn of the Screw by Henry James, listened to some opera music, and occasionally looked out the window to watch the slow drizzle of rain as it came down from the overcast sky. I felt so Berkeley AND so English major today.

The first few weeks of this semester certainly caught me off guard. First of all, we had a week of  training for our Spring Recruitment at AOII, and then a week of actual Recruitment when we were inviting girls to come up and see our home. I got to meet so many amazing young women! In that way the whole experience was incredibly rewarding, but I was exhausted when it was all over. On the Wednesday of Recruitment, I left my dorm room at 8am in order to get breakfast before my 9am class, and I didn't get back to my room until 11pm. That was a very, very, very long day. Not to mention I caught a nasty cold just as Recruitment week was beginning. HOORAY FOR GOOD TIMING! Just kidding.

Other than that though, life has been quite exciting. I absolutely love my Latin class. My teacher is a third-year doctoral student in the Classics program and I am one of her only five students. I'm going to repeat that: five students. We have class four days a week from 9-10 am, and I look forward to that class every single week. I still can't believe how much I've learned already! Here are some of my favorite little Latin tid-bits:

• v's are actually pronounced as w's in Latin - so Julius Caesar's famous Veni Vidi Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered) is, in reality, Weni Widi Wici. Not quite as intimidating - am I right?
• Latin has different endings for nouns as well as for verbs. A noun will take a different form depending on whether or not it's the subject of the sentence, or the direct object, or the indirect object, etc.
• Notice how I used "etc." at the end of that last line? - ALSO LATIN! it's short for et cetera, literally meaning "and other things"
• Latin has practically no word order in its sentences. The subject of the sentence is usually the first word, but the last word is almost always the verb! Weird right?
• My favorite practice sentence that we've had to translate so far - "Fīliās nauta habēbat, sed nōn fīliōs. Namque nautam dī nōn amābant." It means "The sailor had daughters but not sons. For in fact, the gods were not loving the sailor." Different times, different times.
• Latin is such a violent language. Some of our first vocabulary words were bellum (war), ferrum (iron / sword), and servum (slave).
• It's so fun to learn where a lot of our English words come from! For example, "video" is just Latin for "I see" and the Latin word "esse" means "to be" and is where we get our words "essence" and "essential"

That class is just so much fun. I would love to continue to take Latin in my next couple years at Berkeley. Maybe I'll even try for a minor. Who knows? 

I'm also enjoying my Intro to Roman Archaeology class. My professor is a professional archaeologist and leads excavation teams in Italy over the summer! The more that I learn about archaeology, the more I think that I'd love to keep that career option open. I would to get the chance to travel to far away places and take things out of the earth that have been there for thousands of years! So many possibilities for amazing adventures! :)

On a deeper level, my heart has felt a little bit heavy the last few weeks. I think that after Winter Break it really started to hit me that my life is so different now than it was six months ago. I didn't get to see my best friend at all over the break and I might not be able to see her again until June - or maybe even later. That is so incredibly hard to wrap my mind around! There are no more guarantees that I'll get to see her or any of my other friends, even when I am home. Don't get me wrong, I fall more and more in love with Berkeley all the time, but it's weird to say goodbye to the first seventeen years of my life when things were a lot more predictable.

I feel like I could be more sad and nostalgic about everything, but honestly, I don't have time for that! I definitely keep very busy just like any other college student, which is why I find myself sitting in my building's study lounge on a Friday night with the intention of doing homework for a while before I eventually go to sleep. That's my life now, but I have to admit that I love it and I love everything that I'm learning. I love Berkeley and I love that this is the place where God wants me to be. That's all for now folks. Farewell :).

"May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He turn His face towards you and give you PEACE." - Numbers 6:24-26

Sincerely,

Olivia

Second Semester

Hello friends.

This is going to be a crazy semester! I just wanted to stop in to give a little update on the classes that I'm taking and all of the things that I'm looking forward to doing in the next few months. This is my 18 unit schedule:

• English 45C - Modern-ish Literature
• Classics 17B - Intro to Roman Archaeology
• Latin 1
• Integrative Biology 31 - Animal Behavior and Ecology
• Classics 24 - Freshman Seminar (Indiana Jones - myth vs reality of archaeology)
• English 24 - Freshman Seminar (Mark Twain's boys)

I'm also going to be highly involved with AOII this semester and we are beginning to go through training for Spring Recruitment right now. We learn all the tricks of the trade, and believe me, these sorority girls have the art of conversation down to a science. I'm stoked to meet all the new girls that are going to become a part of our chapter next week :).

Today was a really long day because I had six hours of class, but the rest of my days are much easier. Thanks for all of your support and prayers. I know that this is going to be a tough semester, but I know that you guys believe in me and that makes all the difference! Hopefully I'll have some silly anecdotes to share soon :).

Sincerely,

Olivia

"Major" Questions

To be a teacher? Or to not be a teacher? That seems to be the ONLY question that I receive when people discover that I'm an English major.

This brings me to a topic that I've been thinking about for a while now. I think it's time that I addressed the subtitle of my blog - "The Life of an English Major at UC Berkeley".

Why did I decide to be an English major you may ask? Well, it's because I love it. It's really that simple. I have loved stories every since I was a little girl. I used to make up little fairy tales for my parents to write down and I continue to write to this day. I began to read when I was very young and have loved it ever since. English was always my favorite class in school - especially AP Literature my senior year of high school. I found that I could never feel stressed while I was within the four walls of that classroom. So much of my life regrettably revolves around me, myself, and I, and that can be so emotionally exhausting. I love studying literature because it forces me to step outside of myself, to see new perspectives, and to continue to learn about what it means to be human.

I do, however, also have a lot of respect for the math and sciences. I was fascinated by biology, physics, chemistry, and calculus in high school. I was amazed at the practicality of it all and how God's design is so visible in the minutest of details. But I'm not passionate about math or science, and that makes all the difference.

Over this last semester at Berkeley, the stigma against the humanities became very apparent to me. It's never really stated in words, but there is definitely a feeling of superiority that hovers over the math and sciences. I'm not saying that math and science classes are easier or harder than humanities classes - they're just different. There are too many variables to consider. I don't want to ruffle anyone's feathers, so know that it's not my intention to lessen the intensity of going into a mathematical or scientific field of study. My purpose is merely to explain why I personally didn't choose those paths.

I got good grades in math and science. In fact, I got A's in chemistry, biology, physics, and calculus, in high school. I know that I could have done something in math or science if I had wanted to. A lot of the time, I get the feeling that people believe that humanities majors are only pursuing that path because they are incapable of doing something "better". Although that is probably true for some people, it is definitely not true for all.

There are so many things that come into account when people choose their courses of study. I chose to follow my passion. There are many other people who decide not to follow their passion because of family or social pressure. Projections of future success in the work world also play a huge part in student's decisions. Maybe I will be a teacher. Maybe I won't. Maybe I'll get accepted into graduate school and become a professor. Maybe I won't. I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but I do know myself, and I know that studying literature gives me so much joy, and at the end of the day that's what matters to me.

My wish for everyone is that they would take many different things into consideration when choosing their major. Don't do it for the money. Don't do it for your parents. Don't do it for the prestige. Do it for you, because you're the one that's going to have to live with your decision one way or the other. If money, prestige, and your parent's approval, all line up with your passion, than that's great! Go for it! But please don't let those things be the only factors you consider.There's a big, big world out there, and it needs all sorts of different people - not just the math-and-sciency ones.

So there you have it. I hope that this doesn't offend anyone. One of my best friends is studying to become a veterinarian and the other is studying to become an engineer. They are following their passions too and I wish them the very best of luck. That's just not the path for me. I'm incredibly excited for my journey as an English major at Berkeley and for all of the things that I'm going to learn! If you're a humanities-lover like myself, I want to encourage you to follow that path if you so desire. It may appear to be the "easy" path in the the eyes of our society, but it certainly is a lot of fun :). If anyone has questions for me, please feel free to comment below! I would love to answer them! Until next time.

Sincerely,
Olivia

Happy New Year!

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year! 

My goodness, this last year was a tough one. From frantically trying to finish out my senior year of high school to finishing my first semester at Berkeley, I've hardly had time to think. However, even though this year was one of transition, it was also a year of many, many blessings and I thank God for all of them. 

I know that it's been a long time since I've posted and I know that a lot of you have been asking me about this blog. My first semester was an incredible lesson in the importance of prioritizing, and updating this blog fell very low on my list the last couple of months. Now that it's winter break and I have more time, I want to give a few updates, but unfortunately, I can't promise much for the upcoming semester. But, anyways, here are some things that I've been up to since my last post:

• I have decided to attempt a double major in English and Classics (ancient civilizations)
• I am now an official member of Alpha Omicron Pi - Sigma Chapter. I'm the co-head of House Beautification for Recruitment and I joined Bylaws Committee!
• My IM Softball team went undefeated in the regular season!!!
• My two wonderful roommates started a blog about me - www.shitoliviasays.blogspot.com
• I will be taking Latin 1 next semester! Wish me luck!

For those of you who are either in college or getting ready to head off for college, I want to offer this piece of advice: It's easy to feel fulfilled by people's constant company if you are living in the dorms, but if you neglect seeking God's company, you might find yourself lacking in areas that you thought were full. I could definitely feel this happening to me over the last semester. I was so happy to finally be living with people my own age that I always turned to them in my times of sadness and loneliness instead of turning to God. Even though I felt much better after talking things over with my friends, only temporary fixes were made. I think that people often associate "going off the deep end" in college with partying, drinking, fooling around, etc., but even though I'm not tempted by those sorts of things, I still felt more distant from God than I did last summer. So be on guard for laziness or neglectfulness in your relationship with God.

On that note, I wanted to mention a cool thing that I heard in church this last Sunday - the center verse of the entire Bible is Psalm 118:8: "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people." Isn't that amazing? So even though I've never been a big fan of new year's resolutions, I want to start holding myself more accountable to God, and to seek Him when I need help, rather than my friends.

So there you have it. Just a little bit of an update for all of you. I'm doing well, and I am very much looking forward to everything that God has for me in the upcoming months! :)

Sincerely,

Olivia