A fun fact about me is that I am absolutely obsessed with dogs! I have two of my own, a golden retriever (named Sugar) and a black lab/collie mix (named Taylor) and I just adore them! I love how each dog has it's own personality... sugar is super clumsy and goofy, while Taylor is really smart and protective!
(Image Information: personal photo with Sugar and Taylor; photo from February 2014.)
I was raised in Southlake, Texas and my family still lives there today. I love everything about Texas, but I know once I graduate I hope to be able to go somewhere new and different. I have a love and passion for traveling and experiencing new cultures. I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in China this summer, where we traveled all over and experienced so many different lifestyles and cultures. It was the best experience of my life, and I hope to be able to study abroad again before graduating!
(Image Information: personal photo on The Great Wall of China; photo from May 2014.)
(Image Information: personal photo in the Lijiang Mountains; photo from June 2014.)
(Image Information: personal photo at the Aberdeen Fishing Village in Hong Kong; photo from June 2014.)
I think it would be an understatement to say that this was the best summer of my life! I also got the chance to spend a week in Cape Cod this summer, which was so cool because it was such a different setting from where we normally vacation in the summer. I had never really been in the Northeast before, so it was awesome to get to see the city of Boston and the spend a week on the beautiful beaches along the cape. I also got to go surfing for the first time! It took me quite a few tries to get up on the board, but once I got it, it was a piece of cake and so much fun! This was definitely a summer of new experiences and trying new things for me, and I am so thankful for all of the opportunities I have been able to have.
(Image Information: personal photo surfing in Cape Cod; photo from June 2014.)
Well that was a little bit about myself, my summer experiences, and my interests! I'm very excited for this class and I am looking forward to trying something new by creating this blog!
Alyssa, I love the golden retriever - she's a keeper! Also, I loved seeing the pictures of you all over the world. Travel is something I'm passionate about, and I can relate to that! I'm jealous that you were able to travel to the northeast this past summer, too. It's on my bucket list for sure. I'm looking forward to getting to know you more from this class!
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa, like you I also want to one day travel the world and see new places. I see you have two dogs, they look great but sadly I am scared of dogs because of a childhood incident when a dog chased me for a block, funny thing though it was a small cute little dog which you would want to just cuddle with.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a fantastic set of pictures all together here in one post - the picture of your two dogs is adorable (we have two cats, also with two VERY different personalities!), and I am so jealous that you have been to the Great Wall of China... and with such a great picture to memorialize that big adventure! Wonderful!!!
ReplyDeleteI love dogs too! Yours are absolutely beautiful. I have a Doberman/German Shepard mix (I think lol), and she’s quite a handful. China is such an exciting place to visit, and what gorgeous pictures by the way. Is there anywhere is specific you want to go if you study abroad again? There’s always a meteorology abroad trip to Australia, maybe they’ll make one for your new major or just a great general one!
ReplyDeleteTia, if I had the chance to study abroad again I think I would choose to go to India! There is just something so interesting to me about India, and I would love to get to experience another culture that is so incredibly different than my own. Australia would also be an amazing place to go, I actually looked into that program when I was a meteorology major!
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa, nice to meet you! Wow, you seem like an extremely adventurous person! All the pictures you posted of all your various trips are so cool. I would love to know more about how the food, culture, and people were while you studied abroad in China. Also what would you do during your free time in China?
ReplyDeleteAlyssa! I am so jealous that you got to go to China, I read your comment above about wanting to visit India sometime and I'm sure you'll love it. I go every summer to visit my grandparents and I always have a blast. I would love to go to Australia sometime I think that would be a lot of fun! I'm sure you'll love pre-occupational therapy i have heard its great career choice. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAlyssa, first off I would like to say that I love love love your layout you have for your blog! I think it is so awesome you were able to study abroad in such a cultural place like China. I can only imagine the memories you got to take away from that trip and from the events you got to do this past summer as well. The most cultural place I think I have gotten the privilege of traveling to is either Paris or Rome. You have some beautiful dogs and they seem like a lot of fun to be around :)
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa! I can definitely relate to wanting a career of helping people and working hands on with people which is why I am also going into the healthcare. Your dogs are so adorable! I have a miniature version of the golden retriever and he is scared of pretty much all inanimate objects, which makes no sense because he's never been hit in his life! He is so cute and loving though! It looks like you had an amazing summer! I loved seeing all of your pictures from your travels abroad! I've never been surfing, but I've always wanted to! It's good to hear that it's not too hard once you get the hang of it! Good luck with your career in occupational therapy! I look forward to reading more of your posts!
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa, you are absolutely adorable. I like dogs a lot as well! Yours look very sweet!. Your pictures are so cute from this summer! I am glad you had a great time in Cape Cod and all around China! Surfing definitely looks like fun but also a lot of work and strength! We need to catch up some more soon! I am sure I will see you tonight!
ReplyDeleteHey good evening Alyssa! I’d like to start by saying how awesome your dogs sound. I’m totally a dog person as well. It sounds like you had quite the summer. Looking at your China pictures I think I spotted my buddy Travis, he’s in the naval ROTC unit with me. That's too funny that you two know each other. Well it was a pleasure learning a little about yourself, I hope you have a fantastic semester.
ReplyDeleteHi Taylor! Love your dogs. I'm definitely a dog person, but alas I live in a small apartment now. I have two dogs of my own back home, and I have a cat with me here now. Your trip to China sounds amazing. I've been abroad once, back in high school, and it was definitely an eye-opening experience for me. I would love to travel to Asia. Cape Cod sounds fun too. I've never really been up in the Northeast much, except NYC. Your summer was definitely more fun than mine!
ReplyDeleteHello Alyssa, nice to meet you. I really like the photo of your dogs, and I am also a dog person. It is great to hear that you figured out what you really want to study. I hope you enjoy becoming an occupational therapist. I recently had shoulder surgery and had to see an occupational therapist for a while, and she really helped me out. Good luck following your dreams.
ReplyDeleteHello....Ok first off seeing all your travel pics made me jealous. I think it is amazing that you have had the chance to see all those places. Also I am a dog lover. Not small dogs though because they are always barking at everything especially bigger dogs. It is like they have a complex. Someone should tell them "Relax..it is ok for you to be you even if you can fit into a purse it is ok. No of course those other big dogs are not laughing at you, they probably just heard something funny is all." Anyways I have a big puppy of a dog named Pocket and I can relate to having dogs. You said you were a junior well enjoy every minute of your college exp. because it goes by so fast. It is great to meet you and I hope that you have a great junior year.
ReplyDeleteHey, Alyssa! Glad to have you in the class. That’s really neat you were able to truly figure out what you want to do for a career at OU and I’m glad you’re studying what you really enjoy. I also am glad you have gotten to study abroad – I’ve always wanted to and am glad it was so great for you. Your dogs are also super cute!
ReplyDeleteHey Alyssa! This is the first time that I've visited your blog. It's weird that after so many weeks of class and being paired with the same people a few times, there are still people in this class whose blogs I haven't looked at. It cool that you like dogs. My family also loves animals. We have quite an assortment back at home. I hear that we have the greatest meteorology program in the nation, possibly even the world. My roommate freshman year was a meteorology major and he said that he wouldn't go anywhere else to study the subject. I'm glad that you found a major that you better suits you. This is turning into a long comment on your introduction, so I'm gonna go ahead and wrap it up... I look forward to reading more of your posts!
ReplyDeleteAwh!!! Your puppies are the cutest. I changed my major too, no shame in it! I could totally tell that Taylor was a collie mix. I love collies. I used to have a border collie and she was the sweetest dog ever. I have yet to study abroad in college and I think I wont have the time to do that if I was to graduate in five years because I changed my major so much. Nice to meet you! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteI was actually extremely surprised that I hadn't read your introduction before. I thought it was interesting that you were a meteorology student before. I would like to know if you came to OU because of the program. That would be tough to come to a school to study in a specific program and then end up changing from that. I hope to study abroad before I graduate as well. Good luck with the rest of the year!
Wow loved reading your introduction! Bummer that I'm just now getting to it! I love the picture of your dogs! I have two golden retrievers and I definitely think goldens and labs are the best dogs to have! My best friend is about to transfer to OU to do pre-occupational therapy so that's exciting to hear that you like it! I also LOVE your photos from studying abroad!! I studied abroad in Spain this summer and definitely agree that it made it one of the best summers yet! Good luck with the rest of your time at OU!
ReplyDeleteAlyssa, I loved the pictures that you posted! Although I don't personally know you, I felt like it was easy to see what you're interested in by showing pictures! I'm sure you have so many interesting stories from all of your exciting travels. Also, I think your dogs are adorable. I completely understand what you mean about dogs having personalities of their own. I have three dogs and they are all completely different. My dog Penni is sassy, Walter is hyper and Fluffy is lazy. All of my dogs are really little though, but I love that you have big dogs. Most of my friends have big dogs and I love to go to their houses and play with them. So fun! Great post. (:
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