MARIA IN THE MIDDLE.

I need a vacation from my vacation. It’s been two weeks already, and I haven’t done anything yet. I always planned to go on an amazing trip after graduation to some land far, far away, but all I’ve done is sit around the house. I did leave the house a couple times, but both times, I ended up hanging around the St. Thomas campus. WHO DOES THAT?! I should be done with that school, but I can’t help gravitating back to it.

I think a road trip is in order! I don’t care where, but it needs to happen soon! I start school again in less than two weeks.

AH! Where has my summer gone?

(a random tangent about nonsense)

It’s taken me nearly a week, but I’m finally starting to feel like it’s summer. It’s weird not having anything to do. I think I’m going to start reading again. I own almost every book Chuck Palahniuk has ever written, and now, I finally have the time to read them. What what!

I only have three weeks of freedom, though, but I’m really going to try to relax as much as possible. Yet, summer school beckons.

First things first, we need to hit up the beach. Yes, peeps, I’m talking to YOU. I bought a gym membership last week, and I’m not afraid to use it. I was really good for about two months or so, but this last week killed me! I need to get back on it tomorrow. I could literally walk to the gym now, so I don’t have any excuses not to go.

I also need to do some spring cleaning. I finally have time to clean out my closet, so I’m going to take on the feat. I never thought I would say this, but I have way too many clothes and pairs of shoes. It’s time to give them away. AND THE BEST THING ABOUT IT ALL IS I can finally trash ALL the old assignments I’d been holding on to these four years. What up, UST?! I’m done!

BUT…I’m not really done. I only want one more thing from you, UST, and that is to see my grades! What the heck, yo?! I’ve been out of class for almost a week, and grades aren’t due until Wednesday night? That’s jank!

Anyway, I’m off to get a little fatter. We’re making chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches! YES, PLEASE! Yeah yeah…tomorrow, I’m going to get back on my diet. *fingers crossed*

P.S. A BIG SHOUT OUT TO CHANELLE AND MARIUM - Have a safe trip, peeps! I’m going to miss, y’all. Take lots of pictures for me!

Today is May 10, 2012. In less than 24 hours, I will be 22 years of age.

It’s funny. I never imagined myself being this old. Everyone always waits for those special birthdays: 16, 18, 21 - but I think 22, 23, and 24 somehow get forgotten.

All of a sudden, you’re 25 years old and you’re marriage.

That’s generally how it goes.

To me, you’re not an adult until you’re at least 22 years old. I’ve relished the idea that I could still call myself a kid after all these years.

BUT NOT ANYMORE.

Tomorrow is the big day. I have to be adult Maria from then on.

It’s been an emotional roller coaster, especially this week. A couple days ago, I took my last final exam as an UST undergraduate student; tomorrow, I’m going to be 22 years old, and on Saturday, I’m going to be walking across that stage.

It’s hard to soak it all in.

What’s next for me?

I know quite a few people who are headed into the workforce. That freaks me out. 5-10 years ago, I would have been expected to do the same.

I’m kind of glad I’m not ready to have a career yet. Literally, with my degree, I’m under-qualified for almost any job.

SO, WHAT IS NEXT FOR ME?

In a few weeks, I’ll practically be living at HCC for the rest of the summer. I’m taking 6 classes in the span of 2 months.

I’m kind of excited, though. I like keeping myself busy.

Then, the plan is the go to nursing school next year. I know I’ve been planning to go to PA school for the longest time, but I had a quarter life crisis a month or so back. I realized that I only wanted to be a PA to prove myself to the world. I love the idea of being a PA, but I don’t love the idea of working myself to death to try to get into one of the best schools in the nation, to be in school for the next 4 years, to not have time for my boyfriend, my friends, or my family. I especially disliked the idea of being in class from 8am-6pm every single day - driving back and forth between two HCC campuses on opposite sides of town just to make sure I completed all the prerequisites on time. And what else? OH YEAH. I really hated the fact that I would only have 2 weeks to study for the GRE.

Yeah, my mind was so clouded by money and praise that I didn’t realize the hell I was putting myself through.

Yes, I have quite a few extra prerequisites to take for nursing school, but I still get to go to school and work in the largest medical center in the world, and I get to attend one of the best schools in the country at an less expensive price tag and with a higher acceptance rate.

The biggest advantage of all is that I’ll be out of school 2 years from now. The boyfriend and I will be graduating at the same time, and who knows what will happen next? Only time will tell.

There may be wedding dresses and babies in my near future.

See, there ARE benefits to growing up.

OK. This is definitely one of my favorite low-calories meals. It may seem weird at first, but I promise that this is very, very delicious.

This runs just over 200 calories, but it’s definitely a lot of food!

Tuna Salad with Rice

1. 1/2 cup of brown rice, cooked = 108 calories
2. 1/2 can (2.5 oz) of light tuna, drained = 50 calories
3. 1/2 hardboiled egg, chopped = 30 calories
4. 1 tbsp of sweet relish = 20 calories
5. Yellow mustard*

*I know must people use mayo in their tuna salad, but mayo has way too many calories! I like to use mustard instead because it doesn’t have any calories, and it adds the same amount of creaminess to the tuna.

For me, the best way to hardboil is egg is to place is egg in a pot, put just enough water in the pot to cover the egg, and boil the egg on high for 18 minutes. It comes out perfect every time!

Mix tuna, egg, relish, and mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like my tuna salad cold, but I don’t like to wait to chill it overnight, so I usually place it in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes.

Cook brown rice according to instructions. 1/4 cup of brown rice, uncooked is equal to 1/2 cup of brown rice, cooked.

Top warm brown rice with chilled tuna salad, and enjoy! I know it seems bizarre, but it tastes so good!

Also, just a side note, if you are REALLY hungry, you can always double the recipe, and it still runs just a tad over 400 calories.

I can’t make it through the day without a little bit of Mexican!

Well…in this case, I mean Mexican food. *ba-dum-tish!*

It’s really easy to pack on the pounds eating take out Mexican food. Trust me. I love Taco Bell just as much as the next person. Since I’ve been trying to stay away from take out, I’ve been making simple Tex-Mex dishes at home.

This is one of the simpler recipes. It’s a bit under 300 calories, but it’s very filling and muy delicioso!

CHEESE QUESADILLAS

1. Two medium tortillas (flour or corn) - 80 calories/tortilla
2. Two slices of American cheese* - 60 calories/slice
3. A dash of hot sauce**

*I almost always use American cheese because it’s readily available in mi casa at all times. It may not sound as appealing as other cheeses, but it’s actually really good! You can substitute with any other low-fat cheese, but do not go overboard. Cheese can pack on the calories really quickly.

**I almost always use a dash or so of hot sauce before I cook the quesadilla. It adds so much flavor without any unnecessary calories. Another way to add a kick is to use jalapenos or some other type of hot pepper.

Preheat oven to 525 degrees, place quesadilla on rack, and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Yes, this is an extremely simple recipe. You can always switch it up by using different types of cheeses, using peppers instead of hot sauce, or adding onions or some other low-cal flavor element.

P.S. You can always add a couple of tablespoons of salsa (5 calories/tbsp) or a dollop of low-fat sour cream (30 calories/tbsp) to make it even more filling.

¡Buen provecho!