Ready, Set, PACK!

Wow! Can you believe it almost time for school to start? Where did the summer go? 

Well, I will be returning back home on Saturday for a week before I come back to Hope. During my week home I will be job shadowing, hanging out with friends, getting my wisdom teeth pulled, and packing! Quite a list, I know. If you are anything like me, last year when I was packing for college I had all of my stuff laid out across the basement floor, it was nearly impossible to walk from place to place. However this year when I pack, I am going to strategically pack my belongings so it will be easier to find all of my stuff when I unload it all. When it comes to packing I load all of my stuff into 6 basic categories. Here are some ideas for what you’ll need in each category.

1. Eating

Food of course is an essential! I recommend picking up some basic snacks for your dorm room. You don’t necessarily need to buy all your food before you come, but it is nice to have some food in your dorm. I brought plates, cups, silverware, mugs, water filter, chip clips, water bottle, and a coffee maker.

2. Sleeping

You’ll need a comfy mattress pad, plus extra sheets, comforter/quilt, throw blanket, loud alarm clock (make sure can hear it), and pillows.

3. Studying

While at school, you will be studying more than you planned (at least I hope you do). I personally did not study too much in my dorm room, but sometimes it was nice to study there between classes. Hope has a lot of great places on campus and off campus to study. Try out the local coffee shops in Holland to study. I have bought some of your basic school supplies. I did not buy too many binders or notebooks, because I wanted to wait and see what I’ll actually need for each class. However, I recommend a laptop and sleeve. I used a dry erase board a lot to do math problems. I also bought a dry erase board for my dorm door and a dry erase board calendar. You can buy a planner from Hope, or bring your own, but I definitely recommend one! I also recommend a book light, back pack, pencil case holder, pushpins, dry erase markers, and USB flash drive.

4. Relaxing

It is important to relax in college as well as study. Classes can be overwhelming, but sometimes relaxing in your room can be the best thing. I recommend an iHome or some type of speakers, area rug, fan, art/posters for your walls, floor lamp, air fresheners, ottoman, and a comfy chair for your room.

5. Washing

My mom always told me to never forget personal hygiene… So be sure to pack towels, don’t forget a beach towel as well. You’ll need washcloths, luffa, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toiletry items, shower caddy, laundry hamper, laundry detergent, and cleaning wipes to clean up your room from time to time. Also, I brought my own vacuum, they are provided, but I enjoyed having my own personal one. 

6. Organizing

Organization is key! Space is limited, but if you keep everything organized you shouldn’t have any problems. I honestly was freaking out when I first saw my room last year, but I ended up maximizing my space and keeping everything in its place. Last year I brought a shoe storage hanger for my closet, drawer organizers, storage cubes, storage bins, and a lot of hangers.

These are just some of the big things you’ll want to pack for college. Several students hang up Christmas lights in their room to jazz it up a bit. Be creative and have fun decorating your dorms!

Remember to pack smart and try to preorganize your stuff in storage bins BEFORE you arrive to school. Best of luck packing! Have a great week!

Until next time,

CoLLeeN

My basement floor while packing

My organized dorm room desk!

Surprise visit home!

Hey Everyone!

On Monday afternoon I made the spur of the moment decision to go home and surprise everyone. It took me an extra hour and a half to arrive at my house because of road construction. I walked into my house and mom was sitting in on the couch, she saw me from the corner of her eye and screamed “Colleen.” My dad also quickly scurried into the living room. Their faces lit up with surprise when they saw me. I had not been home since early June.

I stayed only for two nights, but my time at home was so incredibly great. During my time at home, I was able to work on Hope Grows and spread the word about the program to my hometown supporters. I also spent some time with my friends from high school. I have missed my friends from home so much. Spending some time with them really brightened my week.

While I was in Springfield I swam, ate out with friends, splatter painted, shopped with mom, and filled up every single second with friends and family. My friend Mariah spent the night on Tuesday. Unfortunately we only slept three hours before I had to wake up at 5 am to drive back to Holland for work. Thank goodness for Starbucks!

Last year, before I left for college, my friend Lindsey and I splattered painted a blank canvas. This past year we both hung our artwork in our dorm rooms. We decided to add to our collection and paint another canvas. We rolled up old history notes from my high school history class and dipped them in paint. Then we threw the wads of paper onto the canvas and splattered paint everywhere. We enjoyed the entire process and have decided to make it a tradition. I look forward to adding some new hand made artwork to my dorm room walls this year.

Needless to say, my short trip home was incredible. I loved being reunited with my friends from home. My parents were so delighted to see me. My mom says I brought some noise and laughter back into their quiet home. Only two more weeks before my job ends in Holland, and I return home for a short week. I have definitely loved living in Holland this summer. Only one more month of summer left… CRAZY!!!!

I hope you all enjoy your last month of summer,

CoLLeeN

Our new artwork for our dorm rooms!

Lindsey, me, and Mariah- some of my best friends from high school

Juarez, Mexico Round 2

Hello! I returned from Mexico late Saturday night. My friend Amelia picked me up from the Grand Rapids airport at 11:55 PM. On the way home, we had a fun midnight IHOP run. I missed pancakes while down there!

This past trip truly was a blessing. A group of 10 other people from my church came to Juarez. During the week a couple of the men from the group helped me set up another garden at a different orphanage. A jackhammer was supposed to be delivered at our work site. However, when we arrived at the site, a sledge hammer and pick ax were at the site instead of a jackhammer. Thus, we were in for a very labor intensive project. The foundation of the garden consisted of granite so we needed to break up all of the rock and level the ground.

Once we finally leveled the ground we needed to build a four-foot wall. However, we worked up on a hill so this meant we needed to carry all of the cement, water and other materials from the bottom of the hill in buckets to build the wall. Once the wall was complete, it was time for the garden to be filled with sand and soil. The boys from the orphanage filled up their pillow cases with soil and sand and then carried them up the hill and placed it in the garden plot. After about two and a half hours of going up and down the hill, the plot was ready to receive plants. 

We came back the next day and the children helped plant their first plants for their garden. Their faces lit up as they dug through the soil and watered the plants. Watching them help with the garden was my favorite part of the trip. 

I have been able to help start these gardens because of my internship with HEI (Hope Entrepreneurship Initiative). I really enjoyed this past week of watching the garden come to life. I still need to continue raising funds for the program Hope Grows. Hope College has been very supportive with helping me build networks and learn how to start my own program. I am very excited to continue to work on this program the rest of the summer and even further down the road. God has been blessing Hope Grows immensely. 

Hope you all have a good week. 

*CoLLeeN*

The garden before the soil.

Joel bringing soil up to the garden

Reunited with Hope Friends!

Yet again, I was reunited with some more Hope friends this past weekend. Three of my friends who are working at Spring Hill Camp this summer came to visit. Also, two of my friends drove from Indiana. We were all reunited. We walked the streets of downtown Holland Saturday morning. Following a visit to Lemonjello’s with Froggy’s. We filled up on coffee and burgers before heading to the beach, which was filled with people.

Holland really livens up during the summer months. I had never seen so many people at the beach in Holland. The weather was absolutely beautiful. We soaked up some rays, swam in the water, and walked along the beach. After the beach, we dined at the Brewery downtown. The food tasted great and hit the spot after a long day. After dinner, we sat in the Pine Grove and talked for hours.

Once I arrived back at my house, my housemate and I decided to grab a midnight snack from Meijer. We devoured a container of ice cream and finished off a package of cookies. Thank goodness Meijer is only a short distance from campus.

I probably take at least five trips to Meijer during the summer. However, I almost always bike there. I really have enjoyed riding my bike lately. I never used to ride my bike in high school, but bring your bike to college!

Yesterday I was telling my cousin what she should bring to college. I’ll be sending out a blog post soon about what to pack and how I packed all of my things into my mom’s mini van. It was quite a challenge but ended well. 

I need to get back to work. I hope you all have great weeks! Here are some pictures from my recent bike rides:

Holidays in Michigan

Hey!

This past Monday I spent the fourth of July with some of my friends from Hope at my friend’s house in Kalamazoo. I also spent Memorial Day with the same people. We are starting to grow very close and really enjoy spending time together. On the fourth of July, I met up with some of my Hope friends who live in Michigan. We went out on my friend’s boat and enjoyed the nice weather. 

After boating and swimming, we enjoyed the typical American cookout. My friends and I devoured the watermelon in seconds! Afterwards we spent some more time in the lake and then warmed up in the hot tub. We watched the fireworks of Gull Lake from my friend’s dock. It was a beautiful evening, and I had such a great time with my friends. 

Tonight some of my Hope friends are coming up to Holland to spend the weekend with me. Of course, we will be going to the beach and walking around Holland. Last night I spent two hours long boarding with some friends from work at Tunnel Park. We even saw our professor riding his bike. Many people were out enjoying the park last night. I really have enjoyed all of Holland’s nice attractions during the summer. I am glad I decided to live here for the summer. My job has been a lot of fun, and I have met a lot of cool new people. If any of you get the opportunity to stay in Holland for a summer for either research, work, or school, I would definitely recommend taking advantage of the opportunity of living in Holland for the summer. It’s a fun place! 

Until next time,

Colleen

Sarah and I on the Fourth of July!

Hope Grows is now growing in Mexico!

Hola a todos!

I hope everyone is enjoying summer. Can you believe July has arrived? Crazy how fast time flies in the summer. I just returned from Juarez, Mexico where I was working on my project for HEI (Hope Entrepreneur Initiative). While in Mexico, I helped start a garden at an orphanage. We planted tomatoes, chilies, celery, and cilantro. My project idea is called Hope Grows, which helps the indigent children living in orphanages in Juarez, Mexico create their own sustainable food while teaching valuable life skills. So I am basically working with non-profit organizations and creating a garden program for them in Juarez, Mexico.

I have been going to Juarez, Mexico since I was eight years old with my family. My dad led groups from our church to Juarez about four times a year. I really enjoy helping the people there and am so thankful for the opportunity to work at Hope this summer to extend the work being done in Juarez.

Next spring break, I am hoping to take some friends from Hope with me to Juarez. My friends tease me about talking about Mexico all the time during the school year.

Hopefully we will be able to gather a group from Hope to visit Juarez in the near future. While I was in Juarez the weather consisted of full sunshine, and the temperature ranged around 114° everyday. So incredibly hot! I am looking forward to enjoying some nice 80-degree weather in Holland this week.

Well I need to unpack and get organized, and I need to go to the grocery store and stock up on some food. I hope you all have a wonderful fourth of July!

Until next time,

Colleen

Before Garden


After garden

Hope Friends. Nothing Better.

Hello Everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying summer! Life in Holland has been excellent. I would like to tell you a little bit about my friends from Hope and the people here. Some of you may be incoming freshmen who are nervous about making friends right away. I definitely was nervous about making new friends at college. I was one of those people who loved high school and grew up in a close-knit community. I felt nervous the summer before my freshmen year, because I feared losing my high school friends and not connecting right away with the people in college.

A great thing about being a freshman in general is that everyone is in the same boat as you. Everyone is new, and everyone is looking for some new friends. During orientation you will meet so many new people and no one really knows anyone. After orientation, I really felt like I was beginning to form new friendships. The people at Hope are so welcoming and kind. I am still good friends with my orientation leader from last year.

I love the people so much at Hope that I am here for the summer. I still am close with my high school friends, but it is so nice to meet new people and form new friendships.

It feels crazy to me that I have not known any of these people for even a full year, but I consider some of them my best friends. I have visited my friends from Hope several times this summer. It is also nice because my good friend Grace lives in Kalamazoo so I drive down to see her, and she also comes here to visit. Last weekend we had a fun sleepover. All in less than 24 hours, we went out to dinner, hung out in the hot tub, visited another friend from Hope, watched a movie, ran in the woods, swam in the lake, grabbed coffee at Biggby, enjoyed pedicures, ate sushi, and just chilled together. We definitely packed a lot of activities in such a short time.

I am so thankful for the wonderful friendships I have made in just attending Hope for one year. I look forward for more friendships to come. So if you are an incoming freshman, no worries…. The people at Hope are friendly and welcoming!

Have a great week!

Pictures with my friend Grace! 

 

Hope Grows

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all are enjoying your summers! For all of you high school seniors, CONGRATULATIONS! 

I have been very busy in Holland so far this summer. My May term has ended, and I am now apart of HEI (Hope Entrepreneurship Initiative). This means there are eight Hope students who are working on their own ideas for the summer. We are working with Momentum and attending their events in Grand Rapids each week. We work on our ideas as a group and individually and meet up with other people working on start-ups at Momentum events. We attend a workshop weekly and also a dinner. This already has been a great opportunity and I am learning a lot. I will further explain my idea a different time, but I am hoping for the organization to be called Hope Grows. I have a logo below that I have been working on. 

I am very impressed with the opportunities I have already been exposed to through Hope’s entrepreneurship program. We meet as a group weekly and have lunches with people from around the area, and they share with us all sorts of advice and stories. This summer is already off to a great start.

When I have not been working, I have taken several trips to the beach. I ride my bike there and love to run along the water. These past couple of days have been very hot. It’s a nice change from the cold winter months, so I cannot complain. 

Have a great week!

Best May Term Class!

Hello everyone!

I am currently in JPs Coffee House prepping for my presentation that I give in about an hour. The entrepreneurship class has been great! We have heard from several different speakers and are learning about developing our ideas. We have talked about idea generation, idea assessment, idea protection, branding, human resources, financial resources, risk management, and market strategy. The course is very intense, but I am learning so much in only three hours a day. This entrepreneurship class is very unique to Hope and opens up a lot of networking for students in the class. We have attended conferences in Grand Rapids and have been having lunches with a variety of different business people from the Holland area.

I am learning a lot about business and everything it takes to get the ball rolling to start one. I feel like everything I learn in the class is definitely practical to my life and the real world. So far it has definitely been the most interactive class I have ever had. The class consists of only 10 people, and we have 2 professors so it is very personalized.

Well, I better work some more on my presentation. I hope you all have wonderful weekends! 

Here is a picture from my trip to the beach at Holland State Park. Beautiful sunset!

New Crib in Holland

Hey everyone!

I hope you all are doing well. Life in Holland is great. I am now finally moved into my summer house. It is located on 13th street, which is still close to campus, and I am living here with four other girls from Hope. I now officially feel like an independent college student: living on my own, cooking and cleaning, taking class during the morning, working in the afternoons, and trying to squeeze in a little time for myself. These past couple weeks have been crazy, but they have also been great.

Last weekend I drove home to Springfield for my sister’s graduation party. I brought my friend from Hope home with me. My sister said we were legit college friends because I had visited her house and now she had visited my house.

We enjoyed our time together. I especially enjoyed the company for the six-hour car drive. =]

After the visit to Springfield, my friend helped me move into my off campus summer house. Moving the futon from the basement to my room was quite the trip. It took a good five hours before I settled all of my things.

Now I am sitting at my desk in my new house. It feels good to be settled. However, I probably will not get strong enough Wi-Fi to post this blog, so I will post it in the morning. =]

Have a stunning weekend!

Until next time,

CoLLeeN

New room!