Working the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing

The Vans U.S. Open of Surfing is a 9 day event that takes place in Huntington Beach, California every year with the focus on surfing, skateboarding, and BMX. My love for surfing has grown in the past year and I knew I wanted to work the event as I had interned in the same office as IMG Action Sports last summer, who puts the event together.

When asked of my availability for the duration of the 9 days, I gave every possible hour I had open outside of my current summer work on campus. The thought of early mornings made me want to cry, but in the end, the early mornings were what I loved. Call-time was 5:15 every morning, meaning I had to wake up at 3:30 to give myself enough time to wake up, get ready, and make the 35-45 minute commute. They say that if you love what you do and the people you are surrounded by, work will never feel like work- that is exactly what my U.S. Open experience was. By the end of day 1, I loved it so much that I looked to get my work shifts covered for later on in the week. Working long hours from early in the morning, everyone became a family. Every person working the event was so lovely and made the mornings worth it and seem like nothing. It also helped that we got to see beautiful sunrises every morning along with all the surfers out in the ocean for their early morning surf sessions.

Up until now, I was never 100% sure of what I wanted to do once I graduate college. I have always said I wanted to work in sports, but was never sure of anything but that. Working the U.S. Open of Surfing not only made me want to work in the surf industry even more, but it really made me realize I want to work events in one way or another (related to sports of course). The U.S. Open was more than I could have wished for because I met so many wonderful people, got to step foot into an industry I am interested in working in, and most importantly, made good connections for my future.

The wonderful thing about volunteering through IMG Action Sports is that they also put together the Hurley Pro Trestles next month, which is a part of the ASP World Tour for both the men and women, so it opened up the door to possibly volunteering at that event. My hope is to volunteer a few days there, considering it is a much different event from the U.S. Open, focused solely on the surfing with lay days when the swell is down. I feel that working Trestles will give me an even greater feel for the surf industry and it will also be a chance to work alongside the wonderful people I met at the U.S. Open again.

Fingers crossed that everything works out. Follow your dreams. Take chances. And whenever possible, put yourself out there to meet the right people and make connections because you never know what can happen.

xx

Taking the Road Less Traveled

In America, it is as if our entire lives are pre-determined. You go to school, then a university, and either find a job after you graduate or go to graduate school to further your education then find a job. There is this idea of how our lives should go about, and anyone that takes a different route can be looked down upon. In the UK and most of Europe, taking a gap year between your high school years and university years is a common thing. What people decide to do with the gap year differs, but oftentimes what happens is that the person gets a job and works for the first 6 months then goes backpacking around the world the other 6 months. This concept has always intrigued me and only made me wish a gap year was accepted in the US. Taking a year off, whether it be before you enter university or after you finish university, is a big no-no here. People will try to tell you why it's not a good idea, telling you that you are risking your future by taking time to travel around the world.

So why go backpacking? For me, it's something that I have always wanted to do. Traveling the world and experiencing the many cultures that exist excites me. Is it the wrong thing for me to do? Maybe. But the way I see it is that I finish school a semester earlier than everyone, and since I am ahead of people my age in terms of my education, I might as well use those extra few months I gained thanks to APs and summer university programs to do what I want to do. When you graduate university and find a job, it becomes much harder to travel the world and see what it has to offer. I have long been a believer in doing what I want to do. That is easier said than done, but I like to believe that the past few years have made me more independent and headstrong. All I know is that if I don't go on this backpacking trip, I will regret it more than I will 'regret' not getting a job right after I finish university.

People say that backpacking is a life-changing experience. I have no doubt about that. My plan is to go backpacking by myself. There have been so many people I have told this to that asked why I am going by myself and if I am scared about the prospect of it. I grew up an only child, being independent, and loving being able to do what I want to do because I did not have to think about pleasing others all the time. Backpacking in Europe is the perfect scenario for me because it will help me grow even more, having to deal with things by myself, while being able to do things on my own schedule while meeting others along the way.

I do hope that this culture sees the good in a gap year and how much it can help a person that does not exactly know what they want to do in the future or major in university. Taking a gap year does not make anyone lesser than others. In fact, I think it makes them greater as they have built these life skills that can be forever used. They have experiences that make them more open-minded and accepting.

You only have one life to live, so live it to its potential. Do the things that you want to do and makes you happy. Living a life according to the expectations of society will only guarantee you a dull life. Learn to stand up for yourself and your decisions.

xx

Hunter Hayes at the Santa Barbara Bowl

Want to know a weird fact? Considering the amount of times I have seen Hunter Hayes live, I have only seen him in Los Angeles once. Yup. Once. That would be the first time I saw him on his Most Wanted tour at The Troubadour in West Hollywood. Every other time, I have had to drive at least an hour or so. So where else have I seen him? Well, here's the list in the order of where I have seen Hunter live: West Hollywood, San Bernardino, East Rutherford, NJ, San Diego, Fullerton, San Diego, Ontario, Las Vegas, Costa Mesa, and now, Santa Barbara.

I was originally going to the show with a friend, but she ended up not going because of work. When I told my mom this, she decided that she wanted to come along to SB, so we ended up spending a night there. The weirdest part of the whole thing was that she drove me to and from the concert, since we took one car up to Santa Barbara. It took me back to the times before I had a car and had to be driven to concerts. The great thing about my mom wanting to come along was that we got to spend a nice 1.5 days in Santa Barbara.

Yummy açai bowl from Brasil Arts Cafe.

The concert itself was amazing as always. Hunter always bring the highest amount of energy the moment he steps on stage, and the greatest thing about his shows are that he always wants to tell stories and connect with the crowd. This time was no different. As much as he labels himself as this shy, awkward geek that just loves music, the shyness and awkwardness is not really detected while he's on stage. Okay well, maybe a little of the awkwardness comes out such as when he laughs at his own jokes and stumbles over words on how to say the right thing to relay what is in his mind.

Dan + Shay opened up the show for Hunter- crazy to think that they almost didn't make the show because of flight delays, but made it in time because they drove down all the way from SF. 

It felt like it had been forever since I last saw him perform a new song (well, to be fair it had been 10 months since I last seen him) and it was so great to see and hear him perform songs from his new album, Storyline. I do wish that he had performed at least one of my two favorite songs- Cry With You and In A Song. I can only hope that one of those songs are in his set list for the next time he tours and is in Southern California. Also to hoping that the West Coast is included in his next tour, considering it has been excluded the past two times.

I hope you liked the pictures! The next show I'm going to is HAIM, then Sam Smith, and hopefully Ed Sheeran in between along with Bastille.

xx

Time in the Mother Land

The truth is, whenever I am back in Japan, I don't really do anything. I there to visit family and maybe, just maybe, do something interesting. The past few years, my grandma has booked bus trips for the two of us to go somewhere, which is nice. My dad rarely ever has time for me, usually only time for dinner. The one positive that comes out of dinner with my dad is that we usually go to a nicer sushi restaurant, meaning good sushi. This time, yet again, he only had time for dinner, but we went some place else, having a traditional Japanese dinner. The food was good, and the place is known for having good food, but to be honest, I couldn't really compare it to anything else to say that it was the best food ever.

Unlike other times, my mom bought my ticket 2 weeks before I left LA, which meant that there weren't any bus trips open for my grandma to book. The community she lives in had a day trip planned to Kyoto, so she booked us for that trip. We went to a temple in Kyoto, Byodoin, which was in the process of being re-furbished, and had a chance to see a bit of the neighborhood nearby. I am guessing they are known for their tea, because all the shops sold tea, with green tea ice cream being the flavor of choice. 

 Traditional Japanese bento lunch. It also came with green tea soba. 

This store had green tea ice cream, on which they put some green tea powder on top, and while the powder some times made me cough a bit, it was so so good. 

Since I didn't get to eat sushi with my dad, my grandma planned on taking me to eat some sushi. Because my cousin is busy with her part-time job, I had yet to see her, therefore my uncle proposed that we all go eat sushi so that I could see my cousins. While it was only for an hour or so, it was so nice to see both of my cousins and catch up. It's crazy to know that one of my cousins is now in college and the other is studying for high school. The great thing about Japan and its endless supply of fresh fish is the conveyer belt sushi restaurants that are $1 per plate.

Being as this is my last real summer break, I'm not exactly sure when I will be back in Japan again. I know I always say I don't like going back to Japan, but it's sad to think about not knowing when I will be back next. This winter, next summer, in a few years who knows. Hopefully my family can make a trip out to LA again in the near future.

Thanks for a good 1.5 weeks, Japan. 

xx

Home

Home: The place where one lives permanently.

The concept of home seems so easy, yet when I think about it, it is filled with uncertainty. Just like studying abroad changed my outlook on life and other ideas, it has also made me question where exactly home is to me. While the definition of home is a place where someone lives permanently, a home is more than that. You can have a home but not feel at home at the same time, while you can feel at home in a place that you do not live permanently.

The idea of home really struck me because I am currently in Japan, and when my grandma came to pick me up, she said “Welcome home.” That is the phrase she has always said to me when I return to Japan, but the truth is, Japan has never felt like home for me. I was born in Japan and spent six years of my life here, but I do not feel much connection to this country. There are aspects of me that make me stand out, showing that while I look Japanese, I am not from Japan; my beliefs and ideals are different from the Japanese, further creating a divide between myself and Japan. When it comes to the Olympics or the World Cup, I always root for the U.S. over Japan. I have never questioned it, and it has always been natural for me.

While the U.S. is home in the sense that it is where I live, that is not where my heart is. I dream of living in London, but I also dream of spending the rest of my life exploring the world, finding a home in each place I visit.

When I made a weekend trip to Lisbon, Portugal during my time studying abroad, the guy working the front desk of the hostel I stayed at asked to see my passport when I checked in and asked where I was coming from. I told him that I came from London because I was studying abroad there but lived Los Angeles, and that I was born in Japan, hence my passport. If I remember correctly, he said something along the lines of how I'm very worldly and must enjoy travelling. As I told him where I was from, I realized that a simple answer of home did not exist. I have called all three places home at one point or another, but it only emphasized my lack of a definite home and what it means to me.

One semester remains between myself and the “real world”, where I hope to find a job that I am passionate about in a place that I can call home. The idea is very hard to imagine, especially when the only certain thing for me is the uncertainty that lies ahead and where I eventually want to settle and call home. All I can hope is that I eventually will find a place that I can truly call home and feel at home.

xx,

Aya

Playing Catch Up

When I started this blog, it was never my intention to go a long time without blogging anything. Yet that is what happened. The crazy amounts of school work caught up with me during my last month of school for the year, and to be honest, I didn't do anything too exciting. But I want to make sure that this isn't a blog that only documents the 'exciting' things I do, whatever that is or means, but also a place where I can write when I have inspiration. So hopefully, I won't go this long without posting again. In the mean time, here's a bit of review on what's happened in the past 1.5 months.

I'm a huge baseball fan, so not being able to go to the Dodgers' home opener was a huge bummer considering I have gone for the past three years. It actually took me a while to go to my first game of the season because the Dodgers' 2nd home stand wasn't for a while, but when I did go, it reminded me why I love the sport so much. I went to my second game, a Clayton Kershaw bobblehead night, a few days later as well. I saw something a few days ago, can't remember who it was by, but it said something along the lines of how baseball isn't just about all the big plays that happen, but rather the details and knowing the significance of the smaller parts that make the game exciting, and I found that to be so true. People probably find going to baseball games with me boring because I zone in so much. I really appreciate every aspect of the game, and I rarely find games boring. Sure, some games may be slow and some might find a game that is 0-0 boring, but I find excitement in that. It's definitely hard to go to games now when I'm trying to save up money to travel, but here's to an exciting 2014 baseball season!

I also had the chance to go to my very first hockey game, which was a Kings vs. Ducks playoff game at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. Go big or go home right? I'm actually watching game 7 right now! (Go Kings Go!) I have always enjoyed watching hockey during the Winter Olympics, and always told myself that I wanted to continue watching hockey, but I could never find it in me to keep up. Well, I think going to my first game changed that because watching a hockey game live is just so exciting (I'm sure the playoff atmosphere and the Kings vs. Ducks game with a TON of Kings fan in Anaheim added excitement) and it just got me hooked. Until recently, I've been very closed off with sports, appreciating different sports but not really getting into anything other than baseball. I love the feeling of getting into something new and everything that comes along with it.

Earlier this month marked the end of my first semester of senior year. I'm in the class of 2015, but I am a semester ahead in units, so rather than finishing in May 2015, I'll be done with school forever in December 2014! It was definitely a lot more work than fall semester, and a lot less exciting. It's a bit sad to think about fall semester because while abroad, all of us from LMU were so close, living together, but back at LMU, we're all back to our group of friends and we rarely, if ever, see each other. One of my best friends studied abroad in London in the fall as well, and since we are both Communication Studies majors, we had multiple classes together. I could not be any more thankful for that because I'm not sure if I would have survived without her in those classes. Our school has 'convo' every Tuesday/Thursday from 12:15-1:35, and it's crazy to think that LMU's last convo on the school year was our last convo together since she's only coming to school Monday/Wednesdays next semester while I'm on campus Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. Who would have known that orientation and the Jonas Brothers would bring us so close?

LMU's graduation was this past Saturday, and I went because one of my best friends was graduating. Crazy to think that four years has passed since I went to her high school graduation. And it made me realize I will be done with school in 7 short months, and will be walking in less than a year. The future and its uncertainty scares me, but I am excited to be done with school soon. 

And now, here we are, first full week of summer. It's blazing hot here in LA right now. I got to go to a Sound Clash taping, a new VH1 show, in which Ed Sheeran, Grouplove, and Sia performed. Next Tuesday, I'm going to the taping for The Voice finale in which Ed Sheeran, OneRepublic, Tim McGraw, and Coldplay are performing. I'm applying for summer internships and looking for summer jobs, because hey, I want to travel and I need to make some money. Here's to hoping something works out for me. 

xx,

Aya

How London Changed Me

It's been almost 3 full months since I have returned from my semester abroad and travelling. During my time abroad, I never really had the chance to realize the things I learned while there. Ever since setting foot back on U.S. soil, I have constantly thought about my experiences and the things I learned. In my eyes, studying abroad in London could have never been a bad experience because it was something I wanted to do for so long. Even with some of the expectations I carried, everything lived up to its expectations and went beyond what I hoped it would be. Not only did I grow and learn so much in those months abroad, but what I have now come to realize is how much my time abroad changed me.

Before the 3.5 months in London, I...

• Absolutely hated the rain, gloomy weather, and anything below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Never could imagine myself living somewhere outside of Los Angeles or London
• Had my heart set on working in the baseball industry once I graduate college

So how have I changed? 

1. I don't hate the rain or gloomy weather-- I actually love it. Warm weather isn't so bad, but it's safe to say that I would rather be somewhere that isn't so warm all the time. The reason why people from Southern California complain about "cold" weather is because we are never dressed for it. We all know that come noon, the sun will be out, bright and shining like it was always there. Being in London taught me to dress for the colder weather, making those temperatures seem like nothing. Some people might find it a hassle, but I loved being able to bundle up and wear my sweaters and beanies. 
2. I actually want to get out of LA once I graduate. I never though I would ever hear myself say that, but I want to see more of the world, not just by travelling but also by living in different places. My ultimate goal is to somehow get back to London and live there, but in between now and then, I want to get out of LA, wherever that may be. I want to be somewhere that gets cold, snows, and has actual seasons. There's just something about the fall leaves, snow in the winter, perfect spring weather, and actually appreciating the summer weathers and the times spent in the water. 
3. While I would still love to work in the baseball industry, that is no longer my priority. While some sports are not my cup of tea, my ultimate goal right now is to work in the sports industry. I'm not sure what exactly I want to do, whether it be athlete marketing or something to do with events within sports, but I'm open to whatever comes my way, especially if it's related to sports. A huge reason why I had this change in heart is because of my desire to someday live in London. While I was in London and even before I studied abroad, I was always asked if I would want to live in London, and my response was always "Yes, but I want to work in baseball so I can't really live in London.". The moment those words came out of my mouth when I was in London, it really made me think about what was more important to me: working in baseball, or living in London. Who knows what the future will bring and I don't want to put myself within a box, but as of now, I want to have the opportunity to return to London, and focusing on baseball will not allow me to do so.

I never thought that studying abroad in London would change me, my outlook on life, and potentially my future so much. While these changes, particularly my thoughts on my future, scare me a lot, I'm so grateful for the changes I have been able to experience because I feel that it has broadened my view on life even more. It's almost as though I was stuck in a box before I left for London, and now I have broken free from that box since coming back from London. 

Who knew I would ever become a person that wants to get out of LA, love the cold and rain, and be okay not working in the baseball industry? Certainly not me. 

Cheers, 

Aya