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[amarisudel]

Today marks the end of my time at University of Delaware. Coming to this campus my first weekend, wide eyed and feeling incredibly lost, I had no idea the amazing people, opportunities, and experiences the next fours year held in store. Sitting on the field dressed in a ridiculous blue robe as all of my fellow graduates filed in, I looked at the amazing women and mentors from the art conservation program that surrounded me and realized how truly lucky I was to have had the chance to laugh, study, commiserate, and sometimes cry with them. As I searched the crowd and spotted friends that I played countless rounds of coup and ate an ungodly amount of chips and queso with, I realized how all of the work and stress was worth being here.

I know this is incredibly sappy, but I can easily say on behalf of almost every graduate that it was and is incredibly hard to leave the comfort of the University of Delaware and wander off to new places and people. Although this is an end, it is also an exciting beginning.

Coming full circle as my blog comes to a close, my boxes are stacked in my room this time waiting to be unpacked. Thank you so much for reading and following. This is not a goodbye, it is a see you later!

[amarisudel]

Post-graduation Update

Although my time at UD is done, I wanted to update you all on what is coming after. Tomorrow I am leaving for 3 months in Okinawa Japan to do object conservation and research. Once I return I am hoping to find some work and survive through applications for graduate school in 2015. It is looking like there are many new and exciting adventures to come! Have an amazing summer!

[amarisudel]

The wait is over! I have officially finished all applications and interviews. If all of my paperwork goes through and everything runs smoothly, I will be going to Okinawa Japan to complete an object conservation internship! To celebrate finally knowing about grad school (or lack thereof) and my new found semi-freedom, I went out to DC with a group of friends. Spending a day not worrying about upcoming exams and readings and just enjoying it was exactly what the doctor ordered.

  After some good news and some bad, I can finally enjoy my semester and look forward to graduation somewhat knowing what the future holds (at least for the few months after the end of college.)

[amarisudel]

Tuesday

Tuesday is a big day of finding out about my future. I will be hearing back about grad school (which is why I have been awol) and about internships I have been applying to for the summer. Updates and more posting are coming, I promise!

[amarisudel]

http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2014/apr/commencement-040714.html

[amarisudel]

I'm finally human again!

So they last month has been the busiest and most intense ones of my life. As of Wednesday at 7:30 pm, I am finally done with all graduate school application and interview prep and now the waiting game begins. I know its weird but I am excited to get back to my actual school work, interacting with other human beings, and, most of all, sleep (and of course to my lovely blog.)

[amarisudel]

And she shall deliver!

It was requested that I share the recipe for the Brussel Sprout Fried Rice that I made yesterday (and finished by today.) I did edit it a little. Instead of sesame oil I just used olive oil and I left out the sherry. I also used twice the tofu (with the original amount of marinade.) Enjoy! Brussel Sprout & Tofu Fried Rice Makes 4 servings Ingredients brown rice (1 dry cup cooked in 2 cups water, with a touch of olive oil and salt, then cooled) 1 tsp chili sauce 2 tbsp brown sugar 3 tbsp tamari wheat-free soy sauce 2 tsp sesame oil 1 1/2 tsp dry sherry 3 tbsp water 4 oz extra-firm tofu, cut into small cubes 4 cups (about 10 oz) shredded brussel sprouts 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 3 scallions, chopped 5 tbsp olive oil Steps 1. Cook and cool the brown rice ahead of time, or cook the brown rice, transfer to a large bowl, and pop it in the refrigerator while you work on the remaining steps. 2. Mix together the chili sauce and all ingredients through and including the water in a bowl. Add the tofu to marinate and set aside. 3. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a hot wok or large skillet. Add the garlic and brussel sprouts and stir fry until semi-soft and the edges of the brussel sprouts begin to brown. Remove the garlic and brussel sprouts from the wok. 4. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the wok. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tofu from the marinade (reserve the sauce). Stir fry the tofu until golden brown. 5. Move the tofu to the edges of the wok. Add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the brown rice and stir fry until heated and separated. 6. Pour the reserved sauce over the rice, add the stir-fried garlic and brussel sprouts, and add the cilantro and scallions. Mix everything together well (making sure the sauce evenly coats all the rice), remove from the heat, and serve. (Source: No Gluten, No Problem)

[amarisudel]

Something's Cooking

So my life has been more than a little bit hectic. With preparations for post-graduation, a full course load, and extra hours at work, I have barely had time to sleep much less make myself real food. So finally after a month I have gotten around to cooking an actual meal that did not come out of a box or freezer. (Hold the gasps.) A little background. Last semester started my addiction to brussel sprouts and over winter break I found this recipe for a brussel sprout tofu stir fry that I have been dying to try. On this beautiful, rainy Sunday I finally got to it. A couple hours, 3 close call with a butcher knife, 5 cups of brussel sprouts, and an ungodly number of dishes later, I can finally sit down with a rockin' stir fry. Happy Sunday Studying Session everyone!

[amarisudel]

The home stretch

I'm back (both at school for my last semester as an undergrad and on my blog)! My brief hiatus was a result of a winter that was exceptionally busy commuting and working full time at the Field. This time around I worked solely on the South American ceramics desalination grant project that started during my first internship in the Anthropology lab back in the summer of 2012. It was a great culmination of the last two years being able to help out as the project quickly draws to a close. As always, I am already missing everyone in the lab and missing Chicago (minus the cold.) Now that I am back on campus I have to hit the ground running with 3 art history courses, organic chemistry, and Intro to paintings. Senior year is definitely finishing with a bang!

[amarisudel]

It is done. Finally. After months of worrying, GREs, forms, and personal statement/ soul searching I have finally completely all of my graduate school applications. Now it is just the waiting game.

In the meantime, I am having an amazing time back at the Field desalinating my salty pots. The other day we were changing the water for a whistle pot from Peru. When we were re-submerging it in the water, it actually started to whistle. What is truly amazing is to think that we probably have been the first people to hear that sound since the pot was buried.

[amarisudel]

Today it dropped to -15 degrees in Chicago with a -40 degree windchill. Despite this, all us Chicagoans bundled up and braved the outdoors. Can we just all have a communal high five for not letting the weather get us down?

[amarisudel]

All I have to say about break so far is

work, applications, and personal statemments. Oh my.

[amarisudel]

Finally, after a week in Columbus to see my family, I am back in Chicago. First thing on my weekend off before work was the annual Winter Solstice Bonfire. No winter would be complete without the tradition of fire, apple cider, and an insane number of cookies.

[amarisudel]

I have finished my last final! Although I still have two mini-papers to submit, I DONT CARE! Survival is just too sweet to not savor. Now all that is left is packing and returning my library books... which I am not really sure how to do.

[amarisudel]

ALL OF THE SNOW! What a way to end the semester!

[amarisudel]

As an end of the year treat, one of my seminars (that only has 6 people in it) went on a day excursion to Philadelphia for museums and fun. Although I still have some finals and papers due before the end of the semester, I thought it was worth taking the day off to relax and prepare myself for the next week. From the Franklin Museum to the Mutter Museum, the day was a blast. The best part, I had my first ever Philly Cheesesteak in Reading Terminal Market. Although delicious, I was seriously full for over 24 hours. 

[amarisudel]

Back to work.

Thanksgiving went bye in a complete blur. After a lovely week of non-stop eating, sleep, and family, I sadly had to drag myself back to Delaware to complete the semester. Just two research papers, a presentation, and two finals between me and winter break.