Chillin' in Chicago: My Winter Break Adventure

Hi, everyone! I’m Nobita. Welcome to my travel blog. I hope you guys are having an amazing winter break. 

    

Chicago is a dynamic city with a unique blend of
history, culture, and community. Whether exploring its architectural wonders, savoring deep-dish pizza, enjoying live music, or cheering for a local sports team, there’s always something to experience in the Windy City.

 

📍360🌃

The 360 Chicago building, formerly known as the John Hancock Center, is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Chicago. Located in the Gold Coast neighborhood, it stands tall at 1,128 feet (344 meters) and was among the tallest buildings in the world when it was completed in 1970. When I was on the deck there was the room where you can feel the wind on that floor which made me feel so relaxed and it felt like therapy and so good.

📍Millennium Park Ice Rink 

Sliding on the cold ice is one of my favorite winter activities—it’s always so much fun! We had to make a reservation first, but it was already packed and sold out, even though it was just Monday. That shows how popular this ice skating place is!  

When I finally got on the ice, it felt amazing. It brought back so many nostalgic memories from my childhood. I remembered all the winter days I spent skating with friends, laughing, and trying not to fall. The cold air, the sound of skates on the ice, and the joy of gliding around made me feel like a kid again. It was such a special moment, and I’m so glad I got the chance to skate here.

📍Art Institute of Chicago🎨

I have a deep appreciation for arts and crafts. If I had the opportunity, I would love to spend an entire day exploring all the incredible artworks and creations at the institute. However, with more than a hundred thousand pieces on display, even a full day wouldn’t be enough to take it all in. Nevertheless, visiting the institute was an amazing experience. In my opinion, it’s the perfect place for a first date. Personally, I would also come here whenever I’m feeling down and in need of some quality time for myself. One of my favorite exhibits was the “Thorne Miniature Rooms.”  

                               

I started my winter break in the beautiful city of Chicago, and it was such a great experience. The city is full of energy, with so much to see and do. Next, I’ll be traveling to Arlington, Virginia, and I’m excited to see what’s waiting for me there. Stay tuned for more updates from my journey. Until then, I hope you all have an amazing day! 🌟

~Nobita.

My experience in the PLU Dance team

 

Hi all, Nobita here. I hope you are all having a good day. I know finals week is coming, but WE GOT THIS, LUTES! Today I wanted to talk about my experience in the PLU Dance team.

How I first Joined ~

 

There would be an audition for everyone who wants to be in the dance team. Our captains mainly seek for someone who really wants to dance and enjoys dancing with passion and positivity. I had my first audition freshman year. I was so nervous and excited for the audition because I had no idea how would it be. I remember there were around 20 people for the audition and 3 captains who ere the judges and one of them taught us 1 min of choreography. I personally think that the audition was not that hard. Two days later the result came up and I was so happy to see that I got into the dance team. On my first day of dance practice, our dance coach told me that I was the first international student in the dance team which made me feel proud of myself. 

PLU Dance team - https://www.plu.edu/admission/blog/meet-the-plu-dance-team/

My passion for dance ~

I started dancing when I was 7 years old and have loved it ever since. I had my own dance team in my middle school and I was in the high school dance team. I used to go to lots of competitions in my country and also overseas with my team in high school. I used to think I would stop dancing once I got into college but apparently that didn't happen. I was so happy when I found out that PLU has dance team. Now I think getting into the dance team was my best decision I've ever made since I got into college. I felt homesick and lonely when I arrived, but dancing kept me so busy that I forgot about those feelings. I'll never loose my passion for dance and never forget hoe it built who I am right now. 

Now it's been 2 years since I got into the dance team. I've learned a lot from my team. We had 2 hours of practice for 3 days every week. Dance team is where I can be myself and let my stress out through all the sweat from dancing for 2 hours. It is actually so fun to be in the dance team. We had so much fun every practice and our team members are actually so kind and understanding people. We always support and take care of each other. there was a time when I was feeling so homesick and having a bad day, and I told that to my senior member and she took me to Target and we had Chick-fil-a which is my favorite fast food place. We had so much fun walking around target and laughing loudly. At that time I realized that if I wasn't in the dance team I would never meet her and we would never be going out like this. I cherish all the memories that we made together. Being in the dance team taught me time management, responsibility, team work, and respect. 

Group bonding activity ~

We went to the pumpkin patch together which I heard it is one of the dance team tradition. We had BIG corndogs, caramel apple, and took some cute pictures together. It was my first time going to pumpkin patch, which was very interesting. Because, I've never seen that much pumpkin and different types of pumpkins. I really liked the animal farm where there were so many cute bunnies, pigs, goats, and other birds. It was the one of the moments were our team members shared big laughter together. 




    

Halloween ~   

Winter Showcase~

Around the end of November or beginning of December, we would have a Winter Showcase where we show our family and friends what we've learned throughout fall semester. Last year we performed around 10 dances, which I was in  five of them. This year we had 12 performances. We would practice every day for a week for the showcase, usually preparing lightning, music, costumes, hair and makeup, and let ourselves get used to dance without mirror on the stage. I would say this week is the hardest week for of being in the dance, but also the most memorable because we are all together working on one big project. We had so much fun doing it but also all of us were so nervous at the same time to make the dance pieces look beautiful and make the showcase perfect. I am so proud of all the dance team members. 

The dance team also has a spring term during which you can audition. We have a spring showcase with theater team. 

More opportunities at PLU~

 PLU has lots of other clubs and sport teams that you can join. I realized the benefit of doing something off school is really important. And the great part is that you can do whatever you want. 

https://www.plu.edu/admission-first-year/campus-life/clubs-organizations/

See guys next time,

- Nobita 

Experience the Washington State Fair in Puyallup: A Fun Guide for International Students

Hey Lutes! The Washington State Fair in Puyallup is one of the biggest fairs in the U.S., and it offers a fantastic opportunity for international students at PLU to experience local culture, enjoy thrilling rides, and discover new events. Whether new to the area or looking for a fun fall activity, this guide will help you make the most of your visit.

Fair Schedule

Mark your calendars for the Spring Fair in 2024, which will take place over two weekends: April 11–14 and April 18–21. This is a fantastic event to enjoy all your favorite fair activities like thrilling rides, adorable farm animals, and, of course, the signature fair food. It’s open most days, but hours may vary, so check the schedule on the fair’s website for specific opening and closing times. Be sure to plan your trip in advance, so you don’t miss any of the exciting events!

Storage information for your luggage during summer!

Hello, it's Luna. Are you ready to go back to your home in the summer? Or are you traveling to another country? The finals are not over yet, but the exciting season is coming! If you don't have any plans yet, I hope you make a great plan after the finals. Today, I'm going to talk about the storage information provided by the campus. If you live on campus during the 2024 fall semester, you can use each resistance hall's storage. If it's hard to carry all your luggage to your home, this would be a good option for you.

Rules of Campus Life Storage Room

• Residence Hall’s RA staff(s) are responsible for maintaining Resident and RA storage procedures during move in and move out. 
• Storage rooms containing shelving MUST have all items stored on the shelves. Refrigerators may be stored on the floor.
•  All items must be clearly labeled with the students name and contact information. Each item must have a fully completed storage label.
• Items may not have more than one storage label on them while in storage.
• Campus Life Staff will complete a Storage Room inventory of all halls after Fall and Spring openings. Any item(s) with a storage room sticker older than one academic year and/or any unmarked items will be disposed of either through surplus or environmental services.
• No access will be granted to resident or RA storage during the summer, no exceptions.

Checking Items Into Storage Policies

• Storage space is on a first come, first serve basis. 
• Students in possession of a future housing assignment at the time of storage, should store their items in the hall they are assigned to for the next academic period.
• Students may not move other student’s belongings in order to make room for their own.
• Items must be picked up within one year of going into storage. 
• Items may only be stored if the student is departing campus and may not store items while actively living in residential housing.

Picking Items Up Policies

• All items must be picked up when checking items out of storage.
• Students may not re-store containers or boxes in storage rooms after unloading items. 
• If the person picking up storage items is not the student who put items into storage, Campus Life must have written permission from the item owner for a proxy to pick up items on their behalf. 

Unacceptable Items

• Carpets or Rugs, even if properly sealed.
•  Electronic equipment, including but not limited to: televisions, gaming systems, speakers, etc.
• Furniture, including but not limited to: lamps, desks, chairs, mattress pads, etc. 

Acceptable Items

• Items MUST be contained in a box, not to exceed 24x18x24.
• Boxes must be sealed with packing tape and labeled properly with Campus Life supplied labels. 
• A maximum of 4 items/boxes is allowed per student.
• Luggage is permitted if sealed and labeled properly.
• Mini refrigerators are permitted if cleaned and labeled properly. 

For more information, please refer to this link. I hope it helped you and enjoy your summer!

- Luna

What I've Learned Throughout the Four Years in PLU

Hand-made stole for BBA!

Happy Wednesday! This is Rei, I hope everyone is doing well with life and everything else. We are now in May, which means that final exams and summer break is just around the corner. Congratulations on almost finishing up another school year! For me, as a senior year student, I just finished my Capstone presentation (senior project) yesterday and it means that graduation is less than a month away! I've spent four years of college at PLU living on campus, since Fall 2020 to this Spring 2024. For my last blog, I would like to share 5 things in total I've learned during my four years of college life with some of the graduation pictures I've got with my roommate. I hope it will be beneficial to those of you who have a few years left in PLU! 

Life Tip - inside of College

1. Time Management is everything

You probably have heard this a lot from your parents, professors, and etc., but this is true! In college, especially if you live on campus, a ton of planning will take place. I would say, if you figure out how you manage your time schedule, you win the game. And most importantly, utilize your Google Calendar! She has been my best friend ever since I've started using her, managing my schedule, share some activities' schedule with my friends/professors. I personally prefer the online calendar form because they visualize my plans well and let me think what I can do during the time I don't have anything, just makes me productive! 

2. Do not compare yourself to others, compare yourself to you in the past

Sometimes, comparing with someone else can be a motivation to do something better. I would say this is a recipe for unhappiness. In a different words, Social Comparison gives you a sense of rush, stress, and negative feeling eventually. Especially for those of you who are from outside of Unites States, living away from your family, you are already doing amazing! You should be proud of yourself from just breathing in the different country from where you are from. There was a time I was disappointed/stressed to myself that I was taking a longer time than other students to understand and complete all the things I had to get done. After keep feeling stressed, at one point, I stopped thinking of things that way and started to think it's okay to not be capable of doing everything at 100%. No one in this world is perfect so I should focus on myself rather than comparing myself to others. As long as YOU know what you like about yourself, your weakness and are trying to improve them, you will be the best version of yourself by the time you graduate from college. 

3. Be adaptable to the culture here, but still be yourself

What I found most important is not trying to be someone else even in the new country with new surrounding environments. Adapting to the culture of where you are at is great, and it can be a main goal of studying abroad for some of the international students. And PLU has a variety of opportunities for you to absorb new cultures, new values, with new people. However, learning new things does not mean you are being away of how you are used to be. For instance, your English will probably improve year by year as you continue studying in the United States, but there is no need to change your 'personality.' How you feel about certain things, how you behave towards others, and how you are, are all core things about yourself that you should not ignore. 

A little pretty path right next to Hauge Admin Building! 

Life Tips - outside of College

1. Always have a Plan B (and Plan C if needed)

I love United States, I love how people are friendly, and I appreciate that I was able to study in this country for four years. One aspect of culture that we have here that I learned was people are loose on time, compared to my home country - Japan, at least. Let's say you order something online for a certain event, but you have to order really ahead of time to ensure that whatever you are ordering will arrive before the event you have. Thus, again, managing your schedule and doing things ahead of time is key. Living in the United States for four years really trained me in the aspect of this, which I appreciate. If I kept living in Japan for my entire life I wouldn't know how to manage these things. I believe these skills will help you a lot not only when you are in college but also once you start working in the future no matter what country it will be. 

Some lavenders at PLU Golf Course

2. It is normal that things change - friendship, environment and yourself

Not just during the years in college, but if you are living your life, things change gradually and suddenly at the same time. Maybe it's a good change, sometime it can be changes you did not expect it to be. You might have a breakdown caused from these changes - yet, it's okay! Everyone has experienced this all the time. How I cope with any big negative changes of my life is to think my life as a roller coaster. I know it sounds weird but I believe that when something negative happened, that means something better is coming after, as the roller coaster goes up after they fall down. You will never be stuck in your down-bad moment, so might as well enjoy the process of going to the positive phase! Something I appreciate about the US culture is that people are open to share what happened to them even though it is something that affects them negatively. People share when and why they cried, felt sad/angry, how they felt about it, and people are willing to listen. Talking it out with others is definitely a life tip when it comes to handling your changes and people are more than happy to help! 

And these were all I could think of as of now! Looking back over the past four years, there have been ups and downs, but I believe it has been an unforgettable period of my life and I have learned tons of life skills. I am so grateful to have met Heather and Brandon, International Services, and all of the international students. I hope that you, the international students reading this, whether you are a prospective student or a current student, will be glad that you chose PLU when you graduate as well! 

Until next time,

-Rei