For TAMUK students that are stuck on campus for the holidays, my
group has organized a Winter Scavenger Hunt. We thought the students stuck here
should do something fun especially after finals week. Tori created flyers that
she put up all around campus to get the word out about the scavenger hunt.
Adrianna also made flyers but they were smaller so you could pass out to
students. She also wrote the letters to professors and donors. Ivonne and I made
a list of all the places to meet at. A copy of everything we each did is on our
Prezi presentation.


To start the scavenger hunt, the students have to make sure they
have their own vehicle since the hunt ends in Corpus Christi and they must also
have a camera or a phone with a camera. Everyone will meet at College Hall at
1:30 on December 17, 2012. There students will be given their list of places
  they must go and take a picture at. The places are organized with Kingsville
  area first then leads to Corpus Christi. The final place is the USS Lexington.
The first 3 teams there with the most pictures will determine the winners. The
  first, second, and third place prizes include iTunes cards, alarm clocks, and
  USB drives. All other participants will receive maps of the Kingsville/ Corpus
  Christi area so next time they want to go to a place that was on the list, they
  can find it with the help of their map. I hope that everyone has a great time
  at the hunt that we worked really hard to organize. Happy Holidays! 

During the holidays, I am fortunate enough to be able to spend time with my family. Some people attend school or work away from home and have to miss spending time with their families during the holidays, something everyone loves about the holidays. Scavenger hunts always look like so much fun in movies. I, personally, have never been a part of one but I always wanted to try to organize one or help soeone organize one at school. So my group and I think having a holiday scavenger hunt for the people that are kind of bummed out about not being able to spend time with their families. Even famillies that are spending time together for the holidays can come and enjoy a friendly competition.with each other. My family loves to compete against each other in everything. If they see a basketball, they have to see who would win at a one-on-one game or shoot the most baskets. We all get really into the game that we have to force someone to calm us down so we won't get into a huge debate. 
    They would have to form teams of two or three people. Then we would have a list of places they have to go do a certain action at and provide evidence with a photo or have to get something that is only at that specific location. I would contribute by helping organize the event by designing and printing out flyers to hang around campus, at local business, and put it on a social media network.

Holidays, for me, are pretty hectic. I have a huge family! Both
of my parents have eight siblings, so when we go to the annual Christmas party on either side of the family, it’s pretty huge. We all bring different foods and desserts and have to try not to overeat with all of the delicious holiday food. 

Every Christmas, I’m asked many times how many classes I am
taking and they put their two cents in about my major, also hearing quite a
number of lectures of how I need to stay in school. It gets a little frustrating
hearing the same thing over and over, but they are family so you get used to it and say the same thing you always say. This year, I don’t even want to imagine the lectures and advice I am planning on receiving since I’m expecting a baby girl. She is going to be the new baby of the family on both sides. So along with the lectures, I am going to have to stay calm while everyone tries to touch my baby. To other people that might not be a big deal, but I’m a very clean person, or germ-a-phobe, that can’t handle too many people touching me and now I can’t imagine how I will be with my daughter. 

Another thing that worries me, is that I’ve been out of work for about a month due to the pregnancy and every year, I would buy gifts for my parents, 3 siblings, and sister-in-law, but since all of the money I have saved up is for the baby, it’s kind of hard to spend on gifts. They don’t mind and say the baby is the best gift but, I still feel bad.  

I think Heather Cheek’s article on the holiday blues was very
informative and to the point. I loved that she put tips on how to relieve the stress from the holidays. I especially like, but highly doubt I will get, that she suggests getting the right amount of sleep since you lose sleep during the holidays. I couldn’t believe when she said some people get the blues when the holidays are over. I, personally, feel slightly relieved when everything is over and I’m getting ready to get back to school and back to my regular schedule. It’s shocking how much I miss school when we are on a holiday break. 
 
I agree when she writes, “the unrealistic expectations of the season, time and financial pressures, missing loved ones, and reflecting on past events as the year comes to an end all contribute.” This is true for almost
everyone I know. You feel a little down when it’s the first Christmas without a family member. With this economy, everyone is worried about their finances, it’s hard not to avoid that you need to cut back or not splurge on what you really wanted. I also can understand why some people feel obligated to buy gifts for certain loved ones and stress about how they will be able to afford it. 

    My favorite relaxing trip was to Ruidoso, New Mexico. Ruidoso is a village with a population of 8,000 in the southern part of New Mexico. I spent my whole 2009 spring break there, excluding the day it took to travel from home and back. Being surrounded by all of my family made the trip so much better; my whole family stayed together in a cabin big enough for about fifteen to twenty
people.

    When we first arrived, the climate and altitude difference made me a little sick but as soon as I adjusted to it, I enjoyed the week we spent there. The first thing I noticed are huge carved wooden bears outside of every store. If you go downtown, there is a store where you can buy your own. On our way to the cabin, we passed Ski Apache which made me start my long annoying period of asking to go skiing.  We drove through town noticing some things that went along with the Native American culture. We saw a few teepees before we proceeded into town not realizing that we were a part of the town we would soon be spending the next few days in. When I first saw the cabin we would stay in, it reminded me of the cabins you see in movies. It was a big wooden cabin that reminded me of a toy log cabin and hadn’t been modernized so it made it feel more “outdoorsy.” It was surrounded by tall trees and the closest cabin was almost two miles away, so we were secluded in our own area to go hiking and enjoy ourselves on the outdoor patio. 
     The most memorable experience was hiking with my dad every morning after breakfast. It was so relaxing and we would watch the deer walk to the area they had designated for deer feedings. Being from South Texas made it hard to adjust to the temperature. I was used to south Texas spring break with warm weather that you can go to the beach in, not in Ruidoso. It’s still cold enough for light snow and freezes, so you have to bundle up in a medium sized jacket. I was hoping it was cold enough to keep the beginner’s slope open at Ski Apache, unfortunately it was too warm and they had to close it. So I was disappointed but I was able to take the gondola to the top of the mountain and see the most beautiful view! It was a view you would see in a magazine. 

    When we went downtown, there were so many different types of stores to choose to walk into. There were numerous stores to buy souvenirs and some to buy handmade animal rugs and luggage. There was one store that sold the huge carved wooden bears that you would see everywhere. We were able to meet a man that
worked there carving mini bears for your keychain. He would carve religious pieces as well. They even had a puppy sweet shop where they made edible sweets and handmade outfits for your canine for a low price, so I had to get something for my puppy. They had many other kinds of store for everyone’s interests. 
     On one of the colder days, the adults went to the casinos while the kids stayed behind and made smores in the fireplace. When the adults came back to bar-be-que dinner, we caught sight of the most beautiful sunset. It was setting behind the mountains and the trees were on the side with differentshades of yellow to orange then to the blue of night to make the perfect sunset. We spent the starry night in the cool weather laughing and enjoying our time away from home, not having to worry about anyone complaining about us being too loud. Being secluded in our own cabin away from a busy city was what made this trip my favorite. We were able to just relax and enjoy the outdoors. 

http://www.ruidoso.net/
http://www.ruidoso.com/