According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the definition of “Nostalgia” is “pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again.” When I think of the term, my personal definition is just one word, three syllables: “Pepperdine.”
It has been a whole month as of yesterday since I’ve been away from my “home away from home.” And as cliché as it sounds, it truly was just that.
Pepperdine was home to me because it was where my second family lived, or some of my best friends. The thing is, when you live with people, you see each other so often that your relationships are on steroids. The quality of friendships that would take years to form only took eight months.
It was a place where dreams were born. I had the opportunity to be a fashion anchor on my school’s morning broadcast show, “Good Morning Malibu,” the Online Managing Editor of our college newspaper, “The Graphic,” and a writer/model for our collegiate magazine, “Currents” (as shown in these pictures). I even got to begin an amazing internship with College Fashionista. Through these awesome outlets I was able to cover many cool events, meet people I never thought I would, and grow as a journalist.
It was a place of adventure. Besides the oceanic Malibu scenery that can be clearly viewed while walking to class or explored first hand by a five-minute drive, I made a point of exploring the greater Los Angeles area. Browsing record and thrift stores, walking around Hollywood or Beverly Hills, and random photo ops in Venice (my last post) are just to name a few. However, the adventures didn’t stop in Malibu. I cannot forget about the chance to go to a journalism conference in Philadelphia (that included a day trip to New York which I also did a blog post on). And finally, there is the adventure to be embarked on: getting to spend next year abroad in London (which I will be doing many blog posts on in the future).
It was a place where my faith grew. College provides complete freedom, which means that you have the liberty to live your life the way you desire rather than how you grew up. However, it was a blessing to see that my faith stood solid in the midst of this independence. The people that I’ve been surrounded by as well as the adventures God has provided me with have drawn me closer to him, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
All I can say is, thank you Pepperdine and ultimately thank you God. I know that this is a fashion blog, but I thought it would be cool to briefly share with you all a little about my life this past year, especially because my experiences influence the content I produce. I miss my second home already, but know that there are many cool blessings that will take place this summer and in the coming school year. And you can expect me to be blogging about it along the way.
Keeping it Krischic,
Kristin Vartan
Pictures by Shawn Jones (@SHAWNJONES18) for Currents Magazine (@CURRENTSMAGAZINE)
Keeping it Krischic 