31 August 2011

Sometimes, special things are hidden. The key is knowing where to look for them. More often than not, you will find them when you're not looking for them, when you don't want to find them, and when the time is right for you to find them.

I like looking for things that are out of the ordinary because it always makes life more interesting. 9 times out of 10, people don't "stop to smell the roses." I've learned that you can find some pretty amazing things when you're not looking for them.

I think one of the most fun things to find would be money. Everyone loves it, but it's sometimes hard to come across. Pennies always seem to blend into the sidewalk and we probably miss 100 a day just walking around from place to place. Or when you play hide-and-go-seek...the people that always win are the ones that find the most inconspicuous door to hide behind. Or they're tiny and can fit into small spaces.

Have you ever wondered how fast vines grow over things? It takes a shorter amount of time than you would think...less than 1 summer and we have vines all over the side of our house, over the chapel at school , and around the wires in the grape field. It's quite amazing that something so little can stretch so far and conceal so much behind it.

Maybe next time you go for a walk, you'll think twice about stepping over the line of ants that stretches across the pavement. Maybe stop and watch them crawl as fast as their tiny legs will carry them. You never know what they're carrying or where they're going.

30 August 2011
Have you ever woken up in the morning and just knew that today was going to be a good day? I think today was one of those...first the pouring rain, then the smooth first official day of school, then a beautiful sunset.
You always wonder if you're going to get a sunny day when it starts off raining. Sometimes just listening to a song can make a day seem perfect, or make it better. Most people enjoy the sunlight because it is a symbol of happiness, but I enjoy both the cloudy and sunny days equally. Even though a day is cloudy, you can still have a great day and get see cool things that you wouldn't get to see on a sunny day. One of my favorites would have to be rainbows. While in New Zealand, I think I saw 4 rainbows a day with all of the rain that we got. It was so beautiful, and they're quite amazing. I like the fact that it's a collaborative effort from the sun and the rain drops that are still falling down from the sky. Reflecting so that we can see the full spectrum of colors. Another good thing that came out of the rain was that I got a free car wash! The down-pour left my car sparkly clean by the time the sun came out and dried it all off.

By the time school came to an end, it seemed as though today had lasted forever. Maybe it's because I actually did something??? Either way, the end of the day almost always leaves you dead tired, at least it does for me. It's always so great to see a beautiful sunset. The sun is pretty amazing too if you think about it. Did you know that it takes 8 minutes for the light from the sun to reach the earth? and it's a far ways away from where we are. I wonder how long it takes for a raindrop to fall from a thunder-cloud...?

29 August 2011
The beginning of the end...today was the last first day of high school. After 15 years at the same place, I think it's safe to say that I'm more than ready to be done. Full classes officially begin tomorrow and then I guess we're in for a long year of homework and hard work.

It's funny how time passes so quickly. It seems like only yesterday I was making lemonade in kindergarten and learning how to draw a star, and only minutes ago that I started high school. Now it's all coming to a close.
It's like when you plant grass. You plant it, give it a little water, and then a few days later there's suddenly green little sprouts popping up and taking over everywhere! I guess that's the way that parents view us kids. Something so little that grows up in no time at all, and then in the blink of an eye, we're off in the real world on our own.
Every second counts, so wasting time on the little things that won't matter 5 years from now isn't really worth the stress. Just keep on smiling. :)

28 August 2011
This day seems as long as the shadows were this afternoon. As if to tease at the last moments of summer drifting away. How many different ways are there to spend the last hours of freedom? I have a million thoughts...But how many different things can you fit into a summer holiday?

A few things that I learned this summer are more than little tid-bits that will help you pass a class in school. On the plane rides home today I had some time to think...in the past 2 months I have been on 12 different planes, in 7 different time zones, been exposed to 7 different accents, been in 4 different countries, tried countless new foods, learned new words in different languages, and met some really great people that I will never ever forget. This summer helped show me the good in the world, and I had such a wonderful time exploring new places and doing things that tested my comfort zone.

The quote "life is like a roll of toilet paper" I think sums this summer up well. Looking back on it, there was SO much that went on and there's still a lot of things that I didn't get to do. But on the other hand, it flew by so fast! I can't believe that it's ending. This is definitely a summer that I will never forget, and one that has inspired me to do many things...this project being one of them. I hope that this final school year brings good things as well.

27 August 2011
Spending time with good people is always wonderful. It's always the littlest things that you remember that make the best memories.
This past summer has been truly one of a kind and I couldn't think of a better way than to spend it with the group of people that I "lived" with for nearly 3 weeks. From quotes, to foods, to inside jokes, and many other great memories, this weekend is sure to be another great highlight of the summer of 2011.
Now it's time for the big sleepover!!! You'd think that we'd be getting a little old for those, but I don't think that we'll ever be too old for them. All night long talks and photos!!! :)

26 August 2011
Fear. We all have some sort of fear, even if you won't admit it.
I'm afraid of turbulence, heights, the dark, spiders, and snakes. I'm sure that I share a few of these fears with others. Although, one I never thought would make this list, would be dogs.

See that stare??? I swear that you can feel it through a wall...At first, when you see Biscuit, you think, "oh what a cute little puppy!" and don't get me wrong, she's adorable! But it's the fact that she follows you around and stares you down, probably wondering to herself "who are you and what are you doing in my house?" that's hilarious. And what's even better is when the hyper-ness kicks in and the sprints through the hallway start. Sitting on the couch with a friend just staring and laughing, half in fear, is probably the funniest thing ever to watch, but it was scary! You never knew if she was going to run you over or not.
On the flip side, meeting up with friends from summer trips, meeting new people, and having an awesome time is such a great way to end the summer. I couldn't think of anything better to do.

25 August 2011
Pour a tall glass of ice cold water, and enjoy the last moments of summer as they fly past. After today, the school year that is starting on Monday seems to be coming at us at 100 miles per hour. Where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday I was starting my summer.
It seems like suddenly all of my friends are wanting to hang out, to fit in one last awesome summer memory into the 2011 summer. As if it hasn't already been amazing enough! :) Although, meeting up with old friends is always a must. Even if it's been 21 years since you last gave them a big bear hug.

After walking around the older town where I ate lunch, it finally hit me that summer was ending and that after tomorrow, the weekend would fly by! Then before I know it, the whole school year will be gone as well. I will soon be saying goodbye to my closest friends and who knows...maybe it will be 20-some years before I see them again.

When life gives you lemons...make lemonade. But ice cream's better...especially soft serve.

24 August 2011
You see those adorable little faces? That's what I felt like for the entirety of the day today. Ugh. This day couldn't have been more unproductive.
I think a main reason of my unproductiveness was the fact that my dad had a strange dream and woke up laughing so hard he was crying. The whole house was trying to decipher the "funny" story about the donkey that raced the school bus everyday. The school bus driver was going crazy because the donkey was so fast, he never saw it until he got to the city to drop kids off at the school. My dad said that every time he shut his eyes to try and go back to sleep, it kept getting funnier because the donkey would continually try to do something to outsmart the bus driver. I wonder what the reason for this dream was...?
To add on to my unproductive day, I went to Walgreens and they didn't have what I was looking for!!! How do you go into a Walgreens, and they DON'T have what you're looking for?! Oh my goodness, it's unheard of...especially when there's one on almost every single block in town.

Even though today wasn't exactly the greatest according to plan, I think that I almost lived the intent of Bruno Mars's "Lazy Song." Because today, I didn't really do anything. But I think that it was well spent, in retrospect, considering that it's my last week of summer, and I'm not sure when I'll be able to just sit around under a tree and relax for a day.

23 August 2011
Today was a kind of slow day, but was productive nonetheless.
Weather and natural disasters were a main issue of the country today, as it seems. There was a 5.8 earthquake in Virginia that was felt on pretty much the entire East coast. New Yorkers were evacuated and put into lockdown for fear of another terrorist attack like 9/11. Then there's the South that needs more than just a few drops of water, as their drought continues through the end of summer. And last, there's little-old Nebraska...rainstorm after rainstorm. I can't tell you how much I just love driving home when those beautiful storm clouds roll in.

Parking my car on the side of the road is always interesting because you get all of these funny looks from people, especially when you have a camera out and are snapping photos. While taking pictures, you can hear the low roll of thunder from the dark clouds right above you. I couldn't be more excited for the rain to come. Sitting inside when it's quiet and just listening to the rain drops hit the windows, roof, and pavement is such gorgeous music to my ears. The next best thing would be to curl up on the sofa with a cup of hot tea and just relax after a hard cross-country practice.

22 August 2011

As the summer is winding down here in the midwest, how do we spend our last days before school resumes?
Practices for sports teams such as volleyball, football, cross country, golf, and tennis are under-way and practices are daily. I know that I can still find some way to have a good time. The “busy-ness” of the corn seems, to me, to symbolize my crazy lifestyle. Always running helter-skelter from point A to point B for different activities. As a loyal member of my school’s cross country team, when I see a cornfield I think of a good running terrain. Not only does the corn, once harvested, make for a good track between the rows of dead stalks, but it’s not flat like most other places you’d go for a jog.

The roots of the corn I hope show the beginnings of a great idea that I’m starting now. I have decided to start this blog and continue it for 365 days, or more…we’ll see how it goes. :) Please feel free to leave comments and such.