So, this is what I do…I latch on to a new idea and get rather excited about it and then eventually, due to boredom or being overwhelmed by life, let said “idea” fall to the wayside. Well, I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again…this year is going to be different! I’m practicing breaking those old habits in my life that cause me more stress/anxiety and have prevented the things I love from being able to be a part of my life!

That all being said…I’m going to do my best to summarize the past few weeks of which I contributed nothing to my “Senior Year” blog.

I believe I left off at the Pearl Jam concert (still loving Eddie!). So here is an overview of the main attractions in the past month:

Concerts (all free):

~Nickelback with Breaking Benjamin, Shinedown and Sick Puppies

~Jon McLaughlin, NeedToBreathe

~Blake Lewis, Taylor Dayne

Movies:

~ Letters to Juliet

~ Sex and The City 2

~ Killers

Festivals:

~ Vintage Indiana Wine & Food Fest

~ Talbot Street Festival

~ Circle City INPride

Activities:

~ Girls Nights (w/ special guests)

~ Cookouts

~ Road Trips

~ Pool/Spa Parties

~ Friend/Family Time

Clearly I’ve had an eventful month, and it’s been great! I will say that there has been MUCH more to say about each of these pieces, but I suppose those details will be kept in a more personal journal…if transcribed at all :P

While I’m somewhat shocked that a third of my summer has already passed, I am happy I’ve been able to spend that time with those that I love! I’ve been able to share these moments with friends that I’ve gathered through various parts of my life, new ones included. This has been a recent revelation made by a dear friend and myself, the beauty of having “new-old” things come back into your life. We discovered this phenomenon in relation to clothes first, but have been able to apply the theory in other avenues of our lives. I am so excited to have re-connected with some of my older friends…we had unfortunately lost touch, but now see the importance of having one another back in each other’s lives! It’s a shame that people come and go in our life, but as I posted previously…people come into our lives for “A Reason, A Season or A Lifetime”…and I believe that their purpose is not always that clear initially. I guess what I’m saying is that in light of re-connecting with friends that I feared I had lost I have been able to better cope with the fact that I have more recent friends that are “stepping out of my frame” for the time being. Also, I appreciate that such friends are off pursuing their own dreams and able to achieve an elevated level of happiness. I have confidence that we will all remain in each other’s lives…even if not in my ideal method at times.

I suppose that paragraph sorta sums up how much I’ve been reflecting on life’s twist and turns this past month. I have many new theories for these things, concerning various topics, but I’ll save those for another day.

For now I’m going to call this a sufficient entry and go out and conduct more “R&D” in the field of having the best summer yet!!!

<3 to all!

~B

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or
a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you
will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON … It is
usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have
come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you
with guidance and support, to aid you physically, 
emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a
godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason
you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an
inconvenient time, this person will say or do something
to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die.
Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our
desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you
sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON …
Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount
of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things
you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional
foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the
person, and put what you have learned to use in all
other relationships and areas of your life. It is said
that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. 

~Author Unknown

So, I just finished watching The Backup Plan, another great chick flick in my opinion. Anyway, the movie was littered with hidden meanings for my life. No worries, I’m not talking about getting pregnant. I am more referencing the idea of a “backup plan” and “timing”. Can you really have a backup plan? If yes, how many do you make? What is the secret behind timing things perfectly? Is there such thing as “the right time”? These are just some of the questions that have been on my mind for the past year or so during what I feel are some major life changes.

I have always considered myself to be a planner. I can remember being approx. 10 years old, telling my mom about my “plan” for my twenties. I was to go to college, graduate, get married and start having kids by 24-25 so that I would be done by 27…that way I wouldn’t be too “old” when my kids got to be around 10 years old. I know now that these were irrational thoughts fueled by my then resentment towards my father for taking a mid-day nap during prime board game time! (I can now appreciate things like a mid-day nap, and that it will be my choice as to how I interact with my children and not a condition of my age). Regardless, my mom’s advice was that life had a way of working itself out, that I could not plan such things (I’m sure at the time I rolled my eyes and left the room thinking I’ll show her). I’m not too ashamed to admit it, Mom was right; and I’m glad she was! Here I am 10 years later and I am looking at my future from a whole new perspective. 

Everything around me is changing…graduations, engagements, births, etc… It’s all very bittersweet. I can’t help but to be a little anxious during all the excitement. However, through all the chaos I seem to be finding my equilibrium. I am coming to terms with the unknown. Call it a Mother’s Day miracle, but I’m finally listening to Mom’s advice and not stressing over planning my future. The movie brought light to all of the lessons that have been going on around me…we can try to plan our lives and time things just right, but there is always going to be the unexpected, and it’s alright!

After making some of these revelations I stopped by Facebook to read my daily horoscope. Today’s message says: 

“You may want it so bad you can taste it, but figuring out exactly how to get it all can be a knotty problem, indeed. The tendency to be too choosy and too critical of what’s presented you can kill the goose that lays the golden egg, so if you can’t have your way entirely, have it half way and enjoy what’s there.”

I thought it was irony at first, but maybe it’s just another way that a message was trying to be sent to a stubborn Leo :) Whatever it is, I’ll take it! I am at the point in life where I shouldn’t be worrying about what the future may hold, but rather be living in the moment. So it’s my Senior promise to myself to enjoy what’s here, the present!

So on Friday, May 7th my summer officially began! In the midst of finishing up my term papers I took off to Indy with a friend to attend the Pearl Jam concert and begin one of my internships for the summer. I will be interning with a local nonprofit, Emergent Leadership Institute, for part of the summer while I’m in IN.

The specific project I’m working with is called “Rock and Recycle.” I’ll be working along with two other interns to organize volunteers working at two concert venues in Indy to conduct a recycling program. Our volunteer demographic are high school and college aged students who are interested in getting involved in the community and like music. :)

Volunteer!

Show #1: Pearl Jam

It took a little longer than expected to get to the show due to construction, rush hour, and concert traffic…but alas we arrived at the venue. We reached the gate where we met Roger, the lead for the project, to find that all of the concert goers were being turned away due to severe weather warnings. Marah and I just sorta laughed (after all it’s not like we’d just spent 3 hours in the car or anything) and waited to hear what the game plan was. We got things squared away with the security guy on duty and then headed back to our car to wait out the storm.

The three of us took the time to sorta play “catch-up” and chat about the summer ahead of us. In no time the lightening had ceased and we headed back to the gates. Rodger led us into the venue and took us on a short tour, explaining our duties along the way. Before long we found ourselves surrounded by thousands of Pearl Jam fans…summer had begun!

—Side note, I love concerts! My life is full of music and there is just something so special about live music. Summer concert season is possibly my favorite time of year. It’s so fun to go to a show and interact with the fans (people watching at it’s best)!—

After clarifying any remaining questions we had, Roger left for the night and Marah and I headed towards the lawn to wait for the show to begin. It was evident that the storm hadn’t delayed anyone from getting the party started…i.e. liquid courage had set in, made for some good laughs for Marah and me.

By about 10pm the show had started…didn’t take long for Eddie Vedder to steal our hearts *sigh* I would have liked for the weather to be a little warmer that night, but I guess Seattle native Vedder brought the rain with him…just meant we had to dance a little more to stay warm, no worries :) The next hour and half was filled with amazing music and a couple interesting encounters by our fellow lawn-neighbors. I couldn’t have asked for a better beginning to my last undergrad summer :)

Looking forward to more shows with my fellow interns!!! ☮ ♥ :)

I can’t believe that I have reached the brink of my fourth and final year of undergrad! I know that senior is going to fly by, therefore I have decided to start this blog in order to keep tabs on my journey. So heres to the start of my last year of COLLEGE!