Clarity

“All my life I had been looking for something, and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was. I accepted their answers too, though they were often in contradiction and even self-contradictory. I was naïve. I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer. It took me a long time and much painful boomeranging of my expectations to achieve a realization that everyone else appears to have been born with: That I am nobody but myself.”--Ralph Waldo Emerson (One of the few quotes I come back to time and time again.)

What Summer 2010 has taught me--

• Research is not for me. And it is definitely not a matter of simply brains, but dedication. 
• Friendliness with Jamaican men may be interpreted as flirting, which may lead to stalking. 
• Chugging Red Wine is never a good idea. Chugging Red Wine and then clubbing only leads to run- ins with said stalker, and a wild bus ride next to a trashcan.
• Flying hung over sucks.
• I am pretty terrible at boogey boarding. I should just stop because sea water is not an efficient means of hydration.
• "Sex is kind of like that Claw Game at the arcade. Everyone wants to get a prize and "O" but the truth is, it rarely ever happens."--The gym is an excellent place for "girl talks." Evidently, I am able to tolerate awkward conversations better when distracted by a lack of oxygen.
• I have terrific friends. Terrific friendships that can withstand the test of time and distance. This only reinforces the cliche' "quality over quantity" notion.
• The best thing about growing up so far is finally being able to be my brother's friend, and not just his "little sister." 
• My brother and I have similar tastes in beer. I think I like that most about us. Since now I realize that there is more to alcohol than Coors Lite...there's Budlight Lime.
• "You can't tip toe through life, doing things halfway in order to protect yourself."
• I was lied to--living is pretty simple, with the occasional difficult decisions. Most of the time though, the decisions aren't too difficult to make, it's the following through. There are certain things we allow ourselves to believe we might never move from, yet my mind allows my heart to do more than what I give it credit for.
• That Peg Game from Cracker Barrel is the best $2.99 I've ever spent.
• The soap we use to wash our hands really doesn't do much for killing the microbes on our hands. It's actually better to just rinse it with warm water for an extended amount of time. More than half of America has some form of herpes.--This is the extent of what I was able to gain from my Micro Bio course.
• The best form of witnessing your faith is to simply live your life the best way you can, yet always being honest with yourself and those around you. It's not hard to be happy when you are able to remember and appreciate the blessings in your life every morning.
• I put a lot of effort into preparing for"trashy" themed parties. This must say something about me, but I will continue to deny it for as long as I can.

Thanks, Summer 2010. You have been very good to me. Although you have been reduced to a few 4x6 prints, there is nothing about you that I would change... I have never been more genuinely happy and content.