Summer 2009 in Review

These days are numbered.
Mmmm, the romance in sitting alone in the living room, eating fruit from the can, and crunchy white rice, doused in soy sauce swiped from the Mall food court. I stayed in bed until 11am. It's afternoon. It's day. It's Summer.

Colin leaves for Prague tomorrow morning, and tonight we are having a going away party for him in the park. Then he's gone. Just four months though. However, considering what the last 4 months held, that might be a big deal.

Then on Friday I start my job at the State Fair. I went in for Orientation yesterday, and it looks like it will be a strenuous, yet bearable 2 weeks, and by the end, I'll have my books paid for.

So Lily, what have you learned in your first summer on your own?

I've had 4 jobs. 2 days as an Environmental canvasser. 2 months as a Mall custodian. A weekend as Art Fair help, and now a cashier at the Minnesota State Fair.

Jobs are a skeleton of what else went on.

I am living the starving college student ideal! I know I have said that before... but really... It has been stressful, and hard, but It's perfect! Being a truly poor college student isn't something you can fake, and it makes everything better.

I made friends! As I embark on Fall Semester 2009, I feel like I have some kind of home base here at Augsburg. I have people. I have people to spend time with, and to talk to. I really hope that it's not superficial.

I've Adventured!

I've made bad decisions.

I've learned stuff about myself that makes sense... even if it is a bit discouraging.

And now, I am ready to go back to Augsburg as it was last year. To take it back for what it really is. I can NOT wait to start my classes. My books look phenomenal, and I can't wait to start discussing them! AH!

14 Again

It really just happened by accident... This being 14 thing... It started when I got home and needed shoes.

I didn't pack shoes because I knew that I have a ton lying around here that would be snug but usable. So I dug. I dug through the Sketchers, the huge white Filas, and tattered Converse, until finally I found both of my hot pink laced black Etnies, Circa 2005. Begin transformation.

Step Two: I dug out my bright yellow Rex T-shirt That I haven't worn in years because I spilled wine on it.

Next Step: The Man Purse. The over-sized-for-practical-use, but perfect for my intentions, camoflaged, hand-decorated "purse" I bought from Target for $5 Circa 2006.

(((So maybe I'm more 15 again... which I don't mind... I loved that year)))

Optional Booster Course: The Pink, Leopard printed diary which starts in 2003. "No boy friends until AFTER 8th Grade!!!" Gosh Darn-it! "I don't like my friends!" "Donnie and I talked for THREE hours last night! :) :) " "OMG! Donnie talked for THREE WHOLE HOURS LAST NIGHT!" HAHAHA! I love this...

Current Phase: Today I am going cliff jumping with Ogilvie friends. The last time I went cliff jumping was in Canada with the Cramtons. Claire gave me her old pink swimsuit to use... again, this was 2006 at the latest. I will be using that same Swimsuit.

Most of the power is in the shoes for sure. Just like Cinderella (CURSE YOU GROVEN!)... Shoes are important. They are a part of your life for significant chunks. I remember buying those shoes, and how excited I was. I remember many adventures on which they accompanied me. When I was 16... 17... I cast them aside for the next new thing I thought I needed, while they still had life left in them!

So now I have a brand new pair of shoes, with only ONE little hole. They've been with me already, and they'll be with me again with new places to see and stories to tell.

I know that they are dorky, that they represent a part of me that wanted to fit in to the point of following fads... But I still like the shoes and that's part of what makes them so cool... Maybe it's symbolic of re-embracing my childhood for incorporation to today.

I am enjoying this.

Hopefully I will be able to make it through this week at this pace without inflicting serious damage on my soul.

TOM ROBBINS!