Okay, in the grand tradition of summers, I’ve been MIA on the blog. I started writing, and then I was whirled away on trips and other obligations– not an excuse? How about I was more focused on living life than I was focused on writing about it. I was absolutely taken by the idea of relishing in the transition of the summer. I also took about a million pictures over the course of the summer. Choosing one for this post was nearly impossible, but I chose nonetheless. I’m into the #FollowMeTo Instagram account, so I made my sister be my model until she absolutely hated me (sorry not sorry). A Few Notes About My Time Away:
Alaska. The most beautiful vacation someone can go on that will involve only one sunset—on the first night. If you know anything about me, I’m in love with the sky. Sunsets and meteor showers are my muses (but more on that later). My extended family of 13 all set sail on the Coral Princess in early July, and we flew home two weeks later knowing more about The Actual Biggest State in America than we know about our respective home-states. The first week was spent on the boat, with occasional ports-of-call. At the ports, we dogsledded and whale-watched and went on various tours that familiarized us with the Last Frontier. There were so many people to meet on the cruise from so many places, from Atlanta to Toronto, and they were all so much fun to interact with, dance with and share stories with. Meeting people is my favorite part of any vacation, and I’m sure I’ll share various stories of those two weeks in Alaska for many years to come–I may even post a few in good time. The weather was definitely chilly and windy, much like what I would experience at the beginning of winter in Mississippi. Needless to say, I didn’t exactly pack accordingly and ended up hauling back a ton of Alaskan sweatshirts that I won’t wear for another six months. If Alaska is a trip you’re prepping for, pack warm and pack tennis shoes.
Starkville. I’ve dreamt of finally attending Mississippi State University for so long that I never thought the day would actually come to pack up and move, but it’s already come and gone! I spent the remaining time I had in my hometown saying goodbye to my closest friends (there’s nothing like a good going away party, am I right?) and packed my room up to move to MSU. The transition of living in an actual house instead of a dorm room is insane, and the university campus is Disney World compared to a junior college. Starkville is my magical town. I officially started living here a few days ago, and it’s been all smiles. The day I arrived, we went out to campus to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower, which was the most spectacular display I’ve seen. I’ve said earlier that the sky is my muse; it’s one of those pieces of nature that blow my mind. The grandeur of the sky makes al of my problems seem so incredibly small, so when my friends and I laid on the blanket on the outskirts of campus the streaks across the sky were a welcoming display of epic proportions.
Transition. my major theme and the actual point of all of this. This entire summer I’ve done what I would recommend everyone to do: fall in love. Fall in love with life. Fall in love with people. I once read a quote that said, “If you aren’t obsessed with your life, change it.” That stays with me and pushes me to do what I can to make my life worthy of that kind of enthusiasm. Try new things, and meet new people.. maybe fall in love with them and their stories. I’ve taken time to properly transition into this new chapter of my life, the latter half of twenty-years-old. I encourage you, if you’re faced with a transition, to embrace it. Walk into the coming chapter with a head held high and an open heart. I’ve fallen in love with the transition, with the travels, and with the life I lead, and that has made all the difference.
The Gym. Yes. The dreaded gym is yet another transition I’ve had to make over the summer. I teamed up with a body builder here in Starkville, funnily enough, and we’re journeying together as we prepare for respective competitions. He’s teaching me so much about workouts, lifestyle fitness, and food. I’ve learned so much already, even though we still have three months to go. I’ll be sure to keep you posted on how that goes, if you’re into it! I’m most excited about the new food I get to experiment with in my very own kitchen with my very own groceries and my very own roommate (she decided to hop on the Healthy Train with me because everyone knows how hard it is to do alone). Who knows? Maybe I’ll be a foodie by the time it’s all said and done?