Dearest Readers,
I am officially a sophomore now. It doesn’t feel right to say quite yet. Like when you’re 19, but you have said for a year that you are 18 … and you keep thinking that every time you say you’re 19, you’re lying. The first time I had to introduce myself to a group of incoming freshman this year, I accidentally said I was a freshman too. Classic me.
So I guess I am supposed to feel older and wiser now…full of sage knowledge to pass on to freshman passersby. I guess this isn’t true. In fact, the best advice I have to give a freshman is to take no one’s advice. You are going to have to figure your way out here in college, so you are making the choices. Even when you act totally out of character because it’s the “college” thing to do, you’ll figure yourself out. It’s like those awful trial and error problems from … like … third grade math.College is all about winging it. But enough hoighty-toighty sounding witticisms, and on to more fun topics: like more sage knowledge…or what the heck did I learn as a freshman that is changing my attitude this year. (I know more about me…so selfish) But I really do think it’s interesting, this conversation that we have with ourselves on a daily basis: what are we going to do today? How are we going to go about doing it? (Most of my conversations in the morning start with: is it time to sleep again, because I’m really digging this sleep thing.) We have total control from the beginning of the day how our day will go.
I feel like that is mainly what I learned from the past year: I am totally in control of my own happiness. I used to feel like some days I was in a bad mood, and I just had to tough it out. No more. I will take a bike ride, I will go to Pilates, I will make some delicious chai tea. I always felt anal retentive asking myself: am I happy today? (I mean seriously, who does that? First of all it kind of makes me feel like I have multiple personality disorder, but mostly, I just feel like a major control freak … which is not entirely out of the question.) However, it is impressive sometimes to see how I respond to myself … I even thought of writing down at the end of the day one thing that made me really happy so I could log my own construction of happiness, but even I thought that was a little much. It is fun to think about though…like what did I do today that made me especially happy…and every time you answer the question, you learn more about what makes you happy (I am clearly struggling for a synonym for happy). I know it must sound so naïve and optimistic to be saying I just want to be happy, but honestly, what more do I want at the end of the day (other than making others happy in the process, because contrary to this current blog entry, I do care about others outside myself). So today I decided I’d write what made me happy today, because…well because, it’s a cute tale mostly and I figure if you read this far, you will probably keep going.
I went to the Pawpaw festival today. I know, I know, just the name sounds fun-filled. (Background knowledge: the pawpaw is our state fruit, and we hold the largest pawpaw festival in the world just 10 minutes from Athens…yes it may be the only pawpaw festival in the world, but that is definitely besides the point.) I went last minute with a random hodge-podge of great people. A wonderful woman in a balloon hat made and us all free balloon hats (they had crazy flowers going off of them and spirals … they were freaking magical), and we donated a dollar for ice cream churned on sight from Snowville Creamery (look it up, they do great things). And of course, we tried a pawpaw. Naysayers be damned, it was actually good. I would describe it as a banana but with more citrus in it. It is officially the weirdest textured fruit of all time---like slimy pulpy nastiness…but it tastes surprisingly delightful. The festival is in Albany Ohio and it simply gorgeous. We went just as the sun was setting over the water (I know gag at my surprisingly Monet-like imagery), but it was just stunning (see picture that I myself took…I know, I know, I am a woman of many talents, and so modest too). We also bought mini pumpkins for a dollar. The man who sold them to us was glad to hear I plan to keep mine right by my printer. I named it Franklin. I can already tell we will be best friends, and that he will get along wonderfully with my pencil holder. Overall, it was a kooky night. We were all way too enthusiastic, and it was hilarious. It wasn’t anything fancy, or historic, or crazy expensive…it was just really just…fun. (I know…the word choice of fun is impeccable… synonyms are clearly a struggle this evening.)
Every blog entry I say lesson to be learned like I am writing a Disney short story, but this time I will say lesson that I learned: my night was amazing, because I deemed that it would be. (This doesn’t always work out, mind you, because sometimes it is totally out of your hands.) But honestly, half the effort is getting it through your own head that you will enjoy yourself.
So here I am, 12:17 a.m. on a Saturday morning (technically late-ish on Friday night), and while the majority of my peers are inebriated, I am sitting happily in my dorm after a fantastic evening (I know, I know, I attend the number 2 party school in the nation, what am I doing?!). I am sipping some chai, rereading Harry Potter, and I will probably go to bed soon … and of course, I am having some quality time with my new pal Franklin. I feel content with this. (Franklin, of course, agrees.)
PawPaw-ily,
Adorkable
Every blog entry I say lesson to be learned like I am writing a Disney short story, but this time I will say lesson that I learned: my night was amazing, because I deemed that it would be. (This doesn’t always work out, mind you, because sometimes it is totally out of your hands.) But honestly, half the effort is getting it through your own head that you will enjoy yourself.
So here I am, 12:17 a.m. on a Saturday morning (technically late-ish on Friday night), and while the majority of my peers are inebriated, I am sitting happily in my dorm after a fantastic evening (I know, I know, I attend the number 2 party school in the nation, what am I doing?!). I am sipping some chai, rereading Harry Potter, and I will probably go to bed soon … and of course, I am having some quality time with my new pal Franklin. I feel content with this. (Franklin, of course, agrees.)
PawPaw-ily,
Adorkable
