the summer is upon us

Even though school was out over a week ago, I spent the weekend in West Lafayette, and I can honestly say I'm sad to leave that place for the summer. I'm going to miss my meeting. I feel as though this year they have really come to be like my second family.

I'm officially a JUNIOR in college. wooow. it's gone by fast.

I survived dead week and finals week and my first semester balancing a job and school work. My last shift was on Saturday, from 7:45 am-12:45 pm. I'm technically still employed there, with a three month 'hiatus'. Until August, however, I have no source of income. Part of me wants to get a job so I can actually spend money this summer and also not go out of my mind with boredom but the other part of me wants to bum around and focus on my to do list.

Every summer I have a mental to-do list of things I want to get done over the summer. It's not boring stuff like "wash the windows", it's more self-fufilling. This year I actually wrote it down. I'm not going to share it because it's personal and frankly the Internet is completely the opposite of that. I might post it at the end of the summer, if I'm particularly proud of the results, but don't hold your breath.
I got the idea from my roommate, who has a book where she writes down everything she wants to do before she dies. She shared it with me because she checked a lot of things off this year but the whole "do before I die" list is vaguely creepy to me. I mean, what if you died and someone found the list and saw all the things you hadn't checked off? "oh how sad, she never got to [fill in the blank]"
I wouldn't want to be pitied. Regardless of the things I have or have not done in life, I believe it will be fulfilling and I don't want anyone thinking otherwise.

Hmm talking about myself posthumously is weird. NEXT!

Anyway, I'm excited for the summer. We're taking our family trip this year to the Badlands. It was my idea, yes thank you I will take all the credit. (hopefully it goes well. if not, it was all Eva's idea) Eva and I went with the grandparents in 2004 and it was amazing. We only took a driving tour that time but I think it would be phenomenal to camp there. So that's what we're doing. Nothing between the sky and the rocks but me in my tent. And a 5030943 foot camper. Alas, the parents and I have opposing definitions of "roughing it". Ideally, I will pitch a tent behind a large rock away from Mom and Dad's cruise liner to retain my charade of living off the land.

Seriously though, I'm excited to go back out West. Even if you are surrounded by miles of flat cornfields in Indiana, the sky seems constricted. Something about the other side of the Mississippi River, the sky opens up into this vast expanse, an endless blue ocean that is barely kept in place by gravity. I remember standing on a cliff holding Eva's hand while the wind blew so fiercely, it seemed as though the world would tip upside down and we would be flung out into the sky. As we stood there, I felt so small and contained, like a tiny figure standing in the palm of God's hand. Paradoxically, I did not feel faceless or insignificant but more understood at that moment than any other moment before. I want to recapture that feeling.

The other event I'm excited for is the wedding of my good friend Ariana. That's not til the end of the summer but I'm really looking forward to it anyway. She's asked me to sing a hymn with few others during the wedding. The day I met Ariana was the day she got engaged to her fiance. My sister and I were the first people she told. Well, not because we're that important but because we happened upon her not five minutes after the proposal. haha. Anyway, I just feel special to be included in the journey from beginning to end. Also I'm really excited to see all my friends on the East Coast again.

Well, my laptop is burning a hole in my leg so I should end this soon. Oh and CONGRATULATIONS to my dear cousins Matt and Christina Pipgras, who welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Phoenix Olivia, into the world last night!! I jumped up and down and screamed when I got Hannah's message, even though I was in parking lot full of strangers. I can't wait to meet you, Phoenix!!!

So that's pretty much it. Good night, world.