aspen groves

I open my eyes and I am serenaded with the gentle humming of bees and the swaying of the long wheat grass that is enveloping me. The cold back of my guitar lays across my chest and my fingers are curled around the neck, plucking at the strings to the songs in my head.

I did this for an hour, knowing that I had all the time in the world. I remembered this place that I have grown up in. The aspen grove trees that form arcs over my head and I parade through them, kicking up leaves as I go. This has always been one of my most favorite places in the world, I can run up this mountain and show you the spot where I learned how to whistle. I can bring you to the place where my first recollection of camping is. My memories are etched into the the hill where my brother, sister and I built our first tipi, and it is still standing.

When I first told my dad about having to decide about transferring and moving locations, he told me:

You need to go find a place in the mountains

to go and sit and think about all of this.

I love my dad.

So I packed up my guitar, my puppy and all of my thoughts and headed down to this place I forget how much I miss until I am there.

I came to the conclusion that I have no idea what to do. I kept praying for some sort of sign, like a square, Montana-shaped cloud. And when I started thinking I saw these square clouds in the sky above me, I realized all 3 states I'm considering moving to are squares. So I might have gotten the answer, I just can't distinguish between the three.

To update you on the rest of everything, since I have not come to a conclusion yet...things are going very chaotically. I believe that sometimes I like them like that; the no-time-to-sit-down kind of days. I am forced to perpetually move and I think it gives me a little encouragement and a little motivation to get things done.

we build bridges, just to burn them down

I got a job doing undergraduate research for people who write grants for advocacy work. Its hard for me to sit and read articles and take notes, or do computer work. But I also somehow need to keep a steady income to fund these wild adventurings I keep having.

I bought a new camera lens as a birthday gift for myself (monday, monday, monday is birthday day!) and I am in love with this thing. It blurs the background of everything if I want it to. Plus, it is shiny and ready to explore this life with me, and I can't wait to put it to good use.

These are my last couple days as a teenager. It is kind of a pivotal moment for me, the age where I am starting to actually feel like I am beginning. I guess have been beginning for awhile now, Monday will just mark the calendar day.

Also: my roommate and I joined an intramural soccer team.

ohhhh boy, time to get into running shape.

i hope this finds you well, know you are appreciated.