Ten Things I Know To Be True.

1. I am horribly nervous about flying to Florida on Monday.

2. My mother calls me Pocahontas.

3. The water that comes from my tap at home is a million times better then anything bottled.

4. If I could, I would be a writer/astronaut/chef/paleontologist who spends her days in the Pacific Northwest and eats Kitkat bars everyday.

5. I keep catching myself looking around for my dog.

6. My father makes eggs the correct way.

7. I'm quite, not because I'm shy, but because I have nothing to say or I am listening to you talk.

8. I had toast and ramen noodles for dinner tonight. It was delicious.

9. A bad day can be remedied by chocolate, relaxing music, and reassuring words. Though not necessarily in that order.

10. Ambient noise puts me to sleep better then silence.

On Those Pretty Dicey Days.

If I could choose one word to describe this year, I would choose "Discovery".

I have discovered this year:
What kind of person I'm starting to become (whether I like that person or not, remains to be fully seen.)
That sometimes the people who you thought were friends, never really were.
That hugs really do make things better.
That people are not always who they seem.
That pride and arrogance are very different words.
That honesty is the best solution and usually the hardest.
That getting the wind kicked out of you is a good reminder of how great oxygen tastes.
That working until your bones ache means that you have accomplished something.
That complaining about things, all the time, will not make it go away.
That pots and pans on the stove are usually very hot.
That you need to take a few punches to get tough.
That being tough means letting people see you cry, but not submitting to defeat.
That a smile can make someone's day.
That it's hard to be the hero when the people you're trying to help are standing on your cape.
That I don't have a best friend, even though I imagine it would be nice to have one.
That I don't need a best friend because I have many fantastic friends around me, especially my parents.
That people talk, backtalk, and gossip.
That saying what you mean and doing what you say are very important.
That people are easily offended.
That recipes are just guidelines and don't usually workout.
That food usually tastes better when you just eyeball it.
That I am always listening.
That pettiness is petty, so please stop.
That you can only complain about something for so long until I can predict your every line.
That when telling people I have six demerits, watching the reactions are priceless.
That laughing until your sides hurt is the best way to spend time with someone.
That I don't feel the need to talk to fill the silence.
That dreams of a 9 year old girl can come true.
That I can make some really good coleslaw.
That karma exists.
That good things come in threes and so do bad things.
That some hurts can't be fixed with band aids or rubbing dirt on it.
That there will be days when all I want to do is curl up tight in a corner somewhere.
That on a scale from one to over-trusting, I can be very naive.
That I will apologize when I've done something wrong.
That I will not apologize for looking a the world from an optimistic perspective.
That dreams and reality tend to be more similar then we hope.
That walking around with open arms tends to leave me defenseless, but more receptive to wonderful things.
That I have old eyes and an even older soul.
That my self confidence can be measured in teaspoons and because of that, I will never give up.
That talking to someone, who is just listening and not waiting for their turn to talk, is made of gold to me.
That I don't think I can change the world yet, because I don't know that much about it.
That secrets both create and destroy people.
That I don't tend to like the boy next door, I like the nerd down the street.
That being a shoulder for people is tough, but helping them recover is the best reward.
That direct eye contact is something I crave.
That being an adult is a learning process.
That 19 feels a whole lot like 9.
That I need to cook and be happy.
That I am a good friend.
That Ma and Daddy said there would be days like this.
That if I follow my feet I will end up somewhere.
That these are not the last words I will type, but just the last words to this chapter in my grand adventure.
That the universe gets pretty dicey at times, to the point where everything is going wrong,
But reminding myself that those dicey days will never hold a candle to the wonders of this life, makes growing up much more bearable.

The Wisdom To Be Wise.

So today was my 19th birthday.
I literally had the Best. Day. Ever.

Surprise delivery of pretty flowers from Ma and Daddy!

Three pieces of seafood terrine, a roasted beet with apple and horseradish cream & red vinaigrette,
A lobster madallion, Potato & parsley dip & parsnip crisp.

I've been in such a good mood all day.
And Chef Averbeck loved our demo plate!
And he found out that it was my birthday and had the entire class sing to me.
I was so embarrassed, but I can't express how honestly happy it made me.
It felt like people (outside of family) honestly cared that it was my birthday today.
I haven't ever really felt like that before.
I felt very loved today.
I can't imagine how my day could possibly get better.
I hope your day was just as good as mine.
<3

C'est La Vie

So it's my birthday weekend.
Today was so beautiful out, I couldn't help but be happy.
I received a really beautiful birthday card from my grandmother, so that made my day even better.

No, I don't have any plans for this weekend.
Which I'm not all that bent out of shape about.
I mean, it's just a birthday.
If I'm lucky, I'll have many more.
Nineteen is a stupid age anyway.
It's not like twenty-one, where you are allowed to drink and gamble legally.
Not that age has stopped me before, but you get the general idea.

It would be nice to spend the weekend with someone.
But it's not going to happen because the weekend it already half completed.
So there is no use talking about it anymore.

It's fine.
That's life.

For One So Small, You Seem So Strong.

So Daddy came on Saturday to pick up a majority of my stuff.
I have the bare minimum in my room right now and it causes the room to look gigantic.
Everything has been going fine in class.
And I'm still tired as always.
I miss home, but I know I'll be there soon.
Just two more weeks.
It doesn't seem so far anymore.