Summer Plans:

So it’s almost here. Or it is here depending on when you feel it has arrived. Of course, summer comes early in South Texas because it’s about 100 degrees outside. So far I’ve purchased quite a few books, a hula hoop, and a half-pint of Blue Bell peaches and vanilla ice cream. I think these are my official purchases of summer. I have also gone on several long bike rides. In fact, I took my other Schwinn in for fixin’ up because it’s much lighter than Blue Betty. I’m excited to show off Big Red this summer! I have also been dancing and to a poetry slam with my fun friend Cat and we have plans to have a really exciting time while she is off from school.

Speaking of school, I may enroll in a writing course at Gemini Ink. With keeping up a blog, jotting in my journal, and making a zine, I feel like I have finally gained the confidence to participate. I did a creative writing course twice before and it was always so helpful but also scary to share at the end of each class. I think this entire summer will be about doing more creative things, building photo portfolios, and putting myself out there with the things I make. I even have a friend who is willing to let me practice portrait work on her. I’m excited. This summer will be about confidence building.

I also want to be a better big sister. I want her to do things that I didn’t take the opportunity to do when I was in high school. I feel like it’s the reason why I struggled with things so badly after graduation. I don’t think any of the schools I went to were my dream schools. And as well as my job is working out for me, I do wish I was doing something a little different. I was actually thinking this morning how thankful I am that my parents sent me to camp and on planes to Chicago by myself when I was young. I feel like it helped boost an independent spirit in me. I just wish I would have kept it up into high school. I wish I would have participated more and looked in the mirror and realized I was beautiful. It was such an awkward state of life but it was also fleeting. I shouldn’t have wasted that time. But instead of looking into the past, I have to be inspiring to others, especially to my younger sister.

There’s lots of good summer activities. Concerts, festivals, movie nights. I want to do lots of things. I want to go to Austin & Houston and ride my bike around those cities. And I want to go tubing down the Guadalupe River. I want to prepare for September also. I won’t be living with a housemate come then but I won’t be going back home either. I could travel for a little bit with all that I’ve saved up or get a small apartment for myself or even move out of the state. Everything is so up in the air when you don’t have anything to tie you down. I should feel blessed about that instead of being worried about what comes next.

Summer plans aren’t always about the things you have to do but the kind of person you have to become. I know I’ll sweat a lot down here in ol’ San Antone. Let’s just hope I sweat out some of the bad stuff that weighs me down as a person.

P.S. I pretty stoked about TCM’s Drive-In Double Features!