winter is still here

The past month.

Writing, constantly and obsessively. Pages and pages and pages. No fewer than three separate word documents on my screen at one point. Five research essays each week; memoir 15 page increments; and dreaded poetry. I like to think all of this writing is helping me and that I'll grow from it, but most days I just feel like I go to my computer and write to get the required pages out. Most days are starting to blend together to feel like 'eh' writing days.

Snow, predictably inconsistent and exhausting. One morning, it wakes me up gently, coaxing me outside with its elegant fluffy layers, and the next it's all been replaced by swaths of ice and slush. I hate the slush and ice days more than anything. On mornings when my walk to school feels like living in Narnia, I feel light. But those February ice days, man. They're getting to me.

Friends, uplifting and necessary. Pains in the ass some days. Important, always.

Crocheting, because for every moment of chaos and panic, there is always something tangible I can create and hold with my hands when I'm done. That is everything when it feels like everything else is swimming.

Homework in bed when there isn't time to cuddle and watch movies. Reading when I've finished my homework and he hasn't, curled up on my own side facing the window in my room where you can see a hint of the Bitterroots. Back tickles between page turns.


Head and the Heart. John Butler Trio. Lorde. Lake Street Dive.

So, so ready for a new month. February, as I've decided, has been the best of the best and the worst of the worst in terms of everything.

red velvet was calling my name

Prepare yourself for a post mostly about nothing.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester, I have eight glorious hours of classes in a row without a break. There's nothing better than eight hours of class without more than a 10 minute break, all in the exact same building, so that most days I don't even have to smell the fresh Montana air. This morning, my first class was cancelled because my fancy professor is speaking at Stanford. I would be impressed but this is also the same professor who left her students for the safety of her office during the lock down last week, so. She blew it there. With an extra two hours this morning to spare, I decided to go to the grocery store to buy coffee creamer since I've been out for a week instead of buying espresso, and picked up Red Velvet muffins without a second thought because, duh, it's Valentine's week, right? I am happy to report that within six hours of purchasing them, one whole muffin and two muffin tops are gone. 

I decided to do laundry and while in the laundry room, a very attractive man entered and to my surprise, recognized me before I recognized him. How often does a hot guy recognize you from sharing a class together before you realize you know them? Never, if you're me. We chatted and he was every sort of adorable and I tried to peek around him to see if he was a boxers or a brief (forget shoes, this says everything about a man). After he left, I loaded my washer and realized I left my soap at home but Hot Guy From Non-Fiction left his laundry detergent sitting on the washer. Thanks, dude. 

As we get further into the spring semester, I just get happier and happier that I'm not graduating yet. I will be the proudest super senior in school. 

I've turned memoir writing into an excuse to just eat grilled cheese for nearly every meal and I'm okay with my future if that's what being a writer looks like. I mean, chin acne has never been worse and I've never been more motivated to go to the gym as a means of procrastination but all in all, it evens out.

I have plans for Valentine's Day this year and they involve a concert and I'm not even mad about how corny this holiday is going to be.

you've got something I need

Things that deserve a round of applause include: fresh snow after a March feeling January (because there's nothing like winter that looks AND feels like winter), new music, The Fault in Our Stars trailer (if I'm feeling these many emotions for a trailer I can't imagine how the movie will go), leather jackets with cat printed sweater dresses, and blog posts that make you remember why you love writing and blogging (KUDOS TO YOU, pretty girl.)

Things have hit a more positive note for me this week. I spent an entire day by myself at a coffee shop on Saturday catching up on a week's worth of homework I didn't do and it reminded me of how important it is to continually 'date myself'. I'm one of my favorite people to hang out with and sometimes in the throes of stress and drama, I forget that the simplest way to escape it is to physically isolate myself. A solid day of me, my cup of joe, my writing, my journals, and a stack of homework. There was nothing better.

Also, if that doesn't work, there's lipstick and night clubs.

Here's to more BLOGGING and hopefully more cat printed everything. There is never enough.

my wretched self

This week was pretty crappy.

I let the wretched parts of myself dictate my mood and how I reacted to things that were happening.

I debated dropping my creative writing non-fiction class because I thought after the first class it sounded "dumb". I am a lot of things but being a coward is not one of them. This creative writing class is going to force me in directions I've never considered let alone attempted. I am going to have to produce a 'manuscript' by the end of the semester that our professor says he wants us to write with the intention of someday pursing getting published. Maybe I was just intimidated. Maybe I thought he was bonkers. It's possible I thought for a second I knew better than my professor and felt falsely arrogant.

I also yelled at my boyfriend; mark that as a first. It was stupid and happened due to the result of a misunderstanding that I jumped on in a moment of my feeling insecure. Oops. Thankfully, the next day we talked it out and I realized how awesome it was that as silly as a fight that it was, it's sort of a blessing to be a little bit messy. It's healthy. I am not perfect. I've never fought with a boyfriend and in the heat of the moment, I never for a second thought it was going to lead to a break up or make him hate me. It showed me that in a good relationship, disagreements do happen and I don't have to be so afraid of messing up. We're human. Mishaps happen! And it's beautiful.

I let myself become all consumed by the negative things happening to everyone else, too. Which isn't to say that I shouldn't have empathy for the people in my life because a good friend absolutely should. But I let the problems people in my life were experiencing leak into other faucets of my own, too. I took out frustrations other people were going through onto other friends and family.

These are things that I didn't want to write about during the week on my blog because I don't want to be a complainer. That's part of why this week sucked. Usually I'm a wizard at looking at the bright side and choosing to be positive. I hate complainers. I found myself complaining and coming back to the same frustrations over and over again. I was less than myself. But maybe that's what my problem was, too. I was trying to shut out all negative things I was feeling when maybe I should have just come to terms with them instead of trying to force rainbows and sunshine. Maybe I shouldn't demean my emotions so forcefully. Once I stepped back and gained some perspective, I understood the motives behind my actions and there was some justification to them despite the petty ways that I reacted.

I am going to vow to listen to myself a little bit better instead of shrugging things off. I am going to vow to let myself be messier. I am going to vow to let myself feel what I feel, good or bad, because you can't move past something until you address it.

it was a good hair day

My life this week has been a bit scattered and everywhere this week.

For starters, I spent four days in Missoula "homeless" since I got a ride and forgot my car keys in Idaho. It was a convenient time to forget my apartment keys seeing as our bills were already a few days late and my boyfriend's parents were in town. Thank goodness for friends with empty apartments and boyfriend's with their keys.

I signed TWO contracts with brides this week to take their wedding photos this summer and I could not be more exhilarated. The spontaneous purchase of my new camera over Black Friday that cost my entire savings has, well, already been paid for over again. So. That's great news. Major financial weight lifted off my shoulders knowing I can afford rent for the next few months again.

I've reevaluated everything about myself and about the world after being sucked into 8 hour marathons of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. I've never sworn to be above much seeing as Taylor Swift is the most played artist on my iTunes and I own every season of Gossip Girl but I would be lying if I said I didn't think I was above reality TV. Well. I was completely wrong. I am not above it. If I could be Khloe for even a day....

I miss Missoula. I miss these mountains. I miss my bridge. I miss my friends. I feel genuinely lucky that Missoula is the place I'd rather be.

My sister is back in Virginia so once again I'm the "only" child at home again. I'm headed back to Missoula once again for the long haul this week and I just can't deal with 6 week long winter breaks anymore.

My mantra for the rest of the month is, "Maggie you NEED a job this semester."

I miss blogging.

My hair looked really good this day. I'm not sure this is a return to "outfit posting" at all. In fact, I'm positive it isn't because I suck at it, but when you have a good hair day.... you should ask your friend to take pictures of you and immediately post those photos to your blog? Guess so.

blue skies have arrived

A full day spent in my bed watching TV. All. Day. Long. At least eight hours of television/movie watching in one sitting. Mulan, American Horror Story, and America's Next Top Model. 

Captain Crunch for breakfast, an appetizer before dinner, and dessert. Grilled cheese. 

Coffee at three in the morning. Russian Rummy, speed, and hearts. A bottle of wine for one. Leather jackets and beanies. Crocheting hats in front of the TV. A group of the best friends sitting spread eagle on my living room floor. Cards against humanity. Driving home at two in the morning. The Conjuring. 

"I like you a lot. And I like making out with you a lot."

Crashing a 20-monthaversary dinner with iHop cheesecake pancakes, finishing two whole pots of coffee between two people, a Target excursion that included picking out a cardigan for someone else's boyfriend, and a girl movie date to About Time. Actual tears. Ginger love. Babies. Ben Folds. 

Finishing an entire book in one evening, Me Before You. So, so good.

Waking up alone in an empty apartment with sun seeping through the blinds. A 30 minute call from Dad. 

A run on the mountain through breaking fog escaping the valley. Dance running to Lorde down the trail. Remembering Norah and the Whale. Realizing the blue skies have arrived. 

PLL, HH, and trumpeters

It has been quite the week.

Midterms. What is with this last round of midterms? I actually pulled of straight A's on every single one of them? I mean, I know. English major. It's supposed to be easy. But it absolutely wasn't. I was trying to explain to my roommate how my english classes ranked amongst my old biology classes and the difficulties in each. Being a biology major, I felt tested every waking moment of my life to cram as much stuff in my head as possible. Being an english major, I feel tested to think deeply about material that's given and push outside of myself to interpret history and language. The material itself feels easier but the thinking aspect of it is completely different. However, I did well. Very well. And the best feeling I've felt in my college career so far was getting back every paper and midterm knowing that this is something I'm good at that I also love.

The new Head and The Heart album was actually, finally released. It's beautiful and unexpected and my best friend put into words better than I can what it means to have another new album of their music to assign life occurrences to.

I chose midterm week to start watching Pretty Little Liars. I almost cancelled a date this week to watch it. Almost.

Missoula got an ULTA. Which is a beautiful, beautiful thing. I may have gone twice opening weekend just because I got a coupon for starting a rewards card and running out of both eyeliner and mascara this week. 

I made a fool out of myself at the UPS store. More on that later.

I learned that trumpeters make good kissers. Maybe more on that..... way later.

I realized more and more that if I had gotten a job this semester, I would have been a much less happier person. Here's the thing: I should have a job, but I don't need one because of photography and Internship stipends and scholarships. I sat in my advisor's chair this week and she said, "Well, you only have 18 credits you need to complete next semester. That'll be easy for you since you're in over 20 now!" To which I replied, huh????? And then realized, oh yeah. I'm taking 22 credits and had to get that overwritten last year. That is why it feels like life hasn't slowed down in almost 6 weeks.

I counted down the days to TODAY because today I get to fly across the country to see my little baby sister in her dorm room and meet her friends and see the life she's created for herself. I am more excited for this than I have been for any Christmas morning. 

I really hate the first week of classes

This morning I woke up forty minutes before class, popped an english muffin in the toaster, and promptly raced to the bathroom to you know, put on my face and such. Looking in the mirror, I saw my pores in the reflection and to my utter surprise, gasp! No zits? No red spots? Nothing to cover up!? I couldn't actually remember the last time that happened!

So of course it's now bedtime and to my utter horror, I just felt a zit. Making its appearance within 12 hours of feeling really proud of my skin. But, you know, worrying about that stuff is so middle school because my self esteem is so much greater and I have seen the big picture of things meaning zits are small potatoes to college. TMI? Okay, moving on.

Anyways, tomorrow is Thursday and at long last, the first days of classes are coming to an end. I know the first week of classes is supposed to be like, the best of the year or whatever because there's no homework, but I despise the first week of classes. Give me my homework! Give me a busy schedule! Give me structure, my Lord! I need things to do to keep my mind from going completely bonkers and I just can't enjoy a night with my book if it doesn't feel like I did anything productive that day. I had to buy eight books for ONE class and I'm taking both American Lit classes at one time. Oh, and I am taking 21 credits this fall. On the other hand, my creative nonfiction writing class is going to be the bombest and in my spanish class, I sit by the cutest creature to ever hit a spanish class. 

I'm trying to find a job and I'm hoping the job Gods are kind to me. The Internship Gods blessed me this summer so now I'm busting my butt to revamp my resume with all of my newly acquired skills and knocking on everyone's doors hoping to get hired anywhere that isn't the school cafeteria. 

I may be back in the blogging scheme of things but that doesn't mean I've dragged my camera around with me anywhere, yet. In fact, all I have are measly iPhone photos and everyone has seen those already in the Instagram sphere so, whoops.

Maybe tomorrow, maybe tomorrow. 

The last notable thing I have to mention is that Taylor Swift is this weekend and you bet your bottom dollar I'm going. How could I miss it? And I've truly outdone myself this year in terms of costumes. But just for old times sake, let's refresh our minds with that time she called us out in her concert for our awesome sign. Yeah. 

three months ago, i had never lived in seattle before

Today I rode the ferry for the 7th to last time. Today I fell asleep on said ferry and woke myself up choking on my own drool for the 2nd day in a row. 

Today I smiled when my favorite coffee barista at Starbucks wrote my name on my cup with three exclamation points and a, "I love your glasses!" Ignoring the fact that this is Seattle and everyone has big glasses here. Big hair in Texas? Big glasses in Seattle.

Today I sent in my resume to a new internship that I'm excited about. In Montana.

Today I leave for a weekend trip to Idaho where I will see my sister for the last time for four months before she goes to college on the opposite coast. 

Today I got a card in the mail from Amy that said, "Live your life the way you dream it." I'm all about the corny. How does she know that's how life has felt for three months now?

Today I trained the new "me". The new intern who will take over my job when I leave. 

I leave in seven days. I'm ready for the future this summer has created for me but I'm also absolutely not. 

Three months ago, I had never lived in Seattle before. Me without Seattle doesn't even seem real anymore.

mondays in seattle

After a SERIOUS case of the Mondays this morning, it wasn't even barely half bad the second I left the house. The universe was like, here, Maggie, I know it's a Monday after a glorious three day weekend but the world out there isn't so bad outside the house you're living in on Bainbridge Island!

It started with my favorite British man I've ever met (I say met only because I haven't met One Direction YET) who, upon taking two steps into the bus and swiping my pass said, "My, is that a cup of tea or coffee in your awesome mug?" It's not just the British accent- he also has a four year old son he takes to Preschool every morning that, rain or shine, wears a full rain body suit zip-up-the-front and everything style. I replied, "Coffee." He moaned and said, "You know, tea with jam and sugar is even better." Maybe it was the accent. But seriously, his child is adorable.

Then at lunch, my intern friends tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Come on! We're going to the public library!" The public library? Turns out every first and third Monday of the month, a librarian reads stories for thirty minutes during lunch. The seven of us walked in among a bunch of the cutest elderly crowd I would definitely sit around with for tea, with jam and sugar. The librarian on board for the reading today read a science fiction thriller story and it was like listening to the best audiobook you've ever listened to. Different voices for every character with their own body language and gestures. It was superb. Never mind that I was sadly reminded I won't be here for the third Monday this month.

I only had to do data entry and donor research all day so that means... Netflix on my phone all day long while also working! ...It's okay, I promise. My boss encourages it. 

Computer problems that meant a 4:40pm ferry ride home and taking off my pants the second I walked in the door and spending all evening reading on the porch. Is Bainbridge Island the life, or is it the life?

So, maybe it just was an average day. But an average day is still a five star Monday. But, seriously, the Public library here? Nothing like it. Another thing to love about Seattle.

I just thought you should know

The flea situation is slightly in control. Except I found one in my bed once again and I'm washing my sheets for the third time in a week.

Every day could actually be your last. I won't expand on this but it was a traumatizing enough experience I thought I should mention that you just never know. Do your thing, guys. Seize the day! Don't cross a scary street in the woods without sprinting across it!

I've become obsessed with watching beauty videos on my 30 minute ferry ride every morning. Essiebutton is my favorite? I almost want to learn to apply makeup to my face and become a beauty blogger to share what I know until I realize I could never. Also, she met her boyfriend on the Internet and moved to England to be with him. That isn't related to anything beauty related except that they fell in love before they knew what the other looked like and that's beautiful to me. 

I only took three pictures of my vacation so I promise I'm not really holding out on a huge, "I went to Idaho and here are my vacation pictures!" post because I'm not. 

I bought myself a maxi dress for my birthday present to myself. You know a clothing item is a good purchase when you buy it, tell the employee you're going to go put it on in the changing room, and then do so and wear it to dinner.

Oh yeah, birthday shenanigans. Guess who has tickets to One Direction (big birthday present to myself) for next week and who has four awesome amazing friends coming to visit her to make the last awful week of her life insignificant?*

I include this picture below because a) cloudly overcast days in Seattle are my favorite and also I miss this coffee shop that I need to go back to b) this dress was taken over by a family of fleas and I'm pretty upset about it. 

*I'm sorry this blog post is so worthless, I just got sucked into the, "I haven't blogged in 4 days!" conundrum  It won't happen again.

i believe in...

i believe in...

• blasting the music in your car as loudly as possible and singing even louder, but especially when taylor swift does it again and releases a song that you have replayed 783 times on your ipod three days after its release. really, guys, i don't know how she always manages to figure out what i need to hear. HOW DOES SHE READ MY MIND? excuse me while i live with my ipod in my ears for the next month straight and avoid all social interactions while i pretend taylor swift really is my therapist (i'm just kidding)(...kind of).
• the power of just putting a smile on your face even if you're not feeling it.
• coffee in the morning.
• when you love something, wear it three days in a row and forget that you can't seem to put anything else on your feet except a really awesome pair of heels that are more comfortable than every pair of flats you own.
• the scent of a really good men's deodorant. forget cologne, good deodorant is dreamy (no, i don't have a boyfriend, i just happen to be able to smell the lingering scent of my co-worker's deodorant in the lab all the time...).
• new underwear making you feel like an entirely new person. 
• the benefit of the doubt, even when it isn't earned nor deserved. i'm learning that just letting go of negative thoughts and choosing not to dwell gets you so much farther.
• taking portraits is the best way to get to know someone. would it be too weird to ask every future prospect if i can take his picture pre-date? yeah, probably.
• ignoring your incredibly messy bedroom post moving into my new apartment and watching five episodes of gossip girl instead (no, this is actually a terrible idea).
• accepting what is.

top & shoes: Ruche // skirt: Francesca's Collections

let's just pretend...

...that i didn't ruin my hat on vacation by getting it completely soaked and then sitting on it the entire duration of the drive home.

...my shirt isn't wrinkled because i only do laundry once every i've-worn-every-pair-of-underwear-i-have cycle. 

...i didn't spend an hour curling my hair for it to turn out flat and dead.

...the tan i managed to get after camping for six days isn't already nearly gone and i'm a bronzed goddess.

saturdays are and always have been my favorite day of the week. unless i have an enormous pile of homework to do, saturdays are my days that i spend doing absolutely nothing that should get done. that includes showering and getting too dressed up. yesterday, i opted for 'simple' and honestly, i think i need to channel my inner saturday more frequently. i usually end up grabbing what's at the top of my drawers or closest to my bed on the floor. saturdays are comfy days. loose skirts, loose tees, and easy breezy. i didn't plan on taking photos yesterday, but ended up doing so knowing my top priority right now is to take pictures of other people instead of myself and hardly have the time to keep up with my own outfit posting (speaking of which, i have a "website" so that potential cliental can see what i've done here )(i'm ridiculously excited to shoot a wedding).

my birthday is in two days and i have a little surprise for you guys. don't ask me why, but whenever something cool happens, i always feel a little guilty stealing all the fun for myself (if i could share my birthday cake with you all, i would, hands down) so i have something arranged for the day! come back on tuesday!

p.s. have i mentioned lately that i'm having the best summer? i am.
p.p.s. thank you SOPHIE for taking my photos.
p.p.p.s. thank you JASMINE for this amazing skirt. favorite to date.

skirt: thrifted // shirt: the gap // wedges: urban outfitters // 

belt: francesca's collections // necklace: modcloth

developed *recent* obsessions

• waking up early. THIS IS TRUE. i've been waking up between 6-7:30am every single morning but that's not the best part. the best part is that it's been done without an alarm and i just wake up when my brain decides to wake up (or when my mom decides to go running and walk through the house like a t-rex). 
• watching Gilmore Girls every single morning before work. this is done by recording every episode on my DVR, starting after I've had my breakfast/shower/quiet reading time, and skipping through the commercials. 
• nail polish. i wasn't a nail polish girl, but boy, am i ever now. the glitter and mint are my favorites and most used, but i somehow manage to convince myself every single time i'm in rite aid or walgreens that 'i just need one new color, it's only $8 and i haven't spent much money this summer...' even though i really don't have money to spend on expensive nail polish and i don't need a new color (but my birthday IS coming up and nail polish is about all that's on my list...).
• this american life podcasts. i recently realized how unhealthy it was to sit and listen to music while dissecting invertebrates because it's way too much 'me' time and way too much time to think. i tend to think in circles and circles until i've twisted my brain into confusing knots. podcasts have fixed that.
• tops. i realized the other day that i haven't bought a dress all summer except the ones i've thrifted. everything on my clothing wish-lists for back to school shopping are tops. i guess i'm in a 'separates' phase.
• blind pilot. i've always 'loved' blind pilot, but my obsession is recent. it seems as though i can make every single song relate to life at the moment. 
• portraiture. i'm completely infatuated with the feeling of taking pictures of someone i haven't taken pictures of before and figuring out their best angles and the most flattering light. it's a little bit like a puzzle and when i'm absorbed, i'm not thinking about anything else. it's a pretty addicting spell. i took engagements this week and the couple's friend tagged along. while regrouping, i looked over at her and just asked if i could take some shots of her. i told her to sit down in the grass and in one shot, i was completely enamored with her. i think i took my favorite portrait to date and i asked her if she'd want to go out another day for fun. some people just have that thing about them in front of a camera.

did you know?

...that john mayer lived in montana for the past two years? approximately two hours from where i have lived for the past four semesters of college!? um. what. if i had known this, i would have spent my weekends driving on every dirt road in montana peeking through the windows of various enormous ranches until i found him.

...the duck penis is an entire 16 inches long and is cork-screw shaped. seriously. and basically, every female duck is raped during reproduction which is why the male reproductive organ is so long.

...finding a place to live and the entire "apartment/housing application process" is ridiculously frustrating. the rejection you face when you didn't get the house or the apartment that you'd already meticulously planned where your future goodwill-ed furniture would go is worse than being rejected by any guy.

...the worst way to go into a test is knowing that you have a three day weekend ahead. i'm going to be antsy the entire 75 minutes. oh, and it's also made studying nearly impossible and the ten hours i've clocked feel like the most unproductive hours of studying i've ever spent.

...cash from mom to buy dinner when you're going to be in pullman from 7am to 9pm is kind of the best part about being home. i miss those crisp bills but receiving them on the rare occasion these days makes them all the more meaningful and enjoyable. yeah, i'm happy to be one of those college kids that doesn't get fed money on the weekly while i'm gone.

...making new friends feels like freshmen year, but it's kind of the most rewarding experience around when you make a friend that just clicks. especially when they also work in your lab and you spend 30+ hours a week between class and work together. fate, kids!

have a swell  friday.

true or false

• i spent the weekend mostly in my sports bra and only showered once.
• i spent the weekend mostly being social including one sleepover and one day spent taking pictures.
• i spent the weekend mostly drinking coffee in copious amounts.
• i spent the weekend mostly shopping online and trying to find a one piece swimsuit.
• i spent the weekend mostly annoyed with my sister who is far more stressed about high school than i am about college.
• i spent the weekend mostly trying to push my statistics mediocre final grade out of my mind and my sad gpa because of it.
• i spent the weekend mostly hating my bangs.
• i spent the weekend mostly skyping my friends from school who have cats. 
• i spent the weekend mostly worrying about things ending someday the way they did for her.
• i spent the weekend mostly avoiding my blog and being jealous of my really photogenic friend.
• i spent the weekend mostly listening to my old burned cd's from 8th grade. vanessa carlton for the win.
• i spent the weekend mostly wishing i knew where i was going to live next year and whether i'd have a vehicle to get me there and to school and back.
• i spent the weekend mostly doing my homework and studying for my next summer school exam.

*only one is false. 

how to be happy on a wednesday morning

• set your alarm for 7am the night before, but don't actually get out of bed until 7:45am. 
• immediately put on your running gear (but do so slowly and make sure you are wearing your most fluorescent colors) and make a workout playlist with your favorite songs of the moment you can't stop listening to (it'll make you so excited to push play).
• ask your mother politely to leave a fresh pot of coffee for you for when you get back.
• run run run!!!! you'll feel so good after three morning runs in a row. and there's nothing better than a crisp morning in the spring. make sure to do your ab workouts at the top of the hill, even if you're huffing and puffing to the point that you want to puke (again). hey, at least you get to lay down for ab workouts, right?!
• come home and go with your dad to get gas because you tend to leave that for the very last second (12.783 galloons in a ~12 gallon tank? it was close, guys).
• realize when all the cheerios are gone and you got up early to go running, you deserve a little bit of a splurge and go for making yourself pancakes. trust me, it's way easier and way more fun to make pancakes for one than an entire family.
• seeing your baby sister who really isn't your "baby sister" anymore who just got her braces off before she goes to school. it feels like you never really get older, but your siblings change before your eyes. how is it that she'll be 18 in a matter of months!?
• even though it's only been six days since your last final and you have your first exam of summer school, you pretty much studied way more than you normally would have and actually made flash cards and did them so you know it's going to be a five star day in the end.

things i learned today

being too ambitious when you haven't worked out in two weeks and it's already 75 degrees at 9:30am and you are already dehydrated equals a terrible run and nearly passing out on the side of the road after making it up the terrible awful hill. yes, that happened. the kind old man who was doing yard work hurried over to me when i nearly collapsed on the curb and asked if i was alright. and then proceeded to ask if i needed water. do old people apply to the 'don't talk to strangers' rule? i said no, after considering what would happen if he took me inside and chopped me up with his steak knives or shot me with his Idahoan gun, and once i regained normal eye sight and could breathe regularly again, walked the rest of the way home.

it's not a good idea to forget to brush your teeth and also make yourself late to class so that by the time you make it, you smell like you just played in a soccer game and your breath smells like coffee. oops. i guess it worked, though, because not only did i get my new friend's name, but her phone number as well! huzzah! (making new friends in a forced manner way makes me feel like a freshmen again)(...i don't like it now any more than i did then). also, choosing the girl with the Vet Club tshirt on is always a safe bet. animal people are always safe.

i thought my parents were embarrassing in high school when they would pick me up in front of the school, but today i saw a mother actually get out of her car and stand a foot away from the school entrance doors to wait for her high school student to come outside. oh lord. let's never be that parent. however, being walked to my first summer class by my dad in college felt okay (better than okay! it was a blast!), so maybe it's just high school that's bad? yes.

it's always a bad idea to listen to your all time favorite songs when you are going through a rough time or really unhappy because you'll listen to them a year later on the radio and be reminded of it. again, again, and again as the chorus is played.

running into people you went to high school with but were never really friends with but still obviously recognize and know never gets better. it just gets more weird the older we get.

don't wear your new jcrew button down to class no matter if you're trying to appear nice and approachable through clothing because it will just happen to be the day it reaches above 80 degrees for the first time and you'll sweat all the way home through that new shirt. it's unfortunate.

*clearly, if these are the extent of my problems, i'm doing okay and don't have much to worry about.
** still, viable lessons, kiddos.

first day of summer

a perfect first summer day

1. woke up at 10am, mom served me coffee in bed, finished the

new episode of grey's anatomy (OH MY GOODNESS!),

and read some blogs.

2. drove (!!!) to pullman, met my dad who walked me

to my first biology class (so glad i go to a teensy

tiny campus that's completely flat), went to class, tried

to make new friends, knew everything in lecture already,

and WSU uses the same clickers we do (score!).

3. came home to a letter in the mail and 

my new splurged anthropologie headband! aye aye!

4. lunch with my momma downtown. 

5. went on an adventure with my best friend.

there's nothing prettier than the rolling hills

in the spring. walked to the top of one. 

loved every second.

blasted josh ritter in the car.

i'm home!

which means, back to regular blogging.

YES!

last friday night

... asking if "zac brown" lives here. like the band? no, his name was zach brown.

...meeting the cute kid who makes my coffee four times a week like a champ and recited my order to me. 

...adding him on facebook when i got home.

...realizing we didn't take one picture of the night.

...being the weird people that were casually invited but coming anyways and being the 'randoms'. 

..."is it legal to flurry with guts? oploid. tried to get free coffee." i really hate autocorrect.

...dancing to lady gaga because that's better than dubstep. any day.

...figuring out that i can fit my keys, phone, and cash in my boots for optimal dancing.

... last night out in missoula for the win. kind of. sometimes you have to make the best of a dud kind of night.