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Shake dreams from your hair my pretty child, my sweet one.

Made cottage/shepherds pie for the first time!
I made it with onions, peas, and corn! I think the best part was cooking the onions in sugar and cinamon…I didn’t think it’d do anything and I was just kinda experimenting…but holy hell it tastes AMAZING. Super easy dinner, and it tastes amazing. I love cooking so much. it makes me feel so fulfilled and happy. I love seeing everyone quietly devouring their food. Silence is the best compliment when it comes to your food (hehe).

A trackable Geocoin found in West Bay
I’m so excited about finding this. It’s a trackable geocoin, and online you can track where it is and where it’s been. I’m going to take it with me to Orlando and find a new cache to hide it in.

I don’t normally like to just reblog stuff, but this look sick. I want this on my wall!

A log from a geocache that Kevin and I found.

My boyfriend and I planned for a week or so to try geocaching. If you don’t know what that is, it’s basically a world-wide treasure hunt. People hide boxes (called ‘caches’) and put coordinates on the internet for others to find. It was even more fun than I had thought it would be. I loved traveling to random places that I would normally never go to. You turn down a road, following the gps, and before you know it you’re at a park or creek that you never even knew existed! It gives you a reason to explore places that you would otherwise have no reason to explore. I definitely want to do it more, if possible. I’d even like to get a real gps, but they’re a bit expensive, so I’ll hold out on that one…
Overall, it was a good day. I love doing new things! Hello, new hobby :)

Photo and editing were done by myself.
I like things to look distorted and blurred - I don’t know why, I just do. I’m much more satisfied with this picture now that it’s much less distinguishable.

My roommate and I watching a show at Sea World
On my last day in San Diego, I got to meet my future roommate! She took a train down, and we picked her up on the way to Sea World. We just spent the day talking and seeing the different attractions. I loved getting to see the Shamu show. We sat right up in the very front seat in the middle of the stadium. I’m so jealous of those people who get to be a part of the show and work with the Sea World animals. That would make my life to get to work with the animals every day. I doubt you’d ever get tired of that job. Anyhow, by the end of the day, we had both been completely soaked by the rides and, of course, Shamu. I guess that’s what happens when you sit in the ‘Splash Zone.’
After we got back from Sea World, we had a nice relaxing time and ate dinner at the house. My uncle made some delicious Tri-Tips on the grill; and, after dinner, we sat around playing catchphrase until Shannon (my roommate) had to leave.
It was a really nice time, and it took a huge load off my shoulders. It’s a lot less stressful to at least have met the person that you’ll be living with for the next year. I think I can see us getting along fine in our dorm, which is one stress gone. Now I can just look forward to college and get ready to go. I’m more excited than ever now!

Costumed dancers leading the Little Mermaid float. I think they fit the underwater theme perfectly with that flowing fabric :)

(Pictured above: My family and I standing in line for Splash Mountain at Disneyland)
The past few days have been so hectic and fun. I’ve been pretty side-tracked while enjoying myself, so I haven’t updated in a few days. Besides, I’m still sore from all this activity…
Wednesday, we all went to Coronado Bay to take Stand-Up Paddleboard lessons. I was a little apprehensive at first, because I’m not really known for being especially well-balanced; but it actually went really well! I love kayaking and canoeing, so I really enjoyed it. I started a little wobbly in the beginning, but once I found my balance I was having a lot of fun. The best view on the water really is when you’re actually in it. We paddled around the bay, and into the little marina, passing multi-million dollar yachts and people standing on their docks, waving at us. I somehow managed to not fall in once, but it was so hot that I ended up just jumping in on purpose at one point. I was hesitant about the cold water in CA at first, but it’s really growing on me. I just hop right in without hesitation now! Overall, it was a lot of fun. I wouldn’t mind doing it more in the future, or at least kayaking occasionally in San Luis Obispo. Maybe I’ll give ocean kayaking a shot, because I don’t think there are as many rivers near there as there are in Florida. Regardless, I want to stay more active, and water sports are probably the only ones I can actually handle. Well, kinda. I’m still sore from the paddleboarding, actually…but that hasn’t stopped us from anything!
The next day, we all got up really early and drove to Anaheim, CA to go to Disneyland and California Adventures! I haven’t been since I was in 8th grade, and I was so excited to get there. This was the first year that I actually planned on riding the ‘fun’ rides. I actually didn’t even ride my first rollercoaster until New Years at Universal in Orlando. I don’t know how I got talked in to riding The Hulk, but that was one of my first real ‘coasters - loops and everything. Anyhow, after I got the initial scare over with, I found out that I actually enjoy them, so Disney was a lot more fun this time. Not that I don’t treasure the memory of my first time. I love the atmosphere of theme parks, so even without riding the rides, I have a blast. I love the corny tunes, costumed characters, smell of churros and popcorn, and the sound of people having fun and making memories for themselves. My brother always makes fun of me for going to amusement parks for ‘atmosphere,’ but it really is the best part! We rode just about everything (My 80-year-old grandma even rode the Tower of Terror…). My favorite, though, was the new Little Mermaid ride <3 That was one of my very favorites when I was little. It was really cheesy and didn’t do much, but I got all choked up. They had the animatronic mermaid sing songs from the movie and everything! Overall, it was one of the best days in a while!
I’m still pretty beat from those two days, so after that I’ve just relaxed as much as possible. Spent a lot of time at the beach, and watched movies with my family. We’ve watched a lot of The IT Crowd, which they got me into when I came here. it’s so funny. I love British humor! Aside from that, there’s been a lot of board game playing as well. Catch-Phrase has become an almost nightly ritual with us, which I am really happy about, because no one ever plays board games or party games with me! I literally would rather play board games than do almost anything. Nothing beats nice, clean fun, in my opinion.
All in all, I’ve been really enjoying my time here, and I can’t believe it’s almost over. It’s really sad. My sister went back to Jacksonville today, and on Wednesday I’ll be going back too. Time has flown way too fast. I at least still have my SeaWorld trip to look forward to! I’m meeting my roommate for the first time on Tuesday, and we’re going to spend the day with the fishies and whales! I leave the day after, though, which is quite depressing. At least I’m coming back to California in September (not that it won’t be bittersweet to move away).
I guess everything has to come to an end, but I had fun and life is still good and getting better.

Spent 4th of July in Encinitas, on Moonlight Beach, with my family. Finally got a new camera, so I can add more of my own photos to this and document my life a little better.
The scenery near here is just so beautiful! Even on a crowded holiday, it was just perfect. The water was a tad cold, compared the the luke-warm water of the Gulf of Mexico, but I had no problem hopping in with a board and playing around in the water for hours. The waves just threw me about a lot of the time, but that was okay; I was having a damn good time being tossed around in the water! Although, I always do have fun when I come here on vacation. I think it might be the relaxed atmosphere and knowing I don’t have to worry about anything. It’s just always so much fun, and I always get so many opportunities to try new things. They really do lift my spirits after being in a cruddy area for an entire school year, and not really being able to do much of anything.
This year has been the best yet, I feel. What with preparing for college and for my sister’s wedding, it’s just such an exciting time. Today, we went shopping for dresses for her, and it’s just such a fun experience. Every dress looked equally as beautiful as the previous, but, after 3 shops and many hours of searching, she finally came back to the first one she really liked. I’m really happy for her, and it made me wish I could look for a dress of my own (I have plenty of time on that one…hahah). At the same time, it’s kind of odd seeing everything change. My sister isn’t just the ‘cool, older sister in college’ that she was to me when I was just in elementary school. Now, she’s a grown woman, getting married, and before long will probably have kids! It’s just peculiar how things change. It’s a part of life, yet you still never really get used to it. It almost feels surreal sometimes. My home doesn’t feel like my home anymore, and I find myself yearning to be anywhere but there. I can remember never wanting to leave! Maybe it’s just my instincts to spread my wings and go on my own way. However, I don’t want to get too eager and crash and burn because of it. It’s all so exciting…and frightening at the same time.
Anyhow, sometimes change is what you really need. It’s refreshing to do new things and get a new perspective on life. However, I still cherish this carefree time with my family, because these are times that can never be relived. It will never be exactly like this again, but it will just mean it’s something new to experience, love, and miss when it’s gone, replaced by the next new moment.
I’ll just keep enjoying this beautiful Southern California weather, and have a good time in the moment!

I’ve never really taken a relationship seriously before this one. Something about it was, and still is, just different than all the others.
I first met Kevin (my boyfriend, obviously), as sad as it is, on Myspace. It was just a random add and comment, and I thought nothing of talking to him. It was nothing really deep at the moment, but we just clicked, even as just friends. From the very beginning, we spent many hours typing away on AIM. We’d stay up until the wee hours of the morning. When it was time to sleep, I can remember making excuses to stay for just ‘30 more minutes.’ We would spend whole nights that way - trolling random chat-rooms, drawing penises and other things on online charades, and just talking to each other - and I was completely fine with that. For months, we stayed like that. It wasn’t until the summer, that things started to change.
About a year ago, I started to realize that it wasn’t just a normal friendship. I really cared for him, and we never went a day without talking (still haven’t, since then). Suddenly, I noticed the subtle nuances and hints of flirting in our conversations - we both cared for each other, and it was obvious. A few months after we first told each other about our feelings, Kevin asked to date me, and I have never been happier.
Now, almost 10 months after that day, we’re still going strong. I don’t know what it is exactly that makes us click. Perhaps it’s a bit of everything, but whatever it is, it has made me the happiest girl in the world. We’re happy doing anything, as long as it’s together. We spend a lot of time just cuddling, riding in cars, laughing about silly songs, and just enjoying being together. It’s that kind of cliche love you see in those silly indie love movies (Oh, how we love those cliches <3). Sometimes it feels like a fairytale. Almost like it’s too good to be true. No one can be this nice, and make me feel like he makes me feel, can they? I don’t know how he does it, but Kevin makes me feel like I’m perfect and nothing in the world could ever go wrong.
Basically, we will be together a long time if I have anything to do with it. This isn’t just a silly high-school relationship. I could see myself with him for a very long time, and I would never grow tired of him. It’s so hard to be away from him, because nothing can replicate the feeling I have when I am with him. It’s like a high, being in love; it really is. It makes you feel warm and secure. Some people say they don’t know whether they are in love, and that just tells me that they aren’t; because if you can’t tell, you haven’t felt it. Maybe it feels different for everyone, but, for me, it feels like I’m home. There is no place more comfortable than in his arms.
When I move, I hope we can manage with a long-distance relationship, but I don’t think something as small as distance can even put a dent in a relationship as strong as ours. I feel so confident that Kevin is the one. I’ll miss his voice, touch, and overall comforting presence, but I know we will make it through this together. We have a bright future together.
I love you, Kevin. <3

THEME: CARMAH