Camp.

Yesterday afternoon I returned from my second week long trip to Camp Hebron as a counselor for the fifth grade Outdoor Ed. at my school. And how I feel about that week... I can't even explain. I was so amazed by my experience. Although I had fun as a counselor last year, this year was different. Almost everything about camp was so eye opening, wonderful, and just plain fun. From camp songs to silly kids to going back to 5th grade lessons, I wouldn't change a thing.

All of the girls in my cabin were so individual and adorable and special in their own way. Ashlyn, the hilarious ginger! whose smile never left her face; Paige, the athletic outgoing girl who always had good ideas; Maddie, the tiny hyper one who wasn't afraid to share her feelings; Meredith, the bubbly blonde who was kind to everyone; April, the large girl who tripped over EVERYTHING but had the biggest heart; Tori, the small shy girl who finally came out of her shell; Corrine, the tall quiet one who appreciated nature; Jenny, the quiet girl with the adorable squeaky voice who never let anything keep her down; and Amira; the teensiest cutie who shouted instead of speaking. Each had her own good qualities, and together they made a fantastic group of girls who I'll never forget.

My girls <3

And then there were the boys. I've always been partial to boys over girls when they're at that age, to be honest. I don't know why, they're just so much more entertaining. And although I (obviously) had no males in my cabin, there are still a few whom I hope I'll never forget. There was Jonathan, the precious chubby kid who's a mirror image of my friend's brother and wore an orange polo with khakis to the square dance. Dillon, the little brother of Diana's friend, who had pretty eyes and was hesitant to meet new people. Colton was the precious and sweet Justin Bieber lookalike who was friendly to everyone. And Diana and I couldn't stop laughing at Caleb's dry sense of humor, so advanced for someone of his age (which makes sense, considering he looked to be about fifteen). On the bus Diana and I grew to love Zach, the big eared slightly annoying kid who somehow knew the words to every song that the radio had to offer. And who could forget Patrick and Cameron (known affectionately as Klocky due to the large purple watch that constantly graced his wrist), my favorite bus buddies and the only boys I know who aren't afraid to belt out the words to every song on the radio in front of their entire class. (I know I wasn't supposed to pick favorites, but they were the best).

Left to right: Diana with Dillon & Cameron, Patrick, Diana with Caleb, and Diana with Klocky <3

Not only did I love all of the kids so very much, but I grew to respect each and every one of my co-counselors in different ways. Like John, the assumed douche bag who actually turned out to be a silly and entertaining nature freak who walked EVERYWHERE in his bare feet. Or Matt, the kid who always seemed kind of dull, who cracked sexual jokes when the kids were caught up in the lessons. Alysia, who always seemed to be a cheerleader bimbo but turned out to be such a sweet and endearing girl. Nick (who I personally always thought secretly had a personality, but appeared to hate me throughout the entire year in physics), who I caught singing tunes under his breath on several occasions. Even Darren, the irritating kid in my study hall who, upon discovering that all the girls in my cabin were in love with him, danced with each of them at the square dance and swung them around adorably.

My favorite surprise of camp. Darren is a sweetie? Who knew.

Of course I can't finish this without mentioning my fabulous co-counselors! Oh, the Leahs. The artsy one and the musical one. Each talented, each fun to be around and easy to talk to. I couldn't have asked for better co-counselors... they were the ones that really made everything absolutely amazing. Thanks guys!

Best. Co-counselors. Ever.

Few things are more enjoyable to me than gaining a fresh perspective, and that's exactly what I got from camp. I could go on and on, but for now I'll end with... I'll miss it, and I'll never forget it <3

Ugh... High School

So my high school got the 51st edition of our annual yearbook today.

Now let me explain a little something about LD and yearbooks; each year, upon the release of the yearbook, the school is filled with mutters about "stupid layouts" or "spelling errors" or this and that. But this year, the mutters turned into full out shouts. As a result, chaos ensued.

While normally the complaints about the yearbook range from "have they heard of spell check?" or "whose idea was it to charge us an extra $15 for this cover?, " this year the complaints were far more severe. Claims that the yearbook staff made up quotes and stuck a random name on them and had no idea what they were doing with the layout spread around the school like wildfire. And the worst rumor of all, that a certain staffer (who also happens to be one of my close friends) purposely messed up the senior pictures of other girls on her page in the yearbook to make herself look better, quickly escalated to ridiculous levels.

Comments like these make me so sick of high school... teenagers can be so nasty.

To make matters worse, in order to make themselves feel better about the fact that they paid $75 for a yearbook that they didn't know if they would like or not, many students are now taking their anger out on the yearbook staffers in the form of personal insults. And that's when I became ridiculously angry. I'm sorry, but I liked my yearbook. Loved it, even. It was well thought out, had an intelligent and put together overall concept, unique spreads, and witty commentary. And even if I hadn't liked it, I would never go so far as to have a personal vendetta against the yearbook staff. You know why? BECAUSE THIS IS HIGH SCHOOL. I repeat: This. Is. High. School. If anyone thinks that a high school yearbook really matters in the grand scheme of things, they are sadly mistaken. Let's face it: the same thing happens every year when the yearbook comes out. Everyone looks it over, paging through it carefully for about a week, after which it is generally shoved in a musty closet for the next 40 years, not to be thought of for a long while.

I know I shouldn't be this upset about the yearbook controversy; high school will be over in just one short month, and then I'll never see many of the people involved again. Even so, I can't help getting upset because it just reminds me of society's obsession with anything and everything that doesn't matter. Bad hair days, popularity, petty arguments - there are so much more important things in life to worry about. But for some reason it seems that everyone focuses on the small picture rather than the big picture. And therein lies the one of the major problems of the human race as a whole. It's one that could be so quickly solved, yet continues to find its way into our everyday lives. If perhaps we could somehow learn to focus on the important things in life rather than mundane, everyday activities, our perspectives could be vastly improved.

And that's my two cents for the day.

Under the Cherry Blossom Trees

Spring has sprung. And for once, I'm not hating it.

Sure, there's a lot to hate about spring (from my point of way, anyway). Bugs, humidity, trampy girls thinking that a temperature of above sixty degrees means they should wear ridiculously little clothing. This year, however, something's different. Maybe it's my growing appreciation for life, maybe it's my newfound optimism, I don't know. But this year, spring isn't so bad.

Yesterday my friend Alicia and I had a study picnic under the cherry blossom trees on our school grounds. It was so gorgeous it felt like I had been thrown out of Pennsylvania and into a movie set in some warm Southern state with plentiful vegetation. LD may not be the most fantastic high school, but it really is pretty. The trees bloom in mid-April each year, and I consistently look forward to watching them. It's like one moment the trees are brown and dead, and the next moment tiny, soft pink blossoms appear.

Love, love, love

SO BEAUTIFUL.

Anyways, the picnic turned out quite wonderfully. Start with the cherry blossom trees and throw in a tie dye blanket, baguette, fancy sliced cheese, ensalada de frutas, yummy cookies, and a lovely cupcake bag to hold it all, and you've got yourself a fantastic picnic. Which, by the way, was on my senior to-do list. Mental check! Seriously though, I love picnics. They're so yummy and quaint and appealing.

Our perfect picnic ingredients.

Almost promptly upon arrival at our little self-made cherry blossom haven just outside the 300 wing doors, we decided that we needed a photo shoot right that second (partly because unfortunately, as gorgeous as the cherry blossom trees are, the beautiful pink stage doesn't last long. But I digress). Because we had some studying to get to, the photo shoot didn't last long, but it was enough to remind me how much I miss photography. It was my favorite class (and hobby) last year, and I feel like I've lost touch with it. I miss the precision of adjusting the focus to be just right, the careful pondering of a beautiful scene in nature or a cool object, the satisfying "click" of the shutter when I've finally found the perfect angle. *Note to self: add "many photo adventures" to summer to do list.

Incorporating the cherry blossoms into inanimate objects? Yes.

And for the record, even with all the delicious food and random picture taking we managed to get some studying done for the AP Spanish test (insert horror movie-style scream here). 20 pages of vocab is a lot, but we at least made a dent. Go productivity!

Oh, hello there nature. Thanks for joining us.

Different Worlds.

I always forget about how much I love Florida until I actually get there. Honestly, thinking about it, it isn't that appealing to me. As a person who hates summer, the thought of year round hot weather and humidity makes me want to vomit. But once I'm actually there, it's a different story.

I visit my aunt, uncle, grandparents and cousins once a year at their homes in Florida. And every time I'm there, I feel like I'm in a completely different world - in a good way. It's amazing to think about how different my father and his sister are. Both are fairly well off, and don't really need to worry about money very much at the moment. How they handle their situations, however, is completely different. My father cringes at the thought of spending money, and budgets for himself carefully. My aunt is still responsible, but in a different way - she treats herself and her kids to various luxuries in their everyday life.

Being with my aunt's family in Florida, it's easy to get caught up in the luxury and magic. My relatives' perfectly polished nails, flawless pedicures, silky smooth hair, and extensive wardrobes have proven to be extremely enticing. Not to mention the environment; huge neutrally colored stucco houses, each with its own screened in pool filled with sparkling aqua water, all surrounded by perfectly groomed lawns and towering palm trees, swaying in the breeze. It's like the area is made for high living - and it probably is.

Anyways, you'd think that being surrounded by all these perfectly groomed people who seem to have everything handed to them on a platter would be incredibly intimidating - but it's not. It just motivates me. It seems that every time I return home from Florida my motivation for going the extra mile in terms of everything - school, grooming, clothing - increases astronomically.

So here I am, sitting in the Orlando airport, feeling this incredible urge to better myself.. we'll see how long it lasts, but for now it's pretty awesome. Here's to you, Florida.

Independence?

As the start of college creeps closer and closer, I've been finding that rather than becoming nervous and antsy, I'm becoming increasingly excited at the prospect of being on my own. I've got mixed feelings, really. As a neat freak in a family full of people who never have time to worry about their messes, life at home can get extremely aggravating, not to mention the fact that my brother and I don't exactly get along. Even so, there will be certain aspects of life that I'll miss about being at home; having someone cook for me every night, taking random trips in my car with friends, not having to worry about paying bills.

Still, as a seventeen year old in a small town, the fact remains that independence can't come soon enough. Decorating my own dorm room, controlling what I eat, taking classes that actually relate to what I want to do in my life? Sign me up. The other night I went over to Olivia's to work on our art projects & do a bit of shopping, and after returning from our short lived thrifting spree, we (and by we, I mean Olivia) decided to fix ourselves some dinner.

Eggs can only mean one thing - breakfast for dinner, my favorite.

It reminded me of our trip to the beach with Tiff and Rachel last summer, setting the table, cutting flowers from a nearby garden and mixing lemonade to go with our homemade meals. (Although summer is my least favorite season, relaxed meals with fresh flowers and lemonade make me love it on occasion. But I digress). Anyways, even though we cooked just about the easiest meal known to man, it made me realize how excited I am for college! Dancing around the kitchen as music plays softly through the old fashioned radio, throwing together whatever ingredients seem fitting - it's all so appealing to me. And although I'm not much of a cook, I feel like once I'm in college I'll be able to teach myself a few things about food. It's like when a parent throws their kid into a pool to teach them how to swim - sometimes, getting thrown into a situation without warning is the best way to learn. It may seem harsh, but it's a legitimate learning technique. 

"Makin' lemonade with the Kitchen Aid, makin' her a perfect life" - Ben Kweller

I feel like I often do better when I'm on my own. It's strange, I'm an extremely outgoing and social person, but I frequently enjoy simply spending time alone... frankly, it doesn't happen enough. Which is a shame, because it's not uncommon for me to be astronomically more productive when alone. Doing laundry, cleaning my room, organizing the kitchen - all things that seem to get done when I'm left to my own devices. Of course, it still takes time... I have to organize my thoughts and plan things out.

So all in all, I guess this was my completely long winded and pointless way of saying, Independence? Bring it on. I am so ready for whatever challenges independence throws my way... for now.

Chocolate milk and fried eggs in Oblivia's old fashioned kitchen... yum, yum

DD, Anyone?

Oh, Dunkin Donuts. Why are you occupying my thoughts today? I think when it's to the point that when my after school activities include Dunkin Donuts runs at least once a week, it means a) I've got a serious addiction, and b) I've got too much time on my hands.

A. Addiction? I think yes. I'll take chocolatey frosted goodness for $0.89, Alex. Thank you Tommy for getting me hooked. Those DD employees must be judging us SO hard. Not that we care...

B. As much as I love Dunkin Donuts, it doesn't exactly give me the productive feeling I'm looking for. Now that MiniTHON is essentially over for the year, I'm feeling like I need a new project... like, now. Today I went to school after hours to (attempt to) pick up my camera, and walked right into the middle of a spaghetti dinner raising money for the relief efforts for Japan. I was completely oblivious to the fact that this dinner was even going on, but ecstatic to discover it! I've been so caught up in MiniTHON stuff ever since I learned about the devastation in Japan that I've barely had time to gather my thoughts, let alone think about other causes. But now that I've finally got some free time, I want to do something to help. I need to do something to help.

Considering it's 2AM and I'm still wide awake watching crappy ABC Family movies and surfing the good ol' blogosphere, I'd say now's as good a time as any to get started on this little project of mine. I'm not sure what I'll do, or where it'll go, but I'm optimistic for the time being.

5 months until I'm in State College preparing for my first THON as a Penn State student, and 4 and a half years until I've got the degree in hand to do this stuff for a living.

Life is wonderful, and in the spirit of this whole newfound optimism things, I guess I'll plan for more and embrace the small things in life for now.

Inspiration

I feel inspired.

Last night Mom, Dad, Evan and I took a mini road trip to Philly for the evening to see the concert for Aradhna, a band that my parents sponsor financially. The band plays Christian Indian music, which I'm guessing is undoubtedly an unusual genre of music. I first met the band six years ago when they were introduced to my family by some of our missionary friends based in India. My parents spontaneously agreed to have a small concert in our living room with an Indian buffet dinner, and it was a fantastic experience. Since then, my parents have continued communication with Pete, Chris, Travis, and the other bandmates, eventually agreeing to be one of their financial backers.

You'd think that as a high schooler, I'd find their music a bit boring and strange... I mean, most teenagers aren't really up for listening to songs involving no English lyrics and a sitar. But surprisingly, I found the concert to be phenomenal. Not only was the music beautiful, but it was extremely thought provoking as well.

Namaste Sate Music Video... amazing.

The entire night as a whole was just phenomenal. I love Philly so much it's ridiculous. I think as a person who grew up in the middle of nowhere, I'm naturally inclined to love the city. It's a liberating change to go from a sleepy small town to a city that never sleeps. Anyways, we started off the night with dinner for Dad's birthday at this quaint little Belgian restaurant downtown. After some tasty scallops, pommes frites and chocolate belgian cake, we made our way to the Broad Street Ministry for the concert.

This church was seriously the coolest, most unique church I've ever seen. When I walked in the doors, it seemed like nothing special, just the average church. But upon climbing the stairs to the sanctuary, I was taken aback. Broad Street Ministry isn't your average church. In place of pews sits an eclectic variety of painted chairs arranged in neat rows. And while gorgeous stained glass windows mirror the traditional decor of many churches, the several miniature metal windmills with hundreds of colorful orogami birds interspersed between add a modern, individualistic feel. Moreover, the huge mural on the back wall and varying mixed media paintings give the sanctuary an artsy feel.

And now for some crappy iPhone pictures. (Ah, if only the iPhone that took them was mine).

Candles & the sitar... such an intriguing instrument

Eclectic painted chairs in place of pews

The back of the sanctuary... the awesome painted mural is barely visible at the bottom. 

I absolutely love these paper cranes. 

Unique, alternative artwork in a church? An interesting concept, and it works.

Mixed media art = <3

And of course, candles. I love love love candles.