Where did Spring go?? I blinked and I missed it. I'm reminded of it's near completion when I look at the barren lilac bushes in my backyard. I tried to pick some right before they all started dying but they died in the vase the next day.
Here they are hanging in my kitchen to dry. I don't care what my brother says, I still like em!
Every season, I write a list of goals that almost never gets accomplished. Before the semester ended, I wrote such a list (while I was supposed to be studying for finals, mind you). I write them here as a reminder to myself.
"Hey, self, it's entering the fourth week into summer and you have yet to make any progress on your goals. What's the pointing in having goals if you're not going to do anything about them???"
Summer 2010- the best summer EVER!
- become a morning person: Sounds easy enough, right? WRONG! For the past three weeks, I've set my alarm for no later than 9:30 am every day and for the past three weeks, I've hit the snooze button until it reaches 11:30 am or 12 pm and I'm so consumed with the guilt of sleeping in that I force myself to wake. Then my parents get home (starting with my dad at 4 pm (ish)) and they ask me what I've been doing all day. I never have much to say, considering I haven't been awake for too long. Well, I have a work meeting tomorrow morning at 10 am, so I have to wake up. Tomorrow, May 22, begins the stage in my life that will become known as 'the rude awakening'. Wish me luck. I promise you, I will need it.
- become a runner: My friend's mom is 50 and she just ran a marathon, which is approximately 26.21876 miles, commonly rounded to 26.2 miles. WHAT. THE. H. Why can't I do that? Well I seem to lack something scientists call "motivation" which helps you put the computer away, get off your butt, and do something with your life. I don't know where I'll find that motivation, but I want it to become a habit of mine to go running when I feel stressed or bored or sad or something, not just for the runner's physique, but because it's a much healthier habit. Plus, all anyone really needs to run is a decent pair of shoes. No equipment or experience necessary.
- become "crafty": As a Nursing major, my brain is rooted in science. I don't always enjoy it, but it's what I know. Not much of what I do in school requires any creativity. In fact, we had a creative project assigned my nursing class and I had the hardest time coming up with anything. That's why Summer 2010 will be one of creative exploration. I've always wanted to be decent at drawing, so here's my chance. Now, thinking of things to draw will be a different story.
- Bible crash course: Next fall, one of my best friends will join me in leading a small group for Campus Ministry. Why did I agree to this? I ask myself that every day. I feel completely unworthy to act as anyone's spiritual mentor. The Bible is still a big, scary book that seems an impossible undertaking. But if I'm going to be a legit leader, I have to know this stuff to a certain degree. So here it is: I'm not allowing myself to go on facebook until I've read my Bible. This was a tactic employed my small group leader this year, and it seems to be the perfect incentive for a college girl.
- Go vegan (ish): Let's set the scene: it's October 2008. I'm in my first semester of college, taking an ethics class. My teacher assigns us the book The Ethics of What We Eat by Peter Singer. The book discusses the horror of the American Meat Industry and all the gross mistreatment of animals that goes on in the average factory farm. I was never a huge animal advocate before reading this book. I loved my pets and a dead deer on the side of the road made me sad for 5.1 seconds but I never really considered the animals I was consuming. This book changed everything. I stopped eating meat the day after I read the section entitled, "Enter the Chicken Shed". And so is the story of how I became a vegetarian. The next year was filled with pasta and bread and the occasional salad but nothing that resembles a healthy diet. This past January, I started eating meat again, mainly because I got a job at a restaurant where I received tremendous discounts on a menu with few vegetarian options. But in March, I went on a mission trip to Seattle. Both my trip leaders were vegan. That means no animal products whatsoever (no cheese!). We ate mostly vegan the whole week and I loved it! I had so much energy! So when I got home, I decided to go back to being a vegetarian with the long-term goal of going vegan. I'm doing alright, so far. I've been drinking soy milk for years, so that's easy. Eggs are pretty easy too. Cheese will be a tough one, though. I'm using this summer as a vegan test run to perfect some recipes beyond rice and beans. (P.S. this will also serve as a rookie food blog.)
- Family fun/ family health plan: I love my family. More than anything. My parents work very hard and they deserve to relax after work. However, they've settled into a work-tv-sleep cycle that is dangerous, not to mention boring. Lucky for them, they have a daughter who's willing to shake things up. Who knows what this will entail.
- Volunteer or work at a nursing home
- READ! READ! READ!
- Get my daily dose of Vitamin D (AKA sunshine)
Now that everyone in cyber space knows my summer goals, I simply must go through with them. Wouldn't want to disappoint ;)
