August–A Pretty Big Month!

August and October are always my biggest months. Crazy/wonderful things always happen to me in these two months (for me, honestly, nothing is better than a birthday drink or a Halloween costume), and I don’t see this year being any exception!

I’m really not a spontaneous, explorer type. I like adventures…when they are well-planned, and I can guarantee I’m not going to end up wearing other people’s clothes or stranded somewhere without a ponytail holder. I’m a planner. I like rules. That’s just how I am.

BUT that all changed when my best friend Beth (who now lives in Chicago) invited me to go white water rafting with her and the girls on Monday. Normally, that kind of last-minute thing is met with major resistance on the part of my mother, but surprisingly, she was totally supportive when I mentioned it this morning. Within a half hour, I had booked a train to Chicago and was packing!

Tonight I’m taking the Amtrak to Chicago and tomorrow we are getting up early and driving to Peshtigo Lake for the rafting trip. (At which points cell phones have to be turned off!) Monday night we’ll stay in a cabin and do girly things, cook dinner, and probably drink some wine. Tuesday morning we’ll go for a hike before heading back to the city. I am going to stay in Chicago Tuesday night and all day Wednesday so I can hang out with some of my other girl friends who now live out there.

I am so, so excited. While, as a general rule, I hate things that get my hair wet (I melt, I’m sorry), white water rafting has always seemed like a ton of fun. Plus, I loved going to camp when I was a kid, and I think this fits in with that well. My mom even said, “When else are you going to have the opportunity to do something like this?” And she’s right! Sometimes you just can’t overthink things–you gotta just go. Last night I was looking through my study abroad scrapbook, which I haven’t done in a couple years, and I look so, so happy in every single picture–just happy with my exact spot on the earth in every moment, wherever it happened to be. I think that’s what made me want to go so badly. I miss that feeling. I had a bunch of appointments scheduled this week, and I’m canceling all of them. It’s times like these I am glad I have my health and I am in shape; I know that when I was overweight/hating life, I wouldn’t have seen my own potential for fun and happiness like this. I’m turning 24 in a few days and, ya know, this feels like a great way to finish my 23rd year.

August is going to be an amazing month. We’re starting off with this trip and I get a bonus day in Chicago. Thursday I am spa-ing it. Friday is my birthday and it’s going to be a hell of a night out with my friends. My best friend/other half David arrives in town a few days after that, and we’re going to go to Cedar Point, do karaoke (tradition), hang out with the gays, eat sushi, and talk about inappropriate things way too loudly whenever possible. He’ll also be here for the smaller, family birthday party my mom is throwing for me. One of my favorite people in the entire world is coming home from Europe, where she now lives, so that will be a love-fest. Then Beth is coming home for a visit! The rest of the month will surely include more day drinking with Kaitlin, double dates, shopping, new music, new routines, a trip Up North, and basically just as much fun and happiness as I can fit in. I am going to try to keep it as healthy and focused as possible, but you know, sometimes there are more important things that losing 10 pounds or being super productive–like, you know, loving and soaking up love.

I won’t be posting as much for the next few days, but expect a major recap when I get back Thurs. Have a great week!!