Finding time to see the stars.

I just realized that it's been almost a week since my last real post. Time is going crazy! I've kinda lost a gauge for how long a month feels. November flew OUT the window, I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is in 4 DAYS. I can't believe I get to go home in 2 days!!! I get to go hommmeee!!! Home home home. I haven't been home since August. I haven't been home since SUMMERTIME. I miss everyone and everything. I'm so excited to go back, and it's going to be so hard to leave.

South Bend is a different world from the metro/DC area. Here, everything keeps moving. There's never any lag time, no sunday drivers, no open spaces that aren't filled with sidewalks or buildings. Don't get me wrong, living in this area is wonderful in so many ways! I have learned to master public transportation. I have learned not to trust metro closing times. I have forced myself to get to know the area by going on adventure runs and walking home from nannying jobs. I have learned how to be smart about spending money, even though it is RIDICULOUSLY expensive to live here. I know my way around Washington DC and I can use the metro system by myself very confidently. All in all, I just think I've been doing a lot of growing up in the past few months, in a lot of ways. Not only did I have to make the initial adjustment to college life, I had to adjust to it 600 miles away from home. It's been a test, but I think I'm doing alright.

Can I go on a rant about how much I absolutely love Valerie Carnevale, in every single solitary way? She is the epitome of WILLING. She is one thousand percent willing to love with her entire heart every single minute of every day. I had such an amazing conversation with her yesterday. I cried, she cried, tears of frustration and joy and struggling to find a balance between being free and feeling obligated to solve the world's problems. Valerie doesn't feel trapped by tests and deadlines and work stress, Valerie's constant frustration is not being able to help fix every sadness or flaw she sees in the world at once. Valerie wants to be in Peru with orphans and in Europe and build houses and go to church and take people wakeboarding and do photoshoots and pray the rosary all at once. She has a deepdown, souldesire to spread herself everywhere, to love everyone, to effect the world through love. What she doesn't fully realize is that she already does. Every day. Valerie, people see that desire, people feel changed by the way you love, you effect them. Don't ever ever ever lose your amazing fire for life. Keep walking through the rain baby.

I think that the movie Elf is hilarious. I don't care what people say, ill call you a cottonheaded ninnymuggins annyyyy day of the week.

Thank you mom and dad for how you raised me. It makes me happy every day.

I SAW THE OPENING SHOWING OF HARRY POTTER.
Not gonna lie, it was GREAT. Like, usually the movies kinda suck, right? That acting is bad, the scenes aren't how you imagine them, there's stuff left out, etc etc. But noo! The acting was half decent, lots of the the scenes were HOW I IMAGINED them while reading the books [which is superduper cool]and the movie included tonnss and ended on a huge cliff hanger. I was so stoked and harry-potter-nerdy after that movie ended hahaha.

Jake Maz, you take rad pictures with your rad guitar and your rad shades. I aspire to be as rad as you one day. Rock on.

Hey Katrina? You're adorable and hilarious. Thank you for waiting for me while i tried on my whole closet yesterday and offering to pick me up from the airport :) Happy early birthday!!

Emily Wemily Prettyladywhoimissallthetime-- You are so boootiful. When you sent me pics of you and Savannah at the park, i was like ohhmygoshh, what's her secret? I have a beautifulll dark haired twin soulbestie. I'm excited for Tuesday night.

EVERYONE LISTEN UPPP-- Chelsea Ritter is one fantastic individual.

I fell asleep sitting up in the library tonight. I was reading my philosophy homework and started falling asleep. Then someone texted me, and i closed my eyes while texting them back, realized I was falling asleep, and laughed at the complete nonsense that I almost sent back to them. I'm sleepy. I'm going to bed in approximately fifteen minutes.

Why is there Christmas music everywhere?? I mean, I love Christmas, but don't rush Thanksgiving! I need time to eat my turkey :)

I love to run. I LOVE to run. I went on a perrrrfect route yesterday, I was so happy about it. I figured out that if i stay on one street for a while, and then just go back the same way, I won't get lost! I'm getting creative with my route-making, it makes me happy. I think I have a stress thing going on in my foot though, which is tooootally bumming me out, because it really hurts. Booo. Oh well, thanks Jesus for giving me a body to run with. It's fun, I like it.

Lizface, thank you for the cookie today. I'm glad we are dessert twins. A+ for giving the food pyramid a run for its money today.

I love night time and running under overpasses and reading old grafiti and sunshine on my face and leaves falling and blue skies and hills and jackets and disney movies and Thanksgiving and laughing and Mexican restaurants and adventures and good conversations and stars, so many stars. I love Dostoevsky and the things he taught me, I love loving and getting my mind blown by simple things.
I want to impact
I want to learn SO MUCH about every single person in the world.
I want everyone to feel as inspired as I do.
I want everyone to feel this freedom.
I want to pray more. Every day.
I want to have stronger faith, both in God and myself.

Know what's cool? I can do something about every single thing I listed.
Isn't life awesome?
Be grateful for life, it lets you love and work and look at the stars.

Goal for the week: Live alive, no wasted opportunities, work hard.
2 tiny days until I'm HOME.