A Vivid (and somewhat scary yet hysterical) Memory

The year was 2001.  We had just moved from Irmo, SC to Pawleys Island, and were leaving early in the morning to go to Columbia for a USC Gamecock football game. I was 13 and my younger sister was 9.  We stopped by a local breakfast establishment to pick up some biscuits and a Yoohoo for my sister and I to share. I took a sip of the Yoohoo and then handed it over to my sister and started eating my biscuit. Seconds later, my sister starts yelping in pain. I look over to see that her tongue, which she has jammed down into the glass Yoohoo bottle, is STUCK.

"Uhh...Dad?" I manage. "Olivia's tongue is stuck in the Yoohoo bottle!" Mom turns around from the front seat and tries to pull the bottle. Olivia winces. The bottle doesn't budge. Dad yanks at the bottle. Olivia yelps in pain, tears streaming down her face. The bottle WON'T COME OFF. Her tongue is now TURNING BLACK, PEOPLE. I start crying hysterically, because I think that Olivia is going to have no tongue for the rest of her life. We call the ER on the way to give them a heads-up about what's coming for them. They, of course, have never seen anything like it.

15 minutes later, we got to the ER and were rushed in. After much deliberation, the doctors decided they could not break the bottle or drill a hole in it without seriously injuring Olivia's mouth (more than it already was). They ended up slipping a tiny tube in the bottle beside her tongue to break the suction. Her tongue ended up being just fine, but she never drank a Yoohoo from the bottle ever again.

Let go, jump in...

Today's blog everyday in May assignment is to respond to the term "letting go".

(First of all, it made me think of this really awesome song: Let Go by Frou Frou from Garden State and The Holiday and I'm sure a bunch of other movies.)

To me, "letting go" means letting go of the things in your life that weigh you down and keep you from moving forward.  For me, personally, it means letting go of the fear of the unknown and letting go of bad relationships. The unknown is scary for me.  I like knowing where I'm going to be and I like to have friends.  Letting go is stepping out of your comfort zone.  As far as letting go of bad relationships, I've learned that some people are meant to be in your past. Things did not work out for a REASON. Don't look back, you're moving forward.  Letting go means not being afraid to move on to something bigger and different and more rewarding. Let go, jump in.

5 of my jams...

1.) After the Storm by Mumford & Sons
This song has gotten me through some terrible days, as lame as it sounds.  It is so hopeful and amazing.  It contains my favorite line from any song ever: "Get over your hill and see what you find there, with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair." I even made a painting of it! :)

2.) Old Pine by Ben Howard
This is just an incredibly soothing song. His voice is so pretty. And he's not bad looking, either.

3.) Paradise by Coldplay
This song just reminds me of myself. SO MUCH.

4.)Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell
A semi-depressing song about the ups and downs of life and romance. Joni gets my sad little heart sometimes.

5.) Girl From the North Country by Bob Dylan
Because Bob Dylan and his harmonica. Enough said.

My favorite adventures in pictures...

These are some of my favorite photos I've taken of places I've been. The world is amazingly beautiful.

Red Rock Canyon, near Las Vegas

La Jolla, California

My sister and me at Arenal in Costa Rica

Cinque Terre, Italy

My sister and I at Blarney Castle in Ireland

Big Ben, obvi.

Venice, Italia

Almost 15 versus almost 25.

Well, I'm turning 25 in less than a month and it's got me thinking about growth and change and all that nonsense. So, I have composed a list of pros and cons of being 25 versus being 15.

Pros:

• I've actually been kissed now, so the whole "never been kissed" thing is no longer a source of anxiety for me. (Yes...I didn't have my first kiss until I was almost 17.)
• I know how to drive (sort of).
• I no longer feel the need to try to impress people so that they think I'm cool.  I think I'm freakin' awesome and that's really all that matters. Most of the people who were actually cool and popular peaked in high school anyway.
• I don't have braces or a retainer.
• I no longer have to hide my thong underwear from my mother. Did anyone else do that or was it just me?
• I don't have to sneak alcohol from my friend's parents' liquor cabinets. No more vodka and Dr. Peppers! (Vom. Who would willingly drink that crap? The answer is me.)
• If I want to have a "gentleman caller", I don't have to be stealthy about it. He can just come back to "my place". Too bad this has literally NEVER happened. 

Cons:

• I can no longer go to prom without being seen as a child molester.  Or as a chaperone.  Now, the only occasions I get dressed up for are other people's weddings. 
• I use WRINKLE CREAM on my face. (Mostly as a preventative measure, but STILL.)
• I ALWAYS have to do the dreaded ring check.  When I was 15, no one was married or had children. 
• I can't wear tiny short shorts from Abercrombie or Hollister without looking sleazy. I mean, I've always had a big butt but now it's just obscene. Thank GOD Abercrombie and Hollister shorts aren't fashionable anymore anyway.
• I have to pay for my own car. And rent. And groceries. Being an adult is not that fun. 
• Some places have stopped carding me for buying alcohol. That just makes me feel ancient.

...after much deliberation, I've decided that I'm glad to be 25 instead of 15.  Ask me again in 10 years and I'll likely be whistling a different tune. 

Hit the nail on the head with that one.

Today on the Challenge: *Something someone told you about yourself that you'll never forget.*

About a year ago, I went on a date or two with this guy who was a high school history teacher. (I'm going to call him "teacher guy" because I have absolutely no clue what his actual name is.)  On our first date, we went to walk around the Capitol building in Columbia, SC.  We were talking about teaching jobs, and I, at this point, was still trying to find one.  I was explaining to him how terrible I am at interviews, when he said, "I think the reason you don't have a teaching job is because it's really obvious you just don't give a shit what other people think about you." At first, I was a little offended because of his brutal honesty, but then I thought about how that trait is actually a really good one to have. I don't care what other people think of me, and I'm never going to try to change myself to impress anyone. (Maybe a lot of teachers are suck-ups? I don't know.) 

Anyway, I ended up only going out on one more date with him after that because he had a terrible sense of humor. He actually continuously quoted "Dude, Where's My Car?" 12 years after it came to theaters. But, what he said to me did stick with me. Thanks for the insight into myself, teacher guy! 

My 3 Worst Traits...

A few weeks ago, I highlighted the ten most awesome things about myself. Now for the worst...

1.)  I am incredibly scatterbrained and forgetful.  I valiantly make a to-do list and then immediately misplace it.

2.)  I am terrible at communicating/opening up.  I'm even terrible at simply keeping in touch with people that I don't see on a regular basis. I'm a bad long distance friend.

3.)  I get jealous.  Not the yelling, key your car, steal your phone and read all your texts jealous...just the silent, fuming, quiet kind of jealous where you say "What's wrong?" and they say "Nothing" but expect you to know what's going on. (Which I think may be just as bad as the other kind of jealous.)

Hopefully the awesome things about me make up for these bad traits. I certainly think so.