New Hair Color

This is exciting, is it not? The background is grey because that is the color of my walls in my apartment.

I'm too tired to fully commit to an entry tonight, so this is what you get. Hey, at least it has a picture, right?

Pictures to be Printed

Well, yes, it has been quite some time since I last published an entry. And now that I think about it, I can not believe it has been so long since my last entry, let alone the fact that this blog has existed for roughly a year, give or take a week or so. This year has certainly been one of changes, big and small. Changes that have not only altered how I operate, but who I am as a person. Fortunately for those that might read this, I will not create a chronological list of momentous events that have occurred. No, for you can simply click 'older posts' for those, if you so choose to revisit them.

I will say though, this summer is mighty different from last. I am not spending my time at home in Ocean Springs, which makes my heart sad. I am living in my apartment and taking real go-to-class classes (starting in June, which is about a week and a half away.) No more on-line feverish paper-writing to fill my afternoons while I sit in front of a television playing reruns of shows on ABC Family. I don't have the joy of sitting with my dad watching John Cena on Monday nights and I don't have the pleasure of helping my mom make new dinners. Alas, this will be a summer of growing, something that is quite inevitable.

Forgoing the random transition sentence, my sister is graduating from high school this week. Oh, how that does make me feel old. And by old, I mean terrified that I am actually an adult with responsibilities and grown-up decisions. Oh, how life changes.

Spring Break 2011

So, many of my friends have constructed elaborate spring break plans as a way to occupy the free week. I, on the other hand, chose the opposite path, the path of relaxation. Many might argue, "But Brittany, I am not at school, not doing work, and I am, more or less, in the state of Florida. Doesn't that mean I am relaxed?"

No my friends, that just means you spent much of your time planning, organizing, and driving all sorts of distances. While it is definitely fun, constantly having to keep up with a group of people and compromising on how long I can be at place A before I have to get to place T (with all the other letters in between) is not my definition of true relaxation, nor was it on my agenda this year.

This is how I have spent my break, thus far:

It has been more than amazing. Thank you parents for subscribing to Netflix. I've also watched movies and whatnot. I've also eaten yummy food and yes, I've done some homework. Oh yes, and I've played an awful lot with my pup pups. =]

Enjoy your time.

I keep my promises.

I told Joe Kelly a looooooooooooong time ago that I would update my blog and include him in it. He seemed super excited about it. Well, I have sorta-kinda had ample time to update said blog; however, I have refrained for reasons I don't really have. So, since I am enjoying my first full day of spring break, I decided to draw a picture of Joe and me. Notice, we both look extremely happy to be in each other's company. (He's actually really, really happy to be hanging out with me, and I'm really, really happy that he's that excited to be my friend.)

Joe is at the beach for spring break, so I am unsure as to when he will see this. Granted he does have an intelligent phone, so it could be moments after this posts.

Here:

Enjoy yourself.

If Rhianna was standing in the middle of the road...

My hair has been cut. It not only looks cute, but also healthy, which is very important.

In other, probably more interesting news, Katy and I will be the only ones home for New Year's Eve. We will be going to see the Molly Ringwalds at the IP. We'll see how that turns out; both of us are convinced that we will be surrounded by the elderly, which could be insanely entertaining.

My heart hurts a little that I can not be in Jacksonville for the bowl game, but I suppose there's a reason for that. Because I am not going, Ryan gets to participate in possibly his last big "guys trip" seeing as they're all grown up and getting big-boy jobs, and graduating from grad school and undergrad. That's so scary, to know that life just kicks you out of your comfort zone and into a world that you've potentially only dabbled in. Granted, I've bought myself some more time, as far as big-girl jobs and life altering decisions in regards to my future career are concerned, but still, that time will sneak up on me and potentially give me the panic attack of my life. I suppose when you get to the point in your life where your future is in the hands of others (employers or whathaveyou) its supposed to be stressful. Some people claim that some stress is good stress. I haven't quite bought into that argument in my short 21 1/2 years on this planet. Obviously, just because I dislike stress does not mean it will go away, nor does it mean that I can not adequately handle stressful situations, with great finesse I might add. (This is where I would insert a smiley face if I were to type this as a facebook status.)

In other news... all of my friends are leaving or have left the country. Molly is currently studying in Jamaica and will be back in time to student teach in a couple weeks. Al is going to Japan over the summer and then plans to move to Europe to teach. And let's not forget Alyssa (www.alyinohio.blogspot.com,) because she's definitely graduating in May and MOVING TO AFRICA for two years. The plans my dear friends have for their lives are somewhat overwhelming for me to comprehend. I've never had the desire to permanently move to another country, so I find it odd that I am now having to ask myself, "well, is that what I'm supposed to do too?" No, I do not feel myself being called so far away, nor do I want to be. But, it does have my life goals feeling somewhat insignificant. The goals of my friends are just so large, and mine, in comparison, seem so minuscule, or at least, ordinary. I guess that's what happens when my bucket list is mostly comprised of items such as "eat at a deli in NY City," which happens to be really high on my list. I am in no way fishing for reassurance or downplaying the excitement I have for my life's to-do list, because I know that I can achieve great personal rewards for achieving my goals, no matter how small they may be.

I just want to get to that new comfort zone. You know, the one you find once you've been pushed out of your old one.

Also, I now have XM radio in my car so that I no longer have to listen to Rhianna. Thank you, Jesus. For real. She makes me so mad.

Many of my days have been like this...

dark and dreary, but with that one opening in the sky that gives me the glimpse of the sun, letting me know that God is there to help me through anything he puts before me.

To say the past semester was an easy one would be false; however, the course work was not particularly demanding, if you do not count the last three weeks. I did, though, encounter many life experiences that proved to be difficult and hard to work through. And while, many days were in fact rainy and dreary, there were the metaphorical days of dreariness that could only be appropriately illustrated with gray and lavender across a paint canvas. I find it most fitting when my days of disarray are parallel to the weather, and quite frankly, God has proved to be a fantastic mind reader, all of my life, but this semester in particular.

This is not to say I have not enjoyed many, many splendid moments, for those moments far outweigh the troubles I dealt with.

Many looked like this:

I like balloons, and I like my life. If anything, this past semester has been a reminder to cherish all that I have and to love all the people that make my life worth living with reckless abandon.

♥Taylor Lyons 9/8/88 - 12/13/10