From 7/9

This update comes to you from 36000 feet above some unknown mid-western state. After finishing my girly chick flick (courtesy of redbox-best invention ever), I think I still have about 2 hours to kill on this flight. I’m pretty sure it’s the longest flight I’ve taken, it’s about 5.5 hours long, DC to San Diego.

My life has been absolute craziness, and I still couldn’t be happier. Let’s talk about life-

Two weekends ago I managed to snag an invitation to a fellow hooper’s going away party. Apparently she was a pretty incredible person judging by her farewell, everyone spoke about how amazing, influential, and supportive she was. I was kind of bummed I didn’t get to know her. It was at the most amazing loft apartment I’ve ever seen – I’m not sure I could have dreamed one better. The people were amazing too! There were people of all ages and people so incredibly different from one another. In the big open space as we walked in, there was body painting going on. We were openly welcomed and soon became engaged in conversation about all kinds of things throughout the night. There were multiple performances, including hoopers, a guitar player covering 80s-90s hip hop and r&b songs (including Waterfalls by TLC and the Gangsta’s Paradise), a communal drum circle, a blind desert tasting, singers, and more. After all the indoor performances (with Sangria and all kinds of snacks), we all congregated outdoors for a huge Burn. Now, people who aren’t familiar with the term really get confused by this, especially my new friend Jessica! She was convinced it was some satanic ritual thing, and really sketchy, but it’s not!! There were all kinds of fire performances including double fire hoops (and single), poi (two short chains with balls of fire on the ends), single poi (probably not the right term, but it’s a fireball on a really long chain), and staffs (long sticks with fire at both ends). There were incredibly talented people, it was an awesome experience. There was also a woman who couldn’t have been under 60 who fire hooped! What I really loved about this experience is the acceptance, openness, and generosity of everyone there. Everyone was welcome to be there, be themselves, and have the comfort of knowing they’re not being judged. It was an absolutely inspiring group of people who I can’t wait to hang out more with.

I also got to see Siversun Pickups play that weekend! I ended up going by myself, and was planning on using an old House of Blues gift card to pay for my ticket. Unfortunately, they don’t take gift cards for ticket purchases at HOB in Boston, so I was on my own to pay for a ticket. They were $35 + a bajillion dollars in fees online, so I decided to wing it, which ended up being a great idea cause I got a ticket for $25. It was crazy hot and I had some wardrobe malfunctions, but it all worked out and I got to see Matt & Kim (band), Gogoll Bordello, and SSPU! The balloons were thrown into the crowd by Matt & Kim and were released on cue!

Last weekend, I woke up super early on Saturday to head to South Station and catch a bus to NYC. I made the mistake of staying up entirely too late the night before, but it all worked out well. I got to South Station to catch an 8:30 bus that had leather seats, power outlets, and free wifi. Talk about luxury travel! My ticket was only $20, it was about a 3.5 bus ride (most of which I slept through) and it dropped me off right in the city. After that, Ken picked me up and we enjoyed delicious Pink Berry (amazing frozen yogurt with fresh fruit) and some other ethnic favorites of his in Chinatown. Then, it was a 2 hour car ride to Atlantic City! I had never been, and couldn’t bring myself to gamble away more than $5 at the penny slots, but our room was gorgeous and we visited the boardwalk and ate some amazing food.

After driving back to Jersey (and getting DELICIOUS NJ bagels), we did some minimal shopping before heading to stake out our spot on the Hudson for fireworks. With Coke and Sailor Jerry, as well as grapes and a blanket, we took a train (to avoid the crazy traffic) to some city I can’t remember the name of and sat to wait. There was a caterer selling sausage and peppers, which was a huge plus, and we enjoyed the NYC skyline at sunset. When the fireworks finally started, it was a 26 minute show from SIX barges. That’s right, SIX. And, Ken planned it perfectly enough that we were right in the middle of all six, such a totally cool experience.

Here is a video of the fireworks: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=409289815809&ref=mf

This week began my official roommate interview process. I posted an ad on craigslist and got some promising responses. The weirdest by far was a guy who read my ad and responded enthusiastically about how he thought we would be perfect roommates, because we had things in common, including being a FL native, and being musicians. After discussing his enthusiasm with a fellow Stetson alum, she asked his name and when I told it to her she said “….Wait, what? He went to Stetson!” While he didn’t graduate from Stetson, he definitely attended before moving up and transferring to Berklee. I met with him most recently and he seems like the best roommate option by far. It’s somewhat weird though when meeting with people, asking the “are you meeting other people?” question – it feels like I’m dating!

This weekend is an impromtu trip to California to attend Ken’s cousin’s wedding in San Diego. More pictures and updates will come later. I have way more adventures in store for the month, including a trip to Martha’s Vineyard for sailboat races, a visit from GRACE!, and a trip to Vermont!