Day 1136: One month to go!

AHHHHHHH. I leave for school in T-minus one month! Eep!

My lovely baby sister (the one that graduated! From college!) had her birthday yesterday. Yesterday also marked one month until I drive into the midwestern sunset. As it becomes more and more real that I'm about to begin this journey towards helping people, I get a little freaked out. Probably not about what you think.

I can't even fathom what school is going to be like, so, as a result, I don't bother stressing myself out about that. What I can control (and kind of fathom and therefore kind of stress about), is the fact that I need to pack up my life, figure out what I am taking with me, what I am leaving on the west coast, what I will buy when I move to Milwaukee, et cetera et cetera. What I am really pressed about, at the moment, is all these Fourth of July sales!

One of the many stores having bed/mattress sales! Score!

Now that I am looking to purchase my first bed, I have noticed every single store is having an Independence Day sale on beds/mattresses. I had no idea America's independence was contingent upon mattress sales. I mean, is it really that surprising? We're some pretty lazy folk (not as lazy as those Europeans!).

So, the plan this weekend is to a) celebrate America's independence (watch fireworks, eat at BBQs, attend a soccer game with the family) and b) FIND A BED.

Day 1127: Boring school post.

An update on school. I received my financial aid package. Thank you government for barely giving me enough money to live. But. At least school will be paid for within the first week of school. The admissions office has received all my transcripts (huzzah). I faxed all my health forms over to make sure I could actually, gosh, see patients and not infect them. It should be the other way around, as we all know. Like I said, boring.

Day 1126: Baby Sister's Graduation!

For those of you who read my blog, I assume you know me. I have this amazing younger sister who is just the bee's knees. She is, by far, cooler and better than me in every regard. Except maybe fashion but even now I try to dress like a 64 year old white man so maybe she does have me beat ;)

Anyway! Baby sister graduated! From college! Keep your applause until the end, please. She graduated with a degree in public relations and a minor in international business. She's just the best thing you have ever seen. I don't know how she keeps her awesome under wraps, but it always peeks out so we know that it's there. The graduation itself was pretty boring, as all graduations tend to be, but I screamed pretty darn loud when they called her name!

So, that was that. She goes to school near LA, so on Sunday, I went to the Rose Bowl Flea Market (pictured below) with my sister and my friend and saw this person (the second picture):

I love her more than anything. She looked super normal (not thinner in real life) and did normal things like eat overpriced pretzels and mull about the stalls. My sister mocked my friend and I for being so amazed at her normalcy, but honestly, when you're famous, after a certain amount of time, you forget what normal is like. You expect things. Like umbrella holders (people, not objects). Or free stuff. Stuff normal people don't have. So.

Dear the actress from "The Notebook" and "Mean Girls" (that's who that is in case you can't tell), I love you. Thank you for being normal and relatable. I apologize for stalking you for half an hour, but I tried to be covert. I did not sell this photo to TMZ and if they try to take it, I will sue them for not asking my permission (note how I haven't written your name in an attempt to save you from internet psychotism and TMZ stalking me). I respect you and your privacy (despite taking this paparazzi photo). Love, Me

Day 1125: Boston, not quite a town, not quite a city. A towity.

My good friend Smash (from college who currently resides in Boston) calls it a cown (pronounced like "sound" with no "d"). I think it's a towity. In all honesty, I wasn't wow-ed by Boston. It was there. I entered with no expectations of the city, which is the best way to go through new experiences in life I've found.  I knew it wouldn't be New York. And believe you me, it was not. It has a lot of history and a lot of interesting architecture. It's a walk-able towity. It's pretty. Its subway system is fine. It sure as ain't no New York Metro, but it gets you from A to B. There are lots of colleges. Lots of students. Lots of white people. Lots of Asians (predominantly around MIT, shocker much?). All I can tell you is, Boston is not for me. If I had to live there, temporarily (like when I was in North Carolina), I would, of course. But I would never choose to live there. It's fun enough to visit though. Next time, I'll do more of the free things.

I lost my Boston pictures when I synced up my new phone to my computer. I was bummed about losing some fun pictures of Boston Common and the Public Garden (pretty parks in the heart of Boston), the George Washington statue wearing a customized Bruins jersey, the State House (pretty gold roof), and churches (pretty architecture), but such is life. I only have pictures from my camera, which have people in them. And for those of you who don't know, I have this weird idea about publicizing myself so even though I have a blog, have you noticed there are no pictures of me? Even my new teeth ones have my eyes barred out. I don't know why I'm so weird about it. When I read fashion blogs, etc, I like seeing the blogger's pictures. To post pictures of myself or not? That is the question. (Comment if you feel so inclined, I'm here for the masses of course)

Day 1124: New York, my one true love.

I was in New York for eight days. It had been two years since I had been. I need you to understand how at home I feel in New York. It feels like I'm whole. And if you've met/hung out with me in the last six months, I am very, very whole. I'm a little intense in my wholeness. Imagine how complete I feel in New York. It's just a very comfortable feeling. Walking the streets. Finding new things around every corner. Eating and gaining back all the weight I lost doing yoga. Seeing friends. It's all just a wonderful feeling that I have decided I have to find my way back post-med school. Have to. Must. Absolutely necessary.

I had to get a new phone while I was there so I lost my pictures when I synced my old info onto my new phone. Luckily I saved these to my email. The rest were just photos from the Met and the "Celebrating 100 Years" at the New York Public Library. It was sad at first, but these were my keepers anyway.

Day 1123: Wisconsin

Wisconsin was...fine. I hung out with my good friend's Dad. I hung out with said good friend's ex-boyfriends. One of whom is my new roommate. I found an apartment. For the price of a pair of shoes, haha not even kidding. It's so cheap out there. It's beyond laughable. It's actually a crime to think how cheap it is in comparison to California or New York or other expensive places I like to frequent.

Anyhoo, I went to the Miller Brewery with one of my new friends Bruce (like Wayne! He likes comics). It's a fun little tour and you get free beer at the end. So. Even though I have deemed there to be nothing in the midwest (actually, my mother said that and I came to concur after spending a little more than two weeks there), I am there. Therefore. Visit. And drink free beer. The end.

Day 1123: Indianapolis

After Columbus, I went to visit my best friend in Indiana! Let me tell you a little something about her. If any human being on earth could follow a plan as perfectly as she did, I can promise you, this person does not exist. Only one person has her act together and her name is Jessica's Best Friend (we shall here on out call her JBF).

So, JBF graduated law school, passed her bar exam while in law school (which is practically unheard of!), got sworn in to the bar, and is now saving the world from law-breakers! Did I mention she married her middle-school sweetheart last year and owns a home? Not some closet in the back room of a bar. A house! A home!

Why can't my life come together like this?

Alas, our time together was so taken up with celebrating her (which was absolutely wonderful), that we didn't get too much one-on-one time (which was absolutely dismal). It was fantastic to see her and reconnect since it had been awhile. I was just reminded how great she is and how lucky I am to have her in my life. Good thing I'm moving to the midwest so we can be closer, both geographically and metaphorically.

To keep this from being the most boring entry of praise ever, here are some pictures from my trip:

The rest are actually of her and her family and that's just Facebook on crack (posting things without her consent/breaching her privacy by posting pictures of her). So. You have a highway sign and building. Suck it up and enjoy it.

Day 1122: Ohio, the end.

Ohio was pretty tame. My friend was busier than balls so I just hung out in her apartment and watched Sportscenter and my new semi-obsession, "Khloe and Lamar." I just want to tell you all. In six weeks, I have never seen SO much reality television in my life. "Real Housewives" of any city imagineable, "Khloe and Lamar," "So You Think You Can Dance," "The Voice," there are more. My brain just can't remember them all.

M and I did end up playing trampoline dodgeball (what a workout!) and eating at a restaurant featured on "Man versus Food." Here's a picture of the Thurmanator (comprised of: Bottom bun, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle, banana peppers, 12 ounce burger, bacon, cheddar, another 12 oz burger, sautéed mushrooms & onions, ham, mozzarella & American cheese, top bun served with fries) that an acquaintance ordered. I was feeling fat that day and couldn't stomach all that food so I got another burger, haha.

The best part? My friend couldn't finish it and he got a to-go box. ...only to forget his to-go box! Oh man. Life is so cruel sometimes.

Day 1122: I suck.

I know this. I was on vacation and didn't really have much going on except vacating my mind of any real thoughts so I didn't end up blogging. I'm going to split up all these posts so it looks like a) I'm a regular blogger (lies!) and b) so you aren't bored out of your mind from reading a post that should have ended four sentences ago.

Summary: In six weeks, I was in six different cities, in six different states. I'll break up the posts accordingly. I arrived home Sunday night and have been up to things also! I think I'll update you on that since it's most recent and more relevant since vacation is over and done with.

I'm home. I'm hanging out with the 'rents. I've seen friends. I've done errands. I am volunteering at my yoga studio for FREE YOGA (pure bliss). I'm reading books. I'm enjoying the nice weather. I'm getting back into daily NPR listening sessions. It's a good life.