No pictures... don't yell at me!

I haven't taken any. I feel like I should have by now, but I don't want to look like some strange Gambier/Kenyon tourist who whips out her camera at every opprotune or non-opprotune moment. It hasn't seemed appropriate, I guess.

First day of classes today - it's more tiring than it sounds. Even though you're just sitting in a classroom for five hours and writing, it's exhausting. And hunger-inducing. I think I've eaten more today than I have in the past week.

Okay, I have to talk about the food. I know there's people here who have to "adjust" to it or whatever, but it is really good. I was not expecting it to have this much variety or amazingness. The area to get your food is shining and clean - six or seven stations with different foods like "desserts," "deli," "international," "comfort," etc.

It's so easy to understand the freshman fifteen now. Man.

But really. For breakfast, they had eggs and cereal and delicious pancakes and hash browns and bagels and toast and peanut butter (the peanut butter has its own station at every meal, Lord knows why) and every type of juice imaginable plus milk and chocolate milk and oh my goodness it was like a feast.

Plus we ate in the "great hall." Our program director referred to it as the "Gryffindor hall" because literally, and I am so not joking, it looks like the Hogwarts great hall. I swear I'll take a picture sometime this week because I feel like I'm in Hogwarts with my delicious food.

In workshops it was kind of introductory. I like my group, and there are a couple girls who I've already *bonded* with almost immediately. I won't judge anyone yet, so I'm not complaining. Yet. But there are a couple people who made me ask myself, "why are you guys here?" But I think they may just have a bit of trouble opening up - so we'll see how the workshops work out.

I'm excited for day two.

Quotes of the day:
"Don't make the self-depricating writers angry with your hotness."
"I see you guys go into the bookstore and grab ice cream. That is not water. Drink WATER. Learn the difference."

Arrived.

I am here.

Gambier, Ohio.

It's about as small town as you'd think Gambier, Ohio would be. Basically, the campus is the town. No one's in danger of leaving campus. Trust me.

The people are fabulous - my roommate is awesome, she likes photography and writing as well, so that's something we can *bond* over.

It was interesting to introduce ourselves - I got to know a lot of people because everyone's all over the place and interjecting themselves into the conversation. You get to know the people in your dorm and people who you've walked around with a lot, and I'm excited to start classes tomorrow so I'll get to know more people there.

The day has been exhausting - I didn't get much sleep last night or in the car, and then when we got here, it was pretty much a go-go-go day. We had a tour of the campus, dinner, then met our program directors/RAs/instructors and introduced ourselves to the entire camp by saying our names, where we were from, and one word to describe the trip.

You could definitely tell some people were trying to impress - there were some words I didn't know at all. Ah, well, it's a time to learn, right?

The campus is beautiful - the dorms are bleary, but it's only two weeks. I hope I'll be outside or in some of the pretty buildings a lot of the time. The dining hall is FANTASTIC. There's a modern section and then part where it literally looks like the Hogwarts Great Hall. And it's amazing.

I'll see if I have time to take pictures tomorrow - from what it sounds like, it's going to be a busy two weeks. We already have homework.

I'm back... again...

I swear, I still want a blog. Time just gets away from me, you know? One day, it's the beginning of June and I have an entire list of things that I just know I'm going to get done over the summer, and the next minute... it's July 14th and I'm leaving in two days.

I realize this blog is kind of turning into a rant spot for my mother, which is fine, because I'd much rather she rant at a computer than at us (love you, mommy!). But I do want to keep going, and I'll try and do a better job at posting.

I'm going to try and use the blog as a journal for the writing camp I'm going on for the next two weeks - most people who read this blog know where I'm going, but just for the sake of ease I'll explain.

I was accepted to The Kenyon Review Young Writers' Workshop. It's a highly selective, intensive two-week writing camp held at Kenyon College for high-school-aged young adults who love to write. I applied last year but got wait-listed, and this year I was accepted (with a full-ride scholarship to boot!). Kenyon's been called "the Harvard of creative writing" so I'm pretty excited to go. The camp consists of 3 classes a day - each an hour and a half long, so five hours of writing per day (it consists of about 50 hours of in-class time over the two weeks, plus there's homework and readings to do. Yes, it's more than most college courses. It's intense. And I'm super excited.) We live on campus, and all the facilities are open to us - gym, track, swimming pool, etc. We live in dorms with roommates, so it's basically like two weeks of college. But just writing.

It's going to be awesome.

So anyway, I leave on Sunday and I'm *hoping* to use the blog as kind of a journal to keep fam and friends updated while I'm away. If I have time, I'll post pictures, but since I can't do lengthy posts on Facebook, I'll be doing it here.

Summer has been intense. I've been working full time (generally 50-60 hours a week) with two (basically three) jobs. I've been outside all the time, since both jobs are lifeguarding, so it's safe to say I'm a little sick of being outside (how often do you hear that?). I cannot wait for these two weeks off to relax, have fun, and actually wear clothing that doesn't involve a swimsuit underneath.





I'll try and post more often. Seriously.

My Country My Choice

Tomorrow marks our nation's birthday and what did they play at church in honor of this holiday weekend? "This is My Song," what a cop out!! The pages surrounding this communist trash included "America the Beautiful" " Star Spangled Banner" and "My Country 'Tis of Thee" one of those beautiful hymns could not have been chosen, please for just one day can we be proud of our great nation? I am sorry that so many feel we need to apologize for what we have but I am too far down on the economic chain to feel anything but grateful for the country in which I live. We have enough, and "Enough is as good as a feast" per Mary Poppins. I don't believe that being proud of my nation is putting other countries down, just expressing a personal opinion which is allowed in this country. I don't believe that patriotism equals arrogance either. Any more than when I was in junior high and high school and supported my school's athletic endeavors. I didn't hate those other schools or the young people that attended them, I wasn't snubbing or bashing, often I was actually scoping out the hot guys, but we had school spirit and let them know it. We shook hands when the battles were over and congratulated winners.

I truly believe I live in the greatest country on earth, especially for women, and all this greatness didn't come free. We need to honor our heritage and those that fought to gain and protect our freedoms not make excuses for what we have. We should offer it to others willing to pay the price. They may choose to join or go their separate ways, but I do not have to be ashamed because I was blessed to be born here and choose to remain.

No, it is not a perfect country, we daily make mistakes and our freedoms are threatened just as often by ignorant do-gooders. Yet, even those times when I am sad for my nation because of poorly made choices, when I wish that life were more fair, I still believe this is the greatest nation on earth.


O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

Katharine Lee Bates