final countdown...

I am so looking forward to summer. As it gets closer, I continuously find and realize more things I can be doing with my life that I have been hindered from for the last several years by college. Yes, there are some things that I have to more away from now that I will not longer be a college student, but I suppose in the grand scheme of things I'm not too upset about this fact.

For now, as I am so exhausted from packing in the last few things of my graduate school year. But at the same time, there is an endless list of things I should be thankful for:

-Living in a house with awesome roommates
-The anticipation of going to LotR FotR EE in theaters with my sister and her beautiful housemates and my close friends the week after term
-Amazing friends who have been my prayer champions all year and have been supporting me in my endeavors
-I'm about to have two college degrees!!! I will be among the 6% in the United States to have a Master's degree!
-Parents who love me and have helped me in more ways than I can repay them, especially in regards to my education this year
-My cooperating teachers and professors - I might have been frustrated, but you were right, I grew
-My professors - you encourage me in so many ways, I admire and respect you so much
-Coffee
-Warm weather after intense, yet beautiful rain
-Friends who share my love for music
-Being single - no, seriously, I'm SO THANKFUL for being single! I can do whatever I want and hang out with whoever I want and we can go anywhere whenever! I can't wait to use this summer to really get into God. I have nothing holding me back. I have never been so happy to be single.
-Still maintaining a high level of skill on the violin without time or energy to practice at all
-Having time to sign up for an ultimate frisbee team with friends this summer
-Maintaining 80% of my flexibility and endurance without trying
-Being in a wonderful family of college students in Real Life
-Random, ridiculous, outrageous, last minute, and irrational trips to Lake Shasta with amazing brothers and sisters
-Realizing that I can be myself in two weeks - it's such a weird realization. I thought about it today in class while sitting with Carissa: I'm so excited to just BE ME again. No stress of school, grades, or assignments, no needing to be in a box. I can't wait to sleep, stay up and watch the stars, take random road trips to the beach, or other locations around the northwest and the country - and travel around the world, and to read, to watch movies, to go on coffee and food dates and adventures with friends. To start running again, to work out, to be in shape, to be fit and active and feel good about myself again. To read my Bible and really have the freedom to devote my full self to Christ. To sing, dance, love, hug, cook, bake, text, talk, walk, run, bike, hike, surf, eat, longboard, whatever I can wherever I can however long I want.

Life: begin already!