Human Evolution

We as humans are constantly evolving. We learn things, go places, see things, form relationships, get hurt, learn from our mistakes, make new mistakes, do our best and are always changing. That’s just how being human works. We would be boring if we constantly remained the same, and life isn’t about being boring. It’s about learning and evolving and changing and becoming the awesome people we are meant to be.

To me, part of this process is the parts of ourselves that we leave behind in places. I know that when I graduated from high school I left a part of myself there. I liked high school. And I made great friends there, and I evolved a lot as a person. It would have been impossible for me to not have left a tiny part of myself there when I left. And then when I went to UConn I absolutely left a part of myself there when I graduated. At UConn I grew up, began becoming an adult, continued putting together who I wanted to be as a person. I love the person I worked on becoming while I was at UConn, and when I left a part of me stayed in Storrs. And then this year when I went back to my old high school to do my internship I grew and evolved again, this time as a teacher and as a professional. I learned so much about the type of person I want to be and the type of teacher I want to be. And then when I left at the end of the school year I left a part of myself behind as I moved forward into the next stage of my grad school career.

I think that if we didn’t leave tiny parts of ourselves behind we wouldn’t really be evolving. The parts we leave behind are memories of who we were and of who we became. And we can refer back to them to track that journey as we move forward in life and maybe need some reassurance or just to renew our faith that we are evolving and becoming the individuals we want to be. Because we are evolving as people, all the time, every day, with every decision that we make. And that’s good. That’s what we’re supposed to be doing. Just remember to enjoy the journey and learn from it at every step and turn.

BrittanyM

Wrapping Up Summer

This is my last week of summer. Next week I have class, and the week after that I start my internship. I’m excited for all of this, and I think that it’s all going to be wonderful. I’m especially excited for my internship and for going to work at my old high school. I think that it’s going to be such a great experience, and that I’m really going to learn a lot.

But before my fall adventures can start, summer has to end. That sounds a lot sadder in writing than it did in my head. But at the same time it’s true. Normally my birthday signifies the end of summer because it’s at the end of August. But this time, I think that my class signifies the end of summer, and my birthday signifies the end of the in-between period.

With my last few vestiges of summer, there are some things that I want to try to fit in. They’re things that I try to do all the time, but I know that it might be harder once my classes and my internship are going on. Here they are:

1. Read. I love to read. I always have. I just went to the library today and checked out 5 new books. I can’t wait to read them and be swept away in their stories.
2. Spend time with family and friends. It’s not that I don’t spend time with family and friends. I’m always trying to spend time with family and friends. But I want to get some quality time in now before we’re all so busy. I especially want to spend some time with one of my nearest and dearest friends who’s moving to Brookline in a couple of weeks.
3. Take time to write. I always try to write. Sometimes I’m better about it than at other times. Lately I’ve been good about blogging and about writing in my journal, but I haven’t been as good about writing stories and poems. All the different types of writing are important, but I want to try to fit them all in in more balance.
4. Appreciate the little moments. This is something that I really want to work on. I often get swept up in the chaos and everything that I have going on. It’s easy to get swept away with my classwork and my to do list and things that seem important and sometimes are but sometimes aren’t. I want to take the time to appreciate the little moments – a good joke, a pretty sunset, car rides with my family, a good cup of tea. I want to take time to NOT be swept away in the chaos of every day life.

What about you? Do you have any special way that you’re wrapping up summer?

BrittanyM

Good Times

Tonight I got together with my very closest friends from high school. The six of us have stayed close throughout the college years despite being at different colleges in different states and not being home at the same times. Luckily we all normally come home for Christmas and make a point of getting together. Tonight we all went out for dinner and drinks which was a great time. We shared stories and ate good food and laughed a lot. There isn’t much more one can ask for in a night. And really I couldn’t ask for greater friends. Most of them I’ve been friends with since freshman year of high school which seems like forever ago, and all these years later we’re still friends. We still like getting together. We still have fun with each other. And really, isn’t that what matters most? Being with people you like and can have fun with? I think that’s a pretty important part of life.

BrittanyM

Congratulations to the Class of 2013

I know that today is Friday and normally on Fridays I write a Friday Fun post. And I know that this is the second week in a row I haven’t done that. But big events keep happening on Fridays. Tonight it was the graduation at my old high school.

It’s been a few years since I attended a high school graduation. (Mine was the last one.) And the ceremony was nice, and with my uncertainty about what I’m going to do after I graduate, it was reassuring to hear the speeches tonight. They all seemed to be assuring me that everything was going to be OK no matter what exactly I ended up doing.

It was also a lot of fun to see the graduates. I had to take photos for my internship so I got to see everyone before they walked down to the field for the ceremony. Everyone was dressed nicely, caps were decorated, and everyone was excited. Graduation is a big deal whether it’s graduation from high school or from college.

And just think. In less than a year I’ll be graduating again. I’ll become part of the class of 2014 and I’ll become a “grownup.” And to me that’s a little scary, because I’m not sure I’m entirely ready or that I will be entirely ready when the time comes.

And what I would like to end this post with is this. Congratulations to the class of 2013. Fabulous and exciting things await you, and I wish you all the best of luck.

BrittanyM

Weekend Update

Happy it’s almost officially summer weekend! Just one more week until the “official” start of summer. It’s something for everyone to look forward to, especially those still in school. The last day of school and graduation at my high school aren’t until next Friday, the official start of summer. All the hurricanes and blizzards seriously messed with the school schedule here, and I think everyone is ready for school to be done.

In the spirit of summer, today was an adventure filled and wonderful day. My parents and I ran errands this morning and then the family ran errands and hung out this afternoon. The weather was beautiful if a little warm for my liking, and all in all it’s been a great day.

Tomorrow is Father’s Day (!) and I have an event to cover and an article to write. The event has been postponed twice because of bad weather, and I’m really hoping to actually get to cover it tomorrow. The deadline for my article is a little tight because of postponements (I have to essentially go home and write the article immediately following the event) but I’m looking forward to it all and being able to finally finish this assignment.

More to come tomorrow.

BrittanyM