marching on

what an incredible month.
graduation after graduation. so many hugs and smiles and joy. together, we are moving on.
then the beach with my very best friends. just us, and that perfectly blue water.

and then finally, came my turn. i skipped down that aisle, gave my little speech (maybe i was as nervous as i sounded) and got a little teary at mom and dad's kind words of wisdom. we all pulled out sunglasses at the end- that's just how cool we are, and my heart nearly burst of joy running back out of there. what a moment.i really can't express that love, of being surrounded by these beautiful souls you've come to care for so deeply. it makes me just want to collapse in their arms and stay there forever. we talked till the sun showed it's face the next day, and saying good-bye was terribly hard.


after graduation was a magical week- the week of nothing. i don't think i've had a week with positively nothing, and i mean NOTHING, to do since i was maybe 6. commence with the soccer practice, and wandering around town and lazy afternoons of games and tossing the football and exciting rainy fog hikes and tips to the pool and endless laughter.

yesterday, matt and richard came early and with emmy, we made strawberry-stuffed french toast, (nearest to heaven i've ever been.) played silly games, donned our 'hiking suits' and sneakily got into the rock quarry. we jumped off cliffs till my butt was black and blue from the fall. swimming in that crystal water, near drowning because you can't swim and laugh, myspace pics; i couldn't ask for more.sometimes we play this game and ask questions like,
"if you had one last day to live, what would you do?"
or "what would a perfect day be to you?"
that. that would be it.
being with my best friends.
swimming.
laughing.
happy just to be together.

and i don't want it to end.

today, i'm packing-- for the rest of my life.
i have a DC pile, and a grand canyon hiking trip pile, a russia pile,
and i'm working on a suitcase of winter stuff to go ahead and take up now.
no, no, no. can i just press pause, please?
i'm not ready to leave.
i don't want to pack for college.
i don't want to get on any planes.
i wanna stay here. just be here. a little longer.

"and the world spins madly on"