life is wonderful.

So I have been in South Padre since Friday. The drive down was long and it was good to finally arrive. I started training on Saturday and we went out on the ATVs for a bit, which was fun. Sunday was my first actual day of work and it went okay. I'm learning everything little by little. I had Monday off and slept 'till about 1pm. Then Abe and I headed to the beach for about half an hour. Not even two minutes after we had come back, he shows up at my trailer to tell me there is a nesting turtle over by this hotel just down the beach. So we book it down there, I don't even bother to change out of my bikini or put clothes on. So when we arrived, I got to experience my first nesting turtle. It was mega exciting. I got my picture taken with it just to be corny. Afterwards, we ended up having to go respond to yet another nesting sea turtle. So then I got to see ANOTHER one. This one I got to actually touch and hold on to while Adrienne and Abe did tagging and measuring and what not. Then Jeff and I found another nest. All in all we found four nests yesterday and it was a really great day off.

I've been at the hospital all day just cleaning tanks and sitting around. I have my first patrol tomorrow which I'm excited about. Seven hours of riding an ATV up and down the beach is going to be extremely tiring, though. I'm going to be slathering on the sunscreen.

So far I've been having a fantastic time. I like all the fellow interns and I'm really enjoying having the beach right in my backyard. My trailer isn't the nicest of homes, but it'll do. And I have plenty of extra space for visitors (2 extra beds plus a pull out couch) so come visit.

midnight on the beach in the mediterranean and i miss you, even here taking it all in.

I was just outside having a cigarette. It was drizzling outside and the raindrops felt amazing on my skin. The night was so quiet and as I puffed away, I just remembered how amazingly beautiful the world is. I had to share the moment with someone so I texted Justin. I figured he'd appreciate what I was saying.

I am feeling really good in my life. More honesty. More openness. More vulnerability. It's nice. I need to get back into my gym routine. It's been an off week.

My room is so bare. I took down all my posters in preparation for shipping back home. My shelves are slowly emptying as I pack things away. Organizing between what's staying here in storage, what's being shipped in boxes, and what is coming on the plane with me. My life has been so mobile the past few years. Moving in and out of places every six months or so isn't fun, necessarily. In fact, it's quite a pain in the ass. But it's still a nice feeling, getting ready to go back to a place that you love to see people you love.

We were all talking about how crazy time is. This time last year I was mentally preparing myself to head to Australia after what would turn out to be one of the best summers of my life. Hannah was planning her wedding. So weird. Time is one of those silent thieves, stealing the years out from under our noses. But through our losses of days and months and years, we gain so much.

To wrap this up, I guess I'll just state that I am going to (hopefully) see Incubus in concert on August 19th in Austin with Compton. I'm asking for two tickets for my birthday and my mom has already told me that she'd give me the money for 'em. I just have to keep my fingers crossed that I can actually get the tickets. They go on sale on the 16th and I'm going to buy them ASAP. I'm very much looking forward to that. I may eat mushrooms, but I'm undecided for a number of reasons. First of all, I've never been in a situation like that under the influence of psychedelic drugs. Second of all, if I have a bad trip, I will have nowhere to escape to besides to just leave and I don't want to ruin the entire concert by freaking out. On the other hand, should everything go according to plan, it would be an amazing experience. Who knows.

I will be home in four days.

you shock my soul.

Finals start for me tomorrow. I've been slacking for the past two weeks because I've had nothing to do and unfortunately, my mind has turned off and is in summer mode. I have to wake it up for the next two days. I have film studies tomorrow, then cell bio on Friday. Then I'm free. Lee is hopefully going to come up and visit between when I'm done with finals and when I head home on Wednesday, but we'll see if it actually happens.

I'm excited for the summer but I'm going to miss my friends desperately. Especially because some of them are graduating. I can't believe this time next year I will be the one graduating. Holy shit.