Laundry and the Loop

Hello friends,

/June 7th 2013/
So the weather has finally cleared up today and the forecast foretells the foreshadowing of future favorable weather. Damn girl I'm loving that alliteration you got goin' on there! Werk it.
Plot twist: Guys cat calling at your extensive vocabulary.

I have been so fed up with all the cooler weather and rain we've been getting, when I should be able to wear a tank top without a having to layer a few jackets over it. It's been absolutely infuriating. But the sun is finally shining and my windows are open welcoming the fresh breeze as I do a bit of cleaning around the house.

That being said, for the first time in my life I tackled the task of doing my own laundry. I know, I know. Gasps from both sides of the globe can be heard while reading this. How old am I you ask? 21, I say nervously while looking down at the ground. Shame spreading across my face painting my cheeks and ears a bright red. It's not my fault I protest, I just never came around to doing my own laundry when I was living with my parents! But fear not my friends, no longer will I revel in the luxury of free laundry service. I attempted this chore with confidence and came out...well, semi-successful.

How does one mess up the act of doing laundry you ask? Well sometimes I do this thing where I roll my socks together so they wont get lost in my room after I take them off, and I forgot to do that while putting my clothes in to the washing machine. And well, socks that stay together through thick and thin, holding on for dear life to each other through a soapy whirlpool--it's actually a very touching story--don't get the cleanest since their dirty parts aren't exposed (<--sexual innuendo).

Moral of the story: Always separate your socks before putting them in any washing apparatus.

I have a better story than just me washing clothes. That would be pathetic if that was the only adventure I had this weekend....

/June 9th 2013/
Guise, let me tell you of the exciting happenstances that occurred over this past weekend!

SO me and my boyfriend Dan, took a trip to Saint Louis yesterday to see Story of the Year play at the Pageant theatre. First off, let me juts tell you a nice little anecdote about my life. I was originally born in Springfield and then moved to St. Louis when I was really young. I spent about 4 or 5 years there and grew up in a house in a neighborhood in University City (U City Represent!) I use to spend a lot of my time hanging out around the Loop at a young age and being able to go back and visit twice in one month was amazing. I have a lot of friends that are from St. Louis and for them it's just where they call home. But, for me it's something different. After spending so much of my life in the Springfield area, and Springfield is by no means the shiniest penny in the coin purse, to go back and visit such a beautiful city like U City not only brought back a sense of nostalgia, but reminded me of the love I hold for bigger cities like it.

The sound of cars driving on the street at night when the sun is just going down and creates a glow among the people and shops along the street. The smell of all the different restaurants mixing in the warm summer air. And I'm not talking about fast food, I'm talking about fresh root beer and cream soda from Ftiz's, savory burgers and fries from Blueberry Hill, decadent pastries, the mix of fruit and mint in the smoke from the hookah lounge. All these smells intertwining with the sounds of people walking and talking, discussing their jobs, days, adventures of their own lives. It's the city life and the people who inhabit it that I'm in love with. If I can someday live in a city like this with someone I love and enjoy many summer evenings with, that would be the perfect life for me.

Speaking of food! There is this amazing authentic italian pastry shop right down the street from The Pageant that Dan and I have started making it a tradition to stop in there every time we are in St. Louis. It's called Piccione and the desserts there are HELLA DANK! Total foodgasm. I recommend the strawberry or black cherry cannoli.

Anyways I was originally telling you all about Story of the Year. Spoiler alert: It was awesome! It was actually my first time ever being at a concert. Please calm down people, bring your dropped jaws up from the floor.

The opening bands were great I enjoyed them and when Story of the Year came on stage everyone went nuts. People were so stoked for their performance, since they were originally from St. Louis and it being their 10 year anniversary. Me and Dan were down in the pit for most of it. I ended up getting popped in the nose by some random at one point, but no harm was done. I was mesmerized by the people participating in the pit. Kids were being pushed left and right and falling down, it was insanity and almost frightening (to me at least, Dan compared it to a pinball machine, kids just bouncing off of each other). And the energy there was awesome. Dan was the one who got me into them, since previously I had never listened to them. I envy his extensive knowledge and taste in music. All together it was an amazing time and I am so glad seeing them was my first concert experience.

After the show got out we went over to Pin-Up Bowl down the street for a drink with some of Dan's friends and finished the night hanging out with a close friend of his talking about nothing and everything into the late hours of the night.

Side note: Every friend of Dan's I've met have been the nicest and most genuine people, and just a quick thought but it's just a nice feeling having a someone in your life that is just an all around wonderful person and I would have no problem having any of his friends meet my parents. He's just the best, nbd.

Well that's all I have for you folks. Till my next adventure!

xo
-H

Independence and Adulthood are an Important Part of This Balanced Breakfast

I always though I would live with my parents till I was 30, but after turning 21 I felt a need, an urgency for and new sense of freedom and independence. And the timing was perfect. It is going to be my senior year in college and every week I'm going to make it my goal to blog at least once. Documenting my summer as I divulge head first into this new and terrifyingly exciting adventure known as 'adulthood'.

Now nothing makes a blog officially a blog without a corny introduction, an 'about me', 'my bio', the unique life story that sets you apart from the rest of the world. Well my future readers, hold on to your butts as I recap the last 20 years of my existence.

Birth. I have no memory of leaving my mother's womb, but it must have been the most terrible experience of my life.  Having to leave a toasty water bed with free room service to be pushed out into the cold, hard, shiny, noisy hell hole that is the world, maybe that's the reason I didn't stop crying for 3 months straight. I was given a name, obviously and was then the responsibility of my parents to care for and teach me the ways of the world. I'd say I turned out pretty alright.

Adjectives: I am creative, funny, whimsical, sensitive, loyal, dependent, paranoid, messy (only sometimes) bouncy, tall, empathetic, thoughtful, cheerful, NOT a morning person, a tea drinker,  procrastinator, lover, artist, writer, hair color enthusiast, plotter, thinker, hipster, reader, movie-goer, chocolate eater, improviser, apron collector, laugher, joker, future comedian, sister, daughter, and blogger!

I don't believe in being normal or that I was ever once normal in my life. I had this one phase in fourth grade where my favorite thing to do was convince people that I was crazy and the only thing I feasted on was mongoose (don't ask). Do you know what a "mongoose" is? Here's one right HERE. They kind of resemble a ferret. Adorable right? I know, why I said I ate them I have no clue. I guess I just liked the word and the reaction I got from others. At a young age I loved to be the source of others laughter, whether they were laughing at me or because of me. People can break that down though, that being the specific things that make you odd or unique. Whatever it may be some see it an not normal. And sometimes those people get to you and you stop being weird and try to be normal. Being normal is overrated and people will always reveal to you their true selves whether they want you to see it or not. Do you know what normal people do? They become the CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch.

My childhood is more or less a boring blur, that isn't worth me trying to dazzle it up with fancy words and funny anecdotes. Two parents, multiple family pets, a little sister, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Throughout my years I've done sleepovers, corn mazes, haunted houses, birthday parties, summers spent having fun instead of working, family vacations to Florida, family vacations to Colorado, weekends spent in the mall, sneaking out and TP-ing houses, sneaking out and getting caught, ACT tests, homecoming games, school dances where nobody danced, art projects, science projects, math test, history papers, english papers, senior projects, graduation, freshman, sophomore, and junior years of college living at home. One really bad relationship, and one really good relationship.

Middle School: I think the years from 6th to 8th grade during Middle School children should be able to take a leave of absence during this time. Who didn't hate Middle School? Who hated calling it "Middle  School" because it sounded so much better to refer to it at "Junior High" but everyone insisted on calling it middle school when it should just not exist because it was the worst years of our lives. If you weren't awkward and ugly at this point in your life you're lying and that's not true. We ALL looked bad in Middle School. We all had a bad hair cut, or spent hours straightning our hair till it was fried to a crisp. We all wore too much frosty lipgloss and powder blue eyeshadow and tried out for the cheerleading team but didn't make it and from that moment was convinced that cheerleading was stupid even though all through High School we wished that we could've been a cheerleader but we wouldn't admit that to anyone in our lives......
Middle school is like the dark ages of our lives. We know it happened at some point but everyone's too embarrassed to ever relive those memories.


High School:
I was a freshman. And it was dumb.
I was a sophomore. And it was dumb.
I met a boy. And he was dumb.
I was a junior. And it was dumb.
My relationship turned into a controlling prison.
And it was dumb.
I was a senior. I did a senior project. I graduated. And it was dumb.
The end.

High school and part of college were not very good times in my life. At this time I was in a very controlling and verbally abusive relationship, and it was something that I would never wish on my enemy. I don't want to go into detail very much because it is in the past and I don't want to dwell on it. I hope to pass on some advice to anyone reading that went through or is going through a similar situation.

When I started dating my ex I was elated at first, he was sweet to me and like a fish to bait I was caught. 3 months went by where things went well. Going to the lake with his family on weekends, hanging out at the mall, going to the movies on many occasions. It was normal things that other couples our age participated in. And then school started and my world was turned upside down and basically shit on. There were fights. There was jealously and insecurity to the extreme. He talked to other girls but I wasn't allowed to talk to anyone of the opposite sex. Looking back I know that that was my first red flag, but at my ripe age of 16 I thought I had my life by the reigns and had control, when really that was just the first step to me losing control for 4 and a half years after this.
Let's just say it wasn't pretty.
If you're going through a similar situation I have two words for you: GET OUT. Get out and take your life back. It's not going to be the end of the world. There are others around you, who care about you and want the best for you. After I broke up with my ex do you know what happened. I found a great guy that treats me like an actually human being. Not only that but I have the freedom to make my own decision and I have surrounded myself with amazing people that bring out the best in me. And that has made all the difference.

Which brings us to the present...DRUMROLL PLEASE...*sounds of drums rolling*

This blog is dedicated to my first summer being on my own and facing independence and adulthood head on. AND I wan't to share this experience with you all. For better or worse you'll be able to share in everything that I tackle this summer and the following years to come. Yes I plan on keeping this blog going for years (how else am I to become famous and get my rep up?)
You'll be there when I don't have enough money for rent and all the future tattoos I plan to get.
So like I said hold on to your butts! It's going to be a bumpy summer!

So it's been about a week and a day since I officially moved back into my house and have been living on my own. I saved up a bit of money previously so the only thing that has put a dent in my account has been getting my own groceries, paying for rent, and most recently my newest tattoo that I put on my body (I have three if you're curious).

It hasn't been too lonely, two of my three roommates, Maggie and Megan, are down here and with a few of our mutual friends always in an out it's never too quiet. Surprisingly I haven't gotten homesick since moving back home (sorry Mom!) I guess when you spend 21 years living with your parents when you decide to finally leave the nest it's not quite as much as a shock.

But really I owe my ability to adjust smoothly to adulthood all to my parents. They raised me to become the person I am today and I can't thank them enough for being so unconditionally loving an supporting of me. There are many parents that kick their kids to the street once that hi the big 1-8 but I found myself incredibly lucky to claim my wonderful, yet sometimes overbearing, parents as my own. They have taught me many valuable lessons that include never taking candy from strangers, and always looking both ways before crossing the street. That taught me the value of a dollar and that I need to work for what I want. They taught me that seeing the world and traveling is sometimes more important than finishing college (only if I want to) and that I shouldn't be my harshest critique; that I am a beautiful inside and out. They taught me the joy in comedic timing and that a good cry can always make you feel better. Calories never count after it gets dark and that the moon was put up in the sky for me using a very tall later and is always with me no matter where I go. And for that I thank them.

While I will miss my parents being like a security blanket at my side, it truly is a breath of fresh air to be on my own. And I can't wait to see what this chapter of my life brings me and I can't wait to spend it with you my future readers!

I have been called many names Hil, Hillbilly, Hilarious, Hildog, Hildo, Lawrance, Lary call me what you will, or just Hilary is fine.

Till next time,
xo H