A letter to the me yet to come

Dear future me,

I'm not sure where you are right now, where you'll be when you come across this letter again,
but I hope it was a wonderful adventure getting there.

I hope you finally went and walked the crowded streets of New York.
I hope you lived out the rest of your college years without regrets and made more lasting memories than a body can count.
I hope you always made time for good books and phone calls with family.
I hope you still sing unabashed to your steering wheel whenever you're on the road.
I hope you still write, because as I've recently discovered, writing is one of your passions.
I hope you found the courage to travel all over Europe.
I hope you remember how important the little things are to you. (Laughing until you're breathless, smiles from strangers, random texts from old friends, walking through town in the dead of the night...)
I hope you remember what really matters in life. (Faith, family, friends, people, memories, kindness, love...)


Never forget, my future self, that you are of so much more than just yourself.  Everything you do has a reaction and every life you touch is changed, if even just slightly, forever.  Be the change you wish to see in this world.  When everyone else says to do otherwise, cling to your dreams.  Because that's what makes you (me) who you are.  Be the dreamer you were born to be.

Always,
L.A.

We are young

"Tonight we are young

So let's set the world on fire

We can burn brighter than the sun"

You only live once.  Live it right.

Always,

L.A.

Who?

                              

"Who except God can give you peace?
Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?"
-St. Gerard Majella


That quote offers some food for thought this beautiful Thursday night.  I hope you have an amazing time tonight as I hope to have as I head to the Hunger Games midnight premier.  I'm crossing my fingers they at least hold a candle to the books!
Always,
L.A.


                                      photo courtesy of http://www.irishviews.com/sky3.jpg

*Cue random dance party

          "I wasn't looking for this, But now you're in my way."


I tried resisting liking this song, but I just can't do it anymore. So here it is, the song that I cannot stop listening to.  No matter how bad my day's been, this song never fails to put me in an amazing mood. (or make me want to dance around the room like an idiot)  I hope that your day will be a little better as well after a quick listen.

Always,
L.A.



WARNING:
Listening to "Call Me Maybe" may lead to random, uncontrollable singing and dancing.

One of those great things...

Do you know what I've come to see as one of the greatest things in the world lately??

       Being content.

I am being completely honest when I say it is the best. thing. ever.

That's not to say I wanna be doing what I'm doing for the rest of my life.  But I am beyond content right now.

      I am so happy right now.

For the first time since I've been here, I love my school.  I have the greatest friends in the world.  On top of my already amazing friends from high school, I've finally met people here who want the same things outta life.  My classes (minus chemistry) are going really well.  My faith is stronger than ever.  And I'm happily single for once in my life. (although there is this one guy...)

I am honestly blown away by how amazing this feeling is.  I guess what they say is true.

      The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.

I hope you keep that in mind as you start out this spring.  It honestly makes all the difference.

Always,

L.A.

To be pursued... a letter to my future husband

Dear my husband-to-be,

When the time is right, please pursue me.  Genuinely pursue me.  I promise I'll love you forever for it.

Always yours,
me

Smile

                             

“Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love,
a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”
― Mother Teresa


I dream of living in a world where it's common courtesy for everyone to at least smile at the random people they pass on the street and through out their day.
Smile at a stranger today.
No matter how crowded the streets are.
No matter what mood you're in. 
You never know when that one smile will make all the difference.


Always,
L.A.
                                             photo courtesy of http://www.embarq.org/en/solution/walking

Him

I am boy-crazy.

There, I said it.

Now before you jump to any conclusions, think about how I just phrased that.  Boy-crazy.  What kind of freshman in college would say that?  It just sounds so....juvenile? naive? And, dare I say, lame?

I don't think those words accurately explain my relationship with guys, but let's just get one thing straight.  I'm not the most experienced when it comes to dating. (or experienced at all for that matter.) And I'm okay with that. (most of the time.)

I love being young, single, and free. (most of the time.)

I do have those moments of loneliness.  Those days I'm walking to class and I wish someone was holding my hand.  Those afternoons I want someone to laugh with me when I do something completely ridiculous the way only I can.  Those nights I just want someone to stay in and watch movies with me.

But I have patience. (or at least I try to.)

I don't want to be with just anyone just anyone.  I want to be with him.  I'm waiting for the guy I'll marry someday.  My husband-to-be.

Not to say he'll be the first guy I'll share a part of me with, but I want him to be the first guy I share all of me with.

I've always been a romantic of sorts.  Unable to look at almost everything without putting a rosy tint over it.  The eternal optimist.  The hopeful one.  The dreamer.  And so being the person I am, I often think of the man I'll share my life with. (it's so weird to think that right now as I'm writing this he's out there. somewhere.)  I wonder what he's doing right now.  Is he enjoying a lazy moment this St. Patty's day as I am?

I'm contemplating blogging letters (love letters?) to my mystery man.  I think I will.  But I worry that he'll see them before I'm ready for him to.  Somehow stumble across this one blog out of the millions out there.  That although my name's not on this blog, he'll see the picture of the author and know.

I think the risk's worth it.  Because someday (who knows how many years down the road) I want him to know.  I want him to know that before I could pick his face out of a crowd, before I could recognize his easy laugh without thinking, I was waiting for him.

Always,

L.A.

Shine

                            

"And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." 
-Maryanne Williamson


Don't be afraid to let your light shine today.  It might be exactly what somebody you run into needs.  And who are you to deny anyone the privilege of walking in the sun?
Always,
L.A.
                                     photo courtesy of http://robertfinkelstein.wordpress.com/

Great minds think alike

Looks like music was on more than just my mind today.
Read the article linked below at YouMe&Charlie.com.  I am loving it.

Riffs On Life:

photo courtesy of http://youmeandcharlie.com/ladies/riffs-on-life/

The song in my head

"Life’s too short, gotta live it long"

I am hopelessly in love with many different types of music, but here's a specific song I recently came across.  Even though the title is kind of ridiculous, "Young Homie" is undoubtedly stuck in my head.  Luckily it's the type of song that I'm okay having resident up there.  Also, it is currently being endlessly played in my room, probably much to my roommates annoyance.  Oh, well.  A good song is always worth it.

Always,

L.A.

Ah, P.S. Chris Rene's song also inspired this:

Music. It's beautiful.

Music moves people.

Music inspires people.

Music frees people.

Music heals people.

Music lets people know they're not alone in there struggles.

Music lets people know it's okay to be different, to be in love, to feel pain, or to be simply you.

Music lets people know they aren't the first or last to feel as if they're dying of a broken heart.

Music lets people know that someone else has gone through a similar situation and made it out alive.

Music is hope for the hopeless.

Music is relief those in pain or who can't ever catch a break.

Music is therapy that doesn't cost a thing.

Music is a canvas used for painting pictures of life as it is, as it was, and as we wish it were.

Music can change your point of view.

Music can change your life.

Music can create the movement that makes all the difference.

Music can change the world.

Not every man lives

"Every man dies. Not every man really lives."
William Wallace


Fear can be an awful prison.  A prison that keeps you from what you want.
I won't let it stop me though.  It can't.
Because I want to live.


Always,
L.A.


                 photo courtesy of http://youmeandcharlie.com/daily-inspiration/dont-fear-the-unknown/

My friend, the night.

Here I am again, sitting at my desk in front of my computer, only the late night to keep me company.  I spend a lot of my nights like this, the only soul not smart enough to be asleep at this hour with my morning classes quickly approaching.  But I like my late nights.

I'm quite in love with them to be honest.

As surprising as it may be, the silence of the night makes great company.  It leaves me alone with my thoughts.  Gives me space to work or read. To be moved or inspired.  Or just simply be.

The most beautiful part of the night though, is the irony I've come to see in them.

One is so alone at night.  There isn't a person around to bother you or interrupt you.  You can be completely selfish without a shred of guilt.  No one is there to distract you from whatever it is you deem worthy to occupy this sacred, peaceful time.

Yet one is really not alone at all, at least not during the late nights in my dorm.  My roommate soundly sleeps only feet away from me.  Behind the wall I'm facing my neighbor is doing the same.  I need only peer out of my room and down the hall at the never ending row of doors to realize how far from alone I am on nights like this.

I only need to close my eyes though and I am alone once again.

Dwelling here in the peace that is the late night.  Pondering the meaning of life.  Or not. At least wondering how I'll make it through my chemistry test Monday.  Or class tomorrow.  Or the rest of this week.

Alone with my thoughts and my charming friend, Night.

Here is where I find my sanctuary.

          Have you found yours?

Always,

L.A.


                                           Photo courtesy of http://www.joeyocch.tumblr.com/

Today I've been thinking.

Today I've been thinking.

                 Astounding, I know.

Today I've been thinking about what I want and where I want to go.

Not only that though.  Those fantasies come often.

I've been thinking about where I'm at now, and how I've gotten here.

Thoughts such as these are numerous enough to make up a novel all on there own, yet too chaotic to make any sense of to do so.  But when all one can do is think such thoughts, the only thing to do is try and write them down in an attempt to put them to rest.  So as of now, here it is:

I'm eighteen years old, a freshman in college, and I recently come to terms with the fact that my entire last semester was spent trying to be somebody I most certainly am not, but I am beginning to see who I am.

I am not a sorority girl.

        I am a closet (or maybe not so closet) nerd, and if not nerd, at least bookworm.

I am not a girl who likes to spend her weekends partying, letting alcohol get the best of me and my decisions.

        I am the type of girl who would rather be completely absurd with her amazing friends, only drunk with

        my love for life.

I am not the type of girl who treats her body like a dump.

I am not the type of girl who obsesses over her work out regiment or diet.

        I have a passion for food, and I love being active.  I'm starting to realize my mother was right:

        Moderation is key.

I am not the type of girl who doesn't care about her grades, but I'm not a girl who obsesses over those little letters either.

        Although I know that those grades will or won't take me places, they won't give me lasting memories.

I am not supposed to be a doctor.  (I recently discovered I hate science.)

        I think I'm meant to exercise my love for words in some way, and there's nothing I'd love more.

        There really is something beautiful about words.

This is what I know.

This is where I'm at.

What will life bring for me next?  Your guess is as good as mine.

Always,
L.A.

Inspiration- In my life and yours

Lately I've been feeling very inspired.
Inspired to tell society that they're wrong about so much, and to shove off.
Inspired to rediscover my passion for life, love, and words.
Best of all, I've been inspired to be who I've always wanted to be.
(Or at least inspired to attempt to become that person.)

In the spirit of inspiration, I will leave you with a poem I recently discovered which inspired me, in hopes that it will do the same for you.

Always,
L.A.

            "Don't Quit"
"When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.


Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.


Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.


Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It might be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit."