Growing Up

Courtesy of my Mom 

Growing up. It's inevitable, it happens to all of us. In the dictionary growing up is defined as to grow toward or arrive at full stature of physical or mental maturity. Yes, this is what it means when you look up the definition but it isn't what it truly means. When you grow up there are so many factors that add into it and make it more complex. Heartache, pain, happiness and enjoyment are all part of what growing up means. So many things happen such as mistakes and good things which both make memories that will last a lifetime. In the end though, growing up is hard.

There are so many things that we have to go through in order to find ourselves and know who we really are and what we want in life. Before we can reach that point (if we ever do) we have to face the realities and struggles of life. The first big struggle (at least last quarter of ninth grade) is school. Learning the material, doing what needs to be done, getting it turned in, then eventually receiving a grade. It may seem easy and a simple pattern to follow but the harsh reality is that school is hard. The stress levels are insane. No matter your IQ or GPA it is difficult.

Not only are we faced with having to go to school but our daily lives outside of school. Although some may seem like they are perfect, no one is. We all have issues and pain that we have to endure. Everyones problems are different but we all have them. From personal experience the hard part is not having the problem but how it effects you and how you handle the situation. There are so many difficult situations that we have to go through that cause so much heartache. Even though we feel like we won't make it and we want to run away we keep pushing and survive. Part of growing up is happiness and we wouldn't know what happiness is without the pain.

Courtesy of my Mom, again 

School and our lives outside of school aren't the only things that happen in life. We learn so many things from being teenagers. Everyone is trying new things, making memories and taking in the best of what life has to offer. We all just have a different point of view and see the world from different angles. I don't mean this as in the world is all rainbows and smiles and I am not saying it isn't either. The good and bad balance each other out it just takes time to go through each of those stages.

Of course these aren't the only things that add to the definition of growing up. I just think that there is no right way to define or explain what growing up is. Thus being that you can't prepare and plan for it, it is one of the things that we have no control over.

East Coast

I belong at the beach is a fraise I use a lot, and it is true. My heart, mind, and body belong at the beach and in the water. Not here in a landlocked state we know as Utah. Everyone in my family either grew up on the east coast or is still living there. Since we go back to visit all of the time I have gotten very used to the lifestyle and I've decided it is where I should be. Anyways, I have developed a list of my top three best experiences back east.

1. The Keys
Ever since I was little I had been going to Florida but I don't remember any of these trips except one. I think I was around ten when we went to Islamorada in the Florida Keys. The house we stayed in was in town and had its own private beach with a hot tub and pool. Every day we would hit the water and go fishing which happens to be one of my favorite things to do. I even caught a fish that no one could figure out what it was. It was small and brown with white spots, I was pretty proud of myself.


2. A Delaware Birthday
For my moms 40th birthday my family met two other families and a couple of friends in Delaware, where my mom grew up. As a huge group we decided it would be best to rent one if the biggest house we could find on the beach in Rehoboth. It was not only a huge party the day of her birthday but the whole two weeks we were there it was a giant celebration. Every single day we did something new. I think my favorite part of the entire trip was when we bought around a hundred glow sticks, cracked them open and swam in the ocean while we were glowing. Even though that is super dumb, it was so much fun. That wasn't the only good time but I also decided sleeping in a closet would be super cool. That sounds a little weird, but I pulled a bunk bed, a mini fridge, and a small tv into a walk in closet and slept there. It's a little weird but I was eleven so it makes up for it.


3. North Carolina
This last September my family and I headed to North Carolina where my dad grew up. I was super excited to go being that I have never been to Carolina and it is my real name. At first I was super skeptical of the whole place but after awhile I began to love it. I fell in love with the lifestyle. It is super easy going and fun. I could definitely get used to driving the boat for thirty minutes just to pick up fresh shrimp and crabs to eat for dinner every night. Not only did driving the boat and picking crabs make me happy but every night we would meet up with family friends and eat together. Something about being with the people I love makes me love a place even more. I can't wait to go back again.

Nagshead NC courtesy Clancy and Theys 

Although those are great memories the three examples I gave don't even begin to explain my love for the beach. I could probably make a list that goes on and on but

SUMMER

Yes, Summer is the highlight of every year that I have been alive. Even when I was little and nieve Summer was the most fun time for me. Also I am pretty sure that if you ask around more than 90% of kids will say that they live for Summer, I mean unless you are a skier and only like snow. Not only do I like Summer because I am stuck in Park City where it is cold most of the year but I strive for the heat. Not only do I like the heat but there is a never ending list if reasons why Summer is my favorite. I have tried to narrow it down to some of the best reasons along with a memory for each reason. I mean Summer is the time to make memories.

1. Late Nights

Courtesy of love this pic

For me the best part about Summer is staying up until your eyes can't stay open. I don't know what it is about the night but I love it. If you are weird like me then you are a giant ball of energy during the night. It could be a train wreck but I keep my S%*@ together. One fairly recent memory of a late summer night was when I went out to dinner, desert, then slept over at a friends. We went to dinner at my parents restaurant and stayed two hours after dinner was finished then walked in the dark to get frozen yogurt. After walking back to Blind Dog four of us pied into the two back seats of dad's jeep and headed back to the house. From there we stayed up, listening to music and laughing then I went to my friends and we slept in hammocks tied in the tree is her backyard.

2. Sleeping In 

Sleeping in the next morning is usually followed by the late night you had before. Yeah, yeah being up early makes you feel good and all but Ive got to be honest I don't care. Getting up at one, eating lunch, and then going back to having fun is the way to go. I mean if you have things to do and want to accomplish something then be my guest and get up early. One memory that I am going to share isn't a memory because it happened once and was special, but because it happened more than once. During the summer I would sleep in until noon, eat some breakfast then head out on the boat come back home and stay up late with my friends. Most of the time though I don't even need to stay up late in order to sleep in.

3. Midst of the heat

Some may think the heat isn't enjoyable because you sweat, get hot, and think your going to die. Me on the other hand, I strive for the heat. I have only had one bad experience with the summer heat and lucky enough I'll tell you. It was two years ago, in the middle of July and I was in Virginia looking at the boarding school. It was 110 degree and there were no clouds in sight and I was standing like an idiot, sweating like a pig trying to pay attention. I thought for a minute that I may actually die from over heating but I survived. 

4. Bonfires

Courtesy of tumblr

Part of the Summer experience is having or going to a bonfire. The four months of freedom we have wouldn't be complete if not going to one. One of the best times I have ever had was around a bonfire. Wether you are sitting around one underneath the stars camping or sitting in your backyard with your neighbors, the fire creates memories. Over the Summer while I was camping with family friends in the Uintas we made a huge fire and sat around it and ate hotdogs and looked at the stars. Nights like that are the best nights to have.

5. The food..

YASSSS.... Food is what my life revolves around. If I made a list of the foods that I like to enjoy during the summer it would stretch across the state of California. From drinks to desert I like it all. Watermelon, popsicles, and BLTs are all great in the heat but my heart is taken when it comes to Italian subs and soft serve ice cream. When I go back east to visit my family I grab an Italian sub head to the
beach and when I can't take the heat anymore I get a soft serve and go back to the house. It's pretty great and the life to live.

Anyways, I am pretty much just day dreaming about Summer already and we are only half way through the school year. Whoop whoop yay school!