Peace Out Homies

Okay, here's the thing: I have been blogging for 228 days.

In other words, my blog has been up on the internet for seven months and fifteen days. That's over half a year.

When I posted my first blog post back in September, I never thought it would effect me this way. I feel like my writing was very limited back then, and over these seven months, I have allowed myself to improve my writing without really trying too hard. With the multiple blog assignments over the course of the year and allowing myself to expand my writing abilities at my own pace. I was able to put my feelings into words as I told stories about my life and my past over the year. The Salty Stressball was a very good outlet for me to write whenever I had the time. I enjoyed being able to talk about things I am interested in, and not having to conform to an essay prompt or something like that.

That being said, I most likely won't be continuing to update this blog after I depart from ninth grade. As of right now, I feel like this is a very reasonable time to finish blogging. The end of my first high school year is just around the corner, and I'm ready to leave everything slightly in the past.

I've been through a lot this year, and I'm kind of ready to just move on. Although this was a wonderful project and I have grown so much because of it, I think it is time to say goodbye.

Farewell to the outstanding website of blogger.com, which never had issues with text sizes. Adios to the blog posts that always got to five hundred words, and never less than than. Au revoir to the credited pictures that were never, not ever, taken straight off of google images.

Peace out cool cats. See you never.

Blogging will always be a strong memory of my ninth grade year, and I'm very thankful for that. I never expected that I would enjoy it as much as I did. I didn't love blogging as if it were my first born child, but I liked it like someone might like eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I believe that blogging was a very important experience that I needed.

For those of you have been reading my blog since the very beginning, if there even is anyone, thank you. Your views are greatly appreciated. Now for the last time of the year, I have one last thing to say.

Anyway, carry on.
xx Em

Does a Picture Have to Tell a Story?

Okay, here's the thing: Instagram is like a plant. 

This sounds crazy, but hear me out. You must attend to it regularly and make sure it looks healthy.

In order to uphold a good Instagram, you must make sure you post every once and a while, but not too much. Much like a plant, you should water it every once and a while, but if you water it too much, it could drown and die.

The second step is to make sure it looks good. If your Instagram were a plant, you would want to make sure it looks healthy, and not on the verge of death. People nowadays like to have an Instagram that looks good as a whole, not just individual pictures alone. For example, when you look at the page alone, people want to see the lines of three pictures look good together. Almost as if the pictures were taken just to go together. This sometimes needs the assistance of filters or editing, but nevertheless it is what people worship.

This happens to be a line from my main Instagram account with blue tones.

Mr. Parker reminded me that a picture is worth a thousand words. He explained that pictures can tell a story, and then asked me what story I wanted to tell through my Instagram. I was stumped. I honestly hadn't thought about it that way. In my opinion, I have been trying to document moments in my life, but not necessarily tell a story. I also feel like I can speak for other people in the Instagram community when I say that most people don't think too hard before they post. The only thing they think about is how well it will fit with the pictures they already have posted on their account.

However, there is one moment in which these rules don't apply. This instance is when you have a Finsta. A Finsta is an Instagram that is more of a second, "fake" account belonging to someone. On this account, you have full freedom to post as much as you want without any worry of judgment. It is more a place where your closest friends can follow you instead of many people. It is also a place where your username can be some crazy joke that no one but your friends understand.

A couple of my friends and I have these so-called "Finstas." I'm not going to publicly put mine up here, but even if I did, I probably wouldn't accept anyone who tried to follow me. On my Finsta, I feel like I have the freedom to post things that don't go very close together like on my main account.

If you want to feel free, take my advice. Make a Finsta, feel free.

Anyway, carry on. 
xx Em

The Only Holiday Teenagers Really Care About

Okay, here's the thing: April 20th is a very big deal to the teenage culture.

Although I happen to be one of the few students out there who doesn't participate in the act of smoking pot, I'm very aware of this day.

Wednesday, April 20th, was a very celebrated holiday around the town of Park City and places around the world. My friends and I where honestly just making fun of the whole thing because of the people who were clearly on Cloud 9 and trying to make it through the school day. It was especially hilarious because of the fact that there was increased security on Wednesday as well. And for good reason.

It is a pretty old occurrence for people to take pictures at 4:20 pm (or am, for the night owls out there) and joke about drugs and pot and other sorts. Again, my friends and I, being the ironic idiots that we are, take these photos and send them to each other as a joke.

But what some people might not understand is that April 20th is a huge deal. You don't have just two minutes a day to grasp this photo worthy opportunity, but you have a whole day.

4/20/16 also happened to fall during our schools "Drug Awareness Month" which I find hilariously inconvenient. After laughing about that at lunch and finishing the day of school successfully, it was time to go to swimming.

As I arrived at swim practice, I made a few jokes about the date as I had all day and then my swim coach walked in and screamed, "Happy 4/20 Everyone!" He then explained our sets for the day, in which he had successfully snuck in multiple sets including mentions of the date.

During one of our first sets, I realized it was around 4:10 pm and I looked to my coach and asked, not really expecting much, "Hey Mike, do you think we can take a team picture at 4:20 on 4/20?" He just smiled at me and shrugged. I didn't know how to interpret that, but when he stopped us and told us to crowd around our swim lane he said, "Everyone say 4/20!" Which resulted in this beauty of a picture.

Can you spot the drowning Lucas? (Taken by my swim coach, Mike Werner).

Truly a golden shot right there.

And even on the one day Elise couldn't make it to practice because she was at the donut shop for a Spanish project, she left us with some wise words. "Why blaze, when you can glaze?"

Anyway, carry on.
xx Em

P.S. How hilarious would it be if this was 420 words. I checked it's not. What a shame.

San Francisco Was a Blast

Okay, here's the thing: I want to move to San Francisco.

Over Spring Break, Hannah Hall and I took a trip to the beautiful San Francisco with my family to visit my aunt Bonnie and my uncle Bruce. Since we left on Saturday, April 2nd, and we were driving, we got to San Fran on Sunday afternoon.

This picture of Hannah was taken on the beach from the first night.

On Sunday night, my family, Hannah, and I took a small hike on a trail that led to a beach. Throughout the hike, Hannah and I took many photos on my trusty camera that I took with me everyday throughout the trip.

It was a very calming walk after being in a car for two days straight. We explored the beach and found some ruins of a building with graffiti on it. We climbed all over them and watched as the sun set behind the water. As the sky turned dark we walked back to my aunt and uncles house before we were off to dinner for the night.

Speaking of food, the amount of asian cuisine that we ate throughout the week was more than I had expected. I ate so much fried rice, it probably got into my bloodstream. But that's beside the point.

Throughout the weeklong trip, we visited some of the attractions around the city and walked around to stores that were close by.

One of the places we went was the California Academy of Sciences. In the Academy, we went to the aquarium, where we saw many different types of fish and plants. It was very calming because of the colors that were experienced while we were down there. We also went to the planetarium part of the Academy. In the planetarium, we saw a show that was led by the staff called Incoming! It was about the asteroids and meteors that have effected the makeup of our earth. It was super interesting and was cool because of the setup of the observatory. We were able to sit back and watch the large screen as the British man spoke over the intercom.

On the hottest day we were there, we visited the beach. It was a different beach from the first night. This beach was accessed by a very long and winding road. The water was very cold as well. I felt like I got a brain freeze every time I dunked my head underwater. The saddest part of that whole day was that I didn't even get a tan. It was a disheartening realization.

And of course, we went across the Golden Gate a couple times while we were there. It was a short drive across the bridge, but it was worth it.

Overall, I loved being in San Francisco. I know how expensive it is to live there, but honestly, I'd give anything to live in such a cute town like that. I plan on visiting again soon, even if it means my limbs might get frozen off in the water.

Anyway, carry on.
xx Em

The End of an Era

Okay, here's the thing: I'm a bit over it.

"It" being swimming.

I've been swimming ever since I was nine years old, and now, nearly six years later, I feel like I'm drifting away from it.

When I was younger, I had this bizarre dream of going to the Olympic Games for swimming. I realize now that my dream was far fetched.

I've never been a super fast swimmer, but I've never been super slow either. I'm kinda just the person who floats around the swim deck and swims their races.

During practice I feel fine, but, a lot of the time, I feel like everyone is going fast and it's hard for me to keep up.

After I finished my first season of high school swimming, I realized how much more I liked that than club swimming. It was a different environment and I had a lot more fun there than I did on club.

That doesn't mean that I never had good moments on club though. I have had plenty.

All of our snapchat stories were up to date
 with our insanity.

This past weekend, I was at my very last Age Group State Championships with my club swim team. In the past three days alone, I have made so many new memories that I will remember for a long time.

For example, there was this one coach that was stationed close to our coach. I don't remember what team she was coaching for, but everyone on our team knows of a girl on that team. I don't know what this girl looks like or exactly how old she is, but I know her name. Her name is Eve. Her coach, who could easily double as her own mother in this situation, was always extra enthusiastic about Eve's races. She would use exaggerated hand movements and clap her hands as she screamed, "GO, EVE! COME ON, EVE! GET IN THERE, EVE! LET'S GO!" It became an ongoing joke throughout our team and I finally witness it in action on the very last day. It was seriously the most bizarre thing I have ever witnessed.

Another thing that happened at state, occurred during the relays each night. I understand that relays can be stressful. There are four times as many people in the back hallway than there are normally. One lady was in charge of lining us all up before our heat was insane though. She would continually ask us what heat and lane we were in and asked us to line up first to last. She kept doing the same up and down motion with both of her hands and had this crazy look in here eyes. She had definitely seen some shit behind those extremely large glasses she had on.

This weekend was one for the books, whether or not I actually swam well. I'm happy I was able to end the last state meet as an age group swimmer with the people I ended it with. I'm proud to say that our team helped each other throughout the few days of torturous chlorine burns and tight suits. I'm happy it ended on a good note.

Anyway, carry on.
xx Em

Wishful Thinking

Okay, here's the thing: I've spent my whole life wishing. 

Most of this wishing has to do with my location.

I think that everyone has had that feeling. A feeling of slight disappointment and feeling like they want to be anywhere else but where they are.

If the person reading this post is one of my close friends, you have definitely seen me at this point. Nearly everyday I say something about not wanting to swim, go to school, etc.

I think that one of my issues is that I tend to think about too many things at one time and it builds up too high. When I have too many things on my mind I start to complain about it and then it comes out in a rumble of negativity. After I spit it all out I begin thinking about it even more and it's always just sitting in the back of my mind, ruining my mood.

I sometimes wish I was back on this road trip. 

For the past few days I have actually had a lot on my mind, and it has proven what I just explained above. This  week is the week before the quarter ends, and I am missing Thursday and Friday of school due to a swim meet, the state competition. This has been looming over me since sometime last week, when we really started to work on racing during practice. While I was at practice I was thinking about the homework I had to do and the tests I had to study for. While I was doing my homework, I was thinking about the swimming competition.

Last Sunday, when I was scrambling to finish an essay that was due that night, I was having the hardest time focusing. I was trying my best to get all of my thoughts down on the paper, but I began to think about swim. I hadn't been feeling very good since High School Swim season had ended, and the meet was approaching so fast. I remember staring at a sentence on the computer screen that I had been rewriting over and over while I thought about how poorly I would do at State.

At this point, I began freaking out and every little thing was distracting me. I was so on edge that one small thing brought me to my breaking point.

I laid face down on the ground and silently cried. It seems dramatic, but it's what I had to do. As I was on the floor, I tried to collect my thoughts and finish my essay, but I'm not too sure it worked (I'm very sure that my essay was horrible).

One thing I know for sure, however, is that all of these troubles will help me in the end.

I stay in shape while I swim. I learn more every day at school. All of the places that we wish we could erase are actually something we should look forward to.

I can't say that I'm just going to flip a switch and be positive all the time, but I'm surely going to try to be better. And I hope you can too.

Anyway, carry on.
xx Em

Thnks Fr Th Mmrs

Okay, here's the thing: I really appreciate the nice things in life.

At this point in the school year, when everyone is stressed out because it's near the end of the year, it is hard to stay calm. Many people are on edge and seem to be in a very bad mood, so when you actually have a nice moment, it is vital that you hold on to it.

This may seem super obnoxious and cliché but it's very true. I feel like school sometimes brings your mood down as the school year drones by, so the little moments that give you a happy feeling is really a nice feeling.

I'm going to share a few nice moments that I remember in reverse order. Starting from the night to the early mornings. While the nighttime brings serenity and a kind of calm that the chaos of the daytime doesn't have, the daytime has a certain quality that is equally as enjoyable.

When I was at my friends house a couple months ago, I remember dancing around her pool table as we blasted music throughout her house in the middle of the night. It was pitch black outside and we were laughing a lot from being so tired, it was quite fantastic, to be frank (A/N: To the person this moment was with, I hope you like my joke).

I remember sitting on the lid of a hot tub and staring into the stars (which sounds even more grossly cliché than the topic of this post) while listening to music (what a surprise). That was a good feeling to have. I even remember a few of the songs we were listening to then.

Then, of course, sunsets.

Sunsets bring memories of taking dumb "artsy" photos with my friends on Halloween when we were all wearing animal onesies and annoying the neighbors.

Or the time I was up at Guardsman's during the late fall as the sunset a few weeks before school started. I was laying in the backseat of a pickup truck and was looking out of the back window as a few of my friends talked around me. I was enjoying a small moment to myself and was a bit out of the conversation, but that moment has stuck with me for a while.

This photo (taken by yours truly) was posted on Insta in August 2015.

If any of my readers follow me on Instagram, you might know that I used to (take note of the past tense) post numerous photos of sunsets because, in my hopes of becoming the amazing photographer that I am, only found inspiration in the colors in the sky. I have since stopped posting the amount of sunset pictures as I used to, but I still take them from time to time.

They also remind me of biking with a friend down the hill of her street to a football game. Following that action with immediately turning back once we realized we would have to socialize with people from school. We laughed as we trudged our bikes all the way up the hill again as the sun set behind us.

During midday, I am mostly reminded of summer barbecues and jumping on friends trampolines. It reminds me of times when I was little and the only thing I had to worry about was what color Otter pop I was going to get from the freezer.

And the morning.

The morning might remind a lot of you of waking up for school, and I think the same, but it does remind me of a few moments.

Like when the sprinklers went off when a friend and I were sleeping on my trampoline one night. We had to run back inside and hope that the blankets didn't get too ruined.

It also reminds me of early morning swim practices, which were hellish, but brought me closer to my swim friends in the long run.

What I really want to say is, at any point of the day you can experience something that will make your heart warm. It might even become a memory that you'll remember until you're one hundred years old (hopefully you last that long).

Anyway, carry on.
xx Em

A Letter for Another Emma

Okay, here's the thing: this post is most likely not directed at you.

Unless you just happen to be Emma Watson. If you aren't Emma, welcome to my blog, feel free to have a read. If you are Emma, welcome to my blog, this post if written for you.

Dear Emma Watson,

I admire you for many reasons besides the fact that we have the same name. I just thought I should get that out of the way first.

I have known of your existence since I was little and watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the very first time. I was genuinely terrified of the movie because I watched it when I was five years old, creepy things scared me, and there was much of that in the film, but I enjoyed watching Hermione flaunt across the screen. The young eleven year old may have seemed uptight and annoying to most, but I remember seeing her and loving how determined she was to reach her goals. I also appreciated her/your hair. Your performance in The Perks of Being a Wallflower has not gone unnoticed either. That movie is one of my favorites by far.

Though both of my parents were actors at some point in their lives and you are one of my favorite actresses, you aren't my ideal reader because of your acting career. You have done more than act to earn my respect for you, Emma. Not only was Hermione as a character very dedicated and studious, but you as a real-life human being made a decision that not many people in the child-acting industry decide to do. Once the Harry Potter movies were over, you decided to finish your schooling at Brown University. That will always be something that I admire about you. The fact that you decided to finish your education amidst your fame shows that you are truly someone to look up to.

I also listened to your speech at the United Nations in 2014 about the campaign you launched called HeforShe. Gender equality and women empowerment is something that I feel very strongly about. I believe that launching this campaign is something that was extremely important for the world to hear. As a feminist, I look up to you and everything you have done to shine light on the problems with gender equality. I admire that you've done so much for this campaign and all you did to help launch it. Speaking in front of the UN must have been nerve racking, but looking at the footage of the speech, you look just as badass as you normally do.

I think that you will always be someone I look up to in my life. You have already left such an important mark on my life and I'm sure you will continue to do so over the years.

Pictured: Emma Watson being too cool for me. (Courtesy of The Wrap)

If you actually did happen to read this post, which would be incredible, I would just like to say thank you. Thank you for inspiring to try my best at such a young age, as well as introducing me into the magic of film (see what I did there). Thank you for launching such an important campaign for such an important issue. Thank you for speaking freely about your thoughts on feminism. Thank you for being cast as two important characters that played a huge part in my childhood.

And most importantly, thank you for reading.

Anyway, carry on.
xx Em

What Occurs During Class Movies

Okay, here's the thing: students get excited over very few things.

Fortunately, watching a movie in class happens to be one of them.

On the last day of quarter two, my English class finished the movie Julie & Julia. Throughout the movie, Mr. Parker permitted us to work on our blogs, and I began to do so. However, about ten minutes in, I realized that the movie, and some kids in the class, were saying some pretty outrageous things.

So, of course, I began to write them down.

This may not be the correct blog format, but I thought this was pretty funny at the time. The words in quotation marks were said by my classmates, and the words that are not in quotations came directly from sentences in the movie.

Enjoy.

• "she's literally always drunk"
• WHAT A B-WORD
• beef flavored jello mold
• calves foot
• flip it on to a plate
• the bitch lied
• SEVEN
• you could LIEEEEEEEEEEE
• yuck! the sink! look at this
• i hate it here
• "oooh damn"
• gooey mess
• i'm a mess
• *lies on kitchen floor sobbing*
• "Julia's so high"
• "IT'S JANE LYNCH"
• "what a film"
• milky
• ask if the vinegar works on the milk solids
• tanginess
• thats who i married
• "IS THAT CEASAR FLICKERMAN"
• "the tellings have told that the tables have tabled"
• i am not enthusiastic about this marriage
• "dont kick me courtney"
• "I'm sorry I'm stress eating"
• wheres my big spring
• dear avis
• dorothy is pregnant...oooh
• about the mayonnaise? oh not at all
• s-ahh-ltine
• skeeeeewww the livahh
• I've cut the dickens out of my finger
• just for once could you not look on the bright side?
• "he is totally an asshole"
• say cheese ducky...she likes to get it on
• thats exactly what we are – mad cows
• *merryl streep laughing in a british accent*
• wizz?
• "aw there goes the raspberry creme... all over the sidewalk"
• "all the men in this movie are assholes"
• a republican would fire you
• im not a shmuck
• the middle aged woman in the plaid jacket
• eggs eggs seven seven volumes
• *montage of all of them taking pills and groaning*
• "you bet ur furry neck i do??!?!?"
• 65. 65? 65. "65?!" "65."
• *making out* I have to make a pear tart
• "both of you don't have feelings i just don't understand why you're holding hands"
• Elise: *breathes heavily* Aiden: *from across the room* "could you stop that, elise?"
• "crass grasss apple sass"
• *sitting on living room floor with dead duck in front of her and knife in hand* nothing is impossible

In a scene in the end of the movie, Julie strikes a touristy pose by Julia Child's photo. (Courtesy of Ace Showbiz)

I hoped you enjoyed this post. I enjoyed writing this down and amusing myself throughout class. You never know what you might hear if you just sit back and open up your ears to the noise around you. 

Anyway, carry on.

xx Em

I'm Suffering (LOL)

Okay, here's the thing: it's the last week of the semester. 

Let's be honest for a moment. What more do you expect from any student. Anywhere.

There are what seem to be an infinite amount of final tests occurring over the next five days, and there are plenty of people attempting to bring their grades up to an acceptable letter.

As I have explained before in my stress rant from this past October, my schedule puts me in quite a situation. With final testing sneaking up, my white days are looking worse and worse.

First period, for me, is spent at home on these days (let's give a round of applause for late entry). Second period is Math. My teacher decided to do a cumulative final, which incorporates everything we've learned this whole semester. Third period is Geography. Luckily this isn't a cumulative test, though Mr. Jeffrey thought about that as a possibility. Instead, it is just a combination of the chapters we read in quarter two. Finally, fourth period is English. Mr. Parker recently gave us a timed (torture) essay, but the quarter final is still yet to be completed.

My red days are a breeze, as I'm sure I've mentioned before. So, for only two days this coming week, I have nothing to worry about.

The end of the semester is a week away, and even though I'm not failing any of my classes at the moment, I'm on the brink of getting a letter grade lower in some classes. Therefore, I have a lot of pressure on my shoulders to do well in all of my finals this week so that I have a chance at keeping my GPA up.

This probably seems unnecessary to people with their life in check, but for me, this whole "end of the quarter" thing is screwing with me a bit.

I'm hoping I won't look like this this week.
(Courtesy of Med Scoop Daily)

I totally twisted my sleep schedule around over holiday break, so that was very difficult this week getting back in order. Unfortunately, I did the same thing again this weekend (this was a poor decision for me and everyone involved). I'm just hoping that I won't end up falling asleep studying or totally blanking out during one of my finals this week.

I'm suffering a bit right now, if I'm being quite honest. All of my hardest classes have finals and I have pressure to do well. I'm also kind of sleep deprived half of the time at school because my brain doesn't really wake up until like 1:00 p.m.

So, let's hear it for those of us who feel like zombies throughout this next week but are also struggling with crippling anxiety and stress! We can do this! Five more days until we get that four day weekend! Five more days until we have another opportunity to screw ourselves over again by going to sleep at four in the morning! Five more days until we don't go through with our New Years Resolution of getting more sleep... again!

HIP HIP! HOORAY!

Anyway, carry on.
xx Em

New Years Resolutions Are a Joke But Who Cares

Okay, here's the thing: I have mixed opinions on New Years.

For one, I believe that New Years is great because of the theoretical idea of a "fresh start." It gives everyone a false sense of hope that, on this certain date, they will be able to begin anew.

Then, on the flip side, I know that New Years Day is just another day that we will continue to cross throughout our lives. People use it as an excuse to brush off that they still haven't met their resolutions that they created a year ago, only to make the same resolutions "for real" this time around.

I understand this is a creative idea, but in reality, nearly everyone doesn't accomplish the resolutions they set at the beginning of the year, yet everyone makes them anyway.

The resolutions that I've come up with in my head have had many different sources of inspiration. I've seen a couple of my friends set them as their resolutions, as well as accomplish them effectively. I also know that I've set some of these resolutions in the past and not completed them.

It seems cliché, but I think that I am really going to achieve them in this new year.

A couple of my main resolutions that I've set this year are to procrastinate less, spend less time on social media, and take more time to relax. So far, on the third day of the new year, I've nearly given up on these already. I've been more stressed because of the start of school after the break, as well as the homework that I've set back up until today. I've also procrastinated doing any of that homework by distracting myself on social media.

I guess those were a little more difficult than other resolutions, but I'm only three days in to 2016, so I still have a while to get myself back on track.

This is a polaroid showing my friends and I on New Years Eve.

My other basic resolutions include getting out of my comfort zone more often, writing and reading more for enjoyment, getting more sleep, reducing my stress level, and being happier overall. I think that those are reasonable enough to achieve by 2017.

I guess another resolution of mine is to say yes and explore more. A lot of the time, you can find me cornering myself in my room scrolling through tumblr in the dark, but in 2016, I want to get out and adventure.

The world is a pretty big place, but I won't see it if I'm not saying yes to things. If I'm invited to go somewhere, even if it's just a friends house, I want to say yes as much as I can.

I hope that 2016 brings me happiness and adventure, and that I get to see and experience a bit more of the world. I hope that saying yes to more things will help me achieve this by the next time it is time to start over again.

Anyway, carry on.
xx Em

Music Is Key: Live Edition

Okay, here's the thing: I care just as deeply about live music as I do about regular music.

About three weeks ago, I went to Laguna Beach, California for Thanksgiving weekend, and, whilst in Laguna, I went to see a singer named BØRNS in concert.

At the time I was given the opportunity, I wasn't a huge fan of BØRNS, but once his album came out a few days later, I was hooked. It all seemed so unreal.

When we got to the venue it still hadn't completely set in.

Before we were let into the venue, the four of us who drove down together, Cash, Kalani, Annalise, and I, were standing in line for an hour and a half. Unfortunately, we were so excited about the concert that we didn't think about sitting down at all that whole time. 

Even once we were let into the venue, it hadn't truly hit me.

After another thirty minutes of standing around and humming to the music playing as hundreds of people filtered through the doors, the lights went low, and the opening band came out.

Even though I couldn't understand what they was singing about (due to the mumbling noises that seemed to come out of their mouths), I was very entertained. One guitarist did this weird thing with his hair where he would whip it up and down as he would play the guitar. We ended up calling him "The Guy on the Right" by the end of their set.

As you can see, The Guy on the Right is flipping his hair to the beat of the music.

After their quick, half hour set was finished, we were standing around for another thirty minutes before BØRNS and his band came out from back stage.

It went by so fast, I wasn't even sure it had actually happened, but I knew one thing for sure: that was incredible. Even though I probably touched and got closer to more bodies than I ever planned to throughout my lifetime, it was worth it.

The music was phenomenal and the vibes were very good. Everyone in the venue was singing at the top of their lungs along with BØRNS. Even when he came out for his encore and sang Bennie and the Jets by Elton John, which obviously isn't one of his songs, the entire crowd sang along as he serenaded a girl from the crowd. He was an outstanding live singer and performer, which is always a plus.

This picture, taken by Cash, shows how close we were to the stage by the end of the concert.

Even the moments that didn't have to do with the music were memorable. Like when a group of guys, who were most likely either drunk or high, began to crowd surf and one of them kicked Annalise in the head. Or when Cash tried to take a picture of a really hot guy, but the flash on her phone went off when she was about a foot away from his face. Also when a girl in line ahead of us called her friend and asked if she "had the glitter," which we all thought was some code word for drugs, but turned out to be literal glitter that they putt all over their face to sparkle in the light. 

It was a great night, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Anyway, carry on.
xx Em

The Time I Was Truly a Salty Stressball (Part Two)

Okay, here's the thing: read Part One first.

"Swimmers, please stand. Lane six, step down."

When I heard those words, the man behind the lane helped me down from the blocks and a million thoughts were running through my head. I thought that we might have been disqualified because of our tardiness to getting up onto the blocks. I was just

wondering why this had to happened to me on my very first meet of the High School season.

My thoughts were only partially answered when the kind man behind the block told me that my coach said that my relay wasn't swimming in this event.

I was extremely confused at this point, but I saw Kelly's hair out of the corner of my eye, and looked at her with a questioning expression on my face.

"This is the 200 Free Relay not the 400 Free Relay."

My brain's first instinct after hearing these words was to cry. So, I did.

I burst into tears right behind that block.

This is probably what I looked like as I cried.
Courtesy of Love Beach Blog

I was shaking as if I was in Antarctica, I had the most pounding headache I've ever experienced, and, in front of multiple strangers, I cried.

My friends came to comfort me, but I probably looked like a maniac because, honestly, I had no idea why I was crying, but, no matter what I did, I couldn't stop.

This for some reason was funny for me, so I was laughing hysterically, while also crying about something else.

I guess it was the pure terror of being disqualified at my first meet, the extreme stress that the thought of that brought, and the relief that followed after hearing that I didn't actually have to do that was what made me cry.

This experience cycled me through the stages of a breakup, in a way. Maybe not quite in order, but I went through them all in one way or another.

First, I was confused what was going on, and I had too many questions that needed to be answered, but weren't quite being answered in the way I needed them to be.

Second, I kept telling myself that "this couldn't be happening." Instead, I was just having nightmare that was giving me a heart attack from the stress. 

Third, when it actually didn't happen, I collapsed into despair, and cried. Whether it was from relief or something else, I would be the only one to know, but I couldn't answer that if I tried.

Fourth, I was pretty dang salty (and not from the tears I had just previously shed). I was pissed. I didn't know why, but I was so frustrated with, not only Kelly, but myself for putting myself through that confusion, stress, and sadness.

Finally, I met acceptance with the fact that it was a mistake, and it was going to be okay. 

I even thought of it as a learning experience, and even though I left an entire three-fourths of my relay behind in the chaos, I was able to get the the blocks in time before they left.

I don't think I will every feel like I did that night ever again. Well, at least I hope not.

Anyway, carry on.

xx Em

The Time I Truly Was a Salty Stressball (Part One)

Okay, here's the thing: pay attention.

This past Friday, November 6, 2015, was my first High School Swim meet.

I have been swimming for quite a long time, so I was used for a certain type of meet set up, but High School Swimming is completely different, so I was pretty confused the whole night.

At the beginning of the meet, I found out that I was in the 400 Free Relay at the very end of the meet. I knew that the 200 IM Relay was at the beginning, so I thought that the whole night only consisted of the regular individual events and those two relays.

When I thought my relay was coming up, I asked my coach, Kelly, how much longer she thought I had until I had to swim in the relay. She checked and told me that I had around fifteen minutes or so, and that my relay would be in lane six.

What I didn't know is that Kelly thought I was talking about the 200 Free Relay which was a couple of events before the relay I was actually in.

I felt like this guy while I ran to my block.
Courtesy of Looney Tunes

All I knew about my relay is that it was right after the 100 Breaststrokes, so that was all I was looking out for.

For the next couple of minutes, I was talking to a couple of friends when all of the sudden, I hear someone yelling, "WHERE IS THE 'B' RELAY?!"

I didn't even think about what was going on, but when I made eye contact with Kelly and could clearly tell she was pointing directly at me, I dropped everything I ever thought in my entire life and ran.

I ripped the sweatshirt off of my body and grabbed my cap and goggles as I ran for my life to the block behind lane six. I threw my cap on, not even caring where the rest of my relay was (I didn't actually know who was on my relay). The rest of the teams were already up on the blocks, so my first instinct was to get right up on the blocks with them, even if the rest of my relay wasn't even there yet.

The man timing for my lane realized that I was the only one there, and asked, "Where's the rest of your relay?"

At that moment, I didn't even care. I knew I was supposed to be swimming the first leg of the relay in the first place, so I thought, I might as well show up and swim the first part of the relay than have our entire relay miss the race completely.

My heart had never beaten so hard, and I was so stressed out that my bottom lip actually started trembling as I was up on the blocks right before I was about to leave.

"Swimmers, please stand. Lane six, step down."

To be continued...

xx Em

Ants in My Drink (Flop Friday #3)

Okay, here’s the thing: ants do not add extra flavor.

This flop comes from a few weeks ago when I visited Washington DC for a wedding.

At the reception after the wedding there was an open bar for beverages. A group of us, consisting of Caroline, Carolina, and Leo. Yes, I do realize that Caroline and Carolina are very similar names, but they have pretty different personalities. I also realize that this is Leo, the same person who was mentioned in the last Flop Friday post. 

It was Carolina’s idea to order Shirley Temples. She was the one who sparked the idea for the rest of us. This obviously made Carolina get her drink first. She was kind enough to sit and wait for us as we ordered our drinks, so she was standing off to the side, peacefully sipping her drink. 

This looks similar to what my drink looked like -- minus the ants, of course.

Courtesy of Chowhound

All of the sudden we heard Carolina gasp.

“Guys…,” we heard as the man handed us each our drinks. We all asked what was happening, but all she did was pull out her phone and turn the flashlight on. 

Again we heard her murmur something and then she showed us what she was talking about. 

Floating around in her drink were multiple mini ants. We were all shocked and checked our own drinks, and, sure enough, we all had them in our drinks as well. 

Carolina wanted to try again, so she handed back the drink. Unfortunately, her second Shirley Temple also had ants in it.

We felt bad enough for the guy who gave us our drinks already and didn't want to embarrass him once again, so we just left the guy with his other drinks and walked away. 

The second we left the room, I stealthily placed my drink on top of a table and walked away as we went back to the area we were sitting. Carolina was too shocked by the fact that she probably just ingested a few ants into her system because of her drink, so she was just holding the drink in her hand, not quite knowing what to do with it.

On the other hand, Leo and Caroline actually wanted this Shirley Temple pretty badly. Once we got back to our seating area, Leo attempted to drink the beverage very carefully, trying to avoid the ants. Caroline was immediately off to work with her miniature straw, picking out every single ant from her drink. 

This was an incredible sight to watch from my perspective. I had Leo to my left, looking into his Shirley Temple as if it was telling him the answer to the universe. To my right was Caroline, who had the most disgusted look on her face as she picked out the ants from her drink. Carolina was in front of me, with a blank expression on her face as she tried to process everything that had just happened. 

Eventually, Caroline got all of the ants out of her drink and finished off the beverage. Leo spent a half an hour with the process he was trying before he eventually gave up. Carolina had discarded of her drink long before Leo had, but we could all tell she was still shaken up about the ant fiasco.

Later on throughout the night, we went back to check what might have caused the ants to be in the drink. One of the first things we check gave us our answer. It was the sweet, red flavoring, called grenadine, that they put in Shirley Temple drinks. The juice in the bottle had an abundance of small ants floating around in the liquid, clearly confirming that the insects in our drink were due to that beverage.

After the mystery of the ant-filled drinks was solved, we carried on with our night, and celebrated the marriage of the happy couple's wedding we were attending.

I'm not sure what happened to Carolina or Caroline after they drank even just a little bit of their drinks, but, according to Leo, he had thrown up during the middle of the night after he had the drink. Whether or not the same thing happened to the other two girls, or if the reason Leo got sick even had to do with the ants in the drink, is unknown.

The next time I see someone make me a Shirley Temple, I am going to make sure that the grenadine they add to my drink doesn't have a family of ants floating inside of it. I don't want to relive that experience again.

Anyway, carry on.

xx Em

Music Is Key

Okay, here’s the thing: I care deeply about music. 

Some people may agree with me here, and some people may not. It kind of just depends what kind of person you are. 

I trust that my love for music started at a very young age. This is because my father used to sing me to sleep. From when I was a newborn all the way up until I told him to stop. This was around kindergarten or first grade I believe. This may or may not have broken his heart. 

Either way, it made me appreciate really good music. Not the pop stuff that gets overplayed after four days, but the good stuff. At least in my opinion. 

Did my dad play this “good” music to me when I was little? Honestly, I don’t know. If you really want to get a taste of what he liked to sing to me, just listen to this. According to him, it was the first song he learned how to play on the guitar, and the first song he ever sang to me as a baby.

First of all, I believe there is a perfect playlist of songs to go to a certain mood. I also believe that music can cause memories to resurface. Whether these memories are happy or sad, a certain song can cause you to remember the feelings that you had in the past. 

For example, whenever I hear the song “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire, I have a memory from when I was around five years old, and my dad took me to see the movie Night at the Museum. That song played at the end of the movie, and, on our way home, it started playing on the radio. It was a weird coincidence, but my dad and I totally jammed out to it all the way through the song.

I also believe that music can make you cry. 

Not only have I witnessed this on live television shows, such as American Idol, but it has also happened to me. Quite recently actually. 

My favorite band released their album, and I was very “emo" about it. I listened to the whole album in one sitting, and my friends and I freaked out about it for an hour after it was released. We didn't care if we didn’t get sleep that night, we just needed this new music.

This particular album got me feelin’ some type of way, and I was very overwhelmed, and the tears came. At first they were excited/happy tears, but as I truly listened to the lyrics they got extremely deep and I lost it.

Picture this: a teenage girl at 11:30 PM sitting in her room with out any of the lights on, curled up in a ball on her bed with headphones in, and tears streaming down her face as she shook with excitement and sadness.

That was me! I know a bit pathetic but you get my point.

Next, I believe that the way you interpret music all depends on time and place. 

For example, if you just got broken up with, and you're feeling pretty down about it, you could hear a song that you know pretty well already, but you might relate to the lyrics more and it could make you burst into tears. You might also hear a happy song, and it could change your mood around completely. Although, if you heard these songs in a different setting, you would have a different reaction to them. 

Lastly, I believe that music is an escape. 

Whether this means that you are the person making the music, or if you are just a listener, it can be a small getaway from reality. Once you plug those headphones in to your ears and the music begins to drown out all of your worries outside of the music, you can feel like you are traveling away from your troubles and into a state of relaxation. Almost like a drug without health risks.

At least thats what music does for me. If you don’t feel the same way that’s just fine, but I thought I would share either way.

Anyway, carry on.

xx Em

Courtesy of Near Pictures (also how I look while listening to my tunes)