right now

Right now, somewhere in the universe there is a teenage girl on the beach basking in the warm sunlight with sand between her toes and salty water drying in her hair. She has not a care about schoolwork, studying for standardized tests, colleges and preparation, or social responsibilities. For a whole week she can rest and repose, her only interactions with family and her boyfriend, carefree in an atmosphere of true paradise. She can read whatever she so chooses, take pictures of palm trees and the ocean to her heart’s desire, and sleep on the soft, fine sand while feeling the warm sun and subtle breeze from the water on her back and shoulders. And maybe, just maybe, that girl would be willing to trade places with another teenage girl from Kentucky for just one week! Until then, the Kentucky girl will just have to work hard and wait until summer, or until next spring break which will NOT consist of college visits.

Somewhere in the universe

At this moment, somewhere in the universe -well more specifically Lexington, Kentucky- there is someone scouring the city trying to get as much Orange Leaf as possible. Since the University of Kentucky Wildcats won the 8th NCAA championship, Orange Leaf decided to offer a special deal to all the fans throughout Lexington. They are giving away 5 ounces of frozen yogurt free to every customer. They even renamed the mixture of blueberry and another flavor Caliberry in support of the coach. Having visited just one Orange Leaf today, it was clear that tons of fans took advantage of the offer in the 80 degree weather. Thankfully, I got there when the line was just a few people long, but while eating my frozen yogurt I realized that the line had grown, stretching outside of the door. Somewhere in Lexington, there is probably that person draining their gas tank trying to visit all of the Orange Leafs in town. Although this might be an admirable goal, for me it just not worth it.

Assignment 23: To Carry

“They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried.” - Tim O' Brien.

In his book, The Things They Carried, Tim O' Brien focuses on the tangible and metaphorical items that soldiers carry with them as they fight. You're not fighting a war, but you do have objects that you carry with you each day of your life. Pick one or two or three or seventeen of these items and explain why you carry them.

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, April 15 at 11:59 pm

At This Very Moment, Somewhere in the Universe...

At this very moment, somewhere in the universe a star is dying, planets are being born and civilizations are falling. Within this ever-expanding infinite universe there are endless possibilities as to what is beginning and what is ending. Somewhere far off in a star system somewhere in the Hades nebula, there may be a civilization of little blue people inventing the wheel. There may be a race of lizard men on the verge of faster than light travel. At this very moment, somewhere in the universe there are an infinite number of things that could be happening, because the universe itself is infinite. But at this very moment, right here in the Universe, a sixteen year old high school student is sitting on the beaches of Florida, with his entire life ahead of him. He knows that everything might not always turn out perfect, but through the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows, he’ll give it his all, and that’s enough for him.

crave ice cream

Right now, somewhere in the universe, somebody just remembered to write a blog po-- just kidding! I'm not going to talk about those people. Somewhere in the universe, somebody is eating Graeters ice cream. It just reopened in town, and this person has been very excited about the prospect of having it again; after all, it is the best ice cream in the world. Plus, the new Graeters opened right at the start of Spring Break. What a great way to start the week. Unfortunately, though there is much to look forward to, work plagues this person. Somewhere in the universe, somebody in this city is thinking their life is miserable. It is ironic, though, because this person probably doesn't know what it truly means to have a miserable life.Somewhere, somebody is starving, while someone else is safe, warm, and fed but are unhappy because of something petty. First world problems...smh.

Moment

At this moment in the universe, someone is laying in a bed in Madison, Wisconsin because their parents have driven them all the way from Lexington to visit a college they never even mentioned before. They tolerated an eight hour drive in a car with an eight year old sister with the attention span of a rabid squirrel on speed so that they could enjoy the last part of their Spring Break trip. The end of the trip involves going to D.C and this person knows that refusing to go on the trip would mean they would not be able to visit D.C. So they tolerate the whining and complaining of their sister and the comments from their parents about the college they have never mentioned ever. This person can't wait until this college admission process is over, not because its stressful, but because it its their entire family on edge. But until its over, they must lay in a hotel room bed and push themselves through these unfortunate trips and just try to move on.

Somewhere in the universe

At this moment, someone is spending their spring break in Florida. Although most colleges are done with their spring break, high schoolers are just starting to make their way there. A location that features the beach and all sorts of entertainment, Florida is the perfect place to go for a fun and cheap trip. At this very moment, some high schooler vacationing in Florida for spring break is having a YOLO moment and making many spontaneous decisions that they may, or may not regret. It could be anything from sunbathing without sunscreen and burning to the point where it hurts to move or take a shower; or it could turn out to be a night full of wasted people who really don’t care. And at this moment, someone is missing out on all this fun and wishing that they could spend their spring break in Florida. Wishing that they had made plans for an epic sb2012 that they’ll never forget.