The end (of the year) is near!

I figure that on December 21st I'm going to make a cake for the -2 year anniversary of the end of the world. 

Since the new year is coming up, I figured that I would make a list of things that have changed this year. I didn't really think much had until I started thinking of specific things and situations.

1. I've gotten a lot more social, and I seem to be better at relating to people. This happened in Kenya over the summer, I'm pretty sure. People in Kenya focus on friendships, mostly because they actually care about others and what they have to say. This helped me figure out how to talk to people I don't know and to be open minded about who I might befriend.  
2. I started 10th grade. I now have a bunch of friends at my school, and I'm actually enjoying it. Katie transferred, Sam transferred back, Moriah stopped being home schooled. I also started IB classes. As much work as they are, I like them, because I feel like I'm actually learning something in high school. I've also got to meet a lot of great people in my classes. I like my teachers a lot this year, because (most) of them respect students.
3. I've learned to be comfortable with myself. I might have just gotten out of the middle school mindset of thinking I have to be like everyone else to be liked. I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not. Gosh, I'm cheesy.
4. I got to have an intense summer of traveling. I got to see Iceland, London, and Kenya (again). I swear that in that time, I developed a bit of a British accent, but it was gone by the time school started.
5. I dyed my hair all sorts of funny colors. Blue, purple, and brown. It'll go back to blond, someday, I suppose. 
6. I've gotten better at playing guitar, photography, and knitting. 
7. I lost a best friend. 

Those are all the things I have time for at the moment. I put together my year in pictures, and I'll post that soon.

Today is Project 4 Awesome, where people make videos on youtube for their favorite charity, to raise both money and awareness. If you don't have anything to do, I would suggest you go here.
Love,
-J-

Santa Claus is thumbing to town.

I had an interesting day. I nearly missed the bus twice, ran after it waving my arms, and stepped on to see everybody smiling at me. At least I make people smile. I discovered Relient K has a Christmas album, and I was sort of dancing to it on the bus. I also found out Katie A. has the space channel, and therefore the Doctor Who Christmas special. If she sees me creeping in her windows on Christmas day, she'll know why.

I learned my chem teacher channels all of his emotions(which he seems to lack the rest of the time) into teaching stoichiometry. His sudden change from monotone to hyper was definitely amusing. He kept pounding on the board when he pointed to things, and began yelling his points. "That's the beauty of factor label method!" I don't know if he had a lot of caffeine, or if he's actually that passionate about stoichiometry.

I wish that my school was on such a system that I got to have exams before Christmas, instead of the end of January. It just seems incredibly inconvenient that there should be a two week break, two weeks of school, and then exams. I have a feeling that several teachers are going to play the "oh, but you will have so much time" card, before assigning a major project due at the end of Christmas break. Some IB teachers seem to think that we don't need any sleep or leisure time, but that we live and breathe for large, monotonous assignments. I know I have to write an 1000 word essay on "the importance of the acropolis the the Greeks" and some sort of project on To Kill A Mockingbird.

Along with teachers suddenly realizing how much of the material they are yet to cover, cabaret is on Tuesday. Cue the awkward scramble that is high school students attempting to get dates for cab. I don't even know why I bother going to dances, but I figured I may as well go to one cabaret at my school. That way I can see if I want to waste the twelve dollars to go to cabaret the remaining two years in high school. Sam and I have decided that we will find people who aren't on the awkward outskirts of the dance floor. With that, I don't know quite where I'll find myself come Tuesday.

Every year, my church has the "Living Christmas Tree"; a concert where the choir stands on a bunch of platforms that look like a Christmas tree. I've landed myself an important job; I get to turn on tea lights that go on the tree's slightly treacherous stairs, to prevent people from falling in the dark, and I get to flick the switch that turns on the Christmas lights on the tree. Yeah. I'm that awesome.
Love,
-J-

Back to usual. Kinda.

So, I'm back home, as of 3am today. Pretty much the only thing I've done so far is slept and panicked about all the homework I have to do. Missing three days is a lot, and my capabilities of remembering due dates are being challenged. Apparently I'm suppose to do a recitation tomorrow from Romeo and Juliet, but I forgot my play script and I don't think I'm able to memorize about twenty lines of Shakespeare before English class tomorrow. And hopefully I'm not forced to do my French test tomorrow, because I haven't studied at all. Well, I don't think I'll ever get pronouns, so I'm screwed either way. Why does homework have to take over my life?

Last night in the airport, a guy was calling for the boarding of our flight; "Also, I have a few more announcements and... oh, we have a loose child!" A two year old bolted down the hallway towards the plane, and he proceeded to run, scoop up the two year old, and bring them back to their mother. He went back to the microphone, expressionless; "I'm sorry for the interruption, but we did have a loose child." 
Love,
-J-

I was starting to work on my English commentary on the poem "The Skater", and I realized that, due to the last week, I feel I can relate to it. The poem is about a skater who is speeding along, enjoying being alone, but then begins to feel uncomfortable and isolated. Basically, it's meant to show that your attitude towards an experience changes it.

That's how I feel about my life through the last week. The difference is that in the poem, it's gradual, and with me it came as a huge jolt. I feel like my perspective on life has changed. I've cruised through life too much, without stopping to think about what's important. I've been focusing on things that don't matter. I know that's what's normal for teenagers, but I don't want to be the same as everyone else in that aspect.

The majority of this feeling came during the funeral when a few things from Elissa's journal were read aloud. A few things she wrote were in the paper that was handed out at the visitation yesterday. I might copy some of it here sometime. They made me see, again, just how amazing a person she was. It also satisfied the part of me that's been looking for some sort of message from her. It was sort of funny, because at the end of the page the pastor read, she had written "If you are someone other than Elissa reading this, please discontinue here." It was a strange little bit of humor, but it was so typical of her.

I can't believe it's been a week. 
Love,
-J-