Whew, it's been a while! To be honest, I've tried to sit down and write several times, even opened up a new post, but I just wasn't feeling in the right mode.

Shawn was so cute today. Last night I was open about some hard-to-share things, but he was very supportive and loving, and today it felt like a burden had lifted and that we could be free to be ourselves around each other. Maybe I hadn't been feeling that free for a while. But I truly believe that communication is the wonder drug for any relationship, whether romantic or friendship. It's the way we truly connect as humans.

Today we borrowed my cousins' mountain bikes and took them out on the trail. It was my first-ever experience mountain biking. I'll have to admit, it was intense. I think I fell over at least four times! But it was also a blast. Lately I've been looking into buying a mountain bike, so I wanted to go on a trail to see if I really like that. I don't know if I'll ever become the US Womens Mountain Biking Champion, but it's really fun to get out and try something different.

School has been absolutely insane this week, with tons of projects thrown on me spur of the moment. But despite all that, I think I'm learning to deal with the stress better (finally, now that I'm a senior!). I still have a ways to go in the stress management department, but I've been trying to embrace a philosophy of being easy on myself. Life is hard enough on you--you don't need to be hard on yourself! I think for so long I've tried to constantly change and improve myself for the better, which is good, but there's something to be said for just sitting back and enjoying yourself for the way you are. For loving who you are. I think the gross majority of Americans don't love themselves--that's so sad. You should be your own best cheerleader and comforter.

This is very odd. Normally I am a sugar-holic. Like, I could eat the stuff raw for breakfast, and often do! But lately anything even feintly sweet has been repulsive. I've been craving salt. I joked with Shawn today at McAlister's (a deli) that I would love the sweet tea if it were instead a salty brine. He wrinkled his nose and couldn't even find words to express the horror.

Well, there's life in a nutshell. There's so much more but you just can't put everything into words. Sometimes you don't want to. Sometimes they're beautiful just the way they are in your mind, unlabeled by language and free.