to me, there's no better feeling in the world than to know that people care for you. that's my weak spot. when the ones that don't even have to care care the most, i break down. i can't take it. it mixes my emotions up and they spill out of the bottle i normally keep them in. i'm sure people have cared for me all my life, but i don't think i've really felt it until this week. the people i was surrounded by, the environment, the overall feeling of happiness... it was more than enough to help me get away for a week. but no matter how long you vacation, you always have to come back, and coming back is the hardest thing to do. basically, this week was amazing. whitewater rafting, great food, bonding(!), and everything else that came with it really made me feel like i was in the right place at the right time for the first time in a while. cheers to the best week of my summer.

and i'm POOPED. expect a long entry and my favorite pictures soon!

i'm in tennessee for the week, finally!

AMAZINGGGG

and i did get more chiggers, but i threw my socks away and picked them off asap

i don't want to get chiggers again... pray for me!

and oh- if we find it (which i think we will) there will be pictures!

1) one memory that comes back every year would definitely be my birthday. if you didn't know, it's on 9/11. by the way, i love being called "terrorist". that's the smartest thing i have ever heard! anywho, the memory isss.... it was my eighth birthday party. a few family members were over, and maybe a neighbor or two. i remember everyone trying to act like nothing had happened earlier that day so i wouldn't feel bad. then they turned on the news. i didn't really know anything about what had happened, but when my aunt started crying i knew it was bad. i felt so... awkward. it felt unreal. and now everyone either says i'm lying, that sucks, or i'm a terrorist. the end.

2) i remember one day i came home from school when we were living in kinston. my mom and little brothers were out back in the pool. i leaned out the door and said i'd be there in a minute, and then i went in the kitchen to find something to sip on. i saw a mcdonald's cup on the counter and shook it and it had what looked like a dark drink in it. it actually turned out to be water with ciggarette butts/ashes in it... but my smart self didn't find that out until after taking a big sip.

i'll write more later, i need to take a shower and go to bed so i can get up for church tomorrow.