There is absolutely nothing better than receiving a letter.

If any of you want to do something really great in your life,

Find a pen pal.

It can be someone who lives on your street,

Someone who lives in another country,

or just someone who came with you to graduation last year and you have kind of always really liked so you decided to write them a letter.

And if you are lucky, you’ll find someone who enjoys writing and receiving letters as much as you do.

It is completely old fashioned and sometimes takes months to receive one letter, but it is 1000000 times better than any text message or facebook notification.

My pen pal is superb. Really.

She takes a while to write back sometimes, but every single one of her letters has come at the perfect time.

This one especially.

She brought it over today and just like the last letter she brought a book a long with it.

We ask each other questions back and forth and basically tell each other all of our life goals and dreams.

We are probably going to be pen pals for life. No big deal.

But I really just wanted to share this advice she gave me.

If you are ever having a bad week and/or day, revert back to this advice.

ADVICE FOR A ROUGH WEEK…

1.      Set out a warm towel, clean pajamas, and escape into the bathtub. Don’t forget a good book.

2.      Red Mango. It’s small, red, and has a warm fireplace with classy red couches surrounding it. Get the plain yogurt with the white yogurt chips.

3.      Exercise. Go on itunes, splurge a little. Buy all your favorite songs, stick the earphones in, and run. It will lift your spirits.

4.      CRASH. Take one weekend and crash. Isolate yourself in your room, stay in your pajamas. Refuse to get ready. Read a couple of romantic novels, eat your weight in chocolate ice cream. Watch The Notebook, Titanic, Ever After, etc. Then when Monday morning rolls around, put a smile on your face, take a shower, and greet the day.

Thanks pen pal.

Did you know that there are approximately 4352 colleges in the U.S.?

And you are expected to pick one.

Oh, and after you decide where you are going to attend college,

you have to decide what you are actually going to study.

I'm not even going to pretend I know how many majors there are to decide from.

Just to make this whole situation a little better...

You are in the middle of your senior year while deciding all of this.

You also have to decide where you are planning on living 

while attending lovely college.

At home.

On campus.

Off campus.

In a dorm.

In an apartment.

In a house.

Also. Money?

How are you going to pay for college?

I wish I could have an answer to at least one of these questions.

Know what I am doing in some way or another.

But as of right now, this is the plan:

I am going to college.

That's as far as I got in the whole planning of my life.

I guess we'll just see how this all works out.

Stay tuned.

Goodnight.

I have come to a conclusion.

The conclusion is this:

Sleep is a good thing.

In fact, it is a great thing.

You should probably not go with out it.

And if by chance you happen to miss out on it one night, 

Go to bed early the next.

But,

Pulling an all nighter should definitely be on your bucket list.

I want this back.

I need this back.

I will take it even with the third degree burn all over my body.

And the only place in the entire ocean with absolutely no sand crabs.

And going out ever single night to see the grunion run.

Only to be told it was happening the next night. 

And the next. 

And the next.

 Greatest time of my life was spent on this very beach.

August?

Come quickly.

Fear...

"If fear is all that we should fear,

then what are we so afraid of?

Because fear is only in our heads."

People fear too much.
A lot of us live our entire lives in fear. 

We fear what tomorrow will bring. 

What it won't bring. 

We fear falling in love.

Falling in love with the wrong person.

Falling for the right person at the wrong time.

Some of us fear the future.

Others fear the past.

I don't think I know of one person who doesn't fear

SOMETHING.

 And it is totally normal.

I think it'd be pretty weird if you were

completely fearless.

But.

We should all try and live a little fearlessly.

Every now and then.

Do one thing everyday that scares you.

That is my challenge to you.

Do it.

Prom?

One time I heard from I don't even remember who, about this way to ask someone to a dance.

And I always wanted someone to do it in real life.

Not necessarily to me, but I just wanted to see it happen.

And it did. 

First let me tell you how it goes.

You get a little boy, dress him up all nice. 

Suit and all. 

Give him one rose.

He goes up to the choice girl and knocks on her door. When she answers he says,

"When I grow up will you go to prom with me?"

And gives her the rose. 

She thinks it is the cutest thing in the entire world. Takes the rose and shuts the door.

Next.

The boy who really wants to ask her to prom dresses in the same suit and such and gets a bouquet of roses. 

Knocks on her door.

"I'm all grown up now, go to prom with me?"

And gives her the flowers.

She dies at the cuteness of the whole event and obviously goes to prom with him.

The end.

Well.

I told my very best friend about that and she calls me tonight to tell me that her brother is using that to ask someone to a dance. I was so excited.

He did it tonight and it worked out perfectly for him (obviously). And now my life is complete. 

So classy.

chocolate cake.

I just got done having this conversation with my little sister and we were talking about a whole bunch of things and got on the subject of temptation. We reminded each other of a story my young women leader shared with me a little while ago and I'm not trying to be all preachy or anything, I just thought I'd share it with all you bloggers out there. 

Once upon a time there was a little kingdom called Rayad.  The tiny people who inhabited this kingdom were call Rayadites.  They lived happily, sharing and caring about each other.  Life was good to them.  There were only a few things they needed to watch out for; for instance, chocolate cake or wearing the color red.  If any Rayadite ever ate chocolate cake or wore red, his spirit would become weakened, and he would care less and less about himself and the rules of the kingdom.

Also living in this tiny kingdom was Zynock, an evil person who wanted to destroy the kingdom and all of the people in it.  He hated for them to be happy and loving, for that made it harder for him to influence them.  He knew what weakened their spirits and made them easier to capture.  But Zynock also knew that he could not just offer the Rayadites chocolate cake and have them devour it - they were not that foolish!  Nor could he make the most wonderful garment in bright red and expect them to wear it immediately.  The Rayadites wanted to be good and strong.  They had promised each other that they would help and strengthen each other in time of need.  So how could Zynock weaken this people?  How could he get them to succumb to him so that he could destroy them and thus the whole kingdom?

"Let's see," he said, "I can't get them to eat chocolate cake right off, but maybe I can get them to develop a taste for chocolate."

That's when chocolate chip cookies were introduced to the kingdom of Rayad.  At first the cookies were ignored and scoffed at.  Then some commercials and billboards were produced that showed handsome, wonderful-looking Rayadites eating chocolate chip cookies.  And nothing happened to them, except they became more popular and sophisticated - at least that's what the message conveyed on the screens and billboards.

It wasn't long before a few Rayadites could be seen eating a chocolate chip cookies every now and then, and they seemed to be doing fine.  They were still loving and caring and hadn't changed at all - so it seemed.  So more and more Rayadites began eating the cookies.  What they didn't realize was that the portion of chocolate chips in each cookie had been doubled.  They were getting a double dose of chocolate, disguised in the cookie.  You'd hear phrases like these: "That cookie is really good except for a couple of places where it tastes pretty chocolatey.  But don't miss the cookie just for those two places.  It's too good a cookie, and you can overlook the taste."  "I heard that one of our friends has eaten a chocolate chip cookie, and she says it's nothing to be afraid of.  It won't ruin your life if you eat it."

That was true: lives didn't seem to be ruined by chocolate chip cookies.  Things were pretty much the same as usual.  However, some of the teachers and leaders and parents in Rayad suggested avoiding the cookies because tastes for chocolate were being developed.

"Avoid the cookies?" came the cries of surprise.  "What for?  What's wrong with them?  They're not chocolate cake!  How stuffy can you get?"

Some who refused to eat the cookies were even laughed at and made fun of.  Zynock himself started chuckling.  He had no idea his plan would work so well.  And Zynock was patient.  He didn't care how long it took to destroy Rayad, just so it was destroyed.

Chocolate chip cookies seemed to be moving pretty well.  Zynock didn't worry about the words of caution and counsel from the leaders, because his commercials and billboards were so exciting and enticing.  He had to make them that way, or the truth of the leaders would have swayed the Rayadites away from the cookies.

Now it came time to introduce a new product of destruction.  No, not chocolate cake, not quite yet.  Rather, Zynock began advertising spice cake, white cake, yellow cake, carrot cake, any kind of cake but chocolate - but all with chocolate frosting, rich chocolate frosting.  More commercials, more billboards, a few songs to hum and sing all day about how wonderful chocolate cake would be, although they're not eating it - yet!  Get them thinking about it before they will actually succumb.  Then in the kingdom of Rayad, you could hear:

"Have you tried that yellow cake with chocolate frosting?"

"Well, no.  Is it good?"

"Oh, yes!  Granted, it is chocolatey, but it's not chocolate cake.  And it really doesn't have much more chocolate than those cookies we've been eating!"

"But the cake doesn't seem right.  I mean, cookies are one thing, but cake?"

"Ah, come on!  The important thing is the chocolate, and this is no more than you've already been eating.  Everybody's eating it.  You can't pass it up and be the only one left out."

In the meantime, the songs were subtly strumming away in the background, singing the praises of chocolate cake.  Right, the words were not good, but the beat and the rhythm were so cool that many Rayad's listened just for the music.  After all, what can music do?

Zynock began thinking again: "One thing that strengthens those Rayadites is when they are together talking to each other.  What can I do about that?"  Then he reasoned, "Well, it's all right for them to be together.  In fact, maybe there is some way I could use their gatherings and parties for my purposes.  Aha!  I've got it!"

So parties in Rayad began changing.  Instead of the Rayadites talking to each other and playing games so they could get to know one another and share their strengths and talents, a new trend began.  Everyone who was anyone had the new kinds of parties.

"Have you been to a party over at our Rayad friend's place yet?"

"No, I haven't."

"You should go.  It's really cool!"

"Oh?  What do you do?"

"Well, it isn't like any other party you've been to.  It's pretty cool.  All you do is go and sit down and watch stuff on the screen."

"Stuff on the screen?  Like what?"

"Oh, exciting, scary stuff that's pretty good.  There are a few scenes showing people eating chocolate cake, but no 'biggy.'"

"People eating chocolate cake?  But..."

"Oh, it's not bad, and besides, there's nothing anymore without a little bit of that.  It's just fun to get together with your friends."

So Zynock stood back and watched his plot unfold.  "Let's see now.  They're eating chocolate and they're eating cake.  They're listening to songs and watching movies about chocolate cake.  They're becoming weaker and weaker, although they're not even aware of it yet because they haven't actually eaten it - yet!  They are falling into my trap!  They think their leaders and parents are square and stuffy.  It's very helpful when their friends tell them what I want them to hear.  Friends are my greatest asset!"

"Hey!" says a friend Rayadite, "have you seen the latest movie?"

"No," comes the response.  "I thought it was C-rated, for chocolate."

"No, it isn't.  It's R-rated for Red.  There's no chocolate in it."

And so Zynock continues his plotting - this time a gorgeous garment, but not in red...yet.  It's a luscious pink color.

I don't care how many times people tell me it will never happen,

my love life will be like the movies. 

I promise. 

People will see us on the streets and all they will think of is,

"Dang. I wish I was that couple."

And they could be.

But they won't.

Last week at this time I was right in the middle of my 12 hour long 

chick-flick movie marathon.

I am pretty sure I know all the secrets.

So everyone who knows me right now and knows that 

I obviously can't get a boyfriend, just wait.

Someday I will have THE boyfriend. 

You know, the boyfriend from the movies.

The one everyone wishes was theirs.

Too bad he'll be mine.

All mine.

Now don't get me wrong, I know it won't be a perfect relationship.

We'll argue, and disagree and yell.

But in case you haven't noticed...

They fight in the movies too.

It'll be great.

Whenever I get discouraged and think no one will ever fall in love with me, all I have to do is think about my future movie boyfriend. 

It makes everything better.

 Also.

I learned this great quote from one of the many movies I watched last week.

"If you feel it and you don't do everything in your power to reach for it, you are basically slapping life in the face." -Win a Date with Tad Hamilton

I heard this one from one of the others I watched that I really liked also.

"It's like all the bad stuff you went through that you hated along the way, the people that disappointed you, the things that didn't go the way you wanted, suddenly you feel grateful to them. Because they are the things that got you here, to this." 

-The Perfect Man 

Love really can be perfect.

It can be just like the movies.