Images and goals and sounds!

To start things off, some pictures from recent weeks.

With the girls on April 16th. We spent part of the day on campus and part down at the river, then came back for the vigil. It was sad and celebratory and challenging and beautiful.

The gang at relay for life! Rarely have I felt so proud to be a Hokie than I did the night of Relay. We have raised over $100,000 more than any other collegiate Relay this year. There seriously is something so different about the spirit of the Hokie Nation. It was a night so full of love and so full of hope and there was dancing and Swedish fish and it was freezing cold, but it was awesome.

With Cody at his birthday party! It was an '80s theme. Very fun. And really, my appreciation for Cody Solberg is insane. He is always so upbeat, so loving and positive and ready for an adventure. We always have a blast together, drinking Bud Light with Lime at 3 in the afternoon while listening to John Mayer, or leaving everyone we know videos on their facebook walls, or dancing to Black Eyed Peas, or going hiking and talking about how much we love Blacksburg and what a beautiful part of the country we live in.

All the girls before the '80s party! It was so fun to have Melinda here. We went to goodwill to buy outfits, where I happened to procure the rockin' leather jacket and gold top. Such a good night.

The A2s! I seriously have had such a blast this year being a part of the women's choir and making a group of friends that are so diverse in terms of interests and personality- we probably would never be friends if we met anywhere else, but we are united in that we love to sing and we believe in the transformative power of music. which, incidentally, is no small thing. All of these girls just have a fantastic sense of humor and a deep appreciation for composition and we have a blast together. Also, we have a hand signal, taking our level of awesomeness from a Lady GaGa level straight to a Beyonce level.

My parents came down for my last choir concert of the semester, and Chris took this with his awesome camera/masterful photog skillz. I LOVE MY MOM!!! She has been so wonderful to me always, and especially this year, and even more especially, in recent weeks when I've been calling her to freak out about the summer and stress and finals and issues. Also, she has lost a TON of weight! Look at her, the skinny little thing.

A typical pre-going out Reilly & LDL webcam photo shoot, with one very spectacular addition: CHRISTOPHER! He's my boyfriend. AH! I have a boyfriend! Boyfriend boyfriend boyfriend.

So, that's just a brief multimedia update on my life these past couple months.

Oh my gosh. Is it too crazy that I have a boyfriend? A LONG DISTANCE boyfriend! Something I swore I would never have ever again! But it's so different. It is SO different from the way things were with Jed. Stopping what I'm doing to call him feels like a joy, not a burden. Him talking to me about his worries that I'm partying too much are genuine and well-meaning, not a desire to control me. He is sweet and caring and genuine and encouraging and passionate and funny and HE LISTENS TO ME WHEN I SPEAK. and he gives me words of affirmation. And he kisses me on the forehead, and he hangs out with my parents, and he takes beautiful pictures, and he has a precious family. Oh gosh. I'm just happy!

Things I Want To Do This Summer:

1. Become best friends with Dr. Dunsmore, director of VT's Child Social Development Lab and all-around Nicest Person on Earth.

2. Make money ( I cannot pretend that this is not a priority. As sad as it makes me, the fact remains that I desperately hate borrowing money from my parents and would desperately love to have some income. )

3. Buy produce at the Blacksburg Farmers Market

4. Spend ample time at the New River

5. Go to church regularly at Fieldstone/possibly get involved in their music situation

6. Reduce the amount of stuff in my life

7. Build some new relationships with people that I don't see as much during the school year

8. Continue my pattern of exercising/losing weight. It has been happening and it is awesome. And I've become much more acquainted with the paths/back roads of Blacksburg, making it much easier for me to run, as I have always been hindered by my absolute mortification at the idea of anyone seeing me running

9. READ! History of Philosophy, America in the Age of Genocide, Generation X, etc.

10. Explore, learn, challenge myself, pursue all things that are true and beautiful.

Songs I'm Listening To:

1. Billionare by Travis McCoy ft. Busta Rhymes. ( Obviously. )

2. New People by Blue Scholars

3. Last Person by Jenny Owen Youngs

4. Waltz for ZiZi by Yoko Kanno

5. Bang Bang by Dispatch

6. Crazy Love by Pepper

7. My Sweet Rose by Matt Costa

8. Samson by Regina Spektor

9. Everyone's Rooting for You by Sondre Lerche

10. Why Bother? by Weezer