Once upon a time I pierced a Scotsman...

I have returned from Flagstaff, Arizona! I spent the last few days sleeping and showering in a boy's dorm and getting hit on relentlessly. The experience was interesting to say the least. The day after my arrival I spent the morning/afternoon battling elevation sickness. Thankfully, this did not last. I think it is due to the fact that my body is some sort of mini-tank with amazing girl parts attached.

I did have fun though. Ian and I hadn't seen each other in 5 years and we spent our time traipsing around the rustically quaint college town. I got a chance to experience a Diablo burger which was pretty much heaven. Oh, and I made love to the delicious rosemary-doused fries.

And what trip of mine would be complete without me being impulsive!? So, I have two beautiful tragus piercings. I've wanted them done for so long and the tattoo shop was in the right place at the right time. The right one still bleeds a little, but for the most part they're not sore. I think they look pretty awesome. Thanks to Ben at Tat-Fu for a quick, relatively painless job!

I made some new friends, something that always makes me happy. As many realize soon after meeting me, I love to have fun with people. Ian also pulled together a ton of music for me. This will keep me busy for a long time, even though I should be planning for next week.

I also had the privilege of guest starring on the radio show that Ian works on during the week. Here is the link to the podcasts. The Progrum No, I didn't speak much, but it was enough entertainment to just listen to the boys carry on. Yesterday was my drive home. Some Arizona snow, crazy winds, an In 'N' Out burger and milkshake, and tons of boredom later, I made it home in one piece. And without killing anyone else with my Bostonian rage.

All right. I've been lazy long enough today. Nos vemos.

i just want to blow bubbles alllll day long!

So, Holly and I had some interesting conversations this morning/afternoon. We frequently make breakfast together and today we began chatting about the book (Loving the Self-Absorbed) I've been reading over some eggs and bacon.

I asked her, "What makes some people reflective and others not?" What instills a healthy sense of empathy in a person? What is it that allows to create emotional boundaries so that we share ourselves, but also remain protected?

Most of the time the answer lies in our upbringing. The way our parents treated us and interacted with us lays the foundation for our interactions with others. Should our parents have interacted with us negatively or relayed unreasonable expectations unto us, the result is an unhealthy approach to fostering relationships.

I was thinking back to my childhood. I reflected on the friends I once had. Frequently, my "friends" would abandon me or plot against me. I cared very much for them and wanted to please them, but this only hurt me further as those friends used my concern to manipulate me. It wasn't until high school that I began to seek out people who I could have mutually satisfying friendships with. I am proud that I was able to establish such boundaries at such a young age. I now want to make it a constant in my life to indulge those friendships that are mutually rewarding.

I thank my mother for her devotion to me. I also reflected on my interactions with her. Yes, she could be mean, and I would get yelled at and reprimanded for behaving inappropriately. I would cry and feel remorse for my mistakes. Some parents might leave their kids alone to cry and recover themselves. My mother held me while I cried. She told me that I needed to learn from my mistakes, but that she never stopped loving me. That everything was okay.

And it is okay. And it always will be. Even when it isn't, it's all okay.