(no subject)
Summer is about halfway over. So far its been pretty low key and pretty much boring, but its going by way too fast. I don't like thinking that I will be moving back to school in 7 weeks, but it is also exciting to start my last year of undergrad knowing that I will have at least one year off school following graduation. I'm remaining hopeful that I can find a job sometime over next summer. I'm shooting for a job in Chicago or the suburbs just because I've always been fascinated by the Chicago lifestyle. Theres always shit going on and shit to see. Even if I ended up not liking it I at least want to give it a try.
So...what have I been doing this summer. Work is probably something I've been doing the most which is sad since I only get about 8-15 hours a week. With how tight my bills are and how much I've racked up in credit card debt from legitimate purchases (and a couple fun things), I'm grateful to even have those 8-15 a week. I've been to a Sox game which was fun even though they lost. We had the best seats I've ever had before and they were free so that was even better. I went up to Chicago for Benny Benassi and had the most fun I've ever had at a concert sober haha. I don't think I've ever been sweatier. Most of the rest of summer has been spent lounging around or hanging out with my sisters. White Oak is closed for at least this year so now we don't even have a place to swim besides the public pools. I heard there is a place similar to White Oak in Bloomington which might be worth the drive once or twice.
I also just started swimming again. I started in April (I went once, and quit haha). This time, though, I am motivated. I can't wait to get my workout in today when my dad comes home from work. I'm super sore from my 1.5 mile swim yesterday which saddens me but I know if I keep up with it I will improve really quickly. My short term goals are to actually stick with it when I go back to school and to make the Sectionals cuts. I'd love to go in the spring but I don't think I'll be ready by then. My goal is to make Long Course Sectionals at the end of July in Columbia, MO. I have been fast enough to go to Sectionals since I was 16, but my parents never wanted to pay for the trip to Minneapolis, MN, where it always used to be. Long term goals (if I make it that far) are to get back in good enough shape to where I am swimming best times again. That would be the best feeling in the world to go from thinking I'll never be even OK again to being better than I ever was. This is totally within my reach as long as I stick with it for the next 2 years or so.
I'm really excited about getting back into swimming. After the treacherous year swimming with TCAY in Godfrey 2 years ago I thought I'd be done for good, but it just took me some time to realize that I don't really like training with a huge group of people. I like to make up my own workouts and have a lane to myself. It is probably because I pretty much used to do that from the time I was 12 til the time I went to school. I know it's going to be tough to keep up with it when I'm doing two 18-20 credit hour semesters this school year plus probably working somewhere. It might even be harder after I graduate if I find a full time job. It will take a lot of motivation to work 40+ hours a week and still find time to get in at least 5 workouts at the pool, plus the occasional meet on the weekend. Being able to afford membership fees, equipment, and travel is a lot too, but this is a passion of mine and I believe the money is well worth it as long as I don't quit. Hopefully I can find someone to lift weights with at school because I think it helped me before when I did it, plus I grew to kind of like it, although the thought of lifting weights now has no appeal.
Well, here's to hoping I can make something out of what's left of the summer. This weekend is the 4th of July which I am much more excited about than usual. I'm hoping to make it up to Chicago after work on the 4th for fireworks and the Taste which I have never been to. Also, Kristen, Megan, Cory, Alyssa, and I are planning on spending a three day weekend at Lake Geneva, WI swimming, shopping, drinking. Just having fun. Megan wants to go to Thailand next summer and she asked that I go with her since I have been twice and know where to go and how to get the deals, etc. I realllly want to go of course, but its going to be really hard to come up with 2-3k of expendable income knowing that I will have 6 months to find a decent job and begin paying off student loans. That 2-3k could be a good 8 month's student loan payments. We shall see. It seems everything works out to some extent, and the answers become more clear as time goes on.
So...what have I been doing this summer. Work is probably something I've been doing the most which is sad since I only get about 8-15 hours a week. With how tight my bills are and how much I've racked up in credit card debt from legitimate purchases (and a couple fun things), I'm grateful to even have those 8-15 a week. I've been to a Sox game which was fun even though they lost. We had the best seats I've ever had before and they were free so that was even better. I went up to Chicago for Benny Benassi and had the most fun I've ever had at a concert sober haha. I don't think I've ever been sweatier. Most of the rest of summer has been spent lounging around or hanging out with my sisters. White Oak is closed for at least this year so now we don't even have a place to swim besides the public pools. I heard there is a place similar to White Oak in Bloomington which might be worth the drive once or twice.
I also just started swimming again. I started in April (I went once, and quit haha). This time, though, I am motivated. I can't wait to get my workout in today when my dad comes home from work. I'm super sore from my 1.5 mile swim yesterday which saddens me but I know if I keep up with it I will improve really quickly. My short term goals are to actually stick with it when I go back to school and to make the Sectionals cuts. I'd love to go in the spring but I don't think I'll be ready by then. My goal is to make Long Course Sectionals at the end of July in Columbia, MO. I have been fast enough to go to Sectionals since I was 16, but my parents never wanted to pay for the trip to Minneapolis, MN, where it always used to be. Long term goals (if I make it that far) are to get back in good enough shape to where I am swimming best times again. That would be the best feeling in the world to go from thinking I'll never be even OK again to being better than I ever was. This is totally within my reach as long as I stick with it for the next 2 years or so.
I'm really excited about getting back into swimming. After the treacherous year swimming with TCAY in Godfrey 2 years ago I thought I'd be done for good, but it just took me some time to realize that I don't really like training with a huge group of people. I like to make up my own workouts and have a lane to myself. It is probably because I pretty much used to do that from the time I was 12 til the time I went to school. I know it's going to be tough to keep up with it when I'm doing two 18-20 credit hour semesters this school year plus probably working somewhere. It might even be harder after I graduate if I find a full time job. It will take a lot of motivation to work 40+ hours a week and still find time to get in at least 5 workouts at the pool, plus the occasional meet on the weekend. Being able to afford membership fees, equipment, and travel is a lot too, but this is a passion of mine and I believe the money is well worth it as long as I don't quit. Hopefully I can find someone to lift weights with at school because I think it helped me before when I did it, plus I grew to kind of like it, although the thought of lifting weights now has no appeal.
Well, here's to hoping I can make something out of what's left of the summer. This weekend is the 4th of July which I am much more excited about than usual. I'm hoping to make it up to Chicago after work on the 4th for fireworks and the Taste which I have never been to. Also, Kristen, Megan, Cory, Alyssa, and I are planning on spending a three day weekend at Lake Geneva, WI swimming, shopping, drinking. Just having fun. Megan wants to go to Thailand next summer and she asked that I go with her since I have been twice and know where to go and how to get the deals, etc. I realllly want to go of course, but its going to be really hard to come up with 2-3k of expendable income knowing that I will have 6 months to find a decent job and begin paying off student loans. That 2-3k could be a good 8 month's student loan payments. We shall see. It seems everything works out to some extent, and the answers become more clear as time goes on.