here comes the sun, and I say it's all right

soooo I haven't blogged in so long that when I went to type in the blog address, my computer didn't even remember how to fill the rest of it out! :( I'm ashamed! it actually has been an entire month! it's been so long that I can't even remember everything that I've done. but n worries....I just returned from the most wonderful of all wonderful trips. so an definitely go on and on about that for awhile. while other people were busy gettin zonked in Mexico, me and nine of my close friends were picniking on the beach, singing our favorite songs with a beautiful ukelele accompanist (JULIEEEE), and nomming on pizza. did I mention that we were also on a beach? then we all snuggled up and watched the parent trap together. it was precious. and that was just our first night in paradise. the following days were filled with adventures on the beach and frolicking in giant waves. and of course lots and lots and lots of love. oh and hugs. and ice cream....a LOT of it. oh and some beautiful starry nights and glorious sunsets to enjoy. on the first night, I talked to Julie about how I wish that I could somehow capture the feelings associated with standing on a beautiful beach, hearing the crash and lull of the ocean waves, digging my toes in the sand, feeling the salty breeze hitting my cheeks. I closed my eyes and kept breathing in deeply, thinking maybe if I took enough gulps, then this air would become my norm. I wanted to just appreciate every single part of the experience that I was having and figure out how to save this moment. I simultaneously was hating myself for wasting the time I had in this seemingly perfect moment trying to hang on to it for future use. instead, Julie explained, I should just live in it. it wouldn't be nearly as wonderful if I could access those feelings whenever I wanted to. there are things in life, like a breath-taking sunset over the beach, that are meant to just simply be appreciated for what they are...amazing works of art brought to us by the big guy upstairs. nature seriously is so amazing, and I know that I can appreciate the little things that are beautiful in my hometown, it's much easier to notice the beauty in a place like Naples. palm trees were absolutely everywhere, and I can honestly say that everything that I saw was simply beautiful. but I would be foolish if I didn't mention the absolute joy, love, and laughter that I so badly wanted to capture. it was even MORE special than any sunset or starry sky could ever be. I went into the trip knowing that it was bound to be amazing since the girls going with me are super sweet. I had really high expectations for the week, and I can truly say that my expectations were wildly exceeded. every day with these girls was a new adventure. I was closer with some girls over others, but by the end of the week, we felt like a little family. or better yet, we felt like a bunch of sisters. it was cool to see everyone in their day to day lives. all of our quirks and charm just shined as we spent more and more time all together. I loved learning things about people I didn't know as well and also seeing totally new sides to people that I totally thought I did know. even though we weren't getting wasted on the beach in Cancun, I felt drunk off of the sheer joy that erupted everyday. I have never laughed so hard or shared so many funny stories or made so many quick insider jokes with a group. it was amazing to see how quickly everyone could go from adventurous beach babes, ready to trek in the waves, to stunning beauties at night. it was so cool to see how people chose to spice up a plain outfit of a white shirt and denim bottom, and capturing all of this on film was even better. even though it was impossible to get absolutely every part of the week, I tried my hardest to get as much as I could. Jasmine (my newly named camera!! woo!) accompanied me EVERYWHERE. even though it probably was annoying, I just kept telling myself that we'd all eventually be appreciative of the pictures. and I knew we could then share the memories, or atleast attempt to share them and our joy, with other people at home. at one point on the trip, we all just at in a circle and talked about our "favorites". our favorite movies, books, songs, etc. etc. it can be so easy to look past these seemingly obvious things when you are best friends with someone. but it was nice to talk about that stuff, and then we all ended up complimenting each other. I couldn't get over how many amazing girls I was surrounded by. these girls are the ones that I want my daughters to grow up to be and they're the ones that I want my sons to marry. (well not actually marry them...cause that would be gross. but you know what I mean) ;) one of my favorite parts of the trip was when I star gazed on the beach with Julie, Neens, and Maddie. the four of us wandered there on a whim. even though it was chilly, windy, and cloudly, we were determined. when we got to the beach, we were chatting for a bit and kind of frolicking. but eventually, we all just became silent as we admired the sky. the clouds parted, and for a few minutes, all you could hear was the sound of the crashing waves and the gentle wind. even though we were all looking at the same sky, we were having totally different experiences. when I look at a night sky littered with twinkling stars, I see God's magesty, and I try to pray on every star that I can see. when Julie looks up, I imagine that she thinks about how small she, and the rest of us, are in comparison to everything. I am insignificant. maybe Neena has a similar thought...or maybe she sees something totally different. regardless, it was just a really special experience. I can't wait to do something similar at young life camp this summer. it really is something that everyone should get to experience. like I said, on the first night, we sang while Julie played the ukelele, and my favorite song that we jammed to was "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles......

"Here Comes the Sun"

Here comes the sun (doo doo doo doo)
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right
It's all right

I honestly never realized how utterly simple these lyrics are. but they are still so so so wonderful and impactful. it's pretty hard to hear this song and not end up smiling. I just love this idea of the sunshine always being around tomorrow. there are brighter days in the future. live in the moment, but also know that there is a future. it will all be alright if we can learn to appreciate the "sunshine" of life. whether this be in the form of laughter, hugs, and love from a group of your best friends, or in the beauty of a simple sunset. a little bit of sunshine can help anyone remember that they're gonna be okay. It really has been a longggg winter, and I finally feel that the ice is slowly melting. I have finally put David behind me, and he's no longer a part of me life (atleast I hope), and it feels like forever since things have been clear. thankfully, with him out of my life, there's room for more love and more friendships and more experiences. and I cannot wait for that! that's my sunshine....a time for new opportunities and people I care about. next year will be terrifying, but I am also excited! I can only hope to meet girls as wonderful as the ones I got to spend time with on my trip. I also hope that all of those girls have so much fun in college and are full of happiness too. I just want to see lots of smiling faces when we all come home for break. as Julie always says right before bed, "are you smiling?" smile checks should always be neccessary. if you're not smiling right now, then stop, listen to here comes the sun, and remember that tomorrow is a brightm brand new day. EMBRACE IT! and if it doesn't work out, focus on that melting ice and know that you can try again and again till you get it right. keep smiling! :)

xoxo
anonymous blogger