I bought this necklace today at a thrift store for $4.79. It’s a vintage Crown Trifari necklace—”pre-eminent jewelry” or somesuch. I’ve been researching it online and can’t find a spot of information about the necklace, not a single look-alike. Anyhow, it’s beautiful, and heavy, and it looks fancy and expensive. It’s in great shape, too. I’m curious to know the story behind it and how it landed at the Dakota Boys Ranch Thrift in Dilworth, MN…
…oh, well. It’s on my neck now. Happy day.

Ah, Yes.

Noteworthy: What?

Fall = favorite season, yesterday = most glorious scenery of year
Mom sent me a package of Halloween Oreos = delish
Life is (somewhat) organized = sweet, cool
Fall break is just a hop, skip + jump away = SIGH
—and—
The boy-frand comes to visit in a week = !!!!!!!!
Glorious.

Be bold

Be thankful
Be quiet
Be original
Be spontaneous
Be punctual
Be a star
Be young
Be loving
Be crazy
Be loud
Be random
Be adorable
Be unique
Be daring
Be obnoxious
Be yourself

On the back of the card my mom sent me today

Freedoms

BOY SCOUT BAGGER (AGE 17): I can’t wait for supper, I haven’t eaten since 10:30a.m…(looks in fridge)G’D DAMMIT SOMEONE THREW OUT MY MAC AND CHEESE! G’D DAMMIT!

Me: Whoa. Are you sure?
BSB17: YES. G’D DAMMIT!!!
Later, after Boy Scout Bagger has settled down a bit…

BSB17: I drive a tank.
Me: What? You have your license?
BSB17: I have my permit…THE CLOSEST THING.

GRUMPY CASHIER: So who do you drive with?
BSB17: MY MOM.
GRUMPY CASHIER: So you ride your bike?
BSB17: NO. I drive a 2006 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY…BLUE!!!
GRUMPY CASHIER: (Laughs)
BSB17: YOU’RE JUST JEALOUS OF MY FREEDOMS!!
GRUMPY CASHIER: You have no freedoms.
BSB17: JUST BECAUSE I CAN’T BUY ALCOHOL OR TOBACCO OR VOTE AND PUT A TERRIBLE PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF THE COUNTRY DOESN’T MEAN I DON’T HAVE FREEDOMS!! I DON’T PAY RENT OR TAXES SO I HAVE FREEDOM!
GRUMPY CASHIER: You’re in for a rude awakening.
––––––––––––––––––––
Somehow, the naiveness is refreshing.

Flight Path

I had a dream last night that my family went to Mexico:

Cancun.
Our connecting flight was in Sweden, or Finland, or somewhere Scandinavian. Don’t ask why. Everything was in a language I couldn’t read. While weaving through the airport to find our connecting gate, I decided to go off on my own.
I thought I could do it. I sat down near the gate, all alone. I thought I’d beat my family to the gate. I thought I had plenty of time.
Then, nothing seemed straight. Too much time passed, everything was very foreign, no one was familiar. I realized I was at the wrong gate, and I’d missed our flight.
I’ve had a sense of unease in dreams before, but this dream was interesting because I truly felt that I was at risk, and that I’d strangely, perpetually missed out on an experience.
Eventually I understood there was a way out, and I took the next available flight to Mexico. My family was there waiting for me, in our hotel by the ocean.
Right now I’m trying to remind myself that like a missed, albeit fictional flight to Mexico, everything is going to work itself out.

To talk of things…California things


Note: I wrote this during my first two weeks in San Francisco, 06.19.10. When I read this now, I can see in hindsight how truly scared and uncertain I was and the amount of courage I had to find within me during this time. The writing itself is incomplete—I’m not certain I knew how to clearly portray my thoughts of the time. Three months later I feel much the same as I’ve written, but with less fear…

Friends, family, whoever is reading this—

Life is interesting. Not because I’m doing interesting things (well, technically I am) or meeting strange folks (but there are plenty of those around here), but because I’ve decided I’ve made a mistake, and it’s a lovely mistake.

I had no real reason of coming here other than finding out what I really want. Every day I walk out the door of 922 Union, choose to walk straight up or roll down a hill, and meander. I rarely have a plan or a destination. I plan on the weather being unpredictable. I don’t plan on being approached or approaching, buying or losing anything. I wear my most comfortable shoes and I walk.

When I’m walking I wonder what’s going on back home, and if any of the people I’m passing can tell that I’m not from around here and never was. In my mind I teleport my best friends to be by my side, to drink coffee with and show all my new favorite streets, sit on the stinky bus with me, eat Thai food or grab a beer after sundown.

People say all the time that being in a city can make you feel more alone, and it’s sometimes true. But alone hasn’t met me yet, with all I’ve yet to meet and feel here. Some days or minutes I want to go home to feel home, when I’m weaving through crowds at crosswalks or wishing I had a companion. Right now I want to spend the rest of my twenties here, learning how life is conducted…