List

Hehehehe so I moved to the study lounge in attempts to be more productive and all I can think about is how I don't want to do anything other than write...about nothing to do with finals. So I have made a deal with myself: I can post once more tonight and then I need to put in about 3 hours before I get to post again. Nothing like wanting to avoid something to get you doing mundane tasks...like updating your blog.

List of Things I Want to Learn/ Do This Summer:

1. Get lost in europe: though obviously there are some places where this is safer to do than others, I do just want to spend a day being lost in a city in Turkey and a city in Belgium. Not by myself necessarily, but no map, no plans, no time limit. I think this is the best way to find places that aren't on the map, and meet people that aren't tour guides.
2. Barter in the Great Bazaar: I have done this before in Mexico and get a huge thrill out of it. I think it is fun and a good way to save money. I am going to go toe-to-toe with some of the pushiest vendors in all of Europe. Not to mention I have to find cheap stuff to bring back for everybody.
   
3. Start a conversation with a stranger/ local: you won't learn anything about the place if you don't know the people that have chosen to live their lives there.
   
4. See Izmir: this has a family story behind it. I will be the first in my family to return to Turkey since the Greeks and the Turks warred in this once Greek colony. I want to see the place where my family came from.
   
5. Go to a techno rave: because the Europeans do it so much better than the Americans ever could.
6. Hike: I am going to be spending a lot of time in cities because it is the best place to learn about the courses I am taking but I don't want to miss the natural wonder of the places I am visiting.
7. Take a ton of pictures: I am usually really horrible about doing this, but this is going to be one of the biggest adventures of my life (thus far) and I want to be able to look back on it. I also need more pictures of my family to put in my room next year.
   
8. Spend time getting to know my family: this could very well be the last summer I spend a significant portion of at home, and I don't want to miss anything. My family is my life and I love them to bits.
   
9. Have a pizza party/ sleepover with Megan: BECAUSE I MISS HER SO FREAKING MUCH!!!! Please come home from England soon, KThxBye.
   
10. Get back in shape for crew: I am coming back, this much I have decided for next year. I might have to work a corner to make ends meet but it is going to happen. I WILL be in the women's varsity boat next year, and there is nothing that is going to get in the way of that. There is also no way I am going to allow there to be any doubt that I don't deserve my seat/ that I am pulling my weight.
11. Spend a week or so in Canada: I love my grandmother's house in Canada because it is in the middle of nowhere and I always leave feeling more at peace than when I came. the biking, swimming, drinking and euchre playing is epic... always. There is also a slight chance I will get to go to the Canadian Henley with my friend Taylor and that will be AMAZING.
12. Last but not least: Get my tattoo: its been three years and I am ready.

I don't know why I am stopping at 12, but I am. I have a lot of other things I would like to accomplish this summer but we will see. It is going to be amazing and I can't wait.

Wow, I am listening to Girl Talk and looking up the final times for the Dad Vail last year; procrastination is death.

Here's to adventure!

~The Singing Ginger

p.s. Justin is a butthead and should stop making fun of me. :P Happy about being included now??

Tying the Knot: A Lifeline or Noose?

Interesting observation: when the rowing team disperses from any one event or another; be it practice, or a party or boat unloading (which was the case this morning) we don't say goodbye to each other. The reason for this would be that we all know that we will see each other within the next 24 hours or so. This is the only group I have ever been a part of that doesn't do this. It was pointed out to me by my good friend Laurissa and it got me thinking about how much I consider the rowing team my second family and how much they mean to me. If you have ever been a part of a group that is like that you will know what I mean. Its amazing and I love it.

Onto an entirely unrelated topic, I had an interesting conversation with David about marriage while at the regatta this weekend. He was talking about how he didn't ever plan on getting married. How it was a promise that he didn't feel the need to make. That he could spend the rest of his life with a person without actually marrying them. This concept is entirely foreign to me outside of my best friend Megan who has sworn of both kids and marriage as well. I come from a family that is full of mostly successful marriages. My parents celebrated their 23rd anniversary in April, my Aunt's and Uncle's are all in working marriages or happy singlehood, and both of my Grandparents have remarried after the death of their original spouses (though to be fair my Grandfather did divorce my Grandmother before she died.)

I was raised in the Catholic church when it comes to religion and always assumed I would get married and have kids at some point in my life. But looking around I realize that I have lived the charmed life. Most people who get married these days...put quite simply...shouldn't. About 50% of marriages end in divorce and lord knows how many people just end up unhappy. Is it the social expectation that pressures people into feeling like they should get married, even when they don't want to, nor should? Why is it that people find a need to legitimize a life long relationship? Do two people who have been together most of their lives count any less than a couple that has been married for that same amount of time? Truth be told I have been 100% guilty of this. I see people who have been dating for a certain time and who are a certain age and wonder why they aren't married yet. I think of those who have been together, live together but aren't married as weird hippie people who should just commit and get it done. At the same time I have told a few of my friends who have decided to get engaged/ married at a young age that there is no rush and if they are going to be together forever why does it matter if there is a ring or not?

I think part of this is because of the general romanticized image I have of both a wedding and marriage. The white dress, the first dance, the church and the party. I think there is something to be said about making a public lifelong commitment to someone. To saying in front of friends and family that you have found a person in which you will find happiness with for the rest for your life. If you really are planning on spending forever with this person what difference does it make if you decide to make it official. It won't stop the pain if it ends, and it is a public acknowledgment of claimed territory to others; of course the big thing would be that it is a commitment made in front of God. I prescribe to a liberal set of religious beliefs and think that it is much more about the relationship with God than the ceremonies and relics that some will cling to...but a wedding is like introducing your relationship to God. This matters to me.

On the other hand (because I do happen to have two) isn't it the person you are loving that is really important? If I find someone to be my other half forever, until the day I die, who cares if it approved by society? Won't God love the both of us just the same?

Oi, I am procrastinating like no ones business right now. I need to get down to preparing for finals/ Vails this weekend/ my work shifts all week/ moving out/ getting ready to go abroad/ life. Yeah...shouldn't take too long. Much love to all, especially those who may be stressed over life now.

~Claire
p.s. Had a really nice regatta/ hang time with friends/ car ride yesterday :)

Jumps Out of Cake

What I love about being myself, is that I am still at the age where I can surprise myself in being who I am. Let me explain: I occasionally am caught off guard by how I react in certain circumstances. Tonight I surprised myself, and I couldn't be happier.

~The Singing Ginger

Atlas

I just turned in my final paper and I would do a happy dance were I not sitting in class right now...it might draw a little bit of attention and though I have no doubt that my prof is the type of guy who would probably dance with me, I don't really feel like being the center of attention right now (which is a rarity.) I AM FREE!

Okay so the beginning of that post was written about 4 hours ago and I thought it would probably be a good idea to try and listen to what people were saying in class... now I am going to continue. This week just got a lot better now that my paper is in and I should have time to post and philosophize and make lists (I have been in a list making mood as of late) and do all those wonderful things that, for some reason, you people find interesting to read.

Thought #1 from a freed mind: People are amazing. Looking back on this year I think the big life lesson I have taken away from all of my experiences is that people are rarely what you expect them to be if you give them the time of day. I have met so many people this year that have blown away my initial judgments of them, or judegments I heard from others. I would like to make a solemn promise to anyway reading this: though I can not surpress my natural human instinct to have first impressions/ judgments of people, I promise not to go on the impressions and judgments that others have made. I have new friends now that I would not have had, had I gone on the general consensus of those around me as to who they were.

Thought #2 from a freed mind: Men are not shitheads...well not all of them. If I got anything from the rowing team this year it was a ton of new dude friends. I know I often bitch on this blog about my want to have a significant other, but I would like to say right now that I would not trade my band of brothers guy friends for anything. You instill in me that there are decent men out there, even when my confidence in that fact is shaken to the core. You know who you are, and if you don't you should. You are what guys should be, and I count myself lucky to have you as friends.

Thought #3 from a freed mind: I need to listen to more music and hang out with more new people. I have made a couple of new friends lately and I want to spend more time with them. I realized this because one of the new friends moved to Bay City right after I began to realize that he was cool and we should've hung out more. I WILL NOT LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN! So...yeah...the nice thing about this is that some of these new people are friends on the team (or were on the team) that I just haven't hung out with as much this year. Times they are a changin. :)

More later, when I don't feel like working. I think I will do a list of something.
~The Singing Ginger

p.s. DAVID! That felt so good to figure out on my own. I am going to tackle you next time I see you. :) You have been warned.

Thanks

I want to thank all those out there who know how to make me smile. It is you people that get me through the day when i am having a tough one. You mean the world to me and I don't know if I could go on without you. Whether or not you have figured me out well enough to do it on a regular basis, or if you just perchance got me to crack a grin once or twice; it makes things just that much easier and I love you for it. I apologize for being a bit behind in the posting, now that finals are coming around and I will find every excuse to procrastinate/ unwind chances are there will be more stuff on a daily basis.

~The Singing Ginger

P.s. And a post script for my bookworm friend, I am trying to figure who you are; can I get a hint? Though please do not tell me right off because I do love a good mystery ;)

Cliche and An End

I had the best/ most cliche moment the other day that I am now going to share. So I needed to get some reading done. Took my laptop and headphones and book and sat down at one of the tables on the crappy plastic chairs. Decided about 20mins in that the window ledge looked better so I spent about two hours sitting on the window ledge of the study lounge, barefoot listening to Mozart, reading a book. SO CLICHE...YET SO AMAZING! I am going to do that more often, it was great.

Not much going on here except crew, and work and school and this weekend family time!! I am so pumped to go home. I love my family and I get to see them all this weekend. And I get to sing and I get to party and I get to catch up with my baby sister and brother...nothing could be better. It will be wonderful. Also excited because I just figured out when I get to restring Betty (my guitar) and have chill out time with J, who is pretty cool. Apparently he is going to show me this awesome music store that is really cool and awesome and whatnot...we will see...he played it up pretty major.

Quick update: I am not thinking that floor guy is interested any more, which is fine because I don't know if we were "sparking" all that much anyway. Crew guy is cool, but we aren't compatible in how we function/ think which is fine, because he is still cool. I think when it comes to men I am just going to chill out for a bit, things will happen when they need to happen, and there is no need for me to rush it.

Alrighty, must sleep, too much to do tomorrow and lack of sleep is not going to help me get through the mass I have to sing in the evening. Hope everything is coming up roses!

~The Singing Ginger
p.s. have you ever met someone but the timing was off?

Stray Thoughts from Last Post

A couple of new names

-Ginger: A Three Part Harmony
-Gumbo: A Three Part Stew
-Neapolitan: A Three Part Dessert (this one is kind of personal because my Mom calls my two siblings and I her "Neapolitan children" because I am a redhead, my sister is blonde and my brother is dark brown.)

I think I am going to do something with three parts. This will then be reflected in the song list. The songs I know can be categorized into three different genres: Contemporary (Jazz, Blues, Folk), Musical Theater, and Classical. Obviously the first two genres are going to have more songs under them; but I still want to have some of the classical songs I know on there. It should make for a really interesting record on the whole...either that or a really confusing one. :) Peace, Love and Happiness.

~The Singing Ginger