Dream.

“So I’m going out there. And I’m going to do the best I can. People are going to get in my way. Things are going to bring me down. But I’m going to keep going. I’m going to reach as far as I can, for every thing I’ve ever wanted. And I’m not giving up. Because that’s what you do when your dreams are more important than your fears. You go out there and ignore the odds. You focus on one thing- that your dreams come true.”

Don't use your petty excuses...

As a forewarning, this post will be extremely negative. I just need to get something off my mind that I was just reminded of.

My dad didn't get to live his life the way he wanted to. He didn't have a dream because his parents didn't give him the chance to develop one. My aunt has told me that their parents pulled the typical "girls don't go to college and boys go to college for this or that" crap.

Now my dad's trying to lay down the same line for me. I've finally discovered what I truly love to do, and I'm pursuing it. My dad... he doesn't get it. He doesn't care. Every time the topic comes up, he puts me down. Hard. So, now he's using petty excuses to keep me from doing what I love, and when I say petty, I mean extremely, ridiculously petty. Today is a perfect example. I can be a moody person if someone deserves a good kick in the crotch, and this is exactly what I mean. I just fell to the ground from how weak I am due to my anger. I'm still shaking as I type this.

I need out. I've physically been out, but I mean I need my own life, completely separate from my parents. No matter what. I've been there, but that was before I chose to pursue a dream. Now I'm waiting to really get out there and never come back. With the acceptance letter to one or both of my potential transfer schools, I'll get that freedom.

I'm crossing my fingers.

Believe in all that is true.

I don't only miss the guys... I miss the atmosphere. The winking lights. The intensity of the moment prior to the entrance of the ones we came so far to see. The emotion coursing throughout the entire audience when that one special song is played, from the stage to the very last person dancing in the back. The looks of pure elation on their faces as they lay their hearts on the line for anyone and everyone to peer into just for that one hour every night. The chorus of voices singing along to every word. Every chord. Every beat. The sweat and weakness that comes from doing what we love and feel down to our very souls.

Everything that we do. Everything that we are. We give it to them in those moments. Tears may fall. Squeals will sound. But no matter what emotion is flowing throughout our entire body, we give it to them. We share it with them. Everyone is interconnected in those moments we sing as one entity, all with the sole purpose of believing in the ones who truly inspire us.

Answer me this. What could be better?

"Life's like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

Right. So... I started this blog with the intent to write about my 2009. As you can see, I failed at finishing it. With that being said, I'm simply going to highlight what happened throughout the rest of the year.

- I came home with a NCAA trophy. Honestly? I was too afraid to take it out of its box for months.
- Headed to the beach with my friends for 3 days. Talk about much needed relaxation.
- My family and I traveled up to Ohio for my cousin's wedding. Good, but awkward times. As always.
- I had been become a hard core and extremely dedicated Honor Society fan by this point. My first encounter with their music was November of 2008. They played the Irving Plaza show in NYC in February (winter training. aka impossible to leave campus.) and then three shows in Jersey and Hershey in May that I attempted to make, but I ended up in Michigan, racing with the rowing team. From there, I continuously tried to get four of my best friends back home into their music. After a few months of constant pestering, I was successful in convincing one of them to hit up the guys' Full Moon Crazy tour in Philly. Actually, it was her birthday present from me. haha. Perfect timing.
- Enter: July 23rd, 2009. After months and months of waiting, I was finally going to get the chance to see and meet four of the guys who had inspired me to keep pushing during my trials with rowing. The show was phenomenal, and I got to experience the TLA dance party. Pretty legit stuff right there. "The Jonas Brothers are here." "A gold jacket Joe, really?" Oh and I made friends with a rat in an alleyway. -_-
- July 24th, 2009. Jonas Brothers show. Once again, incredible. I had amazing seats and I hadn't even paid for them. Hello, birthday present. ;) Afterward, I hung out at the Honor Society meet and greet. From the time I walked onto the scene to the time I left, the line wrapped around at least half of the arena. I felt like a proud mama. Corny, yes, but too true to deny. Oh and I met Big Rob and almost Garbo. So funny. But to the girl who attempted to slide her way into my spot and then proceeded to scream what was quite possibly the highest pitched squeal I've ever witnessed in my entire life? Please don't ever do that again. I lost hearing in my left ear. In all the concerts I've been to in the past few years, that has never happened. Quite the screamer, she was.
- Let us continue. All summer I had some good times with my friends. Attended some pretty epic Phillies games. Saw some legit fireworks. Hit up Washington DC. Made some extremely delicious cookies. S'mores too. (Also almost lit my friend's porch on fire in this process... whoops.) Failed at making pancakes. (Don't ask how. We have no idea.) Played Man Hunt with some cool kids. At midnight. Met Jason Earles. Played Hot Lava. You know. Typical stuff.
- Enter: August 8th, 2009. Through mutual love for Honor Society, the Jonas Brothers, and Friends, I met my best friend. How did we meet? None other than the infamous twitter and twitpic. Pretty much amazing. To this day, we have not gone without texting and/or skyping and/or tweeting and/or facebook-ing and/or whatever else we can conjure up... constantly. 24/7. Minus those hours when we sleep so we have the energy to crack sarcastic texts and jokes the next day. I love her with all of my heart.
- Oh hey. I forgot a few, but I really don't feel like going back and editing them in, considering the fact that it's currently 3 am. So here they are: Paramore/No Doubt concert = 45,000 people stuffed into the Susquehanna Bank Center; an extremely moving experience that I will truly never forget; the rain holding off until literally the last note before No Doubt's encore; parking in the ghetto. KSM/David Archuleta/Demi Lovato concert = front row, say what? Enough said.
- Another thing? Over the summer, I faced an incredibly difficult decision that ended up taking me months to finalize. By the beginning of August, I had gained the courage to speak out and do it. I quit rowing. I emailed my coaches a heartfelt message and spoke to all of my team mates. It was done.
- Fall 2009: back to college. I moved into an apartment with two of my friends, Liz and Kaitlyn. Loved life. College courses are always a drawback, but at least I was on my own again. I kept on the tail of the 24-hour CVS that was 2 blocks down from my building for a job. All summer. As soon as I hit the campus again, I landed the job. By the next month, I was working at least four 7-hour shifts a week. Directly after classes, I would head down the road to work 4-11, then head back to do homework. It was a fun time... kind of.
- One highlight? My Physical Geology professor taking us into a "Do Not Enter" zone in a cliff's edge with the fair warning, "Don't step too close to the sides if you want to keep your head."
- I strengthened the relationships between myself and a few of my friends up there. Meanwhile, a decision was brewing in my mind that would change my life for good. (Dramatic? Yes. Necessary? Probably.)
- Random memories: Transit Road. USA Pears. Creeping Silverado. All Physical Geology adventures with Holly. Volunteer work with Amanda (sorting raw meats and moldy food). Over 55 hours of driving for those four guys we know and love. My roommate "breaking" her toe and taking her to the ER at 11 pm... after she made dinner. Presque Isle trips. Walking along the beach at sunset while talking to Annakate. Halloween. Haunted houses and haunted portable bathrooms. "Fireflies." Paranormal Activity late at night. The Dinosaur Tard. Dying my hair.
- 10/3, 10/5, 10/10, 11/2, and 11/13. I spontaneously decided to drive four hours down to Columbus, OH to 1) Meet my best friend in person. 2) See HS again... two days later. I left at 2 pm. Arrived literally 2 minutes before the concert started. Spent the night at Capital U. with my favorite. A month later, I was invited into the acoustic radio set at the Cleveland radio station, 96.5 KissFM. There were a grand total of ten people there, two of which were parents and two of which barely knew who Honor Society was. At this event, where I sat so close that my food brushed against Andy's leg, I had an incredibly inspiring conversation with Mike Bruno and another with Ned Specktor. 11/13 - West Chester, PA. Mike Bruno left the meet and greet to physically pull me over to Kat and later did something for me that I will never forget. From there, something epic in its own right began.
- All throughout these months, I was brooding over a decision. This decision would be something that would affect everything. After several teary conversations with my mother and my sister over the phone, I decided to transfer. It took me a while to tell my friends, and a bunch of saddened good-bye sessions followed.
- Once I was home, surprise surprise. I went to more concerts. I hit up the Flyleaf concert in Philly and the Push Play concert in New Jersey. Both amazing shows.
- Christmas in Ohio. Three cousins are pregnant.
- New. Years. Eve. Hershey, PA. 3 days straight spent with friends. Front row for one of the most epic shows I will ever experience. Not to mention, I was blessed with the chance to meet up with a few different people that have helped me out immensely. Well, some more than others. (Thanks for the unexpected fist pump, dude.) I was able to ring in the new year with the four guys who had inspired me to get where I was and to make the decisions I had made up to that point. In all honesty, I don't know how else to word it. Watching them embrace each other and look back on such an amazing year in their own dreams was humbling. That night was something I will simply never forget. (Air guitar, baby. Air guitar.)

And so... we come to the "year of no fear," as Nick Jonas later declared. I have a feeling I've most likely forgotten a few epic parts of 2009, but it's going on 3:30 am and I need to hit the sack. ;) So, until later, remember that with 2010's passing, "anything can happen." (Andrew Lee)
-Katie

"Life's a climb..."

It's rare for life to come without challenges. We wouldn't be who we are if it weren't for these bumps in the road. For this reason, we need to face these road blocks with every bit of "oomph" we can muster out of our hearts, whether they be small, mediocre, or significantly large.

2009 began with a continuation of the most difficult physical training I had ever faced. My college rowing team had transitioned from its mild fall term practices on the lake to intense, endless, back-breaking winter training in the weight rooms, main gyms, and on the ergometers (aka indoor rowing machine). Two-a-days starting at 5 am included. Not only was I was facing a packed-full term of college courses, but I was going to bed at 1 am and waking up at 4:50 am for the beginning of an endless string of practices, tests, and so many other parts to my day. A sample of my day might've included 2-3 classes (from 1 hour and 20 minutes to 2 hours) and 2 intense practices.

Needless to say, I was miserable. I lost my motivation. In the fall, I had been named as 1 of 2 novices who had the potential to kick out varsity members for spots in the 8-boat (the top boat). As the winter term passed, however, I fell below the coaches' high standards. I started to care less and less. I didn't want so much pressure hovering over my head. I made excuses. I focused more on keeping my social life outside of the team. By the time our trip down to Georgia for spring training over spring break arrived, I was somehow still the 2nd best novice. Only my friend Amanda and I were invited from the female side of the team. I struggled to pay for it, but on the day of our departure, I was on the bus.

Spring training was an interesting 10 days. We spent them at Lake Lanier in Georgia, living on house boats and wading in water that was literally negative degrees. Three practices a day. Snow. Rain. By the third day, every piece of clothing we all owned was soaked. Our house boats were covered with our clothes, all in an attempt to dry them out for the next practice. We had no washers or dryers. We had to walk a few miles down the main road to an inn to reach any civilization. We had to walk up a hill and down a small path to even go number 2. (We called the building "the crapper.") There were no docks at the beach we launched off of for every practice, so we had to walk thigh-deep into the water before we could place our extremely heavy boats in the water and jump and lift ourselves into our seats. By the time we successfully strapped ourselves in, our toes didn't exist. They were rocks on our feet, and they usually didn't thaw out until the end of practice. Unfortunately, we then had to jump back into the freezing cold water to bring our boats in.

Think about it. I barely had any motivation coming into spring training. How do you think I felt throughout the first several days? I hated it. Every night, when I shared a bed with the other female novice, I dreaded waking up the next day. Don't get me wrong. I became close with a few people on the team, but to me, life sucked those first 4 or 5 days. When the second half of the trip finally started, the sun came out. We were greeted by weather that didn't seem to have the desire to taunt us and kill our bodies down to our very bones. On our time off, my friends and I took a trip up to the inn and played tennis. We snuck onto the beach where our boats were and fooled around on the trampolines that were randomly placed along the sides of the location. Got in trouble for "trespassing," despite the fact that we were with OUR boats. We then got lost trying to make our way to the inn at night. Walking along a forest-lined street at night with barely any lights can make for a creepy scene. Despite all of this, however, I lost a significant margin of any hope I had left for my future with the team. As the trip started coming to a close, the coaches began limiting the people who went out for each practice. They were starting to cut down for who would be in each boat. I didn't make the main cuts. I got time off while everyone else practiced. My mind was a jumbled mess. Was I happy about this? Should I be disappointed? The answer was a mixed one. Then the upperclassmen were beginning what they called "freshmen initiation." Typical, right? I didn't care. I was already miserable, and I wasn't getting along with many of the upperclassmen, thanks to their insane cliques. The only good part of this process was "pirate day." Oh, and there were hot tubs on top of our house boats. Now that part, I liked.

Enter: spring training back at school. The spring season, or the prime season in rowing, was beginning. The top novice (my friend Amanda) was placed in the 8-boat. I was the head of the novice boat. As we kicked everything into higher gear (if that was possible), I began regaining my internal desire to do my best. What had I done over the past 4 or 5 months? I had given up. I had thrown in the towel, so to speak, and I was sorely disappointed in myself. I had set up boundaries. Limits. Finish lines. My mental longevity had been tricked by the pointless and pathetic boundaries I had placed in front of my sub-consciously miserable vision. So, one day, during our 4 by 1K tests on the ergometers, I decided to test myself. Go all out. Put everything on the table. Well... the floor of the rowing room, really.

Enter: life lessons. What the heck are boundaries anyway? Four walls to encase us in our own doubts and worries? A roof that kills our spirits' desires to soar upward and out into the unknown?

Boundaries are pointless. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing, can stop us from achieving our dreams. The only thing stopping us from getting anywhere in life is... ourself. We need to learn to throw away whatever misunderstood notions of limits we have and dive into our passions and dreams. That's all that should matter.

As the spring season went on, I pushed myself without any end. Soon, I was beating every score I had ever posted on the wall in the rowing room. During our weekly 4 by 1K erg tests, I would murder my previous week's score, and this happened every, single week. I continued to gain on the varsity members. I was close. I could feel it. After my first race, where I headed the novice boat, I was placed in the varsity 4-boat for a few practices, and the coaches mentioned to me that I was really improving. They were impressed. As the season went on, our team was placed first in the nation. We continued winning gold medals. Unfortunately, I was placed as 1 of 2 spares. This was both a good and a bad thing. It meant that I was invited onto the varsity team, but I was not racing. Also, some of the girls in the 8 and 4-boats were not the kind to myself and the other spare. This continued throughout the spring season. In the end, I did not race in a varsity boat due to 2 reasons:
1) I did not have the technique the other freshmen had from years of rowing, due to my novice status. I had "really impressive" technique, but it wasn't enough.
2) My lack of faith throughout the winter training had killed my physical training. I hadn't gained the stamina others had while I had been whimping out. My spring training brought me amazing advances in this area, but once again, it wasn't enough.

Enter: NCAA Champhionships. We were still ranked number 1 in the nation. Every other novice but myself had been cut. The coaches took me aside one practice in late April and spoke to me privately. They told me something I will never forget. I was lucky enough to be a member of a truly amazing group of individuals with unbelievable abilities. I walked onto the team in the fall and I became a legit member of one of the top teams in the nation in a college Disivion II sport. That was a force to be reckoned with. I was proud. Sure, in private, tears fell and I was heartbroken. After all of my hard work since spring break, I had been very, very close to making the varsity 4-boat for NCAAs, but I had fallen just short because of the first reason listed above. On the other hand, the coaches wanted me to be a part of the 14-member varsity travel squad that would be at NCAAs, competing for a national title. I was humbly honored.

But then I made another mistake. I battled myself for a solid week, debating whether or not I should quit. Right before NCAAs, I wanted to quit. My reasonings? I could go home earlier and not deal with 3 extra weeks of continued physical and mental strain. Was it worth it to go through with it all just as a spare? I was dumb. I was pathetic. In the end, after numerous tear-filled conversations with my mother about it all, I decided to stay.

This became my life's motto:
“Anyone can give up. It's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart... that's true strength.”

Once school let out for the summer, we stayed in apartments on campus for an extra 2 weeks. We practiced endlessly. The other spare, Ashley, and myself, were told that we would be racing in a pair boat at NCAAs. Drama arose between several of the girls. It wasn't pretty, but we made it through.

Enter: 2009 National Championships. Camden, NJ. May 29th-31st. Ashley and I raced. We won 2nd. As a whole, our team - after nerve-wrecking trials, semi-finals, and finals - won second. We became the national runner-ups in the entire country. I teared up while we stood on the platform at the award ceremony, a trophy in my hand. Throughout my entire life, I have always dreamed of what it would be like to be one of the athletes standing at an awards ceremony at NCAA with the honor of knowing you had gained the accredation of being the top in the country. I couldn't believe it. My hard work and complete 180 degree turn-around after spring break had lead to a moment I had never thought could happen.

In the end, you could say I learned a great deal about myself throughout my freshmen year of college. The cool thing? It's not all due to the entrance into the world of entirely crazy changes that college brings. Instead, I can say I was blessed enough to be a member of a truly amazing group of individuals with unbelievable abilities. I walked onto the team in the fall and I was able to go to NCAAs and become a member of the second best crew in the nation. I will never, ever forget all of the special moments during that long weekend in Camden. I am so proud to be able to say that I was a part of the 2009 crew from Mercyhurst College. Not only because we got so far, but because we were a truly unique group. I learned a lot during my experiences on that team, and I know I’ll take those lessons and discoveries and be a much improved person in the future. In fact, I already am.

There were so many times throughout the winter and spring seasons that I wanted to call quits, throw up my hands and give in. Somehow, I was able to find the strength within myself to keep chugging through, and during the spring season, I managed to find an extra surge of determination and raise my standards for myself. I’m at a loss as to how I did it, but nevertheless, I did. Because of all of this, I'm a new person. As I said at the beginning of this post, it's a rare thing for life to come without any challenges. These challenges bring you heartbreak, lost chances, lost hope, and so much more... but the real challenge is overcoming every other challenge, every boundary, and every limit you set for yourself. Don't let what happened to me during my winter season happen to you. Don't give up. Trust me. You'll regret it more than you're willing to believe until you truly experience it.

So... to end this extremely, incredibly, ridiculously long post, I'll repeat what I have said once before...
Limits aren’t meant to be set for your mental longevity. Limits are meant to be broken down and battered with a boat’s oar. No matter what you force yourself to believe, there will always be more. Life offers too many chances for progress and new grace that you simply cannot bar yourself down with the belief that you have reached your limit. Boundaries are impossible. In order to achieve any sort of dream that you may have, you have to dive headfirst into the seemingly impossible pool that lies beyond any boundaries blocking your way. This is what life is all about, whether or not people choose to believe it.

Up next: Summer '09. The very start to discovering my true passion and finding my non-biological sisters. =)

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things."

I was originally going to split up my year and explain things part by part, but throughout the day today, some of my friends inspired the following train of thoughts.

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same." (Flavia Weedn)

Trust me when I say that your freshmen year of college brings you a plethora of friends. You all share a common bond of the unknown. Plus, whether or not you have a declared major, you haven't truly found yourself. It takes the strange and sudden change in your life to force you into reality. It's that time in life. You have to head out into the real world and start figuring things out for yourself. Everyone is starting out fresh, so you all connect and smile up a storm. Everyone wants to feel like they're part of a circle of friends.

For me, I was extremely lucky. I was placed in the second floor of Egan Hall at my school. The girls on my floor and I all bonded within the first few days. And I could be myself for the first time in years. Throughout middle school, I had had problems believing in myself enough to throw away any worries about what others thought of me. I faked a personality. In high school, I took a significant step and tossed those worries to the side. I still wasn't completely being myself, however. So, then came college. My new friends and I were nearly inseparable all year long. I made friends outside of the dorm as well, and besides one huge part of my life at the time, I was content. The so-called scary entrance into the college life, where you have to make all new friends and learn to live on your own, became an easy transition.

Then came sophomore year. Two of my friends and I decided to room together in an apartment, and it was fabulous. But as they year went on and I discovered several things about myself (these will be described in later posts), those friends that I had so relied on the year prior slowly faded. It was different. We weren't a simple walk down the hallway from each other. We had to make the effort to call for plans. I worked a lot between two jobs, so my social time was limited. Over the summer, I had started to make a few friends through the internet. Friends I was quickly discovering were non-biological sisters. Unfortunately, they lived vast distances away from me. So, we relied on twitter, facebook, and texting to strengthen our friendships. I quickly found out that friends break promises all too easily. Some of my friends from freshmen year saw the changes in my life as negative. They didn't like that I was constantly texting others. They didn't understand my constant trips out to concerts or why I was so dedicated towards a certain goal that need be unnamed here. They didn't make the effort to see me outside of my hectic work schedule. Then they complained to others that everything with our loosening friendships was my fault. That I didn't want to remain friends, especially with the newly discovered fact that I would have to transfer after the Thanksgiving holiday. They gave up on our friendships. I was crushed.

At the same time, however, I had found friends through my favorite band who had become nothing short of my sisters. They were there for me no matter what situation came up. When I was down, they were there. And not only that, but they understood me, and even if they didn't, they had the desire to help me anyway. They cared about my dreams and they supported me. My friends back at school didn't express the same faith.

Let me just add as a sidenote that one of the things I value the most in my life is the circle of friends I surround myself with. Without a doubt, my friends are what keep me together. They hold my heart always and forever. I pride myself in the fact that I treat my friends like my family. I love them for who they are and I try my best to be an inspiring person for them when they need it.

So, as time went on, I finally discovered what my one true passion is. (This will also be described in later posts.) It was strange. I didn't necessarily change, but I did become more inspired. More dedicated. More focused. I had been lost as to who I truly was becoming, and once I finally discovered the truth buried deep within myself, the friends who were, in lack of better terms, "real" appeared before me with a bright, genuine, and loving light. They became the other half of my heart.

Don't get me wrong. I love my family. They've always been there and I know they'll be there one way or another in the future. Yet, once this entire revelation occured, I lost my parents' main support. They didn't understand it. They still don't. I'm lucky enough to have an older sister who was willing to see everything for what it really was, and she wholeheartedly said the words that I needed to hear the most from a family member. Now, I'm forced to rely on my friends for the mental and emotional support I will undoubtedly need and have already needed. I'm a strong person. I'm set on my own goals in life, and I have a strong will to follow my dreams with every bit of passion and heart that I possess. But in the end, everyone needs friends to keep going.

So... one reason why I know 2009 will always and forever be the year I will remember most? The sisters I have found throughout all of the bitter turmoil. They are my rock. They are my soul. If you're reading this, know that I plan on never letting you go, never letting you slip away. I love you all with such passion that it almost scares me. This is what my heart has always been waiting for. My parents let me go after what I desire, but they don't show the support that one would truly hope. Over time, my heart has sub-consciously envied a circle of friends that would complete my very being. If I've ever tried to convince myself that I had found a best friend for life in the past, I was wrong. Those friends are now. When I was swirling in a pool of uncertainty and confusion, you found me and pulled me out. You brushed the dirt off of my clothes and opened your hearts to me. You helped me find my future. You helped me find myself, and for that, I am forever and eternally in debt. I love you all so much. Don't ever forget that. Just like I know you will be there for me, I will always be there for you. No matter what happens.

These two words will always have a deeper meaning for me: Thank you.

"If you're alone, I'll be your shadow. If you want to cry, I'll be your shoulder. If you want a hug, I'll be your pillow. If you need to be happy, I'll be your smile. But anytime you need a friend, I'll just be me."

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive."

Edit (1/7/10): Just for clarification, I want to point out that I was a bit harsh in this post. I failed to bring up the fact that I am, indeed, still close with a lot of the people I loved back at school. There were just some rocky roads back in November. I do love all of them to no end, though. =)

2009 was a year full of blessings, downfalls, and self-discovery. If there was ever a definition for the phrase “a roller coaster ride of emotions,” it would be the past year in my life. I went through some of the toughest times I have ever faced emotionally. I had to make decisions that changed the rest of my life. I had to see through seemingly impenetrable walls and force my way into reality, with or without those who love me by my side. Life lessons were learned. Things were lost, but other things were gained. Passion was discovered, while other aspiring hopes were finally deemed false. Trust me when I say that lying to yourself isn’t worth it in the end. The only truth to life is that there are no boundaries.


“All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.” - T.E. Lawrence

“You cannot dream yourself into a character: you must hammer and forge yourself into one.” - Henry D. Thoreau

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” - Eleanor Roosevelt


Over time, I learned that the limits I had set up for myself were pointless. Limits aren’t meant to be set for your mental longevity. Limits are meant to be broken down and battered with a boat’s oar. (You’ll be able to understand this reference later.) No matter what you force yourself to believe, there will always be more. Life offers too many chances for progress and new grace that you simply cannot bar yourself down with the belief that you have reached your limit. Boundaries are impossible. In order to achieve any sort of dream that you may have, you have to dive headfirst into the seemingly impossible pool that lies beyond any boundaries blocking your way. This is what life is all about, whether or not people choose to believe it.

So, I’ll leave it at that. I’m going to slowly glaze over my 2009 with each upcoming blog. Hopefully by the time I’m in Hershey for the last Honor Society show of the decade, I’ll have finished my reminiscent thoughts.

Love. Always and forever. It’s all we have.
-Katie