This Afternoon I Learned Something Valuable

As November creeps closer and NaNoWriMo starts to enter my mind, I shift my focus to analyze my writing process as a whole. And I realized my mentality toward it as a whole is crappy. 

Last Monday, I wrote in my planner: consider NaNoWriMo. It was a note to myself to decide if I would participate this year, since of course, I had already considered it before. And for some reason, it took me a long time to reach my conclusion. But upon writing in my handy writing journal this afternoon, I discovered I would never get anything done if I always let my fear of not passing or succeeding get in the way. Which it has been, for years. 

Why am I not out writing, busting my tail and trying my hardest? Two reasons. I'm lazy, that's one. But two, I focus so much on the upkeep of having a perfect track record that I never stop to think about the limits this places on me. 

So of course I will try NaNoWriMo this year. If I only get to plotting a little or even just write 50 words, it would be 50 words more than I would have written otherwise. 

Why did it take me so long to get this through my head? Ah, the clouded mind of a perfectionist. 

Summer Favorites

More than anything this summer, I felt that I was finally becoming my own person. I was able to hang out with friends, get a job, break the rules, eat a lot of food, and all of it contributed to this awesome experience that I can't bear to see end.

So here are some of my favorites from this summer. Favorite moments, favorite places, favorite people, favorite books, favorite movies, favorite music, all of it in one post.

Let's start somewhere easy.

Favorite Places
This one is easy because I have always been so enamored with nature's beauty. My cottage, Seidman Park, my own backyard, my trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes. But there are others, too, ones that give me comfort and ease. Such places include Central Michigan University for band camp and most of all, my friends' basements, which I've spent countless hours in (gouging my face with food and playing board games).

Favorite Movies
And I only saw a few. The Sisterhood of Night, The House at the End of the Street, The Babadook. I watched How to Train Your Dragon and its sequel numerable times, and those are my favorites too.

Favorite People
My friends certainly stand out. They really made my experiences possible. But I also babysat these sweet kids two doors down, and I think they deserve to be on this list. My sister and my brother, whom I said goodbye to very recently. I will miss them a lot, but I look forward to my newfound alone-ness.

Favorite Music
I listened to so many different things. Such a variety. Stand-outs include: the Blurryface album, MØ's No Mythologies to Follow album. I listened to a whole lot of Smallpools and Bleachers, a fair amount of Snakadaktal, and went through a faze of Sylvan Esso. Quite recently I'm jumping back into Neon Trees. The 1975, Wild Child, and Walk the Moon are always present. Oh Wonder was like the jam of August. And Misterwives. Oh how I love thee. Your concert was godsent, and your music is from the heavens. Never stop making more. Florence's How Big album melted my heart. And I spent a good/weird few weeks only listening to the HTTYD score. Nice.

Favorite Books
For this, I have to consult my Goodreads. And I should do a summer wrap-up to get them all in there. I loved all of the Morgan Matson books I read. They just made me really happy inside (especially Amy and Roger's Epic Detour and how Since You've Been Gone focused on friendship !!!! so much). Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson was like a hidden gem I wouldn't have found without Booktube and a trip to my favorite used book store, but I'm glad it made its way into my life. Not sure how I feel about The Well of Ascension yet, as I still have yet to finish it. Lastly, I read Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac and Paper Towns back to back. Memoirs was good, but not nearly as good as Paper Towns. It remains as my favorite contemporary. I know it's really angsty, but I can't find a book I relate to more. HUGE SHOUT OUT to Eve: The Awakening by Jenna Moreci. I haven't finished it yet, but I'm 75% through the book AND IT'S SO GOOD. 10/10 would recommend. It literally has a 4.62 rating on Goodreads right now. Check it out.
P.S. I didn't receive Queen of Shadows until I was half way through Eve, so I'm waiting to start. But I know that if I read it in the summer, it would be on this list, without a doubt.

Favorite Moments
Having bonfires with my friends. Working at six in the morning with my sister. Speed reading books. Reading books together with my friends. Cashing my first paycheck. Watching The Lion King with my brother, helping him move in. Teaching my sister how to play SimCity on her last night in the country. Pool parties, and jumping in pools with clothes on. Trying to letter-box, and it not working. All of our sleepovers. Paint twister. Slip 'n sliding. Walking down train tracks. Skinny dipping. Every single time at Jam 'n Bean. Band camp (all of it, but especially the mini pool and Piano Man). The first football game (homecoming getting lined up). The playground was great (you know the one). My newfound love for Taco bell. Hostage was a dream (a really hot dream). We cooked our own meal, which was great. Every single time we listened to MUS in the car. And danced along. Swimming in Lake Michigan with and without friends. Taking ratchet pictures on the pier. Random put-put golfing with the fam. Eating s'more dip in the morning. The countless board games. Salvation Army (wow....finally!). My Misterwives concert.

It wouldn't have been this much fun without all my friends. I have high hopes for next summer (I know we can top it). I'm feeling sorta nostalgic so I might as well stop listing the good times. I honestly can't say whether or not the school year will be this cool. Probably not, to be honest. We did a lot of great things this summer.