Autumn

Tomorrow is my last day of work on Cortes Island. After that, I'm packing up and heading back home to Campbell River. I've got an odd mix of melancholy feelings. I'm excited to move back home with mommy, to redecorate my old bedroom, start my pre-university schooling, get back into the loop with my old friends... but at the same time, I feel like I'm leaving a part of my heart behind. I've made such amazing friends over here throughout the summer, and had some absolutely unforgettable times. I learned so much more than I ever would have imagined, too...
It was my first time living absolutely by myself. I feel like I gained such a sense of independence having to cook my own meals, pay for my own groceries, do my own laundry, schedule my own appointments, and so on. I learned to roll my own cigarettes and drink my own beers. I learned how to hitchhike and get around by myself. I learned a lot about how people work. I learned that age is only a number. I learned that beauty can be found in many unsuspected places; In a woodcut clearing at 3 in the morning, beside a Frankenstein Ford blaring heavy metal mayhem with a man wearing a Megadeth shirt and a crooked, naughty smile. In the broken heart of a young actor halfway across the country from his home, softly sobbing while you hold him close and let him know that everything will work out, there are plenty more fish in the sea. Under the gargantuan star-specked night sky, perched on the back of a yacht stirring the phosphorescent ocean with a net and the essence of summer romance with two youthful souls. I found myself surrounded by different, wonderful music. I discovered a love for life that I never expected to find. And I discovered how much of a difference you can see in the world if you simply smile more.
In the beginning of the summer, me and my friend were discussing how everyone told us how much we were going to grow and change in the next few months, and how we really didn't see anything happening. Later, at the end of the season, as we exchanged our goodbyes, we looked at each other and realized that it had all happened right before our eyes- that we were completely different people than had gotten here only a few months before. The changes are amazing and I am so thankful I came here (instead of working at a burger joint in my hometown, which was my other option!). And so I welcome this autumn with a fresh view on the world around me. There are so many opportunities waiting around us- we only have to open our eyes. ♥
Songs of my Summer:
Bob Marley - Redemption Song
Xiu Xiu - I Love The Valley, OH!
Tor/Sufjan Stevens - The Dress Looks Nice on You / Make You Feel That Way (f. Gift of Gab)
k-Os - Superstar, Pt. 1
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Fishing in the Dark
Horse Feathers - Curs in the Weeds
Beulah - Your Mother Loves You, Son
Joanna Newsom - Sadie
Dirt Nasty - 1980 (Haha, some great memories at the lake blasting this... oh, the looks we got...)
Anyways.... I hope everyone had a great summer as well! Feel free to leave me your favorite summer memory... it's fun to reminisce. &heartsl ♥ ♥