22yo
*Breathes fresh, upgraded and newly dressed life into “Dare to Live” after a long, painful absence.*
Ahh… much better. You’ll have to excuse the mess… I know it’s filthy in here. But at least it’s here, something I’ve been trying at for so many weeks now… I was beginning to give up hope there for a second.
It’s funny… most of the time a person gets a bad case of writer’s block during dark periods of their lives… times when they feel depressed, angry, overwhelmed with negativity, etc. I’m happy to say that it didn’t happen that way for me. The reason I’ve been away from this site for so long is actually because I have been busy enjoying quite possibly the best summer of my entire life. 
:)
*My long-time readers read the last sentence a second and third time, their jaws hitting the floor and their eyes bulging out of their sockets. They read on, searching for the typical emo rants I used to write that made Eeyore look like an Animaniac high on Pixie Sticks and Red Bull.*
I guess I’ll start at the beginning… I finally graduated community college with my associate’s degree in general studies. I’m honestly not sure which one rocked more: finally getting that piece of paper for in exchange for two years of sweat, tears and unnecessary drama… or hearing my family and friends blow the roof off of the building when I walked across the stage… or hugging my favorite professor and hearing her say that she’s proud of me… nope, there’s no way I could choose. That entire day was perfect. Even my gown was perfect! (I’ll put up a picture just as soon as I get copies from my father’s camera)
Graduation is only the beginning though. This fall I’ll be starting classes at the university (FINALLY!) and pursuing my degree in journalism. Things have been so hectic trying to get everything together… soon I’ll be moving my stuff on campus and getting everything ready to go this fall. I’m so nervous, but in a VERY good way. There were times I never thought I’d get this far with school, but now everything is coming together just like everyone always said it would…
Speaking of the world falling into place, my career isn’t the only part of my future that looks bright… this summer I also found something I thought I would never have in my life: true love. And now that I’ve found it, I can tell all of you that there’s more to the “friends first” suggestion than you think. It actually DOES work… and what’s better than winding up with your best friend? Well, I got that and a few bonuses as well:
Add those four smiling faces and you get my four-leaf clover… the four loves of my life. They are the ones to blame for the bright colors, the rant-less updates and the overall cheery vibe this place will have from this point on. From here on out, my life has definitely never looked better than it does right now. And it’s only the beginning.
But, for the time being, I think I’ll get back to tweaking the new layout and changing around a few pages. Time to get everything back in order before the semester hits and my life becomes the organized chaos I’ve always longed for.
All my love, affiliates, friends and readers! It’s good to be home.
- Shaina
Your new layout is gorgeous!
Congratulations on your college graduation, and your new man. I’m so glad you’re happy – you deserve it. 