Tans May Fade, but the Memories Will Last Forever

            This summer was an emotional roller coaster. It was filled with some of the very best moments of my life that I’m going to happily look back on forever, as well as some of the saddest moments that will forever leave darkness in my life.

            There is no particular order to this list so bear with me as I jump around from memory to memory of the past few months.  And of course I had to include some of the best pictures, so I’m apologizing in advance for the scrapbook.

So in love with him and nervous
to meet him I literally tripped
into his arms...

            Summer “2k14" started off with a bang right when I got home from college. I had the opportunity to meet Penn State’s head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson.  A famous person, no big deal right? Well, not only is this sweetheart super cute, but he’s the best of the best. Cael had a 159-0 college record, and was the only NCAA wrestler to ever go undefeated. He was also a four-time national champion, four-time NCAA Outstanding Wrestler, and on top of all of that he was an incredible speaker and humble man. This will probably be the first and the last time I will ever brag about meeting someone from Penn State, but I made an exception for him.

       I got to get my redneck on at the Luke Bryan “That’s My Kinda Night” tour at Heinz Field back in June. It was Luke’s first stadium concert and it was incredible. I’ve seen him in concert before and honestly, I’m not a huge fan of him, but when you get to have an adventure traveling to Pittsburgh with some of your closest friends and tailgating all day, well it makes for a damn good time. This little road trip was also the first time I really got to put my new Ford F-150 to use. We had a blast. A bunch of hicktown kids navigating our way around a big city, somehow making it to the concert where we had prime parking to drop our tailgates and party, and a stadium box filled with food to dance around in all night – it doesn’t get better than that. It could’ve been the worst live music ever, but with my friends by my side it was one of the best nights of my life.  

            Concert round two was a lot different, but just as fun. After a very late start because we couldn’t find the tickets, my cousin Gabby and I made it to PNC Park for Jason Aldean’s “Burn It Down Tour.” Although we missed Tyler Farr (already saw him in Syracuse so I didn’t really care) and we heard Florida Georgia Line as we were walking across the bridge (we already saw them too), we made it in just enough time to get to our amazing floor seats and see our girl Miranda Lambert. When Jason came out to play though, so did the rain. The sky literally opened up and it poured like hell. As fireworks were going off, lightening was illuminating the sky. My wallet was soaked for the entire following week. We didn’t care though. We were still dancing around, making friends, and having a great time. A little rain sure didn’t stop us.

Still in shock it didn't cave-in
on us.

            Summer nights are about crazy adventures and lots of fun. This particular memory I can’t say much about, but those involved know what I mean and I can’t pretend it just didn’t happen. We like to refer to it as “From Fireflies to Felonies.” We went from having little kid fun catching fireflies in my backyard, to having a big kid night doing “hood rat shit.” All I can say is, I promise no one got hurt in the process.

            Another spur of the moment night was The Campout. I haven’t slept in a tent since I was a kid. One night after my best friend Emily and I ate our body weight in pancakes at Perkins, we decided that the night was still young. We had no plans so after driving for a bit we came back to my house. When we pulled in the driveway we were joking about sleeping outside. Give the two of us a stupid idea though and we’re probably going to do it. So we did. It took us an hour to find an old tent in my garage, and even longer to figure out how to pitch it. But after searching my house for all the pillows and blankets we could find, plus a life-size five-pound teddy bear, we slept in our tent. Granted, it was all of three feet off of my patio, but we stayed in it all night even though it was damn near 40^o. It’s something that we did and we know we’ll look back on laughing at our stupidity for years to come.

Jul, you suck.

 

I’m a beach babe. I could live on the beach, do nothing, and be satisfied for the rest of my life. I got the opportunity to be a beach bum for two weeks this summer and it was so relaxing. In June I ventured to Kitty Hawk with my best friend, Juli, and her family. The 10-hour car ride down was an experience in itself, but luckily the week got even better. From skim boarding to crabbing, floating on a giant raft in the ocean, losing our bikinis in giant waves, and finding sand in some odd places, it was a week I’ll never forget.

I like to think of myself as the rose
among many thorns.

First bar outing with our dads.

         Beach trip round two consisted of the annual Yahner/Varischetti Family Vacation – always a treat. This year we ended up in Punta Cana at the Hard Rock Resort and Casino and we had a blast. Since I was legal in the Dominican Republic I got to have my first bar outing with my dad. Nothing beats life advice over a few (or a lot of) brews. Countless dirty burgers were eaten and a lot of alcohol was consumed that week. But there is nothing better than donning a bikini from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, lying in the sun or jumping in the waves all day, while always having a drink in hand. That’s just living the dream.

      I fell in love. And no, it wasn’t just a fling or summer love, we’ll prove that in the long run. A relationship can begin unexpectedly and with people you never imagined you’d end up with. And that’s what happened to Colt and me. We’ve had our ups and downs, and what couple doesn’t? But when it comes down to it, at the end of the day, we truly make each other happy. He always teases me that I never stop smiling when I’m around him, even when I’m mad, which honestly, it’s the truth and I can never stay mad at him for long anyway. I won’t get sappy because his friends will give him hell for this, but yes, I finally found a good guy who loves me for me.

            The Fourth of July, my absolute favorite holiday and the biggest party of the year for our little town. This year was one that will never be forgotten and the most fun one I’ve ever had. It always kicks off the night before with my dad’s unofficial class reunion taking place on our back porch. I love hearing about my dad’s crazy high school stories and getting blackmail to have when he yells at me for screwing up something in my life or a decision I make. Anyway, on the 4^th itself, Juli and I rose bright and early. (Actually that’s a bit of a lie because we had full intentions to run the 10k race but we just couldn’t get out of bed and to the starting line that early). Nonetheless, we had fun celebrating with the festivities around town all day until we finally met up with Emily and Gabby. The four of us shared some good times and plenty of laughs that we’ll always look back on with a smile.

           

Candid of Juli collapsing in
front of Rails to Trails the
moment we made it out.

            The Great Bike Trip is the connector between the good and bad because I still can’t decide which category it falls under. Most people who know they’re going to bike long distances train for weeks, maybe even months in advance. They’re not morons, wake up one morning, and say “Hey! It’s a beautiful day! Let’s bike 40 miles!” But that’s exactly what Juli and I did. The first 16 miles or so were great. Smooth sailing, beautiful scenery, lots of laughs. But after we realized it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, things went downhill fast. The ride back was some of the longest miles of my life (probably because we stopped approximately every two miles to stretch, bitch, and cry). Although we did not wake up the next day with legs like Carrie Underwood, we did cross it off our bucket list.

            Some friendships you assume are going to last forever. I really thought that was the truth. I had been friends with this particular person since we were born. I can’t even begin to count all the memories we’ve shared together and time we’ve spent with one another. We’ve both changed over the years though, that’s inevitable. But sometimes change isn’t for the good. He went from being a person I could count on no matter what the circumstances were, to being someone who I no longer wanted in my life. I use to be able to call him at any time of the day and ask if we could meet up because I needed to cry and vent and he was there at a moment’s notice. Earlier this summer, even after a stupid fight we had, he promised he was going to be there for whatever I needed during one of the most difficult times of my life. Words are pointless though unless proven by actions. When I needed him most, he decided drugs were more important than our friendship and he was no longer there for me. After it happened more than once I knew I had to do the difficult thing and cut him out of my life. At first it was hard. I’d reach for the phone and remind myself I shouldn’t call him and forgive him so easily for him treating me so badly in our so called friendship. As time went on though, I realized our friendship had been fading for a while. Now it’s hard to even remember the good time we spent together because it’s clouded by the bad times.  

            The hardest thing I’ve had to deal with though was losing a member of my family in a terrible canoeing accident. Even though Britt wasn’t technically related to me, she was marrying my cousin in a month and had been dating him for eight years. Her and Jimmer were my neighbors and I’d grown to know her over the years. Those days following the accident were some of the saddest and most mentally exhausting days my family has ever had to deal with. I still miss her greatly. And when the wedding date comes I know it’s going to be such a sad day rather than the celebration it was once intended to be. Britt’s death taught me a few lessons though which I’d like to share. First, count your blessings each and every day because there is always something to be thankful for. Second, in the big picture of life, the little, insignificant problems really aren’t a big deal. During difficult times you are going to realize who your true friends are. Your family will help get you through anything. And finally, life can change in the blink of an eye so never take anyone or anything for granted.

            Through it all, the good and bad, this is a summer I will never forget. I’ve lived, I’ve learned, I’ve grown up, and I’ve had fun along the way. Now it’s back to school to see what fun times await me there!

Live, Laugh, Love - The Recipe to Life

           

            Even though it sometimes doesn’t seem like it, each person is given 1440 minutes in a day to do whatever he or she pleases. How a person spends those minutes is up to the user, but everyone is given the same amount of time.

            Don’t you wish many of those things listed in the picture would never happen?

            Unfortunately, most of them are going to. Heartbreak is inevitable and fights are going to occur every now and then. Tears will fall and time will pass regardless of if you want it to or not.

            Accept heartbreak. It’s good for the soul and shapes you as a person. Each person you date or establish a relationship with teaches you not only something about yourself, but also a new way to interact with people. When they leave with a piece of your heart remember that because you will do the same to someone else.

            With each new person who steps into your life, give them a new chance, a blank slate. Let them color your life in their own way rather than them using a piece of paper with eraser marks of the person before them.

            The best thing you can do is live each and every day as if it were your last. Never settle for less than you deserve and always strive for happiness. So many people are content with being unhappy and not trying in life because they can just get by.

            There is nothing wrong with taking thousands of pictures. Document every memory. A picture can only capture a brief snapshot of something, but it will still be tangible when the memory becomes foggy.

            Laughter I truly believe is the cure for everything. There is nothing better than laughing until you feel as if you have the best abs at a body building competition. Laughing is contagious too so don’t be afraid to spread the joy of laughter.

            Be careful who you love, but don’t be afraid to. If you don’t tell someone how you really feel they will never know. Perhaps you will come to find out they feel the same way and so much time has gone by simply because neither would make the first move. Be bold. Have confidence. And don’t be afraid to take a chance and tell someone your true feelings.

            One of my favorite quotes and something I always live by is, "You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like there's nobody listening, and live like it's heaven on earth."

            I try to live up to that quote each and every day. It’s what I believe happiness really is and it’s what I strive for. But when all else fails, remember, carpe diem – seize the day.