Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Whoa.

So...summer happened. Of course, all the things I planned to do over that blissful three-month period (like, say, getting The Artist done) didn't exactly happen. In fact, I spent a good amount of time hustling around, volunteering, doing summer homework, going on week-long trips. Although I hit over 95,000 words on The Artist, which isn't too shabby. Maybe I can finish it by the end of senior year and start the sequel over the summer.

So what did I do this summer, might you ask?

1) Kenyon College.

I was admitted to the Kenyon Review Young Writers Program in June, which is run by one of the most prestigious literary magazines in the country. Kenyon College is a small liberal arts college about an hour and a half from my house, smack dab in the middle of a town built around the college. It was a great place to get to know some other writers and poets, and for two weeks I got to discuss literature, craft, politics, society, food, and whatever else I wanted with people who were like me from around the country. We even had a guy from Greece come, and he plays Stairway to Heaven on the piano like nobody's business. Although I couldn't write for about two weeks after, it was totally worth it.

2) Outer Banks, NC

Two weeks after Kenyon, I went with my family to the Outer Banks, where the Wrights flew their plane in 1913. It's essentially a small sliver of island that has two highway entrance/exits and beautiful houses to stay in. The atmosphere helped me slow down as my summer started into August and helped me get some work done, both writing-wise and in the way of school.

3) Band Camp

Since the last three years of my high school career were in volleyball, this year was my first and last band camp experience. And can I just say, it was awesome? The weather was perfect, everyone there is pretty cool, and I don't have three and four hour practices daily. It's pretty sweet.

The good (and bad) news is, it's senior year. The last hurrah before college, the year of independence and no curfew and writing until my eyeballs glaze over. But it's also the year of college research, applications, deciding where to attend, and accepting the fact that I am eighteen years old and technically on my own. Once I'm off at college I can't hang with my parents randomly or talk to them when I need them. Although I will bloody well know how to live by myself, I don't know quite yet if I'm ready to leave those two crazy kids I call Mom and Dad and take off on my life journey alone.

Good news? It's only the second week of school. I have some time.

Again, apologies for the lack of blogging over the summer! But let me know, how was your summer vacation? Go anywhere cool, get anything awesome? Maybe even have a better break than I did? Let me know!

Fresh notebooks and new wardrobes,
Brie

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