Remember that one time I changed my life completely?

Disclaimer: I wrote this in August, and for some reason didn't post it! 
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Well. I didn't keep my resolution to write a blog post every month (okay, so the exact resolution was every WEEK, but who's keeping track, right?). I was busy having what has probably been the best summer of my life! Honestly, this summer has been wonderful, challenging, unexpected, and everything I could have hoped for (and more, y'all).



I got to spend a month with my very best friend, who is also my mom. The time we spent together was really special, and made more so by the elephant in the room; the fact that I would be moving at the end of the summer was something I think neither of us ever forgot about. It was easy to touch on and then not think about again, though, because we didn't know which, if any, of the schools would accept me into their PTA (physical therapy assistant) program. We went to Hawaii and spent two lovely weeks hanging out together and with my cousins, Jenae and James (and Jenae gave us the best surprise by announcing that she was expecting!). A lot of our time in Hawaii was spent exploring the island, discovering new beaches and off-the-path treasures, or playing cards in coffee shops (a habit we take with us everywhere we go).

Mom and I rocking sun hats in O'ahu

We took a lot of time this summer to enjoy the small moments, and I think neither of us took any of our time for granted. We're truly best friends, something that I think is pretty rare. She's the girl I want to gossip with, who I go shopping with, and I can always expect an honest to the question, "does this dress make me look fat?" (If the answer is "yes," she's nice enough to phrase it, "well, I don't think it does anything for you, Kate.")

After two weeks in Hawaii with my cousins, we continued our whirlwind summer with my dear cousin Laura's wedding. I was so touched and honored to be one of her bridesmaids, and the experience was great. I loved the nights with Laura, Jenae, Melissa, and the rest of the my awesome family. At the back of my mind I knew that I wouldn't be coming out to California again for a while, because my school breaks will be pretty limited, so it was extra tough to leave after Laura's wedding. I was home for a little under a week. I just had time to go to the Lindsey Stirling concert with my Little, Chloe, before she moved away. It's been a summer of big things for a lot of people I know.

Six days later, I was all packed and on a plane to Dublin, to spend three weeks with one of my best friends. This was my last hurrah before school started and, I figured, until school ended 18 months later. (Little did I know that I would do more traveling in the next 18 months than I had done in my whole life previously!)

Nothing like leg room on an international flight!

My time in Ireland was an education; it was wild (especially by my usual, homebody standards!), and it was fun in a lot of different ways. I got to see some really beautiful places (Bundoran was the loveliest little sea-side town), and I got to meet some really great people that I count as good friends now. I also got to stay with my friend Chris and his family, who were ridiculously hospitable to me - especially when Chris and I were supposed to go to Spain and ended up not going, and then, of course, after I extended my trip a whole 'nother two weeks!

 I'd have kicked me out, probably.

Here's what happened, I was all set to leave on June 26th. I'd been there for two weeks already, and only had a week left before I went home. But the Sea Sessions music festival was two days after I left, and my friends convinced me to stay! Best decision ever.

 It's funny, I remember sitting in Laura's living room with my mom and Melissa, and some other women in my family, and pronouncing, "I won't fall in love till I'm 30. I've got too much to do." Ha. Shows that you don't know what you don't know. I stayed in Ireland for Sea Sessions, but also for this friend of Chris's that I met, cause it turned out I really liked him. And, now, it turns out that I love him. And I still have a lot to do, but now I want to do those things with him, and it's way better than doing it by myself.

I want to go all the places with this guy

Life's a funny old thing, right?

So, the only problem was that I'm going to school in September. But I was rejected from my top pick in California, and I hadn't heard anything from the school in Seattle, so I assumed I just didn't make it this year. I was heartbroken for a minute - but it didn't last because a plan B occurred to me pretty quickly: If I didn't have to go to school, couldn't I just stay in Ireland with this guy that I definitely didn't want to leave? Turns out, it isn't that simple, visas and the law and such. But I came up with a plan (in about ten seconds flat...I work fast when I'm motivated) that would have me back in Ireland in January. I found a job as an au pair and everything.

Then, I got the worst good news ever. I was accepted into Olympic College, the school in Washington that I thought had rejected me. I was really confused then about how to feel. I was elated. I was heartbroken. And, then, dammit,  I was going to stay in Ireland anyway!
 I'll never forget the conversation on a bench, on a chilly night in Kill, when Will told me I needed to go to school. He sucked for saying it. But he was right, damn it.

Fast-forward, past a heart-broken day of traveling back to the States, and several stressful weeks of trying to find a place to live, trying to get financial aid sorted so I could actually afford to go to school, and trying to wrap my head around the fact that I was moving away from my childhood home and every single person I knew. I've been home nearly two months. In a few days I'll be driving with my mom to my new life in Washington. I'm elated. I'm heartbroken.

These last few days have been extremely emotional. I'm not fearful of change. I embrace it, and even seek it out. I love the adventure of not knowing what's coming next. So, I've been surprised and a little thrown by my response to all this change. Ask anyone, I'm a little high-strung, even on the best days, but I think I normally keep a lid on it pretty well. Not so, this time around. The stress of moving someplace I've never seen before, to a school I've never been to, and all the things that that entails, has been getting to me in unexpected ways- like mood swings that, if they occurred on a regular basis, might warrant psychiatric intervention. My mother and my boyfriend deserve medals for dealing with me on my little emotional roller coaster. (Though I think I might deserve a medal for dealing with her on her own little emotional roller coaster. We're both one wrong word away from sobbing into each other's shoulders and possibly from my mom just locking me in my room so I can't leave. No judgement, Mom, I feel ya.)

I always knew that it would be difficult to leave home, but I wasn't prepared for how emotionally rigorous it would be. I'm excited to go to school, and I'm ready to be on my own, no doubt about it. But packing up my clothes - all of them, not just enough for  a trip lasting a week or two, makes it feel very real and I know one wrong look will have me in tears.

My whole material life was crammed into my Pontiac for the 15 hour drive to Washington

I've been growing into this adult, who's ready and able to take care of herself away from home, for several years (I guess...all my years? But mostly the last two or three), and now I'm feeling the growing pains. I might cry a bit, but I'm ready for this next adventure, especially because the people that I love most are only a phone call (or a Skype call) away.

(Don't worry, Past Self, everything turns out okay!)