Stronger

Here in this diary, I write you visions of my summer.

This Ataris song came on while I was driving to work this morning. It made me so happy and I found it very appropro given my thoughts on the summer and what's to come in the busy year.

Tomorrow is a monumental day. Not only am I moving in to my senior year of college (no, classes don't start already, I just have RA training), but it's the last night I'm spending in my house. I never particularly liked my house, but it's a little sad. My mom and my stepfather are getting a divorce. The end of a marriage is always sad, but to be honest, I'm a little relieved this is happening.

I was one of those kids that never entirely liked the idea of my mother dating someone, especially the older I got, because I'm a self-centered only child. To be frank. However, even though I was going to college fifteen minutes away from home, I knew it'd be hard on my mom (me, too, but I'm better at distracting myself). So, I was happy that this guy came along to keep her a little less lonely while I struggled through my freshman year of college. However, that's the only reason why I was happy she got married. Selfish, I know.

Now it's deteriorating because he's a douche and...if my mom were more upset, I'd be upset...and I know it'll hit her soon and she'll be sadder, but I really do think she's better without him. She wants to travel and get her Ph.D and maybe live in a different country for a while to teach English (she's actually probably doing this) and he just wasn't into it. Now she'll be able to come into her full potential. Eat, Pray, Love honestly couldn't come at a better time.

Oh, well.

In happier news, I FINALLY read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, the first two novels in the fantastic Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Stop reading this immediately and go to Amazon.com and order them. While you're there, you might as well preorder the third and final novel, Mockingjay (due out at the end of the month), because you're going to need to know what happens next. I haven't been this involved in a story and a world since Harry Potter. And you've read my posts, you know how much I care about the world J.K. created.

They take place in a dystopian society where the evil government (called The Capitol) shows its control over the twelve surrounding districts by forcing each district (by pulling names from a lottery) to have one male and female tribute partake in the annual Hunger Games - a fight to the death in an arena, televised for everyone to see. Fucked up, right? Sorry, there's no other way to describe how messed up that is. The story follows Katniss Everdeen and her life in District 12.

Anyway, it was fabulous and addicting. The first started a little slow, but quickly I was sucked into this world and I finished the last, say, two-hundred pages and the entire second one in about a day and a half or so. Speeds that have not been seen since I read The Deathly Hallows...or maybe even The Order of the Phoenix (I read Deathly Hallows slowly because I didn't want it to end). Suzanne Collins does an excellent job of dropping you into this world that you cannot get enough of. I'm not kidding. Scroll up and click that Amazon link, it goes right to the page.

So, while my summer's pretty much over, it's been an exciting couple of days (not necessarily in the positive sense with all the packing and a little sad air around the house). I'm not ready to go back, but I am kind of excited. Wish I could see Secondhand Serenade on the 11th and I'm still holding out hope I'll be done with training early enough to go! Fingers and toes crossed.

"Stronger" by Britney Spears; 2000