4th of July

i dont know why, but i guess i expected the 4th of july to be celebrated everywhere so it came as a sad surprise that there was going to be no bonfire, no fireworks, no red, white and blue anything! so me and the girls decided to throw our own little shin-dig! we bought some weenies to roast and stuff for s'mores! (although the marshmellows were a little iffy!)
it was such a treat, not only because it was nice to have a change in our diet but because we invited one of the staff members julie, to dine with us! we ended up talking for hours after dinner and it was the first time i didn't feel i had to sensor myself (in fact im pretty sure my language slipped a few times, oops!) We got to ask honest questions and seemed to get honest, genuine answers! It was also one of the funniest nights i'v had in a while, felt so good to just laugh! It reinforced to me the importance of being present here...getting to really know the people im working alongside, sharing life and sharing stories...because although sometimes it means putting in extra effort, it seems to always result in some sort of mutual respect or deep admiration..and in this case both occurred as me and julie bonded over the fact that Jane Eyre is the best novel in the universe! (maybe an over-exageration, but as soon as she told me it was one of her favorites, i knew we'd formed an unbreakable bond! haha)
still, its times like these where those cliche sayings are SO true! "its not where you are but who you're with" i LOVE the girls im here with, but its different than the usual family traditions and im realizing how important those holidays are...not always because of the actual holiday, but because of the memories and traditions that are forged when everyones together!

So family, if you're reading this...know that i would love to be with you all, roastin mallows and whoopin ya'all in a game of nerts! LOVE and MISS you guys! light a sparkler for me!