"My Soul Has Never Had this Feeling and it Feels Like Gold."

Wow.

It's been forever since I posted. I can't believe that I used to update daily. That's absurd; I never have any time any more.

Last week I went to Virginia and saw CHELSEA DODD. It was the best trip I have ever taken in my life. It was so fun. Looking back, we did nothing truly extraordinary, just a lot of hanging out, but it was so real and so pure and so fun. And life is all about fun.

It was my first time on an aeroplane. I lovelovelove riding on a plane. It's mega fun. I got to fly FIRST CLASS into and out of Atlanta. First Class is niiiiiiiiice.

We spent a couple days in Richmond, near Virginia Commonwealth University. I love that town. So old and so city-like. Everyone there rides bikes. It was three in the morning, and there people were, riding down the road on their bikes. Three seems too late to me. Not in Richmond though.

In Richmond we stayed with Stephen, Chelsea's sister Katie's boyfriend. I'll give you a second to make sense of that previous sentence. Katie and Stephen are so radical. Stephen and I got along super well, and there were so many times that he had me weak with laughter. He reminds me a lot of my brother Reed, it's sort of nuts.

Chels and I went to the beach. I love the ocean. I love the little crabs that will pop out of the sand and look at you funny and if you make any sudden movements, they scoot real quick. I like seagulls because they are so awkward looking. I like seeing dolphins because dolphins are seriously radical. I like little kids in the ocean because they are overwhelmed by fun and surf. The sounds are soft and the air is nice.

The ocean at night is vastly different than the daytime version, and a brand of beauty and magic all its own. It is dark, but I have never felt so bright and happy. I like having my big feet in the cool water and feeling the foam and the sand. Being at the beach was very probably the best day of my life.

We went to Busch Gardens and I rode SO MANY ROLLERCOASTERS. Roller coasters feel like flying. And they are huge and terrifying. I love riding them so much. I always, always say a secret prayer on the bigger ones that we will not die. My prayers were answered that day.

There is a place in Williamsburg called Sno to GO and it is just like Jerry's. I felt like home.

Chelsea's family is so great. Her dad was so cool. He was not frightening like so many dads are. He was easy to talk to and easy to like. Her mom is, I'm pretty sure, my mom in some random body. Obviously, I liked her. It all made sense being there.

I like Chelsea so much. She gets me and I, her. We laugh a lot and joke on each other a lot. It was so great being with her. It feels like being home is the vacation and my real life is in Virginia.

I love that place. I am unsatisfied with this place.

* * * * *

In other news entirely, I am done with my mission papers and will see the Stake President Wednesday. They will then go to Salt Lake and I'll get a call. Absolute Craziness.

Reed Michael Garrett, mi primo favorito, leaves for school on Wednesday.

Everything is ending. It feels right, though, for the first time. Weird.

I'm going Skydiving on Saturday(!) and I might see Cartel on Saturday. Woohoo.

A Few Thoughts.

I feel somewhat sickly. Hopefully I will get over this.

I am going to Virginia on Monday. Seriously.

I LOVELOVELOVE musick. I saw The Format (!!!!), The Honorary Title (!!!!!!!), and two bands which I've never heard before, Limbeck and Steel Train (!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Clearly, Steel Train was awesome. The Format was one of the best bands I've seen live.

I finished Harry Potter and it was everything I could have ever hoped for it to be and more.

Matthew is here and will soon be gone.

I randomly thought of this video that came on Cartoon Network in the days of my youth and found it on YouTube. I love it.


Enjoy. Good night.

You Know.

The usual.

Today is Cinco de Mayo. What a crazy year it's been since the last Cinco de Mayo. I'm not really gonna go there.

I went to MusicFest and it was rad. Saw Sum 41. But we missed Plain White T's. Whatever, though. I'll see F-ING JACK'S MANNEQUIN TODAY AND THAT WILL RULE YOUR FACES OFF.

I am going to see Fall Out Boy, The Academy Is..., Cobra Starship, +44, and Paul Wall (????) in St. Louis. This is exciting as hell.

Everything is beautiful and right. I love the summer.

Up to Date.

I haven't posted in forever but it feels like there is nothing to say. Here goes nothin'.

I am finding that I am more often than not sleepy as all get out. This is the case right now.

Life is challenging right now. Matt is leaving. The mission papers are not happening (rather, they are happening so slowly that no one, even myself, seems to notice). School is taxing. However, life is going well enough. I am happy, and that is good.

My cousin Reed got home from his mission in Nicaragua last Friday. I love that kid so much. He is so rad. I've hung out with him a couple of times and we haven't really done anything all that great, but it's still super fun nonetheless. I can't really understand a lot of what he has to say because he still speaks English like Nicaraguans (or Spanish speakers in general) speak Spanish. It's funny.

My trip to Atlanta was SO FUN. We (Matt, Kelly, Karen, and I) saw Jonezetta, Meg & Dia, Bayside, and Anberlin. Bayside wasn't that great, but the other bands were SO AWESOME. I had such a good time. The drives there and back were super fun. I love those kids.

School is almost out and this is very exciting. I have some huge plans for the summer. In May, I'm going to Birmingham to see my friend Rebecca and also this band, Animal Collective. In June I am going to Las Vegas then to Salt Lake City to see Matt. And then in either June or July I am going to see Chelsea Dodd. She's the coolest girl I know.

My mission will hopefully happen at the first of July. If not, I am cool to leave, at the latest, at the first of August. But, like I've said, this process is all going very slowly.

I am overwhelmingly excited to go on a mission.