Friends!

 I am one of the luckiest people ever when it comes to friends.  I really can only be in a bad mood for a few hours until one of them brightens my day.

Last weekend, I drove up to Surfside Beach, South Carolina to see my good friends, Eleanor and Nigel.  I'm so glad that E and I are still tight even though we live a few states away these days. 

The main excuse to go up there was to see our favorite DJ, Girl Talk again.

 

This guy is amazing and his shows are so much fun.  I also had a "Cheeseburger in Paradise" at the so-named Jimmy Buffet themed restaurant.  If you have to eat meat, this is a great place to do it.

 

They live literally next to the ocean, so we went to the beach.  E was just telling me about all the ridiculous (and sometimes nice) beach weddings when they started setting up TWO weddings.  One on either side of us. 

  

Of course we had to watch. ha ha. 

Saturday night we got on a Turquoise Jeep kick and stayed up until all hours of the morning watching all their videos on YouTube and laughing hilariously.  Here is a little taste:

ridiculous, right?

Yesterday I was in kind of a stressed out mood again (I mean, I had just written the last post, right?), then the two friends I am visiting in Turkey; Bora and Pinar conference Skyped me and planned my trip (awesome, thanks!).  Bora found a round trip flight from Istanbul to Antioch for 119TL (Turkish Lira) which is like $66 (US), amazingly cheap, even by Turkish standards.  I can't wait!

Next stop, over to Buket's.  Her friend Ayse just graduated from film school and I got to watch her final project!  Hopefully I can post it later, it was very cool. 

Then hanging with my roommate for the next 2 days, Tara.  We are going out tonight--sort of her last night before she moves to Tampa    Now I really have to start getting my own stuff, ha ha.

Half-year update; an attempt to return to the blog

 I have a lot to cover.  Maybe I shouldn't try and do it all in one blog....or maybe by writing too much, only my most devoted will read it... who knows.

First, I'll start with something that no one cares about:  how am I doing on my New Year's goals?

New Year's Goals 2012!!

1) See something amazing -- I don't think this has happened yet, but I am going to Turkey soon...

2) Visit 2 distant friends-- I saw Eleanor & Nigel twice, AND I'm going to Turkey soon....

3) Read another 10 books-- Uhm, sadly, sadly, I've only read 4 so far

4) Go to the beach at least 8 times-- DONE!  I think I am up to 10 now.

5) Appear in a play or do some public performance-- Well, I did appear in a friend's benefit dance show, so, I guess this is DONE, though I did think I would try and be in a play

So, amidst the chaos I'm actually doing OK on my goals. 

I had a good summer.  Despite all the weirdness in my life, I had fun, I had FUN.  Sometimes it felt like I was out every night doing something.  I don't know where all the energy came from, but it was there. 

Some photo highlights

I went to St. Simon's Island (SSI) with Mallory and Buket

Buket and I

I had a great trip home to Pennsylvania.  I had to sleep in the Detroit Airport one night, but I turned in into an adventure

Kayaking with my brother, Dad (not in photo) and cousins

Saw Jackie (bestie and rommate from college and her family in Hilton Head... then up to Eleanor and Nigel's in Surfside Beach

I went to Savannah Craft Brew Fest suddenly Labor Day weekend:

And the art museum at SCAD in Savannah:

 

I love SCAD & Savannah

Another party with friends

I discovered that I really love to build furniture (while drinking Moscato)

****Travel Plans!!****

I am finally going to Turkey next month!  I found a super, super low airfare ($800) and didn't think twice.  After studying Turkish for over 2 years, it is high time to try it out.  Now that I have a few friends who live there, I will be visiting them.  Hooray!  My plans are to go to Istanbul and Antioch.

*******************
Finally, probably the biggest reason that I haven't been blogging since May.  I guess I'm ready to actually put this out there... at least to the tiny, tiny circle of people who read my blog.  I decided to move out.  I don't know what the future holds for Kyohei and I.  Maybe we will work it out, maybe not.  It isn't because of any one incident... just a feeling of hopelessness that I had/have.  I just gave up and then I realized that I had been doing all the trying for 7 years. 

I've been playing the gypsy since May, living in a couple different places, my worldly possessions here and there.  My summer home was lovely, but I am currently squatting at a friend's apartment while she moves.  It is a strange way to live-- every night there are fewer and fewer of her possessions at my disposal.  The other night, I ate dinner out of a pan that Eleanor gave me because she packed the plates.  Time to get my own stuff. 

I JUST signed the lease on my own apartment, which I will move into after Turkey in November.  I honestly never thought it would go this far.  I'm so stressed out about money, moving, and my future.  Of course this is the perfect time to take a big trip abroad, right?  I had a cry-fest the other day at the thought of leaving my beloved apartment and dogs and about having to go through the tremendous hassle of moving and starting over.  Kyohei remains unfazed by any of this.  This is a blessing and a curse.  I mean, why doesn't he care if I move out, right?  ouch.  On the other hand, at least all the drama in my life is self-created and I don't have to deal with anything from him.  God, what is wrong with me?  I'm going to make it through this right??

goodbye

 Last night I went to have my eyebrows waxed (as I do),but not because I needed it, rather because it was my hairdresser Jayme's last day of work.  She is quitting to go back to school.  I've gone to her since I moved to Gainesville like 7 years ago.  This is worse than breaking up with a lover.  She has seen me through it all--- wedding color, blonde, purple, bangs, long to short, to brown, to highlights to no highlights to my current (somewhat distinct) hairstyle. 

I feel grief and do not know where to turn.  I don't want to trust anyone else. I don't want to tell anyone else my life story. 

Ohhh Jayme, come back to me!