8.8.14

-Bik Bok sweater. Cheap Monday jeans. Grandpa's old police hat-

Ghost Town

This is my favorite little part of Kongsberg ever since I was little and didn't understand that it was actually a super lame place to hang out. It's a basically a culture center for the ten tourists who stop by Kongsberg on their trip through Norway. The little buildings are set up as old schools, ice cream shops, candy bars, and telephone operator rooms, but it's closed every day of the week except for Saturday when kids can go to the petting zoo to milk sheep, cows, goats-the typical Norwegian experience. I just always thought it was the coolest thing to look inside the windows and see all the old fashioned furniture and posters and little small knick knacks. But when I look back now I realize how actually creepy it could have been, especially alone at night.

Playa Del Carmen

Honestly, I'm not a beach person. Mainly because my usual only access to a beach is Galveston which if you've been there, you know what I'm talking about. I don't enjoy water theme parks and I'm not much of a tanner. My impatience of laying down on an uncomfortable towel in the blazing heat is the reason for my paleness. But being in Playa del Carmen made me open my eyes to the beauty of the beach and its wildlife. I was lucky enough to experience swimming with whale sharks (I repeat. Sharks. Not whales) which I was a little hesitant to do at first having watched the eye opening documentary Blackfish. But they weren't in cages, we weren't allowed to play with them or touch them, and we weren't even allowed to wear sunscreen due to fear of oils contaminating the water. We were on a boat for 45 minutes before reaching where the whale sharks were eating and just that time being in the back of the boat and seeing the stretch of the clear blue ocean was beautiful enough. Once we reached the spot, we went into the water with all our snorkeling gear and swam right next to these 40 ft long beautiful sharks (which only eat plankton-not humans). I had other adventures including zip lining the tallest zip line in Latin America (I think that was exaggerated but whatever), snorkeling in the coral reefs of Isla Mujeres, swimming in caves full of stalactites and stalagmites, as well as just relaxing and taking naps in hammocks by the beach. All of this was in Mexico, the place I consider half of myself. It all was an eye opening experience to see the beauty of this country which I only get to see in familial circumstances in urban cities with little or no feeling of a tropical paradise. I now consider myself a beach person. But only in Mexico. 

Viva Mexico!

..hmmm..

Photo credits: Renee Piper

I haven't posted anything in a while because of well, school-not the best excuse, I know. Anyway, now it's summer and I have had more time to be inspired again. But something I've always enjoyed about posting is that I write about something that I've been thinking about recently or my opinion on something. I don't know if anyone reads what I write, but to those who do: you now have possession of my thoughts- do whatever you want with that. 

Something that I've been thinking about more and more over these couple of days is the whole concept of interests and what makes them cool and what doesn't. For example, I personally don't love Vampire Weekend but to others it's their absolute favorite band. Now, if someone were to come up to me and tell me their favorite band was Vampire Weekend, I would probably cringe inside and decide what kind of person they are based on that one simple interest. Why would I judge someone based on that one choice? They can totally argue how they are the best band that has ever existed, but in my head I'd be arguing against that. Then the reverse will happen: I'll name something I like and their view of me will oscillate based on what I say. 

But friends are often made this way; you can tell whether your friendship will be a success or not based on common interests. Putting the creation of friendships aside, the pressure of having common interests is so unconsciously necessary that people will go as far as faking what they like or changing who they are in order to "fit in". There's probably that secret person out there who loves Nickelback but can never tell anyone for fear of being looked at differently. 

Interests are all about happiness. That's why you like things; the things you like are ultimately based on what brings you happiness. I used to be scared of telling people what I liked because at the time everyone was liking specific things that I despised. As I grew up, I realized that all these different things are what make me who I am. I become my own character with the things I like. You don't stand out when you wear or listen to the same things the other six people in your friend group like. 

xxx