End of Summer

What my summer consisted of: Finally read The Fault in Our Stars, listened to my favorite India Arie album, bought new and comfortable shoes, took Biotin pills for hair and nail growth as well as healthy skin; and kept my lips soft with the Lush Lip Scrub. 

I remember when it was the first day of summer vacation, in June, and I was ready to go home after my last exam and start my summer activities of doing absolutely nothing. Now it is the end of August, and school starts after labor day. I can say that fashionably, I am ready; but I am not emotionally prepared for school to start. I am really excited to see all my friends, but I have learned a lot about myself this summer. I have learned that I am a very introverted person, but I can be extroverted at times. It just depends on the time and who I am with. I did not spend my summer like other (basic) teenagers by going out and partying any chance I got, or spending countless nights staying up and watching movies with friends. As a matter of fact, I didn't really see a lot of my friends this summer. I did not see a lot of my friends because I wanted to spend my summer alone or with my family most of the time. That's just how I like it.

During my sophomore year, I met people who I plan on staying far away from junior year. They're the people I refuse to waste my time with. I can easily make new friends, but it's not easy for me to keep them because I am quick to forget about anyone who deserves to be forgotten. I am not one to call out names, especially since this is the internet, but a lot of people I know try a bit too hard just to fit in. They don't know that standing out is way better than trying so hard to fit in; that is because they are still learning to grow up and discover themselves. I completely understand that because that was me in my freshman year of high school. It is hard for me to be around people who want certain things just because other people have them, or want to look a certain way because in modern society it is seen as "sexy, beautiful, and better." I can not be around people who do certain things just to get attention from others, rather than doing it because they want to and enjoy doing it.

Now, some people who act this way can't help but act this way. Like I said before, they are still discovering themselves; which means they are still maturing. This summer, I matured mentally and emotionally. I learned how to handle certain situations in a more mature way. I learned how to look at the world in a mature manner. I also learned how to have self-respect, how to be confident, and how to not judge people so quickly. We're all so quick to judge people by the way they walk, talk, or act; then we forget that judging does not help anything. 

For all of you who are still learning to discover yourselves, remember that it takes time. It takes time for you to realize what life is all about. Let go of the little things that don't matter. Some people my age would not talk about a topic like this because we are still young. We are always told to have fun, but not too much fun. We must go to school because that is the only way we can be successful. Then, we are pressured into the real world; by ourselves. We are told so many things that are not true as we grow up. While you are doing all of that, you must find and embrace your inner beauty. Nobody should love you more than you love yourself; in the end, all you have is yourself.  

-AK