And what a summer it has been already.

So, I started this bolg thinking that I would be submitting and chronicling my thoughts into it, but I never really did. I think I'll try to start doing this more often as I approach the start of school, especially more often when school starts.

I think it would important for me to talk about the end of high school and the subsequent summer. I finished school at the top of my class, valedictorian and all, very exciting. I had to do a speech at graduation which was one of the most nervous points in my life so far. I think I did well though, I said what I wanted to and got my point across. I was really happy with the way it turned out, especially because I wrote the speech the day of graduation. My thought process went something like this that day: "Oh no, that's today. I had 13 years to prepare for my speech and did nothing. Well, I had better get to work, la la la..." Oh, what a stressful day. I think it was really the only time I got verbally mad at one of my close friends this year. Again, Benny, I am so sorry for that. But graduation happened, it went well and I had a really good time. Then the summer started for me. A week after graduation, the Swedish exchange student that we were hosting left with his family. Which was weird because I thought I was the only family he needed. I guess not. Back in Sweden, I'm sure he cries every night because we are no longer together. Anyway, he was a good guy and I felt lucky to host him. And drive him around.

And so, after that, I started working more. I got to where I am today where I work 40 hours a week and have very few exciting things going on other than working. I still do get out of the house and all, though it became difficult once my license got suspended. The story behind that: basically a huge insurance mix up with the accident I was in in January (the first accident in January). I got rear ended and pushed into the car in front of me, my car got totaled, etc. The DMV thinks that I was uninsured when in fact I was and thus the whole process started. I thought we could fix it with the insurance company, but honestly, we have a terrible insurance company. So I'm going to have a hearing with the DMV to explain "why I thought I was insured" when, in fact, I was fully covered and if the accident had been my fault, I wouldn't even be in this situation. Another thing that has to do with accidents that has been annoying has to do with third accident I was in this year when my family and myself were in a head on collision with a drunk driver. We've had to go into court because of the criminal trial that's going on in result of this man's unfortunate choice to crash into us and we really haven't gotten anywhere with it. The date got set back to September. Another annoying hassle that was brought upon me and my family due to other people's mistakes on the treacherous roadways of eastern Multnohma County.

However, though my summer has had a bleak outlook for the past two months, there have been enjoyable times and the future, dare I say it, looks like it will be better than the present. A few weeks ago, I went to the beach with some of my friends and stayed in a beach house that belonged to one of their families. That was a great time, though I'm surprised that we didn't burn the house down. To me, that weekend showed me something that I feel very blessed to be a part of. So much today, when a group of college aged guys go to spend a weekend together, you need not look far to find some illegal substance or a bottle of booze. However, with the group of friends that I am a part of and enjoy the company of so much can easily be entertained and have a great time without the aide of such products. I'm not exactly sure of how rare this is, though the sad thing is that it probably is rare. There have been other times that have been lots of fun, just hanging out with my friends that I love which have really made my summer more fun when I could easily be bogged down by all the crap that accidents and insurance companies have put me through.

In the future, very soon, I am planning some trips that I hope actually we actually go through with. There was a plan, for a short time, to go to Europe and travel by train from Rome to Paris to London then to fly to Stockholm, but that isn't going to happen due to the stubbornness of one of my traveling companions who was unwilling to leave the county. So, instead, we're planning a trip to the east coast at the end of August. I'm excited for that, especially to get away from it all before going off to school.

In the fall, I'm starting at Seattle Pacific University. That, I'm really excited for. The room mate I got set up with is a really cool guy with a big TV: I'm looking forward to that. Next year has a lot in store for me as far as life goes, both academically and socially, I guess. I like the idea of moving out, I think I'll be able to handle it well and it looks like next year is going to be amazing. I have taken enough AP tests that I can start as a sophomore, which saves $36,000. That's a big bonus.

So, there is what the summer has been for me and what the next few weeks and months look like they will be. I'm going to try to keep this updated. We'll see...