what i learned this summer (can't help it - i'm a teacher)

I learned that campgrounds that are wide open and free with lots of room for your eyes and legs to roam are far better than ones stuck next to a 2-lane highway that make you think a car is going to fly off and land on your tent any second.

I learned that it doesn't matter how much coffee you have during the day, or tequila the night before, or sleep that you had/didn't have... what matters is how much space you have when you need it.

I learned that you don't stick your hand into a snakepit unless you want to get bit. (and this saying works really well with kids who, too like adults, can get their nose in other people's business)

i learned that libraries and coffeeshops are the best places to lounge around in when you're feeling homeless. and that feeling homeless is only a bad thing insofar as people assume that you smell, sometimes you probably do, and you tend to interpret any look on a librarian's face as 'are you ever going to get off that computer and let someone who pays their taxes and votes and who really needs it get on?'

i learned that it doesn't matter how long you have lived/not lived somewhere. it's about the point at which you relax and just accept that you are part of this town you find yourself in. every summer i walk into this sleepy little wide awake town in Colorado and i always think it will take everybody ELSE a long time to accept me back having not seen me for awhile, but it's really about me letting go of my self consciousness and just accepting that i AM back.

i learned that the way you know someone loves you is the way they hug you. when a person hugs you and they can't speak? you know they love you.

i learned that i love people and i will always love people. it's the reason why i travel so much. i love meeting new people, hearing new stories of other peoples' lives. retelling their stories to other people. stealing their stories, being inspired by their stories, living out their stories vicariously (and literally sometimes, too). not everyone loves people as much as i do. some people prefer landscapes. some people actively retreat from people. there are times when i need to get away from people, too. but usually, i'd rather pay my bills late, have a messier house, sleep in dirty clothes because i haven't had time to get to the laundry, not water the lawn as often as i should, not get enough exercise, not grade when i should, not get enough groceries to plan out a decent meal and order takeout instead, just because i love to be around people. and there's nothing wrong with either being a people-person or a landscape-person. you need both in this world. i wouldn't have it any other way. but i am definitely a people person, but i need to live the life of a landscape person, too, in order to get perspective on my people-person life. it's good to remove yourself from the hubbub. it's good to be alone. it's good to face your own demons. it's good to get bored and get stuck and feel boring and empty, you find yourself. you realize that you always have you and that if you don't want to be bored it's up to you and ain't nothing going to make you happy unless you make yourself happy and find a way to like what is right in front of you and it's still important to dream and you should dream but you should also enjoy the ride because you may or may not ever get to that dream and an even better dream might come along to surprise you but if all you see is the dream then you'll probably miss the $5 million dollar lottery ticket staring at you on the ground at your feet.