Books, Castles, Country Music, Quarter Horses and Cowboys : ))))

Don’t judge me…. I’ve been reading lately…. chapter books that I have been assigned for my two history classes this fall.  I mean, there are 8 of them.  I have no choice, really.  And yeah, I am going to admit to you right now that I am one of “those” students.  I work ahead, ask a LOT of questions in class, and….(a pause for effect)…I make up detailed study guides for my tests.  I know.  It’s embarrassing.  But really, to me, it’s all about getting everything I can out of every experience I have.  So before you get the idea that I always have my nose in a book or in my study lounge, please read my other blogs from this summer….they have been about my adventures, and living my life with no regrets.  And by the end of this, you will totally understand why I’m reading right now…

August was a wonderful month:  besides picking around 1000 quarts of blueberries for our farm, I slept on my uncle’s 32 foot fishing boat one night, waking on a beautiful morning at the Shark River Marina in New Jersey to adventure out deep sea fishing on my uncle’s boat with my father and my brother.  Armed with my Ugly Stik, I caught the first fluke of the day, but unfortunately it was not a keeper, and my brother kicked all of our butts, won the first keeper, biggest fish and biggest fish in a pool of boats from our dock.  Later in the month I met some beautiful horses and felt so blessed to be able to watch the man I love reunite with a part of his life that means more than anything to him.  I went to my first horse show with some of my favorite women and have decided that this girl needs a pair of cowboy boots and to get on a saddle really soon.  Oh, and I now know the words to so many country songs that I can sing along with them in the car!!!  Last Friday night I camped on a blanket with some of the best people in my world, alongside the 18^th hole of a PGA tour. Then as the sun set, we enjoyed the most incredible concert I have ever been to: TRAIN !!!   The next morning we were up early, running wildly for four hours through a paintball course, hiding in buildings, running through the walls of a castle, dropping into trenches, darting between trees and crawling through tunnels.  Bragging of my first kill of the day to my mother: “mom, I got Mrs. Mecke!”, my mother replied, “britt, she’s on our team”.  Oh, and I need to get a paintball gun.  I’m hooked.

 I have had the most marvelous summer.  By far the greatest ever.  I have met so many new people, done things I never thought I would do, opened my world up to so many things that I will admit I never gave a chance before.  And now that summer is over, it is the beginning of a whole new set of adventures to be carried out in the valley below Mount Penn, in my second home of Reading, PA.  There is a list of 101 things to do before you graduate from Albright.  I have already completed 51, and intend to complete as many of them as I possibly can in the next 2 years. I challenge all of you to join me in this quest!

So, as for my reading ahead in my history classes, see, when these opportunities arise, I don’t want to turn them down because I am behind in my reading.  So let me end this now and get back to my books, drink in my last moments of summer, and I will see you all on campus on Sunday.  Be ready for an unbelievable year everyone!

“Quit hanging on to the handrails . . . Let go. Surrender. Go for the ride of your life. Do it every day.”