Beautifully Strong, Tragically Confused

^ My title is from a song Lucy Hale sang yesterday. I love words.

The question I get the most from people is, "How?" About everything and anything. How do I find time, or how did I make that happen, or how did I get to do that, or how is that possible?

I love and hate this question because it's so simple and everyone makes it so complex. We are all sitting around watching Facebook and Instragram wishing we were those people in the pictures. So-and-so is studying abroad in France and you've never left the country. That girl you went to high school with is getting ready to marry the love of her life and you're still single (haaaay story of my life). But you know what you don't see? How much so-and-so misses their own bed and their own country and their own friends. Yeah, they're having the time of their life but they are looking at your pictures of simple home life and wishing for that because we're never satisfied. That girl you went to high school with just got into a huge fight with her fiance and she posted that picture because she's trying to hang on to the good times and forget what just happened.

Yesterday, I had a handful of people ask me how I got to meet Lucy Hale and that I was so lucky and they wanted to go to Gulf Coast and see her. I'll answer your question, but I have one for you first. How didn't you? Everyone sets themselves up for not getting what they want and I seriously don't get that. I won the chance to meet Lucy Hale on the radio. That's all. But do you want to know the real story?

Last weekend my dad told me that he heard Lucy Hale from "some show with 'pretty' and 'liar' in the title" was going to be at House of Brews in Gulf Coast yesterday. So logically I freaked and was like "okay cool I'll be there" because that's my natural response to everything I want to do. If I want to do it I usually do because WHY NOT but I'll get back to that. As the week progressed I started feeling guiltier and guiltier because all of my responsibilities have been kind of slipping through my fingers. I work a full-time job Monday through Friday from a general time of 7am-4pm. Every evening except Tuesday I go to class, carrying a full course-load of 4 classes. On the weekends, I do technology consulting for 2 realtors who are just setting up websites, blogs, etc. But recently, I've been sick so I missed 3 days of work and class, then last week I went to the Brad Paisley concert (because WHY NOT) and now I'm like 'damnit, Lucy Hale is on a Thursday I'll miss that class for the 3rd week in a row). So don't think I don't understand priorities. I do. I completely get it. But where there's a will, there's a way. So back to the point, I had decided I couldn't go to Lucy Hale, I needed to be responsible because I've been slacking lately. Then I was listening to the radio and they were giving away the chance to see her in studio at the radio before she went to House of Brews. So I called. I didn't win Monday or Tuesday. I called Wednesday, and I won. That's it. And so I worked, left and picked up a family member that I took with me, went and had so much fun, dropped her off, and went to school. I was in bed by 9pm.

What I'm trying to say is it all looks so fun and cool from the outside. While it is fun and cool there's real life behind it. There's always real life behind it. But if you don't mix in a little fun and a little something different every once in a while you're going to go crazy. I sometimes wish that I could go home from work every day like I would see my parents do when I was growing up, get home, have dinner, sit on the couch and watch TV. Day in, day out. But you know what? I know I don't really want that. I like that I get home and relax and then decide to get up and go do something else because I can. Tickets are cheap enough for a concert on the other coast that I can make happen with minimal risk? I'm going.

My general point is stop making excuses. I hate excuses. "I really wanted to see that!!!!" Why didn't you? Do you have a legitimate reason? I understand work and school obligations, trust me I do, but I understand sanity, too. If you're all work and no play you're going to hate yourself in the end. No one else, just you. There's always room to make what you want happen. I believe that solely because I live it. You can be scared, sure, but I would rather be scared than have regrets. I regret nothing. Ever. And I shouldn't. I wanted it, I got it, I did it, it's done, I'm still kicking.

Get up and go do something you said you couldn't.

xx
Gina