beauty in a wicked world.

Hot Springs, AR
My new home for the next three months.

It is almost surreal that I'm here for the long haul, not knowing what to expect. I have a feeling this town will cease to amaze me. I have only been here for three days, but it only took one glance to realize this town is another world compared to Houston and even College Station. I can just sense that the people here know that the other interns and I are not locals. Hell, I had never even been to Arkansas until now. When I first accepted the offer for this internship, the idea of living in the middle of nowhere hadn't even crossed my mind. I just had no idea what I was really getting myself into. Sometimes though, the best learning experiences are the ones you are thrown into with no life vest. You have to work your way back to shore with all your might, and in the end you can say you truly "made it."

As I drove through the wet, winding roads on Thursday night, anxiety started to kick in. I had no idea where I was, it was raining, and I just didn't know what I was doing anymore. I feel a bit more comfortable about things now, but I'm still somewhat apprehensive. I love my boss and the other interns, and I think we are going to get along very well over the summer, but at the moment, I can't help but feel a little bit homesick. There is no one else I can just call and hang out with. I know I'm going to miss all of my friends dearly at times, but overall, I feel a lot better about this whole situation. Some of the townies here might be a bit creepy/trashy, but they seem to be very friendly for the most part. All of the Hot Springers I have met were nice.

Something I honestly can't wait to do while I'm here is explore the nature here. There are lakes, forests, and mountains surrounding us. I don't have the chance to go hiking, boating, and canoing very often, so I want to take advantage of it while I can.

I have gone out the past two nights and both have been surprisingly fun, but experiences nonetheless. On Thursday night, I was drinking out of a paint can at this bar called Long Shots. No, I'm not kidding. I was drinking "Odie Juice" out of a paint can with a straw. It was so ridiculous that it was hilarious. Last night, I went to a couple spots, danced on bars, learned some new dances, listened to a cover of Clarence Carter's Strokin, and had a blast. Andy (one of the other interns) and I have decided that the song of the summer (currently) is Pussy Control. It has come on at least once the past two nights, and I love it.

As far as music goes, I have recently become addicted to the Into the Wild soundtrack. The whole album is by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. For the most part, it is acoustic. I know it is corny, but the movie and album really seem to fit my life at the moment. I just think a lot of it is about not letting anything pass you by. It is important to live life to the fullest. Sometimes you can't be tied down to anyone or anything. Right now, I'm definitely not tied down to anything that's been apart of my life so far. I feel completely detached from my "home" life for the next three months. A part of me is okay with that. Getting too comfortable with your surroundings may not be detrimental, but you have to wonder sometimes...what am I missing out on? Still, I can never not think about what I'm missing out on back in Texas. Its just a bittersweet situation I guess.