creepy crawlies, names & last looks.

Listening to: “Electric Feel” - MGMT

The Little Things I love: Coffee dates that last hours. Catching up with old friends. Looking at journals and planners at Barnes & Noble. Dried roses with stories behind how I got them. Making my own jewelry and headbands. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup packs of 8 for ONE dollar. The summer sun. Filling up journals with memories and pictures.

Spider Kill Count of Summer 2011: Six... Seven, if you include the one I killed on my second to last day at school... at 3 AM... the one that was sitting next to me on my couch! UGH!

I hate spiders. I have been home for two weeks now and I have seen and killed (or have had my daddy kill) SIX spiders. SIX!!! 3 banana spiders, and 3 really creepy, big ones... Black furry ones with white stripes. I have no idea who let them into my house, but it wasn’t me! I do not appreciate their presence in my home.

(Note: my finger was on the inside... icky spider was on the outside.)

The one above is next to my pointer finger... it is about a centimeter and a half long! GROSS! I cannot handle spiders. I mean, the spiders in Haiti were bad. I had enough spider encounters in Haiti to last me the rest of the year. I think spiders are attracted to the people who hate them. One of the guys on my Haiti team, who hated spiders, and I had plenty of spider encounters while everyone else on our team never had to deal with them. Why us?

I mean, seriously? These bugs like those who hate them. They are like cats.

I strongly dislike cats. Most cats are selfish little brats, and I do not appreciate their sour attitudes.

Anyways, cats know the people that are allergic to them and don’t like them. They scout those people out like it’s their job. They rub their bodies against your leg as if saying “Love me!” and yet I am able to resist. Because they are rude. They are mean. They only think of their own interests. I hate cats.

And for the same reason, I hate spiders. They know the people who are afraid of them. They seek out those who are afraid of them and surprise him or her only to leave the victim peeing his or her pants, or running and screaming in fear (or doing “the spider dance,” as my friends call the jumping up and down while screaming that I do when I see a spider any bigger than half of my pinky nail).

Okay. Enough talking about spiders... Freaky little creatures...

Names.

Before college, I would hardly ever answer to my name except if it was a teacher. Everyone, including my parents, called me “Di.” I love my nickname. It can be comical at times. It never gets old hearing someone yell “Di” down a hallway and see everyone turn and look at the person trying to get my attention.

For the past year, it has been weird. People would introduce me to new people as Diana and I wouldn’t correct them because it is my name, it’s just something I’m not used to.

Now to most people (minus a few friends who I am very close to) I am Diana. I kind of wish more people called me “Di,” but I guess it is okay that they don’t since once I get into the real world I will be Diana forever.

I’ve never had anything against my name. I’ve always liked my name actually.

There is just something different about people looking you in the eye, and saying, “Hi [insert your name here]” and proceeding to ask you how you are sincerely, all the while maintaining eye contact. I don’t think I have loved my name as much as I have this past semester. I don’t think I have heard anyone say my name so genuinely in my entire life. It’s a beautiful thing. To hear your name spoken by someone who cares about you with the utmost sincerity.

College degrees and not enough financial aid. That is how I lose people in my life these days. Luckily, I have not had to say goodbye to too many people this year. Most of them will be back at Taylor next year, leaving me nothing to worry about. But there have been a few. One from one of my newest and closest friends at Taylor. I know she isn’t coming back next year and it’s really hard to imagine life at Taylor without her craziness all the time. Parting ways with her in the DC was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I know I have an okay chance of seeing her this summer, but what if I don’t? What if we never actually see each other again in person for the rest of our lives? It’s hard. The uncertainty...

I’ve acquired a few last looks in my life. Most of them have been from friends on my first missions trip. I remember parting from each of them. Saying goodbye with hugs and tears as they made their way to their terminals to their flights. To be frank: Goodbyes suck. And they really suck when they involve last looks.

Well, all sadness aside...

Here’s to a fun filled summer. One with plenty of spider dances, star gazing, coffee dates, and hopefully a job for the girl who wants to continue to go to school in the cornfields of Indiana. :]

“‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.’” -1 Chronicles 32:7-8