The Perfect Month

Living in such a small town has its benefits, but sadly limits my options for weekend activities. Weekends become monotonous for me, so I assume small town life must be affecting at least one other person in the same way. Luckily, I’ve found that in October, the options for how to plan out your weekend are endless. To help others who may struggle to get out and do things during the weekends, I’ve compiled a list of activities to fill the time. The obvious option is pumpkin carving. During the month of October, it’s an unwritten law that you MUST carve pumpkins. You could also bake pumpkin or banana bread. The changing weather makes baking the perfect relaxing activity with a delicious reward. Visiting Halloween stores is crucial. Since stores like Spirit Halloween are only open during October, you have to go while it’s around. Besides browsing the overpriced costumes, there is creepy decor that will elevate your room, especially for the holiday. Now for those who have the money, visiting a theme park during October is a peak experience. Theme parks really go all-out with scare actors and decorations. If you don’t like roller coasters, experiencing the Halloween vibes is still a great reason to visit. For locals, visiting the haunted hayride at Boccali’s Pizza & Pasta is almost like a tradition. It may seem silly now that we’re all grown up, but it’s always fun to get dinner, visit their pumpkin patch, and get nostalgic with the hayride. Not to mention October 18th is Ojai Day! Ojai Day celebrates our small town with booths, activities, and socialization. Everyone seems to show up for Ojai Day, so you should too. Finally, there are parties! October brings with it a rush of costume parties almost every weekend. If you’re sick of sitting inside and not able to find things to do, October is definitely the perfect month to fix that.

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Come Back Clouds

Don’t get me wrong, I love the sunny summers. In fact my very first blog was about my love for the beach. But after months of the beaming sun, sweat, and mosquitoes, I am very ready for the winter. I miss the fog rolling in and never leaving. I miss the sound of rain pounding on my ceiling as I sleep. I miss being able to wear sweatpants and baggy sweaters to school. The outfits I wear during winter aren’t the most fashionable, but they’re definitely comfortable. I yearn to sit in class in an outfit that feels just like my bed, not jean shorts that leave marks on my legs and a tank top. I’m most excited to bake cookies and watch movies on rainy days. Nothing beats the feeling of relaxing and cuddling up on a rainy day. I never feel lazy when I lay around while it’s raining. The sun makes me feel like a slug if I’m not up and moving. Playing sports in the heat has also been unbearable. I’m excited to finally play in cool weather that actually allows me to catch my breath. I know by the end of winter I’ll be begging for the sun to peak back through the clouds. For now, I’m begging for the winter and can’t wait another second.

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A Bad Case of Senior Year

I’m still sick. I’ve been sick for three weeks now. I never get sick except for when I first come back from summer break. I think I might be having a bad case of senior year. I’ve been taking medicine everyday but nothing seems to quell this targeted attack on my lungs and throat. It feels like I’m swallowing barbed wire and coughing up gum that’s been melted to the side of my lungs. It’s always the worst when I wake up in the mornings. My eyes are swollen and the barbed wire in my throat has been stealthily attacking me all night. Senior year has really been throwing me for a loop. Every time I overcome one challenge, a new one arises. I finally got my Capstone outline figured out, five college essays completed, and I was feeling good. Then boom, I get sick. Considering this sickness has been battering me tirelessly for almost a month, I think it’s official, I am allergic to senior year.

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Ugly Mornings

I am so tired. I have no free time during the school week so I like to make the most of my weekends. This is where my dilemma arises. I stay up late on the weekends to get the most out of my futile untethered days. I know it will come back to bite me during the school week. I never want the day to end because the next will only creep closer to Monday.

When Monday morning finally comes, my long nights catch up to me. My eye bags are swollen and discolored. No amount of stretching soothes the aching in my back. The cold world awaits me right outside of my blanket that heats me like a freshly baked loaf of bread. One alarm goes off, then the next, and then the next. I hit snooze until the last second.

When the last second forces my eyes open, I sit up and slide my legs down the side of my bed. The hard floor meets my sore familiar feet like a deceitful friend. The blanket slides off and the cool air envelops me as goosebumps run across my skin. I stare into the darkness with drooping eyes. I cannot fathom the fact that I am about to start my day and go to school.

I open my curtains and the harsh light pours in. A new day, a new school week, and a new set of sleep deprived mornings. I hate being tired on the weekdays but I would hate it even more if I missed out on the freedom of my weekends. I’ll have to keep sacrificing my under eyes and sleep for my freedom.

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Senior Slump

Junior year is famed with being the hardest year of high school. Since I finished my junior year I’ve been ecstatic to go back to something easier with my senior year. I was lied to.

Difficult schoolwork and intense memorization. Sports until the sun sets and games until my eyes droop. Senior Capstone and overwhelming deadlines. College essays and applications galore that I can’t keep track of. I’ve never been so overwhelmed before in my life.

At the end of my junior year I was giving up and not putting in good effort whatsoever. I assumed that the summer would regenerate my motivation like it had every other year, but no. I feel the exact same as I did last May. I go through the motions but don’t truly memorize work. I participate in sports at the expense of my energy and time spent on schoolwork. I procrastinate the Capstone because I keep telling myself I have five months to work. I write my college essays and fill out my applications. Is it good enough? Will all of my hard work finally pay off?

I don’t know how my senior year will play out yet but I do know it will be difficult. I hope to get back into the groove and stay consistent. I also hope that people will stop lying about junior year being the hardest because senior year surpasses it drastically.

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Sun, waves, and sand

Most weekends when the sun is out I drive to the beach. I set up my towel, put on sunscreen, and braid my hair. I lay in the heat and let the sun bite my skin. I get so pale in the winter, so I cherish the sunny days and tan skin I get in the hot months. Sweat beads on my forehead and my skin feels like it’s on fire. I get up from my sandy towel, and run as fast as I can to the water. The scorching sand feels like glass cutting into my feet, but the cool ocean water brings me relief. Usually I don’t swim because its such a hassle to have to then wash my salty hair and sticky skin. Recently though, the heat has been unbearable. On this day, I dive into the water letting the salt dry out my skin and tangle my hair. I feel the sand crabs wriggle under the sand as the water recedes. After splashing and diving for a while, I make my way back to my towel. I let the sand coat my wet feet, and I let the water sink into my refreshed skin. I sit on my towel while my soaked hair drips onto my legs. I’m relaxed and happy. Once I actually get into the water, I never seem to care about my salty hair or sticky skin; I don’t feel as dirty as I expected. The longer I lay the hotter I get, and I prepare to run to the water and do it all over again.

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