Starry Nights and Clear Water

It's weird to think that I haven't even been on this college campus for a week and I've already made memories that will impact my life forever. I've made a lot of friendships already, and even one with a ginger!!!! (which trust me, is very exciting.)
We were put into groups of about twenty people and those people spent pretty much the whole week together. I made friends with some guys and a couple of girls, and I have gone on tons of adventures. I've also had very little sleep. Very very very little sleep... but it is so worth it.
I've made many midnight and later Walmart runs and I've had video game nights that have lasted until 3 in the morning. We even got to the point where the conversations just didn't make sense anymore, and we were all lost in the pure bliss of uncontrollable laughter.
With all of these amazing people and memories, none can quite compare to the adventure I went on last night with a new friend of mine. Growing up where I did, I was often not very daring or adventurous. But last night that sort of all changed. We decided that we needed to go for a walk at midnight down a biking path covered in trees. The sky was completely clear and the stars were so bright.

I don't think I will be ever able to get over the beauty of the stars. Back home, you could drive to a dark area and see the stars and gaze at them. But something about being on the water and the night air being so crisp, and the nature all around it made the stars all the brighter and all the more beautiful. It made me think of my best friend back home. I really do miss him.
I was walking with my friend, just talking and laughing and enjoying the clear air. We found a ledge on the water and sat and just talked for hours. We decided that the water looked like glass, reflecting everything off of it and creating one grand illusion. It won't ever get old.
When 3 AM rolled around we decided that it would be a good idea to just jump into the water and not worry about the fact we didn't have swimming suits. Besides, undergarments are pretty much the same thing, right? We had the most amazing time swimming around and just taking in all of what beauty had to offer us.

This week has been truly amazing and I have had the craziest adventures. So dear reader, I encourage you to walk away from the screen you are staring at and going on into nature and taking it all in. You really don't know what you're missing out on. Go out and get lost and not worry about it. Just laugh and enjoy the little things. This week up on campus has definitely taught me that.

A true nature lover,

Barber

What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality. 
~Plutarch

College.

What. Is. Even. Going. On?

So, I've been up on my college campus (Michigan Tech University!!!!) for almost 5 days now. I must admit, this experience is pretty fantastic. I did think that I was going to miss people from back home, but I sort of shocked myself when I realized that it is okay to move on from certain people in your life. Now, don't get me wrong, I miss the hell out of my besties. My neighbor, my best girly poo, and so on... but the people I miss are the people I'm still texting and skyping and the like.
While I've been here I have made several friends, and we have gone on many exciting adventures. I can officially say that I have made a walmart trip at three in morning for ice cream, and while on our drive there we cranked Wobble so loud that the car literally shook. I've had music sessions with some of the guys in my dorming hall, and I have officially played Mario Kart with the nerdiest of nerds. And it was awesome.
I had my first experience swimming in the cold water up here. It was late and about 900000000 degrees, so my roommate and I and a couple of other guys went down to the lake and just had ourselves a swimming party. It was so great.
I'm meeting a lot of people and am being forced out of my comfort zone. While usually I hate this, I'm loving this experience.

College... here I come. (:

Scholarly yours,

Barber

The most effective way to do it, is to do it.
~Amelia Earhart

Falling in Love.

Love.

I think it means something different to everyone. And to one person it could have many different meanings.
As I've grown up, I've felt all sorts of different types of love. And as i continue learning about the world and myself, i find myself loving in a whole new way.

With all of the traveling I've done lately, I've learned to love traveling. It is the best way to learn about people...and yourself. Traveling becomes a part of your soul, as long as you aren't afraid to embrace it. I've fallen for the sense of anxiety it gives you when you step onto the streets of an unknown area, and you lose yourself in wonder as you look around and take in everything around you. The smell. The sound. The laughter. The languages. The faces. The sight. I fell so fast. And now, my heart longs to see every part of the world. To move. To meet people. To make an impact, like all the lovely people I've met recently have on me.

Along with my amazing experience, I've fallen in love with nature. With the beauty of it all. Its amazing how one sight of the mountains reaching high into the stars can change your view on the world. Change your view on yourself. And change your view on the Lord himself. I've never witnessed as much beauty as I did in those few short seconds where the clouds met the peak of the snow covered mountains. Or when the stars met the water and it appeared as an ocean of stars. Or when the trees formed perfect rows down the tragic alley of Dachau. My heart swelled at the sight of people in parks actually spending time with each other, and not plastered behind their phone screens. They really don't lie when they say you should stop and smell the flowers. And enjoy. And fall in love.

Along with nature, I've fallen for the appreciation of art. I've always had it through music, but looking at all of the amazing art painted from centuries ago I've fallen for the detail people take to capture priceless moments. It's inspiring. And breathtaking.

I've fallen in love with myself. Regardless of how weird you think this sounds, it really isn't. And if you think its weird, then you haven't fallen in love with yourself, yet. And that's okay. It took me awhile,  too. For the longest time, I was just a face in the mirror. A smile to comfort others. A voice to seem important. But with graduating, and loving in new ways, I looked at myself differently. When I was in London, I realized that one of my dreams was coming true. I was not in America anymore. I was in a whole new world. And I could be whoever I wanted. So, I chose to be myself. And "myself" surprised me. And I loved the person I was becoming. I haven't changed much since returning home, but there are slight changes. I feel more mature. More exposed. And furthermore, when I look in the mirror I see someone beautiful. I see someone with purpose in life. It's a very refreshing feeling.

I've grown attached to the future. And the promises it holds. And the uncertainties it promises. My life is moving in a forward direction very quickly. And I can't slow it down. But instead of being scared, I've learned to embrace it. To take it in, one breath or a million tears at a time. If there is one thing I've learned, is that time is short. Even when you think you have all the time in the world, you don't. I've learned to love living in the moment, and to realize that this very moment will affect my future moments. And to not regret any of them. I love that anything could happen. At any time. It makes life so much more exciting. It gives us all something to live for, if nothing else.

With future, brings the past. And while sometimes it is painful, sad, terrifying, or beautiful....it is a constant reminder. A reminder that you have lived and loved and lost. And those memories have made you who you are. You can learn from your past, and remember to never again make the same mistakes or promises. While walking through the concentration camp in Germany, I was exposed to one of the most tragic events in our worlds past. I cried. I got angry. I questioned God. I swore. And I lost myself in mourning. Words cannot simply describe the powerful emotions that took ahold of me and shook me to the core. I found myself a church, and it was completely empty. I sat in there and cursed at the Lord. For how could He possibly do that to all of those helpless people? How could He let an evil man destroy the beauty of man that He created? Why? I got an answer. And my faith was restored. For while a tragic event happened, we all learned. We never forgot. The past led us to a brighter future. And while our lives are not as tragic as the Holocaust, we can apply the same principle. The past serves as a beautiful gateway to improve our lives. And we should all use it as such.

I've fallen in love with my best friend. I wish more words could be put into that statement, but it's just as simple as that. He has always been there for me, in ways I cannot even begin to describe. I like to believe that I've always been there for him, too. Maybe he thinks the same, but maybe he doesn't. I've fallen in love with the mystery of being in love. It's a weird feeling. So conflicting. With college looming in the foreground, and timing not on our side, I've realized how little time we all have. I love the kid with all my heart, and I know I didn't act like it for the last few days we spent time together. But he is amazing, and I would do anything for him. Timing was awful, and it still is. But who knows, maybe some day down the road timing will be right with him. In the meantime, he will be my forever best friend. No matter what, because I love him that much.
So, I encourage all of you to go out and fall in love. With everything. And never be afraid to lose yourself in love.

With Love, 

Barber

We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.

~Marie Curie