Week 1, I don't know what I'm doing...

This week's post is sponsored by: Grandma and Grandpa Miller (They filled my van with a bunch of ~ miniature-sized ~ groceries so I don’t starve). Thank you Grandma and Grandpa! 

Updates: 

My much-awaited adventures had a rougher start than I anticipated! Thursday, August 8th, at 2:30 PM, I left home and headed for Virginia. Thursday, August 8th at 9:30 PM, my front right tire popped… while on the highway… in the dark. Long story short, I spent the next hour trying to change my tire WITHOUT calling my Dad because I wanted to call him AFTER I changed it all by myself. Turns out there's a specific spot where you are supposed to put the jack (that would have been nice to know before trying three different places and failing). I only had one ~almost~ meltdown when I couldn’t get the van up high enough (go me!). This was a first experience that resulted in lots of personal growth.  

Covered in highway dirt, tire grease, and who knows what else, I went to a nearby Walmart to sleep. This is where I realized I was going to need to do more growing of my person… I had to get in bed DIRTY. If you know me, this was not a happy moment. It never dawned on me that I would be getting into bed dirty more often than not with my new living situation.

Now I know what you all are saying, “Mariah, this is why you have a sink faucet that you can shower with!” While I might be a brave individual, no one should be brave enough to take an outdoor shower at 1 AM in a Walmart parking lot beside a highway. So, I slept dirty, and now I am ~kind of~ over the dirty bed drama. 

Since then everything has been more or less smooth sailing! (or rolling, I guess)

Quote of the Week: 

“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit”  -E.E. Cummings 

“The Spirit of Delight” is the broad theme for my tennis team this year. I came across this quote while preparing for practice. It felt quite topical.

This Week:

What I have been doing: Last minute practice plans for tennis, eating outside, catching up with friends, putting magnet hooks EVERYWHERE possible 

What I have NOT been doing: Laundry (terrible decision)

What I have been wearing: The same sweatshirt every morning to prevent even more laundry

What I have been eating: Grandma Sue’s spicy nut mix

What I have been reading: The Art of Coaching High School Tennis 

What I forgot at home: I can’t remember

Stats: 

Mosquito Bites: 20+

Rash: 1 (of the road variant) 

Sandwiches: 4 

Public tooth brushings: 2 

Showers: 2 full, 3 only body, 1 river

Both sets of keys locked in the van: 1

Problem of the Week:

I need to find a new place to put the tire shine that Bryce gave to me the day he taught me how to ~properly~ wash my van. (Apparently spraying it with a hose or letting it get rained on is not considered a wash). Anyway, it keeps falling out every time I open the back door. I am open to ideas. Will I ever use it again? Probably not. Was it a thoughtful gift? Absolutely. Thank you Bryce! 

          I also need to learn how to french braid my own hair. 

Text of the Week: 

2 hours into changing my tire: 

And lastly, for those asking: Yes, I am living down by the river (for real). I am staying at a college friend's parents' property, and they put me by a picnic table by the river. It is very peaceful. 

Thanks for catching up!

~Mariah