My New BLOG!

So, yes it took me a long time to get it up and running...but it is finally done!

I had too many pictures, too much to say about South America, that one little post or even maybe a few little posts would never do.

So if you are interested,

check it out!

http://rachelsouthamerica.blogspot.com/

It was one of those days.

I woke up to bright light ripping my eyelids open, tearing me from peaceful slumber.

I stared at nothing trying to make my eyes focus.

Mascara stuck my eyelashes together like glue.

My headband dug into my ears, and my ponytail was much too tight for comfort.

My phone had secretly slipped from my pocket and was now piercing into my side.

I fell asleep without washing my face. Ugh.

It was 7 something... hours before I should even be stirring.

I stumbled out of bed into the bathroom and washed my face. Brushed my teeth. Blinked my eyes a few times.

And then I heard a small creak, and saw a pair of small tired eyes staring back into mine.

Then a small smirk broke across the small face. And in turn, broke across mine.

As this small boy stumbled across the hall, dragging his small blanket, I heard his small feet patter across the bathroom floor.

And over to me.

And then he laid his small head on my leg.

And we both smiled.

Then that small smile broke into a small laugh. And in turn, so did mine.

And just like that my day turned.

Because of one small boy.

Two is better than One.

We all had that friend as a child.

That friend that you spend e v e r yday with.

Licking popsicles after swinging for hours on the hammock or sipping hot chocolate with freezing little red noses as the snow falls.

At least I did. And she wasn't just a friend. She was my cousin. Is my cousin. We spent day after day planning adventure after adventure. Whether it was building forts in the playhouse, or baking extravagant meals with plastic food in the basement, we were together.

Wrapped safely in the blanket of childhood. The joys of putting on the most beautiful dress-up we'd ever seen, or the sorrows of falling off the swing and scraping our knees.

We experienced them together.

Oblivious of the real joys and sorrows of life around us. Of the world outside our bubble. But if we knew, if we really knew the who or the what or the why of life, we wouldn't have had those careless days of childhood.

We wouldn't have had a real childhood.

And for that reason we clung to each other when we caught a glimpse of the kind of sadness or fear a child shouldn't have to experience.

We clung to each other when we didn't understand what was happening.

Because that made it disappear.

Well as time went on, we grew up. And we still are. And that sadness and fear along with a thousand new emotions became real.

And we struggled.

And hurt.

Because sometimes the transition between childhood and the beginning of adulthood is hard. And hurts.

And as much as we tried to cling to each other, it got harder.

We went to different schools, made different friends, and dealt with different challenges.

But as we continued to grow, we started to realize that through all the different, there was still one thing that was the same.

Those two little girls never stopped needing each other.

Never stopped longing to make the confusion of life disappear.

Longing to be together.

And though we are again at different schools, with different friends, we are dealing with a lot of the same challenges. And we are doing it together.

Because we make time to be together. To laugh, and plan our next adventures.

Why do I bring all this up now?

Because I just spent a weekend with that friend.

My cousin.

And we put on beautiful dresses and ate an extravagant meal.

And for a moment, all the sadness and fears, all the stress and worry of real life really did disappear. Because we were together.

"Because two is better than one"

My survival.

My roommates and I finally spent a night together.

Emily's brother invited us over for a barbeque at his place, with his roomates and himself.

We had a blast. And I even ate a hamburger.

I know. I'm not kidding.

It's true my life is crazy busy, but it's nice to know that in the middle of it all I am surrounded by 4 beautiful girls going through the same thing I am.

That's what makes it bearable.

That's what makes it worth it.

When at the end of the day, I can walk in to an apartment full of girls who are just as exhausted as I am.

Just as stressed. Lonely. Anxious. Nervous. Overwhelmed.

So even though yes I am completely caught up in this whirlwind of a life, with so many emotions, deadlines, responsibilities, I am not alone.

Thanks to these 4 girls I am doing it. We are doing it. And having fun while we do it.

Because we are doing it together.

(me. aubry, kiersten, shelby, emily)

(it was a famous logan sunset that night as well!)