Childhood

Today I suppose is technically my last day of being a "child". I turn 18 tomorrow, and I'm excited for it. :) Even though I'll you know, be "legal" and whatnot, I'm still a kid at heart. Haha. Really actually the whole thing isn't that big of a deal to me. It's kind of a relief to finally be turning 18 so that I hopefully won't be treated like such a kid because of my age. It got old fast. Applying for jobs and stuff this summer, starting college "how old are you?" "I'm 17, turning 18 in September." "oh wow" yeah it got old.

Well, it's not quite a new year's resolution like you do in January, but the last several years I've made goals for myself at both New Years and my birthday, since hey, it's kind of half way through the year.... well this year I want to live healthier. I'm going to excersize and lose the inch on my stomach that isn't very attractive. I'm not "fat", heck I'm not even over weight. I'm actually dead on average. So the numbers I'm planning on losing are a measurement of my abdomen, not numbers on the scale. Though in the process 5 lbs may go, that'll make it easier to not go beyond the average and into the heavy. It's just in my family's DNA that we can get fat. But, it can also be easily prevented and lost with healthy food and good excersize. So by the time I'm 19, I wanna look REALLY good. I don't want the pooch, the left-over prednisone tummy that I've had ever since I was put on that darned pill.

Plus, another benefit of doing this excersizing and healthy diet is that not only will I get fit, but when/if I get really sick again, it'll make it easier to be sick, to fight it, and to recover. It can also help prevent another flare up. Though there is no controlling the disease, being in shape and staying active and healthy will, again, make it easier to be sick. If that makes sense. :P

A post or 2 ago I wrote about what I wanted for my birthday. I found out I'm getting something much better than all of those combined. Quick background info: I won a concerto competition in April and I get to perform my solo with the Dubuque Symphony this fall (unfortunately it's not a public concert, it's the Arts Treck 3rd Grade performance during Friday morning, October 23rd. But I get to perform 4 times..). Also, my mom's dad, my grandpa, lives in Modesto, California, is a classical french hornist. He has a huge appreciation for music, pretty much in the same way I do. He was really pleased to hear that I won and said he wanted to find a way to come out and see me perform. Then things came up, and for a long time we were sure it wouldn't happen. But just last night, it was officially decided that he was going to come out! I'm soooo excited for my grandpa to come see me perform. He's an elderly man (80 years), his health isn't the best. Who knows when I'll get to see him again. I'm excited to show him the work I've done, and I know he's excited to see his granddaughter play.

So my present is my grandpa coming to see me perform. We're paying for quite a bit of the ticket for him to come, so that will probably be my main present.

Otherwise, I'm going shopping tomorrow with birthday money that I got. I could use some shoes, I want some more nice shirts, and maybe a pair of pants or 2. I'll have fun. :) I would like a shopping buddy though... Daina, too bad you're not here. ;-)