Seasonal Work and All That Comes With It

In the seasonal working world, your life after six months is often elusive and unclear. From the time you get your summer job until around July, you can pretend that you don't have anything to worry about because you have money coming in and a comfortable place to lay your head. Once July hits, either early or mid, you begin to realize that October gets here faster than you really remember and once it does come around the bend, which it always inevitably does, you'll no longer have that money or that comfortable place. So comes the normal July conversation.

"What are you doing for the winter?"

I hate that question. Not only because I have no idea how to answer it other than saying, I'll just do what I normally do, which is go back to Michigan (North Carolina now) and spend time with my family until April comes back around and then I'll head out here again. I also hate that question because you usually have to reciprocate it and, honestly, I don't care what you're doing for the winter because it's most likely ten times more fun and cooler than what I'm going to do. During the month of July, one can usually get away with not answering the winter question at all. It's early yet, you have so many options, October is further away than, let's say, this weekend; all fine responses that will get people to leave you alone. August hits and then September and us seasonal workers really should get our acts in gear and know which path we're going to follow but, honestly, we're grown children with occupational ADD. We drive around the country looking for a place that we can have fun at for six months until our ADD kicks in, they kick us out, and we move onto the next place where we can hike, climb and camp until the six month where we discover that we're tired of these people, we're tired of this job, and we're really tired of these dorms.

So really, I have no idea what I'm going to do this winter and I like to think that the sky's the limits, but I really know that my bank is account is limited, which in turn makes my choices limited. Considering it's only July 7th, I do still have a good three months until I have to make that decision, but knowing me, I'll think of something fancy and delude myself into believing that it could really happen until I land back in my bedroom with my parents, wondering where the cash for my next bill payment is going to come from, and an itchy trigger finger that won't stop aiming for Signal Mountain Lodge.

31 Things I've Learned Over My 24 Years

1. Family members can be friends and friends can be like family members.
2. No matter how hard you try somebody will always be offended. It can't be avoided. If by accident, apologize; if intentional, accept the consequences.
3. It's ten times easier to fall in love than to stay in love. And no matter what the sad
songs say, hearts do mend.
4. There is no good way to remove a band-aid, just grab and yank.
5. Hop in the car and drive until you get lost -- you'll be amazed at the many new places you discover on the way.
6. Snow angels and snowmen are not only for the young in age; they are also for the young at heart.
7. A person that is rude to the waiter but nice to you, is not, in all actuality, a nice person.
8. Song dedications are never overrated.
9. Worrying is.
10. I don't care what studies scientists do, what concepts they come up with, Pluto will always be a planet.
11. Never, under any circumstance, should you confuse your career with your life.
12. Life's modern inventions have made things easier but also made us lose our connections. Take the time to write a letter and send it with a stamp to one person - they will be surprised and thankful.
13. Lemons are for lemonade, limes are for tequila.
14. You will not be able to stop people talking about you, but you will be able to control how you react to it.
15. As people grow older, they grow apart and that's okay. The best friend that you had in high school does not have to be the best friend that you have now.
16. A one night stand does not a slut make.
17. The secret to happy living is not to do what you like but to like what you do.
18. A dog is also woman's best friend.
19. Find a hobby, try something new, or talk to a stranger; any of the above keep life interesting.
20. The best ideas occur either in bed or in the shower, so nap often and be conscious of your hygiene.
21. Nobody is perfect; being wrong isn't failing.
22. Sleep, specifically napping, is underrated.
23. Learn to lie a little, especially to your friends, they already know enough people that will tell them the truth about their failings.
24. Don't even try to argue with police officers or referees, you'll never win.
25. An apple a day may possibly keep the doctor away, but where's the proof?
26. An ice cold beer at a beach on a warm day is as good as it gets.
27. Be it a letter, an email, or a text, you can never proofread too many times.
28. Hanging a coat in your closet rather than over the back of a chair when you're just going to wear it the next day is a waste of time. So is making the bed in the morning.
29. The one thing that unites all human beings regardless of age, race or gender is that, deep down inside, we all believe we are right all of the time.
30. Life without video games is not a life worth living.
31. Enjoy what (or who) you've been given because, somewhere, someone else wishes they could live your life.

A simple example of my writing. Nothing more, nothing less.

I often think of stories. Throughout my day, I'll get bored or I'll see something and this whole story will just form in my mind. I'll know the characters, their names and their families. I'll know their likes and dislikes, ages, origins and birth orders. Most of the time, otherwise known as all of the time, they never go anywhere but into the unneeded depths of my brain. This happened to be on the very rare occasion where something came out and got put onto paper/computer. I called my sister and threw it out there on the phone because I was bored and I like to annoy her with things she doesn't care about in the least. Well, to my surprise, she told me that I needed to get a blog and just start writing because it was really good. She also stated, as an aspiring writer, that she was jealous. I figured that since she liked it so well, I'd put it out for others to see, not to mention the fact that it's the whole reason that I have this thing in the first place so I'd be remiss not to put it on here. It's just a couple paragraphs and it's really nothing fancy. Just something that spilled from my brain onto the computer. The slightest bit of background; her name is Sydney and she has divorced parents that have both remarried. She also lives in Santa Monica and owns her business.

They say that 60 is the new 40.

I don't know who 'they' are but if that's true then does that make 29 the new 17? That age in your life when you discover that you have no idea who you are, where you want your life to go or who you want to be when you get there. Yeah, that sounds about right. In the span of ten years, weight fluctuates, wrinkles grow, and life continues to throw curve balls that are completely unexpected. I guess that's why they're called curve balls; if they were expected then they'd be called straight-as-an-arrow balls or saw-them-coming-a-mile-away balls. Life wouldn't like that.

So, at 29 the new 17, if you love your career, your business is thriving, and you're content with your home life, can you call your life fulfilled? Or does that word 'content' open a barrel of monkeys all on its own? I guess what I'm asking is when can you make the distinction that you've reached perfection, fulfilled your potential, made the most of yourself? So many different ways to say it but they all mean the same thing, they all come down to the same main idea. At 29 the new 17 more questions arise then are answered it seems, and no matter how many tasks or achievements you cross off life's list there are always more behind it just waiting to get that strike-through.

I'll pose another question, do you have to wait for 30 the new 24, or 47 the new 39, to get all the questions answered that you have at 29 the new 17? Age is supposed to give you wisdom, you learn from your mistakes, and because of that you're able to teach others. Maybe that's how it's supposed to go, but from my experience nobody has any answers. At least my four parents don't have any answers and that's incredibly annoying. Four separate lives joined together by chance and yet, four separate people have four exact answers that really amount to no answer at all. "I don't know, Sydney, you'll find the answer eventually." They mean well, they do, but I could really do with some sage advice right about now.

Right about now when I look around me and see an amazing business with fantastic employees, a close knit family albeit over two thousand miles away, and a fabulous life that others would love to have. Right about now when I look at my future and feel something missing. Something that I can't put my finger on but I just know is out there. That's what all my questions are for but at 29 the new 17, I have no answers and that's annoying.

An introduction of sorts. Stolen from Facebook of course.

1. When I was around 7 years old, I had a thing for Robin and not just any Robin but the one from the old television show. You know, BIF! BAM! POW! That one. I would religiously watch the show on the weekends and read the comics hoping that I could meet my favorite person some day. Well, imagine my surprise when I received a letter from the Boy Wonder himself one day. I started writing letters to him and he would answer with comic books or little stories about his adventures with Batman. It lasted for a few months, but then the letters stopped coming and I stopped noticing. As I got older it never occured to me to ask where they actually came from and a few years later, I found out that my dad had been writing them. He was living in a different state at the time and it was his way of being there. I still have a few of those letters and they're something that I'll keep forever.

2. I don't think that I will ever be happy with any decision that I've made in regards to the career that I want for myself. Once I think I've finally found something that I'm happy with something else jumps in front of it and turns into the very thing that I must do. I've run the gamit from wanting to work with the FBI to Cosmetology School to being a Nanny and finally to working with the media either through television or radio. Being a journalist sounds good, too.

3. I am deathly afraid of clowns. No, it didn't stem from watching 'It' and I know that it's an irrational phobia, but it's there nonetheless and I've yet to get over it. I once hyperventilated in a restaurant because a clown was walking too closely.

4. I think that with my family history I was born to live in the south. My grandparents are from Missouri and Arkansas, so it's in my blood. I love sweet tea, boiled peanuts and I'm an avid user of 'Yes ma'am, No ma'am and Yes sir, No sir. I also love saying or being called honey, darlin', sweetheart, baby and whatever other southern affectionate term you can think of.

5. During the 2nd grade, I was living in Lexington, South Carolina and taking speech classes for the lisp I had. Twice a week, I would go to a special classroom where they would teach me the appropriate placement of my tongue when saying my 'S's' (against the roof of your mouth, behind your front teeth). Because I was essentially relearning how to talk, I was the only member of my family that left South Carolina a year later with a southern accent. It has since been worn away but it secretly still lingers on certain words and phrases just waiting to pop out fully.

6. I watch the Oscar's diligently and inevitably cry during at least one part, which usually turns out to be during the best actress portion of the show. I have practiced my acceptance speech, planned the basic idea of the dress that I'll wear, and promised my mother that she'll be my date for the show and for Oprah the next day.

7. I've recently moved to North Carolina where your Driver's License lasts for eight years. The idea of staying in one state for eight years is so foreign to me that I'll be amazed if it really happens. I like going on adventures too much to plan that far ahead in the future.

8. If I could pack up and go anywhere in the world at this very moment, I would pack my parka and head off to Russia. Ever since I took my russian class in high school I've wanted to see Red Square, the Kremlin, Moscow, that bar that's entirely made out of ice, and everything else they have to offer. Some might think that it's not that safe, but if you think smart then you'll find yourself able to travel alone unlike some other places in the world.

9. I miss checking my horoscope every day in the Jackson Hole Daily. I also miss the headline stories where the front picture never matched the main story. Oh, Daily, when will you learn?

10. If I'm flipping through the television and land on a trashy realty show, I always stop and get myself sucked in. Sometimes it's nice to see people who are prettier, skankier and dumber than you make a fool of themselves on cable television. Rock of Love, Sober House, Girls Next Door, Shot at Love, etc. They are a train wreck that I haven't been able to find a way to look away from, yet. There might come a day where I skip right by but I don't see it happening anytime soon.

11. I used to think that I needed to be married with children by the age of 25, but as I get older, I've learned that I'm pretty good on my own. I can get in the car and drive anywhere without checking with someone. My plans can change on a whim, and I really like not having to worry about anyone else but myself.

12. I love the colors pink and purple and consider myself somewhat of a girly girl. I hate skirts, though, because I hate my legs. I also hate shaving, but I'm pretty sure that every girl hates that.

13. On my 23rd birthday I had 2 Long Islands, some fancy drink from ChinaTown, 3 vodka crans, and a lot of tequila shots. I then proceeded to jump in this lady's lap and tell her how fabulous her daughter was because she was in the Army and died in Iraq (apparently, she didn't), I superman fell in front of a cop at the gas station and then slammed my thumb so hard in the stall door that I nearly broke it, threw up twice on the way home and fell into it once, but best of all, I woke up the next morning, on the floor with only my sweatshirt on. The problem was that my legs were through the arms of my sweatshirt. Yes, I was wearing it as pants. At work, I had to run out of a meeting so I could puke in the bathroom for an hour. This is how I got the nickname Upchuck Ally and also the reason that I haven't really drank again since.

14. I love everything playboy. If I could decorate my entire house in playboy, I would.

15. I'm a complete believer in ghosts and paranormal activity. I watch the Discovery Channel show A Haunting with my mom almost every weekday because I have yet to find a job. Even after seeing all the fucked up things, I still want to own a Ouija board and my mother will still not allow one in her house.

16. I spent two summers and one year of my life in the best place on earth with some of the best people on earth. As a result, I have more friends scattered around the country than I have in the town that I live in.

17. I've used one semester of Russian class more than I ever thought that I would. It's come in handy on cruise ships and with international students at Signal.

18. As much as I love to travel, I still don't own a passport. I haven't been able to justify spending the money when I know that I won't use it for anything other than verification of being a US citizen. My mother says that if I had one then I'd be able to go anywhere that I wanted, but that requires money. Something that I don't have.

19. I've been writing letters to active duty soldiers for 4 years and I'll continue to do it until every one of them is home safe and sound.

20. I love lying in bed after waking up, just lying and listening to everything go on around you. My least favorite thing is having to wake up and get out of bed right away. It puts me in a bad mood and I hate being in a bad mood.

21. I'm not into romantic cliches. I hate roses, I'm not particularly fond of diamonds, and I don't see any reason for a couple to have a 'song'. I want a colorful engagement ring, purple, blue, green, something that's not traditional.

22. I love lilac bushes. We had three in the backyard of our old house in Michigan and my favorite thing was when they'd blossom and we'd bring bushels into the house.

23. My favorite perfume is, and always will be, Beautiful by Estee Lauder. It's the same perfume that my mother has worn for the last 20 years and it always brings me great comfort to smell it. I've got the lotion and the perfume myself now.

24. I love flea markets, thrift stores, antique shops, but a garage sale feels like picking through someone elses trash. I don't get it, but I will rarely shop at one if given the chance.

25. It's taken me almost 2 weeks to make this list.