"Where bare feet and sandy floors rule"

I'm so insanely lucky to have been able to go to Seaside, Florida over spring break. My awesome parents were all for the idea and off I went to Seaside with 7 of my best friends. 

Seaside was right out of a Nicholas Sparks book (The Last Song, anyone?). I was lucky enough to fly, so I got there a little earlier than the others. Pulling up to the house was beautiful. It was an adorable yellow house with white shutters right on the beach. We immediatly rented some cruiser bikes and rode nearly everywhere. 

The beach was pretty chilly some days, but we ended up digging a big ditch in the sand to lay in to get away from the wind. I managed to get a lot of sun (complete with a massive sunburn) and plenty of reading time (I highly recommend The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks... such a good summer read).

Spending time with the girls was just what I needed and we had lots of laughs. I love the idea of having a big family, so spending the week with them was like having a huge family of my own, complete with 4 moms!

In review, the week consisted of tanning, pb & j sandwiches, biking into town, buying lots of Seaside shirts, eating at food trucks, taking naps, staying up late, and eating reeeealllyyy good food. I tried calamari for the first and I loved it! I'm usually the pickiest eater around, but I came out of my shell a little bit.

So, all in all, Seaside was amazing. If anyone wants to chip in and help me buy a beach house down there, let me know. ;)

Happy monday everyone! 

The Problem with Birthdays

Everyone loves a good birthday. Lots of cake, gifts, and happy wishes. 

But, I've always been one to find birthdays somewhat depressing. Because it means you're growing up. 

Last Saturday, I turned 19. What? How did that happen? My last teenage birthday. Next year I'll be 20. Ew.

Since I was really young, I've always said that I was never going to grow up. I was going to be a kid forever and ever and ever and ever (my grandpa and I promised eachother we wouldn't grow up... but now I'm 19 and he's 70 something... so that didn't work out too well). Growing up is so overrated. What's so fun about being an adult?

As I turned 19, I asked myself lots of questions. Like how old is too old to be shopping in the teen fiction section of Barnes & Noble? Or when do I stop shopping at Hollister for jeans? Or when do I have to stop asking my mom to do my hair? Or when do I have to start going to the doctor by myself? Or when do I start to feel like a real adult? (Considering the fact that I still buy stuffed animals on a daily basis, probably not anytime soon)

Here are some things I would tell myself at different ages:

Dear 12 year old Madi, don't rush to be thirteen. Being a teenager is hard work. You change, you grow, you mature, and life gets alot harder. You'll deal with depression and friend & boy problems. You'll have lots of homework to do. So, enjoy being 12. Because life rocks at 12. You can ride your bike & watch Disney Channel & still carry around stuffed animals. Don't rush to be a teenager... it's a bit overrated.

Dear 15 year old Madi, there's no need to be 16 so quick. Yeah, you can drive and be a cool high schooler, but the times of your mom picking you up and taking you everywhere is over. You'll miss the times spent with your mom and the easiness of not having to worry about driving and who's picking up who. Enjoy being 15, because pretty soon you'll be pumping gas, backing up into people, getting tickets, and missing your mom. 

Dear 17 year old Madi, who cares about being 18? There's no need to be a legal adult. You don't need to go clubbing, buy cigarettes, or buy lotto tickets. So, be happy that you're only 17. Because it means you're still just a kid.

19 is weird. I'm trying to enjoy growing up, but I just can't. Pretty soon I'll be graduating and I'll be on my own. Life will be hard and I'll miss my family way too much. 

So, to those of you just itching to grow up... DON'T. You'll just wish you were a kid in the end.