TDL

As I sit here trying to write my last paper of the semester I can't help but think about all the great things I want to do this summer.

• Get a tattoo.. which first involves me designing one I really, REALLY like. 
• Get a tan.. and keep it all summer long.
• I also want to start working out a lot more.
• READ- I have an epic list of books I have to read.. I should post that later
• bike ride more!
• learn how to make some great summer foods with fresh ingredients from the farmer's market
• and of course... be a better person

Let's do this!

what the!?

I feel like my life is not my own. The past 24 hours have been so intense... it is truly a time I will never forget. It all started yesterday when I went in to work.. It was just like any other Sunday when I work. I was looking forward to getting out at 6 and going home and settling down for some great Sunday night television (game of thrones, the killing,... celebrity apprentice). I had just helped a woman with a return she was making and getting ready to process the items to go back when all of the sudden I hear the loud sound of footsteps pounding on the tile. People were running in to the store. There was a man in the lead with his 3 small children behind him yelling that there was a shooter in the mall. I think in that moment my brain just shut off... all the people came rushing pat in to the back of the store.. There was nothing I could do but follow them. We made our way in to the back room, got confirmation that there was indeed a shooter and we were on lock down for the time being.

Thank god for my manager Ashlee because she handled the whole situation with poise and courage. I honestly don't know how things would have turned out if she had not been there. At one point we needed to move to another part of the store because one of our gates was stuck open and we were exposed to the outside mall. I was with another manager Dani and it was so strange. We didn't know whether we should be running.. walking.. looking for cover. The mall was eerie. Every store had their gates down there was no one outside, making that trek across the store was probably the most frightening moment of it all. We were totally out in the open. Once we got to the other stockroom we started to get information about what was actually going on. There was a gang related shooting and the police were present from the start of the whole altercation. People were getting antsy. There were about 30 of us piled in the stock room. About 15 minutes later a woman asked to be let out.. shortly after that the majority of the people asked to be let out the back. Despite the fact that the police were advising against it and telling us to stay put. My manager judiciously decided to let them go. Shortly after that we got word that they had apprehended another suspect from WITHIN the mall. We were then allowed to return to our stores, but not allowed in the main mall. We basically waited from that point on the be let out of the mall. We spent the time sitting in the back talking over the surreal events that had just transpired. It was really like a dream... a really horrible dream.

So we were finally released. I was beyond excited to be able to go home... where I snuggled with my cat and settled in on the couch. Then all the tweets started flooding in, Obama was going to make an announcement to the nation later that night... Oh god, what now?! When it was released that Osama was dead I just started crying. I don't know if it was the overall emotion of the day or the fact that the man ruined so many lives and hated everything that America stands for and he finally got what he deserved. I will never forget that day in 8th grade when the world fell apart, and now I will never be able to forget the day that both personally and nationally there were events that will shape me forever.