Summer Skies

Ah summer is finally here!!! Originally while I was still in school I thought "When summer comes I'll be able to post more often." Well, its only been the first week of summer vacation and I think I may have posted once... I've been working every day this week which has been good but tiring at the same time. Today is my first day off and my friend and I are locking ourselves in the AC to watch the Euro Cup final- Spain vs Germany. It's going to be a great game! If any of you are interested it will be airing live on ABC at 2:30 EST.

Punk Rock Mommy

First, I did NOT take this picture... I wish I was at that point but I'm not.

I've been wrestling with a lot lately. One of my good friend's moms who I've known for as long as I can remember is dying from inflammatory breast cancer. She probably has a few more weeks at most... She'll be leaving 6 kids ages 18 to 18 months here on earth. I can only pray that she isn't in a lot of pain between now and when Jesus comes to take her away and that he gives his amazing healing and comfort to those left here.

To visit Miss Andrea's blog go to www.punkrockmommy.org/blog

I did it!

The auditorium of New Covenant Church was packed, cameras were flashing, the lights were bright, the piano was being played, and I was standing in front of it all. My heart started beating faster and faster, with each name called it was closer to mine. I scanned the auditorium and saw so many faces, most of which I didn't know. I could, however pick out quite a few. My best friend was in the middle towards the back wearing the dress we pick out on sale from Guess, her blonde hair made her look so summery. Next to her was Andrew, have they really been together over a year? Last year it was him standing up here, how were we not really friends until after he graduated? Another name called... Look there's Ms. Johnson! She's here, she's here!!! I could pick out the famous "Ms. Johnson hair flip" anywhere. I wonder where she works now? Another name... Those lights are really bright I'm probably going to look like a ghost on the video, GREAT! I'll have to explain to my kids 20 years from now how mom always looks pale from about December to the middle of June until she gets a tan. Another name... Look there's Dos! Standing in the back, arms crossed, tall as anything. Portugal plays Germany today yay!!! That's going to be an awesome game. Another name... Oh crap, oh crap, OH CRAP! What if I trip on my gown? That would be something that would happen to me, if I fall flat on my face I'll just laugh along with everyone else, that'll be something to tell people later "How was your graduation?" "Oh it was great... except for the part about me falling on my face in front of everyone." "Well, that would be something that would happen to you now wouldn't it?" "True." Another name... Ok, deep breath now this has been 12 years coming, deep breath.

"Anna Del Vecchio"

Step, breathe, step. I walked to Dr. Gardiner, shook her hand and took my diploma. In my hands I was holding my high school diploma... OH MY GOSH I'M HOLDING MY HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA!!!!!!!! All of these years... all these years... ALL THESE YEARS and now I have it! A huge smile broke out across my face. I walked back to my seat and looked at Jo-Jo. "Yeah Del Vec!", she said while giving me her huge and awesome "Jo-Jo" smile. We all stood together, looked at Dr. Gardiner and listened to her say-

"By the power given to me by The School District of Philadelphia I now pronounce you 'Graduates of Bodine High School for International Affairs'. Graduates, would you please change you tassels?"

And the tears poured! Everything went fuzzy as I changed my tassel from the right to the left. I looked at Jo and she started tearing up too. Four years, four very long, hard, strenuous, yet fulfilling years and here we are- graduates. At times it felt like we would never get here, but we did. The tears continued to pour as we sang the school's Alma mater. I can't believe this... "Anna, stop before I start crying too!" came from Tamara standing next to me. Too late, she had tears running down her cheeks too. Well, she was better than me I had tears and make-up streaming all over my face! No matter how much we complained about school, our teachers, our work, our uniforms, how horrible the lunch was, how boring the principal was, we still stood on the stage at our graduation crying. I've loved my high school experience. I wish everyone was as fortunate as me to have had the 4 years that I did. I've had amazing teachers, met some incredible people, made some AWESOME friends, had 100% unique experiences, as well as learned and grown so much. The last 4 years have made me who I am today, the high school graduate, sitting at a lap top crying as she writes about her day. But the tears aren't really from sadness. This chapter of my life is over, it's been amazing.

Reflections

Now is when things feel like they're moving really fast. Yesterday was my grad party, Thursday is graduation, work starts Friday, my cousin has already left for the summer, another is leaving in a few weeks, and here I am.... I've been reading over letters people have given me over the last few years and journals that I've kept the last 2 summers reliving all of what I felt and experienced. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't wish that my summer was going to be somewhere else. What can I say? I have a wandering spirit. I'm never content to sit still and be in one place. I constantly want to go, go experience other cultures, go speak other languages, go try other foods, go live somewhere else, go see other friends, go take that chance, go, go, go, go, GO! I love going and then I love looking back on the experiences. Looking back is good because I can see how experiences and one time led to me reacting differently in other situations. The last 4 years of my life have been crazy, amazing, hard, educational, enlightening, awakening, sad, hurtful, and jam packed full of memories. I'm excited for the future. I'm excited to see what at get to do, who I get to meet, what I'll experience. I also need to enjoy the "now" more than I do. Looking back and reflecting what I've experienced is good and all but I need to also enjoy it while it's happening.

iTunes: Desperate People by Hillsong

One drop at a time...

This is going to be really fast because I'm leaving a few minutes for my class (2 more nights to go!). Since Project Blue is over I decided to post this shot from the Coffee House last week. I think it was when I started taking pictures of the fountain that my friends began asking me questions about what I was doing... One day they'll thank me for all the candid shots I have of them though! My life guarding class is... interesting... I'm the oldest AND the only girl in the class other than the instructor. At times I feel ridiculously mature and at other times I feel like a 12 year old giggling at the boys. All of the boys in the class are 15... need I say more? One of them is absolutely hilarious he comes out with the most random comments and questions and there really is nothing to do but laugh. As two other boys were practicing back boarding the other day he starts chanting to the tune of "U-G-L-Y you ain't got no alibi" "L-I-F-E life is what you guard for me GO LIFE GUARD!!!" I mean honestly wouldn't you have laughed if you were sitting by a pool and suddenly out of no where heard that? Anyway, I take my certification tests tomorrow and then (assuming I pass) will start work anytime after next Friday! By the way, graduation is next Thursday... I don't get much of a break now do I? Haha such is my life :-)

iTunes: Cat and Mouse by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Project Blue #5

I can't say enough how much I'm loving Euro Cup right now! From watching the Italy vs Holland game today I was inspired to pull out my sister's Italia bag to try see if I could get a good shot of it for Project Blue. I'm not particularly in touch with my Italian heritage and I'll be the first to admit it. I don't speak the language, I've never been to the country, I don't know my Italian relatives, I know nothing about the culture etc. etc. etc. In other words I'm an American! I would one day like to learn the language and visit the country. One of my best friends is Italian and her dad chooses to only speak to me in Italian which I can understand but because I'm fluent in Spanish... It's a shame that so many Americans aren't at all knowledgeable about where they've come from. My great-grandfather immigrated from Italy and none of his grandchildren or great-grandchildren speak the language or are at all in touch with their Italian side. We speak english, spanish, portuguese and french... notice something wrong with that? In a way I feel a certain way when my sister starts bragging to someone about being Italian and proclaiming her Azzurri pride- have you visited the country? No. Do you speak the language? No. Well then what makes you Italian? The Italian blood in your veins... Should that be considered enough? There are many Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans etc. who speak little to no Spanish, but I'm fluent at 18 in a language no one else in my family speaks and I've been to Spain and Mexico where I've had to speak the language everyday... does that make me more Latino or Spanish than them? As Americans what defines our heritage? So often we claim a nationality we have no right to. As for me, I'm an American and that's what I'll always be. I'm not proud of it but right now I can't change that. Maybe one day I will but for now it's the only thing I rightfully can claim.

Project Blue #4

Project Blue #4. I found this little dragonfly while out at The Coffee House the other day. My friends were quite amused at my taking tons of pictures of things that were blue... I had to explain the whole blogging thing to them... Some of them got it and others just take it as "Well, it's Anna." Euro Cup starts today! I am SO excited about it. I'll be watching the opening game and then the Portugal game at my soccer coach's house along with other people from school. Sorry this is such a quick post but there are somethings I need to do before going to watch the games. Have a great Saturday!!!

iTunes: We're So Far Away by Mae

Project Blue #3

The brand with the three stripes. I should be sponsored by Adidas... all my shoes are Adidas- my cleats for soccer, my basketball shoes, my favorite pair of sandals are Adidas Slides, and I absolutely LOVE my pair of Sambas that I got last year for my birthday. In my search for things blue I saw my running shoes at the bottom of the steps yesterday and this picture is one of the many as a result of laying on my stomach snapping away at my running shoes ;-) I wish I could post for longer but I'm leaving shortly for my life guarding course. It's 2 weeks long but at the end I'll be a certified life guard and be certified in First Aid, CPR, and AED so... It's kinda a necessity for my job this summer...

Project Blue #2

I'm loving this whole "Project Blue"... I almost cried yesterday because I couldn't pull over to shoot this amazingly blue house... I was in kinda a rush home because my mom needed the car to drive my sister to a soccer game, and my friend was meeting me at my house so he could pick up me and another friend to go to his house... I may have to make a special trip back to that house though I've been thinking about it quite a bit today. Anyway, this is my soccer jersey from school. I'm very proud to say that I'm the only person to have ever worn this jersey. It was new when I got it and I may just have to keep it now that I'm graduating. My blood, sweat, and tears have been on this jersey... seriously! Blood- nose bleeds, they happen, however, scoring while having a nose bleed is something to be proud of! Sweat- obviously it's a soccer jersey if you don't sweat while wearing one you don't deserve to have one on, plain and simple! Tears- of happiness after scoring against the best team in the city of Philadelphia, of frustration after loosing in the playoffs my Sophmore year to a team to which we were vastly better than, and of sadness at ending my high school varsity soccer career with one of the best coaches in the region. I love soccer it's easy to call it my passion. I hope that I'll be able to continue to play in college and if not... maybe I'll coach someday...

iTunes: Mi Corazoncito by Aventura

Project Blue #1

Ah SEPTA- The Philly public trans system... I take public transportation to and from school and anytime I want to go into Center City. Here's a weather worn bus stop sign near my house. I love the blue and red in the sign but also the great color of the sky. I'm SO glad summer is on its way finally! I'm so tired of dreary, cold, spring and winter weather. I love the sun and the heat!!!!! Humidity I'm not so crazy about though... Saturday was really rainy and muggy which was NOT a good thing as it was the day of my friend's wedding and they had an outdoor reception. Everyone made the best of it though and the bride and groom were so happy together I don't think they even noticed the weather. I have a few pictures from the wedding/reception that I'll post sometime maybe but for now I'm sticking with Project Blue.

iTunes: Me and Mr. Jones by Amy Winehouse