Halloween Hilarity- I'm laughing again

Happy Halloween!

Last night was Trick or Treat at Shepherd University for the Shepherdstown children. Us college students got a chance to dress up and hand out candy to the children that visited our dorms with their parents, and we saw all kinds of great costumes, including an entire family dressed as Doctor Who characters (Parenting- you're doing it right!) and even a real-life Slender Man. Any children visiting our dorm would have met a tech-smart witch, a maid with a sugar high, a spectacularly creepy murderer from The Purge, and a Greek Goddess carrying around a Canon Rebel.  Down the hall, Jesus handed out candy, Bane, who resided on the third floor, patiently asked all of the children, "Have you seen The Batman?" and Darth Vader kept making mandatory candy runs because we were all running short on supplies.  I'm not sure that I've ever had this much fun in my five years of taking part in Shep-Or-Treat.

After the party ended, a group of us piled into the common room of our suite, studying, reading, and watching South Park, a show I've frowned upon until, as a college student, I was finally exposed to it and understood it.  (Edgar Allan Poe was in one of the episodes, and I nearly died on the couch from laughing so hard- #Englishmajorproblems.)  And then, as we were all in the Halloween spirit, we began discussing things that scare us- horror films, ghosts, and apparently frightening online games.  That last topic ended up becoming the entertainment of the night as those of us on the couch watched my roommate play a series of games, including Slender Man and Amnesia: Justine.  At one point, I nearly leapt off the couch to escape a monster that we KNEW was just on the other side of the door. I'm not a gamer, nor do I have any advanced computer skills, but I greatly enjoyed myself last night.

Wednesday also marked my final meeting with my academic advisor.  Another sign of graduation looming ever closer.  I laughed when my advisor said to me, "I expect this meeting to be exceptionally short."  We discussed everything that needed to be discussed as well as some things that had recently come to my mind about where I wish to go from my graduation in December. 

My list of things that I'm certain of is becoming longer:
I'm definitely returning home in December and seeking out my summer position, if the business will have me; I'm know I'm not running to or away from any circumstances from the past; I am no longer depending on any person to supply me with happiness- that's a job only for myself; I'm also certain that I will take these last few weeks of school to bust my butt in the BEST academic performance of my life- my English/Honors Capstone- as well as ENJOY the time with the people I like to be around; Finally, I'm letting go of the hell I've been through at this place and the people that were a part of that.  I'm going to freaking enjoy these last weeks, damnit. 

This new sense of independence appeared ironically after nearly having a meltdown last week that was cured by a walk, a liberating conversation, and a weekend curled up with an adorable kitten that was I caring for in Hagerstown while one of my friends got married. 

 



Who wouldn't be happy after a weekend with this sweetheart, right?  And to top it all off, I got to spend a night hanging out with a close friend and past roommate as well this week.  Overall, after setting a few things (like friendships) straight last week, I feel like I can laugh and breathe again.  I had to push through quite a few hard things this semester- a break-up, no longer volunteering with horses, not obtaining a job in the lovely town of Shepherdstown- but I finally feel like I've moved past those things.  I've started making lists of things that I plan to accomplish in the "spring semester" while I'm at home (Do you ever stop referring to time in terms of semesters after you're no longer in school?????), and I'm beginning to get excited about them.  I'll be near my horse, living with my cat, and stationed at a job that I won't want to break glass over, and --at least initially-- I'll have the financial advantage with only having a few costs.  And then there's this special door that has appeared in my future, one that I'm not going to explain fully quite yet.  More research is needed, and I'm planning on completing that as soon as possible. 

 

At a time where we get to dress up and be anything we want to be, I'm looking into what I really want to be during all those other days of the year-- looking at all the options.  I'm still not positive I have the answer yet, but I definitely feel that I'm getting closer to it, and I finally feel like the decisions I make now will be mine and not the consequence of some past event that I was terrified would influence my decisions. 

 

In retrospect, though, it might still be slightly worrisome that I wanted to dress up as Belle from Once Upon A Time for Halloween, a princess that spends her time with other fairytale characters and lives for love.  I guess being a romantic is still part of me, though now I know that that aspect will not be as crippling as it has been in the past, and let's face it, Belle's still pretty badass.  :)

 

 

 

Rude Awakenings, Midterms, Fall Break, Near Death Experiences, and Riverbanks.....

It's been a few weeks since I wrote about the Mountain State Forest Festival.  Quite a lot has happened in that space of time- good things, bad things, exciting things, and dangerous things. 

My return home did not unfold as I had expected it to- I was lucky enough to spend time with some close friends and the weather was pretty if not insufferably hot.  My family and I abandoned our front row seats on Coronation Hill Friday afternoon for the trees at the edge of the hill in order to avoid medical emergencies, and there were plenty of those during the ceremony (a woman was taken from the bleacher seats on the hill to the awaiting ambulance via golf cart).  The Fireman's Parade was as loud as ever.  It's official-  my head was pounding from the sirens ten firetrucks in. Thank goodness we live on the parade route and could retreat quickly.  After a nearly sleepless night on the couch (due to the arrival of a "friend" that decided I didn't currently have enough drama in my life- a complete and total lie, by the way), I dragged myself to the jousting tourney, which apparently had been cancelled.  Only the fences lining the route were present.  So I traipsed back through the busy town by myself to accompany my sister as she shopped at the craft fairs.  I had seriously considered getting up extremely early that Saturday morning and returning to school- I no longer had any desire to remain in my hometown as I realized that running from the chaos of life would accomplish nothing.  The drama would follow me if I ran, as my friend illustrated with his arrival.  If I had left, though, I wouldn't be able to relate the excitement of my fall horseback ride with one of my closest friends to you, and this story is one worth telling.

Sunday morning, my close friend and I clambered out of bed at 6:30 am to go horseback riding-- the only thing either of us would willingly get up that early for.  We arrived at the barn by 7:30-8ish and proceeded to catch our lovely horses, warm them up with a few circuits each, and then saddled them up for the ride.  We decided to switch saddles for the day (something we're prone to doing on occasion) as I'm considering buying her English saddle (something I desperately need more practivce with) and she wanted to ride in my Western one. After a few minor difficulties with attempting to mount our horses (I'm not one of those riders that can take a flying leap at a bareback horse and land magically in the right spot, so there was plenty of skittering around as well as saddle-sliding due to my pony's fat belly) we left the farm, a pack of dogs at our heels (our boarding lady has a lovely pack of dogs that run with us when we trail ride). 

The day was beautifully clear, the leaves were gorgeous, and the horses were well-behaved.  To understand the italics, suffice it to say that my friend and I have only had a small handful of rides that didn't involve one of us falling off, being thrown, or a horse getting panicked and/or injured.  Even my ornery pony Kit was riding on a long rein with her head low, the perfect western pleasure exhibition.  I brought along my relatively new Canon Rebel- it's third adventure on horseback (the first being in Costa Rica!!)- determined that I'd get some amazing pictures.  Everything was splendid....

Until the dog pack flushed one of the biggest coyotes I've ever seen around our town. The coyote appeared soundlessly ahead of the horses on the road.  It took my friend and I a few seconds before realizing that it wasn't one of our dogs.  He loped off nonchalantly, and the pack pursued him. The horses seemed to take his appearance well.... it was the appearance of two ATVs from behind them that they didn't appreciate. 

The drivers didn't slow down for the horses, which we had stopped hoping that the ATVs would go by slowly so we could keep them under control.  Instead, they waited until they were level with us to slow down, and even then it was only because my friend and her horse ended up toppled over in the ditch at the edge of the road.  I heard my friend scream as they went in, and I remember seeing them leaned into the ditch, against the rocky side as my own horse began to panic.  At that point, all I could think was, "I can't ride English!! Sit straight, sit straight!  Don't fall off!! Protect the camera!" Kit pounced all over the road, backing up, trying to turn left, where I could see my friend (whose horse was bucking and galloping down the road toward home at this point) holding her right elbow, and then turn right, facing the ATV riders who were frozen in horror, their engines still running.  I took that opportunity to use some "perhaps" offensive language indicating that the drivers' presence was not at all appreciated.  It was a wonder that Kit didn't think I was screaming the expletives at her, but she calmed down as soon as they gunned their engines and took off.  I was able to dismount and get to my friend (who was banged up but okay for those wondering!).  I retrieved her horse with the help of treats and we walked both horses back to the barn.  Thankfully none, horses included, were seriously injured, and this was the scene as we left:  our babies saying goodbye.

A perfect end to an interesting weekend.  So I returned to school the next morning, driving through tornado warnings (something that doesn't happen often in West Virginia), just in time for midterm week.  As a super-senior with a serious project (I'm writing two short stories, a novella, and an academic paper discussing my writing process) that my graduation relies upon, the idea of already being halfway through the semester is terrifying.  So I went through this final midterm week spitting out papers, studying for exams, and reading countless reading assignments for my literature classes.  Thursday evening, after the worst of my class work was already handed in, I was told that a close acquaintance from middle school had died unexpectedly.  The idea of any 22-year-old losing his or her life is tragic, and this case was no exception, particularly because of the battle this person fought at the time that I was friends with him.  It was heartbreaking, and though I hadn't talked to him in a very long time, I cried for him and for his family that evening. 

Friday dawned, the last day of midterms.  At this point, anyone who I didn't care for that happened to cross my path was likely to be snapped at, which was exactly the case on my way to my last class of the day. I just apologized about that today and then was rudely surprised when I realized I couldn't begin to explain to this person, who until recently had been a very special person in my life, what a toll that week had been on me.  I couldn't even tell someone that I had once told my life story to that a friend had died.  But wait!  The week wasn't over yet!

In the afternoon, I got a call from my mother informing me that the scenic train, the biggest money-maker in our little town of Elkins, had been hit by a logging truck while carrying passengers.  Last count was one fatality.  By the time I went to DC with my English Honors Society to see a play, I was completely worn out and in desperate need of Fall Break.

That took place this past weekend.  I had the house to myself from Thursday through Sunday because my mother took a group of coworkers to New York City, a trip I was supposed to have gone on if life hadn't derailed this semeseter.  I ended up writing, catching up on homework, catching up with the same horseback-riding, best friend, and catching up on my dose of "scare the wits out of me" horror movies ('tis the season). 

Sunday, I took the opportunity to explore a river in Barbour County that would be the setting of the close of my novella.  The town is called Arden, and if anyone knows anything about the river that runs through that community, it's that the Tygart River has claimed far too many lives over the years.  The danger had always intrigued me, hence the reason for using it in my novella, but I had never seen the wretched river with my own eyes.  There was something eerie about the sign that said, "No parking within 10 feet of the river, next 3 miles," and the way the rocks protruded out of the deep pools of water...  Anyone familiar with this place may have heard of "Party Rock," the place that I believe has been the site of the most fatalities.  "When the river is up," my friend told me, "you can see the whirpools."  The currents were deadly, and with a solid rock bottom and nothing but boulders to cling to, anyone caught in the rapids wouldn't stand a chance.  There's something powerfully humbling about being in the presence of nature and realizing it's dangerous, realizing the fact that it can and has taken life away, that it was completely indiscriminate.  After taking a few photos, we high-tailed it out of there, leaving the silent killer behind. (I say silent because the water was low, and it was extremely creepy to realize that this force of nature, as calm as it seemed, had been the cause of so many deaths.) 

 

 

So now, I'm officially back from Fall Break, made it through midterms with flying A's :), and I'm more determined to fix the issues that have cropped up in my life as well as finish my novella.  When I returned home this time, unlike when I arrived during the Festival, I decidedly was not running from my problems.  I was taking a break from the drama, the chaos, and the schoolwork in order to analyze my priorities and set a few things straight.  We'll see how that turns out as the second half of my final semester unfolds....

Forest Festival Fever

It's Forest Festival time in Elkins, West Virginia (my hometown)!

After over a month of being away from Elkins, I'm returning home Thursday morning for my favorite time of the year.  I've been told the trees in the mountains are changing, and I can't wait to see them again.  For most Elkins residents, this week is the week when the town population swells to twice its normal size for everyone flocking to our mountain town to celebrate our surrounding forests. It's Mountain State Forest Festival time. A carnival comes to town, our queen is crowned and a ball is given for her ascension as the representative of the forest. Celebrations in the city park are thrown that entertain and inform guests that travel from all corners of the United States- even from many different parts of the world.  Parades are marched, concerts are held, craft festivals ooze out of many buildings throughout the town, and people fill the streets for a solid three days. 

Forest Festival time always was a big deal at our house.  Before I turned twelve, we lived directly on the parade route and so everyone we knew from out of town would stay at our house during the big Festival Weekend.  As a little girl, I remember endless amounts of food always on the table, regardless of the time of day.  We even had people that thought we were serving an open house and came in with the intention of buying a meal.  (They ate for free of course!)  I also remember living in a house that, during that weekend, held almost every person I held most dear to my heart.  As a child- as a human being- who could ask for more than that? Perhaps this is the reason that I love going home for the Fall. 

This weekend is no exception. I'll be returning home  Thursday morning, and the first thing I plan to do is change into my riding jeans and boots and take my lovely buckskin pony out for a ride.  Doesn't she look like a fun one?

 

Then, after a nice relaxing ride along the forested road, I'll get to see my family (my mother just returned today from her escapades in Europe with her coworkers) and visit the craft  fairs all over town.  Friday afternoon our Maid Sylvia will be crowned queen at her coronation on the Davis & Elkins campus.

 

After the coronation, my friends from high school will be arriving in town, a sight for sore eyes, no doubt, after the month I've had.  That's when the real celebration will begin- there's no telling what we'll get into when enough of us find each other in the streets of Elkins during the annual Fireman's Parade- my favorite parade of the year. My great-uncle will be in his usual place aboard one of the Elkins Volunteer Fire Department trucks, standing proud.

 

 

Early Saturday morning, I may be able to catch the Knights of the South Branch Valley Riding Tournament (if horses are involved, you can bet I'll be there!).  Watching those great animals run is always fun. 

                                            

Saturday afternoon is the Grand Feature Parade, and one of my closest friends is marching with the AB College Battler Band- their first marching band ever!  In the evening, the band show, where her band will be the honored guests, will take place. 

Sunday morning will be another horseback ride for my friend and I-- we board our horses at the same barn, and her gelding and my mare seem to get along fairly well.  Sunday is also when the closing ceremony for the Forest Festival will be held.  All will begin to settle down once more. 

I can't wait for this weekend.  Writing this blog today has given me insight into one very important thing:  even with as few career opportunities as there are in Elkins, I still love this town with all my heart.  And why shouldn't I?  It contains my family, my horse, my history... My Appalachian heart is beginning to peak through, isn't it? Perhaps this is why I love writing about my hometown, and the wonderful people of Appalachia (fictional and nonfictional).  Perhaps, for the time being, returning to this place after graduation isn't a bad idea.  Perhaps. 

As a final note, quite a few of my friends on Facebook have been posting their Princess photos from Forest Festival as their profile picture- I'm not that drastic, but I will leave a picture of my year as the WV DNR Representative to Maid Sylvia's Court (yes, as a princess). :)