31. I Think I'm Taoist. Surprise!

(this post was written in 40 degrees weather, under a scorching sun, on an Amusement Park bench because i don't have a ticket in...)

about 30sec. ago, i finished reading the Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. it's a philosophy book, which is very unlike what i usually read. anyway, i've concluded that i'm taoist.

see, in my opinion, i've got a very "me" way of living/viewing life & the guy, Hoff just summed up my entire philosophy in 158 easy-to-read pages. communication has never been my forte but i promise that if i were to explain my "way of living", it'd be that book.

in my words, my philosophy is the following (except i didn't know it was called taoism 'til now): go w/ the flow, take what comes my way & find enjoyment/goodness in pretty much anything, which is probably why i'm never bored. but then i start worrying about my lack of opinion & blah blah...i'll go on about that another time.

ANYWAY, so w/ this mindset comes one of the greatest gifts i've EVER received: a SURPRISE going-away party... for ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! (i still can't believe it was all pour moi!)

(3min. pause while i search for the words to describe how INCREDIBLE (& all like synonyms) it was...)

the party was perfect.

ever since the idea for the event came up, i've always had a tiny inkling of hope that it would go perfectly & trust me, i meant down to the specifics. what i wanted more than anything was to see people i really admire & to just hang out & do nothing with them. a.k.a. to chill. allow me to quote Christopher Robinson here, since he defines "nothing" better than i:

"It means just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear & not bothering."

another thing i wanted: no excessive attention. i wanted to be acknowledged, yes, but mostly i wanted my guests to be comfortable & exactly THAT happened!

here's the top 10 list of things i loved about my Bon Voyage party, in the order that it comes to mind:

1. i got a SURPRISE party! a REAL one, where people have to cramp, hide & then jump out & yell Surprise! it's just classic & i appreciate the fact that people have to crouch down & be patient...also, i just LOVE surprises!! they're sweetly spontaneous. <3
2. the weather was gorgeous! a tad warm for my personal liking but just right for a pool par-tay!
3. it was a POOL party! i'm not a swimmer at all as i hadn't floated in water for over a year, but we played water polo, which is actually the only thing i enjoy doing in a pool. :) woot!
4. we went to the nearby park, which was a BEAUTIFUL place because it was completely enclosed by trees & other foliage. it was quaint :P & one had to cross a bridge, due to a stream, to get to it. lots of grass & a cute little hill i got to lie on. ahhh, so happy. :D
5. i played football (my favourite sport to play) w/ my best friend & a bunch of guys & I SCORED MY VERY FIRST TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (you can bet i rammed that football into the ground like you're supposed to when you score! woot!) i'm proud. :)
6. i swung. <3
7. i'm usually not materialistic but HOLY COW, I GOT AN IPOD CLASSIC. it. is. a. beauty. & it was a gift from everyone who attended my party. i am so so so so sooo happy & so so so so sooo excited! it's my very first "listening device" (as my sis would call it, lol) so we could say that it's normal for me to be paranoid about fingerprints on the metal? the plastic wrap is staying on until i get a case. but *gasp* is it beautiful! thank you! thank you! thank you!!!
8. the people. i appreciated everyone who was there. truly. they were all so laidback & really enjoyable to be around. 3 people crashed (MY party got crashed! how cool is that? :P), one surprise person who wasn't supposed to make it :(...made it! :D (Goldie) & some people didn't/couldn't make it, but no sweat. (however, i could NOT be sweating more right now. i apologize if that's too much info but really? i'm BAKING. i even displaced myself onto a public floor, next to a trash can just for the luxury of shade. & i inch closer to it as the sun moves. the disgusted glances from strangers are occasional but most look understanding, lol) plus, i'm such a sucker for hugs & i gave many. :D
9. we played an great game of...sandman!!!! i admit, i only learned the rules that day but it was sooo much fun! firstly, the way people decide to hide/avoid sandman are just hilarious. AND, it's always a pleasure to pay a visit to childhood. :)
10. my bestest friend organised it for me, w/ Goldie's help. i have a pretty good idea of how much effort she put into planning it all for me. i just KNEW i could trust her to throw me one HELL of a party. i admire her SO much, it's impossible to measure. <3

now, 2h later, it's time to meet the Sibs,

<3 <3 <3

[bt]

p.s. sry if the majuscules, smiley faces & hearts seemed excessive...it's for emphasis & it's supposed to demonstrate enthusiasm & how much of it i've got. :P