I'm sure my shopping adventures are not the most interesting thing to read about, but oh well. It was tax free weekend, and although I had to work all 3 days of the weekend, I still found time to take advantage of the event. Sunday I was actually lucky enough to get to work a morning shift, after spending weeks working only evenings (which I truly hate!). I love walking to work in the morning because everything is so quiet and peaceful. No cars on the road, no people out walking around. It's like everyone else is asleep and you get the privilege of wandering around seeing your environment in it's natural state. Nothing but the sound of birds chirping, the sight dew on the grass and dripping off the leaves of plants, the mist floating from the tops of the trees to the highest mountains and up into the sky. Morning also has it's own distinct smell. I can't really describe it, but everytime you breathe in, it just smells like morning and nothing else. I love morning walks, especially in the winter (but that's a whole different story). Anyway, this morning I had to open and was running late, so it was more like a morning jog/run than a walk. But I made it there a minute early! I open two more days this week, so I should get a couple of nice walks in.

Since I was lucky enough to get a day shift today, Mom and I drove to the Huntington Mall to go to Old Navy. It's a 45 minute drive or so to the nearest Old Navy that I know of (which is my favorite store for clothes or I wouldn't make such a big deal about it). It's sort of a ritual thing for my Mom and I. We've always planned mother-daughter shopping trips to Huntington, and although it's smaller than the Charleston Town Center Mall, we both like it better. Plus the car ride is half the fun. I think I have the best conversations with my mom, the ones where I tell her everything I'm thinking about, worrying about, or hoping for, occur when we're driving in the car. We usually go there twice a year, once in the summer and once in the winter, and I always look forward to it more than any other shopping trip.

So basically I went crazy shopping there and spent a very large undisclosed amount of money. Actually, my mom spent it, I'm such a spoiled only child about things like that. Then I feel bad because I feel like I should be paying for some of it, but I don't feel bad enough to write my mom a check to make up for part of it, which makes me feel even worse. I love having my parents pay for my stuff, but at the same time feel guilty for not feeling bad enough to force myself to pay for it with my own money. Oh well, I should be happy my parents are so cool about it. I have a feeling if I want anymore clothes I'll have to pay for them myself though.

My other favorite thing about the Huntington Mall is Borders, which I greatly prefer to Books-A-Million. Unfortunately, by the time I finished in Old Navy, I only had 15 minutes (which I turned into a half hour) until Borders closed. I wasn't going to buy anything when I walked in, but then there were books everywhere, and a lot of them were buy one get one 50% off, so how could I resist? I mean, I'm in the middle of about five books right now because I got back into the annoying habit of reading part of a book then starting another one, and I'm afraid I'll end up not finishing any of them this summer. But I had to buy more anyway. So I spent much more in a bookstore than anyone should be able to spend in a 15-30 minute time period. I was also very upset because I hardly had any time to look around. I swear I think I could spend hours in a bookstore and never get bored. I bought more books in hopes of having time to read them once I go back to school, although I'm sure that's a joke with me having two English and two history classes. A girl can always dream, right?

Clothes, shoes, books, and dinner at the Olive Garden. Life can't get much better than that.

By the way, I knew it was a great idea for me to start this page. Why You Should Keep a Journal
I've kept written journals since I was in 7th grade, and they are absolutely hilarious to go back and read. I can't believe the stuff I thought about and the stuff I worried about back then. It was all so silly, and now I laugh out loud everytime I read it. I'm sure in a few years I'll go back and laugh at everything I've written now.