I've decided that I am going to start writing again! Writing a book, I mean. It's going to be a realistic fiction novel - and it'll be kind of like my life. Not exactly, but similar. I'm trying to come up with a name for my main character; I want her name to mean "strong" or "fighter" or "courage", something like that. Any ideas? I'm getting tired of baby name sites, haha.

   Speaking of books - I finished reading like, four of them this weekend! Admittedly I did have a long weekend, having had Friday off of school, but still. BOOKS! I read this one called "A List of Cages" which was so good but sooo sad, and two of the "Song of the Lioness" books called "Alanna: The First Adventure" and "In the Hands of the Goddess". The latter two were written by Tamora Pierce, who is one of my all-time favorite fantasy/adventure authors.

   In the next couple of weeks, I'm going on my first college tour! It's not to my top-choice college; we're visiting Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC). I've heard good things about them, and the dorms are supposed to be awesome, and the have all the classes and degrees that I want. Still, I'm looking at Kennesaw (KSU)! I can't wait for the tour; it's going to be cool looking around and seeing what everything's like. I'm a little nervous thinking about going away to college (my mom is freaking out, I think), but I'm really eager to go out and see the world and be independent. I think it'll be pretty great.

   I've started drawing some more, too! My friend and I are planning this manga; we're going to try and create it ourselves. He and I are coming up with the story together, and I'm going to try and illustrate it all. It's either going to be incredible and the best thing anyone's ever seen/read, or it's going to look terrible; I'm hoping for the former. But I've been working on my concept art for the characters and whatever, so maybe we'll be okay!

   It's kind of weird now that Readers Rally is over... I have more time to do things I really want to do. Of course I enjoyed reading the books for RR, but at the same time it was a little bothersome that I couldn't choose which books I was reading. Now, since the competition's finished, I can read whatever I want; and instead of creating questions for my team to review, I can draw; and instead of practicing on Quizlet all the time, I can practice my keyboard. Don't get me wrong - I definitely had fun with RR and can't wait to lead the team next year! But this down time is pretty great too.

A poem for you! (I don't even remember when I wrote this... oh well. Enjoy!)

Where am I?

I do not know this place, this world, this universe;

Cannot recognize the faces of those around me.

Have we met? I cannot think,

Do not recall;

I am sorry.

Who am I?

I do not know myself, this body, this mind;

Cannot recognize these emotions and thoughts flowing

From the tips of my fingers down to my toes.

I don’t know myself;

Do not understand who I am,

Why I am here;

What is my purpose?

Even now, I can feel these thoughts

Slipping away,

A gradual fade.

Back into nothingness.