Work.

If you haven't worked in the service industry, especially at a restaurant, I think you should. Not only does it teach you how to tip and respect those serving you, but it also gives you a whole new perspective on life. I am one of the youngest people that works at Cedar/Peche so my fellow employees have become mentors of sort, and its insane to hear their life stories. I work there because my parents have always supported me, and I am forcing myself to become less financially dependent...and save to study abroad this summer. But, the people I work with (that usually make the same amount of $) work there to support their families, pay for school, and just live. It's not unusual for any one of us to leave work that night with $40 or less, so people I work with are getting their phones turned off, overdrawn statements on their credit cards, and having to borrow money to pay rent. After work I went to Halcyon with A for a cocktail and was telling her shelterd I felt. Her response, "I used to be like you, Katy. Grew up with the suburbs with my parents, had college paid for...then at 17, I got pregnant and decided to keep it and marry the guy. Life would be a lot different if I had done what my parents wanted." Instead, she dropped out of college, married the wrong man (who she divorced soon after) and was forced to work at a strip club for a couple months to support her daughter and herself.

Like Carrie Bradshaw said, "Maybe mistakes are what make our fate, without them what would shape our lives? Maybe if we never veered off course we wouldn't fall in love, have babies, or be who we are. After all, things change, so do cities. People come into your life and they go. But it's comfoting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart, and if you're very lucky, a plane ride away."

So true. I don't know how people do it. Life is hard.

Anyways, my three best friends on earth are coming into Austin this afternoon until Friday morning. Tonight I am taking them to Peche for dinner and then we will be hitting up Sixth Street for a lot of drinking and dancing. Tomorrow we are gonna run Town Lake, Whole Foods for lunch, and then having all my best girls from Austin meet these girls with beer and games at my apt that night. We have a lot of celebrate: J and I both got 2 A's this semester, and E just ran a half-marathon!

Have a good weekend. More later :)