Sippin' on Sweet Tea

I still have yet to write a single post about my trip to Tuscaloosa, but that's mainly because there's just so much to say and so little time.  One of the highlights of the trip though, was the sweet tea.  Everywhere we went had the most delicious sweet tea.  According to one of the travel guides we found in our apartment, the best sweet tea in Tuscaloosa is at Taco Casa, so while we never ate at Taco Casa, a few people were lucky enough to get some of their sweet tea... it is amazing.

On Friday, after being back in Indiana and having no sweet tea for almost a whole week, I decided it was necessary to make some of my own.  Now, I don't mean to brag, but I make a pretty mean glass of iced tea.  Usually for the simplicity of it though, I either make it unsweet or I use splenda because I can mix it in faster and can mix it even after the tea is cooled down.  After a week of good ol' southern sweet tea though, I had to go for the real deal.

So worth it.

 There's somethin' about sweet tea that just feels like summertime.  It reminds me of hot summer days playing in the sprinkler in the back yard or having picnics.  A nice cold glass of sweet tea can take me back to eating on the back porch and playing cards with my friends on a hot summer evening; back to drawing pictures in the dirt and playing tether-ball; to swimming at the pool and playing keep-away with the beach ball... To concerts and campfires and staying up all night walking around the lake; to fishing all day and hangin' out in the barn all night.  It's funny how something as simple as a drink can bring back so many wonderful memories.




But most importantly, sweet tea is delicious.

I get by with a little help from my friends.

We all have different things that motivate us.  For some, just thinking about the fun things we can do after all our homework and everything else is done is motivation enough.  For others, going for a jog or working out helps put them in a productive mood.

If you know me at all, you know that I am pretty involved in Student Voluntary Services.  I love volunteering and helping people, and on the days that I volunteer I always feeling more productive when I get done.  I love volunteering on Saturday mornings especially, because it helps me get my butt out of bed in the first place, and then later I go home and actually get stuff done!

Usually the thing that I love about SVS and the thing that motivates me is the service itself.  But tonight, I'm grateful for the organization itself, for the friends I've made there, and the happy feeling I get just by being in that office.  I've been pretty busy and pretty stressed the past few days... Even tutoring yesterday didn't seem to cheer me up much; I'm not proud to say it, but I was so distracted and stressed about my own problems that I wasn't really giving my all to those kids.  Tonight we had our PC meeting for SVS, and while we didn't have the greatest attendance since spring break starts tomorrow, it was still great to see everyone.  After the meeting ended, I sat and talked with old friends, and even got to know someone I wasn't good friends with before.  I ended up staying at the office for a couple hours after the meeting ended, and I am so very glad that I did, even though I probably "should" have gone home to pack, clean, and do homework.  Spending time with those friends was just what I needed.  When I finally did get back to my apartment, I chatted briefly with my roommate, checked facebook quickly, then jumped right in and got started on all the things I've been putting off this week!

I think I know myself well enough to say that if I had come straight home from the meeting, I would have spent the entire evening here instead:

I guess what I'm getting at here is that it's all too often that we get so wrapped up in the deadlines and the projects and the meetings that we forget to take time for ourselves.  And yes, it's important to meet those deadlines and keep our commitments, but tonight my friends at SVS inadvertently reminded me that it's even more important to do what makes us happy.

Because after all, if we aren't happy, then what's the point?