Role Models

     While scrolling down my Facebook newsfeed today, I noticed a photo album of one of my friend's older sisters. Ten minutes and 30 photos later, I knew everything about this girl's rock climbing excursions and paint parties and whatever else she happened to have been up to in the past few months. I have talked to her maybe once.

And this is the point where you guys are probably all like "That is so ridiculously creepy".

And it kind of is. But it kind of isn't. Everyone has those people that they look up to, whether they be celebrities, parents, friends, or friends' older sisters. Pinterest is a great example of this, and even Tumblr, because there are such a massive variety of people/things to drool over and emulate. Some of my campers and friends have even told me on occasion that they look up to me (which makes me feel like one special snowflake, not going to lie).

When I was bored in some class later on, I thought about all of the people that I look up to and why. Friends and family members and celebrities. All of them are what I define as "cool"; being super awesome at whatever it is they are choosing to do, whether that be rock climbing, teaching, making music/art/beautiful words, or just being the best lifer that they can be. I use these people to make myself better, and think of new things that I want to do. Here are a couple of those people. Sorry that most of them are female, I just tend to pick female role models.

 Taylor Momsen. She didn't want to act, so she stopped. She wanted to form a band, so she did. She wanted to prove that not all actors make terrible singers, and she proved that. Basically, Taylor wants to do what she wants to do, and I love it.

I don't know what it is about Taylors. Regardless of what anyone says about her or how lame it makes me look to the general public, I love Taylor Swift. She is so real (as far as I know). All of her songs are about specific things that she has actually felt, and I feel like I can relate to her a lot (her album was one of the many that helped me after Andy cheated). I love the fact that she names names in songs. It's so bold! She is still super grateful and amazed by life, something that is rare in celebrities (as you can see in this picture). Plus, she dates so many guys, but is still looked at as classy, something that rarely happens in our society today.

My little sister, Courtney (pictured with my dad) is definitely one of my role models, although I don't think I've ever told her that (unless she is reading this). She is amazing. Not only is she gorgeous and related to me (just kidding), she is one of the coolest people I know. She works two jobs, keeps up with school, runs, and still manages to be wise and hilarious. She stands up for herself and others, and always manages to be awesome at life.  Even though we don't talk as much (since I am a few hours away and she is still in high school) and she is two years younger than me, I definitely look up to her.

Maria (the girl on the left in this photo) is awesome. Hands down. She was the co-RA (resident adviser) on my floor during my freshman year of college, and a lot of the reason that I am dying to become an RA myself. She is always open to new people and experiences, and I have never had a dull moment with her. She is always herself (which is great because she's too cool to be anyone else) and encourages others to do the same. She is also student teaching in Rio, which she blogs about here.









So yeah. Think about your role models. Think about what you love about them. Thank your role models for being awesome at life. Think about how you can be a role model.

Be a lifer.