You're Never Too Old for Your First Time

I’m 27, and believe it or not, I still hold on to a lot of v-cards. But the last month has been filled with a plethora of firsts. I feel so liberated! I definitely see the world with wide open, experienced eyes! Let me tell you all about my new experiences:

1. Eating a Twinkie

Yes. You read correctly. I tried a Twinkie for the first time. I bet you are just astounded. even last year when the end of life for the cream-filled sponge cake treat was looming, I was not partaking with the masses and rushing to the store. Eating one of these American classics was never on my bucket list. But, when they made their comeback my boss brought a box in to work and they were just sitting there. Peer pressuring me with the bright colors and flashy tagline: “The sweetest comeback ever”. I grabbed one, took a bite out of nostalgia and instantly wished I hadn’t. The sticky, soggy, stale texture alone was worth a spit out. It tasted of preservatives and ickiness. My tastebuds were pissed. Here’s proof that you don’t need to try everything once.

2. An Overheated Engine

The recent heat wave has shown no mercy. My “little engine that could”, Cupcake, almost could not. It was high noon on the hottest day of the year. Suddenly, the A/C went out and I was punched in the face with thick, sweltering heat blasting out of my vents. The needle on the temperature gauge was rising. I was so close to home. I heard my ’97 Kia Sephia trying to stay alive and make it up the hill, “I think I can, I think I can...” Finally, we pulled into the driveway, just as the steam was escaping from under the hood. We made it. But due to an aging seal, poor Cupcake’s radiator was dry. Luckily, thanks to ebay and an automotive-minded father, Cupcake will make it through another beastly summer.

3. A Counterfeit Bill (....and other Northside banking experiences)

About a month ago I moved from Never-heard-of-it-Small-Town, WI to La Crosse, WI. I was able to transfer to the local bank branch up here. I went from a cliental of mainly senior citizens who have lived there for generations, everybody knew everybody and they all had an opinion of everybody’s business, to a larger city of 51,000+ people, and a North side that was home to some very interesting characters, and a bit of crime. I was instantly told stories of hold-ups, counterfeits, and the woman who calls daily making sure no one from the government got into her safety deposit box. Only when I lived in Sanford, FL for a few years was I ever witness to any crime. Small Town, WI was a pretty quiet place. So, was I excited when during one deposit, the counter machine detected a counterfeit! I felt like I was in a movie. Not really. But it was still pretty neat. The bill was clearly a fake - those criminals need a bit more practice, but it was a decent effort. The cops came, took the green paper and pretty quickly knew the culprit. Which almost made me feel like I was in an episode of CSI. Again, not really. But still neat. The week ended with a few other notable sitings: A shirtless man on a unicycle. A bullet casing in the parking lot (44 Magnum). The SWAT team running through a Meth bust drill (it’s becoming a problem around here). Peaches. (check out her YouTube!) I love this town.

4. My first photoshoot of a person

I love photography. (check out my Flickr photostream!) I can see almost anything and find it beautiful and interesting. Memories may fade but photography can make any moment seem infinite. The can turn any object into art. I post the photos of my artsy excursions online, hoping others will appreciate the beauty I find, and one person appreciated it so much, she asked me to shoot her son’s 4 yr pictures for her! Flowers may move in the wind, sometimes making it hard to get the perfect shot, but they don’t move nearly as much as a 4-year-old boy. But after 2 hours and 2 parks, they turned out pretty well (see for yourself!), and even got me 3 more prospective clients! Success! This hobby may become a sidejob! Stay tuned!

5. Watched the original 1960’s Batman TV show

Smack! Bang!! Pow!!! In life there are just some classics that need to be experienced. Staples that need to be read, watched, listened to and visited. The 1960’s Batman television show starring Adam West is just that. Before 3D. Before HD. Before CGI. Simply entertaining. A must-see. You will shake your head. You will laugh. You will love it. Watch now!!

6. A Real Cliche of a Breakup.

After 6 1/2 years, my boyfriend and I broke up. Hence the aforementioned move from Small Town, WI to La Crosse, WI. At 27 I of course have gone through other breakups, but I’ve never really been too affected. I have always done the breaking up, and have always felt free and relieved rather than sad and lonely. But this one was different. This one was the first true love. This one hurt. This one changed me. It also took about a month to truly hit me. Last week I find myself to be the stereotypical character in a Romantic/Breakup Comedy. I was wearing yoga pants, drinking beer, eating ice cream and watching movies like “Serendipity”. I was having strange thoughts for the first time like, “I am going to be alone forever” and “I’ll never find anyone like him”. You’d think, that even though I again initiated the breaking up, that I’d be just fine. But I have learned that just because you are no longer in love with someone, that doesn’t mean you no longer love them. The phrase “It’s not you, it’s me” can ring true. And a broken heart can be felt physically. I have learned that I am not as stone-cold as I thought. There is a normal person inside me, with normal feelings, like love and lonliness. And right now, she wants chocolate. Excuse me while I binge....

Life. It isn’t always predictable. But it sure is interesting.

And every part of life has a soundtrack.

Here’s my current playlist, helping me along on my path of new experiences:

1. Help I’m Alive --> Metric

2. Fool In The Rain --> Led Zeppelin

3. Little Spark --> Jessie Baylin

4. Days --> The Drums

5. Close Your Eyes --> Young Love

6. Lover, You Should’ve Come Over --> Jeff Buckley

7. The Night Will Always Win --> Elbow

8. Born to Die --> Lana Del Rey

9. Safe and Sound --> Capital Cities

10. In The End --> The Royal Concept

11. Ho Hey --> The Lumineers

12. Young Blood --> The Naked and Famous

13. Everlasting Light --> The Black Keys

14. Carried Away --> Passion Pit

15. Little Talks --> Of Monsters and Men

16. Walking On A Dream --> Empire of the Sun

17. This Sweet Love --> James Yuill

18. We Looked Like Giants --> Death Cab for Cutie

Listen. Love. Live.