UNABASHEDLY ME

suffer = love ?, originally uploaded by -Misconception photography [--☮--].

We are strong girls. We are smart girls. We are crafty girls. All of us Girls in the Hall are a combo of readers, writers, leaders and dreamers. Then, boys come in to the equation, often mixing everything up inside the hallway of our minds.

Troy and Gabriella... Darcy and Lizzy B.... Zach and Kelly... Edward and Bella... Hermione and Ronald... Romeo and Juliet (Ok, not them, that ended badly)... We want to fall in love a la a Taylor Swift song with our crush. We spend way more time than we like to admit pondering all of the options and thinking about wearing his letter jacket, high school ring, you know, whatever is the norm in your neck o' the woods.

The truth is that lust/like/love isn't a pretty storyline in the sitcom of your life. It is complicated. Case in point: You can't talk to the camera via giant old school cellphone like Zach on SAVED BY THE BELL or randomly break into karaoke song to confess your undying love as shown by Troy and Gabriella in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. There are no TWILIGHT Edwards roaming the earth who can turn you into a vampire to seal the pact of eternal love.

Through the years, I have dated my best friend, a guy on the football team, and that endearing nerd in the front row of biology class. All of them have taught me so much about myself. Even though I am (often called) outspoken and cheerfully outgoing, I discovered that when it came to boys and dates, I would chameleon myself to get boys to like me. The normally grounded girl that I am hovered on a mental gray line of being myself and being the girl I thought the boy (insert names here) wanted. Shockingly, it wasn't working out so well. The real me wanted out.

Then, the light bulb moment happened. I could appreciate a boy's interests without losing myself in the process of falling for them. It is indeed possible to support someone's love of STAR WARS or golf without adding those to my list of Facebook interests. Moreover, I learned that I need to be unabashedly me. I will fight and debate until pigs fly about causes I love (which is code for stubborn as can be). I hate bad grammar. I love both show tunes and football games (and often forget to use my indoor voice when singing along off key or cheering for my team). I am most comfortable wearing both lip stick and a tshirt. No matter how hard I try, I will never master AP physics (but will always be able to write an amazing AP English essay) or be able to run the fastest mile in gym class (but am always down to cheer for my friends while they get the best times). Quite simply and for good or bad, these things are me. I am juxtaposition of complexities, and that's a-ok.

Don't get me wrong, I am still looking and wishing for my Troy/Darcy/Zach/Edward/Ron (pick your fave). I just know that when he does show up, I can be swept off of my feet without losing "me" in the process and that just feels right, kinda like the beginning of my own "...love story."

A VOICE FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE

1/52 - I've got the whole world in my hands, originally uploaded by Little Thoughts.

We here at Girls in the Hall often get caught up in our own worlds. Fights with parents, boys breaking our hearts, and bad grades fill the halls of our minds, making us forget about the other towns, states and countries that comprise the rest of the globe.

In an effort to bridge that gap, Girls in the Hall plans to highlight several stories and reports of girls around the world. As a lot of us gathered our supplies, cell phones and car keys to head back to another year of school over the past couple of weeks, devastation struck the nation of Pakistan. Moonsoon rains have caused catastrophic floods that have killed more than 1,600 people, stranded thousands more, and ruined homes, crops and roads.

In our research about this tragedy, we came across a fascinating and devistating account of the floods written by 17 year old Pakistani Sher Bano for the New York Times. Click here to check it out. Sher is a courageous writer, detailing her own personal family accounts of the floods as well as acting as a voice for the nation as a whole.

Also, at the end of the article is a list of outstanding charities working to help the people of Pakistan. My friends and I plan on saving our allowance, watching a film on TV this weekend instead of going out to the movies, and holding off on our weekly trip to Starbucks, so we can make an impact in helping people like Sher and her family by donating to one of these charities. They are so far away, but hopefully close in our minds.

THAT FIRST DAY...

Day 296, originally uploaded by Nalzz.

Being a new kid on the first day of school was as common place to me as breaking in my new sneakers for the year (which were always a notch off from the "must have" ones of the season) or deciding whether I would pack my lunch or brave the mashed potatoes in the cafeteria. There were always so many question marks. Would I make friends fast? Would I like my teachers? Would there be a boy who I liked who actually liked me back? The answers were yes, most of them, and sometimes.

After being an aficionado of the first day for many schools (I went to three high schools), I realized the secret. Being fearless. You know in your heart that you are one talented girl, whether it is that you can run the heck out of a track match, know how to take your keyboard and hammer out a great poem, or can do the best Justin Beiber impression. If you have the courage to let others see the light inside and the magic that comprises the awesomeness of you, the bubble of a new year can hold boundless possibilities.

At my second high school, I was transferring in from a huge school across town to a tiny school that most of the students had been going to since they were in kindergarten. It was daunting--I felt like a tiger (ok, let's be honest--a monkey) at the zoo on display for all of the school to observe. I made it through the entire day without incident (phew!). Then disaster struck. I knew two people in the entire school and hadn't seen my friend Kelly the entire day, and we had plans to hang out after school. Picture this:

The bell chimes letting me know I have gotten through my first day unscathed. I smile to myself in victory, hold my head up high and swim like a salmon in a pack headed to the quad, where the rest of the students are spilling out. A lot of them are still glancing in my direction, wondering who this random girl is who has joined their ranks. I tighten my backpack straps since my bag is filled to the brim with all of my books. Then, as I am standing there doing my best to look totally chill despite the feeling of barf in my stomach that still hadn't disappeared, Kelly sneaks up behind me and grabs the little notch on the top of my backpack that you use to hang it up. I topple over backwards, and end up face up, unable to move because I am lying on the huge stack of books attached to my back. Moreover, since the straps were tightened, I can't even slide out to run away....

Quite simply in recap, I was a sophomore turtle who was stuck with my shell flipped over. The entire quad went silent. I made a flash decision as my friend Kelly awkwardly helped me up (I almost took her down in the process), turned to the crowd that had amassed (who were preparing to laugh in my freckly face), and... took a bow. I closed my eyes for a moment of calm before the storm of potential social reprecussion, terrified that the thirty seconds which had just transpired had royally screwed me for the rest of school, and then I heard laughter... and cheering...and applause.

It was the moment when I realized, if you give yourself a break, others just might too. I have taken that turtle shell memory with me at the doorway of each new beginning in my life... My senior year of high school, my freshman year of college, and so much more. Cheers to the possibility of new beginnings, new books and new adventures.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Some People Never Change,, originally uploaded by Stand By Me Photography// Alisha Marie.

"My parents keep asking how school was. 

It's like saying, 'How was that drive-by shooting?'

You don't care how it was, you're lucky to get out alive."

-Angela (Claire Danes), MY SO CALLED LIFE

It is that time of year.... Back to school shopping has commenced, and our Jansport/LL Bean/Walmart backpacks are filled to the brim with notebooks that will soon be doodled all over with our signature flowers, hearts and crushes' names. Some of us look forward to another year of clubs, games, school, parties and boys. Others of us dread the thought of gym class, exams and boys (they go in both categories). Some of us are just plain old conflicted by the hope of all a new year could be, and the terror of what potential humiliations may lurk around the unknown corners of a new grade.

Who knows what on earth this coming year will bring? We certainly have no idea... Isn't that part of the fun?

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Night Painting, originally uploaded by stuttgart_san.

"So you lie there, holding your breath
And it's strange, how soon you forget
That you're like stars,
They only show up when it's dark,
Cause they don't know their worth."
-Anna Nalick, SHINE

I have felt invisible. I have felt that the only person who gets me is mom, and sometimes felt that no boy would love me if I knew how scared and shy I was inside. One of my favorite things to do, and always has been since I can remember, is to spend hours staring up at the speckled sky. As a teen, the stars were my friends-- I would look out through the window of my room and tune the world out, focusing only on the sky. All of those stars, the moon, the horizon--they reminded me that I was a tiny part of something bigger and it humbled me. These moments of solidarity in my life have always been a solace for my thoughts and dreams. I admire the boundless freedom of the night sky, and that during the day, you can just look up and know that all of it is there underneath the vale of sunshine---just hidden from view. It makes me smile.

It has taken me a long time to understand why I love the stars so much. Now, when I feel invisible or misunderstood, I look up and know that there is a star inside of me and it is my choice whether I let the world see it. I think about my amazing friends and how lucky I am that I get to see the stars that live inside of them. My friend who gets nervous at parties, but makes the best cupcakes I have ever tasted... My friend who is one of the best people I have ever met, but constantly worries that she is annoying... My friend who desperately wants to know her folks love her, but they never say it... Every day I am more thankful for the constellation of my friends, and know that together, we can all learn to shine.

BELIEVING AGAIN

Purple Wings Silhouette wallpaper, originally uploaded by gbrummett.

I remember a time when I felt immortal. I thought Peter Pan was real and that, if I looked really closely, I'd be able to see the fairies of Neverland out my airplane window. My little sister was the first mate as we fought pirates and pretended to be princesses. Those pirates never had a chance against us. We didn't need help, but we always dreamed who our prince would be to whisk us away from the kingdom of suburbia.

I was determined and ready to conquer the world. Then, I grew up. The confidence of my kidness turned into teenage trepidation. Suddenly, the walls of my high school were much more enormous than the world had felt as a child. I went from being the kid that could take on anyone in tetherball to being a girl who tried to get in and get out--visible to invisible in the flash of a few precious years of innocence gone by.

There was time when my weight didn't matter, I liked my freckles, and proudly showed off bruises from climbing trees. What do you think would happen if we all took the things that we hated about ourselves and kicked those thoughts to the curb? We are all still those fierce pint sizes princesses, if we are brave enough to let them show. Maybe next time I'm on a plane, I will look extra hard at those clouds in the sky. I think I believe in fairies again, at last.

GETTIN' OFF THE COUCH

summer, originally uploaded by kt*stry.

Is the stickiness of summer causing you to be glued to your couch? Are you and your friends telling time by episodes of SWEET SIXTEEN on MTV? I think we discover some new ways for us to all enjoy the air conditioning that don't just involve TV marathons or long naps that rival how long we actually sleep each night. A lot of girls have told us that it's hard to find something to do on a teen's budget. So, Girls in the Hall, let's fight the complacency of the couch potato revolution and get off that couch and into...well, something more fun. Here are our top 10 hang out ideas to enjoy our time together without breaking the bank:

Do you think ice cream is the ultimate summer treat? We definitely do. Invite your pals over on the condition that they each bring their favorite ice cream toppings, the weirder the better. Then, you just provide the ice cream and let the creative sundae building ensue! Your bowl will be a canvas for culinary creativity.

When was the last time you sat down to play a good old boardgame, no batteries or gaming systems involved? Scrabble, Apples to Apples, Monopoly, get 'em all out. Or, have your friends each bring one and play them all one at a time. Have each person bring a prize in an unmarked bag, and then, as you go through the games, the winner gets to pick out one. Cheesier prizes make for better stories.

What is your favorite childhood movie? Dust off those DVDs from when you were little and pop 'em in. Remind yourself--and your pals--just why you heart MARRY POPPINS, THE LITTLE MERMAID or THE SANDLOT. You make love them even more the second time around. Bonus points if you get popcorn and share your favorite movie snacks.

Want to switch up your style? Have you friends come over and bring a box of items they want to donate of clothes, accessories, etc. Then, everyone can mix and match from each other's items. The necklace you want to get rid of may be your friend's favorite accessory in your wardrobe.

Host a dinner party where your friends bring the food. Tell them to each bring a recipe courtesy of your mom or dad. In asking 'rents for treasured family recipes, you just may learn something about your history (and get to eat something yummy too). Then, if you all are feeling it, share the recipes with each other. Dinner parties aren't just for adults anymore. It's affordable and delish.

Organize a volunteer-ation with your friends... Spend a weekend working with Habitat for Humanity in your area building houses, helping out at a rec center for kids or an animal shelter. You all will have a great time together and feel good helping out.

Remember when you were a kid and you couldn't wait for the weekend when your BFF could sleepover? That's the beauty of summer--you get the weekend all season long! Go back in time and invite your friends over for a slumber party. Play Girltalk (remember those fake zits?!), raid the refrigerator and tell ghost stories.

Can't afford to hit up the GAGA concert this summer? Rent a concert DVD of your favorite band, invite your friends over, and crank up the volume (maybe not too loud, so the neighbors don't freak). Singing along is a major bonus.

Who in your group has a pool? Go to the dollar store and stock up on luau items--- grass skirts and tiki drinking glasses a bonus. Pretend you are on a black sand beach in Hawaii or enjoying the surf in LA. It's nice to pretend get away. No pool? No problem. Have everyone pitch in and buy a kiddie pool--kick it old school.

Get outside. Take a game from the days of recess like kickball or four square and set up a match. You might be surprised how competitive your pals get over a silly game.