We could live through these letters

bonjour.

i'm steph palma and i'm incredible. the end.

...

but really, no.

i am different. i am unique. i like to think that i'm special. i am giving. i never ask for anything in return. i am a saint. i am a bitch. i am imperfect. i am misrepresented. i am smart. i am an idiot. i am not in love. i am this. i am that. i am the subtle essence of the universe. i am the books i read, the words i write, the thoughts i have, and the moments i live through and capture.

i am nothing without my friends... my chosen family that has determined my entire being: adriana, melissa, emilie. S.A.M.E. they are the diverse weights that somehow work together to keep us all balanced and sane. i wear their initials around my neck to let the world know how much i love these girls and to remind myself that i am not alone

there are countless other friends who have really changed my life. i don't know who or what i would be if these people hadn't found me when they did. seriously, i have the best friends in the world and i didn't fully realize it until this week.

after them is my brother. i don't think i could survive being in my family without him. we're definitely cut from the same stone, me and that kid.

my obsessions are live music and lush. i'll go to any live show i can get tickets for. for some reason life just seems to fall into place for the few seconds, minutes, or hours that an entire crowd comes together to feel the intensity of an artist before them. it's incredible. the passion in the air is tangible. so many people with so many experiences, somehow unite under the shelter of real noise, true words, and a passion to feel something real. there's nothing else like that in the world as far as i'm concerned.

as for my obsession with lush: their products smell amazing and are all organic and vegan. best of all, they work better than anything else i've tried. also, this store doesn't exist for the sole purpose of selling soap, body butters, bath bombs and the like, they are open to make a difference in the world. with so many causes helped, the products at lush seem to smell a lot better to the average do-gooder of the world.

yesterday, i moved to Ottawa, almost 4 and half hours away from home, friends, family, warmth and my life. according to my computer, it's a full 8 degrees colder here than in woodbridge. 8 degrees means a lot when it's technically still summer and i'm already living in sweaters. i miss it terribly but i know this will be a great change for me. its gorgeous here, there's so many pictures on the way. i can just feel the creative energy.