I've been trying this little project that my counselor has recommended to me. I'm writing letters to everyone whom I have something important to say to. I wrote a very angry letter to my dad, a letter to his bitchy girlfriend, a letter to Amber telling her I'm moving on. But the most important one I wrote was my mom's. It was a coming out letter. I said things that needed to be said, and it made me feel better, even though I'm too scared to give it to her right now. One day, maybe I can have the courage to.

I think we should have school year-round. I mean, think about it. We'd get two-week breaks spread throughout the year, and I wouldn't have to go stir-crazy during the summer. I really wouldn't mind doing that. School starts in two weeks, and I'm practically dying to start going again. If I went to school all year, I would be a happier student. They do that in Germany, and their students, according to test scores, are smarter than American students. Then again, every country probably has better students than this one.

1) I have a completely different definition of beauty than most people. If you showed me a picture of a model on a magazine cover, and you were like, "Damn, isn't this chick gorgeous?" I'd say no. Not really. I go for a modest, unappreciated kind of beauty. The kind of attractiveness that not everyone notices, but when I notice it, it's amazing. I don't really know how to explain it. The girls in my school who most people see as so-so pretty and/or plain-looking, I see as gorgeous.

I just got back from Missouri, specifically, the Lake of the Ozarks. It's my family's idea of a vacation-- simple, inexpensive, and relaxing. It doesn't take much to satisfy us. And by "us" I'm excluding my sister, because she complains about everything. I yelled at her because no matter how much my mom spends on her, she's never happy. Always whining. BUT ANYWAY. I've been doing vacation-y things. Boat rides, shopping, feeding ducks, relaxing by the lake, dining at fancy restaurants (I can never spell that word, restaurant. It's one of my few weaknesses when it comes to spelling).

My car is amazing to drive with new tires, I'm probably gonna have a job at a donut shop soon, and I feel like shit.

I now have a car. A 2003 Ford Focus, olive green, 70,000 miles on it. All four tires are in bad condition so we're taking it to a mechanic Monday to get them replaced. And the thing needs a good tune up, and a good cleaning inside and out. Being in my own car for the first time is unbelievably freeing. Problem is, even after we get it fixed up, there's the issue of gas and the monthly insurance payments, which is up to me to pay, of course. No job=no driving. I applied at a doughnut shop, very small, very slow-paced. Let's hope they hire me, so I can keep my car running.

I took my mom's car to take my sister's friend home today. I drove without adult supervision for the first time, with my brand-new license. Nobody died, so that's a plus. We found a nice 2001 Sebring that's in really good condition, so there's a chance I could have my own car by tomorrow. We're gonna go talk to the dealer and take it for a test drive, get it checked by a mechanic. My mom and grandparents are splitting the payments, and I have to pay for insurance and gas. So, I am DESPERATE for a job.

I went down to the DMV to get my lisence today. The test was super easy and they pass anyone who doesn't hit anything. My picture for my lisence is awkward-looking, but that's okay because I HAVE MY LISENCE. I'm staring at it right now, and it's making me feel...old. Like I shouldn't be a lisenced 16-year-old driver. I feel ancient, like time has slipped out of my hands and I should be younger. It's so bizarre.

I like who I am. I like the way I look, and gosh darn it, I'm pretty. I came to this conclusion after staring into the mirror for 5 minutes, and it just suddenly came to me: I AM beautiful, in my own way. I'm not conceited about it, I'm not gonna walk around and flip my hair and be like "Oh yeah I am soooo hot bitchez." But I just...I've accepted my hair, my face, my body. And it feels SO good. I used to have horrible self esteem, and I avoided mirrors all the time. But now...now I just appreciate myself and I like me. It may not seem like a big deal, but it feels so great.

There's this thing I saw on TV...Discovery Health, maybe? It was a special about these people called "Objectum sexuals." These are people who claim to have intimate relationships with inanimate objects, such as cars and dolls and stuff like that. And it's not just like "Yup, I wash my car every day cuz I love it so much!" No. They are legitimately in love with their chosen object, so much that they want to marry it, make love to it, all the components of a relationship that is normally shared between two human beings.

My counselor is going on her maternity leave in two weeks. She'll be gone until September, and until then no counciling. I have the option of either returning when she does or just discontinuing my counciling. And this is a more difficult decision than I thought. I really enjoy going and talking to her, but I'm not 100% certain that I really NEED to keep going. I've been much happier, more confident with myself, it's helped me get over a lot of things I used to struggle with...So do I need to resume counciling in September?

I'm writing this journal from a hotel twenty miles from home. There's no electricity anywhere in my town and there are fallen trees everywhere. Some people's homes were smashed by trees, and there are huge branches scattered everywhere. In the yards, in the streets. The river has flooded from all the rain and the entire riverfront is underwater--boat clubs, bars, parks. So basically a massive storm messed up my whole town, and so now I'm stuck here in this hotel with my family, waiting for electricity to come back and stuff. It could've been a lot worse for me though.

I reread the LGBT book my counselor gave me. I kept getting stuck on the sentence "You do NOT have to have sex in order to figure out your sexuality." I reread it over and over again. I used to believe in that statement. It was like my personal mantra. Now I'm not so sure. I mean, yeah, a lot of gay people go through this self-discovery process just fine, without having sex all over the place. But...is sex not some form of confirmation?

I passed my driving test today! I'm soooo happyyyyy. In a week I'll be going to the DMV to get me mah lisence, and then it's sweet freedom at last. I can't wait to cruise the town and stuff, being on my own. Ah, the sweet taste of victory.

Now I just need to start looking for a car to drive, which will be almost impossible. My dad refuses to put a single dollar toward my car and I'm still looking for a job. My mom can help a bit, and maybe my grandparents. Even with the help, there aren't a lot of cheap used cars available in my town.

Three Days Grace concert. UH-MAZING. Katie and I were lucky enough to get a decent view of the stage, even though the place was freaking packed. The band that opened for them happened to be good friends with my dad, which was pretty cool. So they gave me a free T-shirt and my dad high fived all of them while they were playing. Ha. But yeah, Three Days Grace is a decent mainstream band. Their songs are pretty emotionally satisfying, regardless of how simple their lyrics are. Nothing was more satisfying than yelling "I hate everything about you!