Summer thunder

There's something about summer thunder that entrances me. The storms visit in the afternoon - nearly every afternoon - in my favorite time of year, and the sound of the sky and the smell of the air is like a panacea. It's just so Florida. There's a certain peace that happens during a good strong rain. Everyone's inside and safe, there's nothing to worry about. I've felt that way since I was very small. Everyone around has a reason for where they are, and it's usually all the same, and it brings people together without them really knowing it. It's like the storms, depressions, and hurricanes are nature's way of bringing people together. Nature, not death, is the great equalizer. Nature may indeed bring about death, but it does so without malice, without anger. There is only the will of nature, the proper way of things. A hurricane may destroy, but the people come together - to lament, to mourn, to rebuild. I must add that my life has never really been interrupted by a major storm, save a weeklong blackout when I was in high school, and that was just an adventure. I'm sure I'd see things differently if the wind, rain, and nature's way destroyed something I loved; however, this is not the case. I am moving to the gulf soon, so we'll see how I feel later.
The junebugs are singing hard lately. I drive home with the top down and hear them in every tree I pass under. I take the long way home, past downtown, over the bridge, and through San Marco just so I can enjoy the trees. Sure, it adds 15 minutes to my ride home, but it adds just that much to my lifespan. I know I might look like a fancypants richie in my convertible Toyota, but I really got that car because I'd rather be outside than inside. I need to see it all, and breathe it in. Sure, sometimes it's more foul than fresh, especially when I am putzing through traffic, but when I get that junebug sound and that hot mugginess of the sun it's all worth it.
I can't quite explain why I love the oppressive summer heat. I just do. It's similar to the reason I love the smell of hotel rooms - not because it's particularly pleasant, but because it means something fun is about to happen. All of my childhood happiness can be traced back to the oppressive heat. Adventures and joy are guaranteed.
I've applied to graduate school for the fall of 2011. I am so anxious that I think my blood now contains millions of little exclamation points, bouncing around and causing tiny explosions when mixed with adrenaline. It's so funny -  people keep telling me that I will bettering myself with this. Truth is, I never thought of it like that. I actually love to learn, and I am just over the moon to have the opportunity to apply for something that is complete and total Floridiana based. I don't think of it as bettering myself; rather, I see it as indulging in a lifelong passion. My love for Florida has always been a part of who I am, and what better way to learn about myself than to take it as far as it can go? This isn't an academic pursuit - it's a spiritual one. I hope with every fiber of my being, every exclamation point in my blood, that I am accepted. My hopes build like storm clouds in the afternoon, like summer thunder rumbling in my bones.