Pull my finger, you'll live longer

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go... actually, Megabus' small print says passengers are only allowed one suitcase each, so I'm still trying to jam two bags worth of stuff into one before I take off for New York City tomorrow morning. Maybe I'm not worrying about packing so much because I don't want to feel like I'm moving permanently. But, I probably am. Uh. Being in Rochester at home with my family has spoiled me. They're crazy about me here. Now I have to face not only outsiders in "the real world," but New Yorkers, and they're a tougher crowd. This is something I've wanted for a long time, and just the thought of the noises and smells and smorgesbord of different people and places is enough to make my heart go pitter-pat. Ever since graduating from college dawned on me, I've been spending large portions of my time analyzing my life, my family, my goals- and it's not all about me, I think about society and the world in general, sometimes. And while this chronic sentimentality is beautiful and all, now it's time to start doing stuff. Just one last philosophical gem before the action starts. An older but arguably not wiser friend recently said something in passing that thoroughly surprised me, coming from her. I'd likely heard a similar sentence hundreds of times before but at that moment, it caught my attention. We were talking about failed relationships, and she announced "I don't care what he looks like or how much money he makes, I just want a guy who makes me laugh. That's all that matters." Well said, girlfriend. If a person makes you laugh- be it friend, lover or family- it makes everything better. Life is unbearably short, and there's really no time to waste being unhappy. So no matter where you're heading or been, regardless of the emo, existential crisis phase I'm, or whoever, is going through... always be around people who can squeeze a nice big laugh out of you. Plus, I heard on the radio that it helps prevent heart disease:)