who knew the zoo was so much fun?

So today I went to the zoo with Mailys and some peeps from my youth group. It was funner then I expected. The people in my youth group, esp staff, are just so cool. They really welcome you and talk to you and are really fun to be around. The staff don't even feel like chaperones or anything (which they're not really anyway b/c we're all old enough to go somewhere alone) they feel like friends, just hanging out. They really seem like they care and try to include you in the group. For example, I was sitting on the table eating my ice cream, everyone else was around the table next to it, or the next table. I though, was all alone on my little table, yet didn't feel alone b/c people were right there. Alisa ( I ♥ her!) came and sat next to me randomly. Usually people don't do that, at least not for me. I often feel awkward in big groups, out of place, unless I know someone really well. Otherwise, even if I know someone, I know that they will talk to others and leave me behind at some point, so I just avoid the situation. Most of the time, but not all the time, I sorta do it to myself. I feel weird talking to people I don't intimately know. I feel like I'm intruding into their life, like they don't have time to care about me, that I'm not worth the attention, that they don't like me and don't want me talking to them, that they're busy doing more important things. I have come to learn, though, that it is usually quite the opposite, esp in youth group/church. People care, they really do. I just look up to all the staff b/c they seem to recognize that I exist and have feelings too, and do something to help. I want to get to know them even better and really hang with them. Yeah, that's my random emotional stuff for the day. :) Church and God has just really helped me so much, I can't even explain it. Yeah, and with such great people, the zoo actually seems fun. With the air of love, acceptance and fun, walking endlessly in the heat is actually fun. I've seen all the animals a billion times before, but it didn't seem about the animals to me today, it was about the people. Great people can make a potentially really boring and tiring trip great fun. I love my church peeps. :)