NEW YORK. . .OH WAIT, NEWARK

My journey home has me stopped over in Newark, N.J. The driver who took me to the airport this morning told me that this is one of the worst airports to be in for a long period of time, I have yet to see that validated though. I have, however, been awarded the privilege of hearing some genuine Jersey accents, gotta love it. My only letdown thus far was not being able to see New York City in the distance as we descended. There's still the flight out of here though so I'm holding on to that glimmer of hope. In the meantime I've resorted to one of my favorite pastimes, people-watching. It never ceases to amaze me how many people are in this world, how different and diverse we all are, and how we each have our own individual lives and stories and loved ones, etc. It's somewhat crazy to me that all of us live on this planet together but more or less have individualized worlds that we exist in. Yes, we have shared resources, and governments, and faiths, and what have you, but the majority of the people on earth have no idea that I even exist, or know my friends and family and the things that are important to us, what we do, where we've been, etc. In all senses, I, and most of us, do truly live in our own little world. As I look around me at all the people in this airport I can't help but imagine what their own little world is like, who they know, where they're flying to, what they love, everything that makes up their life for them. I would venture to say that I'll most likely never know the answers to any of those questions for the majority of the people I see, and the majority of the people in the world, but it certainly won't stop me from wondering. And, if anything, maybe it'll prompt me to start conversations with random strangers more often.

**Update: I did get a good glimpse or two of the New York City skyline as my plane was taking off -- no letdowns really then. Also, I was quite lucky/blessed to make it home with practically no hitches, I've seen and heard of atrocious airport and flight issues going on and don't know how I squeaked by without really encountering any.**

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY

This picture is a pretty accurate representation of how I feel right about now. As of this past Wednesday night I have no schoolwork whatsoever looming over me for the next couple of weeks -- ah, freedom. I don't have to work for the next two weeks, but still get paid for them -- thank goodness for a salaried job within the school system. And almost exactly this time tomorrow I will be en route to Washington, heading back to spend some good, quality, holiday time with the ones I hold most dear. I will in fact be home for Christmas and I am so very excited. Not to mention, I hear that there is even snow awaiting me there, it couldn't be more perfect. Amidst my pure joy of getting to be home with friends and family after being away from them for 4 months I also am excited about how my life is taking shape here as well. It's funny how right when I'm really starting to feel more at home here and getting better connected with people it's time to head home to my real home for awhile. Regardless, it makes me feel all that more better about returning here after being home with my loved ones, and might make it just a little bit easier to leave them all again for the next span of time. As for now, I'm watching the clock with eager anticipation until I get to board that plane tomorrow and head back to a place and the people whom I love dearly, and I intend to soak up all my time there and with them. . .oh yeah, and to celebrate the season too of course!

IN MY MIND I'M GOING TO CAROLINA

. . .but I went there in body today too.

In spite of the overcast, drizzly weather I decided to go on a little adventure today and ventured into North Carolina, hitting up the well-renowned Outer Banks. Not fully having a game plan for my trek, I ended up going on a type of self-imposed field trip as I made my way to some historical places. Moseying along the thin stretch of land, I popped by the Wright Brothers National Memorial, the site of Orville and Wilbur Wright's flight attempts and eventual success. The hill below was where the brothers experimented with gliders and where they eventually had their, and the world's, first successful power-driven flight on December 17, 1903. Atop the hill is a monument erected in their honor.

*Side note: although the town of Kitty Hawk (which I also passed through) is often cited as the location of the Wright brothers work/success, it actually took place in a town called Kill Devil Hills. On another side note, being that the name of the town is quite unusual, I decided to look into it when I got home. Here's what I found: "The name Kill Devil Hills can be dated back to the colonial era. Shipwrecks were common at the time, and many of the ships were transporting barrels of rum. Upon a shipwreck, locals would scavenge the ship and hide the rum they found behind the large sand dunes. The locals said that the rum was strong enough to "kill the devil," so the dunes where they would hide the rum were nicknamed 'Kill Devil Hills.'" Interesting.*

The next leg of my trip found me crossing over to Roanoke Island and stopping in at the Roanoke Island Festival Park, which was billed as 'an interactive family attraction that celebrates the first English settlement in America'; read: interactive awkwardness for a single, young adult, female visiting the place by herself. Exhibit A: upon boarding the ship below, a replica of one of the ships from the Roanoke Voyage of 1585, a few time-period characters showed me the ropes and then coaxed me into singing a song with them that I had never heard before. Needless to say, it wasn't a pretty sight. . .or sound really.

After that 'fun' experience, I then wandered over to the 'settlement' area where I proceeded to converse with some other time-period characters, who astonishingly already knew of the Seattle-area despite it being the late 1500s, hmm. Thinking that I had gotten all that I was going to get out of that stop, and hoping to avoid further humiliation, I decided to move on to my next, and last, historical location of the day.

Perhaps you recall learning about the Roanoke Colony, a.k.a. "The Lost Colony", back in the day. It was set up to establish a permanent English settlement in the Virginia Colony, and it is where Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the Americas was born. However, after three years of being on their own, when ships from England returned nobody was to be found and no one knows for sure what became of the colonists. On my last stop of the day, at the purposed location of where the colony had been, I wasn't able to find the lost colonists either. I did however learn another fact about the area that I wasn't expecting; apparently Roanoke Island served as a 'safe haven' for slaves during the Civil War and became known as the Freedmen's Colony, becoming a refuge for thousands of slaves. One thing that I found neat is that a couple hundred years after the first (failed) attempts to make something monumental of this land it did end up playing an important role in American history and the lives of Americans. Pretty cool.

As you can see, it was quite the educational day. . .I do love history though (and I hope you enjoyed the brief historical review as well). And now I can also check North Carolina off the 'states I haven't been to' list. One more down, still quite a few yet to go. But in the midst of trying to hit up all of the states, I just might have to make a return trip to the Outer Banks at some point. Despite the less than desirable weather, I can see how the area would be positively sublime for a summer getaway, perhaps I'll have to take that into consideration when the summer months roll around this upcoming year. You're more than welcome to come along as well.

SEASON'S GREETINGS

The holidays are upon us, and that can mean any number of things. For some it's a time of reflection, for others -- anticipation. Emotions can range from childlike excitement to adult-like stress. Regardless of what thoughts, feelings, and/or emotions this time of year stirs up, the truth of the matter is that it is a time of the year unlike any other. With Thanksgiving fast approaching, as in arriving in T-minus two days, I'm feeling the advancement of the holiday season . . .and am intending to fully embrace each day of the season (which I suppose I should do on a regular basis anyway, eh, I'll work on that). I'll admit, I did fall prey to listening to Christmas music before its acceptable start date of after Thanksgiving, and in doing so I've really been taken with a certain song that actually seems rather pertinent to the holiday we'll be celebrating on Thursday. Aside from the general musical allure of Josh Groban's 'Thankful,' these specific lyrics have struck a chord with me:

Some days we forget
To look around us
Some days we can't see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

What gets me the most is the somewhat paradoxical concept of doing more to make a difference and yet also being so thankful for what already is. It's convicting on both levels, at least for me. Being increasingly aware of the state of the world, I want to continue to do what I can to alleviate others' burdens and, as cliche as it may be, to make the world a better place; whether doing something as grandiose as traveling to a third world country and serving there, or doing something as 'little' as holding the door open for a stranger. And in the spirit of thanksgiving, on Thanksgiving itself , and all the other days throughout the year, I want to remember all the things that I have to be thankful for, including (but not limited to):

- a God who loves me
- a wonderful, supportive, fun, loving, etc. family
- fabulous friends who're there for me in both the good and bad
- the opportunities and experiences I've been blessed with
- my health
- the abilities, capabilities, and talents I've been given
- freedom
- and so much more, for as Josh's song states, "there's so much to be thankful for."

So I hope that this holiday season we're all able to acknowledge what we have to be thankful for, and that we might even create moments in the weeks to come (and hopefully even beyond the holidays) for others and ourselves to be thankful. Whatever the holidays mean for you, I hope that somewhere in the mix you are able to feel love and connectedness, whether from people close to you or even complete strangers. Happy holidays everyone!

AH, DOMESTICITY

I've had some blue cheese hanging out in my fridge for awhile now and it's been beckoning for me to do something with it, so tonight I gave in. Despite the fact that I think that I should take home-ec all over again, I conjured up something that ended up being even more than edible, it was delicious. If you happen to have these ingredients lying around and want to make something tasty I suggest trying this:

Stuffed Blue Cheese Pork Chops

1 Pork Chop (de-boned and fat-trimmed)

Crumbled Blue Cheese

Bacon Bits (or real bacon if, unlike me, you have some)

Sliced Almonds

Garlic Powder

Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Mix together the blue cheese, bacon bits, and sliced almonds (I just eye-balled the amounts in conjunction with the size of my pork chop). Butterfly the pork chop and place the blue cheese and other ingredient mixture on one side, place the other side of the pork chop on top, use toothpicks if necessary to hold it together. Season with garlic powder (again, I just eye-balled it here). Place pork in greased, shallow baking dish and cook for 20 minutes, or longer depending on size of the pork.

And voila!

To tie my meal together I whipped up some herb and butter rice as well and added a glass of red wine (it's good for the heart after all). Here's my finished product before it was consumed:

(And yes, I realize that the pork is not only funny looking but rather small, don't let that deceive you though.)

It may not have been a meal of grandeur but it was a step up from the pasta fallback I've been accustomed to making, I'm baby-stepping my way in getting the knack for being domestic. Now I need to figure out how to not spend an hour and a half on a meal that should take a third of that time. . .and that is consumed in about 20 minutes. Hmm.

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

. . .because I hear Christmas music. It seems that one of the stations that I listen to has begun its stretch of playing Christmas music from now until Christmas, with no commercials even. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Christmas music, but putting it on the airwaves this early?! I don't intend to get tired of the Christmas spirit before the season even properly arrives so it looks like I'll have to set my alarm to a different radio station. . .at least for a couple of weeks.

MY POLITICAL TWO CENTS WORTH

Today I had the chance to attend a debate between some notable Democrats and Republicans. Alan Colmes, Donna Brazile, Geraldine Ferraro, Rick Santorum, Steve Forbes, and Mike Huckabee were posed with the question: Which party is best suited to lead America? It was very enlightening and interesting to witness firsthand the lively discussion that took place among some of our country's powerful leaders and personalities. Key issues were discussed in detail, qualifications of the presidential/vice presidential candidates were assessed, and goals and aspirations for our country were brought forth. Listening to all that was said, gathering information from both sides, I found myself coming to a revelation of my own. While I may align myself with one particular party more often than the other, the truth is, I am not defined by my political party. I am, however, defined by my beliefs, ideals, and what I stand for and strive for. And in all honesty, sometimes those very things put me at odds with the political party that I generally associate with. Parts of me are Republican, parts of me are Democrat, but all of me is American. I love our country, what our foundation was built upon, what we have fought for and overcome, what we stand for, and what we hope yet to attain. I approach this upcoming election as an American, an American with a hope for our country. Yes, my personal convictions have caused me to take issue with one presidential candidate and to choose to vote for the other, but regardless of which candidate, which political party, comes into office, we are still one nation, and we're all in this together. Whether the person who I believe is the better fit for president takes office or not, I still intend to pray for them and respect their position as president, and it is my hope that I will not be alone in doing so. Differences of opinions, of ideals, of beliefs, will always exist, but hopefully the respect of such differences, and especially of the people who hold them, will be even greater than the differences themselves and we can rise above them and stand together. We may see ourselves as Democrats, or Republicans, or Independents, or something else entirely, but whatever political affiliation we affix to ourselves, at the heart of it, we're all Americans, in one nation, under God; and, in my humble opinion, that acknowledgement is what the future of this nation, and the people in it, depends on.

WAITING ON THE CHANGING OF SEASONS

Dear Fall,

I've been wanting to ask you this for quite some time, so here goes. . .are we not friends anymore? I've been waiting around for you and have even stooped to the level of asking repeatedly for you to hang out with me, but to no avail. I miss you. I miss how your brisk weather makes me feel, and how it gives me the chance to bundle up in layers and wrap myself in blankets. I miss the beauty that you bring with the vivid colors of changing leaves. I miss the way that you smell, with your fresh, crisp air that is tinged with the aroma of apple cider and pumpkin pie. I just plain miss you and would love nothing more than to have you in my life, here and now. I know you might feel overshadowed by Summer, most people seem to prefer Summer's friendship, but between you and me, I would rather have your company. Besides, Summer doesn't know me the way that you do. Today, Summer thought that I would enjoy having an 80+ degree day in October! That's just crazy. Summer doesn't know me at all . . . and that's not the kind of friend that I want to have. We have something good Fall, please tell me that it is still there and show your face around here. I'll be waiting with eager anticipation until you do. . .

Your friend,
Megan

WHAT A DAY

I know that I said I wouldn't be back for awhile, and let's face it, this is one of my quickest turn-arounds in writing here anyway, but I found myself with more time and less stress on my hands and I just had to share the blessing that today turned out to be. So, to preface, in the last couple of weeks I've been having difficulty falling asleep at night, I'm still not entirely sure why but I think it could have a lot to do with all of the stuff running around in my head. Last night was no exception. I laid awake and started thinking of all of the stuff on my plate and all of the things I needed to work on and get figured out. Needless to say, instead of lulling myself to sleep I started to feel overwhelmed and stressed. Instead of brushing it off I decided to get out of bed and jot down all of the things that I was concerned about; from my financial situation (a.k.a. dwindling funds) that highlighted the importance of attaining employment; to the load of schoolwork I was looking at this week in its intensity, and also how that would then impede the job search at the moment. . .thus leading to more time with less cash; from my difficulty in finding (okay, probably more so 'making') time to exercise, matched with my urge to snack while doing schoolwork; to a number of other things. Writing them all down helped me to identify all of the individual things that I'd been feeling the weight of as a whole, and for the moment, it helped to have them out of my head and on the paper, providing clarity that I needed, but I still was aware of the reality that they all needed to be dealt with in order to truly feel at peace. Anyway, so today I set about working on my final assignments, deciding in the afternoon to change my tactic and attempt to study for and take my final exam by the end of the day so as to have a few days to dedicate solely on my final paper. On a whim, before starting in on that game plan I decided to check my school e-mail, and lo and behold my professor had so graciously decided to extend the due date of our final paper to Friday of next week. A whole 'nother week people! Now, I would've been able to complete the paper by/before Saturday, I would've been stressed and I wouldn't have had (or felt like I had) time for anything else, but I would've gotten it done. But to have it pushed back entirely out of the blue, I literally started dancing around the room! After I had gotten that out of my system I decided to make good on having some open time in my schedule and set about working on a couple of cover letters that I had been putting off since I hadn't felt as though I had the time to focus on them. I got them done, sent them and my resume, and in effect applied for two jobs; making at least some type of headway that wasn't really happening before in my efforts to find employment and help my finances. But that's not all, a couple of weeks back when I had met up with one of the Young Life Area Directors around here he had told me to send him my resume and job preferences and he would be more than happy to get the word out and hopefully help me (yet another reason why I love Young Life so much, the people are so genuinely fabulous!). So fast forward to today, my information gets sent out this afternoon to the whole Young Life committee in the area and by the end of the night I have two different job options (one more viable than the other) and a recommendation of a line of work to look into. Instead of dancing, this time I broke out in song. What strikes me most is how last night was somewhat of a breaking point, it was the night I decided to confront all of the stuff in my head and heart and see them for what they were, and in less than a day a number of those things were dealt with in some regard, and not on my own accord. There's really no excuse to be made, I honestly haven't been too focused on my relationship with God currently, and have even allowed myself to think and act in ways that aren't that great, but in seeing God's work in my life even still, it makes it even more clear to me how unconditional His love is, and has me at His feet. I have felt blessed, giddy, and humbled today in recognizing God's love and provision in my life. This day caught me by surprise with the events that took place and I am so grateful for an answered unprayed prayer (it's a good thing He knows our hearts and minds). God is good, I know that full well, and I think that it's that thought that will lull me to sleep tonight. I suppose I should head in that direction now since I'm planning on going for a run in the morning now that my schedule's a bit more relaxed. I hope and pray that you all may experience God's love and faithfulness in your days!

BITS AND PIECES

I'm in the midst of studying for a final exam and writing a final paper this week (again, my program is a little different than most) so, #1: I'm currently lacking the brain capacity to put something extensive and/or insightful here; but, #2: I needed a break from the schoolwork (a.k.a. a reason to procrastinate for a bit. . .wait, do I ever need a reason for that?) and I thought that this was as good as any. Anyway, for now I'll just give a brief glimpse of some recent happenings, it's quite scintillating so I hope that you're prepared for all of this. . .

- Last week I ventured out to a local middle school to check out a Wyldlife (Young Life for middle-schoolers) club to see if it was something that I wanted to get back involved in out here. It was fun to be a part of that again, but the highlight of the evening was when one of the high-school-aged leaders asked me if I was an eighth-grader. Seriously. I suppose when I'm older it won't be bad to seem 10 years younger, but as for now, I think that graduate school and middle school are light years apart and I really hope that I don't resemble an adolescent girl.

- Kickball is going. . .well, it's going. My team is fun and I'm having a blast with it but we're still trying to get our first win. At least we've gotten to the point of being able to keep our opponents in the single digits. I think we're just going for the underdog story, so watch out, by the end of the season we'll take everyone by surprise. . .maybe. We do have our mid-season party this weekend so that should be quite the good time as well.

- One other thing keeping me going with these finals is the fact that they'll be done come Saturday, and I plan on celebrating by attending Oktoberfest down on the ocean front with some other ladies. The German in me has always wanted to experience Oktoberfest so I'm looking forward to some good Bavarian food, beer, and entertainment. Es wird spass machen! I'll try and document it in pictures to show you all the event in its glory.

- On a weirder note, over the last week my right index finger has taken to twitching involuntarily quite constantly. . .and it's gotten worse in the last couple of days. Not really sure what's going on with that. Any medical workers out there with insight?

Well, that's all folks. I promise to return to full capacity in the near future, thanks for putting up with the complete randomness (more so than usual) until then. As for now, it's back to the books for me.

A CHANGE WILL DO YOU GOOD

Even though this past month may have already been characterized by change, I couldn't help but throw one more change into the mix. I was feeling a little restless when it came to my hair so the other day I decided to take some action on that, and here's the result:

Now, aside from getting employed (hopefully soon), I think I'll hold off on the bigger-scale changes for awhile. It sure makes life fun though. ; )

"YOUTH COMES BUT ONCE IN A LIFETIME" - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I am often asked the question of what I intend to do once I am done with graduate school. I realize, and you may have too, that I just started grad. school a mere month ago but as opposed to the undergraduate years I suppose the reality is that most people go into grad. school with a firm goal already in mind, desiring to attain that masters degree so as to continue on in that direction. The truth is, for the most part, I do know what I want to be doing, I'm just not sure in what fashion it will take shape. The program that I'm in is unique in that it does not lead to my being a licensed professional counselor, but rather it provides the core counseling skill-set and equips people to provide counseling in non-traditional counseling environments. My intention upon receiving my masters in human services counseling is to make a career out of working with an outreach ministry/organization where counseling is a component of their focus but being a therapist with a couch for someone to sprawl out on while they recount their childhood is not mandatory. The more concrete details about which ministry/organization, what population of people, etc. that I would work for/with is still up in the air at this point though. Each time I think of a different population that I might want to work with, be it teenagers, the impoverished, those making pregnancy/adoption decisions, or even just everyday people who need a listening ear, I get more uncertain about which direction I want to go in for each group has a piece of my heart. But I'm hoping that through the course of this year I will be able to figure out where the largest chunk of my heart lies, then I'll be able to fully answer that question that people are so fond of asking. As for now though, I can't deny that I'm feeling a tug on my heart to continue in the direction of working with youth (it's just a present thought, we'll see what the final decision ends up being). There's something so special, and yet, in so much need with that age-group. In a day and age where they practically are adults at the age of 13, now, more than ever, these young people are in need of guidance, care, and most importantly, love. In spending time working with both adolescents and children over the years I have vastly seen the importance of being involved in their lives and building some form of connection/relationship with them. They are hoping for someone, anyone, to be invested in them and it makes a world of difference to them during those years to not be going it alone. This reality is nothing new, and it most certainly is not trivial. Both my home church and the church I've started attending hit on the magnitude of this reality within the last couple of months. Although they didn't deliver the exact same message, I found it very impacting, and convicting, that both churches laid out the reality of what the life of today's youth looks like and made appeals that each and every one of us get involved in the life of a young person, whether they are our own (not my own, clearly) or some other youngster you have contact with. Remember the saying, "it takes a village to raise a child"? Well, it pretty much does. But the responsibility extends beyond childhood. The saying should really be "it takes a village to raise a person into adulthood." Even if a child, a teenager has involved parents, or a strong bond with their grandparents, or what have you, they could always stand to have one more person in their life who cares about them, they could always stand to have you in their life. For such a time as this, today's youth are worth investing in. Plus, they are some pretty amazing people. Think about the difference you could make, just think about it, I know I am.

LIFE AS I KNOW IT

Things are coming together around here and my home is actually beginning to look like a true home. After about two weeks of going without some key items, in the last few days I have finally succeeded in acquiring a bed and a couch (thank goodness for craigslist!) and now my next task is to find a dining set. Classes are in full swing and it caught me by surprise that I'm actually enjoying all that it brings with it. And when I say that, I mean that in the sense that I wasn't quite sure if I was over being burnt out by school, but apparently I am, for now. For one of my classes this semester, each week we're to do a video-recorded counseling session with another student infiltrating the techniques we've learned in class. So, after all of one day of being in that class I went into one of those traditional counseling type of rooms (think of one you might see on Dateline or 20/20 or something, complete with a video-camera up in one corner of the room and kid-related items off to the side) and conducted a 20 min. counseling session. It was a little nerve-wracking, not really knowing what I was doing or what to expect but I'm thinking I didn't mess up too bad (and hopefully didn't mess up the 'counselee' either). In other news, in an effort to get involved in stuff around the area I looked into activities through the various cities' parks and recreations and as a result. . . I am now a card-carrying kickball player. Yep, that's right, I've joined an adult, co-ed kickball league and we have a scrimmage game this upcoming Sunday evening. Sadly, I had missed the registration date for the beach flag-football league and kickball was my only other option, but hey, I like the game. . .even if I'm used to playing it either as a kid or with kids, so I'm hoping that these people aren't die-hard kickballers. We'll see. Other than that, I'm just enjoying getting a feel for the area and trying to master the directionally-challenged streets around here, but don't worry I'm on my way to being victorious.

WHEW

There are many instances in life where a deep sigh is necessary, whether it is a sigh of relief, of weariness, or even one to provide a second of respite before tackling yet another task. At the moment, I would classify my sigh as one embodying all of the aforementioned types. A sigh of relief that the long yet spectacular adventure of driving across the country ('visiting' 14 states. . .including Michigan for about 10 minutes by accident) has concluded. A sigh of weariness of being constantly on the go for the last two-plus weeks and adjusting to the various time zone changes along the way. And a sigh providing a brief interlude before getting back to the grindstone to get myself situated here. It's a lot of stuff all at once, exciting and fun, yet also requiring that moment to let myself slow down and take a deep breath and say 'whew.' Once my brain catches up to me again I'll give more detailed descriptions about my going-ons but as for now I'll leave you all with some highlights from these last couple of weeks:

~ my good friend's gorgeous wedding that I got to be a part of

~ being able to see some interesting/landmark sights amidst the wide-open nothing-ness of Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota (not to mention, getting a lovely spattering of bugs across my windshield and entire front portion of my car . . .yuck)


~ seeing Amish people (or so Jane and I think)

~ seeing the Mississippi River for the first time

~ meeting up with my mom, my aunt, and my grandma for dinner in La Crosse, WI (they were there visiting the area where my ancestors came from)

~ sight-seeing in Chicago, by foot and by being a typical tourist and riding a red double-decker tour bus
~ changing time zones in Indiana and not realizing it until we were checking in at our hotel at 9:40 pm. . .but really 10:40 pm, and then trying to find a place that was still serving food so that we could have dinner

~ visiting the campus of the University of Notre Dame . . .and then getting lost trying to get back on the freeway from there, thus leading to our brief stint in Michigan that caught us by surprise

~ driving from Indiana, into Michigan for a couple minutes, through Ohio, through Pennsylvania, and into Maryland all in one day and luckily enough be staying in our nicest hotel of the whole trip:

Wall, South Dakota

v.s.

Hagerstown, Maryland

~ playing the license plate game across the country and seeing all but 3 of the states

~ checking out my new digs. . .it's a great location with nice amenities, I think it'll be perfect

~ sight-seeing in and around Virginia Beach including: hanging out on the beach, strolling on the boardwalk and then riding in a four-person bike with Jane, my mom, my aunt, and my grandma (who were now visiting this area by that time. . .imagine that), visiting Cape Henry (where the first landing of the settlers who established Jamestown took place and where the first U.S. lighthouse was erected, and still stands), driving across the 17.6 mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to Virginia's Eastern Shore and then proceeding to have dinner overlooking the Chesapeake Bay, catching the tail-end of the first day of the East Coast Surfing Championships and later attending an event put on for the surfers at a local bar and grill

~ attending my orientation for grad. school . . .and meeting a girl starting law school here who grew up in the Tri-Cities and graduated from UW, small world!

And. . . that's it for now, whew! I start classes on Thursday and in the meantime am going to attempt to set-up camp around here and also try and drink in this stage of my life that's going on in the midst of this whirlwind. I'll let you know how both of those go. ; )

GO EAST YOUNG WOMAN

I still have a few days yet, but I thought that I'd get around to doing this now before it gets even more hectic with all of the prepping (both physically and mentally) I'll be doing in the days to come. Regardless of it not being the actual day that I'm leaving, the fact of the matter is that after months of anticipation, the time has come for me to pack up my things, bid my loved ones farewell, and make my trek across the country to start yet another chapter of my life. It's bittersweet really. So, after a summer of driving this sweet ride around day in and day out:
I'm trading in those wheels to drive this beauty 3,000 miles across the country starting Friday: I've got quite the journey ahead of me, both literally and figuratively. And while I know that I'm going to miss having my friends and family in close proximity, and vice versa (right?), I also consider myself very blessed to have such a great support network which encourages me to chase down my dreams, even if it takes me away from them. Thank you to everyone for being a part of this journey with me! That's it from me here in Gig Harbor, stay tuned for another installment from some other location. . .

THIS IS WORK FOR ME?

Yes, of course I could use as much money as possible at the moment given all the expenses I'm about to incur in my adventure East and I'm not exactly making bank with my current job, but honestly, at the end of the day, to be getting paid to hang out with kids and participate in fun activities that I'd like to do anyways, I'm quite lucky. The days can in fact be long and exhausting but ultimately they are rewarding and that is often a rarity when it comes to work. Through this job I've been given the chance to enter the lives of these teenagers, serving as a friend and mentor (and often feeling like a parent as well -- I'm getting some good practice for later on in life, Lord willing) and sharing in their adventures, some experiencing things for the first time. This experience has reiterated my desire to be invested in people and their lives and excites me all the more to be able to go to school to learn how to do so even more effectively. And in the meantime, as I count down the days until my departure, I'm reveling in the fact that I'm getting paid to go bowling, ride horses on the beach, go hiking, play games, go to theme parks and fun centers, and go camping (for the first time!), among other things. Life is good, crazy in how it works, but good none-the-less.


(here I am slaving away at work on our recent two-night camping trip in the San Juan Islands)

CONFESSION TIME

If you know me (which I'm assuming that you do -- at least to some extent -- if you're reading this), you know that I'm a pretty frugal and simple person. I mainly do my grocery shopping based off of whatever is on sale at the moment at the grocery store (which then leads to my preoccupation with the "you saved $____ today" line on the receipt that makes me feel as though I just won a minor victory). I'm an adamant defender of the gas stations with "bad" gas because they coincidentally are the ones with the cheapest prices around and as such I also insist on filling up there . . .after all, good 'ol Vince is still running like a champ. And while I do like to look nice, I'm by no means a slave to fashion, the latest trends/designers, and the price-tag that comes with it all. However, I have come to realize that there's an area in my life where my frugality is weakened and my standards are high. It's true, I'm high maintenance when it comes to the place that I live. I'd like to think that it's only a new development that came about after having lived in a darkened basement where the only common area was the entry/kitchen/dining room/laundry room combination, but the first step in recovery is to admit your problem and I think that to be able to move forward I have to be painfully honest in saying that this trait has been long-standing. After all, even though it wouldn't fit my standards today, I did pick out some pretty amazing neon-green wallpaper with daisies on it for my bedroom when I was younger in an effort to have the 'perfect' girl room. As of late, I've seen this form of high maintenance rearing its head again in the midst of my squaring away living arrangements for Virginia. In all reality, should a two-toned cupboard circa the 1980s really be a deciding factor in where one lives? For any normal person, probably not, but for me, if I'm scrolling through possible places to live and I spot a picture of white, vinyl-covered cupboards with brown, wood edges that viable housing option is tossed out. And, call me crazy, but I also am not interested in a place where animals (namely dogs) are not allowed. Not that I have any animals that would be coming along with me, but wouldn't a dog just be lovely? I think so. And I don't want to wind up at a place where my dream of having a pooch wouldn't ever have a chance to become a reality. There's quite a few other deciding factors that some might classify as 'picky' (alright, even I know that they are picky) but you can't blame a girl for wanting the place that she lives to truly be her home. . .even if that means forgoing one's money-saving tendencies in order to secure a place that meets their expectations. If I'm going to be high maintenance in an area of my life, I suppose that this is as good as any, but perhaps I'll still try and tame the beast a bit. We'll see how that goes depending on where I wind up living. As for now, I think I'll go fill up at Arco. . .

FLASHBACK TO CHILDHOOD

Oh to be a kid again, to live in the world of sandboxes, legos, recess, barbies, and so on and so forth. I'm sure that at least one or two of us have wished to experience those joyful simplicities with such childlike fascination once again. . .lucky enough for me, I get to do so on a daily basis during the weekdays. It brings me so much happiness to see that wall-ball and two/four-square have not gone extinct since I was a wee-one myself. I love the fact that in spite of all of the changes in society and technology, at the core of things, children are still children and still find enjoyment in activities that have been around for ages. In addition to the way that they play, many of you who may not have the opportunity to be around children often will be pleased to know that kids do in fact still say the darndest things. Here's a recent sampling of what I've overheard and/or experienced as of late:

Kid: "If I keep digging, I think I'll end up in Brooklyn."

Me: "Did you wash your hands?"
Kid: "Yep."
Me: "Can I smell them then?"
Kid: ". . .", smiles mischeviously as they walk towards the bathroom to go wash their hands

Kid A: "If you go and get Johnny* for me I'll be your friend."
Kid B: (said with a face aglow of hope) "Best friend?!"

Kid: "I'm going to follow you around forever . . .well, until my mommy comes, then I'll follow her."

Kid: "Me and Susie's* parents created all the countries in the world and we speak every language."
Me: "That's so neat. Sprechen Sie Deutsch?"
Kid: blank stare followed by a tilting of the head and a smirk, "We're not allowed to speak the languages around other people though."

Me: "Did you just get that out of the trash?"
Kid: "Yeah, I always eat stuff out of the garbage."

Kid: "Just write my name down as Kung Fu Master."

Oh, to be a kid again. = )

*names have been changed to protect the (mostly) innocent

VIRGINIA IS FOR LOVERS

After much thinking, praying, and coin-tossing, the decision has been made. Come August I will be making my way across the country to Virginia Beach, VA to get my masters in human services counseling. I'm really looking forward to this next adventure in my life and what that means for my future as a whole, only time will tell exactly what will come of all of this but I'm excited to find out.

EENY, MEENY, MINY, MO

The word is in, I've been accepted into three of the four grad. schools that I applied to . . . and now it's time to make a decision. I've got some thinking and deliberating to do, or maybe I'll just make it easier and pull a name from the hat. More to come. . .

REJUVENATED AND YET STILLED

As a result of where my life has led me in these past 7 months or so, lately, I have felt even more so like a caged bird who's ready to soar outside of the confines of her relatively self-built bars. I am thrilled at the reality that I will undoubtedly be going to graduate school somewhere along the Eastern seaboard this fall (although the final 'where' is yet to be decided upon and the finances still need finagling), but I can't help but grow a bit impatient in knowing that I am still months away from that step forward in life taking place. Yes, these 7 months have provided a time of refinement and growth, as well as a new life direction and various opportunities/experiences that came about that I otherwise would not have encountered, but they have also led me to feel as though my life at current is on hold and that it is quite nondescript. In spite of some larger-scale changes (i.e. actually being employed now, hallelujah!) I kind of liken myself to a caterpillar who hides in their cocoon until they can emerge as a stunning butterfly in that I actually find myself wanting to shelter the reality of my life from others until I feel as though it is something that I am proud of, until I'm doing something a bit closer to grand than what I'm doing (and have been doing) now. Over the course of these months, my heart has constantly been stirred with this desire to be somewhere/doing something more grandiose, stemming from a mixture of indignity, ambition, envy, and hope, to the point that now that I'm on the cusp of heading in that direction the idea of waiting any longer makes my heart want to leap out of my chest. I'm being forced to re-learn this idea of patience that I once thought I wasn't so bad at. Increasingly, I've become aware that in the midst of my longings for my future and dealing with its alter-ego, the less-exciting current reality, I really haven't taken the time to focus on other aspects of my life, most notably, my walk with God. To rectify that situation, today I stole away to a place that provided that refuge and breath of life that I was so desperately in need of. I found myself enveloped not only in the beauty of God's creation but also in His peace. It's an amazing thing how such an escape can both bring one to life again and at the same time also subdue certain thoughts and feelings, on both accounts, it was exactly what I needed. I walked away from my brief sojourn knowing that I am blessed to live the life that I do (yes, even in its current state) and trusting that even though I might not be where I intended to be at this point in my life I am where God intended me to be and His plan/timing is ultimately better than my own. I now see these next few months that lie ahead in a different light and I do believe that I will be able to maintain some semblance of patience until I get to take that next step in my life, all while being able to revel in the here and now and the experiences that my current reality presents to me.

A LITERAL 'LOOK' AT THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS

A trip to the Bahamas with cousin Jane

plus my brother's wedding in Oregon

equals a fabulous few weeks

BAHAMA MAMA

Life is definitely interesting. In the most recent news of my life: I've received word that I've been accepted into one of the graduate schools that I applied to (still waiting on the other three); I currently am temp-ing as a receptionist for a health and rehabilitation center (despite not having much of any office, much less receptionist, experience I've started to get the hang of it and am enjoying interacting with the resident 'regulars' who frequent my desk); and as of today, I'll be taking off for the Bahamas in two weeks! I believe that a get-away is exactly what the doctor ordered given where I'm at in life right now, especially as things are finally starting to move again. As usual, I still may not be entirely certain of what the future holds, but what I'm seeing right now is looking good to me.

SAY WHAT YOU NEED TO SAY

Words are potent, this much is true, and has been true since the beginning of time. So how often do we take the time to think about the things we say and the way in which they are said? I'm not only talking about making sure that we don't say negative things to/about others (although that's not a bad thing to keep in check), but what about putting thought into the very words and statements that we speak towards people so that what we say is intentional as opposed to a relative knee-jerk response to the conversation. I, for one, feel that when I speak less I am actually saying more, as opposed to when I am speaking more but really saying less; in other words, I think that when I take the time to thoughtfully construct what I'm going to say it oftens leads to being more succinct but packing a greater punch than if I were to rattle off what came to mind first. . .and kept rattling until I thought that I finally made my point. Communication as a whole is definitely tricky, but at the same time, it is such an elemental aspect of life that it is worth the extra time and effort to try and improve on it. One Bible verse which is relevant to words and communication that has always stuck out to me is Ephesians 4:29, stating "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." While most people are usually familiar with the first part of that verse (which is in fact important), it is the second part that set off a flare in my mind: "but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." How profound is that?! Not only should my words be kind, and/or uplifting, but they should be in the best interest of that specific person. It's so easy to give someone a stock response or to tell them something based off of your own opinion, I know that I'm guilty of those instances many times over, but what about taking that person, in all of their uniqueness, into consideration and saying words to them that are actually going to be helpful and beneficial due to taking the time to think through what it is that they really need to hear, to say what you really need to say. Now that would be amazing.

FAITH UNCHALLENGED IS STIFLED FAITH

I apologize for not going into detail about all that is going on in my life at the moment, or truthfully, all that is not going on in my life right now, but I figured that it's actually for your benefit that I don't (you're welcome, in advance). However, due to the constant ups and downs that I have been experiencing in the past few months (and especially having them come to a head within the last week or so), I did feel compelled to give at least a little depiction of my current state of mind. I'm sure many of you have experienced this to some degree as well, so as much as my intent here is to give insight into where I'm at right now, it is also my hope to give encouragement for those of you who have been, are currently, or will be someday, in a place similar to where I'm finding myself these days. No, these following words are not my own, but I believe that they give better voice to my own thoughts and feelings at present than I myself would be able to, as well as providing me with a better perspective of where I'm at and where that might lead to.

"Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: tempests are her trainers, and lightnings are her illuminators. When a calm reigns on the sea, spread the sails as you will, the ship moves not to its harbour; for on a slumbering ocean the keel sleeps too. Let the winds rush howling forth, and let the waters lift up themselves, then, though the vessel may rock, and her deck may be washed with waves, and her mast may creak under the pressure of the full and swelling sail, it is then that she makes headway towards her desired haven. No flowers were so lovely a blue as those which grow at the foot of the frozen glacier;

no stars gleam so brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky;

no water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand;

and no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity;

Tried faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness had you not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God's strength had you not been supported amid the water-floods. Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too."

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." ~ Isaiah 43:1-2