All Moved Out And Ready to Rock

Well, we moved! Samara and I both said that Saturday was way less stressful than we had anticipated, and we got a lot more done than we had planned. Score and score!

Our place may or may not look like this for a while...

           

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...but at least there was none of this:

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All in all, success!

Now that all that moving in and getting settled business is behind us {HA!}, I'm outta here. Actually, I really am. Dahlia and I are going to Prince Edward Island tomorrow! Augh!!! So excited!!! We're going to tour Green Gables and have tea with Maud and tour museums and check out the red roads and see two different musicals and basically have the best time ever in the history of good times. Stand back!

However, this trip really sneaked up on me... I'm not packed yet. That is how not prepared I am.

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You can find me here on top of my suitcase tonight, thanks, see ya then.

Oh yeah, and after our little Canadian excursion, it's our church's Family Camp... as in, no blog posts :( Sorry to keep you all waiting, but I promise that pictures will be up as soon as possible and you will see both our new place and the adventures in Canada.

Until then, bon voyage!

Following Up

So yeah, I'm moving into a totes adorbs condo with my bestie :)

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Samara wants to be the giraffe, mainly because of its cute accessories...idk. All I know is that means I'm the cat? monkey? creature partying it up in the back, totally unsupervised as usual. Such is my lot.

So let me share some deets with y'all. Because you have nothing better to do than read about my life. I know.

Details That I Will Share With You:

• We're moving into a seriously awesome condo- first floor, 2 bathrooms, sliding door, and our own little patio!
  
• Our place is about 2 minutes from church! And like 1.5 minutes from the freeway! And like a stroll down the block to water! Praise the Lord!
  
• Since we are so close to said water and because we are nerds, we came up with a name for our little homey-home: Bright Shores... it's got a reference to Austen and all the named estates, "Bright Star" our favorite movie about John Keats, and of course it starts with a B... as in, 221B Baker Street. Gotta bring Sherlock in there somehow :)
  
• We wanted to share {oh my gracious, how badly we wanted to share!} the news with you all sooner, but we also wanted to make sure all the legalities were taken care of first. Gotta stay legal.
  
• I'm pretty sure that Samara and I lived on Pinterest for a few months.... gotta love private, shared boards.
  
• As soon as we are settled, we will be taking pictures and sharing them with you! Something to look forward to, because, as noted above, you have nothing better to do... ;)

I'm serious about those pictures. Actually, it will be wonderful when I can post pictures, because that will mean that we're both unpacked and getting settled, and that will be a wonderful moment. 

Alright, I'm off on an adventure across the mountains to pick up my grandmother's dishes from my cousins. Long story. The short version is, my grandma is giving me dishes! And I'm getting them tonight, so peace out, yo. 

Funny Friday...on Tuesday

There is a method to this madness: I'm going out of town this weekend, so the odds of a Funny Friday post on Friday are basically nonexistent. But at least you get a laugh, and who doesn't need a laugh on Tuesday?!

So I'm heading to my Other Home tomorrow, partially to work and partially to play. It's going to be a fast, crazy trip.

My bosom friend AJ puts on the VBS skit each year, and this year the group needs medieval costumes. Coincidentally, my family has approximately half a million medieval costumes...ok, more like half a dozen, but try and put that bag of half a dozen costumes back into the closet and it turns into half a million. But this is a side note.

The point of this story is that I volunteered these costumes for AJ. She needs a knight, a monk, and a princess costume- check, check, and check.

It makes the most sense for me to pack these costumes and bring them with me on this trip; saves on postage, right? Right. So I'm packing my stuff last night {I know, I'm an eager beaver...ps, are beavers really that eager, or do people just say that because it rhymes? Like awesome possum? I've never met a possum that was truly awesome...but I guess they are awesome at playing dead...I've been on allergy meds for the past 48 hours- can you tell??} and even with my mad packing skills, I was apprehensive about fitting everything into my carry-on suitcase.

Suddenly, I had a BRILLIANT idea: I should wear the monk costume on the plane! So much space would be saved, both from not having this multi-layered brown frock in my suitcase, and from the clothes I wouldn't have to wear on the plane. I know. I'm a genius.

The best part of this story is telling AJ my plan.

I text her: great idea! I'm going to wear the monk's costume on the plane!
She texts back: You're going to get arrested.

Now, we are not discriminating against monks. Not at all. And I don't think TSA does either. In fact, I shared a plane with two Hindu {I think} monks on my way home from Texas. {This sparked another conversation with AJ about these monks' lunch boxes, which will be saved for another time.}

What might be odd or arrest-worthy is the fact that there are no girl monks...those are called nuns in the Catholic religion, and I don't know what they are in other faiths.

Oh. My. Word. I have a nun costume. And if I wore it, I would be a flying nun. Shut the front door.

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Too bad AJ doesn't need a nun costume. Guess I'll just stick everything in my suitcase and wear normal, non-monk or -nun clothing. Darn.

Hey, I'm Alive

So, sorry for dropping off the grid there, folks! I ride two airplanes and suddenly can't put my thoughts in order. Sheesh.

Actually, the airplanes are not to blame. I got home safe and sound, and so did my luggage. That night I stayed up really late with my two at-home sisters, and we laughed A LOT and talked about boys and sister stuff like that, and then we finally went to bed and thank God that we were all on break!

Wednesday, I seriously rocked. I unpacked all four suitcases into my new room {as in, my room was moved to another room without my presence, and then my sis on Spring Break crashed in there, and it was chaos...actually, it still is; it's just shut-up-in-drawers chaos now.}. Like a boss.

Thursday, #bestierunion!!!!! Totes fun. We talked about Doctor Who and sexuality and passion and oh yeah our future place together. You know you're best friends when...you talk about all of that during a 30 minute lunch period. Yup.

Also, my grandma moved in with us. We had the MCs come and help us load things in the truck and drive the mile down the road and then unload. We got it all done in just a few hours, which was nice. Grandma's been getting settled pretty well, and I think it's all going to work out for us.

I started work this past Monday. It's been fun. I'm learning a lot, mainly that getting up before 6am is NOT my favorite thing, but oh wait, I already knew that. :-p But seriously, it's been great. I've also been getting my name out there for some tutoring and babysitting jobs, and I have an interview for a receptionist position tomorrow, so hopefully I can start making bank and get a place sooner. Apparently the old saying "Cash is king" applies to the housing market too. So if you think of it, please pray that I find the perfect position{s}.

In other news, I'm really looking forward to sharing tomorrow's Funny Friday, because it's a doozy. AJ, you know what I'm talking about. Heck to the yeah.

Alright, peeps, I hope that I've convinced you that my heart still beats. Peace out til tomorrow!

That Antsy Stage

It’s the antsy time. You know, the time before a transition, and all your anticipation and nerves and frustrations and adrenaline are still stuck inside you with no where to go but to bed?

Because I’m in this stage, I feel like I’m wasting my life away. I know, it’s an exaggeration {you don’t get voted Most Dramatic in h.s. for nothing!}, but that’s what I’m tempted to think on lazy Sundays with travelling plans on Tuesday. There’s nothing to do right now- too soon to pack, too snowy to go out, wrong time zone to call friends or family- and so I feel stuck. It’s the awkward waiting period that lasts a few days and then goes away; it’s a time of transition, and so I’m antsy.

As previously mentioned, my bestie and I are planning on getting a place together. I’m meeting with the realtor next week to discuss stuff, and the ball is really getting rolling! I know God has a great place for us, and I’m so excited to move into this next stage.

Along with the anticipation and happiness of going home and finding a new home with the bestie, there is the sadness that comes, too. The reality of Grandpa’s passing will definitely sink in once I’m home, and I know I will really feel the loss as Grandma moves into my parents’ home and I see her frequently but Grandpa no more on earth.

I’m excited to start working for my parents, but I’m also nervous scared apprehensive about the whole process. Things will be different, because I’ll be doing a different job, I won’t be living at home {once we get a place, of course}, and I now have 6 months of experience that I didn’t have in June. But it’s still an unknown, and that means it’s an omnipresent thought in my mind.

Also, when I go home, I’m going to be volunteering for a crisis pregnancy center! I’m very excited to start serving!!! During training, the lady in charge of the education program {they go into schools and talk about abstinence and things like that} said that she would love for me to be a part of their program because I’m single. Guess being single is cool still! ;) I’m really looking forward to getting back to working with kids; I do miss my after-school groupies.

And on a lighter note, the bestie has been doing what she does best and sharing the passion for all things BBC and Sherlock, and now several of our friends are “on the bandwagon” {and by bandwagon I mean totally and completely obsessed}, and when Season Three comes out, we are planning a dress-up party for each episode! There are only 3 episodes; don’t think we’re totally crazy {we are, but not for that reason!}.It will be especially fabulous because these parties will be at our own homes, which is totally crazy because omg when did we get so old, but at the same time, it does feel kind of fun to think of hosting a themed party with friends at my house. Boom. I just grew a long white beard.

Thanks for listening, friends.

Random Saturday Musings

Just a few things to share, in no particular order:

I recently discovered the blog of  Laura, and I’m really inspired. She’s active in the pro-life movement, and we have similar goals in terms of our involvement in the movement. She and I have emailed a couple times, and I really admire this young lady! She gave me a really remarkable recommendation: start answering questions about abortion on Yahoo! Answers. Brilliant! So simple, yet so effective! Read her post about cyber counseling!

It snowed back at Home…as in, schools were delayed because it actually stuck. This never happens, and yet it did. And it snowed in my Other Home. This I think is more rare for March. And just when I was about to say “Finally you get what I’m getting,” it starts to snow here in the Frozen Tundra too. Ugh.

I’ve been on a Lord of the Rings kick recently. As in, I’m watching the movies again…by myself…yeah, the extended versions. Hello, I’m a nerd.

L came over today and we watched Anne of Avonlea. Sniff. I love that movie. Makes me want to re-read the Anne books, and then actually advance into the books about {spoiler warning for those of you who haven’t read it and have been living under a stupid rock} Anne and Gilbert’s married life.
Oh, and did I mention {sorry Lola!} that Dahlia and I are going to Prince Edward Island in August?!!?!? Yes we are, shut the front door. Contain your jealousy, everyone. We’ve basically been planning this trip since our sophomore or junior year of college. We were going to go “the summer after graduation!” but then we got jobs and realized that we are grown-ups and stuff, and so we delayed it one summer. But we’re going in 5 months!!! Holla! Or as they say up north, “Eh!”

Oh yeah one small teeny insignificant thing… I started packing. But hey, I leave in 3 days, instead of 30 like, oh you know, last month. But when I say I “started” packing, I really mean it. Just books and things that I won’t be using this weekend. So don’t freak out. I’m not crazy. Or as “Confessions of a Shopaholic” would say, “I’m not a pervert!”

don’t know where to go from here, so I’m going to go finish “The Return of the King.” Peace out!

Victory!

Alright friends, we’re gonna get real here.

I’ll be going home 4 weeks from yesterday. May I just point out that this is the going home to stay home for the first time in three years trip. Heck. Yes. But this is an aside. The point is that I’m going home.
The other point is that Grams’ favorite hobby is shopping. And related to this point is that I too have gone shopping {quality time-don’t be hatin’!} while living in the Frozen Tundra {ok, and there’s not a whole lot else to do. I said we were getting real.}.

These points lead to the point that I was really nervous about all my, ahem, stuff fitting into suitcases. P.S. I’m flying Southwest because a) they’re usually cheap and b) along with that cheap price, they let you check two bags included in the price of the ticket!!! Score for this gal moving across the country!

So even with these two suitcases, I was nervous. So what did my little OCD-self do? Yep. Packed tonight.
Not everything; just my clothes and half my shoes. I wanted to see how much space it all took, because I had a guess, but I wasn't sure. I’m a good packer, but didn't expect to be that good.

ALL my clothes fit into one of my checked bags, and half of my shoes {as in, 3 pairs of boots and 4 pairs of dress shoes} and my socks and undershirts fit into my carry-on suitcase. Bam. Victory.

There are probably those of you wondering why would she pack up all her clothes a month in advance? Why was she even thinking about packing?? Some of you are probably thinking she needs meds for this level of OCD. And still others of you are thinking Geez! How many pairs of shoes does this chick have!?!?

Well, dear readers, fear not: I shall answer your wonderings. I unpacked after I packed. {This may raise more questions, but let’s review how many times the term “OCD” has been used already in this post and just let it be.} As for the meds wondering, I do take meds…actually vitamins, not actual meds. And for you shoe haters or lusters out there, I will say that a) 2 pairs of boots are snow boots-one can never be too prepared in the Frozen Tundra! and b) yes I like shoes. I have feet. Duh.

So there. You are now a part of my victory. Congratulations.

And for those of you completely bored by this post, here is a picture that cracks my sister J and me up every time. Yay, “Big Bang Theory”! You’re welcome.

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jeepers creepers, y’all

there’s a song that says the beginning is the very best place to start, so here goes.

Thursday, May 3rd: I take my last final, pack up my room, do some laundry, and leave campus. The goal is to surprise my family at the airport. Flight is supposed to land at 5. Some friends and I go see other friends in “Fiddler on the Roof".” Very fun. Spent the night with AJ.

Friday: hang out with AJ and kids, friend picks me up at 4:30 so we can go to the airport and meet my family coming in at 5…which then gets changed to 6.
Friend and I pick up other friend. find out family’s flight is indefinitely delayed. Friends and I go meet other friends for movie, after confessing to Dad that I’m meeting them at the airport.

During movie, sister texts me and tells me the plane broke down and they are waiting for first a replacement plane and then a crew. Movie ends; dad texts that they are finally on a plane. friends and I go to Liquor Barn.

Friends and I leave. I’m dying to see fam. Friends {guys} want food first. Grr.

Dad texts: they've landed! I tell friends to drive like whoa to the airport, NOW.

We get there: there are hugs all around. Friends leave, and my fam and I head for hotel.

Saturday: packing! It only takes a couple hours to pack everything, which is great. Mom and Dad take a load to my new host home, and I show sisters around the campus.

3:00pm- graduation rehearsal. Wait in gym….walk down to other gym…walk into gym…stand and wait for other graduates to walk in…joke about not wearing heels…finally sit down… listen to staff talk about how the ceremony will go….random cheers because we graduate TOMORROW. get dismissed. find family. leave for church-town.

6:30pm- graduation party! everyone from the church comes and meets my family and we grill food and laugh and talk and take pictures and hold babies and have general happiness.

9:30pm- post-party game of quelf. if you have not played this game, then shut your computer and go get a life because you need to play this game. end of story. it was amazing. andddd best part is my sisters got addicted so I’m expecting this game when I arrive home {hint hint}.

Sunday- GRADUATION DAY!!!!

Fam goes to church, gets introduced, then we split like a banana and head back to campus so I can be lined up in time. BARELY make it, and then there are pictures and gasps and shrieks and general freaking out hysterics. We’re about to graduate, ok. it was scary awesome. then all of a sudden we’re walking. past the faculty who are cheering us and waving at us. down the stairs, carefully not falling. pausing before the door, realizing that we’re entering the room as students and going to exit the room as graduates. slowly entering, letting each couple of students get “stoled” by staff and then walking down the long aisle waving at family and smiling hugely. finding my seat and being glad my sis let me use her flat sandals. standing and cheering for others as they enter. being very grateful when the college president finally stands and motions for us to sit.
the long and the short of it is this: I graduated. the fun part is, I got Magna Cum Laude {3.750-3.899}!!!! I was scared that I wouldn't get it, but hoorah! this semester’s labor paid off.

graduation was a long ceremony, but my grandparents and BFF got to watch the important parts, and my fam and I had to suffer through the rest… jk. there were just a LOT of B.A.s to bestow. Anywho, there were tons of pictures and introductions and laughs afterwards, and then my fam and I went to dinner. it was lovely. and then back to the hotel for sleep!

Monday, we packed up the rest of everything and headed to church-town. my fam dropped me off and said goodbye {yes, I cried a little- can’t help it}. then I hung with AJ again.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were just kinda get used to this no-school thing. there were babysitting adventures galore. It was great. And Thursday afternoon, my sister arrived! this is the sis who couldn't come to graduation because she’s in a leadership school and they’re driving around the country doing ministry stops. Well, they stopped here! I got to hang with them alllllll weekend, and Monday morning had to tearfully say goodbye {yep, I cried again}.

Yesterday was laundry day, with a Mary Kay party in the evening. Oh yeah and then excitement after that, but that will be a separate post.

jeepers creepers. THAT was my life. crazy. everything happened so fast. I was falling asleep yesterday and thinking that the past 10 days have been the most extreme roller coaster of emotions and sleep and everything. I said hello to my family, goodbye to fellow classmates, hello to my sis, hello to my friends, hello to tornado clean up, goodbye to my sister and friends, and in another week-ish I’ll say hello to AJ’s baby. jeepers creepers.

Uhhh…. it’s been a while…

Crazy recap time! Let’s see, the past two weeks in a nutshell.

Two Sundays ago, some friends and I went to see Les Miserables. GAH!!!! So incredible. It was a wonderful time with my girlfriends, and we even had crepes for dinner- how french! Here is a pic of the sign outside the theater, courtesy of Char.


Then I started packing… and packing. I was packing for 1) heading back to school and 2) Family Camp with my church. So there was a lot of packing!

Wednesday, my sisters and a friend drove up to Family Camp- it’s about an hour north of our home. It was fun to ride with my friend, because we have that great kind of relationship that if neither one of us is talking, we’re still comfortable. But since her sister just became engaged, there wasn't a whole lot of silence. ;)

Camp was WONDERFUL! I missed it last year due to Orientation for school, and I honestly had forgotten how marvelous it is to be literally surrounded by people you know and love. And our guest speaker was amazing as well. All around, a grand time. Sadly, I don’t think I took any pictures the entire time… you can see from this blog how usually I’m never separated from my camera… oh, wait.

Saturday evening, my parents and two sisters and I drove home. Then I finished packing {mainly putting dirty clothes into a separate bag} and realized I had left my wallet {meaning my driver’s license, my debit card, and, most importantly, my student I.D.} in my sister’s car at camp. Oi. Mom dug out my passport and Dad promised to mail my wallet as soon as it got back to the house. Phew. Crisis averted.

Bright and early… actually, it wasn't yet bright. It was just early. Early on Sunday morning, my parents drove me to the airport, waited through the LOOOONG line to check my bag, and then said goodbye. Sigh.
I had two carry-on bags, and as I was trying to open my new headphones, I heard the flight attendant say that if people wanted to gate-check their bags, they could pick them up at their final destination. Score! I went over to the desk immediately and got the sticker on my bag, and then I got to board early. Sweet! So it was very nice for me not to have 2 bags to worry about, especially since they both rolled = awkward! Praise Jesus for free gate-check!

Anyway, flights were pretty uneventful… I dozed most of the way and read for a bit. I landed 5 minutes early, and my ride was already waiting for me! She took me to my stuff, which was being stored at a church friend’s house. They were having small group at another family’s house, and so there were TONS of kids on the sidewalk riding bikes and scooters and skateboards all over, and my friends were there! Ahh… it was so great to see all these people!

Monday was Group Advising Sessions, which basically meant an hour of hanging out with the freshmen in my group. The instructor and I met before the meeting, and I’m really excited about this semester. The students look like a good group, maybe a little overloaded on information at the time {who isn't after 3 days of orientation!?} but overall a fun group.

Tuesday was TA Training, and I have several friends who are doing the same job as me, so it was great to go to different training sessions and entertain each other. Lunch was catered by the local Italian restaurant- ohmylanta, it was amazing. I had fettuccine Alfredo with chicken, plus they gave us a “bread stick” which was really like 3 rolls baked together… and the famous pop out here- in a glass bottle- can it get better???

Yes- they had ice cream for dessert. Heck yeah I love being a TA! :)

Wednesday was the first day of classes! Augh! LAST first day of school!!! Woot!
It went very well… I know at least one person in every class, which is so nice.

Thursday, I just had one class {GSTR 410-meh}, and I checked the schedule; the class is in Presser Hall, which is the Music building. I thought, weird, and there’s no room number, so I thought maybe it was in the concert hall. I head over there with time to spare, and there’s no other classmates that I recognize. I ask the lady in the office, and she doesn't have my class listed as being in the building. Uh oh. So she lets me check my schedule according to my class list, and I find out the class is in the Science building. Across campus. And it’s 5 til. Blast.

I was only a few minutes late, and the two guys that I knew in the class were giving me weird looks, because they know I’m usually on top of it. The instructor finishes taking roll, and then says, I don’t like this classroom. Let’s meet in the Art building, Room xxx in say, 15 minutes? And I’m like, great, let’s hike all over the place! Haha. So as soon as we’re out of the classroom, one of the guys is like, what’s the story? Cuz I knew as soon as you weren't here that there would be a story. Haha, thank you, I’ll be here all semester. :-p Anyway, the class was fine, and those two guys and I are gonna try and be a group for our big project. It should be fine.

Today is free!!!! That’s right- I have Fridays off. Score! It pays to be a senior. :D
Well, you pay in homework, which is what I should do. Thanks for reading my ramblings! Peace out, yo!

Catch Up

Goodness, readers, has it really been more than a week since I've written? Has it been that long? For me, yes! It has been long, but at the same time, the past week and a half have flown by. It’s totally God, because if the days were dragging, I would be miserable. I would miss my family… but let me back up and start at the beginning of the journey.

Wednesday night, I had to say goodbye to all my friends, and to my sisters, which was really hard. We hugged, and then I turned around to hug someone else, and when I turned back my sisters were all crying. And so we had to hug again, which made us cry harder. It was really, really difficult to leave everyone.

BFF, I know you’re reading this, and I miss you and love you tons, and I smell your note often! Sis {I know you know who you are!}, I miss everyone more than I thought I would, and that was a lot, so yeah.

After we said to goodbye to everyone, Mom and Dad and I went home to pack. Mom {aka, Superwoman} got everything into 3 suitcases. Ok, I had done a pretty decent job, but she squished and pushed and weighed and condensed, and we got it! We flew out Thursday, and then went shopping on Friday. I got the cutest bedspread and sheets and pillow and soft blanket- check out the pic!


After Mom and I had finished shopping, we went to the airport to pick up Dad. We went to dinner, and then back to the hotel.

Saturday was move-in day and orientation! We got to the dorm at 8:30am, and thank God the elevator was unlocked! When Mom and I had toured the dorm on Friday, the RA told us that the elevator only went down; no one could ride it up because there are offices in the basement and the first floor, and they don’t want creepers riding the elevator up to the residences on the 2nd and 3rd floors. But thank goodness she had unlocked it for the first few days so that we could take the suitcases up to my room on the 3rd floor!

We separated the beds and raised them so we could fit our dressers under them; that saved us a ton of space! During the arranging time, my roomie came in! Yay! She and her mom were there, and once they saw the room and us, they went back downstairs to bring up her luggage.

After we had dropped our luggage off, we went to do orientation stuff. Thankfully, I had got my ID printed the day before, so I didn't have to stand in line for that! There were some papers to sign and some people to meet, and that took us a few hours. FINALLY it was all done! We went back to the dorm and began unpacking in earnest.

It was a little crowded at first, but once my roomie put the desk where she wanted it, and got her dresser under her bed, we had plenty of room. Except for the several suitcases. Mom and Dad and I got everything put away, and then it was time for the group orientation.

It was really weird being there, because it was HOT and most of the students there were freshmen and their parents, and they all looked more worried and scared than my parents and I did! After we played some games {the parents got to go inside and be reassured about the safety of their children}, we met with our advisers, then went to the Ceremony of Dedication, which was pretty interesting. All the faculty got dressed in their graduation gowns from their highest degree, and there was a song sung, a prayer read, a couple speeches given, and then it was over.

That was the last event that parents and family could attend; everything afterwards was for the students. Mom and Dad went back to the hotel and I went to dinner with my adviser and others in the same department. It was fun, and afterwards our “small groups” met again with our advisers and we just talked of general things.

I was exhausted after that, but there was more! We met in our dorms {actually, I didn’t; I met with other transfer students in the Alumni Building} and we talked about general resident-hall policies. We got done early, thank God, and Dad came to pick me up. Our hotel room looked empty without all of my suitcases! All I had was my backpack and my purse, and my clothes that I was going to wear to church tomorrow. We went to bed pretty early Saturday; I think we were all mentally and emotionally exhausted from the day.

I’ll tell you about church on Sunday later. Thank you for your prayers!

Counting Down to the Wrong Day

Yes, readers, it’s true. My count-down is wrong. You see, I've been counting down the days until I fly away, and that count is accurate. But I should have been counting down the days I have left with my family and friends, because that is one day less than my flying countdown. Also, I should be counting down the days until I meet my room-mate, which is two days after I fly.

Friends and family, I’m sorry for neglecting your countdown. Only one more day! I wish I could spend every minute with every one of you, and believe me, I am going to miss you beyond words.

Roomie ~ 5 days!!! I can’t wait to meet you face to face, to see how our stuff compliments or clashes, to realize once again how God has totally orchestrated our rooming together. Good luck travelling, and I’ll see you Saturday!

That’s all I have for right now… guess I’ll see what else I can pack!

Down to a Week…

Alright, readers, the countdown is down to seven days. In one week, I’ll be boarding a plane for a far-away place. In a week from Saturday, I will meet my room-mate. Woot! And in a week from Sunday, I will say goodbye to my parents and watch them drive to the airport to board the plane home…without me. And in two weeks from today, I’ll start classes at my new school.

Alright, I admit: I’m scared. Not just nervous-excited, but good ol’ fashioned petrified. Terrified. Scared stiff. Worried. Concerned. Horrified. Trembling. Shaking in my boots. Dreading next Thursday, and pretty much everything that comes after it.

But at the same time, I’m so excited to see what God does! I’m excited to meet new people, make new friends, be considered the girl with the funny accent! I’m thrilled to have a dorm-room experience, to have a job on-campus, to be considerate of time zones when I call home. I’m excited to unpack my suitcases, to put pictures on the wall instead of taking them off.

Yes, I’m definitely going to miss my family and my friends and my church and the weather here at home. But simultaneously (if possible) I am filled with anticipation of what God is going to do on campus. I can’t wait for the revival that I know is going to be started, just by being a Burning One for Him. I can’t wait to have those deep, intense, tear-filled conversations with people as we struggle together and come to know Truth. Aughghghgh!!! I can barely wait!

Thank you for your prayers, readers! I’m grateful for you, and I am so excited to begin blogging about this new phase of life!

Ten Days

Ten Days. In 10 days, I'll be flying to my new home, 1,300 miles away. I can't believe it's this soon!

Everything felt close when I started my countdown at 30 days...10 days seems like tomorrow! Most of my belongings that are staying here are already packed. Today, in order to get some headway on my closet, I pulled out a suitcase and began packing winter clothing that I obviously won't need for a few more months. I'll have to pack the rest of my clothes the day or so before I leave, because I don't want to live out of a suitcase in my own room. So that will happen probably Tuesday or Wednesday of next week...gosh, I can't believe how time has flown by!

On Saturday, my mom and sister and I went to Macy's to shop their big sale. I got two gorgeous tops, a long sweater, and then two t-shirts to wear under tops that need just a little more fabric. I feel pretty well prepared, except for shoes. I'm sorely lacking in the sandal department! Flip-flops are about all I have in abundance...I'm not sure I can live in those all the time, though. We'll see.

I don't know if I'll have the guts, time, or desire to write anything more between now and The Big Day, but I promise to update you once I get settled. Thanks for your patience and your prayers!