Wow, it's been such a long time it feels since I last posted anything. And there's just a lot to say...I am afraid this entry might be a little random.
Start with the boring stuff - midterms. Gahh... they are not fun. I finished my last one on Wednesday night, and I've been pretty much brain dead since. I finally regained enough motivation to start doing homework again yesterday evening. But realistically, I've been doing too much "fun" stuff to get very much done. So Sunday and Monday are going to be very long days. So much to study.... and another french test on Thursday. Geez....
What else? Um, it's Halloween weekend. Apparently that's like the biggest thing since Christmas cookies in Pullman. Being from a family that usually did nothing Halloween-y on Halloween, I still fail to see the excitement. I guess if I was a creative minded person, dressing up like fun things would be pretty cool. But to me, coming up with a costume is just a pain. All these crazy people that are trying to be a Playboy cover version of "insert-random-occupation here", and just wander around, drink, yell, and dance.... there's not even any free chocolate involved! So what's the point, guys, really?
However, while on the topic of Halloween weekend, I did the coolest thing Friday night - Fratcakes. :) Basically, the church I'm going to sets up a tent and hands out free pancakes and hot chocolate to all of the people walking up and down greek row from 10-1. It was such a blast! We froze, we laughed, we had some great conversations with people. It was fun to see all the costumes, and enjoy people watching. I think we probably passed out 500-700 pancakes, and a lot of the time, I volunteered to put the syrup on them for the people, or get the hot chocolate so they wouldn't have to figure out which button was the right one. Idk, it was just awesome though. You wouldn't think it would mean so much - that one measly free pancake. Key word - free. Between their choice expletives, most people were raving about how nice we were for doing this, and asking what charity this was for, or why we were giving them pancakes, or what made us want to do it. Talk about open door, right? Our basic answer was just, "We're with Resonate church, and we're just out here because we love you guys. So have a great night!" At first I was like...um..., what do I say? But I realized - I really do love doing stuff like that. I love the service. I've missed things like Key Club. And I do love those people. Sober or not. :)
Earlier that night, I went to a birthday party for my friend Christy. She's a foreign exchange student from China who went on the Fall Retreat with Chi Alpha, and so I met her there. What did I get her for a birthday gift? Chocolate, bubbles, and silly string. Hecka-yes! It was adorable too, because a lot of the guests were Chinese, and they hadn't seen silly string before! Also, what did she want to play for a birthday game? "Truths and Dare". ;) Yes, I explained Truth or Dare to 4 Chinese 20 year olds. Love it! And one of Christy's friends, "Angel", and I also really hit it off. Idk what it is, we just get along really well. She's a total sweetheart, and just seems like she really wants people to hang out with and to talk to. So tonight, Angel, Christy and I went to the Halloween Dance at McCroskey, and then went back to Angel's dorm and just hung out and talked for a while. They're just fun! I'm excited to get to know them better over this year. International students just make me happy.
In other news - the countdown to Thanksgiving has officially begun! Woot! I'm almost surprised though, time really has gone soo fast. Faster than high school time, but slower in some ways as well. I'm really looking forward to going back and seeing everybody again. I miss them a lot. I can't even imagine what it will be like though - we all have 3 months of stories to tell, and if everybody else has grown as much as I have, there will definitely be some changes in people. But I'm ready to see them. :D And I'm already tasting the food in my imagination. Ate dinner at Denny's tonight, and had a roll with my meal that just baarely reminded me of Aunt Kathy's potato rolls.... *sighs happily* Yes. I'm going to be a pig at Thanksgiving. No, I don't care. Hahaha.....
Well, that's it for now, I guess. I probably should try and get a little more sleep tonight than I did last night. We'll see how that goes. :)p
*Does Anybody Hear Her, Casting Crowns
10.31.2010
10.13.2010
"Three in the morning, and I'm still awake...so I picked up a pen and a page..."
"I started writing, just what I'd say, if we were face to face.
I'd tell you just what you mean to me, tell you these simple truths:
Be strong in the Lord, and never give up hope.
You're gonna do great things, I already know.
God's got his hand on you, so, don't live life in fear.
Forgive and forget but don't forget why you're here.
Take your time, and pray.
These are the words I would say."
This week has been crazy for so many people. I watch facebook, I text, I skype.... yeah, I'm pretty much doing everything I can to stay in touch with people's lives. There's stuff happening that I wish I was there to see and to experience, I wish I was there to encourage in person, but I can't be. And I don't know of a "non-creepy" way to explain how much I want to be without coming across as clingy. But I just love you guys. I get so excited for you when good stuff is happening, and I hurt for you when I know you are hurting. This kind of passion has to spill over somewhere. So I just want you guys to know....it's been spilling over where it counts - prayer. I'll think of somebody during the day, and start to pray for them and their situation, and then another person comes to mind, and another. This has just led to me going through the list (I go in order of how we sat in Bible last year so I don't forget anyone), and I pray for each of you by name. Specific things that God's put on my heart to pray for you.
Take tonight for example. I was at Chi Alpha, and it was an awesome time of worship. Everyone was praying for one another, and I just sat down and thought about how much I hoped that everyone was getting as plugged in to a community as I have been. And I started praying, and the words just wouldn't stop! I wished that the songs would have gone on longer, because I could've sat there and prayed for you all even longer. Just know that I'm not going to stop. No matter how distant we become, you're my family, and I love you. And I so want you to experience the richness of life as I am.
On that note, I'd like to just encourage you again, get involved in a church, guys. It's been the best way for God to stretch me - coming to this place, out of my comfort zone, completely removed from the familiar, I've been able to grow so much. I know that I'm different. I know more about myself than I have before, and I realize how much my fears and my "routine" were holding me back from being as open as I should have been. Is it hard to make yourself want to get plugged in somewhere new? Yes. Is it awkward at first, sharing your deepest spiritual issues with strangers? Yes. But is it also enlightening, eye-opening, life-changing, and healthy? Yes. So just do it! I promise you, you won't regret it. I can't even begin to explain how cool it is to notice that the phrase "the joy of the Lord is your strength" has gone farther than being a simple catchphrase. It's so true! I've always been a positive person, but I'm filled with joy now that really, I can't explain. I just want to dance and sing every day, because God is just that good!
My friends... I miss you guys a lot. But I know that Thanksgiving is only 5 weeks away, and I can't wait to just talk to you about life, and enjoy time together. Know that I'll be praying for you every step of the way, and that there's so much more out there for you if you only seek it. :)
*The Words I Would Say, Sidewalk Prophets
10.10.2010
"But if you try sometimes...you'll find... you get what you need."
It's been a pretty good week this week. Granted, I haven't gotten any results back yet from the chemistry quiz that I know I failed. Thank goodness we get to drop our 2 lowest scores from the semester. But aside from that, I really wrapped my brain around the math concepts, and I've had lunch/coffee with someone 3 days this week. Not so easy on my cash flow, but totally worth it. :) I'm definitely starting to get into a routine, which is good. This week was homecoming week, so there were tons of people here and lots of events going on. I didn't catch too many due to other commitments but I did go to the bonfire Friday night and the game on Saturday. Both really fun. I've discovered how much I love sporting events. Haha. There's just something very "school-spirity" about them. Not that I know ANY thing about football, but it's still cool. I'm super excited for basketball season - a: because we're actually pretty decent, and b: because I will be able to know what's going on due to my dedication last year as TRCS team photographer! Ahh...I will miss watching the Eagles, though. It's fun here because there's always a massive crowd. It was fun there because a: proportionally, it was a massive crowd, and b: because I knew everyone on the team. Luckily, the season overlaps C-mas break, so *crosses fingers* I'll get to see a game or two anyhow. Not so with volleyball. *glare* I still say.... WEBCAM! Somebody install one in the gym, please??
I don't really have any deep insight to share.... next weekend is Dad's Weekend so there'll be a lot of stuff going on which should be cool. However, that DOES mean that I have to get ahead on my homework so I can justify having time to just waste away. Oh well....I don't mind.
Cleaned tonight, because it was TIME. :) Washed the mirrors and dusted all the flat surfaces. Oh - and did the dishes. So now everything is ready to go. We still really need to vacuum in here, but lugging the vacuum up from the main floor is a pain, because it's loud and very heavy.
As of Friday, I've reached the "halfway" point to Thanksgiving. Only a few more weeks to go! I'm excited to see everyone again - though it'll probably be a little weird to some extent. Like, we all have so many new stories to tell, it will take forever to get caught up on everyone's life. Hopefully the time will pass slowly and I'll be able to savor it and not feel rushed through stuff.
*You Can't Always Get What You Want - Glee Cast version
I don't really have any deep insight to share.... next weekend is Dad's Weekend so there'll be a lot of stuff going on which should be cool. However, that DOES mean that I have to get ahead on my homework so I can justify having time to just waste away. Oh well....I don't mind.
Cleaned tonight, because it was TIME. :) Washed the mirrors and dusted all the flat surfaces. Oh - and did the dishes. So now everything is ready to go. We still really need to vacuum in here, but lugging the vacuum up from the main floor is a pain, because it's loud and very heavy.
As of Friday, I've reached the "halfway" point to Thanksgiving. Only a few more weeks to go! I'm excited to see everyone again - though it'll probably be a little weird to some extent. Like, we all have so many new stories to tell, it will take forever to get caught up on everyone's life. Hopefully the time will pass slowly and I'll be able to savor it and not feel rushed through stuff.
*You Can't Always Get What You Want - Glee Cast version
10.04.2010
"Time keeps on slippin'...into the future..."
I've got a lot of "serious" stuff that I feel will become a blog entry later this week. But I've been wanting to post something random and fun instead - little quirks/things that I've noticed since being here.
1) Since 2nd grade, I've been able to hear Mrs Herren's voice in my head saying , "Second graders, stay to your right..." as we walked past another group of people, thereby drilling into my head the fact that when you're heading towards somebody, each person veers to their right. However, here on campus, about 75% of people that I am walking towards choose to veer left. They go in the left side of the doors, left of the sidewalk....creating that awkward dance when you're trying to figure out who is going to surrender their side or not. It's just...strange. :)p
2) Fitness is a major focus of this campus (I don't know about other schools). Everyone is always talking about going to the rec, going for a run, the calorie information is posted EVERYwhere for the food places, and there's a big "eat healthy" focus in the cafeterias. However, it's also more expensive to eat healthy, and there are constantly junk food options being offered. Maybe it's just because it's the beginning of the year, or because I haven't really paid attention, but there are also not very many "large" people walking around. Everyone is skinny to average, thereby making average people like myself feel "larger". Lol.
3) It doesn't matter what you've been asked to do or go to, or who is asking you. If you say "I can't, I have to study/have homework," no further questions are asked. If you say "I can't, sorry," the next question is "Why, what else is going on?"
4) They always say that college is the time to try anything you want. It's really true. If I want to do ANYthing, any activity, any club, I can. And there's very few people who will give it a second thought when you say that you're joining/trying it.
5) Yes, getting "off campus" is that big of a deal. I get really, really excited when I run out of milk and have to make a 30 minute errand to Safeway. And I'll stand in the entry way for a few moments just breathing in the taste of civilization. It's not that we're lacking for entertainment, or food, or places to chill while we're in college. It's just that feeling that you're always "at work". The campus may be hundreds of acres, but by the middle of the week, it feels very, very small. And after walking all day every day, sitting in a moving vehicle is rather exhilarating. :)
6) Everyone from western Washington complains about the rain. Everyone who is from western WA and comes here is super happy to see the sunshine every day. And then once it starts to rain (which has been three times since August, btw), all of my western WA friends' facebook statuses turn to being really excited to see rain. Mine included. :)p
7) Time is a very weird thing. Days and hours tick by slow, and you look at the calendar and say "Oh my gosh, it's only Monday..." and then you wake up on Saturday and say "Wow...that week just flew!".
Ie: At this moment, 46 days sounds like a really long time. However, I pause and say, "Wasn't it just labor day weekend?" and realize that a month goes by a lot faster than you expect sometimes.
*Fly Like an Eagle, Steve Miller
1) Since 2nd grade, I've been able to hear Mrs Herren's voice in my head saying , "Second graders, stay to your right..." as we walked past another group of people, thereby drilling into my head the fact that when you're heading towards somebody, each person veers to their right. However, here on campus, about 75% of people that I am walking towards choose to veer left. They go in the left side of the doors, left of the sidewalk....creating that awkward dance when you're trying to figure out who is going to surrender their side or not. It's just...strange. :)p
2) Fitness is a major focus of this campus (I don't know about other schools). Everyone is always talking about going to the rec, going for a run, the calorie information is posted EVERYwhere for the food places, and there's a big "eat healthy" focus in the cafeterias. However, it's also more expensive to eat healthy, and there are constantly junk food options being offered. Maybe it's just because it's the beginning of the year, or because I haven't really paid attention, but there are also not very many "large" people walking around. Everyone is skinny to average, thereby making average people like myself feel "larger". Lol.
3) It doesn't matter what you've been asked to do or go to, or who is asking you. If you say "I can't, I have to study/have homework," no further questions are asked. If you say "I can't, sorry," the next question is "Why, what else is going on?"
4) They always say that college is the time to try anything you want. It's really true. If I want to do ANYthing, any activity, any club, I can. And there's very few people who will give it a second thought when you say that you're joining/trying it.
5) Yes, getting "off campus" is that big of a deal. I get really, really excited when I run out of milk and have to make a 30 minute errand to Safeway. And I'll stand in the entry way for a few moments just breathing in the taste of civilization. It's not that we're lacking for entertainment, or food, or places to chill while we're in college. It's just that feeling that you're always "at work". The campus may be hundreds of acres, but by the middle of the week, it feels very, very small. And after walking all day every day, sitting in a moving vehicle is rather exhilarating. :)
6) Everyone from western Washington complains about the rain. Everyone who is from western WA and comes here is super happy to see the sunshine every day. And then once it starts to rain (which has been three times since August, btw), all of my western WA friends' facebook statuses turn to being really excited to see rain. Mine included. :)p
7) Time is a very weird thing. Days and hours tick by slow, and you look at the calendar and say "Oh my gosh, it's only Monday..." and then you wake up on Saturday and say "Wow...that week just flew!".
Ie: At this moment, 46 days sounds like a really long time. However, I pause and say, "Wasn't it just labor day weekend?" and realize that a month goes by a lot faster than you expect sometimes.
*Fly Like an Eagle, Steve Miller
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