Sunday, October 25: I woke up this morning and went with Joe and Amy to church. They warned me that it feels like you're on a game-show...and they were so right! I was more reminded of High School Musical, to be honest. It was held at a high school and the Church is called Arise. There's one in Wellington too, and it wasn't TOO different. Some parts annoyed me, like how every time the preacher started to raise her voice people in the front yelled "YaY!" or "Awesome" or "right right." It was distracting and too much like it was planned out or something. And there were very few old people...and even fewer little babies. Joe told me to pay attention and notice what was weird about them...there were none! I can definitely see it as a church that younger people like high school/college age would be interested in though. The sermon wasn't too bad. I felt like she repeated herself a lot and I always feel like they drag it on, which makes it feel like there's not a lot to it. ANYWAYS, after that we went to an Indian restaurant because I'd never had Indian and they were convinced to take me haha! It was really good and I enjoyed it. After that I went to the market for some souvenirs and then to the mall, where I spent way too much money to get my hair colored back to its original color (thank you Joshua). But now it's finally closer to back to normal and no longer driving me nuts since I got a few inches off as well. It was too long for me to handle. Anyways, after that I pretty much studied most of the night. Boring...
Monday, October 26: Today is New Zealand's Labor Day. So weird...it didn't feel like Labor Day at all haha! No parades, nothing of that sort. Just a day off work =). I studied most of today, watched House on my "break" from studying, and then studied some more. Quite a boring day.
Tuesday, October 27: So I woke up early in order to study some more before my final at 2:30, and realized that I'd been studying mostly for the wrong test...I somehow messed up the dates and spent half-an-hour freaking out before I was able to calm down and retain any information for the test that was TODAY, which was Philosophy. It actually went really well...I wrote as much as I could on the subjects and only finished 15 minutes early. Most everyone else had already left. Then I came back and went out to eat with Jayme, Nikki, and Sara at Spag's. It was delicious, as usual =). Afterwards I of course came back and studied for my Art History final, the one I'd been studying heaps for anyways. Ugh. I hate Art History, or at least New Zealand Art History. Yuck. My friend Kana from Wellington was staying here, but I was a bad host and spent most of my time ignoring her while studying..she was prepared for that though, I'd warned her. We went to bed relatively early (for college kids at least), around midnight.
Wednesday, October 28: Today was a beautiful day outside...and I spent it inside studying =(. Oh well. I finished my final and am officially done with Art History forever! Sooo happy! I really don't like that class. Anyways, now I'm updating you all on my boring life before I go for a run to get some books for traveling. Tomorrow starts my trip, and I'll be gone for a week basically. I'll update possibly on Halloween my time, so Saturday night your time =). I'm looking forward to seeing friends in Dunedin and then going out for Halloween...I don't have a costume yet but I'll think of one! Haha Sara's mom sent her a care package full of Halloween decorations, so we've been hanging them around our apartment. It still doesn't feel right though...I actually miss cornfields and scarecrows! That just signifies fall to me. Oh well though. Only a few more weeks and then I'm home! Can't wait!!! Love you all!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
WWOOFing ExTRAVAganza!!!!!!!
OK, to start with, last weekend I didn't do much of anything, truly. However, I did go to Joe and Amy's church, ReChurch! If you haven't checked out their blog yet, please do, it's so interesting! Joe gave a great sermon last week about spiritual healing from God. We went through the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, and Joe preached about the source of our suffering from the Fall. It was really good. There were several people there, most of them new I think they said. I talked to a girl afterward and hopefully she'll come back next month. She said she's been looking for a church for awhile and just lives right down the road. ReChurch had sent out postcards letting people know about it, and that's how she'd heard. It was an awesome way to advertise! Anyways, after I was able to eat with the team...truly an amazing group of people who are so welcoming and encouraging to be around! It was really good for me to join in fellowship with other believers and I definitely praised Jesus for how awesome it is to know people are serving Him almost everywhere!
Now to WWOOFing!
Sara and I rode the bus Monday up to Motueka, a town right outside the Abel Tasman National Park (where I tramped/hiked during break). We worked on a Bed and Breakfast, and here's the link if you want to check it out: http://www.pahrd.co.nz/. The family we stayed with is young, and they rent out their other accommodation room for the winter to help with money. Now for names...Heidi (mom), Will (6 year old), Jack (2 year old), Cam (dad), and Moki (black lab). Let me just say that it was AMAZING! We got there Monday not knowing what to expect and were immediately included in whatever the boys were doing haha! We had delicious pasta for dinner and were given a room in the house (although we were offered the Loft in the garage...which we weren't keen on haha). The boys showed off all night before bed, and then Sara and I did the dishes. Heidi is so cool and laid back, and you can tell she grew up on a farm and was a huge tomboy =). She was so great! Cam wasn't around all week because he's taking classes on how to start a winery and is almost finished. They'll be starting one within the next year, which is pretty awesome. Tuesday morning we awoke to cows mooing at the neighbor's (Sara thought it was a phone vibrating hahahahhaa) and then got to work. We picked up sticks in the yard and were followed around by 2 lambs and several chickens! We stacked firewood, helped clean up the main guest room, and then trimmed some of the dead plants. It was easy work of course and just general chores. It reminded me of home (whenever I got around to actually doing what Mom asked). Anyways, we played with the kids that night, helped build space stations out of legos, that kinda thing. Heidi made mashed potatoes and I can't remember what else, but I haven't had mashed potatoes in forever so I was satisfied haha! That night Sara and I watched a movie and went to bed early as we were still trying to catch up on sleep from the weekend and bus ride.
Wednesday we did a lot of the same stuff as before, mainly working on the guest house since they had guests coming. It was pretty easy stuff, although I saw a couple spiders and had to kill them! Yuck! Mom's made us all paranoid...ugh. The guest room has an outdoor bath and shower, which is interesting and cool. The bath is an old-school fire bath and I guess really relaxing. We didn't get the chance to try it out ourselves though, which I'm OK with haha! Anyways, after chores we went on a run and then rode bikes to Kaiteriteri Beach. It's a really famous beach here in New Zealand and you can see pictures if you Google it. It took us about 30 minutes to get there, and it seemed most of the way was uphill! Plus, once we got there it was FREEZING! And of course I was in shorts and a t-shirt...New Zealand weather is so temperamental and ridiculous! UGH! Haha oh well though. We had a little duck come up beggin for food, and he was so cute I couldn't say no =). He just sat right at my feet the whole time haha. After doing some exploring, Sara and I decided to head back to the house. We walked our bikes up most of the hills =)...it just got too hard hahahaha! Oh well, at least our day was full of exercise! We played with the kids later that evening again and they're just so great! It was so nice to stay with a family and hang out with kids...days definitely go by faster that way!
Thursday we decided to work 8 hours and pretty much weeded all day. It was a long day...weeding is a very menial task! Plus I'm a slight perfectionist when it comes to doing chores (Mom's voice always rings in my head to "Do it once and do it right"), so it took me longer because I was determined to get ALL of the roots! Jack came out at one point to help us but didn't stay very long. He was so cute though and really good at weeding. By Wednesday we could finally understand most of his babble, and he said "Big roots, dumb roots, take THAT!" It was hysterical! I have an awesome farmer's tan now thanks to this wonderful task! I put heaps of sun-tan lotion on so I wouldn't get burnt, and I didn't...except the back of my neck, and only half of it haha! I don't really know WHAT happened, but it's back to normal today (Saturday) so that's good. Oh, I found out that Sis had her baby today!!!!!!!! Well, yesterday my time, sorta...the 21st of October! I was sooo excited!!!!!!!! I facebook stalked and found a photo of her...her name's Olivia and she's beautiful! She's going to look just like Sis I know it! I texted Mom the next morning and she went and saw her and sent me her picture =). It makes me sooo happy every time I look at my phone to know that I'll be meeting her in a few weeks and I can't wait! So praise Jesus for new life! YAY!!! Be blessed Olivia!
Friday, Heidi dropped us off at Abel Tasman and Sara and I spent the day hiking to Anchorage. It took us about 4 hours, and it was a leisurely pace! It was nice to walk the trail when it wasn't raining =). Plus, we did a little more exploring and stuff too. We then rode the AquaTaxi back and took the bus back to the B&B. That night Cam came home so we finally got to meet him. You can tell he's a wild child hahahaha! I don't know how Heidi does it! We decided she's got 3 boys, not 2 =). But he's very cool, really outgoing and really funny! Jack and Will put a concert on for us that night, and Will and I played rugby. Jack also played....he was the 3rd team hahha! We didn't know what he was going to do next....half the time he was chasing me tellin me not to "touch his brother" and the other half he was chasing and tackling Will and telling me to "block" him haha! He's so stinking cute that kid! Anyways, the concert was great! Jack LOVES pretending he's a superhero of some sort, Batman, Superman, whatever, and he danced around while Will jammed out on the keyboard. Then they switched, or were supposed to but Jack got bored jamming and went and danced with Will hahahaha! It was absolutely awesome and reminded me of summer nights at home, messing around when we were younger and catching fireflies and such. It was a gorgeous night out too!
And now we're at today...and it's been a long day. It took us over 12 hours to get back to Christchurch, and most of that time was spent on a bus. I did get to finally hear Joshua's voice, not on voicemail but real-time, and that was FANTASTIC! Apparently he's in Alabama for the weekend?! Haha oh jeez. Anyways, we took some pictures this morning of the B&B before leaving and I'll have to put them up on Shutterfly soon. I really loved everything about wwoofing...it went by soo quickly! The family was great, seriously. The only thing super "organic" about them was that they have an outhouse-type toilet. That's about it. And it wasn't that bad at all. It could have been much worse =). The dog, Moki, was also so fun to have around...it made me miss Cocoa so much though. His ears just weren't the same...Cocoa's ears were my favorite thing to pet. Moki's a great dog though too. He's really patient and good with the kids, and they climb all over him just like we did with Cocoa. And he's so fun to play with haha! He loves to play fetch, but his favorite is keep-away. Whereas Cocoa used to play tug-of-war, Moki likes for you to chase him haha! We had to watch him to make sure he wasn't ruining the boys' guns. Anyways, like I said before my wwoofing experience was superb! I would definitely do it again, hands down. We got to do so much stuff and didn't have to pay for a thing! It's by far been my cheapest week here haha! No groceries to buy, no rent, nothing. It was wonderful. And the family was so laid back and fun! I loved being able to stay with a family...I think that was my favorite part. Playing with the dog and the kids was fantastic. I admire Heidi so much, she has such a great family! But now I've got some studying to do for the next few days, finals on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then I'm off to Dunedin. It's going to be non-stop for the next few weeks and I'm going to be loving it! I'm so looking forward to walking off that plane and seeing Joshua and everyone (but especially him)! Anywho, I'll update you when I have something to update. Pictures will be posted soon! Love and miss you all!!! Goodnight!!!!!!!!
P.S. I came home to a huge and wonderful chocolate bar left by Kana, a friend that stayed in my room while I was gone =). Guess I'll be going to the gym often this week haha!
Now to WWOOFing!
Sara and I rode the bus Monday up to Motueka, a town right outside the Abel Tasman National Park (where I tramped/hiked during break). We worked on a Bed and Breakfast, and here's the link if you want to check it out: http://www.pahrd.co.nz/. The family we stayed with is young, and they rent out their other accommodation room for the winter to help with money. Now for names...Heidi (mom), Will (6 year old), Jack (2 year old), Cam (dad), and Moki (black lab). Let me just say that it was AMAZING! We got there Monday not knowing what to expect and were immediately included in whatever the boys were doing haha! We had delicious pasta for dinner and were given a room in the house (although we were offered the Loft in the garage...which we weren't keen on haha). The boys showed off all night before bed, and then Sara and I did the dishes. Heidi is so cool and laid back, and you can tell she grew up on a farm and was a huge tomboy =). She was so great! Cam wasn't around all week because he's taking classes on how to start a winery and is almost finished. They'll be starting one within the next year, which is pretty awesome. Tuesday morning we awoke to cows mooing at the neighbor's (Sara thought it was a phone vibrating hahahahhaa) and then got to work. We picked up sticks in the yard and were followed around by 2 lambs and several chickens! We stacked firewood, helped clean up the main guest room, and then trimmed some of the dead plants. It was easy work of course and just general chores. It reminded me of home (whenever I got around to actually doing what Mom asked). Anyways, we played with the kids that night, helped build space stations out of legos, that kinda thing. Heidi made mashed potatoes and I can't remember what else, but I haven't had mashed potatoes in forever so I was satisfied haha! That night Sara and I watched a movie and went to bed early as we were still trying to catch up on sleep from the weekend and bus ride.
Wednesday we did a lot of the same stuff as before, mainly working on the guest house since they had guests coming. It was pretty easy stuff, although I saw a couple spiders and had to kill them! Yuck! Mom's made us all paranoid...ugh. The guest room has an outdoor bath and shower, which is interesting and cool. The bath is an old-school fire bath and I guess really relaxing. We didn't get the chance to try it out ourselves though, which I'm OK with haha! Anyways, after chores we went on a run and then rode bikes to Kaiteriteri Beach. It's a really famous beach here in New Zealand and you can see pictures if you Google it. It took us about 30 minutes to get there, and it seemed most of the way was uphill! Plus, once we got there it was FREEZING! And of course I was in shorts and a t-shirt...New Zealand weather is so temperamental and ridiculous! UGH! Haha oh well though. We had a little duck come up beggin for food, and he was so cute I couldn't say no =). He just sat right at my feet the whole time haha. After doing some exploring, Sara and I decided to head back to the house. We walked our bikes up most of the hills =)...it just got too hard hahahaha! Oh well, at least our day was full of exercise! We played with the kids later that evening again and they're just so great! It was so nice to stay with a family and hang out with kids...days definitely go by faster that way!
Thursday we decided to work 8 hours and pretty much weeded all day. It was a long day...weeding is a very menial task! Plus I'm a slight perfectionist when it comes to doing chores (Mom's voice always rings in my head to "Do it once and do it right"), so it took me longer because I was determined to get ALL of the roots! Jack came out at one point to help us but didn't stay very long. He was so cute though and really good at weeding. By Wednesday we could finally understand most of his babble, and he said "Big roots, dumb roots, take THAT!" It was hysterical! I have an awesome farmer's tan now thanks to this wonderful task! I put heaps of sun-tan lotion on so I wouldn't get burnt, and I didn't...except the back of my neck, and only half of it haha! I don't really know WHAT happened, but it's back to normal today (Saturday) so that's good. Oh, I found out that Sis had her baby today!!!!!!!! Well, yesterday my time, sorta...the 21st of October! I was sooo excited!!!!!!!! I facebook stalked and found a photo of her...her name's Olivia and she's beautiful! She's going to look just like Sis I know it! I texted Mom the next morning and she went and saw her and sent me her picture =). It makes me sooo happy every time I look at my phone to know that I'll be meeting her in a few weeks and I can't wait! So praise Jesus for new life! YAY!!! Be blessed Olivia!
Friday, Heidi dropped us off at Abel Tasman and Sara and I spent the day hiking to Anchorage. It took us about 4 hours, and it was a leisurely pace! It was nice to walk the trail when it wasn't raining =). Plus, we did a little more exploring and stuff too. We then rode the AquaTaxi back and took the bus back to the B&B. That night Cam came home so we finally got to meet him. You can tell he's a wild child hahahaha! I don't know how Heidi does it! We decided she's got 3 boys, not 2 =). But he's very cool, really outgoing and really funny! Jack and Will put a concert on for us that night, and Will and I played rugby. Jack also played....he was the 3rd team hahha! We didn't know what he was going to do next....half the time he was chasing me tellin me not to "touch his brother" and the other half he was chasing and tackling Will and telling me to "block" him haha! He's so stinking cute that kid! Anyways, the concert was great! Jack LOVES pretending he's a superhero of some sort, Batman, Superman, whatever, and he danced around while Will jammed out on the keyboard. Then they switched, or were supposed to but Jack got bored jamming and went and danced with Will hahahaha! It was absolutely awesome and reminded me of summer nights at home, messing around when we were younger and catching fireflies and such. It was a gorgeous night out too!
And now we're at today...and it's been a long day. It took us over 12 hours to get back to Christchurch, and most of that time was spent on a bus. I did get to finally hear Joshua's voice, not on voicemail but real-time, and that was FANTASTIC! Apparently he's in Alabama for the weekend?! Haha oh jeez. Anyways, we took some pictures this morning of the B&B before leaving and I'll have to put them up on Shutterfly soon. I really loved everything about wwoofing...it went by soo quickly! The family was great, seriously. The only thing super "organic" about them was that they have an outhouse-type toilet. That's about it. And it wasn't that bad at all. It could have been much worse =). The dog, Moki, was also so fun to have around...it made me miss Cocoa so much though. His ears just weren't the same...Cocoa's ears were my favorite thing to pet. Moki's a great dog though too. He's really patient and good with the kids, and they climb all over him just like we did with Cocoa. And he's so fun to play with haha! He loves to play fetch, but his favorite is keep-away. Whereas Cocoa used to play tug-of-war, Moki likes for you to chase him haha! We had to watch him to make sure he wasn't ruining the boys' guns. Anyways, like I said before my wwoofing experience was superb! I would definitely do it again, hands down. We got to do so much stuff and didn't have to pay for a thing! It's by far been my cheapest week here haha! No groceries to buy, no rent, nothing. It was wonderful. And the family was so laid back and fun! I loved being able to stay with a family...I think that was my favorite part. Playing with the dog and the kids was fantastic. I admire Heidi so much, she has such a great family! But now I've got some studying to do for the next few days, finals on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then I'm off to Dunedin. It's going to be non-stop for the next few weeks and I'm going to be loving it! I'm so looking forward to walking off that plane and seeing Joshua and everyone (but especially him)! Anywho, I'll update you when I have something to update. Pictures will be posted soon! Love and miss you all!!! Goodnight!!!!!!!!
P.S. I came home to a huge and wonderful chocolate bar left by Kana, a friend that stayed in my room while I was gone =). Guess I'll be going to the gym often this week haha!
Friday, October 16, 2009
NO MORE CLASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
CLASSES ARE OFFICIALLY OVER!!! ONLY FINALS LEFT!!!
Monday, October 12: Today I didn't do much. Researched for my project, went to class, that's about it.
Tuesday, October 13: Again, went to class, not much else. Then I stayed up til about 3 working on my paper that was due the next day...I finished it finally though :). Senioritis is not good to have....haha oh well! My paper was for New Zealand history, and I reported on Rogernomics. It was interesting to compare the sanctions imposed across New Zealand, USA, and UK. Plus, I understood what was being talked about, so that's a plus =)
Wednesday, October 14: I went to class, turned in my paper, did my presentation. That night Sara and I had fajitas, which was really good.
Thursday, October 15: I stayed up way too late researching for another paper, for my philosophy class. The paper was about God so it was interesting, and I argued for the existence of God against the argument of evil. Basically it says that since pain and suffering exist in the world, an all-powerful and all-loving God could not exist. Otherwise, there wouldn't be pain and suffering. It was hard to write about...I'm not very good at philosophy papers because I don't know where to end the arguments. So basically I discussed what we talked about in class, gave some other key arguments from other sources, and then added in some of my own arguments (although I ended up finding these arguments and didn't feel very original after that). There are so many arguments against God out there...it's crazy sad. The thing is, none of those arguments can either prove or disprove God's existence. Then of course, there's arguments about which religion to follow, how you know it's right, etc. Anyways, I am happy with the paper and stayed up til 4 working on it =).
Friday, October 16: I will be home exactly one month from today at 4 o'clock New Zealand time!!! I cannot WAIT!!! I'm seriously so excited. I'm tired of everyone telling me to enjoy my time here. Obviously I am doing that thank you very much. But that doesn't have to mean that I can't look forward to coming home. So, I'm eager to come home....very eager to see Joshua and my family and my friends. Anyways, we had a barbecue that night and hung out way later than I wanted to, but oh well.
Saturday, October 17: I haven't done much at all today. I got to talk to my Dad, which I haven't done in 4 weeks. I talked to Mom and the kids earlier this week, and Sydney and Kacie. I am going to go work out in a little bit, then come back and chill some more. It's cold and rainy here again today, which always gives me no motivation to do anything except read or watch movies. But then I get bored with that, so working out is a good outlet =). Tomorrow is Rechurch, and I'm really excited to go. I've invited friends who all have politely declined, but at least I tried. Hopefully I'll get to talk to Joshua tomorrow since we haven't really had the chance to talk in quite awhile and I'll be gone all the next week. Wwoofing should be interesting...Hopefully the weather will be nice so we can work outside and hang out outside at the beaches and such.
Monday, October 12: Today I didn't do much. Researched for my project, went to class, that's about it.
Tuesday, October 13: Again, went to class, not much else. Then I stayed up til about 3 working on my paper that was due the next day...I finished it finally though :). Senioritis is not good to have....haha oh well! My paper was for New Zealand history, and I reported on Rogernomics. It was interesting to compare the sanctions imposed across New Zealand, USA, and UK. Plus, I understood what was being talked about, so that's a plus =)
Wednesday, October 14: I went to class, turned in my paper, did my presentation. That night Sara and I had fajitas, which was really good.
Thursday, October 15: I stayed up way too late researching for another paper, for my philosophy class. The paper was about God so it was interesting, and I argued for the existence of God against the argument of evil. Basically it says that since pain and suffering exist in the world, an all-powerful and all-loving God could not exist. Otherwise, there wouldn't be pain and suffering. It was hard to write about...I'm not very good at philosophy papers because I don't know where to end the arguments. So basically I discussed what we talked about in class, gave some other key arguments from other sources, and then added in some of my own arguments (although I ended up finding these arguments and didn't feel very original after that). There are so many arguments against God out there...it's crazy sad. The thing is, none of those arguments can either prove or disprove God's existence. Then of course, there's arguments about which religion to follow, how you know it's right, etc. Anyways, I am happy with the paper and stayed up til 4 working on it =).
Friday, October 16: I will be home exactly one month from today at 4 o'clock New Zealand time!!! I cannot WAIT!!! I'm seriously so excited. I'm tired of everyone telling me to enjoy my time here. Obviously I am doing that thank you very much. But that doesn't have to mean that I can't look forward to coming home. So, I'm eager to come home....very eager to see Joshua and my family and my friends. Anyways, we had a barbecue that night and hung out way later than I wanted to, but oh well.
Saturday, October 17: I haven't done much at all today. I got to talk to my Dad, which I haven't done in 4 weeks. I talked to Mom and the kids earlier this week, and Sydney and Kacie. I am going to go work out in a little bit, then come back and chill some more. It's cold and rainy here again today, which always gives me no motivation to do anything except read or watch movies. But then I get bored with that, so working out is a good outlet =). Tomorrow is Rechurch, and I'm really excited to go. I've invited friends who all have politely declined, but at least I tried. Hopefully I'll get to talk to Joshua tomorrow since we haven't really had the chance to talk in quite awhile and I'll be gone all the next week. Wwoofing should be interesting...Hopefully the weather will be nice so we can work outside and hang out outside at the beaches and such.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Surf's Up and Goodbyes!
Tuesday, October 6: Didn't do much at all...classes, working out, talking to people when I can. The weather was horrible.
Wednesday, October 7: Again, did nothing besides classes and working out. And bad weather again.
Thursday, October 8: Same...I wish the rain would stop!
Friday, October 9: Kate's birthday!!! Happy Birthday Babygirl!!! I love and miss you sooo much! Today I went to workout, then worked on a project all day with Sara at the library. Then chilled at home. I did freak out and vacuumed my place because I killed a bug in the bathroom and it creeped me out.
Saturday, October 10: Happy Birthday Jordan!!! I miss you and love you and hope you had an AWESOME birthday!!! I got to call my house, talk to Kate on her actual birthday, workout, went to a hangi (Maori BBQ basically with an underground oven) for my class with Sara, went to Spag's for dinner with a bunch of friends, called Jordan and talked to him on his actual birthday too =). Then we played Dutch Blitz the rest of the night. I found bugs in the tent we used during Kaikoura, two of them somehow still alive. Gross. Then I went to bed.
Sunday, October 11: Today was a brilliant day. I woke up, listened to a sermon online, worked out a little, and then went surfing. It was our last activity day with Arcadia and ended up being sooo much fun!!!!! Turns out I'm a natural and I'm not just saying that! The instructors were so impressed with me and kept telling me how good of a surfer I was, and they didn't believe I'd never done it before! I had some long rides and got some awesome waves, but after 2.5 hours, I was toast! It's exhausting work, especially when the water's so cold haha! We had been given wetsuits, but I couldn't feel my body by the end, for real. And my lips were purple too haha! I did have a great time though and I really enjoy surfing! I hope to do it a few more times before I come back home, especially when it gets warmer! The only downside is that I've never swallowed so much salt water in my life haha! It was pretty fishy-tasting. I didn't enjoy that part, but the rest was awesome. And it was a little hard for me to figure out how to cut through the waves with the board and I got completely flipped over a few times from not doing it right, but once I figured it out it was great.
After that, we all went out to eat at Dux de Lux. It's this cute little restaurant, but only serves vegetarian and seafood dishes. It was pretty good though and it was good to get to catch up with everyone as well. It made me slightly sad to know that some of the guys I won't be seeing before I leave. They're all such great guys and I couldn't have asked for a better group! Ashley, the other girl, is awesome too and it's been nice getting to know her these past few days. Anyways, leaving will be bittersweet...more sweet than bitter I'm sure, but still. I've had a good time here and gotten to enjoy myself, and I've had heaps of experiences that I just wouldn't have had in the States. And it's not even the end yet! I will miss Jane though, our program director =). She's so fun and crazy and cool. Anyways, I'm off now to bed I think...I'm quite exhausted after today's lesson! I love and miss you all so much! I'm looking forward to seeing your faces in a month!
Wednesday, October 7: Again, did nothing besides classes and working out. And bad weather again.
Thursday, October 8: Same...I wish the rain would stop!
Friday, October 9: Kate's birthday!!! Happy Birthday Babygirl!!! I love and miss you sooo much! Today I went to workout, then worked on a project all day with Sara at the library. Then chilled at home. I did freak out and vacuumed my place because I killed a bug in the bathroom and it creeped me out.
Saturday, October 10: Happy Birthday Jordan!!! I miss you and love you and hope you had an AWESOME birthday!!! I got to call my house, talk to Kate on her actual birthday, workout, went to a hangi (Maori BBQ basically with an underground oven) for my class with Sara, went to Spag's for dinner with a bunch of friends, called Jordan and talked to him on his actual birthday too =). Then we played Dutch Blitz the rest of the night. I found bugs in the tent we used during Kaikoura, two of them somehow still alive. Gross. Then I went to bed.
Sunday, October 11: Today was a brilliant day. I woke up, listened to a sermon online, worked out a little, and then went surfing. It was our last activity day with Arcadia and ended up being sooo much fun!!!!! Turns out I'm a natural and I'm not just saying that! The instructors were so impressed with me and kept telling me how good of a surfer I was, and they didn't believe I'd never done it before! I had some long rides and got some awesome waves, but after 2.5 hours, I was toast! It's exhausting work, especially when the water's so cold haha! We had been given wetsuits, but I couldn't feel my body by the end, for real. And my lips were purple too haha! I did have a great time though and I really enjoy surfing! I hope to do it a few more times before I come back home, especially when it gets warmer! The only downside is that I've never swallowed so much salt water in my life haha! It was pretty fishy-tasting. I didn't enjoy that part, but the rest was awesome. And it was a little hard for me to figure out how to cut through the waves with the board and I got completely flipped over a few times from not doing it right, but once I figured it out it was great.
After that, we all went out to eat at Dux de Lux. It's this cute little restaurant, but only serves vegetarian and seafood dishes. It was pretty good though and it was good to get to catch up with everyone as well. It made me slightly sad to know that some of the guys I won't be seeing before I leave. They're all such great guys and I couldn't have asked for a better group! Ashley, the other girl, is awesome too and it's been nice getting to know her these past few days. Anyways, leaving will be bittersweet...more sweet than bitter I'm sure, but still. I've had a good time here and gotten to enjoy myself, and I've had heaps of experiences that I just wouldn't have had in the States. And it's not even the end yet! I will miss Jane though, our program director =). She's so fun and crazy and cool. Anyways, I'm off now to bed I think...I'm quite exhausted after today's lesson! I love and miss you all so much! I'm looking forward to seeing your faces in a month!
Monday, October 5, 2009
6 Weeks and not a Minute to Spare!
My plans for the rest of my time here:
This week: write 2 essays.
This weekend: Saturday, gondola ride and Grand Tour, offered for free since I'm living at Ilam =), a $100 deal!!!
Sunday: church somewhere, a surfing lesson with the boys and Jane for Arcadia, then our "farewell dinner" with Jane at Dux-de-Lux (a fancy restaurant)!
The following week: 1 essay, 1 project.
The weekend: Saturday - going with Sara to Littleton, a suburb of CHCH that has a farmer's market! Then walking the Porthills hopefully home.
Sunday - RECHURCH! and hopefully spending time with Joe and Amy!!!
Monday the 19th - Sunday the 25th: WWOOFing
Then coming back to CHCH on Sunday, studying, and taking a final each on the 27th and 28th. The 29th-31st I'm heading to Dunedin and hanging out with my friends there.
The 31st I come back to CHCH for Halloween, then head off Nov. 1st (Joshua and I's 5 year anniversary) to Greymouth on the TransAlpine (the train, which makes me think of you Grandma)! We are going black-water rafting again to use my voucher. The next day, we are heading to the Fox Glacier to do a glacier walk, which is supposedly extremely awesome and I'll never get the chance to do it again. That night we are staying in Fox Glacier, and the following day heading back to Greymouth and then back to CHCH, where I will spend the next few days studying.
I have finals again on the 7th and 9th of November, and then am completely done with traveling and schoolwork! I'll spend my last few days here hanging out with friends, hopefully spending time with Joe and Amy, relaxing on the beach, buying souvenirs with whatever money I have left, and packing. My friend's birthday is on Saturday, and it will be my final night in CHCH. The next morning Sara leaves early, so I hope to spend that Saturday with her. Sunday morning I plan on going to church somewhere and spending my last day with Joe and Amy hopefully. I have to be at the airport around 1 and then fly to Auckland. I'm there til 7 p.m. and then we all fly to LA. I'll have 2 hours there to check-in to my next flight and am planning on begging to get a seat closest to the front of the plane. I'm going to pull every possible string I can =). Anyways, that flight leaves at noon from LA and arrives at 7pm in Chicago, where I have to wait an hour before flying to Bloomington, a flight of about a half hour haha. Pretty much Sunday, November 15th will be the LONGEST day of my LIFE, both literally and figuratively.
So that's what I'll be up to the next few weeks. I'm hoping that it will fly by...this last weekend was the start of my "Slide," as I've started calling it =)!!!
This week: write 2 essays.
This weekend: Saturday, gondola ride and Grand Tour, offered for free since I'm living at Ilam =), a $100 deal!!!
Sunday: church somewhere, a surfing lesson with the boys and Jane for Arcadia, then our "farewell dinner" with Jane at Dux-de-Lux (a fancy restaurant)!
The following week: 1 essay, 1 project.
The weekend: Saturday - going with Sara to Littleton, a suburb of CHCH that has a farmer's market! Then walking the Porthills hopefully home.
Sunday - RECHURCH! and hopefully spending time with Joe and Amy!!!
Monday the 19th - Sunday the 25th: WWOOFing
Then coming back to CHCH on Sunday, studying, and taking a final each on the 27th and 28th. The 29th-31st I'm heading to Dunedin and hanging out with my friends there.
The 31st I come back to CHCH for Halloween, then head off Nov. 1st (Joshua and I's 5 year anniversary) to Greymouth on the TransAlpine (the train, which makes me think of you Grandma)! We are going black-water rafting again to use my voucher. The next day, we are heading to the Fox Glacier to do a glacier walk, which is supposedly extremely awesome and I'll never get the chance to do it again. That night we are staying in Fox Glacier, and the following day heading back to Greymouth and then back to CHCH, where I will spend the next few days studying.
I have finals again on the 7th and 9th of November, and then am completely done with traveling and schoolwork! I'll spend my last few days here hanging out with friends, hopefully spending time with Joe and Amy, relaxing on the beach, buying souvenirs with whatever money I have left, and packing. My friend's birthday is on Saturday, and it will be my final night in CHCH. The next morning Sara leaves early, so I hope to spend that Saturday with her. Sunday morning I plan on going to church somewhere and spending my last day with Joe and Amy hopefully. I have to be at the airport around 1 and then fly to Auckland. I'm there til 7 p.m. and then we all fly to LA. I'll have 2 hours there to check-in to my next flight and am planning on begging to get a seat closest to the front of the plane. I'm going to pull every possible string I can =). Anyways, that flight leaves at noon from LA and arrives at 7pm in Chicago, where I have to wait an hour before flying to Bloomington, a flight of about a half hour haha. Pretty much Sunday, November 15th will be the LONGEST day of my LIFE, both literally and figuratively.
So that's what I'll be up to the next few weeks. I'm hoping that it will fly by...this last weekend was the start of my "Slide," as I've started calling it =)!!!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
YAY!!! It's OCTOBER!!!!
Ok, I haven't updated in forever. I didn't do much last week. Sunday I went to church with Amy and Joe. It was really great to see them and catch up! Amy has a little baby bump!!! I'm sure some of you have seen it or her; she's back in the States now for 2 weeks and comes in the night before the second service of ReChurch! Anyways, we went to a Family Baptist Church I think near Riccarton, a major street in CHCH. It was different, as usual. I was expecting maybe a little less weirdness/spiritual talk because the preacher spoke about how he was raised Anglican, went to a Baptist Church during college, and found that there was no heart involved there, that it was completely a facade. It was an OK sermon...could have taken way less than 40 minutes but oh well. And there wasn't a lot of fire or passion to it...it was more like a lecture or something (as Joe pointed out). It was on the Beatitudes. After he was finished, there was an awkward time during worship where it just got really quiet and people were expected to speak out what God was telling them or something. Then worship started again...and they waved flags. I was singing and I saw this shadow behind me and just assumed someone was waving their arms, then realized as it got closer that it was someone waving a flag to the music. I seriously thought it was going to hit us, it was quite scary. I could feel Amy shaking with laughter next to me and thankfully I didn't look at her or Joe cause I would have lost it. We pretty much rushed out of there right after, Amy literally ran the last few steps to the car! It was so much fun. Anyways, we went for lunch after at a Mexican restaurant and it was DELICIOUS! I want to go back there again! After that I went home and did a whole lot of nothing...caught up on some reading, started writing my essay, etc.
The rest of last week was pretty much the same. Although I did go to trivia night for Ilam (our apartments) on Wednesday, and we won 3rd place! We're so gifted haha! AND we played against HEAPS OF NERDS! So we felt smart...I didn't cause the only question I even answered was wrong. Well, besides the finance/econ/accounting ones. I finally finished a stupid Art History paper that I'd spent most of the week "researching" and basically avoiding at 2 that night, and then couldn't fall asleep after. Thursday night, Sara, Daniel and I made a Tim Tam cake for Jayme for her birthday Friday. Tim Tams are the best cookies EVER! They are currently being sold at Target and I'm making everyone eat them when I get home. I'm bringing them to Thanksgiving as well, and I'll teach everyone how to do a "Tim Tam Slam" with hot chocolate. It's delicious I promise. Anyways, we had a mishap with the cake since I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing (go figure) and had to go get more cake-mix since I ruined the first one. I put in too much milk...Sara took out the extra milk since we'd added everything else, but you're supposed to beat the mix for 5 minutes...we don't have ANY kitchen appliances so we did it by hand. Turns out that you really have to get it mixed in well since the first cake turned out horrible anyways and was completely flat. It was the cheapest brand so I didn't expect much. Anyways, we finally finished it, made home-made icing, and added Tim Tams on top =). It ended up being super chocolaty and sweet, overall OK. Friday we went to the movies and saw 500 Days of Summer for Jayme's birthday, then headed to Pizza Hut for dinner. We ate the Tim Tam cake after that and played Dutch Blitz. Our flatmates came back drunk and tried playing with us, which was entertaining. We called it a night around 8, then I had a friend from Dunedin staying with me that night. The next morning we left for Kaikoura!!!
Kaikoura is a small town north of CHCH on the East Coast of South Island. It's really well known for whale watching and swimming with dolphins. It has an annual Seafest, which we attended this year. I was expecting something like the Taste since it cost us $35 just to get in. Instead, you still had to pay for all food and drinks. I mean, it was cheaper considering it was seafood, but still. I was disappointed. We spent most of Saturday laying around (it was gorgeous out) and laughing at the different costumes (apparently someone wins 1st prize for best costume). Eventually we left, went walking around the super small town of Kaikoura, and then headed to our campsite after dinner. Sara and I needed help from Nikki and Jayme pitching our tent, but to be fair Jayme and Nikki had directions and practiced before we came =). Anyways, we had fun, snacked, talked, and played on the Flying Fox, which was this awesome toy at the playground. Pictures of it will be posted soon ;). Anyways, we were all tired since we'd been up since 6 and the bus ride didn't allow for sleep haha. When it finally got dark we all pretty much crashed, except me. Instead, I woke up around 10 and had to use the toilet like never before! I was so mad because it was so far away, and I held it for as long as possible and then was afraid I was going to pee my pants haha! I couldn't even run because I didn't want to add pressure to my bladder =(. I made it though, and then tried to creep back to the tent. I woke Nikki up and scared the crap out of her. Then I heard people arguing literally right outside our tent, which scared me so I was wide awake for awhile. The ground was cold and I was freezing, so I didn't sleep well at all and woke up a lot! I woke early the next morning and waited around for everyone else to move. Finally we started moving around 7:30 and headed into town after packing up our tents. It was cold and rainy Sunday, so there was no chance for us to walk to the seal colony. We did a wine tour instead, which was cute, and met a woman from Manhattan who recently graduated from Yale Law School...a-mazing. All I could think was that she must be absolutely brilliant. When I asked her where she had attended, she said Yale, but was really modest about it...we all embarrassed her since we were like "oooohhhhhhhh woowww" haha. We ended up chilling at the winery for about an hour, trying to pass time since we had til 4 before our bus came and didn't want to be outside. When we got back to town, we went on a "cafe crawl" haha and wasted time in different cafes talking. When we finally got back to CHCH, I talked with Joshua for a super long time and it was fantastic. By the time he went to bed, it was time for me to go as well. Sorry babe =).
And that brings us to Monday, which I was sick for. I have a horrible head cold and felt like crap all day. I went to class and then took naps and watched The Mentalist all day. Sara and I planned our WWOOFing extravaganza and started emailing people. We are hoping to WWOOF at a Bed & Breakfast near Nelson or Marlborough, which has nice wineries and beaches and heaps to do. WWOOFing is an organization short for Willing Workers On Organic Farms...but it doesn't necessarily have to be "organic" or a "farm." Anyways, in exchange for 4 hours of work a day, you get free accommodation and meals. It's like moving in with a family for a few days and I'm really excited about it! We're looking for families with kids, and some of the places offer crafts like pottery classes and such. So we'll see how that goes, but I'm definitely looking forward to it. So, that finally brings you all up-to-date. Sorry it's taken me so long. I'll do better to update this. And I'm not sure if I've posted all my plans yet, so I'll do that as well. Love you all! Miss you!!!
The rest of last week was pretty much the same. Although I did go to trivia night for Ilam (our apartments) on Wednesday, and we won 3rd place! We're so gifted haha! AND we played against HEAPS OF NERDS! So we felt smart...I didn't cause the only question I even answered was wrong. Well, besides the finance/econ/accounting ones. I finally finished a stupid Art History paper that I'd spent most of the week "researching" and basically avoiding at 2 that night, and then couldn't fall asleep after. Thursday night, Sara, Daniel and I made a Tim Tam cake for Jayme for her birthday Friday. Tim Tams are the best cookies EVER! They are currently being sold at Target and I'm making everyone eat them when I get home. I'm bringing them to Thanksgiving as well, and I'll teach everyone how to do a "Tim Tam Slam" with hot chocolate. It's delicious I promise. Anyways, we had a mishap with the cake since I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing (go figure) and had to go get more cake-mix since I ruined the first one. I put in too much milk...Sara took out the extra milk since we'd added everything else, but you're supposed to beat the mix for 5 minutes...we don't have ANY kitchen appliances so we did it by hand. Turns out that you really have to get it mixed in well since the first cake turned out horrible anyways and was completely flat. It was the cheapest brand so I didn't expect much. Anyways, we finally finished it, made home-made icing, and added Tim Tams on top =). It ended up being super chocolaty and sweet, overall OK. Friday we went to the movies and saw 500 Days of Summer for Jayme's birthday, then headed to Pizza Hut for dinner. We ate the Tim Tam cake after that and played Dutch Blitz. Our flatmates came back drunk and tried playing with us, which was entertaining. We called it a night around 8, then I had a friend from Dunedin staying with me that night. The next morning we left for Kaikoura!!!
Kaikoura is a small town north of CHCH on the East Coast of South Island. It's really well known for whale watching and swimming with dolphins. It has an annual Seafest, which we attended this year. I was expecting something like the Taste since it cost us $35 just to get in. Instead, you still had to pay for all food and drinks. I mean, it was cheaper considering it was seafood, but still. I was disappointed. We spent most of Saturday laying around (it was gorgeous out) and laughing at the different costumes (apparently someone wins 1st prize for best costume). Eventually we left, went walking around the super small town of Kaikoura, and then headed to our campsite after dinner. Sara and I needed help from Nikki and Jayme pitching our tent, but to be fair Jayme and Nikki had directions and practiced before we came =). Anyways, we had fun, snacked, talked, and played on the Flying Fox, which was this awesome toy at the playground. Pictures of it will be posted soon ;). Anyways, we were all tired since we'd been up since 6 and the bus ride didn't allow for sleep haha. When it finally got dark we all pretty much crashed, except me. Instead, I woke up around 10 and had to use the toilet like never before! I was so mad because it was so far away, and I held it for as long as possible and then was afraid I was going to pee my pants haha! I couldn't even run because I didn't want to add pressure to my bladder =(. I made it though, and then tried to creep back to the tent. I woke Nikki up and scared the crap out of her. Then I heard people arguing literally right outside our tent, which scared me so I was wide awake for awhile. The ground was cold and I was freezing, so I didn't sleep well at all and woke up a lot! I woke early the next morning and waited around for everyone else to move. Finally we started moving around 7:30 and headed into town after packing up our tents. It was cold and rainy Sunday, so there was no chance for us to walk to the seal colony. We did a wine tour instead, which was cute, and met a woman from Manhattan who recently graduated from Yale Law School...a-mazing. All I could think was that she must be absolutely brilliant. When I asked her where she had attended, she said Yale, but was really modest about it...we all embarrassed her since we were like "oooohhhhhhhh woowww" haha. We ended up chilling at the winery for about an hour, trying to pass time since we had til 4 before our bus came and didn't want to be outside. When we got back to town, we went on a "cafe crawl" haha and wasted time in different cafes talking. When we finally got back to CHCH, I talked with Joshua for a super long time and it was fantastic. By the time he went to bed, it was time for me to go as well. Sorry babe =).
And that brings us to Monday, which I was sick for. I have a horrible head cold and felt like crap all day. I went to class and then took naps and watched The Mentalist all day. Sara and I planned our WWOOFing extravaganza and started emailing people. We are hoping to WWOOF at a Bed & Breakfast near Nelson or Marlborough, which has nice wineries and beaches and heaps to do. WWOOFing is an organization short for Willing Workers On Organic Farms...but it doesn't necessarily have to be "organic" or a "farm." Anyways, in exchange for 4 hours of work a day, you get free accommodation and meals. It's like moving in with a family for a few days and I'm really excited about it! We're looking for families with kids, and some of the places offer crafts like pottery classes and such. So we'll see how that goes, but I'm definitely looking forward to it. So, that finally brings you all up-to-date. Sorry it's taken me so long. I'll do better to update this. And I'm not sure if I've posted all my plans yet, so I'll do that as well. Love you all! Miss you!!!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
...My Chill Week...
Saturday, September 26: So today I didn't do much. I woke up, worked out, swam, ate a light lunch, then went to the mall and bought a new luggage piece since my other big one has a broken wheel and there was a sale going on. When I got back I finished reading Redeeming Love, then made marinated chicken breasts and corn for dinner. I had some popcorn and watched the season premiere of House again with Sara. Now I'm going to go journal and then head to bed. I am meeting up with Joe and Amy tomorrow, finally, and am really excited to see them! We haven't gotten the chance to meet up since before I left for break, so I'm looking forward to a good day tomorrow. Then I have to start my paper for Art History class...which I'm not looking forward too. Anyways, goodnight all! Sorry my day wasn't that exciting! Oh, although I did find out that I can fit inside my new suitcase...pictures of it will be posted soon =)!
Friday, September 27: Today was a really lazy day. I woke up, went to PUMP class, then ran after. When I got back, I was supposed to Skype with Anne, but she was unable to and I skyped with Marqui instead! It was sooo good to catch up, even though my skype was being dumb and not working properly. It's a good feeling, laughing and talking with friends from home! I also talked to Syd and Jan for a little while as well. After a long talk with Marqui, I took a nap. I haven't felt well all week so it was much needed. When I woke up I made soup for dinner and then pretty much chilled in my room all night. It was pretty boring I know, but it was nice to have a day to just relax after last weekend.
Thursday, September 28: This morning I woke up, ran, and then went to class. I skyped with Marqui I think, sorta. We chatted at least. I did some homework and then went to my other two classes. When I came back I read Redeeming Love and just chilled. I made mac and cheese for dinner, though it wasn't very good. I just didn't like the cheese I used...oh well. After that, I read a little for my Art History course (so boring) and then Daniel came over. We made brownies while our flatmates had a party haha. It was great. We pretty much chilled and talked. Aaron came over to do laundry and we all talked for a few minutes before everyone split up. Sara and I had a "moment" and got each other laughing so hard at some stupid nasty hair in the bathroom. It was soo funny...I would explain but no one would understand. Basically, she misunderstood something I said and it was great. I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe and had to leave the bathroom. Then, after thinking I'd recovered, I walked back in and saw her and started cracking up all over again! Then of course she had mouthwash in her mouth and had to spit it out, and more ended up on the mirror than in the sink! Oh wow. Hilarious, hands down. It was just a goofy night. Whew. Anyways, I finally went to bed after some hard core prayer time =). God is so good!
Wednesday, September 29: Today I woke up, attended all my classes, and then came back to Skype with Joshua. I was going to go work out, but by the time we finished talking it was too late and I didn't feel like it anymore. Instead I read Redeeming Love and then went to bed. I think this is my fourth time reading Redeeming Love...I just can't get enough of it. I know what's coming next, and it doesn't matter. Maybe it's only my third time. Who knows. Anne, I owe you sooo much for getting me this book! It's by far my favorite...the entire Harry Potter series is up there too...but different genres, so therefore I can have more than one favorite =). If you've never read Redeeming Love, I encourage you to! You can even borrow mine when I get back! It's THAT good. Even if you're a guy, you should read it. It's all about God's redeeming love, but also about what loving like Christ looks like, especially in a marriage. Such a beautiful tale! Anyways, sorry, I'll quit now. But that's all my day was.
Tuesday, September 30: Today I woke up, but didn't go to class. Oops. I ran and took my time, and then was going to be late so I didn't go. When I got back, I ran to the grocery store and then was supposed to Skype with Joshua. He cancelled, so instead I called him on the phone and got to talk to Tonya, John, and him. It was great to hear everyone's voice again and joke around just like nothing's changed. It made me slightly homesick, but I got over it when I looked at the calendar and realized how little time I have left here. It will go by swiftly for me I know. I'm looking forward to coming back to the States, but I want to make the most of my time here as well. I have almost every week/weekend planned from here on out, which is exciting and overwhelming at the same time. I just hope I will be able to do all the things I want to do still, though it's going to be crazy. Oh well. I've been searching for jobs as well...that's another scary prospect. To think that I have so much to do when I get home...I have to get "all grown up" in a matter of a few weeks. It's really crazy to come face-to-face with the realization that this part of my life is ending...no more college, no more messing around. It's real life now. AHH! I don't think I'm ready, but I don't really have a choice anymore...unless I go to grad school =). But I'd still have to wait a year since I don't graduate and therefore can't really apply to any grad schools haha. Oh jeez. Anyways, I went to my classes after grocery shopping. Colin broke his pen in our Art History class and it was by far the best thing that's happened in that class all semester! I was cracking up...he was busy trying to "fix" it and instead, the spring and everything in it flew out and across the desks and people sitting next to him! It was one of those things you see in the movies and don't ever expect to see in real life, but it happened. It was so great, I laughed so hard I cried, which hasn't happened in a LONG time! Oh wow. Anyways, I didn't do much else today.
Friday, September 27: Today was a really lazy day. I woke up, went to PUMP class, then ran after. When I got back, I was supposed to Skype with Anne, but she was unable to and I skyped with Marqui instead! It was sooo good to catch up, even though my skype was being dumb and not working properly. It's a good feeling, laughing and talking with friends from home! I also talked to Syd and Jan for a little while as well. After a long talk with Marqui, I took a nap. I haven't felt well all week so it was much needed. When I woke up I made soup for dinner and then pretty much chilled in my room all night. It was pretty boring I know, but it was nice to have a day to just relax after last weekend.
Thursday, September 28: This morning I woke up, ran, and then went to class. I skyped with Marqui I think, sorta. We chatted at least. I did some homework and then went to my other two classes. When I came back I read Redeeming Love and just chilled. I made mac and cheese for dinner, though it wasn't very good. I just didn't like the cheese I used...oh well. After that, I read a little for my Art History course (so boring) and then Daniel came over. We made brownies while our flatmates had a party haha. It was great. We pretty much chilled and talked. Aaron came over to do laundry and we all talked for a few minutes before everyone split up. Sara and I had a "moment" and got each other laughing so hard at some stupid nasty hair in the bathroom. It was soo funny...I would explain but no one would understand. Basically, she misunderstood something I said and it was great. I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe and had to leave the bathroom. Then, after thinking I'd recovered, I walked back in and saw her and started cracking up all over again! Then of course she had mouthwash in her mouth and had to spit it out, and more ended up on the mirror than in the sink! Oh wow. Hilarious, hands down. It was just a goofy night. Whew. Anyways, I finally went to bed after some hard core prayer time =). God is so good!
Wednesday, September 29: Today I woke up, attended all my classes, and then came back to Skype with Joshua. I was going to go work out, but by the time we finished talking it was too late and I didn't feel like it anymore. Instead I read Redeeming Love and then went to bed. I think this is my fourth time reading Redeeming Love...I just can't get enough of it. I know what's coming next, and it doesn't matter. Maybe it's only my third time. Who knows. Anne, I owe you sooo much for getting me this book! It's by far my favorite...the entire Harry Potter series is up there too...but different genres, so therefore I can have more than one favorite =). If you've never read Redeeming Love, I encourage you to! You can even borrow mine when I get back! It's THAT good. Even if you're a guy, you should read it. It's all about God's redeeming love, but also about what loving like Christ looks like, especially in a marriage. Such a beautiful tale! Anyways, sorry, I'll quit now. But that's all my day was.
Tuesday, September 30: Today I woke up, but didn't go to class. Oops. I ran and took my time, and then was going to be late so I didn't go. When I got back, I ran to the grocery store and then was supposed to Skype with Joshua. He cancelled, so instead I called him on the phone and got to talk to Tonya, John, and him. It was great to hear everyone's voice again and joke around just like nothing's changed. It made me slightly homesick, but I got over it when I looked at the calendar and realized how little time I have left here. It will go by swiftly for me I know. I'm looking forward to coming back to the States, but I want to make the most of my time here as well. I have almost every week/weekend planned from here on out, which is exciting and overwhelming at the same time. I just hope I will be able to do all the things I want to do still, though it's going to be crazy. Oh well. I've been searching for jobs as well...that's another scary prospect. To think that I have so much to do when I get home...I have to get "all grown up" in a matter of a few weeks. It's really crazy to come face-to-face with the realization that this part of my life is ending...no more college, no more messing around. It's real life now. AHH! I don't think I'm ready, but I don't really have a choice anymore...unless I go to grad school =). But I'd still have to wait a year since I don't graduate and therefore can't really apply to any grad schools haha. Oh jeez. Anyways, I went to my classes after grocery shopping. Colin broke his pen in our Art History class and it was by far the best thing that's happened in that class all semester! I was cracking up...he was busy trying to "fix" it and instead, the spring and everything in it flew out and across the desks and people sitting next to him! It was one of those things you see in the movies and don't ever expect to see in real life, but it happened. It was so great, I laughed so hard I cried, which hasn't happened in a LONG time! Oh wow. Anyways, I didn't do much else today.
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