Pictures

I just realized my last several posts have been all super long and wordy...so I will post a couple recent pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Touring the Globe Theater with Evan and Jacinda

I thought this tree in Oxford was really cool

Walking through the English country-side in the village of Eyam

Enjoying a lovely cup of tea on a very cold, rainy morning

The Roman Baths in Bath, England

You should blog too!!

Since I have started my blog, several people have told me they would love to blog, but can't for various reasons. The main excuses I have heard are that they 1)aren't funny/creative/clever enough, 2)their lives aren't interesting enough, 3)they wouldn't know what to write or 4)they don't have enough time. To all of that I say BOLOGNA! I think anyone who has a computer should be blogging and here are the reasons why:

1. While it is initially a little bit intimidating, it is really liberating to be open and vulnerable. Now, you need to act responsibly in this, of course. BUT, you can share feelings or disappointments or frustrations on here that you might not be able to share in person. The beauty of CMC (computer mediated communication) is that it offers a greater degree of freedom for both the sender and recipient. (Whoa! I did learn something in all those Communication classes! How about that?) However, we all know this can be a negative thing also because people feel bold enough to say thing in e-mail that they would NEVER say in person. So, just be smart about what you post. Personally, it has helped me to care less what other people think about me. I can write about embarrassing moments on here and I'm not worried if people are going to judge me for it. It is MY blog. If you come here to judge me, I will never know unless you post a comment. If you post a negative comment, I can just delete it. SO...it is basically a judgement-free zone. I have found that other people are very receptive to my honesty and vulnerability and it actually encourages them to open up with me also. For the most part, the blogging community is very respectful of honesty and sincerity.

2. I know you all love getting Christmas cards to catch up on what has happened over the past year with friends and family. Well, what if you could keep up with them on a regular basis instead of getting a year-end review? Blogging provides the perfect opportunity for that. You might feel awkward sending out regular e-mail updates on your family, but if you blog about it, it is the other person's choice to come read it. You aren't forcing anything on them.

3. Just like keeping a journal, blogging is a great way to gain new perspective on your life. Reflecting on the events of your day can help you recognize blessings and growth in areas you might not have seen otherwise. It is also really fun to go back and read old entries. Especially when you can see what you were struggling with or worried about and how God provided for you and helped you through that time.

4. Although the details of your life might seem boring or uninteresting, you really never know when something you share will be the encouragement someone else needs to get through the day. It can be a great ministry tool, even if you never meet the other person.

So now that I've convinced you to become a blogger, you're probably saying you don't know where to start or that you're not creative enough. Well, those excuses don't fly with me! :) Here are some easy tips to help you get started:

1. Lists make blogging really easy. List your favorite movies, book, travel destinations, stores, food, etc. You can make a list of anything! As you can tell, I am a big fan of them!

2. Post pictures of anything! The flowers blooming in your backyard, your cute kids, your family vacation 10 years ago, your awful haircut, your 80s wedding, etc.

3. Share a favorite quote or scripture that you read lately. Feel free to elaborate on the quote with your thoughts or just leave it at that. Your posts don't have to be ridiculously long like mine...I just can't stop once I get started.

4. Tell a funny or embarrassing story from any time in your life. Tell a joke. Write interesting trivia facts that you know.

5. Describe your day, how you're feeling, what you're doing, what you are excited for, what God is putting on your heart, just write. It is YOUR blog--put anything you want on it.

Finally, if you are worried no one will read your blog, then I can promise you one thing. If you will tell me you have a blog, I promise to read it and comment from time-to-time to let you know at least one person in this world cares about what you have to say.


Now get to blogging! (I am certainly not a blog expert, by any means. I don't know a ton about how to get the coolest, most creative blog, but if you need help with the basics of getting started, I can definitely help you with that. Just let me know!)

Favorites

I was wrong--apparently people DID want to hear about Amanda Bynes, avocados and egg nog! haha I don't want to cheapen my true passions by including things that are a bit more trivial, so instead I'll say these are a few of my favorite things (and I know you've all got the song in your head now):

1. Egg Nog
I LOVE Christmas time, and the appearance of egg nog is certainly one of the main reasons for my excitement. I had never tried it until Christmas 3 years ago. My mom bought some while I was home from college on Christmas Break. She sprinkles nutmeg on top and it is heaven in a cup! Now, my mom and I both love it and drink it as much as possible for the month or two when it can be found in stores. My mom would like me to let you all know that the kind we enjoy does not include rum. In Lubbock, I would go to Starbucks in holiday season and ask for a cup of egg nog. This was always confusing because they would try to give me an egg nog latte or they'd heat it or something. I just wanted a cold cup of egg nog, but I love it from Starbucks because they add whipped cream and nutmeg and it's just perfect. An employee there even told me once I should just go buy some from Wal-mart because it would be way cheaper, but I wanted the experience, dang it! I hate coffee but love coffee shops so I stick to egg nog and caramel apple cider. I used to think it was a deal breaker if the guy didn't also like egg nog, but after breaking 3 guys' hearts in less than a year, I decided maybe I could let it slide. Ok...truth be told, I got dumped 3 times. Same difference.

2. Amanda Bynes
My love for Amanda Bynes goes WAY back to the tv show All That!! If you didn't watch it, I am sad for you...you missed out on some great television!! She did a bit called Dear Amanda and kids wrote in letters telling her about their problems and she would fix them for you. She ended up just screaming and yelling and going crazy every time and I thought it was hilarious! I continue to watch her TV shows and movies through the years, but the moment I knew I was truly in love with her was when I saw She's the Man. I was on a plane back from Japan and everyone else was sleeping. I am quite sure Sara, Deonna and I woke half the plane up as we burst out laughing every 3 seconds. That flight passed pretty quickly as I watched She's the Man, V for Vendetta, She's the Man, V for Vendetta and then most of She's the Man again. It was the best flight of my life!!!! Those continue to be two of my favorite all-time movies. A few people have told me that Amanda Bynes reminds them of me (Evan and Jacinda were the most recent!) and there is almost NO greater compliment you can give me!! I just think she is one of the funniest people I have ever seen and I love the way that she is such an individual person and seems to march to her own beat. Have I mentioned that Brad is the BEST friend ever?!?! Because he is!! He GAVE me an autographed picture of Amanda Bynes. Brad is also a loyal fan of Amanda and loves her as much as I do! His sister and mom got the autograph for him and when I expressed my jealousy, he gave it to me!!! He's great. Amanda has been living in Artesia for a while now because I was afraid she wouldn't hold up to travel very well. I am SO excited to get back to her!

3. Avocados

Oh how I do love me some avocados! Yes, I also love guacamole, but it's just not the same. That is a separate obsession. I love when my mom will cut the avocado in half and pull the seed out for me and I can sprinkle salt and pepper on it, grab a spoon and dig in! My mom always tells a story about me and avocados from when I was pretty little. We lived on a ranch and my Nana and Pa had moved into town and lived in Artesia at the time. When they would come visit us, they would bring candy for my brothers and "appepecados" for me at my request. If you didn't already know me enough to tell, this list can show you that healthy eating isn't really my thing. I eat for taste! I have been blessed with a pretty great metabolism (and fairly active lifestyle up until now) and thankfully, I haven't gained the 200 lbs I deserve. They have avocados both in Ireland and England, but like the Dr. Pepper, it just doesn't taste the same. It is a good thing I am coming home soon...all this talk about avocados is making me want one REALLY badly right now. Ok, I must move onto something not about food...

4. Nintendo DS

This past Christmas, Kory gave me a Nintendo DS for Christmas and it is seriously the BEST present I have ever received! I love it!! He also gave me the game Kirby because I played it on our Game Boy when I was little and always loved that game. Santa gave me Brain Age in my stocking and I have really enjoyed it too. Mostly, I just play sudoku on there now, because I am never really up for doing math problems for fun. BUT...my gaming life was turned upside down when Kory gave me Final Fantasy IV for my 23rd birthday!! This is a for reals game, you guys. The kind you picture nerdy, acne-ridden, socially awkward teenage boys playing in the basement for days on end...AND I absolutely love this game. It is so fun!! After he gave me the game, he read a review that was talking about how this was the hardest FF game they'd made and they revised it to make all the battles more difficult, blah blah blah. SO he and Brad, who is also a serious gamer, both told me this would be too difficult for me since I was a beginner. Kory kept apologizing for giving me a terrible gift and Brad was encouraging me to exhange it for a different game. Now, if you know me, you know how I reacted to them telling me I couldn't beat it. So far I have put in over 50 hours on this game and I promised Kory and Brad I WILL beat this game before I return to America! There is nothing in this world that can motivate me more than someone telling me I can't do something.

5. Scrubs

My obsession with Scrubs began about two and a half years ago. The guy I was dating at the time loved it and let me borrow one of his seasons on DVD. I was hooked from the first episode! My room-mate at the time, Deonna, and I would watch it in between classes or late at night or during lunch or anytime we had a free minute. We borrowed every season from him and watched every episode. Since then, I have collected all but one of the seasons on DVD, but I haven't ever bought one for myself. Since that first episode I ever watched, I have desperately wanted JD and Elliot together. I have held my ground all these years and it's finally starting to look like they might end up together. The 8th (current) season has been written really well! No matter how it ends, I am going to be VERY sad when it is over. I don't want to meet the actors in real life or watch them in other roles because I always want to think of them as their Scrubs characters. Kory was with me when we watched the end of season 7 and thought it was the series finale. I was a wreck!! No other show can make me laugh, cry or think so much. I can also watch every episode over and over without getting tired of it.

6. Pictures

I am not really a talented photographer and I don't have a fancy camera, but I really do LOVE pictures! I have a ton of picture albums from pictures I took growing up, before we had digital cameras. I am completely fascinated by the idea of capturing a certain moment in time FOREVER. I think it is so cool that you can be transported to a place in your mind just by looking at the picture. Emotions come flooding back and you get to re-live the moment all over again! I just looked on Facebook and I have 40 albums on there right now. If you look at my most recent album about Rynn's engagement, you will see that one of my favorite things about pictures is the way they can tell a story so much better than words alone. Ok, enough about Facebook...this post is about pictures. However, I DO love me some Facebook. That post will come another day. I have lost many people in my life and I know the comfort that a picture can bring. While I do enjoy really gorgeous scenic pictures, I take many more pictures of people. I am fascinated by pictures of me because it is the most realistic glimpse I get of how other people see me. I don't know how my life will play out, but I can guarantee you that I will have MANY pictures to document the journey.

Ok, I just read back through this and saw how many capital letters and exclamation marks I used. I guess that is why these are my favorite things because I get VERY excited about them!!!! :)

Happy Day

You know those days where you just wake up excited and feeling good? Maybe you haven't ever had one of those. If so, I'm sorry, you have a terrible life. You should do something about that. Today was definitely one of those days for me! :) I am happy, the sun is shining, I'm living in London and God is good!!

I think I've mentioned it about 40 times already, but I'm going to Joshua Radin's concert tonight and I am just flat giddy with anticipation! I LOVE this guy! Now, this is definitely a musical crush. I don't think he's the best looking man to ever live and honestly I'm not even really that attracted to him. I just love his music and think he's incredibly talented. His songs are SO real. I can't tell you how many times I have felt like one of his songs was my current life anthem. In case you're wondering, right now it's "I'd Rather Be With You" ;) So to prepare myself for the awesomeness of tonight, I have been listening to his music non-stop for the past several days. Today I was watching a clip of him on Ellen and I heard her say his name and I was floored. I have been saying his name wrong all along! I felt so foolish. It is pronounced RAY-den. Not rah-den. Wow, it's like I don't even know this man anymore. I am glad I found this out before I was at his concert though. I have a few hours left to mentally prepare myself to see Joshua Radin, not Joshua Radin.

We are now going on 4 straight days of sunshine in London. I probably shouldn't say anything or I'll jinx it, but I am so excited I can't even contain it! I have to tell the world!! Before this week, I can't even remember 2 days of sunshine in a row. It has literally made me such a happier person. Sunshine is good for the soul. I don't know how people live in Seattle or Alaska or these places that get no sun for months at a time.

Oh my goodness gracious!! I just looked out my window (yes, I have the windows open and the curtains pulled back and it feels AWESOME!) and I saw the tree right in front of our house. I have never noticed it before but it looks JUST like a face on one of the branches. I took a picture so you can see it also. Now that I've noticed it, I can't believe we didn't see it before!

Here are all the branches of our funky looking tree.

Doesn't this look just like a human face?? Crazy! Now look on the
left side of the first picture and you can see it really well.

Wow! That just made my day even better!! :) Isn't God funny? I have come to see little events like this in my life as reminders of the God I serve. He is creative, he is clever, he cares about the little things in life and he is RIGHT HERE with me. If we were to really open our eyes and be watching for the little things God is doing all around us, I wonder what we would see? I bet it would be even more awesome than tree bark!

Blessings

For this past Christmas, one of my best friends, Deonna, gave me a blessings journal. Each day I write down the blessings in my life or things I am grateful for. It has been SO great to see how much I have to be thankful for and what a blessed life I lead. If nothing else, it makes me focus on the positive things in my life. No room for complaining or whining in the blessings journal! I have decided I will continue my blessings list here in my blog. Here are a few of the many blessings I am currently enjoying:

• 3 days of sunshine in a row!!
• Got to be a part of Rynn & Jeff's engagement last night
• Friends visiting us in London for the next couple weeks
• Taking 4 trips in the next 2 weeks (Oxford, Derbyshire, Stonehenge, Rome)
• I will be in America two weeks from tomorrow!
• Joshua Radin and I will be hanging out TOMORROW night! :)
• I have spent the past 7 months in Europe on an incredible adventure with two of my favorite people
• The future is wide-open for me and the possibilities are endless!
• We have a beautiful park right next to our house that I love to visit, especially on these warm afternoons
• My faith and trust in God are stronger than ever before!

I think all of you should take some time to actually list your blessings and thank God for what He's doing in your life. I promise it really does make a different in your outlook and attitude!

Paddy's Day Proposal

Rynn's boyfriend Jeff proposed to her tonight in a gorgeous park right by Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. Even if you don't know them, it makes for a really cool story. You can check it out at:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30432687&l=7e0007d69f&id=160201160

Here is my favorite picture of them from tonight:

Passions

For whatever reason, I have been thinking about passion a lot lately. I am always so interested to know what people are passionate about--what gets them really excited, what they can talk about for hours on end, what they get really upset about, etc. So, here are a few of mine:

1. Organ Donation
This is something I have been passionate about for a long time now. In high school and college, I spoke about it to several different organizations I was involved with and got everyone to sign organ donor cards and get registered as donors. I just think it is such a self-less act that requires literally no effort on your part. Why wouldn't you give someone else the gift of life when you no longer need your organs? In case you are wondering how to become an organ donor, it is very simple. Here is a website that tells you the 4 easy steps to becoming a donor:
http://www.organdonor.gov/donor/index.htm The MOST important thing is to tell your family and friends that you wish to be an organ and tissue donor. When you die, they are the ones who make the ultimate decision. I know this because my father thinks he won't be an organ donor...but guess who gets to make that choice for him?? :)

2. Travel
I know there are many people in this world who have travelled more than me. I don't care. My goal in life is not to set foot in more countries than anyone else. I just really enjoy travelling! I have now been in 10 countries: USA, Mexico, Japan, Romania, Ireland, England, France, Italy, Northern Ireland and Scotland. For some people, food is a really big part of travelling and experiencing other cultures. It is NOT for me! I mean, I enjoyed some incredible gelato in Italy, but that wasn't my favorite part of the trip. For me, it's all about cultural experiences and seeing the sights. I LOVED climbing Mt. Fuji and seeing the Louvre and playing at Giant's Causeway. I HATED eating sushi and drinking Guinness.

3. Planning
Part of my obsession with travel is just planning the trips. However, this passion extends to more than travelling. I just love to plan! Kory told me a while back that I was a restless spirit because I was planning future adventures and trips in America while I was living in Europe on the trip of a lifetime. I think planning is kind of addictive for me. I know many girls who similar in this way--I don't think I'm necessarily unique in this passion. I would really love to work as a trip planner someday! Maybe a travel agent...but I'd prefer if I got to work with a church or a non-profit organization to plan mission trips, fundraisers, service projects, etc. I LOVED planning Spring Break campaigns in college and would spend several months working out all the details. It wasn't a chore for me--more like a hobby.

4. Relationships
I don't say this to toot my own horn and to say I am a person who "really values people and always treat others with the utmost respect and kindness because I'm just a great person." That isn't the case. What I mean is that I really value relationships and I put a lot into my relationships. I didn't really realize this until Rachel Crawford brought it to my attention. I keep in touch with a LOT of people! Right now my communication is all through e-mail, blogging, Facebook, Skype, etc. However, despite the fact that I am on another continent, I continue to e-mail and message and talk to a LOT of people. I have a lot of really close friends, I suppose. For many people, keeping in touch and maintaining relationships is really draining. I really enjoy it, however, and feel like it is somehow a gift or talent of mine or something. I really want to care about each individual person I am in relationship with--I guess you could say this is my current struggle. I never want to be calloused or keep in touch because that is what I'm supposed to do. I want to do it because I care about the person and because I want to invest in their life.

5. Politics
Now, I really hesitate to put this one on here because I am certainly not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to politics. If you are a political science major and know all about foreign policy and tax laws and the current economic crisis, I don't want to have a debate with you. Actually, I don't want to have a debate with anyone. As with many people, this past election has got me really interested in politics. Well, I must admit, I am really interested in Obama and he is involved in politics...so I am interested in politics indirectly. I definitely tried to do my homework and research as much as possible for this last election and was pretty well informed about most of the main issues. Since I have no TV and hardly any media exposure, I have really fallen behind in terms of keeping up with current politics. I try to watch the video clips and read the headlines on msn, aol, cnn websites from time-to-time, but I'm sure I'm still missing a lot. I would say I am probably a moderate. Most conservatives from my home town would probably call me a liberal and most true liberals would call me a conservative...so I'd like to think I fit somewhere in the middle. I really do believe balance is necessary in all areas of life, politics included.

6. Communication
There was a time when I really regretted my choice of degree (BA in Organizational Communication) and thought I should have majored in something else. However, I have done a lot of soul-searching and learned a lot about myself in the past 8 months and I am SO glad I majored in communication. I was going to say I'm fascinated with words, but that makes it sound like I am fluent in multiple languages or I have a really huge vocabulary. Neither of those are true. I just really enjoy reading and writing and talking and hearing speeches and accents and it all comes down to communication. I LOVE to talk! That has been one of the hardest things for me about spending so much time alone here in England. Sometimes, I can go most of the day and not talk to anyone in person. Intercultural communication was one of my very favorite classes I ever took in college. I guess that makes sense because it combines my love for travel and communication and people! I guess this explains why I enjoy blogging so much. I am fascinated by the power of words...especially the written word.

Ok, I will stop there. I am sure no one really wants to read an extended paragraph on egg nog, Amanda Bynes or avocados! :)

Random Thoughts

I am very aware that my blog title is lame. I had wanted to start blogging for a while but couldn't come up with a creative name, so I kept procrastinating. I finally decided I would just start the blog and hopefully I would be inspired one day and can have an awesome blog name. I'm still waiting for that inspiration to hit. Any of you have an idea for me?

One of the things I am REALLY excited for when I return to America is driving my car! I did drive a little bit when I was home for Christmas, but for the most part I have been without a car since August. I think that has made the cold weather much worse for me. Cold weather is much more bearable when you can get into your car and turn on your heater and be warm! That is not really the case when you are walking or relying on public transportation to get everywhere. I am VERY grateful that I have my own car. Each time I have been out of the country and have to rely on public transport, I am reminded again that I am very blessed to own a vehicle. A few other "comforts" from home that I am excited about: clothes dryers, TV, couches/chairs, dish washer, MY bed (or at least one where the springs don't stick out and poke me) and different clothes! I am really tired of the clothes I brought here and have been wearing for the past few months.

Even though I am really excited to be back in America, I still have many exciting adventures in my last few weeks here in London! Rynn's boyfriend, Jeff, will be here tomorrow morning and will be here for his Spring Break hanging out with us...ok, he is coming to see Rynn...but I'll be there too whether he likes it or not! :) Then, our wonderful friends Evan and Jacinda Simmons will be here the next week and we have trips planned to Oxford and Derbyshire and will be going to see Les Mis with them, in addition to seeing LOTS of sights here in London. Also, Rynn and I are going to see Stonehenge and have a quick trip to Rome right before I fly back to Texas. OH YEAH!! I almost forgot! I am SOO stinking pumped because I am going to a Joshua Radin concert this Thursday! I'm going by myself, but that just means I can sing as loud as I want and really enjoy myself. I love his music--can't wait to hear it live in concert!

We definitely live in a very diverse environment. Our neighborhood and even our house includes many different nationalities. The place this is most often expressed is in the kitchen. We have people from the Phillippines, South Africa, America, Pakistan and Holland all in one house. There is almost always some nasty food being cooked. haha Today, we returned from the grocery store to find a pig heart (still sealed in the package, fortunately) sitting on our counter! Every single time I open the mini fridge (which all 8 of us share!!) there is some nasty smell that makes me want to gag. I am VERY excited at the prospect of 1)not living with strangers, 2) not sharing a mini-fridge (which I have done for 8 months now), 3) not sharing a bathroom with complete strangers. I'm not a clean freak by any means, but I don't really like having a public toilet in my own house!

Is it really that much to ask??

(In case you're not aware, one of my best friends, Rynn Miller, is living here in London with me.)

With only two people travelling together, we rely on strangers to take pictures of us quite often. Rarely, if ever, do they do a decent job, to say the least. Usually, we ask them to take a picture of us in front of some monument or attraction or something, and they can NEVER get both us and said attraction.

Here are a few examples:

Please take our picture with the massive lion?

I was standing up here and Rynn was going to take a funny picture of me for an inside joke with Kory, until this man insisted we both get up there and he take a serious picture of us. Really beautiful backdrop right?

This one is taken in Oxford. We are near a really cool pub, awesome streets, the city walls...but no, we get wall, fence and empty kegs instead. Awesome.

We were in Scotland on a trip to see Loch Ness and we saw another group's tour guide all decked out in Scottish gear--kilt and all. So, being the unashamed tourists, Rynn and I went to go take a picture with him. One of the guys in his tour group took the picture for us. We weren't really interested in seeing his lovely blue button-up shirt, silly! You can't even tell he has a kilt on unless you're really looking for it. Ugh.

This one probably takes the cake as the worst picture ever. First off, this man had no idea how to use a digital camera so he kept holding it up to his eye to look through the little viewing thing. Then he waited so long to take it that the camera went on stand-by so he thought it was broken. Next, he took several pictures of the ground trying to figure it out. All this time, he left Rynn and I squinting into the incredibly bright sun without ever telling us when he was going to take the picture. Also, this is taken at the amazing Edinburgh Castle...so we've got a castle in one direction and incredible views of the city in two directions...but we got trees, a fence, a shadow and two very unprepared girls. Thank you very much sir.


SO, because of this, when some random person asks me to take their picture, I take my time and do a FANTASTIC job! I put a lot of effort into it because I know the feeling of defeat when you check out the picture that night on your way home and realize they failed, yet again. Oh well, I guess they do make for pretty good stories!

And so it begins...

I have recently decided to enter the world of blogging. I have been sending out updates on my life for the past 8 months or so that I've been in Europe and I have really enjoyed it! So, I think blogging will be much the same for me. I am still working on this page and have a lot of tweaking left to do. It's definitely a work in progress, but I'll be working on it over the next couple days and hopefully get it looking just like I want.

I am currently living in London and will be here for about 3 1/2 more weeks. My time here has been amazing! I am so excited for our friends to come see us in the next couple weeks. We'll get to show them around London and hopefully do some really fun touring with them as well. We're also planning to hit Rome for a few days right before we head back to America.

My plans for the future are really unknown right now, but that doesn't really scare me anymore. I am excited about the wide-open possibilities! I know God has a big plan for me and it's all working itself out so I am just eagerly awaiting the day when He reveals it to me. This trip has most definitely been a faith-building experience for me. It was a huge leap of faith to come here with no job or place to live or anything, and God has taken care of me in every way possible. I have really learned the value of Trusting in Him completely. It is such a freeing way to live--trusting instead of worrying, believing instead of stressing, praying instead of planning.