Cincinnati

Got back on Saturday from the Cincinnati trip, and it was wonderful. I had a great great time! We went to the Cincinnati Art Museum (I saw a Picasso and a Rembrandt ... pretty amazing). After that we went to see the play "Amadeus" ... which was great. It wasn't at all what I expected it to be, to say the least ... :) The producers were very loose with their PG rating. 

The next day we went to the Freedom Museum about slavery in America and worldwide, which was really interesting, but I was just so tired from the night before! Then we headed on home, and it felt so good to be back here. We were all just dead-tired. 

All for now,

h

Feeling good, feeling fine

Sitting out here under my "study tree" on the south side of Henderson. I am just enjoying life today. It's a beautiful day and why not sit outside and work on your Mac?? I am loving it! We leave tomorrow morning for Cincinnati on the Honors Trip - I am really looking forward to it. It will be nice to spend some time with fellow honor students and get to know them a little more.

Just got back from a meeting with Dr. Austin about my H&C paper, and he really reassured me about how it's coming along. His attitude toward the actual paper made me realize I was taking it a little too seriously, but that's a good thing - I'm glad he helped me to realize that. Just gonna polish it up tonight, and then not worry about it any more!! It's going to be a great time.

h

1 Month in ...

Well, I've been living here one month today, & I am absolutely loving it! I finally feel like I am a part of this college and not just a wanderer anymore. I auditioned for the play "The Man Who Came to Dinner" last night and got a callback today! We meet again tonight at 9; I'm so excited!! I am done with my rough draft of my H&C paper, and I'm feeling okay about it - still needs work, though. 

Life is good & God is great.

h

Change of Heart!

Decided to change my topic for the H&C paper to something I'm more acquainted with - argumentative and exploratory writing in general. I'm going to go off of "Socrates and his Pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Justice." We'll see where that takes me. That stresses me out a little bit less even though it's due in a week ... uh, yeah. It will be okay. Now that it's a topic I actually enjoy, I think the writing will flow easier.

h

A Bit Stressed ...

Starting my first paper of college, and it's for my Humanity & the Cosmos course. I'm getting stressed because I feel in over my head (it is a philosophy class, though, and I think any topic I could have picked would make me feel this way). I am just trying to handle everything at once, and some days I get distracted and don't finish what I need to for that day. Also, my quiet time has just downright sucked lately, because I haven't been putting forth hardly any effort into it. I think that too has factored into this empty feeling I've been having the past few days. I haven't gone to God like I should, and in turn, my life reflects this kind of "starvation." BUT ... I also know that it is possible to get things back on track, and the message @ BASIC tonight really reminded me of that - that sometimes you just have to take a quiet moment for you & God to be alone together. 

h 

Time Well-Spent

Yesterday I was able to spend the whole day with Bradley. He came up here and ate with me in the CAF, hung out in our dorm room (door propped open of course!), and then we went to Ruesday's (Ruby Tuesday's) & then to the dam - that was the best part of the day. We just went down to the waterfront, skipped rocks, and just talked in solitude. It was amazing. We watched the sun go down (well, kind of - we watched the reflection on the water - the trees covered it up). Once it was dark, we weren't ready to say goodbye yet, so we went to Walmart and Sonic. Talk about a high-class Jefferson City date! :) I had an amazing, relaxing time. Love him.

h

Love

Last night my sister, dad, mamaw & papaw came up to Jeff City to have supper with me and see the room. It was great - except that we went to Applebee's :( ... which I suggested ... ? Oh well, it was still great! They liked seeing the room, especially now that it actually looks lived in and homey. Brad is coming over in about an hour and a half, which is going to be great to see him!

h

I <3 Anna!

Today I met Anna at the Chop House at the Bass Pro place thingy (official name). It was absolutely amazing! We were talking about it and admittedly sounded like lovers, but I had missed seeing her and her voice and spending time together so much! After lunch we went to Marble Slab and just sat out in the shade, had ice cream, and talked. It was wonderful! I feel so fortunate because God has blessed me in so many ways - in the ability to maintain the meaningful friendships from high school and move on from the draining ones, to meet new people and form tight bonds with them, to attend school and actually enjoy it, and of course to keep close with all my family. I feel too blessed; I don't understand why God would shower me with gifts the way He does - I don't deserve it! Today was wonderful and only served as a reminder to me that a high school friendship can become more than just that ... and that it can actually last if it's something worth working at.

h

Feeling Better!

Just got back from BASIC - the BCM worship service, and I really really enjoyed it! It was nice being out & about, meeting some new people and hanging out with the cool people I've met so far. There are even some mission trip opportunities coming up (very cheap, I might add) that I am interested in. Possibly more to come on that!

Every time I begin to doubt something, God reveals Himself in one way or another. The only thing is, it's up to me whether I choose to see Him or not. Tonight was great; praise to God!

h

Still Getting Used to It

Sometimes I can be kind of a loner. Sometimes I am content to just sit in my dorm room by myself watching TV or reading ... Is that so wrong? I know I want to get involved in some kind of ministry here in order to build some strong relationships, but that is a bit of daunting task. I try to set small goals for myself (go to church, go to Bible study, go out with this group & meet new people, etc.), but my brain never really lets me get away from the "you MUST make new strong friendships" mentality. And that is hard for me. I consider myself an outgoing person, but at the same time, sometimes so many new people is a little overwhelming, especially when some are much more outgoing than me. "Ms. Friendly" in high school - this should be easy right? 

OKAY ........... breathe.

This is just one of the many new experiences I am going to have here; I have to remember that. This is out of my comfort zone, but that is what I wanted and it's what God has given me. He's not throwing something new and unfamiliar at me only to watch me fail. He is right here with me every step of the way. He is more important than anything else - what other people think of me, grades, family, what other people think of me ... God is bigger.

h

Labor Day

Had a wonderful weekend (well, it was Saturday & the early morning of Sunday!) with the girls at Mary's cabin in Virginia. It was a very relaxing time! I also was able to spend Sunday with Bradley. We went to O'Charley's (Mary calls it that "Viking Food" place) and then hung out & watched Heroes. Twas a grand night! After that I went home and spent the night, which was very strange, the whole having to pack a bag to go home deal. It was weird. And I couldn't sleep in my bed; it was just too .... I don't know. So I took over Allie's bed. :) On Monday we all just kinda hung around the house and laughed. And it was wonderful. One of the most important things I've learned from being at college so far is that there is no laughter like that shared with family. It's truly something different from everything else. 

Once I was back here at the dorm, I kind of had this feeling of peace wash over me. Before starting college I was always worried that it would be weird when I came home, like I would feel like some kind of a visitor. Thankfully, that's not the case. I realize that I can have two homes: here in my world of freedom and dorm life, and the one that I've always had with my family. That is a good feeling, knowing that closeness with my family is still possible even when physical distance is thrown into the mix.

Can't wait to see what happens next!

- h