time management

so... i started writing this in the library when i went to work on my tefl, because i had to download a video for it. except i forgot to read the thing before, so i didn't realize the downloading part would take an HOUR. and the video is an hour. so then i didn't have time to watch it because i only had 10 minutes left of my study room reservation.

so i decided write on here because i haven't in so very long.

here's what i wrote:

the last few weeks have been crazy... i feel like the easiest way is to do a list (let's be real... i would probably do a list anyway because i love them).

so... in the past few weeks i have:

-graduated from college. this is kinda a big deal, but i still don't really feel like it's done. maybe because i still have my tefl, which is basically homework.

-run 10 miles on the course that i will actually be running for the half marathon... that's in the mountains people. copper to frisco. i'm not one to brag, but i'm pretty proud of myself. i also know now that i am totally going to crotchpunch the actual event, so that's exciting.

-skyped with bryan. it was wonderful, even though his internet is terrible and we kept getting cut off.

then i came back and realized that's a really short list but i feel like i've done more than that.

i've also been working a lot, working on my stuff for korea, running, and watching lots of shows online. haha... that last one shouldn't count but i'm just being honest.

it's weird... i have a bunch of different emotions going on right now, and i can't pinpoint just one. i can't even really describe any of them... i guess i really don't know what i'm feeling. it's funny because now is a time when i really should be at the top of my planning game, but i've never lived so day to day in my life. seriously... i just take each day and hardly even think about the next one. it's strange... but also kinda wonderful.

praise God for the days.

i spy...

today on my run around the lake i saw:
1 boy who could only be described as a *thug* happily feeding the geese by himself
2 couples snogging
3 jewish boys in yarmulkes up to no good by the water
4 people whose dogs were clearly running them
and bonus a man following his toddler daughter around plucking (not strumming) a guitar. she was not interested in him at all...

it was awesome.

praise the Lord for entertainment to distract me from running!

today.

so... this weekend i got to hang out with my mom... i love her :) since bryan is gone and my dad is out of town it was just the 2 of us. we watched lots of movies and were lazy and we went shopping and i got a macbook! i'm so excited... now i can skype and edit pictures and not get viruses! also she got me an awesome graduation dress. i feel spoiled... thank you mom! it was a wonderful break from life...

i feel like my life is all jumbled up right now. except really it's not... i guess. i don't know.
i'm trying to organize my thoughts and i can't. i have lots of different stuff to be excited about, but it's hard to get excited about one or the other because there's just so much else going on... make sense?

i'm graduating from college in 5 days. that is weird. i can't even believe it... i have 1 more paper and some ministry hours to submit, then i'm done. crazy!

it doesn't feel like the end.

it could be because i'm staying in my house this summer, so i don't have that moving out aspect that i've had the last 3 years to remind me that it's summer time. or it could be because i still have 6 tefl units to go, so i basically will still have homework until those are done. or it could be because i still have to get all my visa stuff together. i actually have most of it together, but i'm waiting on my degree and final transcript to send it all out. also, like an idiot, i opened my transcript from australia and broke the seal, so now i have to request a new one. oops!
i don't know... maybe i'm in denial. or maybe i'm just over it. i was watching an old episode of laguna beach the other day (HA!) and it was the graduation episode. i had about 5 minutes of a sentimental reality check, but then it went away. i don't know why... i'm just not that upset about the idea of leaving college behind. i've never really been one to look back. i'm not a joiner... i don't go back and visit high school teachers, and i won't come back and visit college. it's just not the way i am.

i think the reason why i'm so not upset is because i'm more just excited about the future. i love my friends that i've made in college to death, and, yes, i am going to miss them like crazy. it does make me sad to think that i will not be here for some things. but more than that, i am so excited to see what happens. i'm excited because i know that God has a plan for all of our lives... this was just a short season, and it's only the beginning of the amazing things that He is going to do. and i can't wait to see it! i can't wait to see where everyone ends up, what they end up doing, who they end up doing it with, and how everyone will grow. i can't even imagine living not knowing that God has a plan... it not only brings so much peace, but it makes everything more exciting because i know that His plans go beyond anything i can imagine! it's such a cool feeling...

speaking of God's plans... bryan is in uganda! i got to talk to him on saturday and hear more about it... he loves the people and the country is beautiful, and he's already attached to some of the kids. it's so exciting for me to see him being exactly where i know God wants him right now. i just know in my heart that God has amazing plans for him there, and i've already seen how the Lord has worked things out for him. if you think about it, please pray for bryan that he will really find his niche and that God will show him what he needs to be doing there specifically (each volunteer is supposed to pick a project to do for musana... bryan doesn't know what he wants to do yet). and pray for the other volunteers and the organization as a whole, and for emma and nico, two of the kids that bryan has already become attached to.

also while you're praying... maybe shoot one up there for me and the half marathon (i registered today!). my foot has been acting up, so now i'm behind on my training. lame... but i've rested it longer this time, so i'm hoping that will make a difference and i will be able to train harder now.

anyways... this post ended up longer than expected.

praise the Lord for His goodness and for working everything out according to His purposes!

do it.

just click here and do this.
warning: it's addicting. and AWESOME.
speaking of awesome... i love 1000 awesome things. it adds happy to my days :)
i know that awesome is a strong word... these things are not awesome in the way it really means, but they are great.
praise the Lord for awesome!

WOOP!

i passed my interview! praise God! i found out sooner than i thought i would, which was nice. now i get to start the incredibly long and detailed process of getting all my visa documents together... it should be a good time. technically it's not a done deal until all of those are sent, but i have every intention of getting them in as soon as i possibly can. it has the potential to be very stressful, but, honestly, the only thing about it that i am slightly concerned about is getting my reference letter hard copies from australia. but i know that God is good and He will work it all out, so i'm really not worried.
anyways... i'm excited. a few friends and i went out for some celebratory milkshakes, which was delightful. but really, i still have a long way to go...
anyways, this weekend is all about BRYAN and his leaving for uganda on SUNDAY! i'll miss him lots, but mostly i'm just excited for him!
praise God for... everything!

time zones.

in 1 hour i am going to receive a phone call from epik and i will begin my interview to teach in korea this fall. that's right... look at what time this is posted and add an hour. midnight. dang time zones. (i just realized that for some reason it's saying it was posted at 10. it's not... it's 11. so much for that neat little thing i tried to do...)
i'm not super nervous, but i am aware of the significance of the situation. my australian recruiter just called me and made me feel better by saying "you're going to nail this interview. they're gonna love you. you're an english speaking north american female... no worries!" it actually worked... i do feel better about it now.
i'll find out the results in about 48 hours... so expect an update then. eep!
praise the Lord that He has a plan and i don't have to worry about my life! that's all i can think about right now...

busy busy

i actually haven't been that busy... i've basically had the last 2 weeks off from work, so i've had a lot of free time. but i've managed to fill it somehow, and now time has gotten away from me.
i feel like nothing terribly exciting has happened to me in these last weeks, but i also feel like i've been excited a lot over little things. and 2 really big things... but they didn't actually happen to me.
so here's a list of what has been going on:

i'm starting with the most exciting because... well... i want to.

BRYAN'S GOING TO AFRICA! for those who don't know... my baby brother has been wanting to go to uganda for years, and i have been pushing for it since he graduated high school. well, after a couple years of figuring his stuff out, he's finally going to live and volunteer at a really sweet orphanage called musana children's home. i somehow heard about it through my church (flatirons), told bryan about it, he got in touch with them, and they basically told him to come as soon as he can. so he's leaving in like 3 weeks, which is very soon, but also very exciting! i could go on and on about this because i love bryan and i know that this is what he's supposed to be doing with his life... but i'll stop now. EEE!

i'm still training for the half marathon (i know right?! i'm shocked too...) it's going well... i'm ahead of where my training schedule says i should be, so that's good. i can run a billion years on the treadmill (by that, i mean like an hour without killing myself. which is phenomenal considering like a month ago i could only go about 10 minutes before i wanted to die) and the other day i ran around a lake near my house, which is 2.54 miles (haha... and i really did go exactly that. i took note of the pole that i started at and stopped there.) this is about 3 times further than i've been able to run since i finished soccer my sophomore year of high school, so i'm excited. i'm still a long way from half marathon status, but i'm getting there :)

things are moving along with korea stuff... i talked to a recruiter a few weeks ago, turned in my application and one letter of recommendation, and i'm waiting on my second letter so i can do an interview sometime in the beginning of april. if i pass the interview, i have to hurry and send in a buttload of papers and stuff before i can be offered a job, so it's still pretty far off. if you think of it, pray for me that everything gets turned in and that my interview goes well! that would be wonderful!

i'm starting a mentorship thing through a program called mi casa that my roommate carly works for. i've only gone in a couple of times, and i haven't officially started yet, but i'll probably be mentoring a 6th grade girl named krystal, and i'm really really excited about it!

AND of course i am VERY excited about baby austin... and i will be even MORE excited when i get to meet him :)

that's all i can really think of right now... other than that i'm just working on school (5 papers and a presentation and i'm DONE!) and my tefl and hanging out... tonight i'm going home for spring break, which i'm very stoked on.

praise God for exciting things! for opportunities and strength and His plan and babies :)