"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." -- St. Augustine

Saturday, May 15, 2010

... UPDATE

So apparently, I'm terrible at keeping a blog. Sigh. I just promised myself I would be better at it... because I am away from home for the summer and this is a good link to home. I really should summarize my year at Crown.

September:
  • Lifelight - went home after a soccer game to go for one day of concerts. Epicness x 10.
  • Classes - took Dr. Ratledge's Critical Thinking and Writing class and got owned. Every. Single. Morning. Took a variety of other classes as well.
  • Friends - made lots of new friends and reconnected with old ones
  • Injury - got hurt during the beginning of the season. Had to have an MRI (not a cheap thing I might add) and found out there was apparently nothing wrong. Frustrating to say the least when the pain was apparently unexplainable. In short... I sat like almost a month out. Coming back was NOT easy. But the joy of the Lord was my strength and I pushed through.
  • Boy - started hanging out with a guy who I had actually met last year. He was hurt during the soccer season as was I (see above) so it was fun having someone to relate with.
October:
  • Parents Visit - first time I had seen my family since Lifelight. They came up for a soccer game in the freeeeeeezing cold.
  • Soccer in the Snow - October saw lots of early snow. Actually played a couple games where they had to shovel the lines. It was fabulous. Ha. :)
  • First Boyfriend - well... that boy I hung out with became a little more than just a boy. Insert friend after and that's what it was. I was pretty excited about life in general.
  • MELTDOWN - I had an emotional meltdown towards the end of October... sigh. Homework had piled up, I was frustrated with being hurt and no answer found, I was stressed beyond compare. Thank goodness for friends to stick by me through and through.
  • END of Soccer Season - I learned so much playing soccer this year. I don't think I regret playing at all. I learned a lot about friends, soccer and life. I'm gonna miss the girls next year so much. I know I'll still get to see them but it's still a little hard.
November:
  • Thanksgiving - got to go home for Thanksgiving. Best time ever. So fun. Drove a friend of a friend from back home back to SD so that was a challenge too.... airport on the day before Thanksgiving = INSANITY.
December:
  • Papers - I had a monstrocity of papers due this year. My largest one was due in early December for Dr. Ratledge's class.... I had decided I wanted to write on Leo Tolstoy one of my favorite authors. However, what I did not know is that his seemingly bi-polarness (swinging in his view on something from one extreme to the other every other year it seemed) was going to cause me fits. However, two months of slaving over that paper later and my first 15 page college paper was complete.
  • Finals - Finished my first round of college finals :)
  • No Longer a Freshman - I brought in 12 credits which meant that at the end of first semester I had enough credits to be a Sophomore with all the rights and privileges (sooner times to sign up for classes, more class options and who can forget the "better" meal plan)
  • Headed Home - brought Austin home for a few days which was so much fun. I enjoyed getting to have him around my family and just spend a few days at the place I called home.
January (A Month of Extremes):
  • Sub-zero - The temps in early January were sub-zero. I went back early to MN to see Austin and his family and on the day I returned, I'm pretty sure the temps were -25 when I left home.
  • Ice Skating - I swore I would never learn to skate. EVER. Ha. Was I ever wrong. Within a couple days of me being back in MN, Austin had me in skates and on the ice in his backyard. And I must admit... I love it. I skate so much now. Bought a pair of skates in late January and skated every night the entire month of February.
  • Classes - started with a full 18 credit load. Lots to do. Very very busy.
  • Broken Wrist - played hockey with Austin's family and fell on my wrist. Didn't think I did too much to it but went in for x-rays anyway after it still wasn't feeling well. Found out I had chipped the bone in my wrist and had to wear a cast/splint for four weeks.
  • Heartbreak - dealt with my first breakup at the end of January. Not easy but looking back, I can see God walked with me through it.
February:
  • Blur - under a lot of emotional, spiritual, and physical stress, February was a little bit of a blur.
  • Deeper Life Conference - sometimes it becomes more obvious that God knows what we need. Deeper Life was amazing this year and at the time I needed to hear from God the most.
  • Westwood BOOST - started working with Laura (another Crownie) with her small group of 8th grade girls at Westwood. God used these girls to help fill a needed gap for ministry in my life. I love these girls and I cannot wait for next fall!
March:
  • ROMANIA - started planning for my mission trip this summer to Romania. I'm so excited to go and I am thrilled that I am able to return to Eastern Europe again!
  • Reawakening - my passion and zeal for the Lord was reawakened in March through a series of events that just helped me fall even more in love with Jesus Christ
  • Spring Break - much needed mental vacation. Went home and just enjoyed the peace and quiet. Sydney came home on the weekend before I was leaving and we had an awesome time hanging out together.
April:
  • Easter Break - went home for Easter and helped backstage with the Easter Cantata at church. Great mental break to recharge before the final weeks of school.
  • Last weeks of classes - the weather warmed up and many classes were spent outside (particularly my Honors Lit class which was notorious for going outside even if the ground was a little damp). Got burned/tan a few times sitting in the warm April sun. :)
  • Honors Math Component - for the last few weeks of April, I slaved over a 15 page paper on Math. Yes. Math. :) But it's done so that makes me very happy. :) Taught me a bit of endurance.
  • End of BOOST - sadly, BOOST ended for the school year. I learned so much from my girls in the short few months I got to spend with them. Rachel (who sometimes was the only one there) taught me so much about life in general and we spent many nights when it was just the two of us just talking about the things of the Lord or about nothing at all :) The other girls were just as much of a blessing. I miss them so much already.
May:
  • Finals - finished my finals for my Freshman/Sophomore year.
  • Moving Out/Moving In - moved in with a family from Westwood after moving out of my dorm at Crown. I'm working in MN for the summer and this family was gracious enough to open their home to me.
  • Summer Classes - I'm taking two summer classes, Apologetics and Honors Ethics, which are simply two weeks of class each. Its stressful and a lot of work but I've been enjoying it so far. :)
  • Countdown for Romania - just bought tickets to officially go to Romania leaving June 18. I'm so excited!
Well... that was a snapshot of my Freshman year at Crown. Hope that caught you up and that you learned something you may not have known. Now I can write about the here and now from here on out. :)