Tis the Season...

... to be Jolly!

Christmas time is here in San Diego and especially so in my apartment! Wishing you and yours some happy holiday cheer!

Tis the Season... to also countdown!

10 days until the semester ends,

11 days until I drive home for Christmas with Sarah Schmidt,

11 days until Sarah meets Macer,

18 days until I am reunited with some amazing women and my love Katie Scoville,

18 days until some Sacramento fun with great friends,

And

20 days until Christmas!

It's a Fall Day

I woke up this morning to rain! And what a beautiful sight it is as it is still raining right now!

The rain makes today a fall day, my cinnamon enhanced coffee makes today a fall day, my new fall leaves desktop background (cheesy I know... just couldn't help myself) makes today a fall day, and a trip to Julian makes today a fall day.

I am a happy girl!

Many have heard me whine about how I can't stand that San Diego does not really experience fall. Native San Diegans think that San Diego has "fall" but really, they haven't a clue as to the greatness of what fall really holds. And today, I have to say "good job San Diego for pulling fall off, you actually did it!".

I will be home sweet home for the Thanksgiving holiday come Monday night and I not only anxiously await such a sweet reunion because of all the amazing things "home" is, but because "home" means some SERIOUS fall. Can't wait!

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy this holiday in community and let us all be thankful!

A Day in the Life

It seems to me this title is appropriate for this day because today I feel as if I am living a day in the life I have wanted to live for a day for quite some time.

It all actually started last night. I went to bed watching a movie, a movie that I only made it 1o minutes into because I was THAT tired. So sad! But nonetheless, it was such a great feeling being able to take the time to "watch" a movie as I fell asleep.

I woke up today at 8am and went to Yoga with two absolute loves. I got to experience a wonderful hour of relaxation, stretching, and bliss. I left feeling quite relaxed and rejuvenated, and totally thrilled by the fact that I have nothing that I HAVE to do today. Nothing!

I came home from Yoga, made coffee, made my bed, poured an amazing cup of coffee, grabbed a blanket, hopped on into my papasan chair, and READ The New York Times, my paper of choice.

I read an insightful article about unemployment and how jobs are increasing, but just not enough. I have been thinking a great deal about politics lately in relation to education, unemployment, and the recent state elections, and in fact have found myself in a series of wonderful conversations with my roommate about the insanity of the current government, things both good and bad. Our conversations lead to dreaming about how we could make "Unemployment" so much more productive, change "Social Security", redistribute money within the realm of "Education", and elect different state officials as to bring some much needed change to the table. Now if WE could just make these things happen.... such crazy political notions are quite fun to dream about.

After reading my electronic paper (kind of sad...definitely lacks in providing the aesthetic pleasure of a real newspaper), I took a pause and mentally jumped for joy because I actually had the time in this moment to BLOG! Oh my oh my!

And so I write about a morning that has been a little slice of Heaven. I don't want it to end! I had just told one of my best friends about how my ideal day would consist of sitting down at the end of a busy day with a glass of wine and my laptop and writing a fulfilling blog. This morning has been exactly that, only with a cup of coffee and at the beginning of the day, but nonetheless, fulfilling.

Happy Saturday! May we all enjoy the fullness of God's Grace and Peace in our hearts and in the life happening all around us on this wonderful day.

And by the way, I am hoping for my "ideal evening" sometime very soon because I have some ideas, thoughts, and life updates I want to share!

These days...

I watch kids

do homework

sleep

do homework

watch kids

go to class (little variety here)

do homework

watch more kids

get sick

go to class

sleep

watch kids

lose my voice

watch kids

Get the gist?

and what I don't do is

blog.

Forgive me.

I am home for a weekend of fun (Danielle and James' Wedding! Congrats!) and relaxing. And boy am I in such a need for both!

To sum things up: "life is life"-- a wise quote said by Ms. Anna Taggart. A woman wiser beyond her years :)

UP next, when I blog again (hopefully before another month goes by...ah!) I will share some pictures and a good story all to liven things up a bit!

Adiosssss

"I want to go to Italy! Let's Go! What am I doing here?"

The string of phrases I now recite on a daily basis. Italy can be interchanged with Spain and just Europe in general.

I just finished reading the 2 post cards my best friend Rachelle sent to me, the first after having visited Rome and the second after having visited Florence. And my heart now aches to travel even more than it did before.

I have the bug. The travel bug. Big time. I want to be in Europe and I want to be there real bad. And even more specifically... I want to be in Italy.

My dream (which I hope to unfold into a reality within the next 2 years) goes like this...

Move to Florence, Italy and live in a rustic, old, teeny-tiny flat that over looks an authentic cobblestone Italian street. I want to hear the sounds of bustling busy people speaking Italian. I want to eat the best pasta that I have ever put into

my mouth and drink the most amazing wine that I have ever sipped. I want to walk the streets of Italy and go all over. I want to meet really neat people, buy beautiful artwork, learn Italian just for fun, and as my roommate Kate says "live the bohemian life".

Tomorrow I will be one day closer to this dream because tomorrow I start Grad school. That means one school day down and one day closer to a traveling life that I can't wait to begin. I mean business. Europe I am coming for you very soon!

Ciao!

Next blog to come will be all about Rachelle's trip to San Diego! Promise. One of the most fun weeks of my life, and one to surely be documented. Stay tuned...

This one's for you!

A new blog is coming soon! It will include Rachelle's amazing visit here in San Diego, snip-its of my new life, and hopefully pictures of a somewhat compl

eted apartment (fingers crossed!)

So to Rachelle and Jill my new avid followers... a new post will be happening soon. Let me pick of the pieces of my scattered life, put them back together,

and a new post will then await!

In the mean time, here's something for you two to snack on...

Loveeeee

Caught up in the busyness...

of life.

I have lots of pictures to share of adventures with my love Ms. Rachelle Catherine, the happenings of my new apartment in San Diego, some crazy sights I have seen since being back down in Southern California, and lots to say about the downright busyness that has gone on since I made my move. They will be up soon!

Today I was able to pause for a good couple of hours while at church back at Flood. Oh how this morning did my soul and heart some good as I begin this next year of life in San Diego, pursuing my life long dream of becoming a teacher, all the while wanting to so badly take advantage of this current time in my life to live, experience, and be (in other words travel through Europe). I am in prayer about where and how I will get to serve here in San Diego for this next year and for how my faith is going to be strengthened and grounded as I step into the shoes of what is now real life.

People (as in wonderful visitors whom I love) have been in and out of my new apartment. Boxes and crap has been and still is (somewhat) strung out everywhere. My bank account has been draining. I have been going going going. Nonetheless, these last few days have been fun, spontaneous, challenging, tiring, exciting, new, and empowering.

Tomorrow marks my one-last-week-before-school-starts and I will be drowning my sorrows with a delicious and amazing Acai Bowl from OB. That's right, drowning the sorrows and I say "sorrows" only because I am just not wanting to start this last leg of my journey..... summer, let's start over again!