Well, my first visit back to Nashville has come and gone. The night before I left, I was so wired I couldn't sleep! Seriously, no sleep! I have had small doses of homesickness, but nothing major. However, as the week went on, I was READY to head south!
My time home was really a big blur. I tried to fit in as much as possible, and I still didn't get to see everyone or do all that I wanted to. I did manage to get in a morning with Carrie, an afternoon with Anne, lunch with Derek, a girls night with Laura, and even a porch night/bonfire with Jessica, Casey, and Amy. The one thing Chicago doesn't have is my wonderful friends. I was telling someone that the nicest thing about being home was just being able to be. I didn't have to have conversations about where I'm from and who I am. I didn't have to pretend. I could just be....silly, dorky me!
The other thing that was amazing was that as much as I hated to leave my friends and family, I never had second thoughts about coming back. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I'm right where God wants me to be! I am happy and excited about my life, and I really can't wait to see what happens. I feel like as difficult as it has been at times, those times have just made me stronger.
If I didn't get to see you while I was home, I missed you! I'm going to be home for most of the month of December, and I can't wait! I'm hoping there will be many more opportunities to see my dear friends. I do miss all of you guys...lots!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Free (but hardly easy) therapy
I have been in classes for about six weeks now. I absolutely love my classes and the school I'm at. Roosevelt is completely different from FWBBC, Trevecca, and Liberty. If you know much about my educational "journey" you know that after graduating from FWBBC I really wanted to get my license in Marriage and Family Therapy. I started at Trevecca and loved the Master's program there. I felt great about what I was studying until one day, out of the blue, I just didn't anymore. I felt such a strong urge to get out of the program. I just knew that I didn't want to spend the rest of my life working with married couples and their children. What to do next? I put of school for a couple of years until I decided that I wanted to be a school counselor. There weren't any great programs in Nashville, so I decided to work on my degree through Liberty University's online degree program. No offense to Liberty, but it just wasn't for me. I hated doing classes online. I missed the atmosphere of being in a classroom and really knowing your peers. And the course material just wasn't for me. Liberty's program was really geared more towards teachers and really pushed it's students toward a career in a Christian school. There's nothing wrong with Christian schools. I graduated from one. But my heart and my passion are in the inner city. I don't want the cushy job....I want the tough job with the kids that need me. That's where Roosevelt came in. It's an extremely liberal school (which makes things interesting!), but their passion is social justice. It's a built in part of the curriculum, no matter what you're studying. I love it!
For one of my classes, we had to write an autobiography. Now that it's done and turned in, I know why we had to do it. I had to write about what shaped me, what made me who I am. To say this was difficult was the understatement of the century! I wrote about things that I haven't thought about in a long time. I wrote about my childhood, and I recognize things now that I didn't (or just didn't want to) then. I wrote about the guys I loved, and how two of those relationships in particular shaped my views on love and friendship. I wrote about my friend Eric, and how his death probably affected me more than I've ever thought. I wrote about my dad and my family. Some areas of my life were so easy to write. In fact, I woke up at 2 in the morning one night, came out to my desk, and wrote for an hour about my high school ex. Other parts were hard. When I was writing about Eric, I just broke down. For the first time in a really long time, I really let myself cry and miss my friend.
Honestly, I'm glad I did it. I'm glad that I let myself be real and feel emotions that I haven't felt in a long time. It's something I would encourage everyone to do. It's difficult and emotionally draining, but so so theraputic. There's my first bit of counseling advice!
For one of my classes, we had to write an autobiography. Now that it's done and turned in, I know why we had to do it. I had to write about what shaped me, what made me who I am. To say this was difficult was the understatement of the century! I wrote about things that I haven't thought about in a long time. I wrote about my childhood, and I recognize things now that I didn't (or just didn't want to) then. I wrote about the guys I loved, and how two of those relationships in particular shaped my views on love and friendship. I wrote about my friend Eric, and how his death probably affected me more than I've ever thought. I wrote about my dad and my family. Some areas of my life were so easy to write. In fact, I woke up at 2 in the morning one night, came out to my desk, and wrote for an hour about my high school ex. Other parts were hard. When I was writing about Eric, I just broke down. For the first time in a really long time, I really let myself cry and miss my friend.
Honestly, I'm glad I did it. I'm glad that I let myself be real and feel emotions that I haven't felt in a long time. It's something I would encourage everyone to do. It's difficult and emotionally draining, but so so theraputic. There's my first bit of counseling advice!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
If FWBBC could see me now!
Most of you know that I attended Free Will Baptist Bible College for my undergrad degree. For the most part, I would call it a positive experience. I met many new friends and was able to deepen several friendships while I was there. Many of the Bible classes challenged me and, whether directly or indirectly, shaped my theology.
The school had very strict guidelines when it came to behavior off and on campus. Guys were never allowed in the girls dorm, but on the rare occasion that a male was present, you would hear the shout, "Man on the floor!" Movies were prohibited. There was never to be any smoking or drinking, and absolutely no drug use.
I am currently living in student housing here at Roosevelt. When you are attending a college in the heart of downtown Chicago, dorm living is really supervised apartment living. I live in a 26 story building with mostly undergrad students. This is a temporary housing building until something opens up in the permanant graduate residence. Most of my walking through the building is meeting college kids going to parties, coming home from parties, or getting ready to throw a party. It's not exactly peaceful, but it's always interesting!
The day I moved in, my dad and I got to my floor. The first thing I saw was 4 college guys all moving in next door to me. My dad and I laughed, and I said "We've come a long way from FWBBC!". The other day on the elevator, my roommate and I were greeted with an overwhelming smell of marijuana smoke. The girl was unbelievably high. Tonight, while going to check on my laundry, I rode a packed elevator with a kid straight up smoking a cigarette. I say all this to say, more than anything else about the city or my school, "dorm" life has proved that I'm no longer at FWBBC!
The school had very strict guidelines when it came to behavior off and on campus. Guys were never allowed in the girls dorm, but on the rare occasion that a male was present, you would hear the shout, "Man on the floor!" Movies were prohibited. There was never to be any smoking or drinking, and absolutely no drug use.
I am currently living in student housing here at Roosevelt. When you are attending a college in the heart of downtown Chicago, dorm living is really supervised apartment living. I live in a 26 story building with mostly undergrad students. This is a temporary housing building until something opens up in the permanant graduate residence. Most of my walking through the building is meeting college kids going to parties, coming home from parties, or getting ready to throw a party. It's not exactly peaceful, but it's always interesting!
The day I moved in, my dad and I got to my floor. The first thing I saw was 4 college guys all moving in next door to me. My dad and I laughed, and I said "We've come a long way from FWBBC!". The other day on the elevator, my roommate and I were greeted with an overwhelming smell of marijuana smoke. The girl was unbelievably high. Tonight, while going to check on my laundry, I rode a packed elevator with a kid straight up smoking a cigarette. I say all this to say, more than anything else about the city or my school, "dorm" life has proved that I'm no longer at FWBBC!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Family
I am completely blessed by an amazing family. There are times that I take forgranted that not everyone has what I have.
In 1996 we quite the surprise...a new cousin! Caroline was the surprise addition to our family. We all joke that she immediately became the favorite. She has the most pictures up at Mamaw and Papaw's house and (seemingly) got the most presents at Christmas. :-) She is funny, smart, and beyond talented. I think she's better at everything than the older four of us....combined! I'm loving living near her!
Aunt Gwen has one of the best laughs, and I love sitting with her and my sister and listening to her laugh. Casey can make anyone laugh, but I love hearing her make Aunt Gwen laugh! My Uncle John is one of the most intelligent people I know and so much fun to be around. He is a great listener and gives fantastic advice. I'm so thankful for them!
Abby and Grant have both married two amazing people, and they fit right in with our family. Caleb and Abby have an adorable little girl who turns 1 tomorrow. Tatum is so smiley! Everytime I see new pictures of her, I just want to pinch her little cheeks! From what I hear she has developed quite the personality! I wish I lived closer to them and could see them more often. Caleb is the perfect fit for Abby, and I'm so thankful he's a part of our crazy family!
Grant married Olivia, a girl that I grew up with. I have always thought of her as family and now she is! They have a precious son, Clive who is seven months old. He is adorable! He has chunky cheeks and wide alert eyes! I love them all so much and I miss living near them in Nashville. As you can see, they have a fantastic sense of humor, and Clive gets to play dress-up for Mommy quite often!
Finally, there are my wonderful grandparents. They have been married for 56 years and are more in love than ever. They are the greatest example of what marriage should be and I'm so thankful for them. They have finally sold the house they've lived in their whole married lives and are getting ready to move to Nashville. I'm so excited for them and for this next chapter in their lives.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Going to the Grocery Store Isn't As Simple as it Used to Be!
So remember in my blog post yesterday when I said it would be a long time until I took the bus again? Yeah, I lied. And it didn't work out so well.
I decided this afternoon to take the train a little north to a Borders I spotted yesterday. I figured all the Borders are closing, there are sure to be great deals, and I've recently become obsessed with the Harry Potter books and I need the next 2. Well the Borders is closing and everything was 70-90% off! The bad news is that they had turned off the A/C and the escalators, and everything was thrown around. If you were looking for something specific you were pretty much out of luck. After 15 minutes of digging, fighting the crowds, and sweating (it was seriously hot in there!), I gave up and left. I remembered there was a Barnes and Noble about 4 blocks south, so I set out to get my Harry Potter fix.
When I walked outside I realized that it had started raining. It wasn't a downpour, just that annoying steady drizzle. Guess who didn't bring an umbrella? Yep! So I had a nice walk in the rain and managed to pick up the books I needed. When I left the bookstore, I decided to take the train down to the stop that's around the corner from my grocery store. I had left my reusable, much easier to carry bags at home, but I thought, "No problem, I'll just take the bus home."
Six bags of groceries later, I was ready to go. It's only a 4-5 block walk to my apartment, but I knew that with my luck a bag would break and I would be picking up groceries off the sidewalk. Instead of crossing the busy Wabash Avenue, I decided to take the bus to the Museum Campus (the end of the line) and ride it back around to my stop. When the bus finally got there I dragged my wet self and my 6 bags on. Once we got to the Adler Planitarium (the last stop), the bus driver pulled over, stood up, and said, "Last stop! Everybody off!" Seriously. I just looked at him. I finally said, "Can't I ride this back in to town?" He just looked at me like I was crazy and said okay. "But you'll have to wait. It's my break." He got off the bus, lit a cigarette, and walked away. I could practically feel my frozen meals melting next to me.
15 minutes later, we started off. I remembered my mistake from last time and did not get off at the 11th Street stop. I was feeling quite confident! Then, the next stop flashed...9th Street. Like I said, my apartment is on 8th Street. What were the chances that they would stop twice in the space of one block? So I pulled the cord and got off. That one block walk with all those bags was one of the longest ever. I barely made it into the apartment--a full 45 minutes after I left the grocery store! It sure is easier to shop when you have a car! Lesson learned--always take your reusable bags and NEVER take the bus!
I decided this afternoon to take the train a little north to a Borders I spotted yesterday. I figured all the Borders are closing, there are sure to be great deals, and I've recently become obsessed with the Harry Potter books and I need the next 2. Well the Borders is closing and everything was 70-90% off! The bad news is that they had turned off the A/C and the escalators, and everything was thrown around. If you were looking for something specific you were pretty much out of luck. After 15 minutes of digging, fighting the crowds, and sweating (it was seriously hot in there!), I gave up and left. I remembered there was a Barnes and Noble about 4 blocks south, so I set out to get my Harry Potter fix.
When I walked outside I realized that it had started raining. It wasn't a downpour, just that annoying steady drizzle. Guess who didn't bring an umbrella? Yep! So I had a nice walk in the rain and managed to pick up the books I needed. When I left the bookstore, I decided to take the train down to the stop that's around the corner from my grocery store. I had left my reusable, much easier to carry bags at home, but I thought, "No problem, I'll just take the bus home."
Six bags of groceries later, I was ready to go. It's only a 4-5 block walk to my apartment, but I knew that with my luck a bag would break and I would be picking up groceries off the sidewalk. Instead of crossing the busy Wabash Avenue, I decided to take the bus to the Museum Campus (the end of the line) and ride it back around to my stop. When the bus finally got there I dragged my wet self and my 6 bags on. Once we got to the Adler Planitarium (the last stop), the bus driver pulled over, stood up, and said, "Last stop! Everybody off!" Seriously. I just looked at him. I finally said, "Can't I ride this back in to town?" He just looked at me like I was crazy and said okay. "But you'll have to wait. It's my break." He got off the bus, lit a cigarette, and walked away. I could practically feel my frozen meals melting next to me.
15 minutes later, we started off. I remembered my mistake from last time and did not get off at the 11th Street stop. I was feeling quite confident! Then, the next stop flashed...9th Street. Like I said, my apartment is on 8th Street. What were the chances that they would stop twice in the space of one block? So I pulled the cord and got off. That one block walk with all those bags was one of the longest ever. I barely made it into the apartment--a full 45 minutes after I left the grocery store! It sure is easier to shop when you have a car! Lesson learned--always take your reusable bags and NEVER take the bus!
I finally braved the bus...
Ever since I first visited New York with my wonderful friend Laura, I quickly learned the simplicity and efficiency of the subway train. It's cheap, it shows up every 5 minutes or so, and more often than not, gets you quite close to where you need to be. So when I moved to Chicago I had no hesitation about using the trains. I did have one incident where I "lost" the red line. I got off at one stop to switch trains, followed the signs to the red line, and could not find the entrance. I soon realized that in the Loop, the red line is a subway train--which means it runs underground. All the other trains are "el" (or elevated) trains. I now know when looking for the red line in the Loop, look for an entrance on the sidewalk.
Anyway, the one mode of transportation that totally freaks me out are the buses. There are about a kagillion different routes, they all have numbers, and I have no idea what takes you where. None. So when I decided to go to the Field Museum last week, I decided to also brave the bus. I spent quite a bit of time researching which line to take, where it would pick me up, and where it would drop me off. I even made sure I knew the return route. I was feeling quite proud of myself.
The bus stop ended up being right across State Street from my apartment. How convenient! And when I got there, the bus was already there picking other people up. Another good sign! I was feeling like I had mastered the bus! All of a sudden I realized that the bus would say the names of the stops it was apporaching, then just drive right on by them. I started to freak out a bit. How do I get off this thing? Where am I going to end up? Do I just tell the bus driver, "Hey, I need off!" and risk scaring the poor woman half to death? What do I do????
The bus soon pulled in to Museum Campus--the home of the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, the planitarium, and Soldier Field. The automated voice came on, "Now approaching Soldier Field and the Field Museum". That was me...this was my cue. I totally froze--and we passed my stop. Luckily, a group of people all wanted off at the Shedd Aquarium. The lights about the driver flashed the words, "Stop Requested". Well how do you request a stop? Do you tell the driver when you get on the bus where you need off at? I just followed the group of people off the bus, then backtracked to the Field Museum.
When it was time to make my way to the bus stop to head home, I texted my roommate Nina. She is the opposite of me. She thinks the bus is easy, but the trains freak her out. So I said, "Dumb bus question. How do you get the bus to stop at your stop?" She very kindly texted back and informed me that I just needed to pull the cord above me when my stop was coming up. Cord? What cord? I'm pretty sure I didn't see a cord.
Lo and behold, when I got on the bus, right above the windows, there was a cord. I felt like an idiot. I was beginning to feel that old confidence creep back in. I can do this! No problem! Then my lack of direction sank in. I watched as several people got off at the Roosevelt stop. I knew this was several blocks from my apartment so I sat still. Then the next stop called out was for 11th Street. I live at 8th Street. Did I miss the stop? Does the bus take a different route on the way back? Am I just going to keep getting further and further from home???? So I pulled the cord for 11th Street. When I got off, I saw my apartment building---3 blocks further up. I also saw the bus make a stop right outside of my front door. Awesome. At least I learned my lesson---even though I doubt I'll be riding the bus again anytime in the near future.
Anyway, the one mode of transportation that totally freaks me out are the buses. There are about a kagillion different routes, they all have numbers, and I have no idea what takes you where. None. So when I decided to go to the Field Museum last week, I decided to also brave the bus. I spent quite a bit of time researching which line to take, where it would pick me up, and where it would drop me off. I even made sure I knew the return route. I was feeling quite proud of myself.
The bus stop ended up being right across State Street from my apartment. How convenient! And when I got there, the bus was already there picking other people up. Another good sign! I was feeling like I had mastered the bus! All of a sudden I realized that the bus would say the names of the stops it was apporaching, then just drive right on by them. I started to freak out a bit. How do I get off this thing? Where am I going to end up? Do I just tell the bus driver, "Hey, I need off!" and risk scaring the poor woman half to death? What do I do????
The bus soon pulled in to Museum Campus--the home of the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, the planitarium, and Soldier Field. The automated voice came on, "Now approaching Soldier Field and the Field Museum". That was me...this was my cue. I totally froze--and we passed my stop. Luckily, a group of people all wanted off at the Shedd Aquarium. The lights about the driver flashed the words, "Stop Requested". Well how do you request a stop? Do you tell the driver when you get on the bus where you need off at? I just followed the group of people off the bus, then backtracked to the Field Museum.
When it was time to make my way to the bus stop to head home, I texted my roommate Nina. She is the opposite of me. She thinks the bus is easy, but the trains freak her out. So I said, "Dumb bus question. How do you get the bus to stop at your stop?" She very kindly texted back and informed me that I just needed to pull the cord above me when my stop was coming up. Cord? What cord? I'm pretty sure I didn't see a cord.
Lo and behold, when I got on the bus, right above the windows, there was a cord. I felt like an idiot. I was beginning to feel that old confidence creep back in. I can do this! No problem! Then my lack of direction sank in. I watched as several people got off at the Roosevelt stop. I knew this was several blocks from my apartment so I sat still. Then the next stop called out was for 11th Street. I live at 8th Street. Did I miss the stop? Does the bus take a different route on the way back? Am I just going to keep getting further and further from home???? So I pulled the cord for 11th Street. When I got off, I saw my apartment building---3 blocks further up. I also saw the bus make a stop right outside of my front door. Awesome. At least I learned my lesson---even though I doubt I'll be riding the bus again anytime in the near future.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
One Week In...
Well, I'm officially one week in to my new life here in Chicago. I have ridden the "el" and gotten lost, braved the bus line for the first time, and had my first real Chicago-style pizza. Oh yeah, there were a couple of classes in there too!
Things have been going really well and I feel like I'm settling in. There are times I still have to remind myself that I'm not on vacation...this is my new reality. But for the most part, I'm getting used to it. My classes so far have been amazing. It's everything I wanted it to be. There are about 30 of us who will go through the program together, and I'm hoping to make some good friends. Roosevelt puts a big emphasis on social justice and serving in the community. This week I'll learn about two different organizations that I can serve in this semester. It's so exciting!
Today I went to church, and it was such a challenging and encouraging morning. Willow Creek (which is a massive church in the suburbs) has a campus that meets in the Auditorium Theatre at my school. Quite convenient, huh? The worship was incredible, the congregation was filled with all sorts of nationalities and ethnicities, and the campus pastor delievered a challenging sermon. At the end of the sermon we all got on our knees and prayed that God would give us His eyes for people and for the city of Chicago. I filled out a form for visitors to get more information. I know they have a very active program for 20's/30's and also a choir. I would love to get plugged in there ASAP.
So far I've only had a couple of bouts of homesickness. However, even when I've been the most homesick, I've never once had second thoughts about being here or what I've here for. I'm hoping to find some fantastic bars and restaurants around town that only the "locals" know so that all of my friends can come visit and enjoy authentic Chicago! I'm blessed by so many people in Nashville who love me and believe in me. I'm going to try my hardest not to let them down!
Things have been going really well and I feel like I'm settling in. There are times I still have to remind myself that I'm not on vacation...this is my new reality. But for the most part, I'm getting used to it. My classes so far have been amazing. It's everything I wanted it to be. There are about 30 of us who will go through the program together, and I'm hoping to make some good friends. Roosevelt puts a big emphasis on social justice and serving in the community. This week I'll learn about two different organizations that I can serve in this semester. It's so exciting!
Today I went to church, and it was such a challenging and encouraging morning. Willow Creek (which is a massive church in the suburbs) has a campus that meets in the Auditorium Theatre at my school. Quite convenient, huh? The worship was incredible, the congregation was filled with all sorts of nationalities and ethnicities, and the campus pastor delievered a challenging sermon. At the end of the sermon we all got on our knees and prayed that God would give us His eyes for people and for the city of Chicago. I filled out a form for visitors to get more information. I know they have a very active program for 20's/30's and also a choir. I would love to get plugged in there ASAP.
So far I've only had a couple of bouts of homesickness. However, even when I've been the most homesick, I've never once had second thoughts about being here or what I've here for. I'm hoping to find some fantastic bars and restaurants around town that only the "locals" know so that all of my friends can come visit and enjoy authentic Chicago! I'm blessed by so many people in Nashville who love me and believe in me. I'm going to try my hardest not to let them down!
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