Stuff

Right now I'm in the process of moving, and it is getting to be pretty overwhelming! Who knew I had so much stuff!! The sad thing about it is that I've gone so long without using so much of it, but can't throw most of it away. I say, 'oh, it's practical to keep this around, you just never know when you'll need it!' I know that I'd forgotten about some of it, so it obviously doesn't mean that much to me. Here I am, complaining about having too much when so many people have too little! I have gotten rid of a bunch of stuff, which has been hard, but good. I keep saying that I'm trying to simplify my life...well, it still isn't very simple. I'm down to mostly miscellaneous things, which are hard to pack. It's also hard to know how much time I'll need in the morning. I am going out of town around lunch tomorrow, so that means I only have the morning to finish up packing and do all my cleaning. On top of everything else, I have school to take care of. I'm yawning right now, but am contemplating doing an all-nighter (or close to one), just in order to get all this stuff done! I haven't been this overwhelmed in a very very long time. I feel confident that moving is the right decision, but it is definitely a lot of stress to handle right now. The thing I'm most thankful for right now is that, tomorrow, I get to go home, see my family, and not work for four days!! That will be a huge blessing!

The Big 21!

I think I've been anticipating my 21st birthday for the last 6 months! All of my friends were 21 before me, which meant I couldn't always hang out with them, which was hard. But at last the long-awaited day came! Wednesday the 21st was my golden birthday (that's a big deal, huh? ) =D
   It was a wonderful day! I received many birthday wishes, extra tips at work, and some yummy cheesecake! I also was able to visit with a dear friend briefly and received a lovely gift from her that was very unexpected! The day proceeded quickly to being picked up by M and we went to our second archery class. It was such a blast!! At the beginning, I was using a compound bow (it's easier), and I got a bull's eye! I was so excited! And then I switched to the harder bow, and it was much harder, but I began to get better at it.
After archery, M took me out for my birthday dinner, and it was a great time of yummy food and good conversation. We also had music practice for church, and that is always enjoyable!
The birthday celebration continued yesterday with my party! Friends joined me for pizza and then we went to the karaoke bar that I've never been able to go to before! It was so exciting! I ended up singing 5 times, and one of those times was because the d.j. started the wrong song, but I knew it too. :P There was a big group of Asian guys who made the night quite exciting with their cheering and enthusiasm. They even asked to take a picture with me before they left...yup..that's right..I'm famous... =P It was a wonderful time, and I'm so glad my friends were able to join me!  The birthday celebration continues today when I will get together with my sister, and then next Tuesday, when hopefully, I'll get my official birthday jam circle dance. :D It's so great being 21!

Growth

I like to go back and re-read my journals from the past years. Tonight I dove into my Germany journal which also included a few months before my journey. Before heading to Germany, I visited my sister up here, and was able to go dancing for the first time. In that entry I mentioned M for the first time. I really liked dancing with him..but that's a side note. I also documented the experience of having my Grandpa live with my family before he passed away. 

As I read through my year overseas, I began to see how different I have become. I have heard a few different comments lately of how much I've grown. Sometimes that's hard for me to believe because each change comes slowly. 

It is true though..I have gotten over many fears, like riding a bike (which I now love), rock climbing (awesome!), playing piano in front of people, fears of failure (I'm not a failure), and cooking food (which I now feel much more confident in).  

I have had to deal with new and exciting things, like having a boyfriend (exciting and harder than I thought), having the opportunity to see my photography, and learning how to love dancing for my own sake. 

I have dealt with medical frustrations, like headaches (still a problem) and my skin. I'm very happy to say that my skin is doing much better! And the cure was natural...water! It was just set at a more acidic level than usual. Praising God for however long I have without skin issues!
I just feel like in every situation, I respond differently now than I would have last year. That excites me. I'm almost 21 (woot!), and it's nice to begin feeling like an adult, finally. :)

The View from the Top

This Labor Day weekend was incredible!!! I think it's fair to say that this season in my life has involved a lot of working to get over fears. M and my church family have done so much to help me do that. I am in the process of becoming a very confident young lady, and am getting more adventurous by the day. :D

So, on Friday, M asked me to go with him and a group of friends on a rock climbing trip. It took a little persuading, but I said yes. My stomach was nervous all the way 'til we got to our climbing spot two days later. :P I was the first one to climb (which was good, seeing that it gave me less time to think about it), and I made it up to the top both times I went on Sunday. I couldn't believe that I was actually climbing a wall of rock. I did so much better than I ever did on a climbing wall.

While everyone else got a chance to climb, one of my friends showed me how everything was anchored on top. Then, I noticed a huge pile of boulders (it was a quarry) and decided to climb it! Two friends joined me and we got to the top just in time for the sunset. It was beautiful. I normally am really afraid of heights, but standing up there after having to climb there was so different! I probably would have danced if I had the room. That night was an adventure finding a camping spot, but it worked out in the end.

Yesterday was our last day to be there, so we got an early start. We climbed some different walls, and did my one quite easily and more confidently. Ok, I was a bit hesitant while I was still on the ground, but as soon as I started climbing, I was good to go. What I did more than anything yesterday was climb the boulders, which were everywhere! I don't think I've ever felt more adventurous (I need to get out more :P).

It was so much fun, and I felt like I was part of the group. They were all so encouraging and supportive. I couldn't have done it without them. M and I climbed to the top of the tallest boulder pile and the view was beautiful. It was nice to just spend a minute with him there and think about what I'd already accomplished. I am really excited to do more things like this in the future! I'm letting my fears fly away, one at a time..