Currently Listening Nothing Is Sound By Switchfoot Stars see related

Life is hopefully going to slow down a bit now that school is done. I always find it funny that I'm so excited to be done with school and have summer come, only to find out that summer is boring or crappy because I don't get to see a lot of my friends -yeah, waitressing bites when you have to work second shift most of the time and work really late on friday and saturday nights.  I mean, it's nice to have a job that pays well for the summer, but sometimes, I feel like I'd rather have a worse job so that I could hang out with my friends on the weekend. 

This weekend is going to a close to the four years (or 3 1/2 if you count the semester I went to New Zealand) of college.  Wow. I'm truly nearing the end of the college years. In some ways, it's exciting to start a new chapter of my life.  I feel similar to they way I felt when I graduated from high school. But, now I feel like the real world truly begins. It's kinda scary. Actually, I'm terrified.

All three of my closest friends from HS that attended Calvin are getting married--(ironically all to engineers) So, they are beginning a new chapter too...quite a bit different from the stage of life that I'm in.  Two of them are moving away--one to Chicago (she is going to grad school) and one to Palo Alto (her fiancee is going to Stanford for engineering).  Crazy.  So is life.  

So what's next?  I don't know.  I'm working as PCA (personal care attendant) for a quadrapelgic, waitressing, and possibly working as a nursing assistant this summer. Next fall, I got offered a job as a Physical Therapy Tech, so I'll probably take that and take one more pre-req class for PT school.  But, I kinda don't know if I want to go to PT school yet.  This semester burned me out, so I think I need to take some time to figure out what I want to do with my life. 

I really want to move to a place where I can go hiking on the weekends (I mean hiking in a place where their are real mountains...not michigan hills). Ever since I went on a family vacation in Colorado (when I was 14), I've wanted to live in a place that is mountainous.

But, I don't want to live in a place just because it has mountains. I don't want my adventous heart to fall in "wanderlust"--where I am never content with where I am living. Michigan is beautiful. Esp. in the summer. Up north is even better, esp. along the lakeshore. Michigan is where all my family is and I do consider it home.

Although it is home, at some point in time I realize that I need to be independent from my parents and separte myself.  Separtation is a part of growing up.  Separation is a part of life.  Maybe it is time for me to move on.

Currently Listening White Ladder By David Gray Babylon see related

Life.

Life. Life is crazy. Life is busy. Life is hard. Life hurts.  But, life is good.

That sums up how I feel. This past Monday my grandfather died. His funeral is Friday and I think it's going to be hard to get through. This week, I really haven't cried or thought about it a lot, but Friday is coming soon, and I know it will be hard. I have a physics test and a quiz I have to take Friday morning, and his funeral at 11:00am, so it's going to be kinda crazy. I'm also running at Hillsdale on Saturday,so that will make my life (or weekend, specifically) busy.  I think a need to spend some time just chilling this weekend and reflecting.  This is a time that I wish I could go hiking...yeah, I really wish I could go climb a 14er. 

Currently Listening In Between Dreams By Jack Johnson Banana Pancakes see related

Last night, was cool. Our team ran really well. Our Girls dominated the 5K, 3K, and mile, I ran a solid 800m (2nd in my heat), and Camille qualified for indoor nationals and broke our school record. Sweet.

Currently Listening Mockingbird By Derek Webb see related

Tonight, I had quite a relaxing evening. This week has been crazy, including being sick and trying to run through my viral infection. But, today is Friday and tonight I got to hear Derek Webb (he used to play with Caedmon's Call) and his wife Sarah Mccracken perform in Calvin's Fine Arts Center. It was well worth it. Sarah came out on stage and first played a few songs on the piano and then guitar. She hadn't seen her husband in a few weeks b/c he was in Cali and she was busy recording in Nashville, so she sang a few love songs.  Then, he came out on stage, with a little gleam in his eye.  They played a few songs together, sometimes facing each other.  special. 

Derek had a little trouble with the guitars, because, first, his luggage, including his guitar was lost when he flew from CA to Grand Rapids. So, he played a loan guitar, which he broke a string on.  His wife continued to play while he tried to solve his guitar problem. She played, "Thy Mercy". 

Then, Derek came out with is own guitar (a taxi finally got to Calvin and dropped it off). He played some songs off his new Album, "To kill a Mockingbird".  He also played some old songs off of the 40 Acre CD.  He picked one particular song, because he said the song was therapeutic and he had one of those long days. He also said, "I bet there are some single people out there".  With that intro, he proceeded to play table to 2,

...And how we just hate being alone...
But you know I know better
I'm not gonna worry 'bout nothing
Cause if the birds and the flowers survive
Then I'll make it okay
I'm given a chance and a rock
see which one breaks a window
See which one keeps me up all night and into the day

Because I'm so scared of being alone
That I forget what house I live in...