I'm a "big girl" now

Wow. The past 10 months flew since I last wrote. Many, many things happened and changed in my life since then. Since my last post, I completed my Bachelor's of Social Work degree at Juniata College. The past 4 years at college were a whirlwind of joy, confusion, excitement, frustration, and optimism. It was a bumpy ride, but I made it and I am proud to say I am now a professional social worker. I would be remiss if I did not mention a statement of gratitude toward all those who have stood behind me and supported me through all of my challenges and successes the past four years. My family and friends are the very best.

Just this morning I accepted my first "big girl" job, as I will call it. I'm still going to be working with the same company that I have worked with for the past two years, however, I will be switching gears and working with the family services department. I'm a little scared but excited to take a new step toward bettering my professional career. And, not to mention, my pile of debt from school isn't going anywhere, so I gotta start somewhere. :)

I miss...

Africa. I miss Africa so much. I don't miss it for the scenery, which, I won't lie, WAS beautiful. I don't miss it for the food, which was good too. I miss it for the people. I miss it for the way they live their lives. All of the people I encountered in The Gambia, they knew how to live. They really did. In America, we are on a constant mission to get from A to B to C, then back to A. We rarely have time to stop and enjoy things. We never stop to help each other. We just never stop. Last summer, when I spent time in The Gambia, I don't think I met a person who wasn't trying to help me in some way or genuinely get to know me. How many times a day do we stop and genuinely try to help someone, or genuinely get to know someone? And, I urge you to ask yourself another question... how many times do we try to help a stranger? Or even get to know them? Because, to all the people I met in The Gambia, I was a stranger, I was an outsider. That didn't stop them. A woman stopped working her job to help me and two other students who were trying to find something on a scavenger hunt our professor sent us on. She took us to find a few things, which took about 45 minutes. We tried to pay her for her time and generosity, but she refused our offers and simply told us to "pass it on to someone else." She said we are all one family, and everyone should be treated that way. I will remember this all my life and that simple act taught me so much about life. It is so important to be a team and work with one another, than against one another or in competition with one another. You get so much more out of life that way. Before we went on our trip, my professors warned that the Gambian concept of time was much different than in America. People weren't in a hurry. Anywhere.. or anytime. Before getting there, I thought "how do they get anything done without being on a schedule?" When I got there, I realized, their priorities are different than ours. Instead of being chained to a clock, they take time to enjoy things. Enjoy each other. It seems that their lives are more relaxed than ours. They have much less stress. I've been thinking about this as school is approaching, and life will be even more hectic for me. I can already feel the stress building. I will definitely try harder to channel my inner Gambian this year, cause they know a thing or two on how to live your life. 

My siblings...

The past week I've got to spend quite a bit of time with one of my brothers. Chance is really a great kid. And talking with him and just being around him made me do a bit of thinking. I really want to talk about my siblings.

They are all so great. They are truly the greatest kids I've ever had the pleasure to know. And I don't just say that cause they're my family. If I were a stranger and I met them, I think I would still feel the same way.

They've all come from so much, and they're always, well mostly, the hardest working kiddos I know. I can't remember a time I've ever heard a complaint out of them. They all help out around the house and do so much for others. They're so polite too.

Anyone I know in the community or all my friends who have met them always tell me how sweet they are, how polite, and nice. I'm so proud to call each and everyone one of them family.

And they're so brave. Traveling thousands and thousands of miles to a country where they know nothing and no one, to become part of a family-- well, I'd say they've all got some guts to do that! It makes me so incredibly happy to see where they've come from and where they are now and all the possibilities they have in the future.

I could say much more, but I don't have all the time in the world to go on and on, but believe me, I could. I love these kids so much and am so thankful to have them as part of my life and consider myself lucky to be their sister. I hope one day they are as proud of themselves as I am and everyone else that knows them is. Chase, Chance, Chloe, Kat, Paisley, and Phoebe... I love you guys!

Let Go

The past few weeks have been rough. School, work, other responsibilities, friendships... it all adds up. And sometimes it adds up too much and too quickly.

So... I've realized. You just have to let go. There have been quite a few things weighing me down these days, and this morning I woke up realizing that I do not have to be a slave to these weighty feelings. I can let it go. There are people in my life that serve very little positive significance. That may sound harsh, but, well, the truth hurts sometimes. And again, this morning, I realized, I can let them go too. If your presence in my life does more bad than good, then it's time that I let you go too.

I worry about the future a lot. Where will I live? What job will I have? Will I make enough money? How will I survive? The future isn't real yet, and I don't live there. I live today, so I need to focus on today. And for the past? The past is real, for sure. But I don't live there anymore either. So, I gotta let go of that too.

There is nothing more empowering than literally feeling the weight just lift right off your shoulders. So, today I am letting go. Letting go of the negatives, the worries, and everything that doesn't matter. I will hopefully let go tomorrow too, but, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

HAPPY

This will make you happy. Enjoy!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/the-happiest-facts-of-all-time

5 Senses and Friendship

Ever heard that saying, "you never know what you have until its gone?" Well, this week gave me new meaning to that phrase. I've had one heck of a cold that has rendered three out of five of my senses useless. My sense of smell, taste, and hearing... all gone. Everyone's been joking around saying there's a plague going around the floor I live on in our dorm. Well, I'm pretty sure it's true. Not one of us is a healthy person these days. Maybe it's because its midterms? Not sure.

And who comes to my rescue when I'm struggling along this week? You guessed it, Courtlyn. One of my best friends. I wait loyally for the texts she always sends me everyday giving me details on the next adventure she has planned. She tells me she is hungry for Chinese. My response: "When can you pick me up?" Haha.. first off, mention the word Chinese, and I'm yours. Second off, didn't I say it's midterms? So of course I will take any chance I can get at a good excuse to stop doing school work. After we eat, she sees how crappy I feel and tells me to just stay at her house to relax and get a nice, good, full, quiet night's sleep. I figured we'd work on homework together....

NAH! We made friendship bracelets instead... and besides, that homework isn't going to go anywhere. It can wait. :)

I love my best friends. They always are lookin' out for me. :)

Be the Change

This week I got a new tattoo. "Be the Change" on my left wrist. People might not get it, and that's okay. That's not what it's about--tattoos are for the people that wear them, not the people that view them.

The phrase has meaning on multiple levels and was inspired by one of my favorite bands. Trevor McNevan of Thousand Foot Krutch puts it simply, "We all need to be the change in our own lives." I heard him say this at one of their shows last week. We all have things we would like to see change. It all starts with one: one person, one idea, one action. So why not be that change yourself?

For me, I think it is so important to try and make a difference everyday in your own life and in the lives of others. Don't waste your days. We are here for only a short while and we should be doing everything we can in life to make positive differences for ourselves and others.

So, go... be the change.