Life in a Hotel

My current place of residence: a hotel. No, I'm not a person a part of the corporate world traveling around living out of a suitcase or a musician living life on the road. I'm a Residence Director of a Panhellenic Hall at ASU which just happens to be a former Sleep Inn. Need proof?

Home Sweet APH

Does that work for you? Or how about the time expedia sent someone to my residence hall for their hotel reservation. "Ma'am, I am sorry but if you can't tell by the hundreds of college-aged girls running around and screaming, you do not have a room booked here for the night!"

And if you can imagine life in a hotel living with nearly 250 Greek women, there is never a dull moment. These ladies never slow down and always keep me on my toes. And if the women aren't enough, the building has a mind of its own as well. You never can tell what direction the elevators are heading. There is a industrial size kitchen on the main floor that looks like it is straight from a scene of The Shinning. And my boss and I just recently found out that the pool area has a retractable roof. With  everything else this building has, a built in sun roof is not surprising.

But with all the quirks and unnatural amount of estrogen, I really love the APH. I have learned a lot about Greek Life and how to work with such a specific and unique population. And I am blessed to have an incredible staff with women who make me want to become a better person and RD each day. So did I ever guess that I'd ever live in a hotel? No...but I'm so thankful I am! Proud to live in the Appalachian Power House!

My wants list

My lovely ladies here at the APH always have some of the most interesting and entertaining conversations. I usually just sit in the background and giggle about how goofy and wonderful they all are. A recent convo they had while hanging out in the hall office was their non-negotiable qualities when it comes to guys and dating. (Yes, some stereotypes we reinforce willingly. We really do make lists of what we want our guys to be like.) As always, they want me to join in the process, but for this conversation I politely declined due to employer - employee boundaries, even though the real reason was that I wasn't sure what my non-negotiable qualities were.

But that conversation stuck with me, as most do. It got me to think about a few of the things I want out of relationships. So I made my own list. And by no means do these items only pertain to a dating relationship, but these are things I want present with any form of relationship I develop. So here goes.

I want to be a risk taker and someone to take a risk on

I want to surround myself with people who want to see me become a better person no matter what trials arise and know that they'll stand by me through it all

I want to be able to say out loud what I think and what I feel without the fear that I'm saying or feeling too much 

I want to know that the people I back up, defend, support, encourage and cheer for won’t hesitate to do the same for me

I want my ability to love unconditionally be the thing that people love the most about me

So there ya have it. My "I want's" list. Nothing too extensive. The most encouraging part about these things that I want is knowing that in some relationships I have these things. The people I have this type of relationship with are the people that are nearest and dearest to my heart. I am continually thankful for their unconditional love and for being such a blessing to me! 

So maybe it is okay to make lists of non-negotiable qualities you want in relationships. I think many of us get scared of knowing what we want and being okay with holding tightly to those things. However, if those things make you a better person, I think they are worth having!

I'll be seeing you...

I didn't want this time to come. I have actually been dreading it for quite some time now. But it's that time when I have to say goodbye to some of the most amazing people I know: The Carruth family. (Insert MAJOR sad face)

For those of you who don't know Andrew and Leigh, you're missing out! Andrew just graduated from the College Student Development program here at ASU and he and his wife Leigh and their little daughter Rorey adopted me into their family this year. From the very beginning of my graduate career, they would invite me up to their cabin for dinner or to watch endless episodes of The Big Bang Theory. Whenever I needed them and even in the times when I didn't think I needed them, they were always there. They hardly knew me but still showed me love and kindness I am not deserving of. As the year continued, they have stood by me through every situation - good or bad. They provided me with a shoulder to cry on, at times a bed to sleep on and the encouragement I needed to get through this past year. I never could have survived with out them!

Now they are off on their next adventure and chapter of life. And I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad to see them go. I'm not usually the type of person who really misses people, but one thing I know for sure is that I will miss Andrew and Leigh dearly!

Andrew and Leigh, I write this to you cause I know you'll read it. THANK YOU! For absolutely everything! I wish there was something I could do to show you just how much you mean to me and how thankful I am for your friendship. You two are so incredible and I am a better person for knowing you both. I'll be expecting to get a phone call from you the day Peanut starts talking. And you better believe that I am going to come visit every chance I get!

So this isn't goodbye cause I refuse to say goodbye to you...plus we'll have our family reunions to look forward to each year. So for now, I'll just say "I'll be seeing you..."

Love you both so much!

"Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget."

Grad School: Year One

To Do List

Write 4 Reflection Papers

Finish Transition Report

Complete First Yr of Grad School

Laundry

Well folks, completing my first year of graduate school has been crossed off the To-Do list. I am now a 2nd year! And I have no idea where that first year went. It has been nothing short of a whirl wind year, but it has meet and exceeded so many expectations. I don't even know if there is a possible way to fully describe this first year of grad school to you. I feel that I could bombard you with adjectives such as amazing, wonderful, challenging, fantastic, exciting, thrilling, empowering, stressful, exhausting, exhilarating, refreshing, etc. But I'm not sure words such as those would do this year justice. 

I think I can look back on this first year as a success due to many contributing factors. But the most important one is family. Family had a HUGE part to play in this adventure. First off, my parents and siblings have been so supportive of this journey I am on. I can always count on them even though I am over 20 hours away from home. This year I was fortunate to have a staff that have blessed me in ways I am not deserving of and I am so thankful to call them my family. I love you guys!! I was also blessed by being adopted into the Carruth family here in Boone. Andrew just graduated from my program, and He and his AMAZING wife Leigh and their daughter welcomed me into their lives and home. I could not have made it through this year without them. On top of all that, I have my CSD family, my housing family, and the ASU family in general. I work alongside some incredible people. I have met and interacted with some of the most amazing students. Students who inspire me, challenge me, and support me and  I could only hope to be as cool as they are one day!

All of the experiences I have had throughout this past year, both good and bad, have been tremendous growth opportunities and I wouldn't trade them for the world. And the great part about it all, I still have another year left! I want to offer my congratulations to all the 2nd years who graduated this weekend! I am so proud of all of you! Thank you for being such great mentors and showing us the way!

Now it's time to bring in the new first years and show them what App is all about!

China isn't that far away...

In just over a week, my dear friend Jenny Fey will be taking a giant leap of faith as she is moving to China to teach English. Yay Jenny! I can remember having so many talks with Jen in our old house at 1183 Farrington St (see below picture...and then read Welcome to the Jungle blog post!)

J mowing the lawn for the 1st time ever!

 about what Jenny would be doing next with her life. Was it going to be grad school? What she supposed to go back overseas? It was a big decision for Jen. One that we prayed about often. Jen thinks I have some sort of 6th sense or that I'm prophetic (doubtful) because I have an uncanny way of guessing things correctly. I just say it's a healthy dose of intuition. But one night after a lengthy discussion on what Jenny is passionate about and the big decisions she was facing in her life, I got a gut feeling. Again. I walked up the stairs, knocked on Jenny's door and said "Jen, you have to go overseas." And after a short stint in Ukraine and the Czeck Republic, she will now be calling Kunming, China her home.

I'm so thrilled for Jenny! I truly feel that this is what she needs to do during this time of her life. She is going to be incredible as a teacher and I can't wait to hear about all the fascinating things she is going to learn and do in her new home. Jen, all I ask is for a Coach purse...don't care what kind of secret, back corner place you get it from! Okay? Thanks! Moving on...

I'm not going to lie, though. It brings a tear to my eye every time I think about how it will probably be a very long time before I get to see her again. Insert major sad face. The last time I was having some ridiculous, girlie, emotional breakdown - one only JFey could cure - I could just fly her down here and life would soon return to its normal state of bliss. That, however, probably won't be happening anytime soon as I have a feeling the flight from China to Boone would set me back a little more.

Yay for best friends!

Nonetheless, I'm very proud of my little Jenny Fey! J- thank you for being such an awesome friend over the years. You are a remarkable woman and I have been blessed to learn so much from you. I know that you are going to do great things over in China and although we are worlds away from each other, I am certain that our friendship is bound to only grow stronger and deeper. Who knows, maybe I will be able to come visit you in Kunming?! Fingers crossed!

I love you, Jenny Fey.

The Little Things...

Today was a great day.

A great day that I needed desperately! It wasn't because of anything major but because of a ton of little things that caused me to feel joyful for the first time in a while. It started off by finally getting to go to church at The Heart here in Boone. Last time I had been able to go to that service was back in September. On top of that, today in Boone it was nearly 60, sunny and perfect! Need I remind you that it is still January and since I'm a Minnesota girl, I have NEVER experienced 60 and sunny in January before. That in itself should make anyone really happy. Yet small, but great things kept coming up.

For me, today I found joy in a fountain coke from Jimmy Johns, hearing Miranda Lambert's song The House that Built Me on the radio (and then about ten more times through youtube). I found it in driving with the windows rolled down. And through some much needed vitamin D attained by a great hike up at Beacon Heights.

As well as working on my research project with a great partner - YAY Meg! By driving down some Tennessee back country roads with Rebecca and Grant singing amazing songs from the late 90's while trying to avoid hitting the possums that like to dart out in front of oncoming traffic. Joy was in some Postsecret cards that stuck out to me for one reason or another.

New Secrets Each Sunday at www.postsecret.com

 Conversations with friends and family. Verses that say just the right thing at the right time. Taking a day for myself instead of doing homework. All of these things, small as they may be, are the things that caused me to have a pretty remarkable day! So today, I'm thankful for the little things in life!

Ladies of ICS 05

Five years ago, 10 other ladies and I traveled to Europe and Africa with Northwestern College for the Intercultural Studies Internship (ICS). Before we left for the trip, we were a bunch of perfect strangers. We had no way of knowing that those two months overseas would cause us to be life-long friends.

The ladies at a lake in South Africa

Since the trip, even though life has often separated us by land and sea, we always do what we can to get together and catch up on life. This past weekend we had another holiday rendezvous and it was so good to see these girls! Having a few "type A's" in our group, we all take our turn sharing where life has brought us over the year. Here's the low down on the ladies of ICS 05.

Warming up in Petris, Romania

Tina is back from her year in Honduras and is currently working at what sounds to be the most dysfunctional alternative school that Minneapolis has to offer. (stay strong Tina!!)  Katrina has just sent in her paperwork to get a visa to head back to Spain. Beebs and her husband Steve (the man who shaved a dragon into his chest hair on the trip) moved up to Duluth, MN as Steve starts med school.

Getting ready for the day outside our "hotel" in Mozambique

 Megan is either going to the West Coast to study counseling or going to Australia for ethnomusicology (the latter could happen within the next two weeks). Emily has bought a house and her and Liz are starting their own business. Jorgen is onto her second year of grad school and is looking to purchase a condo (if she can find something as fabulous as her!) Kristina met a man and got married within the last year. And, Betsy and KJ both had their third child. So much has happened for all of us over the past five years, and it's hard to believe that through moments like these...

Goofy Faces!

...We have stayed such close friends! I know that whenever I need someone, I can turn to this group of girls. And if they keep if up, I will always have a ton of places to visit internationally! The two months I spent abroad were some of the best of my life, and I know that is largely due to the fine women I had surrounding me during that time. Each time I get the great opportunity to catch up with these ladies, I am continually amazed that the Lord brought us all together and I walk away inspired and encouraged. Thanks for everything ladies of ICS 05!

Nothin' like a "sunny" day on the Indian Ocean