What Comes Next

It's hard to think that even though it feels like I just got to App State and started my graduate program, that in reality it will soon be over. In just a few months, I will be starting the job search process and applying for positions all over the US looking for the next great fit! Not gonna lie, it's a little intimating. Within this graduate program I have always felt that I have been planning life six months in advance and I haven't ever really had the opportunity to be present where I am. But I guess that's the nature of this beast we call graduate school. So, in attempts to be proactive and figure out the next step in life, I have started contacting a school in Scotland that I visited in April to see if there is any possibility that I can set up a short term internship with them after I graduate. The goal: The University of St. Andrews. There is no doubt that out of all the Universities we visited while abroad, St. Andrews made the largest impact and the best impression. The feeling I had while at that school was similar to what I have felt at ASU - it felt like home. It wasn't hard for me to picture myself living and thriving there. Due to that feeling, I have taken the leap of faith in pursuing an internship opportunity there. Fingers crossed! I know that this is the time for me to take risks like this. Once I start my full time job, these international experiences won't be as available and I don't want to look back and regret not taking this chance. However, I do have hesitations. There are factors - things and people - which cause me to reconsider if this is something I really want to do. I get caught up in asking a lot of "what if's" which I know I should not do. I have often struggled with making decisions only based on what it means for me. But with this, I need to take a deep breath and give it a try. To be completely cliche' if it's meant to be it will all work out. Guess now, I just get to wait and see what comes next!

SPRING BREAK in MISSISSIPPI

This past week I spent some time down in Pascagoula, Mississippi with a group of ASU students for an Alternative Spring Break trip. After a fresh shower and a meal that doesn't consist of PB&J I am beginning to reflect on a great week. 11 hours. 11 hours I spent in a 12 passenger van to Mississippi with a bunch of students I had only seen a handful of times. We had a vague idea of the type of work we would be doing in a place we knew nothing about. We got down to Pascagoula Saturday evening and soon made plans to go see a Mardi Gras parade in Mobile, Alabama the next day. What a great way to start out a trip! I never knew that I could become so excited about getting beads thrown at me!

Yay Beads!!

Throughout the week we worked on a house that had been impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The house had been flooded and within the last 5 years it has started to slowly get pieced back together. Apparently, soon after Katrina contractors would come to work on people's homes, promise to fix up all the damage but instead took off with their money and left their homes in ruins. Our group got to work on a home by caulking and painting the whole house. We started off the week with excess amounts of enthusiasm and nearly had the house finished painting by the end of the first day. After a little pep talk at the end of our first day, we decided to go back and be a little more meticulous with the work we were doing.

We worked with a man who had grown up in Mississippi but then moved around the country a lot. He heard about things taking place back in MS and decided to help out. What he does is he raises money from the help of donors and finds volunteers to fix up homes in the Pascagoula area. In the past two years he has helped over 50 families who were effected by Katrina.

While working, we kept ourselves entertained fairly well. We sang songs. We spoke in ridiculous accents. We turned the paint into face paint. We climbed up on the roof just to catch a few rays of sun. It was great! An older gentleman Ned was working with us on the house. Ned became a major theme in newly created songs, conversations and inside jokes. The best moments were when we got Ned to sing "Big Green Tractor" by Jason Aldean with us while working on the house. There was also another guy working on the house who was born in MN so of course we got to talking about the land of 10,000 lakes! He now lives in MN but has been coming back to MN in the summers to participate in the triathlon in Buffalo, MN. Crazy meeting up with someone familiar with my home town on a service trip in Mississippi.

Oh Ned!

The group was 9 girls and 1 guy - poor Clay! Everyone was great! On the ride down we were still figuring out each others' names, but by the end of the week we were laughing like crazy and crackin' jokes with each other like we had known each other for years. I don't think I have ever laughed so much in one week. It's funny to me how this group of strangers have seen the real me, while the people I go to class with every day have only - at best- seen a glimpse of who I really am.

Excited faces!!

Wednesday there was a storm in the morning that prevented us from working. We spent the day playing Sardines and taking naps. We also decided to take a little driving tour around Pascagoula. The houses that are now on the Gulf are million dollar homes but there are still a lot of empty lots right there on the coast. You can see other parts of the city are still abandoned and destroyed from the Hurricane. We also somehow ended up by the port just around the time everyone was getting off of work. I don't recommend doing that. YIKES! So many people!

By Friday we had the house all painted on the outside as well as the inside. We even got to grout the kitchen and bathroom floors, which was an unexpected but welcomed task. Our help wasn't a major impact like the home next to us that had 40 people working on it and was gutted and resided within the week. But we did get to move the house one step closer to being a place someone can come home to and hopefully be a continued sign of hope for the people of Mississippi.

The best part of the week was going to get some BBQ at The Shed. Rumor has it this BBQ & Blues joint has been featured on Dinners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. It has some incredible BBQ and you can sit outside under the stars warmed by the heat provided by the nearby bonfire all while listening to a great blues band play hits from Johnny Cash and Elvis among many others. It was fantastic! If you ever end up in Ocean Springs, Mississippi you must go eat there! You won't regret it.

And then after another LONG 11 hour drive I am back in Boone. I am so glad I got the opportunity to go to Mississippi for this trip. I was glad to get to know some students that don't live in my building and to be a part of something bigger than myself. I was reminded that one person can really make a difference in this world. I know that I may not be fixing homes and restoring hope, but I do hope that something I am doing here at ASU is making a difference. So all in all - GREAT trip! Mississippi, it's been real!

The Plan

Within the first couple months of grad school, our professors and other student affairs professionals would come to class and have us share what we hope to do with our careers after we are done at ASU. My thoughts would then result in the following: "Sunshine, please. Let's slow down for just one second. I just got here and am in no place to have my future figured out." The thought of having to know who we we're going to be within the profession caused a lot of unnecessary stress and I was certain that it was going to take an exponential amount of time to figure "the plan" out.

Well, with a semester of grad school completed, each day I become more and more confident that I am in the right profession for me. And to my surprise, I believe that I have actually figured out the answer to the question I was asked by my professors 5 months ago. So here it is. I'm going to put it in writing here to either, serve as a form of accountability or maybe 5 years down the road when I am doing something completely different it will show me just how far I have come since today. The plan is...(drum roll please) to be a Director within the Office of International Education and Development. If that just sounded like a foreign language to you, it means I really want to work within study abroad programs at a University. I believe I am so drawn to this area of my field because my two months spent in Europe and Africa during my undergraduate years changed my life! The memories I have from that time and the lessons I learned there are so precious to me. I am constantly telling the students I know that they should really pursue studying abroad and I want to keep being an advocate for the benefits such an experience can have on an individual. I am even doing my research project on issues related to study abroad!

So that's the plan. I'm not certain when I'll get there, but I know someday I will. This summer I am hoping to work within ASU's Office of International Education and Development (OIED) to start getting my foot in the door and to become more familiar with what that functional area is like. Some other parts of the plan include becoming fluent in two languages. I am hoping to pick up Spanish again and then I believe I will then pick up French. I would also like to work in England for a period of time. And probably, (oh gosh am I really about to say this?!) will pursue getting my PhD. Yikes! I have a lot of work a head of me. But even with all the work needing to get done and things I need to check off my list, it feels really good to have an idea of what I want to do, who I want to be and what I am working towards.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

Jeremiah 29:11

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.

Travel Bug

Travel is as much a passion as ambition or love.

-L.E. Landon

This week my cohort and I had our first meeting for our upcoming trip to the United Kingdom. To say that I was excited about this upcoming adventure would be a major understatement. I'M ECSTATIC!! The last time I was out of the country was back in 2005 and each year I have thought about going back overseas. Now, five and a half years later I am finally heading back to...

Oh hey, Big Ben!

love it!

We leave for our trip to the UK on April 6th...and I will admit that I am doing my best to keep myself from counting down. I have so much work to do before then but I am using the trip as a source of motivation.

For quite some time now, I have always dreamed about living and working over in Europe. I even have a couple schools in mind that I would really like to work at. While sitting in class this week and discussing different cultures through various conversations, I couldn't help but thinking that I was made for a different culture than the one I'm currently in. There is something about European culture that speaks to me. It could be the extensive history, could be the way of life. Who knows what it really is, but something about being across the pond makes me feel "at home". So maybe someday that dream will become a reality.

Until then, I will be perfectly content with this 2 week trip. Don't worry, I plan to keep you all informed about the progress of the trip and the trip itself. Just wanted to get a jump on sharing my excitement!

New Year...New Bucket List

Happy New Year All! Hope you had a great evening ringing in 2011. Before heading down to Minneapolis to celebrate with some friends from college, I went to a friend's wedding in my home town.

Side note: To all my girlfriends out there that are kind enough to read this silly blog of mine, just a warning, I am going to be a hot mess at your wedding. There is something so special about watching a good friend start a new journey in life with someone who loves them so sincerely and completely. Brings tears to my eyes. Can't wait.

Okay, end of tangent. Back to original purpose of blog.

With the beginning of a new year upon us, I was reminded of a recent conversation I had with my dad while perched on a counter in our kitchen. My dad brought up having a bucket list and all the things he wants to do throughout his lifetime. He spoke about wanting to see Alaska, Yosemite National Park, the Grand Canyon and some other incredible things. This conversation got me thinking about my bucket list. While spending some time in Africa in college, my teammates and I made our own bucket lists. But of course, that was five years ago and I have totally misplaced my list. Not surprising. Nonetheless, I figured it was about time to revamp said list. So to all three of my readers, my bucket list. Notice: said list is subject to change and these items are listed in no particular order. :)

Bucket List

Become fluent in another language

Live and work in Europe

Learn how to play guitar

Figure out a way to dance with Mark Ballas

Celebrate NYE in NYC

Visit the Holy Land

Drink wine with Jorgen in Italy

Catch a game at Fenway and Yankee Stadium

Read the complete works of Shakespeare

See the Great Wall of China

Go see a Coldplay concert with my dad

Take a helicopter ride around the Hawaiian Islands

Be an incredible wife and mother

Needless to say, some of these items are a little more tangible than others. I mean the chances of me getting to dance with Mark Ballas are slim to none, but a girl can dream right? Hmm...now I just need to figure out which item I am going to check off first!

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