Someday...

Someday...I will understand the reason why certain things happen.
Someday...I will understand why things don't always go the way you want them to.
Someday... I will be aware of the lessons I learned throughout this experience.
Someday...I will be thankful for how things turned out.
Someday...someone will choose me.
Someday...He'll say it, and he'll mean it.
Someday...I'll actually get to believe it.
Someday...these tears will be tears of joy.
Someday...

Blessings!

I am overwhelmed. And this time, it isn't caused by students, school or work items. I am overwhelmed by people. I am overwhelmed by how blessed I am by people I have known for just two months. People who do not owe me a thing and have already given me more than I could ever ask for. Some of the people that I have met here, I can already tell you for sure that they will be very important people to me for the rest of my life. Everyday I am blown away by their kindness and generous spirits. They are the people I strive to be more like. I can only hope that someday I can be as much of a blessing to them as they have been to me. So to James, Andrew, Leigh, Adam, all my RA's and the other RD's...thank you! I cannot put into words how thankful I am to have you now apart of my life!

Roll Tide Roll

Last weekend, I had the awesome opportunity to drive down to Alabama with another grad student, Courtney, to watch an Alabama football game. Let me tell you, that type of experience can and should make anyone love football! Campus is crazy.
Everyone is happy because football is officially starting. You are among a sea of red. Roll Tide takes over as the formal greeting in the state. Tailgating begins bright and early in the morning and goes all night long. Free food. Lots of entertainment. You can dance with random strangers to the Cupid Shuffle. Oh and the football isn't that bad too! All in all, the game was well worth the 16 hours in a car. Plus I got to go to target and eat chipotle, so really it was a very valuable and life-giving trip for me. But from now on, I may be a little bias towards the crimson tide! Once a Bama fan, always a Bama fan! ROLL TIDE ROLL!!

Back to the Books

Well I am now officially a grad student. It's a little odd being back in a classroom setting and attempting homework again for the first time in four years is kind of a joke! But here I am, over a week into my first semester at Appalachian State University where I am going to get my MA in College Student Development. For those of you who have zero idea on what that is or why there is even a Masters Program for it. The program is training me to be a Student Affairs Professional. On any college campus there are certain students needs outside of the classroom that need to be met, people in my field take care of these things. We can hold many different jobs on campus, whether it is working in the Residence Halls like I am currently, putting on campus events, advising student groups such as athletic clubs, Greek life or musical groups.You can also work in financial aid or admissions and all the way up to being the Dean of Students on campus. So while all these things have very different job functions, they all are focusing on developing students and engaging them in their college experience. That is what I'm wanting to do. Ok, so now you got the background on things. Let me tell you how nervous I was to go to my first day of class. I was asking my friends ridiculous questions like "do grad students carry a backpack?" "what kind of things do I need to bring?" and most importantly "what should I wear?" Well I've made it through the first week and I am starting to feel a little more comfortable, at least attire wise. However, I am finding that in grad school...they make you read a ton. And reading takes a lot of time. And time is something that I don't really have. I have to schedule time to see friends. Even when I do that, I will have to go deal with a weed incident in my building which takes up an hour of my time that was supposed to be dedicated to something else! But even with the craziness of my life and the constant feeling of being overwhelmed and 5 steps behind, I really love being back at school. I love the college setting so much! I feel at home here and I think that's a great feeling to have, especially since home is 20 hours away! Well I have spent enough time here. Must get back to the books!

How I Know I'm In The South...

Here are just a few quick things that remind me...nearly daily...that I am in the south.

1. You don't get into a car accident, you get into a wreck.
2. Living on the side of a mountain and having a deer trail for a drive way is normal.
3. Two drinks are served at meals...water and sweet tea.
4. There are restaurants here named Bojangles.
5. Riding around in the back of a truck is perfectly fine and normal. I personally have ridden in the back of a truck more times in the last 2 weeks than I have in the last 15 years.
6. If you say "bag" in a northern accent, people will make you say it again and wonder where you are from.
7. People are shocked when you have never eaten at a Chic-fil-a.
8. Caribou is non-existent and Target is over 2 hours away

Now these are just a few small things that remind me that I am a very long ways from MN. While I love it here, I look forward to the day I get to be back in the Midwest. I miss seeing the sunset and chipotle. But for now, I will gladly enjoy my time in the south with all its quirks!

And So It Begins!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of RA training - GET EXCITED!! (ASU's University Housing Catch Phrase) What it basically means is that for the next two weeks my life is owned! Most days run from 8am until 10pm at night, with a few breaks in the evening. It will be a little nuts but I'm actually really looking forward to it. My RA's have started moving in and I have met all but one. They are great so far and we spent a couple hours tonight just hanging out and getting to know each other. Being with them is so refreshing (I think that statement clearly moves me from being an introvert to an extrovert). When I get to spend time with them and have fun with them, that is when I am reminded that this is what I love doing! I told my best friend once that when I work with college students I feel I am the closest to being who the Lord wants me to be and doing what He wants me to do. And, let me tell you, that is a great feeling! I will probably intentionally work myself to the bone just so I can be the best supervisor I can be for them, and I will probably be totally ok with that! I'm just so thankful to be here and to get this chance to do this as my job! I know I have a lot to learn and I will probably make some mistakes throughout all of this. But I'm just so thrilled for this growing opportunity, especially since it's something I am so passionate about!

Pray that I will be able to establish healthy boundaries with my staff and for myself. Also pray for team dynamics and that I will be observant these next few days to see how the staff are meshing and working together.

Thanks all! Love you!

First Week in Boone

Well, I have now been down here in Boone for a little over a week and things are going pretty well. We started training last week on Monday and let me tell you, I have been over-whelmed for about 75% of the time. I think my biggest struggle with being trained on how to be a Resident Director is my lack of context for the position. I am not familiar with the culture of Residence Life so when they are talking to me about hall programming, hall council, RA Duty, RD Duty, and all the other million things that are involved, I haven't had experience with this before so I have no frame of reference. Which is in some ways good because I don't know what I don't know - and that keeps me from becoming too overwhelmed. Also while in the midst of training I often forget that being an RD isn't the real reason why I moved to Boone. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am actually here for grad school! Oh gosh...I just got overwhelmed! Add that on top of being in charge of 8 RA's and 300 co-ed freshman residents! WOOF! But now the 2nd year GA's have arrived and they have been such a blessing. One of them was just at my place and I was able to ask any and every question possible. It's so great to get their perspective and they are all so encouraging that each day I feel more and more equipped to take on this giant task in front of me. RA's start moving in soon, and I still have a lot of work to get done before they arrive. But I'm just trusting that the Lord is going to help me in those situations where I am completely at a loss. I have already experienced His blessings and faithfulness and with that I am finding myself completely at peace with where I am. I know that I am supposed to be here and only here for this time. Which is such a great feeling to have! I ask that you please pray for me as I still have a lot to learn and will be learning throughout the entire year. Pray that I will not doubt the gifts and abilities the Lord has given me and that I will place my confidence in Him!

In other news, favorite moment of last week was going to Boone UMC with my supervisor Sarah. The first thing I noticed was that there was 2 guitars, a mandolin and a banjo! Of course, why wouldn't they have a banjo apart of worship?! And then they started singing and wow, it was so twangy! I had to fight back laughter throughout all of worship. I couldn't help but thinking "Yes, this is where I live now. Boone, NC. Awesome!"

Well, that's the update for now! Hope you all are well!