Saying good-bye, and other things…

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Today was the first of many good-byes to be said in the coming months…my parents came down this weekend to pick up my old car (as I am buying one from my aunt and uncle), to help me pack stuff to ship to PA, and to take my rabbit home with them… 😦 I have had Casey since August 2005, and I love that rabbit! He’s been such a faithful companion, and I am going to miss having him around. I am so thankful that my parents were willing to take him with them, even though my Dad wasn’t too excited about it 🙂 At least I know he’ll be cared for and loved!

I know that it’s going to get worse as the next 71 days come and go. So many goodbyes, so many memories…

People have commented that it seems like I’m not sad at all to leave Glendora, to leave Southern California. But what they don’t understand is that I can’t be sad yet. There are too many logistics to arrange to move cross-country, too many details to focus on…a mission trip to lead (in 20 days!)…I just can’t think about the good-byes. When I get back from New Orleans, I will allow myself to be sad, to reminisce…

In other news…I have 14 days of work left. 14. What an amazing number! I have had great experiences during my time at ADP (two years), but I am ready for a new challenge. And I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania!

There has just been too much going on for me to focus on blogging lately, but I’ll try to be more consistent in the coming weeks. We will have a blog for our New Orleans team, and I will post the link on here so that you can read about our adventures!

Back to packing, etc… 🙂

Map Nerd…

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I love maps…I can literally study maps for hours. And hours. And really, I don’t get bored with them! I have found this quirk to actually be very useful, as it is very rare for me to get lost or to lose my bearings in a place.

I also “collect states”, as I like to say…and as of now, I’ve been to 25 states. I’m hoping this summer will take me above 30 (Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama…and then whichever states we hit on the big moving trip to PA)…

Since I’m sick, and in bed, I decided to find a map that I could “color in” of all the states that I have visited:

Note: if it’s colored red, that means I have actually set foot in that state. Airports don’t count. Otherwise, my count would be MUCH higher. 🙂

🙂 Just thought I’d share!

Another great day…

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Met with an incredible contact today, who is either going to make sure that I find employment within Pennsylvania government, or he said that he wants to employ me himself! I am SO excited! God is so good…

As I spent time in Downtown Harrisburg today, I realized that I truly feel like I belong here…and it’s a great feeling…

Three more months!

Pennsylvania…

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Well, it’s all becoming more real now…I am moving to Pennsylvania in three months…I have a Pennsylvania driver’s license…I signed a lease on a house…I am registered to vote…and I feel at home.

Today was a crazy day, but I got so much accomplished! Tomorrow is a VERY exciting day, as I am meeting with a lobbyist (to whom I was referred by Mr. Gingrich). I have very high hopes for this meeting, and I can’t wait!

I’m really suffering from a terrible sore throat and bronchitis-like cough. Please pray that it goes away–it’s very hard to sleep/talk/laugh…and it hurts 😦

Anyway, all in all, I’m truly enjoying Pennsylvania, and I can’t wait to live here!

Weekend in New Orleans…

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Crawfish

Holland and I spent the weekend in New Orleans, preparing to bring our team there in May/June. We did some fun things–such as the Crawfish Boil depicted above–but we also worked hard to nail down some details for our trip.

How to describe the weekend…

Exhausting…enlightening…encouraging…sobering…intense…

I am left with much to process. Seeing the effects of Hurricane Katrina in person is an absolutely __________ experience. How do you describe it? As we took a “driving tour” of the damage, we saw hundreds/thousands of houses with the doors and windows still boarded-up, the spray-painted x still on the house (indicating that it had been checked, etc.)…but what impacted me the most was a portion of the Ninth Ward where there is nothing left…NOTHING…no houses, no signs of life…absolutely incredible.

This was home

We saw the FEMA trailers (that were dispersed very late)…we saw the areas that were hit the hardest–but also those who look like the storm ignored them completely…we saw a city struggling to get back on its feet, a city attempting to redefine itself for the future…

The television coverage doesn’t do it justice…you have to go there, to see the destruction that still remains almost three years after Hurricane Katrina and the breaking of the levees. It’s absolutely incredible, and very humbling.

On a more positive note, it was absolutely amazing to see the number of college students and other volunteers who are spending their Spring Break serving the people of New Orleans. I believe that the fact that we are coming to be with the people of New Orleans means more than the work that might be accomplished.

This being said, I am anxious to get there with the team to serve…to love…to bring with us the hope that we have in Jesus…it’s going to be an awesome trip.

I’ll post a link to more pictures later, after my team has seen them 🙂

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Easter…

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What a great day…celebrating the resurrection of our Lord, and spending time with people I love…I spent today with Kevin’s family–who have “adopted” me for holidays like this when I can’t be with my family.

Easter pictures here…

Also, the family pictures that we had taken earlier in March are online now…click here if you are interested. They are really good–but they go by really fast! 🙂 I love my family…

Busy week ahead…lots of work…but it’s worth it 🙂  I’ll try to post more this week… 🙂

My best friends…
 
My best friends…

Big Decision…

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Well, I have officially decided that I am moving to Pennsylvania…this is a decision that I’ve been thinking about for nearly 6 years, and especially in the past six months (since I went there in October)…

And I have decided that this is what I’m going to do! The Lord has opened some doors that I can’t deny, and I’m going to go for it. 🙂

I’m VERY excited!

Keith Urban and other things…

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I LOVE Keith Urban…it was my second concert, and it was just as amazing as the first one, two years ago. 🙂

I took 552 pictures, but only kept 60. I’m not good at taking pictures at concerts yet 🙂 See them here.

We didn’t get home from the concert until 12:30am, and I had to get up at 6am. That was fun. 🙂 I’m still functioning, but probably not for long. 🙂

I’m almost done with “Three Cups of Tea”, and it has really impacted me. I highly recommend it!

Nothing else really…I’m applying to jobs in Pennsylvania, and it looks like I’ll be moving in July/August. I’m at a point in my life where I have to make decisions, and I’m ready for a change in scenery. 🙂 So, that’s my plan.  Not sure what the Lord’s plan is yet–but I really feel like He has shown me that there isn’t a “right” or “wrong” decision to make here…stay in SoCal or go to PA. Either way is fine. 🙂

Laura tagged me, so here’s my randomness:

 The rules–

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2.Post the rules.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag at least 3 people.
5.Make sure the people you tagged know you tagged them by commenting to them.

I tag Heatherly, Heather, and Aunt Lori… 

1. If I could have any career (and morality was not an issue), I would be Danny Ocean. That’s all I need to say. 🙂

2. I love ketchup. More specifically, Heinz Ketchup. I went all the way to Pittsburgh in 2003 JUST to go to the Heinz Factory.  

3. I really hate moving…yet, I’m most likely making the biggest move (distance-wise) in my life thus far this summer…

4. My favorite color used to be orange in junior high…then it became popular, so I stopped wearing it (as much). I’ve always been one to not do what everyone else is doing. And I like it that way. 🙂 Same reason why I haven’t seen “Lord of the Rings”. No interest because of the obsession that has swept the world.

5. I love to sleep on planes. Most of the time, I’m asleep by the time the plane starts moving. 🙂 That’s why my red-eye in two weeks doesn’t scare me. I’ll sleep VERY well.

6. I really hate being told what to do. This is nothing new to my parents. I guess it is actually more of a hate of being micromanaged. If I know what needs to be done, let me do it my way. 🙂  

I’m exhausted…time to relax 🙂