Just got back from RA retreat.
We had two hours of free time one afternoon, so Cari and I went for a run that turned into a walk after a short period of time. And we just talked and walked for two hours. It was fantastic. We had a really good conversation. And it makes me excited to be working with her again. We didn't just talk about superficial stuff, but we discussed relationships, and God, and our families, and trips we went on this summer.
It makes me realize how much the other RAs matter in my life. They are the ones that understand what it's like when residents are crap, when life is busy overwhelming, when everyone comes to you all the time and you just need to talk. They understand. And I like that.
I mean, I know other people understand, too. People will always act like crap, life will always be busy overwhelming, and people will always need to just talk.
So I don't know. But I like it.
8.19.2008
8.18.2008
Strengths Quest.
I am Strategic.
The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, “What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?” This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path—your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: “What if?” Select. Strike.
I am Futuristic.
“Wouldn’t it be great if . . .” You are the kind of person who loves to peer over the horizon. The future fascinates you. As if it were projected on the wall, you see in detail what the future might hold, and this detailed picture keeps pulling you forward, into tomorrow. While the exact content of the picture will depend on your other strengths and interests—a better product, a better team, a better life, or a better world—it will always be inspirational to you. You are a dreamer who sees visions of what could be and who cherishes those visions. When the present proves too frustrating and the people around you too pragmatic, you conjure up your visions of the future and they energize you. They can energize others, too. In fact, very often people look to you to describe your visions of the future. They want a picture that can raise their sights and thereby their spirits. You can paint it for them. Practice. Choose your words carefully. Make the picture as vivid as possible. People will want to latch on to the hope you bring.
I have Positivity.
You are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation. Some call you lighthearted. Others just wish that their glass were as full as yours seems to be. But either way, people want to be around you. Their world looks better around you because your enthusiasm is contagious. Lacking your energy and optimism, some find their world drab with repetition or, worse, heavy with pressure. You seem to find a way to lighten their spirit. You inject drama into every project. You celebrate every achievement. You find ways to make everything more exciting and more vital. Some cynics may reject your energy, but you are rarely dragged down. Your Positivity won’t allow it. Somehow you can’t quite escape your conviction that it is good to be alive, that work can be fun, and that no matter what the setbacks, one must never lose one’s sense of humor.
I am a Developer.
You see the potential in others. Very often, in fact, potential is all you see. In your view no individual is fully formed. On the contrary, each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. And you are drawn toward people for this very reason. When you interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success. You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting experiences that can stretch them and help them grow. And all the while you are on the lookout for the signs of growth—a new behavior learned or modified, a slight improvement in a skill, a glimpse of excellence or of “flow” where previously there were only halting steps. For you these small increments—invisible to some—are clear signs of potential being realized. These signs of growth in others are your fuel. They bring you strength and satisfaction. Over time many will seek you out for help and encouragement because on some level they know that your helpfulness is both genuine and fulfilling to you.
I have Empathy.
You can sense the emotions of those around you. You can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are your own. Intuitively, you are able to see the world through their eyes and share their perspective. You do not necessarily agree with each person’s perspective. You do not necessarily feel pity for each person’s predicament—this would be sympathy, not Empathy. You do not necessarily condone the choices each person makes, but you do understand. This instinctive ability to understand is powerful. You hear the unvoiced questions. You anticipate the need. Where others grapple for words, you seem to find the right words and the right tone. You help people find the right phrases to express their feelings—to themselves as well as to others. You help them give voice to their emotional life. For all these reasons other people are drawn to you.
The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, “What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?” This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path—your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: “What if?” Select. Strike.
I am Futuristic.
“Wouldn’t it be great if . . .” You are the kind of person who loves to peer over the horizon. The future fascinates you. As if it were projected on the wall, you see in detail what the future might hold, and this detailed picture keeps pulling you forward, into tomorrow. While the exact content of the picture will depend on your other strengths and interests—a better product, a better team, a better life, or a better world—it will always be inspirational to you. You are a dreamer who sees visions of what could be and who cherishes those visions. When the present proves too frustrating and the people around you too pragmatic, you conjure up your visions of the future and they energize you. They can energize others, too. In fact, very often people look to you to describe your visions of the future. They want a picture that can raise their sights and thereby their spirits. You can paint it for them. Practice. Choose your words carefully. Make the picture as vivid as possible. People will want to latch on to the hope you bring.
I have Positivity.
You are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation. Some call you lighthearted. Others just wish that their glass were as full as yours seems to be. But either way, people want to be around you. Their world looks better around you because your enthusiasm is contagious. Lacking your energy and optimism, some find their world drab with repetition or, worse, heavy with pressure. You seem to find a way to lighten their spirit. You inject drama into every project. You celebrate every achievement. You find ways to make everything more exciting and more vital. Some cynics may reject your energy, but you are rarely dragged down. Your Positivity won’t allow it. Somehow you can’t quite escape your conviction that it is good to be alive, that work can be fun, and that no matter what the setbacks, one must never lose one’s sense of humor.
I am a Developer.
You see the potential in others. Very often, in fact, potential is all you see. In your view no individual is fully formed. On the contrary, each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. And you are drawn toward people for this very reason. When you interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success. You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting experiences that can stretch them and help them grow. And all the while you are on the lookout for the signs of growth—a new behavior learned or modified, a slight improvement in a skill, a glimpse of excellence or of “flow” where previously there were only halting steps. For you these small increments—invisible to some—are clear signs of potential being realized. These signs of growth in others are your fuel. They bring you strength and satisfaction. Over time many will seek you out for help and encouragement because on some level they know that your helpfulness is both genuine and fulfilling to you.
I have Empathy.
You can sense the emotions of those around you. You can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are your own. Intuitively, you are able to see the world through their eyes and share their perspective. You do not necessarily agree with each person’s perspective. You do not necessarily feel pity for each person’s predicament—this would be sympathy, not Empathy. You do not necessarily condone the choices each person makes, but you do understand. This instinctive ability to understand is powerful. You hear the unvoiced questions. You anticipate the need. Where others grapple for words, you seem to find the right words and the right tone. You help people find the right phrases to express their feelings—to themselves as well as to others. You help them give voice to their emotional life. For all these reasons other people are drawn to you.
8.17.2008
Running.
I have a new hero. Or rather, a role model.
Her name is Shelly-Ann Frazer and she is from Jamaica. And if you watched the woman's 100 meter race tonight at the Olympics, you know who she is.
She won.
But that's not necessarily why I liked her. I liked her because this was her first big race. She was the one that NO ONE expected anything from. But she went out and did her thing. And she got a gold medal for it. Seeing her face at the end of the race was brilliant. She kept jumping around and smiling, and you could tell that it was so important to her.
And she has braces, and that makes me happy. And she's only 21.
I haven't gone running, or worked out at all, in like a week and a half. And I can tell. My body doesn't like it. Already I don't feel as toned or fit as I had become. And I am more tired than before. But this week is crazy. I don't know when I can find time to do it. And I don't like that either. But I know that when I reach the end of my 5K, which is taking place in almost one month, I will be just as excited at Shelly-Ann Frazer was tonight. The look on my face will be an exact mirror of the look on her face.
Tomorrow we are going on the annual RA retreat. We have 3 or 4 hours of free time in the afternoon. I think I'll go running. I already packed some shorts and my outdoor running shoes.
But now, I am utterly exhausted. So sleep is coming quickly...
As is morning.
OHH! But I wore my tie-dye shirt that I Made with Cody today. And got tons of compliments on it. Well, like 5. But still! Fun.
Her name is Shelly-Ann Frazer and she is from Jamaica. And if you watched the woman's 100 meter race tonight at the Olympics, you know who she is.
She won.
But that's not necessarily why I liked her. I liked her because this was her first big race. She was the one that NO ONE expected anything from. But she went out and did her thing. And she got a gold medal for it. Seeing her face at the end of the race was brilliant. She kept jumping around and smiling, and you could tell that it was so important to her.
And she has braces, and that makes me happy. And she's only 21.
I haven't gone running, or worked out at all, in like a week and a half. And I can tell. My body doesn't like it. Already I don't feel as toned or fit as I had become. And I am more tired than before. But this week is crazy. I don't know when I can find time to do it. And I don't like that either. But I know that when I reach the end of my 5K, which is taking place in almost one month, I will be just as excited at Shelly-Ann Frazer was tonight. The look on my face will be an exact mirror of the look on her face.
Tomorrow we are going on the annual RA retreat. We have 3 or 4 hours of free time in the afternoon. I think I'll go running. I already packed some shorts and my outdoor running shoes.
But now, I am utterly exhausted. So sleep is coming quickly...
As is morning.
OHH! But I wore my tie-dye shirt that I Made with Cody today. And got tons of compliments on it. Well, like 5. But still! Fun.
8.16.2008
Kerr.
I'm slowly settling into this whole Kerr thing. But really, this building scares me. A lot. The elevator is so creepy - the kind that has a metal grate that goes over the door. And a lone light bulb hanging from the ceiling. And the attic? There could SO be a dead body up there. I just hope it doesn't try to crawl into my room.
Pretty sure I just heard a knock at my door... and it's 12:30am. I'm freaking myself out.
Shaun doesn't help. He's good at scaring me. (It is SO good to see him, by the way.)
But my new room is nice. It's quaint. I have a set of bunk beds, two desks, two closety things, two miniscule dressers, and my fridge. And all my stuff. I have a huge bag and a big box full of stuff I don't want or need anymore. A lot of it is clothes. I had 27 T-shirts. I got rid of like 10 of them. And lots of other STUFF that was just taking up room. Shaun's DAd was making fun of all my stuff.
OH MY WORD. I thought I had lost the Mission Center binder. I called Shaun and my mom, practically in hysterics. Then I found it... and twenty bucks.
Ha. I keep getting distracted by facebook and my conversation with Hannah. And now Addi (can't wait to see the OCBF).
Well, I have church soon. And I need to journal, read my Bible, then SLEEP. Sleep has not been a priority in my life lately, and I miss it.
Pretty sure I just heard a knock at my door... and it's 12:30am. I'm freaking myself out.
Shaun doesn't help. He's good at scaring me. (It is SO good to see him, by the way.)
But my new room is nice. It's quaint. I have a set of bunk beds, two desks, two closety things, two miniscule dressers, and my fridge. And all my stuff. I have a huge bag and a big box full of stuff I don't want or need anymore. A lot of it is clothes. I had 27 T-shirts. I got rid of like 10 of them. And lots of other STUFF that was just taking up room. Shaun's DAd was making fun of all my stuff.
OH MY WORD. I thought I had lost the Mission Center binder. I called Shaun and my mom, practically in hysterics. Then I found it... and twenty bucks.
Ha. I keep getting distracted by facebook and my conversation with Hannah. And now Addi (can't wait to see the OCBF).
Well, I have church soon. And I need to journal, read my Bible, then SLEEP. Sleep has not been a priority in my life lately, and I miss it.
8.15.2008
Flying "Home".
Well, I am at the airport now, in Chicago. And first of all, this airport is huge. I had to HIKE across it to get to gate F2C. Yes, that’s right. There’s an F2A, an F2B, an F2C, AND an F2D. Ridiculous.
I wasn’t even supposed to leave home until about right now, but Mom found another itinerary, and I was able to fly out last night. I didn’t sleep at all on the plane, but that’s okay I guess. I was seated in the window seat of an emergency exit aisle, and needless to say, I was freezing cold.
I see Shaun in… less than 4 hours. I’m just a little bit excited. Well, I give in. I’m a LOT excited.
I enjoy people watching. The pilot sitting across from me has a “Jet Fuel Only” sticker on his suitcase. I saw a kid that reminded me a lot of what I think a younger Shaun would have been like. It’s funny, the kind of people that drink Starbucks: businessmen, old men that carry hiking packs, girls like me…funny. I guess coffee is a universal thing. I have my Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte sitting next to me. We are friends.
My battery will not last much longer. When I get to Shaun’s house (YAY!!!!!!!!!!) I will plug it in and post this on-line. As it is, I am typing it on Word right now because I can’t log in to the internet.
It was a bit tragic flying out of Alaska last night. The mountains, the trees, the lakes… all so beautiful. But then I remember that I have some awesome pictures of those things and it makes it all a little bit easier to deal with. That, and Hannah might come visit me… and that’s really exciting.
Addi got an apartment on campus. I’ll admit. I’m a little jealous. I’m currently dealing with the whole “I don’t want to be an RA again” thing. When the time comes, it will be fine… but until then? I want an apartment. I want to NOT eat in the ARA. I want, I want, I want.
{Newsflash, Melissa… it doesn’t matter what you want. The world does not revolve around you.}
My tummy hurts a little. I think the combination of grapes and coffee does not settle well with me. At all.
But I’m flying in a skirt today, which is something I’ve always wanted to do, and it’s fun. I don’t know that people look at me or treat me differently, but it’s still like “Ha, I’m in a skirt!”
Kind of like how on Wednesday, Hannah and I had an Enchanted party, and we put on fancy dresses to watch it. We both wore our senior year prom dresses. And I wore a sweater with mine. It was an homage to… well, I don’t know what to, but something. Anyway, it was fun. Then I told my Dad about it later, and he said we were dorks. At least we were pretty dorks. In our prom dresses. Watching a Disney movie about True Love’s Kiss. I know you are jealous, but green is not a good color for you.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
I wasn’t even supposed to leave home until about right now, but Mom found another itinerary, and I was able to fly out last night. I didn’t sleep at all on the plane, but that’s okay I guess. I was seated in the window seat of an emergency exit aisle, and needless to say, I was freezing cold.
I see Shaun in… less than 4 hours. I’m just a little bit excited. Well, I give in. I’m a LOT excited.
I enjoy people watching. The pilot sitting across from me has a “Jet Fuel Only” sticker on his suitcase. I saw a kid that reminded me a lot of what I think a younger Shaun would have been like. It’s funny, the kind of people that drink Starbucks: businessmen, old men that carry hiking packs, girls like me…funny. I guess coffee is a universal thing. I have my Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte sitting next to me. We are friends.
My battery will not last much longer. When I get to Shaun’s house (YAY!!!!!!!!!!) I will plug it in and post this on-line. As it is, I am typing it on Word right now because I can’t log in to the internet.
It was a bit tragic flying out of Alaska last night. The mountains, the trees, the lakes… all so beautiful. But then I remember that I have some awesome pictures of those things and it makes it all a little bit easier to deal with. That, and Hannah might come visit me… and that’s really exciting.
Addi got an apartment on campus. I’ll admit. I’m a little jealous. I’m currently dealing with the whole “I don’t want to be an RA again” thing. When the time comes, it will be fine… but until then? I want an apartment. I want to NOT eat in the ARA. I want, I want, I want.
{Newsflash, Melissa… it doesn’t matter what you want. The world does not revolve around you.}
My tummy hurts a little. I think the combination of grapes and coffee does not settle well with me. At all.
But I’m flying in a skirt today, which is something I’ve always wanted to do, and it’s fun. I don’t know that people look at me or treat me differently, but it’s still like “Ha, I’m in a skirt!”
Kind of like how on Wednesday, Hannah and I had an Enchanted party, and we put on fancy dresses to watch it. We both wore our senior year prom dresses. And I wore a sweater with mine. It was an homage to… well, I don’t know what to, but something. Anyway, it was fun. Then I told my Dad about it later, and he said we were dorks. At least we were pretty dorks. In our prom dresses. Watching a Disney movie about True Love’s Kiss. I know you are jealous, but green is not a good color for you.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
8.11.2008
Sports.
Another thing:
I like the Olympics. I haven't watched a lot of it this year, but I am now, kind of. And it's awesome.
If I was actually good at sports, I would so want to go to the Olympics. But as it is... I'm not. Though running and I are good friends now. And that's fun.
And soccer and I don't hate eachother. Even though I am bad, it's a lot of fun. I would like to be good.
I like the Olympics. I haven't watched a lot of it this year, but I am now, kind of. And it's awesome.
If I was actually good at sports, I would so want to go to the Olympics. But as it is... I'm not. Though running and I are good friends now. And that's fun.
And soccer and I don't hate eachother. Even though I am bad, it's a lot of fun. I would like to be good.
Others.
Also, also.
Since all my bags are packed, and since I am a little bit bitter and don't want to bring them inside, I am wearing the clothes I had opted to leave here. Which means I spent today in sweatpants and a tie-dye shirt that is a million different colors. My outfit choices are going to be limited, and it makes me laugh.
And I restarted my sweater vest. Maybe I'll like it more now. The rows actually look NICE now.
And now I can finish my Africa scrapbook and clean my room before I go.
But I would still rather be with Shaun.
Since all my bags are packed, and since I am a little bit bitter and don't want to bring them inside, I am wearing the clothes I had opted to leave here. Which means I spent today in sweatpants and a tie-dye shirt that is a million different colors. My outfit choices are going to be limited, and it makes me laugh.
And I restarted my sweater vest. Maybe I'll like it more now. The rows actually look NICE now.
And now I can finish my Africa scrapbook and clean my room before I go.
But I would still rather be with Shaun.
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