The Blog

I think I ventured into the land of blogging completely blind and am now in over my head.

I've just spent the last hour reading absolutely hilarious literary adventures from the fingers of my friends and am in complete awe. I had no idea that in order to have your own blog, one must actually be funny of clever or have something profound to say. Maybe I need new friends who are not such astute writers. Maybe I just need some practice. OR, maybe only the great writers blog, and I find myself among the cream of the crop... and I'm the sediment sinking to the bottom of the canister.

All this to say, in a very round-about-way, Taylor, Lara, Casey, Zak... you are all brilliant, wonderful, witty, intelligent writers and it brings me great joy to read your thoughts. (Especially in Study Hall ;) I aspire to be like you one day. Full of brilliant ideas and meaningful things to say.

I will now stop this post, as I have to prep for my "Introduction to Theatre" class in which I will try to introduce some of the basic ideas of Viewpoints while juggling classrooms (ours is being used for class photos today) and unruly teenagers at the same time! Then on to Alice in Wonderland rehearsal, so I will not see the light of day until 5:30pm-- but by then its dark, so I won't see any light but the one over my stove as I reheat leftovers for dinner.

Ahhh, the life of the High School teacher. So romanticized by television and modern media.

France!

So, all my lovely friends... I'm going to France!

Many of you know that I've had a heart for the French people for some time now, and I've had a desire to go back to France ever since I traveled their with some great friends in 2006. It was strangely one of the only foreign places I have traveled to and felt "at home". I can't explain it. I was just home!

So, after much soul searching, prayer, discussion, and coffee talks, I've decided to go. And that's all I know! I know I'm supposed to go, so now we will see what happens. =)

I'm truly excited for a new adventure. I've always been drawn to traveling outside of the US. I think this is due to the fact that my parents took us on family vacations around the globe... Thanks mom and dad! The prospect of again setting off into the unknown brings a thrill, a rush to my days... along with a lot of anxiety at this point. But, as I'm learning right now from Britt, I've just got to sit back, shut up and enjoy the ride!

I've thought about going for two months this summer (my dad calls this a shake-down sail in France). My theatre company is taking a summer break, and is discussing travel in October to Georgia... the country. The tour would include a piece that we have already performed, and without Erin and I, it would totally fall apart. If I did go for the two and a half summer months, came back, toured with the company and finished the season, I could sell my stuff, move and either go back to France or where ever the Lord would like me to go from there....

Basically, I'm trying to transition out of Santa Barbara, and I want to make sure I am totally in God's will. It's scary and thrilling to leave the place you've been living for 6 1/2 years! It's the first and only place in which I have lived on my own. Leaving it feels like I am leaving the nest all over again. I guess it has been a proverbial nest... a learning place... Westmont, Lit Moon, Reality, Providence Hall. I have learned more than I bargained for when I moved here from South Dakota all those years ago.

Hmmm, I still remember the day that I found out I was accepted to Westmont. I was in a hotel room with my friends Sarah VW and Janae in Boston, of all places =). We were on choir tour there when my mom got my acceptance letter. I remember Sarah encouraging me to got to CA instead of NY. If I had only known what would happen on the west coast at that point in time, I wonder if I would still have come.

But here I am. The person I have become from the choices I have made. Some were great, some not so great, and some were down-right terrible, but I am who I am. Praise the Lord that He shapes us into the people he wants us to be... even when we make mistakes.

And that brings me back to being in the Lord's Will. If you're checking this blog, it means that I love you and want/need you to partner with me in prayer. (This blog is my sneaky way of letting you know how I am doing and how you can pray for me!) Thank you for your love and support, I truly couldn't live this life without you!

Prayer support:
-I am currently praying for a specific city. Where specifically the Lord would have me go.
-How long? I've got some ideas, but I certainly don't want to get in the way if the Lord has something else in mind.
-What would I do there? I've got a few contacts from Emily Jillison, but really no idea what I could do or how I could help. (basically, i think I'm getting the "what could you really do there" attack. I need prayer about that too. Please pray that I would stand firm in the knowledge that God has already provided.)

Working in Study Hall

I just need to get this out there. Study hall sucks for the teachers just as much as it does for the students. Don't get me wrong. I am grateful for time to write to you all, but watching HS students work on homework is NOT the ideal way to be spending my day.

Maybe today is just a bad day... maybe I'm just feeling lethargic... or maybe I'm just getting sick... but today seems to just stink.

And I've only been at school for 20min!

My New Blog

So I've been inspired by my lovely friends Casey and Lara (who happen to be married) to start my own blog. So, here it is... my thoughts, struggles, mishaps and "Joie de Vive". (That's Joy of Life in French =)

And that's all I have to say right now.

Hello!