The Adventure of my Lifetime (so far)

Alright, I'm gonna try my hand again at this whole blogging thing. This past week has been so surreal. I feel like I was walking through a dream or something. I can't believe that in just over 24 hours I will be boarding a plane and not getting off until it reaches Beijing. I've been planning this for so long, and now its finally happening.

I move out of my condo today. Its raining, not gonna be a fun mix for packing the van. My bed is covered with clothes that haven't been packed yet. I tried and tried to get it all to fit in the 2 suitcases I have, but it just wasn't going to happen. Thanks Mom and Dad for bailing me out on that. Traveling for 2 monthes in the winter months makes packing more tricky...and even less fun.

Yesterday I finished up my first student teaching placement at a school near Philadelphia. I could not have asked for a better experience. I learned so much and had an excellent co-operating teacher. The kids were a challenge at times, but I made it. My co-op had some good things to say to me yesterday as I left the classroom for the last time. He said that I should be encouraged that I handled such a feat so well in 6-8 weeks. I'm gonna miss those kids. They gave me letters and notes yesterday before they went home for the weekend. I was attacked by hug after hug. Some kids I had no idea I impacted the way I did in such a short time.

Well, now its off to a new group of kids and a whole new adventure. Thank you for your support and prayers. I will try harder to keep up with this thing and let you know how my adventure is going. I do not plan to return home without seeing the Great Wall, or a panda.

Speaking of pandas, I do have a travel companion named Kung Fu. Danielle, my brother's girlfriend gave me a stuffed panda last weekend - Kung Fu is definitely coming with me. =)

So long for now. Next time I write I will be on the other side of the world!
-kait and kung fu

Stepping Out On My Own

I know that its been awhile, but I'm about to embark on the next chapter in my life. I'm sitting in my parents kitchen and tomorrow morning I will be moving out, not to a dorm room and a cafeteria that prepares food for you, but a house with a friend where I have to make my own meals everyday. Yeah, the real world. I will be student teaching in an area just over city line in the greater Philadelphia area. It will be an exciting time, actually learning what my career path will be like, but at the same time it will be incredibly difficult.

So, when I have some free time, the intent is to update on what's going on in my life. I will probably update more when I get to China in October. Stay in touch - it will be more reason for me to write. For now, back to packing.

-kait

Freedom from...my cell phone?

Last night I was having a conversation with a friend about how I want to be more present with the people I am currently physically with instead of always feeling the need to run to my phone to respond to text messages to people elsewhere (who are probably with other people as well).

I have noticed recently that I have become so accustomed to text messaging that I want to send a friendly txt or movie quote to a friend at random times of the day, whenever inspiration hits -whether or not I am with other friends at the time. The cell phone has created this phenomenon that I don't think I would otherwise have acquired. I've found that I'm walking along the paths at school with my head down and trying not to run into things, trees or other people.

As a result,this friend challenged me to go a day without texting or facebooking anyone who was not at school with me (with the exception of my family). I didn't want to accept the challenge but the competitiveness in me took over and I accepted the challenge.

Wow I learned a lot.

This morning on my way to breakfast, I had more focused conversation with my roommate who was walking beside me. Later in the day I noticed the trees and birds around me on the paths. I even was able to make eye contact with people and have short little conversations with them. I wasn't even distracted in class to answer text messages. Not that I don't normally notice the trees or talk to people on the path, but I didn't feel the urgency to use the "unstructured" time to be texting or calling people. It was so refreshing. I was able to enjoy my surroundings. I even heard something rather profound from God because I wasn't distracted by my phone. (I think I'm going to start putting my phone on silent when I have my time with God because no one is more important than God and text messages can wait. )

I'm so thankful for this exercise. It really made me think about how I am spending my time when I am with my friends. No, I'm not going to stop texting, but I am going to try to be more aware of what is going on around me and be more intentional with the people I am with - afterall, I won't be with them forever.

Actions speak louder than words...and you are contradicting yourself

This is something that I wrote for my church weekly email.

"Actions speak louder than words... and you are contradicting yourself."

That was my Facebook status earlier this week. It was provoked by thoughts recently of some of my friends, both back home and here at school. These friends have grown up in the church and profess to be Christians. They seem to be good people, but sadly they are in many ways just like my summer co-workers who want to have nothing to do with Jesus. There's little substance to their faith - no fruit, no works, no evidence that the Lord has gotten a hold of them.

James says "Faith without works is dead." (Jas 2:14) Jesus warned the church "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth." (Rev 3: 15-16) I think we should take these warnings seriously.

It is so easy for us to get comfortable in our little bubbles, thinking that we are fine living on yesterday's religion, but in reality we are becoming lukewarm. I can see it in my friends. I can see it in my classmates. And I am concerned.

I am swimming against a lukewarm current and I need others around me, doing the same. Let's pray every day that people will get to know Jesus by watching our lives. I try to leave no question - is she really who she says she is? But I don't want my actions to be glorifying myself, no, instead I desire that the essence left behind by my life is that of the Latin phrase: Soli Deo Gloria - to God alone be glory.

Soli Deo Gloria,
kaitlin

Those don't look like brownies

So this weekend I had the opportunity to travel to the poconos with some friends to spend a few days at a cabin on a frozen lake. It was a great chance to get away and recharge for the next few weeks. We drove up in the late evening, so it was completely dark and at times looking in the rear-view mirror I might as well have been looking at a piece of black construction paper. We didn't get too lost or confused on the drive up and jammed out to an assortment of ipods. Upon arrival we were able to really see for the first time the clarity of the stars. It was breath-taking. Took me back to Indonesia. Unfortunately we were so tired and cold that we didn't gaze upon them much the first night and the next night was cloudy. :(

I almost forgot that we all had minor heart-attacks on the drive up (when we were almost there) and Liz realized she did not think she had the cabin key with her. We began to plan who we would try to stay with overnight until the rest of the girls could bring the keys the next day. Thankfully Liz really did have the keys!



Woodstove, gas stove, pancakes with sprinkles at 10 pm (because it was the only food in the house).

We woke up the next morning and made more pancakes (which I became quite good at I must admit) before taking a walk on the very frozen lake. There was a family playing ice hockey and ice fishing in the middle of the lake. It was quite spectacular. It was even better to curl up by the woodstove with grilled cheese and tomato soup after our lake adventure.



The rest of the girls joined us later in the day and we made dinner together: Spaghetti, fruit cocktail, texas toast garlic bread, and brownies...or so we thought. All day we were getting excited for brownies and that was the first thing that we made. When we pulled it out of the oven, it looked funny, but we didn't really think about it until after dinner when we dug in...to a pan of chocolate cake!

The rest of the night included another stroll across the lake to the bonfire on the beach with marshmallows, s'mores and hot chocolate! Movie night was a must followed by truth or dare - what sleepover isn't complete without those 2 components. Lori was a trooper and walked on the ice bare foot! Way to go Lor!



The rest of the trip was uneventful, except for the fact that we left the heat on upstairs when we left and had to call security to turn it off for us. It was actually much more dramatic for Liz on the phone with her parents, but it worked out in the end. Thanks girls for a fantastic weekend!

Close Calls in the Big City

This weekend some friends convinced me to go to New York City with them today (didn't take too much convincing though). So after travel research and input from my cousin, we decided to take a train to Philadelphia and megabus to New York.

I am quite familiar with the trains going to and from Philadelphia, however this morning when we arrived at the first station in Philly, we were a bit confused as to where we were. We needed to get off at 30th Street Station, which was usually the first stop, but it was dark and we didn't recognize where we had stopped. After waiting for almost a minute, I turned to the man seated behind us and asked if this was 30th Street. He said it was and Liz, Britany and I could not have gotten off that train faster. The door closed behind us just as we exited the car. Phew! Thank you God! Seriously.

Next we needed to figure out where to catch the megabus. We got directions and waited on a street corner by a bus shelter for a few minutes - just long enough for Liz and Britany to be almost attacked by a pigeon. After the close call on the train, we wanted to be sure we were at the correct spot, so I asked the man emptying the trash can where the megabus boarded. Good thing we asked - itwas around the corner where we couldn't see...AND the bus was already there waiting.

At the rate we were going, we could have been at Suburban Station, many blocks away from where we needed to be, or just waiting patiently at the original bus shelter, fending off birds and then chasing after our bus as it drove past us. Thankfully none of that really happened.

Upon arrival to the Big Apple, we stood on a street corner for a good 5 minutes just looking around and trying to figure out where we were and where we wanted to go. It was mostly staring though I think. Finally we agreed to go with the tourist look and get a map.

The day was filled with much walking and absorbing of sights. Here are a few main points, but certainly not play by play of the entire day.

-the Empire State Building was anticlimactic. I thought it was going to be more exciting than it was, plus we didn't go inside.

- We decided that the soldier standing outside FAO Schwartz has the best job – lots of pictures with the ladies (and kids)-Who said the giant piano in FAO Schwartz was just for kids?

- Did you know that the Apple Store in NYC is underground? All you can see from the sidewalk is a clear cube with an apple inside. Pretty much the sweetest thing ever!

-Meanwhile it had started to snow and when we reached Central Park, the grass was covered and snow was still falling. It was one of the best sights I’ve seen in awhile.

-Central Park Zoo reminded me of Madagascar… “And now, Alex the Lion!”

- There were people sledding in the park, it looked like fun and it was all I could do to resist joining them…that and the fact that I didn’t have a sled

- Marriot Marquis New York: This is Liz’s favorite hotel in the world, she suggested we go in and get something to drink at the restaurant on the top floor because the floor moves and you can see all over the city. We thought it was a great idea and went inside. The elevators were glass and circular. They looked like the tubes that you send money in at the bank. There were at least 15 of these “pods”. We got in one and went to the 45th floor…the elevator moved at a spectacular speed and we thought we were going to shoot through the roof – like in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The snow that was falling seemed to be frozen in mid air – it was one the most amazing sight of the day.

- 2 Elmos and a creepy midget Shrek

-Hard Rock café and the waiter who carried a grudge because we all ordered water


Upon arrival back to St. Davids, we found out that it had snowed there more than in the city and our friends had been sledding all day. I think our trip was much more exciting.

2009 = boring? I think not!

So I've come to realize that I am a terrible blogger. Haha first of all, I am pretty sure the only people who read this are my parents. Oh well, it will come in handy in a few months when I take another step in my world traveling dream. Its kinda crazy to think that I will be out of the country twice this year. I am super excited for the 2 upcoming trips.

I came to the realization that I only have 15 more weeks of undergraduate studies left. I can hardly wrap my mind around it. Honestly, May 9, 2009 cannot come soon enough but at the same time, I'm not ready to say goodbye to the campus that has been my home for 4 years. Regardless, I am excited to see what all 2009 brings. So far:

March: my last college spring break
May: graduation
July: Honduras
August: Student teaching/grad school
October: China, birthday celebrations in Asia
November: Thanksgiving away from my family but in a new culture
December: saying goodbye to Asia and coming home for Christmas, deciding if I want to go back to Asia for a longer period of time

Its kinda packed, but exciting. I wonder what else will happen?