The Pact

At spring break this year we made a pact. A pact to get together every year from this year on. We even wrote it down and everyone signed the sheet of paper. The moment was preserved for eternity with a group picture. In our world, that means it's official. We're not even allowed to go to our child's first baseball game if it conflicts with the group get-together. We're intense.

I'm so proud of all my friends, and I can't wait to see how God works in their lives over the next few years. Hayes and Jessie are getting married and moving to Atlanta. Hilary will probably be working in Spartanburg; Alyse will be in Greenville or Spartanburg. Emily is looking in Chicago. Blake will probably be in Spartanburg, maybe even working at Wofford. Will is going to YALE (divinity school). I know that they will all have such great experiences in this next stage of their lives, but I'm going to miss them an awful lot next year.

I can't believe that I'm going to be in the same situation this time next year. Right now I see grad school in my future, but maybe I'll work for a year before going back to school. I'm glad I have another year at Wofford, but I'm also excited about what the next stage of my life will bring.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

Bollywood

For Interim 2010 I took a class called Bollywood and Mythmaking of India, and I fell in love...with Bollywood. Maahi Ve is one of my favorite dances/songs sequences. I actually performed part of this dance in the movie we made at the end of the month entitled "Quintessential Love."

Sherlock Holmes

Great movie! I loved it!

John F. Kennedy

"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men."

"For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future."

"Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction."

"I look forward to a great future for America - a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose."

"It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war."

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

"The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission."

"There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction."

Coming Home

As the time nears for me to return to the USA, I've had mixed feelings. All this internal conflict has been keeping me up at night, but I'm hoping that writing about it helps me work it out a little.

Leaving Guanajuato will be bittersweet. I'm almost positive that I will never have an experience like this again. I mean, I've been living in a foreign country for five months with no expenses, hardly any schoolwork and few responsibilities except to soak up the culture and make memories. I've had such a great time in Mexico and I know that I will miss Guanajuato, Mexican food, the kids at El Buen Pastor, and the ability to travel cheaply.

At the same time, I am so excited about seeing my family and friends again. I can't wait to be greeted with twirly hugs and laughter. It will be so great to be able to relax with people and not have to worry about a language barrier. Plus, we have dryers, real ranch dressing, dryers, and fluffy pillows. I'm so excited about being able to play frisbee again, go swing dancing, eat my mom's delicious food, and just be with the people that I love the most. And it will be Christmas season when I get back, which is always wonderful.

This is not what has been keeping me up at nights. While I've been in Guanajuato, I haven't had to deal with all the pressures, worries, uncertainties that bombard me when I'm at home. Not that I'm overwhelmed or feel stressed all the time while I'm home, but getting away from all of that has been nice. Five months is a long time to be away. I don't know what all has changed in my absence, and that freaks me out a little. Real life will pick back up and the last few days it's all come back to me. I really want to enjoy the last few weeks I have here and being tired and grumpy isn't going to accomplish that. I'm trying to trust God with everything, but that's always easier said than done. I know that when I get home all this will seem really stupid, but right now it's huge. Just keep praying.

FRIENDS

I know that this has nothing to do with my personal growth or anything, but this is a FRIENDS clip that I think is absolutely hysterical. Enjoy!