A Picture Review of the Past Few Months

Admiring Yellowstone on a VISTA camping trip last March.

I'm not going to lie: cold weather makes me miss Montana. It's gorgeous in SC, but on chilly nights like this where I stayed in with a blanket and hot chocolate, it would be nice to look out the window and see a little white on the rooftops. I never would have admitted that last year (I had a whiny, cold, little Floridian image to protect, after all).

I haven't posted in a while, but to be honest there hasn't been much to say. I'm enjoying SC but this year doesn't have quite the same feel of adventure to it. I have a pretty standard, cookie cutter apartment, but it's nice to have some newer appliances and windows, etc. I've added little touches here and there to spice it up. As a VISTA leader, my most important role is to support the VISTAs at each site and make sure they have everything they need to succeed. I love helping others be more successful, but I miss being directly involved as well. I present to you a brief history of the last few months told primarily in pictures:

 In September, after a little time in SC to get my feet under me, I was given the opportunity to fly to Chicago for the VISTA Leader training. The city was a little overwhelming at first but exciting. I met many new VISTA Leader friends and got to see some great old ones from last year that I had already been missing.

On the roof in Chicago.

Some "Montanans" in the city. 

The Bean
Full Disclosure: I did not take this photo and we didn't know the couple in the corner, but Amanda (the photographer) and I both agreed they made it much more adorable.

Deep Dish Pizza with Sam and Allison, my Montana besties. 

In October, I made a long weekend road trip up to Richmond to visit and old, dear friend of mine who I grew up doing children's theater with. I have never been there before and loved doing a little exploring. The view while driving through North Carolina and Virginia in October was just another perk to the trip.

Exploring Carey Town (SP?) with Karen

Outside the Virginia Civil War Museum

All the pretty October leaves

November provided time to go home for Thanksgiving for the first time in years. Not only did I get to see my family again so soon, which was a treat in itself, but I also got to see my best friend in the whole world whom I hadn't seen in an excessively long amount of time. It was almost a mini-high school reunion month. 

With Sarah

  In December, the colder weather came and I spent a lot more time indoors with my yarns, hooks and needles. It ended in our annual trip to Ohio for Christmas and a quiet time with family in Florida to start the new year.

The Ohio family with all our Christmas hats on. We're just missing Loni and Jeff with their fantastic hats!

Plus, Dad grew a Santa beard. Pics to prove it coming. Promise.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and has been enjoying a wonderful 2013 so far. 2012 was a year of big change for me, even bigger changes than 2011 when I graduated college. By the end of it, I'm in a new city, in a new position, with a new car, and a new apartment, and getting ready to start a new part of the plan. But through it all the love and support of family and friends remains constant and steadfast. If 2012 was any indication, God has big things in store!

What Teaching Kids Taught Me

I remember the day, back in high school, when I was told something startling: people don't change as they get older. They may become wiser from life experience, they may make better choices, they may become more conscientious of others... but deep down we are the same in high school as we are are going to be for the rest of our lives. My next logical conclusion was that who we are as children is as true to ourselves as we will ever be. We haven't had time to learn to fear the other. We haven't yet been bullied into following the crowd. We haven't yet become embarrassed of who we are, just maybe things that happen or things we do. I miss that. Working with children along my journey to adulthood helped me relearn many things I once knew to be true as a child. I made a list of all the things I can think of right now that were learned working with children and apply to daily life even after the fact. I suppose it's really a list of how working with children can make anyone a better person.


1. Some days everyone will sit, pay attention, and behave appropriately. Some days they won't.

2. Never be afraid to get your hands dirty. Soap is always there, opportunity for adventure is not.

3. Make sure you are able to sit on the floor in whatever you're wearing.

4. Don't over-analyze. Accept the fact that some things are just magic.

5. Would it be worth a timeout?

6.  Even a good lie is hard to get away with, and much harder to remember the second time.

7. The "helper" is always the best job to have.

8. Find ways to protect the things you care about, even if no one else sees the value. Keep them in a safe place, but don't leave them in your pocket to be washed.

9. It never hurt anyone to believe in the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, or Santa Claus.

10. Trust people. Beware of "stranger danger," but believe that everyone is good at heart.

11. Playing pretend is the best way to learn.

  

12. Keep your friends close. Involve them in all your best schemes.

  

13. Happiness is beauty.

14. Laugh when provoked, even at inappropriate times. Odds are someone else needs to hear it.

15. Nothing is too insignificant to be prayed about.

 

16. Embrace uniqueness. Haters gonna hate. 

17. When someone compliments you, accept it without question. You are, after all, awesome.

18. There will be times when you will get hurt, through the fault of your own or others. That's a risk you have to take.

19. It is very important to give good hugs.

20. Refuse to believe limitations.

 

There you have it. Not exhaustive by any means, and may be amended at a later date. I've got a little more growing up to do first.

Any suggestions?