Week 33: Anti-Hermit Crab Week

Hello, friends!! How are you all? Most of you guys who follow my blog are people that I would see pretty frequently when I lived in Chicagoland, so I miss you guys! I hope that all of you are doing well, and I hope the turning of seasons to Spring has brought a little bit of sunshine and happiness into your lives. My week being barefoot was fun! I wasn't able to buy a pair of TOMS because I've been low on cash, but I plan on buying a pair when I have some money.

I will start by saying that this move to Quincy has been many things, but the word that sums it up would be "challenging." God is challenging me in many ways, and already, I feel like I've grown a lot in just two weeks. I have some really great days (mostly when I'm with people), and then I have some pretty not-so great days. I'd say yesterday was by far, the worst day I've had here. I don't know what was going on, but I didn't feel well and just felt depressed. I've been trying to figure out why this has been so hard for me, and I think it's because I was just so used to being around people all the time. In 2005, I started at Trinity and for 4 years, I lived with 2 or more girls each year. Then I lived in Blue Island, and lived with Meghan, Rebecca, Neisy, Amber....Then just a couple months ago, I lived with Rebecca in our lovely, sketchy house. THEN I moved back in with my family, where my niece was always over. So all that to say, I am used to having people around, and I love it. Even having a person in the same room as you, not even talking, is comforting.

Here in Quincy, I live by myself, and that's been difficult. To make things a little easier, I want to take this week and look up some things to do, maybe a class to take, a place to volunteer, etc. Now, I DO NOT want to completely fill all of my time so that I am never alone (something I would have done before), because I know that God is using this time on my own to teach me that He is really everything that I need. I want down time, but I also don't want to live like a hermit, holed up in my little apartment. I need to take a step out, so that is what this week is about! Now, I do realize that I called this week anti-hermit crab week. Sure, I don't want to be like a hermit crab in that it tends to stay in its shell, but mostly I didn't want to call this week "Anti-Hermit" week, because I didn't want to seem against those who do actually seclude themselves from society. I am also not against hermit crabs, especially since my new friends have one as a pet-I just didn't know what else to call this week. So sorry to any hermits/hermit crabs I may have insulted in this post. That was not the intention : )

Any way, first thing I did for this week was e-mail a guy who spoke at our advisory board meeting. He works with homeless youth, and I would love to volunteer some time at a shelter. There is one in Quincy, so I talked to this guy after the board meeting last week and then e-mailed him today. I'm hoping to hear back from him soon! Tomorrow, I'd like to look and see if there are any community classes that are being offered. As I find some things to do, I'll let you guys know!

Week 32: No Shoes Week

Good morning, y'all! I'm writing this post from my apartment, in gloomy Quincy. The weather the last couple days has been rainy and dreary. Yuck. BUT still loving Quincy despite the gross weather! Last week went very well. I think I've adjusted well, but let me tell you, God is most definitely challenging me in many many ways. It's all great though, and I know that it's in order to change me for the better. I'll probably go more in depth with that in another post maybe this week that's separate from this week's goal.

"No Shoes Week" is the title for week 32. I'll start my explanation with a story from the "One Day Without Shoes" Website:

Maria, age 10, Guatemala

Why shoes: Mountainous and muddy terrain makes farming difficult, both physically and economically, and Maria has never owned a pair of new shoes. This leaves her exposed to infection, intestinal worms, and cold weather illness.

Long-term Benefit: With additional protection from illness and infection, Maria can spend more days helping her family and building her potential in school.

Basically, shoes (things that we really take for granted) are not available to everyone in the world. There are so many places like Ethiopia where people are walking through the streets without shoes in city streets filled with things like glass, metal, and even sewage. Wearing shoes and practicing good hygiene can prevent diseases and infections.

TOMS is an organization that sells shoes, and with every pair purchased, they send a child in need a pair of shoes. Awesome, right? TOMS is the organization that is hosting the "One Day Without Shoes" campaign, which is officially today April 5, in order to raise awareness about the need.

I think a lot of times we get so wrapped up into our own lives and our own wants and needs, that we forget that there are people that are truly in need of things that we take for granted. This is really a simple way to spread the word- go barefoot today or some day this week and when people ask, tell them why! AND visit the TOMS website and buy a pair of shoes. Simple. I know that I have a couple friends participating in "One Day Without Shoes," and I hope that some more of you participate, too!

So basically this week, I am going to go bare foot as much as I can. I think there will be some situations where I'm going to need to wear shoes, but to work and walking outside and such, I will be barefoot. I think you should join me, too. This is a very practical way to get outside yourself and advocate for people around the world who are in need. Let's do it together!

Week 31: A Week of Adjustment

So long time, no type, huh? It's been a couple weeks since I've updated, but that's because my life has been pretty crazy as many of you know. In case you missed it, the last week I posted I told you guys about moving to Quincy, MA to take a job through The Salvation Army out there as the Program Assistant. Since then, I have actually moved to Quincy. Here's an update:

The weekend before I left for Quincy, my friends threw me a surprise good-bye party. It was wonderful! It was just so great to have some of my favorite people in the same room together. I really do have the most amazing friends.

The last couple weeks have been quite a blur between packing my car so full with my belongings that I thought the car would burst at any second and saying "see ya later" so my loved ones. As it got closer and closer to my big adventure east, I had so many emotions running through my mind that it was hard to feel a lot of one thing. Yes, I was excited, but also nervous, sad, happy, anxious, and so many other emotions. I will say that through all of the ups and downs, the uncertainties- God was constant and was my rock.

And then it was this past Thursday, almost a week ago, that my friend Roxanne and I headed to her family's house near Ohio to begin our journey. We stayed the night there at her family's house and then got up early Friday morning and made the 14.5 hour drive from there to Quincy. It was such a long ride, but totally made better by the company of Roxanne. We arrived to my new home at around 8:30 eastern time and were greeted immediately by my new bosses and a couple young adults who helped unload my car. Roxanne and I crashed that night since we were so tired.

The next day, about 10 of us young adults headed to Boston. It was so wonderful. I wish you could all meet my new friends here. They were so welcoming and made me feel so comfortable. I immediately knew that I was going to be loved and cared for over here. We had a lovely day. The picture above is one that was taken in Boston at a place called Fire and Ice where we had lunch. It was sooooo good. Sunday, Roxanne headed back home to Indiana. It was so great to have Roxanne here with me. The people here loved her, and she was such a big support to me in this transition. God is so good and orchestrated that so wonderfully. Roxanne, you are such a great friend, and I'm so grateful that we were with me my first weekend here.

Monday was my first day of work- jumped right in! Monday night was actually a murder mystery dinner with the college ministry which was a ton of fun. Check out pictures on Facebook! I love my job so far. I get to be creative and plan programs for youth. I know that it is going to be challenging, but I'm up for it. I'm getting to know people, getting plugged into programs, and feeling more at home every day. There are nights when it is really hard. I'm not used to living alone, which has been hard, but God is more than enough. He is teaching me that He is all I need which I knew, but I'm actually living it out now. O boy, God has so much in store for me here. I am excited to see how everything unfolds!

Basically, this week I am adjusting to this big change. I am taking a week to take it all in, process through it, and embrace the change that I know will change my life forever. It's pretty simple really, but very needed. So prayers are appreciated during this week of adjustment!

Week 30, Day 6

Today we have a guest speaker writing about Boston! AJ is a dear friend of mine from college. She is amazing, has a heart of gold, and has been such a huge source of love and encouragement in college and even still. She absolutely LOVES Boston, so I figure the chance that she will come and visit me is pretty big : ) yay! I asked her to write about Boston, so here is what she wrote! Enjoy:

call it fate, but the 80s band boston has a love song called amanda. i think it was a song written with the knowledge that miss amanda keene would one glorious day being living it big time in none other than boston!

hi, my names aj, and i LOVE boston (and amanda! how coincidental...).
i have been to boston many times. each time completely lovely.
all my dads family lives there, so we've made many a few trips there.
and over the years, i've experienced so many amazing things the city has to offer.

boston is a city full of history, culture, accents, and insane sports fans (of which, i am one).
as a GUEST BLOGGER this week *score!* i'll highlight a few of my favorite things about boston.

#1- the red sox & fenway park! america's most beloved ballpark is fenway. bostonians are insane sports fans. red sox nation. no matter where you're walking around town and how far out you are in the suburbs, you will see TONS of redsox hats/coats/stickers/etc. the redsox mind the town together. (you'll also see many patriots and celtics and bruins memorabilia.) without weighing this post down with exhibition of how crazy my affections are for the redsox, i'll move on to something else.

#2- the freedom trail. there is literally a line of two bricks for 2.5 miles around the city, allowing you to take your own personally guided tour of historical landmarks. you will be able to experience so many historal landmarks in one day, you would be able to pass your high school constitution test after it. some of the things you'll see are paul reveres home, bunker hill-site of the first revolutionary war battle (have fun climbing up those 294 steps to the top!), the uss constitution ship, the old north church-where the lanterns were hung to signal "one if by land two if by sea," kings chapel and burying ground-resting place for people from the mayflower etc, granary burying ground-resting place for many signers of the declaration of independence, faneuil hall- AMAZING marketplace and restuarants including the famous cheers!, and a few more things as well. (boston is also in close proximity to salem-salem witch trials, nathaniel hawthornes house of the seven gables...and MANY more places!)

#3- FOOD! oh my word, with all the different neighborhoods there are so many insane places to eat (enjoy!).
-seafood: lobster rolls from kelleys or boston&maine fish company (which you can find in faneuil hall).
-pizza: pizzeria regina in the north end. it's a small place, but it's delicious. and if you're a tlc watcher, it won a food feud!
-pastry: who doesnt love pastry. also in the north end (little italy) you'll find mikes pastry and modern pastry just across the street and a jet from each other. (i recommend mikes...)
-oh, and they also have falafel in faneuil hall (you can find anything you want there...they will for certain have something to excite your taste buds).
-(sorry about the food...im a vegetarian...so those are my faves!)
-coffee: dunkin donuts are on every street in the boston area. aside from yummy donuts and bagels and breakfast sammys, they have the best coffee. go in and treat yourself to a medium regular iced coffee with skim milk and two splendas. (best...drink...EVER!)

#4-boston common: 50 acres (okay fine i had to google that part to give you the size) park that is actually the start of the freedom trail. it's america's oldest park! pretty trees, amazing scenery.

#5- the public garden: the prettiest place in the world! full of trees and flowers and, wait for it, swan boats! have you ever read make way for ducklings? it's my favorite book from my childhood. my nana gave it to be when i was like one. and i cant tell you how many times i've read it or have had it read to me growing up. and then, on one of those glorious trips to boston, i went on the swan boats that the book mentioned. it's was one of my more classic moments. the swan boats are on this beautiful little lagoon...i cant tell you how gorgeous this place it. (amanda, i advise you to spend as much time there as you can!) and be sure to bring some bread to tear apart for the ducks and swans.

#6-random others: broadway, the nutcracker ballet, chinatown, the bagel shop outside faneuil hall, duckboats (vehicles that can go straight from road to water from water to road, so cool), music, diversity, nook and cranny hotspots, and so many more amazing things to love about my favorite city!)

(aj factiod: my nana used to be a legal secretary at the john hancock building...the one that is all glass window panels with the seemingly black stripe down the side.)

Week 30, Day 3

So at this point, one of my main goals is finding an affordable place to work out and keep training for the 5K I want to run in May. Now, there's this place I found which looks like it's 2 minutes away from my apartment, and apparently it's $10 a month- no contract or anything. this place is called "Team Super Fitness." Seems too good to be true, right? I did a little bit of research and apparently there is a pretty new "Planet Fitness" in town which is taking business away from this place. So hopefully it's still open when I get there because $10 a month is pretty amazing!

I also Googled "Fun things to do in Boston," and I found The Freedom Trail. The website says:

"The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red-brick walking trail that leads you to 16 nationally significant historic sites, every one an authentic American treasure. Preserved and dedicated by the citizens of Boston in 1958, when the wrecking ball threatened, the Freedom Trail today is a unique collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, burying grounds, parks, a ship, and historic markers that tell the story of the American Revolution and beyond."

I am really excited to walk through this! It's free, which is always a good thing : ) More to come...

Week 30: "I think I'll go to Boston..." Week

Well hello, everyone! It's been a little while, huh? I am ok- it's just been a crazy week and a half, that's for sure. It's honestly amazing how quickly a person's life can change in that amount of time. I'll explain:

I'd like to start by saying that Date Week went well. It was awesome to catch up with friends I haven't seen for a bit. It was during Date Week that I was at my friend Kate's house. It's been awesome because I have been able to spend a good amount of time with my friend Kate, whom I love dearly but hadn't spent a ton of time with her before unemployment. We had watched a movie one night and then I stayed the night over there. The next day we got up and applied for jobs. A couple days earlier, I had chatted with my friend Prezza who passed on an email about a job in Quincy, MA. Out of all the jobs I've applied to (somewhere around 80 ish), I had only applied to a couple outside of Illinois and Indiana.

The day that I was at Kate's I applied to the position in Quincy for The Salvation Army. I honestly didn't think anything would come of it considering I'd gotten a handful of interviews- not a lot compared to the amount of jobs I'd applied to. About 4 hours later, I received a call from Doug, the person hiring for this job in Quincy. We talked for about 10 minutes, realized we had a lot of the same connections, talked about the position, and he told me that he'd be in touch. The next day, I was offered a job. He had talked to my references and more, prayed and felt God was saying I was the right person. I was in shock. For real.

The next week and a half was the most difficult as far as decision making. I cried (a lot), wasn't going to take the job because I'd miss my family and friends, but then maybe I should have the job because it would be a good experience, but I'd miss so much at home.....I wrestled with it, questioned a lot, keep asking God if this was what He wanted. Oh man, if you only knew the emotional roller coaster I went through! Maybe some of you do.

Then it was last Wednesday and I was at church working on the Beth Moore study on Esther that I've been doing. I'll be honest, I was two weeks behind but God was totally in that because that Wednesday I caught up on those two weeks. It just so happens that the two weeks topic's were: destiny and fear. How ironic? It was through that homework and the videos that went through it, that God spoke very very clearly. Since I've been unemployed, I've prayed that God would open and close doors. And that's exactly what He did. In fact, He flung a huge door open! I was scared to walk through it, but then I heard Beth Moore say in her video: "You may be one brave decision away from breaking free from an old story line and beginning a brand new chapter in your life." Honestly, it felt like those two lessons were written for me, for that exact moment. It was then that I knew I needed to walk through the door that led to Quincy.

Oh man, I am going to miss my friends and family. Actually, I'll only be gone about a year and a half because I'll be coming back for training in 2012 to be a pastor through The Salvation Army in Chicago. I'll also be back many times to visit for weddings, to see the Neth's baby who will be born in August, for Christmas....it's not for forever. I know that God is going to grow me and transform me while in Quincy. I will come back changed.

So this week, my plan is to do some research on Quincy and Boston since it's so close. I want to try and be as familiar with the place as I can without actually being there. I'd like to find a place to workout, the library, stores, the movie theater, etc. I need to start packing also! I'll be headed out around the 21st of March, so it's coming soon. I'll post my findings and if you happen to be familiar with Boston or the surrounding areas, tell me what your favorite place is, must-sees, etc.

Week 29: Days 2 & 3

So I am sick. Not fun. It could be a lot worse those. It's just a head cold, but still not the funnest thing. Despite the cold, I've still been keeping up with dates for the most part. Yesterday, I stayed home with my beautiful niece and had a date with her. Any time that I get to spend with my niece is time very well spent. I just love her so much, so much in fact, that I wonder how it is possible to love a child more than that. We spent the day playing with a balloon, watching some penguin movie (no idea what it was called), making chocolate chip cookies, and taking a nap. It was a lot of fun.

Today, I get to spend some time with my other favorite girl in the whole world, Bayless my goddaughter. I get to babysit, and I'm so very excited for that! I'm sure that playing with toys, Dora the Explorer, and Boots are in my very near future : )

And I get to end the night with my wonderful friend Kate! Loving this week!