"Who Am I?"

This ended up being my final product, finished today:

The tree and fire are made out of cardboard and layered on top of each other. For those of you that don't have microscopic vision, the text on the left side is one of my favorite songs: "Burnin'" by Nichole Nordeman. Here are the lyrics:

Started rubbing sticks together
I thought a spark would take forever
I never dreamt this fire would appear

When Moses saw the Bush in flames
And heard the branches speak his name
I wonder if he felt this kind of fear

'Cause I'm burnin'
Yeah, I'm burnin'
And I know I'm gonna blister in these flames
So I'll stay here
'Till this smoke clears
And I'll find you in the ashes that remain

Used to be that I could say
My faith was one arm's length away
From any flame that ever felt too warm

Asked for matches, but I recieved
A gallon full of gasoline
Now my cozy campfire days are gone

'Cause I'm burnin'
Yeah I'm burnin'
And I know I'm gonna blister in these flames
So I'll stay here
'Till this smoke clears
And I'll find you in the ashes that remain

'Knock with caution at the door'
They said, 'Beware of what you're praying for'

So I'll stand here with my whole desire
In the middle of this forest fire
'Till I've nothing left to show
And new life begins to grow...

Well hello there!

What a slacker I am - I haven't posted in a long time! Therefore, this posting has the potential to be extremely long and boring. Consider yourself warned.

Honestly, life hasn't been super eventful in the past week or so. I've done much less exploring and much more job hunting and getting other things squared away like opening a new bank account, getting textbooks, and other life-altering things like that. Most of you know by now that I've started working at Bed Bath and Beyond and it's just a thrill a minute! Although I enjoy the job somedays and enjoy the people I work with, I am still looking around for other job opportunities that might pay better. After working out my finances after loans are applied to my tuition, paying my rent/utilities/bus pass/groceries, my hourly rate at BBB is just going to keep me super tight financially. I know I can make it work but, of course, it would be nice to have a little bit more cushion.

I've been spending more time by myself lately, which is good for me. I have always been the type that needs lots of time to not only reflect but just to let my mind relax and wander off wherever it wants to go. For example, last week I took a trip downtown to Olympic Sculpture Park which is actually just a few blocks down from my school. It's an outdoor art museum and beach and was originally an old, gross gas and oil corporation. After the corporation shut down, the city proposed to have the area transformed into one of the only green areas in downtown. It's now owned and operated by the Seattle Art Museum. Below are some photos from the park - it's really beautiful and very unique. Only in Seattle, right?

Last Saturday, Dana and I met up with my friend from UNC, Amanda, at a little restaurant called Anita's Crepes. Let...me...tell...you. That was one of the best meals I have ever had. When/if any of you come to Seattle - request - no, DEMAND - that we visit Anita's Crepes. And if you have enough money (i.e. if you are my parents), then you should order us everything on the menu :)

This was my breakfast - a ham and cheese crepe with some crazy good potatoes, spinach, and some funky peppers. Me and my buddies also split a French press coffee three ways - which was incredible.

Dana and Amanda - very pleased with their breakfast selections: a strawberry cream crepe and some kind of apply crepe that tasted like pie.

So I start class in less than a week. I am so excited because I've been waiting for this day since I first laid eyes on Mars Hill last October. I am also, however, terrified, anxious, hopeful, and expectant. Part of me is worried because I have been building this place up in my head and am afraid that it will not meet my expectations. I expect transformation. I expect honesty and authenticity. I expect God to show up at Mars Hill and flip my life upside down in a way that I have yet to experience. I am waiting for these things to happen and yet am fearful that all of my expectations have only set it up for failure.

Last night, I went to a "community conversation" at school that took place because the staff and faculty of Mars Hill are undergoing some significant changes. For the first time in the 11 years of the school's existence, MHGS has a new president. MHGS is also without an academic dean this year because the man who formerly held that position is now the president. We have an "interim dean" who will aid in the process of finding a new, long-term dean for the coming years and serve that position for the school but only part-time. The conversation was reassuring, however, because as students asked these core faculty some major questions, I was reminded why I was drawn to Mars Hill in the first place. One student asked Keith Anderson, the new president, "Imagine a young person walking into your office that has just finished undergrad and is looking to start their higher education at any graduate school in the country. What would you tell them would be the reasons they should come to Mars Hill?" Talk about up front! But Keith's answer was so great. He explained that when MHGS was started 11 years ago, it was made up of a group of people who wanted a different kind of education than could be found in the U.S. They wanted to create an "education experiment" of uniting the fields of psychology, theology, and spirituality because everywhere else had a separate building for all of these departments. The founders of MHGS, however, believe(d) that these things were intimately interconnected and wanted to see what would happen if they were studied simultaneously. He said that, "You can go anywhere and get a masters degree that will put you on the fast track to a career." But what they do at Mars Hill is different - and not for everybody. They do soul work. You have to be prepared to share your story - even the dark and most painful parts - and work to be transformed within the boundaries of that story. It is not an education that can be held at arm's length, full of cold, hard facts, but instead, reaches deep inside each student to work through their spirits. That's why I picked Mars Hill. That's why it was the only place I applied and why I moved all the way out to Seattle to go here! Nobody else does it like they do.

Our first assignment is due on the first day of class - this coming Monday. Just to give you an idea of how MHGS functions, I wanted to share the assignment with you.

"It is an annual and meaningful tradition at MHGS that the

first assignment given to each incoming class is to introduce

themselves to the MHGS Community. And, as the

incoming class of 2009, this is now your assignment:

Your Personal Page: Using an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper,

answer the question, Who Are You? You may be as creative

as you'd like: collage, paint, sketch, color, write a poem, a

a song, a story, include your picture or a picture of those

people, places, or things you love...or don't. Your only

limitation is the 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper. Oh, and you must

include your name somewhere on the page - either front or back."

Haha - I'll let you know how it turns out.

And, as promised, the sweet Transformers van that immediately made me think of Thomas. I love you buddy!

The front end:

The back end:

In all its glory

Last night my roommates Dana, Glory and I wanted to have a relaxing evening in Wallingford while also enjoying the wonderful weather. So we decided to make a stop at Maggie Moon's icecream shop where I got "Scout Mint" - yes, that would be Girl Scout Thin Mints freshly crushed into vanilla - and devoured it like a wild beast. While consuming our yummy treats, we walked down to GasWorks Park (which I have mentioned in previous posts) to catch the sunset. Below are some of the pictures I shot to share with you guys but, really, I just wish you all could have been there. It was such a great, simple night :)

This is the Aurora bridge (under construction it seems). I wish you could see one of the best parts of this view because the Olympic Mountains were in the background - a striking purple color against the pinks and oranges. Breathtaking!

The Aurora bridge in the distance. I wish you could see those mountains.
The skyline and a happy couple atop the hill.

Below is just a video I took on the top of the "kite hill" at the park. I wish you could have all been there to experience it - it was so peaceful yet absolutely stunning. I can't do it justice! The summers here are definitely worth the clouds - or at least it seems that way so far haha

Jobs and Recovery

Life has been a little uneventful the past couple of days because I came down with a migraine on Friday which left me half-conscious and bed-ridden. Here are a few things I wanted to share though...

Funny story. So as you may recall, last Wednesday was our major job-hunting day where Dana picked up an application for BBB. We returned there on Thursday for her to turn it in only to find a huge "NOW HIRING" banner in the window so I decided to fill out an application on the spot. Well, to make a long story short - we both get hired. Yay! Unfortunately, however, The Gap called me the next day to schedule an interview. So next week I'm starting my first day at BBB and interviewing at the Gap. We'll see what happens.

Celebrating our new matching jobs in our matching raincoats!! We spend way too much time together - it's gotten quite frightening, really. Dana and I have matching coats, shoes, jobs, music interests, southern roots, and quirks among other things. But now we both work at Bed, Bath and Beyond! What could be better?!

These are the chocolate-chip, banana, oatmeal cookies/muffins we made to celebrate employment. The first batch, as you can see, turned out a little weird when we tried to make them as cookies. Therefore, we got all smart and stuff and put the rest of the batter in muffin tins. That turned out a lot better.
This is the freakin recliner that Dana and I carried six blocks. We thought a $15 recliner would be worth the walk but not after I got a migraine and wrist injury that day. Whew. But it is really comfy.
This is the view of Lake Union at the end of my neighborhood. We went here to pick up a nightstand for my room from some girl who was moving and trying to get rid of it. There is a really busy bike path and at a little spot along it, you can pick fresh blackberries that are just growing on the side of the road! Yummy
In order to properly recover from my migraine, I had to hit a yard sale. There, I found a lovely Christmas tree skirt for $2. Hey, if I can save T and I the trouble of registering for this stuff if I can find it that cheap! Who can blame me?!

After visiting a church a couple blocks from our house, Dana and I packed lunches, books, and a blanket to spend a couple hours basking in the precious Seattle sunlight. This is the Wallingford Playground, Sunday afternoon at about 2:00. It was a perfect day outside, although you can't really tell it from the quality of my camera, and the people come flocking to the park. There always seems to be someone here, but on a day like today they are everywhere. In the video, you'll see folks playing ultimate frisbee, parents trying to teach their kids how to play fetch, kids playing on a playground/in a wading pool, etc. It was awesome :) (video)

Cobbler and Walking...Lots of Walking

So the grocery store had an amazing sale on blueberries a couple days ago: buy 1 pint, get 2 free. DUH. We got 3 pints.

Our solution to using them before they went bad? Cobbler.

This is the pre-cobbler stage: blueberries mixed with sugar, a little flour, and something else that I can't remember.

This is the BEAUTIFUL masterpiece - and mighty tasty. Dana just made up the recipe herself so major props go to her.

Yesterday (Tuesday) we were getting stressed about our lack-of-job success. Dana and I decided to walk to the nearest public library, print out resumes, and hand them to every business that would take them.

This is Dana outside of a random community center on our way to the library. I thought it was pretty.
This is our view as we were crossing over the interstate. It was beautiful, but let me tell you...I don't want to cross over too many more interstates in my life.

This is the Seattle Public Library in the University District. It was super small, but I'm not complaining.

My official library card! I had to sign the back and everything. What a grown-up.

Today (Wednesday) Dana and I took all the resumes we printed out to the shopping district in downtown Seattle. Just as a disclaimer before you come, the shopping district is INSANE. Below, however, is a giant metal pig that you order b-b-q sandwiches from. It was weird.

This is the entrance to the infamous Pike Place Market. This is also INSANE. For some history on the market, check out Wikipedia. To get the current scoop on Pike Place website, click here.

Millions of produce vendors - millions. All with basically the same stuff.
The original Starbucks!!

Video of Brother Willie and the Market Crew outside of the original Starbucks. You have to turn sideways to watch but the sound is great!!

After grabbing a yummy, cheap lunch at the market we walked to school!! It's so lovely :)

Here's a view of Elliott Bay from the top floor of school.

Yea...it's awesome.
And on our way to catch the bus home, we went past the space needle! It has a pretty cool story if you want to learn a bit about it here.
So we finally catch the bus home and are absolutely exhausted. Despite the fact that we went to all the effort to print resumes, get to downtown, walk into stores and try to apply, most big retail places just make you do online applications nowadays. It's pretty stupid if you ask me because you send your application into cyber-space and then probably never hear from them again. But I've applied to Borders, Gap, a local restaurant called Tutta Bella, the local grocery store called QFC, and have an application to fill out for Patagonia. Whew. It's tiring!
But we had a really nice view on the bus ride home. That'll help any day! Especially since my feet hurt so bad I can't stand up.

Visiting Wonkaland

Dana and I conquering The Troll - a famous sculpture under a bridge in Fremont. We passed the troll on the way to the chocolate factory. You may recognize him from "10 Things I Hate About You," but if you're curious, here's more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremont_Troll

Our chocolate tour for the day - Theo Chocolate! The ONLY organic, fair trade chocolate factory in the U.S. Let me tell you - they have amazing chocolate. Learn more about their company here: http://www.theochocolate.com/
Theo artwork.
Zoe and Zach - kids that Natalie nanny's for - learning about the chocolate-making process.
Sweet Katrina - a friend of my roommates' Dana and Natalie from college. She is the reason I went roller skating a couple of days ago as part of her birthday celebration. She works for Theo and let us into her tour for free *shhh*

Stephen at the chocolate factory in the process of making their "Dark Chocolate with Mint" bar.

More scraping.
Passing around samples of the "Fig, Fennel, and Almond Dark Chocolate"
More free chocolate - I just had to try their "Peanut Butter and Jelly" confection. Made from organic raspberry preserves and real peanut butter, then covered in milk chocolate. Amazing.
Though a little blurry, this is an example of some of the crazy flavors at Theo: "Ghost Chile Caramel." Apparently this is made with the hottest chile peppers in the world. THE WORLD.

Natalie, me, Dana, and our tour guide, Katrina. Sporty lovely hair nets after the tour.

The following are just a few of the sights from the lovely neighborhood of Fremont. It is one neighborhood to the west of Wallingford - where I live. I believe Fremont is known for its excess of hippies - but that makes for some really fun shopping and exploring. There is also a lot of really great art and a giant statue of Lenin - and, surprisingly, not because Seattle is full of liberal communists. Get the story on the Lenin statue here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Lenin_(Seattle)

I immediately thought of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants when I saw this restaurant. Costas has his own restaurant?! Yes, please!

The shop we came to Fremont in search of: Deluxe Junk. Unfortunately, it was full of a lot of overpriced junk.
Thankfully, my search for the center of the universe ended last week upon arriving in Fremont. There it was, with a big pink sign indicating the exact location.

A sweet board game I found in Value Village - Seattle's giant and awesome version of Goodwill.

The end of my first week

This is Dana holding a free chair we got on the side of the road. We had to drive to our house with the trunk open so that it would fit, therefore, Dana had to stand back there and hold it in.

For your viewing pleasure, the lovely Dana and her mammoth strength:

Yummy PB&J sandwiches to take roller skating.

At the skating rink.

Sweet "quad's" as they are apparently called by the pro's.

Some free bread my roommate Glory got at the food bank.
Some fresh veggies Glory got at the food bank.
One of my first job applications - Tutta Bella. It's a Neapolitan pizzeria and a friend took me there for lunch. I filled it out in green, however, so I had to take it to a copy center to turn it to black ink - good fun.