After some debating, I have decided to keep up with the blog since a few of the most important people in my life enjoy reading what I put on here. :)
The past several weeks have been quite a whirlwind. I can hardly believe that it is OCTOBER (in a day or two!). My days consist of going to class and studying, and it has made the time pass so quickly. I have not been home in a little less than a month, though it seems like it's been longer than that! I will be venturing home this weekend for a much-needed break from school.
It has been monsooning in Charleston this week! It rained ALL day Monday and most of the day today. The roads have been flooding. If it was not dark outside and if I knew my car could handle it, I would go drive and take pictures. It is crazy how quickly the roads become covered with water, especially when the tide is in.
School is going fairly well. My grades are okay, some better than others. I survived the first round of tests and the next round is starting up now! I have had 4 quizzes and 2 tests this week, and it has been quite stressful! I am learning how to manage my stress and prepare far enough in advance and get enough sleep so that I am not so stressed out. Thank you, Lord, for helping me survive!
It has been by God's grace that I have made it through these first few weeks. The adjustment to living in Charleston and being in an intense program has not been easy, but it has helped me to see how much God is there - not just when I need him, but ALL the time to give me strength and to just keep going!
I have made a lot of friends. It's funny how going through the same things brings people together. I am so thankful that I have met so many great people at pharmacy school who have been nothing but wonderful!!!
I am going to bed soon. The rain makes me want to sleep and sleep some more!
I am going to try to be better about posting - every day, I hope! I know that while I was in Costa Rica it helped me to de-stress at the end of the day and reflect on all that happened to me, and it also helped me to see God in every little thing that happened throughout the day!
Have a great night!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Looooooong week
Wow. What a whirlwind of a week it has been! I had orientation all day Tuesday and Wednesday. It was kind of overwhelming - we were given so much information and had to sit a lot and listen a lot. You know, that information that kind of makes sense but you have to/need to hear it anyway? That's what orientation consisted of. It wasn't too bad.
So then came Thursday - the first day of classes. Roomie and I biked to school and arrived way too early to save ourselves some good seats and we were successful. I made it through 3 classes from 8:00 to 12:00 pm in the same seat, in the same room. That's going to be challenging. Luckily, I have coffee to help me endure that stretch of time. It's not too bad, since it's pharmacy-related and more specific material than what you're used to in undergrad courses. Our first professor emphasized that we are now professionals and that he would treat us as real pharmacists, that he would always address us as "Ms. Smith" or "Mr. Jones," and that we should never say "I am just a pharmacist," because we are trained professionals who deserve respect. I think he is going to be a great professor. He is also teaching our compounding lab. I had Introduction to Pharmacy Practice, Microbiology/Immunology, and Pharmaceutics. On Friday, I had Biochemisty/Biotechnology I and Clinical Applications I. The biochem professor jumped right in to some material (most of the professors did) that just threw us all off! It was crazy. I think that course will be challenging for me, but I am up for it! Rite Aid gave us free pizza and drinks and cake for lunch on Thursday so we ate that and then headed home. I went back to school a little later to pick up my course handouts. Then I went back and took a shower and got ready to head to the Back to School party. One of the student organizations hosted the party at some sort of shelter on Folly Beach. It was out in the open and a lot of fun, but terribly hot and humid (as it is most of the time in Charleston). There were grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and drinks and music. It was a lot of fun to mingle with our classmates as well as some of the older pharmacy students. There was a DJ upstairs and so a lot of people danced (me included). All around it was a great time. We then went home and went straight to bed.
We, the P1s, had to be at school at 8 AM on Friday, dressed in our white coats and lab attire, which basically means business casual and closed-toe shoes. We then had to sit through a presentation discussing what we would be covering in lab and what the expectations our. Then the community lab professors (we will have that lab next semester) came in and did a presentation about how to counsel patients and how that would be integrated into our lab this semester. We got out early and had some time to kill before class at eleven, so we went down to the cafeteria in the hospital to get some food. I got some Starbucks and some chicken nuggets from Chick-Fil-A. We then went back to our room and had classes - Pharmaceutics and Biochem. We got out around 2 and I darted home because I just wanted to rest for a bit. I was at home and it started raining horribly so Roomie and I hung out for a while before the P1/P2 party started. The roads flooded very quickly. I actually saw a small car stuck in water that was all the way up to the trunk. Crazy, right? We eventually made it to the party and a lot of our classmates showed up. It was nice to have the small parties to break the ice and see each other outside of a classroom setting. My boyfriend came into town for the weekend, so we hung out with some of his friends for a little bit, and then we met up with some of my pharmacy school friends for a while. We all had a great time together.
I slept in late Saturday morning. I was exhausted from the whole week so I didn't feel guilty at all sleeping. My boyfriend and I hung out all day, watched the Braves, ate supper in Mt. Pleasant, and did a teeny bit of shopping. I have missed him a lot and it was so wonderful to spend time with him and hold his hand! We met up with some of his friends later and then ended up hanging out with a couple of my friends from school. It was fun to just hang out and chat.
I spent most of the day Sunday hanging out with my boyfriend. We watched the Braves kill the Cubs. When it was time for him to leave, we both cried! True story! This is our first go at a long-distance relationship and it is not easy. Thank goodness we have Skype and can "see" each other regularly.
Well, another week ahead, starting with class at 8am tomorrow morning. Here we go!
So then came Thursday - the first day of classes. Roomie and I biked to school and arrived way too early to save ourselves some good seats and we were successful. I made it through 3 classes from 8:00 to 12:00 pm in the same seat, in the same room. That's going to be challenging. Luckily, I have coffee to help me endure that stretch of time. It's not too bad, since it's pharmacy-related and more specific material than what you're used to in undergrad courses. Our first professor emphasized that we are now professionals and that he would treat us as real pharmacists, that he would always address us as "Ms. Smith" or "Mr. Jones," and that we should never say "I am just a pharmacist," because we are trained professionals who deserve respect. I think he is going to be a great professor. He is also teaching our compounding lab. I had Introduction to Pharmacy Practice, Microbiology/Immunology, and Pharmaceutics. On Friday, I had Biochemisty/Biotechnology I and Clinical Applications I. The biochem professor jumped right in to some material (most of the professors did) that just threw us all off! It was crazy. I think that course will be challenging for me, but I am up for it! Rite Aid gave us free pizza and drinks and cake for lunch on Thursday so we ate that and then headed home. I went back to school a little later to pick up my course handouts. Then I went back and took a shower and got ready to head to the Back to School party. One of the student organizations hosted the party at some sort of shelter on Folly Beach. It was out in the open and a lot of fun, but terribly hot and humid (as it is most of the time in Charleston). There were grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and drinks and music. It was a lot of fun to mingle with our classmates as well as some of the older pharmacy students. There was a DJ upstairs and so a lot of people danced (me included). All around it was a great time. We then went home and went straight to bed.
We, the P1s, had to be at school at 8 AM on Friday, dressed in our white coats and lab attire, which basically means business casual and closed-toe shoes. We then had to sit through a presentation discussing what we would be covering in lab and what the expectations our. Then the community lab professors (we will have that lab next semester) came in and did a presentation about how to counsel patients and how that would be integrated into our lab this semester. We got out early and had some time to kill before class at eleven, so we went down to the cafeteria in the hospital to get some food. I got some Starbucks and some chicken nuggets from Chick-Fil-A. We then went back to our room and had classes - Pharmaceutics and Biochem. We got out around 2 and I darted home because I just wanted to rest for a bit. I was at home and it started raining horribly so Roomie and I hung out for a while before the P1/P2 party started. The roads flooded very quickly. I actually saw a small car stuck in water that was all the way up to the trunk. Crazy, right? We eventually made it to the party and a lot of our classmates showed up. It was nice to have the small parties to break the ice and see each other outside of a classroom setting. My boyfriend came into town for the weekend, so we hung out with some of his friends for a little bit, and then we met up with some of my pharmacy school friends for a while. We all had a great time together.
I slept in late Saturday morning. I was exhausted from the whole week so I didn't feel guilty at all sleeping. My boyfriend and I hung out all day, watched the Braves, ate supper in Mt. Pleasant, and did a teeny bit of shopping. I have missed him a lot and it was so wonderful to spend time with him and hold his hand! We met up with some of his friends later and then ended up hanging out with a couple of my friends from school. It was fun to just hang out and chat.
I spent most of the day Sunday hanging out with my boyfriend. We watched the Braves kill the Cubs. When it was time for him to leave, we both cried! True story! This is our first go at a long-distance relationship and it is not easy. Thank goodness we have Skype and can "see" each other regularly.
Well, another week ahead, starting with class at 8am tomorrow morning. Here we go!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Getting behind already....
......and school hasn't even started (officially).
Okay, so I'm really just behind on blogging and not on actual school work or anything. I didn't realize that I haven't posted since SATURDAY (gasp). I have got to stay on top of this!
So...quick recap of the last few days....
SUNDAY: Went to a 9am church service about 30 minutes away. It was quite a trek. I drove that same distance to go to church while I as at Clemson, but this seemed much farther. The church service was great and the people were really welcoming. It was a good mix of traditional and contemporary which I really like! They had a little mingle room for visitors after the service and I met the sweetest little old couple there! They were so wonderful and made me want to go back! I am looking for a church to attend regularly and get involved with while I am in Charleston and this one is going on the list of possible churches! There are one or two more I want to visit and then I will decide. I don't want to spend too long looking! I seriously did nothing else on Sunday. It was rainy and stormy and I laid on my bed most of the day. Don't judge...once school starts, that will never happen. I watched The Princess Diaries 2 and a lot of HGTV.
MONDAY: Woke up around 8am and went to the grocery store with my roommate. We had invited a few people over for dinner that night and had to get pork and other ingredients for mac and cheese and cobbler. Our other guests were asked to bring a dish - salad, baked beans, drinks, plastic silverware, dessert - so that everyone would have their fair share and contribute equally. We came back and my roommate who happens to be a great cook began preparing the pork in the crock pot. It had to sit for ten hours! We hung around the apartment for a while and then decided to run our errands together. Roomie had a meeting at school, so I went with her. BACK UP - I forgot to mention that we noticed early Monday morning that the air didn't seem to be working. It was cloudy and cool outside and the apartment was so much hotter than it should have been. So we called our landlord and he said he would send someone to look at it. Okay, back to real time now. She had to go to school for a meeting, so since there was air there, I went too and just hung out and played on the computer while she was busy. Afterwards, we walked to the bookstore so that I could get a clicker for class and then we went to the other part of Charleston to her home. We needed the mac and cheese recipe, and while we were there, we shared a frozen pizza and watched What I Like About You. Then we went to Mt. Pleasant because I wanted to go to Old Navy, and while we were there, we stopped at the grocery store to get a few other items that we needed. By the time we got back, we had just enough time to clean up, finish our food, and freshen up before the guests began to arrive. We had 15 or so people, mostly roomie's friends who are second-year pharmacy students, and then I invited a friend from my hometown who is also starting pharmacy school. We got to know a lot of Katie's friends and had such a wonderful time talking to them and getting to know them and hearing all of their best advice for P1s (first-year pharmacy students). Overall, it was a success and a great night! We both took showers and headed to bed.
TUESDAY: Alarm goes off at 5:30 am. Out of bed at 5:50 am. BOO. Roomie had to be at school by 7 to help set up (since a lot of the P2s were helping to pass things out for our first day of orientation today), so we decided to bike to school together. It was a pleasant ride, but again, the humidity got the best of me and I was pouring sweat before we ever entered the building. Other P1s started arriving around 7:30 am, so we all had breakfast and then sat awkwardly in a "cafeteria." Think about starting college ALL over again. That is kind of what this whole day felt like. The people who were at my table in the lounge were pretty talkative and fun, but there was a lot of staring and general awkwardness in the room since many people don't know anyone else coming in to their first year. We listened to a lot of lectures - you know, the info. you really need to hear but really don't want to hear anyone talk about? We had about three hours of that with a break or two. Our College of Pharmacy uses Distance Education courses between the USC and MUSC campus (Columbia and Charleston, respectively). THAT was an experience. Other than watching online lectures for online classes at Clemson, I have never seen anything like it! There are microphones hooked into the ceiling and flat screen TVs and a big screen up front that show the PowerPoint being presented and the professor who is talking, be he at USC or MUSC. Half of our courses will be "live" (MUSC professor teaches), and the other half will be watched. Basically both campuses learn together from the same professor. Kind of neat that they can do things like that with technology, but it will take some getting used to!
We had Sticky Fingers cater lunch and it was great (second time eating BBQ in 24 hours). I met some more new people and then some of us decided to walk to Public Safety to get our student IDs made. Apparently, several other students had that idea as well, so we all waited patiently while the not-so-patient-nor-kind ID-maker-people made our IDs. They wouldn't even give the IDs to us, even though they printed them right there, because they said they would "distribute everyone's ID at the same time later today." Yeah....that didn't happen. I am sure we will get them tomorrow. Then we went to the "open house" on the second floor of the pharmacy building where a few organizations had tables set up with some fun things for sale, like t-shirts, nice MUSC drinking glasses, koozies, totes, etc. Then roomie and I biked home. I relaxed for a few moments before freshening up for the White Coat Ceremony. What is the White Coat Ceremony? I'm glad that you asked. This ceremony is performed by most schools of pharmacy and serves as a rite of passage into the profession. The Code of Ethics of our profession is explained as well as the importance and role of pharmacists in today's world. As part of this, we receive a white coat (complete with SCCP embroidery) which we are required to wear for labs and rotations. The white coat is placed on each student individually. It is a special ceremony. Mom and Dad came down to witness the ceremony, and I was so glad to see them! I have missed them very much and was glad they were able to be a part of the ceremony. We have a good picture of us on mom's camera, but she will have to send it to me so I can post it, which I will! We had supper at one of our favorite BBQ spots (3rd time in 24 hours), but I got some chicken tenders instead so that I didn't overload my little belly on southern BBQ! I enjoyed the time with them and it passed all too quickly. They just drove down for the ceremony and then had to go back since they both work during the day. I have been cleaning my room and getting things ready for tomorrow since they left. Another early day ahead!
After my first official day as a pharmacy school student, I am so excited for things to get started. We have a really diverse class of 80 on our campus and I look forward to getting to know 79 new people!!!! The classes we will be taking seem interested and since they are more applied now, I think they will be enjoyable! I can't wait for things to get underway. I am so blessed and am so thankful that God has been gracious enough to me to make my dream of being here come true. Cheesy as it was, I wanted to cry when I received my white coat, because I realized that this really is happening. All that I have worked for since high school has come to this and I am so thankful that God has made all of this possible! "We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us---one gracious blessing after another." -John 1:16
Okay, so I'm really just behind on blogging and not on actual school work or anything. I didn't realize that I haven't posted since SATURDAY (gasp). I have got to stay on top of this!
So...quick recap of the last few days....
SUNDAY: Went to a 9am church service about 30 minutes away. It was quite a trek. I drove that same distance to go to church while I as at Clemson, but this seemed much farther. The church service was great and the people were really welcoming. It was a good mix of traditional and contemporary which I really like! They had a little mingle room for visitors after the service and I met the sweetest little old couple there! They were so wonderful and made me want to go back! I am looking for a church to attend regularly and get involved with while I am in Charleston and this one is going on the list of possible churches! There are one or two more I want to visit and then I will decide. I don't want to spend too long looking! I seriously did nothing else on Sunday. It was rainy and stormy and I laid on my bed most of the day. Don't judge...once school starts, that will never happen. I watched The Princess Diaries 2 and a lot of HGTV.
MONDAY: Woke up around 8am and went to the grocery store with my roommate. We had invited a few people over for dinner that night and had to get pork and other ingredients for mac and cheese and cobbler. Our other guests were asked to bring a dish - salad, baked beans, drinks, plastic silverware, dessert - so that everyone would have their fair share and contribute equally. We came back and my roommate who happens to be a great cook began preparing the pork in the crock pot. It had to sit for ten hours! We hung around the apartment for a while and then decided to run our errands together. Roomie had a meeting at school, so I went with her. BACK UP - I forgot to mention that we noticed early Monday morning that the air didn't seem to be working. It was cloudy and cool outside and the apartment was so much hotter than it should have been. So we called our landlord and he said he would send someone to look at it. Okay, back to real time now. She had to go to school for a meeting, so since there was air there, I went too and just hung out and played on the computer while she was busy. Afterwards, we walked to the bookstore so that I could get a clicker for class and then we went to the other part of Charleston to her home. We needed the mac and cheese recipe, and while we were there, we shared a frozen pizza and watched What I Like About You. Then we went to Mt. Pleasant because I wanted to go to Old Navy, and while we were there, we stopped at the grocery store to get a few other items that we needed. By the time we got back, we had just enough time to clean up, finish our food, and freshen up before the guests began to arrive. We had 15 or so people, mostly roomie's friends who are second-year pharmacy students, and then I invited a friend from my hometown who is also starting pharmacy school. We got to know a lot of Katie's friends and had such a wonderful time talking to them and getting to know them and hearing all of their best advice for P1s (first-year pharmacy students). Overall, it was a success and a great night! We both took showers and headed to bed.
TUESDAY: Alarm goes off at 5:30 am. Out of bed at 5:50 am. BOO. Roomie had to be at school by 7 to help set up (since a lot of the P2s were helping to pass things out for our first day of orientation today), so we decided to bike to school together. It was a pleasant ride, but again, the humidity got the best of me and I was pouring sweat before we ever entered the building. Other P1s started arriving around 7:30 am, so we all had breakfast and then sat awkwardly in a "cafeteria." Think about starting college ALL over again. That is kind of what this whole day felt like. The people who were at my table in the lounge were pretty talkative and fun, but there was a lot of staring and general awkwardness in the room since many people don't know anyone else coming in to their first year. We listened to a lot of lectures - you know, the info. you really need to hear but really don't want to hear anyone talk about? We had about three hours of that with a break or two. Our College of Pharmacy uses Distance Education courses between the USC and MUSC campus (Columbia and Charleston, respectively). THAT was an experience. Other than watching online lectures for online classes at Clemson, I have never seen anything like it! There are microphones hooked into the ceiling and flat screen TVs and a big screen up front that show the PowerPoint being presented and the professor who is talking, be he at USC or MUSC. Half of our courses will be "live" (MUSC professor teaches), and the other half will be watched. Basically both campuses learn together from the same professor. Kind of neat that they can do things like that with technology, but it will take some getting used to!
We had Sticky Fingers cater lunch and it was great (second time eating BBQ in 24 hours). I met some more new people and then some of us decided to walk to Public Safety to get our student IDs made. Apparently, several other students had that idea as well, so we all waited patiently while the not-so-patient-nor-kind ID-maker-people made our IDs. They wouldn't even give the IDs to us, even though they printed them right there, because they said they would "distribute everyone's ID at the same time later today." Yeah....that didn't happen. I am sure we will get them tomorrow. Then we went to the "open house" on the second floor of the pharmacy building where a few organizations had tables set up with some fun things for sale, like t-shirts, nice MUSC drinking glasses, koozies, totes, etc. Then roomie and I biked home. I relaxed for a few moments before freshening up for the White Coat Ceremony. What is the White Coat Ceremony? I'm glad that you asked. This ceremony is performed by most schools of pharmacy and serves as a rite of passage into the profession. The Code of Ethics of our profession is explained as well as the importance and role of pharmacists in today's world. As part of this, we receive a white coat (complete with SCCP embroidery) which we are required to wear for labs and rotations. The white coat is placed on each student individually. It is a special ceremony. Mom and Dad came down to witness the ceremony, and I was so glad to see them! I have missed them very much and was glad they were able to be a part of the ceremony. We have a good picture of us on mom's camera, but she will have to send it to me so I can post it, which I will! We had supper at one of our favorite BBQ spots (3rd time in 24 hours), but I got some chicken tenders instead so that I didn't overload my little belly on southern BBQ! I enjoyed the time with them and it passed all too quickly. They just drove down for the ceremony and then had to go back since they both work during the day. I have been cleaning my room and getting things ready for tomorrow since they left. Another early day ahead!
After my first official day as a pharmacy school student, I am so excited for things to get started. We have a really diverse class of 80 on our campus and I look forward to getting to know 79 new people!!!! The classes we will be taking seem interested and since they are more applied now, I think they will be enjoyable! I can't wait for things to get underway. I am so blessed and am so thankful that God has been gracious enough to me to make my dream of being here come true. Cheesy as it was, I wanted to cry when I received my white coat, because I realized that this really is happening. All that I have worked for since high school has come to this and I am so thankful that God has made all of this possible! "We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us---one gracious blessing after another." -John 1:16
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Mi amiga
For the last few days, I have had the pleasure of the company of my closest friend from my study abroad group in Costa Rica. Kelsey is from California and we were instant friends! Before this past Wednesday, I had never seen her in the United States!
Wednesday night around 11:30 pm her flight landed at the Charleston International Airport, so I went to pick her up there! It was strange to see her at first because the last time we saw each other was the night before she left Costa Rica! Isn't that crazy?! I picked her up and we went back to my casa and spent a couple of hours just talking and catching up. Then we went to sleep and slept in on Thursday morning. She loves to run so I took her for a walk across the Ravenel (Cooper River) Bridge!
There are places to park below the bridge and there is a cute little park there too! We walked across the bridge around midday, and much to my surprise, it wasn't all that hot! The ocean breeze kept us cool (but didn't keep us from sweating!). There is a lovely view of Charleston from the Bridge and we had a great time!
After walking (most of the) Bridge and back, I took her to one of my favorite restaurants - Bessinger's BBQ. I love some good BBQ and some sweet tea! Kelsey had chicken and macaroni and cheese - southern staples - and enjoyed them very much! After lunch we got in touch with a couple of other guys from our study abroad program who live in the city and they invited us to the beach where they were life guarding. So we went to the beach and found them and talked for a while! They invited us to go to a concert with them that night, so we agreed to the mini-road trip. We headed back to my place to shower and get cleaned up and ready, and the boys came to pick us up around 7. We then drove up to Myrtle Beach and made good time! We went in to the concert, and it was fun to be with friends! The band isn't a group I would ever go to hear again, but I appreciated the time with my amigos!
We spent the night at one of our friend's sister's place near the beach and had a good night of rest. In the morning when we woke up they fixed a delicious breakfast of pancakes for us. We went to the ocean for a few minutes, and then came back and got ready to head back to Charleston. On the way out of town, the boys wanted some HOT DOUGHNUTS NOW, so we stopped at Krispy Kreme and they split a dozen. We enjoyed the ride back, singing random songs that came to our minds and laughing and reminiscing about Costa Rica.
When we had arrived back in Charleston and were coming across the bridge, K's car started acting up (actually it's his dad's). It wouldn't accelerate and we started to get worried, and then what looked like windshield washer fluid started coming out onto the windows. We got off the bridge and into the first gas station we could find and then a little smoke started coming from under the hood! We of limited car knowledge assumed it was probably radiator fluid and that the car was overheated. K called his dad and helped him figure out what to do. In the meantime, E called his dad who just happened to be downtown somewhere to come get us and take the rest of us home. While we were waiting, we found a wallet on the ground. I used my handy dandy BlackBerry to look up his phone number on the internet and got in touch with him eventually to explain what happened. We were afraid to give the wallet to the gas station people because we thought they might take all of the cash out of it before returning it. You never know! So he sent someone to come get it for him, and we returned it. He gave us a $20 bill to split, so we each got $5. E's dad arrived and took me and Kelsey back to my house.
We (K and I) decided to go walk around downtown so that she could see more of the city. I took her to the swings and by the pineapple fountain, and then we made our way down East Bay, to the Market, to an ice cream shop (the peach ice cream was DELICIOUS and very refreshing), and then down King Street. As we were finishing our stroll, I noticed that it was getting very cloudy and stormy looking outside. We drove around town a while longer and the sky really started looking bad! We went back to take showers and get ready for dinner, and by the time we made it back, it had started raining! This is the first time it has rained since I have been in Charleston (unless it rained while I was at home last weekend). The thunder was loud and the lightning was scary, but I love thunderstorms. I do NOT, however, love the humidity that accompanies them! But that's Charleston for you!
For supper, we went to a restaurant recommended by E at the Charleston Marina called the Marina Variety Store Restaurant. The view looking out over the harbor at sunset was GORGEOUS! The restaurant wasn't crowded and the inside was decorated with lanterns and other nautical paraphernalia. I had shrimp and grits, one of my favorite southern dishes, and Kelsey had some kind of fish platter that looked wonderful! We enjoyed the meal, and I will definitely be going back there soon!
After dinner, we went home to watch a movie. Her flight left at 6:30 this morning, so we knew we had to get up early and decided to stay in and rest that night! We watched Across the Universe, and what I saw of it was great...before I fell asleep. I will have to finish it! I woke up at 4:30 am and we got ready to go. Needless to say, there was no real traffic anywhere. It's always strange going to bed when it's dark and waking up again when it's dark. I dropped her off and said good-bye. It was tough to say good-bye again to one of my best friends, some one who knows me better than most people and was there during one of the most incredible experiences of my life, knowing that I will not see her again for a while.
I came back to my place and went back to bed. I slept again till 10:30 am and woke up and read for a little bit. Then I cleaned my room because I have just kind of thrown things around all week. I then showered and got ready to head into town to run some errands. I went to the Tanger Outlets to take something back to Old Navy. I drove through and got some greasy fast food (oops!) and then braved the crowd to go into Wal-Mart. I got everything I needed, except for thumb tacks - they didn't have big ones. I thought that was shocking! I got back in my little car and headed back.
I've been relaxing and hanging out all evening. The last few days have worn me out so the rest has been nice. I plan to rest more tomorrow after going to church in the morning.
Buenas noches!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
shopping day
My roomie had the day off of work today so she asked if I wanted to go shopping with her to look for some things she needed. I agreed with hesitating and so off we went!
We went to the mall first to Dillards. They had a good selection of items on sale. She and I bought the same dress because it was so stinkin' cute! And they were the last two there! She got another dress that will be Clemson gameday-worthy. She got a few other things in the mall, and we ended the mall trip with a delectable lunch at Sesame Grill. I had a southwestern grilled chicken salad that was to die for (since the lady wouldn't let me order mini-burgers off the kids menu). On we continued to downtown...
We parked and then walked up and down King Street. She took me in to a few places I had never been into before, and we found this one particular shop that had cute dresses at really good prices. I'll have to remember that one! I went in to the Apple Store and got a keyboard cover to protect my keys from dirt and such (and now I can eat and type at the same time without worrying about grease getting on the keys). She got a couple of other things, and then we headed back to our place.
It has been a rather lazy afternoon. I finished reading my book and made some Bagel Bites for supper. Almost time now for Jeopardy!!!
Also, my friend from San Diego arrives tonight. She was probably my closest friend in my study abroad group in Costa Rica and is coming to visit for a few days. Pray that we have a safe and happy time while she is here!
We went to the mall first to Dillards. They had a good selection of items on sale. She and I bought the same dress because it was so stinkin' cute! And they were the last two there! She got another dress that will be Clemson gameday-worthy. She got a few other things in the mall, and we ended the mall trip with a delectable lunch at Sesame Grill. I had a southwestern grilled chicken salad that was to die for (since the lady wouldn't let me order mini-burgers off the kids menu). On we continued to downtown...
We parked and then walked up and down King Street. She took me in to a few places I had never been into before, and we found this one particular shop that had cute dresses at really good prices. I'll have to remember that one! I went in to the Apple Store and got a keyboard cover to protect my keys from dirt and such (and now I can eat and type at the same time without worrying about grease getting on the keys). She got a couple of other things, and then we headed back to our place.
It has been a rather lazy afternoon. I finished reading my book and made some Bagel Bites for supper. Almost time now for Jeopardy!!!
Also, my friend from San Diego arrives tonight. She was probably my closest friend in my study abroad group in Costa Rica and is coming to visit for a few days. Pray that we have a safe and happy time while she is here!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Good day
I went to bed late last night so I slept in late today - 9:30 am! Ahh!!! I slept GREAT though, in spite of how warm it is at night in my room. I decided to go to the beach a little earlier than I have been going and was out the door by 11:45. I was craving Zaxby's and really didn't have anything at home to eat for lunch so that was an easy decision. I got some and ate it in the parking lot, and I must say that it was one of the best Big Zax Snacks I have ever had! I then went in the Piggly Wiggly gas station, and after waiting in line for almost ten minutes behind locals buying and scratching lottery tickets and buying cigarettes, it was my turn! I got a liter of Aquafina water (one of my favorite bottled water brands) and drank the whole thing during my time at the beach. I went to the same beach I've been going to (I only chose that one today because Zaxby's was right on the way to it) and went the same direction, looking for a parking spot in the same area I've been parking it. But I guess everyone decided to get my spots today and I couldn't find anywhere to park! So I drove a completely different part of the beach and had no problem finding a spot to park. In fact, it wasn't crowded at all! It was so nice. The closest people were 50 yards away! Then a cute little family with a year-old baby girl came out to the beach. She was completely naked and then the mother (probably 26 or so) put the swim bottoms on the little girl and she took off toward the water! The mom had to chase her. It was so cute! And then she tried to chase the birds flying and walking around and she would wave at them. It made me laugh. I stayed out there for a couple of hours and read most of the time. It was very enjoyable. I then headed back for my place.
I showered and got ready with intentions of running some errands. I wasn't going to, but I stopped at a Maxx/Marshalls and only came out with one (well, two) things. I found some coffee mugs I liked with polka dots (I only have one mug and I wanted another one) and the pack of two was $7. Not a bad deal, but I wasn't sold. So I went to my favorite section of the store - the CLEARANCE section - and found the same mugs with RED polka dots (TO MATCH MY KITCHEN!!!!!) for only $3!!! Thank you Lord!
I then continued on to the mall/Target. I wasn't really impressed by anything at the mall. So I went on in to Target with a few things I needed, including lots of groceries! I spent a while in that section and got my other things too. When I left the store, I realized that I was parked so far away! So I began the trek to my car. I was about halfway there when my buggy got stuck on something on the sidewalk! It was a nightmare! It wouldn't budge. I still have no clue what happened. I saw two gentlemen in their 30s or so sitting outside of a restaurant in the mall just hanging out, so I walked over and explained the situation and asked if they would watch my buggy till I got back with the car. They agreed, so I hurried and made it back, and when I arrived, they were standing with the buggy and then proceeded to put all of my stuff in my car! Talk about some southern hospitality! I then offered to give them some money to pay for their food or whatever, but they refused and asked that I instead check out their new restaurant opening in the mall later this week. They were extremely nice and helpful!
I then drove home and unpacked and put away the groceries and decided to go for a bike ride to the Battery!!! I pulled over to a bench and leaned my bike on the ground, and just after I sat down, a minivan pulled up right in front of the bench and an older couple got out. They came straight to the bench I was at because it was closest to them and easier for them to sit down. They asked if I would mind some company, and of course I said that I wouldn't mind at all! They sat down and then pulled out a bottle of wine and two wine glasses and drank a whole bottle of wine (open container?). We chatted - Faye, Bill, and I - and I learned that they were from Mount Pleasant (her husband died three years ago and I think Bill is her boyfriend), she liked to run on Sullivan's Island, she is Methodist and is very involved in her church, she has a grandson starting Clemson in a week, and she just read South of Broad by Pat Conroy. It was a pleasant conversation. The sunset was gorgeous (so many colors!), the palm trees lining the street, and the ocean breeze....I thought I had died and gone to heaven. No, seriously. It was such an incredible experience.
I had an incredible day. Yesterday I talked about how I missed home so much, and today I think that the Lord showed me that He hasn't forgotten about me and that He is going to take care of me while I'm here and give me so many amazing unbelievable experiences.
I asked my dad earlier today why I was having such a hard time being alone and not having anything to do, and he gave me such an awesome answer:
"It's a lesson. Your feelings define the value of what you are about to achieve."
Wow! What a smart dad I have. I just have to trust that God is going to do great things and appreciate the calmness of life right now in these last few days before school starts.
Peace and blessings.
I showered and got ready with intentions of running some errands. I wasn't going to, but I stopped at a Maxx/Marshalls and only came out with one (well, two) things. I found some coffee mugs I liked with polka dots (I only have one mug and I wanted another one) and the pack of two was $7. Not a bad deal, but I wasn't sold. So I went to my favorite section of the store - the CLEARANCE section - and found the same mugs with RED polka dots (TO MATCH MY KITCHEN!!!!!) for only $3!!! Thank you Lord!
I then continued on to the mall/Target. I wasn't really impressed by anything at the mall. So I went on in to Target with a few things I needed, including lots of groceries! I spent a while in that section and got my other things too. When I left the store, I realized that I was parked so far away! So I began the trek to my car. I was about halfway there when my buggy got stuck on something on the sidewalk! It was a nightmare! It wouldn't budge. I still have no clue what happened. I saw two gentlemen in their 30s or so sitting outside of a restaurant in the mall just hanging out, so I walked over and explained the situation and asked if they would watch my buggy till I got back with the car. They agreed, so I hurried and made it back, and when I arrived, they were standing with the buggy and then proceeded to put all of my stuff in my car! Talk about some southern hospitality! I then offered to give them some money to pay for their food or whatever, but they refused and asked that I instead check out their new restaurant opening in the mall later this week. They were extremely nice and helpful!
I then drove home and unpacked and put away the groceries and decided to go for a bike ride to the Battery!!! I pulled over to a bench and leaned my bike on the ground, and just after I sat down, a minivan pulled up right in front of the bench and an older couple got out. They came straight to the bench I was at because it was closest to them and easier for them to sit down. They asked if I would mind some company, and of course I said that I wouldn't mind at all! They sat down and then pulled out a bottle of wine and two wine glasses and drank a whole bottle of wine (open container?). We chatted - Faye, Bill, and I - and I learned that they were from Mount Pleasant (her husband died three years ago and I think Bill is her boyfriend), she liked to run on Sullivan's Island, she is Methodist and is very involved in her church, she has a grandson starting Clemson in a week, and she just read South of Broad by Pat Conroy. It was a pleasant conversation. The sunset was gorgeous (so many colors!), the palm trees lining the street, and the ocean breeze....I thought I had died and gone to heaven. No, seriously. It was such an incredible experience.
I had an incredible day. Yesterday I talked about how I missed home so much, and today I think that the Lord showed me that He hasn't forgotten about me and that He is going to take care of me while I'm here and give me so many amazing unbelievable experiences.
I asked my dad earlier today why I was having such a hard time being alone and not having anything to do, and he gave me such an awesome answer:
"It's a lesson. Your feelings define the value of what you are about to achieve."
Wow! What a smart dad I have. I just have to trust that God is going to do great things and appreciate the calmness of life right now in these last few days before school starts.
Peace and blessings.
Monday, August 9, 2010
I don't like driving.
I don't mind driving that much if I someone else is in the car with me. I also don't mind driving short distances. But if I am being perfectly honest, I must say that I just do not like to drive. My boyfriend has probably spoiled me a bit. He refuses to let me drive anywhere: He is always such a gentleman and insists on driving (and opening all the doors for me!). I never had to drive far to school - less than ten minutes in high school, less than 45 minutes to Clemson. Now I have to drive three and a half hours to get back to school. It's a long lonely time! So to pass the time for my drive today, I loaded three sermons on my iPod. I got through one and a half and listened to a good bit of music too. One of the sermons really stuck out to me...I'll get to why in just a minute.
Let me just say that it was difficult to leave today. Since school doesn't start for another week and a half, I really don't have that much going on down in Charleston yet. My roommate works a good bit, though we do get to hang out when she isn't working. Having a lot of down time makes me miss being at home. It really does. It was tough to say goodbye to mom and dad this morning, but I held it in and went on my merry little way.
I've been thinking all summer, especially since I moved to Charleston, about whether or not I am "where God wants me to be." In fact, before I chose to attend MUSC, I had already sent in my deposit after being accepted at Presbyterian College in the Upstate, closer to home. I really didn't want to be far away from home, to be completely honest. I am incredibly close with my family, and laugh if you want, but even at 22 years old, they are my rock, the glue that holds me together, [insert other cliches here], and I never like being apart from them. But then I got accepted to MUSC, and it had always been a dream of mine to be accepted there and to live in Charleston. Then my dream came true and before I knew it, it was time to move. I've been wondering this past week while I have been here why God would allow me to be here but be far away (4 hours is far away to me) from those who mean the most to me. I have been wrestling with God and with those thoughts all summer, wondering how I'm going to be able to make it without them being here. Today I got my answers.
Yesterday at church, the Pastor spoke about worrying (GUILTY). In one of his points, he mentioned that when we worry, we tend to pray to God, tell him what's wrong, and then ask him to fix it and to make us feel better (GUILTY). He went on to say that we should instead ask God to show us what is going on, that we should listen to him instead of telling him so much, and to let him give us a fresh perspective on what is going on. Wow. He got me good! So today when I was sulking after I had just gotten on the road, I remembered what the Pastor said (and I may or may not have pulled out my Bible and outline with said notes while driving....sorry Mom, but it was important). I read that and so then I decided to tell God what was wrong with me and the situation, but instead decided to just shut up and listen. So I did, and it didn't take long. (Note: This in itself was a huge lesson for me today. God will always show us just what we need when we need it if we listen!) I remembered a verse that I had read in Psalm while I was in Costa Rica:
Let me just say that it was difficult to leave today. Since school doesn't start for another week and a half, I really don't have that much going on down in Charleston yet. My roommate works a good bit, though we do get to hang out when she isn't working. Having a lot of down time makes me miss being at home. It really does. It was tough to say goodbye to mom and dad this morning, but I held it in and went on my merry little way.
I've been thinking all summer, especially since I moved to Charleston, about whether or not I am "where God wants me to be." In fact, before I chose to attend MUSC, I had already sent in my deposit after being accepted at Presbyterian College in the Upstate, closer to home. I really didn't want to be far away from home, to be completely honest. I am incredibly close with my family, and laugh if you want, but even at 22 years old, they are my rock, the glue that holds me together, [insert other cliches here], and I never like being apart from them. But then I got accepted to MUSC, and it had always been a dream of mine to be accepted there and to live in Charleston. Then my dream came true and before I knew it, it was time to move. I've been wondering this past week while I have been here why God would allow me to be here but be far away (4 hours is far away to me) from those who mean the most to me. I have been wrestling with God and with those thoughts all summer, wondering how I'm going to be able to make it without them being here. Today I got my answers.
Yesterday at church, the Pastor spoke about worrying (GUILTY). In one of his points, he mentioned that when we worry, we tend to pray to God, tell him what's wrong, and then ask him to fix it and to make us feel better (GUILTY). He went on to say that we should instead ask God to show us what is going on, that we should listen to him instead of telling him so much, and to let him give us a fresh perspective on what is going on. Wow. He got me good! So today when I was sulking after I had just gotten on the road, I remembered what the Pastor said (and I may or may not have pulled out my Bible and outline with said notes while driving....sorry Mom, but it was important). I read that and so then I decided to tell God what was wrong with me and the situation, but instead decided to just shut up and listen. So I did, and it didn't take long. (Note: This in itself was a huge lesson for me today. God will always show us just what we need when we need it if we listen!) I remembered a verse that I had read in Psalm while I was in Costa Rica:
"LISTEN, O DAUGHTER, CONSIDER AND GIVE EAR:
FORGET YOUR PEOPLE AND YOUR FATHER'S HOUSE.
THE KING IS ENTHRALLED BY YOUR BEAUTY;
HONOR HIM, FOR HE IS YOUR LORD."
-PSALM 45:10-11-
I also began to think about the parable that Jesus tells in the New Testament about the young ruler and how he asked him to give up everything to follow him and he wouldn't. So then I started looking for that story and was looking around in Matthew and found something interesting in chapter twenty, starting at verse 27:
Then Peter said to him, "We've given up everything to follow you. What will we get out of it?"
And Jesus replied, "I assure you that when I, the Son of Man, sit upon my glorious throne in the Kingdom, you who have been my followers will also sit on the twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will have eternal life."
I also thought about these verses:
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. -Matthew 16:24-25
And then, as if God had not reminded me of enough already, the first sermon I listened to was about Esther. The sermon was about how Esther was put into a special place to fulfill God's purpose and save thousands of people, but she had to surrender to that and risk her life in order for it to happen. The Pastor reiterated that Esther was more focused on GOD'S KINGDOM than HER COMFORT. And then I realized that that was what I needed to accept.
All day I have been thinking about this, that my focus needs to not be on what I don't have here with me, and focus on God's kingdom rather than my own comfort, and realize that as a part of God's will I will have to be away from my family for a while. And I want God to fulfill his purpose for my life.
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