...and we're back...

Inspired by other bloggers, and after a long summer hiatus, I thought it was due time to get back to blogging. This summer has been filled with so many events and changes, that I doubt I will be able to touch on them all...and unfortunately summer is nearly finished. From visiting Michigan to Michigan friends visiting in California, I couldn't have asked for a better summer. Now the focus must shift as I gear up for the coming school year. Watch out...this year will be like none other before...full of work, studying, planning, listening, marrying, writing, presenting, travelling...on and on the list will go.

I have officially finished my work with the Center for Global Learning & Engagement (CGLE) and will begin with a new department, Ministry and Service (MAS), Monday morning. My post - Los Angeles Program Advisor. This week we begin training and orientation, followed by training and orientation for a new group of undergraduate student workers! I am so pumped and excited to be working with an amazing team of leaders. Over the past few months, I have had the privilege of getting to know my to be supervisor(s). The CGLE office shares a building with MAS, so during the work week, I often found myself wandering from one side to the other. I expect this year to be life changing in many ways, not only for the students I will work with, but for myself. I know I will learn and grow exponentially as I engage with different communities in Los Angeles County.

Emily and I continue our search for the perfect venue for our wedding. The month will most likely be May...the newest location is called the Blue Dress Barn and is located near Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, MI. We have a really good feeling about the prospect of getting married and celebrating at this location! I am REALLY REALLY REALLY hoping we can have a decision by the time school starts on Sept. 7.

Yesterday we went whale watching at Dana Point with some friends from the college days in Grand Rapids (Amy lives in San Juan Capistrano and Ben still lives in GR but is out visiting Amy). This was our second time out, and much more fun with friends AND dolphins...plus a quick sighting of a particularly elusive blue whale.
It was an amazing sight...although not what I expected. I really want to see a whale jump out of the water :)

Honestly, I don't feel like writing anymore...it is Sunday, and my last day of summer. Time for some relaxing. Better blogs in the future - PROMISE!

How I LOVE sunny, blue skied, Sunday afternoons. They always seem to be full of rest, relaxation, and quiet...especially these days as my time is spent looking for odd jobs to supplement my temp. job at APU along with relishing the thought of a 10-day-Michigan-Summer-Vacation. I can smell the cool lake breezes. I can feel the hot-hot solar heated sand between my toes. I can taste the iron rich well-water. I can hear the buzzing hum of heat stroked cicadas. Ah, what else is like a summer day on the Lake Huron beaches of Port Austin? With all the responsibility and busyness of life's day-to-day activities...isn't it simply a treat toclose your eyes and imagine the gravel beneath your feet as you stand on Bay Dr. glancing at the lake through the open cottage doors and windows? I know I live in Southern California, and those Michiganders have earned their Michigan summer so much more than I have...but oh... Michigan in the summer?!?! I SIMPLY CANNOT WAIT!

Emily's collection of bridal/wedding magazines continues to grow. We are so excited to be planning our special day, but it isn't without difficulty. Living 2,000+ miles away from where this is to go down, well, it's quite a curve to deal with. We are currently attempting to identify what is most important to us so we can find the perfect place. Suggestions? Keep in mind, we need to be VERY wise and creative with our wedding funds ;) Other than the anxiety of making

these initial decisions, we are definitely enjoying the "engagement bliss".

It won't be long now and I will no longer live in Azusa, CA. The wonderful village of Claremont is calling! I will join my love Emily as well as some great roommates (Julia, Natasha, and an additional - yet to be identified roommate) in a modern home (circa 1955) with an open floor-plan and TONS of natural light, clerestory windows throughout, 5 sliding doors, 25 fruit trees, etc. etc. Needless to say, we are quite excited about moving into this quaint home!

Aside from attempting to clean the apartment, work out, and feed ourselves...not much more is going on here. The mercury is slowly rising, reminding us that this a big ole desert. Michigan,

we hear your beckon...we promise to respond...just give us a few more weeks!

Heja Sverige! ;)

We are officially fianceed!

This blog seems to be better told through pictures. Emily and I went to Joshua Tree National Park (a desert park...but this time of year beautiful). We went on a few beautiful trails, and ultimately ended up at a place called Key Views where you can see the valley from above. It is amazing! Here are some pictures from our wonderful Sunday trip! And the pictures are kinda in backwards order...no time to fix. Going camping for the weekend!

Foreigner (not 70's British-American rock band)

Something I find very ironic, is how foreign I STILL feel here in southern California. I'm familiar with many of the important prerequisites to "feeling at home". I have a wonderful apartment, I know how to get to the most important places (without GPS), Emily and I have found a great church (Mosaic in Pasadena), I have identified my favorite grocery stores, I know where the nearest Starbucks is (as well as the nearest drive-thru location), I have found some great hiking and biking trails, I have explored both independent and chain restaurants unique to this part of the country, etc.. I have found many comforts, yet, I still feel like a transient guest. I can't seem to shake that "vacation feeling"... knowing that inevitably this time will come to an end. At this point only God knows where Emily and I will be heading once graduation arrives in less than a year! Let me quickly emphasize that this past year has NOT been a vacation. It has been one of the most challenging, busy, & formative times in my life thus far.

Emily and I have discussed our thoughts and feelings at length regarding Los Angeles county. We share the same views of this new home of ours: It is impersonal and grossly anonymous. A huge factor is our lack of engagement with our local communities...the primary struggle being lack of time and energy. Another barrier, I believe, is the very real assumption that we will be leaving next year. If we are leaving so soon, what is the point in creating new bonds and friendships? It is hard to reconcile the differences between what is ideal and what is realistic.

Last night Emily brought up something that made so much sense. We have "friends" here, but what kind of friends? I hate to discount the genuine friendships we have formed (there are a handful). Overall, the relationships we've formed are surface level, superficial. Do these people really care for us, care about us? I could go on and on about the inadequacies we've found. This is sad, and I would also like to acknowledge that I recognize that southern California IS filled with many great people and opportunities, simply put, it isn't the place Emily and I think of when we dream of our future.

Description of the ideal: forests, mountains, seasons, quaint, friendly, slower/simpler pace, less populated, NO Walmart, land for farming, peaceful, star filled evening skies, no smog, sidewalks, trails, arts, good schools (K-12 and post-secondary). It could happen, I won't lose hope in that.

* The pictures have little if anything to do with this post. Only 54 days til Michigan!

May

Time continues to FLY by. It is MAY and I am still reconciling the fact that I live in Southern California. Only two more weeks of actual class (though there are two assignments due after we end class meetings). There is so much to do in the next two weeks including reading a few more books, multiple articles, leading class discussion, presenting about the workshop a fellow classmate and I will be leading at Citrus College in the fall, finishing up my final graduate assistantship project (the Grad binder), finding another part-time job for the summer, etc. etc. I have a long to-do list, but I am confident that I will be able to finish out this school year strong!

I am definitely longing for weekends filled with day trips and relaxing, rather than reading and writing! My roommate Aaron will be heading back to Kansas the day after classes end until August...at which point he will be moving in with another cohort member (cutting his monthly rent in half). Though it will be quiet around the apartment without Aaron, it will be enjoyable to live "solo" for the summer!

On Friday, I attended a "passing of the torch" end of year get together for the Ministry and Service office that I will be working with next year. It was amazing to see what a profound effect working in the office has on those who work there. I am so excited to actually be part of this team of AMAZING people.

"The Office of Ministry and Service (MAS) believes that faith in Christ should inspire people to reach out to a broken world and embody the good news of God’s inclusive and empowering love for humanity. Driven by grace, a love for God is interconnected with a love of one's neighbor and should lead to a pathway of reconciled relationships with those across the street and around the world...Azusa Pacific University, founded as the Training School for Christian Workers, has a strong legacy and commitment to service as a response to faith in Christ. This commitment begins in the city of Azusa, with strong partnerships that connect APU with children, families, community leaders, churches, and the local government. Downtown Los Angeles provides additional opportunities to learn and grow in relationship with our neighbors. These experiences in service will help move the APU community from indifference, ignorance, and fear to faith, reconciliation, education, and action."

At this get together I received two things that will be important as I begin my work supervising the coordinators of Door of Hope, S.A.Y. Yes!, and L.A. 101: a map of the "City of Angels" Los Angeles, AND from José, a fellow classmate, a "Los Doyers" Dodgers t-shirt. These will help me get around the inner-city and somewhat fit in :)

This weekend Emily and I spent some time relaxing in between sessions of productivity (writing reports for her and reading, researching, and writing for me). We did get to test out our "camping gear" which is comprised of a tent I received as a birthday present well over 10 years ago...and uh...that's it. We definitely need to save our pennies to get more gear. It was a nice evening in the backyard, although I had to turn on my iPod for more authentic camping sounds to drown out the traffic from the nearby Arrow Highway & I-10. Here's to pretending!

One thing that is great about time flying, is that we are now that much closer to visiting Michigan in July! The thought of seeing all our friends and family, growing nieces and nephew, possible new homes, Holland, Zeeland, Allendale, Grand Rapids, PORT AUSTIN...is well, exciting! Aren't you excited too? I bet you are! I want to see my family...so let me know when you may be able to Skype...we really haven't been utilizing this technology, and should! Off to homework-city. Much love!

Spring break lists

This week off from school has simply flown by! This is often the case when you have oodles of tasks to complete. Here is the "short list" of all that I completed this week:

1.) Hosted two potential First-year CCSD students

2.) Interviewed ten potential graduate assistants

3.) Presented pre-departure information to all students studying abroad during the summer and fall terms (2 separate meetings - 120+/- students)

4.) Participated in staff orientation for newly hired Azusa Pacific University employees

5.) Began my new position as the Special Projects Coordinator for the Center for Global Learning and Engagement

6.) Breathed

After this busy week I was ecstatic to hear the mellifluous sound of the word WEEKEND!

Emily and I had to postpone our trip to San Francisco, so we tried to fit as much fun into one day as we could. It has been difficult for both of us to actually take advantage of living in Los Angeles County. With such close proximity to so much, we've done a poor job of getting around to our long lists of places to see. So...HERE is the list of what we did on Saturday:

1.) Whale watching in the Pacific near Dana Point

2.) Buying new Rainbows at the Original store in San Clemente

3.) Drinking coffee at the Starbucks across the street from the Mission of San Juan Capistrano (followed by walking around the area, including a petting zoo!)

4.) Eating a slice of pizza in Downtown Disney (followed by the nightly fireworks that take place in Disneyland, but can be seen in Downtown Disney)

5.) Teaching great friends (Doug and Mike) how to play Euchre (A Michigan favorite)

Here is the real story. It wasn't a good day for whale watching, SO we received our tickets back so we can try again whenever we want. July and August are supposedly a GREAT time to see Blue whales! So we are excited to go back to Dana point and see BIG whales...over four times the size of the Minke whales we briefly spotted. We saw some California Sea Lions sleeping on a buoy as well as many different varieties of fowl. Emily and I had a great ride out on the Pacific and are looking forward to actually whale watching later on this year!

Once ashore, we made our way to San Clemente, home to the one and only original Rainbow store! We arrived right before they closed, but had enough time to finally replace our old, worn out, STINKY Rainbows! We took our picture by the sign, but missed out on signing the HUGE flip flop that had already been taken inside for closing. YAY, I love my new grey Rainbows...send your size (and your children's sizes)...because the original store sells them for less than their representatives.

Since we were in the area, we went to San Juan Capistrano, but made it just as the mission was closing. So, we went across the street to Starbucks (which of course we knew was there from Mom's vivid descriptions) and enjoyed a cup of Joe. Then we walked around the city, it was beautiful and we ended up finding a petting zoo!

After leaving San Juan Capistrano we went to Downtown Disney in Anaheim! We ate pizza by the slice and watched ALL the many different people that are attracted to Disneyland. We are seriously thinking about putting our few pennies together to buy a season pass (makes more sense since a single day ticket is not much less). Time will tell if that will happen or not, BUT it is definitely the "SoCal" thing to do...getting a season pass that is.

As if we hadn't done enough, we invited Mike and Doug over to play some Euchre. They were quick learners and we are very pleased to finally have some card playing partners! Gotta love Euchre. I feel as if this has become a bit of a ramble of happenings. I am please to announce that my hard work has paid off. This semester was BY far the most difficult and work filled semester. I have kept my 4.0 - and yes, that means you may refer to me as an official badass...or a rockstar...or whatever you prefer :) Enjoy the pictures from our weekend adventure! Much love to all!

epiphanies...

I can't believe it is already March 20, 2010, can you? Copious is the best adjective to describe 2010 so far! Last night, I had an epiphany. It suddenly occurred to me that I have been in complete denial about this whole California thing. From August until now I have literally been in denial about actually being here, actually living in California and actually being a grad student. I never imagined I would be doing this, but let me be clear, I am so glad I am here and know I am in the perfect place to learn the lifestyle of being a student affairs professional. Another epiphany: 8:15 AM - - in the bathroom - - fresh out of the shower - - in front of the mirror - - naked-- "Shit...I'm fat!" In a way it seems that so much has stayed the same, and yet so much has changed. I feel age creeping up on me. I could list all the details, but I would like to focus on the fat in particular.

There is that whole superficial mentality of being young, looking young blah, blah, blah...I live in LA county after all. But really it isn't that. I have not been brainwashed. It really comes down to a new mantra, if I don't begin living more healthfully NOW, I never will. Up until this point in my life, I have been blessed with an amazing, powerful, garbage disposable-esque metabolism Not anymore (This is where you imagine my metabolism. Dressed in his finest suit, a top hat, and perhaps wearing a monocle. He slaps me across the face, with a white leather dueling glove saying, "I said Good day, Sir!" as he slowly exits the room). I only have myself to blame (though I know that finishing Emily's leftovers from the gross American sized portions we are fed does not help the cause). Bottom line, 30 pounds have mysteriously attached themselves to my body. 30 pounds more than my ideal weight. Perhaps this year I will build healthful habits in exchange for the bad habits I'm ever so diligently trying to squelch. Almost 3 months down...9 more months to make it happen.

One more epiphany I would like to share... Emily and I decided to FINALLY go for a little bike ride this evening, for leisure of course. Suddenly, I recalled that long before I moved to West Calle de la Luna #1, I had stumbled across what seemed to be a bicycle trail behind my apartment on Google Maps. Emily asked where we were going and I said, "Uh, just turn right at the end of my street and then we will turn right again down the road a 1/4 mile if that." We followed the "Bike trail" signs and came upon the San Gabriel River Trail. This trail is literally RIGHT behind my house...it is sickening how close it is. The entrance point near my house is about 5 miles west of where the trail emerges from the Angeles National Forest...and yes, this trail winds all the way to the Pacific Ocean!

I am pretty pumped to ride, walk, run along this trail...and here is where this post comes to a realized, fat, and sudden end. - Grace, peace and love to you all!

Ahh the sweet smell...

Saturday mornings give way to wonderful afternoons here in California. Endless possibilities, only squelched by looming course assignments. Yes, I started a new quarter this week. Looking at each syllabus and transcribing due dates into my planner has brought a new reality to the next 9 weeks...that reality is one of non-stop work, reading, writing, interviewing, etc. etc. etc. The good news is that one of the larger assignment (requiring 20+ sources) can be utilized for two courses! Phew! Also, I will be integrating my program analysis with my work at the Center for Global Learning and Engagement, that will make my life a bit easier because I will be able to work on "homework" at work and it will be legitimate! I am hoping to "kill it" again for the second half of my first year.

I am still waiting to hear from the universities I interviewed with for summer internships. It would be great to get two plus months experience in housing or orientation at a university outside of California. Hopefully I will receive at least one offer for summer employment. Also, for those of you Port Austinites, Emily and I will theoretically be coming to Michigan on July 9th for a wedding on the 10th in Grand Rapids, SO that would be a great time to aim for a PA trip. Much of this hinges on what I end up doing from mid-May until August.

I will keep you up to date.

I think Emily is excited with her Valentine's day gift...I was able to score some Kooza tickets (Cirque du Soleil) for a VERY reasonable price ;) So we will be traveling the short ride to San Diego on March 7th! Emily got me something I have been wanting for a long time...more cologne! I have been without for quite some time, and as cologne isn't on my NECESSARY list, I was pleasantly surprised to have some more Burberry! One last celebration of...

Anna Howard Shaw Day, which will be a wonderful dinner prepared by myself this evening for the two of us.

The last thing I would like to share with those of you who may actually read this, is the sun and 73 degree heat that this glorious Saturday has brought us! Keep it real, spring is only around the corner Michiganders :)

As if...

...I didn't have enough to do already during this, the final two weeks of my Fall II quarter.

Emily fulfilled my longboard dreams! She bought me the "Ferrari" of longboards, the Sector 9 Trylam

3 Platinum! It is constructed with 4 plies of maple, sandwiched between layers of

Carbon Fiber and Fiberglass. Super light and virtually indestructible.

I have had tons of fun during the past week tooling around on this puppy and the best part is Emily bought a longboard too!

I am very glad it is raining (pouring) but, you can't cruise around on your longboard in the rain.

Back to the business of schooling myself and keeping up with assignments, projects, and presentations.

Looking a bit into the future I have applied through two different organizations to help find myself a student affairs related summer internship at a university anywhere. So far I have sent out interest e-mails to a few universities including Southern Oregon University, University of Edinburgh, and University of San Francisco to name a but a few. My aim is to gain as much experience with differing types of universities both domestic and possibly abroad. The more experience I can gain the better, and the better able I will be to provide quality guidance to an ever increasingly diverse population of students. Wish me luck and pray for the right find as I begin the interview process in a week or so.

When it rains, it pours...that is the saying, yes? And when it sprinkles drivers in LA go crazy...it makes driving even more hazardous than on a sunny and 75 degree day at 3:45PM. I've been thinking for quite some time now about a post regarding the craziness that is defined on the freeways in Los Angeles County. I remember the first time I drove from the 57 to 210 and thinking how crazy it was. Since that hot day in August I have experienced much crazier situations. For example, the 57 north being backed up all the way to the 10 interchange...since many of you may not understand this what this stretch of freeway entails, let me paint a visual. This stretch is only about 5 miles long...in most other places 5 miles would equal what??? 5 minutes drive? If you are clipping along at a good rate, then yes, it would take about 5 or so minutes. When it is backed up because Californians are very scared of rain...well then it takes 15-20 minutes. Anyone from the area is probably saying, "Pfft...that is NOTHING." They would be right...it really is nothing. Five to six lanes with thousands upon thousands of people either trying to get in to LA or out of LA can really seem like hell on earth to some. Fortunately, I inherited my fathers love for driving, and he might just agree that traffic in southern California is just a fun challenge! It is...and it can be...and it gets OLD.

I am looking forward to summer already! It is going to be a blast, simply working again, not having to worry about school until the beginning of September! Hopefully I will be at a university in some sweet city where I can have a ton of fun while learning a new skill to be utilized in my new career. Also...Port Austin anyone? I am hoping that my summer internship will be flexible and I will actually be able to make it back to Michigan. Pencil in around July 12th...maybe, hopefully, I certainly hope so!

Home away from home...

After a long day of traveling and a slight delay in Utah, I have finally arrived in southern California. It is strange to feel comfortable immediately upon entering Ontario airport, and stepping outside into the warm 70 degree weather. I am sure it will take a few days to re-acclimate myself to this wonderful weather, but it feels like home. I have errands to run, tasks to complete around the house, and school starts again tomorrow. Back to the grind...and I mean the GRIND.

The next four weeks will be incredibly busy as I attempt to adequately complete this quarter and begin the spring quarter. After this month of work, I will officially be 25% done with graduate school! Time is flying, and there is so much to do!...did I already say that? I don't mind being redundant, it just further emphasizes the point I am trying to convey... LOTS - O - WORK!

For now I should go to APU and check out whats new at work...and then get to work myself. Much love to everyone who made Emily and my trip to Michigan so wonderful!