snapping the moment

alright so i have a camera. that is a lie. i have a lot of cameras. i still need to edit that. i have 1 fully functional working camera. i have owned 7 cameras in the last four years.

#1 - i returned to the store (financial reasons)
#2 - the lense broke
#3 - the screen cracked (but still takes pictures so it is now donated to the troops to take pictures to send home to families)
#4 - the screen cracked (and i even bought a case this time too)
#5 - still works but the lense doesn't like to open most of the time
#6 - 35mm (older than me) and i still haven't learned the features to use it enough
#7 - my new baby. a gift from Mavourneen and Mike a week ago for graduating in May

my senior thesis was photography. since I've graduated I've hardly taken any pictures and this is very weird for me. since adopting the 35mm I've had this image in my head of all the pictures i'd be taking in Harrisburg and I haven't used it once.

this is my challenge: i'm taking my 35 mm and/or new digital and taking 5 pictures every day. whether it is of a co-worker, neighbor, housemate, the river, the Churches, the capitol, nature, city life, or whatever... I am challenging myself to take 5 pictures every day.



lets see how this one goes....

to love another person is to see the face of God.

love brings out the best in people. that is, if its true love. when you truly care about someone in the most unconditional ways it is then that you can see true love. it is then that you are the least selfish because your upmost desire is for that person to be happy, even if it means harship for your own self. this is coming from a mixture of my own experiences and witnessing of others.

how do you feel when you see someone close to you in heartache? how do you feel when you're involved in the heartache? make a decision about what is the absolute best for that person, because if you truly love that person as much as you say you do then you'll let go of any of your own frustration and put their happiness first.

on another note, when you make an assumption of someone based on a simple mistake or hardship in their own life and then let it affect your over-all feelings then you need to take some time to really decifer if that is how you really feel about the person or if you're holding a grudge over a simple matter that is in the past. let it go.



Let go and let God.
It is then, that He is proud of you.

homesick much?

i am homesick. but not in horrible way. i just really miss a lot of people. so much family in chicago and so many friends in cincinnati. i really miss people. its been really bizarre to not be around so many people like when i'm at the mount or be able to walk a couple blocks in any direction in beverly to see a familiar face. thats a big factor about why i was so excited to see mavourneen and mike this weekend. it really was good timing because we were able to actually sit back and hang out and take nittany for a walk and just enjoy the company. they're only a couple hours away so i really need to check out my options so i can see them more.

but about being homesick. i'm happy i'm here. don't get me wrong. i'm happy about what i'm doing. i'm happy about where i live. i just REALLY miss my friends and family right now. i miss seeing them every day and getting lunch and dinner with friends and going out to the lodge or western.

but i'm excited. i've been saying how much i love having new challenges this year and i still do, completely. i just have the tendency to not pursue every opportunity. a lot of my free time i feel is spent sitting at the computer or on the phone talking to someone hours away from me as opposed to walking around harrisburg to meet someone new. i'm excited though that next month vanessa will be moving in only a block away from me with her new housemates :) and we can be going out on 2nd together and for coffee.

here's the REAL challenge. when i'm by myself: i need to force myself to RUN. or at least walk/slow jog. i really need to push it. at least start with some yoga...

transferring the seeds. not easy but worth it for the garden.

alright. here are some facts about moving:

if you're going to live on a floor other than the 1st or 2nd - plan on making some new friends before you're going to move again - because lifting furniture up 2 sets of narrow steep stair cases has already tested your current friendships enough.

on that note, make sure you have extra money to put to use later that night because you definitely owe those friends some good strong drinks.

don't plan on moving furniture that doesn't come apart. drawers that don't come out of a dresser, desk, nightstand, etc are things you will learn to hate.

invest in your own tool kit. enough said.

pack lightly. you'll learn not to be a pack-rat if you're in the stage of life where you need to move a lot. also, making 10 trips from the car for a small light bags will leave you a much happier person than making 3 trips for the heaviest items you could (or couldn't) carry.


[[don't be shocked if this ends up in the book i'm writing {which i've yet to start} about life in your 20's]]

but anyway, the move-in went smoothly in matters other than furniture up the stairs. it took most of saturday evening and sunday afternoon/evening to finish it up but most of the pieces are put in place. once the bed was made, the floor was vacuumed, and some things were hung on the wall it actually looked like a bedroom. there are miscellaneous items left back at the apartment to pick up later but i'm otherwise settled. i woke up this morning [not feeling like p.diddy] and was able to head out to my first day as the faith relations coordinator. just me, no desiree :( she's going to be missed at this office, along with jen, but its time for me to take this position and run with it. desiree passed off the materials, the contacts, the computer desk, the printer, the birthday/celebration party planning, and the encouragement for a great position. thank you!

and here it goes!

planting my own seeds

well i have another hour left before faith relations is mine. scary but thrilling! a small group of us at the office today had a small celebration for des and jen for their last day with us as a thanks for the last year they've dedicated to habitat. it really was a great send-off to the girls :)

but also in another hour - i'll start my moving process to my new house. i've got the majority of my things packed so i'm planning on moving what i can today and then most of the larger items tomorrow when mavourneen and mike are here :) i'm excited to have visitors again now that i have become so much more familiar with harrisburg. especially that mo is visiting because she always wants to do go walking around and doing something new.

as i've been planning for this move i've thought about what i'm going to do with my room since i'm now following any silly apartment rules with painting. i've looked in to some options at loews and am trying to keep my eyes pealed. also, i've already got ideas about what to do with the backyard. it has so much potential for a really cute patio set up..... but those overgrown weeds are kind of getting in the way. if anyone has any ideas or tips to help out please share :)

digging to the roots

during my time at PSO we learned about what to expect emotionally throughout the year with being a VISTA and i'm really just now starting to understand it. at the beginning we're expected to be really excited and ready for a challenge and learn a lot of new things. then we may get a little nervous where the material and our job expectations become overwhelming and then it'll seem like everything is piling on you and you don't know what to do with yourself.

that's where i'm at now. tomorrow is my last day with Desiree in the faith relations program and then as of 5:00 it's mine. its all handed to me to take over for the next year - scared much? yes.

but then something changes. we discover how much we really do know and suddenly everything just fits in. that's been happening a lot this week.

yesterday was the perfect example. i witnessed my first groundbreaking. i got to see the excitement of the soon-t0-be-homeowners in their new neighborhood as the construction of their new home begins. cameras, media, habitat representatives, congregation members, pastors, city council members and so much more were present for the momentous occasion and being a part of it, myself, gave me time to really think. standing there in the background, all i could do was be so appreciative for what habitat does and the fact that God provided this for all of us to experience and be involved with its purpose. any bit of doubt, frustration, nervousness i have is now replaced with the gratitude of that moment. it's a reminder that i've been granted with this opportunity to help make those moments possible.

digging dirt with golden shovels was for the pictures but its also a beautiful symbol. digging in to the truth of what habitat really is: providing a home for a family granted by God's love.

making my mark.

okay so since i've already been here a month and i still have the rest of the year to go, what else am i doing with my time in harrisburg!?

well i've picked up an additional volunteering position with the local Parish. The Cathedral of St. Patrick is just a couple blocks away from the apartment that i'm in now so i've decided to get more involved than just attending the Sunday service. Today was my first day as an assistant teacher for the PREP Sunday school! I Miss Ryan, with Mrs Landis, teach 15 wonderful 3rd/4th grade students the 3rd grade curriculum and we're already excited about the activities we have planned for the year!

last weekend (Labor Day) Brian came to visit and it was just about the best weekend the two of us have ever had! we went for a free tour at hershey world and ended up getting additional free chocolate than otherwise offered because we did a taste-testing = win. [which we got additional chocolate afterwards for doing the tasting]. we went to New Jersey for a day as well to visit all four of his grandparents {that was absolutey wonderful}. and Kipona was so much fun. its a festival held here every year for labor day weekend and a big portion of it is an art festival. it didn't take long for me to gawk at everything. i've already built this big picture of how i want to decorate my walls - i just wish i had the money to do it. Brian was amazingly generous and got me a photo printed on canvas of my favorite flower, an orchid, since i've had horrible luck in keeping the live plants he got me before well.. alive. and of course i love fireworks and so being as tired as i was i hated missing out on the fireworks that night but it turned out we were able to see them straight from my apartment window - i loved it! [[why am i giving this place up again]] but anyway.

the more to do in harrisburg: I've yet to make a trip there but I've heard a little birdie *named jen larson* say that the capital building is the "3rd most beautiful capital building in the states" and that the free tours are absolutey worth it. the little birdie has been on 7 tours in the last year...

lets see how busy i'll be in the next week or so for the next post :-D

turning the pages

Hey readers, I'm excited to say that I've officially been a VISTA for one month. Being a member of AmeriCorps really does provide opportunity to learn about prioritizing, financial needs vs wants, and even yourself. I can't believe the roads I've traveled, literally. I've actually been excited about getting lost because I'm forced to learn my way around the Capitol. [[I hate 83]]

The most impacting thing though about being a VISTA besides the Habitat position is the living allowance. A large part of being a VISTA is living in the life of poverty. I've been pretty lucky for the last month living in this apartment and making it on $50 a week. A big factor about that though is that I don't have my own car to be paying for gas all of the time or making any other regular car payments (otherwise i'd be in trouble). I've been able to pick out reasonably priced and essential groceries and actually make them last. It's the living in this apartment though that makes the budget so tight. It's been worth the pretty penny though for the past month........But unfortunately I have to leave this dream apartment that I've already fallen in love with. I've already started packing which is never fun......... However, I'm looking forward to moving in next week to my new house!

My wonderful big sister Mavourneen and her boyfriend are being ever so gracious and coming out for the day to help me move in and give me some really nice living essentials to add to the collection I've started. [[that's pretty lucky if you ask me]]. I'll be living just 5 minutes from my current apartment with two girls, Malinda and Alyson (alyson being desiree's cousin) and we already get along great. I'm so excited about this place too because since Malinda owns it I can make it my own by painting the walls and framing more pictures and even tend the backyard for some fun patio-l[i/o]ving! (i'm going to be pretty busy...)

but anyway, I can't believe I only have 5 more days to work with Des and then its just me. I'll be on my own as the Faith Relations Coordinator. It's frightening but thrilling at the same time! There is still so much to learn but that's also a part of the job... There will always be more to learn and I have a great team here to depend on if I ever lose my way! It's just sad that Des and Jen will be leaving us :(

but that's okay. desiree worked so hard in the last year to build these relationships with the 100something Congregations as the first VISTA in this 3-year program and now i've got this amazing opportunity to truly engage in their desire for service.