8.31.2007

ROADTRIP.

First let me clarify that the las post was actually written on wednesday, but started on monday...so thats why it says monday in the date.

Well this will be a rather short, informatory entry. WE ARE LEAVING ON A ROADTRIP in 20 minutes. Our wing, 2nd east olson, will be traveling to a girl on our wing's house! We will spend the night and travel back in the morning so that some of us can make it back for "Community Plunge"--a service day.

Hopefully this will be a wonderful time of growing closer to all the girls on the wing and relaxing before all the real work starts (even though i've already really started). Pray that we have a great time and travel safely!

I'm truly, truly enjoying my time here. It is such a blessing to be surrounded by such amazing and challenging (in a good sense) people. God is good.

8.27.2007

A day before it all begins.

Monday was a completely insane day. And by insane i mean, I left the dorm while all the upperclassmen arrived and unpacked all their stuff, filling the hallways with dorm essentials and loft-building parents. It was pure craziness. I, along with 5 others in my Ogroup, were misinformed about a meeting time, and so we missed the only thing that was planned for us yesterday. Hah. Basically the day was uneventful for me until dinner. We ate as a wing at dinner (it took 3 huge round tables pulled together). Then Emily and i went to play tennis for a while. We then went for a walk, stopping about every 5 seconds to talk to someone she knew...which was great...because i was meeting people all the while. That night i went for a run at about midnight. (this has become a daily routine of mine.)

Yesterday was good and suprisingly not overwhelming. I had an 8am Fitness for Life class, followed by chapel, followed by New Student Orientation Lecture then discussion group, immediately followed by Biblical Literature. All of these classes are semi-mundane Gen Ed classes that i was not completely thrilled by.. HOWEVER, my 3pm class--History of Philosophy promised to be a severely challenging, but richly interesting class. I'm so very excited about it. I am the only freshman in that class of 10 people. I love that. I love it when not a whole lot is expected from me and then i get the chance to prove myself, if i can.

Today, i had my last 2 classes that i have not previously sat in. 8am was Biology--I might try to transfer into the Astronomy night class if at all possible. Then we had a very very very toasty chapel in the old gym. Mary Lou Habecker, the presidents wife, is the most adorable woma i've ever seen. After chapel I trekked to my Logic class where i was shocked to find myself as one of two girls in a twenty person class. Hey, i don't mind :) Logic was a good class and shouldn't be too work heavy, which is nice. Both Logic and History of Philosophy are major specific, meaning they count towards my philosophy major. Becaues i LOVE LOVE LOVE them so much, i know i'm doing the right thing in majoring in Philosophy. I also learned the Philosophy is one of the biggest majors at Wheaton College, which is interesting to me. Anyway, time to hit the books. My history of philosophy book that i have to read is thicker than any dictionary i've ever seen.

8.25.2007

Welcome Weekend becomes parentless.

Today i woke up around 9:30 to a phone call to my room. It was probably the loudest phone i have EVER heard in my life. Scared Sam and I half to death. We spent the morning organizing some more of our stuff, and our room looks so cute. Adorable really. Then i went and sat at the front desk with my new friend Emily. Shes a sophomore...and such a sweet girl. We looked at various pairs of rainboots on Target.com...being that yesterday there was a flash flood warning..we figured that protective covering for the feet was a must. (Who cares about our lives right? as long as we have cute rainboots. ) ;) Then we went to lunch...i had some asian stirfry mess. not to great...but not the worst. At the DC i ran into an old friend from CRAM, LaJoya. LOVE that girl. She even asked me how my dad was doing, because he had the surgery on his ear during CRAM. I couldn't believe that she remembered! After we left lunch, Emily and i toured the entirety of our dorm. We looked in EVERY room and voted on which had the best decorations. This group of girls in 3rd center DEFINITELY won. There was a group of 6 girls who lived in 2 rooms next to eachother..and they had A TON of huge professional pictures of them taken and they were hung all over the room. It was beautiful. I loved it. Speaking of beautiful, i just looked out the window...and its raining BIG TIME again. I love rain. SO much. I do wish my rainboots were here right now though. I just realized today that all i have is old tennis shoes..sometime over the course of the last year, i lost my newer tennis shoes..but didn't notice. I think I'm wearing tennis shoes from 3 year ago. hah. i should invest in some new ones with all the walking i have been/will be doing. Anyway on a different note..the Hoedown for tonight and the Ogroup ropes course are probably not gonna work out as they had planned. We'll probably just do the linedancing inside and get to know you games inside.

OH i must go. I"m running barefoot in the rain to meet some CRAM people at the belltower. I love it.

8.24.2007

Today is the day.

Well, at 9 am today i will officially be here. haha. The entirety of my class arrives to unpack, undo, and unload their cars into the dorm. Luckily, my 4 boxes came in the mail yesterday, so i already went through that mess. Yesterday i also had a few "firsts". It was my first time swimming in the outdoor pool at the Best Western (definitely not an official Taylor activity..but fun nonetheless), first time seeing my friends Philip Byers and Megan Menzel since i've been on campus, and my first time eating in the DC (Dining Commons). All in all it was a good and productive day. So much fun was had, and so much work was accomplished. This is why i love Taylor. You always get a mix. Work and fun. Love it.

Today, I'm having breakfast with Philip Byers, my pal/leader from CRAM last summer. It'll be nice to catch up and see whats going on with him. Then Emily and I, another pal/leader from CRAM last summer, are going to the Best Western to take advantage of the heat and sun as we swim in their pool...again. Also, by leaving we avoid the mad rush that is move in day. And that is my day planned out as far as i possibly can on such a crazy day like today. I suppose after i get back i should help girls get settled and what not before our Hall meeting, our wing meeting, and our outing wiht our brother dorm. The first of these meetings begin at 8 pm and probably will end late into the night. I love college.

8.23.2007

time zones.

I am up obscenely early by calfornia time. AND obscenely early for a college student who has no classes...even by Eastern time. (yes, i am on eastern time). 7:30 is too early. 4:30 is obscenely early.

8.22.2007

Don't get too excited...

This will not be a habit..blogging 4 times in one day. However, being that there are a minimal number of people on campus right now...why not? This afternoon was a fun one. Emily Hunt, my CRAM leader from last summer, dropped in to see me, and we decided to go work out. We went over to the Well (activities center) and rode bikes, did ab work, and lifted for about an hour. We proceeded on to her "house" which is really a loft above a garage. She is a grad student, and thus shares this small space with two other girls in this same program. Lucky for me....and her.... she has a hottub that she can use at anytime. We have decided that this will become a regular activity once it stops feeling like we are ALWAYS in a hottub when we step outside. I met one of her roommates, Sarah, who is such a sweet girl. I also got to see two girls i met yesterday who happened to be over for dinner at Em's house. I totally forget their names...i'm SOO bad with names. SO BAD. Its going to be a problem. We hung out at the house for a bit, talking, then Emily and i took some stuff to her new office in the Admissions office. Randomly she had about 18 fish in separate bowls in her office that she is giving out to the Taylor CRU--basically the equivilant of Hospitality Club in high school. She said that usually they give out candy or cute notes or something...but no....Goldfish. The poem that she wrote to them ended as such "Welcome to Admish, Here's your fish". Haha. This is what i love about Taylor. Creativity and random fun constantly lighten the mood, even when the mood is already light. It makes me happy.

Anyway, now i'm back at the dorm and have been helping Sam and Steph the PA's decorate the hallways...i made a sweet Label for the Australia wall...it says....."Australia".. go figure.

help me out...

Also, if there is anyone else i should be sending this too, just let me know. ♥

Taylor University.

Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life. Blogging. As advised by the lovely Katie Mohr, i will begin this new art as an attempt to keep my family/very close friends updated on my life. Thus ends the prelude.


Yesterday daddy and i drove all of six hours from St. Louis to my new home, Taylor University. Arriving around 2, my room mate, Samantha Renee Hobbs was nowhere in sight... HOWEVER thanks to the lovely dry erase board on our door, i was speedily informed in print that she was at her PA meetings. We unpacked a bit, and then decided on a trek to Walmart in Marion. Yes, i know, ew. Walmart. But, the options here in Upland are all but abounding, and so, Walmart it was. I scribbled a note to Sammy to tell her where i was headed, and we were off. After stocking up on the essentials (ie. trashcan, hangers, mattress topper, fruit, headbands, etc..) we began the 20 minute drive back to Grace Olson Hall..my dorm. Upon arrival, there was yet another posting on the white board, informing me that Samantha was, herself, at Walmart... what extreme luck. haha. oh the irony. However, that allowed me some time to get the room a bit more organized. Probably not to thrilled with the idea of watching me organize my room in the most OCD fashion ever, daddy decided it was time to go...especially since he was an hour from the airport and his plane was leaving at 7 am...and on FRONTIER AIRLINES NO LESS. ugh. lousy excuse for an airline. Anyway, shortly after our tearful goodbye, Sammy shows up and we have a GLORIOUS reunion full of big hugs and big screams. The rest of the night was spent helping her and the other PA put up hall decorations as well as chatting with Katie Stipo via webcam (its up and running!). Lastly, i showered. good feeling... UNTIL i got out and immediately started to sweat. mmm gotta love humidity. I really don't mind though, the fan daddy got me is quite cooling.

As for today. I woke up at 8:30, which is highly irregular...being that in California that would have been 5:30, AND being that I've been staying up past 2 every night for the last 2 weeks. hmm. odd. Nevertheless, it allowed me to get just about everything done. Praise the Lord JESUS because i was able to switch my "Investigations in Mathematics Class" to a "History of Philosophy" class. I will never have to investigate mathematics ever. ever. ever again. With my schedule finalized I headed over to the bookstore met the lovely Mary and Patty (i think) who helped me find all my books. They didn't think i was a freshman...because of the books that i had. And they thought i played basketball...because of the Hoopfest T-shirt i was wearing..and due to my early arrival. I quickly corrected them on both points..and now we are forever friends. :) Since then, i've taken Sam's car to Upland to get subway because i can't eat in the cafeteria as of yet..and so i bought a foot long sub to last for two days. haha. Yay for the Italian BMT. She thought i said BLT and thus piled on millions of pieces of bacon...she seemed frustrated when i corrected her mistake, but it all worked out in the end as i just ate my Italian BMT and thoroughly enjoyed it. :)

Anyway, I have now informed you up to this point, and there is only more to come! I love and miss all of you, but I'm confident that this is where God has me. It was "taylormade" for me. (how do you like that? i made it up myself) ;)