oh beautiful for spacious skies.

HE TERMINADO!

I haven't taken Spanish since last year but I was feelin' a little rebellious today after finally completing the semester. Especially that hellish class they call HISTORIOGRAPHY.

I am done with my classes for the fall semester of junior year.

That is a loaded statement. For one, I loved my classes (for the most part) this semester. Oh, not to mention JUNIOR year. I'm still amazed how fast time is moving. It's just so hard to fathom.

The room is ready to be loaded up. My stuff is in bags, bins, and boxes. My two suitcases are packed. Once I wash my sheets I will be set to go.

It's sad. Scary. Amazing. Exciting. Weird. All at the same time.

I think packing up a suitcase meant a lot more to me this time around—especially since I can only check two bags because I am flying. I had to really find the clothes I wanted to bring to Ghana. Pack the pictures I really wanted to take. And really just bring the stuff that means the most to me. Most of all, it just reminded me how much damn stuff I have. I want to be free of all of it.

I miss my family so very much. Landing in Denver on Sunday night, complete with freezing temperatures and snow sounds perfect. I want to lay on the couch with Buddy, go in the hot tub, hang out with Lance, and maybe even run around the neighborhood, if I feel daring enough.

Mostly, I just want a break. To just relax. Before the next big journey begins.

I am going to miss my girls. It brings tears to my eyes every time I know another goodbye is coming. Saying goodbye just never gets easier. Especially this time around. Things are different, 9 months apart sounds a lot scarier than just a quick summer.

So, here we go. Tears will fall. We will cry. But we will always be friends.

I am done with Hendrix until next Fall.

And it will all be okay. All of it.

homecoming

newell's grocery store.

welcome to colorful colorado.

stormy and sunny sky in eastern colorado.lance in his new hat from vietnam.

cherry creek state park
green grass.chillin.
BBQ.

welcome home.

Warrior

Our hug lasted longer than what I could comprehend in time. As I looked into her eyes, I smiled and gave her a reassuring glance. Tears kept falling from her eyes. The sobbing started to make her body shake and again I took her hand and gave her another warm hug. As I took a few steps back into Marshie, my small, old, white car, I looked at her one more time. She took her suitcase and slowly entered the airport. My mom was leaving me at college again. It seemed harder for her. Like she was scared. And then she sent me at text a mere 5 minutes later. "I miss you already! Good luck with everything and I love you so much!!" I then smiled and continued to drive faster to Conway. As hard as it was to say goodbye to home, to friends, to family, I held the tears back almost everytime. Not just because I was excited for school to start again. But because I know Hendrix is exactly where I belong right now. God wants me here. I can't doubt that.

I have been back at this beautiful place for almost a week! What a whirlwind week it has been. It has been filled with unloading musty trash bags from storage, from numerous trips to Target, and with lots of reunions with more and more to come. Ali and my room is pretty much all put together. Already I am calling it home. It just feels so right. Field hockey has pretty much been my life since I have been here. Hours and hours of practice have filled my days but for the first time in a long time I am confident with not just the team, but with myself. I have a knack for putting an unneccesary amount of pressure on myself to perform. I have been praying about it and I think that each practice I am learning more and more what playing on a team really means and what being a team leader takes. I can't really describe it, but in the past week I have learnt more about my role on the team than ever before. It's been an overwhelming and largely enjoyable experience so far.

Being on a team is strange and exilarahting because never again is it quite the same. You always have different people, different situations, and different dynamics. I think in a way I have always taken the best parts of all of the teams I have been on and have tried to find them in teams that I am on later in life. My dad used to be my soccer coach for a couple years and those bring back some of my favorite memories of being on a team. From our dairy queen team banquets, to being the "little bulldog" I savor some of those times. And then of course, I can never forget about Grandview field hockey. I was talking about high school hockey with some old buddies this summer and we came to the conclusion that playing field hockey was one of the best experiences we had in high school. I met some of my best friends on the field hockey team, I discovered something I am very passionate about, and I quite honestly had the chance to grow as a person. Playing hockey for Grandview provided a way for me to learn more about myself and to discover my passions in life. I came to see how much I love people and how much I love interacting. To this day I believe that field hockey was what brought me out of my shell. It took me from that quiet, shy, unsure girl into the loud, crazy, confident woman I have become. And then as it always goes, teams come and go. My time at Grandview came to an end, and I thought my time on field hockey teams was over. I didn't think there would be another chance for me to play hockey.

And then Hendrix came along.

Oh, Hendrix. After taking a chance on the small, weird school, in the middle of Arkansas I am now playing on a team that I am incredibly proud to be apart of. Last year, our first year, was tough. Tougher than I might have even let on. I tried to be the best leader I could be, but in lots of ways I know I could have done better. Our team struggled on the field. Everyone saw that. But we struggled off the field as well. Yet, in the past week I can feel that things have changed. That Hendrix field hockey has come over that hurdle and we are growing into something bigger, something better. Again, I am not expecting to find the same experiences and same emotions as I did in high school. I can't do that. I will be let down if I do. On the flip side, I know I can find something more. Something bigger than I can even imagine. God has something in store. He always does. I am not going to desperatley try and find it. I am going to soak this all in. I am going to soak EVERYTHING in. I am going to let every practice, every moment, every bus ride, every game, every play count for something. I am going to work as hard as I can, give everything I got, because God gave me this chance to play the sport I love. Not everyone gets to always do that..I am so blessed. I am excited to see where this season goes. I am excited for Hendrix field hockey, Hendrix College, and for sophomore year. I won't be forgetting to praise Him as every moment unfolds. How could I? This is all God's glory. The beautiful friends I have that have already taught me so much, the opportunities at my fingertips, and the joy of being alive. This is all just a tiny piece of His extraordinary plan. Glory.