23 August 2009

Time is slipping away from me

I'm at this point in my life where I'm realizing a lot. That time really does pass us by too quickly. That there come times in our lives where we begin and end experiences for the last time. That you can be sitting somewhere, savoring the flavor of the moment and in what feels like nanoseconds, you're looking back, a year or two later, wondering where the time went.

I don't want this post to turn into a sappy, "my last first day of college" monologue, but I'm sitting in my precious little nook in my room where my desk, laptop, and printer reside, feeling somewhat like a baby journalist about to embark on a great adventure (NY in 5 months!), wondering where the time has gone.

It feels like just yesterday that I was sitting alone in my freshman dorm room because my roommate, who was a sophomore and who didn't need me like I needed a friend, hadn't even moved in yet. My mother had left me a note that read "Sic 'Em Sara! Love, Mom" and left without saying goodbye. I knew neither one of us could have handled that. So did she, apparently. I was so lonely, so scared of what the future held for me at Baylor. And now, here I am, living with my best friends who are also my sorority sisters. I'm 5 months from living in New York City, chasing my dream of being a big city journalist. And I've been dating an incredible man of God for four years who wants to spend his life with me. Really? I am already here?

I'm about the head to dinner with 5 of my very good friends for a senior year kick-off dinner where we'll order drinks and talk about our summers. I just never thought I'd be a college senior, ever. I hoped I would be, but I could never get a firm grasp on what that may look like in my mind. Now, I'm here. And its mesmerizing. I want to sit in this little nook forever and write. Write about my life up until now. Write about my experiences. My fears and my achievements. Maybe its time to start writing my book:)

I just don't want to forget any of this or let any moment pass me by.

I'm a college senior and time is slipping away before my eyes.

17 August 2009

Haunted houses and Mexican food

Yesterday, Luke and I, along with five of our friends, went to San Antonio for the day. We left camp at about 10:30 a.m., Jake with us in my car. Of course, we had to stop at the infamous "green store" to grab snacks and energy drinks for the road. Jacob and Rachel followed us to San Antonio in Jacob's jeep and Sarah and Andrew met us in San Antonio.

Once we arrived, we decided on Dick's for lunch, which is down on the Riverwalk. Lunch was obviously sarcastic and loud, but super fun! After lunch, the seven of us walked around the River Center Mall for about thirty minutes. Then we split up into two groups: Andrew, Sarah, Jacob, and Rachel headed over to the Alamodome to see the Cowboys practice; Jake, Luke and myself headed over to La Cantera to look for a necklace for Jake's girl, Erika. We met back downtown around 5 p.m.

At this point, Jacob and Rachel took off to Austin to meet up with Jacob's grandmother for dinner. The rest of us checked out the Guinness World Record Museum, the Tomb Rider 3D ride, and the Ripley's Believe It or Not Haunted House. The haunted house was crazy! We had to keep our right hand on the right shoulder of the person in front of us and I'm pretty sure Jake will have permanent fingernail marks from me on his shoulder:) Luke and I made wax hands at the museum by holding hands and dipping them in hot wax. It felt really weird, but I was pretty impressed with the finished product. After our touristy fun, we had dinner at Casa Rio on the Riverwalk. Dinner was sooo good; I love Mexican food!

This trip was much needed and super special since it was our last time to all hang out together for the summer. We took tons of pictures, laughed a lot, and made precious memories that I'll look back on when this semester gets rough.

To my incredible friends and bf: I love you all very much. Thanks for a great time!











05 August 2009

Where has the time gone?

I absolutely cannot believe that today is August 5, 2009. It feels like only yesterday that I was freaking out about flying to South Africa. Now, the summer is practically over, one of my little sisters turned 21 yesterday, and in a couple of weeks I'll be starting my senior year of college. [Not to mention applying to internships in NYC for spring 2010 and applying to law school for fall 2010!!] Where has the time gone?

South Africa was an amazing experience. I was there for about 12 days with an amazing group of college students and friends. We sang to over 7,000 people, loved on AIDS patients, and played with orphans all over the south coast. At first, I was super nervous to go because I'm not a great flier, but once I was there, God did an amazing work in my heart. I'm so glad that I went and I'll never be the same because of that trip. Success!!

This summer, I have had the joy and honor of serving as Camp Zephyr's Program Coordinator. This was my fourth summer at Zephyr, but my third to work in programming. We programmed three youth and three children's camps, as well as assisted in programming Bay Area Fellowship's Element youth camp. Let me tell you people, God never disappoints. He continues to grow and stretch me every summer, always more than I think I can handle. Another really awesome development from this summer has been that my boyfriend of four years, Luke Hinton, who has now worked at Zephyr for one full year and six consecutive summers, has been brought on as full-time staff at Camp Zephyr. This has been huge for him and for our relationship because he is now employed full-time, finishing up school, and is on salary with benefits before he has even graduated from college. God is honoring Luke's hard work in this ministry at Zephyr and His timing is perfect. We are super excited to see what God has in store for Luke, our relationship, and the future of this incredible camp.

And now...senior year. Umm, it starts in 19 days. Whaaat?! I can hardly believe it. It feels like just yesterday that I was that scared and lonely little freshman, bawling my eyes out because I missed everything familiar in my life. Yes, pathetic, I know. But as I look back, I would not change any of that experience for the world. It was one of those times in your life as a Christian that you are able to look back as say to yourself, "It was just me and God and no one else. I had to cling to Him with my whole heart and no matter how hard or scary or lonely it was, He grew me so much." I hope that each of you are able to say this at least once in your life. Now, on the 19th, I will move one of my baby sisters, Claire, up to Baylor and we will together start my senior year and her freshman year on the 24th. I called Claire the other day and told her that we are doing everything this year. Going to every home football game, hitting up Common Grounds all the time, going tortilla tossing off the suspension bridge, cooking dinners together, taking road trips, and anything else we can possibly think of to do together. Because in January, I move to NYC!! For anyone who does not know me very well, this has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. I am going to be, once again, out of my comfort zone, not knowing anyone, handling a new and unfamiliar city, on my own. Freshman year anyone? But I'm so excited, once again, to see how the Lord will faithfully grow and stretch me as I, once again, cling to Him with all that I am. I'm sort of overwhelmed when I think about all of this, but I know it will all be ok.

Up next, packing Claire and myself up and heading to Baylor. Then NYC internship applications, LSAT prep courses, and the LSAT in October and November. Geez, my life never slows down! It's my goal to be more faithful in blogging; y'all hold me accountable, ok? If I don't write (type) this stuff down, I'll end up holding it all in and eventually have an emotional breakdown, ha! We don't need this now, do we? Please say a prayer for me if you think about it. I could use all of the prayers I can get!

Prov. 4:23 <3