http://www.sunherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/130418.html

Miss the moss-covered vines, tall sugar pines

Where mockingbirds used to sing

I'd love to see that old lazy Mississippi

Hurrying into Spring

The moonlight on the bayou

A Creole tune that fills the air

I dream about magnolias in bloom

And I'm wishin I was there

Please pray for my friends on the Gulf Coast.

Post #6

I haven't blogged in a while, mostly because nothing very new has happened. I have only 7 days of summer Greek left which is exciting and I'm looking forward to my first real semester. I'm feeling a bit more at home here, feeling more comfortable to be myself. In loud and chaotic places, I appreciate the solace of my quiet room.

I've spent a lot of time with my family which feels strangely wonderful. I keep feeling like I need to get all this time with them in before I go away again, and then I realize I'm not going away. It's nice.

On Monday I went to a meeting in the city put together by some Zetas. Zetas, if you don't know, are those belonging to Zeta Phi Eta, my college co-ed fraternity. They are some of the most awesome people I know and I was pumped to see them, and hopefully I'll keep seeing them! You see, we're trying to put together a New York professional chapter of Zeta. Professional chapters are for those who have graduated from college but still want to do Zeta-y things like community service and professional development stuff. I think it's great and will be a good escape from the Seminary bubble when I need it.

Ideally, something exciting will happen to me this week that I can write about.

Blessings!

In My Mailbox

Today in my little mailbox at school, there were two very exciting letters. The first was from the woman, Elma, I sponsor through http://www.womenforwomen.org. This program matches women who are living in war torn countries with sponsors who pay a small amount each month to help their sisters get vocational training. Elma is 20 from Bosnia. I was excited to see a letter in her own handwriting. I hope that in some small way our relationship helps to close the gap between "first-world" and "third-world" women and that it can be an example of peace.

Secondly, there was a letter from my friend, Aubrey. Aubrey was one of 3 women that became very important to me while I was in Europe for a semester. We have not been as close since then, but there is a bond that remains because of the amazing adventures we had there so I'm always very excited to hear from her (especially in a handwritten letter). Part of Aubrey's letter talked about her upcoming marriage which is so exciting. It served though in part to propel a debate/conversation in my own head about what I'm doing and what I'm doing in my life.

This summer has been sort of hard. Dorm life in a small town is not what I'm used to. After visiting some fabulous friends in Boston this weekend who live independently and roam around that awesome city, I realized my tiny room is going to take some getting used to. This is never what I imagined for myself for this point in my life. I do not regret for a second where I am, but I think I am beginning to understand the full weight of what I'm being called to and being called to give up. I am depending in a lot of ways on the charity and grace of others, trusting that God will provide what I need but probably not a ton of luxuries. This is alternatively frustrating, humbling and comforting.

I am also struggling with the fact that while moving so much has given me so many friends and experiences, it has not allowed me to grow roots, or perhaps rather to grow too many. For the first time last week I was really homesick for Mississippi. I cried on the way home from Starbucks where I was studying. Then I cried leaving Boston because I'm homesick for there too. I was looking at churches to intern in in Europe because I feel connected there.

I feel at home everywhere and no where all at once.

I realize that this is in many ways a wonderful problem to have, but it can still be hard.

I'll keep working on it.

Why it is handy to have lived in Mississippi

Because when I saw a giant roach (or Arthur as he is known to some) crawling out of my dorm room closet tonight, I knew what to do. First, I threw the thing I was holding (my Greek textbook) with perfect aim onto the bug. Then, having alarmed and dazed Arthur, but not completely killed him, I had time to grab the heaviest thing in my room that I could easily pick up to throw on him (my $180 Greek Lexicon). That did it. He is now in my garbage can.

Roaches bother me for a few reasons. Firstly, they survived even when the dinosaurs didn't. That's intense. Secondly, the old addage "they are more afraid of you then you are of them" doesn't really seem to be the case here. I've looked several in the eye and they are not terrifed, scared, or even the least bit concerned. And while I respect them for their determination and tenacity, I do NOT want them in my room.

One of those days...in a good way.

With my free time today, not needing to study since exam two is over and it's the weekend, I watched the movie Proof. I was curious to see it because I loved the play it was based on. The movie I thought was surprisingly good and very true to the play. If you are unfamiliar with the story, basically it is about a young woman whose father was an amazing mathematician. In his last years though he becomes incoherent and incapable of taking care of himself. She gives up school to stay home and take care of it. Post-death a proof is found and assumed to be his, but it turns out to have been written by her.

I like this story because it deals alot with what is concrete and what is provable and what is only provable because you can't prove the opposite. Aside from that, it asks alot of questions about greatness and where it lies. I am left with a question, What great things am I yet to accomplish? What novel, theory, or movement is waiting and sleeping within me?

Someone recently asked me what my greatest fear is. My answer was that I would get "stuck" somewhere for the rest of my life.

Yet, luckily and beautifully, there is freedom and change and propulsion and potential. I think sometimes God created an imperfect world on purpose so we could honestly and deeply feel when our struggles pay off, when wars end, when there is real equality, when homes are rebuilt, when women walk up the stairs of a seminary where they weren't allowed for a hundred years, and even when you pass an exam in a a language that was written thousands of years ago.

The question now is, what will I do first?

2 things

Ok so apparrently I didn't have the comment feature working on this blog. I think I fixed it now so feel free to leave lots of comments.

Secondly, in the midst of people dropping like flies from Greek (ok I know 2 people who dropped), being brought to tears (I can't believe they weren't mine) and being made to drink (I had 2 margaritas last night when I probably should have been studying some vocab...hmmm), I have been challenged to create...

THE PERFECT GREEK CHEER

(a la the Spartans' perfect cheers from Saturday Night Live).

Also, I sort of challenged myself. At dinner we were talking about that skit and I thought that said cryer might need the perfect cheer and then my friend said I should create said cheer.

So far I have: thanatou makes me thanablue
my perfect tense, is a mess
what ever will I do?

thanatou in it's actual greek letters means death.

Any ideas?

Let me not so much seek to be learn-ed as to learn?

Ok I have alot of catching up to do here. I'm going to do it in chapters.

Chapter 1: Moving

In one week I left my life in Mississippi (physically, not emotionally as that is proving harder to do) moved to NJ, gathered some stuff and moved to Princeton. During that time there was a road trip with two of my best friends from home, my Birthday, a welcome home party, and frantic gathering of things.

Somehow I managed to get myself together though to move in on July 6. The first thing I noticed was how laid back everything was. This could be only because it's the summer and everything is laid back in the summer, but I hope it lasts. For instance, I was preparing myself for a big to-do because I didn't have the money to pay for summer housing because I was applying for a loan. Instead when I told them that they were just like, Ok that's fine. As my Mom pointed out, at Emerson, it sometimes seemed like they didn't really want you there from all the hoops you had to jump through.

Then we got to my room. I closed my eyes and opened the door and...it was really nice! Big with lots of useful furniture. I moved all my stuff upstairs (by myself with no elevator) and Mom and I unpacked. Then after a fancy smancy lunch in Princeton we drove home so I could get ready for camping.

A funny side note about moving in...the first people I ran into in my building were these extremely tall, built women with athletic gear on...all of them. Hmmm...I thought to myself. Not what I expected from seminarians but alright I guess I'll be bulking up. Turns out the school was renting some rooms to the Women's National Rowing Team, some of whom are Olympic bound. That was good to hear since I don't like running or lifting so much. The other women on my floor are much more "regular" looking.

Chapter 2: In which I go camping and am attacked by a table.

My brother, Rebecca and a myriad of other folks go camping in Lake George every year. This was the first year I have been able to go, although it was only for one night. The weather was a little dodgy and we had some car issues but it was fun overall with a campfire, ice cream, games, and some beaching.

The first night we were there we were playing some games around one of those huge wooden picnic tables. Brett, Dave and myself were on one side winning, of course. When we decided to go to bed, everyone on the other side got up and I guess the table was on enough of an incline that it tipped over throwing the three of us to the ground.

Now what makes this hilarious (read my sarcasm) is that there were lit citronella candles on the table. I was sure I was in shock and just couldn't feel myself burning as I lay on the ground. Dave was completely covered with wax (not burned though) and Brett took an elbow to the head and was feeling quite sick. I was in fact not on fire, and miraculously neither was anything around us. I did walk away with a nasty bruise on my calf.

Who knew camping was so dangerous?

Chapter 3: It's all Greek to me

Within the first hour of Greek (required for PC(USA) ordination in order to translate the New Testament- read: I am not taking this out of my own freewill) I realized I would not be able to bullshit this. Sigh.

In general, I am learning Greek but I don't enjoy memorizations or things that mimic math- for instance, word A plus Ending C * object of a preposition= your sister. I'm dying for something creative. Not here I guess.

Luckily, the professor is awesome and hilarious and the preceptor (small group teacher) is also great.

Chapter 4: Could Princeton and Gulfport BE more opposite?

Princeton- Very wealthy
Gulfport- Not very poor everywhere, but the wealthy of Gulfport could not touch the normal people here.

Princeton- Liberal and Educated
Gulfport- Conservative and largely uneducated or educated in the bubble of the South

Princeton- Snobby
Gulfport- Warm and Friendly

Princeton- Contained and walkable
Gulfport- Huge with no sidewalks

Princeton- has no one I know
Gulfport- has too many people I love to count

Princeton- No fast food chains due to ban within city limits
Gulfport- You can't go outside without tripping over fast food places.

Chapter 5: Big Woman on Campus

I'm adjusting to life on campus, but it's eerie and quiet here now. There's only class and studying. We went to a party the first week we were here which was like the only thing on my planner for that week.

People are nice, I'm getting close to the women on my floor, and learning how different people here are from me. I know that sounds obvious but there's already been lots of "You believe that? Huh. Really."

There's also alot of academic one-upping going on. I think in undergrad we didn't want to seem nerdy so there was always some playing dumb happening. Not here. Alot of people are only too happy to list their degrees and trivial knowledge to you. Not always a ton of real life experience seems to accompany that though. I have to remind myself that I'm smart alot and that I deserve to be here. I just wish someone would start a conversation on 20th century theatre and/or education policies so I could prove it!

I'm going to try to be more up to date with my posts. Keep reading!