Life at 23

On my birthday last year, I wrote a post entitled, "The Makings Of"  and gave you a little insight to the tweetables of my last few years, with headings designed after the mix cd titles my best friend Caity made me.

The final year, (as I was counting by school semesters really instead of year to year, which I am now doing) was left inconclusive. So, here's what you've missed, and here's how I got to be where I am today, 23 years in.

Year 22 Fall Semester:
I Guess We Made It, or At Least We Made it this far. 22. 
First semester of my Master's degree was characterized by anxiety, waiting, depression, and the Lord.

-Moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland
-Traveled to Paris, France 
-Fall hard out of love 
-Began writing for a content developing company 
-Gained a second nephew, Samuel Jonathan 

My people: 
Noah Baslé
Leslie Lancaster (penpal)
Kristina Grimes Pugatch (cousin)
Trifecta and Kira/Abby (via text)
Anna (monthly skype friend)
Elaine (housemate)
David Tinsley (gardener)
Hadden Wilson (boss)
My mom

Nobody Likes You When You're 23

Ironically, that just wasn't true for this past January to December. 

No semester/year could have been more different than those first four months in Ireland. 

I'm happy, I'm healthy, I'm loved. 

-Made friends

-Second semester of Master's degree 

-Traveled to Prague, Czech Republic

-Traveled to Vienna, Austria

-Traveled to Scotland (and white water canoed into the Loch Ness. Epic) 

-Dyed my hair for the first time ever (dark brown/black) 

-Re-met and subsequently fell for Julius Walt

-Married off my best friend to her best friend 

-Moved to Arkansas into Glenwood Gables 

-Began working for John Brown University as an Admissions Counselor 

-Dyed my hair red 

-Finished writing Master's thesis 

-Traveled to Belfast to graduate from Master's thesis 

-Gained a goddaughter, Fiona

My people: 

-Eli Zuspan and Emily Orf 

-Amy Burnside (Belfast Bff)

-Naomi Deering (BBFF) 

-Lauren, Kiera, and Lynsey (BBFFs) 

-Jo, Amy Finlay, Emma (Master's mates) 

-Megan (BBFF)

-Leslie Lancaster

-Peter Myers

-Adam Howard

-Kristina Grimes Pugatch (cousin)

-Trifecta and Kira/Abby (via text)
-Anna (monthly skype friend)
-Elaine (housemate-belfast)
-David Tinsley (gardener)
-Hadden Wilson (boss)
-Sarah Cowles and Liz Chance (AR housemates)
-Madison Stewart
-Tracy Balzer, Kristi Neerman, Perri Blake (mentors)
-Julius Walt

A Three Post Day: Birthday Bio

She's been the talk of the blog lately, but today is Leslie Lancaster's birthday.

I think she is great.

Leslie and I became friends three years ago during the summer when we roomed together in Belfast for a trip.

While there, I learned a few things about her:
-Leslie is a very deep human who consciously constructs and conducts herself with others. She doesn't say or do things lightly, which I appreciate. And, if she feels as though she has spoken or behaved rashly, she is quick to communicate a thoughtful apology.
-Leslie secretly likes sneak attack cuddles.
-Leslie appreciates the opportunity to observe before she joins and, though she enjoys feeling included, she does not appreciate when she is added in a way that feels forced.

Since then, I have grown to find in Leslie a friend of unswerving loyalty, of truth, of very good thoughts, of very challenging questions, and of some very odd talents (How many of your friends have whittled you an elephant before?).

Sometimes, the in-person stuff for us is hard. We always like to spend time with one another, but a lot of our friendship is through paper and pen, even when we lived on the same campus.

Through that mode, I have not only had a safe place for myself to process life, but I have had the honor of hearing my private friend sift through her own questions and concerns.

In Leslie, I have found a friend for life, and I am so thankful to celebrate the world keeping her for yet another year.

The Makings Of

Today is my twenty-second birthday.
Old, but I'm not that old. 
This is also the first birthday that I've actually truly felt ready to be the age I'm turning. I remember driving around Tulsa on the eve of my twentieth in an absolute panic, not ready to leave my teenage years.

For this birthday post, I'm going to drive you on a brief tour through the past six birthdays. Each section heading is the name of a mix CD my best friend Caity made for me on every birthday. Also, it should be noted that since I'm a student, the years are counted by grade.

Dance Like You're 18

It's senior year of high school, characterized by determination.
I was out to stick it to the world. Who I was was what I was involved in or achieved:
-Student Council Chaplain
-Worship team leader
-Debate team
-Winter Guard captain
-Swim team member
-Bowling team captain
-National Honor Society
-National French Honor Society
-French Club vice president
-Salutatorian (co-salutatorian with Fran Brower. Our speech at graduation was absolutely so fun).
Traveled to:
-Colorado with the senior class
-Chicago with AP Biology and AP Art
Notables:
-Acquired the friendship of a Miss Caity Kullen (Roberts) and, with Haley Vogt, formed the Trifecta.
-Gained an entire friend group due to a popular girl deciding I was "hott" one day.
-Niece Gianna Aloisio born to brother Joey and wife Cristin
-Brother Jacob married to now wife Allison
"My People":
Haley Vogt
Caity Kullen
Dehra McGuire
John Brothers
Taylor Pride
Will Watkins
That Summer, I lifeguarded and taught the Naval Art of War (canoeing) at New Life Ranch and got my nose pierced.
19: Eat your feelings. Boyfriend forgot the birthday. 

Welcome to my Freshman year of college!
The first semester was an absolute dream. Everybody's first semester of college should be like mine.
Timeline:
-Tried out for a play for a joke. Scored one of six parts. Annelle in Steel Magnolias. 
-Had a super tight friend group of artsy type folks. Spontaneous dancing, singing in trees, and group adventuring was a must.
-First boyfriend. Fell in love--hard.
-Spontaneously traveled to Chicago with a carfull of friends.
-Eating disorder hit highest point of unhealthy.
-Best friend literally lost her mind. Was thousands of miles separated from her.
-Boyfriend shattered my heart.

-Lost entire friend group. The ex got custody, apparently.
-Fell in love with Jesus--hard--in an absolute, final way.
-Delivered completely and instantly from eating disorder.
-Joined a band with friend Jordan Weeks.
-Presented a paper at a regional academic conference.
-Reconnected with camp best friend Kira.
-Restoration of best friend's sanity. Thank you, Jesus.
Spent the summer in Tulsa with Kira and Haley. Lifeguarded at the Jewish Community Center. Together, we created Monday Game Night. Everybody the three of us collectively knew in Tulsa came. It was a blast.
My People:
Matt Tintera
Abby Fennema
Allison Harper (roommate)
Peter Myers
Adam Howard
[the mass rest of the "granola poser" friendgroup]
Trifecta & Kira

20 Years Young
Made it! Helloooooo junemore year! (I combined sophomore and junior year)

This was a year characterized by dryness and slow growth. Not a good year, not a bad year. Just kind of...existent.
I was an orientation leader with Drew Duffy and also an Honors Orientation Leader of six blonde girls.
That, actually, was truly significant. I continued to mentor one of those girls throughout the remainder of my time at JBU.

Got a job working as a content developer for Creative Content Experts.
During Spring Break, I went to Jackson, Mississippi for a week long missions team thing and dug a trench.
Gained niece Libby Rose, born to brother Jon and wife Emily.
I presented my favorite college paper at a regional academic conference (the sacramental theology of spit)
This was also the year of my...boycott. It's exactly what it sounds like. I didn't do it legalistically or as a rule, there were just a lot of instances which occurred the second half of my Freshman year/summer that really put me off to any form of interaction with guys.
That summer I traveled to Northern Ireland with the Family and Human Services team. Fell in love with the country and culture. The rest of the summer, I interned for Tate Publishing. Among other things, I actually got to be both the ghost editor and "back matter" writer for a whole book. 
My people:
Lauren Ware (roommate)
Laura Parker (first semester)
Abby Chestnut (second semester transfer)
Anna Jackson (a reconnection from camp years)
Tracy Balzer (mentor)
Trifecta and Kira

Young and Wild and 21
Senior year was characterized by deep satisfaction and fountains of happiness and joy.
Sure, there were struggles and anxieties and I was really busy most of the time, but it was very near perfect.

-Orientation leader with Steve Sullivant.
-Class mentor for a Freshman Orientation Harry Potter course
-Spoke in chapel.
-Fell in love again, different than the first time.
 -Began mentoring another girl in addition to my H/O blonde.
-Taught Sunday School
-Played a pink panther and an assassin in another JBU production
-Wrote for the Threefold Advocate student newspaper
-Traveled to Chicago again for a weekend "immersion" trip.
-Lived in an intercultural townhouse. Abby and I found them on the eaglenet classifieds. It was amazing. A vanilla latte dream of latina/gringa goodness.
-Best friend Kira engaged to Tyler, best friend Caity engaged to Greg, niece Ella born to brother Jacob and wife Allison.
-Was accepted to Denver Seminary and Queen's University, Belfast.
-Spring Break Missions in New Orleans. Learned how to insulate a house.
-Wrote two books: WaterWorks and Woodsy
-Presented work at a national academic conference in Wisconsin.
-Placed 4th in a national writing contest for a paper on homelessness. 
-Graduated John Brown  University
-Cut off 9 inches of my hair.
The summer was spent in two parts. The first, I waitressed at Ted's Cafe Escondido. It was great learning experience, but I was unable to continue. The second, I worked with  my father at Iron Cross Automotive. Loved it. On the weekends, though, I trekked up to Siloam Springs and got loved on by my best friends. It was perfect. The best year of my life. No regrets.

My people:
Noah Baslé
Abby Chestnut (roommate)
The Perch (housemates)
Madison Stewart
Becca Ridings (Irish studies roommate)
Leslie Lancaster (Irish studies roommate)
Kristina Grimes Pugatch (cousin)
Steve Sullivant
Daniel Williams
Andrew Layden
Peter Myers
Adam Howard
Trifecta and Kira
Anna
Tracy Balzer (mentor)

I Guess We Made It, or At Least We Made it this far. 22. 

Results inconclusive.