A week and a half is left until I leave. Holy. Fudge. I started packing already! I'm pretty sure this is the first time I haven't procrastinated in a long time. Go me!
The last couple days have actually been really great! The Strugglebus has clearly stopped for maintenance or something so I haven't been riding it so much. We did have a couple of tornadoes nearby from Tropical Storm Andrea. I drove back from USF during all of the warnings on the radio. That was an adventure.
I was at USF because I was speaking for the Office of Undergraduate Research in those khaki pants I was complaining about. The Orientation Team Leaders (OTLs) and some other speakers said I did a good job. Thank goodness! It was so much different being onstage than preparing for it. It seems like an obvious thing to say, but it is absolute truth. I couldn't get through a single run either in my head or out loud without pausing, laughing, or saying something strange or inappropriate. However, once I got up there with the mic in hand, I put on a performance just like I used to for dance shows or musicals in high school. I wasn't nervous once I actually spoke, but before that, I'm almost certain my heart was going to leap out of my chest. I survived this time and apparently looked pretty snazzy, too. One orientation down, two to go!
Speaking of speaking, I heard a fabulous message by the pastor from Elevation Church (I forgot his name - Steven Something? Shame on me!) It was about the gap between expectation and experience. I fit the model so well, it was sickening. I realized that I oftentimes try to impose my expectations on other people, but that's not right. Like Martha, who was complaining to Jesus about her lackadaisical sister, I sometimes miss the beauty of the experiences I'm having because I'm too focused on the immaculate vision fabricated in my mind. Things don't always go as planned, but there is always a reason for the place we end up.
I miss messages like that at my church because I feel like numbers are the main focus sometimes, and that's not what a walk with Christ is about. It's about following Jesus' example and living like Him. I'm Christian, but I honestly get sick of other Christians sometimes because they act self-righteous instead of selfless. The crazy ones, like the old guy in front of Cooper Hall that calls every passerby a whore, give us a pretty bad rap. I suppose every religion/set of believers deals with these stereotypes, though.
On a giddier note, I discovered I have an affinity for b-boy style dance. My background in gymnastics and dance are perfect for me to delve into it. A good friend of mine has some sweet moves that I want to learn. I miss dance a lot, but since my disk herniated, it's difficult to train like I used to. I hope this is something I can really get into because I've wanted to do something somewhat athletic, but creative as well. Maybe I'll find a crew; that would be awesome! All this jumping around has tuckered me out, so I'm going to snuggle in my blankets - a.k.a. the cloud. Goodnight!
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