throwin down rocks, puttin down some seeds...

Welp, we leave bright and early tomorrow morning so this should be my last post til i get there! We can only use the internet a little each week so we'll see how often updates can happen...but guess what? I think i'm ready to go. Pretty crazy. Not gonna lie though, the weather here in CA makes me want to stay a little bit longer. But not really!:) Yarping is like the tightest thing ever so make sure you do a lot of it. We've got an ending banquet tonight as we get prepared! This should get us ready for all that food they'll feed us when we get there. Chinese banquets are supposed to be SUPER tight with more food than you could possibly eat. They're pretty much awesome. My team once again is hilarious...Today i did a reenactment of our "Random Attack Friday" from Dwight...fyi- we don't attack, we just run and tackle each other in love:)...I reenacted the time i thought this girl was laura at impact stuff and ran from the entrance of the MSC and tackled her and found out that in fact she was not laura nutter! such a bummer! She was thoroughly freaked out and kinda ran away from me...major awkwardness. Elise you have rubbed off on me.

Fish Carl- thanks for the note man! i look forward to hearing more about your internship this summer through comments!

to the green side (aka laura nutter) from the purple side (me)...our room is purple and green if you didn't know!- you are AMAZING!!! i love you so much and appreciate my gift so much...it's the first thing i see when i wake up in the morning!

Mom, Dad, Kimbo, and Chunk-I love you guys! Don't worry mom. I started taking my malaria pills earlier today:) and we got the speech about food too...i'm in good hands!

Well as my friend DO likes to say, next time I talk to you, triple peace from the far east!:)

In the words of Crush from Finding Nemo..."You so totally rock (Squirt!)" and that goes out to all of you...You are such a great encouragement to me!
Lata!

Xie xie ni gei wo de ai...Thank you for the love you've given me...

Yep, that's right. My first posting from LA aka Riverside, where I really am. The title is this awesome Chinese song we have learned and don't worry...i WILL be buying the CD and bringing it home to jam to. Well, how's it going you may ask? It's totally awesome! I'm still nervous about actually teaching but I'm getting over that fast! My teacher team is so tight...7 girls and 2 guys! So much fun! It's me, bonnie (family friend of jon t's!), adrian, summer, jen, alicia, charity, matt, and chris. We're pretty goofy and have a lot of fun! I do have to say though, way too much inside time at this point. I love being outside here! 75 degreesish and SUNNY! We went and ran around our campus last night and that was pretty entertaining. Don't worry, I have kept my nice, slow, and steady pace:) I really like the people here and getting to meet new ones. It's so fun to see yourself with new people and how you start taking roles you never thought you'd assume...sweet. I'm getting stretched already...and guess what?!!! I am getting to stay overnight in Japan on my way over to China! WHOOP! SOOO EXCITING! My first time in California has been super tight. I'll try and get one more post up before I head halfway around the world. You guys are absolutely amazing! Have a really awesome week!

Peaced out of Big D, Chillin in LA

Hey guys...So seriously weird but exciting! I leave TOMORROW morning! The Circuit 2 is fully loaded, all 30 pounds...it should be a solid continual workout in China:) It has been a crazy mad rush since getting back from Canada, but a good one. I will miss my guitar lots, we have grown rather attached...but ya know, i'm not going to China for my own purposes! Oh and don't get me wrong, i will miss more than my guitar :), people too! I'm terrified, nervous, excited, soooo ready to go, and disbelieving that this is finally happening, and all in one. Daddy totally knows what he's doing so i'm just chillin in that knowledge. Victory!!! And I even get to teach in my chacos and t-shirt and shorts...heck yah! It makes me sad that United States school's don't follow this trend of dress as well for teachers...i could get used to it. I keep thinking of this quote from the movie Miracle, that says, "I'm not looking for the best players, I'm looking for the right ones." Yep, I think that about sums it up. Thanks Herb Brooks...great movie for sure. To all you who've been crazy with everything this last month, i'd definitely call it a privilege to have been yarping for my tight family (YOU!). I don't know when the next post will be but keep looking for it! Time to head out on the craziest adventure ever...and I cannot wait! Sweet! I'll do my best to keep you posted on what's going on. Have an absolutely wonderful day!

Oh Canada....how funny you are!

So I got back from family vacation last night and let me tell you, it was tight. First we went to Calgary (a "city") and it was about 50-65 degrees...shopped, that stuff kimbo likes to do (shopping's not really my thing) but did go through this absolutely amazing park on the Bow River!!! I could've stayed there all day with my guitar and a good book or two (i'm a nerd for sure!)...so pretty! On thursday we peaced out and drove up to Banff (a little ski village) and chilled some and looked around as the AWESOME Canadian Rockies surrounded us. Friday was my fav though...we hiked to Johnston's Canyon and saw the waterfalls and Jon Tettleton at the age of 75 i promise you... After some lunch stuff, we went to Lake Louise which is absolutely gorgeous! The water is turquoise or tealquoise for you asher folks...We checked out it's five star hotel, the Chateau Lake Louise after the coolest hike ever! We walked around the lake and then hiked up to Lake Agnes (and let me tell you, it's a HIKE!) where they have a teahouse these people live in during the summer on top of the mountain. How cool is that? I could totally live in a teahouse on top of a mountain in Canada...that sounds like something i'd do... Then it downpoured on the way back down around 30 degrees i'd guess. But still, it was sweet. I'd been looking forward to canoeing for awhile as you know and Saturday was the day. However, the weather had different plans unfortunately and as I got up that morning, it was SNOWING!!! We went and saw Batman Begins (too intense for me but a good story) and then we went and bummed around two other five star hotels in Banff...it was really fun! we stayed in a condo (all you need is a place to sleep right?) but checked out these other placces and ate dessert there. Sunday morning we heard that the weather would be better so we decided to hike up Sulphur Mountain and eat breakfast and take the Gondola back down. You can see several different valleys from up there and it's SO pretty! Well little did we know, the snow had not melted and we got up and started hiking at 8am...After a mile or so, we encountered a FOOT of snow for the last two miles up and twenty-eight (yes i counted!) fallen trees in our path we had to climb over. Insanity! Two hours and fifteen minutes after we started, jeans wet to the knees, hiking boots and socks completely soaked, and two sap-covered, freezing hands later, we reached the top. Now that's a new level of dedication to hiking for my family. But now, i'm back and getting prepped for China! Packing time! Peace out and have a fantastic day!

"My soul is an island, my car is a Ford..."

Yes, that's right...that is the title of this one! But no, don't worry...neither of those are true. Chaney (my little sister) and I were watching tv the other day and she likes to quote that now... basically we think that's just funny so i told her i'd put it up...Tomorrow I leave with the fam for CANADA!!! Yes, thank you Mike for reminding me who i can attribute my canoeing skills to! I am forever endebted to that little kamp in Missouri with those cool trip guys for helping me brush up on those skills as my kampers floated away having no idea what they were doing...:) And pudding drops are actually fun...it's just that brief sensation of a foreign object dropping directly into your mouth from three feet above that gets me! Anyways, super pumped about this and it should be some good family time before China! Yesterday marked 16 days til China, one month til my birthday, and exactly two months til Alpha Impact! Sweet! So this trip to Canada should be pretty tight...My older sister Kimberly and I are thinking we could revisit the site of Hard Rock Cafe in Banff where she gave me the infamous manners lessons in eighth grade...so funny! Life with us is pretty entertaining I think...Given that our last family trip in Colorado resulted in driving through the mountains with the windows rolled down and a random bat running into the open window and getting bat blood and guts all over us and the brand new WHITE suburban, we should be in for a treat. Or then there's the more recent episode of celebrating Chaney's 19th birthday when we sat down to eat at Ball's Hamburgers and then some airport workers sat by us and proceeded to shake the mustard bottle and it got all over the floor, us, our food, and the wall behind us when the top flew off...I don't think i've laughed that hard in awhile! Well anyway, now you have some good insight of things to look forward to when I get back from Canada! THEN LA AND CHINA!!! I've never been to either of those places!!!! take good care of yourselves and have a good week!

Jello...and so much more!

So today i went and continued my hopping in Dallas for Dad. I went to Morning Star which was pretty sweet. It was a pretty different experience from the last place i checked out, but a good, encouraging different. i don't know if i'll go back but i really liked it and was encouraged by the family they have there. Oh and the jello? well i think i might be addicted to jello...lime (i must be living with laura too long:) preferably and i like the chocolate pudding too which is surprising b/c i haven't liked pudding since pudding drops at kamp...i mean having pudding dropped on you is pretty nasty... anyway, excitement is building and we're heading up to canada to go hiking and hopefully CANOEING!!! my personal favorite...i just like the outdoors a whole lot...i may be slow but i sure do enjoy it! FFOs or fun family outings are always a party with my fam. Canoeing and hiking at Lake Louise! YES! victory! and on that note, peace out...

so pumped!

well, so close...almost there! it should be a pretty sweet trip up to the mountains in Banff before i head on out halfway around the world. let's get the party started...i'm pretty much ready and have been since exams got out! i'm going to miss a lot of people and i am especially still missing some peeps at kamp but i know Dad knows exactly where i need to be and i am completely confident in that. the fact that i have to miss my jess's wedding and i didn't even have the thought of changing my mind occur once is a great continual reminder that this is where i'm supposed to be and there is no greater feeling than that...though of course i am sad i won't be there sweet jess! in the meantime til my exciting, out of d-town adventures occur, i am attempting to make the most out of my home time and be content in it since i know i'm supposed to be here right now... in about 20ish days, me and the good old circuit 2 (my backpack in case you aren't familiar with the lingo!) will be traipsing across a foreign land! i can't wait to meet my kids!!! and my co-teachers as well! more later, i already type too much and i'm not even there yet!

chillin in good ole cs with a nut

still getting ready to head over...i got my placement the other day!!! so tight b/c a lot of that book i've been reading (see previous post) takes place in the specific place i'm going...kinda one of those books coming to real life craziness! right now i'm in cs chillin and practicing using this thing...i'm so looking forward to meeting my middle school chitlins around july 1st! super tight! for jon and do, i wonder if they'd think i'm a spice girl or something based on your time there? hilarious...anyways, i am absolutely loving how Dad is so perfectly planning every part of this trip and getting my team together....we've been emailing about ourselves, it kinda feels like a dating service, "i like this, i play this, etc."...laura suggested i write that i like long walks on the beach...so funny! high point of the day was definitely an answer to reyarp! i saw caitlyn from that home on rock prairie who i hadn't seen in months at the movie theater today and we're hangin tomorrow!!! yah Dad!!!!!!!!!!! excitement in that cannot be contained! that's about it...more to come i'm sure!

Getting Pumped!

Well, my buddy Roy told me i could make one of these as I head over to chinatown...or china country, whatev! I'm getting really pumped for this trip! i keep learning lots of things from dad that i know i need to get through my thick skull before i get over there, or at least begin learning about them...i've been reading a tight book about a man from up there who used to live in china... i love reading it! yup that's it for now...later!