Ice Skating!

Oh, today was fun. I cannot fully express with words how fun it was ice skating with Lishbe and her friends in Bryant Park's ice skating rink called "The Pond". Her two Hunter friends, Aisha and El, definitely made the experience all the more enjoyable. We waited for an hour and a half to get in, but it was completely worth it. I really got to know Aisha, who is originally from England, very well and she was so much fun to be with! I feel calmer about my trip to England, my six months there, my exploration of Europe, and so many other aspects of my trip just by talking to her. Amazing. Food is cheaper in the UK than in Manhattan, it is free to receive calls and texts in the UK, and English is actually considered the best undergraduate major to have in England.

Ice skating was fantastic. El skates as fast as a pro, whipping past the crowds. We had quite a bit of fun joking about the "pretty boy" security guard and oh, it just brought me so much happiness, looking up at the huge Christmas tree in the park and the red and green lighted Empire State building to the side. The city is so beautiful at night. Best of all, I was able to savor the moment, really savor it, and I know in my heart that this is why this trip abroad is going to be amazing, because it lets me LIVE the moment. No pondering about the past, no worrying about the future, just living the present and laughing it out loud, having a fantastic time. It's what we're all meant for, this happiness, this joy, this trust in Him and His peaceful will for us. Thanks be for His amazing ways.

Sunday

Time passes fast. Cliche saying I know, but it's days to 2009 and I can't believe it's half past my junior year of college. But as I sit here, reflective, I'm happy to say I don't have any regrets about my college experience, I wish I could take back some mistakes I made, but I don't regret anything I actually experienced. Rather, I'm extremely grateful for all that I've gone through, light or dark, easy or arduous. All of it is a testimony to His faithfulness and purpose in my life to bring me exactly where He wants me, and what more could I possibly ask for? Today especially I thank Him for His everlasting peace.

I've stopped panicking so much and fretting over the details of the trip and started enjoying the process. I'm not all packed, and there's plenty more to be done, but I've got a fun day in the city with Joanna and Tiana and I'm going to enjoy myself ;) Afterall, I'm in New York City, home sweet home.

Christmas Day

I'm glad my first entry in a blog devoted to this new journey the Lord is taking me on falls on the day we celebrate our Savior's birth. What better way to start my adventure than to be grounded in what it's all about? ;) Thanks be to Him!

Looking back, there are no words to describe how different I am from the way I was before college, especially before I met Him and there's no going back--just like this trip. I'm convinced that this adventure will change me, and I hope with all my might that it will for the better. After all, one of the main reasons I'm going abroad is to find an independence from people and of actual, unconditional dependence on Him.

I must admit that being back home has definitely jumpstarted my journey towards a better understanding of myself. Today, for example, really opened my eyes to the value of being with family on Christmas day. I haven't seen my cousins since more than a year ago and I missed being able to just BE with them and not having to worry about anything else. I love my surrogate families in Indiana and I would do anything for them, but there's just something about having that connection with my own family that I can't name but I feel very blessed to be in the presence of.

I'm glad to be back home with my parents. That's a really bold statement for me to say, given that just a few days ago I was really nervous about coming back home given the way my parents challenge my faith sometimes. Things just aren't always fun back home, and yesterday night wasn't the most fun per se, but I've realized more and more that my parents really do need me. Yes, they will bicker and push me especially with my career goals and etc., but I can tell by how they go out of their way to make me feel at home that they missed me and as much as we disagree, I really missed them too. After all, they're my parents and no matter what, I'll do anything I can to take care of them to the best of my ability.

As for my trip, I'm concentrating on buying necessary items in the States right now and getting things done so that I won't have to worry so much abroad, such as getting Skype names :) aka, if you haven't already, please give me your Skype name so I can talk to you for free when I'm abroad via the internet phone program rather than by actual phone. Well, I'm off. As the Britons say, "cheerio," and Merry Christmas!