Small Town, USA

Mom, Dad, and Ben all got to spend a marvelous two days in Pikeville this weekend! It was just excellent! They got here and I took them on a tour of our small campus, showed them the grand tour of my bedroom, and spied on a wedding happening in the city park. We went to church together and then had dinner at a local barbecue place called Pig in a Poke. My family is the best and gave me all their leftovers for dinner tonight! We were so full from dinner we laid around the hotel for a little bit and then ventured out to Muscle on Main. This is an event held in downtown Pikeville where people can show off their cars. We got there just in time for the last few rounds of a blowout competition. A husband/wife couple competed against each other and I cheered for the woman of course! Good ole Alma gave those men a run for their money! To finish the night we all got tangerine swirl ice cream from Dairy Cheer. This was an amazing discovery that tastes just like a creamsicle. It was the real deal! Just writing about it makes me want one!

After sleeping in, eating at the breakfast buffet, and showering in a real shower (not a dorm room shower) we packed up and headed out to Breaks Interstate Park. This park crosses between Kentucky and Virginia. We hiked along and between the state lines and had so many beautiful views of the mountains. We also had a few family photo shoots. My favorite was getting my mom to climb up on a semi-dangerous rock ledge. I think I get my sense of adventure from her! Or maybe my favorite was when I hid under a fallen rock and Ben pretends like he is holding it up for me. My brother always takes care of me! Or maybe it was when I asked an old lady on an overlook to take a photo of all of us together... yeah, that might be the winner. It was a great day hiking, talking, laughing, and remembering. Remember when we went hiking all day and I got car sick on the way home and threw up on campus? Oh yeah! That was today! Regardless, still an awesome day! We finished up our time together at a local diner called Jerry's. After the rest of the family headed back north I sat on my front porch and read. When the quiet hit me I realized how much joy they bring my life. I don't think we were ever not laughing about something. It was a great weekend.

Luckily, I don't have to deal with the quiet for long. I have two more orientation programs and then I'm moving back home and we'll all be under the same roof again!

Next post: I have got to fill you all in on the coal rally I went to!

Whooah, we're halfway there!

... Living on a prayer!.. Well, not really a prayer, more like living on the orientation high. (We are halfway done with our summer orientation programs though.) I guess I should try to explain what that is. However, it's kinda like sororities and fraternities: from the inside looking out you could never explain it and from the outside looking in you could never understand it. I have some amazing people in my life that do a really good job trying to understand why I love what I do. For those of you I haven't talked to about it before here are some reasons.

- I love when students and parents first walk in the door and they have to check in separately. It is sometimes the first independent thing a student does in college.
- I love when the SOAR leaders take off their cool caps, act silly, and help families to relax.
- I love when I have to deal with a difficult parent because I know that student has a support system at home.
- I love when parents are honest about how hard it will be to send their baby away to college. (When they start to tear up, I start to tear up.)
- I love remembering all of the stories my mom has told about me and Ben on our college journeys.
- I love when students find a connection with their future institution. They start to make this place their home.
- I love when opportunities are provided for students to make new friends and then they stay up half the night talking and playing games.
- I love reading evaluations and knowing I did a job well done.
- Even more than that though, I love when a student starts class in the fall, sees their SOAR leader and says, "You were my SOAR leaders. I love going to school here!" That is when orientation is worth it to me.

All of these things combined with the energy and excitement of people on campus, staff members, new students, returning students, and people in between make my job so worth while. I'm able to make working around 30 hours over two days (the most exhausting two days!) more fulfilling than weeks of work sometimes. Nothing is better than loving what you do.

My parents (and maybe Ben) are coming to Pikeville this weekend to visit. I'm really excited to see them and to show off the little place I've become so attached to. My next post will have to be about our adventures here!

Pikeville Pride

I know it's been awhile since I blogged but I have been meaning to for quiet awhile if that is any consolation! I'm nearing the end of my third week at the University of Pikeville. The first week I did really well getting adjusted and figuring this place out. I met a lot of new people and remembered a ton of new names. This first weekend when no one was around was a little difficult but it was easy to bounce right out of my lonely slump because SOAR training started! This is the week that I met the students I would be supervising, got to know them, hang out, learn about UPIKE, and stay very busy! I feel like I have known all of them way longer than a week so far!

In between the end of training and Program 1 beginning I was able to come home for Memorial Day weekend. David and I grilled an amazing dinner one night! We both claimed it to be incomparable to anything we've ever grilled before. We also joined in with his parents and friends for a summer beer tasting. The weekend ended with the Gigliotti's getting back from vacation so I was able to see the little girls. The morning I made my way back to Pikeville my mom baked a cheese danish. It felt like a holiday having everyone together and such yummy food. I'm really looking forward to having my parents and brother come down to visit me here. I don't have many favorite places yet but I plan to give them the highlights! (That is a great future blog idea - the highlights of Pikeville.)

Program 1 happened on Tuesday/Wednesday and Program 2 begins Friday and ends on Saturday. I was really happy with how everything went! In fact, I kept my nerves and anxiety in check and handled everything very well I think! I love the excitement and fear and energy all mixed into a new crazy emotion that comes with starting college. It's contagious! I love what we do and what we offer. And I just so happen to think one or two lucky folks are affected by in. In fact, I heard a student say today that he changed during college. Imagine that!

Some things I am newly addicted to:
1) Falling into speaking with an Eastern KY accent. I wouldn't care to talk like that all the time :)
2) Vanilla-tangerine swirl cones from Dairy Cheer. Real life creamsicle!
3) Sundy Best - a KY country band that is amazing! I waiting to buy a tshirt and CD. Like them on FB.
4) Parks and Recreation. Reliving all the seasons? Why, yes, I do think that is a wonderful idea!
5) Watching this YouTube video that perfectly explains the people I am spending my time with this summer. Watch it here!

Wedding Weekend

My aunt, Monica, got married this weekend! It was amazing! Just a completely awesome ceremony as well as reception. Everything was phenomenal! I happen to live with both the matron of honor (my aunt, Maria) and a bridesmaid (my mom) so I got lots of the inside scoop! I remember back in December looking at the wedding to-do list thinking it could never all be done in a short amount of time. Well, it was done and done perfectly I might add. I had a blast and absolutely cherished being surrounded by love this weekend. Love comes with weddings but I felt it go deeper than that. Being surrounded by my extended family after being away for awhile was just a little bit sweeter.

I'm so fortunate to have been able to have a week off before starting my internship at the University of Pikeville so I could celebrate this occasion. Tonight is my last night in NKY before I head out to UPike in the morning. I've spent some time reflecting and because the wedding is so much so on my mind one thing keeps coming back to me. In a speech that was made at the reception a message my grandpa said to my parents when they got married was passed down. "Love is willing the good of the other." I began to think about the areas that I could apply this in my life now, even though I'm not married. Then, as corny as it sounds, I checked my Facebook and had a handful of comments from various people in my life and it clicked.

I can try to will the good of others in all aspects of my life. Can you ever have enough love in your life? Can you ever run out of love to give? I just felt so fortunate to have support from all areas of the country and aspects of my life. I'm not just going to Pikeville to be an intern. I am going there to love - to love what I am doing and who I am doing it with. I feel so fortunate to have already connected with some members of the UPike staff that I know care about me. As well as to have a family support system, a Norse network, and a JMU cohort who all support me as well.

I guess my point is, yes, it is very sad to leave home. It's hard to be separated from people you are connected deeply to but in the end I am opening myself up to the possibility of doubling the love and connection I already have. Just like with Monica and Brad's wedding - as Monica's niece I was able to experience her love and happiness but now as she is connected to Brad (and his family!) I am also able to benefit from his love and happiness as well. It is like a spreading chain reaction. Hopefully I can bring back all the love and experience from Pikeville to better those I already have connections with. In the same fashion I hope to leave lots of love at UPike as well.

With all my love (how fitting!),
Emily

Go Baby Go!

Friday I rushed home from Virginia (not an easy task when you have 7 hours to go!) listening to the new Rascal Flatts CD on repeat. I'm working on memorizing their songs to I can sing at the top of my lungs when they come to Cinci in July. After all that driving, I unpacked, got ready, picked up Tracy (who was in town for one day before moving to Florida for her summer internship), and went to an NKU party. I got to see lots of dear friends and mentors if only for a short time. Then I headed off on my drive to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby! I had been looking forward to this for the last few weeks of school. It was the perfect way to kick off my summer back in the Bluegrass!!

Since then I've been doing lots of sleeping, playing with my adorable cousins, spending quality time with David, and seeing lots of friends here and there. I feel like I am on vacation right now and then next week it's back to work.... except I'll be at the University of Pikeville. A new adventure!! I'm a mixture of nervous excitement but it's not too overwhelming because I still have a wedding at home to think about for the time being. My aunt is getting married this weekend and it is sure to be a wonderful time. (After we finished with the little details such as ribbon tying. But I am still looking forward to helping out because I've missed so much of the planning when I was away.)

So GO BABY GO is the motto for the next few weeks. It's getting me through this week at home trying to fit everything in. It's getting me through my summer internship trying to learn and give as much as I can. And it'll be getting me through July trying to keep a balance of productivity and relaxation!

GO BABY GO and look forward to some more posts from UPike!!

The Beginning of the End...

of the week, that is!

However, today does mark the beginning of my last week in Harrisonburg for the summer. I have a paper to proofread, an exam to take, and a whole lot of packing to do before I can leave. It's a bittersweet feeling being finished with my first year of grad school. What an accomplishment! I'm going to miss all of my CSPA friends so so much but I am looking forward to seeing some of my loves from all over the country at the KY Derby this weekend! And the weekend after that I'll get lots of family time at my aunt Monica's wedding.

And I'm don't have a catchy phrase for after that but I'll be beginning my summer internship at the University of Pikeville! Remember so long ago when I posted about it? Well it is finally almost here! I bought a shadow box on sale this past weekend that I am looking forward to filling with UPike memories!

Lots of changes with lots of quick turnaround usually means lots of stress for Emily - and I have been stressed but I'm getting through.. hope to see all of you who follow back home very soon! Keep me in your prayers.

April is half way over! {discoveries}

April is half way over! This means I am so close to May and May means my semester is over! It's been a crazy journey. In one of my classes we talked about being chefs of our own recipes which to me is kinda like being a guide of my own journey. Which reminds me of a piece of artwork I purchased when my mom was in Hburg visiting!!! We had an amazing time!! Hi Mom. Love you. Thanks for being a mom (first) and a best friend (second) but mostly, thanks for being there.

The artwork I purchased is from a local artist named Terri St. Cloud. You can check out more of her work at bonesigharts.com. The painting feels like a perfect description of my experience thus far. (I'm sure the blog doesn't even come close to comparing!) My picture is a water painting with this poem written on it:

there was no leader.

they explored together.

asking nothing

from each other

but honesty,

they discovered

themselves.

they discovered

friendship.

they discovered

real.

This represents my experience at JMU, in my program, with my cohort; at home, with my parents, my family, and David. I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to go after my dreams - to discover who I am meant to be.