Where I'm From

It's been awhile, blog spot! Since my last blog and now it has almost been a month! That is far too long for me not to be updating. The worst part about this is that I had to get out my planner to see what I had done in the past month! My planner is my life. Since my last blog here are some of the activities that are worth noting:

• I was trained to serve on Judicial Council as a graduate student representative. It was a 7 hour training on a Saturday!!
• I had my second portion of Orientation to the CSPA program. We did so much adjusting on our own that the highlight was a free lunch voucher!
• I taught my first PYCH 402 course on my own and will have done so 4 times after this week. My students are practicing presentations so I'm not teaching content but I am giving feedback. I love being in a classroom so I am really happy I get to work with them.
• I volunteered at the Center for Multicultural Student Services' Homecoming Step Show with my friend Maggie. I can't wait to attend it next year. It got intense! Maggie and Craig made me dinner than night so after volunteering I made them Skyline dip! We ate the whole thing so I hope they liked it!
• One of my professors had my entire cohort over for a cookout at the beginning of October. It was the first really brisk day of the season so we ended the night with mugs of hot apple cider. It was so fun! We went over there again tonight for a spaghetti dinner and got to meet his two children. They both attend other universities and it was good to put a name with a face and swap stories.
• I visited home again since the last time I blogged and attended a wedding on David's side of the family. I also got to get together at the Raap house and had sooo much fun seeing everyone. It felt like a mini reunion! David and I did lots of different things that weekend - playing with my baby cousins, PowderPuff football tournament at NKU (which Ben was in charge of!), seeing David's sister and brother-in-law's new house, attending a musical at NKU with David's other sister, going to church, and having brunch with my parents at First Watch. It was such a good weekend home that it made this weekend, Family Weekend at JMU, bittersweet.
• As some of you know, I have had issues with my "itchy leg syndrome" for over a year now. This past week was the final straw! My legs started swelling actually and I think their was an infection. I spent an afternoon in urgent care talking to three different nurses/doctors before I finally ended up with a steroid shot and three prescriptions! Hopefully now things will get better and over Thanksgiving break I can see a dermatologist to help treat the scars from the rash/infection/disease or whatever it was I had.
• I volunteered for the concession stands at the football game yesterday and it was crazy! Technically, it was my first JMU football game since being a student here. Luckily, there is one more home game in November that I'll be able to attend and I can actually enjoy the stadium food rather than serve it!

Now that I have filled you in on some of the more exciting things in my everyday life I want to take the opportunity to share some poetry I wrote for a class. In second class meeting in my Thursday class we all had to share and write "Where I'm From" poems which most of my Kentucky friends have either written or heard about before. Of course, I was tearing up when everyone else shared which made it much harder to not cry when I read my own  out loud. I've written a few before this but this is the one that I shared with the class. In honor of Family Weekend at JMU and being squished at CCM for Mass this morning I thought it would be appropriate to post tonight. Hope you enjoy and can see or understand one of the many ways my life has been touched.

Where I’m From

Emily Romito

I am from a UK blue Berk’s Landscaping sweatshirt, from Graeter’s Ice Cream and Skyline Chili.

I am from the silence of sadness to the overwhelming joy of a child’s contagious giggle.

I am from the sunflowers as tall as the roof, from Mom cutting the lawn and Dad cooking dinner.

I am from rosary’s said on road trips and always being freezing cold, from Pasquale and Paul to Claire Madonna and Sarah B.

I am from having eyes bigger than my stomach and growing food babies, from worrisome headaches and compassionate understanding.

From “I am so proud” and “You better not fight because all you have is each other.”

I am from changing churches but staying strong in my faith as I grow on my own. All Saints with Mom and Dad, St. Joseph alone, and St. Paul having David to hold my hand.

I am from The Jewish Hospital and Italian Catholics, black eyed pea hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day and Grandma Mary’s pot roast which only exists as a mouth watering memory.

From the fish bowl that fell on my foot, the only pets I ever had, the valiant rescue by my father, and the cries of “Michele” desperate for help.

I am from shoe boxes in the closet storing memories of life and love, high upon a shelf. Out of sight but ever present in everything I do, I am.

Wine and Cheese Night

....was a blast!! I had so much fun tonight with my other CSPAers. After a really really hard week it was just what I needed! There was plenty of cheese in all different forms and of course lots of wine too! I brought an Ohio wine from when David and I visited a winery together. It's made with a special kind of grape from Ohio and was so yummy that I almost wish I waited to share it with him. But he said it was okay that I brought it so I guess we'll just have to go to a Virginia winery around me sometime and buy something new!

Since my last post I had some time to think about what I was trying to verbalize and tonight I had the chance to rephrase it and share it with people in my program. It was so nice knowing that they knew, understood, and felt it too. So here goes it - I feel like I love the people in my program and really couldn't be luckier to have them as my support system but when comparing them with my friends from home I feel like something is missing. I don't have to explain my back story to people at home because they lived through it with me. I also don't particularly want to share my back story with people here because it is so far in my past. My final conclusion to it all was not that one is better than another but that the relationships I am forming are different. Maybe I will share things one day, maybe not. But right now anyone of my relationships at home feels like family, mentally and emotionally I have included my friends in the category of family. In Harrisonburg though, the people in my program are my friends. I'm learning how to have friends again! Does that make sense? I'm learning how to trust others, open up, make conversations, etc. You know though, I am still incredibly grateful when I think of them. We do have a special bond - one of friendship, one that I am learning to define.

Last blog I wrote about things I was looking forward to (wine and cheese night being one of them!) Life works in crazy ways though. This week was awful. I just had a difficult week all around! To give a little run down: hard days at work, overload of homework that I feel behind in but I'm really probably not, my legs are extremely itchy and torn up (Thanks for the doctor's appointment mom! I had some more small infections this week as well.), my credit card bill came in and I own lots of money, my paycheck hasn't came in for six weeks so I don't have any money, my contract hasn't gone through at JMU yet so my tuition hasn't been paid so I have a hold on my account AND owe $9,000 (which will be paid by the program eventually but still!), my rent is due, my computer broke and can't recognize my web cam or printer anymore (translation - Skype doesn't work! I miss David! I miss the girls! I miss my parents?! What?! j/k :), this weekend is Jason's birthday and Race for the Cure and I can't go home because I have a seven hour training tomorrow for a volunteer position!! Whoa!! Whew!! TGIF for sure!!

I thought about not blogging about all this negative stuff but this stuff is my life. If you don't like reading it I suggest you just stop then. This is my life. If I only put the happy stuff up when I go back through it nothing will seem real to me. Things aren't always wonderful but things are always possible. I know I'll move on and get through everything I said but in the moment it is hard to focus on anything else. The encouraging text messages (Daddy) have been really great. I also love love LOVE getting mail in my mail box! I try to check my mail box twice a week but usually I have old mail from the guy who lived here before me, bills, or the town newspaper - talk about depressing! So send me some love too if you can :) I just bought a book of stamps so I can start sending out some cheer of my own.

I liked the things I'm looking forward to segment last time so to end on a positive note here are some things:
1) Talking to Hannah tomorrow at lunch time.
2) Taking time to clean my apartment and do laundry!
3) Catching up on homework this weekend but also going to a movie with the cohort.
4) Homecoming week at JMU, including the Step Show!
5) Finding a time to have my neighbors (cohort neighbors not the other ones) over for dinner at my place


PS - I know this is a late post and a little more touchy feeling that usual. What about the middle of the night makes people open up? (Mom, you were always right about talking on the phone with boys late at night! Sorry for all the times I thought I could handle trying to be grown up. I can hardly growing up now so when I was 15 I should not have been chatting up boys past midnight!!) But anyway, I had an iced tea before wine and cheese night to keep me awake... I've been home a little bit now and it's back fired! I'm not ready to fall asleep yet - so says my caffeinated body anyway.

Time to take a breather

It is so easy to get caught up in... life! The every day things start to take over and I begin to process my world in list form. Breakfast, drive, park, work, lunch, work, class, meeting, drive, dinner, read, sleep, shower, and repeat. Such a big part of this experience for me was to immerse myself in the area in which I am living, to try new things, put myself out there, and be able to say that I didn't waste a minute of my two years in Harrisonburg. A couple things happened this week that made me stop and think, take a couple of deep breaths and regroup.

First, we had a nationally named expert on the first year experience in higher education come and speak at JMU. His name is Dr. John Gardner, if any of you have heard of him. He was coming to speak with faculty and meet with a few committees. The CSPA students were so fortunate to be able to have some one-on-one time with him. When I said he was an expert on the first year experience I more so meant that he created it. He came up with a concept of a University 101 First Year Seminar course. Because of him and his work we have First Year Program offices on college campuses. That was just an amazing experience to be able to listen to him speak! For those of you that don't know, my experience being an undergraduate teaching assistant for a UNV 101 course at NKU was the deciding factor as to whether or not I would apply to student affairs programs or not. Obviously, I had a wonderful experience and if I could do that the rest of my life I know I would be happy.

Having him be able to speak with us helped something click for me. I know it was something that I already knew so it was more like a re-realized it. I am at JMU to earn a Master's degree in College Student Personnel Administration. I want to learn and try and test and experience as much as I can, but most importantly learn, because I want to get a job after these two years are over. And I know I joke around that I would be happy scooping ice cream the rest of my life (which let's face it - I probably would be) but I wouldn't be as fulfilled. I know in higher education I will be able to find a role/job that inspires and fulfills me AND makes me happy. To ensure that happens I need to work very very hard while I am here. It's not like I am slacking off and watching "Say Yes to the Dress" marathons every night (because I only do that some nights :) but I know that I could push myself harder than I am.

This weekend my friend Emily came in from DC to visit on Saturday. It was so good to see her and so much fun! I had the chance to show her around Harrisonburg and JMU. Seeing it through someone else's eyes for the first time made me look at it differently as well. As Emily says, "This place is way more peace, love, and granola than I thought it would be!" The valley is such a beautiful unique place to live and with Em here I got to take advantage of things! We went to lunch at the 3rd best restaurant in the Burg (thanks to Trip Advisor! We agree - the food was delish!) and then walked around a free trade market that was attached to it. We then got to drive through campus (because the parking gates are up during the weekend! Yay!) and walk around the bookstore. I couldn't resist and took Emily walking on campus too. She got to see the Quad first hand which is my favorite view in the entire city. I haven't seen a photo that captures it well yet. It has a feeling attached to it. We also walked around the Arboretum on campus. It was just fresh beautiful weather to be outside! Before dinner we stopped at a antique shop and I found way too many things I want to buy! After dinner we had a to die for chocolate mousse (It will certainly not be the last time I have that!) and hung out with friends from my program.

The next morning Emily and I met Maggie at another local hole in the wall place for brunch. It was so so good! I am going to be a regular there! I can't imagine a better deal for breakfast! Emily has a new apartment in DC and there isn't an easy Walmart to get to around there so we did some one stop shopping for good deals and apartment nessessities. Right before she left I was more than happy to take her to Kroger so she could stock up on some Graeter's pints and Skyline chili cans! (Even though Em is a vegetarian she knows her carnivvorus DC friends would love Skyline dip!!) I was so happy I got to have a little bit of home with me in Harrisonburg as well as give her a little bit of home to take back to the city with her.

Tonight I went to CCM for mass in a multipurpose room on campus. I am so happy that being here and developing my own faith community has brought me even closer to the Lord. CCM has so many opportunities I need to sit down and figure out what can fit in my schedule. They are starting an apologetics series on Monday nights that I might be able to go to as well as an adoration hour and benediction during the week. With all of the changes going on in mine and David's lives right now we need all the prayers we can get! We are both learning that nothing is possible without faith and with God all things are possible (they just might not be easy).

Here is a small list of things I am looking forward to in the near future in case I get too busy before I can write again:
1) Tomorrow I am helping with preference night of sorority recruitment at JMU. I will act as a counselor to women who are having a difficult time making some decisions. I loved being a Gamma Chi (recruitment counselor) at NKU so I know this will be worthwhile - even if it is a late night!
2) I've been looking for one last piece to decorate above my couch and I think I have found it! I just need to decide what piece I am willing to spend the money on. One of them is an antique washboard that says Old Kentucky Home on it - so appropriate!
3) David and I are going to start reading a set of Christian based reflection books together. I bought the version for women at the Book Fair out here and his family already had the edition for men. I hope we both keep with it so we can connect in lots of ways even when we are miles apart.
4) This Thursday my cohort is getting together for a wine and cheese night. I'm bringing a blush wine that I got at an Ohio vineyard. Gotta stay true to my roots! But I am looking forward to trying/tasting lots of yummy treats!
5) It is sure starting to feel like fall! I know we are supposed to get a couple more warm days in there but right now I am so anxious for the leaves to start turning! Not only do I want to go to JMU football games but also start hiking in the midst of it all. If you don't want to come to VA to visit me then consider coming for the scenery! I never get used to it!

Well... it's been awhile!

Ohmigosh! Dearest followers - it has been far too long!! It seems like forever ago that I was in DC right before classes started. So much has happened since then! I've jumped right into my assistantship and had two weeks of classes! David came to visit me and I went home to visit for a wedding. I have lots to talk about so here are some of the highlights!

So there is a little thing in grad school called class....
Right now I am feeling pretty darn good about my decision to come to JMU! I love my classes! I love my professors! I love the people in my program - dare I say, my friends! I love going to JMU! The hardest part is that I love the content of my courses. I truly enjoy reading my text books. Um, what? Textbooks are interesting?! Class discussions are also thought provoking and I feel like I have much more ownership in them.

On the first day of class we all are sitting in our seats, textbooks on our tables, and pens in our hands. Our professor says, "Hm, what are those books ya'll have got?".... our response, "Uh, our very expensive textbook." (Don't worry NKU - it wasn't one of the books you gave me!) He then says, "Well, I'm sure it'll be a good reference book for your because I've never seen it before so we won't be using it. While we're talking about, ya'll need to buy this $13 book on self-renewal." Ahhh!! So frustrating!! On the bright side, I am actually loving reading the self renewal book!

Work hard, Play hard
So I go to class three afternoons a week but 20 hours (or a few more) a week I'm working in the Counseling and Student Development Center. Things have really been taking off super fast! The Peer Mentor Program has it's kick off pizza party this Friday and I will be matching new students with upperclassmen for a mentoring relationship throughout the semester. Emailing students doesn't always go as planned... they certainly don't respond when I would like them to! Another part of my job is outreach. I'm co-teaching a psychology internship course where students will create and present mental health issues in various ways on campus. We are jumping right in with that too and getting things scheduled. I think the students are a little overwhelmed right now but that is what I am there to help with so I know they'll be okay!

David is coming! David is coming!
David spent Labor Day weekend in Harrisonburg with me and it was so much fun! I was so excited that he was coming! It was kinda like "The British are coming!" I gave my apartment a good thorough cleaning. Stocked up on some of his favorite things like cookie brownie mix, reese's cups, and milk! Painted my toe nails and finger nails. Set up my wireless internet (because yes! My router finally came in!!) And finished up all my homework for the beginning of the next week. I was so ready to see him!

We filled the weekend with things we love, essentially, it was perfect. David drove from Florence to Columbus for work that morning and then in the afternoon made his way to Harrisonburg. When he finally got here, which seemed like forever, we unloaded the rest of my clothes (remember the ones I left/forgot at home!) After we went to Taste of Thai, a restaurant David really liked when he helped move me in. Both our meals were delicious and we got two desserts to take home. We ate dessert as we sat on the floor watching our show, Rookie Blue, and called it an early night.

The next day we went to the Farmer's Market and got doughnuts for breakfast, mint tea to drink, and sat and talked to locals. We also bought some fresh bread, naturally raised beef strip steaks, baby watermelon, potatoes, and some fresh herbs which we used all of to make a fancy dinner that evening. Until then though we got my oil changed (I am so glad I had a man to help me!) and walked around historic downtown and went in every shop possible. We got tea at a specialty shop, made a friend at a wine shop, got great information for me at a pottery painting place, found funny items at thrift stores, and amazing unique treasures in between (including a gift for Claire and Sarah at home). After dinner that night we went out to meet some CSPAer's and had a fun time over drinks and dancing.

On Sunday we went to mass at CCM House (the Catholic Campus Ministry I had mentioned earlier) and David got to meet Father's three legged dog named Trinity. We then decided instead of hiking we would visit Staunton, the town about 30 mins south of Harrisonburg. They have some interesting shops and restraunts too, including a homemade gelato place. We spent lots of our time in an antique shop browsing and whispering and touching things. I ended up buying a very cool wooden and glass washboard that I am going to hang on my wall. That evening we rented a movie and made tacos. One of my favorite parts of the weekend was watching the WEBN fireworks online through a streaming that David found. We got the music and the fireworks and each other. It was almost like being at home. :) JMU doesn't have off on Labor Day so on Monday morning as I left for work with tears streaming down my face David began his drive back home. The weekend ended much too soon. It just felt so good having someone nearby that knows me, truly knows the real me. (I am being real with the people I am meeting but they don't know my past history or secrets or experiences. David knows all of that and loves me anyway. It just meant a lot to be able to share Harrisonburg with him.)

Here comes the bride!!
Our separation was short lived though because I was able to go home this past weekend! My friend McKenzie got married!! I have known her since I was in the second grade!! We remained friends over the years and I was so honored to be able to say such meaning readings at her ceremony. The receptions was a pretty darn good time as well!! My parents also attended as well as lots of other family friends.

Other things I did while being at home... went to NKU and surprised Leah and Sarah during lunch time! It was too short! I wanted to be able to chat longer so I'm going to look into attending a conference that they will be at semi-nearby my area. It's crazy thinking that I was once a student attending conferences with Leah and Sarah. I will never forget when Leah and I got stranded on JMU's campus after watching a movie and the hotel shuttle stopped running. Haha we had to call a cab! A gentleman I met while on that conference is now also one of my professors. It's just crazy how life works out. But seriously, it was so good to see them and everyone in student affairs that I did have the chance to run into.

I had originally planned to just eat lunch with Benjamin since I wouldn't see him the rest of the weekend but he invited my entire Kappa Delta family (on Valerie's side). I got to talk with Ben some but the girls kinda took over the conversation. It was still lots of fun to be on campus in that setting again. Thanks for lunch Ben and I hope to get to Skype you soon!!

After the rehersal dinner on Friday night I went over to Jason's and true to old times we all sat around and talked. Saturday morning we met Tracy and her boyfriend for breakfast and that was fun too! Tracy is away in a student affairs program as well but was home helping with sorority recruitment. I was so lucky to be able to have some of her valuable time while she was here! We got extra lucky coming in on the same weekend! We both missed our chances at our first home college football game - kinda ironic!

The rest of Saturday before the wedding was spent working outside. David and I (with the help of Claire, Sarah, Mom, and Dad) chopped down all of the sunflowers I grew from seeds this summer. We were able to shuck them of their seeds and now Dad is working on roasting them. Some we saved for the birds at Grandpa's though. It was such beautiful weather and so wonderful being together we ended up rushing around like crazy people for the wedding!

Just a few other things for laughs and giggles...
- Remember how my Comcast router finally shipped! Well I had to call to check on it before it came. I waited on hold for 20 minutes before the woman assured me that it was already on it's way. I got the package two days later and it was postmarked "express overnight shipping" from Staunton, VA!! UGH!! So frustrating!! I could have just driven to Staunton myself and gotten it!!
- Whenever I see/talk to anyone they ask if blue fuzz is still everywhere. The answer is YES!! Thankfully I now have new (my old towels from my dorm room) towels and can get rid of those fuzzy ones!
- I haven't met any new neighbors but they have started grilling out in the parking lot on Friday evenings. They set up a grill right between cars and sit on the sidewalk and watch their burgers cook. It is the strangest thing! A gray cat without a collar has started getting in the habit of laying in front of my front door. I think it belongs to the coffee man but I'm not 100%. When I was loading in my stuff from being gone this weekend I was afraid the cat would run in my apartment every time I opened the door!
- Some people like to have a glass of wine every evening or a cold beer with their dinner... I like to have a bowl of ice cream around 9:00 PM every evening. It is starting to get a little ridiculous! I even load it up with whipped cream and chocolate syrup! Living on my own means I can eat the whole half gallon myself! Then why am I buying ice cream at the same rate a family of four would buy ice cream?! Haha I have issues...
- Panhellenic Bid Day was today at Northern. I have been thinking about my NKU Greek community, especially Kappa Delta - Eta Eta so much today! 50 new members!! That is amazing! Too bad there is not enough time in my day to creep on all of them! Next week I'll be helping out with JMU's recruitment in a role semi-similar to what I did when I was a Gamma Chi at NKU. I am really excited about it! That is what is helping me not be so sad about missing out on such an exciting day at home today.
- I feel like I am always laughing or talking to myself around here and think, "I need to put this in my blog!" then I forget what it is. I'll have to try to keep a list of that kind of stuff!

I should have some more free time this weekend to shoot out another blog. I will try so hard not to get behind like I did on this one! Most of y'all reading this are my life and the most important things to me, just because I am a 7 hour drive away doesn't mean I don't care! Please keep me updated on your lives as well!

Weekend #2

So this has been my second weekend in the Burg living on my own. It was a fun one! Before I begin I have a few updates for you readers out there - first, my Comcast wireless router has still not came in!! UGH!! and second, Hurricane Irene has come and gone and really did almost no damage in my area. I heard a bit of her wrath late last night but other than that we ended up with a very beautiful Sunday here!

So the first part of my weekend was spent in Washington, DC with my sorority sister Emily. She is an amazing inspirational confident woman who is also a terrific hostess!! I had such a great time Em!! I started on my short drive on Friday afternoon. The drive itself was an experience. I had such a feeling of independence when I was driving. It was kinda like the feeling I had when I first rode on an airplane without my parents. I felt completely on my own and in charge. It wasn't even scary! The drive is also very beautiful! A few times I tried taking pictures on my phone but it was a) slightly dangerous and b) the pics weren't turning out well. It did get a little difficult driving once I was in the city. Emily explained it so well - Everyone in DC is from somewhere else so everyone has different driving rules and habits. Put all that together and it just doesn't work well! Not to mention I could see the Washington Monument and I kept wanting to stare! I got goosebumps knowing I was so near such an incredible place.

Almost as soon as I got to the condo Emily is living in we jumped right into "doing DC stuff!" We walked to the Metro and I got a 24 hour metro pass. With Emily leading the way I felt like such a city girl! We were on our way to see the brand new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. It was opening weekend! (They had to cancel the dedication due to weather but over 30,000 people were coming for it! How lucky that I got to be there!) It took us awhile to find it because there is no signage up for it yet but on our way we got to walk down the whole Mall (which doesn't have any shops. It's just green space. Why is it called a Mall anyway? Em and I had a guy stop and ask us about it. We didn't have an answer for him!) So I got to walk by the WW2 Memorial, Abraham Lincoln, Washington Monument (which cracked during the earthquake and is now closed to the public! Crazy! They had it all blocked off and guarded.), the Korean War Monument, and finally ended up at MLK. You walk through the huge "mountain of despair" and once through it see the "rock of hope" where a large statue of MLK is engraved in the other side. Surrounding it all are quotes from different speeches he gave. It is such a good reminder that his amazing man didn't just have one dream he had so many. Lots of my favorite quotes were from a Norway speech. He was on his game there!! I was so happy I got to see it and witness others around me who this meant so much to. I heard it looks very beautiful in the evening when it is lit up but all of the monuments are majestic then!

After the monument we walked back around the Basin on our way home. It was such a great little expedition! When we got back to the condo to get ready for dinner I felt a little weak and queasy but rested and had a glass of water then felt much better. Emily had me choose from two different restaurants that only have a few selected locations. And ohmigosh! It was a hard choice! Both menus were fantastic! We ended up choosing a place called MatchBox that only has locations around DC. The one we went to was in Chinatown! Fun! It has fire baked pizzas and of course, I noticed the scallops on the menu! I was really excited until I hit a tiny speed bump. After getting off the metro and waiting for a table to be ready I started to not feel well. I felt terrible. And poor Emily, I was awful company as well! I ended up snagging a bar stool while we waiting and concentrated on taking deep breaths. I needed something to settle my stomach. Dearest reader, you won't believe this, I got motion sick on the metro!! ((This is so crazy because the last time my family came to DC all of us (and by all of us I mean me and mom) got sick on the plane and then getting on the metro right after made us sick again for our first night in the city!)) Well ladies and gentlemen, some things never change. I was motion sick. As soon as we sat down I ordered a Sprite, handed Emily my purse, and then ran to the restroom. I couldn't even look at the menu without the words spinning on me. Luckily no one else was in there! (Sorry to get a bit graphic on you all but..) After vomiting anything that was left in my stomach, dry heaving a few times, washing my face and hands, gargling water, and popping in a quick mint I felt so much better!! It was like night and day. After getting sick I was like a different person! I drank down my Sprite (which has never tasted better in my entire life), laughed it off, and then dove into the menu! There were so many choices but I didn't want something too heavy since we would have ride on the metro again. Emily and I split a large pizza with fresh crushed tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil strips, and a sprinkle of sea salt. It was delicious! It was so flavorful and salty - just what I like! If I went back I think I would have a hard time ordering anything else. Their dessert looked lovely as well but I was full and we were going out to meet some of Emily's new friends. (She met them in a KD Alumna chapter so they were all KD's too!)

Back on the metro again we came up with some strategies to help me not get sick:
1) Look straight ahead while sitting in the direction the tram is going.
2) Focus on something like the window pane divider (not the people in the car in front of you.)
3) Don't nod your head and look over to make eye contact during conversation.
4) Take deep breaths.

They worked! I didn't get sick! I did however order a martini that had vodka, triple sec, orange juice, pineapple juice, and sweet and sour mix. Lots and lots of acidic flavors! My throat was already raw from my stomach acid and this combined with that was painful! Emily so wonderfully just told the waitress that "it didn't taste good and to please take it off our check." Ah, I love her! I was about to waste a $12 martini and she so beautifully saved the day! (And that is how much all of the drinks at that place cost so no, I just don't have expensive tendencies :) After the group split up Emily and I walked around the area and ended up sitting by a fountain talking and people watching. It was such a nice evening! AND - no rain at all!!

The next morning we headed out for some market shopping and brunch. I have a new found love for farmer's markets and this one was no different! It was slightly sprinkling but that didn't stop us! At this market you can taste some of the fresh fruit and veggies that the sellers have samples of. It was so yummy! Emily has a regular farmer she normally buys from but I figured since I was a visitor I could still have a few tastes of the other farmer's crops! Another lady there hand sews lots of different bags, keychains, wallets, purses, etc. in tons of different fun and bright prints! I loved her items! I wanted so many different things but settled on a tan and green wristlet. That will certainly be my regular stop at the DC farmer's market. There was a man there who was selling freshwater pearl jewelry as well. He was putting together the pieces sitting right there. Since my "everyday" earrings broke while I was moving in and my mom has them at home I looked for a replacement pair. I found some lovely light pink pearl studs for - get this - $5!! I love them!

We also walked through Eastern Market which has lots of different shops, but these are permanently placed. There was a bakery, butcher, fishmonger (isn't that what a fish butcher is called?), fresh pasta shop, cheese, olives, and even things in between! So fun! We also wanted to go to the flea market which was nearby but the rain by then had caused people to close up. Didn't stop us though! Next we went to brunch and both had very yummy meals. The oatmeal I got could have been made by Paula Dean herself it was so creamy and buttery and delicious. Afterwards we also stopped a gelato place and tried a sample there. The guy working was from Cincinnati! I love meeting people from home.

While Emily's condo was very nice she was only planning on staying there temporarily. I happened to be lucky enough to go with her to see her new apartment that she'll move into in September! Her landlady is sweet as a button. The neighborhood is safe and she is in walking distance of a park, corner shop, church, the farmer's market, and of course, the metro! She won't have a car later this fall and I do hope she is able to visit Hburg before then! Thanks so much for having me, Emily! I loved being with you!

So I was for sure that DC would be the highlight of my weekend but I had a wonderful spiritually experience this morning at church and I just feel the need to share it. It starts off with waking up too late to make it to my normal mass time. Luckily I remembered that the student group on campus starts up hosting mass again today. I quickly got ready and rushed to get there! When I walked in there were students standing around saying "good morning" and "welcome to mass!" They were so obviously so happy! Father stopped me inside and introduced himself as Father Jim and then asked my name. He also asked if I was new to the area and gave me a very warm welcome. Mass was taking place in a large room in a house near campus. It is called the CCM House (Catholic Campus Ministries). Some students were wearing tshirts that said "Why go Greek when you can go Roman?" on the back of them. I thought it was a cute idea. (Although, I think you can do both!) The whole room filled up and Father had to ask everyone to scoot to one side to make room. What a flourishing community! (It wasn't even a holiday and we had to squish!) Students led the entire ministry - lectors, ushers, musical instruments, singing, Eucharistic ministers. Father Jim was so enthusiastic as well. He spoke about how he has dedicated his life to being a priest for young people and the past three months he has had no people, no congregation. It was evident how filled with joy he was to be able to do what he loved to do again. He also gave out his cell phone number because he is committed to being there for students 24/7. I also found out that the house where mass was held has a meeting room upstairs, a student lounge (with computers, couches, tables, big screen TV, Wii, Netflicks), and a Blessed Sacrament chapel. The house is opened from about 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM. When I heard I could visit the chapel during any of those times tears came to eyes. Being able to spend quiet time with the Lord is what I needed throughout my senior year and I had been hoping to continue it. It was like the Holy Spirit had led me to this mass so I could see and learn about the community right at the very beginning. Father also mentioned how during his office hours he is also available for confession (or by appointment or the scheduled time of course.) There is also a Mary Garden fenced off in the backyard for student prayer use as well.

I am just in awe of this faith community. I have never seen anything like it before. The CCM is also a student organization on campus so they have an executive board of members who are in charge of different committees. They have Women's and Men's group and bible study once a week. They have a group rosary and service at the soup kitchen once a week as well. There are three weekday masses (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday) plus three masses every Sunday. (Father said that on the weekday masses they have about 40 people there - and these are students! How wonderful! The Sunday mass I thought was crowded in the house but one of the evening mass times is offered in a conference room on campus because it has such a large congregation.) On Friday's they have social get togethers. I know that I would like to take part in some of their activities but this is mainly undergraduate students who are participating. I just want to be careful what I decide to attend or not. Either way, attending such a vibrant mass and knowing the Blessed Sacrament is available makes me feel very blessed. Here is another example of when I was touched by being there. At the end of mass Father stood on the back porch to say hello/good bye to everyone. No one walked around to leave quickly. Every person waited in line to shake hands with or hug Father. He knew their names! And if he didn't he was asking and then introducing new comers to others. I was so happy to be able to tell him how inspired I was after hearing about their ministry there. It was certainly a wonderful way to start off my week! (One of the songs we sang was a Dana song. Does anyone in my family remember when we went to her concert in Cincinnati? The words to the song came back to me so quickly. I must have heard it a lot in my past!)

Tomorrow I have my first graduate school course! I'm excited! I'm nervous about parking in the morning for my staff meeting though. This will be my first time on campus with lots of students. I'm planning on getting there very early! I'm looking forward to processing my thoughts and letting everyone know how things go this week! I do have homework for my Wednesday and Thursday classes. I need to read an article and write a poem about myself. The poem is a model from a Kentucky author and I have written (even taught people how to write them) many of them in the past. Every time I write one it describes a different part of me. Maybe I'll post the one I wrote for this class for all of you?

xoxo

Book sales, earthquakes, Comcast, oh my!!

First off, I want to thank everyone who was concerned about my safety right after the earthquake today. How crazy, right?! I was in a workshop at a day long conference at JMU when it happened. As the projector started to swing and the walls began to shake everyone from California jumped up and ran out of the door. They didn't even say anything to anyone! The noises got worse and the shaking became more violent. It was like a stampede was running across the floor above us and it felt like the roof would cave in at any moment. Someone then shouted "It's just the construction on campus!" I knew one thing was for sure - that eerie feeling, deep foundational sound, and time-is-standing-still sensation was definitely not construction! Almost right after that alarms went off and we evacuated the building. Since then we have learned the epicenter was near Mineral, VA which is only about 70 miles away from Harrisonburg (Thanks Google Maps!) and the strength of the quake was rated around a 5.8 on the Richter scale. I was texting my friend who lives in Washington, DC and she got off work the rest of the day! My apartment complex asked everyone to check their apartments for smells of gas. It is very exciting to talk about now but it was very scary when it happened!! My dad just told me that he felt it in Cincinnati too! (Awww, the fault lines are connecting us :) Luckily, so far it has seemed to cause no serious damage or harm at any location. Let's pray the settling aftershock doesn't either!

As for the rest of this post, let me get started with the negative comments I have about Comcast and then end on much more positive things.

Comcast Timeline: Supporting evidence as to why they suck
- August 9th: a wireless internet router was ordered for me. The cost of my package would be $70 a month.
- August 13th: my internet and cable were installed. The service man had no package installation that matched what I had ordered. I just took what he could do.
- August 14th-18th: Still no wireless router. Therefore, I do all my online work by sitting on one tiny corner of my couch.
- August 19th: I called customer service to get an update on the router. Apparently, the order for my installation overrode the order for my router in the system so it never got processed. Great. We re-order a router and I find out the actual cost of my package is now $40. I don't get it but great! What a discount!
- August 23rd: Still no router. I once again call customer service. They have no record of a router being ordered - EVER! Not the first or the second time soooo third time is a charm right?! This time I have a confirmation number but the router is not expected until 5 days from now. Let's see if that really happens. Idiots. I don't even know who to complain to or request that the router be free or something because I am dealing with customer service!

See, I alluded to the annoyingness last post... Anyway, to counter that one negative experience I have three positive ones!!

1) On Sunday evening, with a sweet girl from my program and her boyfriend, I ventured to the Green Valley Book Fair which has 500,000 bargain books at 60-90% off retail value!! It was like a huge warehouse Barnes and Noble set up but the books are cheap!! I bought 1 children's sticker book (for Claire and Sarah), 2 cook books, 5 fiction books, 2 books for David, and 1 spiritual meditation book (that equals 11 books if you weren't counting) for less that $40!!! It was amazing!! We went there around 4:30 and didn't leave until 7:00 when they closed. The fair opens 6 times througout the year for two weeks at a time constantly adding and changing the book selection. They even have books on tape, calendars, and clearance sections! It was very very cool!

2) Yesterday, Monday, I was able to meet with the supervisor of my assistantship for the first time. She was so nice and organized and sweet and relaxed! I really liked talking with her and can't wait to dive into some work! She explained some of what I would be doing such as: co-teaching a psychology course, facilitating and leading programs, supervising peer mentors, and other things around the office! Today I had to attend a workshop, like I mentioned earlier, but tomorrow at 9:00 AM I go back to work! Yay!!! My schedule will also be very flexible since I will be working with students in the evenings during the week. This means I will probably be able to take some Friday's off to help with the drive on my weekends home!!

3) Speaking of weekends... I have this Friday off and nothing planned for Saturday so I talked to Emily (a sorority sister who moved to Washington, DC after graduation). I am going to visit her in DC for the weekend!!! I am so excited!!! She texted me today asking all kinds of questions about what I wanted to do and what I like to eat! It will just be nice being able to be with someone from home and see another part of the country by taking advantage of where I am geographically. If I was in Florence it would take about 10 hours to drive there. From Harrisonburg it is only going to take me about 2 hours! Piece of cake! I know she will be a wonderful hostess but I am just looking forward to catching up and spending some time with her :)

I'm going to have to start putting together a list of things to do when people come and visit me - and I hope you all know you are more than welcome to!!! So far I know I have a great farmer's market, book fair, and hiking near by. Of course we could arrange tickets to a JMU Duke's football game and visit all kinds of cool shops and bars in historic downtown.... haha or there is always the quilt museum!!

Thanks for reading this and keeping up with my life. Words can't describe how much I miss everyone at home. I have been thinking about my sisters and friends at NKU too. Make it a wonderful semester! And just like I said on facebook the other day - There really is something special about being united at a university for the same purpose at the same time with all kinds of different people. The college community is one with many opportunities for growth and excitement. I hope you all take advantage!! I'm feeling pretty lucky that if things go as planned I'll get to experience that specialness for a very long time :)

Just call me a local :)

So I was planning on blogging today about the difficulties of cooking for one, which as annoying as that might be, I have way more fun things to talk about so get ready for some excitement rather than my kitchen drama (I'll save that for my momma, but seriously, I do complain to her about it all the time!)

Last night I went out with some people in my program. Almost everyone was there minus the people working in res life. I'm looking forward to them being able to hang out once school really kicks off. We started at a really chill cool bar/restaurant that recently remodeled its basement so it's like a cozy loft (except downstairs not upstairs.) They had a good drink special and the bartender tried out some new drinks on our group too so it was fun! A newspaper was there and started taking pictures so maybe I'll have my Harrisonburg newspaper camio this week! I enjoyed talking with everyone there but we needed a tad bit more excitement so we moved to another bar that has lots of dancing! Everyone else got on the dance floor right away! At first it was weird being there without David so I watched drinks and purses. But as I was sitting there some creepy people started coming around so I got up and danced too. It was fun moving around and laughing with new friends. We didn't get back until about 2:00 AM!! I can't even remember the last time I was up that late!

This morning the sun crept in my room bright and early. I am so happy I got up and didn't waste the day away!! I decided to drive downtown and check out the Farmer's Market. Oh my gosh!!! It was soooo cool!! Definitely a must go to place when friends and family come in town! They have lots and lots of vendors with so many different options. Just to name a few items that were being sold: vegetables and fruits of all kinds, soap, honey, lotion, herbal tea, coffee, bread, doughnuts, eggs, chicken, beef, jewelry, photography, hand sewn clothes, soups, cheeses... it was crazy!! I loved walking around admiring the produce and taking in all of the fresh smells. I bought a doughnut which was amazing!! The outside was crispy and sweet and the inside was soft and doughy - best doughnut I have ever had in my life. Hands down! It was so good!! I listened to a banjo/guitar band that was there for a little bit while I ate my yummy treat and then decided to walk down to the library and return my books. On the way I saw two people I knew!! One of them was "the coffee man" from my apartment and another was a guy from my program. I know people here!! Yay!! I walked back to the market after dropping on my books and bought a variety pack of cherry tomatoes that caught my eye. They are so beautiful in color and I can tell I won't be able to stop eating them! There are yellow, red, orange, and black cherry tomatoes in the bunch. I'm really looking forward to going back in a couple weeks when David is visiting. What a fun day so far!!!

Oh yes, one last thing to tell all of you - In my previous post I talked about The Hobbit below me... well, she wrote me a note and slid it under my door last night! How sweet! This is what it said, "I hope I did not seem unkind. I know moving can be very stressful. If you ever need anything you can knock on my door - right below you! Welcome!!" I was very touched by the gesture! I did have a moment of panic that she was reading what I was writing about her but in the card she called me "Mandy." I think it would be rather difficult to find me, especially online, if you were searching for a Mandy.

All my love and thanks to those who have been praying for me. God is listening to your prayers! I am having a wonderful day and am feeling so good about my decision to be here. Until next time ya'll - I'll be out enjoying the beautiful view of the Bluestone Mountains poolside.