Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Yesterday was the first time I had been there in over six months.

I drive past that place every day on the way to work . . . but have not been since the day after Mandy & Fez got married.

I don't think I have quite figured out why it is I go there . . . I am sure I could attempt to name a bunch of different reasons . . . and though they would all be appropriate . . . none of them would really fit.

I went after I got off work yesterday and just sat there on the grass.

Sat there and remembered that day . . . the tent that surrounded the area . . . the casket . . . all of the people . . . the tears . . . the disbelief.

I ran through a couple of dozen "what if's" . . . questioning how things would be different . . . how I would be different.

There is no doubt that I miss him . . . no doubt as to how his life and his death have impacted my little world.

I spent a lot of today thinking about the kingdom.

I listened to a few lectures that Mark gave for Underground Seminary . . . he was such a passionate teacher.

I wish he was still here to teach me . . . I feel as though I have so much left to learn.

My head has the potential to be spinning in circles right now . . . there are so many thoughts . . . so many memories . . . so many questions.

But in the end . . . I know that I miss him . . . and that the fact that it has been an entire year . . . it just does not seem possible.

At the memorial service, I said that I would never take this life for granted . . . this life given to me by Mark Palmer, when he asked me to move her over two and a half years ago.

I hope I have held true to that statement . . . this life . . . this community is a beautiful gift . . . that I would not know if it weren't for Mark.

One year.

"It happened so quickly . . . after taking so long."

Monday, March 26, 2007

I am writing from my new home . . . 1510 Worthington Ave.

I will be living here with Kyle & Rachel till I travel to Mexico in June.

I started the move yesterday with plans to finish up throughout the week and finally settle in sometime this weekend.

However I realized today that I was putting off moving in . . . so I could put off dealing with reality.

So I decided to "bite the bullet" and just finish moving in tonight . . . and here I am.

The reality that I was hoping to avoid as long as possible . . . it is by no means a bad reality.

It is simply a new reality . . . actually it is multiple new realities . . . new life changes.

Moving out my apartment . . . my first apartment . . . there was just so much wrapped up in that little space for me.

Even though I did not really spend all that much time there . . . it was a pivotal point in my journey . . . my year there was very defining for me.

Leaving Grandview is kind of a big deal to me too . . . I have lived in that neighborhood since I moved to Columbus over two years ago . . . the sights, the smells . . . it is so familar . . . it is home.

There is just so much there.

But life changes . . . I am sure my scenery will change quite a few more times in the years to come.

One of the biggest realities that moving cleared the way for is the fact that I am really spending the summer in Mexico.

It is funny . . . I think this last week was the first time that it really sunk in . . . when the phrase "I will be in Mexico for the summer" took on life and meaning.

It means that I will leave my life . . . my family . . . my community for two and a half months and live in Jalatengo, Mexico.

It means that I am going somewhere where I cannot help but returned changed.

I realized this week just how much I am going to miss my life . . . my people here.

But two and a half months . . . it is not forever . . . and I will return.

As always there are more thoughts to process . . . there is something weighing a little heavier on my mind tonight.

I will be sure to spend some time writing about that tomorrow . . .

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Life lately . . . wow has it been busy.

I am currently sitting on the Bean's couch in Indianapolis, Indiana . . . just one of my many destinations over the last few weeks.

By now, most people know that I going to Mexico for the summer.

The departure is planned for June 17th and my return home will be sometime in the last week of August.

I am currently in the process of moving out of my apartment . . . and it has been quite the process.

I should be settling into the Bowman's for the next two months sometime this week.

Between moving, some traveling on the weekends, and preparing to leave work for the summer . . . life has been busy.

I am finding myself with a great deal to process these days.

Big thoughts have been floating through my head . . . thoughts about simplifying my life . . . about spending 2.5 months in Mexico . . . about what the Spirit of God is trying to do in my life.

I suppose I will get around to elaborating more on those thoughts sometime soon.

For now, I have been trying to spend as much time as I can with these three boys . . .





. . . they are beauty and peace in my world.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

I recently had a birthday . . . it was a pretty fabulous one.

Here is the good wishes that I received at work :


Here are some of my favorite people making me a birthday cake . . .


Here I am blowing out my candles . . . it was a lovely birthday celebration . . . absolutely lovely.


In case you cannot tell . . . they made me a princess cake . . . because I am totally the princess type.

My birthday was fabulous . . . the celebration was extended multiple days with multiple cakes.

I think I am the luckiest twenty three year old in the world . . . my life is filled with people who love me big . . . I really could not ask for anything more.

Thursday, March 08, 2007


I have been searching my heart for something profound to say about my time in Colorado.

Because the time I spent there was very significant to me . . . more than I could have ever really expected it to be.

Seeing my friend Colyn was good for me . . . good for my insides . . . good for my soul.

It was refreshing and yet extremely difficult . . . but only the best kind of extremely difficult.

I am still trying to process everything that I experienced and talked about during my brief stay in that beautiful place.

I am still trying to understand how someone like Colyn ended up in my life.

It took me almost four years to go out and visit her . . . it took almost four years for me to even begin to know her.

I would say that I should have gone sooner . . . but life has taught me that timing is everything . . . and I think the timing of this was perfect.

Not a day too soon or a day too late . . . but it certainly could have been for a day or two or five longer.

If you have never been to Colorado . . . I would have to suggest you make the trip.

If you don't have someone like Colyn in your life . . . well . . . you have no idea what you are missing.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Reaching day three of a trip that was only four days long was kind of sad.

Everyone that I met while I was in Colorado, was astounded that I was only staying four days . . . they thought seven would be more appropriate.

One of those fine people was Gabriel . . . I got to share a meal with him and Colyn at the Atlanta Bread Company on Sunday afternoon.

Rewind, I almost forgot to mention that Sunday morning was spent at Mile Hi Church . . . this is Colyn's church . . . Gabriel does the sign interpreting there.

This is him and Colyn . . . I am sure I have better shots of him . . . but this one made me laugh the most.


After lunch we headed up to the Red Rock Amphitheater . . . it was breathtakingly beautiful.



They have concerts here . . . I cannot imagine how cool it would be to hear live music played in the midst of such beauty.

After Red Rock, we headed up to Ft. Collins to hang out with Colyn's friends.

Colyn is a pretty fantastic person . . . so it is no surprise that her friends rock as well.

I enjoyed their company and look forward to the chance at hanging out with them again soon.

The night ended pretty early (considering the two nights before) and we were at her home hanging out by around 10pm.

Day four was spent on Pearl Street in Boulder.

I ate the best burger I think I have ever had at a place called "Mountain Sun" (we think).

This is Colyn chilling in the booth . . .


After lunch we wondered the streets a little bit . . . Colyn purchased me a fantastic birthday present at this quaint woman's bookstore.

And then the fourth day was over . . . we headed to the airport to give me enough time to make my 6pm flight.

As I said goodbye to Colyn at the airport I wished that I had schedule a much longer trip . . . especially since I left Colorado without getting a massage.

But I was reassured that there would be a next time . . . which means I will hopefully be headed back out West sometime soon.

Anyway, there are few concluding thoughts that I have to share about the trip . . . but I will leave them for tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Soon after my arrival on Friday, we looked up my "while in Colorado to-do list" and set up making it happen.

Hunger was present among both of us, so we decided to head out to dinner (number four on the list).

On the way to dinner we stopped by her store (she is a manager for Bath & Body Works) . . . it was super cool to see where she worked . . . to learn more about her life (also known as number six on my list . . . one that we would return to often . . . )

We ended up having dinner at Calfornia Pizza Kitchen . . . before dinner though we stopped by Nordstrom's Cafe.

Soy Chai at Nordstroms . . . that is part of our history . . . something from Providence Place in Rhode Island.



This is me at CPK . . . eating a spring roll . . . I made Colyn take this picture as proof that I ate this new and foreign food.

The rest of the night was pretty uneventful . . . I got a tour of the mall we were at . . . learned more about Colyn's life . . . then headed back to her place to hang out.

Friday night into Saturday was the very first time in my life that I was awake for twenty four consecutive hours . . . this a huge and note worthy thing for me . . . twenty four whole hours.

Day two began fairly early . . . as we needed to get the tire fixed for the rest of our adventures.

It began the best way a day could ever begin . . . Colyn's "warm grapenuts" . . . a comfort food she once made me in Providence . . . also know as number one on my list.

This is where we went on our adventures . . .



We spent all of Saturday morning exploring the mountains at Rocky Mountain National Park.

Colyn and I then shared a meal at a little Italian place in Estes Park . . . Colyn said her meal tasted a little metallic . . . oh well.

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching movies at Colyn's place (number two of my list) . . . I got to view the likes of Channing Tatum twice . . . "She's the Man" & "Step Up" . . . good flicks.

After consuming her delightful "Shepherd's Pie" (number five on my list) . . . we headed for a 10:40pm movie . . . yeah, that's right, I went to a movie at 10:40pm.

It was great movie . . . "Gray Matters" . . . you should check it out.

Day two ended with falling asleep to "Ever After" . . . one of Colyn's favorite movies.

This is one of my favorite shots from day two . . .

The trip continues tomorrow . . .

Monday, March 05, 2007

The story of my trip begins with a flat tire . . .
The actual tire was not available to be photographed, so the friendly donut tire filled in . . . the flat was too busy wallowing in its demise from being punctured by a screw . . . a discovery that was made right about the time Colyn was supposed to come pick me up at the airport.

So, with no friend Colyn at the airport to take me to her house, I had to buy one of these :
It was nice hour ride to Longmont from the Denver airport . . . I met some very nice people on the Boulder Super Shuttle . . . a lady from Circleville, Ohio who was originally from New Jersey . . . and then there was the driver who was really in to the Christian Ska & Punk scene and was friends with the likes of Five Iron Frenzy and Squad-5-0.

And then I arrived on Dudley Lane and this beautiful person opened the door and let me into her life for the weekend.

And this was only the beginning of day one . . .

Thursday, March 01, 2007

I am headed to Colorado tomorrow morning for a long weekend.

A trip out there has been a long time coming for me.

One of my favorite people in the whole world moved out there (from Rhode Island) when I moved back to NY after my one year of college.

I am finally (after almost four years) taking a trip to see her.

I don't think I could be more excited.

Life has been certainly been interesting since I have been back from Mexico.

The basic gist of it is that I am going to go back to Mexico . . . in June . . . for the summer.

I am not quite sure how everything came together or how the next few months are going to play out . . . but I am okay with the direction my life is heading . . . it just feels right.

This is the family I will be staying with from the middle of June till the first of September :