jetsetting

I realize I've neglected to write anything of substance for quite some time now...so I'm hoping to use my upcoming week of travel/vacation to actually "vacate" my mind and sit and write a bit. We'll see what happens. I have high hopes for reading and writing when I travel, but I always end up people-watching instead. Or playing spider solitaire. Pray that I get motivated to read or write!

This weekend is my post-NYE trip with the BCG's (well, part of them...just me, Faith, and Becka)...which was originally planned to be in the Caribbean, but it has now become a weekend in Florida. I'm just happy to see a beach for 2 days...better than snow and negative temperatures!

So tomorrow I fly out to NYC, where Becka currently lives, to meet up with her. I'll basically be in the city for about 12 hours...just enough time for me to hang out at a coffee shop (OR maybe grab some Pinkberry if I'm lucky..., maybe catch up with Whitney Port? Just kidding...) until she's able to meet me, and then we'll get some sleep before catching our 8 a.m. flight to Ft. Myers, FL. Faith currently lives in Boston, so she'll meet us at JFK. She's moving back to NYC in about 3 weeks, and we're using up her last few buddy passes through JetBlue to enjoy our little excursion! So thankful for that!

After spending the weekend in Ft. Myers, Becka will head back home to NYC and I'm going back to Boston for a few days with Faith. I've never been to "Bahston" before, so I'm excited to explore a new city!


Here's to hoping I come back with a little bit of a tan...just 2 days worth...

inauguration comments, pt. 2

I think it's so interesting that CNN has now embraced the "power" of the facebook status. It's blowing my mind how the world is using facebook status to communicate about the inauguration, and really, about anything.

More to come on this, but if you're interested in laughing as much as on election night, tune in to www.cnn.com and watch the ongoing live stream that shows a parallel facebook stream of statuses.

inauguration comments

If you remember, I posted a list after the election results of all of the ridiculous facebook statuses that I saw. I considered doing it again, but I think MSN.com captured it well enough by allowing America to share their thoughts in a 20-word-or-less thought on their homepage.

I've been watching it for 5 minutes and I'm already entertained and intrigued.

Been a Long Day

I really like this song, and while posting the lyrics to a song is kind of a cop-out post, I really don't have much to say...except that Rosi Golan's voice is beautiful, and so is this song. You can listen to it here.

Been A Long Day

Its been a long day and all I’ve got to say is make it strong

Its been a long a day and all I’ve got to say is I’ve been wrong

So take a leave of absence,

tell me you’ll be gone,

I don’t want to see your face.

Its been a long day and I just wanna hide away

Its been a long week and all the lines come down heavy on me

Its been a long week I’m finally feeling like its ok to break

Into a thousand pieces,

no one can replace,

only I can find my way.

It’s been a long day and I just wanna hide away
It’s been a long year and everyone around me disappeared

It’s been a long year and all this mess around me is finally clear

So can I have a moment?

Just to say hello.

Can you let your anger go?

It’s been a long year and I’m finally ready to be here.

Thanks to One Tree Hill for always having awesome music...

And in case you're a fan of the show's music like me, you can find music from any episode here.

if you need a "laugh"

You should go to this "website"

Did I catch an oh-niner in there?

It's funny how a New Year comes upon us. Literally one minute--no, one second-- it's 2008 and then suddenly, it's 2009! It creeps up on you, without harm and without any room or time for slowing down and somehow along the way giving us reason to celebrate.

I enjoyed the company of 2 friends of mine at a nice little piano bar on New Year's Eve as we toasted the end of 2008, which wasn't so much our favorite year, and celebrated a fresh start. I'm always up for change and new beginnings. At least if things aren't going as planned, I like a chance to start over. Even if life is going just smoothly, I'll always welcome a chance to begin again. It kind of reminds me of grace.

2008 wasn't bad for any particular reasons, but every year (at New Year's and on my birthdays...) I claim that "this is going to be my year!" 2008 wasn't really "my year" if I'm looking back on it. It was alright, but I wish it would have been better. I'm hoping 2009 will be the year...for what? Again, I don't know. For newness, for change, for good things. I'll always welcome that, and I'll do what I can to make it happen. I want to live boldly this year and choose the Kingdom over myself, even though my tendency is to choose me.

I'm always excited to see what the future holds...and though I wish I had a crystal ball to see into it, I'm a little perplexed by the mystery that is the unknown.

But here's what I do know about this year:

~I get to spend time with Faith & Becka for our post-New-Year's-celebration (for the last 3 years we've spent New Year's Eve together...originating in Times Square in 2006...but postponed this year) to go to the Caribbean!!! Though it's only about 2 weeks away, we're still not locked into where we're going, but it will either be Cancun, the Dominican, or a cruise to Cozumel/Costa Maya...thanks to Faith's final few weeks working for JetBlue and her buddy passes she's so willing to share!

~I have the honor of witnessing the beginning of marriages for several of my friends in the upcoming year...

~I will be taking my third group of LCC students to Romania to work with Rachel Ross & Forget Me Not Ministries...and I'm so excited to see those sweet kiddos again.

~My family will be going to Florida together for probably the first family vacation in, like, a long time...definitely since Cory & David have been married and Maddy & Evan were born.
~I'm hoping to start embracing my creative side a little more. I've been inspired lately and love how artistic, creative activities make me energized. I'm realizing more and more this is from God and not just an outlet for me, so I'd like to use it for bigger purposes. Maybe taking classes, maybe just painting some canvases for people, maybe learning some graphic design, who knows?

~I'm definitely going to read more. I've slacked off (big time!) this past year, and I hope to read and finish at least 15 books this year. That's maybe lofty, but it's a goal I'm setting.

~I will learn to be where I'm at completely. I'm always looking forward to the next thing, but I'm learning to be right here, right now.

~I am going to learn to save my money, which I'm completely terrible at doing. I'm not sure how this is going to happen...especially with an upcoming cruise, family vaca to Florida, overhanging credit card bill, student loans, car payments, my hope to buy a Mac sometime soon, my need to pay my mom back for my furniture, etc... I WILL save money. Maybe I need to find a second job or something.

~I will be 27 this year. Wow. At least I've got like 8 months till then.

What's happening for you in 2009?