Junior

Word of the day: superman t-shirt.

I have this awkward space of time between my last class (3:50) and gym time with Kait (5:15). What to do? Blog, of course.

I have been a Covenant junior for one week now and I'm still trying to figure out how it's the same and how it's different from being a sophomore.

Same: someone making me scream on the first day back, having Kait in our room constantly, weekend baking parties, Gilmore Girls, mall trips, expensive coffee drinks, and really loud music in the car.

Different: all but five of the girls on The Fritz now, my professors, Lisa's xbox, couch in my room, strange freshmen, a HUGEMONGOUS shower, and all of the healthy cereals in my food drawer.

Classes: History and Philosophy of Education; Music, Art, and PE for Elementary School; 20th Century World History; Cross-Cultural Psychology; and Principles in Sociology. I am excited about three out of five of these.

I'm liking the new Fritz so far. Yesterday we old Fritzers discovered that they are actually as strange as we are, making them much more likeable.

Good things that happened this weekend: car dance party X a million, World Market, rainbow parachute games on the veranda, Harry Potter, kids' soccer game, Stone Cup, cake balls + chick flicks at the Fritz House, prayer & praise with Bloodfield and post praise dance party minus the boys. Oh yeah, and about an hour of homework while Harry Potter was playing in my room. I'm a studying BEAST.

  

Noobies          

CAKE BALLS!!!

My roommate and I screamed to Destiny's Child yesterday and now my throat hurts. 

I have found that I have a gift for attracting desperate boys. 

I did ten sit-ups in the shower just to prove that I could.

I miss my friends at home more than I did last year. 

My new coffee pot is making my into an addict. 

EXERCISE TIME!!!

Song of the day: Somebody to Love by Justin Bieber. I got the Bieber Fever.

My Heart is Melting

Word of the day: Kazakh. I love Kazakhs. Or at least my Kazakhs.

This blog won't be terribly long, because whoa I need sleep and I have all these things to do tomorrow. Yeah.

So here I will make a list of all the little things I want to talk about that tugged my heart this week:

1) My GBF, Christopher. He's had a $#@%$@^ week and really, really needs to get out of the situation he's in...but that's easier said than done. I've only known this guy for a month and I already love him to death. It hurts to watch. On Wednesday, Morgan and I watched The Princess Bride with him, and today I took him a hot fudge milkshake because of his $#%#*($ week. I really just want to stick him in my Covenant closet and keep him. I think he's made of cotton candy and sunshine.

2) My best friend Morgan. I wish she and Chris both lived in my closet at Covenant. We've stayed up too many nights this month giggling like 10-year-olds. And she's probably gettting married next year. AAH.

RAPTOR.

3) My university students. Thursday, I took Nargiz from Azerbaijan and Maria from Russia to Gatlinburg for mini golf, Ripley's, and donuts.

YUM. But on my way home after dropping them off, I just started crying. Nargiz is Muslim and Maria doesn't know very much about Jesus. Will I see them again? I don't know. And there's really nothing I can do about it. And that really sucks. They are such sweet, precious girls.

I also learned how to be super flexible. On Friday, Julia called to ask for a ride to Knoxville on Saturday that ended up taking all afternoon. I just kept saying "semper gumby, semper gumby, semper gumby...."

Today, I stole my Kazakhs--Azamat and Daulet--for the day. Both of them are also "Muslim", but I managed to get them to come to church with me (even though we were half an hour late...I went to their apartment to pick them up and Azamat comes stumbling out..."Hello Lora. What time is it? Oh, I think we will be late. Ten minutes...") That afternoon dad n' mom took us up to Clingman's Dome--the boys' first time in the park. Azamat couldn't stop smiling and Daulet kept singing Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber songs. I had an absolutely delightful time.

Daulet, me, and Azamat. Also known as coffee and milk, because they are African compared to me. I made them a cd of fun American songs we like together and a card to go with it, and afterwards Azamat wrote, "yeah, when I read coffee - milk - coffee, it's so nice, i can't find a ward to explane what I feel"

--ok, my heart just melted a bit.

4) My sister. She's tall and gorgeous and boy crazy and only a high school freshman. She came to Knoxville with me Saturday, and we pretty much spent the entire ride there and back talking about boys and what not to do in relation to boys. Example: if attractive senior boy puts you on a "hot" list, don't let him come after you. She already knows this, I just wanted to pound it in more. I pray that our relationship stays like this through high school, because I want to keep her away from any serious trouble--she is my little sister, after all.

5) I'm tired of saying goodbye to people I'm never going to see again with my human eyes. I'm ready to be settled on The Fritz again. And yes, that's happening in TWO DAYS. 

Song of the day: Party in the USA. With Kazakhs.

Hence, a long blog.

List of words that describe the current times: international, semper gumby, GBF, raptor, novocaine, angst, ideal woman, and anaplastic astrocytoma. Yes, this blog will be long.

Whenever I come home, this thing happens where I go, "Oh! I have a whole free week! How bored I shall be!" and then, two hours later, I go, "Oh! I now have a full week! Whenever shall I have time to rest?" Does this mean I'm finally popular? I'm not entirely sure.

I kind of feel like I'm having two summers in a row and they are complete opposites of one another. Africa? I went to Africa? No, surely not. I'm doing a million and one things here. Whenever would I have had time to go to Africa?

Actually, the way God planned it out is really funny. I went to a place where I was the outsider (major outsider, actually, being extra-white as I am) working with children to a place where I was the native working with outsiders my own age. Since arriving back in Sevierville, I've gotten involved in a ministry called "La Puerta". It's for foreign university students working in Pigeon Forge for the summer. At first, it was really awkward because I arrived at the student center and the director told me "just go talk to students". Um, ok. Now, this is a small place with computers and washing machines and not much else. So I awkwardly plopped myself down beside a Russian and started making intrusive small talk. Fast forward a couple weeks. I've been to the center a few times, and a Thai lady that helps out there calls me and asks if I can go with her and some students to Cherokee. I say sure that would be fun......The day before we go, I get a call from her.

Laura: Oh yeah, I'm still planning on going with you guys!
Ladda: Good! I need yo heyp! I cannot drive!
Laura: .....you need me to drive then?
Ladda: Oh thank you!
Laura: Do you have directions? What will we do?
Ladda: You get on internet and find directions! We see when we get there!

Last Friday, therefore, found me with one talkative Russian in my front seat and three Mongolians in my back seat singing to Shania Twain on a one and a half hour drive to Cherokee, North Carolina....minus one Thai lady leader. However, we still managed to have a blast. Magically, we all also managed to match outfits. Guess who the obnoxious American tour guide is?

On the ride up, Julia (the Russian girl) asked me if she could come to church with me on Sunday. God made that one wayyyy too easy. So, a couple days later, I took her and another Russian girl, Masha, to church and then to my house. They really enjoyed it and dad took a fun picture of us.

Doing this has been such a learning experience. I actually know some things about Mongolia now (because who ever gives much thought to Mongolia?) and I've had to draw from my experience in Africa--how I would have wanted to be treated when I was the outsider. I've made friends with people from Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. And I've gotten to share the love of Christ with people from another culture without having to raise money and hop on a plane. COOL. Hence, the words international and semper gumby (always flexible...and no, gumby is not Latin for flexible).

I have also made a new gay friend named Chris! Morgan has known him for a while already, and we've gotten to hang out several times since I've been back. Being friends with him has really caused me to think (as if I wasn't doing enough of that already with all my other new friends....) about how I treat those that Christian society usually shuns. I had a gay friend before, but we didn't have to opportunity to stay close. This time it's different because Chris believes in God, but he's still gay. I'm trying to figure that out. I do love him though and he makes me laugh hysterically. Hence GBF, aka "gay best friend"

I have seen Morgan nearly every other day since I've been back. She's basically my other sister. When we were with Chris, we began doing "the raptor". How-to: make a two-fingered raptor talon with each hand, pull elbows into chest, and squeal "REEEE!" Hence, raptor.

Today I got a tooth filled and they had to numb up the right side of my mouth. I didn't know they were going to do this. So, as I'm lying on my back waiting for just a little drill, this giant needle suddenly comes swinging at my face and I go OH CRAAAP. Hence, novocaine. 


My sister began high school two days ago and she's already getting crazier. She was convinced that she would meet her dream man husband on the first day, but was then hit with the cold reality that those don't exist in high school. Hence, angst.


You know what I love about Africa? They value a woman with a figure, which is why it's ok for women to eat thick food like men do and show off some curve. You know what I hate about America? Boys here have been made to think that a beautiful body doesn't have a lot of curve. My best guy friend makes me feel like a giant when he points out the girls he thinks are attractive and my brother makes me feel ugly when he talks about the girls he likes. I don't look like those girls. My anatomy will never permit me to look like those girls. Does that mean I'm ugly? I didn't see it as much until I left America for a while, but now that I do, it really does hurt. Hence, ideal woman. I am not the American version of this.


Last, but not least, anaplastic astrocytoma. Fancy words for a special kind of brain tumor. NO, I do not have one. But, if you recall, this summer I have acquired the aspiration of becoming a children's author. In my next story, one of my characters will have said brain tumor. Therefore, I'm trying to do research on it, even though doing this makes me really depressed. Cancer is not a happy subject and I hurt for all the children I've read about that died from this tumor.

I go back to school on Tuesday. I am less popular there. Yay.

Song of the day: Man, I Feel Like a Woman. Oh, Shania.

Birthday Awesome.

Word of the day: birthday. Yeah, well, my birthday was two days ago, but whatever. I figure it's time to write about it because 20 is a pretty big birthday.

It all began on the 5th, when I suddenly went whoah, this is my last day as a teenager. What do I do? The first thing on the agenda, of course, was to listen to teenie bopper music while I was in the shower. Excellent. Then Audrey and I went out to "go to the bank". Yes, we did go to the bank, but first we took a side trip to McDonald's for smoothies and screamed to Ke$ha music all the way through the drive-thru, with the windows down of course. And, after the bank, we took another side trip to Walmart just for fun. They had three different sections with UT shoes in them! THREE! It was disgusting. Too much tacky orange.

I puttered around after that, bored, until Tori showed up. We Redboxed Leap Year and Valentine's Day, so by the time we were finished I felt like I was in love...but I'm not sure who with. Between movies, we made brownies--at 2 am. Thank goodness mom n dad weren't home.

Of course, we woke up at noon the next day, which means it was time for breakfast. Tori and I made really, really awesome pancakes.

Fast-forward two hours to find us at the Tin Roof coffee shop with Rejoice and Jordan. We spent over an hour playing a question game. We discussed whether or not we would want to know the date of our death and what the worst hairdo we ever had was. DEEP.

Then back home where my pool was waiting. Only Jordan and Daniel actually went swimming, but they soaked me with water guns while I danced around the pool. Jordan also pushed me into the landscaping and I cut my toes up.

Morgan showed up, Rejoice left, and we had the traditional family-friend-pizza-dinner AND homemade chocolate ice cream YUM. Oh yeah--and I got some presents--the Amanda show, Jesus Storybook Bible, a coffeemaker, and all the sheet music to Pride & Prejudice. Needless to say, I was *thrilled*. Audrey also made me a balloon Flounder, Triton, and Merdog because I love The Little Mermaid so much. And I wore a crown. Yay me.

After that the four of us headed up to Gatlinburg while playing the ipod game. I profusely recommend this game for people who want to laugh a lot. In Gatlinburg, we played with hermit crabs, scared people in a mirror maze, sat at a hobbit table at Donut Friar, played DDR, and watched moonshine distilling.

We got home, Tori left, and the rest of us stayed up watching the Amanda Show and laughing HYSTERICALLY.

And.....yeah, that's about it. Hey, I'm 20 now and I'm about to start my junior year. AWESOME.

And I'm really mature.

Song of the day: Love Song by Sara Bareilles. I refuse to write you one.

Quarter-Life Crisis

MY REAL BLOG! I missed you! The trip blog was fun, but I enjoy my old blog more.

Let's start with the way all good blogs should start.

Word of the...um....the last couple weeks: America. America is a big place with a lot of white people that speak fast English. Amazing that a place like that actually exists, huh? Yeah, I thought so too.

Before I talk about life at all, I have a statement to make. If this is your first time stumbling across my blog and you haven't kept up with it/don't know me at all, please don't judge what I say. There are a lot of jokes in here that make more sense when you actually know me. I discovered recently that my blog was read by people who didn't know me and assumed that I was a little---well, creepy. That's the downside to blogs. From now on, I'll be a little more careful. I say a lot of things I don't mean because they are funny.

So America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. I've spent the last couple weeks trying to catch up with my friends and family, of course.

We'll begin with family. My mom got kind of buff. My sister got taller than me--stupid 14-year-old growth spurt. My brother got a car (excuse me?!?!?!). Dad's off this week, so yesterday we (family) went on a five mile hike and now my legs hurt. On Monday he took me on a date. Most dads aren't that cool. Last week we had a Hammer family reunion (mom's side--obviously) and I reacquired my southern roots with bar-be-que sandwiches and an accent to boot.

Friends. I really like having them. I hung out with Grace for my first couple days back. I got to see Lisa and Alyssa at the Mall of Georgia. Sarah, Rachel, and I had a very silly sleepover. I've seen Morgan at least three times in the last week. Rejoice is getting married, which is weird. Britney and Laurel both already got married. Morgan introduced me to her two gay friends, and we had a really fun time last night. I feel popular.

Since I'm here til the 24th, I'm trying to get somewhat involved in La Puerta, an outreach for foreign university students that come to work in Pigeon Forge for the summer. I've only been able to go twice so far, but it's fun getting to talk to the university students.

In two days I will be twenty. August sixth. My my. I must be hitting my quarter-life crisis or something. I'm a grown-up....but I'm not. I'm actually convinced that I'll never be a real grown-up. But I've gotten to that age where I can call everybody by their first name, and that's very strange. "So, Mrs Bea--I mean, Ruth, I was thinking..." What's even weirder is that I'm hitting the age where my friends are starting to get engaged and married. I want to say, "Hold on, weren't we just in high school? What are you doing??" I'm also getting closer to the part of my life where I have to figure out what I'm actually going to do with it....but I still have two more years to explore the possibilities. I have, however, decided on four things:

1) I want to be a teacher. I don't want to do it every year of my life, but I would like to do it for several of them.
2) I want to adopt a child from a foreign country.
3) I want to write funny children's books.
4) I want a dog.

Hurray for life goals!

Song of the day: Whatever by Steven Curtis Chapman