7 Months later

Wow, so I read my last blog and realized first how long it'd been since I've written and with that, how much has changed....

Spring and summer have come and gone, we are now in fall. In the last 7 months not too much has changed, just riding the ride of life. This past summer I went to New Orleans all by myself on a missions trip, not with a church! It was one of the most adventurous things I've ever done, and don't regret it at all. The trip helped me grow as an individual, meet amazing people, and make new lifelong friend. Even though I didn't grow much in my relationship with Christ, I did have to put my trust in Him throughout the process of planning of the trip and while on the actual trip. After going on the trip, I am excited to go on more trips and adventures, either by myself or with a group. I used to always want to go on trips, but too scared and nervous to do it alone. I have now proven to myself I am fully capable of doing things solo.

Even though I didn't work at all this summer, I had a blast going through 13 states with my best friend and visiting her in GA. As I've said before, I love to travel, and the two trips to GA met my desire! I also went to Disneyland with one of my favorite families and my nephew. It gave me a new appreciation of parenting as we had 3 kids under five, even with 5 adults. :) But I had a blast! Disneyland is seriously the Happiest Place on Earth.

At the end of summer, after studying all summer long-including on my 3000 mile trip in a truck riding middle seat- across county, and studying old school- reading three textbooks front to back, I took my ACSM Personal Training exam. I was so nervous for it, but my hard work paid off once again, and I passed! It's one of the top certified organizations, so a great credential to have. My goal is to personal train while teaching, and maybe one day open my own gym.

This brings me to what I'm up to now.... I am now in my last year of college-surreal!!! I have decided to drop my Psych minor in order to get outta here in May, with the addition of 3 summer classes. I just am so ready to get out of college and start teaching. Even though I know I'll miss it once I'm gone, I miss the West Side of WA soooo much! And I'm also done with the whole college scene-the drinking, partying, immaturity, and drama. I know all of this will be an ongoing encounter throughout my life, but it's hard to avoid when it's all you're surrounded by in college.

I can't wait to get home and start student teaching! I hear from my friends I'll love it, at least they are. I know I'll love it as that's where my passion is. After student teaching, I plan to continue my education by taking evening classes-either to finish my psych minor, or work on some other endorsement. I also have another plan/adventure/goal, I want to accomplish the spring after student teaching, but I need to run it by the parents before posting it online! But I'll try to keep this updated more. :)

I ran across a quote lately, "Never get to a place in your walk where you're satisfied and don't make the effort to become stronger in it. There's always another level for you to reach to!" This quote is applicable to everyone, and for someone who is always driven and goal oriented, it is a great motto for me to live by! Another quote I have up in my apartment is, "chase your dreams", a simple saying, yet can mean so much. For me, it reminds me why I need to continue to work my butt off here at school, and why I work so hard. It is so that I can someday teach students how to stay healthy and active for life-emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually.

My goal in life is to simply make a difference! Even though I know I want to teach, who knows if that's what I'll do for the 40 years of my professional life. I also want to own my own gym, work with youth in a church-which I want to do starting in fall when I go home!!!, and travel.

Well that's a lil update with me, just felt like writing. Hopefully I'll remember to log in soon.

Hmmmm

I don't really know what I want to write about. Just feel like writing so here it goes. Looking outside my window, I see white. Really? White? It's March!! I'm so sick of the snow and cold, it's currently 9 degrees, our high today was I think 20! Way too cold for me. I got so cold in the 20 mintues, yes 20 minutes cleaning the snow off my car, that my hands were frozen. I got up to my floor in my dorm, and fainted my hands were that cold. No good! I just wonder how long this can last. Supposedly it's suppose to get nice by Friday and be 47 which is like summer weather. Maybe I should break out my shorts?

Ok, enough of the venting on the weather. Life is going good, can't complain really. I've got a roof over my head, food to eat, an education to learn about, friends and family who love me, and gas in my car to get home. It would be nice if my hives reactions would stop bothering me. I am still getting the reactions almost daily, even with the 3 different medicines the Dr. has me on. He unfortunately has no clue. People tell me I need Dr. House, if only he existed in real life!

I still always think about life in general. Where am I headed on this journey? Where does God want to lead me on this path? Am I following His lead? If not, where did I take the wrong turn? Right now I want to get certified in personal training, then after I graduate and right before grad school, I want to take the CSCS-Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists exam. This will just give me more credentials, and gets me more into the fitness arena. Then I want to continue my education in grad school in exercise science, as I've mentioned in previous entries. After grad school, I feel like I'll want to either get back into the classroom, or get a career with personal training, or do both!

As for now, I have 2 more years left here at WSU. It seems like forever, especially when I have so many friends graduating in 7 weeks. All of my hf'ers-health fitness kids, are graduating in May and doing their student teaching in the fall. Makes me jealous for sure! But then I have to remind myself that they are older than me and my time here isn't done yet.

Last Thursday, I went to CRU-Campus Crusades for the first time. I really enjoyed it and got something out of the message. I didn't realize how much I miss the fellowship, music and message I get when I attend church or youth groups. I also learned more about how to share my faith with others. This is something I've always wanted to do, but wasn't sure how to do it. CRU did a couple of sessions on this, and I know feel equipped with the tools to do it. I know the first time may be hard but it'll be worth it in the end. I just am praying for God to tell me who I need to go to first. There are so many people in the world who need the Word, but I know I have people in my life who are in Pullman who also need the Word. I'm just curious on how God will use me.

I know God has a plan for me and my life, but sometimes it's hard to remember that. He knows what He's doing, whether we know it or not. This includes everything from what career he wants me to embark on to who that "special one" will be. It can be hard to trust that things will fall into place in the end, but with God on my side, I know they will. As Gary Allen puts it, "Life ain't always beautiful, but it's a beautiful ride!"

Lately

Last weekend I went home and was once again reminded how much I love going home. It's not the fact that I get homesick here at school, but sometimes I need a break from Pullman or need to just see family and friends, not just talk to online or on the phone. Over the weekend I was able to spend a great amount of time with both family and close friends. On Friday I went to Brian's on my way home to Poulsbo. Then Sat I was able to visit with the Young's and saw Caitlyn Sunday after church. I also went to Brian's church on Sunday and forgot how much I missed his sermons.

It was when I was driving back to Pullman when I started wondering what God really does have planned for me. I love being independent here and want to go to Grad school, either in CO or TN. But at the same time, I part of me wants to go back home and begin my career as a teacher/personal trainer/ youth leader. I want the experience of living in another state, even though it means more phsycial distance between me and the people who mean the most. And grad school seems like the perfect time to do it. I also want to do grad school sooner I think than later as I feel it'd be hard to go back to school once I've started my career. All in all, it's up to God, and I just need to pay attention to him and listen. Life is a ride that we don't always have control of. For some of us, like me, it's hard to not always have control, and to let someone else, God, lead the way. But I believe through prayer, the answers will come, one way or another.

Tunnel of Oppression

Every year the Residence Life Department puts on an exhibit/program about oppression. It is held in one of the residence halls. Throughout the building, in McCroskey it's in the basement, are rooms with displaying different types of oppression. Some rooms are like exhibits with information on the walls, silent videos playing to watch, just like a museum. Other rooms have skits that people are performing for you to watch. The types of oppression that were displayed this year were: Genocide, sweatshops & poverty, abuse, homosexuality, mental and physical disabilities, veterans, and body image.

I have gone to the Tunnel every year since I've been here at WSU and each time I come away with something new. This year, the mental and physical disabilities room and veterans room touched me the most. They both hit home. The mental and physical disabilities room had statistics about different disabilities and such. I think this room hit home for me more this year than previous years is because I'm in a Special Ed class in the educaiton program. I am learning all about disabilities, politics, and the students who have learning disabilities. One statistic that struck me was "70% of teachers who hear putdowns in their classroom do nothing about it!" It blew my mind, 70% is a huge amount, way too many teachers are turning their head when they hear things they don't want to hear. How are we suppose to teach kids how to be decent people when teachers can't step up and tell the kid the difference between right and wrong? Being a teacher is much more than giving tests, homework, and a grade for the report card. A teacher is another mentor for students. We need to teach kids life skills, how to grow up and be decent human beings in society. The fact that 70% of teachers are not manning up to telling students that what they said is wrong, is horrible. I do not want to be part of that statistic, as a teacher or as a human being. I want to be the person/teacher who is man enough to step up and put the kid in their place. To tell them that what they said is wrong, and not only that it is wrong, but WHY it is wrong. Many kids hate being told what to do and that they are wrong because they are not told a REASON on WHY they are wrong. Kids need/want an explanations. My goal is to set expectations in the beginning of the year with my students so that they know what is not acceptable in my classroom.

Another room that hit home for me as I said was the Veteran's room. A monologue was being read as we walked through the room reading facts and info about our Veterans. I am reading a book about Pat Tillman, the NFL FB player who went to Afghanistain and got killed, so veterans has been on my mind recently. I think as a society we take our Veterans for granted. Many of us do not realize that we have 20 year olds walking around who are already Veterans. There are some here at WSU going to school. Being a veteran doesn't mean you got wounded in battle, it means that you went and served our country, one of the highest honors a person can do, I believe. With this said, how many of us can say we have thanked our veterans? I am sorry to say that I don't think I have ever personally thanked one. That is sad considering I have 3 cousins who have served, one currently in Afghanistan, and 2 grandfather's who have served in the wars. Next time I see my grandpa and my counsins, I need to thank them. It might sound cheesy, but it is the least we can do for them. Yes, it might have been years ago that the veteran you know has served, but the two words of "thank you" will still hit home for them and I can guarantee they will take it to heart.

The Tunnel also gave me motivation and inspiration to try to do something about the oppressions that are prominent. I am only one person, but even saying thank you to a veteran or helping a disabled-physically or mentally- can help disolve the oppressions that are alive today. So please, as you go on your daily life, keep in mind that your life isn't that bad. Are you able to read the daily paper? Go for a run? Listen to your favorite song? See the sunset? Have no battle wounds-physically or emotionally? Go to your job where you get paid 5 digits? Think about it.... we don't have it so bad after all.

Yoga

Over break dad has bought us a new fitness program called P90X. This program focuses on strength training and nutrition. It is an intense program that includes millions of pullup exercises and other basic strength training exercises. There are DVDs for each day, about 8 different workouts including 3 strength training workouts, Abs, yoga, cardio, and a kickboxing type workout. It is a 90 day program, if you do it straight through. My goal is to get into better shape and get stronger along with losing a few pounds to not only look and feel physically better but also to lower my cholesterol. Today I did the yoga workout and I now have new respect for those who do yoga.

Previously I felt that yoga was lazy and a lot of stretching with coorinated breathing while standing on your head and weird poses like that. Well, I have now realized that yes yoga is stretching, weird poses, and coordinated breathing, minus the lazy part. It takes a lot of strength to do the poses correctly and hold them for a set time. I also learned I do in fact enjoy it and while I am still a novice and wont feel comfortable taking a class for quite some time, I look forward continuing this yoga dvd and advancing further. I have only been able to do 45 min of the 90 min video, but with time, I know I will be able to complete the full 90 min.

Student Teaching

As I finish up my first semester in the education program, and realizing many of my collegues are student teaching in the fall, has made me think about my student teaching. Of course I am not doing mine until Spring of 2011. But non the less I'll get there! The traditional student goes back home and teaches in a district close to them. At first, I was so excited to go back home to finish off my student teaching, but the more I think about it, I feel like there is another better opportunity awaiting me. Another option for us student teachers is to go abroad! With my love of traveling, experiences new people, places and cultures, I feel like this is my best fit option. Traveling while in college can be an experience of a life time as well as more financially do able.

My good friend Thomas has just come back home after a semester in Africa and even though I have not heard his stories yet, but I know I will, just looking through his pictures has made me jealous! I have always wanted to study abroad and I think I just need to plunge in and like Nike says "just do it". I would be going to Germany as our program sends their students to Japan or Germany. I want to go to Germany because I have always wanted to go to Europe and there are so many countries there I want to visit. I would force myself to go to Sweden, which won't take much forcing, cause I've always wanted to go there. I want to see my ancestor's farm, the one that is named after Grandpa's name. Of course it's not named after Grandpa, but he got his name from teh ancestor's who lived at the farm long ago. I have seen pictures of Sweden and our farm, and I get excited just thinking of the possibility of seeing it for myself. My Swedish heritage is important to me and so what better time to learn more about it while in college doing my student teaching in Germany! While in Europe, I want to visit other countries as well. This will mean going out by myself and just seeing what I can see and learning what I can learn about their history and culture. This experience will force me to grow as a learner as well as a person.

In Germany, I will be living on a U.S. military base teaching American students who are stationed over there. So I won't be livining in a random town with a random family. I will be safe being protected by our men in uniform. Teaching over there will give me a new teaching experience as well. I feel like I have a good sense of how education is run over here in the U.S. So I want to get out and experience how we run our schools for our children who are stationed with families overseas. I also want to visit other schools in Europe and see how they run their schools. I believe that this will help me become a better teacher with the understanding that there is more than one way to teach. And even though it's different it can still be effective.

Financially, I pay WSU tuition and just need money for living over there and the airfare. It'll be about a semester long, so expensive, but well worth it. This experience will also help me grow as an individual as I will be in a foriegn place without family for six months! Anyways, just some recent thoughts, I still have to talk to my family about the possibilities. It's just been on my mind this week, so I thought I'd put my thoughts into words.

Apple Cup 2008

Like all Apple Cups, and all WSU games this year, I could not confidently say, "We're going to win!" The weather was decent, 40 degrees, sun off and on, no rain. It got chilly, but bareable. The game was intense. Always is against UW. Unfortunately UW made the first TD in the second quarter along with a field goal. We went into half time down 10-0. I didn't lose faith, but was worried. We came out 3rd quarter and made a TD, the crowd exploded! Fourth quarter we tie up the game with 2 seconds to go with a field goal. The last two min of the official game time were intense, everyone screaming to hurry up and make plays to get down the field. Well Cougs got to work to tie it up. Then we had the ball first in overtime and made a field goald. UW got the ball and made a field goal as well. This goes into the 2nd overtime, we're defense first. No score from UW. It was still intense, cause we still had to score to win! Luckily, we pulled through and made a field goal. The stadium errupted!!! Everyone screaming, jumping and going crazy. After about a 30 sec of jumping and screaming I yelled at my friend "Let's go rush the field!" So we grabbed our stuff and ran down with the pack. As soon as I was running down the stairs I lost Liz, but saw a friend of a friend and grabbed her so I at least knew someone to run down with me. We got to the bottom row, where we had to jump over the rail. It's kinda far, well for me who's short, so I climbed over the rail, then jumped. And once I was down I ran onto the field, and lost my friend again. So here I was on the field with no one I knew, just other Cougs, celebrating our win! It was so fun. I could feel the famous Cougar Pride, it's definetely a great feeling.

Even if we don't win any other game than Portland State, we at least beat the Damn Huskies!!!

We have a long road ahead of us to improve from this year, but hopefully we can produce more next year. Either way, I still love the game but ready for some great Cougar Basketball. Go Cougs!