Um...

Um... So...

I just realized I'm going to Europe this summer.

I'm going to be in a foreign country with a bunch of strangers for five weeks.

.....what have I gotten myself into?

I feel a panic attack coming on...

Flexibility

On Friday I leave for Illinois, then Europe.

Wow-- Craziness.

Anyway... In between that time and now, I have a lot of shopping, packing and preparing to do. And I've done a lot of panicking... Of course.

I'm having a lot of worries about how much stuff I'm bringing. All of my stuff has to fit into a bag they give us when we get to training camp, in Illinois (where I will be leaving for on Friday). And it all has to weigh under 50 pounds... Problem is, until I get to training camp it's all in a cardboard box. So I have no idea if it's going to all fit and whether or not it's going to be in the weight proximity allotted. (Yes, you can weigh it... But our scale is broken, so we have no way of doing so.) So, I have done a lot of worrying over that... I was sharing my worries with my mom as she tried to guess how much it all weighed by picking up the box. She told me to just stop worrying and be more flexible-- just as she's been telling me for the past few weeks. She then went on to give me a lecture about how you need to be flexible and willing to roll with the punches on trips like these and that's what they expect out of you.

Well, maybe this is another thing I should have asked people to pray about... I'm not so good with taking things as they come. I like to have a structured plan and stick to it.

So... This should be interesting.

Wake Up!

Sometimes a good wake-up call is really necessary. Friends are the best way to get those wake-up calls...

I tend to get really panicked over things. Little or big, it doesn't much matter-- I can get equally upset over either. And then I can only see one thing: all the bad things. I am pretty much incapable of seeing anything good. Or I see the good things, but they don't fully process as my mind pushes them away to be replaced with every bad thing that could be imagined. Not my best trait...

So a good slap in the face is necessary on occasion. It's too bad they can't be physical slaps, as that might make more of an impact... But word-slaps can do a good score for me.

So I recently had an encounter where a "word-slap" came into play. Thank you Lord, for giving me a friend who is not afraid to stand up to me and tell me I'm being an ungrateful bitch. (Or just ungrateful...)

So, I am awakened and am ready to crawl out of the hole of self-pity I've been wallowing in. It's time to thank God for amazing opportunities and trust him with the rest!

Obsessed?

Okay... Sooo... I think I have this problem.

I think I have this obsession.

With smelling good.

No joke... I'm like obsessed. I just realized it. I have about 10 deodorants, over 15 perfumes, about 10 lotions, etc. And I use them; a lot. When I'm home, I put deodorant on like five times a day and randomly spray myself with perfume or body splash and put on lotion. And I'm like religious with bathing... And I wash myself like three times, with nice-smelling soaps...

So.... I'm not sure what's going on with this, but I think I'm nearing the point where you could say I'm obsessed or that I have a problem. Or maybe I'm already at that point...

I'm very curious as to why I have this need to smell good. I wonder if there is a reason... Like if something in my past is making me do it... Or like some weird thing in my brain. Hm... Or maybe I just like smelling nice? Who knows. Oh well...

Hopefully I don't smell overwhelming. That'd be bad... But people don't plug their noses around me, so I don't think I'm there yet! Maybe one day... Hopefully not.

But if the obsession continues.... Maybe I'll end up like that guy in England who died because he wanted to smell nice and put on too much deodorant in a poorly-ventilated room! Let's hope not...

aw :)

People who say the sweetest things right when you need to hear them and unexpectedly.... They are the best.

Last night I had an encounter with one of these people and it totally made my day! Some people are so full of surprises. I love it :)

So... Last night was a good night. And a good day. Gotta love best friends :)