Leaving

It's weird that I'm moving back to America tomorrow.  This has been a whirlwind month of traveling, saying goodbyes, packing, and purging.  It's all starting to set in that I'm seeing things for the last time for a long time and I'm not sure if I'll ever see certain people again.  It's hard leaving a country that has meant so much to me and that has changed me so much.
I'm going to miss a culture that enjoys people and getting to know others; where people just sit around the table for hours at a time because they want nothing more than to spend time with you.  I'm going to miss all of the delicious foods that they have.  I can't believe that I won't be able to go on a run and see a Parliament building older than our country, a castle, and a world-famous bridge all in one stretch.  It's hard to imagine that I won't be able to just hop on a train and be in another country for the weekend because it's cheaper than a tank of gas.
However, even though I will miss SO much about this country, I know it's time for me to be home.  I miss my family and friends and I'm so excited to see them and hug them all again.  It'll be strange adjusting to a culture that is constantly on the move and needs to get 300 things done in one day; I mean, it's literally an accomplishment if you get one thing checked off your to-do list here.  It's also going to take me a while to get used to the fact that I go into a store and ask anyone any question I want to and they can understand what I'm saying, no matter how fast I talk or how big my words are.  I'm going to have to remember how to drive, remember that Americans are loud, and remember that this is now my home again.
This is a new and a very, very strange journey for me.  A lot of people view me as if I've been in a coma for two years and now I'm just waking up again.  Their lives have gone on, but mine has been on stand still.  Quite the opposite.  I'm leaving a country that has challenged me, shaped me, and grown me more in two years than I've possibly done in the past 10 years combined.
I'm ready to go home, but I'm definitely leaving a piece of my heart here in Hungary.
Szia Magyarország!

Rome!!

My dream has come true! I'm in Rome!

I have spent 3 days here so far and I'm in love.  I got a SUPER cheap flight here (as in less than a tank of gas) and it's been a blast. I mean, I've seen everything and I'm so overwhelmed with history and joy at the same time.

Yesterday was my favorite day, for sure.  We woke up later in the day and kind of lazed around for a bit.  Then we went to the Colosseum (yay!!!) and Palatine Hill (which is where Rome was founded and where all of the Kings/Emperors of Rome lived).  Joanna and I paid for a guided tour and it was worth every single penny.  When we met up with the guys after the tour, I wanted to spill all of my guts to them about everything that I learned, but they didn't really care (I mean...that's why they didn't pay for the tour, after all).  I learned SO much and I was freaking out the whole time, to be honest.  I just loved every.single.minute.

After, we came back and made some dinner at our B&B before heading out into the city for the night time stuff.  We started out with gelato (delicious!) and then we went to the Vatican at night, which was awesome as well.  Then we headed over the bridges and made our way to the Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, as well as some other night time wondering.  Then we stayed up until past 2 int he morning to play our favorite card game.  Stellar day, to say the least.

We're heading out to dinner now for some more pizza and gelato probably. I've got some great pictures because Joanna let me borrow her awesome camera, but I'll have to post those when I get them loaded up when I'm home.

Goodbyes

Goodbyes have started and goodbyes are no fun.

I made my way to Prague for two goodbyes- to Prague itself and to my friend, Sharon.  Sharon was one of my best friends while in Europe and it was hard to say goodbye.  Even though we lived in different cities throughout this past year, we stayed in touch and kept each other updated on the other person's life.  Plus, we have an awesome relationship that picks up right where it leaves off whenever we're together again.

Next week, I'm heading to Amsterdam to say goodbye to 3 very dear friends of mine and it makes me even more sad.  Then Budapest is going to be SO full of goodbyes that I'm SUPER not looking forward to doing.

However, goodbyes are a natural part of life and it's something that we have to live with.  Growing up in the military, I'm used to it, but I have to say that I'm a bit out of practice since high school since I haven't moved around a ton and I haven't had to say goodbye to the friends that are the closest to me.

But, hopefully, these won't be goodbyes for many people for a long time.  Hopefully, it's more of a "see you later" instead.  We'll see.

Heart of Fear

I think that it's built into the very core of our human nature to be afraid of the unknown.  I mean, look at people who are afraid of the dark.  It's not the dark itself, but it's the fear of what could be hiding in that darkness.

We all have fears.

I have fears.

That I won't find a job to support me in America.

That I'll be single for longer than I ever imagined.

That I'll never be the witness that I'm supposed to be.

We all have fears.

However, we have a God that is bigger than our fears.  In my absolute favorite book of all time, Redeeming Love, God speaks to one of the characters and says, "I have not given you a heart of fear".

God has everything in his control and he knows every single step that we will ever take and know every decision that we will ever make before we even have cause to think about it.  Therefore, all we have to do is follow Jesus and he will guide our steps for us.  Always easier said than done.

You see, we are blessed with a God that is ALWAYS there for us.  In the dark times of our lives.  In the silent times of our lives.  In the crappiest times of our lives.  But, we don't have to fear because of that.  We can give those emotions to God and he will gladly accept them and acknowledge them.  It doesn't necessarily make our journey any easier to accept or complete, but it does make it easier to know that we can NEVER go wrong if we are following the One that has our lives in His hands.

Eger

Eger... pronounced Egg-air
I got to go for an overnight stay with Joanna, Will, and Dave to Eger which is wine region U.S.A. (does that even work if you're not in America??) and it was so much fun!  We spent hours just roaming from wine cellar to wine cellar sampling different wines, enjoying the weather, and playing card games.  It was great.  We spent the next day just wandering around for an hour (it's such a tiny place) and then hung out at a cafe until we had to leave.  It was a short trip, but a super fun and memorable one nonetheless.

America!

Just a quick update for you guys!

It's official: I'm moving to Lynchburg, Virginia!

I don't have a job yet, but there are some great opportunities that I am gunning for and really praying about.  Please keep those in your prayers.  I'm giving it over to God and He knows exactly what I need.

The car is my biggest thing.  I need a car as soon as I get home because I will be doing so much traveling as soon as I land to say hello to people before I start new (unknown) job.  So, please, if you know anyone who is selling a great, reliable, and cheap car, let me know!!

My roommate is going to take pictures of the flat soon, so I'll be able to post those, I hope within the next week or two.  It's quite exciting for both of us.

I get to live with Tiffany, which is a HUGE blessing.  We've both always wanted to live together and now we finally get the chance in our dream flat.

God is good. :)

Outlook

I feel like that I haven't had much to blog about lately. Sorry, everyone!  I'm sure that there has been stuff, but I suppose that it just hasn't crossed my mind to put it on here.  However, I had quite the experience the past two days and quite the lessons to go along with those experiences and I wanted to share.

The past two months, I've been having some issues with my heart.  Each time I exercise, especially running, my heart rate soars for no particular reason.  We're not just talking an above average heart rate, we're talking hitting the 190-200 range.  Not ok, especially at my age.  Now, I'm the type of person that will avoid the doctor at all costs...that's how I developed bronchitis last year.  I saw, "I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine" until I'm about dead and then I finally suck it up and go.  Yes, I do realize this is a terrible method..I'm working on it.  But I did this same thing with my heart rate.  I thought that it was something I could work through and my ole' ticker would just work itself out eventually and stop going crazy.  It didn't.  I had a race this past Sunday where I almost passed out and my max finally reached over 200/minute.  I got scared enough to finally head to the doctor.

So, I got my referrals that I needed from my GP and headed to the lab to get all my testing done (blood, urine, and EKG).  Here in Hungary, it's a first come- first serve basis, so you have to get there EARLY to get a spot or else you're waiting for hours.  I woke up, got there early, and got my number and waited. And waited.  Finally, I was called to go "check in" and get all my "equipment" for the blood work.  Well, that's where everything went down hill.  The lady didn't speak English (but insisted on speaking slowly and raising her voice at me like that would help), but I called Joanna and finally we figured out that it just wasn't happening. I didn't have my Hungarian equivalent of an insurance card (even though I had the number), so I had to go home and find it.  I was an emotional mess. I was hungry (since you can't eat before a blood test) and tired and was just fed up.  But, I needed this, so I went home and looked. To no avail.  I TORE APART my flat for over an hour and found nothing.  Called my school and they told me that I'd have to get a new card before I could get to the doctor.  That was a very long and frustrating "adventure" in of itself, but long story short, I got a temporary card that would work for my tests.

Now, I know that this may not sound like a lot to take on or to get worked up over, but at the time, it was a very big deal.  It took HOURS to get anything done and then all in a language I didn't speak or understand.  Frustrating.  On the bright side, the second half of the day was great. I got a surprise birthday gift from a friend, I signed a lease for my flat in America (more on that later), and I got to make s'mores on a real fire with friends.  But I knew that something would have to change by the next day because I'd have to do it all over again in the morning with the right stuff this time.  I emotionally couldn't take another day like that.

Today was great.  Jesus was great.  I woke up and before I even put my feet on the ground, I gave my day to Jesus and told him my cares, concerns, and frustrations, but let him have them.  I promised that I would do my best to stay positive and pray through everything.  MY attitude had to change- Jesus had convicted me of that.  So, I got there early and waited patiently.  I read my Bible and journaled the whole time that I waited.  I was called and all of my paperwork was correct this time, the nurses were quick and efficient and I even found someone who spoke English to help me when I needed it!  My EKG nurse was great, too.  She was super cute and funny.  She tried her best at English and complimented me when I did the same in Hungarian.  God gave me some GREAT verses to reflect on that both encourage and challenge me.  I was in and out of the hospital within 2 hours (which I think is an absolute record) and so encouraged.

I realize that this is a super long post, but I just had to share.  There's nothing that I can do about the Hungarian medical system and all that it entails.  The only thing that I can change is me and my attitude.  I read a quote that said "Utter only words of thanksgiving, rather than complaint".  Those were the words that challenged me, and oh, what a difference they made!

A Bit of Everything

I haven't written in a while for two reasons:
1. Because I feel like there is so much going on, but nothing at all.
2. They changed the blog and I'm still trying to figure out how to write something on here in less than an hour.  They've made it all complicated now.

Anyway, life has been pretty much the same over here.  There has been lots of little things going on, I haven't had much time to post about it.  But here it goes!

Szerenad:
It's a tradition here in Hungary that when the 13th class is graduating, that they go around to all of their teacher's houses and sing outside of the window.  Then the teachers invite them in for a bit and give them something to eat and drink before they head on their merry way.  I had two classes come and do this and it was a lot of fun.  One of the classes sang Happy Birthday to me outside of my window and the other class sang "In the Jungle" from the Lion King because I love Disney so much.  So, it was pretty special and pretty awesome to experience.

Birthday:
I didn't do anything super special for my birthday this year because it's just 24.  I went out to dinner on my actual birthday (May 3) with a small group of friends to celebrate.  It was just what I wanted.  My dad also sent me some money to treat myself to a manicure and pedicure with my friend Joanna.  Joanna and I have now have a 3 year running tradition of pedicures for my birthday, it's pretty awesome.

Balagas:
This is the graduation ceremony here, if you will.  The students get dressed up, stand in a line, and they walk through the school (SUPER SLOWLY...it was painful!) all holding onto the shoulders of the person in front.  The teachers lead and we sing the whole time.  The line of students walks through each classroom where the other teachers and students are there to show their respect for their completion and gives a chance for the 13th class to say goodbye.  Then we all proceed outside where there are a few speeches and then all of the 13th students and teachers release balloons at the very end to say goodbye.  I definitely cried because it's the last day that I'll see my 13th graders in school.  But it was a very sweet send off all around.

Moving home:
So, I'm officially moving home July 9 and I have to say that I'm freaking out a bit about it.  The plan right now, unless a job comes up, is to move in with my dad in Maryland until I can establish myself enough to get my own place.  I have no idea about my future, but I'm constantly reminding myself that I do not need to worry about any of that stuff because God already has it all planned out for me.  Easier said than done, but I'm still working on it.  I will be sad to leave Hungary, but I'm excited to move home and see family and friends again.  It's going to be a very weird last 2 months here in Hungary, saying goodbye for good, but also a very weird few months back in America, trying to reacquaint myself with everyone and the lifestyle over there.  Good thing I have a God that gives constant grace.

Anyway, that's about it. I know it's long, but I wanted to keep everyone updated.  I'll put up pictures as soon as they're loaded to my computer!

James 1:2-4

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Cliché, no? I mean, it's not cliché, but I feel like I've heard it so many times that whenever you recite it or someone starts speaking it to you, you can't help but be like, "Consider it pure joy, my brother, blah blah blah". I mean, maybe it's just me and maybe I'm going to be struck by lightning, but I can't help how I feel.

Recently, my friend has been going through some trials of his own and I have NO idea how to encourage him. None. I mean, there is nothing that I can say to make his situation better and there is nothing that I can do for him physically being in a different country and all...

So, I was thinking, praying, and contemplating how I could possibly encourage him through this time and I turned to Scripture and just happened to open up to James 1:2-4. I thought about whether or not I really wanted to send him that verse considering my own personal feelings towards them. But, then God spoke to my heart and changed everything. Just sitting with those verses for 10 minutes changed everything.

They are some of the most beautiful and powerful verses in Scripture.

Yes, we suffer and, yes, we go through trials. It sucks. No one likes suffering. BUT, we have joy even through those hard times.

Why? Because the God of all grace has blessed us and has a purpose for those trials and sufferings. It would be a different matter all together if we were to go through trials and suffering just for the sake of it. That would be stupid. Yet, we have a God that not gives a purpose to our pain, but went through that pain himself.

Wow.

I suffer because God is growing me, changing me, and making me more like him. And THAT is the purpose of my faith and my walk with Christ. Why shouldn't I welcome my trials??

Pride

I think that pride is perhaps one of the biggest issues that we face in life in general. However, I have been EXTREMELY convicted about it as of late. It came though a series of events in my life recently where I realized that I was judging some of my dearest friends because I was taking on a self-righteousness that I don't deserve. God really got to me through that. I realized that I've become extremely self-centered and self-focused to the point where I'm just shocked. How did it get this far??

But, through God's grace and his Scripture, I received the conviction that I needed and the means to work my way to fix it. I'm going to be spending a lot more time memorizing Scripture and praying specifically against this. Every time I sense that I'm judging someone, I shall be praying for them right there and then. I've already emailed my two mentors asking for their prayers and accountability. I'm bringing it up in accountability this week with my friend Joanna. And I shall be making amends with those people that I've offended in all of this. It's a lot, but I know that God is going to carry me through it. I already feel like a burden has been lifted off my shoulders just recognizing this and acknowledging that it needs to be changed.

God is so good. Even when we're not. Perhaps, especially because we're not.

London

London was one of the more unusual holidays that I've taken, but I still liked it. One of the harder parts is that we were touring wth 6 people and that's always tough because you can't please everyone. But that's alright...I got to go to the Harry Potter movie set. Let me just tell you, that was one of the most epic experiences I've had. I met a lovely English girl named Tasha who could possibly be a bigger HP nerd than I am. However, we were both big enough nerds to go alone and therefore bonded and hung out the whole time. We had tons of fun and geeked out too many times to count. I may or may not have taken over 300 pictures while there....

The city was beautiful though and I was so glad that my friend Eric got to come from the States and enjoy it with me (that's us laughing like fools in front of the London Tower). We all had such a fabulous time. One of my favorite parts was the church service. We went to the Hillsong London church and it was AH-MAZING. It was so different, so powerful, and incredibly refreshing. They started with a few worship songs of the traditional singing style and then moved into the "message". The entire Easter message was delivered through different dramas and "acts" if you will. There was ballet to represent Adam and Eve and being cast out of Eden; hip hop; rap; soul music; short films; rock...literally everything. It was so moving and so amazing to watch. These people have genuine talent and I'm sure that it's something that they rarely get a chance to use in church, but they got to use it to show the most powerful message ever- the story of Christ's death on the cross. It was truly moving.

We got to see some of the more traditional things too: Buckingham, Tower of London, Millenium Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminister, Big Ben...all of that good stuff.

And can I just say how weird it was to go to a country where you could talk to anyone you wanted??? Like, if I needed a picture taken of our group, I could choose anyone that I wanted from the group and they could actually understand me!!! Strange things that you learn to appreciate when you live in a country where no one speaks your language and you can barely speak theirs, let me tell you.

Tour De Obuda!

I went on a bike ride yesterday with three students and one of my colleagues and it was so much fun. We started near my house and biked all the way to Szentendre (not that you guys recognize the city name or anything). We ended up biking approximately 30 miles that day. Boy was I sore. It took us about 3 hours with a few breaks in between, but we did it!

It was literally the perfect day for it. The sun was shining, it was the perfect temperature, and just about everyone was out and about. It was so great and I enjoyed it so much...even if I had to wake up early on a Sunday.

Prague!!

Let me just start by saying that I LOVEEEEEE Prague. It was great. Easily the best vacation that I've had so far since I've lived in Hungary. Everything about it was perfect. The weather was great, the food was fantastic, the city was beautiful, and my friends made last minute trips in to come and see me... all of it was perfect.

Another reason that Prague was so great is that I feel like I've finally started getting over my winter depression/winter season a bit. The sun is finally shining and I can see outside past 3 in the afternoon which helps tremendously! In Prague, I was able to catch up with my friend Sharon that lived in Budapest last year and it was like medicine for my soul. I miss our conversations that can last for hours without a break and how we can easily have 3 conversations happening all at the same time without getting confused. It was just so nice to be on holiday with someone that KNOWS me and I don't have to give background for everything before I tell a story. It was a relief.

It was also a great chance for me to get my friends Dave and Brian a bit more. We spent days together just asking each other questions and listening to stories that truly gave us insight into one another's lives. They're great guys. I loved vacationing with Dave because we love doing the same thing on holiday...nothing. We wake up when we want, go where our feet take us, eat whenever we feel like it, and just get to know the city by wandering around.



I loved everything about my vacation. It was everything that I needed and God really spent time healing me. I was genuinely relaxed and stress-free for the first time in a long time and it couldn't have come at a better time. God knew I needed this and it was such a blessing.

Here are some pictures from this weekend. I didn't bust out the camera a lot, but I got some key shots, I think. I wish I had a picture of my friend Dave running around the streets like a T-rex but I was too busy crying from laughing so hard on the side of the road to reach for my camera. Maybe I can persuade him to do it again when we travel to London next month... :)

typeTAP

Have I ever told you about my friend Tiffany and just HOW amazing she is?? I've blogged about her several times and I'm sure there will be more to come.

typeTAP is back again for it's second year to raise awareness for those in need of clean water throughout the world. Tiffany has even thrown in a little something special for those who are donating more than $25. She painting a personalized canvas for each person who donates above that mark.


She wants to raise $550 before March 22nd (World Water Day). I think she can do...I KNOW she can do it.

So, donate $5 or all $550!! All donations are welcome. I'm so dang proud of Tiffany!

http://tapwater.causevox.com/tiffany

Baking Day

Oh, dear! I've realized that I never posted about my epic baking day that I had with my students last week.

Well, it was epic.

After hearing them ask for recipes over and over and over again and then saying that they weren't sure how to put things together, I opted to have them over for a baking day to teach them it all. We spent most of the day Saturday baking, hanging out, and finished with a movie while enjoying our creations.

They were fantastic. Everything was made by them and from scratch. They made cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, carrot cake with the same frosting, mini apple pies, and puppy chow. It all tasted pretty good. Especially the cinnamon rolls. Yum. I've missed those so much.

We had tons of fun and they're dying to do it again. I can't wait for warmer weather to hit so we can do more outdoor stuff with them. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them uploaded to my computer!

Friendship

Yesterday was rough. I experienced homesickness yesterday like I never have before and it wasn't an easy day to get through. But, because of Christ's abundant grace and love, I did. But yesterday and today also showed me just how amazing my friends are, but more importantly, how important friendship is.

It's the root of everything, right? Friendship? It's the basis of our relationships, our communities, our families, everything. Marriage is based on friendship. You should marry your best friend. Friends are the ones that get you through the hard times. Friends are the ones that carry you when you feel like you just can't go on. Friends are the ones that often know just what you need at the right moment. Friends are some of the greatest blessings that you could ever have in your life.

My friend, and kindred spirit, Tiffany, knew I was dealing with homesickness and got in contact with my friend Joanna here in order to send me "our" verses. You see, Tiffany has been my "Titus" for many years and I've been hers as well. So, it was only appropriate that she sent me 2 Corinthians 7:5-7
"For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever."

I cried when I read it. But Joanna was there to give me a huge and lasting hug that made me cry even more. Then, to further the process of healing, Joanna made me mini apple pies to give me a little taste of home. :) Then I was beyond blessed to talk to my Bestie from home whom I haven't been able to talk to in centuries. It was just another little blessing to cheer me up and give me the boost I needed.

See, aren't friends just awesome?? Mine are.

March on, my soul!

Seasons of Life

This weekend was a huge range of emotions for me; some good, some bad, some weird...everything. Mostly good, though. This past weekend a bunch of ladies from CEO and some dear friends got together in Pécs (a small, but super quaint town in Hungary) for some fellowship and lots of eating. LOTS of eating. Most of the weekend was just spent hanging out, sharing stories, and walking around the town. But on Saturday, we got together to have a discussion about the seasons of life that we're in and basically the breakdown is as such:

Fall- Change is coming, but it's definitely not for the better. You're preparing for a winter time in your life and you kind of dread what's on the horizon.

Winter- A dry and barren time in your life. It's a time that you feel kind of lost and hopeless and not really sure what to do anymore. I feel like it's pretty self explanatory.

Spring- Again, this is a season of change and transformation, but it's for new and exciting things.

Summer- It's all sun and brilliance in your life. This is definitely a season of blessings and happiness. I think that a lot of times we forget to enjoy this season because we're so sure that it's too good to be true and we're nervous that something bad is going to happen at any time.

Unfortunately, I'm definitely in my winter season right now. It's hard. I have been in this season almost my whole second year in Hungary and it's been difficult to deal with. A lot of people would say that I'm experiencing culture shock now since I never really had it my first year, but I'm not sure that I am or will to be completely honest. I grew up with a lifestyle that forced me to change everything every 3 years. Not just location, but we would move to different "cultures" within the States. From the South, to the North, to the West, to the East...everyone was different and I was always ok with that. I came to this country with no expectations and embraced change from the moment I landed. Right now, though, I will admit that I'm suffering from homesickness. I miss my family and my friends terribly. I miss the ease of life with them and how they know what I need before I do.

However, there is change on the horizon, I'm just not sure if it's spring or fall. I'm moving back to America in the summer and I know NOTHING about what's to come. I mean it...nothing. I don't know where I'll live, with whom, what job I'll have, what car I'll drive...not a single thing. Right now it seems like it's a all type of change, but I think that this could be a really great change in my life, which leads me to think that it's a spring type of change.

Don't get me wrong, I am changing for the better. I'm a stronger person than I've ever been because God is still God and he's growing me in incredible ways. He's teaching me new things about myself and how to face new situations in life with confidence and grace. It doesn't make it easy by any means, but it gives me confidence that there is a purpose and that a new season is coming!

Homeless Shelter

Yesterday was my first Serve the City event of 2012 and it was so much fun. We went to the homeless shelter (way out in the middle of nowhere...) and had Valentines Day crafts and games with the kids there. Here in Hungary, they have something called Farsang. How do you describe Farsang?... It's kind of a carnival where you get dressed up in masks of crazy colors and celebrate. I guess it's their equivalent of Mardi Gras? That sounds about right.

Anyway, we had Farsang masks with the kids (I made a rainbow giraffe and I regret not taking a picture of it) so they could wear them when Farsang actually comes around. We also made butterflies with them for Valentines Day. We sang songs in Hungarian and English (I taught them how to do the Hokie Pokie...I'm pretty sure they all thought I was having a seizure since they didn't understand the lyrics. haha). We played some games and then they even showed us their hip hop dances that they had been practicing for months and months. It was so cute. We painted faces too. The boys found out that one girl could do a killer Spiderman face, so in the end there were about half a million Spidermen running around.

It was such a blessing to go there and work with those kids. Even though it was -2 that day (28 F) these kids were running around with no socks and slippers on. It was heart-breaking. And no wonder the majority of the kids were sick. One little girl was so sick and couldn't do anything except just sit in my lap and hold her balloon. But I realized how blessed I am. I have a huge selection of socks and more shoes than I know what to do with. In the next week, I definitely shall be ransacking my closest and seeing what I can get rid of. God has blessed me so I can bless others, not so I can hoard it all. Something I definitely have to keep in check.

Fitness

This year Will, Joanna, and I are all focusing on getting healthy. Not skinny, necessarily, but healthy. It's definitely a lifestyle change, that's for sure. But it's a great one. I've been reading about how we need to get rid of DIETING and get into a LIFESTYLE CHANGE. (I mean...who doesn't want to look like this girl??) No one wants to diet for the rest of their lives. Heck, I don't want to diet for a week, much less years on end. No, thanks. But we really are working on getting our acts together as far as working out and eating better. We're not cutting out all sweets and junk food, necessarily, but we're definitely cutting back on it A LOT.

I've started recording everything that I eat in a day and let me tell you, it is eye-opening. I never realized before how much junk that I was eating and just how many calories I was consuming. No wonder I wasn't losing any weight by just exercising. Eating healthy is 80% of the weight loss journey, which is what I think most people miss. They think that they can work out for hours on end and they'll get the body they want. I mean...that's what I thought. Seems logical. Nope.

So, we're over here in Budapest trying our best to get fit and healthy. Will wants to look like Tony Horton (the coach of P90X...his dream body..even though the picture is a bit frightening) and Joanna and I just want to get toned. Will is shedding the weight like crazy because he's a stickler, but Joanna and I keep cheating with our diets. :) I guess we need to check ourselves before we wreck ourselves.

2012

So I know that I talked about my goals already for this year, but things have changed since then. Yes, I am still "dedicated" but now there is a little more definition to said determination. I've been reading this book called PUSH and it's been amazing so far. It's written by this lady named Chalene Johnson and she is the trainer for the workout program called TurboFire that I am currently a part of. While it's a fitness book, it's so much more than that. She's getting to the root of making goals and finding ways to achieve that in every area of your life. One of the biggest things that she does is motivate you to write 10 "get-your-butt-in-gear" goals. These goals are supposed to be difficult, but achievable. These goals are meant to motivate you to discipline yourself in order to get them done. I'm really looking forward to mine.

They are as follows:

1. Pay off $5,000 of student loans after my highest one is paid off (which will end up being the equivalent of approximately $7,000 total this year)
2. Pay off my credit card (CHECK!!!!)
3. Put $2,000 into savings
4. Get to 23% body fat by working out at least 5 times per week and eating veggies with at least one meal every day.
5. Run a half-marathon with my dad, but be able to run a 10K (6.1 miles) by my birthday in May
6. Visit Rome (I want this one sooooo bad)
7. Memorize the book of James
8. Take 8 grad classes (including the 3 I'm taking right now)
9. Complete an Insanity and TurboFire program
10. Mentor at least once a week.

Pretty crazy, huh? But I'm actually really excited about it. The financial goals are going to take a LOT of discipline, but I definitely think that they're manageable. Most of that will have to come in America and I have to make decisions every day in order to get those goals accomplished. It'll have to be decision such as buying a cheap car and not such a nice one, not getting a smart phone, etc. If I accomplish these goals, I have to say that I'll probably feel like Wonder Woman.

Does she just look like she could kick butt????

Internet Fast

So, this past week, my friend Justin and I challenged each other to a week with no internet. We both realized about a week and a half ago just how much time we spend...rather, waste... on the internet. We lose productivity and time just seems to slip away from us. So, from last Friday until today after school we were banned from the internet. The only exception for me was for school work and we had a two hour grace period on Sunday in order to Skype with family, etc.

Surprisingly, it was fantastic and much easier than I thought it would be. I realized just how productive I could be without spending all the time on the internet. Like I mentioned before, it was a literal waste of time. I wasn't even being productive on the internet, I was just browsing and exploring. I got so much done, too! I did more homework and got it completed in a more timely manner. I got to cook so many amazing meals and made a lot more baked goods than I normally do (which my friends really appreciate...) and I was able to spend more time with people. Now, I don't mean that I had hours and hours on end to deal with, but I had about an extra hour or so everyday to play with. Unfortunately, most of it was spent on school work. But because I got that done throughout the week, I have more time for this weekend!

I'm getting rid of a lot of sites that I read. I just realized that they don't do anything for me, so there's no point in being a part of them. It's quite exciting really. I actually have a lot to blog about this weekend, so I'm sure there will be many 1 or 2 more posts this weekend alone. Get excited!

The Fago Family

For those of you who don't know the Fago family, let me tell you... they are awesome. Both Dale and Melissa were active leaders when I was in the youth group at my home church. Both of them, Melissa especially, were always asking how I was doing and how I was growing. They were both great examples and a lot of fun to be with!

Melissa and Dale were supposed blessed with three children; Corey, Tyler and Halle. Tyler was born with cerebral palsy and has never been able to walk or speak before. He was the sweetest kid with the sweetest smile ever, though. I had the privilege of babysitting Tyler a time or two and it was always a joy. They also have two other children that were always there to help Tyler and to make him laugh. Unfortunately, Tyler became sick and he was unable to recover. The doctors wanted to put in a chest tube, but they decided they'd rather bring Tyler home to spend his last days with his family and surrounded with love.

Tyler is now in Heaven, walking, running, talking, laughing, and singing like he has never been able to do before. I can't imagine the pain of having to bury a child, but I know the Fago family is comforted by the fact that their son now has a perfect body and is rejoicing with our God.

Praying for you guys! (This is the picture Melissa has for her Facebook profile picture, I'm sorry if you can't view it)

New...Everything

First of all, let me just say that I'm sorry that I have not posted earlier. I am safe and sound in Hungary again and hit the ground running! I had even started a blog post and just had to save it as a draft because I didn't have the time to finish it. Sorry!

It's a new year, new resolutions, new challenges ahead. There is new everywhere. It's hard not to get swept up into it. This year, though I've decided to keep my resolutions to a minimum to make sure that they stay manageable. I kind of summed up my entire thing into one word: dedication. I need to dedicate myself to everything: spiritually, mentally, and physically.

I've been working out at least 5 days a week and I love the feeling. I'm trying to get my eating habits under control as well. I just figured that I need to stop making excuses and if I want to establish a lifestyle that I will follow for years to come, now is the time to do it.

I've been doing a Bible study with my friend Joanna and it's about having positive self-talk and it's amazing. This lady really brings to light all the stuff that is in what she calls our "thought closet" and how we need to transform those thoughts with a more positive and biblical outlook.

God has been convicting me about a few things that I really need to work on this year and I'm actually really excited about them! I need to listen more, both to God and to others. I love listening to people, but for the past few months, I've been incredibly self-focused and have ignore that passion for too long. God also convicted me about praying for others more. I don't want to be one of those people that says "oh, I'll be praying for you" and I never do. I want to pray for others. I want others to be uplifted, encouraged, and see God working in their lives. Plus, one can never have too much prayer in his or her life, right?

So, lots to work on, but I'm excited about it. There is going to be a lot of experimenting happening to see what works and what doesn't. God has refreshed my spirit after being home for Christmas and I'm looking forward to taking on new challenges for a new year!