I haven't blogged in over a year...and I don't think it's a coincidence that the last year has also been one of the best years of my life so far. When life is good, you don't have time to blog.
Junior year was killer, in both senses of the word. I've never felt so stretched, physically, academically, or spiritually. Freshman year was exciting, because everything was new; sophomore year was comfortable and straight-forward...but junior year is where it all came together for me. It was like a giant pot of caramelized onions. I don't know where that simile came from, but makes sense to me. School was so mind-blowingly amazing that I didn't mind the frequent all-nighters, nor the plummeting grades. (Whose brilliant idea was it to take extra classes? Oh, right. Mine.) I got to read the whole Old Testament in 8 weeks and call it school. I could spent most of the day sitting under a tree reading theology. You have no idea how happy that makes me. But as awesome as school was, junior year was also the year I actually had a life. (Hence those plummeting grades.) Yes, it took me three years to get involved with non-school stuff, but better late than never. I volunteered more. I signed up to be a conversation partner with a Chinese girl. I celebrated made-up holidays with my roommates. I went to CRF almost every week. I had coffee with women I respect. I threw parties. Life was always bursting at the seams, and that's just how I liked it.
And then that incredible school year ended with the best summer a girl with a passport could ever ask for.
I don't even know where to begin.
EUROPE
A week after school ended, my friend Cristina and I strapped on our backpacks and boarded a plane to Europe. The afternoon I left, I was pretty terrified. *Who* was letting us do this? Neither one of us spoke Italian! But as soon as I reached the point of no return (boarding the plane, basically), I perked up. Now there was nothing left to do but face the adventures.
I'm overwhelmed at the prospect of trying to summarize this trip. I can spout off facts, but it was really the commonplace occurrances that made it so magical. But maybe if I can get the bare bones of my summer down on paper, I can flesh them out later.
Italy
Cities visited: Milan (day trip), Cinque Terre, Pisa (day trip), Florence, Assisi (day trip), Rome, Vatican City, Sorrento, Naples (ish).
Favorite city: Rome.
Least favorite city: Florence..but it was worth it to see the sculptures. Michelangelo's David is incredible in person.
Best honeymoon location: Cinque Terre if you're me, Sorrento if you're Cristina. ;)
Most peaceful place: Assisi.
Least friendly city: Milan.
Kindest city: Naples, surprisingly. I'm convinced in the 24 hours we were there, we met Naples' finest.
Most touristy: Pisa. It's all about the tower.
City/Country that most validated my study of Latin: Vatican City. Nice to know it's still the official language *somewhere* on earth.
England
Cities visited: Goole, York (day trip), and London.
England was the perfect dessert to our trip. So fun to experience all the charm of Europe without the language barrier. England was particularly special to me, because I was meeting up with good family friends. I was a bit nervous about seeing them again...would it be awkward after so long? But all those silly fears melted away as soon as I saw them. I only had 48 hours with them, so I only stopped talking on occasion to chew and swallow. They are truly some of my favorite people on earth, and I was thrilled to get to visit them on their own deliciously British turf. I met up with their son in London for a few days...and oh, I need to go back. Two days in London is not enough to see a fraction of the sights. It was hard to leave. But what fun it was to see an old friend again...he had visited us for a few weeks without his parents a few months before my mom's cancer returned, and his visit is one of the last fun memories I have of our family. Super special to be able to reminisce about the "good ol' days."
Idaho
Eventually, I had to head home to Idaho. I only had a week and a half before my next trip, but I knew I would fall prey to post-trip depression if I didn't stay busy. While in Rome, I had received a mass email from a local church looking for counselors for a camp for abused/neglected children in the foster care system. And guess what? It was being held that "dead week" in between trips. Hmmm. Well, it was hard to apply for a job while traveling around Europe, but I emailed the camp director anyway. She told me she wasn't sure if they could use me, but I should send in my application ASAP anyway. Well, that didn't happen. I was too busy gallivanting around Europe. But the day after I got home, I faxed all the documents to her. Bear in mind, this was the Monday before camp. All the staff would need to leave in six days. I figured there was no way they'd need me this late in the game. But guess what? It turns out that one of their female counselors had fallen ill and wasn't able to come. If I could get my interview and training completed within the next three-four days, they'd take me.
I didn't know a soul at this camp. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. But a common goal and the shared love of Christ drew us all together. As we all waited nervously for these kids to arrive, an older woman grabbed my hand, and we prayed for peace and courage. (I had just been told the night before that my two campers displayed aggressive behavior and occasionally blurted out sexually explicit things...yeah, not gonna lie. I was nervous.) Later on, my two co-counselors and I all started crying as we prayed for "our" kids and asked God to reveal Himself to them. It was by far the most emotionally draining week of the summer...but also one of the best. It's been a long time since I've prayed so much or so fervently. Those kids...oh, I loved them.
One of the most significant experiences was with our most difficult camper. She threw a major tantrum nearly every day. The first day was the worst. She had a complete meltdown when we wouldn't let her turn off the lights. (We were reading the kids a bedtime story and needed to see.) Promises that she could turn the light off in a few minutes didn't help. It escalated to the point where she was calling every other camper in the cabin...well, a part of the body that doesn't frequently get named in polite company. But as a counselor was helping her to calm down, I overheard part of their conversation. This girl, this angry, sad, precious girl was gasping between her sobs, "I wanted to bite them so badly. I wanted to bite them, but I didn't. I didn't bite them."
She didn't bite. This tantrum, terrible though it was, was an improvement in her normal behavior. She hadn't bitten anyone. Strange though it might sound, I was so proud of her. Though her words were unkind, at least she was using language to express anger. That's huge for a child whose normal mode is to lash out like a wounded puppy.
And then a few minutes later, this girl apologized to the entire cabin completely of her own volition. The staff had not even suggested it. She said, "I'm sorry for the way I acted and for calling you all mean names. I know that's not the way to act." All I could think of was this verse: "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do -- this I keep on doing." (Romans 7:18-19). She is no different than you or I or the apostle Paul. She's on a journey too, and I pray that she will continue to be healed. She frequently spoke about God; I believe her foster parents are Christians.
More and more, I feel a calling to help foster kids, but there's so little I can do right now. I hope at least, I can work at the camp next year...if I'm in the area? Ugh. Can't think that far ahead.
Anyway. There is so much more that can be said. Colorado and Maryland and Taiwan all need to have their stories told too. Another day, I hope.
