I’ve gone from living in female dorms to a female house. 

Life has settled into a routine, of sorts. Work —> Dinner w/ A —> Play/relax.

But I have so many things I still want to do. And so often, things happen. Yesterday, a birthday dinner with A’s coworkers. Today, bargain shopping with a college buddy. When will I do laundry? Write a letter to Joel, my Compassion International child? When will I write and send those emails and letters to the people I miss? 

After Work:  

Took a new route that worked out well and ended up at… Sprouts! To buy Onion Rye Bread and some salad fixings (namely just the leafy part…). Got a bag of 3 organic romaine hearts for $1.50, and decided it was a decent enough deal. Dropped by the bank in the next plaza over to run some errands, then drove home.

Realized the sky was starting to get dark as I was parking, and that I therefore needed to hurry up if I wanted to get a short run in! Dropped off the stuff, threw a load of laundry in, and ran around the beautiful lake in the evening twilight. Don’t laugh. It was a 20 minute run with a 5 minute cooldown after. 

I decided to continue “working to” by cleaning up around the house, then made dinner:

Warmed up the Mexican food leftovers from the company lunch, and threw together a salad that I’m rather proud of (I’m not a free-form cook, usually…but it’s so standard that I can’t be too proud of it). 

Romaine + Beef tomatoes + Avocado + Lime juice + Crumpled Tortilla Chips + S&P

Munching on a pear and talking to the one in Potato Land as I wait for my laundry to finish… looking forward to watching a tv show or two, and relaxing for the night!  

Praying for the right words to say

Thinking about how I want to have acted if I were to look back on the current situation

Contemplating God’s identity

Separating love from routine

Going stir-crazy when not challenged

Tidbits of life from a college gal:

Having gone through life expecting everything to be smooth….. well, everything was and is smooth. I’m just slowly realizing what kind of job I want, and that process, while smooth, may not be the most fun. 

Why nose kisses are so sweet. Gently reassuring, completely non-invasive. 

A quote from Wiki’s article on Eskimo kissing:

“ …it is a non-erotic form of greeting that serves as an intimate way of greeting one another for people who, when they meet, often have little except their nose and eyes exposed.”

I love nose kisses. The moment is enough to make the past week of distance melt away and prepare my heart for the next. 

Chopped up a peeled cucumber, threw it into a glass pitcher and poured in filtered water. Stuck a sprig of homegrown mint beneath the cucumber slices and refrigerated for two hours. Ahh, a perfect summer afternoon drink. 

Bananas are super easy to eat in smoothie form. Yum….

Dear Rachel: This reminded me of you. I know not why.

Driving through the streets of my hometown(s) is like driving through landmines… you have to do it with the utmost caution, constantly on guard for sudden explosions (aka cars darting out of driveways, cars swerving, etc.).