new beginnings

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
-Mark Twain
(thanks jon!)


hey yall!
writing to you from seattle! hope everyone is doing well- i miss everyone so much already! but i am really loving LVC- i was so freaked out in the weeks leading up to the experience...i was starting to have doubts that i was doing the wrong thing. but as i attended orientation and got to meet some amazing people with such great ambition to make the world a better place through a year of simplicity, sustainability, intentional community, and social justice, anti-racism- i began to feel a sense of peace. a feeling that i was in the place that God wanted me to be in. i continued to feel this way as i flew over the cascade mountains and started to tear up. God is so amazing isnt he?

Alyssa told me that this year in LVC would be like a pumice stone to any callouses that i received during my time and stress at denison....she was right! i already feel some of that indifference shed from me. i tell you- living in an intentional community is sooo helpful with that. there are people in the same boat as you, who are holding you accountable for your actions and challenging you to dig a little deeper- as the house relies on it for survival. and i cannot wait to start work so that i might become more passionate about life and about peace through justice (and food!)!!

for a more specific update: i live in the CUTEST neighborhood ever which really should be worth $1200 a month in rent but a pastor who owns the building rents it to us for lower since she is affiliated with LVC. SWEET SWEET deal. we live above a barber shop in what i would describe as the short north (columbus) or elmwood village (buffalo) section of town. totally cute, totally (well mostly) safe, totally expensive, totally homogenous (not so awesome). its right across the street from a Thai and Vietnamese restaurants (and there awesome smells flow through the window all the time and makes your stomach growl). the apartment itself is HUGE...its got an old world charm with wood floors, high ceilings. built in closets, a patio off the kitchen (with a container garden!!!!), sunroom (which we are turning into a meditation/coffee room), HUGE kitchen with all the tools you would ever need to cook and a rockin spice cabinet, large but comfy living room, dining room/library, tiny bathroom, and three bedrooms. i share a bedroom with one of my housemates (which, by the way, i really must say how much i missed living in a room with someone else). the best part: my backyard is a grocery store. and there is a trader joes just down the street. could it get any better? i dont think so. well- perhaps if all you lovely people were here with me ;)

we just ventured on our first bus journey in the beautiful and humid free seattle to ballard (home of john murphy) to the best goodwill store i have ever been to. i will never need to go to any department store while i am out here because they have everything we could ever need there. like...everything.

we also have a local church (queen anne lutheran) supporting our house for the year who have the most kind people ever! they furnished a ton of our apartment with comfy couches and adorable lamps/dressers/etc....and when we went to the service there this morning they were all so sweet and welcomed us with open arms. amazingness.

in essence: i am so excited for this year and just feel soooo blessed for this opportunity to start fresh, to make a difference, meet some sweet people (as if i needed to meet any more!), and learn about seattle- queen anne, the works. i am lovin life.

and lovin all of you.

peace!