sweet summer sunshine

Soo.. to say a lot has happened since my last post would be an understatement.
This summer has been full of many questions and decisions.
I did end up back at home... after being offered summer jobs in both Chicago and Michigan practically the same day... essentially the same position and for the same net pay. Ultimately it was what made the most sense. Financially, emotionally, and spiritually... I really do think it was what I needed, even if it may not have been what I wanted. and who knows.... maybe I will find myself moved back to Chicago again in the future.

Long story short... I had a blast hanging out with kids all summer long, saved up some money not having much living expenses, stayed out of trouble (for the most part) and spent a lot more time working on my relationship with God.
I was able to secure a volunteer position within Spectrum Health Lab services department which I've already been told by my supervisor that I have a great chance of seeing it turn into a paid position, which would be awesome. In the meantime, I've been applying to jobs.. had some interviews.. and am just waiting to see which direction God wants me to go with my life!

1 more

1 more day until my birthday.
crazy.
and...
1 more week until graduation.

wow.
Then I'll be moving back to Michigan and trying to figure out what I'm doing with my life. I figured that while I'm in school, my goal was to focus on classes and getting out  of school before I tried to think about what was coming after.
Got a lot left to do in this next week. Wish me luck!!

SPRING BREAK

Spring break has started and although most people take this time to relax and enjoy a vacation, I will be doing no such thing.
1) Work
2) Global Studies and Biology Portfolios
3) Global Studies Thesis abstract
4) Study for Biology Comp
5) Apply for jobs
6) Research Grad School options
Awesome.
But also, I have given up procrastination for lent, so if I can squeeze in some homework time to get ahead, that would be great too.

2 steps forward 1 step back

I'm dropping Critical Thinking in the morning. While I was looking forward to learning more and being challenged, I was overambitious.
I'm a smart woman...
I am not a slacker.
In truth, I could have handled it, I'm sure.
But at what cost? My other classes are challenging enough, and are just as important. This class was taking away 3,4,5 hours of my time I could be devoting to these other classes. I can't let my gpa suffer. It's necessary to do well in these classes that I actually need for my majors and to graduate. So, I'm dropping it. I've learned some from the classes I have attended, so it wasn't a wash. And I do think it has better prepared me by giving me a taste of what a future in graduate school would be like if I choose that path.
In the mean time though, I'll be a little less stressed. (emphasis on less, as I will still be stressed) But I will hopefully making some room to enjoy my last semester.
No regrets.
In terms of MOVING FOWARD...
1) My brother is coming this weekend to visit me in Chicago! Hopefully that'll relieve some stress. Looking forward to just enjoying some time out on the town.
2) Sankofa's fast approaching and I'm looking forward to it and it's potential. I'm nervous. But the meeting on Sunday helped me feel a bit more at ease. Expressing my personal thoughts and emotions has never really been my strong point, especially not to large groups of people... it's going to be tough. But I opened up, and it felt good. Hoping there will be a lot more of that next weekend.

inspired.

I was, to say the least, super bummed the internship wouldn't work out. I was looking forward to adding it to both my "Child Care" resume, and my "Biology" one. Awesome right? And it seemed like fun, assisting a teacher in fun "enrichment" classes. But really, I have no desire to be Therapist. Not a Speech one, not a Physical one, not an Occupational one. No thanks. So in the end, I wasn't doing something that was going to be worth my time. It really wouldn't better prepare me for my future. It'd just be another line on my resume, that didn't really enhance it. 

Also. Two other things happened: 

1) I joined "Critical Thinking." I guess I wasn't exactly sure what it was. My Microbiology professor teaches it, and I've really liked the other classes I've taken with him so I said, sure, why not?

The first day of class, I realized it was going to be a lot harder than I thought. The whole class is about how to interpret research articles, analyze them for yourself, as well as present the findings. UGH! This is the number one thing I dread about science classes, and the number one thing holding me back from graduate school. 

With that being said, I'm actually looking forward to this class now. It's gonna kick my butt, but I think it's a necessary class. It'll be challenging (where the internship wouldn't have been). It'll also be beneficial, not only for grad school, but any other facet of life. Learning to think critically on every aspect of life.. faith.. politics.. etc. So. I'm glad this happened, as much as it is going to make me dread Thursdays at 9:50 every week.

2) THIS IS THE EXCITING PART!!! 

I should have opened with this! but I guess I'd rather end on a real good note. I attended the first ESL training this weekend and I absolutely loved it. I'm getting really excited to tutor. I learned so much about teaching in those 6 hours that have gotten me really stoked for volunteering this semester. At first, I wanted to tutor to see if ESL was something I would want to do. Ya know, live abroad and teach English. Although I had no experience with that really. Now, after attending this training session I'm really looking forward to this! It also gives me hope that teaching English in a foreign country is a legit possibility for me! It wouldn't just be an excuse to live abroad, it would be an occupation I would enjoy!

So this is good. I'm excited. I obviously won't be teaching English all my life. But I definitely am strongly considering it for the future. 

God has other plans...

Things aren't turning out how I'd hoped them too...
...but I know there's a reason for everything

lessons

Finished the paperwork for my internship today!

The people seem great and I'm so excited to meet the kids! I start next week.

It's funny how God has this plan for your life... and it's completely different than what you intend for it to be. I guess that's where I really need to start listening to him more. I've been really stressed out about a LOT of things lately. But I'm starting to realize that no matter how much researching, preparation, and planning I do, nothing is for certain and nothing is promised to me. God can change all of my plans in an instant. With that said, I'm going to keep on this journey called life... I'll continue my planning, but with a lot less worrying. Even if things start looking grim and like nothing is going right, I know that God has some awesome things in store for me.

"...  For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ..Call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord." Jeremiah 29:11-14