sun, moon, and stars

I turned 24 this month. When I was a freshman in college 24 seemed a little old, but it has arrived despite the fact I still look a feel like I'm eighteen. April and Beki came up north to celebrate with us. They're both doing the South Beach diet in a gailant effort to be more healthy...but a low carb diet is not so conducive for mountain life. We ate fried cabbage, green beans with balsamic vinegar and almonds, and 'mashed potatoes' (aka cauliflower that has been pressure cooked to death). I have to be honest and say this wasn't exactly the birthday dinner I dreamed of, but thankfully Beki and April cheated the next day and we ate Emily's delicious cinnamon rolls and enchiladas.

The next day I traveled a rather long distance to Delhi and my friends there took me out to TGI Fridays. I had fajitas and two glasses of iced tea. Alicia also made funfetti cake with cream cheese frosting...so that's what i ate for breakfast the next two mornings. If my eating habits appear to be a little gluttonous I should remind you I spent the week before my birthday sick with giardia so I'm making up for lost time.

I felt so loved and cared for on my birthday. My friends came to visit me. My other friends took me out to dinner. Jared sent me roses. I got to spend a great afternoon with Jonathan, Kelley, and Kiran. My parents arrived shortly after all that. What more can you ask for?












I'm happy to be in my mid-twenties. Age can seem a little scary when you're young, but I've realized the older I get the more at peace I am with myself. There are many things about me that I wish I could change and many things I feel insecure about. BUT the people I admire the most are the ones who are steadfast and gentle and not afraid or hindered by their imperfections. I think I disagree with Goethe...to cease striving is not the ultimate sin. Sometimes it's the very best thing we can do...especially if we're striving after the wrong things.

April and I went to the World Peace Cafe (I know...I live in a hippie town) the day before my birthday. We ate hummus and salad and read Oswald Chambers. That particular devotion was about the sun and the moon and the stars and how they simply exist. They never try to be anything besides what they are or do anything besides what they're meant to do. They don't have to prove their usefulness. In the same way wise people know that value and purpose and worth are not things to be sought after. Nor do they diminsh with age, scars, failure, or disappointment. Our value is a gift, not debatable or earned, and our acceptance of it has the power to touch the world. This was the perfect thing for me to reflect on as I turned 24. In fact, it fondly reminded me of a song my friend, Ryan, wrote in college, which is what I'll leave you with.

You don't know how lovely, how lovely you are. You're like the sun and the moon and the stars. You don't know lovely, how lovely you are. How lovely you are.

Real Men of Genius (India)

I'm a blogging machine these days! Of course, there's been a lack of substance in many of my posts and this one is no exception. April and I have a very sophisticated sense of humor. We're big fans of Bud Light's Real Men of Genius commercials. They honor men such as Mr. Foam Finger Inventor Guy and Mr. Way too Proud of Texas Guy. Last month during our travels we decided that Bud Light could easily do a Real Men of Genius series in India. I'm convinced there are at least twice as many men as women in this country and we, being foreign girls, encounter the good and the bad on a daily basis. So here's a list of the men who inspire us...

Mr. Pink Sparkly Sweater Wearer Guy
Mr. Knock You Off Your Feet Cologne Wearer Guy
Mr. Crazy Dance Up In Your Face Punjabi Guy
Mr. Matching Polo and Turban Golf Guy
Mr. Grab Your Leg Without Asking Cooley Guy
Mr. Pimped Out Auto Rickshaw Driver Guy
Mr. Your Wall Is My Toilet Guy
Mr. Yell At You From a Taxi Full of My Friends Guy
Mr. Roadside Water Pump Bather Guy
Mr. Hey I'm Hot but Then I Blew a Snot Rocket in Front of You Guy
Mr. Randomly Hock a Loogey and Spit Near Your Feet Guy
Mr. Britney Spears T-Shirt Wearer Guy
Mr. Over-Zealous Text Messenger Guy
Mr. I Will Change My Mobile Plan if You Call Me One More Time Guy
Mr. Titantic Theme Song Mobile Ring Guy
Mr. Stinky Sleep in the Taxi Guy
Mr. My Wife's Brother's Uncle's Son's Friend Lives in America Guy
Mr. Pastels Are So Hot Right Now Guy
Mr. Honk at You 12 Times As I Pass You On the Cliff Tata Truck Guy
Mr. Keeps Trying to Arrange Your Marriage With His Son Guy

There you have it. I will strive for more substantial blogs in the near future, but I'm sure any girl who's ever lived in India will appreciate this list. And please feel free to add your own Real Men of Genius!

May Love

I have giardia. At least I think I do. I haven't been to the hospital yet. The last time I went to the hospital I was there all day and they filed me as being American Samoan. Giardia is a gross, gross thing. That's why I've posted some lovely pictures of the blooming flowers and cherry trees up here in the mountains. I need a little beauty to combat this terrible parasite!





The end is drawing near for India and Julie. We've been together for almost two years now and in three months we'll say goodbye. I just purchased my ticket today. I leave August 1st and head to Africa to see my most wonderful amiga, Abigail, for about ten days. Then I'm homeward bound, but not without a stop in North Carolina to see my most wonderful boyfriend, Jared. He wanted me to write a blog about North Carolina, but the sad reality is that I've never been there. I've never been anywhere in the South. I know it must be a great state so I want to do it justice. Thanks to the internet I know a lot more about The Tar Heel State than I did fifteen minutes ago. Here are my favorite North Carolina facts:

In 1903 the Wright Brothers made the first successful powered flight by man at Kill Devil Hill near Kitty Hawk. The Wright Memorial at Kitty Hawks now commemorates their achievement.

High Point is known as the Furniture Capital of the World. (High Point is also Jared's hometown)

The University of North Carolina's mascot, the Tarheels, is a nickname for North Carolinians that supposedly came from the days when NC produced a lot of tar, and someone saw a set of footprints made by someone who had stepped in the tar.

Krispy Kreme Doughnut was founded in Winston-Salem.

The first miniature golf course was built in Fayetteville.

Babe Ruth hit his first home run in Fayetteville on March 7, 1914.

Arnold Palmer recognized as the player whose aggressive play and winning personality raised golf to national attention, honed his skills on the championship golf team of Wake Forest University.

The first English colony in America was located on Roanoke Island. Walter Raleigh founded it. The colony mysteriously vanished with no trace except for the word "Croatoan" scrawled on a nearby tree.

So, there you go. Soon I'll find out if North Carolina is as great as these facts make it appear to be. It's hard to believe my time here will end in less than three months, but it's exciting to look ahead! I have much to look forward to after my exodus of India...and hopefully my parasite won't come with me.

7 Facts About Me!

My friend, Kelley, tagged me awhile ago to list 7 random facts/habits about myself. I've been meaning to do it and we just got our wireless up and running today (yay!) so now is the time. Here are 7 facts about me. I'm sure you'll find yourself blessed to know all these things.

1) I've recently come to appreciate Chinese films, the ones with all the kung fu fighting. They're pretty cool to watch and if you're interested I'm more than willing to recommend my favorites.

2) I have a red scar on my upper chest, which came as a result of a bad sunburn in high school. I used to tell people it was a mosquito bite but then it never went away. People still ask all the time so now I'm letting you know...it's a scar.

3) One time I met the Hungarian prime minister in the US Capitol building. I have no idea what his name was. He probably isn't the prime minister anymore.

4) In high school my friends, Sam, Shannon, Kevin, Paul, and I tried to catch a wild emu that was running around our school. We got close and then it flared up and went crazy and almost ate Paul. It was scary.

5) I cried at the first Dave Matthews concert I went to. He played Crush, which was my favorite song at the time. I wasn't ashamed. It was beautiful.

6) My friend, Jessica, and I met John Ashcroft once standing outside a building. He shook our hands and introduced himself. Then Jessica walked right into a door. She was pretty embarrassed, but man, it was hilarious!

7) I have a fake marlin named Edgar hanging on the wall of my parents' basement. He's a model of a real marlin I caught but I put that marlin back in the ocean. I try to be humane to animals.

Well, that wraps it up! I will try to post something more interesting soon. Maybe tomorrow. We shall see...