Two Weeks

It has hit me hard these last two days that I only have two weeks left in DC. It is probably the most bittersweet feeling I've had in a long time. I don't want to leave my friends here. I have so quickly fashioned my life around these people and it's hard to imagine life without them again. The hard part is that my natural inclination is to push everyone away, make it easier for me to leave them in two weeks. But I know that's not good for relationships. I don't know how to prepare myself for the coming separation.

But I am also SOOOO excited to go back to LA and see my friends there. My heart leaps for joy at the mere thought of their presence. I cannot wait to tell them all about my time in DC and what I have learned. I can't wait to go see Voyage of the Dawn Treader with a bunch of them, or watch season six of LOST with KScroggs, or have a Camp Rock party with Melly, or cuddle with Ems on the couch. Oh, the comfort even the thought brings me.

Can you see my conflicted heart? Because I don't know what I feel more and I don't know how to reconcile the two competing sets of emotions. I know that life will continue whether or not I figure it out in my head, it always does. But words can't even come close to expressing the emotional state I am in right now. I couldn't explain it to you if I tried. I guess you'll just have to believe me, and know that I do have hope abundantly. But just because I hope doesn't mean life will be easy.

Chillax

This is the current cover of people magazine. I almost bought it. Ryan Reynolds is so attractive! But, I restrained myself, I really don't need to know all about his life, nor is it worth $5. And anyway, one of my roommates is bound to have it when I get back to DC.

In other news, Taylor Swift writes greeting cards. They are actually pretty good. I saw some of them at CVS tonight with the fam, and I really liked them. They aren't funny, which is what I normally go for, but they were really cute and sentimental in the way that I like to be. Cute and Cheesy, you know how I do.

But in other news, what else happened today?

Oh right, Wendy and I went down to old town Charleston and took a carriage ride! It was so much fun. Old town Charleston is SOO cute. Really old houses, so much history, excessive amounts of money. I decided today that if I have to live in a downtown area, I want it to be in a place with lots of history. Where I live in DC is kinda like that, it's really old and there is so much to be learned about what's happened in the city.

We also went to church tonight. It was awesome. It has been so long since I'd been in that kind of worship environment. I'd been needing that, hardcore! It just got me that much more excited Reality LA.

Today, all in all, was really chill and relaxing. I enjoyed every moment of it. :~)

Being with Family

So, being with family has reminded me how much I like family. There really is something about that relationship, no matter how long it's been since you've seen each other really still care. I mean, I'm spending this Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle who I haven't seen since I was five and my two cousins who I'd never met before I got here on Wednesday. And yet I find myself really caring and wanting to make myself a part of their lives.

All of this has reminded me how much I want to be close to family in the future. I want my kids to know their Aunt Brittany (or whatever nickname they decided to give her, since she always gets the best ones from little kids). And I SO want to be cool Aunt Kimmy to her kids, not just some distant person they hear about. Growing up in Hawaii, I had those, but only to a certain extent, and I turned out fine, no complaints about my childhood, but I guess I'm just learning the value of having family close by.

But then my heart is torn, because I want to be abroad for a long time. I recently decided I want to learn a second language, and the best way to do that is to spend significant time in a country that speaks whatever language I decide I want to learn. (My current thought is Spanish, but that's mostly because it's what I took in high school and college, so I have a little experience and then the task seems less daunting.) But doing international development requires some kind of international/abroad experience. And I entirely want to do that, and live in a third world for a while. Oh my gosh, yes, I want to do that.

I don't know how to truly fulfill all of my desires in the same life. I can't quite reconcile the two in my head, and that scares me a little bit. I guess it's just another chance to trust God. I'm learning to do that a lot lately. It'll be interesting to see how my life turns out.

I bought this today at Target for $4, HAPPY :)

Today is Thanksgiving

So, I've never really been one much for holidays. I think America generally bastardizes them and makes them about ourselves or pretends to care about whatever the holiday is in order to appear pious. But, for some reason, I've taken a fondness to Thanksgiving today. (Don't worry, I'm not turning over a new leaf, I will still be a hypocritical cynic in regards to holidays).

I decided to look Thanksgiving up on Wikipedia. I mean, I know people hate on Wikipedia, but it's always a good starting place in my opinion. But I found it interesting. Nothing too extraordinary, but fun none the less.

I have a lot to be thankful for. I'm a little bit camera shy, so I won't be disclosing all the serious ones my mind is contemplating, but will tell you all the silly ones and some of the not so silly ones too.

1) I am thankful for the Disney Channel, and the ability to watch it over this Thanksgiving break.

2) I'm thankful for cell phones and the chance to call my family all over the country.

3) I really like food. Especially Hawaiian Sweet Bread Rolls. I am thankful that they have them in South Carolina.

4) COFFEE

5) Jesus, I'm thankful for Jesus.

(This is almost the google icon for the day.)

10 observations of an early morning

1. 4 am. I don’t understand English; it literally sounds like a foreign language. I didn’t understand anything the driver of my super shuttle said to me. When he got out of the van he either said “Hold On” or “Hello.” My bet’s on the latter, but I can’t be sure. Then he went to the back of the van and said something. I assumed he asked if I had any luggage, but that’s definitely not what I hear. After I handed him my bag, and I’m pretty sure he said “Last name,” but again, I don’t know if I would have picked that one up if it hadn’t been for other taxi experiences in DC. Later he got a phone call and was talking on the phone. I could not understand anything he was saying, it was so weird. But I know he was speaking English.

2. We drove past a street in Virginia named Mt. Pleasant Drive. I just couldn’t help but think that slightly ironic, considering that I’m going to Mt. Pleasant, SC.

3. Street names on the East Coast are weird. They are real things, with adjectives and all. Great Falls Drive. Green Camp Ave. It’s like the street names are actually describing what’s on that street. But they’re probably only odd to me because of where I’ve lived. In Hawaii street names are Hawaiian, for the most part. In California it seems like they are primarily either names or words in Spanish or Native American.

4. I don’t think Super Shuttle operates on Maui. I keep wanting to call it Speedi Shuttle, which I’m almost positive is the comparable Maui company. In my head it will always be Speedi Shuttle.

5. Dulles Airport people directors (they stand around and make sure people follow all posted signs and what not, but aren’t TSA). Anyway, they were really spiffy uniforms; they look like they could all be pilots, or bellhops.

6. Dulles Airport is not laid out in an efficient manner. All gates use the same security line, and not even that is laid out well. They really need to rethink the process; they have enough space to do it better.

7. Those new screening machines that everyone is all up in arms about make me think I’m going off into space. Blast off!

8. The girl in front of me in the security line had a really cute purple bag. I want one like it.

9. Being at the airport this early should be illegal. Doing anything at 4 in the morning should be illegal. I mean, it’s already a sin, we should just outlaw it.

10. There should be a Starbucks, or other major coffee chain, in every airport terminal. Most other coffee shops in airports just fail by comparison. Kind of like my horrible cup of coffee I’m drinking right now, but my coffee addiction demands I continue drinking it.