the countdown begins.

This time next week I will be in London! I am gathering up clothing, making last minute purchases, and still trying to figure out how to fit everything into one suitcase, but overall I am getting extremely excited about my trip.

People keep asking me if I have been to London before and the answer is yes. I spent about four days in London the summer after I graduated from high school with a group of teachers and friends. I LOVED it. I spent a little time looking through some pictures from the trip, and I don't remember what everything is but I am excited to go back and hopefully by the time I return I will be able to identify all the things I saw in 2009. I've done some of the touristy things already but I'm looking forward to doing them again. In general I am looking forward to the new things this trip will offer; I've never lived in a big city, or had an internship, or been in a situation that will make me this independent. I think it's going to be awesome.

Overall the point of this blog post was basically just to say that I will be in London in a week and I CAN'T WAIT!

Carolina, I am home.

Two years ago, on the day, I moved in to UNC for the first time. It was one of the most exciting times ever. As I'm getting ready to go abroad I've been thinking back over the past two years and I've been reminded of how much I LOVE Chapel Hill. I'm excited to go to London but I will really miss Chapel Hill. There just isn't another place quite like it. There is something about the Carolina blue fire trucks and street signs, the uneven bricks and the old trees that creates a feeling like no where else.

Almost all of my good friends are a part of the campus ministry at school. It's great to have such a solid community away from home and I love all of the people and I am happy to be around them. They bring out the best in me and always offer support, fun and random dance parties.

I am spending a weekend in Chapel Hill and I just can't wait. I knew I wouldn't make it from May to January without visiting. It is weird to know that I'm not staying there; I am coming home to prepare for a semester away. I will miss everyone from school while I am gone, but I know that I have a great thing to return to in January. These two years have been amazing and I am excited to see what the last two years will bring me.

 

 

more montreat

Right now my brain is attempting to process three places at once. I am still missing Montreat and part of me wishes I was there. I just bought a train ticket to go to UNC next weekend, so part of me is excited thinking about that. At the same time, I have been shopping for London and reading the news to keep up with the riots, and clearly part of me is consumed in preparations for the fall. Is it possible to be in three places at once?!

I just showed my mom pictures from Montreat and thought I would share a few more here.

 

These are the lovely pre-club counselors that I worked with. Minus Ryan, he had stepped out. And the Kraken, who wasn't available for a photograph. I miss you crazy people!

I spent many evenings in the pottery center with Harrison and Michael, among other people. It was a great place to go and relax with friends at the end of a busy day or week. I miss pottery, and the company that comes with it, a lot. I have no clue how many hours I have spent there.

Were we always productive and successful...?

No, but we always had fun! If you need more convincing I have 100 pictures from pottery alone, thanks to Harrison.

Friends from the start of summer 2010, I miss you girls! From megabed, to movie nights, to pottery and nights out, I always had a good time with you all. Here we are at the ale house, listening to a group of summer staff playing music.



Good friends and great kids make Montreat an amazing place and if you every want to hear a story and see me light up, just ask me about my past two summers. I love Montreat and the community around it more than I can explain. It is such an awesome place and I am glad I got to work there. And honestly, Friday nights without a barn dance just aren't the same. I'm always looking for a reason to do the San Antonio Stroll.

party in the MTR

I spent eleven epic weeks working in Montreat this summer. It was amazing!!! For the second year in a row I spent my days playing with four and five year olds and my nights relaxing with a crazy group of college students. I joke about "Montreat time" because eleven weeks feels like so much longer in those mountains. It's hard to explain the dynamics of being on summer staff to some one who doesn't know Montreat, but I will try to recap some of my favorite moments.

During the days I worked with this crazy group of people. Ryan, Ashley, Bethany and I tried everything to entertain the clubbies. This is the end of what we call counselor biggie. The kids "make" us do a list of silly things including letting them put gel in our hair, getting priced at the general store and them jumping in the pool with our clothes on. I think this is one activity that I enjoyed more than the kids, but they at least thought it was funny to see us soaking wet.

The fourth of July is probably the busiest day of the year in Montreat. People from all over come to the valley to be with family, celebrate and participate in the days activities. The morning starts with a parade and every clubs group dresses up and marches down the street. This years overall theme for the day was "Montreat Summer Clubs Memories" and our groups dressed as "Montreat Wavers." Montreat wavers is an activity for the younger kids when they make a banner saying "Honk if you love Montreat" and then we try to get cars to honk at us. We wore posters that looked like wavers signs and said things like "Take me to Montreat" and "Beep Beep!!!" Ashley, Bethany and I went as cars. We walked down the street honking little party horns and waving at all the people.

After the parade there are games on Moore field including a hula hoop contest, a water balloon toss, and climbing the greasy pole. Later there is a barn dance on the tennis courts and after I rushed into town with some friends to see fireworks. Montreat is my favorite place to be on the F of J.

Towards the end of the summer a few of us decided to hike Lookout before work one day in order to see the sunrise. We made it to the top really quickly and problem free. On the way back I fell and re-sprained my ankle (which seems to be a pattern for me in Montreat), but we still made it down and to work on time. Despite the minor injury I'm really glad I hiked it. It was a fun way to start the day and it's cool to say I've done it.

I got a blog.

Yes, I got a blog. Mostly I got one because I want to have it while I am studying abroad. In case you didn't know I will be in London this fall. I figured I may post some stuff from the summer, and some other random stuff on here too. Hopefully it is entertaining and at least somewhat interesting. Enjoy!