So, I think it's safe to say that blogging isn't my greatest talent... It's been awhile.
Updates on life:
- Turns out Rat Blagojevich IS a crook. Whadaya know? I can hardly believe it...an Illinois governor, corrupt?? I'm shocked, really... I also love sarcasm. However, not only was he corrupt, but he was DUMB and corrupt. Congratulations, Rod. Dumbest Criminal Ever. Thanks for making me proud of my state!
- Obama is president-elect. I really do honestly pray to God that I am entirely wrong about him and that he does some good for this country. Here's to hoping, right? In any case, he's the president now, come January. And I'll support him as such.
- Finals are over! 7 more semesters of college to go. I thought for sure that, best circumstances, I was looking at a D in history, but I ended up with a C! Not my greatest achievement, but considering 3/4 of the freshman class failed it, I'd say I'm almost flying high. Everything else came as predicted, and my GPA is more than enough to keep my scholarship, so I'm fairly pleased.
- My nose is pierced. I'll close it by the time I graduate, but it's fun while it lasts. I now have 7 holes in my head, which I consider a fantastic achievement.
- I'm home for Christmas. I love the familiarity of home, but I really do miss school. It's hard to live with people 24/7 and then leave them for an entire month. It's crazy that strangers can become family so quickly, as cliche as that sounds.
- IT'S FREEZING HERE. I'm used to the weather in Florida, which sounds conceited or something, but really it's true... when it gets down to 60 degrees, we start to layer our clothes and wear sweatshirts! The other day, it was -30 here... and I almost died. I seem to have forgotten what "Chicago winter" really means.
- I might be getting an amazing job this summer! I will hopefully, God-willing, get a job as a teacher in the Totus Tuus program for the archdiocese. Living like a missionary in a community setting, working with kids and teenagers, doing retreats: IT'S PERFECT! Please pray that I get the job.
- Recent discovery: Odwalla bars are delicious.
- HOPEFULLY I will not keep forgetting to update this. MERRY CHRISTMAS! And Happy New Year! May the birth of Christ bring you hope and blessings this season.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
5 Weeks Later...
I'm here! It's been awhile since I've updated...and the last one was kind of depressing.
But 5 weeks after getting here, I'm doing great. I had my birthday, which was the best birthday I've EVER had. Anusia came and surprised me, something I NEVER expected to happen in a million years!! She shouldn't have, because it is way too expensive, but boy am I GLAD she did. I was sooo depressed over my birthday and not being able to see her or my other friends, and then here she was, on my campus!! It was like an episode of Twilight Zone, seeing her walk down my dorm hallway... but it was the best ever :)
I don't deserve my friends, but I'm so grateful that God doesn't require me to be deserving.
My classes are pretty decent. Western Civ wouldn't be bearable without Amanda and Ben (but especially Amanda because she slacks with me), and my professor looks like a bulldog, but hey. What can ya do. Latin is just Latin, but Fr. Paciorek, my prof, is hilarious. He spins in his chair and pronounces mosquitoes "mos-kits" with his Polish accent. He asked one kid a question and the kid said "uhh..I'm lost" and Fr. Paciorek answered, "We are een ze class.. it eez 11:25 in de morneeng. At ave maria uneeversity" And one day he explained to us, in detail, the high end real estate market in Naples. He also told one girl today that he slept for 9 whole hours last night because she makes his life miserable. Good man.
Theology is so interesting. My professor is a former football player, this short broad bald guy with a loud voice who gets really excited about Scripture. He also likes to paraphrase God. Such as when God speaks to Moses in the burning bush: "Hey Moses, my people need to be saved, and you're my guy." "But I don't know what to say" "Don't worry, I got your back, I'll give you this staff and you can do all sorts of cool miracles, and I'll be there the whole time. " "But, I can't speak well. please pick someone else?" "Fine, you're brother Aaron's a loud mouth, so he can come with you."
Choir is funny, but not as funny as Judy at church or even Mr. Parry. But he kind of acts a lot like Mr. Parry. He's also short, so he stands on this one thing to make sure everyone can see him, and he falls off of it a lot. And when we mess up, he always says something like, "ok, let's try a little game. I'll be the conductor, and you be the choir. You sing what I conduct. Let's just try it out, it might be fun." And his assistant, George, is really nerdy. Judy would do a great imitation of him.
Voice lessons are funny too. My teacher is an ex-marine. He's pretty intense. I almost passed out during my last lesson. I'm pumped. :)
Sometimes I think I have too much time on my hands for thinking. I like being busy. No thinking.
But 5 weeks after getting here, I'm doing great. I had my birthday, which was the best birthday I've EVER had. Anusia came and surprised me, something I NEVER expected to happen in a million years!! She shouldn't have, because it is way too expensive, but boy am I GLAD she did. I was sooo depressed over my birthday and not being able to see her or my other friends, and then here she was, on my campus!! It was like an episode of Twilight Zone, seeing her walk down my dorm hallway... but it was the best ever :)
I don't deserve my friends, but I'm so grateful that God doesn't require me to be deserving.
My classes are pretty decent. Western Civ wouldn't be bearable without Amanda and Ben (but especially Amanda because she slacks with me), and my professor looks like a bulldog, but hey. What can ya do. Latin is just Latin, but Fr. Paciorek, my prof, is hilarious. He spins in his chair and pronounces mosquitoes "mos-kits" with his Polish accent. He asked one kid a question and the kid said "uhh..I'm lost" and Fr. Paciorek answered, "We are een ze class.. it eez 11:25 in de morneeng. At ave maria uneeversity" And one day he explained to us, in detail, the high end real estate market in Naples. He also told one girl today that he slept for 9 whole hours last night because she makes his life miserable. Good man.
Theology is so interesting. My professor is a former football player, this short broad bald guy with a loud voice who gets really excited about Scripture. He also likes to paraphrase God. Such as when God speaks to Moses in the burning bush: "Hey Moses, my people need to be saved, and you're my guy." "But I don't know what to say" "Don't worry, I got your back, I'll give you this staff and you can do all sorts of cool miracles, and I'll be there the whole time. " "But, I can't speak well. please pick someone else?" "Fine, you're brother Aaron's a loud mouth, so he can come with you."
Choir is funny, but not as funny as Judy at church or even Mr. Parry. But he kind of acts a lot like Mr. Parry. He's also short, so he stands on this one thing to make sure everyone can see him, and he falls off of it a lot. And when we mess up, he always says something like, "ok, let's try a little game. I'll be the conductor, and you be the choir. You sing what I conduct. Let's just try it out, it might be fun." And his assistant, George, is really nerdy. Judy would do a great imitation of him.
Voice lessons are funny too. My teacher is an ex-marine. He's pretty intense. I almost passed out during my last lesson. I'm pumped. :)
Sometimes I think I have too much time on my hands for thinking. I like being busy. No thinking.
Friday, August 22, 2008
making it
i didn't like it
my physical being accepted it
was even happy about it
my internal self fought it
with every able fiber in it
my heart knew it
and tried to embrace it
my head argued it
and procrastinated it
but now i know it:
i can do it.
i'm making it.
my physical being accepted it
was even happy about it
my internal self fought it
with every able fiber in it
my heart knew it
and tried to embrace it
my head argued it
and procrastinated it
but now i know it:
i can do it.
i'm making it.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
change doesn't fight fair.
it's like a freaking sucker punch
you think you have all this time and then
BAM
everything is changing
goodbyes are coming at you from every direction
the sadness burns your throat
while the tears hit your cheeks like rocks
'last this' and 'final that' disorient you
and everyone else's sorrow kicks you while your down.
change doesn't fight fair.
you think you have all this time and then
BAM
everything is changing
goodbyes are coming at you from every direction
the sadness burns your throat
while the tears hit your cheeks like rocks
'last this' and 'final that' disorient you
and everyone else's sorrow kicks you while your down.
change doesn't fight fair.
Friday, August 1, 2008
We'll Forever Testify of Your Mercy and Unfailing Love
I miss World Youth Day
Energy. Life. Happy. Drama. Nothing seemed impossible. Singing.
New friends. Old friends. No past. No future. Just the present. Just the moment.
Belief. Faith. Trust. Jokes. Russia. Ice Cream. Early mornings. Late nights.
Laughter. Voices. Dancing. Cheering. Chanting. Pixie sticks. Vegemite.
Funny. Annoying. People. Wildlife. Mountains. Eucalyptus trees. Sand dunes.
Mirrors. Long hallways. Confusing hotel. Stairs. Pictures. Receive the Power.
Breakfast. Ocarina. Piano. No luggage. Freezing. Bohemian Rhapsody. Love.
JESUS.
I miss World Youth Day
Energy. Life. Happy. Drama. Nothing seemed impossible. Singing.
New friends. Old friends. No past. No future. Just the present. Just the moment.
Belief. Faith. Trust. Jokes. Russia. Ice Cream. Early mornings. Late nights.
Laughter. Voices. Dancing. Cheering. Chanting. Pixie sticks. Vegemite.
Funny. Annoying. People. Wildlife. Mountains. Eucalyptus trees. Sand dunes.
Mirrors. Long hallways. Confusing hotel. Stairs. Pictures. Receive the Power.
Breakfast. Ocarina. Piano. No luggage. Freezing. Bohemian Rhapsody. Love.
JESUS.
I miss World Youth Day
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
To the Ends of the Earth
World Youth Day. It's over. I can hardly believe it. This trip has been so up and down and everything in between. But my over all, grand-scheme of things, over-arching conclusion: the Holy Spirit rocks and God never ceases to amaze me. Even in the difficult things, I learn something valuable and joy comes from somewhere.
Some things I've learned and how:
Losing my luggage: I have way too much STUFF. I can more than survive on much less than I have.
Freezing outside at the Vigil: There are some people who freeze outside every night, every winter, and we should have some compassion for them.
Long and hard walks: Sometimes you have to go through something difficult to get to something totally awesome. Which applies to everything.
Difficult/annoying people: Patience, tolerance, and choosing your battles. Also, letting go and moving on. And sometimes needing to stand up for yourself.
Some incredible moments:
Singing at breakfast while Anusia played the theme song and Rowan played his awesome whistle thing, and having other people join in for the part they knew
Hearing the Pope laugh
Seeing the Pope drive by right in front of us
Seeing the sea of candles at the vigil
Seeing the aerial picture of Randwick, and realizing just how many people came all the way to Australia for the Pope
Meeting so many awesome people from so many countries, all over the world
Running into the St. Peters kids at the US Mass, even though there were thousands of other people around
Hearing everybody from so many different languages singing the refrain of Receive the Power
Lots more to be updated...sometime.
Some things I've learned and how:
Losing my luggage: I have way too much STUFF. I can more than survive on much less than I have.
Freezing outside at the Vigil: There are some people who freeze outside every night, every winter, and we should have some compassion for them.
Long and hard walks: Sometimes you have to go through something difficult to get to something totally awesome. Which applies to everything.
Difficult/annoying people: Patience, tolerance, and choosing your battles. Also, letting go and moving on. And sometimes needing to stand up for yourself.
Some incredible moments:
Singing at breakfast while Anusia played the theme song and Rowan played his awesome whistle thing, and having other people join in for the part they knew
Hearing the Pope laugh
Seeing the Pope drive by right in front of us
Seeing the sea of candles at the vigil
Seeing the aerial picture of Randwick, and realizing just how many people came all the way to Australia for the Pope
Meeting so many awesome people from so many countries, all over the world
Running into the St. Peters kids at the US Mass, even though there were thousands of other people around
Hearing everybody from so many different languages singing the refrain of Receive the Power
Lots more to be updated...sometime.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Update from Down Under
I don't have much time, so for now I'll just copy and paste my blog entries for Relevant Radio. Then I'll give the "inside look" later. aka the story behind the story in which I show my true feelings.
G'day from Down Under! Day 3
7/17/2008
11:02 pm - Sydney8:02 am - ChicagoToday the Pope came!!!!But first, we had another 6:30 am breakfast call. We went to a different catechesis today, in order to see Cardinal George and hear his talk. The Cardinal spoke to us about relationships, specifically the relationships between God and the Church, the Church and the world, and the Church and Herself. It was an awesome talk, truly enthralling.After Catechesis, we got our lunch and hopped on a bus to an area called The Domain, to stake out our spot to to see the Holy Father. We had an awesome spot right along the fence, where the Holy Father drove by! We also put a sign up on the fence that said "Chicago Catholics <3 Benedict XVI". After a few hours of waiting, the atmosphere became suddenly charged and excited as we watched the Pope arrive on a boat and speak at Barangaroo on the Jumbotron screens. We were chanting and singing in anticipation of his arrival at the Domain, and about 45 minutes later, the Holy Father drove through the Domain. He was about 20 feet in front of us! It was an incredible sight, and such a blessing.Following the Domain, our group split up to go see different concerts and events throughout Sydney. I went with 5 others to a concert at Sydney Entertainment Center, which featured Matt Maher. After some music, there was Adoration, with the Eucharist on an altar on the stage, and hundreds of people on their knees in the gigantic auditorium. It was beautiful.I have to get to bed for tomorrow's busy day, but first, Fun fact #2: Platypus are poisonous, but not lethal, and only the males are poisonous. We asked an Australian how to tell the difference between male and female, just in case we ever run into a platypus. He said, "Grab it by the tail and flip it over, and pray really hard that it isn't male." What a valuable life lesson. :)
Until tomorrow!God bless!Megan
G'day from Down Under! Day 2
7/16/2008
It is 8:00 pm here, 5:00 am in Chicago.Today we woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for breakfast at 6:30 am. By 7:10, we were out the door and on our way to the subway for our journey to our first day of Catechesis. Catechesis is essentially a discussion and celebration of our faith, led by leaders in our respective native languages, to help deepen understanding of different faith topics. It includes a talk, skits, music, confession, and Mass. The theme for today's catechesis was "The Call of the Holy Spirit". The talk was given by the Archbishop of Ottowa, and it was a fantastic talk. He told us that everyone has a calling, and we must listen to the Holy Spirit to discover what our calling is. World Youth Day is an exciting experience, and the Holy Spirit is plainly evident in an event like this. But the Archbishop explained that even though a World Youth Day experience can jumpstart our faith lives, we have to continue to always see the reality of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives, always seeking to fulfill our individual calling - even when we don't get the "warm and fuzzy feelings".After Catechesis, which was held at a beautiful boarding school for girls called St. Ignatius College, we went outside for a barbecue for lunch. Every Catechesis site had a barbecue today, making it Australia's largest barbecue ever! The rest of the day was left open, allowing everyone time to explore the city and the many, MANY sites for concerts, forums, adoration, and other events around the area, hosted by different groups. I, myself, unfortunately had to take a trip to the airport to try to locate my luggage. No luck so far. We'll see what happens, I guess! It's been an exciting pilgrimage, that's for sure. :)Tomorrow the Holy Father comes!! Hooray! Time to go to a group meeting, then bed. 6:30 again tomorrow! Until tomorrow,
God bless!Megan
Arrival and Day 1 of WYD
7/15/2008
G'day from Down Under!!July 15, 2008
G'day from Down Under!! It's about 11:00 pm here on Tuesday, July 15. Which means it's about 8:00 am on Tuesday in Chicago! Door to door, we traveled about 30 hours to get here...and it was definitely worth every minute of it! Unfortunately, my luggage is lost. But fortunately, I'm the only one in the group with lost luggage, and it is supposedly on it's way from Chicago. It's frustrating, but it could have been much worse! And hey, a little suffering never hurt anyone, and it IS a pilgrimage, right? So I'll just offer it up!We returned to our hotel about an hour ago from day 1 of World Youth Day. We left this morning at 9:00 and walked through the Botanic Gardens on our way to the opera house. The gardens were beautiful! There were cockatoos in the trees, and bats hanging from branches, and some of the most beautiful flowers and trees that I have ever seen. Then we got to the Opera House, which was so awesome to see in person! I thought it would be very elegant on the inside, but it's actually very plainly decorated and has exposed concrete and everything. I thought that the simple design made it that much more beautiful! Fun fact: There are no microphones in the Opera House, because the structure and acoustics are such that performers are heard easily without them (the performance halls are built sort of like giant megaphones).After the Opera House, we walked amidst MANY more pilgrims to Barangaroo (an area in Sydney) for the opening ceremonies and Mass. We arrived at about 12:30 pm, and Mass was set to begin in the evening, so we had time to kill. But that's never a problem at World Youth Day! Time is passed with singing, dancing, and breaking down language barriers as you greet teens from countless different countries. The excitement is incredible! The opening Mass was beautiful, incorporating all cultures, even the Aboriginal culture of Australia. Everyone participated and sang along during Mass, and the best part in my opinion was sharing the sign of peace with those around me who were from different countries. It was an incredibly uplifting experience. Funny story: Yesterday, about 20 of us were walking around exploring Sydney, and we saw a young boy who was fishing. We talked to him for a little while and he asked if we were here for World Youth Day, and when we told him we were, he asked, "Are you ALL Catholic?" We of course said yes, and he got a very shocked look on his face and said, "Whoa, that's a lot!" His mother started laughing and we said, "Don't worry bud, there's lots more of us coming!" If he was that overwhelmed by meeting 20 Catholics, I wonder how he is feeling today after seeing the thousands of pilgrims!Time for bed, we have an early wake up call for Catechesis tomorrow. Until tomorrow then!God bless!Megan
Sorry if that's confusing. I'm too tired to fix it. Lame. I know. byeee
G'day from Down Under! Day 3
7/17/2008
11:02 pm - Sydney8:02 am - ChicagoToday the Pope came!!!!But first, we had another 6:30 am breakfast call. We went to a different catechesis today, in order to see Cardinal George and hear his talk. The Cardinal spoke to us about relationships, specifically the relationships between God and the Church, the Church and the world, and the Church and Herself. It was an awesome talk, truly enthralling.After Catechesis, we got our lunch and hopped on a bus to an area called The Domain, to stake out our spot to to see the Holy Father. We had an awesome spot right along the fence, where the Holy Father drove by! We also put a sign up on the fence that said "Chicago Catholics <3 Benedict XVI". After a few hours of waiting, the atmosphere became suddenly charged and excited as we watched the Pope arrive on a boat and speak at Barangaroo on the Jumbotron screens. We were chanting and singing in anticipation of his arrival at the Domain, and about 45 minutes later, the Holy Father drove through the Domain. He was about 20 feet in front of us! It was an incredible sight, and such a blessing.Following the Domain, our group split up to go see different concerts and events throughout Sydney. I went with 5 others to a concert at Sydney Entertainment Center, which featured Matt Maher. After some music, there was Adoration, with the Eucharist on an altar on the stage, and hundreds of people on their knees in the gigantic auditorium. It was beautiful.I have to get to bed for tomorrow's busy day, but first, Fun fact #2: Platypus are poisonous, but not lethal, and only the males are poisonous. We asked an Australian how to tell the difference between male and female, just in case we ever run into a platypus. He said, "Grab it by the tail and flip it over, and pray really hard that it isn't male." What a valuable life lesson. :)
Until tomorrow!God bless!Megan
G'day from Down Under! Day 2
7/16/2008
It is 8:00 pm here, 5:00 am in Chicago.Today we woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for breakfast at 6:30 am. By 7:10, we were out the door and on our way to the subway for our journey to our first day of Catechesis. Catechesis is essentially a discussion and celebration of our faith, led by leaders in our respective native languages, to help deepen understanding of different faith topics. It includes a talk, skits, music, confession, and Mass. The theme for today's catechesis was "The Call of the Holy Spirit". The talk was given by the Archbishop of Ottowa, and it was a fantastic talk. He told us that everyone has a calling, and we must listen to the Holy Spirit to discover what our calling is. World Youth Day is an exciting experience, and the Holy Spirit is plainly evident in an event like this. But the Archbishop explained that even though a World Youth Day experience can jumpstart our faith lives, we have to continue to always see the reality of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives, always seeking to fulfill our individual calling - even when we don't get the "warm and fuzzy feelings".After Catechesis, which was held at a beautiful boarding school for girls called St. Ignatius College, we went outside for a barbecue for lunch. Every Catechesis site had a barbecue today, making it Australia's largest barbecue ever! The rest of the day was left open, allowing everyone time to explore the city and the many, MANY sites for concerts, forums, adoration, and other events around the area, hosted by different groups. I, myself, unfortunately had to take a trip to the airport to try to locate my luggage. No luck so far. We'll see what happens, I guess! It's been an exciting pilgrimage, that's for sure. :)Tomorrow the Holy Father comes!! Hooray! Time to go to a group meeting, then bed. 6:30 again tomorrow! Until tomorrow,
God bless!Megan
Arrival and Day 1 of WYD
7/15/2008
G'day from Down Under!!July 15, 2008
G'day from Down Under!! It's about 11:00 pm here on Tuesday, July 15. Which means it's about 8:00 am on Tuesday in Chicago! Door to door, we traveled about 30 hours to get here...and it was definitely worth every minute of it! Unfortunately, my luggage is lost. But fortunately, I'm the only one in the group with lost luggage, and it is supposedly on it's way from Chicago. It's frustrating, but it could have been much worse! And hey, a little suffering never hurt anyone, and it IS a pilgrimage, right? So I'll just offer it up!We returned to our hotel about an hour ago from day 1 of World Youth Day. We left this morning at 9:00 and walked through the Botanic Gardens on our way to the opera house. The gardens were beautiful! There were cockatoos in the trees, and bats hanging from branches, and some of the most beautiful flowers and trees that I have ever seen. Then we got to the Opera House, which was so awesome to see in person! I thought it would be very elegant on the inside, but it's actually very plainly decorated and has exposed concrete and everything. I thought that the simple design made it that much more beautiful! Fun fact: There are no microphones in the Opera House, because the structure and acoustics are such that performers are heard easily without them (the performance halls are built sort of like giant megaphones).After the Opera House, we walked amidst MANY more pilgrims to Barangaroo (an area in Sydney) for the opening ceremonies and Mass. We arrived at about 12:30 pm, and Mass was set to begin in the evening, so we had time to kill. But that's never a problem at World Youth Day! Time is passed with singing, dancing, and breaking down language barriers as you greet teens from countless different countries. The excitement is incredible! The opening Mass was beautiful, incorporating all cultures, even the Aboriginal culture of Australia. Everyone participated and sang along during Mass, and the best part in my opinion was sharing the sign of peace with those around me who were from different countries. It was an incredibly uplifting experience. Funny story: Yesterday, about 20 of us were walking around exploring Sydney, and we saw a young boy who was fishing. We talked to him for a little while and he asked if we were here for World Youth Day, and when we told him we were, he asked, "Are you ALL Catholic?" We of course said yes, and he got a very shocked look on his face and said, "Whoa, that's a lot!" His mother started laughing and we said, "Don't worry bud, there's lots more of us coming!" If he was that overwhelmed by meeting 20 Catholics, I wonder how he is feeling today after seeing the thousands of pilgrims!Time for bed, we have an early wake up call for Catechesis tomorrow. Until tomorrow then!God bless!Megan
Sorry if that's confusing. I'm too tired to fix it. Lame. I know. byeee
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