Life In Chicago

Almost through my internship in Chicago, and I absolutely LOVE it here! There is an insane running culture, not to mention miles and miles of forest trails. MILES.
Here is a snapshot of a typical day in the life of a marketing copywriter intern/runner girl:

5 AM

Wake up. Quiet time: drink a glass of water and cup of tea, read Bible.

6 AM

Running with the deer, rabbits, and the occasional skunk.

7 AM

Gym. Cross train on the elliptical, bike, or jacob's ladder. I do abs twice times a week, lift twice a week, and complete strength training that is mostly focused on my legs twice a week.

9 AM

Oatmeal eaten, hair blow-dryed, coffee consumed.

10 AM

Office. Edit blogs, reports, and text for mobile applications, Write stuff.

12 PM

Lunch time. Either eat out at a new place or pack a lunch. I love eating at Flat Top Grill - you choose your grain/veggies/sauce/meat and they stir-fry it for you.

1 PM

Back to work.

5 PM

Peace-out. 30-40 minute drive back to the apartment depending on traffic. Jam out to Pandora.

6 PM

Dinner - Tia has cooked some food-network worthy dishes: chicken lettuce wraps, cornbread casserole,   pasta made with legit tomato sauce from an Italian grocery store.

7 PM

Unwind, wash dishes, read, roll out legs, stretch.

9 PM

Sleeping!

10 Lessons I Learned during my First Year of College

1. We > I. Teams, families, and communities are more effective than isolated or self-seeking individuals.
2. It's not all about you. Refusing to be self-centered is extremely counter-cultural.
3. Suck it up. A Christian woman that I admire once said, "If you fall during the tribulation, you will never see the blessing." You have to keep pushing if you want to see the fruit of your labor. A synonymous quote on my dorm wall reads, "I am not finished when I am tired. I am finished when I am done."
4. Friendships rarely just "click". They are pursued after common interests are discovered, and their growth is watered through experiences, encouragement, affirmation, tears, and sweat. It is impossible to ignite friendships with those who remain invulnerable.
5. Fear of rejection keeps us isolated, alone, bitter, and depressed. After a while, if you let it become a piece of your identity, it gives you a sense of entitlement to be self-absorbed.
6. Be skeptical. When it comes to intellectual/political/spiritual discussions, you don't have to swallow what you chew.
7. Trust. Recognizing your complete dependence on God will help you sleep 10000000 times better.
8. "Opportunities multiply as they are seized" (The Art of War) You have to take the intiative. People aren't going to come to you and say "Oh I heard that you are just fabulous at ______, I have a job that would be perfect for you!" The reality is that you have to seize opportunities, even if you have NO IDEA what you are doing - this helps you grow like crazy!
9. Learn to say "No". While you are going about carping the diem, it is important to let some opportunities pass by. Otherwise you will burn out and will be utterly ineffective in everything you do.
10.  Your life is significant. Believe it. There will come times when you question your purpose, your situation in life, and your reason for living. If you don't have purpose and vision, you will have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.

We Met a Monk

 

Silence. Solitude. Trickling fountains. The women's soccer coach took a handful of athletes to Saint Leo's Abbey for a Sunday retreat focused on prayer and self-evaluation. The only element that interrupted the zen of the moment were the ants crawling everywhere - in a rare stroke of genius I had remembered to bring along a blanket, which helped fend off the crawling creatures.

 

It is interesting that even though this retreat was open to all athletes, the only ones who showed up for the 6 am gathering were females (besides the soccer coach). Feel free to form your own thoughts regarding the male athletes of our campus. Maybe someone should have sent them the memo that a vow of celibacy wasn't required to get on the bus.

Nabbed It!

The open door. The light from the stairwell shining into my dorm. Is that Molly? Wait, is that Sabrina in my room!? Is this real? Sabrina is telling me congratulations and is handing me a letter. Be ready by 6? Meet in front of Ave? No camera call until 7:35? Alright.
Thus went my 5:30 AM wake up call and welcome into student leadership. Fumbling around, I finished getting presentable before walking over to the front of Ave, where 70 or so students were milling around and congratulating one another. Still in shell shock, I reread the letter that stated that I had been chosen as to serve as staff writer for the Creative Communications Team. This wasn't a dream.
I didn't blog about this earlier, but a while back I heard that our university was starting a new creative communications team that was offering staff writer positions - something I was totally interested in. I went to the mixer, filled the application, helped with the conference afterparty, went through the interview, and left it in God's hands.
So that is how I ended up bleary eyed and confused in the morning. So crazy how one hour I was curled up underneath my covers like a baby and the next hour I was at Chic-fil-a surrounded by the university's student leaders. It was humbling.
What have I learned from this experience? Well, I was second guessing myself before I applied, envisioning scenarios where I tried and was denied. Thankfully God brought to my mind a quote from a book had reading (The Art of War) - "Opportunities multiply as they are seized". Not a Bible verse, but some old-fashioned battle advice.
I am absolutely stoked to have received the spot, and have one of the best leaders around - I knew I wanted to work with Sabrina the moment I met her.
I feel like I just graduated from high school yesterday and now I find myself in the middle of my spring semester at college. I feel overwhelmed by how God worked everything together beyond what I could ever have planned or imagined.

The Art of Spectating a Race

 

 

5 AM Sunday morning I drove the cheering crew to Tampa, not guided by a GPS, but by directions scrawled across notebook paper in black ink. By God's grace we survived without an accident, ticket, or mishap. 

Spectating for the half-marathon was like watching a running fashion show - in between screams of "You go girl!" and "Looking good!" we were commenting "I love her neon socks" or "check out that tutu".
After a Starbucks stop we headed over to St.Pete Beach for some tanning and ultimate frisbee with the team.
I had my first encounter with driving on the highway at night on our way back to campus from the beach. Tired and terrified, I almost gave the wheel to Mary or Rachael.

 

Strawberry Shortcake & Such

Cross country went out with volleyball for some team bonding over strawberry shortcake. Everything you see in the bowl above was demolished.

 

Grocery shopping is one of the most fiancially eye-opening experiences when you go from living at home to college. Everything is totally overpriced - for example, the items that you see above cost $17.47, and will definitely not last a full week. Meh.

 

 

 

A Complaint From The Not Haute Society

Dear females strutting to class with 5 inch heels and coordinated outfits, I am writing to you on behalf of the rest of us ladies who walk to class in hoodies and ponytails. Your curled hair, lipstick, and mascara has us wondering where your priorities lie. Where do you draw the energy, not to mention the time, to pursue aesthetic perfection every morning?

Sincerely,
The not haute society