I'm Being Followed ...

I think I'm being followed...
Nakeli, a good friend/co-worker has a theory about me: where ever I go I find someone I know, am connected to, or make friends with anyone near. I pretty much laugh it off because I have lived in the same town for almost 24 years. So knowing, what seems like to my friend, a majority of the population is understandable. See this theory is becoming "fact," so my friend says. Then I started thinking about it a little more this past week. When I hopped on the plane headed for Rome I thought, "surely I won't know anyone other than my friend who lives in Italy." boy was I wrong. On the flight to Toronto the lady that sat next to me turned out to be from my home town. Not just that, she works at ASU in a department our office works with quite frequently. I was stunned ... Then I thought, "whew! That won't happen again the rest of the time I am gone. Who could impossibly run into in Italy?" 

On Wednesday I headed out to Rome on my own. I went to the Colosseum on an English guided tour. I started chatting with the others going through the same tour. They were a sweet couple from Scotland who enjoyed traveling through Europe on holiday. I spent a majority of the day with them and enjoyed every little bit. The next day Janelle and I are leaving the Vatican when we hear, "Bailey!" we turn around and it's the Scottish couple from the day before. Janelle laughed and said, "your friend is right, can't take you anywhere." I was still half in shock that it happened at all. 

Stepping back to Wednesday for a moment, when I was out I stopped and had lunch at this little restaurant facing the Vittorini building. When I finished lunch the waiter asked me where I was from and I replied. A table over a Taiwanese lady heard me say Arkansas. She turned around and asked me more specifically where in Arkansas. She then told me she has family in Little Rock. 

I got on the plane to head back from Rome and thought I was in the clear, it had been a few days since I met anyone with Arkansas connections or anyone who recognized me. When I sat down in the plane from Switzerland to New Jersey I started chatting with the girl next to me. Low and behold she is from Arkansas. I started laughing before she asked me where I was from and then felt the need to explain. I can imagine she was weirded out by "this would prove my friend's theory" laughter. She laughed after I explained. 

Then I got to the airport in Newark, while I was waiting on my flight a guy sits down 3 seats to my left. I looked, because of my minor ADD, it was a student from ASU that I have spoken with on several occasions. As we boarded the plane I noticed a history professor from ASU as well.

I think I am being followed by Arkansas ... 

Then again

Maybe I am just chatty...

Surely that is what it is, I am a chatty Cathy. I have no problem with that, I learned from the Nigerian lady on the metro that I look friendly. Maybe that is what it is. So I am admitting defeat and beginning to believe my friend's theory (proved fact) ... Just don't expect me to run for office or anything. 

Oh! By the way, our flight attendant looked like Oprah. Her name tag even says "Oprah."

Welcome to my life. 

Nigerian on the Metro

Janelle and I were headed into Rome on Thursday. While we were waiting for the metro to get to the station a lady approached us to ask if we speak English. We told her yes and she let out a huge sigh of relief; she physically looked as if weights had been lifted off her shoulders. She was so excited to find English speakers that it was a joy to speak English. She told us she is from Nigeria and she traveled to Italy to find work. She is horribly homesick and misses her husband and children. She was accuse fly on the wrong metro and didn't know how to get back in the right direction. She began to just talk talk talk on the way to her stop. 

To be honest I can't even tell you her name, but God used her to remind me even when we are obedient to His will and His way things will not always be easy. Honestly I have no idea where she stands spiritually but God likes to remind me of things in the neatest little ways. My desire is to move overseas and share the gospel, He has out this in my heart. Meeting that woman reminded me that leaving everything behind and moving half way around the world is not an easy task. She doesn't speak the language and is struggling in learning and picking it up. She seems to be trying so very hard to make it and not be discouraged. These are the same challenges I will someday, soon, be facing. He doesn't let everything be easy because He wants us to rely on Him. That is what this woman was having to do, rely on something/someone other than herself. She literally relied on two complete strangers to help her. It was such a blessing to be able to be there and give her an (English) outlet. 

Let me back up for a second, when she approached us and realized we spoke English she told us she only approached us because we look friendly. If you know me you know I could talk to a brick wall if I thought it would talk back, basically I love people. This was such a huge compliment, Janelle and I looked friendly, approachable, that is just what she did - she took a leap of faith and approached us for help. I forget how important it is to just appear friendly and loving and approachable. God uses even the simplest things to execute His will. He used Janelle and I to provide the slightest bit of relief to this woman. She walked away with higher spirits than the day before and seemed more confident to conquer the day. Yay for being where God wants us when He wants us there! We don't have to worry if God is going to put us where He wants us, because if we are being obedient (and even in times we are not being so obedient) He has us right where He wants us. Hopefully this thought will stick with me for the rest of this year (2012- not just the school year). This is something I struggle struggle with greatly, wanting to be somewhere else... Somewhere "better."

A Little Taste of Italy...

Wow! Let me tell you that God has blessed me immensely with loving family, great friends, and good food (hehe) ... well and safe travels of course. As I look through my own pictures I can't help but ask myself if that is really me posing in front of this or that building. "Am I really here," the question that kept playing through my mind. Before leaving to get on the plane people asked me if I was excited to go. That was hard for me to answer, not because I didn't want to go but because it didn't quite seem real. It seemed as if I was living someone else's life doing things someone else would do. But this has been my dream since I was little. I think I was 6 years old when someone asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up. I told them I wanted to go to other countries and help people. Which is what I am on the path to do currently. Cultures, languages, religions, people, and history all fascinate me. Being in Rome where the history and culture is so thick is, well, almost unreal. My life still goes on day-by-day. I walk, eat, sleep, and breathe just like I would in Arkansas. Only, I'm not in Arkansas ... I'm nowhere near my family or closest friends. Yet, I don't feel very far way either.  It is the strangest feeling to have. This is my life, this is how I am supposed to live; off in some other country where I may or may not know the people I go to live amongst.

There is so much to be told about the 6 days I have spent in Rome and I will write about them, slowly, and tell you not only what I did and saw but what I learned from the culture, language, religion, people, and history. If I wrote it all at once you wouldn't want to read it; trust me, it would be really long. Just know this, everything (practically) that I have done since being here is new to me. So these posts will not be labelled like the rest of the "31 Day March" challenge but everyday has been something new and exciting.

I will tell you this, before I venture into posting and updating and whatnot, God continues to show me how much He loves me (not just me but this is my blog and what God is showing me so that is what I am sharing with you). He has provided constant protection, safe travels, lovely people, interesting situations, cultural sensitivity training (yes, even God reminds me to be sensitive to other cultures), and well... more than I can think of right now. There will not be a quiz or a test over this so don't feel like you have to read this or ask me about what I have been writing. There are so many things out there to see and do that I don't expect you to be part of every little thing I have done. Go, live your life!

This has probably been the biggest lesson of all. We only have one life to live, so why not start living it now.

31 Day March - Days 9-14

Days 9-14 ... My bad

What's new this week?
-Tejas. I drove to Texas, alone
-Barn dance (non-dance) and hungout with people I barely knew ... also rode in the backseat of my own car.
-Was a judge at the men's bake off at church. Yes, this means I got to try all of the cakes and cookies... yes I did!
-Worked out twice in one day
-Went to a local park to do homework

How is this new?
- Texas is a new place for me. I had not entered the state of Texas, ever until Friday. I also ate at a Whataburger. It was good!
- I had never danced in a barn before, and technically still haven't. But, I went to a "barn dance" and had to leave before the dancing started. There were mechanical bull rides, horse back riding, carriage rides, and BBQ. Later was barn dancing but our group headed out before that started. That is ok! We ended up going to a mini-fire with s'mores. So yumtastic! It was at someone's house I didn't know and I ended up having a great time. (I was skeptical and didn't want to go because I didn't know half the people that were going to be there... I am so glad I went). On the way out to hang out and eat s'mores I made my friend drive my car. So for the first time I rode in the back seat of my own car. It makes me feel more like a girl to not have to drive all the time. That may be silly, but it is true.
-As a fundraiser for the youth group, our church does an annual men's bake off. This year I was asked to be a judge. As you know, from other posts, I like food. So this made me ecstatic. Plus all the cakes were good great!
-I go to zumba 2-4 times a week. Well this time I went to 2 different zumba classes in one day 1 hour apart from one another. So I finished one and ate dinner and then went to the next zumba class. I thought I was going to vomit ... so yeah, food and working out too close together is a bad idea.
-Usually when I do homework I go to a local bookstore of coffee shop. Today was soooo nice that I just had to get out and do something. So I did. As I was sitting there reading for British Novel a couple walked by and the girl said to her boyfriend or man or whoever he was, "I want to come out here and read. That looks so chill." I started laughing when she said that. It was really relaxing and nice.

Why this?
- Hello, it's Texas! I have always wanted to go to Texas and have never had a chance to go, so on Friday I got in my car after work and drove to Texarkana. (Pictures below)
- Why not?! Really, I love dancing and any opportunity to do so is one I will jump on quickly. But we didn't dance there, we actually ended up doing random dances at our s'mores host house. That was way more fun and way less dirty than a barn.
- I got to eat cake, nothing more needs to be said.
- Honestly, I was desperate for a "new thing" ... also, did you see the one right above this? I ate a lot of cake.
- It was friggin awesome outside.

Is this something that will be continued?
- Random road trips and mental vacations are phenomenal.
- Yes, I will continue meeting new people and going to dance things. Most of my friends know how overly social I am and they also know I really reeeaallly like dancing.
- Well, I probably will not get to judge it too often. I would do it again.
- Working out, yes. Working out twice in one day, not unless I have to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time.
- YES!!

Are there any negatives to this?
- Yes. Traveling alone can be dangerous if you are not careful. Also, thinking too much can be dangerous to your mental/emotional health. Luckily the drive there was great because all I did was listen to music and was able to just not think for 4 hours. It was fantastic. The trip back is a bit different. I started thinking a little too much and ended up praying the rest of the way back about pretty much anything that came to mind. It was good and God gave me a sweet opportunity to just go. Love it!
- Cow pies... well horse pies because there were no cows. As long as you didn't step in those you were fine.
- Diabetes, I think this was developed this on Sunday.
- Death, which is what I felt like.
- Can't think of many. Well unless I get stung by bugs. Other than that all good.

Things I learned from my trip to Texas...
You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a bathroom based on the outer appearance of the establishment.

Sign: "Underage drinking and driving; zero tolerance!" - Who knew if you are of age drinking and driving is tolerated?!


Pictures

 

 

31 Day March - Days 7 and 8

Day-7-8 Oooopppsssyy!

What's new today?
Day 7- Had dinner with someone I don't really know. Well I didn't know her very well but I know her a little better now :)

Day 8- Went to a haunted location in Jonesboro...

How is this new?
I enjoy people. God made each person unique for a reason and I love getting to experience that in others. So it was new because she is someone I don't didn't know very well. So it is new because she was new for me to get to know.

I don't like scary things so for me to go to Kellers Chapel was a big step in my spontaneity. 

Why this?
Because I love people!

No idea... but I was glad I had a friend with me. Makes things like that easier.

Is this something that will be continued?
YES!! Getting to know people is precious to me and I hope to keep doing it as long as the Lord allows.

Only if there is a dude with me. No way I could do that without a guy. ... heck no techno not alone.

Are there any negatives to this?
Getting to know people? No ... not that I know of, well unless one of them kills me and then I get to see Jesus. Haha!

Yes, being scared to my wits end... NEGATIVO

Super excited about tomorrows!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to share it with you :)

31 day March - Day 6

Day-6

What's new today?
Today I quit, gave up, or whatever you want to call it on the raw food thing. Yes, I am a quitter.

Also, I had a really bad day, but that is relative to what we each call bad. For me, it was a bad day. So I started writing out what was bothering me or why it was bad and wrote out what could be done to fix it so I am not sulking.

How is this new?
I usually try not to give up on things, especially small things like changing my diet. However, everything seemed so ridiculously overwhelming today so I needed normal and decided to go back to normal. Also realized it probably means I have very little self-control when it comes to food and need to work on that. (Sadly means I may have self-control issues in other areas... like my alarm clock ... that need to be worked on).

When things seem to be bad I usually pray about them, this helped me organize out how to pray and what to pray about specifically. It really reminded me I am not in control, God is the ultimate controller of the universe.

Why this?
Comfort food, when having a bad day comfort food really does comfort. Like I said, I have food issues to work through.

Well, it really helped me work through issues to write things down. Not going to lie, I had 1 page front and back, small print, of what was bothering me and what caused the issues along with how it could be fixed. With each thing I saw that although I made a mistake of not calling this person or not having this ready or out or done, I could not be in control of how others handled the situation. My responsibility is myself. My actions today were far from where they should be, but like I said I saw a lot of things in my life where I had to surrender not being in control. He knew what was going to happen before I ever made the mistakes.

Is this something that will be continued?
Quitting, I hope not. I don't want to be a quitter unless I am quitting bad habits. Not sure what habits I have that are "bad" but there are so many things in my life that need to be worked on, like most people.

Yes, this really seemed to help today. It is also now in my journal so I can look back in a year or so and see how juvenile my "problems" were. :)  This also showed me I don't need to beat myself up as much as I do, things can be worked out and dealt with and I just need to sit down and work through them. Beating myself up will get me no where except more upset.

Are there any negatives to this?
Quitting, heck yes there are... Please don't make me tell you why. I hope you know why quitting has negatives.

Not really, well unless I lose my journal and it ends up in the wrong hands. Then I might be having some interesting conversations. However, it helped me see that each situation was something that could be avoided (well in most cases) and what I could do in the future to avoid those.



God has really been good to me and has begun showing me more of Him through this month. Super thankful for my friends who have encouraged me lately (even today ...). God has truly blessed me with great friends. - Random add on, this is true but I am truly grateful.

31 Day March- Day 5

Day-5


What's new today?
Dried fruit
Wild goose chase for carob chips

How is this new?
Well I like food, found out today I don't like dried fruit. Not to say that I can't ever Luke it, but it just didnt taste great.
Until today I had no idea what carob chips, powder, chunks, etc. were. Google it!

Why this?
After a conversation with a friend I had almost resolved to go try a few new vegetables. I found myself standing in front of several vegetables asking myself if I really wanted to try them right them. The answer was no. I stood there for probably 5 minutes before deciding to go find something else new to try. When I couldn't find carob things I decided on dried fruit. My thought was, "it is fruit, only dried ... It has to be good." Well I go the kind with no additives, no preservatives, and no sugar just plain old dried fruit. So I ended up with pineapple and banana. Let's just say I know a few people who will be happy with me tomorrow since it will wind up in their offices. Just didn't like the taste or texture. Having a hard time overcoming the texture thing.
I went to a couple of places this evening to find carob chips, it is the raw food version of chocolate. It is only day 2 of raw food eating and I am practically desperate for chocolate. This is a problem because it sadly proves to me my self proclaimed addiction. Not proud of this addiction, or any addiction (not that I have many addictions- hole digging just getting deeper). Anyway I couldn't find carob chips and am now going to put out a city wide search on them.

Is this something that will be continued?
Yes, I mean I am going to keep trying new things (including dried fruits- craisins are fantastic!)
I am definitely going to continue my search for carob chips. I mean come on, really, why wouldn't I?

Are there any negatives to this?
Yes, I am realizing my sad addiction to food. Which is funny because before I started this whole March thing I was noticing food no longer was satisfying. Nothing sounded good to eat anymore and yet I kept shoving it in my face. It reminded me that we are all creatures of habit and sometimes when we don't know what else to do we do what is habitual for us. Like food, we may not know what we want to eat because we are "kind of hungry" or in the "I could eat" mood. So in these cases we choose something primarily out of habit. We aren't literally starving like some African children, we aren't in a major famine where it is hard to get fresh produce and eat in a manner that will benefit our bodies, we aren't so poor that we don't know where our next meal is coming from. God has blessed so many of us to have the things we have and yet we find ourselves addicted to them, including food. It is so easy for us to be distracted by what we have and ignore what others do not have when we can easily provide that for them.
The main draw back to forcing myself to eat fresh raw foods is the little voice in the back of my head that reminds me this is how God intended it on being. It wasnt until after the flood that God granted permission to people to eat meat. Have you ever thought about that? Adam and Eve and Seth and Enoch and all of the others at this time were actually vegitarians until the flood. Trust me, I am not going to become a vegitarian after this, God gave us free reign on meant and meant is good! What I am saying is not everything we put in our bodies is healthy and we should do a better job of taking care of the temple God has given us to be stewards of for the time we have here.

PS Didn't mean to be on a soap box on the end there, oops!

31 Day March - Day 4

Day-4 Yes, I know .... this is late


What's new today?
Raw food diet ...
Only purchasing said raw food grown in the US.

How is this new?
I usually eat anything I can put my hands on, mainly because I LOVE food.
I pretty much just grab whatever is close and don't think twice.

Why this?
Well, it gives my body a break from harsh chemicals, processed foods, and whatever else is in our food. It also is teaching me self-control. I love food, and with that love comes me eating anything I can get my hands on. Yes, I am a foodie. It will also help me appreciate the things I eat.
Buying fresh foods grown in America supports our farmers and our agriculture. Also, fruits and vegetables from other countries may or may not meet the standards of the FDA ... Also, it is just an experiment for 7 days.


Is this something that will be continued?
Yes. I could see myself making a habit raw food diets. This one is for 7 days and I am excited to see how it goes. In doing this I began researching why raw food diets. There are so many things that show how much better for you it is to eat raw foods than processed and packaged foods. I think we all know this somewhere in the back of our minds but it is nice to be reminded.
Buying things only made/grown in the US is really difficult but it is good to support ourselves, so yes.

Are there any negatives to this?
Not unless I eat a bad piece of fruit or veggie...
This is really difficult. Mainly because when I decided to do this I said I would only buy things grown in the US. Do you know how hard it is to only buy fruits and vegetables grown in the US? You should try to do it...that proved more difficult than I thought.

31 Day March - Day 3

Day 3

What's new?
I bought my first piece of luggage today. Also went on a long drive alone.

How is this new?
Well other than the luggage I bought today I only own a large duffle bag that was given to me as a birthday gift last year because I owned no other luggage. So yeah that's new. It also signifies my trip to Italy is soon! Yay!!
The long drive... Well I enjoy long drives and stars. So I decided to drive with no destination in mind.

Why this?
I am going to Italy for spring break and planning to make traveling a habit (if God will let me).
Drives are good for many things: thinking, clearing the mind, absent minded activity, etc. It was really relaxing and enjoyable.

Is this something that will be continued?
Heck yes! If God will let me travel more, I will continue this. My heart is in a country I have not yet visited but there is something about it that He has drawn me to. Just like when you meet someone and you KNOW you are going to marry them, it is like that. It is something you just can't explain but know you love it because you are supposed to. No idea how to put that into words. I tried though.
Long drives will be continued either alone or with a friend. Long drives are lovely.

Are there any negatives?
Yes, traveling can be like a drug, it is addictive. Not only is it addictive but it can make a person discontent in everyday life.
Drives cost money and with gas being so expensive I should just invest in good walking shoes and go for long walks as opposed to long drives.

Well I am writing this on my phone which is proving to be an annoyance so I going to stop here...

31 Day March - Day 2

Day-2
What's new today?
Trying new food. Today for lunch I went to my favorite Mexican restaurant, Don Jose, with a couple of girl friends/co-workers. Dinner was with a colleague at a local Thai restaurant, Sai Thai.

How is this new?
Usually when I go to any restaurant I choose the same thing every time. This time I had to order something I haven't ever ordered before. This is easily done since I have a usual at both places. At Don Jose I ordered a chicken taco. This sounds lame but if you know me at all, I hate tacos. Lately I have come to realize it is because of past work experience at Taco Bell (just hated the food there). It was really good, I was impressed.
At Sai Thai I ordered the Massamun Curry, it had chicken and pineapple with red curry paste. Oh my gosh it was goodness in my mouth! I have a new favorite. There are pictures below. I also ordered egg rolls, this too is also not normal for me because I used to despise egg rolls. Oh and did I mention I ate white rice with this and not fried? Yes I did... fan-friggin-tastic.

Why this?
Well, I knew I would be going out to eat for dinner so I figured it would be the easiest way to do something new (yes, I went with convenience on this one and yesterdays...). Also, I really like food a lot. If good food were a man I would not be single.

Is this something that will be continued?
Yes. Something that I have been learning lately is that I cannot fear change or new things. If I fear them and avoid them then I am potentially missing out on something great. I would have never known that Massamun Curry would taste so fantastic if I wouldn't have tried it tonight.

Are there any negatives to this?
I could easily become really obese. God made food taste good and I love God and also food... Problems could come from this

Change is some times a good thing ... in this case it was a very good thing

31 day March - Day 1

So I am determined to do something new ... something new every day for 31 days and blog about it. Yes, everyday a new post. This will be a challenge for me but it will be a fun challenge.

Today's was kind of lame and I hate to admit that but it is true. So they will get better I promise :)

Day-1
What's new today?
Dressed up for no good reason. I got up on time-ish and took care of myself.

How is this new?
Well, I usually get up and throw clothes on and run out the door.


Why this?
This is not what I originally choose, hence the lameness. My first choice was to get up at 5am, get ready, go see the sun rise and get caught up with homework. When you look at what I wanted to do compared to what I did it explains why it is lame.

Is this something that will be continued?
Yes, I want to continue taking better care of myself and plan on doing more of this. Over the past 6-7 months I have started trying to take better care of myself and look a little better put together on the outside. It started with a funny conversation with a co-worker and has turned into me painting my nails, wearing make-up more regularly, and dressing more feminine. So this will definitely be continued.

Are there any negatives to this?
Well yes, there are. My fear with this one is becoming materialistic. God has made it very clear to me that He wants me to be in the foreign mission field. There is really no room for materialism there and here it becomes a way to distract us from the bigger issues of life. This is something I really want to avoid, but I also want to be presentable.

More to come tomorrow.