theLittlethingsinLife

As you may have heard, a few of our Messiah teams have just completed a weekend full of outstanding competition. Field hockey, men’s soccer, and women’s soccer have all advanced to the final four and are in search of a national championship. This has caused Messiah quite a bit of media hype in the past few months, we began the year with excellent accomplishments in softball and we are ending the year with three more teams! I just wanted to take the time to say, well done Messiah, keep up the good work!

If you would like to read more about Messiah athletics, here is the link…

http://www.messiah.edu/athletics/

Something I heard the other day, “Side by side or miles apart, friends are forever close to your heart.”

Friends will never leave my heart, but my friends are always changing. Hmmm…I have been thinking about this for the past few days. How have my friendships changed and where do I want my friendships to go? Am I staying true to my friends? What is the meaning of a friendship?

Looking back, I came from a small public school district with a graduating class of 250. I began kindergarten and ended my senior year of high school with the same people. Thirteen years getting to know my friends and classmates, but now I hardly know any of them. We were so close and I will never forget them, but at the same time we have moved in separate directions. My high school “best friend” talks to me once a month, but now we struggle to hold a conversation.

Entering college was a challenge, loosing contact with the people I spent most of my life with as a child. Although, I don’t regret coming to college, I only regret not keeping in touch with high school class mates. Is there a reason behind this? Why did I let myself loose those friends?

Well, I may not have an answer but life seems to work this way. I am a junior in college, with a different set of friends and a more mature outlook on life. I may have only spent two years with these friends, but somehow they seem closer than the friends I spend thirteen years with. As I continue to grow with my Messiah friends, I look ahead to graduation. Will I keep these friends as we leave Messiah? Will I continue to make new friends and keep the old friends close to my heart, no matter how far apart?

Most colleges have already had fall break, but we are just getting ready for break at Messiah. After two months of class, professors, faculty, staff, and students are all ready for a rest (or time to catch up on homework). Some students are going on service trips and others are headed to warmer places, but most students are looking forward to the comforts of home.

After work today I am going to go clean up my apartment and finish packing so that I can head home before dinner. Most students have not been home since they arrived on campus at the end of August. I believe we are all ready for some home cooked meals and our own beds again!

Other than doing homework, I will be spending time with my family over the long weekend. Tonight I am going to watch my little brother’s soccer game. My grandparents are coming to visit and my mom has planned a lady’s night out for some excellent shopping in Lancaster! Well…that’s about all I have planned until classes start on Monday. Enjoy the weekend!

Well, another week of college has gone by. I took some tests, turned in some projects, and tried my best. Now that all my work is done, it is time for the weekend. Time to get ahead on some work and time to relax. But…this may not be the most relaxing weekend here at Messiah, because it is Homecoming weekend and we are celebrating 100 years! I am still amazed at the amount of activities planned for this big event. I don’t think anyone could possibly be bored! There are athletic events, plays, reunions, festivities, speakers, comedians, etc. This campus couldn’t be any busier, people are everywhere. Friends, family, alumni are all coming to celebrate and reunite. Now, there is one problem…it looks like rain all weekend. So all we can do is pray that for some miraculous reason it will all go away. But I don’t think a little rain is going to stop Messiah’s party!

Now with all this said…you would think that I have some pretty crazy plans for the weekend. Well, I do. Today I started class at 7:45 and ended at 12:00. Then my uncle flew in from Chicago (an ‘84 grad of Messiah), so we had lunch together and went on a little tour of campus. Now I am at work, but I am planning to spend some time with my cousins tonight (also part of the Messiah College community). Tomorrow there are some powderpuff games that I would like to attend (another cousin of mine is playing on the freshman team). At 12:00 I will be the student photographer at the class of ‘84 reunion. Then some more of my family is coming to campus. Plus, a big soccer game is scheduled Saturday night. It is wonderful to watch everyone reuniting and meeting up with old friends again!

Wait, I forgot to mention that my family will also be around and it is farmer’s fair weekend in my hometown. This is a big deal. The little town of Dillsburg is having a fall celebration as well, and all of my high school friends are coming home. What am I going to do! I guess it will all work out somehow. So, even though it is rainy, I am going to try to make the best of this weekend of celebrations!

…that is all I have to say.

…well, maybe one more thing. Have a good weekend

This was a crazy week, to say the least. School is going in full swing and I am feeling it. I had my first two tests of the semester yesterday and today. Who knows how my grade will turn out, but at least they are over and done with. I studied my hardest, tried my best, and that is all I could do. Tests are never very much fun and I probably make them even harder on myself. You would think being a Junior in college I would have a handle on all of this by now, but I don’t. I get extremely stressed out over tests, they turn me into a ball of nerves (especially the night before), and I am a very slow at taking them. Well…I guess this is a little normal, but most people probably don’t freak out about them as much as I do. Anyways, it is the weekend now, I have 10 minutes left of work and then time to relax a little! Life of a college student can be stressful (if you are like me and tests), but try to make the best of it. Try harder next time, but the world will keep going even if you don’t do as well as you wanted to on that test.

I would not say that I have a favorite season, but if I had to pick one, fall would be a good choice. This past Tuesday was the first day of fall. It seems like summer has ended a while ago, but the crispness of fall is just beginning. Yesterday while walking back to my apartment I almost got hit in the head with an acorn. Yes, it was funny but it was also like a little reminder that fall was here. There is this feeling in the air when fall comes, I don’t know how to describe it but the crunchy leaves and cool breeze are a sure sign of fall.

Some things I always look forward to when fall arrives are, pumpkins, pumpkin pie, apple sauce, apple cider, apple dumplings, other apple things, corn mazes, raking leaves, and so much more. Maybe my favorite part of fall is the fact that it leads us into my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving.

Some activities that I am looking forward to at Messiah during this fall season are Homecoming, soccer games, and the fall festival at the Union. I hope you are enjoying the fall as much as I am. Don’t forget to check out the leaves changing colors these days, then remind yourself how amazing God really is!

First full week of my junior year, accomplished…
Art homework, completed…
Financial Management chapters 1 and 2, done…
Business Law chapters 1-3, read…
Consumer Behavior assignment #1, turned in…
Marketing project, in progress…
Bill for Costa Rica, paid…
Theater pictures, taken…
…this is just a small part of my very big check list…

Now that the academic year at Messiah College is in full swing, so is my list of things to do. The weekend is finally here, but that just means time to catch up on all the work I fell behind in during the week. Well…maybe I will do some other things as well. Like hang out with friends, watch a movie, go to church, do my laundry, clean the apartment, and relax a little. Life as a college student can seem bad only if you make it that way. I am actually looking forward to a clean towel and vacuuming the floors. Now it is time to get back to that never ending list! Looking forward to the wonderful weekend ahead

Well, I never finished talking about my trip…

Our last visit was London, England. It was a wonderful visit, experiencing yet another culture in this large world. Yes, there were some down sides to London (swine flu, dirty streets, construction, etc.) but it is still a great city. Some of the up sides were English speaking, friendly people, good food, and lots of history. Although, we ran our selves ragged in Paris, so it may not be completely fair to compare Paris and London. Some of the exciting things we did in London were…

…Big Ben
…Westminster Abby
…Buckingham Palace (toured 18 state rooms, beautiful)
…London Tower
…Paddington station
…mastered the tube (London’s metro)
…Harrods
…many gardens and parks
…fish and chips!
…London eye (world’s largest Ferris-wheel)
…changing of the guard
…and so much more

Leaving London was a little sad, it was like the end of my summer vacation. As soon as I arrived home, it was time to order my class books, work on my schedule and get packed. Classes were going to start earlier than I could imagine.

Now I have just completed my first week of class and I can hardly believe I am a junior. Sometimes I still feel like a firstyear. This week has been crazy, but amazing all at the same time. Trying to adjust from summer schedule into a school schedule is a bit difficult. I have enjoyed getting in touch with friends again and spending time at my very large home, Messiah College.

After a wonderful stay in the Netherlands, it was time to travel to Paris. The city known for the Eiffel Tower, the Sacré Cœur or the Louvre Pyramid…but what did I really experience? Beyond the timeless charm, the capital has plenty more to discover. There are artistic and cultural events everywhere you look, along with historical architecture young designers are making themselves known in the city. Just becoming part of the Parisian culture makes the experience. Traveling with a group of business students also makes a difference, studying Paris, the congress city. It relies on the energy of its companies and the international dimension of its research and innovation. A modern and exciting center for meetings and exchanges.

Some of my experiences in Paris were…

…boat tour down the Seine river
…driving the tour bus around the Arc de Triomphe 18 times (IBI record)
…walking/bus tour with an English tour guide
…learning interesting facts about a city full of history and culture
…walking!
…dodging rainstorms
…le Tour de France finish line
…Avenue des Champs-Élysées
…seeing the President of Cameroon
…beautiful rainbow after a storm
…getting lost a few times
…fire alarm in the middle of the night
…corporate visit, OECD
…Versailles
…visiting a Missionary church, Cristianity in France is in bad condition
…Princess Diana memorial
…Louvre, the Mona Lisa
…Eiffel Tower at sunset
…Climbing the Eiffel tower, 43 flights of stairs (furthest you can go on foot,then take the elevator the rest of the way)
…Notre-Dame
…Opera house, amazing architecture
…city on the hill, Sacre Coeur de Montmartre (Basilica)

Here are a few pictures…

Paris is a wonderful city, full of adventure and excitement. There was so much to do in the short amount of time we spent there. It is a city full of movement and life. Even if you don’t speak french, try it out. Learn about a different culture. Make your own experience in Paris, I will never forget some of the stories I came home with.