The second I got done with finals I immediately started thinking of things I needed to do: laundry, a serious apartment cleaning, buy books for next semester, and various other things. Then I realized that all of that stuff could wait, at least for a little bit. It's been such a long time since I've taken a real break. This semester was really long and really hard and I know it's just going to get worse next semester. Therefore, I'm going to try my hardest to truly relax. I will be going to Florida in a week and a half and that will definitely help me to not do anything.
I've always had trouble taking breaks. Or taking time to myself. Even when I do "take breaks" I'm doing something else. For instance, if I'm working on a paper, my break is to work on other homework. Sometimes I really do need to just stop. But, I hate feeling unproductive so I feel like I always need to be doing something. I actually did a little better this semester and took some time to read a few books throughout the semester. I think that this seriously helped with my stress so it's something I need to continue to do.
Part of my problem is I'm so goal-oriented. I see something I want, and then I work towards that. This is something else that messes with my patience. I don't understand sometimes why I can't have something if that's what I'm working for. Patience. Blah.
Okay. I'm going to go continue reading the Chronicles of Narnia. See, I'm breaking.
-Kristina
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Humph
I've realized over the past few days that blogging can be a good thing. I realize that it's been a long, long time since I've posted, but, I'm a college student and therefore very busy. One of my friends recently updated their facebook status with a link to their blog. After reading it, I felt not only encouraged, but inspired to return to blogging. And so here it is. My return to blogging.
I was thinking recently about how important this time of my life is. In college you make so many decisions that will effect the rest of your life. And they are not small decisions. Huge decisions are thrown at you every day. There is also so much happening that I know I will never want to forget. Which is another reason for this return to blogging. I want to remember this time of my life and everything that was important in it. So here it goes: Project Scrapbook. I've decided that is what I will name my blog. I have no where near the time that is necessary to make a real scrapbook. So instead this will be my virtual one.
I just finished my fall semester of my junior year in college. Because I will be graduating a little late, that means that I only have 4 semesters left. It also means that I have completed 5 semesters. I realize that means I'm over halfway done but 4 more semesters seems like so long. I just hope they all go like this past semester: super busy and therefore super fast.
A lot of things have been different this semester. I'm on the apartment staff, which I love. I quit band, which I miss. I changed my major, again, to elementary education, which I am excited about. And Lucas and I have become closer than ever, which is frustrating at times because I am even more impatient for marriage. Which brings me to something else. I read someone's blog recently about being patient for God's time. God will make the pieces all fit together eventually and it will definitely be worth the wait. Patience is something that I have always struggled with because I'm always waiting for the next thing. Tying patience to God's time is definitely something that I needed to hear and it's something that I plan on focusing on.
I think that's all that I have for now. I'm positive that I will be back.
-Kristina
I was thinking recently about how important this time of my life is. In college you make so many decisions that will effect the rest of your life. And they are not small decisions. Huge decisions are thrown at you every day. There is also so much happening that I know I will never want to forget. Which is another reason for this return to blogging. I want to remember this time of my life and everything that was important in it. So here it goes: Project Scrapbook. I've decided that is what I will name my blog. I have no where near the time that is necessary to make a real scrapbook. So instead this will be my virtual one.
I just finished my fall semester of my junior year in college. Because I will be graduating a little late, that means that I only have 4 semesters left. It also means that I have completed 5 semesters. I realize that means I'm over halfway done but 4 more semesters seems like so long. I just hope they all go like this past semester: super busy and therefore super fast.
A lot of things have been different this semester. I'm on the apartment staff, which I love. I quit band, which I miss. I changed my major, again, to elementary education, which I am excited about. And Lucas and I have become closer than ever, which is frustrating at times because I am even more impatient for marriage. Which brings me to something else. I read someone's blog recently about being patient for God's time. God will make the pieces all fit together eventually and it will definitely be worth the wait. Patience is something that I have always struggled with because I'm always waiting for the next thing. Tying patience to God's time is definitely something that I needed to hear and it's something that I plan on focusing on.
I think that's all that I have for now. I'm positive that I will be back.
-Kristina
Friday, July 24, 2009
Changes.
As my time in France is slowly coming to an end, I have begun to think about how this journey has changed me. While some changes I expected, others I would never have even considered. Also, I have not made a lot of changes that I thought I would. I don't feel as though I've matured, or gotten older. I don't feel like my French has really improved too drastically, although, I'm sure it has a lot more than what I think. And, while before I thought I would want to move to France immediately, I'm still content with staying in America.
I have changed in these ways though, most of them having to do with food:
1.) I can successfully eat a full meal with my left hand. In France, it's rude to change hands if you are cutting something, so if you have a knife in your right hand, you are suppose to eat with your left hand. At the beginning, this was very very difficult. I would get so frustrated and sometimes end up just eating with my hands instead. Haha. Now, I've learned the ways. I've studied my family, and my professors while they ate. Prefecting the art of eating. Haha. It really is a lot more difficult than it seems. So, I'm sorry if I look funny while eating when I come home, it's normal here.
2.) I love eating fruit. In the U.S. it would take a good piece of fruit already cut up and ready for me to eat for me to really enjoy it. Here, I go to the supermarket all the time, and then as soon as I leave, start eating my fruit. Without cutting it up, and most of the time without washing it. It's just so delicious. I think that I will come back craving fruit on a fairly regular basis.
3.) I look forward to dinners that involve cucumbers or tomatoes. If I had been given a meal in the U.S. like that I probably would just have walked away. I guess I really just needed a push to try these things. In fact, today at lunch, I ate a handful of cherry tomatoes without giving it a second thought. And they were delicious.
4.) My instincts have started being in French. When I bump into someone I instantly say pardon, or excusez-moi, rather than sorry. I never thought I would do that. It's hard to break old habits, but I have apparently.
5.) I wash a lot of clothes in the sink. At home, doing this would be crazy. But I'm actually okay with it. It only takes a few minutes and then they're ready to wear the next day.
6.) Sleeping without air conditioner to keep me cool was a big change that I had to make. At the beginning, it was difficult, and I would wake up in the night sweating and uncomfortable. Now, more times than not, I sleep through the night even though I'm sweating. I've actually forgotten what it's like to have air conditioner. Use to, I would walk into a building, expecting the coolness to come over me. Now, I walk into a building already anticipating the higher temperatures of being indoors.
I think thats all the really major changes. And that's all I have for you.
Kristina
p.s. I miss my boyfriend more than anything in the world. But I get to come home to him in 7 days.
I have changed in these ways though, most of them having to do with food:
1.) I can successfully eat a full meal with my left hand. In France, it's rude to change hands if you are cutting something, so if you have a knife in your right hand, you are suppose to eat with your left hand. At the beginning, this was very very difficult. I would get so frustrated and sometimes end up just eating with my hands instead. Haha. Now, I've learned the ways. I've studied my family, and my professors while they ate. Prefecting the art of eating. Haha. It really is a lot more difficult than it seems. So, I'm sorry if I look funny while eating when I come home, it's normal here.
2.) I love eating fruit. In the U.S. it would take a good piece of fruit already cut up and ready for me to eat for me to really enjoy it. Here, I go to the supermarket all the time, and then as soon as I leave, start eating my fruit. Without cutting it up, and most of the time without washing it. It's just so delicious. I think that I will come back craving fruit on a fairly regular basis.
3.) I look forward to dinners that involve cucumbers or tomatoes. If I had been given a meal in the U.S. like that I probably would just have walked away. I guess I really just needed a push to try these things. In fact, today at lunch, I ate a handful of cherry tomatoes without giving it a second thought. And they were delicious.
4.) My instincts have started being in French. When I bump into someone I instantly say pardon, or excusez-moi, rather than sorry. I never thought I would do that. It's hard to break old habits, but I have apparently.
5.) I wash a lot of clothes in the sink. At home, doing this would be crazy. But I'm actually okay with it. It only takes a few minutes and then they're ready to wear the next day.
6.) Sleeping without air conditioner to keep me cool was a big change that I had to make. At the beginning, it was difficult, and I would wake up in the night sweating and uncomfortable. Now, more times than not, I sleep through the night even though I'm sweating. I've actually forgotten what it's like to have air conditioner. Use to, I would walk into a building, expecting the coolness to come over me. Now, I walk into a building already anticipating the higher temperatures of being indoors.
I think thats all the really major changes. And that's all I have for you.
Kristina
p.s. I miss my boyfriend more than anything in the world. But I get to come home to him in 7 days.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Annecy, c'est beau.
Once again another week has passed. The good news this time is that there is only one more. Yep, that's right. In 9 days I will be back in the wonderful United States.
Last week went very fast. We only had two days of class so it wasn't really a big deal. And then on Friday we went to St. Remy's de Provence. That's a city that van Gogh spent a lot of time in. It's where the mental hospital that he stayed in is. It was kinda neat to see his room and where he lived. There was also a bunch of roman ruins in this town. They had just recently been dug up, like within the last 100 years. It was really really cool to see because the ruins were still so intact. You could still see the structures of the buildings.
Saturday I went to Lyon with Lexy and Jared. It was fun we just hung out and walked around all day. Lyon is the third largest city in France, but yet, there wasn't a whole lot to see. However, it was a lot more modern than Paris and a lot more relaxed.
Sunday was the best day I've had here I think. Me and Lexy went to Annecy. I'm completely in love with that town. It's so beautiful. It's a small town that is located at the foot of the Alps. It has a beautiful lake at the edge of the town and on the other side of the lake is the Alps. The lake was crystal clear and it looked more like a pool than a lake. Me and Lexy rented paddle boats and went out onto the water. It was so fun.
On Monday IES decided that all of us students should attend the theater festival in Avignon. So we all were brought back to Avignon. It was a really long day. And the plays weren't very exciting. For the most part the plays were monologues, so it was very difficult for us to understand without much action.
Tuesday went by with nothing exciting happening. Once again though, I was glad to be home. It was a nice feeling.
This week is almost over and now I only have 3 days of class left. I'm so anxious to come home. It's all I think about all the time. I miss my boyfriend like crazy.
Well, I think that's all I have for now.
Last week went very fast. We only had two days of class so it wasn't really a big deal. And then on Friday we went to St. Remy's de Provence. That's a city that van Gogh spent a lot of time in. It's where the mental hospital that he stayed in is. It was kinda neat to see his room and where he lived. There was also a bunch of roman ruins in this town. They had just recently been dug up, like within the last 100 years. It was really really cool to see because the ruins were still so intact. You could still see the structures of the buildings.
Saturday I went to Lyon with Lexy and Jared. It was fun we just hung out and walked around all day. Lyon is the third largest city in France, but yet, there wasn't a whole lot to see. However, it was a lot more modern than Paris and a lot more relaxed.
Sunday was the best day I've had here I think. Me and Lexy went to Annecy. I'm completely in love with that town. It's so beautiful. It's a small town that is located at the foot of the Alps. It has a beautiful lake at the edge of the town and on the other side of the lake is the Alps. The lake was crystal clear and it looked more like a pool than a lake. Me and Lexy rented paddle boats and went out onto the water. It was so fun.
On Monday IES decided that all of us students should attend the theater festival in Avignon. So we all were brought back to Avignon. It was a really long day. And the plays weren't very exciting. For the most part the plays were monologues, so it was very difficult for us to understand without much action.
Tuesday went by with nothing exciting happening. Once again though, I was glad to be home. It was a nice feeling.
This week is almost over and now I only have 3 days of class left. I'm so anxious to come home. It's all I think about all the time. I miss my boyfriend like crazy.
Well, I think that's all I have for now.
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