Random Thoughts and Expressions

O is for...

2009-05-10T13:27:00.003-04:00

"O" is for one way and extremely OVERDUE! I couldn't for the life of me figure out an "O" picture and then saw this one and went "Well DUH Anna!" So here we go... The weather here is either absolutely beautiful or is horrible. After days, and days of rain the sun is out and it's awesome. A nap in the sunshine sounds like a great plan for an afternoon. Unfortunately with finals starting this week and moving out of the dorm I have a pretty significant "to do" list and I'm not sure how close to the top a nap outside will rank. Oh well...

N is for...

2009-04-24T17:20:00.004-04:00

"N" is for Nikon or N90 whichever you prefer. This is my newest toy (thanks to Christy). It's not digital but I want to take darkroom photography hopefully spring semester next year, it didn't work with my fall schedule :-(. So I've had it outside with me on some of the recent beautiful spring days recently. Haven't gotten any film developed yet so I'm interested to see how the pictures come out...

There are 2 weeks left before finals... AH! It's so hard to believe how quickly the last few months especially have gone. I'm now realizing how much I have to do before the end of May and I'm trying not to freak out too much about it. :-)

iTunes: Jesus was a Crossmaker by Rachael Yamagata

M is for...

2009-03-20T00:12:00.004-04:00

"M" is for mallard. I had SO many shots of mallards and other ducks I was just about sick of them. Also, I couldn't decide which picture I liked more so I'm posting both...

L is for...

2009-03-12T23:35:00.003-04:00

"L" is for library... A place that I probably should have been more last semester but definitely a place I've become more acquainted with the semester, something I should get used to. I am officially 15 hours, 2 classes, 1 quiz, and 2 handing in of assignments away from spring break. CAN'T WAIT!

K is for...

2009-03-11T16:14:00.003-04:00

"K" is for Kansas... Another letter than I had trouble finding a picture for but I thought this was a pretty accurate representation for it. I spent a week in Kansas back in January and had an awesome time with my younger cousins and my uncle. This is their house. I loved being able to spend time there and I love this shot with the sun the way it is... I think it looks so friendly and inviting just like the house and the people who live in it.

I can't wait for Friday to finally be here this week. I mean I always look forward to the weekend (what student doesn't?) but I've got a midterm tomorrow and then two things due for both of my Spanish classes on Friday. Needless to say at 3 o'clock on Friday afternoon I'm gonna breathe a huge sigh of relief.

J is for...

2009-03-10T13:55:00.004-04:00

"J" is for Jess! Jess is the one in the yellow shirt. I posted pictures before of her and Whitney back in the Fall here. "J" was definitely a difficult letter to find a shot for. So I was super excited when I came across this picture. I've got the next couple posts in my mind so hopefully they'll follow this one in the next few days if I have time between studying for my Thursday midterm... yuck!

I is for...

2009-03-08T17:51:00.002-04:00

"I" is for ice! Since it's winter time this is probably the easiest letter so far... Or most difficult because I had so many shots to choose from. I really like this one with the ice and then the melted water. I've had a really fun weekend and the warm weather has been a definite bonus to it. I can't wait for Spring to REALLY be here!!!

H is for...

2009-03-07T10:55:00.003-05:00

"H" is for hands. This is another shot of my little one in Guatemala- Martita. There are so many pictures of her all over my wall at school but I couldn't help it. I'm interested to see what it will be like going back to Guatemala this summer after having met a lot of the kids I'll hopefully be working with. I don't even know if they'll remember me or my group at all. It's pretty safe to say they probably had a bigger impact on all of us than we had on them.

The weather was absolutely beautiful yesterday and from what I've been told this whole weekend is supposed to be gorgeous. Anyone else ready for Spring?!?!?!

G is for...

2009-03-05T17:39:00.003-05:00

"G" is for gazebo. This shot is from two weekends ago at Skycroft Retreat Center outside of Fredrick, Maryland. It was nice to be off campus and in a place completely removed from all the craziness of college life. I turned my cellphone off for the whole weekend and it gave me an odd sense of freedom not being tied to my phone waiting for text messages or calls. Finding pictures for each of the letters is getting tougher with each one but I'm still enjoying the challenge :-)

F is for...

2009-02-16T16:30:00.004-05:00

"F" is for family. I met these three brothers in Guatemala. The oldest is the one in the brown shirt. He takes care of his two younger brothers while his mother (a recovering alcoholic who has been sober for 3 months now) is at work. We didn't find out where the boys' dad was during our time with them.

E is for...

2009-02-12T16:54:00.003-05:00

"E" is for eucalyptus! I thought these trees were so cool in Guatemala. The leaves also smelled really good too. With each letter it's been getting more difficult to find shots that I like to represent each letter. I've also noticed that when I've got my camera with me and I'm taking pictures I find myself thinking "Oh that might be a good shot to post for "blank" letter." We shall just have to wait and see... It's a challenge and since I have to be challenged or else I get bored it's a good thing!

D is for... (and Wordless Wednesday)

2009-02-11T12:32:00.000-05:00

"D" is for diploma...

C is for...

2009-02-10T22:35:00.001-05:00

"C" is for cathedral. This cathedral is from Antigua, Guatemala. I love the blue sky behind it. I can definitely understand why Guatemala is called the land of eternal spring (tierra de primavera eterna- sorry Spanish major coming out there). With the exception of one day during the trip the sky was blue, the sun was shining, and it was warm outside. How's that for the end of December? That's all for today. I'm currently working on a paper for my Arab World Today class- Islam in Spain. Hm... sounds like something up my alley! :-)

iTunes: Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap

B is for...

2009-02-09T15:47:00.000-05:00

B is for Broadway Market. My younger cousin insisted that she and I had to to go the Broadway Market together to get muffins while I was in Kansas. It's a nice little cafe right down the street from my cousins' house. The muffins were quite good I must say. If you're ever is Sterling, Kansas you will definitely need to stop by and have one.

This is the second day in a row I've posted... I can't remember the last time I did that! Right now I'm doing it as a relaxer before heading to the library to do research for a paper that's due on Thursday for my "Arab World Today" class. It's a very interesting class but definitely a LOT of work. But then again all my classes are a lot of work this semester. I guess that's what I get for not taking "freshman" level classes. Oh well!

iTunes: Suyo Soy by Seth Condrey

A is for...

2009-02-08T22:15:00.001-05:00

I've decided that I'm going to be going through the ABC's in pictures so to begin with "A" is for Anna! It's kinda funny how many Anna's I know for example there are 3 "annas" on my floor including me! This is Anna from across the hall. I love her eyes in this picture. My friends from school sometimes get a bit annoyed with my constant clicking but I told them that because of constantly taking pictures eventually there are going to be some cool "kodak moment" pictures of them they'll really like. I hope this is one of them :-)

Evening Sky

2009-02-03T00:19:00.001-05:00

This is gonna be a short post (okay even shorter than usual). I'm completely wiped out and it's only Monday (oh GREAT). This is another shot from Kansas. The sky really is amazing there and this is just one of the many sunset pictures than I have. Alright, so I'm heading to bed for some much needed (and wanted) sleep.

Little one

2009-01-27T16:09:00.001-05:00

This is a shot from my last minute trip out to Kansas to stay with my cousins for a week... It was really fun trip and I had a great time hanging out with my 3 younger cousins. I'm back at school now and already have a ton of work to do so, I'm going to get on that :-)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-07T13:37:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas time=fireworks!

2009-01-02T16:39:00.000-05:00

At midnight on Christmas Eve aka twelve AM Christmas morning fireworks go off in every town, village, city etc in Latin America. The sky of Guatemala City was lit by more fireworks than I've ever seen on any 4th of July or New Years Eve in the US. I think everyone should have to experience a Latin American Christmas sometime in their lifetime! It is quite unbelievable!!!

Thoughts...

2008-12-31T20:01:00.000-05:00

What to say? I've already deleted what I had written twice... I can't seem to organize my thoughts enough to get an actual post together. I guess all I can say at this moment is that this little girl captured my heart when she picked me out of a crowd of people. I looked down and saw her hugging my leg because she was too small to reach my waist and for the rest of the day she stuck to me like glue. When it was time for us to part ways I stood at one end of the street watching her make her way down the street looking back at me over her shoulder. I was already choked up as it was but when someone whispered to me "She doesn't want to leave you either" the tears began to fall. I don't have the capacity to write much more right now... I'm still trying to process everything that I experienced these last nine days and what it now means for me and my life.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

And time goes by...

2008-12-15T20:31:00.001-05:00

Well my first semester of college is officially over. I got back to Philly this afternoon after hanging out in Baltimore for the weekend. I'm looking forward to just relaxing with my nose in a book and mug of tea before heading out next Monday on my next adventure- Guatemala City! I'm going on a vision trip with 6 other people to see the work that is being done down there from the 22-31 of December which means, yes, I'll be gone for Christmas. Believe it or not it's a huge relief to be going. The thought of being here for Christmas is unbearable, why? It not only is the first Christmas without Ben but we had made plans MONTHS ago for him and his brother to be here. I even knew what I was going to buy him, I had had the web page bookmarked for a while and had to delete it because I got tears in my eyes every time I went into my bookmarks. Anyway, I'm very excited about the trip AND I get to add another stamp to my passport who can complain about that?!

iTunes: Be Be Your Love by Rachael Yamagata

Skyline...finally

2008-12-05T01:50:00.001-05:00

So, I pretty much have wanted this shot for oh... about four years. After four years of standing on the El train platform waiting for the train home after various sports practices and games looking at the skyline with various cloud patterns or sunsets thinking "Darn it that looks amazing I wish I had my camera with me..." I FINALLY got the picture. I took this over Thanksgiving Break when I was back in Philly and went down to see my high school's girls basketball team practice and when I got off the train and looked over at the skyline I finally pulled out my camera and clicked away taking pictures of the skyline on one side of the platform and the Delaware River on the other side. It was good to be back in a city. I'm still not used to the small town thing down here... I'm not used to the whole "Town Mall" being the cool place to hang out with its food court and Boscovs rather than "Downtown." My friends from high school were laughing at me when we were hanging out over break when I went on a rant about how the town I live in manages to have 3 grocery stores and not much else. I'm a city kid what can I say?!

iTunes: Flightless Bird by Iron & Wine

Homecoming

2008-11-09T11:48:00.001-05:00

Well my first homecoming ever has come and gone (no pun intended). It was actually the first football game that since coming to school that I've been able to go to. I haven't been missing much... Our football team is still riding on their last conference championship won in oh... 1998! If you go to a McDaniel football game you go to support your friends on the team and for the social aspect NOT to watch the insane about of skill taking place in front of you because there is none :-) I did go for the first two reasons though and had a good time doing so. Me and my friends had a good time hanging out last night afterwards too avoiding all of the tons of alumni walking around campus reminiscing about their days on the campus of Western Maryland College since the school only fairly recently changed the name, long story don't ask. Over all though it was a good day. I had never been to any type of homecoming before because my high school didn't have it but there is a first time for everything and this was definitely a good first.

Never forget...

2008-11-05T00:31:00.001-05:00

How could I not post this picture after tonight? I was in my friends' room watching the news when the announcer said "Barrack Obama is the 44th President of the United States." For a moment we all sat there in complete shock of what we had all just heard... then everything went CRAZY! People were running through the hallways yelling, air horns were going off, pots and pans were clattering, people poured out from the dorms running to Red Square in the center of campus. I ran there with my roommate and other friends with so many others yelling and screaming around us. I stood there taking it all in when I saw my friend Laura. She ran towards me and snatched me up in a huge hug while screaming "This is history, WE'RE APART OF HISTORY!" Chants of "Obama, Obama!" and "Yes, we can!" went up all around us. More people made their way to the square, camera flashes were going off, hugs were all around everyone was just ecstatic. When we all came to our senses we all ran to hear his speech. Laura, Anna and I ran back to my room and just sat there taking in what we heard. Tonight will forever be in my memory. I've never experienced something like this before... It was amazing seeing history take place. I was a part of history. Yes, Laura WE are a part of history!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-29T11:52:00.001-04:00

My Chucks

iTunes: Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner by Fall Out Boy

Bricks and Blues

2008-10-27T00:40:00.001-04:00

The weather yesterday couldn't have possibly been anymore different from when I took this picture... It was what one of our coaches affectionately called tsunami weather. Meaning it was a torrential down pour with lovely winds whipping around us BUT we still played our soccer game. At least the temperature wasn't too freezing but either way sitting on the bench was even less fun than it usually is. Today was a beautiful day though! I had a nice walk with a friend and when standing on top of one of the many hills in Westminister we had a beautiful view of the autumn leaves in the area. We've got two soccer games left in the season. I've loved playing this season and being a part of the team has been so fun but I'm tired, my legs are hating me right now for being so tough on the them every single day, and I'm looking forward to a normal schedule with a bit more free time that isn't always jeopardized by the practice that might go over the alloted time frame, team meals, activities etc. We'll play indoor during the winter and the then spring ball but it won't be nearly as intense or the same time commitment that this fall has been. My work load has picked up a bit more now. I've got research papers due in all of my classes (with the exception of astronomy, surprise surprise!) before Thanksgiving. I should be working on them all now but I'm trying to prioritize which ones need to be worked on before the others depending on when each is due... So with that I'm going to be getting back to my homework... Or rather watching the James Bond movie that's on TV. I'm very studious can't you tell?

Weekends

2008-10-17T23:54:00.001-04:00

Oh weekends... Those great things. This shot is from this past weekend which was Fall Break. We had a game Saturday so Sunday after hanging out with Christy for a bit I headed to Baltimore to crash at my aunt and uncles' house. It was really really really nice to be away from campus and to just be able to relax for a couple of days. This shot is from Monday I went with my aunt to the Inner Harbor and walked around for a bit. I like shots that have three things in them. So, when I saw this house with the three windows I couldn't resist. Anyway, I'm really glad it's the weekend again. Our short week of classes was really nice but of course not having any classes at all is great too!

My Girls

2008-10-12T15:30:00.000-04:00

Okay, Whitney gave me a hard time on Friday night about mentioning Megan and Kerri in another post SO I'm making it up to her by posting not one but TWO pictures. Megan and Kerri just got mentioned and now Whitney and Jess get pictures as well as getting written about. (Whitney, this means you have to comment!).

Anyway, these are two shots from Friday night. Our Fall Break started and most people had left, except for us lovely ladies, so we wandered around campus a bit and hung out. They were good sports and didn't nag me too much about lagging behind taking pictures. So, thanks girls for being good sports. Especially when I made you sit on the fence for these shots... Like I told you guys, I'm sure it won't be the last time! :-)

2008-10-08T00:47:00.000-04:00

We Are Broken

By: Paramore

I am outside

And I've been waiting for the sun

With my wide eyes

I've seen worlds that don't belong

My mouth is dry with words I cannot verbalize

Tell me why we live like this

Keep me safe inside

Your arms like towers

Tower over me

Yeah

Cause we are broken

What must we do to restore

Our innocence

And all the promise we adored

Give us life again cause we just wanna be whole

Lock the doors

Cause I'd like to capture this voice

That came to me tonight

So everyone will have a choice

And under red lights

I'll show myself it wasn't forged

We're at war

We live like this

Keep me safe inside

Your arms like towers

Tower over me

Cause we are broken

What must we do to restore

Our innocence

And all the promise we adored

Give us life again cause we just wanna be whole

Tower over me

And I'll take the truth at any cost

Cause we are broken

What must we do to restore

Our innocence

And all the promise we adored

Give us life again cause we just wanna be whole

Night Lights

2008-10-04T01:00:00.001-04:00

Last night I was in DC to see La Edad de la Ciruela (The Aging of the Plum) a play in Spanish (obviously) with a group of people from school. This isn't your typical DC shot though... I had hoped to get a shot of the Capital Building or the Washington Monument to post but I only saw both from a far as we were driving away so I wasn't able to get any shots. Anyway, this shot is from outside of El Teatro Gala. I really liked the play. The actresses did an amazing job. I wish we could've had more time in DC. I really liked the area we were in and would've loved to explore it more. Plus in the words of a friend I'm "such a city slicker" and I've missed being in a city with things like subways and buses to take you places. There isn't even a bus going through Westminister... *sigh* It's good to be living somewhere very different though, it's just taking some adjusting.

iTunes: Slow Down Sister by Lady Antebellum (I'm not a country music person but I LOVE this group!)

Window Panes

2008-09-24T23:36:00.000-04:00

I'm posting and it's NOT Sunday night!!! Wohooo! I was looking through my recent pics and couldn't find one that I quite liked so I decided to post this one from back when I first arrived on campus. This is one of the windows in the Little Baker Chapel which is where Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship meets every week. I'm beginning to wear a path with a few of my friends from our dorm to Little Baker...

What to say, what to say... I feel like nothing has really happened but yet at the same time so much has gone on. Days go by, emotions go up and down, weakness and strength come and go on a daily basis. For example- today started out not so good and continued that way up until soccer practice at 4:30. Practice went well and got me to think about other things. After practice I rushed back to my room, showered and bolted to head to a soccer game in Gettysburgh to watch Messiah vs Gettysburgh play (Messiah is currently ranked #1 in the NCAA Division 3). It was a good match, the hang out time with most of my teammates and coach was good and it was a great relaxing end to a day that was well... Not so great. It's completely impossible to predict how I'll feel at any moment of any day. I can be completely fine one moment and then two seconds later be thrown into a dark mood. Learning how to deal with this and to keep going is a challenge and adjustment- as if I didn't have enough of both already. I just have to keep going because that's all there is to do right now...

Late Nights

2008-09-22T00:37:00.000-04:00

I appear to be getting into the not so good habit of posting very late Sunday night/very early Monday morning... It's not intentional I promise! This shot is from Friday night at the Pour House, the cafe where Christy's pictures are on display. I LOVE going to the Pour House. In addition to having great coffee and food they have an awesome atmosphere. Friday night two groups were playing live music. One of them called the Transcendent Third was really good. It was twin brothers who played together and blended their music together really nicely. At this point right now I'm not sure what else to write about... It's late/early and I think the best thing to do would be to just click "publish post" and shut my laptop for tonight... So that's what I'm going to do!

Sunsets

2008-09-15T00:32:00.001-04:00

So... Here's my evening for you. I got back from dinner around 7:30, picked up my books and headed to my friend's room down the hall to study and get my work done. It is now 12:30 am and I'm still not done. NOT because I have a ton of work but rather because we get distracted so easily. If you want proof and you're me friend on facebook keep and eye out for the Kerri and Meg dance videos, enough said! For further evidence, Meg is now looking at pictures of her sister trying on wedding dresses. You might ask why am I blogging when I have work to be done? Well, It's called procrastination and I'm thinking of declaring it as my major. Just kidding! I really like my classes, with the exception of my astronomy class which fortunately is only twice a week, Spanish is definitely my favorite class, followed by Introduction to Political Science, Religion is okay... not amazing but not to horrible either, and astronomy is just blehhh. Oh well, it's only a semester long and it's getting one of my science credits out of the way.

This shot is from earlier. My friend pointed out the sky while dinner was being made. She then rolled her eyes and said "why am I suprised?" when I went to grab my camera. Haha! Well, I'm off to read some now so MAYBE I can sleep tonight before class tomorrow...

Fall Sports

2008-09-07T13:43:00.001-04:00

Today is ridiculously gorgeous after a really rainy drizzly couple of days. I have to admit... I didn't know there was yet another hurricane happening. I plead college student ignorance for that and not having a working T.V. at the moment or having checked the news recently... Ooops... Anyway, Today in celebration of the awesome weather I went to the Women's Field Hockey game today. I tried to get some action shots but shooting field hockey is harder than other sports because the ball is SO small that it just looked like the girls were running and throwing their sticks at each other. Obviously though I got some shots of the girls on the bench I liked, since I'm now posting 3 of them... The top one is my favorite. Gotta do some work now and then am heading to Target to pick up a few things.

iTunes: Lookin' For a Good Time by Lady Antebellum (I'm loving their CD right now!)

Blue Eyes

2008-09-02T11:08:00.000-04:00

K's blue eyes

Sorry for the lack of posting recently... It's been a combination of a crazy schedule, adjusting to a new routine, hanging out with friends etc. Also finding or feeling the desire to pull out my camera and take pictures has for whatever reason has really not been present, which is weird... Anyway, This weekend after a 2 day soccer tournament I headed to spend a few nights with my cousins who live about 45 minutes off campus. This shot is my younger cousin. Her and her brothers all have blue eyes and just pop. I kept trying to get a good shot of her while we were all outside yesterday. I have a feeling this shot was close to the point where she was beginning to get ticked off at me... Oh well, what else is new. HAHA! Well, I've got to get some work done before my afternoon class today. It was a nice and relaxing weekend just not very productive work wise... Oh well.

iTunes: I was here by Lady Antebellum

Spirals

2008-08-28T23:50:00.001-04:00

Brick Rings

You should all leave Christy lots of comments despite her lousy computer right now, and congratulate her on an awesome photography show tonight! I was so excited that I was able to go and see her work on display. And I must say her photos were quite a hit!!! I'm so happy for her with all of these new and exciting opportunities that are coming her way! Quick post for me tonight because I'm tired and after having loads of coffee today I'm now experiencing the post-hyper-off-of- coffee-energy crash. HAHA! That looks really funny... This is a shot from around campus. Basically the whole campus is a pedestrian campus AKA no roads dividing it up with cars driving through... There is the occasional golf cart but that's it. Every so often there are these brick ring things (I'm not too sure what to call them) where a couple of paths meet together. Anyway, I snapped this shot earlier today between lunch and a class.... Heading to bed now cause the coffee has definitely worn off... Good night!

Day #1

2008-08-25T22:57:00.005-04:00

Night Lights

Well today was my first official day as a college student and I have to say that 2 classes in one day, as opposed to 8, that finished at 11:20 AM in the morning was SO nice! I then had until 4, when I had soccer, to do whatever I wanted! I chose to make a Target run with Christy and do a few other errands with her. I then came back and hung out in my room with my roommate for a little while before she split for her afternoon class, which left me in the room for some down time by myself. Not too bad of a day! I know things are going to pick up speed pretty soon. Especially when soccer games start. This is another shot from my picture walk last night. I played with the color some but decided that I liked the color of the light with the brick too much to change it to black and white or sepia. So here it is! I'm going to try to get some shots the next couple of days of the campus during the day so you can see it in daylight...

iTunes: Relative by Gavin Degraw

New...

2008-08-24T21:13:00.000-04:00

School

Wow... There is so much to say so, where to begin? Well, I've now been living at McDaniel college for one week. It's been a very busy week. Monday started 2-a-day soccer workouts, Wednesday brought the rest of my freshman classmates as well as the start of orientation, Saturday the rest of the upper class-man moved in, and today (Sunday) was the last day of orientation... Thank GOODNESS, the bore-fest has finally ended! So, in addition to gaining new buddies, a new school, and new "life" I've also added a new camera to my collection of newness!!! Since Christy has upgraded to a DSLR I've now got her Sony DS-H2! I'm very excited!!! This shot I took tonight while out for a walk with a new buddy and my new camera. I knew I wanted a shot like this to be my first REAL post from college (the last didn't really count). SO I decided I would make a list of some of the things that I learned this week, by the way, classes start tomorrow. Here goes-

1) You can always be better than you thought you are/were.

2) Re-making friends isn't easy but it's a challenge everyone is facing, so be patient and you will meet people who need you as much as you need them.

3) Soccer- there is no such thing as walking. You either sprint, run, or jog. If coach wanted to see people walk he'd go to the mall and watch old people.

4) When living in a place you're more likely to keep it clean... I've never EVER compulsively cleaned my room EVERY day before this week...

5) Glar food isn't good....

6) Going to a place with athletic facilities is nice... Trainers a great people!

7) It is possible to smash 8 people in a tiny dormroom.

8) Chinese food makes great leftovers.

9) Text messages unite the world... or at least a college campus.

10) Hurt never goes away it just intensifies or lessens depending on the day.

11) It's okay to cry, it's okay to hurt, it's okay to open up to people who care.

12) IVCF is really cool.

13) Nice/Friendly people do exist in a church/youth group setting.

14) Change is good...

15) Never think you know what to expect because then you get something else thrown at you which you never saw coming.

Double View

2008-08-19T07:09:00.001-04:00

Silence- Jars of Clay

Take, take 'til there's nothing
nothing to turn to
nothing when you get through
won't you break
scatter pieces of all i've been
bowing to all i've been
running to
where are you?

where are you?

did you leave me unbreakable?
leave me frozen?
i've never felt so cold
i thought you were silent
i thought you left me
for the wreckage and the waste
on an empty beach of faith
was it true?

yes, i, i got a question
i got a question
where are you?

scream
deeper, i wanta scream
i want you to hear me
i want you to find me
i, i want to believe
but all i pray is wrong
and all i claim is gone

well, i, i got a question
i got a question
where are you?

yeah, yeah

well, i, i got a question
i got a question
where are you?

where are you?
where are you?
where are you?

Directions Take 2

2008-08-15T13:48:00.000-04:00

Center City Directions

Tomorrow is going to be my last day in Center City before heading to school on Sunday. It's also going to be my last time seeing some of my IB buddies before all of us heading our separate ways for school. We're all excited and of course a bit nervous at the same time. I have to say my excitement greatly outweighs my nerves by a HUGE margin. I've been thinking about college since I was about oh... 10 years old. Now it's finally here! I'm so excited for the new challenges that are coming and for the new changes as well. Right now I need both of those things a lot. I need structure, I need my day occupied with many things, I need to be able to focus on something other than myself and my own loss. It's been one month since Ben died but it feels like so much longer than that. He would want me to be living it up in college and to have a great time just like he did. Ben, I'll do my best to make you proud.

iTunes: In Love With a Girl by Gavin Degraw

Little One

2008-08-12T10:37:00.001-04:00

Picking up the pieces

Here's another shot from last week's vacation. This is my youngest cousin affectionately nicknamed "G" in many different forms ex. Lil G, G-unit, etc. Unfortunately Lil G came on vacation and proceeded to give 15 of the 20 of us the stomach virus... Not fun! It's okay Lil G we'll forgive you... Someday...

I love this shot of Lil G. She was so funny to watch on the beach. I played with the color in this shot and looked at it in sepia and black and white but I love the way the pink looks contrasting with the grays of the beach. Sorry this is so short. I'm heading off to work... 3 more days!!!

iTunes: Next to Me (Wait a Minute Sister) by Gavin Degraw

Direction

2008-08-11T09:10:00.000-04:00

"What saves a man is to take one step. Then another step." -C.S. Lewis

Shoreline

2008-08-09T18:14:00.000-04:00

Colored Shores

I just got back from a week at the Outer Banks with my mom's side of the family. The weather was great all week. The water was amazingly blue everyday with really gentle waves and it stayed at a good temperature so we were in the water constantly. Unfortunately 15 out of the 20 0f us came down with the stomach virus, myself included, which was NOT fun at all... The week was good other than the whole sick thing though...

One of my favorite things about the week was staying up late and going down to the beach really late at night and just sitting looking at the stars. I'm such a city kid! On the rare occasion when I see a few stars I think "wow cool!" but being at the beach and seeing thousands of stars every night was amazing. I could have stayed down at the beach all night every night just looking at the stars and never gotten bored just looking at them.

One week until I leave for school! I'm so excited!!!!!

iTunes: Drop in the Ocean by Michelle Branch

Perspectives

2008-08-01T23:20:00.001-04:00

Through the grasses

Another shot of my little Maddie just as I predicted. I feel so blessed by the cousins I have both younger and older. I had never really thought about the bonds that I have with each one of them. Maddie and I have ever since she was 5 months old and I met her for the first time have had a special bond. I still remember the first time that I saw her. I was sitting in the dinning room of my aunt and uncles' house in West Chicago the morning after my sister, my cousin and I had arrived. The night before Emily, Jake and Maddie had been asleep by the time we got to the house so our anticipation to meet our new twin cousins and to see our 4 year old cousin again had to wait until the following morning. I had woken up early in the morning after being just slightly jetlagged. I had gotten something to eat and was sitting at the table talking to my uncle while my aunt had gone running. We heard one of the twins crying and he got up to get the baby. I was VERY excited to finally get to see one of my new cousins. When my uncle walked back into the dinning room he had in his arms my baby cousin Madeleine who was wearing a soft, green pajama set. She still didn't really have hair just dark baby fuzz. I was so happy to see her, to hold her, to see her big blue eyes, touch her little round nose, and kiss her fat cheeks. Since then Maddie and I have had our little bond. I don't even think she realizes it... Every time we see each other she has to warm up to me again but with given time she's my buddy again. Last weekend in Lexington we cuddled on the porch after dinner and she told me from her expert 4 year old perspective about her new house. The next morning we sat on the deck of the house on the big swing together, I with my coffee and she with her baby doll. We just sat and swung back and forth occasionally venturing a comment or two. And the last post as well as this are proof of our fun little shoot the last night we were together. I love this little one so much. I wouldn't say I love her more than her twin brother or her older sister it's just that we have that unexplainable bond that draws me to her every time we're together.

Today I talked to one of my best friends on the phone for the first time in a few months. She lives in London and I haven't seen her in a whole year. I miss her so much especially during this time. We talk about everything together from clothes to boys, from music to our savior Jesus. Today one of our topics was heaven and what we each thought it would be like. We both said how we would be able to be with each other whenever we wanted and not have thousands of miles separating us. Nishma then ventured the question "Do you think there will be email in heaven?" To which of course we both laughed. I told her how I like to think heaven will be like C.S. Lewis' description of the "New Earth" at the end of the Last Battle. For all of the Chronicles of Narnia the "real" world and Narnia had been separated a person was either in the real world, or they were in Narnia and there was no being in both places at once and while you were in one of the places there was no telling how time was passing at the other. When the old Narnia was destroyed and the characters went "Further up and further in" to the new Narnia they see that the two worlds are no longer completely separate. The characters can stand on a hill in Narnia and see their parent's house in England with their mum and dad waving to them smiling. I'd like to think of heaven like that. I can stand on a hill and see Nishma standing at her house in Harrow, I can see Ben riding his piki around the valleys of Kenya, I can see Maddie running around her back yard in Kansas, and nothing separates me from them anymore.

iTunes: Kindness/Give Us Clean Hands by Passion Worship Band

Title-less

2008-07-30T00:21:00.000-04:00

Little Maddie

This shot is of my younger cousin. She was so much fun to be with this past weekend. She and I did a little-mini photo shoot on Saturday night after dinner. She'll probably be featured in my next few posts.

What to say? Anna suggested writing an email to my friend but I didn't feel like an email was what I was looking for right now... Journaling? You don't get feedback from the pen and paper really though... So blogging is the answer. The service for Ben was on Saturday in Lexington, NC. It was a beautiful service and a wonderful celebration of Ben's life. I cried more tears in that amount of time then I thought I would. Just when I thought I was okay I started again. I was so glad for the friend sitting next to through out the whole service. The hardest part of the service wasn't watching the slide show of pictures that I had put together, it wasn't listening to Jesse speak or Uncle Dan or Aunt Lynda, it wasn't hearing David Neilson recount his memories of Ben at Covenant, or hearing his grandfather thank everyone for their support of the family through this time, it was sitting in the front of the church staring at the box that now held the body of my cousin who I love so much. Knowing that his body was in a box that in a short amount of time would be buried, never to be seen again in this life. I wanted to hear his voice telling me everything was going to be okay, I wanted one of his strong hugs after being apart for so long, I wanted to see him laugh, I wanted to wake up out of the daze I was in to find out that it wasn't real. How could it be real? How could I be at his funeral? How could he be gone? Even now as I write this and the tears continue to fall I can't believe it. He shouldn't be gone. I know that if he were here he would want me to to be strong and to trust in the knowledge that God is in control. I feel as if I have an emptiness in the pit of my stomach. I want to be with him, I don't want to hurt anymore, I have questions that will never be answered, I miss him... I miss him so much more that I ever would have thought possible. I wish I could have heard his voice one last time. I wish I could have said goodbye.

Final Project Black

2008-07-24T08:49:00.000-04:00

I missed out on finishing Project Black so I thought I would post this... No I did not take it as I'm the 2 year old sitting in the middle. I love this picture. It's from my aunt and uncles' wedding. Yesterday I went through a TON of pictures of Ben from the time he was born up until a couple of weeks ago (thanks facebook). I'm getting all these pictures together for his service which is Saturday. It was hard going through all the pictures especially from when we were younger. I would see a picture like this one and start crying and then I would flip to another one a burst out laughing remembering some odd memory of us. I'm on an emotional roller coaster right now... I wish there was more to write on here but I'm not sure what to say... I'll post again soon hopefully after we get back from the service.

Project Black Take #4

2008-07-15T21:56:00.001-04:00

Yup... I'm posting a black and white picture sorry... You'll just have to take my word for it that his hair is black and there is black in his shirt. If you don't believe me this little guy was in my first post for Project Black, he's my younger cousin. I love this shot of him... He's such a little thinker even though he's only 4 as well as being QUITE a little fireball.

Where to begin with this post? I mentioned in a previous post how my heart is with so many people in so many different places around the world... Well, one piece of my heart died this morning along with my older cousin Ben. I can't even begin to express how much it hurts to have lost him so suddenly. Anna asked me when I was going to post about him so here goes.

Ben was amazing. His family moved to Africa years ago and Ben attended Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya. During his Sophmore year my uncle and the doctors in Africa realized that he had contracted Rheumatic Heart Disease and that his Aortic valve wasn't working properly. The fall of his Junior year (my freshman year) Ben's whole family came back and stayed with my family while he had open heart surgery at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). The valve in his heart was repaired and after recovering he went back to how he was before, playing soccer, going to school, etc. with no limitations. The last two years Ben has been attending Covenant College, playing soccer, and of course goofing off like every college student... This summer he went back to Kenya for his younger brother's graduation. While in Kenya he had a stroke. He unknowingly got and infection in his valve and the clots went to his brain. He then also had pneumonia. While he was with my uncle being med-evaced to South Africa he died when something happened to his heart.

I can't believe he's gone... He was so young, so energetic, and with so much ahead of him. I loved him so much. He was my older cousin, my friend, and most importantly my brother in Christ. Through all his trials, surgeries, complications and set backs he always had a smile on his face and rested in the knowledge that God was in control of his life and had a plan. I called Anna this morning in and while I was sobbing she said "God took him Anna, God took him." God did take him. I wish God hadn't taken him, I wish he was still here, I wish I was still going to see him in August. I was talking online to one of his friends a little while ago who I met when he came to visit Ben after his surgery. We talked about Ben, how we wished we could have seen him one more time before he left us, how we both loved him, how great he was. At one point we were talking about how we felt selfish for wishing he was still here with us while Heaven where he is is so much more unfathomably better than him being here on Earth and Martyn told me about how once when they both were having heart problems they walked to the top of Mount Kenya and when they got to the top Ben said "I think God creates places like this so we can get little glimpses of Heaven." As if I hadn't been crying enough through our conversation I was full out sobbing when I told Martyn "Well he doesn't need glimpses any more because he has the whole thing to look at." I miss Ben so much more than I could ever think I could. It hurts to much to think that I won't ever see him again, I won't ever talk to him about soccer, I won't get to argue about Manchester United and Liverpool with him or Real Madrid and Barcelona, we won't sit in my house playing FIFA, we won't make late night trips to Dunkin' Donuts because he's got jetlag and needs to stay up, we won't race down the beach to the water or ride the kayak through the waves and compare who had the most crazy wipeouts, I won't interrogate him about his girl friends and he won't give me lectures about what guys I shouldn't date, we won't laugh at our memories of when we were younger with his brother and we all won't go through old family videos and laugh at our moms' weird hair. I could go on, and on, and on and on about what I won't be able to do with him in this life but I have to keep reminding myself that this life will be gone in the blink of an eye and then for eternity we can be together celebrating the presence of our magnificent savior who despite what we may feel or think at various points loves us so much and had our lives planned before we were even born. He is sovereign and is in control of everything.

I don't understand why Ben is gone and I never will. I will always miss him and love him.

When I went for a jog today in between sobbing and trying to breathe I listened on repeat for 2 hours this song by Caedmon's Call... I can't think of anything else to say. I hurt, I cry, I wonder, I miss and I don't have any answers but I will see Ben again and I have to rest in that knowledge.

Late at night I wonder why
Sometimes I wonder why
Sometimes I'm so tired
I don't even try
Seems everything around me fails
But I hold on to the promise
That there is a reason

Chorus:
Late at night, the darkness makes it hard to see
The history of the saints who've gone in front of me
Through famine, plague and disbelief
His hand was still upon them
Cause there is a reason
There is a reason

He makes all things good
He makes all things good
There's a time to live and a time to die
A time for wonder and to wonder why
Cause there is a reason
There is a reason

I believe in a God who sent His only son
To walk upon this world and give His life for us
With blood and tears on a long, dark night
We know that He believed
That there is a reason
There is a reason

Chorus:

For the lonely nights
And broken hearts
The widow's mite
In the rich man's hand
And the continent
Whose blood becomes a traitor

For the child afraid to close their eyes
The prayers that seem unanswered
There is a reason
There is a reason

Chorus:

This one was edited by Anna C.

Project Black Take #3

2008-07-12T11:02:00.000-04:00

Sorry I didn't get to post yesterday it's been quite a week... I posted another shot of one of these lanterns back in May (see here). For this project I've been so busy that I've been going through my archives for shots to post. This shot is from when I was in Granada, Spain. Hope everything is going well with the other participants of Project Black!!! I can't wait to see what everyone posts today!

Project Black Take #2

2008-07-10T23:27:00.001-04:00

Thank you to everyone who commented on my picture from yesterday! I was so shocked to come home from work today to see that I had 20 comments I feel very flattered that you would all take the time to look at my blog and then comment on it. So thank you very, very, VERY much! I feel like the last picture deserves a little explanation as I was kind of rushing to post it so here goes- that was a shot from when I was in Chicago during the fall (see here). It was of my younger cousins who I absolutely adore. We were at the zoo for the afternoon and I think he was probably looking at the bears knowing him...

Anyway, back to this post. This shot was from my room the last two summers. I loved the windows in the house I lived in. They were so old and had so much character unlike mine now which are just your basic, average windows that slide up and down. I miss those windows, I miss that room, I miss that house, but most of all I miss the people in that house and the others who were there frequently. This summer is VERY different from the two previous and I'm trying to be content but its hard. My heart isn't here and I wish I could be where it is but the problem is that it's broken up in pieces scattered around the world with so many different people in so many different places. It's okay though because my heart isn't broken in fact it has never been better because there is so much love that comes with each of the pieces that are all around the world that it's impossible for it to feel broken.

Project Black Take #1

2008-07-09T22:59:00.000-04:00

Yay!!! First post for Project Black!!!! I'm going to be getting back to my video conference with Anna (the older). Cause it's just too much fun ;-)

Gone

2008-07-06T12:11:00.000-04:00

There are no words and no pictures. I just can't right now.... Read the last three entries here

Viva España!!!

2008-07-01T15:19:00.001-04:00

Words cannot express how amazing the game on Sunday was. I wish everyone could watch that game and maybe understand the passion and emotion that is the sport of football around the world and why I love it so much and why I am so passionate about it. Spain won the game 1-0 and when the final whistle blew my friend and I were jumping up and down hugging each other, and I'm not going to lie I had tears in my eyes. It wasn't the same type of celebration that my cousin experienced in Spain but it was the best we could do... Ah, the game was SO awesome! I looked through my pictures from Spain to see if I had any that would be a good expression and celebration of the Spanish national team but I couldn't find one that was quite what I was looking for so I settled for this one. It's a shot from when I was at the Alhambra in Granada. I just like it... there really is no more explanation for it... Haha.

Well I have sometime now so I thought I would write a little more that I typically do. I started working as a lifeguard in a section of the city called Feltonville. At times it's insanely boring and at other times it just makes me want to pull my hair out... A bit of an extreme there no? The majority of the kids who come are under 14 or 15, come with out any parents or adult supervision of any kind and most are latino or african american. There are some kids who couldn't be and sweeter and it makes me happy to see them everyday when they come in and say "Hi Anna!" . Yesterday was a particularly crazy day though. One of the other guards had to jump in and get a little kid out (he was of course with out a parent or guardian), I had a grab another little girl out of the deeper area and remind her to stay in 3 ft (not the first time I've had to do that to this little girl) and for whatever reason the kids were just particularly crazy yesterday. It ended on a good note for me though when two of my regulars (as my friend who is also a lifeguard would call them) came in. They're two little Puerto Rican brothers who have been here for a year and typically come to the pool with their uncle. They were so happy yesterday when they figured out that I speak Spanish. It made my day getting to hang out with them for a few minutes while there weren't many people in the pool. Kids like these two remind me that I'm at this particular pool, in a not too great part of the city, for a reason more than just to sit in a pool chair and be a glorified babysitter. I'm there for the kids and I need to remember that more often.

Summer Skies

2008-06-29T13:57:00.000-04:00

Ah summer is finally here!!! Originally while I was still in school I thought "When summer comes I'll be able to post more often." Well, its only been the first week of summer vacation and I think I may have posted once... I've been working every day this week which has been good but tiring at the same time. Today is my first day off and my friend and I are locking ourselves in the AC to watch the Euro Cup final- Spain vs Germany. It's going to be a great game! If any of you are interested it will be airing live on ABC at 2:30 EST.

Punk Rock Mommy

2008-06-25T10:25:00.001-04:00

First, I did NOT take this picture... I wish I was at that point but I'm not.

I've been wrestling with a lot lately. One of my good friend's moms who I've known for as long as I can remember is dying from inflammatory breast cancer. She probably has a few more weeks at most... She'll be leaving 6 kids ages 18 to 18 months here on earth. I can only pray that she isn't in a lot of pain between now and when Jesus comes to take her away and that he gives his amazing healing and comfort to those left here.

To visit Miss Andrea's blog go to www.punkrockmommy.org/blog

I did it!

2008-06-19T21:46:00.000-04:00

The auditorium of New Covenant Church was packed, cameras were flashing, the lights were bright, the piano was being played, and I was standing in front of it all. My heart started beating faster and faster, with each name called it was closer to mine. I scanned the auditorium and saw so many faces, most of which I didn't know. I could, however pick out quite a few. My best friend was in the middle towards the back wearing the dress we pick out on sale from Guess, her blonde hair made her look so summery. Next to her was Andrew, have they really been together over a year? Last year it was him standing up here, how were we not really friends until after he graduated? Another name called... Look there's Ms. Johnson! She's here, she's here!!! I could pick out the famous "Ms. Johnson hair flip" anywhere. I wonder where she works now? Another name... Those lights are really bright I'm probably going to look like a ghost on the video, GREAT! I'll have to explain to my kids 20 years from now how mom always looks pale from about December to the middle of June until she gets a tan. Another name... Look there's Dos! Standing in the back, arms crossed, tall as anything. Portugal plays Germany today yay!!! That's going to be an awesome game. Another name... Oh crap, oh crap, OH CRAP! What if I trip on my gown? That would be something that would happen to me, if I fall flat on my face I'll just laugh along with everyone else, that'll be something to tell people later "How was your graduation?" "Oh it was great... except for the part about me falling on my face in front of everyone." "Well, that would be something that would happen to you now wouldn't it?" "True." Another name... Ok, deep breath now this has been 12 years coming, deep breath.

"Anna Del Vecchio"

Step, breathe, step. I walked to Dr. Gardiner, shook her hand and took my diploma. In my hands I was holding my high school diploma... OH MY GOSH I'M HOLDING MY HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA!!!!!!!! All of these years... all these years... ALL THESE YEARS and now I have it! A huge smile broke out across my face. I walked back to my seat and looked at Jo-Jo. "Yeah Del Vec!", she said while giving me her huge and awesome "Jo-Jo" smile. We all stood together, looked at Dr. Gardiner and listened to her say-

"By the power given to me by The School District of Philadelphia I now pronounce you 'Graduates of Bodine High School for International Affairs'. Graduates, would you please change you tassels?"

And the tears poured! Everything went fuzzy as I changed my tassel from the right to the left. I looked at Jo and she started tearing up too. Four years, four very long, hard, strenuous, yet fulfilling years and here we are- graduates. At times it felt like we would never get here, but we did. The tears continued to pour as we sang the school's Alma mater. I can't believe this... "Anna, stop before I start crying too!" came from Tamara standing next to me. Too late, she had tears running down her cheeks too. Well, she was better than me I had tears and make-up streaming all over my face! No matter how much we complained about school, our teachers, our work, our uniforms, how horrible the lunch was, how boring the principal was, we still stood on the stage at our graduation crying. I've loved my high school experience. I wish everyone was as fortunate as me to have had the 4 years that I did. I've had amazing teachers, met some incredible people, made some AWESOME friends, had 100% unique experiences, as well as learned and grown so much. The last 4 years have made me who I am today, the high school graduate, sitting at a lap top crying as she writes about her day. But the tears aren't really from sadness. This chapter of my life is over, it's been amazing.

Reflections

2008-06-15T18:50:00.001-04:00

Now is when things feel like they're moving really fast. Yesterday was my grad party, Thursday is graduation, work starts Friday, my cousin has already left for the summer, another is leaving in a few weeks, and here I am.... I've been reading over letters people have given me over the last few years and journals that I've kept the last 2 summers reliving all of what I felt and experienced. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't wish that my summer was going to be somewhere else. What can I say? I have a wandering spirit. I'm never content to sit still and be in one place. I constantly want to go, go experience other cultures, go speak other languages, go try other foods, go live somewhere else, go see other friends, go take that chance, go, go, go, go, GO! I love going and then I love looking back on the experiences. Looking back is good because I can see how experiences and one time led to me reacting differently in other situations. The last 4 years of my life have been crazy, amazing, hard, educational, enlightening, awakening, sad, hurtful, and jam packed full of memories. I'm excited for the future. I'm excited to see what at get to do, who I get to meet, what I'll experience. I also need to enjoy the "now" more than I do. Looking back and reflecting what I've experienced is good and all but I need to also enjoy it while it's happening.

iTunes: Desperate People by Hillsong

One drop at a time...

2008-06-12T16:43:00.001-04:00

This is going to be really fast because I'm leaving a few minutes for my class (2 more nights to go!). Since Project Blue is over I decided to post this shot from the Coffee House last week. I think it was when I started taking pictures of the fountain that my friends began asking me questions about what I was doing... One day they'll thank me for all the candid shots I have of them though! My life guarding class is... interesting... I'm the oldest AND the only girl in the class other than the instructor. At times I feel ridiculously mature and at other times I feel like a 12 year old giggling at the boys. All of the boys in the class are 15... need I say more? One of them is absolutely hilarious he comes out with the most random comments and questions and there really is nothing to do but laugh. As two other boys were practicing back boarding the other day he starts chanting to the tune of "U-G-L-Y you ain't got no alibi" "L-I-F-E life is what you guard for me GO LIFE GUARD!!!" I mean honestly wouldn't you have laughed if you were sitting by a pool and suddenly out of no where heard that? Anyway, I take my certification tests tomorrow and then (assuming I pass) will start work anytime after next Friday! By the way, graduation is next Thursday... I don't get much of a break now do I? Haha such is my life :-)

iTunes: Cat and Mouse by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Project Blue #5

2008-06-09T16:20:00.001-04:00

I can't say enough how much I'm loving Euro Cup right now! From watching the Italy vs Holland game today I was inspired to pull out my sister's Italia bag to try see if I could get a good shot of it for Project Blue. I'm not particularly in touch with my Italian heritage and I'll be the first to admit it. I don't speak the language, I've never been to the country, I don't know my Italian relatives, I know nothing about the culture etc. etc. etc. In other words I'm an American! I would one day like to learn the language and visit the country. One of my best friends is Italian and her dad chooses to only speak to me in Italian which I can understand but because I'm fluent in Spanish... It's a shame that so many Americans aren't at all knowledgeable about where they've come from. My great-grandfather immigrated from Italy and none of his grandchildren or great-grandchildren speak the language or are at all in touch with their Italian side. We speak english, spanish, portuguese and french... notice something wrong with that? In a way I feel a certain way when my sister starts bragging to someone about being Italian and proclaiming her Azzurri pride- have you visited the country? No. Do you speak the language? No. Well then what makes you Italian? The Italian blood in your veins... Should that be considered enough? There are many Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans etc. who speak little to no Spanish, but I'm fluent at 18 in a language no one else in my family speaks and I've been to Spain and Mexico where I've had to speak the language everyday... does that make me more Latino or Spanish than them? As Americans what defines our heritage? So often we claim a nationality we have no right to. As for me, I'm an American and that's what I'll always be. I'm not proud of it but right now I can't change that. Maybe one day I will but for now it's the only thing I rightfully can claim.

Project Blue #4

2008-06-07T09:57:00.001-04:00

Project Blue #4. I found this little dragonfly while out at The Coffee House the other day. My friends were quite amused at my taking tons of pictures of things that were blue... I had to explain the whole blogging thing to them... Some of them got it and others just take it as "Well, it's Anna." Euro Cup starts today! I am SO excited about it. I'll be watching the opening game and then the Portugal game at my soccer coach's house along with other people from school. Sorry this is such a quick post but there are somethings I need to do before going to watch the games. Have a great Saturday!!!

iTunes: We're So Far Away by Mae

Project Blue #3

2008-06-04T16:33:00.001-04:00

The brand with the three stripes. I should be sponsored by Adidas... all my shoes are Adidas- my cleats for soccer, my basketball shoes, my favorite pair of sandals are Adidas Slides, and I absolutely LOVE my pair of Sambas that I got last year for my birthday. In my search for things blue I saw my running shoes at the bottom of the steps yesterday and this picture is one of the many as a result of laying on my stomach snapping away at my running shoes ;-) I wish I could post for longer but I'm leaving shortly for my life guarding course. It's 2 weeks long but at the end I'll be a certified life guard and be certified in First Aid, CPR, and AED so... It's kinda a necessity for my job this summer...

Project Blue #2

2008-06-02T21:22:00.001-04:00

I'm loving this whole "Project Blue"... I almost cried yesterday because I couldn't pull over to shoot this amazingly blue house... I was in kinda a rush home because my mom needed the car to drive my sister to a soccer game, and my friend was meeting me at my house so he could pick up me and another friend to go to his house... I may have to make a special trip back to that house though I've been thinking about it quite a bit today. Anyway, this is my soccer jersey from school. I'm very proud to say that I'm the only person to have ever worn this jersey. It was new when I got it and I may just have to keep it now that I'm graduating. My blood, sweat, and tears have been on this jersey... seriously! Blood- nose bleeds, they happen, however, scoring while having a nose bleed is something to be proud of! Sweat- obviously it's a soccer jersey if you don't sweat while wearing one you don't deserve to have one on, plain and simple! Tears- of happiness after scoring against the best team in the city of Philadelphia, of frustration after loosing in the playoffs my Sophmore year to a team to which we were vastly better than, and of sadness at ending my high school varsity soccer career with one of the best coaches in the region. I love soccer it's easy to call it my passion. I hope that I'll be able to continue to play in college and if not... maybe I'll coach someday...

iTunes: Mi Corazoncito by Aventura

Project Blue #1

2008-06-01T12:21:00.001-04:00

Ah SEPTA- The Philly public trans system... I take public transportation to and from school and anytime I want to go into Center City. Here's a weather worn bus stop sign near my house. I love the blue and red in the sign but also the great color of the sky. I'm SO glad summer is on its way finally! I'm so tired of dreary, cold, spring and winter weather. I love the sun and the heat!!!!! Humidity I'm not so crazy about though... Saturday was really rainy and muggy which was NOT a good thing as it was the day of my friend's wedding and they had an outdoor reception. Everyone made the best of it though and the bride and groom were so happy together I don't think they even noticed the weather. I have a few pictures from the wedding/reception that I'll post sometime maybe but for now I'm sticking with Project Blue.

iTunes: Me and Mr. Jones by Amy Winehouse

Peeking Through...

2008-05-28T17:06:00.000-04:00

Like Robert said in a comment on my last post one perk of having a gate in front of you is that you can glimpse what's on the other side. Usually I'm pretty restless when it comes to waiting for something... Right now I'm actually enjoying the wait. Because my exams are over I'm not doing anything in school anymore (yes, going is quite a waste of time) but having NO school work for the first time in years is actually such a nice feeling. Today we had an assembly where all of the Spanish 3 and Spanish 4 classes performed original songs that we had written ourselves using all of the grammar and vocab we've learned over the years. We write the lyrics and then set them to beats and perform. It's always such so much fun seeing what everyone has come up with. Fortunately I got the assembly recorded so I'll be putting it on youtube if anyone is interested I'll post a link once everything is uploaded. Why mention this? Because it's a symbol to me and my fellow school mates that school is almost done for the year and summer is rapidly approaching!!! Prom was on Friday and I had a BLAST! I went with a friend had an awesome time dancing and hanging out with my friends from school. When I was talking to someone today I mentioned how this is the most relaxed I've ever been. I'm finished with school, I've had my Senior Prom, I've been accepted to a college, I have a descent paying job lined up for the summer, and now all I have to do is enjoy this brief spell in the middle and believe me when I say that I am!

iTunes: Loco Commotion by PlayRadioPlay!

DONE!!!

2008-05-20T14:40:00.000-04:00

Done, done, done, done, done DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't stop myself from saying it over, and over again. I'm done! My exams are over which means high school is almost over! WOW!!! A huge load has been lifted from my shoulders with finishing these exams. A friend who took the same ones before she graduated told me that it was going to be the most intense couple of weeks I had ever experienced in school... boy was she right! Now that they're over I feel so relieved. Lacey mentioned in her comment on my last post about going through the open door in front of me. Well, I've gotten through the one door, being my exams, now I'm in that little room between where the door to normal high school has closed behind me and I'm waiting for the graduation door to open. Believe me, when that door does open I'm going charging through it! I couldn't find a good picture of a door so I decided to do this one of a gate instead... it's more or less the same thing right?

iTunes: Guardian Angel by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Corner

2008-05-15T21:26:00.001-04:00

Three more to go... three more to go... THREE MORE TO GO!!!!! Me and my friends were singing while we were walking down the street today. Literally singing! The Beatles song "I've Just Seen A Face" to be exact. We finished our biology exam around 10 this morning and then had the rest of the day for... whatever. I took this picture from the Borders next door to the offices where we've been doing all of our testing. It's nice going to school in the city it's easy access to Center City and everything that comes with that. Walking around with free iced coffee from Dunkin Doughnuts, goofing off with my friends, and just relaxing felt so great. I'm almost done!!! The worst of the exams is behind me... it feels SO GREAT!!!!

Waiting...

2008-05-13T23:18:00.001-04:00

I wrote the lyrics from the song I posted last time around the frame of my door... Who knows what my parents will say when they discover Red Jumpsuit Apparatus lyrics written in Sharpie marker around the door (kids don't try this at home!) but it's ok... I'll deal with it. I also have Artemis Fowl runes on the wall surrounding the door. Why is it that the door to my room is where I put such things? I think it's because my room has always been my hiding place. I've laughed till tears came to my eyes, sobbed until I couldn't breathe, studied until my eyes felt as if they were going to fall out, hidden there when I had no where else to go, and been at peace there. The door however is the opening into the world. My room maybe my hiding place but it's also my reality. The world, while also real, is a harsh cruel place and I know that better than anyone. The door from my safe haven opens onto something that has no shelter or protection... With all my exams I haven't really been studying at home. I've been going to Barnes and Noble or Starbucks for hours and hours at a time. Why? Because my safe haven has been invaded. It's no longer a place for me. It's contaminated by the harsh, cruel outside. I can't focus or relax while in my room anymore. There no longer is my door protecting me from the big, bad outside. It's now me standing amongst it all, but I'm not alone.

Sunset... In reverse.

2008-05-11T19:38:00.001-04:00

Waiting by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Feeling sorrow
for all the things you had to steal and borrow.
Bring back the days we had before tomorrow
relapse and then collapse into yourself once more.

Waiting for this life to change seems like it's taking me forever
and I can't hold on. This light is breaking into the day
This life is going to change seems like it's taking me forever
And I can't hold on. This light is breaking into the day

Void I can't fill.
The doctor tells me to relax and stand still
Prescribes me a new pill to quell my anger.
Wish I could make her pull herself up off the floor

Waiting for this life to change seems like it's taking me forever
and I can't hold on. This light is breaking into the day
This life is going to change seems like it's taking me forever
And I can't hold on. This light is breaking into the day
Again, into the day, again

Waiting for this life to change seems like it's taking me forever
and I can't hold on. This light is breaking into the day
This life is going to change seems like it's taking me forever
And I can't hold on. This light is breaking into the day

Take time to contemplate who you are and where you want to go.
[x2]

I love the chorus to this song. It hits really close to where I am at this point... waiting, just waiting. I'm so ready for this change that's coming and I've been waiting for it for so long that it seems as if time goes slower with the anticipation I'm feeling. Counting down days helps but it also reminds me how much longer I have at this stage...

When I first saw this picture I didn't think much of it... I was just snapping away on the car ride into Center City last Friday. But then when I was going through pictures looking for one to post the colors and tones caught my eye. I like the deeper colors but then there's the brightness in the corner of the mirror from the sun set. You can kind of even see me in the reflection of the mirror a little bit... I've got six exams this week. 1 English, 2 Spanish and 3 Biology. It's gonna be a long week!

Ever Green

2008-05-09T20:17:00.000-04:00

I wish my stamina was "evergreen"... My exams have been really tough this week. I came home from a math exam yesterday, put on a video, and while the opening credits were rolling I fell asleep and woke up to my cell phone ringing and a blue screen on the T.V. (the movie had ended). My best friend is going to deserve a spa week after the exams are over for all of the calming down and reassuring she's been doing this week. I've been a complete wreck and yet she some how still manages to hang around to encourage me :-) There's a reason I love her! Needless to say it's been a rough week. I'm glad it's FINALLY Friday. Hopefully I'll relax some and study a lot this weekend... Do those two things go together?

iTunes: Wait for you by Elliot Yamin

Lantern

2008-05-03T14:05:00.001-04:00

Here's another Spain picture. I loved all of the different lights that I saw every where. They were so different from the typical street lights that I see everyday around Philly. I'm not really too sure what to write about for this particular post. My exams start Monday so I'm very shortly going to be entering "freak out, study mode". Me and some of my classmates went out for dinner last night for two of my friends' birthdays and had an awesome time relaxing and hanging out but the elephant in the room was definitely how nervous all of us are about the exams.

Dear blog readers, attempt to put yourselves in my position temporarily. I've been in the International Baccalaureate Program for my Junior and Senior year preparing for these exams. To get the diploma you must score at least 24 points. I take have 2-3 written portions for each exam for each of my 6 subjects over the next 3 weeks and can score as high as a 7 on each of the tests but they all must add up to at LEAST 24 with out 2's in more than 2 high level subjects (English, Info Tech, and Spanish) and with no more that 3 2's in standard level subjects (20th Century History, Biology, and Math). Last year TWO people from my school received the diploma.... TWO out of a class of 20 IB Students.... No pressure for my class to do well right? If I pass all of the exams and score higher than 24 I will have a diploma that certifies me to go to any major college or university in the world! Not too shabby huh? I've been working for this for two really long and intense years and despite people telling me that what matters most is what I've learned in the two years and the prep that it's given me for college. Yes, I realize that and I know how good all of that is but can you really expect me to not be putting pressure on myself over the next 3 weeks for this diploma I've been working so hard for? Can you really expect me to think "it's ok with me to not get this diploma"?! I don't think so!!!!!

OK there was my little vent session for today! I'm going to go now watch a movie before getting down to business and studying for this next week's exams in English A1, History and Math.

itunes: Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap

Project Green #3

2008-04-24T19:49:00.000-04:00

Project Green #3. My fellow Narnia lovers may understand why I love this picture. It reminds me of what I've always imagined as the door that opens for Eustace and Jill to leave the moors of England and enter the amazing world that is Narnia. I'm excited to see the movie of Prince Caspian but I'm keeping my expectations low. I'm hoping that I'll be pleasantly surprised...

Well, it's Thursday! I've made it through another week of school. One more week until D-Day aka the first day of my International Baccalaureate exams. I'll have exam between 2-3 hours long a DAY and I have two written exams for each class. I've been working towards this for 2 very long years and now to have the exams less than two weeks away is insane! At times it stresses me out but at other times (like right now) I'm excited about it. Gee... that doesn't make me sound like a nerd at all now does it... I've got three weeks of exams. So I'm hoping that I'm as prepared as my teachers say I am and I hope I can be as confident in myself as they are in me.

iTunes: Love Song by Sarah Bareilles

Project Green #2

2008-04-22T10:55:00.001-04:00

Another Spain picture. This one is from Granada at the Alhambra Palace. The Alhambra was a Moorish fortress and was the last one to fall to the Catholic monarchs Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. I saw the Alhambra the first time I visited Spain but it was in the winter time and there was no comparison to seeing it in the spring with the flowers blooming and the bright blue skies as a backdrop. Spain truly is an amazing country. I can't wait to go back again someday!

iTunes: Te Busqué by Juanes and Nelly Furtado

Project Green #1

2008-04-21T21:39:00.001-04:00

Project Green Post #1 for me. I love this picture. It's from when I was in Alicante, Spain during Spring Break. Alicante was amazing. Your typical Mediterranean beach city and it was absolutely gorgeous! I unfortunately only was able to enjoy it for a day before getting sick and completely glued to my bed in my hostel which was unfortunate because being sick led to more complications later... I'll post about that another time :-)

iTunes: World Soccer Daily Podcast

A Bit More Golden...

2008-04-10T19:06:00.000-04:00

I was going to post this a while ago but decided not to and now I'm glad that I didn't because now I can post it for Project Yellow! The sky was absolutely incredible the evening that I took this and this picture doesn't really do it justice... I love all of the yellow pictures I've been seeing. Thanks Anna C. for coming up with the idea and challenge for it! It's really cool to see how it's traveled around.

iTunes: Hey Ya by Obadiah Parker

A Little Yellow

2008-04-07T00:42:00.001-04:00

This is going to have to be an extra short post because it's late and my pillow is calling to my exhausted 18 year old body... Just thought that I'd add this one in for Anna C's "yellow" themed posts.

iTunes: False Alarm by KT Tunstall

Sunshine and Oranges

2008-04-02T20:16:00.001-04:00

Being a total Philly girl I hadn't seen oranges still on the tree in years before I went to Spain for the first time in 2004. I love all of the orange and lemon trees through out Spain. This particular tree was in Granada which is without a doubt one of the most incredible cities in the world. I'll be posting pictures of the Alhambra Fortress is Granada soon. Unfortunately I've got a mountain of homework calling me and since I missed the entire week last week I really do need to go and do it... I really do like posting I wish I had more time for it :-( Ah well 2 more months of school and then I'll have more time!

iTunes: Over Rated by Gavin Degraw

SPRING!!!

2008-03-28T17:16:00.000-04:00

Spring has definitely sprung.... in Spain! I was in Spain for Spring Break and the weather was amazing. The flowers were blooming around every corner. These pictures are just the beginning of the spring time themed posts that will be coming towards blogland (hopefully soon). Spain was amazing! I had a great time and can't wait to go back. We went to Madrid, Granada and Alicante. These pictures are from Madrid. I especially like how in the second one you can see the buildings in the background. The architecture in Spain was so cool... it's kind of hard to tell from this picture BUT in others it'll be a little more obvious.

iTunes: Todo Irá Bien by Chenoa

Snow!!!

2008-02-27T20:07:00.001-05:00

Philly finally had some snow last week! It should have been enough to get us out of school for the day, but the Philly School District wouldn't be the Philly School District if they ever did what they SHOULD do... (long story). SO when the roads were at their worst, 6:45 in the morning when I leave for school, school was still open as usual. Around 10:00 "they" decided to close all public schools early. But wouldn't you know it the roads were basically all clear at that point! So I got home early rather than getting to sleep in late. Whatever... I've wanted to take pictures of St. Peter's for a while and I happened to have my camera with me when it snowing last week. I like how St. Peter's looks like it could be somewhere else, rather than Philly. Maybe it's just my heart longing to be in Europe but with the snow as a back drop the church almost looks like it could be stuck somewhere in Germany or Switzerland. St. Peter's is right down from my school on 3rd and Girard. I walk past it every day on my way from the trolley to school. It was also featured on an episode of Cold Case a couple of seasons ago. The bottom picture I took while walking to school and the top one is the view of St. Peter's from my 1st period 20th Century World History class. If you look one way you see St. Peter's and if you look the other way you have a great view of the skyline. Unfortunately because of the snow there were really heavy clouds so you couldn't see it... Ah well another day.

iTunes: Your Body Is A Wonderland by John Mayer

Out and About

2008-02-16T20:47:00.000-05:00

Recently one of my favorite activities on the weekend has been going out to eat. Food in general makes me relaxed and happy but good food, in a relaxed atmosphere with my friends just makes things so much better. This weekend unintentionally has been an ethnic weekend. Last night I had Mexican food, today I had Portuguese food, and tomorrow I'm having Indian. It's been a good weekend so far :-) This is from a couple of weekends ago when I went out to a chocolate cafe with a group of girlfriends. It's the most amazing chocolate I've had on this side of the Atlantic NO JOKE! It was quite amazing. This was someone's chocolate peanut butter cupcake. It makes me hungry just looking at it.... BTW I'm going there for dessert tomorrow night after Indian food... can't wait!!!

Quiet

2008-02-06T22:11:00.001-05:00

This is from the British Museum. I took it this summer while there. I love the lighting in the picture. I feel like I'm standing back in the room full of Greek Architecture. I'm tired, it's been a long week already, I have tons of deadlines hanging over me and it feels like nothing is being resolved. I want to just crawl up in my bed put on my ipod and shut everything out. However, as soon as the ipod runs out of battery then I'll be reminded that nothing's perfect. This past week has been draining and I'll just leave it at that... Anna, Christy, Nishma, M.E., and many more, I miss you!

Around Philly

2008-01-26T13:10:00.000-05:00

From Chicago and New York we'll now be returning to pictures from Philly! Maybe I'll go through my London and Brussels pictures and post some of them soon... Anyway, I've decided as I'm not overly burdened with homework this weekend and am going to be social tonight it would be perfectly fine for me to give my blog some attention this afternoon. How about I take you around Philly today? We can start at Fern Rock, head to Chinatown for lunch, get some bubble tea, walk through Center City, around to South Street and back to City Hall! Alright let's go, this will also give you views of Philly from the safety of your computer room rather than walking around in 30 degree weather like it is today...

Fern Rock, the starting point for the Broad Street line subway. All trains both local and express start at Fern Rock and then head towards Center City and eventually end in South Philly near the Stadiums- Citizen's Bank Park home of the Phillies and Lincoln Financial Field (more commonly known as the Link) home of the Eagles. I take the Broad Street line every school day to Girard and then I take the #15 Trolley. You would think on my weekends I wouldn't want to be anywhere near these trains but it is the easiest way to Center City so...

Chinatown in Philly is pretty popular among those who live here but I wouldn't call it a big tourist spot. A friend and I met up and then went to Chinatown to walk around and then to have lunch. At the Shanghai bazaar you can find any number of interesting things from Chinese clothes to Harry Potter in Chinese. If you have any desire to have Acu-puncture it is also done here. It was also conveniently located right across the street from the restaurant Xannie and I were headed for lunch.

I had never been to the Ocean Harbor Restaurant before and let me tell you, it was an experience! The place was packed with people most of whom were Chinses and yelling across the room to each other in who knows how many different dialects of Chinese! When you finally are seated you choose what you want to eat from the numerous carts that are being pushed around near your table and those around you. When ever you make a selection the server marks off on a card of your table what you've had to eat. It cost me and Xannie to both have a really good meal (and to come out stuffed) a grand total of 12 dollars. Is that even possible to have a good meal for 6 bucks a person anymore? Well in Chinatown apparently it is..

Let's now take a break from food and walk off our lunch in Center City! Philly like most cities has the modern Sky-Scraper buildings but I think the older buildings are cooler and add a lot to the city. Some of the buildings in the Old City section of the city have been around since before the Revolutionary War (you do the math). These two aren't even close to that old but I still like them.

Now, how about some bubble tea? If you've never had it before it make take a little while for it to grow on you. The Zen Tea House has an awesome atmosphere and is a great place to relax, talk with friends, or to curl up in one of the comfy chairs with a book while you enjoy your custom made drink whether it's bubble tea or something else.

Now, on to South Street. It's one of my favorite places in Philly. It kind of is like Camden in London but it's way smaller but it has kind of the same feel as Camden. South Street attracts so many different types of people. You have the rockers, the hippies, the suburban ditzes, and then me :-) The shops of South Street range from everything from South American imports stores, to the Adidas Store to Kondom Kingdom (we're being honest here...). I love South Street because no where else in Philly will you find so many different people, from so many different backgrounds shopping in the same stores, going into the same restaurants and interacting with each other. It gives you a picture of how things really should be in a city that has the highest homicide rate in the country.

Well, our tour of Philly through the eyes of a Philadelphian is coming to a close. Here's City Hall. The cleaning/restoring of it has been going on for years and years. That's the reason why half of the clock tour is white and the other is more of a brownish gray. There's also a lot of scaffolding around William Penn... who knows when the whole process will be complete. Hopefully sooner rather than later so people can go back to taking pictures of ol' Willy Penn and not the scaffolding surrounding him!

I hope your virtual tour of Philly has been a good one! Maybe this will inspire some of you out there and you know who you are ;-P to come and visit. That way you can go around to all these places, as well as others, and then post all kinds of pictures about your time in Philly!!!

iTunes: Tear Drops On My Guitar by Taylor Swift

New York Views

2008-01-02T14:11:00.000-05:00

I spent the weekend in New York a while back with my mom's younger brother, his wife, and their absolutely adorable 9 month old daughter. My uncle met me at the trains station and we spent the afternoon walking from one end of New York to the other....literally! I saw Ground Zero for the first time which was extremely saddening. I've obviously seen video footage of the site and I can remember 9/11 as if it were yesterday but to actually see the empty ground where the Trade Towers should have been was just insane. When Will (my uncle, he's only 11 years older than me and I've never actually called him "uncle" despite the fact that he is) and I were ready to head home we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge which is where both of these pictures come from. Anna C., I thought of you later when I was looking at this picture because of the lines the cables make in the first picture:-)

iTunes: Espacio Sideral by Jesse y Joy

Two

2007-12-27T16:43:00.000-05:00

I love things that come in sets of more than one so when I saw these chairs while at the park this summer I couldn't resist. A laptop was the big edition to our family this Christmas (no, it's not mine I've got to wait until I've at least been accepted to a college to be able to argue for one of those). Along with this new laptop came a photo editor...not quite as sophisticated as photoshop but I'll have fun with it :-) There are so many things I could write on this blog about what I'm up to right now but it would take way too long and would tap into other emotions I really don't feel like wrestling with right now. Just know (who ever you are that happen to read this blog) that I'm tired of "the norm" and can't wait until I have the freedom I'm so desperately craving.

iTunes: Don't Stop The Music by Rihanna

Two Heads Are Better Than One

2007-11-06T17:11:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure my aunt who is the mother of my twin cousins would say "two heads are better than one"... These 2 1/2 year old twins as well as their 7 year old sister are part of the reason I want to go to school in Chicago. There is NEVER a dull moment in their house that's for sure! I had a great time going to the zoo with them while I was in Chicago. Their responses to the various things they saw were just too funny like Maddie asking if the polar bear was going to hatch from the "egg" which actually was just a big white ball... Or Jake repeating 50 times in a row until someone acknowledged him "LOOK LOOK LOOK the bear's over dere" (not to be confused with over THere). Like I said never a dull moment.

iTunes: Ser o Parecer by R.B.D.

The City

2007-10-09T20:08:00.001-04:00

City of Blinding Lights
U2

The more you see the less you know
The less you find out as you grow
I knew much more then than I do now

Neon heart, day-glow eyes
The city lit by fireflies
They're advertising in the skies
For people like us

And I miss you when you're not around
I'm getting ready to leave the ground

Oh you look so beautiful tonight...

Don't think before you laugh
Look ugly in a photograph
Flash bulbs, purple irises the camera can't see

I've seen you walk unafraid
I've seen you in the clothes you've made
Can you see the beauty inside of me?
What happened to the beauty I had inside of me?

And I miss you when you're not around
I'm getting ready to leave the ground

Oh you look so beautiful tonight...tonight
In the city of blinding lights

Time...time....time...won't leave me as I am
But time won't take the boy out of this man
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight

Philly Girl

2007-10-02T19:38:00.000-04:00

If you know anything about ML Baseball you know that the Philadelphia Phillies are infamous for going on streaks in which they bring their fans to hope that maybe just maybe this year we'll it make to to the playoffs....and if you really know anyhting about the Phillies you'll know that they haven't done so in 14 years UNTIL this Sunday. I having lived for basically my entire life in Philly am a die hard Phillies fan and have had my hopes dashed for the last 14 years of seeing my wonderful team in the playoffs until this year when we WON the NL East Championship. I watched the game on Sunday with my dad while flipping back to the Mets game to see if they were loosing (thank goodness they did!) and holding my breath almost praying the Phillies wouldn't choke like so many times before. When Brett Myers threw the final strike to end the game 6-1 I along with the city of Philadelphia went crazy. FINALLY We've done! Between jumping up and down and running around the living room I managed to call my cousin a die hard Braves fan to (for the first time EVER) rub in his face what MY team did!

In case you haven't been able to tell I've been taken by the playoff fever that has infected about 99.999% of Philadelphia. I'm exstatic to see my team in the playoffs! I took these picture when I went to a Phillies vs Mets game in August and believe it or not the Phillies won and it was the first game I had ever been to that they had done so and I've been to many Phillies games so that's really saying something!! I'm so pumped right now for my team, my school is even having "Phillies Day" tomorrow which is a miracle unto its self!

iTunes: A Song For You by Elliott Yamin

A Light Still Burns

2007-09-20T20:19:00.001-04:00

This week has gone in a blur of papers, pens, uniforms, and soccer balls (HA). Our first full week of school has been very tiring and despite the massive load of work I have I'm content. I had my first club soccer game of the season last night and I had a BLAST! It was so great to be back with the girls from last year and to be playing at a level so different from school. I missed playing soccer with these girls so much over the last many months since I got sidelined with an injury back in January. I've ALMOST finished my Wheaton application and I'm submitting the soccer recruiting form tomorrow. The week is winding down and I'm not complaining that's for sure I'm looking forward to catching up on some sleep and pleasure reading for a little while this weekend! But even better I have soccer practice tomorrow night!!!!

iTunes: It Ain't Me, Babe by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon from Walk the Line (soundrack)

Jumble

2007-09-13T19:41:00.001-04:00

School started on Monday, we went to school for a grand total of three days and now have two days off for Jewish holidays. Gotta love the Philly school district! I'm insanely overwhelmed right now and I was looking through my pictures trying to find one to match how I'm feeling right now but none fit. My teachers are already giving out assignments as if we'd never gone on vacation and having to get my application to Wheaton done and retake my standardized tests has left me feeling like curling up in my bed and just waiting until it's all over. My thoughts are running at about a thousand a minute and everything ends up one big jumble. I found this picture online and thought it was just perfect. I wish I could take credit for it but...

iTunes: Help! by The Beatles

2007-09-05T22:18:00.000-04:00

Beligian chocolate really does live up to it's reputation I'd never had such amazing chocolate EVER in my life before going to Brussels. Now, two months after coming back I still have most of it (which was showing amazing restraint on my part as well as my mom and sisters). I've been saving it to eat with my best friend. Despite being back for over a month we have yet to see each other. She's been working down the shore and our family schedules haven't let us hang out but we have talked on the phone or via the internet almost everyday. Tomorrow night we're finally going to hang out!!!! I'm really excited just to be able to talk to her. There are alot of things we've hinted to each other about but didn't want to talk about over the phone because that's just not quite personal enough for us (and we also didn't want our big earred sisters to be listening in). When ever anyone asked me what I missed about the States my first answer was always my best friend. We see each other every single day during school and especially during basketball and soccer season. She's been my life saver, hug-giver, listener, and she's been there for me when I just wanted everyone else to leave me alone. I could never have had a greater blessing in my life. So Xannie my fellow white girl (hehe) I love you and I've missed you!

iTunes: Lo que Paso, Paso by Daddy Yankee

The Heart of a Child

2007-08-29T12:12:00.000-04:00

I went to the zoo more times this summer than I have in a really longtime. I went when I was in London with 3 of the kids I was living with and then again with my two younger siblings after coming back to the states. In a time of my life where so much is up in the air and people start refering to me as an adult (which totally and completely FREAKS me out!) it was great to be able to go back to some place as simple as the zoo. I spent so much time there as a little kid and still I become excited about things like the otters swimming close to the glass or charging around an exibit with my little sister trying to find the tiger cubs.

These pictures are two of my favorites of the kids from when I was in London. The first is on our walk through Regent's Park on the way to the zoo and the second in the aquarium portion of the zoo. I love that one especially because it's so hard to get a candid picture of this little girl! Like most 3 year old girls she LOVES having her picture take so as soon as a camera is even in sight she gets the biggest (and sometimes very cheesy) smile on her face. I snapped this one when she didn't notice I had the camera out because she was so interested in the different colored fish.

iTunes: I believe by Franka Potente on the Run Lola Run Soundtrack

Avoiding the Wave

2007-08-26T19:12:00.000-04:00

Since Anna's been posting some pictures of the North Carolina beaches I thought I'd add this one into the mix. Everyday the pelicans would be out watching us as we sat, swam or in my case slept on the beach. I told my youngest sister that they were watching HER. :-P

iTunes: When You've Gone by Avril Lavigne

A little one

2007-08-21T21:47:00.000-04:00

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."
-Galadriel in Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring

If you must know

2007-08-20T22:22:00.000-04:00

I actually prefer playing in a 1-3-3-2-1 it shakes things up a bit.

iTunes: Waiting on the World to Change by John Mayer

Hide and Seek

2007-08-19T16:03:00.000-04:00

IMOGEN HEAP

"Hide And Seek"

Where are we? What the hell is going on?
The dust has only just begun to form,
Crop circles in the carpet, sinking, feeling.
Spin me round again and rub my eyes.
This can't be happening.
When busy streets a mess with people
would stop to hold their heads heavy.

Hide and seek.
Trains and sewing machines.
All those years they were here first.

Oily marks appear on walls
Where pleasure moments hung before.
The takeover, the sweeping insensitivity of this
still life.

Hide and seek.
Trains and sewing machines. (Oh, you won't catch me around here)
Blood and tears,
They were here first.

Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that you only meant well? Well, of course you did.
Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that it's all for the best? Ah of course it is.
Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that it's just what we need? And you decided this.
Mmm what you say?
What did she say?

Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth.
Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs.
Speak no feeling, no I dont believe you.
You don't care a bit. You don't care a bit.

Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth.
Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs.
Speak no feeling, no I don't believe you.
You don't care a bit. You don't care a bit.

You don't care a bit.
You don't care a bit.
You don't care a bit.
You don't care a bit.
You don't care a bit

Platforms

2007-08-15T13:10:00.001-04:00

I love traveling by trains. It's a good thing too because I take the subway and EL train everyday! I've started to like pictures of train platforms. I love thinking about how many trains pass through a station each day carrying hundreds of people to and from work or where ever it is their daily walks of life are carrying them. The top photo is from London and the bottom is in Brussels. I like how the lighting is kind of the same in both pictures and how the shots are from two different directions on the platforms.

iTunes: Break Free by Hillsong

View from the River Thames

2007-08-12T12:34:00.000-04:00

Oh London....How I wish I was still there. I guess it's only fair to say that "All good things must come to an end".

iTunes: Bhajo Naam by Aradhna

An ant's perspective

2007-08-03T09:36:00.000-04:00

Brussels is such a cool city!! I don't think a lot of people when they consider going to Europe would necessarily have Brussels on the top of their lists. The city is very old but has a modern feel to it also. All of the streets are made of cobblestone and/or marble. This shot is from the town square (many more pictures of the square to come). I like this picture because it captures part of the square from the ground up where most people probably wouldn't view it from.

Wishing you were somehow here again...

2007-07-28T06:47:00.000-04:00

You were once my one companion . . .
you were all that mattered . . .
You were once a friend and father,
then my world was shattered . . .

Wishing you were somehow here again . . .
wishing you were somehow near . . .
Sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed,
somehow you would be here . . .

Wishing I could hear your voice again . . .
knowing that I never would . . .
Dreaming of you won't help me to do
all that you dreamed I could . . .

Passing bells and sculpted angels,
cold and monumental,
seem, for you the wrong companions -
you were warm and gentle . . .
Too many years fighting back tears . . .
Why can't the past just die . . .?

Wishing you were somehow here again . . .
knowing we must say goodbye . . .
Try to forgive, teach me to live . . .
give me the strength to try . . .

No more memories, no more silent tears . . .
No more gazing across the wasted years . . .
Help me say goodbye.
Help me say goodbye!

Questions

2007-07-19T17:45:00.000-04:00

Who, what, where, when, how, and to what extent? Those were the questions my 4th grade teacher Mrs. Bell used to want us to ask. I can't remember what the context was in which that she wanted us to ask these questions though... Lately I've been asking these questions but not in the context of grammar but rather in the context of my life- Who am I, what am I doing, where am I going with my life, how am I going to end up, and to what extent could I possibly mess things up? I think now because I know the next year holds so much uncertainty I'm asking these questions so much more that I used to. No one can ever know what's in store for them as much as they'd like to think they do but now I know for sure that I have no idea what's going to happen.

Sunrises

2007-07-15T14:40:00.000-04:00

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."- C.S. Lewis

Photo taken by me while at Harrow on the Hill.

Joy that seeks me through pain

2007-07-14T10:56:00.000-04:00

O love that will not let me go
I rest my weary soul in Thee
I give Thee back the life I owe
That in thine ocean depths its flow
My richer, fuller be

O Light that followest all my way
I yield my flickering torch to Thee
My heart restores its borrowed ray
That in thy sunshines glow its day
May brighter, fairer be

O Joy you seek me through the pain
I cannot close my heart to thee
I trace the rainbow through the rain
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be

O Cross that liftest up my head
I dare not ask to fly from thee
I lay in dust life's glories dead
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

My first morning in London this song was sung at the intern meeting I went to after being picked up at the airport. At the time I was majorly jetlagged, tired, hungry, and feeling very numb in many ways. I let the song just wash over me and listened as everyone else sang it. Then about a week later I stumbled on this song again in my iPod. It's an old, beautiful song and while I sat listening to it I had the greatest feeling of peace.