Time Didn't Stop!

In a rather monotonous turn of events, I am once again not at home for the turn of the year. I'm actually having a blast here in California, but at home on my bookshelf I have a box. That box contains the year 2014 in scraps. I would have liked to go over them in person, but I can't. I'll just try to tell you the "good parts version" instead.

January

January of 2014 I was also in California. My family and I flew in on New Year's Day. The whole month we traveled around Cali and Washington state, visiting family and friends.

Standout: [the whole trip was a standout but:] watching Saving Mr. Banks with a good friend.

February

I don't remember much about February. I do know that it was a year since my German pen pall [who I am sadly letting down at the moment] came to visit me and my sister. She's a sweetheart.

Standout: *black hole*

March

Standout: I TURNED !* 

...erm um, that is to say 18. Everything costs more, and I can legally drink alcohol. Life's a gas! I'm being ironic. Life is the same; I am still me. [For all you minors waiting for life to change when you legally become adults: IT DOESN'T. You have to make a conscious decision to grow up.] Who knew?

April-July

HAHAHAHA I wish I had my box of memories, because I seem to have deleted them from my head. 

I know I did school throughout summer, [and finished high school] but other than that, I'm unsure of events. I'm thinking there might have been some minor traveling done in England and Europe...

August

Ah, August! I made some pretty big decisions in you. Ok, maybe just one. And actually, I might have made it in July. 

Standout: I sent in all the paperwork for Bible College.

Yes, I chose what to do with my future! [In part.]

And then there was Creation Fest. I volunteered as a parking attendant, and ran my bracelet making workshop for the second time.

September-December 12th

Standout: Bible College! Real school! Being my own person! Aaaah!

Also: learning how to live in a dorm, buy food for myself, get the most out of classes, get homework done on time, and be around not-blood-family-members 24/7.

Above all else: growing in my relationship with my Lord, Jesus Christ, learning to hear his voice and be malleable to his touch.

[The Lord is good and greatly to be praised. Let all the earth come and worship! May the words of my mouth and the mediations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.]

The Rest of December

... was a spectacular whirlwind [in which nothing can stand, let alone stand out]. I visited my longtime friend Savannah Brown in her hometown of Norwich to celebrate the finishing of her second decade! It was truly a blast; no irony here. Then Christmas came, and food with it, and what would the food be without wonderful people to share it with? [Shout out to my home church! Love you guys.]

On Boxing Day [the day after Christmas for you goys] our plane left at 12:00 from Heathrow, flying to LAX. Ten hours later, my family and I were in California with jet lag. So far, many people have been hospitable and kind to us.

Thank the Lord for our big loving family in Christ!

Goodbye, 2014. I can't say I'm sorry that time hasn't stopped.

BRACELETS

My bracelet making addiction has renewed itself.
Patterns get old after a while. Chevron, stripe, zigzag. Totem. Whatever. There are other patterns out there, but they only get more complicated. Not that I mind complicated. The monotony gets to me. *Knot knot. Knot knot.*

Recently I found out that you can make bracelets with LETTERS on them. I know, it sounds revolitionary.

The only problem is finding cool enough phrases to put on them.

Awkward and Monopoly

This week I hung out with actual people in person.

It's something I both look forward to and dread - I want a good conversation without all the awkwardness of actual social interaction. Actually, I don't mind the awkwardness so much as long as I am not the subject or origin of it.

I was playing Monopoly with three friends. Another friend came up asking about a necklace that had been found: was it anyone's? The necklace was accidentally dropped, and an awkward moment involving bodily contact ensued. I thought it was funny, but not at the expense of the ones involved - they laughed it off, made fun of it. It wouldn't have been funny for me if they hadn't.