best week ever. and a long one.

So, Monday school starts again. So I spent my last week-and-a-half getting out all of my leftover energy.

What have I been doing, you ask?

Well, as I mentioned before, Jessie and I went to Nashville. We celebrated the birth of our friend Mark, and celebrated living in community with our friends Casey and Phillip, and our other new friends.
And I'll say this: the way in which Casey and Phillip live turned out to be the most inspiring part of the trip. These boys willingly sacrifice their quality of life to be able to give comfort to those around them. One of those boys has a single drawer with about 4 t-shirts, and one pair of shorts to his name.
The house is tiny, with one bedroom that is occupied by a girl with a real job, real responsibilities, and a pretty voice.There is a bunk bed and 3 queen sized mattresses pushed against the walls of the living room. At night, the mattresses are spread through the living room and kitchen, so that those who are in need, or simply enjoying the presence of others, can rest comfortably.
I came home feeling trapped by my possessions. I want to make more room for people.
Since then, I have been letting go of the things that I don't need. It's a sobering process that is taking longer and much more will power than I had hoped.

While in Nashville I saw Daniel Johnston live with Richard Candler, a high school friend who I haven't seen in years. Which.was.sweaty.and.awesome.


Then on Sunday Jessie, Grace, Sarah and I sat around a table talking and sharing a bottle of wine. Then, on a whim, drove out to Canton at 2am to watch the meteor shower from lying on our backs in a giant sandbox. We spoke in Australian accents. We really enjoyed each other that night. It was perfect.


Wednesday morning I woke up early to fly out to Chicago. David Kowalski met me at the train station, and we spent the day walking around downtown. We hung out with Mike, watched some movies at the theater, went to the big silver bean, and ate at McDonalds. By the end of the night I was as tired as I've ever been in my entire life. The following afternoon I rode the train down to the airport, only to find that I couldn't fly directly into Atlanta. I got onto a flight to Cincinatti, then to take a different flight to Atlanta. However, while in my seat, the gate agent informed be that I had to give my seat up for someone (which, in my 21 years of standing-by, has never happened to me). So... I sat there... crying alone in the airport. It was so lame. I didn't have any money, rail tickets, or energy left.
Then my aunt picked me up. And I ended up hanging out with my dad's family that night, and then they drove me back to the airport in the morning. It was my first time being around them without any of my sisters. And it was really fun. They're probably the most emotionally healthy people I've ever met.


Unfortunately, I've been having nightmares about murdering people, being attacked, getting pregnant, etc...
But the days are just so nice.