I babysat on Saturday night for a family that I regularly babysit for. The parents were hosting a party for about 50 or so people at their house, and needed me to get the kids out of the house from about 5pm on. I got there and the mother handed me the keys to her car, gave me money for dinner and told me to use her car to take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese. (The kids are 5 and 1 years old). Anyway, we get to Chuck E. Cheese, and find that not only are there about 400 people in the building (mostly children running around), but the AC has gone out. It is 95 degrees inside. I decide, based on the excitement of the 5 year old, to stay there anyway, despite the hot conditions. We eat pizza and play a few games when suddenly my cell phone rings. It's the mom. She has left party supplies in the trunk of the car and needs us to drive back to their house. (It's about 25 minutes back). By the time we unload the supplies at their house it's 7pm or so, but the kids need to be out of the house until at least 10pm (and even if we stay out that late, the party won't be over, and I'll have to entertain the kids in the confines of their parents' bedroom for an hour or so). I decide to take the kids to Triangle Town Center so we don't endure the heat at CEC again. The kids play at Curiosity Creek (a children's area with slides and other climable objects) for awhile. By 9pm, the shops are closing and the crowds are thinning out. We head to the car. I drive around for an extra forty minutes, hoping they'll both fall asleep. No such luck. We get to their house and are "banished" (and I use the term lightly here) to their parents' bedroom where we watch Barbie Nutcracker. (my all-time favorite movie---- NOT). At this point, I have been informed that their dad drove himself to the emergency room around 6pm with gallbladder problems and that I'll be needed until about midnight. That's fine with me. Around midnight, the party has ended and the mom has joined her husband at the hospital. He's fine, she calls to say, but they are going to do a CT scan so it'll be another hour or so. The kids finally get to bed ten minutes after midnight, and I watch a little CNN until the parents come home at 2am. I'm exhausted, and knowing I won't hit the pillow until after three isn't comforting. I have to be up and out of the house early that morning to babysit for someone else. But it's okay. Extenuating circumstances can't be helped. It was an interesting night to say the least. [Note: the night before, I had also babysat for this family until almost midnight, and the next day I would babysit for another family with a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old for five hours. It was a babysitting-marathon.]

AP exam scores are in. That's a very good thing. I thought I would be crushed by my scores--- I'm actually thrilled. Now, I'm waiting for my school schedule to come in the mail, and of course continuing the never-ending college search. . . soon to be followed by endless applications, essays, 'n such. Something to look forward to.

I loved watching Ken Jennings (left) on Jeopardy! even though he kind of failed me in the Tournament of Champions...but hey, he was still an outstanding contestant. He wrote his name a different way every night, which was...unique. Now I'm watching every night and cheering for a new contestant-- David Madden (right)

He's a student, studying in Berlin (I think), but he's doing really well. (And as soon as I publish this post, I'm sure he'll lose tonight.) But he's got a long way to go to ever measure up to Ken Jennings. It would be interesting, however, to have the two compete in a Jeopardy! game.

Certainly one of the more unique state parks...

"CARHENGE"

Well, I'm back from Virginia. I must first comment on the roads--- the planning and mapping out of the few towns that we visited left a lot to be desired. The condition of the roads made me ever-grateful that I live in NC. We visited Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. We had "bounce tickets" which meant we could go back and forth between them for two days. Busch Gardens has four roller coasters-- Alpengeist, Loch Ness Monster, Apollo's Chariot, and Big Bad Wolf (pictured at left). My sister and our friends (Taylor and Micheala) road all of these multiple times. (For those of you who don't know...I am terrified of roller coasters, their speeds, their drops, whatever...hate them. Very much afraid of them, maybe from watching too many news stories where they crash or break down.) Anyway, the three of them bugged me incessantly to ride one of them. I relented after an hour or so after they told me that Big Bad Wolf didn't drop--- it was just a bunch of curves. Okay, I thought. I can do this. I tried to back out multiple times while we waited in line. Not a chance. I got on and after the first curve, realized that I should never have gotten on the ride to begin with. Okay, so it's drops are only 99 feet each, but it was way to much for someone who is deathly afraid of roller coasters to begin with (and who has also been told that there aren't any drops...that this one is easier than the small roller coasters at the state fair.) Busch gardens...unless you are five, or you love roller coasters, is really a bunch of shows to take in. We saw Irish dancers, a pet show (quite cute) and explored the "European continent" in little shops and cafes. It's a nice place. The water park was more my style and we had a great time. We went to both parks each day. But the first day we got up there, we went to William and Mary College. It was founded in 1693, and was the second oldest college in the country (behind Harvard). It's where former presidents Jefferson, Washington, Monroe and Tyler all went to school. It was the first school to adopt the Honor Code (a system devised by Jefferson himself) and Jefferson and his friends also developed the premier academic society Phi Beta Kappa at W and M in 1776. I really liked the feel of the campus, the academic courses, and the size of the school (though something bigger might be more for me), but the town where it is located is just too small. The nearest movie theater, for instance, is an hour away. I think big-city life is more for me, not the small-town setting. It's a wonderful school, though, it's just not for me. At the end of July we're heading to D.C. to check out three schools, and hopefully I'll be checking out Boston and NYC as well. In the meantime, I'm waiting for my AP test scores and my school schedule to come in the mail. *cross fingers*

I went to the State Fairgrounds tonight and saw the fireworks show for the first time in my life. Wow. It was overwhelming to say the least. I think I often (actually I always) take this country for granted. I obviously don't always agree with everything our government does, but I am free to speak my mind and lobby to change the government's policies, decisions, whatever. I read recently in the NY Times about a woman who has been under house-arrest for twenty eight years because she helped lead a protest in the Phillipines. And in Topics (and when I was in Chile) we learned about the oppressive dictatorships that held Latin America in a death-grip for a good part of the 20th century, killing dissidents in mass numbers, torturing people, and forcing the "disappearances" of thousands more. And of course there was Iraq and there's Saudi Arabia with their restrictive (or not so much anymore in Iraq) governments. And the military (an appendage of the government) in Sudan killing thousands of people. I guess I never really contemplate how lucky I am to have been born here...free, healthy, etc. It's really true, though, that, as Lee Greenwood sings, "If tomorrow all the things were gone, I'd worked for, all my life, and I had to start again...I'd thank my lucky stars to be livin' here today, 'cause the flag still stands for freedom, and they can't take that away." I am proud to be an American. But sometimes I still wonder, why "God shed his grace on me"? Anyway, the fireworks show was really a magical experience for me because I again realized how lucky and blessed I am (and how grateful I am) to be living in a country where freedom is guaranteed, where rights are inalienable, where your voice can be heard if you speak loudly and persistently enough, and where we can "dream in red, white and blue, and we can dream as much as we want to." (and the fireworks were also an amazing experience because I'd never been to a fireworks show before.)

Okay, I was thinking today about the things that make me happy in life--- and it made me happy and smiley just to think about them. Here's the condensed version of what makes me happy and smiley: (oh, they are in no particular order)

1. CHILE (the country...chili is okay too!) and the Gaia School (Paola, Rob, Juan, Gisell, Orlando, Dagly, and Alvaro)
2. my school (I love my hs...I couldn't ask for a more learning-centered, academically challenging, and motivating environment in which to learn)
3. my friends (Goodberrys [and learning to ice skate... it was quite the scene, I'm sure...and going hiking] with Jason; Palace Point with Cameron, Chile with Marsha and Kit and all the other cool kids, lunch with Mark with a too-perky waitress, and all the other memories...wow.)
4. dance (or at least it did...somewhere in my heart, the passion is still there, but for now it's become a new kind of memory...not good, not bad...it's just there. I heart the good memories that haven't been erased by the prominence of the bad ones, and of course I love the people I met-- the kids my age, and the kids I taught, and my teachers...)
5. my sweethearts- (aka my doggies and kitties, Finney, Max, Mysti, Jenna, Deacon, Hope, Ginger and Casey)
6. Bojangles iced tea
7. Country music
8. My church, youth program and youth leaders (and all the other pastors and my friends there)
9. The smell of the air in the minutes before a thunder storm
10. Overalls and ribbons tied in my ponytail (a phase I will likely never outgrow)
11. TV shows (there are only a few that deserve this list): Strong Medicine, Law and Order: SVU, West Wing and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and Friends (we have most of the seasons on dvd...a definite, constant source of laughter when I need it!)
12. Movies: Casablanca, Miss Congeniality (1 and 2), Sound of Music (as it is on VHS with Julie Andrews) and Promises (a documentary about the effects of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict on children)
13. Books: When the Last Leaf Falls, Amusing Ourselves to Death, Humanity: A moral history of the 20th Century
14. Clay Aiken
15. Writing my novel... actually I have two works-in-progress right now. One of them will remain top secret until it is (if it ever is) done
16. the color yellow
17. the smell (don't think i'm crazy) of hardware stores and craft stores, and sort of shoe stores... but not as much
18. my gym, especially this one guy that works there...er...I mean, especially the bikes, the indoor track and the stair-master
19. my car... it's just all-around wonderful...most of the time!
20. doing things that weird other people out...it's super-fun. like...answering my cell phone and preceeding to have a conversation, even though the phone never rang and no one is on the line, or answering my home phone one of three ways:
1. in Spanish
2. "Thank you for calling Papa Johns pizza. How may I help you?"
3. "Orange." (or ocassionally "Purple.") You see, a lot of people, (even on Full House)
answer the phone with "Yellow" as in, an alternate version of "hello." Why yellow? Why not purple or Orange?
And there are other fun ways to weird people out...dance around in a public place to whatever song happens to be on their music system...weird looks are fun to get...
21. Flex committee, though I have to go during summer vacation, is super-awesome. I heart working with the teachers and the other two students to create and improve flex programs
22. Babysitting
23. Research papers--- okay, I'm a dork, but that's okay with me. I really enjoy consuming information and formulating ideas, comparisons, or whatever.
24. Being hyper, and as I informed Ms. Greenwalt (and a few other students), it doesn't make me immature...just happy and energetic and/or excited...there is a difference. (suprisingly, she agreed! haha)
25. the news...i feel so informed and well-rounded...plus, I learn a lot (mad props to CNN, MSNBC, our local news stations, and the NY Times)
26. Duke Bball, even though we're losing players to the NBA...
27. Crest toothpaste...yeah, that's random, but oh well
28. my Saucony running shoes...I heart them sooooo much
29. one thing that makes me happy is the idea that I can effect change in the world--- I have the power...it sounds trite...but it means so much to me that I can have a lasting impact on the world--- I don't have to be a vapor that comes and leaves...I can be something. I can be the one who finds a cure for cancer...or AIDs, or who helps save lives in other ways...someone who impacts the world, echoing change and betterment long after I leave...that would be awesome. The idea itself makes me happy...I can't imagine the feeling of actually accomplishing that...wow. How amazing.
30. the prospect of going to college and getting married, and getting a job, and having kids, and growing old together with the man I marry...the future in general makes me happy

So there it is...it's blah and just a bunch of incoherent nonsense, so I promise to come back with something more next time...something of substance with importance or pertinance in your life...maybe (but probably not, but i'll try none the less)

Wow. Here I am and I don't know how to put into words what I'm thinking and feeling. To be honest, I'm really sad. Ms. Greenwalt is, as many of you know, moving to Boston this summer. In fact, she's loading today. Wow, that came unexpectedly ... at least for me. The two of us (Ms. G and I) had been putting off saying goodbye because we both figured she would stay through most of the summer and we would get to say goodbye in July at church. Well, she's loading today, (as I said earlier) and it doesn't look like she's coming to church on Sunday. I'm upset and relieved at the same time...funny, huh? I am going to miss her terribly, and I really wanted to say goodbye, but in her email she said, "Maybe it's better to have no official goodbye...just, see you soon." I knew that it would hurt to say goodbye, but it hurts this way too. Of course, she's stressed with the move, closing, etc. So, for now, we've said "see you later" and hopefully, I will [see her later, I mean]. I'm sure she'll be back next spring for graduation, but that's a long way off. I will miss her dearly, of course, but maybe it's less painful to have an open-ended farewell, (which may actually be no farewell at all), and less painful to not have a final chapter...there's much time left.

In other news...A toddler was abandoned in Washington state on Monday night. He is said to be in good health--- warm, recently fed, and well-cared for. He was left in the stairwell of a church. The person who abandoned him sat on the stairs with him until he fell asleep...and then left. No one has reported a missing child, and police do not yet know to whom the child belongs. And no one seems to be able to get the child to talk. I can't sit in judgement here...there may have been extenuating circumstances or major problems that we can only guess at or imagine. I hope, I really do hope, that whoever left this child had a good reason for doing so.

Not much to post about. Same ol' same ol'. VBS was this week. I was in the three-year-old room, helping out. I love my Riley and my Sam (actually I heart all the kids in that class, but those two in particular). Apparently they both go home at night and talk about me. They are soooo sweet. Tonight's the "closing" ceremony. (even though we still have another day of VBS tomorrow/friday). All the kids will sing, dance or do a skit for their parents/families. Of course, my kids will likely just stand on-stage and do the hand motions for the songs. They haven't figured out the singing thing yet. Oh well. After VBS ended today, the church treated all the youth helpers to lunch at Fuddruckers, which was fun. Megan (she works at CHBC, and she's soooo sweet) drove me to Fuddruckers, and emphatically informed me that I am a nut. Okay, I guess I can't deny it any longer. I am a NUT. We had fun, though. Tomorrow's the last day of VBS...*tears* I'll miss my three-year-olds for sure!
I finally met Carlye's baby, Elisha Stephen Dash Daugird! YAY. He's sooo cute.

At the end of July (more specifically July 28-August 1) I'll be in D.C. looking at colleges! (Georgetown, George Washington University, and American U). I'm excited. I think the prospect of living in D.C. (or M.A. or N.Y.) is very, very exciting and a wonderful opportunity. Those are the other two places I'd like to live, if not in NC or VA (which would be okay, but the climate is just getting to be a bore). I am looking at Northeastern University and Boston University, in MA; and I'm looking at a few colleges in NY. It's very much still a scary process, but it's exciting at the same time. Of course, I still have college apps and essays looming ominously over my head, as well as my second go-round with the SAT, though I think I did fine on it the first time. However, no one seems to be able to tell me what a "good" score is for applying to college.

If anyone has a good idea for a column topic, tell me. I want to write a regular column in the school paper this year, but I don't know what to write about.

More later. Time for the closing ceremony now.

NOT GUILTY ON ALL TEN COUNTS! I can't decide whether that has restored or destroyed my faith in our judicial system? I guess I should have followed the case more closely. Anyway, enjoy this.

I really really want to travel the world. I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Here's my list...

Top 5 Places I want to see for purely tourist reasons
(in no particular order, and of course I'm not going anytime soon)
1. Greece
2. Australia
3. Spain
4. France
5. Italy
(European continent- and Australia-, here I come...only not)
Coming in, in the top ten to finish off the list:
6. Brazil
7. Switzerland
8. China
9. Egypt
10. Israel
(and I guess Germany gets to be number 11)
Top 5 places I want to go on my quest to make a difference in this world:
1. Ethiopia
2. Sudan
3. Phillipines
4. Honduras
5. India

And the top 3 things I want to do in my life (other than get married, have kids, graduate college, get a job that makes me happy, and run a marathon):
1. Affect change (through politics or diplomacy, curing AIDS or cancer, ending world hunger, creating peace; I don't care, as long as I have a positive impact on the world)
2. Finish and publish a novel (not necessarily the one I started already)
3. Travel
That sounds stupid doesn't it? That my top three things include publishing a book that no one'll read, and traveling. How selfish. Well, I guess if you break down all the things I think I'd like to do to affect change...no not really. Still selfish. I guess I'd really just like to feel like I've had some influence on the world that has made it easier/better for the next generation. I don't want a utopian society, by any means. Some pain and suffering does induce growth, which is good. It's the unnecessary pain and the endless hurt that I want to alleviate. Maybe someday...

This is more of an amuzing story, than anything else.
So today, I was washing my face with some sort of astringent...made by the company Sea Breeze. Anyway, about five minutes later, my dad asks me why my face is so red. I look in the mirror and it looks like I have a really, really, breally bad sunburn, only I haven't been out in the sun in a long time (at least not for a prolonged period of time). Well, it isn't going away, apparently, and instead, I have a red face, with white splotches where I didn't actually clean. So, I look like a freak, and I can't get it to go away. I've researched the product and none of the ingredients should have caused this...good times. If you have a remedy, it's much appreciated! :)

I'm not sure anyone still reads this, but I still like to update occassionally. Lately, life has seemed pretty hectic; I've had two AP exams (U.S. History and English) and I took the SAT. Plus I gave my presentation in Topics today. It was on the roles of communism, outside influences, and nationalism on the rise/fall of the Berlin Wall vs. the roles of the three aforementioned things on the Korean DMZ. I had told Ms. G that I needed lots of time, but the person who went before me today took more than his share of the time, so I had to rush through to be sure I covered all the info before class ended. So I'm worried I won't get a good grade. Not really my fault, though...
This week is teacher appreciation week, and tonight I made "dessert plates" for each of my teachers--- each plate has 2 choc chip cookies, 2 turtle brownies, 2 lemon squares and 2 7-layer bars...I wish I was a teacher! haha.

I've been thinking about college a lot lately, and a lot more about how much I'm gonna miss the people who are leaving RCHS this year---seniors and teachers. Plus, of course I still have to decide where to apply to college, where to go if I get in anywhere, and what to major in, what job to take, whether to go to graduate school, etc. In case you can't tell, I like having a plan for my life.
As for next year's extracurriculars, it looks like sports will be out of the question, which makes me sad. So far, my activities for next year are Senior Class Sec., SLA, Editor of The Flame, Prez of Environmental Club, Co-Prez of RCCF, and hopefully I'll be able to start a Mock-Trial group at school. *cross fingers* People are bugging me to join key club and women's issues club, and I definitely miss doing quiz bowl, but I'm feeling a little overcommitted. UVA and UNC-CH are still at the top of my college list, but my mom has her own list: Meredith, Salem, Randolf-Macon Women's College, Agnes-Scott. My dad wants me to go out-of-state, but he favors Bryan College mostly. I wish they didn't get a say, because if I choose a college from one of their lists, then the other person will be mad at me.

Teachers leaving after this year: Greenwalt, Tranquillo, Caudill, Lachance (that's all I'm sure of, but I know there are others...)

The future is a funny thing I think. Everything up until next year will be planned for me--- where to live, where to go to school, etc. But suddenly, after high school, my future is in my hands...and that really, really scares me. What if I screw up? What if I don't go the right college? Or the right grad school? Or get the right job? Or marry the right person? This scares me a lot. Whereas in the past, I have had no choice which direction to go...now every decision is mostly mine. MINE. What a scary, scray thought.

I should write but I'm sooo busy. I have the scrapbook to do, AP Exams, the SAT, SAT IIs, finals, end-of-the-year projects, and I got a job today...plus campaigning for senior class secretary and rep.

Never a dull moment.

I don't think anyone still reads this, but it's fun to write anyway...
Life is crazy busy and stressful right now. It's like a million emotions all stacked up, and suddenly they finally start tumbling down and you realize you weren't made to handle all of this. I always imagined I would be excited, thrilled, ecstatic to get out of the house and go to college, but lately, instead of dreaming of it, I've been worrying about it more and more. Partly because I don't want to leave home, but that's really not going to be the hard part. Mostly, I'm scared of the future. That sounds nuts, I know. It's just that I'm afraid I'll screw up--- pick the wrong school, major in the wrong subject--- and ruin my future...then I won't get a good job or go to grad school, I won't marry a good guy, I won't have kids, etc. It's a weird anxiety that I can't seem to shake...oh well.
UVA, UNC-CH and Meredith are still my top three, and I don't see them changing...at least not now. UVA because it's humanities department is the coolest, and that's 1/2 of my planned majors. UNC-CH because...well, it's a good school, and I think I would enjoy going to school there. Meredith is smaller than the other two, with no boys (not sure how I feel about that...) but I'll decide more after Ms. Talley takes me to look at it. Of all of them, UVA has the prettiest campus. And UNC gets a plus for being near my church. I haven't really looked into the Spanish departments of any of them, but I need to. I want to major in history and spanish, and then I want to teach, so probably a Bachelor's in Secondary Ed. I'm thinking of teaching for two years, and then going to med school. It'll be most-excellent (<-- that's a Marsha-ism). I don't know yet, though.
I miss Chile. I find myself zoning out of discussions, conversations, reading, whatever, and thinking of Chile. It consumes my thoughts and my life, really. I can't say that it'll always be so special to me--- I've never been to another country, (other than Canada), so I guess my infatuation is in large part due to the newness of being outside the U.S., and not so much the beauty or charm of the country itself, or at least, that's what people keep telling me...I doubt it. I want to work with Doctors without Borders or the Mercy Corps...maybe in Chile, but first I want to cure AIDS and Cancer.
Back to emotions...Last year I felt this deep saddness when the senior class graduated, because I had known them for two years. But I'm finding that this year will be all the harder...And saying goodbye to the teachers that are leaving will be hard too. So far, I know Ms. Tranquillo and Ms. Greenwalt are leaving. Boo. (<-- that's a Maggie-ism.)
And trying to find a job for the summer is impossible. Too many adults are unemployed, so there's a lack of need for teens in the workplace...no bueno. I've applied at JiffyLube...wouldn't it be funny for me to work there??? :)

Last night I realized just how much I miss Chile--- and everyone there.
Juan, Orlando, and the other teachers at the Gaia School have MSN Messenger (the hotmail version of AIM), so I downloaded it in order to be able to talk to them. Well, Orlando and Juan got on around the same time, and they start IM-ing me. It was sooo nice to know I was talking to them (even if I occassionally cheated and used an online translator to figure out what they were saying...) and then they both surprised me with the fact that both of them had a web camera. So not only was I talking to two of the 6 people I miss dearly, but I got to SEE them too. Sure, it was only a digital image, but it was them, moving, breathing nonetheless. :) They waved to me, and being the idiot I am, I tried to wave back--- which would've worked, 'cept I don't have a web cam, so they couldn't see me.

I'm trying to go back to Chile for three weeks this summer. I'm working on finding and earning the money I need. I know it's crazy that the only country I've ever been to out of the U.S. is the one I wanna live in--- nope, I don't really care to see the rest of the world. Course, it would be nice, but Chile is all I need. And at some point, I'd like to visit the University of Santiago, because some part (if not all) of my college career is going to be spent there...barring the admissions process 'n such. But again, that needs to be added on to a time when I'm down there--- I am NOT paying the airline prices just to visit a college...seems a little silly, especially since Expedia now has its lowest prices (for roundtrip to Santiago) at about $1200...WOW.

Greenwalt's Scrapbook--- yeah, needs to be worked on...in fact, I'm gonna go do that now. Later. More Chile stories to come, I promise.

Chile.

Wow. Amazing. Incredible. Once-in-a-lifetime. Beautiful. Breath-taking. Wow.

Chile was awesome. We had fun on the plane up there--- even though I got to sit next to Slattery and mom on both the flights down to Santiago. We arrived like two hours later than scheduled. Once down there, Roberto and Juan greeted us at the airport, immediately talking to me (since they knew me from last year) in Spanish. (yeah, that threw me off at first). The Tampa Prep kids, Birmingham kids and RCHS kids all boarded two buses. I was under the impression on our two and a half hour ride to Olmue that Robert thinks highly of me...he was already calling me "hija mia" (my daughter) before we had been on the bus an hour. We headed to that quiet, little village called Olmue. Such a peaceful place (until all the villagers decide to celebrate Easter by getting drunk and smoking pot-- and talking on non-existent cell phones, don't ask). But it was fun. We toured El Copihue, the five-star hotel where we stayed. The first day was mostly a tour of the hotel area and of the surrounding village/town.
The second day, we went to an island to see penguins! Mucho fun! lol. We rode little itty-bitty boats out in the ocean, and around an island inhabited by penguins and protected by the government. Then we headed for the beach nearby where we played soccer, football and swam in the ocean. It's gorgeous. Wow.
The following day, we went camping in the Andes. Marsha can tell you all about La Montana. She and a few others went up the moutain, following animal trails. (Meanwhile, I'm swimming in the muddiest lake on earth and helping cook dinner). Apparently the mountain's plants were all thorns that looked like harmless bushes... so Marsha, Grant, Josh, Harry and a few others came back bleeding all over from the prickly enemy they encountered along the way. We were camping in some type of cow pasture because there was "caca de vaca" everywhere. Oh yeah, good times. I helped fix and serve dinner, which consisted of steak, hot-dog-type-things (choripan), salad, potatoes, fruit, chicken, and some type of vegetable/potatoe salad with mayonaise thing... Of course, there was no bathroom to speak of, no running water, and other such luxuries, but we had the greatest time. Rob and Juan had set up tents and brought stools for everyone. I helped wash up the dishes after dinner, and then Poala (co-founder of the Gaia School), Julie, Lane and I played "Guess That Person" in Spanish. (A non-english version of 20 questions). We built a massive bonfire and hung out for a while. Then it was time to go to bed, and I put my sleeping bag out next to the bonfire which by this time was dwindling. That was only after Rob put rocks around the perimeter to ensure our safety while we slept. In the morning, I ended up helping cook/serve breakfast, which consisted of eggs, more steak, fruit, bread and cereal). Then we had free time for a while, before playing games. We played- find the plastic spoon in the middle of a forest; retrieve your torch from the top of a hill, and cross-dressing. Lunch was sandwiches, so there was little to prepare. After that, we cleaned up camp and headed by to El Copihue. We had been placed in classes based on our Spanish ability a few days before--- I was in advanced. Fun stuff.

There's SOOOO MUCH MORE to tell, but I am exhausted after being on a plane/in airports for 12 hours. But I'll leave you with some funny quotes from Chile:

"Chile is a cross between Johnston County and the O.C., divided by friendly-looking mountains that really have prickly plants." -Marsha, 3-21-05

"I think I just pulled half a tree out of my pants." -Marsha 3-20-05

"Quesodillas son una mezcla de queso y pesadillas." -Paola 3-20-05 (Translated: Quesodillas are a mix of cheese and nightmares.)

Me: Why are there so many dogs running around Chile?
Mr. Slattery: The Catholic Church

"Super-mega-bacan." -Everyone said it at some point. "Bacan" = "cool"

"Five naked people, in my bed, smoking crack." -Someone, who shall remain nameless (only, none of that actually happened...) <-- but I agree, it was the prank to beat all pranks.

Mr. Slattery: Go pick up all the caca and put it in the trash.
Kit: But Mr. Slattery, you're too big to pick up.

Me: Habla con la mano.
Mr. Slattery: Es mejor como tu cara.
(Translation: Me: Talk to the hand. Mr. Slattery: It's better than your face.)

More to come! And pictures too!

Chile.

Wow. Amazing. Incredible. Once-in-a-lifetime. Beautiful. Breath-taking. Wow.

Chile was awesome. We had fun on the plane up there--- even though I got to sit next to Slattery and mom on both the flights down to Santiago. We arrived like two hours later than scheduled. Once down there, Roberto and Juan greeted us at the airport, immediately talking to me (since they knew me from last year) in Spanish. (yeah, that threw me off at first). The Tampa Prep kids, Birmingham kids and RCHS kids all boarded two buses. I was under the impression on our two and a half hour ride to Olmue that Robert thinks highly of me...he was already calling me "hija mia" (my daughter) before we had been on the bus an hour. We headed to that quiet, little village called Olmue. Such a peaceful place (until all the villagers decide to celebrate Easter by getting drunk and smoking pot-- and talking on non-existent cell phones, don't ask). But it was fun. We toured El Copihue, the five-star hotel where we stayed. The first day was mostly a tour of the hotel area and of the surrounding village/town.
The second day, we went to an island to see penguins! Mucho fun! lol. We rode little itty-bitty boats out in the ocean, and around an island inhabited by penguins and protected by the government. Then we headed for the beach nearby where we played soccer, football and swam in the ocean. It's gorgeous. Wow.
The following day, we went camping in the Andes. Marsha can tell you all about La Montana. She and a few others went up the moutain, following animal trails. (Meanwhile, I'm swimming in the muddiest lake on earth and helping cook dinner). Apparently the mountain's plants were all thorns that looked like harmless bushes... so Marsha, Grant, Josh, Harry and a few others came back bleeding all over from the prickly enemy they encountered along the way. We were camping in some type of cow pasture because there was "caca de vaca" everywhere. Oh yeah, good times. I helped fix and serve dinner, which consisted of steak, hot-dog-type-things (choripan), salad, potatoes, fruit, chicken, and some type of vegetable/potatoe salad with mayonaise thing... Of course, there was no bathroom to speak of, no running water, and other such luxuries, but we had the greatest time. Rob and Juan had set up tents and brought stools for everyone. I helped wash up the dishes after dinner, and then Poala (co-founder of the Gaia School), Julie, Lane and I played "Guess That Person" in Spanish. (A non-english version of 20 questions). We built a massive bonfire and hung out for a while. Then it was time to go to bed, and I put my sleeping bag out next to the bonfire which by this time was dwindling. That was only after Rob put rocks around the perimeter to ensure our safety while we slept. In the morning, I ended up helping cook/serve breakfast, which consisted of eggs, more steak, fruit, bread and cereal). Then we had free time for a while, before playing games. We played- find the plastic spoon in the middle of a forest; retrieve your torch from the top of a hill, and cross-dressing. Lunch was sandwiches, so there was little to prepare. After that, we cleaned up camp and headed by to El Copihue. We had been placed in classes based on our Spanish ability a few days before--- I was in advanced. Fun stuff.

There's SOOOO MUCH MORE to tell, but I am exhausted after being on a plane/in airports for 12 hours. But I'll leave you with some funny quotes from Chile:

"Chile is a cross between Johnston County and the O.C., divided by friendly-looking mountains that really have prickly plants." -Marsha, 3-21-05

"I think I just pulled half a tree out of my pants." -Marsha 3-20-05

"Quesodillas son una mezcla de queso y pesadillas." -Paola 3-20-05 (Translated: Quesodillas are a mix of cheese and nightmares.)

Me: Why are there so many dogs running around Chile?
Mr. Slattery: The Catholic Church

"Super-mega-bacan." -Everyone said it at some point. "Bacan" = "cool"

"Five naked people, in my bed, smoking crack." -Someone, who shall remain nameless (only, none of that actually happened...) <-- but I agree, it was the prank to beat all pranks.

Mr. Slattery: Go pick up all the caca and put it in the trash.
Kit: But Mr. Slattery, you're too big to pick up.

Me: Habla con la mano.
Mr. Slattery: Es mejor como tu cara.
(Translation: Me: Talk to the hand. Mr. Slattery: It's better than your face.)

More to come! And pictures too!

Well, I'm blogging again. It's sporadic, I know. I apologize to any of you who happen to still read this (which I would guess is about 1)

Anywayz,
I leave for Chile in 1 week! Wow I am soooo excited. IM me your address if you would like a postcard! :)

Ms. Greenwalt is leaving, but we're making her a scrapbook of pictures and such of the teachers, school, classrooms, students, clubs, etc. I'm excited about that b/c I love to scrapbook. But shush! It's a secret! No telling her!

SLA went wonderfully, and I had breakfast with Maggie, Alyson and Rachel before hand. We went to IHOP where I had their french toast (excuse me Freedom Toast. lol) It was really yummy.

I signed up for classes for next year, and I feel like a slacker, only taking three AP classes, plus one advanced one that I'll take for AP credit:
1. Adv. Statistics
2. AP European History
3. Constitutional Issues (it's advanced level and a brand-new, debate style class--- my kinda thing!)
4. Adv. Psychology (but I'm taking it for AP credit)
5. AP English 4
6. AP Spanish

On Flex day, I took an Advanced-Level Spanish Convesation Class at NCSU. It was a 6th semester class-- (junior year???)-- and it was way easy, so I'm hoping that's what Spanish will be like for me in college!

I've embarked on the infamous college search, which right now consists of three main colleges
-Meredith College
- UVA
- UNC-CH
though I am sure I will look at others before I start applying. I've heard only good things about each of these, so that makes me feel a little better.

I have also begun the tiring search for a prom dress. It's impossible. Bleh. Not that I have a date, or ticket, or plans for prom night yet, but never to early to start shopping, considering I'm probably the only girl on the face of the planet who HATES shopping.

In our "bible study"/ Raleigh Charter Christian Fellowship today, we had a guest speaker who spoke about the Second Coming of Christ. He made it sound like it could be tomorrow. It was exciting but also really kind of scary. I mean, I have that feeling of "just a little more time...let me finish up here." I thought that would be normal, or whatever, but everyone who was there thought I was weird for thinking that. I mean, I know Jesus says that he who loves his life will lose it, but it's the unknowing of how much more time I will have to do things, witness, goof off, and do other things that I always figured I would do first. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to go to Heaven and see how awesome it is, butI have A LOT of friends and family who would be left behind if the Rapture occurred tomorrow. I guess I really don't want them to go through the seven years of turmoil and horrible things that happen if you don't get taken the first time, before Christ sets up the eternal reign on Earth. Anyway, that's just my little thought for the day. I never gave it much thought in terms of it happening in my lifetime, much less my childhood. Like, I knew it was going to happen because that's what the prophecy says. But I never figured, oh, well I guess all the stuff that's supposed to lead up to it has already happened (which I'm not sure it has... that's unclear to me), so it must be about to happen.
But I think that's part of the idea-- if we all knew when Jesus would return, we would do everything to prepare, which isn't really the point. We should be ready regardless of when it happens, and desire to further God's purpose while we are still here.

Nothing new, really.

Track has started. :)
I'm very busy with two research papers.
I'm looking for a summer job.
Ms. Greenwalt isn't coming back to RCHS next year, and I'm sad. :(
The winter formal is in a week.
I have to start looking at colleges this spring, according to my mom.
I like UNC-CH and UVA.
The trip to Chile is in 1 month.
Student Legislative Assembly-- day where we debate bills--1 week!
The yearbook is almost done!
That's about it.


I'm going to leave you with a poem that I really like.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
-J.R.R. Tolkien

Here's my first attempt at a short story. It's called Gift of Grace. Comments are welcome!

Stepping off the small jet, our group surveyed the scene around us. We were on a mission trip in Sri Lanka after the tsunami disaster. The entire community was decimated, to the point of nonexistence.
Trees had been unanchored when their roots were washed away in the waves. Houses no longer loomed tall and proud, but lay in pieces, littering the ground. People walked along the broken roads, without shoes. Most seemed lonely and lost, as if they were sauntering through a nightmare, trying hard not to believe that this was real. Everything they owned had been swept away with the raging waters.
One local man noticed us and shouted in his native tongue. Suddenly hoards of people were rushing towards us, looks of hope in their eyes. They waved their hands and grabbed at the supplies we had for them.
My friend Jamie and I handed out bottles of water and medical kits. Everything we gave away was something I took for granted: band-aids, clean water, combs, toothpaste. These people had so little, were grateful to receive; we were so fortunate, with open hearts and an abundance to give.
We camped that night just outside a small village. In tents, with sleeping bags and rolled up sweatshirts for pillows, we would have been called rich by the people we had met during the day. The following day, we would visit a local orphanage that was established to house children who lost both parents in the devastating tsunami.
We rose early the next morning, bathing in a nearby river. We had a team meeting, where we were prepped for what we would experience. Then we gathered in a circle, held hands and I led the group in a prayer:
“Father, we come here, not to serve ourselves, but to serve You, Lord. We come that we will be humbled and more grateful for the blessings you have bestowed upon our lives. We pray for the people of Sri Lanka and of the other affected areas, that they would experience hope in You, Lord. I pray also Lord that we would be instruments of Your will, Lord, serving Your purpose. In the words of St. Francis of Assisi:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love: where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.
Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
I continued, “Give us strength today Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”
We opened our eyes and headed off to the orphanage. The infrastructure in the country had been completely destroyed and so our van was useless. But we set off on foot, without complaint.
We arrived at the orphanage an hour later to find about two hundred children flooding the corridors and small bunking quarters. They all rushed up to us, eager to see foreigners. They began talking rapidly in their language, smiling the entire time.
One little girl stood out to me. Her hair was tangled and hung around her shoulders. Her dress was probably very nice before the tsunami, but she had been wearing it now for months. Its grungy, grayish tinge lent no contrast to her dirty face. The striking thing about her was that her skin pigment was not like that of the other children. She was very clearly Caucasian, even beneath the dust. I walked over to her, where she sat in a corner of the room.
Her knees were pulled to her chest, where her chin rested on them. As I neared her, I realized there were tears on her cheeks, washing away the dirt in crooked streaks. I waved to her from about five feet away, in an attempt to see if my presence was welcome.
“Hi,” she said quietly, sniffling. I stopped cold. She spoke English.
Trying to hide my shock, I responded, “Hi. My name’s Audrey.”
“Mine’s Grace,” she told me, avoiding eye contact. “Are you from America?” She asked, now tracing an imaginary line on her knee with her index finger.
“Yep,” I said. “I’m from North Carolina.” Her eyes found mine at the recognition of a familiar place.
“Me, too,” she said. She smiled, knowing we shared a bond. Her smile quickly faded and she looked down once more. I went over and sat down cross-legged next to her. The tears began to fall again, accompanied by quiet sobs.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, genuinely concerned.
She crawled into my lap, resting her dirty head against my chest. I stroked her hair. “Shhhh. It’s okay.”
She sat back and looked at me, wondering if she could trust me. “My mommy and daddy got washed away when the big wave came. They didn’t know how to swim. That’s why they put me in swim lessons last summer, so I would know.” She paused, awaiting a reaction. I didn’t have one.
She sighed. “They’re in Heaven now, right?”
I smiled and nodded. The wave of comfort that washed over her was apparent on her face, in her eyes. “Grace,” I said, “Were you and your parents on vacation here?”
“Nope,” she said. “They were here with the church. We were supposed to leave in February because that’s when my birthday is. I was going to have a princess party at home. I can’t wait!”
It was March. I smiled at her. “That sounds like fun.” She was satisfied and hurried off to play with the other children.
One of the caregivers came over to me. “Want to take her back with you?” She asked. I almost laughed at the idea. “I’m serious,” she told me. “There are hundreds more children who are homeless and need a place to sleep. She has a U.S. citizenship; she’s free to go back to the U.S. whenever someone takes her.”
“You mean like adopt her?” I asked, my interest mounting. At twenty-six, I was married, and had a wonderful job teaching high school.
“You would fill out adoption papers upon your return to the States. She has no living relatives, to our knowledge.” She smiled and patted my shoulder. Before she turned to walk away, she added, “A real sweet girl. She needs a real good home.”
I went through the mental checklist. My husband’s and my incomes could support a child. We had been unable but very much wanting to have children. We had an extra bedroom in our house.
Grace came running over to me, beaming. In her hand was a picture she had drawn. She held it up for me. “This is me,” she told me, pointing to the smaller figure on the page. “And this is you,” she explained, pointing to the taller figure. The two people in the picture were holding hands, and there was a heart scribbled above their heads.
“That’s a beautiful picture, honey.” She beamed all the more. “Grace, would you like to come live with me?”
“You mean in the American states?” She asked.
“Yes, sweetheart. I was wondering if you wanted to come back to North Carolina with me and live with my husband and me.”
She nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, yes.” She leaned forward to hug me, when she suddenly stopped. “But wait. No. I can’t.” She shook her head and looked at me. “Sorry.”
“Why not, Grace?”
“Because my mommy and daddy would be sad that I called someone else mommy and daddy.”
“You don’t have to call us Mommy and Daddy. You can call us Audrey and Ben or whatever you like. We just want to give you a home and a princess party. You will go back to school and have new clothes and---”
She cut me off. “Okay, I want to then. But can we go to church?” I nodded. She hugged me and from that moment on, she followed me wherever I went, watching me closely.
Grace lives with my husband and me now. She loves her new school and had a princess party. She wakes up most nights screaming after a nightmare. The nightmares she describes to us are of people being washed away by “giant waves. They can’t swim,” she tells us. Grace loves to play at the park, but she won’t go near the lake. Her wounds will be tender for a long time, but the family we have begun to build together is a strong one. There is a lot of love in our household, and my husband and I thank God every day for the gift of Grace in our lives.