in the beginning

"You want it? Come and get it." -God

The mountains here are making me hungry.

I have now officially been in the beautifully overwhelming city of Denver, CO (with Youth With a Mission) for a week now, and it has given me a ravenous appetite. And an insatiable urge to run and look around, and breathe a lot more. (No mouth-breathing, no worries :)

We're still getting to know each other, in that awkwardly polite, toe-tipping kind of way...but since that isn't either of our scenes, I'm pretty sure we'll figure that out soon and just flat-out start dancing to a hip hop tune, occasionally stepping on each other's feet and laughing too loud.

I'm waking up every chilly morning, blinking into new sunlight, and surrounded by 7 other girls in my room. No divas here--they love sleeping in. They share their Milk Dud stashes with reckless abandon. I think it couldn't be better, and I'm probably right this time.

There are so many stories already, it's hard to find a starting-place.

For starters, I stopped in CO Springs the night before Denver, and having randomly called up a friend's married friends, joined them for a home-cooked, very deliciously vegan meal (complete with scrumptious rasberry cobbler made in a cast-iron skillet...oh word). The evening was complete with a cute toddler girl and big, shaggy dog named Magnolia (Maggie for short, but who would want to shorten that?). They gave me the inside scoop on YWAM, all encouraging, and made a complete stranger feel right at home, snarfing their cobbler and everything. And, to top it off, Rachel (the wife) lent me her polaroid camera just because I complimented it! Talk about hospitality and then some...praises, praises.

So anyway, it's been a get-to-know-you kind of week, lots of smiles and different countries to remember, stories that need telling still. I feel like my roomies and I are finally settling in, getting good n sassy, and it blows me away how much they want to be here, how much they're tuning in to what God is wanting to get rid of in their lives, how much He's restoring. A lot of them are younger than me, but so mature in their faith. In other words, they mean business...want to get their hands dirty to really get clean. I have utmost respect for them and have a lot to learn.

I've already gotten some wake-up calls, and am still trying to wake myself up in other areas--I love how much time is dedicated to worship and being alone with the Lord...but it's hard to vamp into different modes depending on what the time on the schedule says, you know? So I'm still adjusting, but it's a good place. I don't mind so much being told where to be and go, because it's relaxed most of the time, and heck, how often after high school in life do you really have such a timed schedule anyway?
(haha, I said the same thing about bunk beds but it looks like those are still around...I'm on a bottom bunk by the window if you're interested)

Anyway, it's been pretty quiet...there are geese outside and I see them flying every afternoon, to who knows where, only to come back to the pond nearby. I'm in a small group of 4 girls now, and they are chill and we click. It's gonna be a good semester of life, as Tamura would say :)

I miss everyone the way that you always miss a piece of you that went somewhere else for awhile. But even though I was panicking on the first day about whether or not I had made the right decision (yes, major cold feet), I am not regretting it at all now. It's good to have this time, and I know it's been a gift. So I'll continue unwrapping it and being happily surprised at the thoughtfulness inside...

much, much love.