twenty-nineteen was a rollercoaster year. it was a jumble of the highest highs and the lowest lows. it’s taken me until now, halfway through 2020, to be able to process and review the past year. it was hard. i felt sad and ecstatic, devastated and elated, alone and surrounded by beautiful community. 2019 simultaneously reached the polar opposite ends of the spectrum, and i walked away with an extreme balance of the painfully hard and the blissfully joyful.
so, instead of dwelling on the difficulties of the past year, i have created a highlight reel of my favorite moments from the year, month by month. it has brought me so much joy to go back and look through my pictures that captured such beautiful and happy adventures and moments and interactions.
january
my tini
winter walks
grace
S N O W
claire
onyx is our happy place
downtown hot springs, AR
girls’ trip
february
claire’s stand-up début
girls’ night at grace’s
brunch with my loves
galentine’s day
needtobreathe concert
valentine’s day
gilrs’ night
abi
march
taylor
kaine ray
morgan
justin
danielle
dusti
visiting my samuel
north carolina skies
april
work buds from alpha
coffe date with grace
cecily aka sizzles
coffee date
long walks
mochi mondays with cecily
date with abi
becca’s bridal shower
shortwave with nat nat
LANY
LANY concert with taylor
LANY
may
downtown springfield
emily
summer street
mother’s day brunch
my cuties
the og’s
CORE club
i have had the privilege of working with the most incredible humans
what a year. i learned a lot about love and loss in 2018. i wrote in my journal, “there was a lot of hurt in 2018, but i’m choosing to see it as an opportunity i wouldn’t otherwise have had to learn self-care, humility, and forgiveness. i am grateful for this year. i forgave. i trusted. i loved. i grew up.” in 2018, i changed a lot as a person. new experiences, new people, new goals and ambitions. i discovered more about my capabilities – traveled more, went out of my comfort zone and met new people, worked at a job that was super tough but so rewarding; i gained confidence. i learned to be assertive. i learned a lot about humility.
2018 was one of the most difficult years of my life. a lot happened, and instead of processing any of it, i took on the next thing and stuffed the tough emotions. i think i just stopped feeling for a bit; i went a little numb for a while. i lost two of my dogs – daisy passed away on march 26th, and lucy passed away on december 12th. tough bookends to the year. but their losses were an opportunity to remind myself what unconditional love looks like. (you don’t have to look any farther than your dog to see what it feels like to be loved completely and wholeheartedly!) i remembered to live in the moment and appreciate the little things more – i took a lot of walks outside, watched more sunsets, and spent more quality time with quality people.
two thousand eighteen was full of movement and growth, as well as creating my own community and growing roots. i really found MY people. i discovered MY unique skills and giftings and capabilities.
a note in my journal that sums up one of my most important discoveries from this year:
“it takes a village to form a well-rounded individual – that concept continues throughout life. so find a village that is worth pouring into and BEING poured into and influenced by!” this year, my most important takeaway was the importance of COMMUNITY.
2018.
daisy
precious puppies
lucy
sweet baby daisy
my daisy
lucy // cuddlebug
justin, jess, me + the joplin Falls
bass pro + jess
jess + lyndsey
tracks in the snow // adventures
my lil snowman
alpha hart dream team
alpha hart staff photo
four corners
dream team
tini + noah
st. louis zoo field trip
end of year cookie picnic
lots of coffee + trail walks
katy trail
the crossing kids club 2k18
kids club crafts table
one of many coffee dates w/cecily
my claire
mom + dad in iceland
hallgrímskirkja church, reykjavík
between two tectonic plates
thingvellir national park
icelandic horses
kerio volcanic crater
blue lagoon, iceland
spa day
trinity college library, dublin
ireland views
the giant’s causeway, ireland
rock of cashel
kissing the blarney stone
edinburgh castle
mary’s milk bar, 10/10 would visit again
arriving in inverness
canal by loch ness
family adventures
glasgow explorations
glasgow at dusk
family photo
sunset views
alkmaar, the netherlands
bikin’ & beachin’
beach day
soaking up the sun
belgian frites
belgian foliage ft. me
venice crew
venice
venice st. mark’s square
st. mark’s campanile
venice, gondolas
gondola ride
on the steps of basilica santa maria
verona ampitheater
verona views
verona
letters to juliet
fair verona
juliet’s balcony
afternoon tea
exploring the british countryside
van rides ft. theo + tito
tate modern, london
london overlook
st. paul’s cathedral, london
art :: claire @ the tate modern
travel buddy
la tour eiffel
crêpes, orléans, france
reunited
ma famille française
toan + i
le fac
revisiting my favorite café
la brasserie de l’indien
marc + elisama
my people ft. pure joy
le louvre
first day of school flowers
coffee d8 w/my tini
fav boy + farmers market hangs
3 redhead bridesmaides
kristen’s wedding day
my sami jo
baby boy’s growing up
fav humans
my nat
fall d8 day
apple pickin’
sweet lil’ sami jo
abi
grace
claire + clara
FALL
claire’s graduation day
post-work day hangs
brunch babes
big bro justin
NYE
this year was filled with ups and downs, adventures and discoveries, family and friends, and lots of self-discovery. main takeaway: find your people. find your community.
How do I start a blog post about the most challenging, yet rewarding, yet discouraging, yet inspiring, yet altogether revitalizing year of my life? I’ve been trying to pick a singular theme that defines the year, but all I can say is that in 2017 I really came into my own, so to speak. I pushed my limits, learned that I am capable of far more than I allow myself, and I learned the importance of loving what you do and embracing your passions.
– An excerpt from my journal/ overview of 2017:
“In 2017, I put my capabilities to the test. I spent the month of April backpacking Europe by myself. I stayed with/visited people with whom I made connections I had no idea would turn into anything more than a Facebook friendship. I surprised myself by enjoying time alone and being totally unafraid in new experiences. I made new connections by choosing to do things by myself and interact with others.
2017 also brought adulthood into reality. I began a real, adult job (paraprofessional for Columbia Public Schools), which brought a passion for education and these precious children. I love them more than I thought was possible – my heart physically hurts because it is so full! This passion brought new career considerations – a master’s in Special Education, perhaps? Do I still want to pursue Dental Hygiene? I am passionate about so many things, how do I choose just one?!
2017 gave me a taste of what it’s like to be an adult – taking charge of my life, making choices that benefit and grow me as a person.
I like where I’m at now, what’s next?!”
Photo documentation of my favorite moments is very important to me, so here is a collage of the best moments of 2017!
danielle (the bride) before she said “i do”
cutest parents
sami jo
abi
keri
claire
lightening storm dancing
danielle
ruth
kristen
taylor
daisy jane
fam
major chop
21st birthday
megan
william faulkner’s home, mississippi
we met in 2k16 in france, reunited in mississippi
univ. of ms
university of alabama
april: solo backpacking across europe
big adventures
english countryside stroll
scones
portsmouth dockyard
portsmouth
guildford
guildford castle
stonehenge-age hut
stonehenge
stonehenge w/ Jess
woodhenge
stratford-upon-avon
The Fourteas tea parlor
oxford, UK
oxford, UK
oxford, UK
paddleboat in oxford
sunday roast
Trinity College bell tower
Dublin
Ireland’s oldest pub
queen victoria’s university, belfast
ulster fry, northern ireland
belfast biking
titanic museum, belfast
belfast, ni
guiness brewery
guiness academy graduate
glendalough wicklow mountains
P.s. I love you Bridge
St. Kevin’s Cross
new friends + new experiences
cliffs of moher
Cliffs of Moher
cathédrale d’orléans
orléans aka home
orléans cobblestones
orléans, france
riverwalk w/marc
toan + i
ma famille française
Palma’s palms
fam: palma de mallorca
Can Juan de S’ Aigu
spanish treats
seaside
capdepera, mallorca
family
my fav soccer star
valldemosa, mallorca
valldemosa brunch
baby sis
fav mamas of fav baby boys
tucker
big bro justin
NOLA swamp + baby gator
NOLA
NOLA architecture
carnival dream cruise
ATV adventures in the belizean jungle
mahogany beach: roatán, honduras
“welcome to belize”
un-belize-able tour guide
mexico
Angel, tour guide
chichén-itzá, mexico
picnic in the park
annual bff summertime pic
pioneer woman mercantile w/mama
marlboro man
onyx coffee lab, obvs
TØP concert
home town tourists
patriotic 4th
chicken coop project 2k17
STL
big tree, CoMo
coldplay concert w/cecily
coldplay head full of dreams tour
coffee club brunch
coworker squad
Iowa
albert the bull, Iowa
IA
sista sista
THATH concert
the head and the heart, 9th street summerfest CoMo
FOB fans
fall out boy
Kaine Ray
JoMo
elementary school halloween
thanksgiving 2k17
sean
december 2k17 grad
graduation 2k17
MSSU graduate
candy cane crib, 2017
christmas dinner
end-of-year tradition: bowling
(be sure to mouse over the photos for captions!)
I’ve also been spending a lot of time enjoying the skies. 2017 was a year of looking UP, so in honor of that, here are some of my favorite skies from 2017. Enjoy!
leamington, UK
roatán
palma
belizean jungle skies
Palma de Mallorca
stonehenge, UK
joplin, MO
columbus, OH
columbus, OH
kirksville, MO
CoMo
total solar eclipse 2k17
CoMO
columbia, MO
big tree, CoMo
May 2018 be a continuation of growth and looking up!
At the beginning of 2016, I came across a quote from Roald Dahl that really resonated with me:
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you.
Because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.
Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”
It may seem as though this is one of those typical Pinterest quotes that people read, think “cool. that’s deep.,” re-pin it to their ‘dream board,’ and subsequently move on with their lives. But for me, it really ties in to a major theme I have developed in my life. Several years ago, I decided to make every effort to prioritize positivity in my attitude, my relationships, my words, my thoughts, and my actions. That started me on a journey that led me to a deeper understanding of what happiness and contentment look like in my life.
The result is a deep desire to look at the world around me with positivity, excitement, and wonder…with “glittering eyes,” if you will. I think the word “amazing” has been so drastically overused that it’s lost it’s depth and power. I want to look at the world around me and remember to be amazed. To look in awe at God’s creation and it’s history.
This year I was reminded that I don’t have to take a dramatic trip all around Europe to experience the magic that exists in this world. I simply have to open my eyes and watch the whole world around me. (side note: Europe sure was fun, though!)
2016 was a year of discovery for me – who I am, what I believe, how I process things and interact with others, what my aspirations are and what I am capable of… To me, my greatest takeaway from this past year is my desire to live a life that is not stagnant. I’ve noticed that my generation has become obsessed with the sense of adventure and “wanderlust,” and I must admit, I’ve felt the allure of the idea of traveling simply for the sake of escaping my comfort zone. However, I think that I’ve also learned that I don’t need to go somewhere to “find myself,” because I’ve already found who I am.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
“His mercies are new for you today.” Lamentations 3:23
“This is what the Sovreign Lord says to these bones: I will make breathe enter you, and you will come to life.” Ezekial 37:5
“You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13
—
This is a little montage of my favorite photos + moments from 2016:
Augustin, Amélie, Sylvie, Théophile, me
Orléans centre-ville
nouveaux étudiants étrangèrs à l’IDF
mes nouveaux amis
Paris day trip
l’arc de triomphe
la tour eiffel
typical tourists
paris + eiffel tower + sunset
blonde + brunette + redhead + Twingo
cathédrale
megan & moi
mes chères amies
leah + me in Barcelona
la Sagrada Familia
American Sarah + Aussie Sarah
sunset overlook of Barcelona
the Pantheon with Mr. Massey, the best waiter in the world
Rome, the ancient city
Trevi Fountain, Rome
typical tourists
shameless tourist poses
Trevi Fountain, Rome
the pines of Rome
overlook of Rome
the Vatican
leah = model status
inside the Colosseum
me + Colosseum
Salerno, Italy
city center, Pompeii
Temple of Apollo, Pompeii
Duomo di Firenze
lyndsey + easter chocolate
Americans in Paris
Versailles
megan + me + Versailles
Rüfüs in Paris
à la brasserie de l’indien
Jess + me
ma famille
mama + Louvre pyramid
the Catacombs of Paris
tea + scones + Jess
the London Eye
overlooking London
cutest couple
Rotenburg countryside
Nuremberg, Germany
French fam + American fam
brunch + coffee
GBU
camarades de classe
anglophone crew
rebels
clara’s college graduation
melissa’s graduation
tini & noah
CRU crew + fall getaway
former roomies/forever friends
MDHA redheads
barbara manatee feat. claire + sarah
cool wall feat. me + leather jacket
caroling with the cru
DH lab life
silver dollar city adventurers
christmas date feat. magic tree
–scattered 3am thoughts
p.s. mouse over the pictures for descriptions…they took forever. 😉
I feel like I have a constant stream of thoughts (“oh, I definitely want to write about that and share it with the world!”), but when I finally sit down to write, the blank white screen erases everything from my mind and I’m left typing “lol nope” and deciding to come back to it later. I’ve tried to start a new post for three days in a row now, but today I am determined to write this!
**Side note, it’s been over a month since my two-week vacation, (I got to travel around Europe!) and I still haven’t posted about it. Oops. I promise that very soon you will have an extra-long post with tons of pictures and detailed descriptions of the food that I ate. Because that’s basically what my vacation was all about: food and a few famous landmarks, when I had time to sight-see in between meals and snacks. 😉
This post is going to be dedicated to my favorite group of people in the whole wide world, the Groupe Biblique Universitaire (GBU) of Orléans. The GBU is a student-led group of Christians, and I’m not kidding – every single person in the group is intensely passionate for God! Growing up in the States (especially in the Bible Belt), I’m used to almost all of my friends being Christian. Being a believer is generally accepted as the norm where I’m from, which I love, but I have also noticed an alarming tendency of stagnant and lukewarm faith. France is a stark contrast – it is a predominately atheist country, and being a Christian is definitely very deviant. The people here made the decision to be different, and I’ve observed that the majority of Christians are profoundly passionate, genuine believers. My GBU friends are the real deal. I honestly cannot express what a blessing it has been to have such a tight-knit group of believers surrounding me and encouraging me.
This past weekend, we had a dinner together and made a traditional French dish: La Raclette. You basically melt cheese on a little hot plate and then pour it on potatoes. I cannot accurately express how wonderful it is, so I will simply advise everyone to come to France and eat some (well…eat everything, but especially La Raclette…). It’s a dish that is always better with friends, and I am definitely #blessedwiththebest! Have I mentioned that I love France?!
La Raclette: always better with good friends.
To be honest, back home I don’t have many stimulating and challenging conversations with other believers that “sharpen” my faith. (Not that my friends back home aren’t “deep” or “true Christians,” I’m more saying that in the past I haven’t been one to step outside my comfort zone and challenge my faith for myself.) This semester I have had so many amazing opportunities to discuss and challenge my beliefs. I can honestly say that I have never before grown so much in such a short period of time. Every day, I have an encounter that points me to Christ, and I absolutely love it! God is SO good!
At the beginning of February, we had a GBU weekend away in Bourges. It was such a great bonding time with the group! We had lots of great Bible studies and discussions, played many, many games of Uno, went on an excursion to explore the city that ended in a picnic and a little frisbee game, and laughed the whole weekend. The memories from that weekend will last a lifetime!
“cute faces, everyone!”
Basically, this whole post has been me gushing about how much I love these people. I tried to limit the overwhelming sentimentality, but it’s kind of impossible, so there you go. The next post will get back to more “look how great my life is/I get to LIVE here/what is happening/wow/so happy,” I promise. 😉
{Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron,so one person sharpens another.}
When I was planning for this semester, I promised myself that I would write a blog post at least every other week…lol yeah, right. Here I am two months later; hi guys, I’m still alive! I’m going to post 2-3 updates within the next few days, sharing my favorite experiences from my adventures since my last post.
Simply put, I love life in France. The lifestyle here feels so laid back, calm, and friendly. People walk everywhere or take public transportation, and I love that where I live is close to centre-ville (downtown), so I’ve been really enjoying taking walks and seeing the beautiful city of Orléans that I get to call home!
A classic street in downtown Orléans. These buildings were actually built during the Middle Ages!
A typical day in my life consists of getting up hurriedly (because even though I’m in a completely different place, in a completely different time zone, I still manage to be late to everything, every day of my life), taking the tram for 40 minutes across town to get to the university, spending the day in class, and then spending the evening with my friends or my host family.
I was placed in level B1 courses, and my favorite class by far has definitely been Civilisation. I’ve learned so many practical things that I wouldn’t necessarily have even thought to look into. My other classes are interesting, as well, though I sometimes get frustrated with feeling more advanced in some areas, and incredibly lacking in others. Comprehension and listening-wise, I feel like I am pretty advanced, but when it comes to responding, I feel like my language capacity just isn’t there. My conversational abilities have drastically improved, but I definitely can tell that I am not at the level I want to be. However, it is incredibly encouraging to have real, deep conversations with people in French without struggling!
I’ve met so many wonderful new friends this semester. In the part of the university I’m studying at, most of the American students are in the same general area, so I see my Americans every day. It’s nice to have people here from the same culture as myself, but at the same time, I feel like I don’t get as much of the immersion experience that I came for. We have all been making conscious efforts to get out and make French friends and actually experience the culture and the language here!
My Americans and I, Place D’Arc, Orléans
At the end of January, I took a day trip up to Paris with my Americans, and we hit the typical tourist locations – we started the day at a crêpe stand (I can honestly say I have never eaten a more delicious crêpe in my life than the one I ate there, maybe it’s the novelty of the experience, maybe it’s the truth, maybe it’s Maybelline…), we then made our way along the Seine to Notre Dame, and from there we explored a little, got a little lost, and finally made it to the Arc de Triomphe, strolled down the Champs Élysées, and ended the day at the Eiffel Tower. I honestly stood for forever in front of the Eiffel Tower with my mouth wide open, trying to get over the awe of actually being THERE. I’m still not sure if I can quite believe this is my life! We actually arrived right in time for the sunset and to watch the tower light up. It was truly breathtaking!
Behind Notre Dame in Paris with the Americans – Photo Cred: Megan
l’arc de triomphe
la tour eiffel
Just when I thought my life couldn’t possibly get any better, the next weekend I took a trip up to Normandy with an American and an Australian friend. We took a train to Caen, and from there we rented an adorable white Twingo to explore.
L to R: Aussie Sarah, Megan, Me
Photo creds: Aussie Sarah
We arrived on Saturday afternoon, so we spent the rest of the day exploring Caen. The picture on the left is the Cathédrale de Caen, taken from a vantage point at the Château de Caen, a huge castle that we got to visit, with a historical Normandy museum!
On Sunday morning we drove up to Omaha Beach, Normandy, stopping in Bayeux on the way. After visiting the beach, we visited the Normandy American Cemetery. It was such a humbling experience, and I am so blessed that I have found friends with whom I can share such incredible adventures!
Life in France has been such a marvelous learning experience for me. I definitely feel like I’ve grown as a person – in my faith, my thought processes, my approach to relationships…I can’t wait to share more about that. Next post, I promise. 🙂
One of the verses that has impacted me the most this semester is James 1:3;
“…the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” I cannot wait to share more about all that God has revealed to me and done for me this semester! He is good, all the time. 🙂
“…l’épreuve de votre foi produit la patience.” – Jacques 1:3
It is currently 12:22AM here in France. Jet lag is my least favorite thing in the world right now. So, I might as well write about all that has gotten me here to this point!
Friday, 1 January, 2016: Drove to St. Louis airport with parents, boarded first flight by myself, landed in Chicago, boarded first international flight by myself, didn’t get any sleep. — That’s basically the run down of the first day of the year & the first day of this experience. All in all, not a bad way to begin the new year! My flight from Chicago to Paris was only 7.5 hours, & the woman next to me was quite chatty, so we ended up talking & getting to know each other a bit.
Saturday, 2 January, 2016: Unfortunately, I didn’t get any sleep on the flight, so when we landed in Paris (10AM here, 3 AM in the U.S.), I was exhausted. But, my friend from the plane helped me navigate the airport & find the train station (la gare). Once there, I wandered around for a bit & bought my first French meal – French bread with butter, Swiss cheese, & deli meat. I can honestly say it was one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten!
I had to wait until 7PM for my train to take me to Orléans, which is where I am living this semester. That meant I had 9 hours to kill before departure. I decided to stay in the general vicinity of the train station & attempt to nap. I think I got a collective half hour, amidst all of the people-watching I did!
My host mom, Sylvie, and her oldest son, Théophile, picked me up at the train station & took me home. Right from the start, they were wonderful! Théophile is very welcoming & friendly & talks SO fast. He tried so hard to talk to me, but I kept asking him what he was saying and to please slow down! They ended up speaking to me in English, with bits of French mixed in. My brain was so tired that it was all I could do to keep up!
Once we got home, I met my host dad, Ludovic, his brother and sister-in-law (who were visiting), & Augustin, my host family’s middle child. They were so sweet & waited for me to get there to have dinner. In France, dinner is usually served later, but they waited especially late for me! I LOVE the way they do meals here. The table is always set properly (multiple spoons & forks for the different dishes, a water glass AND a wine glass, a fresh tablecloth…the whole nine yards), & they serve multiple courses! They even had a cute vase with little American flags set out for me! Our first course was «huîtres fraîches», fresh oysters, which I had never tried before. Suffice it to say, I didn’t hate them, but I don’t think they’ll ever be my first choice. 🙂
After dinner, I was exhausted so I went straight to bed. My room is amazing – I will have to post pictures of it soon.
Sunday, 3 January, 2016: Today. Jet lag hit hard, & I ended up sleeping until 3:30PM this afternoon. I spent the rest of the day unpacking & reading a French comic book they gave me – Astérix Chez Les Pictes. Today was a Catholic holiday, L’Épiphanie, and since my host family is Catholic, we celebrated with the traditional gâteau des Rois (King’s cake). The holiday commemorates the three Magi visiting Jesus Christ. Inside the cake, there is a small prize, & whoever gets the piece of cake with the prize is the king or queen & gets a crown! Amélie, the youngest child in my host family, got the prize, but she let me wear the crown for the picture. 😉
From left to right behind me you can see Augustin, Amélie, Sylvie, and Théophile.
So far, this experience has been nothing but wonderful. Tomorrow my host mom is going to take me around town & show me everything. We live in the center of the city, so I will be able to walk basically everywhere! But now, I should try to get some sleep so I can adjust to the time here.
ma vie en rose 