A Change in a Girl

Hello Friends

It's done.  I can't believe it.  I can truly say that I'm a graduate of Purdue University!!! :D  God has blessed me as a first-generation graduate for my family, and I am so thankful for this journey.   It's been a long, hard 5 and a half years at Purdue.  Yes, 5 and a half.  That's like 11 semesters!!  (I'll explain in a moment. )  I have been waiting for this moment since Spring 2010 with such anticipation that I've nearly fallen off my seat 8 or 9 times (metaphorically speaking).  Let's go back and look at the timeline.

January 2009: Galveston, Texas

For the 3-year anniversary of God forever changing my life, here is an entry is from before I began my blog.  It was important to add.  Please, enjoy.

The Trip

The trip itself was a blur to me.  16 hours in a 2 15-passenger vans with those same 20 people whose names I couldn't remember, some taco bell stops later we arrived in Dallas.  We stayed with one of the guy's parents in their beautiful home.  It was 70 degrees, beautiful night out with a star-filled sky above us.  We drove the 4 hours the next day to Galveston Island.  Hurricane Ike had taken its toll on the state.  It was in just as bad a state as Louisiana & Mississippi after Katrina.  We lived in the same guy's grandparents' beach houses.  The houses had filled with water but survived the terror of the storm.  The furniture replaced, we stayed in a sometimes-hot, sometimes-freezing beach house, but it was beautiful waking up to the sunrise every day and walking the beach at night in the sunset.  Never thought a mission trip could be so much fun!  

A New Chapter

In honor of my new, post-grad freedom, I am picking up new hobbies!! The goal is to use my free-time wisely.  No watching tv or napping for me! (well, I'll probably still nap)  Here is a list of everything that I want to do from now on!!

Knitting

Last fall I learned how to knit! Some friends and I had a knitting party, and after that most of us gave it up!  I was overwhelmed that 20 stitches and very thin yarn was getting me nowhere.  Almost a year later, I picked up thicker needles and thicker yarn.  In a month, I knitted 3 beautiful scarves; red, purple and green.  I gave them to 2 good friends and a mentor.  I found that it was more meaningful to give someone a gift that took me 8 hours to make than purchasing something.  I also found out that I'm a giver!