Surreal

This is a very late post. I wrote it a month ago, but better late than never:

It has taken me almost 2 weeks to write this. It's hard to put into words how I feel. I could not be more ready and excited to start this new chapter of my life, but change is always scary and this is a big change. My life from now on will be very different from what what I'm used to, and from everything I've known before. Now is the part where I head out into the big world and say this is who I am. It's weird to be at the point in my life where im no longer thinking about what I want to do or be when I grow up. Now I get to be it, which is equal parts exciting and daunting. What if I should have chosen a different path? What if I regret choosing this path? 

But the longer I live, the more I realize that even the bad decisions lead us somewhere we were supposed to be. And if you realize you're unhappy where you are or fall on your face, you pick yourself up and keep going. Because what did anyone ever gain by giving up except regret? Happiness is a choice, do what you love, be with the people you love, and laugh often. 

I will update my blog when I can and try to post pictures and such. The ocean awaits!! Two weeks ago I got my flight details for flying to Tampa to start my job with Carnival. I also started packing for the next 6 months, and my move to California simultaneously. While I've been going through my things and deciding what is essential, it really hit me that I'm actually leaving. I might be back in NC for a week to get my things together and then drive across the country, but honestly from here on Charlotte will just be a place I visit, no longer my home.

I'm so appreciative for the years I have spent in this place. I've learned some of the hardest life lessons here, I've had some of the greatest joy here, I attended Kindergarten-College here, and I grew up here. This place and the people in it have helped shape the person I am today, and for that reason I will always be proud to tell anyone on my ship, or any new friends on the west coast that I am from North Carolina. I will always look forward to visiting my friends and family here, and returning to this place that has come to mean so much.

It's funny how my whole life I couldn't wait to get out of North Carolina, and now that I'm actually doing it permanently there is all this nostalgia coming up. There are so many memories I have here, so many life-changing events. It's weird that I won't be around anymore. That being said though, I really cannot wait to start this next season of my life, I know I'm going exactly where I need to be.

Cheers!

Nomad, Gypsy, Explorer

For as long as I can remember, I've never really been one to get homesick. I might miss the luxuries or people that happen to be at my home, but if those could come with me, I would likely never return. Traveling has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up with all of my family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) living 14 hours away. Anytime we wanted to visit we would either drive, or hop on a plane. My Dad is a pilot, so I've been lucky enough to enjoy traveling a lot without paying for it for a majority of my life. Even at sleepovers as a kid, I was never the one to cry and ask to go home because I missed my family or my own bed.

There has always been something inside of me that wants to go. Go where? You might ask. Well, you see, it doesn't even matter. I am fascinated by travel of any sort. I love to visit a new culture, try new food, see how people live in other places. There is so much of the earth to see, and sometimes I feel overwhelmed because there is no way I could ever see all of it. But, I plan to try, because the moments I have felt most alive are when I am in a new place, surrounded by people who live so differently from me.

Even since I graduated high school, for 2 years, I never stayed in one place for more than 6 months. I moved to New York, toured the US, and worked at Disney World. One of the hardest things I have ever done was staying in one place for 4 years to get my degree. I traveled when I could, because the thought of staying put would drive me crazy. I don't sit still for very long, never have... never will.

Now, I have my degree, and a whole new world of possibilities is before me. First on my list? Spain! I visited Madrid, Toledo, Granada, and Barcelona. I did not want to leave. Spain is a gorgeous country full of interesting and mostly friendly people. Everyone is a night owl, so I fit right in. Going to bed at 2am or later, and not waking up before 10am. There is just a whole different spirit there, one that I would love to be a part of. So I guess I will add Spain to my list of places I want to live one day. :) It's getting a little long.


On August 2nd, I begin my adventure with Carnival Cruises. I have training in Miami onboard the Carnival Paradise! This is a whole new level of fun and excitement for me. I really can't wait! After I complete the training, I will be assigned to my ship for my 6 month contract. I'm really hoping for a Mediterranean cruise, but I know wherever I end up will be amazing. There aren't any bad places to go! I'm looking forward to making lots of new friends and memories these next 6 months.

Who knows what adventures will be next? I love that I don't! I plan to always go wherever the wind and my heart choose to take me.

HELP REUNITE LINDSEY AND LIMBERT!

In 2004, I went on my second over-seas mission trip to Cochabamba, Bolivia. We were volunteering at an orphanage called the Bolivia Life Center (BLC). The BLC housed about 25 little boys who had been rescued from the streets, or halfway houses. It was an amazing trip where I quickly learned how lacking my spanish skills were, but I also learned the value of making silly faces and tickling. No words needed.

I immediately connected with a little boy named Limbert. He was tiny (5 years old), but ridiculously fast on the soccer field. He had only 3 toes on each foot, and didn't grow. He loved to act like a monkey, and call all of the americans loco. Essentially, this little boy stole my heart. There was just something about him. He had this sparkle in his eyes, and enough energy for 10. 

I returned the next year, and the year after that. The BLC was beginning to grow, receiving more boys and bringing more teams to volunteer. They grew so much that they decided to start asking people to sponsor the boys. This is such a unique sponsorship because you can have a relationship with your sponsored child and go visit them every year if you like. I jumped at the opportunity to sponsor one of the boys, and I knew exactly who I would pick: Limbert. 

Since that time, I have returned to Bolivia every summer up until 2011. In 2009 I served as a summer host intern. I got to spend 6 weeks and the orphanage being a liaison between the American teams and Bolivian people, heading up work projects, leading sidewalk sunday school, and spending quality time with the boys.

In fall 2010, about a year and a half ago Limbert didn't come home from school, and the boys said his sister came to pick him up. I didn't even know he had a sister, and maybe that term is being used lightly, but basically he was living with her now and not at the BLC. Sergio (one of the BLC staff) went to talk with her about his medicine we had raised money to get so he could start growing again, but essentially no progress was made. 

The next time they went to her house, she and Limbert were gone, moved to who knows where with no forwarding address. I was heartbroken. This little boy who has completely changed my life could be anywhere and I may never see him again. What if he is on the street again, what if he is being abused? I didn't know. And haven't for 1.5 years...


Recently though, the boys had a parade for their school and some other schools in the area, and guess who was there with his school???!!! LIMBERT! He attends a school in Vinto (about 15 mins from the BLC) He even took a picture with Anna (who is a full time volunteer at the BLC)! He looks much bigger now.  He specifically asked for me and when I would be in Bolivia next. I cried when I read that email, and then became very sad because I wasn't going to Bolivia this summer. 

But, God is AMAZING! He has opened the opportunity for me to go with my Mom and Dad's team from their church in July. (It involves someone dropping out, and other things) But WOW! These things don't just happen. 

Also, apparently Limbert came to Church last Sunday and wanted to know when my family would be here so he could see us at church!!! Not only will I get to see all of the boys and staff at the BLC and Bolivian friends, but I will be reunited with Limbert! Every time I think about it, tears well up in my eyes. This is going to be quite the emotional reunion for me, and I will probably be a wreck the entire time. I just can't believe that 1. We found Limbert, 2. He wants to see us, and 3. I can go to Bolivia!

So now that I have the opportunity to go, I need to raise $1800 as soon as it is possible. Really, I need $1,000 immediately because they cannot buy my plane ticket until they have that money. This is quite the daunting number, but I am confident I can raise this money!


I am asking everyone I know if they would be willing to donate towards my trip. I'm calling it the "Help Reunite Lindsey and Limbert Fund." This kid is spectacular, and I am the luckiest to have know him at all. I could not be more excited to see him again!




If you can donate ANY amount (I'm serious, no amount is too small!) Please go to this website: 


http://www.lifecharlotte.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=159

There are directions from there that tell you how to donate. You'll need to register with your email, but that is so your donation can be tax deductible! Once you get to the final page, write in the amount you'd like to donate next to the Bolivia Missions trip box, and write my name in the box next to it. (Lindsey Fuselier)

If you would prefer to send a check, you can make it out to Life Fellowship Church, and write "Bolivia- Lindsey Fuselier" on the memo line. Checks can be sent to: 14923 Almondell Drive 

                                                                 Huntersville, NC 28078

Whether you can give or not, please share this page with you friends! There is power in numbers and the more people that know, the sooner I can raise this money!!

Thanks for reading my story, I hope it has inspired you in some way!

Pinterest #2

For Mother's Day I wanted to make something special for my Mom. I saw this awesome tutorial on Pinterest for how to make a fleur-de-lis design out of buttons in a picture frame, so I decided that would be perfect. We are French and from New Orleans, so fleur-de-lis' are always a win.

Here is the tutorial:
http://livingwithlindsay.com/2010/01/easy-artwork-thats-as-cute-as-a-button.html

(can I just say, her name is Lindsay so obviously this was going to be awesome!)

If you're too lazy to click over to her page, here is my guide:

Things you'll need:
1. A frame
2. Some type of adhesive
3. Fabric to cover the glass with
4. A stencil of whatever design you choose
5. Hot glue gun
6. Buttons!

How to do it:
1. Find a stencil of whatever you want online and print it out. Then cut it out.
2. Get some sort of fabric (I used T-shirt material) and cut it out to fit around the glass.
3. Glue the fabric to the glass. She says to use spray adhesive, but I didn't have any so I resorted to double stick tape. It worked fine but I may go back and use the spray to make sure it stays in place.

4. Place stencil where you want it, and trace with either pencil or fabric pen.

5. Lay out buttons to see how you would like them to fit.

6. Hot glue the buttons in the lines.
7. Put frame back together and VOILA! You have a pretty, 3D picture!

This craft was super easy and quick to do. It only took me about 20 minutes to complete once I had all of the supplies. My Mom loved it and showed it off to all of the other New Orleans people she was with after I gave it to her. Dad says it was very popular! So I would say this was another success!

Thanks Pinterest!

Pinterest

I have decided to start a blogging about different things I try on Pinterest. Recipes, crafts, decorating, remedies, etc. There are tons of awesome sounding things, but we all know sometimes those things work, sometimes they don’t. So, each time I try something new from pinterest, I’m going to blog about how it went: if it worked/was successful, if it’s worth doing again, how much time it took, and if it was fun!

The first thing I tried was a sunburn remedy. Last month, I went with my brother-in-law’s family to a car show at Lowes Motor Speedway. We were outside all day long, and although I was very good at reapplying sunscreen (I'm pretty fair skinned), I just assumed my legs would be fine. Boy was I wrong. I got a pretty bad sunburn on my thighs, just from my knees to where my shorts ended. I had read about a remedy on Pinterest for sunburn involving tea, so I decided to try it.

The remedy:

·      Brew a pot of tea. Any kind of tea will work, but I think the darker the better.

·      Let the tea cool to room temperature.

·      Sponge the tea onto the sunburned area. (I would suggest standing in your shower for this so you don’t make a mess).

·      Let it dry.

·      Go to sleep.

The next morning when you wake up, the sunburn should be significantly better.

I took before and after pictures of my legs:

Pretty amazing, huh?

I was shocked at how well it worked. I only did it the once, but I bet if you keep doing it every night it would be gone in a matter of a few days.

Overall this remedy works. It was successful, easy to do, took hardly any time, and was totally worth it!

Cruisin

So, for those of you who have been wondering... I got all of my results back from the nephrologist. I have something called proteinuria, which means there is protein in my urine but they are not sure what is causing it. The good news is that my kidneys at least for now, are working like they are supposed to. So she would like me to come in for tests every six months, but I am clear to work on a ship with carnival!!! YAY!!

Since there was a huge delay in me being able to turn in my medical paperwork, I ended up getting a much later date to leave for training. It is August 2. So I will now still be in Charlotte for this summer. I was a little bummed at first to be honest, I've been ready to leave since I graduated in December, and the thought of having to stay here 3 more months was rather disheartening. But, there are actually a lot of good things to come from this, and my timing is never as good as God's. So I'm going to wait patiently, and enjoy the time I have left with my friends and family in NC.

Some of the good things to come:
There are fun things happening that I won't be missing now! Such as:

1. My family is Cajun and pretty much every year we get together with other cajuns and have a crawfish boil. It is supposed to be around memorial day, and I thought I wouldn't be here, but now I am!

2. My sister and brother-in-law are going to Disney World with some of their married friends who have a 5 year old in June. I didn't think I would be able to go with them to get discounts and such, but now I can. So now the fun part begins. I have to work a shift at Disney between now and then in order to get my passes for 2012 and be able to get 3 of them in for free everyday. So we'll see what happens with that. I'm hoping it all works out!

3. My 24th birthday. I mean I'm sure being on a ship for my birthday would have been super fun, but I'm glad that I can have one last celebration here with my friends. Because, after Carnival it's LA indefinitely.

4. I'll be able to save even more money for my move to LA. I already have a nanny job set up for the summer where I will be making some good money, and I'm also looking for evening/weekend work so I can save as much as possible.

It feels so good to actually have a date for when I start. I can't wait for August 2, but oh man do I have a lot to do between now and then.

This is going to be a great summer!

Nephrologist

Tomorrow I have an appointment with the nephrologist (kidney specialist) to see if anything is wrong with my kidneys. I've been feeling really apprehensive about it, because there are a large number of different things that could be wrong, or it could be nothing. Hopefully I will know the answer to that tomorrow.

When I went to the doctor to get my medical paperwork filled out for Carnival, they of course did a urinalysis test for drugs and other things. The results showed that there was a lot of protein, which isn't normal. So next, I had to do something called a 24 hour urine test, and yep you guessed it. I had to collect every single time I had to pee for 24 hours. That was fun. That test showed pretty much the same thing, so my doctor has referred me to a specialist to figure out what is going on.


The things it could be include: kidney failure, glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the kidney cells that filter waste from the blood), heart disease, Lupus, Malaria, Leukemia, Sickle cell anemia, and a few others. It could be any of those things, or it could be none of them. One possibility is that I have a benign (or not) tumor.

The good news is that my blood work is showing that my kidneys are functioning normally, and I don't have any symptoms (pain in my lower back, etc.) So I'm very hopeful that it is actually nothing, but there is always the possibility that it is something. I've played out in my head the worst possible scenario which includes me having something that would prevent me from working for Carnival and being stuck in NC. I'm just hoping and praying that is not the case.

I have too many things I want to do, and dreams I plan to follow, sick or not. So if this is something big and life changing, I refuse to let it hold me back. I will not pity myself, I will instead find an alternate route to my goals. And that is the promise I have made to myself.

So much happiness!

Time to play catch up.

First things first:

1. I got the job with Carnival! And I will be leaving in April/May

I found out Friday afternoon, a week ago. I had been checking my phone constantly for an email. It's actually a funny story. They had said we would hear back Weds or Thurs, but I sent an email to my recruiter on Tuesday asking if she needed me to fax them a form that I neglected to bring to my interview. Her reply said, "So I guess you heard you got hired." And I wrote her back and said no that I hadn't heard yet, and she said she heard everyone she sent from the US got hired so I could probably start planning. Well, as exciting as that was to read, I didn't want to get my hopes up in case she was wrong. So, I was waiting with baited breathe for the official email from Carnival. Wednesday came, Thursday came... and nothing. I even wrote on the recruiting company's facebook to ask when they were sending the emails (this was Thursday afternoon), and they said they had been sent out today and if I didn't get one to contact someone. So then I was convinced I didn't get the job, because I didn't get an email. But, I emailed the lady it said to because I was pretty sure everyone got an email whether you were hired or not. Friday came and I still had no reply while I was boarding a plane to Ohio. When we landed and were allowed to use our phones again, I checked my email and there it was! I immediately started squeeling from excitement, and all I wanted to do was stand up, scream, and do a happy dance, but I couldn't because I was on a plane full of people and probably would have been tackled and detained. haha

2. I got to see two of my best friends last weekend, and surprised one of them. It was the best few days I have had in a very long time.

My friend Grant who lives in Chicago, and my friend Megan who lives in Ohio are my two best friends from the performing arts school I did in NY. We hardly ever get to see each other, and the last two times we have over the past year have both been for funerals in our immediate families. Grant's sister Heather, who I wrote a post about earlier in January, and Megan's Mom. I kept saying how we really needed this because it would be our first reunion in a long time for only happy reasons.

Megan was the Artistic Director for a thing called the LOVE concert that her and her friend Lexi put together over 7 months. They both choreographed and/or performed in the pieces. It was a huge ordeal, and I called Grant in January to say that we should both surprise Megan and show up to the concert. Well, everything worked out perfectly, and Grant flew to Charlotte, then we both flew to Canton together.

PS- He was sitting next to me when I got my email from Carnival, and held my arms saying, "I think you're going to explode from excitement."

And I almost did.

Not only did I get the news that I got my dream job, but I had an emotional reunion with one of my best friends in the Charlotte airport, and then surprised another one that night. Too much excitement all in one day.


Grant and I went to the concert, where we had 7th row center seats. There were so many times we thought Megan saw us and the surprise was ruined. But, after the show we waited in the lobby for her to come out. I had made a sign that said "Love brought me here from Charlotte" and Grant made a T-shirt that he drew the Chicago skyline on, and wrote Chicago loves and Love wins always on it. We held up our sign/t-shirt and she walked out, did a double take, then yelled, "SHUT UP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!!" Then we ran and basically tackled her. I'm sure everyone standing in the lobby was thoroughly confused.

We had the best weekend ever though. Also, Megan and Lexi are who I will be living with in CA, so that made this reunion even sweeter. I can't wait.

3. Everyone I know is trying to set me up. It's a little ridiculous.

First, one of the moms of a family I nanny for tells me she wants to set me up on a blind date with her friends younger brother. I laughed really hard and told her I would think about it. I ended up saying yes, because it's something I've never done, and I figured it could be fun. So that will be happening sometime in March. I'll let you know how it goes.

Then, at a wedding I went to yesterday, my Mom keeps saying how cute the groom's brother is. Then at the reception she comes up to me and says, "His name is Brian, he's 26, and he's single." HAHA and later still comes up again and says, "He lives in Knoxville." Thanks, Mom. I didn't even speak to, or meet Brian yesterday, but it was funny.

But, something I keep having to explain to people is that right now, I actually ENJOY being single. It's like no one believes me. But, I truly have never been happier to not be in a relationship, and so happy I'm free of the one I was in. I don't want to start out my Carnival adventure by starting a new relationship in NC, then leaving for 6 months, then moving to CA, possibly indefinitely. Nope, I'm just fine depending on myself, and I am having the time of my life.

4. Lastly, yesterday after said wedding, my sister and I got tattoos. It's on our sides, and we each got half of an E.E. Cummings quote. I have, "I carry your heart with me" and she has, "I carry it in my heart", and they each have a flower called a forget me not next to it. We got it because that phrase has always made us think of each other, and we wanted something to remind us of the other even though we aren't always in the same place. I also got a small tattoo on my wrist of a lower case h, in heather's handwriting. I can now always have her with me, and I can't wait to tell people about her when they ask about my tattoo. I love them both and really couldn't be happier with them. The rib tattoo, hurt so so bad though. I made many funny pain faces, that my loving big sister gladly took pictures of, and I squeezed her hand so hard that my thumb turned purple. haha

 my h.

I'm the left, Lauren is the right

So, those are the big updates right now. I'm just trying to get all of my paperwork filled out for Carnival, and waiting to start my adventures!

Interview Success!

This past weekend I traveled to Toronto for my interview with Carnival. I also got to see two of my friends from the HIS study abroad program I did in Korea this summer. I love reunions so so much.

Jason and Jennifer picked me up from the airport and of course we went straight to this korean restaurant and got Dakgalbi (chicken dish with lots of other tasty things in it) for dinner. It was so good, although not quite as good as Chuncheon's. We also made sure to get some Soju (essentially korean vodka) and reminisced about our summer in Korea. I so wish we had a place like that in Charlotte, I would seriously go all the time. After dinner, we decided to check out a norebang (singing room/karaoke). We had a blast singing songs, and of course Jason hogged the mic, haha!


Saturday I had to wake up very early to take a subway and bus to get to the school where my interview was. It was FREEZING cold and very windy, and I had to trek through the snow to get to both the subway and the building where my interview was. There were about 20 people being interviewed and there were four others from the US. The two guys doing the interviews were hilarious, laid-back and really made the whole experience so much fun. First we had a presentation for the whole group learning about Carnival and what our jobs would entail, and they answered all of our questions. We played a game where we had to in groups of four and each tell a story but only one was true, and everyone else had to guess which one. I guess it was to see how we spoke in front of a group of people and to see our personalities a bit. Then they assigned us individual interview times and we all left to go get food. I ended up interviewing at the same time as a Canadian girl who offered to drive me back to the subway so I wouldn't have to wait for the bus. We mostly joked around with the guys, and they asked us all of two "interview" questions and then they would go off on some tangent and laugh again. I felt really good about the interview, and they seemed to really like me, so I am very hopeful. I should know by the end of this week whether or not I got the job.


After my interview I headed back to Jason's house and took a nap because I was thoroughly exhausted. One of his roommate's birthdays was that weekend so we ordered chinese and had cake and canadian beer (which was very good by the way) and watched episodes of How I Met Your Mother. Then we decided it would be fun to go back to the norebang, since everyone else had never been there. We once again rocked out to some epic songs, and the korean guys that worked there kept giving us extra time for free. I think they really liked that we came back and brought more people with us. We got back to Jason's place pretty late, around 3ish. So I got what sleep I could and then had to be up to pack and leave for the airport. I had a blast, and I definitely want to go back to Toronto to see and explore more, maybe when its a little warmer.

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

 HIS reunion. Love these two!

 Dakgalbi!

 SOJU

 사랑해

 It was snowing!

 I was really excited about the snow. Little did I know how much I would hate it in the morning. haha

 Jen and I at Norebang

 Waiting for the subway on the way to my interview

 View of downtown Toronto from Jason's apt

 Canadian beer

As I was leaving

It's February?

I can't believe it's February already, time is going by fast, which is okay by me because I want to be in LA. I have my interview with Carnival this Saturday. I'm a little nervous but also very excited. This will decide what the next year of my life will look like, and I'm really hoping part of it is on a cruise ship, we shall see.

I hurt my foot last week. Apparently I gave myself perennial tendonitis from walking all over NYC with boots that aren't made for walking. (pardon the pun) When Dad and I were walking down the concourse to take our flight from NOLA to Charlotte, I couldn't figure out why it hurt so much every time I put weight on my right foot. I spent most of last week limping around and taking it easy, just hoping it would go away on its own. But by Thursday I had enough and I went to the doctor. They did x-rays and everything but nothing was broken, just really inflamed tendons. I have to ice it 3 times a day, and I've been wearing a boot because it hurts a lot less when I do. Today though, it is feeling much better so I think I might leave the boot at home. I might regret that later...

My sister was home for about 24 hours this weekend. She came in for our friend Mandi's bridal shower on Saturday. I saw many ladies I have not seen for a long time, it was good to catch up and watch Mandi open all of her presents. My sister and I also made an appointment for something on Feb 25. I'll let you guess what it is, and I will post pictures after it happens. I'm really excited about it!

I started watching Quinn this past Friday morning. He is 3 and precious, and absolutely adores me. His mom said he even wanted me over grandma, and that's saying something! haha

Anyway I took this hilarious video of him, because earlier we were watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and I asked him if Mickey was his favorite, he said no and when I asked who his favorite was, he said, "ME!"

I love my job!

Expert Traveler

I love to travel anywhere, but man is it exhausting! This past weekend I flew to New York to visit my best friend Allison. She's been living in Brooklyn for a year and a half now. She has an adorable apartment, a great roommate, and tons of fun things to do all the time because, well... it's New York! Saturday I also got to see my pseudo big brother, Joel. He lives in Philly now, but took a bus up to NY for the day with his friend. We walked around the city, got coffee, spent some time in central park, and then met up with some of his friends for dinner. It was a short visit, but so wonderful to see him! I must make a trip to Philly soon, to see where he lives now. 

After Joel and his friend left, I was on my way to Union Square to meet up with Allison's roommate since she was at work. I had the funniest experience with an Italian man. I will give you a play by play.. you can't make this stuff up. (mind you this was all in an italian accent)

I was waiting for the light to change so I could cross the street, and I realized the person next to me said something to me but I didn't quite hear them, so I turned to see what they wanted.

As soon as I lock eyes with him, 

Italian man: Oh! Such a pretty face too! 

Me: nervous laughter, ummm thank you?

Italian man: Where are you from princess? I saw you standing there, and I thought she is the one for me! When you turned around, I knew that I loved you.

Me: Wow, haha, I'm from North Carolina.

Italian man: (the light has changed so he puts my arm in his and walks with me) Oh, you do not live here? 

Me: No, I'm visiting a friend.

Italian man: Oh! well, I give you my number, and next time you come, you stay with me!

Me: Well, I'm not really sure when I'll be back. I'm moving to California. 

Italian man: Luck is not with me tonight! I am so sorry princess. I will leave you be. I am so glad to have met you. (and he turns and walks away).

I had a good giggle about that all the way to Union Square. And no, he did not pick pocket me, which was my mother's assumption. 

After Allison got off work, her roommate and I went with her to a party in Brooklyn. Someone she worked with was having it, so she only knew one person, and we only knew her, but it was so fun! Everyone was really nice, and we all had a good time. It was also fun because we got to dress up! Everyone was wearing dresses and suits. Real  classy ;)

We ended up pulling an all-nighter because I had to be on a plane at 6:30am and there was no point trying to sleep. When we eventually got back to her apartment, I had just enough time to shower, pack up my stuff, and call a cab a 4am to take me to Laguardia to catch my flight. 

I flew to Charlotte, and met up with my Dad, then we both took a flight to New Orleans. The gate agents were super nice, and let my Dad and me have first class seats! I slept very well on that flight. We landed and one of my aunts picked us up and brought us to her house, where I took a quick nap and then got ready to attend the surprise 50th birthday party for my other aunt. 

There were tons of aunts, uncles and cousins of my Dad's that I've met probably at least 10 years ago, so I didn't know them but they knew me. I just kept hearing, "Oh! Is she one of Gary's?" and would say, "I sure am!" haha My aunt we had the party for was definitely surprised, and we had a great time celbrating. It was good to see my cousin Bryan and finally meet his girlfriend, and my grandparents. That night we spent some time with Grandma and Grandpa, and then Dad and I headed to bed since we took a 7am flight back to Charlotte this morning.

I worked this afternoon, and now I am beyond exhausted. This weekend was great though. I went all up and down the east coast, and got to see so many people I love!! I'm looking forward to next weekend though when the only place I have to go is a bridal shower.

In other news, I had my initial phone interview with the Cruise Recruiting company. It went very well and she invited to the final interview with Carnival in Toronto on Feb. 11th!! If that goes well, I will be working a 6 month contract with Carnival! I'm very excited, and I really hope I get the job. I will also get to see some friends from study abroad in Korea that live in Toronto that weekend. Can't wait.

And of course here are some pictures from my weekend adventures:

 Big Brother, Joel!

 Allison outside of her apt.

 My baby cousin Bryan

 Dad excited to surprise his sister

 Allison!

My beautiful Grandmother.

Happy Birthday Sister!

This past week went by pretty fast, I worked, read, and played guitar. This weekend my sister and brother-in-law were in town because my sister's birthday is on Monday. It's always fun having them here. We went to see some good friends and their clan of 6 kids on Friday. I love watching them as a family, there is so much love, understanding, and acceptance. I hope that if/when I have kids that I can be something like them. We played games on the wii, read books, played with toys, and were serenaded by a 6 year old holding a guitar. :)

Saturday my sister, her husband, and I all went to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D! All of these Disney movies from my childhood being in theatres again makes me seriously miss being a kid. I still laugh in all the same places I did as a kid, and Disney movies are still magical to me.

Alright 3D glasses!

Saturday evening was my sister's birthday dinner at Brixx. There were about 11 of us. Laughs and amazing pizza were had by all. After dinner we all went back to my parent's house and had coffee and key lime pie cupcakes that my mom made. They were heavenly! Everyone gave Lauren her gifts, I got her Disney wine glasses and I made this:

It's pictures of us from the last 6 or 7 years of significant life events like graduations, prom, her wedding, or fun trips we've taken together. I think she really liked it, and I really liked making it and remembering all of those fun things we did.

I love my sister so much. She is my only sibling and my older sibling, so even though I may have disliked her when we were younger, she has always been there for me. I am so happy that she is married to a wonderful man, works at a great job, and is the successful woman she is today. She is strong, smart, beautiful, and I definitely got lucky in the sister department. I know 26 will be one of the best years yet for her!

This Thursday I have a preliminary phone interview with the cruise recruiting company, and if that goes well I will have an interview in Toronto on February 11th. So this cruise thing might actually happen! Although I've found myself being a little torn between working on the cruise and moving to LA sooner. If I work on the cruise ship, I won't be able to move to LA until September, but I will save a whole lot of money. If I move to LA in May I might be out more money, but I will be in LA. I've kinda decided if I make it all the way through the interview process with the cruise and get hired, it's probably a sign that I should do it. LA will still be here when I get back, and I will be much more financially stable to make that move.  So, we shall see.  

This week, I might get my second job, and this weekend I'm going to NYC to see some people I love dearly. I'll be sure to pack warm!

Updates

Life is picking up.

Things are moving faster.

The kids I watch on Mondays are adorable. One is almost 2 and the other is 5 mos. so they are definitely a handful but I love watching them, they are so sweet. The kids that I pick up from school the other 4 days of the week are in 7th and 8th grade, they think I'm pretty cool. I drive them to and from their respective sports practices and other activities. It's a pretty chill job and they pay me very well. I'm also going to start watching a little boy I nannied for last year in the spring semester on Friday mornings. He is 3 and absolutely adores me. We have lots of fun together. :)

I have a job interview tomorrow at Barnes and Noble, so hopefully I will get it and then I will be making a decent amount of money most of which will be going into my savings account (or my LA account as I have been referring to it recently). I'm so thankful my parents are letting me live with them/eat their food right now while I figure out where I will be ending up next. Seriously makes saving money so much easier!

In other news, I got an iphone 4s last week, so I've been learning how everything works for it and thoroughly enjoying having an awesome piece of technology in my hands. I really wanted to get an iphone because if I am on a cruise for 6 mos. it will be easy to connect with people via skype since I will have it in my hand at any given time.

Tomorrow after my interview I am going to get head shots taken. I haven't had head shots done in a while, so it is definitely time to update them. I want to start auditioning for things when I move to LA so I'm getting all of my ducks in order right now. I'll be sure to put a few on here, assuming I like them. ;)


I've learned a few more songs on guitar, and I even made a video of one. If you'd like to watch it, click this here link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rneJBqBwkgY
I feel like I'm getting better with transitions and finger placement, but I have a long way to go before I would ever get up on a stage and play for people.

So I'm just trying to keep up with life as it keeps moving, and I'm working towards my goal of moving to LA.

I can't wait to live here!

Heather Lynn

This Thursday marks one year since a very influential person in my life was taken from this world. Heather, better known as H was my small group leader when I did my Discipleship Training School with YWAM in New York. I was 18 years old and had just graduated high school when I embarked upon this 6 month journey with 35 other people. I had no idea how much my life would change because of the experiences I had there.

I remember the first time I met Heather, I was sitting in the foyer playing UNO with some of the other students who moved in that day. She came running in screaming, "OH MY GOSH! THE STUDENTS ARE HERE!" If you knew Heather, you know that caps lock is must when quoting her. She was the loudest person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Throughout the 6 month school H became one of my favorite people. She just had this lust for life, and a way of making everyone she talked to feel like they were her best friend in the world.

I got to watch her minister to thousands of middle and high school students when we were on tour. She would be sitting at a lunch table with these kids making them laugh, and within minutes the crowd of students would double. Everyone wanted to be around her, because she was so full of life.

I remember when we were in Vegas, I got really sick. I went to the Doctor and they said I had tonsillitis, so they gave me some drugs to knock me out because we were about to drive to Orange County. I remember being miserable in the back of that bus for the drive. We finally got to the place we were staying and my fever was much worse. She set up my blow-up mattress in a room upstairs, and then she sat next to me and melted ice cubes on my feverish head and prayed for me (She also ate a few of the ice cubes). She never left my side until I fell asleep.

After our school ended, I didn't get to see H very much since she lived in NY and I was either in NC or FL. The last time I got to see her in person was at the YWAM reunion in fall 2008. I cherish that memory, because we sat by the elevator of the hotel everyone was staying at and talked for hours. We got to catch up and she went into small group leader mode and listened as I poured my heart out to her. She gave me some advice that night that has stuck with me forever.

I remember when I got the call that she had passed away. I stood stunned while her brother could barely speak on the other end of the phone.

 "Heather was in an accident," he said. "Lindsey... she, she died."

It was like the breathe had been knocked out of me.

 I was at a friends house and he looked my face and said, "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not."

And then I cried into his shoulder for a while.

I flew to Ohio and then drove to Chicago with one of my best friends to attend her funeral. It was a beautiful celebration and remembrance of her life and her legacy. But, something changed in me that day. I still struggle with why God would take someone so beautiful and loving out of this world. Why Heather? I still don't have an answer to that question. And I may never have an answer.

What I do know is that Heather left a legacy behind her. I can't tell you the number of people her life has touched even after her death. You can see for yourself. Search for Heather San Parman on facebook, you'll see what I mean.

Heather lived and loved out loud for everyone to see. Her last facebook status said, "Don't pretend to love others, really love them." And that's exactly how she lived her life. When everyone was in Chicago for the funeral, her family had pulled out all of her journals and we were reading through them. I wrote this down from one of them. It inspires me daily.

"At the end of the day it's what you do and say that makes you who you are. Makes you think about it, doesn't it? Sometimes all it takes is one voice... Take what you want, steal my pride, build me up, or cut me down to size. Shut me out but I'll just scream. I'm only one voice in a million. You ain't taking that from me."

-h.

So I'm left with my memories of a beautiful life and a challenge to attempt to live and love the way she did. She will never be forgotten. I challenge you to do the same.

I'll leave you with some pictures and a song about Heather.

Here are the lyrics to the song that a mutual friend wrote about Heather:

                                                        A life like I've never known

                                                         A love like I've never seen

                                                         A spark to light up a room

                                                         A fire that caught onto me

 

 A friend who'll tell you the truth

When you don't know who to be

My God I don't understand

Why you had to leave

What is the measure of life

Is it time spent with family or friends

Or  what you've done

What is remembered of life

Is it all the things you said

Did you keep the faith or run the race

Well either way, you won

It's hard to go on living life the way it was

Without you here to cheer me on along the way

But I'll remember all the time we got to share

Try my best to smile through the tears

The loudest person I knew

Or had the pleasure to meet

A heart as big as the moon

A love song stuck on repeat.

you can listen to the song here if you'd like: http://soundcloud.com/seannypower/heathers-song


Miss you H. Thank you for loving the way you did.