So it looks like this is going to be a thing with me... once a year catching up. I'm not too sure that any of it really matters a whole lot anyway but... just in case.
My year of firsts:
First time to Disneyworld and Universal (ie Harry Potter World!)
First time being a mom for a whole weekend
First time holding my day-old niece
First time 100% doing my own taxes (adulting is the worst)
First time going to a palm reader (palm was not read...)
First time seeing Sound of Music IN THEATERS!
First time to Kirtland (SMILE Zion's Camp!)
First time moving away from Virginia
First time living in Washington state
First time hiking in the Columbia River Gorge (lots of waterfalls)
First time buying a car! (first time registering said car-- so much moneys)
First time driving in Portland (save me!)
First time going to the temple alone
First time eating at Voodoo Donuts (once is kinda enough)
First time teaching dance outside of Utah
First temple sealing (Caitlin and Joshua! WOOT!)
First time being main planner of a road trip (Mindy being the co-planner)
First time to Vegas without family (MINDY!)
First time to see BIGBANG (aka 1st time to have physical proof why Daesung & I were meant to be) (MINDY!)
First time MEETING BIGBANG (Does holding hands count?) (MINDY!)
First time shadowing a physical therapist
First time doing aerial yoga
First time to the ballet (Chinese Shenyun to be precise)
It's been almost a year to the day since I last bestowed my verbal wit upon this blog [insert laughter here] and I can clearly recall where I was last January. I was sitting at my desk at Habitat for Humanity SHR, on break, when the urge struck and so off I went. Well, today, I am sitting at my desk in my room in Washington state. Way way across the country. The move from Virginia to Washington happened in May of last year. Well, actually, I was in Utah for a while, but then I came to Washington. And what do I have to say about it all? Washington is absolutely beautiful. It's green and the sky is huge and mostly cloudy. It rains a good deal but I was expecting it and the rain never bothered me anyway. ;) I miss the people in Virginia. I miss the branch. Caitlin, Kim, Emily... I miss you girls. I miss the neighborhood, I miss the Gardens. I miss the DC temple. I won't list off the things I don't miss; it's obviously not important.
Washington doesn't have a Caitlin or a Kim. Or Jackie or Missy or Katie or Mindy. I do have an Emily... luckily for me, one of my old BYU roommates lives in the same town that I do! Just a 15ish minute drive away. We have our weekly Tuesday night hangout where we watch our favorite shows together (Castle, Quantico, etc) and bring each other up to speed on the happenings. (Usually it's me telling her some story about the singles ward.) I teach dance at a studio about 10 minutes away and I enjoy it. It's not a lot of hours but the pay is great and the work is fun. I also take aerial yoga once a week (wish it was more). Aerial yoga is a fantastic workout and it's easy on my bones. I love it.
I'm still with my cute little babies (two of them - the two most adorable little girls in the whole wide world) and I love it more than I ever have. Maybe because it's harder than it was before, when there was just one, but it's so fulfilling. Granted, I think they're blessing me more than I'm helping them, but I do the best that I can. G is 2 and she certainly knows it. It meaning everything. She is so intelligent and crazy stubborn. She keeps me on my toes and I worry already that she's smarter than I am. She speaks in clear, full, complete sentences. This morning at breakfast, she announced to me that her little sister was "trying to grab her aquaphor." L is almost a year old. I can't believe that. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was driving to the hospital to see her for the first time. But it's true. The little chunk of love is 11 months next week. She is so expressive and adorable. When she wants to snuggle it's just the best thing in the world. Being able to spend so much time with these two... it makes me stop and think just how very lucky I am. This is a time that I won't be able to experience in the same way again and I am counting my blessings every minute of the day.
It's been nearly two years since I graduated from BYU. It's flown by. And I have spent that two years trying to figure out what exactly it is that I should be... want to be doing with my life. And, if you've kept up with me, you'll know, there's never been an answer. Not one single answer anyway. Like Heavenly Father has sort of stepped back and said, "You'll do the right thing- whatever it is." I've prayed, I've gone to the temple, I've fasted, I've agonized and cried and felt anxiety and depression over and over again, trying to figure it out. All the advice I've received has been good and was usually along these lines: "Just pick something. The world is your oyster. You can do ANYTHING. You just have to do something." While it is all true, it's not very helpful. Just letting you know. After many discussions with my sister, a thousand more prayers, I went to the temple, determined that I would have some sense of direction upon departure. I was sitting in the Celestial Room after a rather rough session, feeling confused and a little frustrated. So I poured out my soul to Heavenly Father, as I have done over and over and over and over again. When I'd laid it all out before him, something seemed to click in my mind and I said this, "Heavenly Father, I'm going to choose this path. I still don't know if it's the right thing but I'm going to head this way. If it's wrong, STOP ME." The path is physical therapy.
I spent a lot of time in the athletic training room at BYU with Ron Nuttall (one of the best men that I've ever known and a personal hero) and I think it was then that I developed some sort of interest. The truth is that I've always been interested in how the human body works, particularly as it relates to injuries. That comes with being a dancer. And I've always been drawn to help those who had injuries, curious as to how it happened, what steps they'd taken to care for it, etc. I looked into the athletic training program at BYU but for numerous reasons, it just didn't happen. So here I am, a few years later, following my faith, because that's really all I've got right now. More prayers, more discussions, lots of research later, I decided that the doctorate program was a little more than I was willing to invest in my present state of mind. It didn't seem like the right timing or the right fit for me. My sister recommended looking into the physical therapy assistant degrees and so I did. And yesterday I applied to the certified program in Salt Lake. There have been a lot of bumps in the road, hoops to jump through and ruts to maneuver, but I'm plunging ahead with my faith and my prayers as the guiding force. We shall see where this takes me, but, if everything goes right, I will be back in school sometime later this year.
Nothing is ever easy, especially not the things that are worth it. But we learn and we grow. And when we turn around and look at how far we've come, we wouldn't usually trade the things we've been through, because those trials and obstacles have made us the people that we are today. It is our choice which way we grow- grow to be more faithful and positive or more bitter and pessimistic. God loves us. Each and every one of us. I have never doubted it but I certainly know it now with more surety than I did two years ago. The last year has by no means been an easy one. In some respects it's been one of the hardest so far, but it doesn't change the love that my Lord and Savior have for me, nor I for them. My very life is a witness of God's love and I will gladly share it with anyone who asks.
Well, I think that's everything. Until next year, friends!
Showing posts with label life decisions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life decisions. Show all posts
Friday, January 22, 2016
Friday, January 23, 2015
Playing Catchup
Ah hey. It's been another... almost year! I don't really have any excuses for not writing. I guess my life kind of went in another direction and blogging about it didn't seem like a thing that I should be doing? I can't really say for sure. Because, as far as my boring life goes, quite a lot of stuff happened.
So... recap:
Summer 2013: I went to South Korea for a couple months. It was an exciting time. There were good and bad times. I learned a lot. I did not come back fluent, but I was competent enough to travel across the country on my own with a friend who spoke the same amount that I did. (Which, in retrospect, was definitely not enough...) Back in Utah, I spent the rest of the summer playing with my sisters and devising my schedule for the coming school year. Which is when I found out how very close to graduation I was. Which freaked me out a little bit. But it was long past due so I figured I would give it my all. However, the closer to the start of semester I got, the more I realized that I wasn't really prepared to graduate. I didn't feel as though I had fulfilled all that I wanted to. I didn't feel accomplished, or prepared to enter the workforce. Man, I didn't even like my major! I had no plan, no notion of what I was going to do after graduation. I didn't even have a hint of an idea as to what kind of job I wanted to get. Buuut... BYU pushed me to graduate. In fact, they wanted me to forget my minor and my language classes; they wanted me to finish in a semester and graduate in December. I pushed real hard for that extra semester...
Fall 2013/Winter 2014: School. My last year. I spent the fall teaching dance in Pleasant Grove and taking something like 16 credits. I was stressed about money- as much as I loved teaching, it was a long drive and not enough hours to really get me through my bills. So I was also looking for a job. Thank goodness for connections! In December, roommate introduced me to Jeff Strong, a fantastic BYU police officer who gave me a job at the Museum of Art on campus. And I took the early shift. Kill me, I was up at 4:30 every morning, but I enjoyed the work and I needed it. My second semester was a race against time. I cared more about my language class than I did about any of my major classes. I was graduating in just a few months and the only thing topping my enormous pile of regrets was the fact that I was terrified of what I was going to do after BYU. I hated myself for the decisions that had led me to where I was academically. But I was graduating and there wasn't much I could do about except try to pass my classes. (Which I did, in case you were wondering.) Some time in March, I got a call from my sister Katie, who lives in Virginia with her husband and daughter. She told me that her nanny couldn't work for them anymore and was wondering if I would like to come to Virginia for the summer to watch my niece. I prayed. I pondered. I was ready to get out of Utah and here was my opportunity. So I jumped.
Summer 2014: Never did I ever think that I would be living in Virginia. But Grace is the sweetest, cutest, most wonderful little one-year old in the world and I am SO LUCKY that I get to spend so much time with her. It was a very different kind of summer, but I enjoyed it. I liked the new atmosphere, meeting new people, attending a tiny branch of singles that was the polar opposite of any BYU ward I'd attended. I miss Utah. I miss my family and friends. I miss the familiarity. I miss the mountains and the church. But I've learned a lot. Not just about the world, but about myself. Things I probably wouldn't have learned if I'd stayed in Utah. I started searching for life options. Go back to school? For what? What did I really want to do? Go back to Utah? Get a job? Move to Korea and teach English? Nothing was really very clear. And it was stressful. Lots of praying and hoping. And faith. Lots and lots of faith. Because I know, regardless of what does or does not happen, that Heavenly Father will guide me.
Fall 2014: Trying to get a better idea of what I wanted to do... found out my sister was having another baby and it was like an answer to a prayer. I needed to stay in Virginia. It wasn't my plan, but I knew it was right. I got a calling in the branch's relief society presidency and another job at Habitat for Humanity in the family services department. Also a lot of new experiences. I never thought I'd be the "crazy Mormon" but at Habitat, I am!
Now: It's 2015 and I'm still no closer to making a discovery about a life path. It's one of my New Year's resolutions though! ;) A chance to go to Korea to teach English with a friend came up. Initially, I was feeling okay about it. I love Korea, in spite of some of the anxiety that comes up whenever I think about it, and I would be with a friend. So I sent in my resume. Which is a pretty big step for me, considering less than a year ago, I was 100% sure that I didn't ever want to teach English. I wasn't feeling great about it still, but I felt that it was probably time to take a leap and Korea would definitely be a leap. Well, it turns out that they wanted us in March. And the more I thought about it, the worse it felt. I am committed to Grace and little sister, to my friends, to my branch, to Norfolk, to this current situation, until they move this summer. And March is only two months away. But I prayed about it. I talked to my sister about it. And even after she gave her blessing and said it would be fine, they would figure it out, I did not feel good about it. Even more so, I didn't want to go. And then I made a sort of realization. I think I've been trying to make other peoples' dreams my own. Someone is really excited about teaching in Korea so it excites me too. Someone else is going to grad school and is feeling very fulfilled, if a little stressed, so I should go to grad school too. Life is comfortable and familiar in Utah so I should definitely go back to living there too. These are all good things, but they aren't necessarily mine. I don't know why it has taken me so long to realize that.
Maybe it's because I've been so desperate for a dream for so long. No one has forced anything on me, I simply want to have purpose. And that brought me to another lightbulb. While watching my niece may not be academically fulfilling, it is wonderful, more wonderful than I deserve. She is a little light in my life and I love her so much. She teaches me more than I teach her, I think. I'm so blessed.
So will I nanny for the rest of my life? Maybe not. But I am pretty happy and I can find ways to be fulfilled aside from saving the world or curing the common cold. I have options and I have my whole life ahead of me. That may be terrifying and overwhelming, but I will take it one day at a time and I am never alone. There is always Someone on my side. And that is a huge comfort and far more than I deserve.
So... recap:
Summer 2013: I went to South Korea for a couple months. It was an exciting time. There were good and bad times. I learned a lot. I did not come back fluent, but I was competent enough to travel across the country on my own with a friend who spoke the same amount that I did. (Which, in retrospect, was definitely not enough...) Back in Utah, I spent the rest of the summer playing with my sisters and devising my schedule for the coming school year. Which is when I found out how very close to graduation I was. Which freaked me out a little bit. But it was long past due so I figured I would give it my all. However, the closer to the start of semester I got, the more I realized that I wasn't really prepared to graduate. I didn't feel as though I had fulfilled all that I wanted to. I didn't feel accomplished, or prepared to enter the workforce. Man, I didn't even like my major! I had no plan, no notion of what I was going to do after graduation. I didn't even have a hint of an idea as to what kind of job I wanted to get. Buuut... BYU pushed me to graduate. In fact, they wanted me to forget my minor and my language classes; they wanted me to finish in a semester and graduate in December. I pushed real hard for that extra semester...
Fall 2013/Winter 2014: School. My last year. I spent the fall teaching dance in Pleasant Grove and taking something like 16 credits. I was stressed about money- as much as I loved teaching, it was a long drive and not enough hours to really get me through my bills. So I was also looking for a job. Thank goodness for connections! In December, roommate introduced me to Jeff Strong, a fantastic BYU police officer who gave me a job at the Museum of Art on campus. And I took the early shift. Kill me, I was up at 4:30 every morning, but I enjoyed the work and I needed it. My second semester was a race against time. I cared more about my language class than I did about any of my major classes. I was graduating in just a few months and the only thing topping my enormous pile of regrets was the fact that I was terrified of what I was going to do after BYU. I hated myself for the decisions that had led me to where I was academically. But I was graduating and there wasn't much I could do about except try to pass my classes. (Which I did, in case you were wondering.) Some time in March, I got a call from my sister Katie, who lives in Virginia with her husband and daughter. She told me that her nanny couldn't work for them anymore and was wondering if I would like to come to Virginia for the summer to watch my niece. I prayed. I pondered. I was ready to get out of Utah and here was my opportunity. So I jumped.
Summer 2014: Never did I ever think that I would be living in Virginia. But Grace is the sweetest, cutest, most wonderful little one-year old in the world and I am SO LUCKY that I get to spend so much time with her. It was a very different kind of summer, but I enjoyed it. I liked the new atmosphere, meeting new people, attending a tiny branch of singles that was the polar opposite of any BYU ward I'd attended. I miss Utah. I miss my family and friends. I miss the familiarity. I miss the mountains and the church. But I've learned a lot. Not just about the world, but about myself. Things I probably wouldn't have learned if I'd stayed in Utah. I started searching for life options. Go back to school? For what? What did I really want to do? Go back to Utah? Get a job? Move to Korea and teach English? Nothing was really very clear. And it was stressful. Lots of praying and hoping. And faith. Lots and lots of faith. Because I know, regardless of what does or does not happen, that Heavenly Father will guide me.
Fall 2014: Trying to get a better idea of what I wanted to do... found out my sister was having another baby and it was like an answer to a prayer. I needed to stay in Virginia. It wasn't my plan, but I knew it was right. I got a calling in the branch's relief society presidency and another job at Habitat for Humanity in the family services department. Also a lot of new experiences. I never thought I'd be the "crazy Mormon" but at Habitat, I am!
Now: It's 2015 and I'm still no closer to making a discovery about a life path. It's one of my New Year's resolutions though! ;) A chance to go to Korea to teach English with a friend came up. Initially, I was feeling okay about it. I love Korea, in spite of some of the anxiety that comes up whenever I think about it, and I would be with a friend. So I sent in my resume. Which is a pretty big step for me, considering less than a year ago, I was 100% sure that I didn't ever want to teach English. I wasn't feeling great about it still, but I felt that it was probably time to take a leap and Korea would definitely be a leap. Well, it turns out that they wanted us in March. And the more I thought about it, the worse it felt. I am committed to Grace and little sister, to my friends, to my branch, to Norfolk, to this current situation, until they move this summer. And March is only two months away. But I prayed about it. I talked to my sister about it. And even after she gave her blessing and said it would be fine, they would figure it out, I did not feel good about it. Even more so, I didn't want to go. And then I made a sort of realization. I think I've been trying to make other peoples' dreams my own. Someone is really excited about teaching in Korea so it excites me too. Someone else is going to grad school and is feeling very fulfilled, if a little stressed, so I should go to grad school too. Life is comfortable and familiar in Utah so I should definitely go back to living there too. These are all good things, but they aren't necessarily mine. I don't know why it has taken me so long to realize that.
Maybe it's because I've been so desperate for a dream for so long. No one has forced anything on me, I simply want to have purpose. And that brought me to another lightbulb. While watching my niece may not be academically fulfilling, it is wonderful, more wonderful than I deserve. She is a little light in my life and I love her so much. She teaches me more than I teach her, I think. I'm so blessed.
So will I nanny for the rest of my life? Maybe not. But I am pretty happy and I can find ways to be fulfilled aside from saving the world or curing the common cold. I have options and I have my whole life ahead of me. That may be terrifying and overwhelming, but I will take it one day at a time and I am never alone. There is always Someone on my side. And that is a huge comfort and far more than I deserve.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Don't tell me you didn't see this coming... Okay, maybe you didn't
This is one of those really important, epic-times-to-come posts. If you care at all about my life, if you only read one of my worthless blog posts, this should be the one.
Ready?
This girl is going to Korea!!!!
For those of you who want to know (and this is almost every person so far) I'm going to SOUTH Korea, not North. I thought that was an easy one, but I have no trouble clarifying for those who may get confused.
Explanation:
Back in other posts, I may have mentioned my discovery of Korean culture. (Just a tiny bit... or maybe more than that.) At any rate, the short version of the beginning of this long story is that I walked in on my sisters watching a Korean drama (hereafter referred to as a Kdrama) and sat down to watch a few minutes because I had the time. Life changing moment (thank you sisters).
Let's go back a bit.
You also may know that after I left the folk dance program at BYU, I was a little bit lost, okay a lot bit lost as to what I was going to do next. Folk dance was THE reason that I came to BYU. So it took me a semester to work out what I was supposed to be doing, what The Lord wanted me to do. Not an easy thing by any stretch of the imagination (and I happen to have a pretty stretchy one- just ask those who have read my thrice-written, never finished novel). The first step in this transformation was finding a new major... again. I know. Believe me, I know. So after spending some time with a counselor, and talking with a good friend, I discovered the awesomeness that is the Geography department. And, after jumping through some hoops, I became a Global Studies major. Woot. First good decision. But I still missed folk dance. In fact, I think it's safe to say that taking all these classes about the world and culture made me miss folk dance even more. But I promised myself that after fall semester was over, I would move on. I would not be sad anymore about things that I couldn't change.
It wasn't that smooth of a transition, but I sure gave it my all.
It was a little way into winter semester that the Kdrama thing occurred. One Kdrama. "Lie to Me" was a fun, uplifting, CLEAN show. I wasn't new to the world of subtitles, having already been an avid fan of Bollywood, so it wasn't that hard for me to enjoy the overly dramatic, heart wrenching, depressing, laugh-out-loud cheesy stickiness that comes with just about every Kdrama.
Next for me came the language. I have always had a bit of a talent when it comes to movie quotes and intonation... My sisters make me quote Pirates of the Caribbean just so they can laugh at me... Anywho... I began to really LISTEN to the words and what those sounds implied. And then I decided that I wanted to learn Korean.
So I started teaching myself. The alphabet, how to put words together, making shot sentences like "우유요." (Translation: "It's milk.") And then listening and learning vocabulary words. But it was never enough. I felt like I was missing out on some aspect that was vital to my learning experience. So I decided to sign up for a class that fall semester. Another really good decision.
I almost forgot to mention K-Pop in this ever-so important post. Have you heard Gangnam Style? Did you know that Gangnam Style is a Korean song? News people: Gangnam Style isn't even close to being a good representation of what K-Pop REALLY is! It's a fun song. But there is so. Much. Better. out there! Expand your horizons! Start with this: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=AAbokV76tkU. Or this: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dww9UjJ4Dt8
Okay stop. Before you start the harsh criticism, I just want to remind you that it is a completely different culture there. Completely different. As different as tribes in Africa that walk around half naked or with piercings that cover their entire bodies. There is no need to mock their obvious femininity. They have a different idea of what is beautiful. This is CULTURE. This is what I am studying. Keep an open mind and appreciate. You don't have to agree or become a fan, but you do have to appreciate.
Off my soap box.
You are probably thinking at this point, "This is all very well, Christina, but how did you get to actually going to Korea?"
Back in April, I happened to see a sign for a study abroad to India. Yes, India. What do India and Korea have in common? They are both in Asia! I know this is pretty crazy. Believe me, the story is even crazier! So... April. I didn't think much beyond, 'I should sign up for that.' I didn't really think I would get accepted. I assumed that they would want me to graduate. But a week later, I got my acceptance email. I was excited. It was something for me to look forward to. Unfortunately, it was also for into the future. A few months shy of a year and that gave me plenty of time to worry and wonder. But I was determined to step outside my bubble. So I put $1000 down toward securing my spot. I had a talk with my friend at work who was all about support and bolstered me up. Despite what everyone was saying about India, it would be a good experience. And I was dedicated to it. But then...
Fall semester came and I was ready for it. I had classes that I was hoping to enjoy and a study abroad to look forward to. Sometime at the end of September, my dad walks up to me and asks, "Christina, can we talk about your study abroad?" I said, "Sho, Daddy. What do you want to talk about?" And he said, "Can we talk about you going someplace else?"
Boom.
He proceeded to explain that he just hadn't been feeling good about it. I was upset mostly. I didn't understand why he couldn't just support me. That night as I was going to bed, I said an upset prayer to Heavenly Father, asking why my dad couldn't just believe in me for once. Boy, does Heavenly Father answer prayers.
The next morning, I woke up with an uneasy feeling. It was the same feeling that had been haunting me on and off for the past several months. This time, I followed it instead of squashing it. It led me to the Kennedy Center. I figured that it wouldn't hurt to walk in and just explain my situation and see what my options were. The first thing I saw when I walked in the door was a flyer for a brand new study abroad to South Korea. And in that moment, it was as though Heavenly Father was whispering in my ear that He has a plan. And I was reminded that fathers can receive inspiration for their families. I will be forever grateful that my daddy followed that prompting that he had. Not that BYU would ever take students someplace unsafe, but that this path is the right one for me.
A secretary listened to my situation and happily explained that it would be a simple process to change programs but that the $1000 was nonrefundable. But I didn't want it refunded, I just wanted it transferred! I took my problem all the way to the top. I started by emailing the student accounts manager and waited. When he didn't get back to me, I went to his office and he told me I had to go see someone else. Eventually, I ended up at the director of all study abroads' office. He knew who I was and began to look some things up on his computer, while I explained my situation to him. At last he said that transferring the $1000 shouldn't be a problem.
So I filled out the application for South Korea. It got quite sticky for a while because I was still enrolled in India, so nothing would happen to my money because I cancelled all of a sudden. But then I started getting emails from the director of India. So I eloquently told him my problem and he proceeded to lecture me on how India is a very time-intensive program and if I wasn't ever dedicated to it, I shouldn't have signed up and I might as well just cancel right away. Ouch. Needless to say (after he called my parents), I knew that I wasn't going to India, even if I didn't make it into the Korea program.
It took a long time for me to find out that I was for sure going. In fact, it was just yesterday. I got an email from the student facilitator asking me to come to an information meeting. Naturally, he told me and a friend the wrong room so we had to wait for 30 minutes... but we got there.
and then it was official. I am going to South Korea in May.
Pause.
It still gives me shivers.
...
Freak out complete.
I'm going to go all ecumenically philosophical now. If you don't want to hear about it, you've read all you really need to. :) (Mindy joke)
I have never had a BIG dream. My dreams have always been pretty rational because I am, for the most part, a sensible being. My biggest dream was coming to BYU to be on the folk dance touring team and that wasn't even fully realized. One thing I've learned, with help from a friend, is that it is okay to dream big. Even if someone tells you that it's never going to happen, dream it anyway! This realization led me to another self-discovery. Deep breath. I am so glad that I'm not married. There, I said it. It's a funny thing to consciously realize. I really am glad. Here's why.
There is so much in this world that I haven't done that I want to do. There was a time in my life when I wanted nothing more than to find a great guy and settle down, but I'm glad that didn't happen. Heavenly Father has a big plan in store for me, so big that he pretty much flipped my world over. Seriously. If I had been able to look at what my life is like today, two years ago, I wouldn't have believed it was true.
I think as human beings, especially in this day and age, we are so accustomed to getting what we want when we want it. Immediate satisfaction. The past year and a half has taught me to trust in His plan. Not just to trust, but to rely wholly on Him. An old roommate taught me that if He closes off one thing, it means that He has something much better in store for you. And I believe that. I know it. Because if He hadn't led me away from folk dance, I never would have found Korean and I wouldn't have this big dream for my future. A plan for my future. Something I have never had before. I honestly never imagined my life past college. And now I have. I know what I want to do. But that's for another post.
We are so silly. Time and time again, we get frustrated with God. We blame Him and think He doesn't care about us, about what we want. He probably just shakes His head and murmurs, "I care more than you know which is why I'm doing this." He knows what is best and we should, by this point in our lives, understand and accept that. Have faith that He is steering you down the right path, to your ultimate destination. Take a moment and look back on your life. Think about some of the things you wanted. Would you be where you are now if Heavenly Father hadn't given you nudges in other directions? Maybe you were lucky and your plan matched up pretty well with His. Lucky you
I am living proof that Heavenly Father cares and will guide us to where we are meant to go. He's had to push me pretty hard sometimes. It hurts. It can be the worst, but ultimately it will be the best.
Ready?
This girl is going to Korea!!!!
For those of you who want to know (and this is almost every person so far) I'm going to SOUTH Korea, not North. I thought that was an easy one, but I have no trouble clarifying for those who may get confused.
Explanation:
Back in other posts, I may have mentioned my discovery of Korean culture. (Just a tiny bit... or maybe more than that.) At any rate, the short version of the beginning of this long story is that I walked in on my sisters watching a Korean drama (hereafter referred to as a Kdrama) and sat down to watch a few minutes because I had the time. Life changing moment (thank you sisters).
Let's go back a bit.
You also may know that after I left the folk dance program at BYU, I was a little bit lost, okay a lot bit lost as to what I was going to do next. Folk dance was THE reason that I came to BYU. So it took me a semester to work out what I was supposed to be doing, what The Lord wanted me to do. Not an easy thing by any stretch of the imagination (and I happen to have a pretty stretchy one- just ask those who have read my thrice-written, never finished novel). The first step in this transformation was finding a new major... again. I know. Believe me, I know. So after spending some time with a counselor, and talking with a good friend, I discovered the awesomeness that is the Geography department. And, after jumping through some hoops, I became a Global Studies major. Woot. First good decision. But I still missed folk dance. In fact, I think it's safe to say that taking all these classes about the world and culture made me miss folk dance even more. But I promised myself that after fall semester was over, I would move on. I would not be sad anymore about things that I couldn't change.
It wasn't that smooth of a transition, but I sure gave it my all.
It was a little way into winter semester that the Kdrama thing occurred. One Kdrama. "Lie to Me" was a fun, uplifting, CLEAN show. I wasn't new to the world of subtitles, having already been an avid fan of Bollywood, so it wasn't that hard for me to enjoy the overly dramatic, heart wrenching, depressing, laugh-out-loud cheesy stickiness that comes with just about every Kdrama.
Next for me came the language. I have always had a bit of a talent when it comes to movie quotes and intonation... My sisters make me quote Pirates of the Caribbean just so they can laugh at me... Anywho... I began to really LISTEN to the words and what those sounds implied. And then I decided that I wanted to learn Korean.
So I started teaching myself. The alphabet, how to put words together, making shot sentences like "우유요." (Translation: "It's milk.") And then listening and learning vocabulary words. But it was never enough. I felt like I was missing out on some aspect that was vital to my learning experience. So I decided to sign up for a class that fall semester. Another really good decision.
I almost forgot to mention K-Pop in this ever-so important post. Have you heard Gangnam Style? Did you know that Gangnam Style is a Korean song? News people: Gangnam Style isn't even close to being a good representation of what K-Pop REALLY is! It's a fun song. But there is so. Much. Better. out there! Expand your horizons! Start with this: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=AAbokV76tkU. Or this: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dww9UjJ4Dt8
Okay stop. Before you start the harsh criticism, I just want to remind you that it is a completely different culture there. Completely different. As different as tribes in Africa that walk around half naked or with piercings that cover their entire bodies. There is no need to mock their obvious femininity. They have a different idea of what is beautiful. This is CULTURE. This is what I am studying. Keep an open mind and appreciate. You don't have to agree or become a fan, but you do have to appreciate.
Off my soap box.
You are probably thinking at this point, "This is all very well, Christina, but how did you get to actually going to Korea?"
Back in April, I happened to see a sign for a study abroad to India. Yes, India. What do India and Korea have in common? They are both in Asia! I know this is pretty crazy. Believe me, the story is even crazier! So... April. I didn't think much beyond, 'I should sign up for that.' I didn't really think I would get accepted. I assumed that they would want me to graduate. But a week later, I got my acceptance email. I was excited. It was something for me to look forward to. Unfortunately, it was also for into the future. A few months shy of a year and that gave me plenty of time to worry and wonder. But I was determined to step outside my bubble. So I put $1000 down toward securing my spot. I had a talk with my friend at work who was all about support and bolstered me up. Despite what everyone was saying about India, it would be a good experience. And I was dedicated to it. But then...
Fall semester came and I was ready for it. I had classes that I was hoping to enjoy and a study abroad to look forward to. Sometime at the end of September, my dad walks up to me and asks, "Christina, can we talk about your study abroad?" I said, "Sho, Daddy. What do you want to talk about?" And he said, "Can we talk about you going someplace else?"
Boom.
He proceeded to explain that he just hadn't been feeling good about it. I was upset mostly. I didn't understand why he couldn't just support me. That night as I was going to bed, I said an upset prayer to Heavenly Father, asking why my dad couldn't just believe in me for once. Boy, does Heavenly Father answer prayers.
The next morning, I woke up with an uneasy feeling. It was the same feeling that had been haunting me on and off for the past several months. This time, I followed it instead of squashing it. It led me to the Kennedy Center. I figured that it wouldn't hurt to walk in and just explain my situation and see what my options were. The first thing I saw when I walked in the door was a flyer for a brand new study abroad to South Korea. And in that moment, it was as though Heavenly Father was whispering in my ear that He has a plan. And I was reminded that fathers can receive inspiration for their families. I will be forever grateful that my daddy followed that prompting that he had. Not that BYU would ever take students someplace unsafe, but that this path is the right one for me.
A secretary listened to my situation and happily explained that it would be a simple process to change programs but that the $1000 was nonrefundable. But I didn't want it refunded, I just wanted it transferred! I took my problem all the way to the top. I started by emailing the student accounts manager and waited. When he didn't get back to me, I went to his office and he told me I had to go see someone else. Eventually, I ended up at the director of all study abroads' office. He knew who I was and began to look some things up on his computer, while I explained my situation to him. At last he said that transferring the $1000 shouldn't be a problem.
So I filled out the application for South Korea. It got quite sticky for a while because I was still enrolled in India, so nothing would happen to my money because I cancelled all of a sudden. But then I started getting emails from the director of India. So I eloquently told him my problem and he proceeded to lecture me on how India is a very time-intensive program and if I wasn't ever dedicated to it, I shouldn't have signed up and I might as well just cancel right away. Ouch. Needless to say (after he called my parents), I knew that I wasn't going to India, even if I didn't make it into the Korea program.
It took a long time for me to find out that I was for sure going. In fact, it was just yesterday. I got an email from the student facilitator asking me to come to an information meeting. Naturally, he told me and a friend the wrong room so we had to wait for 30 minutes... but we got there.
and then it was official. I am going to South Korea in May.
Pause.
It still gives me shivers.
...
Freak out complete.
I'm going to go all ecumenically philosophical now. If you don't want to hear about it, you've read all you really need to. :) (Mindy joke)
I have never had a BIG dream. My dreams have always been pretty rational because I am, for the most part, a sensible being. My biggest dream was coming to BYU to be on the folk dance touring team and that wasn't even fully realized. One thing I've learned, with help from a friend, is that it is okay to dream big. Even if someone tells you that it's never going to happen, dream it anyway! This realization led me to another self-discovery. Deep breath. I am so glad that I'm not married. There, I said it. It's a funny thing to consciously realize. I really am glad. Here's why.
There is so much in this world that I haven't done that I want to do. There was a time in my life when I wanted nothing more than to find a great guy and settle down, but I'm glad that didn't happen. Heavenly Father has a big plan in store for me, so big that he pretty much flipped my world over. Seriously. If I had been able to look at what my life is like today, two years ago, I wouldn't have believed it was true.
I think as human beings, especially in this day and age, we are so accustomed to getting what we want when we want it. Immediate satisfaction. The past year and a half has taught me to trust in His plan. Not just to trust, but to rely wholly on Him. An old roommate taught me that if He closes off one thing, it means that He has something much better in store for you. And I believe that. I know it. Because if He hadn't led me away from folk dance, I never would have found Korean and I wouldn't have this big dream for my future. A plan for my future. Something I have never had before. I honestly never imagined my life past college. And now I have. I know what I want to do. But that's for another post.
We are so silly. Time and time again, we get frustrated with God. We blame Him and think He doesn't care about us, about what we want. He probably just shakes His head and murmurs, "I care more than you know which is why I'm doing this." He knows what is best and we should, by this point in our lives, understand and accept that. Have faith that He is steering you down the right path, to your ultimate destination. Take a moment and look back on your life. Think about some of the things you wanted. Would you be where you are now if Heavenly Father hadn't given you nudges in other directions? Maybe you were lucky and your plan matched up pretty well with His. Lucky you
I am living proof that Heavenly Father cares and will guide us to where we are meant to go. He's had to push me pretty hard sometimes. It hurts. It can be the worst, but ultimately it will be the best.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
When you think He doesn't care, He showers you with LOVE
I'm sure many people have had similar experiences... life gets hard, sometimes really hard. And then some miracle occurs that turns your life around (or perhaps just your perspective). And we're so grateful and we thank Him every night in our prayers and promise to remember all that He has done for us. And sometimes we do. And... sometimes we don't.
As I'm sure many of you know, the past year has not been the easiest for me. There were a couple of times when I looked to the sky and said, "Heavenly Father, I'm trying really hard to understand why all this is happening to me. I'm trying to see it as a blessing but really, isn't this a bit too much?" Things just kept going wrong. Even as my life slowly started to improve and I didn't feel like laying in bed with a bag of almond M&Ms every day, there were still problems, things that I had to deal with. I got pretty frustrated.
And then, one after another, two miracles happened.
1) My sisters discovered Korean culture in the form of a tv show. I mentioned it here. (Go reread or read for the first time, or completely ignore- whatever suits you best.) I wasn't terribly interested at first... I mean, I've been a fan of Bollywood movies for several years and this seemed fairly similar to that so I wasn't against them. After some persuasion on my sisters' part, I sat and watched an episode. Two words. Life. Changing. I should probably dedicate an entire post to this. And I will. Once I finish my 12 page persuasive writing research paper. Ha. For now we'll just say that it started me down a major path. One that I never imagined or expected. Enough said on that for now. TBC later.
2) Acceptance into the India Study Abroad for Winter 2013. First thing people say when they hear that. "Wow." Second thing: "Why India?" I'm going to say it now and only once, so pay attention. I have no idea why India. It was pretty much a whim. I saw a big poster in the SWKT one day while walking to class and I figured that I didn't have much to lose. I applied, doubting that I would get into the program. I was sure they'd want me to focus on completing my degree so I could graduate. But somehow I was accepted. And then it was a great battle within myself. Should I be focusing on graduating or should I actually go to India? And what about the money? Thousands of dollars don't just materialize. And there were things that I wanted to do that I wouldn't be able to do if I did go to India. And then people started suggesting that I go someplace else. India is so very far away. Four months is a long time. It's not a clean place. It's so different there.... things like this. And even though I didn't want to, I started to get nervous. It took me a while to talk myself down. I kept telling myself that I needed to try something different. Stepping out of my bubble and into the real world would help me grow by leaps and bounds. I'm not a weak person; I can handle reality. But money was still an issue, as it usually is. So I went to the temple. The irony of it was that it was probably the shortest amount of time that I'd ever spent in the temple, but I still got my answer. I didn't know how, exactly, but I knew that everything was going to be all right. So I put my trust in the Spirit and pushed forward, putting down the payment to secure my spot and beginning the preparations. Despite the fact that I still didn't know how I was going to come up with the money for the trip, I didn't worry. I knew that He would provide me with the answer at the right time.
Two months ago, I received a grant from the government. Oh, what a blessing! It wouldn't cover the whole fee, but it would certainly help.
About a month ago, my mom told me to go to this Veterans Affairs website and fill out this form and submit it for a little financial aid. Thursday I received a letter saying that I my application had been accepted and I would be receiving the aid. According to my papa, $900 a month for up to 45 months. When I saw that, a huge weight lifted off my chest and I literally felt His love and I could feel Him saying, 'Yes, Christina, I do love you and I am looking after you.' I am so blessed to have a loving Father in Heaven who takes such good care of me despite all of the silly things that I do. He loves me unconditionally and He gives me great opportunities to grow and to experience incredible things. That is the beauty of this life.
As I'm sure many of you know, the past year has not been the easiest for me. There were a couple of times when I looked to the sky and said, "Heavenly Father, I'm trying really hard to understand why all this is happening to me. I'm trying to see it as a blessing but really, isn't this a bit too much?" Things just kept going wrong. Even as my life slowly started to improve and I didn't feel like laying in bed with a bag of almond M&Ms every day, there were still problems, things that I had to deal with. I got pretty frustrated.
And then, one after another, two miracles happened.
1) My sisters discovered Korean culture in the form of a tv show. I mentioned it here. (Go reread or read for the first time, or completely ignore- whatever suits you best.) I wasn't terribly interested at first... I mean, I've been a fan of Bollywood movies for several years and this seemed fairly similar to that so I wasn't against them. After some persuasion on my sisters' part, I sat and watched an episode. Two words. Life. Changing. I should probably dedicate an entire post to this. And I will. Once I finish my 12 page persuasive writing research paper. Ha. For now we'll just say that it started me down a major path. One that I never imagined or expected. Enough said on that for now. TBC later.
2) Acceptance into the India Study Abroad for Winter 2013. First thing people say when they hear that. "Wow." Second thing: "Why India?" I'm going to say it now and only once, so pay attention. I have no idea why India. It was pretty much a whim. I saw a big poster in the SWKT one day while walking to class and I figured that I didn't have much to lose. I applied, doubting that I would get into the program. I was sure they'd want me to focus on completing my degree so I could graduate. But somehow I was accepted. And then it was a great battle within myself. Should I be focusing on graduating or should I actually go to India? And what about the money? Thousands of dollars don't just materialize. And there were things that I wanted to do that I wouldn't be able to do if I did go to India. And then people started suggesting that I go someplace else. India is so very far away. Four months is a long time. It's not a clean place. It's so different there.... things like this. And even though I didn't want to, I started to get nervous. It took me a while to talk myself down. I kept telling myself that I needed to try something different. Stepping out of my bubble and into the real world would help me grow by leaps and bounds. I'm not a weak person; I can handle reality. But money was still an issue, as it usually is. So I went to the temple. The irony of it was that it was probably the shortest amount of time that I'd ever spent in the temple, but I still got my answer. I didn't know how, exactly, but I knew that everything was going to be all right. So I put my trust in the Spirit and pushed forward, putting down the payment to secure my spot and beginning the preparations. Despite the fact that I still didn't know how I was going to come up with the money for the trip, I didn't worry. I knew that He would provide me with the answer at the right time.
Two months ago, I received a grant from the government. Oh, what a blessing! It wouldn't cover the whole fee, but it would certainly help.
About a month ago, my mom told me to go to this Veterans Affairs website and fill out this form and submit it for a little financial aid. Thursday I received a letter saying that I my application had been accepted and I would be receiving the aid. According to my papa, $900 a month for up to 45 months. When I saw that, a huge weight lifted off my chest and I literally felt His love and I could feel Him saying, 'Yes, Christina, I do love you and I am looking after you.' I am so blessed to have a loving Father in Heaven who takes such good care of me despite all of the silly things that I do. He loves me unconditionally and He gives me great opportunities to grow and to experience incredible things. That is the beauty of this life.
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