I think this stuff matters.

I am constantly awestruck by the interconnectedness of the little things in my life.

This is going to get long, and I am not going to apologize for it, because I'm writing it here because I want to remember it because it was a cool day.

I planned on sharing my Johnsonburg Presbyterian Center-New Jersey related adventures in this blog. My first visit, however, did not lend itself to anything particularly exciting: Brick. Just around the corner. The boss and I did a few presentations, but then sat with a few youth advisors to act as a sort of sounding board for their challenges in youth ministry-- mainly that junior high kids are buttheads and all that comes with that. I'm fortunate in that my own middle school kids are kind of jerks but it's kind of endearing. I could definitely relate to their struggles and I think it was a mutually productive dialogue.

So, today was a really interesting and meaningful and... words are failing me. I'm trying to say that it all flowed and tied together nicely, but in one word. Does anyone know that word?

My day was really focused on two things: a Presbytery meeting in Sayreville and visiting one of my youth in the hospital in New Brunswick. Close enough together that it was totally convenient. I had a really good visit with the youth. She is a freshman in high school and has all sorts of angst about being in the hospital, even though she really needs to be there right now. She is a great kid and it pained me to see her in a not so great state, which she seemed only moderately aware of. ("I'm feeling better. I want to go home.") I was really glad that I could visit her today. I hope that when I work with the youth, I'm making some sort of positive difference. They certainly impact me.

I left New Brunswick for Sayreville during rush hour, so stopped to console myself with a cup of tea from a Wawa on the way. As I walked in, I noticed a car that was just... a hunk of junk. Probably early 90s, bumper kinda falling off, plastic and tape in lieu of passenger window. I made my tea and spotted a family who I suspected belonged to the car-- kind of poorly dressed, not very clean or neat, not very healthy looking. As I walked back to my car, my suspicion was confirmed. I saw them sitting in the car eating. Something tells me that mom and her two kids were living in that car. I know that poverty exists in New Jersey-- by no means is Sayreville a totally upscale town-- but it's still kind of surprising and saddening to see such an example. My first thought though, was actually a question someone asked me in Malawi: is there poverty in America?

I had to think about that question for a moment before answering the person. Yes, yes there is, but it's different. I think I told them it wasn't as severe, but sitting here now, I hesitate to say that it's better or worse. I'd say it's different. The best example I could give to the person asking was Appalachia. That's kind of an inadequate answer though. Yes, there is widespread poverty and lack of resources in that part of the United States, and was kind of similar to the way people are lacking access to resources in Malawi. But poverty is just different here, and it's startling how it shows up sometimes.

I went to Presbytery. This was the Presbytery of Monmouth, my home Presbytery, so I expected to see a few familiar faces from the area. (By the way, for those of you who are not deeply entrenched in Presbyterianism, Presbyterian churches: Presbytery:: towns/ villages/ depending on the state you're in, cities: counties.) Some of my interactions--

Rev. Gary, from Jamesburg: This is a man I've known for a long time through Johnsonburg. He immediately recognized me and was very encouraging about my working at camp. I'd been thinking of him all day, not just because I knew I'd probably see him tonight, but because he taught me something very important about visitation a long time ago-- don't ask the patient how they're doing. They're in a hospital or nursing home, they are obviously not well. Don't remind them. I was very careful not to ask my youth group kid how she was doing today. We had a very lively conversation going, completely distracted from her grizzly treatment (blood washing, to be followed by a transfusion). The hospital chaplain came in and said, "How are you doing?" and the youth noticeably shrank back and got a little upset. It was incredible how quickly the tone changed. The chaplain was a very nice lady and it was an otherwise pleasant visit but she could really stand to go to the Gary school of visitation.

Dan, an elder from my own church: who shared with me that our session has agreed to support Villages in Partnership in a greater way this year, funding very specifically the next nine villages taken on under this project. Nine villages! Can you imagine the impact of clean water close by? Goats? Chickens? Maybe even schools?

Rev. Stephen, from Allentown: This is where Villages in Partnership got started. The Liz who I was in Malawi with this summer is his wife. It was really great to see him not just because of my general excitement about their work in Malawi, but because Malawi was sticking out in my brain after my earlier experience at the Wawa. The first thing he said was, "I had a really great conversation with your pastor today about some villages." I am so proud to be part of this.

Rev. Barbara, from Lakewood: She served in Toms River as our youth pastor before going to Lakewood. She was slightly before my time. My older brother was in her youth group as a junior high, and I was always really impressed that she always knew who I was even though I wasn't old enough for youth group yet. I was amazed that she remembered me, my last name, who my brother was (and that there was a third child, even younger, even less associated with her work at my church). She asked after Chris in particular though, saying she was even thinking about him recently, having a conversation with one of his old youth group leaders about how youth suddenly become adults, and how Chris always really liked to vacuum, and what was he doing now. Obscure thing for her to remember from only witnessing it once or twice at a retreat or something, but she clearly remembered my brother, which just reminded me how important these relationships between youth and their positive influence adult counterpart people really are. (And I told Barbara that Chris is well-- he is married, and has a house, a job, a dog, and a vacuum cleaner.)

Lastly, but hardly least, Becca, someone I know from back in the day at Johnsonburg (circa 2003) and have stayed loosely in touch with but have always been a fan of. I saw her signing in with her father and we chatted briefly about her life at Princeton Seminary and my life generally floating around. I didn't realize why she was there at Presbytery. She was being accepted as an official Inquirer (meaning, our Presbytery supports and encourages the fact that she is seeking to be an ordained minister). Some of her pastors spoke of her as a youth, and after she spoke a few words and left the room, Presbytery unanimously agreed to support her. I was really excited about this. Becca is a really sweet and awesome lady, and is bringing all sorts of Johnsonburg and youth and Presbyterian love to the table. It was very cool to be there for that.

And now I'm home. I regret not staying for the rest of the meeting.

It was a strangely fulfilling day. The world really is a big old web of connectedness. It's kind of incredible. Whether you are Presbyterian or any sort of religious adherent at all or not, you must admit that the sort of weaving of themes throughout my day was kind of awesome. I'm feeling pretty deeply moved by it all. I think this stuff matters.

And, as a post script following the theme of interconnectedness and community and the fact that I came home and caught the second half of the State of the Union address, I'd like to see more purple ties in the future. I just think it would be a nice gesture.

anything but sedentary

Last night was the first night I slept in my own bed in 2011.

The rest of my time in Virginia was great-- the Doyle wedding was super lovely, it was awesome to spend some time with some amazing people, and I got to see some parts of Virginia I'd never seen before. After the wedding, Taylor and I returned to Vienna via Appomattox Courthouse, Lynchburg (to celebrate his brother's birthday), the Blue Ridge Parkway and Charlottesville, which also included stopping in this other town:

Click on people's faces in the photo to tag them.

It seems a little silly that no one ever shared this town's existence with me before.

Taylor made me this map to show me the amoeba-shaped loop we took through the state. After returning to NJ and making a few more side trips this week as I started working at camp, I wondered, what would my own since-New Year's map look like? Google actually only allows 25 stops on a given map, so I had to do two: Virginia, New Jersey, which totaled about 1375 miles in the first 13 days of the new year, not including any other side trips or errands, which I made quite a few of. Now, not all of these happened in my own car, but probably about 700 of those miles did.

After looking at maps and realizing how much driving I've done so far, or even how much riding in cars I've done total, I thought it might be interesting to track my mileage for the year... but then I realized that would be absolutely ridiculous. Hello! Have you read this blog?! I do not sit still. My toothbrush is safely tucked in my red toiletries bag and ready to go at all times. However, I think I will keep track of how far my car goes, because that's way easier. Starting mileage for 2011: about 148,500. Current mileage: 149202, which means I've more than broken 60,000 miles on this car since I bought it in May 2007. Remember when I'd reached 50,000? That's right. July. Ten thousand miles in six months.

Things are going well at camp so far. I attended a Presbytery meeting with Kurt and Lorelei on my first day and have been organizing things in preparation to visit other churches and groups around the state to advocate camp. It snowed the night I arrived so I stayed at Harry and Ann's house rather than needing to be dug out of Lakeside first thing the following morning. It was a peaceful few days up there. Warren County knows how to clear roads (ahem, Monmouth, you should study) but everything else was otherwise blanketed in beautiful, clean snow and framed in icicles.

77%

I'll be moving back into Lakeside next week!

It's been a busy couple of weeks of 2011 so far, but I'm pleased.

cool as a cucumber

It's been a lovely week thus far in the D.C. Metro Area. I've been here since New Year's Day, and I've seen a few new places in Northern Virginia and been able to catch up with a lot of wonderful people.

On Sunday evening, Taylor and I met up with JT and Riley at Vintage 50, a brew pub in Leesburg. I'd never been that far west in northern VA before, but it was a lovely evening catching up. It was dark out, so I didn't have much of an impression of the area other than enjoying the restaurant and company and waffle fries. I did notice earlier in the day while running errands with Taylor that the landscape is a lot more rolling than I expected-- I spent much of the car ride with my eyes shut to quell the queasiness that subsequently ensued.

On Monday, I accompanied my good friend and source of the infamous toothbrush quote Becky back to Leesburg for some necessary shopping-- the whole reason I'm in Virginia in the first place this week is to attend a wedding this weekend, for which I didn't have a dress to wear. I was correct about the landscape, lovely and rolling, but it was nice to see slightly less development as we drove west of Fairfax County. We had a successful day and actually also ate at Vintage 50, meeting up with one of Becky's awesome college friends and her very cool son Charlie.

Tuesday involved me spending a lot of time in the library working on thesis while Taylor and everyone else I knew was at work. I accomplished quite a bit before meeting up with various cut-ups and cut-up associates in Arlington. I always like visiting Arlington because it tends to involve awesome people and I like being able to walk from place to place-- on this night it included Earl's (delicious) and Galaxy Hut (also delicious) (except for the Bourbon Stout-- beer of the day would probably be the IPA from Cricket Hill in NJ, which I always see more of in VA than in NJ).

I met up with my college roommate Brittany for dinner on Wednesday (joined by Taylor after he got off work), but spent the day at the mall and library in Springfield, which is another area that is surprisingly hilly. I guess I've only spent time in the flat parts of northern Virginia previously. Good thing I know how to drive my stick shift reliably.

So after spending the entire week thus far around northern Virginia, I finally made it into D.C. itself today, having another wonderful visit with the aforementioned awesome Becky. We volunteered at D.C. Central Kitchen this morning, cutting cucumbers and lettuce for hours to be put into salads and sent to various shelters and schools around the city. What an awesome program-- locally sourced food, training former criminals to be chefs, feeding many people in need. It was incredibly relaxing to just cut veggies all morning.

After finishing at the kitchen, Becky escorted me to purchase a SmartTrip-- her contribution to convincing me to move to the area. Whether or not I find work and move here any time soon, I will be sure to visit, especially now that I have my way cool SmarTrip card!

Tonight I head to Richmond to kick off wedding festivities!

Happy New Year!

I spent 2010 all over the place. I didn't spend more than two consecutive weeks sleeping in the same place, whether spending a night at Cheryl and Gurzo's to lessen my commute to Rutgers, or spending days off from camp at home, or taking trips to Virginia or Malawi, among other adventures. Earlier in the year, my friend Becky sent me an email about settling back into her townhouse following Peace Corps and world travels, saying "There is something therapeutic about putting your toothbrush in the same place every night, right? Earp, I know you're not familiar with that experience." Good point, Becky. I imagine there is something therapeutic about that, but I enjoyed my year of constantly changing scenery, and keeping my toothbrush in my awesome travel toiletries bag.

Will I travel in 2011? Of course. I'm actually spending the first week of the year in Virginia for a wedding and some general hanging out, and then returning to New Jersey for work: I'm returning to camp as the Marketing Assistant, to advocate Johnsonburg to Presbyterian churches and other groups around the great state of New Jersey. I'm excited to be able to share with others the beauty and awesomeness that is camp, and of course appreciative of a good excuse to explore new and different places in NJ while I'm at it. I'll be finishing the masters next month and looking for more permanent work, but I'm looking forward to being at camp in the meantime.

Happy New Year, all!